The Drug Culture

Most of you know that I have returned to working for a living. It has its good points. But, alas, no time to concentrate on the really important stuff - like this blog. Still, I would like to keep this alive and am publishing this issue with limited editing. In future posts I will be counting more on you to fill in the blanks. I have many lists of favorite movies in various categories but have not written the commentary yet. That's where you will come in. So, stay tuned to this station for more movie lists.


This post centers on movies where the plot is focused on or around drugs. As usual, my arbitrary standards apply. There is a particularly complete list on Wikipedia that even lists the drug of choice for each movie. One could literally divide this category into half a dozen or more subs (cocaine, pot, heroin, speed, etc.). Without passing any judgments - one thing that is very interesting in the US' on-going War on Drugs: currently, between the state and Federal governments, we spend just over $1,600 PER SECOND fighting this war. And, it is pretty clear we are not winning. Of the 1.7MM people in prison/jail in the US, approximately 500,000 are in for drug-related offenses. Each inmate costs $20,000 per year. So add that to the total for the "War." And, according to the FBI we arrested 873,000 people in '07 for marijuana offenses - and 775,000 of those were for possession only. Also interesting to note that; in 2001, more than half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present — an average of one person injured almost every minute. Marijuana use is not listed among the top 10 causes of fatalities on the road. There apparently are no statistics supporting any specific fatalities from driving under the influence of pot. At CU this year a student convicted for possession of marijuana lost his financial aid while one convicted of causing injury while driving drunk suffered no consequence. Also interesting to note that the largest corporate sponsors of the war on drugs are the alcohol and cigarette industries. Interesting to note that the new Drug Czar has indicated that we lost the war on drugs and that he will not be carrying it forward.

One of the more interesting things I came across while researching this topic was Patty and I recently saw a film called Fuel, about the oil industry and our dependence on it. It claims that prohibition was actually the device of the Rockerfeller's who wanted to drive the need for gasoline. At the time the Diesel engine predominated and used mainly ethyl alcohol (i.e. bio diesel). In order to get rid of this threat the family stirred the morality pot that ended in outlawing ALL forms of booze, including the type you put into cars. Ironic, no?

So, on to the movies. This is a tough category because there are so many movies that "feature" drug use. Examples - Apocalypse Now (several), Batman Begins (hallucinogenic powder), The Doors (lots of stuff), almost every gangster movie, and even the classic propaganda film Reefer Madness. Here's what Wiki has to say about this cult-classic: Reefer Madness is a 1936 exploitation film revolving around the tragic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try "marihuana": a hit and run accident, manslaughter, suicide, rape, and descent into madness all ensue.







Since category confusion never stopped me before - and no doubt these choices will offend some - the top three are as follows:

Traffic (2000) - Intense, serious movie about the complexities of the US drug culture. Four intertwining stories. Stars Benicio Del Toro and Michael Douglas. A Stephen Soderbergh film (Ocean's 11, 12 and 13, Erin Brockovich and Sex, Lies and Videotape). Nominated for five and won four Oscars. (Gladiator beat it out for Best Picture). The use of English and Spanish scenes added to the intensity. Del Toro was phenomenal (Best Supporting Actor hardware for him).

Easy Rider (1969) - an absolute classic. Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, great music, hilarious scenes of hippies going south, wonderful scenes from New Orleans, never-before-scenes of an LSD trip and again, a wonderful soundtrack. Made a star out of Jack Nicholson (he was nominated for Best Supporting for the role).

Up In Smoke (1978) - The best of the Cheech & Chong movies. This film so pissed-off the US government that they launched a multi-year investigation of Tommy Chong and finally got him for selling a bong to a Federal agent and shipping it from California to Pennsylvania. He served 15 months for it and they made a good documentary on the subject (aka Tommy Chong). Up in Smoke was so vilified that even the official trailer was R rated. And, the film is hilarious. There are so many funny scenes in this film it is hard to even list them. Overall the plot is weak but there are many, many side splitting lines. Stacy Keach is terrific as the bumbling G-man. Not a great movies but a great example of this category.

And the rest of the Top Ten are - in approximate order:

The Salton Sea - Boy is this a violent and grim movie. But an excellent watch if you can take it. Val Kilmer stars along with one of the great villains of all time - Vincent D'Onofrio as Pooh Bear. Great final scenes. Peter Sarsgaard was also well cast as Kilmer's sidekick.

Requiem for a Dream - Very intense film about drug addiction. All of these are hard to watch on some level and this one is no exception.

