Having a movie based on a popular video game seems a good idea at the time of conception, it has an established storyline and a built in fan base that will most likely enjoy the film. And if the tale transfers to the big screen well enough there is always the possibility of a franchise option. Yet more times than not when this has been done the results aren't exactly promising, there have been more failures than winners, and unfortunately this one was a letdown. That's not to say it isn't worth watching, as long as you don't expect a lot then you won't be disappointed. Here the horror survival game Silent Hill is the next attempt at moving a story from game to film, and unfortunately it doesn't quite make the grade.
Determined to save her ill adoptive daughter, Rose travels with her to West Virginia to a ghost town called Silent Hill and lands in a parallel reality where the spirits of the past are tormented for their sins. Trying extremely hard to fit into the Japanese horror genre it falls short, there are glimmers of possible frightening parts but they never materialize to the point of causing terror in the audience. The effects that are used for the world's transformation from light to darkness are well done and some of the characters that live within the Darkness are well crafted, but there isn't enough interaction with them to make them terrifying. The haziness of the parallel reality is a little tough on the eyes and sometimes you can't even see what the characters are looking at, which becomes another drawback that you get tired of pretty quick.
I for one have never played the Silent Hill video game, and I believe that at times not being exposed to the original format of a story could help in seeing beyond the faults, where die hard fans would pick apart the smallest of flaws. But here the story is not good enough to capture the interest of even a non-fan of the game. The set up of the storyline ends with the hopes of a sequel and possible franchise, but unless the story is beefed up it will become a waste of time and money to continue. It was interesting to see the concept of the game put on film, and I could say that I enjoyed watching it this once, but to watch it again I have no interest in.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Black Dahlia
This story is wrapped around one of the most horrific murders that happened in Hollywood, and the movie itself is based on James Ellroy's novel Black Dahlia. Even though you get the impression that the story is about the murder and the investigation, it isn't, these are only the side stories to give the characters something to focus on while the bigger part of the story continues. Police corruption and conspiracy are the main focal points of the story, which is more reminiscent of L.A. Confidential, another of Ellroy's novels.
Two eager cops travel into the dark side of Hollywood to try to solve the grisly murder of Elizabeth Short, and find out along the way that not everything is as it seems in Tinseltown. From the opening scenes you can tell that Brian De Palma is directing this movie but it falls short of being some of his better works. The film tries to hard to be like Confidential, with the plot twists and turns your left hoping that things will progress in a direction that you'd care about. But with the stale acting, and characters that seems to tailor made for the situations, you have the feeling that you've been cheated out of a story that could have been a whole lot better.
I've never really been disappointed with a movie that De Palma has done but here I was expecting so much more from the story, and figuring in the cast that was gathered for this film I was hoping for something more than cookie cutter acting. This story is no where as good as L.A. Confidential, and with the misleading idea that the murder of the Black Dahlia is the main point of the film, just pulls the audience away from what could have been a decent police drama.
Two eager cops travel into the dark side of Hollywood to try to solve the grisly murder of Elizabeth Short, and find out along the way that not everything is as it seems in Tinseltown. From the opening scenes you can tell that Brian De Palma is directing this movie but it falls short of being some of his better works. The film tries to hard to be like Confidential, with the plot twists and turns your left hoping that things will progress in a direction that you'd care about. But with the stale acting, and characters that seems to tailor made for the situations, you have the feeling that you've been cheated out of a story that could have been a whole lot better.
I've never really been disappointed with a movie that De Palma has done but here I was expecting so much more from the story, and figuring in the cast that was gathered for this film I was hoping for something more than cookie cutter acting. This story is no where as good as L.A. Confidential, and with the misleading idea that the murder of the Black Dahlia is the main point of the film, just pulls the audience away from what could have been a decent police drama.
Caddyshack
When it comes to sports comedies you can't get any better then this one, after seeing this film you get the feeling that you could almost tolerate watching the real thing. Forget it, I'm only kidding, watching this movie is the only way to watch a golf tournament and enjoy yourself. The team of comedians in this film are great, every one of the four men in their respective roles are at the top of their game. Who ever came up with the idea of putting Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray together here was a genius, and should be given sainthood.
A snobbish country club is about to see what happens when life comes and slaps it in the face, an illegal high stakes golf tournament drives everyone involved to the breaking point with all of their futures in the balance. All of the characters that are created here are just perfect, from a greens keeper who is dumber than the grass that he cuts, to a golfer that shoots perfect golf by "becoming the ball", to a gopher that is smarter than anyone in the club, once they tee off the laughs never stop. The hilarious Harold Ramis co-wrote and directed this film with the flair of a seasoned director who had been doing comedy all of his life.
With all successful movies, Hollywood tries to repeat the magic with sequels, and like most they just don't work. I won't even think about the sequel to this movie in the context that it wasn't a good idea from the moment of conception. But this film has so many good points its to find a place to start, so suffice it to say that you can't get any better than this if you are looking for a comedy that will leave you rolling and laughing on the floor.
A snobbish country club is about to see what happens when life comes and slaps it in the face, an illegal high stakes golf tournament drives everyone involved to the breaking point with all of their futures in the balance. All of the characters that are created here are just perfect, from a greens keeper who is dumber than the grass that he cuts, to a golfer that shoots perfect golf by "becoming the ball", to a gopher that is smarter than anyone in the club, once they tee off the laughs never stop. The hilarious Harold Ramis co-wrote and directed this film with the flair of a seasoned director who had been doing comedy all of his life.
With all successful movies, Hollywood tries to repeat the magic with sequels, and like most they just don't work. I won't even think about the sequel to this movie in the context that it wasn't a good idea from the moment of conception. But this film has so many good points its to find a place to start, so suffice it to say that you can't get any better than this if you are looking for a comedy that will leave you rolling and laughing on the floor.
The Gathering
This movie is another of the many films of a growing genre, it's hard to explain what this genre pertains to but I'll give it a try. The premise is to take a small piece of religious information and turning it into a huge story with enough real background information to make it plausible. Okay, now that that's out of the way let's talk about the movie. Christina Ricci who stars here can add another creepy supernatural film to her resume and it's a decent one at that. Even though the movie is short by most standards, 1 hour 22 minutes, and some story flaws that are a little obvious, it's easy enough to follow and you can enjoy the ride.
When a young American woman is hit by a car while walking through the English countryside, a local family takes her in while she recovers and she then begins to experience premonitions that are ties to a recently discovered ancient church that had purposely been buried. With all of the quasi-religious movies that are out on the market you would almost thing that this one would just be thrown into the heap of bad films. But the work here is done very well and the cast is very tight, most of the time you don't even get this kind of response from actors even on big budget films. There aren't a lot of effects used here which is good so they don't overpower the story, but what is done is more camera angle and shadows to give the audience the creepy feelings that are needed in the story.
As Ricci gets older she is blossoming into one of those stars that you will hear about and see wonderful pictures from years down the road. Even with all of the story flaws and the quickness of the film, I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind watching it again, but it would have to be a ways down the road so I could forget some of the things I just saw. The thriller aspect of this film is what keeps it moving and by the end you feel that you've actually watch a very decent movie.
When a young American woman is hit by a car while walking through the English countryside, a local family takes her in while she recovers and she then begins to experience premonitions that are ties to a recently discovered ancient church that had purposely been buried. With all of the quasi-religious movies that are out on the market you would almost thing that this one would just be thrown into the heap of bad films. But the work here is done very well and the cast is very tight, most of the time you don't even get this kind of response from actors even on big budget films. There aren't a lot of effects used here which is good so they don't overpower the story, but what is done is more camera angle and shadows to give the audience the creepy feelings that are needed in the story.
As Ricci gets older she is blossoming into one of those stars that you will hear about and see wonderful pictures from years down the road. Even with all of the story flaws and the quickness of the film, I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind watching it again, but it would have to be a ways down the road so I could forget some of the things I just saw. The thriller aspect of this film is what keeps it moving and by the end you feel that you've actually watch a very decent movie.
Children of Men
Good science fiction stories that don't go to far into the future, and are intelligent enough to hold the interest of it's target audience, are hard to find. But here this P.D. James story is a clever and tight tale that takes a hold of your basic values shakes them to the core. Where it's set in the near future there are no over the top effects, just the occasional explosion and a lot of gun fire. From the opening scenes you can tell that this is more of a drama than a sci-fi film, but the blend of the two genres helps this story from beginning to end.
18 years after the last baby was born to the human race a young girl becomes pregnant and the race to get her to safety brings out the best and the worst in human behavior. The acting here is as tight as the story, Clive Owen, Michael Caine, and Julianne Moore give great performances that drive you to want to watch, and ultimately care about the characters. The pace of the movie is very fast but not fast enough to lose the audience with the main points of the story. Here director, Alfonso Cuaron, does a wonderful job in keeping everything within perspective and not letting things get to bogged down with conjectures about why these things happened.
Its not a far reach into the imagination to think that governments and people would act as they do in this film, most of the time we react to swiftly to situations and regret our actions later. Here the good and bad traits of the human race are display for the entire world to see and unfortunately it's not far from the truth. We react on instinct before we think and with this story we can see what happens when the entire world reacts before it thinks. This is an interesting film to watch, as the story unfolds you begin to wonder what side of the line you would stand on, and in the end were you right or wrong.
Dear Frankie
Touching, sentimental stories are sometimes hard to transfer to the screen, either the story doesn't resonate with the audience or the actors are just not the right fit for the characters. But for whatever reasons there aren't a whole lot out there that pull on your heartstrings and leave you weeping by the end. This story will bring a tear to your eye and leave you wondering why you hadn't heard of this film before. The true life situations that are throughout the film keeps the story based in so much reality that it ends up sounding like something you could have read or heard on the news. The mother's idea of writing letters to her son in the guise of the father seems a little far-fetched, but how far would you go to make your child happy and hopeful.
A young mother on the run for nine years, from an abusive husband, has been telling her deaf son that his father in a sailor on a ship at sea, but when that ship docks in a harbor, not to far from where they live, she must find a man to impersonate the father that her son has never seen. Even with his lose of hearing Frankie, the young boy, comes across as the smartest person in the story, and by the end you realize that he 's the one that has total control in his life, more than the adults that he's surrounded by. The actors in this little drama come off with so much realism that you want to reach out and help them in any way you can, but then you feel anguish when things don't go the way they want.
From beginning to end this movie takes you on a roller coaster of emotions, from pity and anger to joy and sadness, and by the conclusion you're just left with feeling of hope. I had never heard of this film before, but once I saw the trailer on another DVD I thought it might be interesting to give it a try. These are the kinds of movies I like to recommend to people because it's the kind of film that you can sit watch with your family and, all together learn something from.
A young mother on the run for nine years, from an abusive husband, has been telling her deaf son that his father in a sailor on a ship at sea, but when that ship docks in a harbor, not to far from where they live, she must find a man to impersonate the father that her son has never seen. Even with his lose of hearing Frankie, the young boy, comes across as the smartest person in the story, and by the end you realize that he 's the one that has total control in his life, more than the adults that he's surrounded by. The actors in this little drama come off with so much realism that you want to reach out and help them in any way you can, but then you feel anguish when things don't go the way they want.
From beginning to end this movie takes you on a roller coaster of emotions, from pity and anger to joy and sadness, and by the conclusion you're just left with feeling of hope. I had never heard of this film before, but once I saw the trailer on another DVD I thought it might be interesting to give it a try. These are the kinds of movies I like to recommend to people because it's the kind of film that you can sit watch with your family and, all together learn something from.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Purple Rain
This is one of the most popular rock movies to come out of the 1980s, by one of the biggest stars to come out of that decade. Labeled as a semi-autobiographical story, Prince was able to mix a strong storyline with enough drama to keep things interesting and some of the best heart pounding music to hit the screen in decades. With the explosion of the music video only a couple of years earlier, this entire film was shot with the feel, and speed of a videos, so that the action on the screen helps enhance the music experience instead of music enhancing the action of the characters.
The lead singer of The Revolution, The Kid, is having a hard time keeping his personal life separate from his professional life, and his anger, anguish, and strong sexual feelings bleed over into his music and lyrics. Having the entire battle between Prince and Morris Day take place on the music stage was shear genius and throughout the whole film you see the versatility of both artists within their music and their performances. As the film progresses you see the transformation of all the characters, so much so, that by the end you are cheering them on and wanting to know more about happens next. Even though the acting that is done here is superb, the true star of the film is the music, and just to prove that point the film won the Academy Award and the Grammy for Best Musical Score.
As his film debut, Prince hit a grand slam with this film, showing that he could do so much more than just play music and singer, and then with a soundtrack that people couldn't get enough of, this movie became a rock classic coming out of the gate. When I first show this film I couldn't believe the electricity that was just seeping off the screen, between Prince's performance and the feeling that I had just spent over an hour at a high powered concert, you walked away with sensation that you had just seen film history being made. Over the years I have watched this film repeatedly, maybe hundreds of times, and have never gotten bored or used to the story or the music. Every time I see watch it, I get those same feelings that I did back in 1984, and as I get older, if this is one of those things that I can watch to help me feel a little bit younger, its not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. So watch, enjoy and have fun recapturing those feelings of being young and not having a care in the world.
The lead singer of The Revolution, The Kid, is having a hard time keeping his personal life separate from his professional life, and his anger, anguish, and strong sexual feelings bleed over into his music and lyrics. Having the entire battle between Prince and Morris Day take place on the music stage was shear genius and throughout the whole film you see the versatility of both artists within their music and their performances. As the film progresses you see the transformation of all the characters, so much so, that by the end you are cheering them on and wanting to know more about happens next. Even though the acting that is done here is superb, the true star of the film is the music, and just to prove that point the film won the Academy Award and the Grammy for Best Musical Score.
