7 Awesome Fictional Rock Bands in Movies

Movies can have this incredible ability to share a 90 minute story of a person who isn’t real and completely inspire the viewer to live their life as this person. Who didn’t watch The Sandlot and came out not wanting to play baseball? Didn’t everyone want to be as cool and daring as James Bond after watching one of his movies? Movies about musicians have the same ability, whether you play music or not. They can be inspiring tales of perseverance and raw talent or comedies about trying to make it big. It’s really exciting to see musicians perform in movies and it’s somehow more exciting when they’re performing rock and roll. Some rock bands played big roles in movies, some standing the test of time to becoming household names today. This list will include seven fictional rock bands that stuck with us and made us all want to rock out.

7. Pink Slip from Freaky Friday (2003)

 In 2003, Evanescence was playing on the radio and Avril Lavigne was in her heyday. Was there a cooler time for pop-rock music for girls? That bratty girl pop music blared throughout the soundtrack of the 2003 remake of Disney’s Freaky Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. In the movie, Lohan’s character Anna is in a band called Pink Slip. This five-member band led by three girls was inspiring for girls watching at the time. And with lyrics like “Don’t wanna grow up/I wanna get out,” just about every tween audience member felt the urge to buy a Telecaster and scream into a microphone. High school rock bands, especially in the movies, often ride the line between fun and desperation to make it big, but either way, there is something infectious about the music. Pink Slip was a rock band that made you want to both cringe at the awkward teen-drama moments and secretly wish to form your own garage band with your friends. 

6. The Weird Sisters from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

There is so much lore in the Harry Potter universe, we often forget that there was a famous rock band in the wizarding world. Known as the Weird Sisters, the band was one of Harry Potter’s favorites and they played at the Yule Ball during his fourth year at Hogwarts. A wise directorial choice allowed real rock stars to write songs for and perform as the Weird Sisters in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film. With all the dangerous situations and magic spells, this was one part of the movie that was truly relatable to the audience: teens dancing to a rock band performing at a school dance. All the band members wore black makeup and had dark costumes. The instruments even had interesting designs. The Weird Sisters were glam in all its glory. What is great about the Weird Sisters was that they were all played by real rock stars: Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey of Pulp, Johnny Greenwood and Phil Selway of Radiohead, Jason Buckle of All Seeing I, and Steven Claydon of Add N to (X). Cocker even wrote all the songs for the film, including the dance jam “Do the Hippogriff.” Seeing a glam rock band played by recognizable musicians in a Harry Potter movie was unique and fun. Who doesn’t want to picture Hermione Granger headbanging to rock and roll in a ball gown?

5. Sex Bob-omb from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based off the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim, is an amazing film for so many reasons: the writing, the humor, the action, the visual effects. But music also plays a huge role in this film. There are several fictional bands that make appearances in the movie, including Crash and the Boys and the Clash at Demonhead. But this list needs to incorporate the band that plays the biggest part and includes the protagonist as its bassist: Sex Bob-omb. Named after the Super Mario character, the band consists of Scott Pilgrim and his two friends Stephen and Kim. The band is desperate to get gigs and is constantly competing with other bands in the movie. Although wanting to be successful, the band members realize towards the end it isn’t worth selling out and playing music they don’t want to play. The energy that comes from this band is amazing. And getting to know the characters throughout the film makes you vouch for this band even more. The songs are hilarious and raw at the same time; Sex-Bob-omb is just a band you would want to go see in real life. PS: Sex Bob-omb’s songs were written and performed by Beck in the film. Go Beck. 

4. Wyld Stallyns from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

This might be a strange choice for this list, because the audience never got to experience the band Wyld Stallyns being good in the movie. But the entire plot revolves around the fact that one day Wyld Stallyns’ music will cause world peace and be the foundation for a future utopian society. And that is reason enough for this band to be memorable and be a part of some of the best fictional rock bands that film has offered. Bill and Ted are two teenage idiots who have formed a band called Wyld Stallyns, regardless of lack of musical know-how. As they travel through time (to gather famous people for a report so they don’t fail history class), they even gain two more band members from medieval times. But this foursome, though talentless at first, eventually create music that is both inspiring and “excellent for dancing.” Plus, how many bands have a catchphrase accompanied by guitar music?

3. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem from The Muppet Movie (1979)

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is the only band on this list that is not comprised of human beings. But that doesn’t stop them from rockin’ out. The band had been playing on The Muppet Show years before but made its film debut in The Movie Movie. They help Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear trick out a van while singing the amazing song “Can You Picture That?” This song was a jam and it had great lyrics, including “Fact is, there’s nothin’ out there you can’t do/Yeah, even Santa Claus believes in you.” Three distinct voices, a blaring organ, a smooth saxophone, and a crazed drummer - you can’t go wrong with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Does it matter that they’re Muppets? That makes them even more impressive. This is a band that does everything from variety shows to rock concerts. There’s no stopping them.

2. Spinal Tap from This is Spinal Tap (1984)

The crowning jewel of mockumentaries, This is Spinal Tap offers probably the most famous fictional band ever created. They’re so amazing, that one could easily confuse the film’s soundtrack as an actual awful glam rock album. This is Spinal Tap tells the story of an aging rock band called Spinal Tap trying to make a comeback with an American tour. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer so perfectly capture the essence of glam rock: the oversexualization of rock stars, the huge production value of musical numbers, the fascination with magic or whimsy in lyrics, the crazy costumes and makeup, and constant balance between being edgy and being popular. Who can forget the laughable performances of “Rock and Roll Creation” and “Stonehenge?” Or the cringe-worthy lyrics of “Big Bottom” and “Sex Farm?” And who hasn’t guiltily jammed out to “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight?” The songs are as memorable as the performances and Spinal Tap truly gave us the inside look at the ups and downs of being a rock star (mostly downs if you’re the drummer, of course).

1.   School of Rock from School of Rock (2003)

It doesn’t matter if you were 11 or 91; when you left the theater after seeing School of Rock, you wanted to be in a rock band. Richard Linklater’s School of Rock is not only one of the funniest movies ever made, it’s also just one of the best movies about music, period. It was incredible enough that all these kids could play instruments so well, but that they could write and perform rock music that really rocked, well that was something else. Jack Black’s character, no matter how silly, was truly inspiring to these kids. Stick it to the man, stick up for yourself, do what you love. This movie made every part of being in a rock band look cool, from the lead guitarist to the business-minded band manager. This movie showed that anyone could rock. The kids in School of Rock were the coolest kids ever: they played instruments, they wrote music, they said stuff like “kick-ass.” And having Jack Black as the lead singer of your band is just the perfect ingredient for a good time. This movie surely inspired many kids to pick up a guitar or learn how to sing. And it also made everyone in the audience watching more mad about the results of a fictional Battle of the Bands contest than an actual sports game. The reason School of Rock is number one is because it’s a fun, influential, truly rock ‘n’ roll band that’s out to stick it to the man and prove that you’re never too young or too old to rock.

Cult Film Friday: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

From Freaks and Geeks Episode 3: "Tricks and Treats:"

Lady: What the hell are you supposed to be anyway? The Tin Man?
Sam: I'm Gort. He's the robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Lady: ...You look like the freakin' Tin Man.

Every time I understand a new reference from Freaks and Geeks, I level up. And this time, the reference belonged to a famous science fiction movie that had been on my list of movies-to-see for a long time.

The Day the Earth Stood Still tells the story of Klaatu, a man who visits Washington, D.C. in a UFO accompanied by an 8-foot tall robot named Gort. Klaatu intends to give the people of Earth a message concerning peace but he is thought to be dangerous and is hunted by the police. Disguised as a regular human, Klaatu finds friends that trust him and work to help him deliver his message. The film was released in 1951 to international acclaim. It won a unique Golden Globe award for "promoting international understanding" and was preserved in the National Film Registry in 1995. Today, the film retains a strong cult following and is considered to be one of the best science fiction films ever made.

I honestly went into this film a little cautiously. There are a lot of older science fiction movies with reputations for being bad. I remember watching The Angry Red Planet and thinking it wasn't so bad it was good; it was just bad. The Day the Earth Stood Still was a wonderful surprise. It was very well-written and the dated effects didn't take away from the movie; in fact, I quite liked them. Michael Rennie did a great job in the role of Klaatu and Bernard Hermann's score was magnificent. And overall, the reflection of Cold War culture in America as well as the idea of creating peace among nations made this science fiction film stand on its own as something real special.

