Best is an ambiguous term when applied to movies. What would qualify as the best movie ever made? What qualities would such a movie possess? Surely the box office draw would not serve as a good criterion, since the number of movie goers paying to see the film is as much a factor of marketing as it is a factor of the intrinsic value of the film. I believe that there are better qualities by which to rank a film than its initial popularity or the amount of money it makes for the studio.

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When a person is asked what he considers to be the best movie ever made, he usually responds by recalling his initial reaction to the film. Under this criteria, action flicks rate high. I rank films from a different prospective; I rate it by my reaction on my fiftieth viewing of the film. In my idiosyncratic system, no action movie has ever been rated; I just don’t watch action flicks that repeatedly. The action scenes are just not as riveting after ten or more viewings. Without the compelling stunts, the action movies are lifeless. Really, is there any significant character development in an action movie? Does an action movie even have a plot? Or is the movie-goer carried along by the suspense of wondering when the next building or vehicle is going to blow up?

I am quickly bored with the repeated viewing of an action flick. The typical action-movie audience is filled with thrill junkies. They paid their admission price to get a high. With repeat viewing, the high quickly diminishes. The movie industry capitalizes on the quick disappearance of the thrill factor by producing a great quantity of action films each year. The action-film audience needs new stunts to recharge their buzz. In some sense, the last action-movie is always the best because some of its kick remains with the movie-goer.

My take on movies is quite idiosyncratic. I believe the manner in which a film ages is more important than its initial reception or the profit it rakes in. I rate only comedies, since they are the only flicks I watch at least fifty times. Unlike action films, the emotional response to a good comedy matures with repeated viewing. A comedy makes a person feel good, and remembering a line from a comic film can bring back the original joy of seeing that film.

A great comedy is funny from beginning to end. A laugh a minute is a cliché appropriate for the slower parts of the film. Laughs are generated at multiple levels in a great comedy. Slapstick plays seamlessly by the side of subtle humor. Finally, a great comic movie has a dramatic plotline.

These qualities for ‘the best movie ever’ are creditably met by the 1988 film, Funny Farm. The screenplay for the Warner Brothers film was written by Jeffrey Boam from a book by Jay Cronley. The movie pre-dates both the personal computer and the cell phone. Funny Farm is a film in which the typewriter has a couple of pivotal lines. Andy Farmer, played by Chevy Chase, types ‘The Heist’ on a title page and ‘Chapter One’ on the next page. Then he sits and peers out the window. The typewriter informs the audience about the writer’s block faced by Andy Farmer, which is the root cause of the dramatic conflict and the set up for many of the movie’s gags.

Most viewers will recall the big comic scenes from the movie. The covered bridge which collapses as the moving van tries to cross is probably the biggest laugh getter. The fishing contest where Art Farmer almost beats his fellow fisherman unconscious while removing a fish hook from the poor individual’s eye is the either the worst or the best slapstick in the film. The bolder that Art Farmer tries to smash into the drunken mailman, only to have it damage his publisher’s new luxury vehicle, highlights the middle of the film. These scenes provide the big laughs.

The smaller laughs are the genius of the film. The apple eaten by Andy’s wife, Elizabeth played by Madolyn Smith Osborne, becomes funnier with each viewing. The best small laugh is Yellow Dog, a lethargic hunk of a retriever. Yellow dog would not have been funny without the setup provided by the hyperactive Irish Setter, which quickly runs away from Andy’s place in the country. Yellow dog is funny by just spending most of the movie just lying around.

The movie has a plot worthy of a dramatic feature. A couple leaves New York for an idyllic country life, where Andy Farmer plans to write his novel. When Andy asks his wife to read the work, all Elizabeth can do is cry. Andy gets more dysfunctional as the movie progresses, but Elizabeth writes a children’s book long hand on a legal pad. Her book gets published, and she is delighted to receive a typed manuscript of her story. Eventually, Andy pawns off his wife’s manuscript as his own. When Andy’s publisher calls and gets Elizabeth on the phone, he tells her how much he enjoyed the child’s book Andy wrote. This ultimate betrayal makes Elizabeth and Andy decide to divorce. Because Funny Farm is a comedy, the divorce never materializes; Andy, a pregnant Elizabeth, and Yellow Dog are watching a baseball game in the final scene.