As his film debut, Prince hit a grand slam with this film, showing that he could do so much more than just play music and singer, and then with a soundtrack that people couldn't get enough of, this movie became a rock classic coming out of the gate. When I first show this film I couldn't believe the electricity that was just seeping off the screen, between Prince's performance and the feeling that I had just spent over an hour at a high powered concert, you walked away with sensation that you had just seen film history being made. Over the years I have watched this film repeatedly, maybe hundreds of times, and have never gotten bored or used to the story or the music. Every time I see watch it, I get those same feelings that I did back in 1984, and as I get older, if this is one of those things that I can watch to help me feel a little bit younger, its not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. So watch, enjoy and have fun recapturing those feelings of being young and not having a care in the world.
Spirited Killer
When a movie tries to combine too many elements together what you end up with is a mess that is hard to watch and understand. That's what's happened here, for intents and purposes this would be called a martial arts film, but its also a horror action thriller, with some comedy added in and then to top off the whole thing there's a musical number that's sung by one of the female characters. Tony Jaa is the only name that most people would recognize in this movie and it's just as well, this is one of those films that all of the actors would like to forget that they ever did.
After a local voodoo priest is killed a mysterious man appears near a village and begins a reign of terror in the surrounding area. The one element that could have saved this movie from all the bad acting and all the worse comedy would have been the fight sequences, but those were bad as well. Since we all know that the stunt coordinators go through a lot of work to get these sequences to look right in front of the camera, its hard sometimes to get them to look unrehearsed. Here they look so staged that it only drags down a story that was already headed for the bottom of the barrel.
Since I'm a fan of Jaa's, when I heard of this film I tossed it onto my rental list so I could see some of his earlier work, but this film doesn't do him justice. If you want to see Jaa at his best checkout The Protector or Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior, both films are far superior to this one. This film is a great example of trying to hard to make a movie when you don't have anything to start with, and your making things up as you go along. This is a poor offering with a star that has such a bright future.
After a local voodoo priest is killed a mysterious man appears near a village and begins a reign of terror in the surrounding area. The one element that could have saved this movie from all the bad acting and all the worse comedy would have been the fight sequences, but those were bad as well. Since we all know that the stunt coordinators go through a lot of work to get these sequences to look right in front of the camera, its hard sometimes to get them to look unrehearsed. Here they look so staged that it only drags down a story that was already headed for the bottom of the barrel.
Since I'm a fan of Jaa's, when I heard of this film I tossed it onto my rental list so I could see some of his earlier work, but this film doesn't do him justice. If you want to see Jaa at his best checkout The Protector or Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior, both films are far superior to this one. This film is a great example of trying to hard to make a movie when you don't have anything to start with, and your making things up as you go along. This is a poor offering with a star that has such a bright future.
Deja Vu
We have all had the feeling of déjà vu, and most of us just pass it off as some latent feel of familiarity with some one or some thing. This movie is a very well hidden science fiction story about time travel that is staged in the modern timeframe in New Orleans. This movie is directed by Tony Scott and it shows again his versatility in subject and film style to bring an enjoyable story to the audience. Denzel Washington leads a cast that includes James Caviezel and Val Kilmer, and shows why he is one of the best actors in the industry today.
After a terrorist bomb destroys a ferry in New Orleans, ATF agent Doug Carlin joins a government branch that has discovered the ability to look into the past, by four days, and may be able identify the bomber and possibly stop him. Some of the effects that are used are a little confusing to see, especially when looking through the time goggles and seeing the past and present at the same time. But that doesn't take way from the action that is taken place in both timeframes. The story is smart and the acting is tight, so much so that at the pace that the movie moves at you don't realize that two hours have flown by.
I didn't expect too much from this film when I first heard about it, it sounded like a rip off of the TV series 7 Days, but I was pleasantly surprised. In so ways there are elements to the story that are quite original, and there are others that just look at old ideas from a new and different direction. All of this is put together into a film that is fun, entertaining and thought provoking, and it will give you a whole new way to look at that feeling of déjà vu.
After a terrorist bomb destroys a ferry in New Orleans, ATF agent Doug Carlin joins a government branch that has discovered the ability to look into the past, by four days, and may be able identify the bomber and possibly stop him. Some of the effects that are used are a little confusing to see, especially when looking through the time goggles and seeing the past and present at the same time. But that doesn't take way from the action that is taken place in both timeframes. The story is smart and the acting is tight, so much so that at the pace that the movie moves at you don't realize that two hours have flown by.
I didn't expect too much from this film when I first heard about it, it sounded like a rip off of the TV series 7 Days, but I was pleasantly surprised. In so ways there are elements to the story that are quite original, and there are others that just look at old ideas from a new and different direction. All of this is put together into a film that is fun, entertaining and thought provoking, and it will give you a whole new way to look at that feeling of déjà vu.
Dark Planet
When a good science fiction idea for a movie is handled badly, with poor special effects and mediocre acting, you end up with a film that no one likes to watch even on a good day. Usually when a company is doing a low budget film they get an aged actor to draw some interest, here they tapped Michael York for one of the lead roles. But even with his acting experience the whole production comes off shoddily.
In the year 2638 after being ravaged by World War 6 the Earth is dying and the only hope of survival is the discovery of a habitable planet at the opposite end of a black hole. What can I say about this film but it's not worth watching, even if you think the premise sounds interesting. The acting is stale and the effects are 4th rate, even for 1996, they look like they came out of video game from the 1980s. I'm not going to waste any time trying to pull the good parts out from the bad because there just aren't enough to warrant the effort of giving it any redeeming qualities.
I had never heard of this film, when it popped up on my recommendation list for rentals, the brief summary that was offered about the movie sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. Big mistake. So if you see this in your rental store or in your on-line listing, don't waste your time, you'll be disappointed from the very beginning. This film falls into the trash bin category, complete waste from beginning to end, there aren't that many films that I'd throw into the trash bin, but when one comes along you have to do what you have to do.
In the year 2638 after being ravaged by World War 6 the Earth is dying and the only hope of survival is the discovery of a habitable planet at the opposite end of a black hole. What can I say about this film but it's not worth watching, even if you think the premise sounds interesting. The acting is stale and the effects are 4th rate, even for 1996, they look like they came out of video game from the 1980s. I'm not going to waste any time trying to pull the good parts out from the bad because there just aren't enough to warrant the effort of giving it any redeeming qualities.
I had never heard of this film, when it popped up on my recommendation list for rentals, the brief summary that was offered about the movie sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. Big mistake. So if you see this in your rental store or in your on-line listing, don't waste your time, you'll be disappointed from the very beginning. This film falls into the trash bin category, complete waste from beginning to end, there aren't that many films that I'd throw into the trash bin, but when one comes along you have to do what you have to do.
The Goonies
Pirates and buried treasure are always goods elements to an adventure story, case in point the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but in the mid 80s there was one story that fulfilled every little boys fantasy about the subject. Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner teamed up to give us the high adventure tale of The Goonies, and in so doing released the treasure hunter in all of us. The cast of actors that were gathered together for this film works all the way around, from Corey Feldman playing the wisecracking big mouth to Sean Aston as the sickly little brother, everyone plays there parts like it was second nature.
A group of young boys band together to search for the buried treasure of the pirate One-Eyed Willy, and along the way they discover that there are some things in life that are worth more than treasure. The action sequences with the injection of comedy that Donner puts on display here shows the early work that he did on Gilligan's Island and the action story that was shown on the Banana Splits Show, Danger Island, helped him make the movie an instant classic. Also throughout the movie you see different pulley and weight contraptions that were developed in a homage tribute to the Warner Bros. cartoons with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
I can remember seeing this film in the theater back in 1985 and being amazed by the craftsmanship that went into making such an enjoyable movie, and after all these years it still makes me feel the way I did back then. The making of this film must have been a task and a half, there are so many places where detail was a must and the prop department came through in spades. The biggest prop that was constructed for this film was the pirate ship, and since you only see it the last 15 minutes the studio was very worried that the film was going to be a flop. But there was nothing to worry about; the movie is so fun and enjoyable that even 26 years after its release, it hasn't really aged, except for the music and some of the cloths. If you have kids that have never seen this one, I suggest making some popcorn and sit back for a ride that they'll enjoy from the very beginning.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
True Grit & Rooster Cogburn
Westerns are not the usual place that you find many sequels and the few that are made don't usually match up with the original very well. Some times the character is just so strong that that no matter how long the time between films the story comes off without a hitch and it fells like you had just seen the first film. The biggest roles and most memorable characters that John Wayne played were in the westerns and for me none stand taller than Rooster Cogburn. Years ago when I was a young boy my grandfather, who was a big Wayne and western fan, use to sit down on Saturday afternoons and watch these movies, and where there was only one TV in the house I had to watch what he watched. I fell in love with a lot of the older movies then, but with all the different films that I saw, Wayne's just stood out from the rest.
True Grit - A young girl searching for the killer of her father hires the one eyed whiskey drinking U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn to bring him in to justice. One of the surprising performances in this film comes from Robert Duvall as Lucky Ned Pepper and the other from Glen Campbell as the Texas Ranger. Both roles, along with Kim Darby as the young girl, helped Wayne's portrayal of Cogburn to the point of winning an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1969. With the steady stream of action sequences this film moves along at a very good pace and before you know it the final battle is upon you and your cheering on the good guys.
Rooster Cogburn - While on the trail of some bandits who hijacked a shipment of nitroglycerin, Cogburn pairs up with a head strong missionary who is after the bandits for killing her father. Katharine Hepburn as the missionary, Eula Goodnight, shows that no matter what time period she is acting in she comes across as if this was the life she was living. There is just as much action in this film as in the first film and here Cogburn's character releases more information about his background, which shows that there are ore layers to this person than can be examined. The cunning and skill of Cogburn's character is evident in both films but comes out more here showing some of the tricks he had learned during the War.
With six years separating the two films you'd think that the sequel would lose the appeal of the audience, but with this being John Wayne he carries the whole thing as if he walked from one set to the next. The scenery in both films just takes your breath away and shows how beautiful this country is. With the success of these two films it's a shame that there wasn't another film made, would have been nice to see more stories about this character, and his life in the West. For years I had only seen True Grit, until a friend let me borrow the sequel so that I could finally see the whole story. And now that I have I don't think I could watch the first movie now without wanting to see the second.
True Grit - A young girl searching for the killer of her father hires the one eyed whiskey drinking U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn to bring him in to justice. One of the surprising performances in this film comes from Robert Duvall as Lucky Ned Pepper and the other from Glen Campbell as the Texas Ranger. Both roles, along with Kim Darby as the young girl, helped Wayne's portrayal of Cogburn to the point of winning an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1969. With the steady stream of action sequences this film moves along at a very good pace and before you know it the final battle is upon you and your cheering on the good guys.
Rooster Cogburn - While on the trail of some bandits who hijacked a shipment of nitroglycerin, Cogburn pairs up with a head strong missionary who is after the bandits for killing her father. Katharine Hepburn as the missionary, Eula Goodnight, shows that no matter what time period she is acting in she comes across as if this was the life she was living. There is just as much action in this film as in the first film and here Cogburn's character releases more information about his background, which shows that there are ore layers to this person than can be examined. The cunning and skill of Cogburn's character is evident in both films but comes out more here showing some of the tricks he had learned during the War.
With six years separating the two films you'd think that the sequel would lose the appeal of the audience, but with this being John Wayne he carries the whole thing as if he walked from one set to the next. The scenery in both films just takes your breath away and shows how beautiful this country is. With the success of these two films it's a shame that there wasn't another film made, would have been nice to see more stories about this character, and his life in the West. For years I had only seen True Grit, until a friend let me borrow the sequel so that I could finally see the whole story. And now that I have I don't think I could watch the first movie now without wanting to see the second.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Children's books are usually the most enjoyable and carefree kind of stories that we all love to watch when they are made into films. And along with the fun loving characters that are in these tales we also are given an array of musical songs that help us identify with the characters and the situations that they are in. This film has touched every generation of children since its release in 1971, and was successfully remade by Tim Burton in 2005. But here the director Mel Stuart has transformed the imagination of Roald Dahl into a living, breathing world that everyone wanted to visit. In the title role of Willy Wonker you have Gene Wilder, who shows the versatility of his acting where he runs the spectrum from comedy to drama, within the blink of an eye and you enjoy it from the beginning to the end of his performance.
A young boys hard life is changed in an instant when he finds the last golden ticket prize to enter a chocolate factory that has been closed to the public for years. From the opening scenes we are presented with a music that is so fun that after a while you don't even realize that you are singing along with the actors. The music is a very intricate part of the movie, it's as important to this film as the sets and props are in setting the right tone for the actors. The sets and props are so whimsical that once you enter the Imagination Room, you can't help but believe in what you are seeing. Every character that is presented is straight forward in their actions, but Wonker is so complex that he stands out from the rest. From the first moment that his name is mentioned to his entrance into the story, he is so multifaceted in his speech, actions and personality that when put up against the other characters in the tale he is nothing else but god like.
I grew up on this movie, and like a lot of other people you learned the life lessons that were being put on display throughout the film. No one would openly admit that they saw themselves portrayed in the movie, unless of course it was the character of Charlie, but with the lovable characters that it introduced to the world we are left with a movie that seems to be ageless. This film isn't as dark as the Burton remake, so the younger children that watch it don't have that foreboding feeling after the movie is done. This is one of those movies that I could watch forever, and enjoy every scene, situation and song that is on the screen.