The Day the Earth Stood Still grabbed my attention right from the start. The movie begins with the UFO coming to Earth and it shows the whole world becoming both hysterical and excited. From the moment Klaatu comes to D.C. until the moment he leaves, you are involved in his story, rooting for him the whole way. Klaatu has been described as a Christ figure. He comes to Earth to deliver a message of peace, is hunted and killed by many of the people he encounters, and then comes back to life to finish his mission. It is aspects like this that make The Day the Earth Stood Still stand above the countless space B-movies that came out around the same time.

Another part of this film that stuck out to me right from the beginning was the music. The score was composed by Bernard Hermann. He composed the music for many movies, including Citizen Kane, Psycho, and Vertigo. Hermann can really get into the realm of whatever movie you are watching. The music from Psycho, for example, is so recognizable and so scary and intense. The music for The Day the Earth Stood Still was so freakin' spacey. The opening credits had you feeling like you were flying through space yourself. The score set the mood perfectly for each scene and really just upped my appreciation for Bernard Hermann.

I also really enjoyed the special effects. I feel like a lot of people today would think they are cheesy and bad. I suppose they are, but they were good for the time, and heck, they worked for me. The simplicity of the ship or costume designs didn't detract from the movie at all. I think the sleek look of the ship and Gort really reflected what UFO's and spaceships in general were thought to be in the 1950's. I think that this spaceship conception inspired design in later space films, such as The Angry Red Planet and Abbott and Costello Go to Mars. At times, it even reminded me of episodes of Jonny Quest. I also thought the structure of Gort was quite interesting. Compared to the recognizable voice of Hal 3000 and the intricate designs of R2-D2, the silent, almost featureless robot in The Day the Earth Stood Still seems more menacing and mysterious.

What I loved most about this movie was the tie-in to Cold War culture in America. Whenever I watch a movie related to the Cold War in some way, it seems my mind goes "HISTORY MODE ACTIVATED." I just get real excited. Klaatu's message to Earth states that his planet, which has obtained peace, has been observing Earth. Seeing that Earth's people are prone to violence and destruction, Klaatu's planet fears that soon, with the rise of technology, this violence could reach space and other planets. Klaatu warns that if this happens, his planet will destroy Earth. This admonition must have struck a chord with viewers in the fifties, many of whom had experienced one if not two world wars and were living through the tense political climate of the Cold War. Klaatu was not only warning the people in the movie; he was warning us. I also liked that Klaatu was determined to give this message to all the world leaders, not just to America. It showed that not one country was to blame for the Cold War, or even the culture of warfare and violence in general, but all were to blame. Klaatu refused to just meet with President of the United States; he needed every leader of every nation to hear what he had to say.

From the religious metaphors to the prop design, The Day the Earth Stood Still goes above and beyond and remains one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. And more importantly, it remains a film with a message. World peace isn't in reality attainable, but are we really doing the best we can now?

Now Playing: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Since Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War has been so highly anticipated and has been made to live up to such high expectations. And when we saw the more disappointing followup to The Avengers that was Age of Ultron, we had to ask ourselves with wringing hands and shaking heads: could Civil War live up to the hype? Could it match Winter Soldier or even exceed it? The answer is yes. A thousand times yes.

Falcon and Scarlet Witch are Avengers. Bucky is running wild. We've recently met Ant-Man and Vision and now there is trouble brewing between the Avengers. Following the past few years of major destruction across the world due to the superheroes, the UN has created the Sokovia Accords which makes regulation of superheroes lawful. This includes deciding when, where, and how the Avengers act and making their uniforms and weapons government property. Ridden with guilt, Tony Stark wants to sign the Accords while Steve Rogers doesn't think it's an idea that promotes individual liberty and responsibility. The Avengers pick sides, teams begin to form, and soon we have, you guessed it, a civil war.

The Russo brothers have once again made a superhero movie that just stands out, not only in the MCU but in the huge vault of superhero movies in general. The story and technical aspects of Civil War were phenomenal and came together to make a near-perfect movie. And this is coming from someone who has never read a Captain America comic and for a long time didn't really enjoy comic book movies.