One of the more inspired aspects of the movie is that the film’s mood remains light during the divorce. Andy and Elizabeth each retained one of the two attorneys in town. Both lawyers were as old as writing a novel on a typewriter or a children’s book on a legal pad. One attorney was in a neck and arm cast and he was suing the other attorney for damages. The parody of the two attorneys was just the comic element needed to take the bite out of the divorce plot line.

When the Farmers decided to sell their dream country home, they arranged to bribe the townspeople into acting ‘normal’. As part of the ploy to sell the house, the crazy mailman delivers Andy’s mail with a friendly smile; and that smile becomes a gag. In the end, Andy and Elizabeth decide to keep their place and their marriage intact.

Funny Farm is one of the great films and very possibly the best film ever made. It gets funnier with each viewing. Even when you know the gag, it is funny when you see it. I’ve been watching the film for over twenty years. How many good action films were made in the 1980s?

The crowd is beginning to rise on their seats, leaving empty popcorn buckets and sticky floors in their wake. The lights come up as credits roll on the screen. So, how was the movie? Was it as good as the book? Should this comparison really be the first concern of a moviegoer? Is it logical, plausible, or meaningful to compare a movie adaptation to the book which it spawned? There are more than a few issues that arise when trying to compare literature to film.

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Firstly, a film like this is a visual adaptation of a form of media that is assuredly not visual. The looks of the characters based on the novel are formed in a reader’s head. Despite the quality or quantity of description in said novel, each reader is doubtlessly going to have a different variation on the color of the heroine’s hair or the crook in the villain’s nose. It is almost impossible for a film’s casting team to find actors for the movie that will suit everyone’s tastes. One person might say “The lead wasn’t right at all! His eyes ought to have been darker!” or “The fisherman’s wife was much too skinny!”, but are these comparisons fair? All that those who cast the movie can do is to find a real-life person who resembles a fictional being as closely as possible according to their own mental picture. When the imagined appearance of a character is something that can be so varied to so many people, is it fair to be critical of those actors selected to portray said characters?

Another common critique heard in the comparison of movies to books is something akin to “They cut out the best part!” or “They skipped over half of the plot!” Realistically, one cannot expect a movie adaptation of a book to contain every nuance of action and plot development that is found within the novel. Books are something that can be taken slowly – over hours all at once, or sometimes in five-minute intervals at a doctor’s office or in line at the DMV. A reading experience, depending on the length of the novel, can take days, weeks, months, or even years to complete. A filmmaker simply does not have this time to give the audience. When a movie goes into theaters, it has to be compact enough that it can be seen at one instance. Many people choose to see a movie rather than read a book because they simply don’t have the time to read or they prefer a shorter experience. Imagine the complaints one might hear during a six-hour movie! Surely, a movie that contained all of the plot elements of a book would not be widely accepted. It goes without saying, then, that some elements are going to be lost in the transition.

While a movie and a book can be compared in some respects, there are aspects of art that are specific to only one form or the other. You wouldn’t hear an orchestrated soundtrack in a novel, for instance. Music can only be found in the film adaptation. And how much would be lost without music in films! On some occasions, music can help to build a tone and mood like nothing else can. Where drama or fear or tension can be built into a film with the right composer, authors simply do not have the same tools. A good author can establish tone with language, surely, but often music becomes synonymous with a movie. Consider the music featured in the Harry Potter films. It is striking, iconic, and can be seen as representative of the whole of the franchise. Other films that can be seen as strongly tied to music are the Mission Impossible series and the James Bond films. Music is a part of a film adaptation that has no analogous element in a novel.

What, then, with all of these incomparable aspects of the two art forms, can be critiqued when comparing a film and a book? Are there any elements between the two that can be expected to remain stable or unchanging? There may be more than one.