A young boys hard life is changed in an instant when he finds the last golden ticket prize to enter a chocolate factory that has been closed to the public for years. From the opening scenes we are presented with a music that is so fun that after a while you don't even realize that you are singing along with the actors. The music is a very intricate part of the movie, it's as important to this film as the sets and props are in setting the right tone for the actors. The sets and props are so whimsical that once you enter the Imagination Room, you can't help but believe in what you are seeing. Every character that is presented is straight forward in their actions, but Wonker is so complex that he stands out from the rest. From the first moment that his name is mentioned to his entrance into the story, he is so multifaceted in his speech, actions and personality that when put up against the other characters in the tale he is nothing else but god like.
I grew up on this movie, and like a lot of other people you learned the life lessons that were being put on display throughout the film. No one would openly admit that they saw themselves portrayed in the movie, unless of course it was the character of Charlie, but with the lovable characters that it introduced to the world we are left with a movie that seems to be ageless. This film isn't as dark as the Burton remake, so the younger children that watch it don't have that foreboding feeling after the movie is done. This is one of those movies that I could watch forever, and enjoy every scene, situation and song that is on the screen.
Web of the Spider
A lot of the horror movies from the early 1970s were more into substance and atmosphere, than shock, blood and gore, but that's not to say that they weren't terrifying, in their own way. They could grab the audience, transfer them back into a by gone era and show them things that, in the right setting, would scare the daylights out of them. Yet as time has gone on we, as an audience, grew up and wanted more and more to shock us into that same feeling that we would get when we were younger. This film harkens back to the time when all you needed to do was turn down the lights to get the added effect of the movie.
A newspaper writer is convinced by Edgar Allan Poe to spend a night in a haunted castle, and survive, in order to get an interview with the famed author. There are some things that you would notice right away about this film, first it still has the grainy picture of the original 1970 film, it was never cleaned up for the DVD transfer, but ultimately it helps with the creepiness of the story. Second, when anyone lights a candle it has the ability to light up the whole room, and throw light in impossible directions. Klaus Kinski as Poe does a wonderful job at showing the real man that he was, a drunkard who at times could weave a story that could spellbind the reader, or in this case the listener.
The plot for the story actually comes from one of Poe's own short stories, so that alone helps this manufactured tale, knowing that one of the greatest writers in American history contributed to the screenplay. I grew up on horror movies like this one, some of my favorites are the Poe adaptations that were done in the 60s and 70s, but I had never heard of this one and it was a pleasure to see it. Unless you're a Poe fan, or a fan of the 70s horror genre, you probably wouldn't like this. But if you are, and you can suspend your feeling of the fantastic, you just might find a gem amongst all the rubble.
A newspaper writer is convinced by Edgar Allan Poe to spend a night in a haunted castle, and survive, in order to get an interview with the famed author. There are some things that you would notice right away about this film, first it still has the grainy picture of the original 1970 film, it was never cleaned up for the DVD transfer, but ultimately it helps with the creepiness of the story. Second, when anyone lights a candle it has the ability to light up the whole room, and throw light in impossible directions. Klaus Kinski as Poe does a wonderful job at showing the real man that he was, a drunkard who at times could weave a story that could spellbind the reader, or in this case the listener.
The plot for the story actually comes from one of Poe's own short stories, so that alone helps this manufactured tale, knowing that one of the greatest writers in American history contributed to the screenplay. I grew up on horror movies like this one, some of my favorites are the Poe adaptations that were done in the 60s and 70s, but I had never heard of this one and it was a pleasure to see it. Unless you're a Poe fan, or a fan of the 70s horror genre, you probably wouldn't like this. But if you are, and you can suspend your feeling of the fantastic, you just might find a gem amongst all the rubble.
Clash of the Titans (1981)
All great adventure story ideas have to begin somewhere, and most of them can be traced, in one way or another, to the Greek and Roman myths of our ancient history. The damsel in distress, the hero against all odds and good against evil are only a few of the many concepts that have been handed down us and are today being made into movies that we all love and enjoy. Here with stop motion effects master, Ray Harryhausen, we are given a wonderful tale of myths and monsters, and with the magic of Hollywood, some of the best-known characters from Greek mythology are brought to life.
Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus, must fulfill his destiny in the eyes of his father, and in the process goes up against some of the most powerful creatures of the ancient world. The stop motion photography that is used here is dated and looks fake but that also helps the story with the idea that these creatures are not on the same plain of existence as the human in the story. Some of the acting that is done here seems a little stale but that also goes along with adding to the idea that the story that we are watching has been handed down over time. The two true veteran actors in the cast are Burgess Meredith and Laurence Olivier, Meredith as the playwright Ammon and Olivier as Zeus, father of the Gods. Both play their parts well and throughout the film you can see their classical acting skills come through to uplift their roles.
A movie like this can be appreciated for the hard work that went into making it, with all the CGI work that is now being done in movies its hard to say where the true art form in creating a world such as this. I would love to see if they could remake an adventure movie such as this, just to see if it could be as good as the original, but for now this is the movie we have to enjoy. A lot of people who enjoy the more modern effects in their adventure films will probably be disappointed with the effects here but if you can see past that, you'll see that this movie is well worth the time spent.
Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus, must fulfill his destiny in the eyes of his father, and in the process goes up against some of the most powerful creatures of the ancient world. The stop motion photography that is used here is dated and looks fake but that also helps the story with the idea that these creatures are not on the same plain of existence as the human in the story. Some of the acting that is done here seems a little stale but that also goes along with adding to the idea that the story that we are watching has been handed down over time. The two true veteran actors in the cast are Burgess Meredith and Laurence Olivier, Meredith as the playwright Ammon and Olivier as Zeus, father of the Gods. Both play their parts well and throughout the film you can see their classical acting skills come through to uplift their roles.
A movie like this can be appreciated for the hard work that went into making it, with all the CGI work that is now being done in movies its hard to say where the true art form in creating a world such as this. I would love to see if they could remake an adventure movie such as this, just to see if it could be as good as the original, but for now this is the movie we have to enjoy. A lot of people who enjoy the more modern effects in their adventure films will probably be disappointed with the effects here but if you can see past that, you'll see that this movie is well worth the time spent.
Murder Most Foul
Over the years a good many of Agatha Christie's works have been put to film, both on the big screen and the small, and her main characters have been portrayed by some of the best European actors in the business. Some of the mysteries are harder to solve than others but the real fun is watching her sleuth, whether it be Poirot or Marple, weigh all the evidence and solve the crime before the police. Here Margaret Rutherford plays the crime solving Miss Jane Marple with the style and flair that Christie wrote into the character.
After being the only hold out in a jury on a murder trial, Miss Marple believes the defendant is innocent and begins her own investigation into a traveling theater troupe to prove who the real murderer is. Shot with an entirely British cast and in black and white, you're drawn into this world of murder and intrigue that at times seems a lot simpler and carefree. This was Rutherford's fourth appearance as Marple and she carries the character like it was second nature, so much so that when Marple is auditioning for the theater director she over plays the role to make a bigger impression.
This whodunit was based on Christie's story "Mrs. McGinty's Dead," which is a tale that is filled with red herrings and tangled motives, that at times leaves you guessing up to the final solution. This is one of those mysteries that you can sit back and enjoy with the knowledge that you'll have fun watching it and that you've actually exercised your mind at the same time.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
THEM!
With the invention of the atomic bomb, we as the human race were brought into a new age that ultimately affected all walks of life on the planet. Hollywood didn't wait to exploit this new form of energy; it used the concept of radiation to bleed new life into a failed genre. The monster movies were given a new lease and they came back bigger and meaner than before. This is one of many films that were made with the idea that radiation could mutate a living species, and given time that species could destroy the world.
Giant ants are discovered in the New Mexico desert after they go on a murderous rampage, but once the new queen ants escape from the hive the US army is brought in to track them down before they annihilate the human race. For 1954 the effects that are used are not that bad, of course by today's standards they're very crude but they still work within the framework of the film. There is actually some real science about ants injected into the film to help give it that feeling that it was actually happening. All the acting is well done, but the stand out piece is that of the little girl in the beginning of the film, for most of her role she moves through the scenes in a catatonic state. When the doctors finally bring her out of it she has a one-word line to say and says it with so much power that you believe that her life is in danger.
In my opinion this is one of the better giant monster movies that came out of Hollywood in the 50s. Trying to show the dangers of this new technology that we had discovered, they were able to give fanciful ideas for people to have nightmares about and not worry about what it could do to them. That way the public could be told about the danger of radiation, but just not the whole truth. This is definitely one of those films that you can sit back on a rainy Saturday afternoon with a bowl of popcorn, and think about the way things used to be in your youth.
Giant ants are discovered in the New Mexico desert after they go on a murderous rampage, but once the new queen ants escape from the hive the US army is brought in to track them down before they annihilate the human race. For 1954 the effects that are used are not that bad, of course by today's standards they're very crude but they still work within the framework of the film. There is actually some real science about ants injected into the film to help give it that feeling that it was actually happening. All the acting is well done, but the stand out piece is that of the little girl in the beginning of the film, for most of her role she moves through the scenes in a catatonic state. When the doctors finally bring her out of it she has a one-word line to say and says it with so much power that you believe that her life is in danger.
In my opinion this is one of the better giant monster movies that came out of Hollywood in the 50s. Trying to show the dangers of this new technology that we had discovered, they were able to give fanciful ideas for people to have nightmares about and not worry about what it could do to them. That way the public could be told about the danger of radiation, but just not the whole truth. This is definitely one of those films that you can sit back on a rainy Saturday afternoon with a bowl of popcorn, and think about the way things used to be in your youth.
The Last King of Scotland
Paranoia is one the great downfalls of any dictator, once they believe that their enemies are everywhere, and every one. This story has its basis in fact and, unfortunately, I have to say I'm old enough to remember the news reports that came out of Uganda in the 70s about Idi Amin and the terror that he brought to his people. Here Forest Whitaker portrays the role of Amin superbly, with the ferocity and intensity of any actor to portray a dictator; he brings this character out of the pages of history and into our current lives.
A young doctor is befriended by the new leader of Uganda, Idi Amin, and is soon drawn in to the political turmoil of the new government and personal mania of its leader. The story gets to you on a emotional level that leads you to believe that Amin was a decent human being, but your slowly drawn closer into the inner circle and you begin to realize how deadly and calculating he really was. The way the scenes are laid out is great; you see the flashes of coherency between characters and then as things become apparent, the fear and terror of the situations. The death and bloodshed that is going on all around the main characters is not shown until it directly affects them, and then it's like a repeated slap in the face that just keeps coming.
Watching this film was like having flashbacks about reading the news reports of the time, all the death and torture that was going on in Uganda all comes to life in front of you. Its hard to believe that any one man, or government, can kill off it's own people for political or personal reasons, but we've seen so much of it through history and more recently in our own time. Maybe the underlying thought here is that we should think before we act, and our governments should think hard about whom they are pushing into a government's leader's position.
A young doctor is befriended by the new leader of Uganda, Idi Amin, and is soon drawn in to the political turmoil of the new government and personal mania of its leader. The story gets to you on a emotional level that leads you to believe that Amin was a decent human being, but your slowly drawn closer into the inner circle and you begin to realize how deadly and calculating he really was. The way the scenes are laid out is great; you see the flashes of coherency between characters and then as things become apparent, the fear and terror of the situations. The death and bloodshed that is going on all around the main characters is not shown until it directly affects them, and then it's like a repeated slap in the face that just keeps coming.
Watching this film was like having flashbacks about reading the news reports of the time, all the death and torture that was going on in Uganda all comes to life in front of you. Its hard to believe that any one man, or government, can kill off it's own people for political or personal reasons, but we've seen so much of it through history and more recently in our own time. Maybe the underlying thought here is that we should think before we act, and our governments should think hard about whom they are pushing into a government's leader's position.
Twister
To revitalize a failing movie genre, Warner Bros. used cutting edge special effects to bring back the disaster films in a big way. With the 1996 release of this film it opened the floodgates for a whole new realm of disaster films with better special effects that brought a complete new experience to the audience. With Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton leading this cast of storm chasers, you get a high powered action film the at times keeps you on the edge of your seat. The true star of this film is the effects department and their man made tornados, and not to take anything from the actors in the movie but sometimes the twisters are the best actors on the screen.
Storm chasing has become an obsession for a pair of young scientists who are determined to find out what makes tornados tick, but when the biggest storm in 50 years develops they may not be able to walk away with their lives intact. Injecting enough real science into this film keeps it in the realm of believability; even when situations arise that seem a little far-fetched. But with state of the art special effects, and the set designs that try to give us a true impression of what the affects and devastation of a series of tornados can do, we are given a first hand experience of what it would be like in a twisters path. With a production team with names that include Jan De Bont (director of Speed), Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park), and Steven Spielberg (director of Jurassic Park), we are given a film that's enjoyable and awe-inspiring for the entire audience.
With all the resent destruction of the tornados that have plagued the mid-western states, this movie hits very close to home, literally speaking of course. The devastation that we are presented on screen is breathtaking and horrifying, but I'm sure that the actual events of being involved in one of these situations are a whole lot worse. The movie is outstanding entertainment and wonderful to watch for the action and effects, but the issues that are brought up in the film are real issues and at times the destruction and death that happens during one of these events is immeasurable and cannot truly be transferred to the screen.
Storm chasing has become an obsession for a pair of young scientists who are determined to find out what makes tornados tick, but when the biggest storm in 50 years develops they may not be able to walk away with their lives intact. Injecting enough real science into this film keeps it in the realm of believability; even when situations arise that seem a little far-fetched. But with state of the art special effects, and the set designs that try to give us a true impression of what the affects and devastation of a series of tornados can do, we are given a first hand experience of what it would be like in a twisters path. With a production team with names that include Jan De Bont (director of Speed), Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park), and Steven Spielberg (director of Jurassic Park), we are given a film that's enjoyable and awe-inspiring for the entire audience.