Civil War was bigger than Avengers in that it had so many more superheroes and these superheroes were actually fighting each other. With so many characters, this movie could have easily been a chaotic mess with no good focus on each character. Thankfully this was not the case. We delve deeper into characters we already know and love and are introduced to new characters that make us excited for Marvel movies to come. Most people, including myself, loved the new Spider-man and Black Panther. Tom Holland and Chadwick Boseman brought their characters to life and made us all fall in love with them. This is the Peter Parker we've needed and Black Panther is such a unique superhero; we haven't seen anyone quite like him before. Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther are future films that are already met with great anticipation because of the heroes' amazing appearances in Civil War.

The Russo brothers have also created this perfect formula for superhero movies that includes a good balance between action and character moments. With comic book movies, you expect big fight scenes and spectacle. There was plenty of that in Civil War. The stunt team has been praised highly since this film's release and they well deserve it. From Bucky's Legolas-esque motorcycle move to giant Ant-Man being taken down via Spider-Man's Empire Strikes Back suggestion, Civil War has incredible, edge-of-your seat action without being redundant or boring. Superhero movies suffer, in my opinion, when they are bogged down by fights and explosions. Humanizing these heroes is important, and that is another thing that this film does well. We get real moments with each character and learn about their motivations and sympathize with their feelings. I am not an Iron Man fan, but even I felt bad for him in this movie. We get so much more from the Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, and Falcon than we have in previous films. For such a complicated comic book film, these moments are important in helping us understand why these great superheroes are fighting each other this time instead of a super-villain.

Like Winter Soldier, Civil War stands out from other superhero movies with cinematography and editing. People loved Winter Soldier because it reminded them of political spy thrillers from the seventies. Civil War also had that same vibe. Each time the movie cut to a different location or year, that place or time would be written in this great font and style that just fit the tone well and felt kind of retro. I also love the history of the Captain America movies and that was done well. We go back from the nineties to the present frequently and I think showing the Soviet Union juxtaposed with the States is important in understanding the story and ideological discussion behind Civil War. 

And that brings me to one of my favorite, if not my most favorite, thing about Civil War. Most superhero movies are relatively predictable, with a story that includes hero versus villain and the villains all have pretty similar reasons for becoming villains. There are bigger political and moral issues in Civil War that are presented through this creation of the UN Accords to start regulating superheroes. This film showed both sides of the argument well without tipping towards one or the other and without getting too preachy. It shows the cons and pros to both sides. Tony Stark meets the mother of a son he killed in Sokovia. The Secretary of State reviews the past few years (or past few movies) of mass destruction caused by the Avengers with the heroes themselves. I liked this part, because it finally addressed the trope in comic book movies in which an entire city gets destroyed but no one seems to care and there are no repercussions; that's all I thought about during Ultron. One can understand why Tony and his fellow team members would want a government check on their great and sometimes uncontrollable powers. But then Steve Rogers brings up the fact that the UN, and all governments of the world, are run by people with agendas. To put the Avengers' total fate into the hands of the government could lead to bigger problems and take away their basic freedoms. He states that sometimes property is destroyed and people are killed, and it isn't a good thing, but the Avengers always try to do the right thing in the end. As someone who is not a fan of either Iron Man or communism, I am on Team Cap. And I particularly loved how by the end most of the heroes joined Cap's side. Because he's right, of course. But no matter what side you are on, you have to admit that this film addressed both sides fairly. It's not often you leave the theater after seeing a Marvel movie and you're ready to have a philosophical discussion on morals and political ideology. But that's just the beauty of Civil War. 

Captain America: Civil War has set a new bar of excellence for superhero films. It's a great addition to the MCU and the Captain America series, but even on its own, it still works as a great, exciting movie. And it makes me so much more amped for the future Russo-directed  Infinity Wars because I know it will be in good hands. If you haven't seen it yet, go and see it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll delve deep into your personal moral psyche. Let the good times roll.

#TeamCap

  

Cult Film Friday: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)

Before The Stuff. Before Big Ass Spider. Before Sharknado, there was Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Despite the small budget and initial negative reviews, this 1978 film had such a cult following it led to three sequels and is still considered a cult classic today. It's been a while since I've done a Cult Film Friday, but I saw Attack of the Killer Tomatoes for the first time in probably over decade and I had to write on it.

Spoofing disaster and monster B movies from the fifties and sixties, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes tells the story of evil tomatoes that grow gigantic and kill innocent people all over America. The government constructs a team led by Mason Dixon to save the country. Dixon must deal with spying newspaper reporters, government conspiracies, and bad pop music before he eventually destroys the fiendish fruit.