A good movie adaptation retains the tone, feel, or general genre of the novel. When one goes into a film adaptation of a Gothic horror novel and finds that it has been developed into a romantic comedy, one has a right to be disappointed. On occasion, a film maker may take too much license with a story. There has to be some point where the director of a film based on a novel comes to a compromise between his artistic vision and the expectations and desires of his audience. The vast majority of individuals who find themselves excited and eager to see the film adaptation of a novel are fans of the novel itself. These people expect to see some continuity between book and film. Nobody wants to go to a movie based on their favorite book to find that it is nothing like the literature that they love. Parents don’t want to take their children to an adaptation of Fluffy the Happy Bunny to find that the lead character has been transformed into a homicidal maniac. These people are simply left with a bad taste in their mouth and a possible aversion to the book itself.

A second way in which movies and the books that spawned them can be compared is in basic plot continuity. While it is to be understood and expected that a film cannot plausibly contain all the elements of plot in the book, a movie that entirely changes the story can hardly be said to be an adaptation at all. Instead, it becomes a new story that has stolen the title of a work of literature in order to garner larger ticket sales. It is well within reason for a moviegoer to be upset when the movie that they paid to see, believing it to be based on a novel they loved, winds up seeing a completely altered and unrecognizable story.

In some ways, it is ridiculous to hold a movie accountable for all of the elements found in a story. Comparisons like these are unrealistic and silly. Other elements establish quite plausible expectations for a film adaptation. These elements can be compared, critiqued, and hated without trepidation. When going into the film adaptation of a novel, you should keep an open mind about omissions and visual surprises but also hope to be able to retain your love for the book.

With the glut of DVD releases available on the shelves and on-demand, you have to be careful to select titles worthy of your time. For every fantastic film, there are at least five wretched wastes of video and celluloid that will only waste your precious seconds. Presented here is a smattering of recent offerings that are guaranteed to provide something worthwhile to the discerning movie watcher.

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Rango. A metaphysical lesson in the guise of a cartoon chameleon, Rango is one of the most exceptionally intelligent films released this decade. It’s also an incessantly hilarious CGI western extravaganza starring a colorful lizard, voiced by Johnny Depp, anyone of every age can appreciate and love but with special rewards for those looking deeper. Under the guise of the cartoon extravaganza is a sharp-witted plot about self-discovery, enlightenment, symbols, archetypes, and a meta-textual deconstruction of storytelling. This is a movie that, while not shattering the fourth wall, goes up to the glass and starts banging. ILM’s first feature length CG movie, Rango is stunningly gorgeous, each frame steeped in gorgeous levels of obscene detail, each scale on every reptile, every feather on the Greek chorus of mariachi owls. The film is an exceptional entry into an oversaturated market of CG animal films, and not to be overlooked but avoid the unnecessary ‘extended edition’ as the supplemental footage takes away an otherwise polished narrative.

The Adjustment Bureau. Phillip K. Dick is one of few authors whose written works consistently translate well to film, despite surreal and often dense layers of crazed science fiction or fantasy elements. The Adjustment Bureau is no exception, telling the tale of David Norris, (Matt Damon) a rising political figure finds himself at the center of a web supernatural conspiracy orchestrated by mysterious black-hat agents of fate, The Adjustment Bureau. For reasons unbeknown to him, the agents of fate conspire to deny David the only truly significant connection he’s made with another soul, the love of beautiful ballerina Elise (Emily Blunt). Despite the warnings and interventions, David is adamant he can carve his own destiny refusing to spend it without his love, despite the wake of consequence and potential unraveling of ‘the plan’ for all human destinies.  A stylish and intelligent film with a romantic core, The Adjustment Bureau is well acted and packed with ideas worthy of contemplation and further consideration.

Limitless. Struggling writer Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is introduced through a shady connection to a single pill that can solve all problems and make all dreams come true. But all things come at a price and the greater the reward, the higher the eventual toll on his health and sanity. This movie is a smorgasbord of ideas, much like the expanding perceptions of the lead character upon the movie’s intelligence enhancing ‘smart’ drug NZT. Cooper proves himself a versatile actor as the character evolves  a pathetic specimen to sharply suave super genius, with Cooper selling each moment of the transition. Not all of the ideas within achieve fruition and the film’s resolution seems surprisingly tame considering the themes and intense action within. The films own potential seemed limited and squandered, narrowed in scope to provide a relatively safe ‘studio’ resolution, without truly exploring the bounds of limitless power and the corruption that ensues. Regardless, Limitless is a fantastically paced, exceptionally acted and finely directed film with few shortcomings and leaving the audience only addicted for more.

