250 of 1001 Movies: Dances With Wolves (1990)

With a three hour running time Dances With Wolves explores all there is to explore with the characters in the time frame. For a first movie from Costner it's quite an ambitious endeavor. He also can't help but star in whatever movie he is directing even if there was most likely someone better for the role. What makes the story beautiful though is that the stories explored really show the frontier in a way that is beautiful and the Sioux's heritage in a very beautiful light.

Summary: Lietenant Dunbar ends up being exiled to a post after he is mistakenly credited as a hero after trying to commit suicide. Dunbar arrives there and is alone. Though he has the companion of his horse the loneliness eventually begins to get to him. While exploring he happens upon an injured woman, and also begins to get to know a tribe after bringing her back to them. The tribe is hesitant at first as their encounters with white men haven't been good, but Dunbar proves himself to be different, and also a hopeful messenger between the white people and the tribe.

430 of 1001 Albums: Pixies' Bossanova

Pixies have some of the best guitar riffs I've heard in an album on their album, Bossanova. The singer also has a great voicing, and the instrumental arrangement was enjoyable. They also seemed to go with the space theme that is prominent on the album cover. I've heard of the Pixies before, but I hadn't ever listened to them, so hear is my first listen from the Pixies.

History: Pixies are an American band that released their fourth album on a British label. This would bring the album to be a hit in the U.K where it was marketed. The album as it's roots in space and surf rock with an uniquely combined sound. The album would spawn a couple of singles, and would hit the charts in the U.S., but not quite as powerfully as it did in the U.K. Critics mostly would give the album positive reviews, but there were some who weren't as receptive to the album.

246 of 1001 Movies: Goodfellas (1990)

Martin Scorsese is known for making some of the most compelling gangster movies there are. With Casino and The Departed, there is also Goodfellas. Goodfellas is set apart somehow with a more Godfather like story. It's filled with as much backstabbing, violence, and crime as any of the others though. The stars though feel like they could be a continuum from another movie. They make these characters just as compelling though as any others they've portrayed.  I'm going to assume that the reason Goodfellas is more popular is because it was made before Casino's release, so it was the start of something good for Scorsese.

Summary: Henry Hill thinks he has fallen into luck when he is accepted into the lifestyle of the neighborhood gangsters. They basically adopt him as one of their one even though he is part-Jewish and part-Sicilian. For a kid who struggled to fit into his own family this gives him a place to call home. Henry continues to climb the ranks of crime and achieves wealth and a family, but eventually crime is going to backfire. As the years pass the crime only gets worse, and the greed is stronger. With the risk of jail, and much worse death the crew continues on. When their livelihood is threatened they will do anything to cut ties though.

215 of 1001 Movies: Close Up (1990)

It starts out interesting and then I wanted it to be over.
Close Up tells of a real life story, and that is the interesting part. The other interesting part is that it features the actual people involved with the story, and it even shows footage of the real events. Then about halfway through the story becomes not so interesting anymore. I haven't seen a story like this though, and haven't even heard of someone pulling something like this off even for a small length of time though.

Summary: Hossain Sabzian enters a family's home claiming that he is director, Mohsen Makmalbaf, and that he has chosen there home to be the setting of his next movie. The family welcomes him into their home loving the idea that their home has been chosen. Until news break that he isn't who he said he was. With real life footage from his trial in the courtroom blended with interviews of the family, and an reenactment of the day he was arrested this movie is thrown together with surreal and documentary style images.

396 of 1001 Albums: Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Ice Cube's debut album tells a lot about the life in the projects and it introduces a catchy sound of hip hop that uses rap. While the beats and raps are interesting there is also a ton of sexism in the album that upholds a lot of negative connotations about the genre. To referring to women with a lot of sexist terms and sometimes just downright in a sexually degrading way. As a woman it's just not something that is empowering to listen to as a woman. It has some culture value though and the beats are hard to deny as catchy.

History: The album released with very little promotion, so when it hit charts at #2 it came as a surprise critical and commercial success. The album is met with controversy as it attacks Arsenio Hall for acting "white", and refers to people of black and white heritage as "oreos". It does mix in a lot of social content to showcase how rampant racism still is though with newscast mixed into the music.

Saturday Movies: Miller's Crossing (1990)

It is one of the very many Coen Brothers movies I've seen this past year, and I've got to say they are growing on me. Their movies are ones that stick around a while with you after watching. Miller's Crossing is one those that you don't really realize how it does stick with you till after a while of time has passed after watching it.  In Miller's Crossing though the war that wages in the character as he tries to do the right thing though is interesting to follow, and provides a lot of nice twist.

Summary: Tom Reagan seems like a pretty peaceful guy to be involved with the mob as an advisor. He just doesn't want to see a war break out, and seems to want to keep violence to as little as possible. When Bernie, the brother of the woman that Tom has feelings for, ends up in a bad spot between two mobs who want him dead, he tries to help him. The guy though has a reason that both the mobs are after him, and that is he just an unlikable and unloyal guy. Now Tom is just going to wish he had just left the whole thing alone.

Wednesday Movie Night: The Godfather Part III (1990)

The Godfather III may be the Godfather movie that many fans want to forget was made especially after the dramatic, but quiet ending of the previous movie in the series that seemed very final. It also was probably unexpected considering Francis Ford Coppola's reluctance to do another in the series. While definitely not the strongest of the three, it still at least did have some effort put into making it that still makes it a good movie. Thankfully, much of the cast is able to return, but the focus may be a little too much on the new members who give no new direction.

It's 20 years later, and that makes the year 1979. We left off in 1959. Michael is now much older and he is feeling like he needs to make up for the past crimes and murders he has committed. He's doing this by being more involved in his religion and charity, but there are still old rivals in his past coming back to haunt him. His brother, Sonny, has a son that is causing trouble, and he takes him under his wing to try to prevent him from stirring further trouble with the mafia. This may put stress on him trying to make amends with the family that now despises him for his old mafia lifestyle.

86 of 1001 Movies: Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Edward Scissorhands is a modern fairy tale, and it's beautifully done by Tim Burton. Coming off a success with Batman, and already building his unique story telling abilities with the likes of Beetlejuice, he finally makes a movie that is original, and creatively amazing. It's also one of Johnny Depp's first starring roles, and Wyonna Ryder fits Tim Burton's usual like for the female lead.

Edward has been living alone for who knows how many years undiscovered, until an Avon lady drops by and finds him. Peg decides to take Edward home with her, and this causes a stir in the neighborhood as he doesn't look like the other neighbors most noticeably that he has scissors for hands. Some neighbors label him evil, while others begin to pursue him out of attraction. Most dangerously, Edward is naive, making him a target for his want to fit and help being used for illegal activities. The fact that Edward is falling for Peg's daughter, Kim, doesn't help his situation, as he will do anything to win her affection for him. She's a popular teenager who's boyfriend wants to cause him a lot of problems.