With all the resent destruction of the tornados that have plagued the mid-western states, this movie hits very close to home, literally speaking of course. The devastation that we are presented on screen is breathtaking and horrifying, but I'm sure that the actual events of being involved in one of these situations are a whole lot worse. The movie is outstanding entertainment and wonderful to watch for the action and effects, but the issues that are brought up in the film are real issues and at times the destruction and death that happens during one of these events is immeasurable and cannot truly be transferred to the screen.
Charlotte's Web & 2 (animated films)
Friendship is one of the greatest things that we, as human beings, use to keep our relationships in a close-knit social circle. So many children's films are geared toward this aspect of life, and in so doing have taught these children that if you have a friend you have someone who will stand by you through thick and thin. This story, written by E.B. White, shows us that we may find a friend in the most unlikely of places and no matter what the friend is, a girl, a pig, a spider, a sheep, you may have a friend that will do almost anything for you.
Charlotte's Web - A young girl saves the runt from a litter of pigs and names it Wilbur, then as Wilbur starts to grow there is a danger of him being killed and a new friend, Charlotte the spider, helps save his life again. The magic of this film comes from the fact that the brains behind the production were none other than Hanna and Barbera, who brought to life some of the most beloved cartoons in television. With the excellent voice talents of Debbie Reynolds, Paul Lynde, Henry Gibson and Agnes Moorehead, this film captured the true meaning of love, trust and friendship. Made in the early 70s, the animation looks dated, since most of us are used to the sharp digital look of today's animation films, but that doesn't take away from the story and the love of the characters.
Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure - A year after his first adventure Wilbur, with the help of Charlotte's three children, befriends and helps a newborn sheep, who just happens to be black instead of white. This film was made in 2003, a bit long of a wait to make a sequel, but it doesn't take away from the core subjects that the story is trying to convey. The animation is a little more playful for the newer generation of children, but the story and characters don't have the same magic as the original film.
By far the first film is better than the second, but that's not to say the sequel isn't worth watching. The ideas that White put into the story of Charlotte's Web carry through both films, and these beliefs have thought generations of kids about trust, love and friendship. Some of the other issues that these stories touch on are actions of selfishness, bullying and even the tough subject of death, but that one is just indirectly, these are things that we all need to learn about in life. So sit back with your kids and enjoy some clean fun and some catchy songs that you'll all be singing together.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Queen
Most of the time when a film is made about a sitting monarch the subject matter deals with some scathing issue that would eventually bring down that monarchy. But here we are given an intimate view of the Queen of England at one of the most trying times of her reign and the effort that was put forward in saving the English monarchy from disaster. Helen Mirren in the role of Queen Elizabeth II is just perfect; at times during the film you almost forget that it's an actress on the screen and not the Queen.
After the unexpected death of Princess Diana, Tony Blair works closely with Queen Elizabeth II to manage the private funeral arrangements and also deal with the public outcry for a public funeral. The use of stock footage from the interviews with Diana, to the news reports about the accident and the gatherings outside the palace, to footage of the funeral itself is tastefully done and helps keep the story in focus. Michael Sheen who's in the role of the Prime Minister is a wonderful fit; this is another fine example of having an actor that looks like the person he is portraying. The effort that was put into making the sets and costumes was painstakingly done, there are times during the film that you just don't know if they are on sight or in a studio.
Seeing the inside workings of the British monarchy and how they pride themselves on tradition, truly shows why they have lasted so long. This also shows why there people that are calling for the modernization of the government, there are times when tradition needs to be put aside for the sake of the nation. With showing the human side of the royal family, and especially the Queen, you walk away with a feeling that these people are doing what they believe is right in their hearts and their minds, and at times, like everybody, they need to be shown when they are wrong. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this film; I thought it was going to be one of those films where you're left thinking why did I just waste two hours watching this, but I was wrong it's a completely enjoyable from beginning to end.
After the unexpected death of Princess Diana, Tony Blair works closely with Queen Elizabeth II to manage the private funeral arrangements and also deal with the public outcry for a public funeral. The use of stock footage from the interviews with Diana, to the news reports about the accident and the gatherings outside the palace, to footage of the funeral itself is tastefully done and helps keep the story in focus. Michael Sheen who's in the role of the Prime Minister is a wonderful fit; this is another fine example of having an actor that looks like the person he is portraying. The effort that was put into making the sets and costumes was painstakingly done, there are times during the film that you just don't know if they are on sight or in a studio.
Seeing the inside workings of the British monarchy and how they pride themselves on tradition, truly shows why they have lasted so long. This also shows why there people that are calling for the modernization of the government, there are times when tradition needs to be put aside for the sake of the nation. With showing the human side of the royal family, and especially the Queen, you walk away with a feeling that these people are doing what they believe is right in their hearts and their minds, and at times, like everybody, they need to be shown when they are wrong. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this film; I thought it was going to be one of those films where you're left thinking why did I just waste two hours watching this, but I was wrong it's a completely enjoyable from beginning to end.
Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng Chiang
Sometimes when writing for a sci-fi series its hard not to tread over used ground and make it seem new, most of the time the story just seems old and worn out. Considering the low budget status of the earlier Dr. Who series, rehashing of older storylines from science fiction became a necessity. Blending ideas from multiple sources brought some of the most inventive storylines in the series, and this one shows how well the writers did at constructing a usable tale for the expanding universe of Dr. Who.
While stopping in 19th century London to take in a theater play The Doctor and Leela are soon drawn into the strange goings on that include the disappearances of 9 women, giant rats, and a secret Chinese cult that is run by a time traveling madman. Tom Baker is the Doctor in this story, and up until the resent revival of the series, was the most popular and loved actors to carry the mantle. Using the elements of time travel, ancient Gods with power and a little bit of the Jack the Ripper mythology, you end up with a drama that captures your imagination and takes you on a ride through the fog cover streets of London. Having each episode end up with a cliffhanger helps draw the audience into wanting to see the next part so that they maybe able to see how the final outcome comes to be.
This tale was one of the few complete storylines that I saw in the 70s, and it still has the spark of entertainment that it had when it originally aired. Watching some of these older episodes of this series bring back the memories of seeing the stories unfold on a young mind, and impress upon the ideas of adventure and exploration of the world around us. This is a nice enjoyable disc to watch, with all the parts for this story on one disc there is no waiting to see the progression of the story.
While stopping in 19th century London to take in a theater play The Doctor and Leela are soon drawn into the strange goings on that include the disappearances of 9 women, giant rats, and a secret Chinese cult that is run by a time traveling madman. Tom Baker is the Doctor in this story, and up until the resent revival of the series, was the most popular and loved actors to carry the mantle. Using the elements of time travel, ancient Gods with power and a little bit of the Jack the Ripper mythology, you end up with a drama that captures your imagination and takes you on a ride through the fog cover streets of London. Having each episode end up with a cliffhanger helps draw the audience into wanting to see the next part so that they maybe able to see how the final outcome comes to be.
This tale was one of the few complete storylines that I saw in the 70s, and it still has the spark of entertainment that it had when it originally aired. Watching some of these older episodes of this series bring back the memories of seeing the stories unfold on a young mind, and impress upon the ideas of adventure and exploration of the world around us. This is a nice enjoyable disc to watch, with all the parts for this story on one disc there is no waiting to see the progression of the story.
Mumford
Pretending to be someone else is usually a fantasy of most people; to be another person and have a completely different life at times seems like a good idea. This movie proves the old adage "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive." The movie was written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan who brought us The Big Chill, one of the all time classics from the 80s, here the characters have that same down home feeling that we get from his earlier films and we're happy to watch. The story shows how even when we think that we are feeling that we are alone, there are people who are having the same troubles as we are, and help may be closer than we think.
The popular psychologist in the town of Mumford listens to all the problems and fantasies of the town folk, but when he falls in love with one of his patients he begins to wonder if he should tell them that he nothing but a fraud. The characters and town setting could be any place in the U.S., which helps the audience believe that they could run into any one of them on the street. Where this story is character driven, you are almost expecting it to get bogged down with their developments, but with the pace of the film you don't have any roadblocks to slow it down.
The storyline is pretty straightforward, there are no surprises and no plot twists to create suspense but it is an enjoyable film nonetheless. I don't remember this film lasting very long in the theater, but that's a shame because when there isn't a lot of publicity exposure people don't remember the film and it ends up on the trash heap. I'm not saying that this is one of those great-lost films but if you sit and watch it you'll see some little know actors do a superb job, and some veterans who like doing supporting roles.
The popular psychologist in the town of Mumford listens to all the problems and fantasies of the town folk, but when he falls in love with one of his patients he begins to wonder if he should tell them that he nothing but a fraud. The characters and town setting could be any place in the U.S., which helps the audience believe that they could run into any one of them on the street. Where this story is character driven, you are almost expecting it to get bogged down with their developments, but with the pace of the film you don't have any roadblocks to slow it down.
The storyline is pretty straightforward, there are no surprises and no plot twists to create suspense but it is an enjoyable film nonetheless. I don't remember this film lasting very long in the theater, but that's a shame because when there isn't a lot of publicity exposure people don't remember the film and it ends up on the trash heap. I'm not saying that this is one of those great-lost films but if you sit and watch it you'll see some little know actors do a superb job, and some veterans who like doing supporting roles.
Swimming Pool
If after watching a movie, you're left scratching your head about what you had just watched is the kind of film that you like then this is definitely for you. The story goes in a nice clean and completely understandable direction and then without warning it spins out into another direction and leaves you dazed wondering what your now viewing. Aside from the ending its an alright film, its well acted and the cinematography is great, what's lacking is the story, and that's its biggest downfall.
A British mystery writer is sent on some R&R by her publisher to his summer home in France, where she gets dragged into his daughter's wild and highly sexual world. Shot on location in France you have the true feeling of the countryside, how beautiful and picturesque it is in the summertime. The acting is very well done With twists in the plot that at times you can see coming from miles away you become distracted by the fact that the daughter is running around, for most of the movie, half naked. Well, this is France.
By the end of the film your left shaking your head and wondering what the Hell is going on, your just not sure if what you watched was real or the new book the author wrote on holiday. Trust me if you think of it that way it goes down easier. Like I said before if you like to be confused by what you view then this is something that you should search out and see, but if you like your movies clean cut and self-explanatory then don't bother, you'll walk away with a migraine.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
There are not a lot of actor that find a role that they were meant to play, and it's even rarer to find one that they were born to be in. Jack Nicholson seems to have done this on a few occasions, and the first time that this happened was with the role R.P. McMurphy in this powerful award winning film. From the very beginning, this film doesn't pull any punches, and at the time, 1975, showed the true conditions that people were enduring in our mental hospitals around the country.
R.P. McMurphy thinks that he's come up with a way to beat the system, if he fakes that he's insane he gets moved to a hospital from the state prison, but once there his plan start's to fall apart and he may lose him freedom permanently. The realistic situations that are played out in this film are at times so emotional that its hard to watch them, but knowing that they are reflections of the life that patients had to endure in these institutions makes it even harder to see. About 80% of the movie takes place on one floor of the hospital, but with the way that the scenes were shot you don't get the feeling of claustrophobia that some films get when using only one room or area. There are some familiar faces in this film that most people will recognize, there's Louise Fletcher, Danny DeVito, and Christopher Lloyd just to name a few. This was Lloyd's debut into film and after seeing him in this role you can truly see the chemistry he has with the camera and the other actors on the set.
In 1975 this film swept the top five major Academy Awards, and after all these years there is still no question that it deserved every one of them. I've seen this film dozens of times and it still strikes me as a poignant movie that should be watched at film school for students and members of the mental health profession, in both places so many things can be learned from the interactions that are on the screen. All in all this is a very dark film, and not one to be watched unless you are prepared for the feelings that you will most likely have at the conclusion of this film that shows us all what camaraderie and friendship truly means.
R.P. McMurphy thinks that he's come up with a way to beat the system, if he fakes that he's insane he gets moved to a hospital from the state prison, but once there his plan start's to fall apart and he may lose him freedom permanently. The realistic situations that are played out in this film are at times so emotional that its hard to watch them, but knowing that they are reflections of the life that patients had to endure in these institutions makes it even harder to see. About 80% of the movie takes place on one floor of the hospital, but with the way that the scenes were shot you don't get the feeling of claustrophobia that some films get when using only one room or area. There are some familiar faces in this film that most people will recognize, there's Louise Fletcher, Danny DeVito, and Christopher Lloyd just to name a few. This was Lloyd's debut into film and after seeing him in this role you can truly see the chemistry he has with the camera and the other actors on the set.
In 1975 this film swept the top five major Academy Awards, and after all these years there is still no question that it deserved every one of them. I've seen this film dozens of times and it still strikes me as a poignant movie that should be watched at film school for students and members of the mental health profession, in both places so many things can be learned from the interactions that are on the screen. All in all this is a very dark film, and not one to be watched unless you are prepared for the feelings that you will most likely have at the conclusion of this film that shows us all what camaraderie and friendship truly means.
Paradise Now
When a story comes along that grabs you and tells you something about the world around that you that you've never known before, it turns into something that you have to tell people about. That is how I feel about this movie; it deals with a subject that we've all become aware of over recent years. Suicide bombers have become commonplace on the news but here for the first time we're given a chance to see how some of them may feel about the sacrifice that they are about to make. Even though this is a story, we are given a brief glimpse into the lives of the Palestinian people and the hardships that they deal with on a daily basis, this film opens a whole new door for anyone who has ever wondered what it is like there.
Two young Palestinian men have been chosen to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, but as the mission begins they become separated and each must decide whether to continue or go back. This story is very straightforward, you know who your main characters are and the reasons for their actions, but as the two men's personal stories start to unfold, feelings and personal backgrounds begin to make the outcome of the mission questionable. The flow of the movie is kept going by the fact that you truly don't know what will be coming next, every time you turn a corner with the characters it's a new experience for you as well as them. Not having a true end to the story has become the norm for independent films and as time has gone on these endings have become stale, but the realism of this story slaps you in the face right up until the very end which works here to a tee.