Blow - Great performance by Johnny Depp as a serious dealer - George Jung - who was the leader of the south Florida (and US) cocaine trade in the 70's. Supposedly controlled 85% of the market at one time. Also with Ray Liotta and Penelope Cruz.

The Boost - James Woods made this movie. About a real estate hustler who gets involved in cocaine in LA.

Trainspotting - Ewan McGregor and life as a heroin addict in Edinburgh.

Basketball Diaries - One of Leo's best performances.

Drugstore Cowboy - Matt Dillon in one of the few roles where I actually liked his acting. Also, Heather Graham and Kelly Lynch.

Next Post - for Pickle - Sequels

Gangsta's

One of my favorite categories is gangster films. And, according to several film publications it is the favorite category of the majority of American viewers. Clearly, one movie (series) is responsible for this focus - The Godfather. In an earlier post we talked about movies that were as good as the book and The Godfather almost certainly qualifies. The book was good but the movie was great. There have been several other classics in this segment and several are highlighted below.

As with many of my "categories" definitions are arbitrary. So, while Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs are somewhere on my top 100 overall list, they do not qualify for this one. Nor do the Yakuza films (Japanese gangsters).

And, ordinarily a movie like Leon (also called The Professional) would not qualify either. It is more of a "hit man" film than a true "gangster" movie. But it still fits into the slightly broader category of Film Noir. Either way, its my blog so... I am highlighting this movie before going on the Top 10. This is a Luc Beeson film. It is ranked among the top hundred films on numerous film lists and the top 500 for almost every list I have seen. And, the best part of this film is the first 10 minutes. The star is one Frank Senger. In addition to being a seasoned actor Frank is my brother-in-law. This film plays often on cable and is another one of those that I stop at frequently to watch at least a few minutes. Well worth the rental.

Now, on to my Top Ten Gangster Films - in order...

The Godfather (1972) - One of the great movies of all-time. So much has been written and all of it justified. Even after a third or fourth viewing this movie still really holds together. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. One little known fact - five Coppola's had bit parts, Carmine, Gian-Carlo, Italia, Roman and Sofia. [Remember the guy who played Johnny Fontane (Frank Sinatra)? His name was Al Martino and other than GF Part II and Godfather for TV, he never acted in any other movie until 2006 when he starred in a bomb call Cutout.] The Godfather cost $7MM to make and it has grossed about $300MM - just at the box office. Add in all the merchandising, video game sales etc. and the gross is upwards of $1Billion. Leela is the only person I know who has not seen this movie. We will have to tie her down at some point and make that happen.

Goodfellas (1990) - I liked this movie almost as much at The Godfather. Not a dull moment. Ray Liotta was fantastic as the main character - Henry Hill - as were DeNiro, Pesci, Jackson, Bracco, Imperioli and Sorvino. A Martin Scorsese film, and a couple of his relatives had bit parts. Martin directed about 50 films and had bit parts in 23 of them. The movie was also known as Made Men and Wiseguy. Liotta has been in tons of films but none of his other performances come close to this one. Pesci and Bracco won and were nominated for Best Supportings.

The Godfather, part II (1974) - Won six Oscars. The Best Sequel ever, by far. (A later post will tackle the subject of best sequels, and this movie will be far and away in first place.)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984) - Commented on in an earlier post - this movie is often called the Jewish Godfather. Another DeNiro film, also with Pesci and James Woods, Tuesday Weld and Treat Williams. The film is long but a great saga - 3:47 run time. After a while you just want it to keep on going.

A Bronx Tale (1993) - Robert DeNiro's directorial debut. Chaz Palminteri and DeNiro star, only this time, DeNiro is the straight laced neighborhood bus driver trying to protect his kid from the neighborhood hood. Good vs. evil on lots of different levels.

Miller's Crossing - Great prohibition-era gangsta flick with some excellent but slightly lesser knows - like Albert Finney, John Turturo, Gabriel Byrne and Steve Buscemi (of the Sopranos). If you like this genre you'll really like this film. Very noirish feel to it and an excellent storyline. A Coen brothers written and directed film.

Bonnie & Clyde (1967) - One of the original modern gangster films with Faye Dunnaway, Warren Beatty, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons (Best Supporting Oscar) and Warren Oats. Also a part for Gene Wilder, in his first movie role after a couple of TV bits. Shot in B&W, very effective moody movie about the two famous gangsters, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker - who were actually just a couple of lawless kids on the run. Then they went a little crazy. The final scene is pretty intense, especially when you consider the 1967 release date. Quite a scandal over the violence at the end.

