Lost in London LIVE (2017) - ★★★☆☆

For those of you who don't know, Lost In London is kind of a special flick. The first and only film (to date) directed by our dear Woody, it was also the first film to ever be broadcast live into theaters across the nation. On top of that, it was filmed entirely in one shot, with one camera and no cuts (I haven't seen 1917, but I imagine it was pretty derivative of Lost In London). Furthermore, I'd like to take this opportunity to make what is a bold, potentially controversial statement: Lost In London is the only film in the Woody Harrelson genre.

Perhaps I should back up a little. Lost In London is based on a true story, and Woody appears as himself alongside Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson (the three men all live nearby each other in Hawaii, now. Personally, I'm wondering why Matthew McConaughey doesn't join them!) on a rollicking journey through the streets of London one night as Woody attempts to make amends to his wife and children by taking them to the set of Harry Potter, only to get arrested for breaking an ash tray.

I say this is the first film of the Woody Harrelson genre because I really, truly, think it is. Most of the jokes revolve around Woody, and the entire plot is about him. There's jokes, there's action, there's drama, but the most important element of all is Woody himself (the film is reflective of my own life in this way). All the semantical and syntactical elements come from Woody himself, and depend on the viewer's knowledge of the Woodyverse. Admittedly, most of the references are pretty easy to pick up on, so I think even a beginner Woody Harrelson fan could find their footing in this movie.

Maybe someday, Hollywood will open its eyes to the vast panoply of opportunities which the Woody Harrelson genre recommends. Maybe as more films are added to this illustrious genre, they will grow more difficult, and require more engagement. One can only hope!

But for now, I'll leave you with the words of the prince who Woody hangs out with for a while during the movie, whose sentiments toward Woody I rather share:

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The Big White (2005) - ★★★☆☆

It is, perhaps, a little-known fact that a movie only needs exactly one (1) ingredient to be a good movie. That ingredient is not a good director (what even is a director? The guy who clacks the black and white thing and shouts "action!"?). That ingredient is not beautiful cinematography (though The Big White has no shortage of that. I really liked the vast snowy landscapes and also the matching snowy whiteness of the insurance office, especially since it was snowing outside my window while I watched this movie and I guess that just felt serendipitous). That ingredient is not an incredible and talented cast—something I think everyone agree this movie has (Robin Williams, yes, but also this guy , who looks like Pete "Mad Men" Campbell, but isn't. I like him a lot and would like to see more of him!). That ingredient is not even—dare I say it?—Woody Harrelson. Many a movie, in fact, as this blog evidences, is very bad in spite of Woody's wonderful presence. ...

Indecent Proposal (1993) - ★★★☆☆

I am reminded today of my first ever endeavor into the blogosphere. It was only just over two years ago, believe it or not, and it was an assignment for my English class—we had to blog about whatever novel it was we chose to read—my choice was Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge , and my blog was called Oops, I Sold My Wife!! (and it still exists! ). Although my teacher may have taken issue with my prolific use of multi-media story-telling devices, I knew from the first moment that blogging was, in fact, right up my alley. Something else that was right up my alley, of course, was the decades-long tragedy depicted in Hardy's novel, which begins with a shock many readers find themselves unprepared for—Michael Henchard, the eventual mayor of Casterbridge himself—sells his wife for five guineas (a pretty low price! In 2018, that was equivalent to only 700 US dollars). Of course, for our friend Henchard, this sets off a chain of unimaginable tragedies, and because the author...

No Country For Old Men (2007) - ★★★★☆

I think it's interesting that this, the second movie I've viewed on this grand adventure with a motif of tube-related crime, is called 'No Country For Old Men,' because something I noticed while watching it was that there were actually a couple old men in it, and they don't even die. I think that some would have me believe it is called this because it is a line from a famous poem, and is a reference to the disillusionment Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (an old man) feels with these modern times.... kids have green hair and nose piercings, and guys do violence with tubes. He probably feels like he doesn't belong in Texas anymore because of all these crazy kids and their newfangled violence, thus making the country not one which is for an old man. Nonetheless, he's there, and time sort of goes on no matter what, and things have always been bad in one way or another. He should probably get over it. That being said, I have a few ideas of other names this movie (yeah, I kno...

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