174 - Jawbreaker

Connection To OFFICE KILLER - Carol Kane.

Maybe I wanted another Heathers, that's probably where my disappointment comes from when I originally saw this back when - I know one positive though for me it introduced me to Judy Greer (this wasn't her first role just the first thing I saw her in).

The film is sort of Heathers meets Mean Girls (though it predates it by some 5 years) it's just not as good as either and watching it now after so long it's a bit better then I remembered, and yes having being released in the late 90's, it feels all... well late 90's to me.

The plot is kicked into gear in a stupid way (thought that then, still think it now), 3 friends accidentally killed their other friend on her birthday when they "kidnap" her but a jawbreaker in their mouth then tape over it before putting her in a boot and she dies in the meantime.

I imagine they did have Heathers on the mind in some ways when they writing and making this creating the 90's version, while both are black teen comedies the former just manages the tone much better.

Character wise Rose McGowan is pretty good as the alpha bitch as is Julie Benz as the basically a lackey to her, the third girl and the one who feels guilt at the incident Rebecca Gayheart is not particularly good though to be honest. To me the film belongs to Judy Greer who manages to play shy and nerdy and bitchy and confident both equally convincing (usually a film fails at transformations this is a rare get it right).

There is some appearences from a number of other familiar faces with Carol Kane, Pam Grier, and very, very small roles for Carrie's P.J. Soles and William Katt (seriously they get in the opening credits and are both on screen for about 5-10 seconds), and it feels like one of the few films I've seen Tatyana Ali in.

There is another Carrie connection, that got established last year, Greer actually makes a pigs blood reference related to the book and film and then went onto play the gym teacher.

Overall, 90's dated and tonally imperfect but there is shining moments in this movie, none more so then Ms. Greer. I'd say watch it if it's on but there's no need to hunt it down.

151 - Titanic (1943)

Connection To TRIUMPH OF THE WILL - Nazi propaganda.

I don't feel like I have to put a Nazi disclaimer here like I did with Triumph Of The Will - for the simple reason it's a movie I feel like you judge on it's own merits, this could have been shown to somebody - tell them it was made in German in 1950 or whatever and in my opinion they would never know that it was commissioned by Goebbels - though it never actually got shown in Germany itself (out of fear of weakening morale rather then boosting it)

On paper, how it was initially described to me I thought it was going to be full of pig-headed Brits or Americans ignoring the dangers or faults on the Titanic while the German's stand by being in the "right" - and to be fair there is a little bit of that, but it's probably related to the reason it never got the German showing (occupied countries got to see it) is maybe the story is a bit too human.

Obviously it sounds silly saying that after all - the story of the sinking of the Titanic is a human story told countless times on the big and small screen, I just don't think when it was commissioned this would put a human face on the Nazi's enemies.

So on it's own merits, it's up there with A Night To Remember as the best film about the sinking of the Titanic (I don't have the bile for the 1997 movie like some do, it's just not my favourite telling), it's notable I mention A Night To Remember, because that film actually takes footage from this movie and re-uses it - which sort of fits in with what I said earlier, take the Nazi element out of it's background and you have no idea.

This was the first Titanic movie that seemed to set the structure of what was to come - concentrating on the passengers before the disaster strikes, it's sort of like the proto-disaster movie in a lot of ways, who would have thought I'd be saying that from a film from the Nazi's hey!

Overall taken on it's own merits, this version of Titanic stands alongside other versions, this would be talked about more I know for sure if it wasn't for those pesky Nazi's (how many times have I used that word in this write up?) because it's really a film that should be remembered.