None us will truly know what goes on in the mind of a suicide bomber, but this film gives us a glimpse into some of the reasons why they are so driven in their belief. I was totally mesmerized by this film to see these two young men have no other alternative but to blow themselves, and whoever's around them, up is more than a little disconcerting. But the examination of who these men are and the beliefs that they have is very well done and you end up walking away with a little bit more of an understanding of how they think and why they believe that there is no other way to get what they want.
Two young Palestinian men have been chosen to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, but as the mission begins they become separated and each must decide whether to continue or go back. This story is very straightforward, you know who your main characters are and the reasons for their actions, but as the two men's personal stories start to unfold, feelings and personal backgrounds begin to make the outcome of the mission questionable. The flow of the movie is kept going by the fact that you truly don't know what will be coming next, every time you turn a corner with the characters it's a new experience for you as well as them. Not having a true end to the story has become the norm for independent films and as time has gone on these endings have become stale, but the realism of this story slaps you in the face right up until the very end which works here to a tee.
None us will truly know what goes on in the mind of a suicide bomber, but this film gives us a glimpse into some of the reasons why they are so driven in their belief. I was totally mesmerized by this film to see these two young men have no other alternative but to blow themselves, and whoever's around them, up is more than a little disconcerting. But the examination of who these men are and the beliefs that they have is very well done and you end up walking away with a little bit more of an understanding of how they think and why they believe that there is no other way to get what they want.
Zhou Yu's Train
Love stories are not something that I specifically go out and watch but when I hear about one that might be good, starring an actress that I enjoy watching I will go out of my way to see it. I have enjoyed watching Gong Li in some of her movies over the past couple of years so when I heard that she was in the one I searched it out. Not that I was completely disappointed with this film, I was more confused by the mix of past and present storylines that are tossed around throughout the movie more than anything else.
Zhou Yu travels hundreds of miles twice a week to see her true love, Chen Ching, but when she is confronted by Zhang Jiang on one her trips she starts to have feelings that she doesn't want, or does she. Li plays a dual role here, past and present, which just pops up and at times, confuses that storyline. There is no distinction between the two lines so when you see her in the shorter haircut your not quite sure where you are at times, if your watching the same character or someone new. The main story alone is touching enough that the secondary story isn't really needed.
In the way of love stories it's not that bad of a film, if you can get by the flip-flop of the storyarchs it's an enjoyable movie. Within the Asian cinema the love story genre doesn't transfer very well to the American cinema, and this is a good example of that, too much time spent on the subtle nuances of the story and not enough straightforward character development. The majority of the American viewing public doesn't like to spend too much time thinking when it comes to the movies that they are watching. It's a decent date film if the two of you can sit and read the subtitles, or if you both speak the language, you'll get some enjoyment out of it.
Zhou Yu travels hundreds of miles twice a week to see her true love, Chen Ching, but when she is confronted by Zhang Jiang on one her trips she starts to have feelings that she doesn't want, or does she. Li plays a dual role here, past and present, which just pops up and at times, confuses that storyline. There is no distinction between the two lines so when you see her in the shorter haircut your not quite sure where you are at times, if your watching the same character or someone new. The main story alone is touching enough that the secondary story isn't really needed.
In the way of love stories it's not that bad of a film, if you can get by the flip-flop of the storyarchs it's an enjoyable movie. Within the Asian cinema the love story genre doesn't transfer very well to the American cinema, and this is a good example of that, too much time spent on the subtle nuances of the story and not enough straightforward character development. The majority of the American viewing public doesn't like to spend too much time thinking when it comes to the movies that they are watching. It's a decent date film if the two of you can sit and read the subtitles, or if you both speak the language, you'll get some enjoyment out of it.
The Crew
If gangsters don't end up dead or whisked away into the witness protection program, how do they spend their twilight years? This movie gives us a glimpse into the retirement of a small group of wise guys who have moved into a South Beach community. All of the problems that the older generation have to deal with, fixed income, demean work, etc., are highlighted throughout the movie in a very lighthearted way. With a cast headed by Burt Reynolds and Richard Dreyfuss, this band of grumpy old men show that they still have some smarts to get things done.
A group of four retired wise guys living in Florida are slowly being forced out of their apartment building, when they come up with an idea from the old days to solve their problem. The set up of the events that drive this story are at times outlandish, but what else would you expect from a group retire hoodlums who are doing what comes naturally. Dreyfuss as the brains of the outfit and Reynolds as the strong-arm work beautifully, they are completely believable and laughable in these roles. These are by far not their best comedy roles but they are still quite enjoyable to watch.
I wasn't expecting too much from this movie, considering it disappeared from the theater almost as fast as it was released, and there wasn't any fanfare when it came out on DVD. These are usually the signs that the film should go right to the trash heap, but I'm always willing to give any movie a second glance to see how I truly feel about it. This isn't a rip-roaring laugh riot of a comedy, but it is cute and funny and what else do you really need to have fun.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Spider-Man Trilogy
Over the decades many of the stories and characters that we all grew up with from the comic strips and comic books have been turned into movies, television and cartoon series. There have been only a handful of successes compared to the number of failures, and with each generation of filmmakers we get an array of offerings to expand the universe of the super heroes. After years of battling over the rights to the project, simply known as Spider-Man, Sony and Columbia Pictures won and found their director in Sam Raimi. Then once the cast was gathered together, which included Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, movie magic and movie history was about to be made.
Spider-Man - After being bitten by a genetically altered spider, Peter Parker develops strange abilities and must battle against the Green Goblin before he destroys the city. This movie is so much like the comic books its amazing, the feel of the scenes, the likeability of the characters, and the humor that makes the comics so much fun to read are all here. The new generation CGI that is used here makes the fight scenes and the characters just jump off the screen. There are a lot of special effects that are used throughout the movie, but it doesn't draw away from the characters or the storyline, and you end up enjoying everything from beginning to end.
Spider-Man 2 - Two years after becoming Spider-Man Peter must make some hard choices in his life when his powers begin to fail, but when he must battle Doc Ock he finds his true calling to be a hero. The character of Doc Ock was a perfect choice to step up the plate in this sequel; with his four mechanical arms the CGI effects are outstanding and at times leaves the audience in awe. The storyline is enhanced by the growth of the characters within the core of the story, and when the villain is introduced you can't feel anything bad for what's happening to them. The battle sequences are levels above what was done in the first movie and at times they leave you breathless.
Spider-Man 3 - While using an alien symbiot, that disguises itself as Peter's Spider-Man outfit, he battles Sandman and when he forcefully removes the symbiot it attaches itself to Eddie Broc and then he must battle Venom. The battle sequences are stepped up another notch here, some of them are so fast paced that if you blink your going to miss something. The further development of the characters gives this movie a depth that most audiences weren't expecting, and with the CGI effects that are used for Sandman and Venom leave you hoping that this won't be the final movie. With the introduction of so many new characters from the comic books, you would think that the storyline would get bogged down and fall apart, but the commanding direction from Raimi the story moves along and never stops until the very end.
All three of these movies are worth watching over and over again, and if the scripts are good and the studio can wrangle the three major players in this story back maybe we'll see more Spider-Man movies in the future. With the CGI effects the way they are, a studio could possibly do a live action TV series and it would be successful, this time around. But none of us knows what the future holds for these characters and the world that they live in, this maybe the end of the line, but maybe the studios should take to heart the tag line from Uncle Ben, "With great power comes great responsibility."
Spider-Man - After being bitten by a genetically altered spider, Peter Parker develops strange abilities and must battle against the Green Goblin before he destroys the city. This movie is so much like the comic books its amazing, the feel of the scenes, the likeability of the characters, and the humor that makes the comics so much fun to read are all here. The new generation CGI that is used here makes the fight scenes and the characters just jump off the screen. There are a lot of special effects that are used throughout the movie, but it doesn't draw away from the characters or the storyline, and you end up enjoying everything from beginning to end.
Spider-Man 2 - Two years after becoming Spider-Man Peter must make some hard choices in his life when his powers begin to fail, but when he must battle Doc Ock he finds his true calling to be a hero. The character of Doc Ock was a perfect choice to step up the plate in this sequel; with his four mechanical arms the CGI effects are outstanding and at times leaves the audience in awe. The storyline is enhanced by the growth of the characters within the core of the story, and when the villain is introduced you can't feel anything bad for what's happening to them. The battle sequences are levels above what was done in the first movie and at times they leave you breathless.
Spider-Man 3 - While using an alien symbiot, that disguises itself as Peter's Spider-Man outfit, he battles Sandman and when he forcefully removes the symbiot it attaches itself to Eddie Broc and then he must battle Venom. The battle sequences are stepped up another notch here, some of them are so fast paced that if you blink your going to miss something. The further development of the characters gives this movie a depth that most audiences weren't expecting, and with the CGI effects that are used for Sandman and Venom leave you hoping that this won't be the final movie. With the introduction of so many new characters from the comic books, you would think that the storyline would get bogged down and fall apart, but the commanding direction from Raimi the story moves along and never stops until the very end.
All three of these movies are worth watching over and over again, and if the scripts are good and the studio can wrangle the three major players in this story back maybe we'll see more Spider-Man movies in the future. With the CGI effects the way they are, a studio could possibly do a live action TV series and it would be successful, this time around. But none of us knows what the future holds for these characters and the world that they live in, this maybe the end of the line, but maybe the studios should take to heart the tag line from Uncle Ben, "With great power comes great responsibility."
Cannibal! The Musical
Musicals are suppose to be happy and carefree, and you should want to sing right along with the characters as they go through the hardships of their situations. This is exactly what you get from this movie, the peace, harmony and tranquility of the trials and tribulations of being snowbound and turning to cannibalism in the 1800s. This comical, and sometimes idiotic, musical bends this happy film genre until its ready to break, with catchy songs and melodies that could have come from any Broadway show, you are left smiling and laughing all the way to the dinner table.
Alfred Packer, who later stands trials for their murder and the cannibalizing of their bodies, guides a small group of miners, who are traveling from Utah to Colorado, into musical danger. Trey Parker co-wrote, directed and starred in this little expedition through the Rocky Mountains, a trip that finds a one eyed trapper Cyclops and a tribe of Japanese Indians. A lot of the jokes are crude and some of the situations are over the top, but what else would expect from one of the people that created South Park.
Watching this movie you can see the blossoming talent of Parker, from the set up of scenes to, at times, the outrageous outcome of situations. This movie tries to capture the comedy of Blazing Saddles with a musical score from The Sound of Music, but what we're left with is farce that is in a class all its own. If you've never seen this, or have never heard of it, don't let the title throw you, it's a funny excursion into a taboo subject that at times will leave you laughing and others just shaking your head.
Alfred Packer, who later stands trials for their murder and the cannibalizing of their bodies, guides a small group of miners, who are traveling from Utah to Colorado, into musical danger. Trey Parker co-wrote, directed and starred in this little expedition through the Rocky Mountains, a trip that finds a one eyed trapper Cyclops and a tribe of Japanese Indians. A lot of the jokes are crude and some of the situations are over the top, but what else would expect from one of the people that created South Park.
Watching this movie you can see the blossoming talent of Parker, from the set up of scenes to, at times, the outrageous outcome of situations. This movie tries to capture the comedy of Blazing Saddles with a musical score from The Sound of Music, but what we're left with is farce that is in a class all its own. If you've never seen this, or have never heard of it, don't let the title throw you, it's a funny excursion into a taboo subject that at times will leave you laughing and others just shaking your head.
Police Squad! (TV series)
With the run of movies being made from successful TV series, there are some films that are made from failed series that people forget about. The Naked Gun trilogy of movies was extremely successful, more successful than the TV series that it was based on. After doing the comedy classic "Airplane" the same team of producers put together this show about the daily work life of a big city detective.
Detective Frank Drebin, with the help of his Captain Ed Hocken, work on some of the city's toughest criminal cases in their own quirky and misunderstood way. Leslie Nielsen as Drebin is wonderful in the role, this series just reinforces the idea that he makes a better comedian than a drama actor. The sight gags and puns that are in abundance throughout the show drive the stories to their hilarious conclusions. Setting up each episode just like a police series from the 70s, each show has a guest star, who unfortunately is killed off in the opening credits. The other thing that is from the older shows is the use of the freeze frame ending, but here there is always something wrong and the freeze doesn't affect everything, or everyone, in the shot.
The show itself only lasted six episodes but the comedy that was on displayed for the audience to watch was ahead of its time, who would have known that years later it would be included in an ever expanding genre. I hadn't seen some of these episodes in years, and after watching them you can see that almost all of the jokes from the series was recycled into the movie series. This show is one of the reasons that I love the DVD sets for TV series, most of the time a show like this would have just fallen into obscurity but with a set like this a whole new generation of people, including people who were alive at the time of the show, are able to experience the joy and laughter of a series that created a huge movie trilogy of comedy.
Detective Frank Drebin, with the help of his Captain Ed Hocken, work on some of the city's toughest criminal cases in their own quirky and misunderstood way. Leslie Nielsen as Drebin is wonderful in the role, this series just reinforces the idea that he makes a better comedian than a drama actor. The sight gags and puns that are in abundance throughout the show drive the stories to their hilarious conclusions. Setting up each episode just like a police series from the 70s, each show has a guest star, who unfortunately is killed off in the opening credits. The other thing that is from the older shows is the use of the freeze frame ending, but here there is always something wrong and the freeze doesn't affect everything, or everyone, in the shot.
