Happy Birthday, Al Pacino

Today is the 71st birthday of Al Pacino, one of the most beloved actors of all time. In honor of Mr. Pacino, I'd like to briefly showcase some of my favorite Pacino films:

The Godfather
Considered one of the best American films of all time, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather was the catalyst to Pacino's incredible career. If you've never seen The Godfather (and can handle the language and violence), it should be at the top of your need-to-see list of films. You'll be amazed at how many phrases and scenes you were already familiar with without ever before realizing it. Pacino was nominated for a Best Actor in a Supporting Role Academy Award.








The Godfather: Part II
Hands-down the best sequel to a film ever made. Pacino's Michael Corleone is hardened, determined, terrifying, and heartbreaking. It is a brilliant performance that earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.











Dog Day Afternoon
Directed by Sidney Lumet, Dog Day Afternoon is a film about an actual bank robbery in Brooklyn in the early seventies. Pacino plays Sonny Wortzik, an average man who decides to rob a bank to get money for his lover's operation. As expected, the plan falls apart and Wortzik finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation. Pacino was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for the role.








Scent of a Woman
Pacino won an Academy Award for his role as Frank Slade, a blind former Lieutenant Colonel who takes his young caregiver (Chris O'Donnell) on an unexpected trip to New York City.











The Godfather: Part III
Though the final chapter of the the Godfather saga pales in comparison to its predecessors, Part III is still a wonderful character study about a man (Pacino's Corleone) coming to terms with the choices he's made as he nears the end of his life.










I love Al Pacino. I could list several other excellent films that are wonderful expamples of Pacino's skill (Serpico, Donnie Brasco, etc.), but I know you know he's great, so I'll spare you.
I suppose one of the reasons Pacino is so beloved, aside from his talent, is how mesmerizing his eccentric personality is. Therefore, because I love Pacino, and because I also love Johny Depp (Pacino's co-star in Donnie Brasco), I'll leave you with this YouTube video of Depp discussing "crazy" Pacino on Dave Letterman:








PLEASE NOTE: All above-listed films are rated R and contain language and/or violence and/or sexuality

Photo Credits via Google: (In order) mymoviebanners.com, wildsound-filmaking-feedback-events.com, impawards.com, movieposterdb.com, withfriendship.com
Video Credit: youtube.com
Fact Credits: imdb.com

Actor Spotlight: Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway should be given more credit. Oftentimes when people reference Anne, they either conjure up images of her as the teenage star of The Princess Diaries, or as the co-host of what many deem the worst Oscar Ceremony broadcast to date. But like her or not, Anne ranks right at the top of the Hollywood "It Girl" hierarchy alongside Natalie Portman and Amy Adams. Reason: the girl's got talent. Now before you scoff (as I'm sure you can't get The Princess Diaries out of your brain), take a look at some of the highlights of her career:

2001: Anne stars in the sleeper hit (and her first film) The Princess Diaries, showing off her comedic chops alongside Julie Andrews.
2005: Anne co-stars in Brokeback Mountain, hands-down the most talked about and controversial film of that year.
2006: Anne co-stars in The Devil Wears Prada with Meryl Streep, an entertaining (and surprisingly emotionally insightful) chick-flick of a film. Streep was given an Oscar nomination for the role.
2008: Anne co-stars in Get Smart alongside Steve Carrel, arguably the most beloved comedic actor of the decade.
2008: Anne stars in Rachel Getting Married. If you have not seen this movie, I beg you to Netflix it immediately. The film itself is so beautiful and brilliant...I could literally spend hours discussing this film. Anne was nominated for a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and an Oscar for her performance as Kym, the black sheep of the family coming home for her sister's wedding. Anne won the following awards for her performance: Austin Film Critic's Best Actress Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Actress Award, Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actress Award, National Board of Review Best Actress Award, and several others.
2010: Anne co-stars in Tim Burton's highly anticipated Alice in Wonderland as the ethereal, black-lipsticked White Queen.
2011: Anne co-hosts the Academy Awards with James Franco.
2011: It is announced that Anne is cast as Selina Kyle (Catwoman) in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, which will, without doubt, be the highest grossing film of 2012.

Not convinced?
What if I told you that Anne is a trained singer who was considered for the role of Christine Daae in Schumaker's 2004 adaptation of Phantom of the Opera?
Or that her role as Kym was ranked by Paste Magazine as one of the top 25 roles of the decade?
Or that she's been a top-billed actor in over 13 films in the past ten years and she's not even thirty?

Still not convinced?
I tell you what, I challenge you to rent Alice in Wonderland and Rachel Getting Married, watch them back to back in that order, and then leave me a comment telling me that I'm wrong and that Anne has no talent whatsoever.
I challenge you.




PLEASE NOTE: Rachel Getting Married is rated R for language and brief sexuality

Photo Credit: google.com (images)
Fact Credits: imdb.com

A Serial Synopsis of the Silver Screen

The precursor to this blog was my Do I Dare to Eat a Peach?, which existed as a medium for self-expression primarily during my time of unemployment. The blog lacked focus or direction. In general, the only time I found that I could write extinsively was when my attentions were focused on filmmaking.
Anyone who knows me well understands that I am quite the movie buff. If given the opportunity, I could ramble on for hours about trivia of the most useless nature. My poor husband is both awed and annoyed at the factoids I'll occasionally shout out during our weekly post-Blockbuster-raid movie nights.
In college I was blessed with the opportunity to be Freed-Hardeman University's movie critic for a semester, exposing Bell Tower readers to my ramblings in my column "Confessions of an Opinionated Moviegoer". Though it was short-lived, it was a wonderful experience which allowed me to express my thoughts and opinions on an artistic medium I hold close to my heart.
Now, as my husband and I have finally bitten the bullet and purchased internet access (until now we either stole a weak signal from the Burger King a few blocks away or had to haul our ancient laptop to the local Starbucks), I've decided to create this blog as not only a means for freeing my crowded mind of it's useless trivia, but more importantly as a way in which friends, family, and random readers can gain insight on films past and present.
I would like to preface all upcoming posts by saying that I approach film, in general, with an open mind. I am a Christian woman, and more often than not, actions displayed in film are in opposition to a lifestyle that I hope to lead. However, film is a medium for storytelling. While I may not choose to live like Vito Corleone, I respect that it is a reflection of the lifestyles of others. Film can be a window to unknown or unfamiliar worlds; it is a collective piece of art that aims to both entertain and enlighten. It is my personal goal that with each review, I include some information about possible suggestive matter that may help people approach the film with caution. I never wish to offend anyone.
That being said, I hope you enjoy this little blog.
I submit The Celluloidian to you fully aware of my own nerdy-ness.