The Departed - (2006) Maybe this was really a good cop / bad cop movie but underlying it all was a mobster and his connections into the Boston PD. This time it is the Irish mafia. So, it makes my list. Leo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin - what a great cast. The dynamic between Damon and Wahlberg was outstanding. And Nicholson was made for this kind of part. Another Martin Scorcese picture.

The Untouchables (1987) - Other than The Fugitive I cannot think of a better movie made from a TV show. Kevin Costner was himself and did a great job. I always love Sean Connery and no different in this one. Andy Garcia was good too as his brooding self. Really enjoyed Charles Martin Smith in his role. He's been in a ton of movies always in these kind of background parts.

Scarface (1983) - Pacino, Pacino and more Pacino. One of the most violent movies around, this film has generated an amazing following. A so-called Scarface Nation (the name of a book given to me by the Pickle's). All kinds of amazing facts/trivia available from that source.

Honorable Mention:

Donnie Brasco - Pacino, Depp, Madsen. The best scene is the exchange of Xmas presents.

Mean Streets -Scorcese, DeNiro and Harvey Keitel. Almost made the list.

James Cagney - Many of his films qualify. Try: White Heat, The Roaring 20's or Public Enemy - all excellent early gansta pics.

The Road to Perdition -A different kind of role for Tom Hanks. Slow in places. Paul Newman nominated for Best Supporting.



Special Mention:

Casino -DeNiro, Sharon Stone, Pesci and James Woods. Great movie. Also almost made the list, but the category isn't quite right.

Not on this list - The Godfather, Part III - there are very few movies where even the sequel is any good, much less the third, fourth or fifth in the series (see, e.g. Star Wars, Rocky, Halloween, Superman, Harry Potter, Fast and Furious, Alien). This is another one of those continuations that should never have been made.



Next Post: The Drug Culture

'Nam

This was a really crappy war but it inspired some really great war movies. In terms of human deaths - and these numbers are oft debated - 3 to 4 million Vietnamese from both sides, 1.5 to 2 million Laotians and Cambodians, and 58,159 U.S. soldiers lost their lives. And then there were also millions of wounded Asians. And we thought we had lots of casualties! The war lasted 16 years and came close to destroying this country from within.

I already mentioned my attachment to this genre. I thought I had seen a ton of 'Nam films until I started researching the subject. An archive from Slippery Rock University lists 510 films about Vietnam and its aftermath. And, here's a great link - from Wellesley College - to an amazingly comprehensive list of news films and documentaries (primarily). After reviewing these lists I did acquire a few new titles and at least one has made my list.

One of the common themes through all these movies is the use of 60's/70's music - much of which was inspired in one way or another by the war. Some of the most famous songs include Vietnam by Jimmy Cliff, The I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag by Country Joe & the Fish, Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire, Goodnight Saigon by Billy Joel, Ohio by CSN, Fortunate Son by CCR and many, many more.

The top movies in this category are hard to rank - so I won't try. Even though there are always a few that stand out, in this category there is no difficulty finding a top ten. The hard part is limiting the list to that. There really are a lot of quality films on this topic so my list will include 13 movies that deserve top ten consideration.

Still a few really jump out and there are certainly a top FIVE: - make that SIX:

Platoon - Oliver Stone film - I think his best. Won four Oscars including best director and picture. And, another Willem Dafoe film (nomination for best supporting). GREAT cast (Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker, Tom Berenger, Keith David, etc.). Maybe the reason it was Stone's best was because he actually was an infantryman in Nam and wrote this movie as a counter to John Wayne's The Green Berets (could be the lead in a class on Propaganda and Film). Music from the Doors was to be used liberally in the film and Jim Morrison was invited by Stone to play the lead but never even replied to the request. Instead the Doors music was prominent in Apocalypse Now.

The Deer Hunter - One of the films that marked my generation. This movie had it all - great cast, compelling story, love, war, tragedy, heartache, redemption and some of the greatest tension in any movie made (in particular the MOW MOW scenes). It won FIVE Oscars and had a cast that included Streep, DeNiro, Walken and Cazale. This is a bit strange: Cazale (best known as Fredo from The Godfather) had cancer and died shortly after filming. In the Russian Roulette scenes involving Cazale (which were shot first due to his illness), DeNiro suggested using a live bullet and Cazale agreed! He was engaged to Streep at the time. Very interesting tidbit - Cazale was in a total of five films. ALL FIVE were nominated as Best Picture. Can you name them (answer below)? Another piece of trivia - to make himself look more ghostly, Walken exclusively ate rice, bananas, and water for the week before he filmed the third act.