The show itself only lasted six episodes but the comedy that was on displayed for the audience to watch was ahead of its time, who would have known that years later it would be included in an ever expanding genre. I hadn't seen some of these episodes in years, and after watching them you can see that almost all of the jokes from the series was recycled into the movie series. This show is one of the reasons that I love the DVD sets for TV series, most of the time a show like this would have just fallen into obscurity but with a set like this a whole new generation of people, including people who were alive at the time of the show, are able to experience the joy and laughter of a series that created a huge movie trilogy of comedy.
Shooter
Conspiracy stories have always been of special interest to the viewing public, the mystery and the idea that there are higher powers pulling the strings behind the curtains. There are many books out on the market the capture the right air and feeling of a good, and believable, conspiracy. But not many of these books get turned into successful movies, yet here we find that the effort that Stephen Hunter put into his book "Point of Impact" comes through on the screen. With outstanding performances from Mark Wahlberg, Danny Glover and Ned Beatty, you are grabbed by the throat and thrown into a world that is to close to the world that we live in.
Bob Lee Swagger, a former Marine scout sniper, is recruited to help the government to stop an assassination attempt on the President, but when things are turned against him and he's accused of the attempt he moves into survival mode and must fight for his life. The roller coaster ride that your thrust into here starts from the opening scenes and as the story progresses only gets faster and more hair raising. All of the performances involved are very well done but the one that got me was from Beatty. I had never seen him as a villain and he plays it very well here, he's seems very natural in the bad guy role. The plot of the story is very intricate and if you don't pay attention you'll miss the little bits and pieces that help you with the ultimate conclusion of the movie.
I wasn't surprised by how good this film was, with all the excellent movies that Wahlberg has done over the past few years each project he becomes involved in just seems to be at the top of it's game. This is definitely one of those movies that didn't get a lot of play in the theaters, and there wasn't a lot of hype when the DVD came out, but it's well worth the time and effort to watch. From beginning to end your captivated by the characters and the storyline and as each level of the film moves on, your left on the edge of your seat waiting for the climax of each scene.
Bob Lee Swagger, a former Marine scout sniper, is recruited to help the government to stop an assassination attempt on the President, but when things are turned against him and he's accused of the attempt he moves into survival mode and must fight for his life. The roller coaster ride that your thrust into here starts from the opening scenes and as the story progresses only gets faster and more hair raising. All of the performances involved are very well done but the one that got me was from Beatty. I had never seen him as a villain and he plays it very well here, he's seems very natural in the bad guy role. The plot of the story is very intricate and if you don't pay attention you'll miss the little bits and pieces that help you with the ultimate conclusion of the movie.
I wasn't surprised by how good this film was, with all the excellent movies that Wahlberg has done over the past few years each project he becomes involved in just seems to be at the top of it's game. This is definitely one of those movies that didn't get a lot of play in the theaters, and there wasn't a lot of hype when the DVD came out, but it's well worth the time and effort to watch. From beginning to end your captivated by the characters and the storyline and as each level of the film moves on, your left on the edge of your seat waiting for the climax of each scene.
Crumb
Some of the biggest and best known artists of our time don't always get the recognition that they deserve until after their dead and gone, and the world looks back on all of their work as a whole. Yet here we get to see the background of one of the most successful underground comic artists from the last century: Robert Crumb. It took the director Terry Zwigoff six years of filming and editing to compile this compelling story that shows the trials and torments that Crumb had to go through in his life.
An in-depth look into the life and times of Robert Crumb, with an intimate examination of his life, good and bad, and how it effected him, his family and the work that he was able to create. The interviews with family and friends, along with Crumb's own commentary, gives the film a feeling of intimacy. As the film progresses you begin to believe that you have an understanding of the man and his work, and then you're given another view point from someone that creates a whole new dimension. The examination of the pain and torment that was throughout his early life doesn't overpower the story, but it also doesn't pass it by as if it had nothing to do with the molding of the artist.
Even if you don't know this man by his name you have probably seen some of his work, the artistry that he created was true to life in the most unflattering of ways, and gave us all a view of the world from his point of view. I believe that understanding an artist's viewpoints about his, or her, work at the time of creation, or years later in reflection, can only enhance the viewing publics appreciation of the work and the artist. This is a wonderful film to see after all these years of admiring Crumb's work and finally seeing the thought process that went into some very recognizable counterculture icons. The final thought about this film proves the old adage, "All artists must suffer for their work," and here you are given a clear picture on how much he truly suffered.
An in-depth look into the life and times of Robert Crumb, with an intimate examination of his life, good and bad, and how it effected him, his family and the work that he was able to create. The interviews with family and friends, along with Crumb's own commentary, gives the film a feeling of intimacy. As the film progresses you begin to believe that you have an understanding of the man and his work, and then you're given another view point from someone that creates a whole new dimension. The examination of the pain and torment that was throughout his early life doesn't overpower the story, but it also doesn't pass it by as if it had nothing to do with the molding of the artist.
Even if you don't know this man by his name you have probably seen some of his work, the artistry that he created was true to life in the most unflattering of ways, and gave us all a view of the world from his point of view. I believe that understanding an artist's viewpoints about his, or her, work at the time of creation, or years later in reflection, can only enhance the viewing publics appreciation of the work and the artist. This is a wonderful film to see after all these years of admiring Crumb's work and finally seeing the thought process that went into some very recognizable counterculture icons. The final thought about this film proves the old adage, "All artists must suffer for their work," and here you are given a clear picture on how much he truly suffered.
Vertical Limit
There are very few mountain climbing movies out there that fall into the action film category, and the few that there are pretty decent to watch. Martin Campbell, who gave us The Mask of Zorro and Goldeneye, so he knows how to film high action sequences, directed this one. Although here there is more suspense then action, but at times its so gripping that your left on the edge of your seat with baited breath. With a cast that includes Chris O'Donnell, Robin Tunney, Bill Paxton and Scott Glenn, you're given a movie that doesn't shortchange you on substance.
A young climber must put together a rescue effort up K-2, the world's second highest peak, to save his sister and her team before they die from exposure to the elements. The action sequences throughout the film are well placed and very well choreographed, there are times, and camera shots, that will easily bring on vertigo from the images of the heights that they get to. Some of the scenes are just breathtaking, being that close to the top of the world and being in mortal danger you can truly see and feel the loneliness and futility of the situations.
When this first came out it was suppose to be a action vehicle for O'Donnell's career, but because of the way it was shot, and the way the story is laid out, you never knew who was actually the star of the film besides the mountain. This would be a fun movie to watch in the middle of summer with the temperature around 90; it would be nice to see the snow and ice, you'd at least get the feeling of being cooled off.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Batman Beyond & Return of the Joker (series & final movie)
After successful runs of Batman Adventures and Batman and Robin Adventures animated series, Warner Bros. decided to take the Caped Crusader in a new direction: the future. This series actually takes place 50 years in the future from the end of the original series, and doesn't go so far over the top with the science that the future seems so far off. With this expansion in the Batman timeline it gives the whole concept a shot in the arm that in the not to distant future there will be a Batman to fight against the evil in the world.
Batman Beyond (the series) - 50 years into the future and a new Batman has entered onto the scene in Gotham to deal out a new brand of justice to the criminals, and super criminals, that threaten the populace. Done with the same animators, and in some cases the same voice actors, this series has the same feel of the Batman Adventures series. None of the violence is so over the top that children couldn't watch it, but it also doesn't hold back when introducing a new villain that can be just as vicious as one of the originals. Each episode is done at a very quick pace, so much so that by the time the story is over your quite ready for the next one to begin.
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker - When the true Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, appears with a sleeker and deadlier attitude towards Gotham City and Bruce Wayne, Batman must stop him before the havoc and mayhem destroys everything he knows. With enough action to stand up against most films from that Batman empire, this story keeps your interest from beginning to end, and with just the right amount of plot twists your left on the edge of your seat to see what happens. The further development of the characters helps ground this storyline in the Batman universe, with the introduction of Tim Drake and The Joker.
I watched the series, along with the movie, since the film was done to clean up a story idea about The Joker that had been hinted at throughout the three seasons that the show was on. Watching the three seasons and the movie was a nice treat, to see the natural progression of the characters, new and old, was like seeing the evolution of the Batman universe to its realistic conclusion. Between the new gadgets and the athletic moves that this new Batman has the show is very enjoyable to watch, it has the action that most viewers are looking for and the humor and flair that brings you back wanting more. It's a shame that the series only lasted three seasons; there are quite a few directions, and characters, that they could have dealt with. For what ever reasons this is as far as it went, but the fans of the show are happy to have what they've got, there is a force for good in the future that we can rely on.
Batman Beyond (the series) - 50 years into the future and a new Batman has entered onto the scene in Gotham to deal out a new brand of justice to the criminals, and super criminals, that threaten the populace. Done with the same animators, and in some cases the same voice actors, this series has the same feel of the Batman Adventures series. None of the violence is so over the top that children couldn't watch it, but it also doesn't hold back when introducing a new villain that can be just as vicious as one of the originals. Each episode is done at a very quick pace, so much so that by the time the story is over your quite ready for the next one to begin.
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker - When the true Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, appears with a sleeker and deadlier attitude towards Gotham City and Bruce Wayne, Batman must stop him before the havoc and mayhem destroys everything he knows. With enough action to stand up against most films from that Batman empire, this story keeps your interest from beginning to end, and with just the right amount of plot twists your left on the edge of your seat to see what happens. The further development of the characters helps ground this storyline in the Batman universe, with the introduction of Tim Drake and The Joker.
I watched the series, along with the movie, since the film was done to clean up a story idea about The Joker that had been hinted at throughout the three seasons that the show was on. Watching the three seasons and the movie was a nice treat, to see the natural progression of the characters, new and old, was like seeing the evolution of the Batman universe to its realistic conclusion. Between the new gadgets and the athletic moves that this new Batman has the show is very enjoyable to watch, it has the action that most viewers are looking for and the humor and flair that brings you back wanting more. It's a shame that the series only lasted three seasons; there are quite a few directions, and characters, that they could have dealt with. For what ever reasons this is as far as it went, but the fans of the show are happy to have what they've got, there is a force for good in the future that we can rely on.
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
The old saying goes, "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The conflict that we now find ourselves in in Iraq rings true in more ways than one. When our forces first went in there were calls from some people that they didn't wont this war to turn into another Viet Nam conflict. But as time has ground on there are more similarities than most people realize. Bill Couturie put this documentary together with the help of a group of major actors in the voiceovers, and has brought one of the most stirring and emotionally charged films about the soldiers and how they really felt during the war.
Letters written home from the soldiers in the Viet Nam war are profiled to show the heroism, the courage, the valor, and the fear that these men had to deal with on a day-to-day basis. There are no re-enactments done for the film, everything that you see is archival footage that NBC News had filmed during the conflict. The truism of the film is enhanced by the fact that what you're watching is authentic film of the instances of a war that most of us only have a vague memory of, unless of course your family was directly effected by it. The blending of actual news footage with film from the field shows how the soldiers were at times fighting for their lives and the politicians were just playing with public opinion and numbers. At times during the film you get the depressing feeling that these young men knew how futile the fighting had become, and you begin to wonder about our soldiers overseas now, have they reached that point and just want to come home.
So much of the film sounds like it came off of the nightly news that we see now of the war in Iraq, the comments made by the Generals, the President and the news services all seem repetitive with what we hear today. Watching the anguish and the pain on the soldiers faces is at times heartbreaking, especially when you're told that they never lived to come home. But the film also gives you a look into the happy side of the soldiers life, if there really is one, the friendships that are made that last a life time, and unfortunately some of those were cut to short. The correlations between the to wars is all to evident, the feelings the soldiers have, the reasons they're there, its heartbreaking that we as a nation have to go through this again, and more horrific that we have to put another generation of soldiers into harms way. So again I say, have we learned anything from history or are we doomed to repeat it, maybe this question should be put to our elected officials since history has shown that they are the ones who send our young fighting men and women off to war, their the ones that should answer the question.
Letters written home from the soldiers in the Viet Nam war are profiled to show the heroism, the courage, the valor, and the fear that these men had to deal with on a day-to-day basis. There are no re-enactments done for the film, everything that you see is archival footage that NBC News had filmed during the conflict. The truism of the film is enhanced by the fact that what you're watching is authentic film of the instances of a war that most of us only have a vague memory of, unless of course your family was directly effected by it. The blending of actual news footage with film from the field shows how the soldiers were at times fighting for their lives and the politicians were just playing with public opinion and numbers. At times during the film you get the depressing feeling that these young men knew how futile the fighting had become, and you begin to wonder about our soldiers overseas now, have they reached that point and just want to come home.
So much of the film sounds like it came off of the nightly news that we see now of the war in Iraq, the comments made by the Generals, the President and the news services all seem repetitive with what we hear today. Watching the anguish and the pain on the soldiers faces is at times heartbreaking, especially when you're told that they never lived to come home. But the film also gives you a look into the happy side of the soldiers life, if there really is one, the friendships that are made that last a life time, and unfortunately some of those were cut to short. The correlations between the to wars is all to evident, the feelings the soldiers have, the reasons they're there, its heartbreaking that we as a nation have to go through this again, and more horrific that we have to put another generation of soldiers into harms way. So again I say, have we learned anything from history or are we doomed to repeat it, maybe this question should be put to our elected officials since history has shown that they are the ones who send our young fighting men and women off to war, their the ones that should answer the question.
Seuss Celebration (Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, etc.)
Growing up with a television in our lives has brought a new kind of teaching into the world, where we learn from what we watch and sometimes use it in the real world. Most of us have seen the Dr. Seuss special that have been on TV, and even some of us have even read the books that these specials were based on. Now some of the most popular classics of this series have become available on DVD and if we're lucky enough maybe our younger generation will learn some of those lessons and take them to heart.
