Casablanca

You know how you sound, Mr. Blaine? Like a man who’s trying to convince himself of something he doesn’t believe in his heart.

Here are my questions:

Was Casablanca ever the best film of all-time?
Is it still a great film?
Is it an enjoyable film for a modern audience?
Does everyone need to see it?
Is it my grandmother’s favorite film?

No, Casablanca was never the best film of all-time. Citizen Kane debuted in 1941.

Yes, it is great. It is still a success on every level. Beautifully shot. Wonderfully acted. Written in a snappy, but meaningful way. It is was shocking for me to see the release date on this, since a movie filmed during World War II like this seems amazingly good.

Yes, it is more enjoyable than modern audiences would believe possible. It is not a movie that is only good from a historical sense or when its context is taken into consideration. Lastly, if there ever comes a time when people don’t enjoy seeing nazis get what they deserve, then I don’t want to be among those people. Plus, it’s not that troubling from a racist or sexist perspective. And you can trust me on that, I’m a 40 year-old white male!

No, while watching Casablanca helps explains generations of references and is an enjoyable and meaningful film, it’s still just a film. It’s not Schindler’s List.

Yes, and that probably influenced my enjoyment of the film. The first time I watched it she sat on the couch saying all the lines along with it. The way some people watch The Big Lebowski. I’m not sure what my other grandma’s favorite movie was, but when I think of her I think of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and how she’d let us rent Bond movies when my brother and I would come to visit for the week in the summer.

****½

Blade

We have a good arrangement. He makes the weapons. I use them.

Blade – That song is a remix of Confusion.

What do you rate a movie that is simultaneously schlock and genius. I thought I should look up the director, because I’ve written about the writer – David S. Goyer. Stephen Norrington is that director. He only did four movies, the final one in 2003, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is infamous for being terrible. Sean Connery said it made him retire from acting. It made Alan Moore stop watching adaptations of his comics, which is too bad because V for Vendetta was great. Personally, I enjoyed the film for what it was.

Speaking of “for what it was,” Blade is 100% that. As much as Robert Downey, Jr. just became Tony Stark/Iron Man, Wesley Snipes became Blade. His casting was brilliant and so was everyone else in this. I’m surprised that the female lead, N’Bushe Wright, didn’t go on to have a bigger career since she’s solid in this. It is hard to seem grounded when growly Black vampire and even growlier old white guy are spitting vampire dialogue at her for minutes at a time, so I give her credit for enduring gibberish for hours every day.

The reason I put this movie on again was just for the opening scene. In my memory it was a masterpiece and truth be told it was even better than I remembered. The immortal Napster track “Blade – Techno Theme.mp3” is actually “Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction mix) by New Order”. Yes, “Blue Monday” and “Bizarre Love Triangle” New Order. I still have no idea who played the original vampire and the dumb white bro who comes along to be her snack in a shower of blood from ceiling spigots designed to put out fires. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that scene sets a tone that the rest of the film cannot possibly live up to, but makes the endeavor totally worthwhile anyways. Like X2 and Nightcrawler in the White House! A film that would not have happened without the success of Blade.

****