The Lincoln Lawyer. Smartly acted by the charismatic Matthew McConaughey opposite the cool and calculating Ryan Phillipe, The Lincoln Lawyer is a combination courtroom and investigative drama the likes of a John Grisham film. Mickey Haller is a somewhat ethically and morally ambiguous small-time lawyer operating on a mobile office in the back of a Lincoln car when a high profile and lucrative criminal defense case appears almost gift-wrapped for him. However, the case turns out to be connected with past and forgotten sins haunting Mickey personally, and suddenly the morality of his work and personal specters are suddenly all challenged. While none of the twists or turns in this film are particularly unique or surprising, the whole endeavor is stylishly written, directed, well produced with few detracting qualities other than predictability of events. At no point will the audience really be wondering who the bad guy is, or whether the hero will triumph in the end, but the whole is a well scripted, well acted and enjoyable ride through a standard by-the-numbers courtroom thriller.

Insidious. A fresh take on the classic Haunted House formula, Insidious is an intelligent offering for horror fans that’s superior to the usual glut of torture films and poorly acted direct to video fare. An unsuspecting family moves into a new home and encounters an otherworldly presence with malignant and enigmatic intention. Smartly paced and acted, the movie is a slow build of atmospheric dread and creepiness as events escalate for the poor family and the stakes become increasingly dire. The ending will be strongly divisive for the film as a whole; one will either love or hate the film on the merits of the third act ‘twist’ that has become such a staple of the genre. Detractors aside, the twist works, and its more sensible upon repeat viewing.

Hobo With A Shotgun. It is a gleefully unapologetic blood-soaked vigilante romp serving as a goofy throwback and grindhouse homage. It’s a self aware and depreciating over-the-top splatter cheese fest that will likely only appeal to those already enamored with the 70’s-80’s ‘grindhouse’ pastiche, but serving as a brilliant entry in the genre. Hobo with a Shotgun is made by fans for fans and makes no apology for its excessive exuberance in drenching the audience’s eyeballs in gore and cheese. It’s supremely predictable, goofy and absolutely worthwhile alone for the performance of Rutger Hauer as the shogun-toting vigilante hobo. A demented and fun way to pass some time provided one accepts it at face value for the goofy garbage it is intended to be. This isn’t Shakespeare, but it was never intended to be.

I hope you enjoy these available options and I hope you find something within worthy of your entertainment.

In recent years, the sale of DVD players has dropped to a record low. As technology grows faster and faster, cheaper, quicker, and more convenient methods of viewing, selling, and owning movies have been on the rise, it is not surprising that many have asked whether the DVD player will go the way of the Betamax, VHS player, cassette player, and even CD player.

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The central issue underlying the downfall of the DVD is that of the centralization and standardization of the home entertainment industry. In an age where one’s portable phone is used just as often (if not more) for games or checking the weather as it even is for making or receiving a phone call, we see that the trend in technological devices are machines that can do everything. The days where one carries one device for one purpose and another device for another are long gone, even in the stationary entertainment center. The entertainment center no longer consists of a complex set of independent hardware devices, stereo controllers, DVD players, tape players, cable boxes, and television sets. For the upcoming generation, the home entertainment center has merged with the personal computer. As personal computers shift from production devices to entertainment consumption devices, they are slowly but surely radically altering the way we consume media.

Another factor that is very significant in terms of the decline of the DVD is the increase in Internet speed. When the DVD first came out, many people had Internet, but many still had slower Internet connections such as dial-up and DSL. Even as many obtained these technological advances, there would still pass some time before we would begin to see what a radical effect this would have on the home entertainment market. With the increase in the standard speed of the Internet and World Wide Web, people could download more movies quickly and conveniently than they could drive to a local video store or rental store in order to buy or rent a DVD. The benefits of high speed Internet have strongly and directly coincided with another powerful factor behind the decline of the DVD, the economy.