There are nine classics in this set and every one of them is playful and fun with some serious issues but done in a way that will leave any child tapping their feet and singing along with the characters. Some of these classics will sound familiar and some not so much, but all of the have a message that helps us grow as people and citizens of the world community. Here we have classic specials like: The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, The Lorax, and then there are some that may not sound as familiar: Pontofell Pock and his Magic Piano, The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat, and others. All of them are very entertaining and in today's society make so much sense that having young children watch them they'll learn about endangered animals, the environment, sharing with others, and so on. The animation is dated but and in some cases look their age but the stories are what matters and truthfully, if the stories are good the kids don't really care about the animation.
I remember watching these specials on TV when I was growing up and was happy to sit down with my niece and watch them all over again. She had never seen any of them before but once the stories began she was trying to sing along with them and dancing to the music. I'm happy to be able to pass this on to another generation, and hopefully she'll grow to love them as much as her mother and I did. So if you have children in the house, or if you nieces and nephews, try exposing them to this series of stories. They may surprise you and want to go further and read the books, just remember that imagination is the key to expanding the growing mind of a child.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Die Hard (Harder, Vengeance, Live Free)
How do you gage success with a movie franchise, with the amount of money that each films brings in or by how much the story and characters become a part of the pop culture. This series of films started in 1988 and has held a place in the hearts of action film fans for almost two decades. With only four films the character of John McClane has become an icon in the annals of action films, and with action sequences and tag lines of dialog that just seem to be made of gold we have been entertained for years by a character that just doesn't seem to get old. With the release of this latest film, 12 years after the last one, we are given a natural aging McClane who is not trying to hide the facts that his life has in some ways hit rock bottom. And isn't this one of the reasons that we love this character, even though he can do amazing things when put under pressure, he is still a regular human being trying to get through life. Die Hard - A terrorist group takes over a Los Angeles skyscraper and Officer John McClane must do what ever he can to save his wife and stop the leader's plans. This movie burst onto the screen in 1988 and truly never looked back, this movie alone set the stage for all other action films to come. The special effects are at times breathtaking as well as powerful; the speed that they all come at you is so fast that there are moments that you're still catching your breath when the next sequence is upon you. After seeing this film there is no question in any ones mind that Willis is was bankable action star and would have a long career in this genre.
Die Hard 2: Die Harder - While waiting for his wife at the Dulles airport Officer John McClane is thrown into a life and death situation with a group of terrorists trying to free an extradited military leader who is also one of the biggest drug lord. Here the use of models for the planes when they're destroyed does not hamper the action in any way, the editing that is done is at times so good that you can't tell where the models are used and where it's a real plane. Adding a secondary set of problems for McClane, in the guise of the bureaucrats at the airport, just enhances the tension that runs at a high level from the beginning of the movie.
Die Hard with a Vengeance - A bomber has taken New York City hostage and if Officer John McClane can survive a sick city wide game of Simon Says, he might just save a public school from becoming the next casualty. Shooting almost the entire film in New York City lends to the realism of the film and that what you're watching is at times believable. From the blast at the department store in the beginning to the helicopter explosion at the end, the level of action and emotions of the characters are at such a high that is amazing that the filmmakers were able to keep it at that kind of level. Jeremy Irons as the villain makes a great addition to the cast, and does a believable job as the brother of the villain from the original film.
Live Free or Die Hard - After years of living under the radar, officer John McClane is thrust back into the spotlight when a cyber terrorist puts the nation is in danger, and then to prove a point kidnaps John's daughter, big mistake. After waiting 12 long years a very workable script was developed and we are give a movie that is just as fun, and sometimes more fun, as the original film. The laughable one liner jokes are in abundance here, but there aren't to many of them that it interferes with the story. Even though this storyline is geared up with enough techno babble to choke a horse, it's still at a level that the fans, and casual viewers, wont get lost in the story.
All four films are very fast paced and in each case when you've reached the end of the story your amazed at how quick the time went by. As much as the first film was done to break Willis out of the nice guy image that he had created on the show Moonlighting, this last movie shows that he is still a bankable star in action films. He has aged remarkably well within this character and after all these years it is still enjoyable to watch him get into situations that any normal person would have trouble getting out of. But that is the idea of films like this; to see a lovable character deal with problems that most of us would shrink away from. So grab some popcorn and sit back for some of the best stunts and action sequences on film to date, and in the immortal words of John McClane, "Yippee-kai-yay, motherfucker."
Die Hard 2: Die Harder - While waiting for his wife at the Dulles airport Officer John McClane is thrown into a life and death situation with a group of terrorists trying to free an extradited military leader who is also one of the biggest drug lord. Here the use of models for the planes when they're destroyed does not hamper the action in any way, the editing that is done is at times so good that you can't tell where the models are used and where it's a real plane. Adding a secondary set of problems for McClane, in the guise of the bureaucrats at the airport, just enhances the tension that runs at a high level from the beginning of the movie.
Die Hard with a Vengeance - A bomber has taken New York City hostage and if Officer John McClane can survive a sick city wide game of Simon Says, he might just save a public school from becoming the next casualty. Shooting almost the entire film in New York City lends to the realism of the film and that what you're watching is at times believable. From the blast at the department store in the beginning to the helicopter explosion at the end, the level of action and emotions of the characters are at such a high that is amazing that the filmmakers were able to keep it at that kind of level. Jeremy Irons as the villain makes a great addition to the cast, and does a believable job as the brother of the villain from the original film.
Live Free or Die Hard - After years of living under the radar, officer John McClane is thrust back into the spotlight when a cyber terrorist puts the nation is in danger, and then to prove a point kidnaps John's daughter, big mistake. After waiting 12 long years a very workable script was developed and we are give a movie that is just as fun, and sometimes more fun, as the original film. The laughable one liner jokes are in abundance here, but there aren't to many of them that it interferes with the story. Even though this storyline is geared up with enough techno babble to choke a horse, it's still at a level that the fans, and casual viewers, wont get lost in the story.
All four films are very fast paced and in each case when you've reached the end of the story your amazed at how quick the time went by. As much as the first film was done to break Willis out of the nice guy image that he had created on the show Moonlighting, this last movie shows that he is still a bankable star in action films. He has aged remarkably well within this character and after all these years it is still enjoyable to watch him get into situations that any normal person would have trouble getting out of. But that is the idea of films like this; to see a lovable character deal with problems that most of us would shrink away from. So grab some popcorn and sit back for some of the best stunts and action sequences on film to date, and in the immortal words of John McClane, "Yippee-kai-yay, motherfucker."
The Dirty Dozen
Through the 60s and 70s World War II was big business for Hollywood, with some of the biggest stars of the day rounding out the casts. Here the cast is lead by Lee Marvin in one of his best tough guy roles of his career, and with supporting cast mates like Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, and Telly Savalas, just to name a few, we're given a roller coaster ride that none of us would ever forget. Directed by the talented Robert Aldrich, he shows us how to perfectly blend drama, comedy and action in a way that is so entertaining that that you're left cheering these misfits and psychos.
An Army major is volunteered to lead a squad of convicted soldiers on a suicide mission behind enemy lines to kill off some of the Nazi brass. As each character is introduced you're left with the thought that almost everyone of them has some kind of redeeming quality, and as the story progresses you see that this is true for all except Savalas's character. You just can't fix insanity through military training. The use of the suicide mission isn't anything new to movies, but here it's used as the culmination of the story and the fun and enjoyment that we have watching the film comes from the training sequences and the development of the comradery between the soldiers.
This is a fun movie to watch, even though it's war film the violence isn't that bad and it's not in an over abundance. Two sequels were made years later on television and both were failures, there is a defiantly a formula on how to make a successful sequel but waiting to long, here two decades, and moving to a different media just doesn't help your project. If you've never seen this film, and you like war movies, then you should check this out, its fun entertainment from beginning to end, and your left with the feeling that these are the kinds of guys you want fighting by your side.
An Army major is volunteered to lead a squad of convicted soldiers on a suicide mission behind enemy lines to kill off some of the Nazi brass. As each character is introduced you're left with the thought that almost everyone of them has some kind of redeeming quality, and as the story progresses you see that this is true for all except Savalas's character. You just can't fix insanity through military training. The use of the suicide mission isn't anything new to movies, but here it's used as the culmination of the story and the fun and enjoyment that we have watching the film comes from the training sequences and the development of the comradery between the soldiers.
This is a fun movie to watch, even though it's war film the violence isn't that bad and it's not in an over abundance. Two sequels were made years later on television and both were failures, there is a defiantly a formula on how to make a successful sequel but waiting to long, here two decades, and moving to a different media just doesn't help your project. If you've never seen this film, and you like war movies, then you should check this out, its fun entertainment from beginning to end, and your left with the feeling that these are the kinds of guys you want fighting by your side.
Blood Diamond
The horrific way that people sometimes treat one another over the stupidest things always amazes me as I get older and look back at the world I've lived in. Even though I had heard news reports, and read articles, about the way invaders had treated the villagers in Africa and their own people over ivory, gold, diamonds, I have never seen an accurate portrayal of the brutality that was asserted on these people. This film is set in Sierra Leone during its civil war in 1999, and comes across with all of the viciousness and suffering that can only truly be a small glimpse into the experience these people had to endure.
Following the money, a diamond smuggler, Danny Archer, cons a frantic father searching for his son, into showing him where a rare pink diamond is in order to help find the missing boy. Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou give such powerful performances here that that you can understand why they both earned nods from the Academy. The search for the young boy is the main part of the storyline but there is no real way of separating that from the civil war story and what it did to the country and its people. There are no punches pulled within the story, everything is as graphic and true to life as possible, even the mutilations of the villagers that resisted against the rebels.
The issues that are being examined in this film are to this day very real problems, the buying and selling of conflict/blood diamonds costs not only the lives of the people who are killed in those countries but ultimately the souls of the people who buy, sell and wear these diamonds. After watching this film I have a new respect for DiCaprio's work, seeing him in this role, to me, brought out the genuine actor that has slowly been coming to the surface. From here on I'll be watching to see what he does next, and hopefully it will be a project that will do his craft justice, and be something that we will all want to see like this one.
Following the money, a diamond smuggler, Danny Archer, cons a frantic father searching for his son, into showing him where a rare pink diamond is in order to help find the missing boy. Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou give such powerful performances here that that you can understand why they both earned nods from the Academy. The search for the young boy is the main part of the storyline but there is no real way of separating that from the civil war story and what it did to the country and its people. There are no punches pulled within the story, everything is as graphic and true to life as possible, even the mutilations of the villagers that resisted against the rebels.
The issues that are being examined in this film are to this day very real problems, the buying and selling of conflict/blood diamonds costs not only the lives of the people who are killed in those countries but ultimately the souls of the people who buy, sell and wear these diamonds. After watching this film I have a new respect for DiCaprio's work, seeing him in this role, to me, brought out the genuine actor that has slowly been coming to the surface. From here on I'll be watching to see what he does next, and hopefully it will be a project that will do his craft justice, and be something that we will all want to see like this one.
The Contractor
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It wasn't so long ago that the name Wesley Snipes was a completely bankable name at the theater, but lately he has fallen into the Seagal Syndrome. This is where an actor continues to make movies, good or bad, and there is no theatrical release, it is released straight to DVD and as a result the viewing public start to see them as an failed actor. Now I'm not saying that all Direct to DVD movies are bad, or that the actor in them isn't doing anything worthwhile but it appears that the star is no longer an investment that the bigger studios want to chance with.
A retired marksman trained for black ops missions is sent to London to assassinate a terrorist that is being held there, but when the mission turns sour he becomes the target, and with help from a young girl, he must fight for his life or die trying. This is a pretty descent film, although there isn't much in the way of dialog for Snipes' character it's the action that drives this film and drives it at a good pace. The plot is well thought out and executed, the only thing that you can really do without here are the scenes that are shot with a jumpiness to them, it almost looks like a bad editing job.
This is one of those movies that you might just pass by on the shelf because you've never heard of it before, but if there isn't anything else around to watch its worth a viewing. For Snipes fans this is probably one of his better films but where I'm not a huge fan of his, yet I think he has great abilities in his field, this is only a so-so movie. Snipes is still, in my opinion, a feasible action star and given the right script and role he could be back on top of his game and raking in the big money that his talent deserves.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Corvette Summer
When an unknown actor hits it big in one of the most successful movies of all time you would think that he was destined for some roles that would challenge his skills. But after Star Wars Mark Hamill did this little forgettable film, where it only goes to show how much of a B-movie actor he really is. The story is lame, the acting is stale and the biggest star of the film is the car, a Stingray Corvette in cherry metallic red. This isn't the first film to have a car as the main point of the story but the others at least had actors that didn't seem like they were acting in a plastic bubble.
After a high school's auto class rebuilds a Stingray Corvette, it is stolen and one of the students spends the summer looking for the car and the thieves and ends up in the adventure of his life. All of the acting throughout the film is so stale you could probably make penicillin from the mold. From beginning to end the situations that the characters get into are just too unbelievable to keep the movie rolling. From bad dialog to bad acting this movie should have been shelved before the first frame was shot. Just watching it you can tell that it was thrown together to capitalize on Hamill's success in Star Wars, and you can tell from this film, and others, that the only thing that he would remembered for is his role as Luke Skywalker.
The only true way that you can enjoy this film is if you're a gear head and you're into Corvettes. This is one of those movies that I saw when I was younger and at the time thought it was pretty good but now that I'm older and I see some of these movies again for what they really are, and that's crap. It was tough to sit through this movie; some of the story flaws were so big you could have driven the Stingray right through it. If you like looking at cars and the story doesn't matter to you that much, this is one is for you. But if your looking for something with a little meat on it don't see this film, it will leave a bad taste in your mouth and then you'll only have yourself to blame because I warned you.