When I first watched Attack of the Killer Tomatoes as a kid, I thought it was funny just because it was such a bad movie. But it's actually a very cleverly written spoof of those awful films. This movie parodies everything from Jaws to Donny Osmond and is very funny. The tomato design was amazing as well. They talked but not in words, more like strange squeaky sounds. And they just rolled around. There was nothing really scary about them except they were big and rolled around. It was just great. It perfectly spoofs B movies, even though the film itself was made on a budget of less than $100,000. The lack of resources worked in this movie's favor.  There are some strange, non-PC moments in it (which is just reflective of the time), but overall it's a great comedy.

One of the aspects of Killer Tomatoes that makes it so funny is the music. It opens with the incredible theme song about tomatoes killing various people with a sound that reminds me of the old Zorro TV show theme. Again, watching it as an adult, I have no memory of all the musical numbers in it. The songs pop up as such random times and they're all so strange and funny. The song that the two main characters sing at the end is stupendous. It's a love song with clearly dubbed operatic voices. It's so over the top, it's amazing. The best song in the movie, the one I remember most, is "Puberty Love:" the loathed pop song that ends up being the weapon that destroys the killer tomatoes. In the film, "Puberty Love" is performed by the fictional Ronny Desmond (a wonderfully obvious spoof of Donny Osmond). The song is actually sung by Matt Cameron, who later grew up to be the drummer for both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Go figure.

Beyond the writing and music, I quite enjoyed the set design in this movie, oddly enough. I love movies that perfectly capture a certain era and this movie was so '70's. Every room was decorated and painted a certain way and I felt like I was in A Clockwork Orange or something. The rooms were painted bright orange or green and the furniture was very retro. I mean, just look at this office. Look at it.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is a very surprising and fun movie, and very deserving of its cult status. Its humor resembles that of other comedies made around the same time, like Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Airplane, but the film totally stands on its own as a weird, musical comedy. If you're in the mood for something bizarre and silly, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is perfect. But beware. You may be scared to eat ketchup for a while.

Now Playing: The Kid (1921)

I am quite fond of silent films, and you just can't go wrong with Charlie Chaplin. Recently I was able to see one his most famous movies for the first time: The Kid. This movie is less than an hour long, but it is packed with drama, comedy, some interesting special effects, and a whole lotta heart.

The Kid stars Charlie Chaplin as the beloved Tramp and Jackie Coogan as "the Kid" (he later grew up to star as Uncle Fester in the 1960's sitcom The Addams Family).  This movie has some interesting firsts. It was the first full-length movie that Charlie Chaplin ever directed and it made Jackie Coogan one of the first child film stars in history. It was a huge success when it was released, becoming the second highest-grossing film in 1921 right behind Rudolph Valentino's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In 2011, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Today it is regarded as one of the greatest silent films of all time. The combination of great visual storytelling and Chaplin's talents make it easy to see why that is.

The film begins with a single mother who is struggling to take care of her baby. She leaves him in the backseat of a nice car, leaving a note explaining that she hopes the driver would be able to take of her child better than she could. She later regrets doing this and returns to find that the car and the child are missing, taken by thieves. The thieves later leave the baby on the street. The Tramp discovers him, and decides to care for him. Five years later, the Tramp and the kid, now named John, make their meager living as con artists. The movie shows their many misadventures as Chaplin tries his best to take care of John.

This story was very heartwarming. It was interesting to see the Tramp as a parental figure. Chaplin totally made it work. The movie had the dramedy formula down pat. In one funny scene, we see the Tramp fight a thug whose shirt was clearly stuffed so it looked he had muscles; in another scene, we are desperate for the Tramp and John to stay together as the police try to tear them apart. We also feel for John's mother, who had become a successful star while John was growing up. She does a great amount of charity work to overcome the guilt of losing her son. She even runs into John a few times with no clue that he is her son; these moments make your heart ache.

In the few Chaplin movies I've seen, I always love the Tramp. But in The Kid, I was super impressed with Jackie Coogan in particular. First of all, he was just the cutest kid. He had long hair and wore huge baggy pants just like the Tramp's. Coogan was able to keep up with all of the Tramp's comedic stunts and he was just overall a likable character. It was also just interesting to see a main character that is a kid in a silent movie. It does make sense that Jackie Coogan was one of the first successful child actors because you just really don't see a lot of kids in silent movies.