There are countless economic reasons for which the DVD is slowly but surely saying goodbye. In an age of economic uncertainty, decreased value of the dollar, and lack of job security, DVDs, costing on average about twenty dollars each for the common consumer, are just too expensive. This has increased the number of illegal downloads and online pirating, matched by the industry in the form of legal online rental services, such as Netflix, which allow users to watch videos online completely legally and for a smaller cost than buying or renting a DVD. With the transfer of video information from the DVD to standard storage devices such as computer hard drives and devices like TiVos, the venue of viewing movies has also metamorphosed. Rather than burning extra fuel for one more car trip to the video store, one can save money on the most inconvenient of expenses, travel costs, by downloading films legally from online services. This also saves consumers on what many consider our most valuable economic resource, and one greatly challenge by our current culture and busy lifestyle, time.

Coinciding with the economic concerns equally addressed by online movie streaming, a number of innovations have occurred that lessen the purchasing and renting of DVDs even among the generation refusing to let go of the traditional entertainment center. While a great number of students may watch movies on their computers either over the web or by downloading them from a service, their parents and indeed many of their peers still prefer to recline on the couch in front of the television and ‘see what’s on’. In the old days, and up until even very recently, this meant that there would be a limitation of choices as to what one could watch. One was and, in some cases, still is at the discretion of television networks who choose for their viewers what movies will be aired to watch. With the advent of movies on demand, provided by countless different interactive channels on numerous television networks and cable and satellite providers, the choice is once again in the hands of the consumer, making for a strong and healthy market. These interactive television based alternatives to DVD type movie watching are providing many of the same advantages of the online streaming of movies to much of the remainder of consumers. These two operations in parallel are playing a radical role in the decrease of watching movies on DVD. Knowledge and familiarity with the Internet is not necessary, and all the same options are available on modern satellite and cable network providers.

Finally, we are beginning to see one more trend that, it appears, would be the final blow, making watching movies on DVD obsolete as we know it. While the modern entertainment system is being centralized from the perspective of the consumer and in terms of the output device, the storage and transfer of information behind the scenes is far from the entertainment center. As the internet gets faster and high capacity devices become bigger and less expensive, corporations are providing powerfully centralized storage services that appear decentralized but instead shift the control of information from the owner to what has been called ‘the cloud’. Companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon, and others are encouraging the modern consumer to store their information, and access information, through the networks of these companies. In so doing, they surrender responsibility and security. In return, they are offered a great deal of convenience. Why spend time saving your media to an external device, only to take it to another machine and view it there? Why carry your DVDs from home to school when you can simply log into your library from any computer on the web? This is true not only of personal data, but very much related to the way we watch movies. As cloud based services are continuously being advertised under the guise of ease, simplicity and convenience, consumers are coming further and further into the impression that it is a necessity.

In the new era of high speed Internet access, movies on demand, and finally cloud computing, there is simply no room in the market for disks of another sort, DVD or floppy. Movies on DVD, we have seen and will continue to see even more, are now obsolete.

It’s Friday night. Instead of dressing up and hitting the town, tonight, you just want to pop some bright yellow kernels, pull on your comfy, UNC worn sweatshirt, and chill with a few of your favorite people. Now, all you need is a conclusive decision on what to watch. *Insert ominous thunderclap* Most of us know that sometimes agreeing on a movie is like getting your stomach to agree with that extra spicy curry you ate at Little India Palace– which oddly resembled Thelma’s Diner, only decorated with ancient calendar pictures of the Taj Mahal and sitars playing softly over-head. Well, never fear, my friend. Here’s a sampling and summary of a few recent movies gleaming on those silver-lined shelves that could help smooth out your decision process. Movies out on DVD that, in my humble opinion, are worth staying in for.

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If you’re feeling down, you might want to consider the movie UP, another Pixar glowing gem. This movie has you laughing out loud at Wilderness explorer Russel’s odd little comments and interactions with 78-year-old Carl, a grump of an old man who is dealing with the recent loss of his wife. Pixar’s collaborative team is genius in that they have lifted the balloon of brilliant, colorful story-telling to new heights. One minute you’ll be laughing and the next on the verge of a single tear rolling down your cheek. It’s a compelling story encapsulating the heart-ache of loss yet gifts us with valuable lessons in learning how to overcome and move on through new adventures. Don’t forget to bring Doug, the talking dog. Oh, and watch out for Kevin, the female Snipe. Hide your chocolate.

