Must See Maxim

Yeah, I used to be a fan of Maxim magazine back in the day when it first came out. Just like every other young guy, I liked to see hot, young celebrities in skimpy clothing, even if they were B-listers. But I haven't bought one is years as I think I've kind of outgrown the whole "Maxim mentality".

But as I was browsing through the newstand at Oakland Airport this past weekend the cover of the new Maxim caught my eye. Not only did it have the hot Elisha Cuthbert on the cover (star of the upcoming remake of the Korean film My Sassy Girl), but it proclaimed itself as the "Ultimate Movie Issue" and even had a list of the 300 movies you must watch before you die. Since I'm a big time movie fan, I figured reading the magazine would be a good way to pass time on the flight home.

So the magazine lived up to its hype and I had fun reading about the upcoming My Sassy Girl movie as well as reading about their 300 movies to watch list. But as I flipped through the magazine a little more, I was presented with a wonderful shock! There was a 5 page article on the history of my favorite movie of all time...True Romance! Holy s---! I immediately sat up in my seat and started to read as attentively as I ever have.For those of you not familiar with the movie, you must go watch it immediately. How does this sound for a cast?

Christian Slater
Patricia Arquette
Christopher Walken
Dennis Hopper
Brad Pitt
James Gandolfini
Val Kilmer
Gary Oldman
Samuel L. Jackson
Bronchon Pinchot
Michael Rappaport
Chris Penn
Tom Sizemore

Is that the coolest cast ever assembled or what? Not only that, the film is written by Quentin Tarantino, the genius behind Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. This was actually his first screenplay and it has Tarantino footprints all over it. And the cherry on top? The film is directed by action expert Tony Scott, whose resume includes Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, and Crimson Tide. The man knows how to direct a slick looking film.

I've fallen in love with this movie from my first viewing and is one of the few films I never get tired of watching. The dialogue, the action, the acting...they're all top notch. Just watch this scene between Walken and Hopper for a taste of this cinematic brilliance.
The article provides a summary of how this film came about and includes interviews with Tarantino, Scott, and most of the film's stars. It's a fascinating article that gives truly intersting insights. Here's a few examples:

- Scott read both of Tarantino's scripts - True Romance and Reservoir Dogs. Scott wanted to film them both. Tarantino told him he could only do one.

- Scott would slap Patricia Arquette in the face to help her prepare for a tough scene.

- Oldman didn't even read the script before accepting the part as Drexl, the pimp. All he heard was that Drexl was "a pimp who's white but thinks he's black" and that was enough for him to sign on.

- Pitt's funniest line - "Don't condescend me" was an adlib by Pitt.

So if the general coverage of movies in this Maxim issue isn't enough, definitely buy it for the True Romance arcticle. It's a film geek's dream come true.