I really do have to mention the most entertaining and fascinating scene in The Kid. Towards the end of the film, the Tramp loses John; the child has been reunited with his mother but the Tramp doesn't know that. Distraught, he falls asleep on some steps and enters "Dreamland." Everything in the town changes. Flowers and fancy decorations appear on the houses and streets. People dressed in white robes with fake wings show up out of nowhere and start dancing and celebrating. Even John shows up with this new angel getup to greet the Tramp. The Tramp gains his own wings and robe but as this happens three men dressed in devil costumes enter the scene. They "tempt" a young woman to seduce the Tramp. They both begin to kiss as her boyfriend shows up; he is the thug who fought the Tramp earlier in the film. The devils then tell the boyfriend to be jealous and so he starts to fight the Tramp. A giant angel mob surrounds them and eventually an angel policeman shoots the Tramp dead. The Tramp is then awakened from this dream by a real policeman. This scene is captivating on so many levels. First of all I do just love the set design and costumes. The special effects are also amazing for the time. Everyone is flying; you know it's just strings, but it must have been cool to see back then. It reminded me of a silent film version of Peter Pan. They even put wings on a dog and made him fly around. The "Dreamland" also goes beyond just a regular ol' comedy movie. It represents the turmoil the Tramp is feeling. Not only is he always getting in trouble with John, but now he thinks he has lost John forever. Overall, I think this scene was just something really different and I loved it.

If you want to see some of the greatest American movies made, The Kid should definitely be on that list. It's a wonderful silent film, a wonderful Chaplin film, and overall just a fun movie to watch. I know that the idea of a silent movie seems boring to some people, but this movie was engaging all the way through. For an era in film that was starting to delve into real plots and real characters, The Kid stands out as one of the greats.

Now Playing: The Right Stuff (1983)

I don't know why it took me so long to see The Right Stuff but I'm glad I did. This movie will speak to you whether you're into space or not, whether you're into history or not, or whether you're an American or not. The Right Stuff  was based off a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe and was released in 1983 with relatively unknown (at the time) actors such as Ed Harris and Dennis Quaid. It received critical acclaim, winning four Academy Awards. In 2013 it was preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The Right Stuff  tells the story of the beginning of the Space Race between the United States and the USSR. It introduces the first Americans to go in space and covers the Project Mercury missions.

The story and character development were phenomenal in The Right Stuff. With such a long running time, it can be so easy for a movie to get dull in some parts. But I was honestly involved throughout the entire film. The filmmakers did a good job of interspersing drama with comedy, more character-driven scenes with sweeping shots of the flying airplanes and rockets. It is a movie that is both visually appealing and well-written. I really did love the moments of comedy; it made these incredibly amazing astronauts more relatable and more real. At times, however, it could also be very intense. Like a lot of the space movies that have come out recently, such as Gravity or The Martian, The Right Stuff illustrated how scary space can really be, how in any second you could die. This movie definitely had some of those thrilling moments that keep you interested. 

I've mentioned this before but I'll say it again: characters are everything in a movie. It could have been very possible to make these American heroes like John Glenn and Alan Shepard completely likable and near-perfect human beings. But instead we learned each character's flaws and fears, their shortcomings as well as talents. I especially loved the focus that was brought to the wives of the astronauts. John Glenn's wife Annie had a stutter, which made her scared to talk in public and all of a sudden people wanted to film and interview her all the time. Trudy, Cooper's wife, revealed the trouble in the marriage before he even became an astronaut. The movie did a good job of portraying the differences in each marriage, but overall how difficult it was to be not only an astronaut's wife, but also a pilot's wife. 

There were some great technical aspects to this as well. The interspersing of actual historical news footage into the movie was well done. The shots of the sky when pilots were flying or of space when the astronauts were orbiting Earth were also incredible. They filmed it at times so it was from your point of view. It felt like you were swerving through clouds or looking down on Earth. There was also some interesting coloration whenever there was trouble aboard a spacecraft. It resembled the panic and maybe what the astronauts actually saw if they were close to blacking out. It all added to the thrill factor. I also really enjoyed the score. I don't know what it is with space movies and great music, but I'm loving it. Bill Conti won an Academy Award for his Right Stuff score, and he certainly deserved it. Also, fun fact: he did the music for Karate Kid. So he is doubly awesome. 