If you’re fascinated by mind-bending allusions, Inception will have your brain in knots. Pretty impressive knots, but all just the same, it’s a twisty series of events that will leave you feeling suspended and yet somehow, anxious for more. Christopher Nolan, director, writer, and mastermind behind the madness, once again brings together a stellar cast for the thriller. The architect, Ellen Page, the international fugitive and skilled thief, Leonardo DiCaprio, collide for one action-filled ‘dream’ team. No dozers allowed. It’s definitely a film for sharp minds, and will leave some wondering about their own reality. Kick back. Enjoy the mental car crash. It’s only a dream… or is it?

If you’re in the mood for romance but not wanting to feel more depressed by your singleness than when you first began, Enchanted may be the flick for you. Starring Patrick Dempsey and the charming Amy Adams, you will feel yourself tapping your toe and having the irresistible urge to sing along to tunes like ‘That’s How You Know.’ A delightful tale about finding true love’s kiss in an un-fairy tale-like world of New York City, it will capture your heart and even manage to wrap up with a surprisingly happy ending. Cue the blue birds.

If you’re drawn toward full-tilt drama, The Hurt Locker may be your nearest escape on negative compulsory cause and effect. Directed by the innovative Kathryn Bigelow and bringing the explosive acting talents of Jeremy Renner into full-light, you’ll be blown away by this compelling story. Set in Iraq, a select bomb-unit team must learn how to work together or be torn apart – one wrong move and the results could be deadly. It’s intensely suspenseful with jolts of poignant moments that will leave you on the edge of your seat, silent, breathless, with nothing to comfort you but the sound of your watch ticking.

If it’s been a long week and you simply want to give your analytical side a well-deserved break, The Hangover may be your ideal solution. Starring comic trio high-life Zach Galifianakis, the Office’s guru Justin Bartha, and the stunning shades of Bradley Cooper, you’ll be wildly entertained following their outrageous Vegas mis-haps. Stray tigers to stray babies to run-ins with the police and run-ins with that strange, naked Asian man who wants to kill you, you’ll be taken on a crazy tour of the unbelievable and believe it! Only, you won’t be the one flat-broke, missing front teeth, or/and missing on your wedding day ceremony. You’ll just reap the benefits of watching and laughing at those that are hung-over. Pass the popcorn, hold the phone.

If you’re feeling a bit British with a knack for mystery, you might want to check out the crime-filled, action-packed Sherlock Homes. Directed by the smashing Guy Ritchie and starring the handsome Sherlock, played by Robert Downing Jr. and accompanied by his witty assistant Watson, Jude Law, it’s a duo you won’t regret hiring for your unique case. Dash through the cobble-stone, lamp-lit streets of England, fight with crow-bars across heights of the London Bridge, and race against Big Ben’s chiming big-hand; all the while conquering a battle of wit and rescuing the innocent f r0m brooding danger. In another life, you would have made an excellent, bloody criminal… precisely. Case re-opened.

Still feeling undecided about which film to watch? Come down for a semi-smooth landing with Up In The Air. Directed by Juno’s Jason Reitman and featuring first-class talent with actors such as George Clooney and Vera Farmiga, this is an imperative film without the unnecessary luggage. Tight dialogue and profoundly acted through life’s tough yet touching scenarios, the film will have you so captivated, you may forego the free pretzels. Revolving around the empty, yet startlingly interesting life of Ryan Bingham (Clooney), he’s soon confronted with an executive decision to accompany the newest employee (Anna Kendrick) on a tour de America that leaves him with only one choice. Grounded reality. Excuse me, would you like the can, sir?

Hopefully these small suggestions have helped dig you and your friends out of your dark Friday night hole of bewilderment. Stop scratching your head in confusion. The camera’s rolling– lights, camera, action! Don’t let your night pass you by with ridiculous indecisiveness. Grab it by the horns and take charge. Now go pouf that pillow, make yourself comfortable, and press play.