Apocalypse Now - Amazing cast. A Coppola (the Godfather series) film with Martin Sheen, Brando, Harrison Ford, Duvall, Fishburne, Hopper. This was a very intense film. Some critics have written it off but I thought it was great. It was nominated for eight Oscars but only won two minor ones. Sheen was great in this role and he was about the sixth choice. McQueen, Pacino, Nicholson, Redford and Caan were first approached. And, Brando was paid $3.5MM for one month of work -- and this was 1976, when $3.5MM was actually a lot of dough.

Full Metal Jacket - The biggest name in the movie was Mathew Modine, and most people don't know who he is. Lots of great characters played by relative unknowns - like Vincent D'Onofrio and Pvt. Pyle - incredible scene in the latreen (the one that gives the movie its name). Directed by Stanley Kubrick (2001, Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, Spartacus, Lolita, Paths of Glory - wow, what a list - and then Eyes Wide Shut (boy was that a terrible movie))

Tigerland - Not a well known film but a great portrayal of what training for the war must have been like. Excellent scenes of the trainign programs to get recruits ready for Nam. Way beyond basic training. Takes place at Ft. Polk, La. Stars Collin Farrell and a bunch of people I had never heard of.

Good Morning Vietnam - I just don't think of Robin Williams in roles like this one but he was fabulous. As the AM DJ in the armed forces radio his monologues are vintage Williams and no one does a stream of consciousnous like he does. Great scene when is out with the troops stopped by a truck convoy.

Seven through 13 are as follows:

The Boys in Company C - Again, Ermey as the DI. Excellent portrayal of boot camp and a tour of duty. Really helps one understand the military concept of FUBAR.

Hamburger Hill - Breakout role for Don Cheadle. Follows the story of an actual single assault over ten days on a worthless military objective on the Laotian border. Great battle scenes and a strong feeling for what a multi-day siege must have been like.

The Siege of Firebase Gloria - I had not heard of this movie till a couple of weeks ago. Very powerful. Great action scenes during a long siege at a small firebase. Lead role played by R Lee Ermey who you'll now remember as the drill Sgt. in Full Metal Jacket. He also had roles in Apocolypse Now, The Boys in Company C, China Beach, and Purple Hearts - obviously somewhat type cast as the "Gunny." (He was formerly an actual US Marine Corp Drill Instructor.)

Coming Home - Jane Fonda was terrific and Jon Voight moved me as the disabled vet. According to IMDB the film is about "A woman whose husband is fighting in Vietnam falls in love with another man who suffered a paralyzing combat injury there." Interestingly it won three Oscars - best writing, best actor and best actress, but not best film. That went to ...surprise, The Deer Hunter.

Forrest Gump - I hadn't really thought of this movie as being a Vietnam film but many others do. Many parts were about the war and its impacts here and abroad. So, its in. And it was excellent. Gary Sinise is outstanding as Lt. Dan. And the parts where Forrest plays ping pong are hilarious.

Hearts and Minds - Documentary about the war. Made in 1974 by a significant group of military officers against the war. Notably (and the main reason this movie makes the list) is the appearance (multiple scenes) in the film by one Randall Floyd, a former main squeeze of my sister Janet. He was a Captain and flew numerous bombing missions before finding a way out. Randy was one of a select few who attended Patty and my wedding oh those many years ago.

Born on the Fourth of July - Based on a true story. Oliver Stone directed. After a while you get a little sick of Cruise but still an excellent film. Willem Dafoe also in this film and he is almost always good.

Honorable Mention:

Dead Presidents - more about a vet after the war, but still very entertaining.
Heaven and Earth - the third in the Oliver Stone Trilogy, from the perspective of a Vietnamese woman. Even though Tommy Lee Jones has a small part he is featured on the movie cover.
Casualties of War - Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn. Intense.
The Quiet American - Michael Caine and Brendan Frasier. The 1952 version was also pretty good. About Vietnam, pre-THE war.

We Were Soldiers - Lots of people rave about this movie but I thought it was weak and boring. Maybe I have just had enough of Mel.

Watchable:

Hanoi Hilton - slow at times but still pretty intense
The Green Berets - The original Vietnam film all decked out in red, white and blue.
Rescue Dawn - POW film with Christian Bale
Rambo - First Blood - Sly goes to Nam - good action, lousy film
Missing in Action - Chuck Norris goes to Nam - good action, lousy film
Flight of the Intruder - Danny Glover stars. Not bad.
Rolling Thunder - Not about Nam, really a revenge flick with Tommy Lee and William Devane.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Godfather, Godfather II, The Deer Hunter, Dog Day Afternoon, The Conversation.

NEXT POST: Gangsta' Movies