I love history and I am also interested in space, so this movie was perfect for me in that way. The movie isn't flawless historically; there are some changes within characters and timing issues. The director Philip Kaufman tried to stick to the book as close as possible, but no book is perfect in historical accuracy. Even with the flaws, The Right Stuff is a great introduction into American history during the Cold War or history of the Space Race. Or if you just want to see a dramatized version of the stories you already love, this movie is great as well. 

What I think I love most about this movie is that it is thoroughly American. From the story itself to the music and direction to the acting, it's a very American film. It shows that Americans aren't perfect or the best at everything. We weren't the first ones to go into space; in fact, we only got really serious about space travel after Sputnik was launched. But there is an ingenuity and an innovation in American science and invention. When we want to do something, we do it. Those seven original American astronauts were not perfect. They were not supermen. But they were determined and smart and tried their best. Honestly that's what made them heroes. And for this reason, I don't think a film like The Right Stuff could be made today. But I am glad it was made. 

And just for kicks, here is a great scene from a Frasier episode which guest-starred John Glenn. 

Now Playing: Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)

I had seen gifs and screencaps of Little Nemo for years on Tumblr and had been wanting to watch it but never got around to it. My sister randomly bought it at a used DVD store and we finally watched it together. From the first few moments we both agreed: "This is our new favorite movie."

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is a 1989 Japanese/American animated film. Chris Columbus helped write the script, the Sherman brothers composed the music, and Mickey Rooney voices one of the main characters. The film (which is set in the year 1905) was based off the Little Nemo comic strip that ran from 1905 to 1911 and was created by Winsor McCay, Little Nemo is one of those wonderful films that fell to the wayside and I consider it to be a hidden gem. Even though it received positive reviews from critics, it was a box office failure. I definitely think more people need to see this film, especially now with, in my opinion, the severe lack of imaginative storytelling and style in animated children's films.

Nemo is a young boy who has incredible dreams every night; sometimes he even sleepwalks. One night, he is sent on a journey to Slumberland, a place in which he has been chosen to rule as the new prince. He befriends many people and goes on a lot of fun adventures before he eventually saves Slumberland from the Nightmare King. There isn't much backstory as to what Slumberland is or where it is, who the residents are, and why they know who Nemo is and why they chose him to the be the new prince. In fact, for a lot of the movie, it becomes unclear when Nemo is dreaming or awake. In this way it has a bit of an Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz feel to it. My sister and I both made these connections while watching this film. We also felt that the animation had both a Miyazaki and Don Bluth vibe to it. But even with these observations, Little Nemo was altogether a unique film.

Obviously there's a lot I like about movies, but  for me, the two main things I think make or break a film are characters and visuals. And both these elements went above and beyond in Little Nemo. I don't get too caught up in a plot; honestly some of my favorite movies barely have one. Little Nemo had the potential to have a really convoluted plot, but it remained simple, letting the viewer use their imagination to decide what really happened. The characters and the animation won me over right away. First of all, when you have a little kid as the protagonist, he or she often walks that thin line of being really annoying. But Nemo was totally lovable. He was cute, he recognized his mistakes and apologized for them, and was courageous and loyal. All of the strange creatures he meets are also all so fun and appealing, even the more villainous or selfish characters. There's a tough princess, a cute animal sidekick, a giant king that loves to jig. What's there to lose?

The animation in this film was nothing short of incredible. I was engrossed in the film the whole time just because of the visuals. There were dreamy night skies and beautiful nature scenes. There were scary castles and circus-themed buildings and creatures. If the film was attempting to capture the imagination of a very creative child, it did a great job. Whether Slumberland was real or a creation of Nemo's active mind, it didn't matter. You just wanted to be there and there was so much to see. This is a film that you could definitely watch over and over; you could find something new every time you watch it.

I can't believe it took me so long to watch Little Nemo; Adventures in Slumberland. But I'm glad I finally did. I love finding a good animated film that I haven't seen before; I find that it's getting harder the older I get! And this movie definitely made me want to read the comic. It looks amazing, even from just the few pictures I saw online. Little Nemo is a great film and it only adds to my theory that all the best fantasy films came out in the eighties.