After a high school's auto class rebuilds a Stingray Corvette, it is stolen and one of the students spends the summer looking for the car and the thieves and ends up in the adventure of his life. All of the acting throughout the film is so stale you could probably make penicillin from the mold. From beginning to end the situations that the characters get into are just too unbelievable to keep the movie rolling. From bad dialog to bad acting this movie should have been shelved before the first frame was shot. Just watching it you can tell that it was thrown together to capitalize on Hamill's success in Star Wars, and you can tell from this film, and others, that the only thing that he would remembered for is his role as Luke Skywalker.
The only true way that you can enjoy this film is if you're a gear head and you're into Corvettes. This is one of those movies that I saw when I was younger and at the time thought it was pretty good but now that I'm older and I see some of these movies again for what they really are, and that's crap. It was tough to sit through this movie; some of the story flaws were so big you could have driven the Stingray right through it. If you like looking at cars and the story doesn't matter to you that much, this is one is for you. But if your looking for something with a little meat on it don't see this film, it will leave a bad taste in your mouth and then you'll only have yourself to blame because I warned you.
300
Adventure-action films have been around a long time and they have been done in many different styles, but when a movie comes along in a genre that blows everything else away it must be pointed out so everyone is a where of the new standard. From the opening shots to the closing credits this film will blow you away and leave you wondering if you'll ever watch movies the same way again. This is a completely faithful adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel by the same name, and the artistry that was so apparent in the book is splashed across the screen in some of the best cinematography to come along in years.
In 480 B.C. 300 Spartan warriors stand up against the entire invading Persian army, hundreds of thousands of men, who are bent on conquering the Greek nations, and they show what it means too fight to the last man standing. The blending of live-action and CGI animation is utterly fantastic, between the environment that is created for the story and the battle sequences you are left breathless. The acting is very well done considering that the majority of it was done in front of a green screen, you can see the talent from each and every person on the set. Having the film with washed out colors it gives the feeling the tale that you are watching is an old story but one that has a lot to teach us about the world we have been given.
I missed my chance to see this film at the theater, but I did watch it on a big screen TV so I did get some of the feel of the spectacular epic this story is. In this incantation of the story 300 Spartans we are given so much action that you have to see it a few times to catch all of the things that you missed the first couple of times around. I haven't seen this much action in an adventure film in years and to me it is well worth multiple viewings. So rent it, borrow it, buy it, but for whichever way you have to do it, you have to see it, you wont be disappointed.
In 480 B.C. 300 Spartan warriors stand up against the entire invading Persian army, hundreds of thousands of men, who are bent on conquering the Greek nations, and they show what it means too fight to the last man standing. The blending of live-action and CGI animation is utterly fantastic, between the environment that is created for the story and the battle sequences you are left breathless. The acting is very well done considering that the majority of it was done in front of a green screen, you can see the talent from each and every person on the set. Having the film with washed out colors it gives the feeling the tale that you are watching is an old story but one that has a lot to teach us about the world we have been given.
I missed my chance to see this film at the theater, but I did watch it on a big screen TV so I did get some of the feel of the spectacular epic this story is. In this incantation of the story 300 Spartans we are given so much action that you have to see it a few times to catch all of the things that you missed the first couple of times around. I haven't seen this much action in an adventure film in years and to me it is well worth multiple viewings. So rent it, borrow it, buy it, but for whichever way you have to do it, you have to see it, you wont be disappointed.
The Stepford Wives
Most of the time when a classic horror film is remade, the producers, directors and writers try to bring something new to the screen to expand on the story, whether it be depth to the tale or special effects. But to change the classic into a comedy isn't the way to go. The original Stepford Wives came out in 1975, and starred Katherine Ross, and was a creepy tale about suburban life becoming cookie cutter and sterile, and according to the author Ira Levin the wives needed to be replaced by robots that were exact copies that were able to be controlled by the husbands. .
A family moves into a gated community of Stepford that seems to be to perfect, all of the wives here seem to act obedient and robotic, it seems even suburbia has it's secrets. One of the biggest flaws in this film is that it seems that the writers decided half way through the story to change a major aspect of the tale. At the beginning we are lead to believe that the women are being replaced by robots, just like the original, but then they changed the concept to be that there would be microchips implanted into the brains to control them. The only reason I can see for this is that they wanted a happy ending, and you can't have a happy-ending if you're killing off all the women to be replaced. The jokes aren't funny and the acting is very out of place, even Christopher Walken, who is one of the best actors out there, seems out of his realm but strains to make the best of it.
Remaking older films is nothing new, and making them badly is just as common, the remake that is a success is a gem that isn't found to often and even here you can't find enough good to out weigh the bad. I smiled a few times throughout the film but it wasn't enough to make me say that it was even cute to watch, there was a five minute sequence when the women are at their book club that was good, but as soon as it was over it was completely forgotten in the rest of the story. So if you truly want to see how this story is suppose to be check out the original film, it will be worth your time, but in the mean time if your traveling through Connecticut and see a sign for Stepford, don't stop just keep on going.
A family moves into a gated community of Stepford that seems to be to perfect, all of the wives here seem to act obedient and robotic, it seems even suburbia has it's secrets. One of the biggest flaws in this film is that it seems that the writers decided half way through the story to change a major aspect of the tale. At the beginning we are lead to believe that the women are being replaced by robots, just like the original, but then they changed the concept to be that there would be microchips implanted into the brains to control them. The only reason I can see for this is that they wanted a happy ending, and you can't have a happy-ending if you're killing off all the women to be replaced. The jokes aren't funny and the acting is very out of place, even Christopher Walken, who is one of the best actors out there, seems out of his realm but strains to make the best of it.
Remaking older films is nothing new, and making them badly is just as common, the remake that is a success is a gem that isn't found to often and even here you can't find enough good to out weigh the bad. I smiled a few times throughout the film but it wasn't enough to make me say that it was even cute to watch, there was a five minute sequence when the women are at their book club that was good, but as soon as it was over it was completely forgotten in the rest of the story. So if you truly want to see how this story is suppose to be check out the original film, it will be worth your time, but in the mean time if your traveling through Connecticut and see a sign for Stepford, don't stop just keep on going.
Planet of the Apes (entire franchise)
Outside of the Godzilla, Star Trek and Star Wars franchises this is one of the most recognized titles of films in the science fiction genre. Granted as time went on, like a lot of long running franchises the quality of the story continued on a downward spiral yet projects continued to be developed, but with this expansive saga the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The original story was a thing of genius, dealing with social issues that were so evident in the public's mind at the time, segregation, slavery, etc., and like the best of sci-fi stories set in the future these issues were thrown into the spotlight for everyone to see how our own prejudices form the future we are headed towards.
Planet of the Apes - A group of astronauts, on a mission to test a faster than light ship, are flung into the future where man has lost his dominance on the planet to a race of intelligent apes. Based on the Pierre Boulle novel we are given a glimpse into a possible future where through a catastrophic chain of events apes are the intelligent species on the planet and man is a dumb animal. With Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall in two of the lead roles we're given a treat of a film that gave the audience a thrill ride with an intelligent story and action that had not really been captured film without the use of special effects.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes - A rescue mission to save the first crew, crash lands in the future and discovers that there is a race of mutated humans living underground who are in constant battles against the apes. Looking to do a sequel to the highly successful first film, 20th Century Fox pushed into production "Beneath," which in a way picks up right where last one leaves off. The only actor not to reprise their role here was McDowall, Even though the role is small in this second film it is a noticeable difference to the character. But the best part of this expanded storyline is the introduction of the Underdwellers, the mutated humans that are living in the underground city in the Forbidden Zone. With this movie we're given the true end of the world and for a short order the end of the story.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes - Three apes escape the final destruction of Earth by going back in time to 1973, and bring with them the birth of a new generation. In true science fiction style an idea was hatched on how to continue the storyline after they've killed off all of the characters. You just sit back and say, "What if some one escaped the destruction by going into space?" Here we see the beginning of the cycle of the complete storyline, with the landing of intelligent apes from the future into the world of 1973. McDowall reprises his role as Cornelius and gives us a history lesson where he explains how the apes become the intelligent and dominant species of the planet. This is probably one of the least favorite movies of the original series, but without this story you could never have the original tale with Heston.
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes - After the death of his friend, Caesar allows himself to be incorporated into the ape/slave market and begins the stirrings of a revolution that will bring about the Planet of the Apes. Showing how the human race enslaves the apes as servants and laborers is at times disquieting and hard to watch. The use of force to make the apes do what their tormentors want is brutal and when the final revolt comes you stand behind the apes with support for all the blood that has been shed. Ricardo Montalban and McDowall, as Caesar, lead the cast of actors who bring about the end of human dominance of the world.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes - Ten years after the ape revolt, apes and humans have acquired a strained relationship which is put to the test when survivors from the bombed out city wage war on the ape village. As the final movie in the original story arc, this movie is set up well at the beginning but falls apart when the final battle with the mutated humans comes about. Here seeing how the feelings of apes are mirrored from human feelings from everything from love, hatred, equality, and murder, we're given a chance to see how the laws of apes began to form for the future generations. Not one of the best of the five films but it is nice to see the progression of the ape society, the further fall human society and the early development of the mutant Underdwellers in the future Forbidden Zone.
Planet of the Apes (TV series) - Two astronauts survive a crash landing in a field and then must fight against the apes that rule the world in order to find a way to stay alive and get home. The series only lasted fourteen episodes and the biggest problems that they had was that producers changed too much from the concept to make it entertaining. The astronauts were from 1980 and the civilization that fell lasted until somewhere around 2390, and without the ape revolt in the 1990s, it's hard to accept that this timeline would have the same evolution of talking apes. The stories also focused more on the inner workings of the ape/human society and less on the action that you need to drive this story.
Return to the Planet of the Apes (cartoon series) - A group of astronauts crash land on Earth of the future where apes are in control and are in constant battle with the Underdwellers in the desert. This series was only thirteen episodes long and done in a serial fashion so if you missed an episode you may get lost easily in the story. Another problem it had was that some of the episodes were broadcast out of sequence, which distorted the story for any one watching it. The issues that were being acted out are a little beyond the a child's understanding so it never got a chance to go that far in the story arc. The animation is crude but the story is very reminiscent of the original series of films.
Planet of the Apes (2004) - A science mission around an uncharted planet leads to an uncontrolled evolution when a time warp sends an astronaut into the future and discovers a planet ruled by apes. Tim Burton's re-imagination of the original concept is quite good, when this was first released most fans were looking for a remake of the first film, and I think that is why a lot of people didn't enjoy this retelling of a well-established story. One of the things that I think that this version is missing is all the similarities to the former culture that had been before them, where there was no civilization on the planet to begin with, there was no way to make the connection to the past. Mark Wahlberg in the lead role does an excellent job as the lost pilot and the guest role of Heston as the ailing elder ape works to complete a cycle where he has played both human and ape roles for this franchise.
As time goes on the stories and issues that this series is about start to become dated and don't seem to be relevant, but there are more likenesses to the world around us now than ever before. Do we still have the thoughts of there being a lower class for the upper classes to exploit and enslave, do we still kill each other for land or belief. There are something's that we as a people of the world wish not to think about, but I ask this, are we right now better than the story arcs that are presented in these films and shows, I think not. Maybe that is why so many look at these movies in a comical way, because they don't want to admit that there are some similarities that we just can't get away from. But all in all these are some of the most entertaining films in the sci-fi genre, and if you watch them for what they are, four different timelines towards the same future, you'll actually enjoy them all even more.
Planet of the Apes - A group of astronauts, on a mission to test a faster than light ship, are flung into the future where man has lost his dominance on the planet to a race of intelligent apes. Based on the Pierre Boulle novel we are given a glimpse into a possible future where through a catastrophic chain of events apes are the intelligent species on the planet and man is a dumb animal. With Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall in two of the lead roles we're given a treat of a film that gave the audience a thrill ride with an intelligent story and action that had not really been captured film without the use of special effects.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes - A rescue mission to save the first crew, crash lands in the future and discovers that there is a race of mutated humans living underground who are in constant battles against the apes. Looking to do a sequel to the highly successful first film, 20th Century Fox pushed into production "Beneath," which in a way picks up right where last one leaves off. The only actor not to reprise their role here was McDowall, Even though the role is small in this second film it is a noticeable difference to the character. But the best part of this expanded storyline is the introduction of the Underdwellers, the mutated humans that are living in the underground city in the Forbidden Zone. With this movie we're given the true end of the world and for a short order the end of the story.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes - Three apes escape the final destruction of Earth by going back in time to 1973, and bring with them the birth of a new generation. In true science fiction style an idea was hatched on how to continue the storyline after they've killed off all of the characters. You just sit back and say, "What if some one escaped the destruction by going into space?" Here we see the beginning of the cycle of the complete storyline, with the landing of intelligent apes from the future into the world of 1973. McDowall reprises his role as Cornelius and gives us a history lesson where he explains how the apes become the intelligent and dominant species of the planet. This is probably one of the least favorite movies of the original series, but without this story you could never have the original tale with Heston.
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes - After the death of his friend, Caesar allows himself to be incorporated into the ape/slave market and begins the stirrings of a revolution that will bring about the Planet of the Apes. Showing how the human race enslaves the apes as servants and laborers is at times disquieting and hard to watch. The use of force to make the apes do what their tormentors want is brutal and when the final revolt comes you stand behind the apes with support for all the blood that has been shed. Ricardo Montalban and McDowall, as Caesar, lead the cast of actors who bring about the end of human dominance of the world.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes - Ten years after the ape revolt, apes and humans have acquired a strained relationship which is put to the test when survivors from the bombed out city wage war on the ape village. As the final movie in the original story arc, this movie is set up well at the beginning but falls apart when the final battle with the mutated humans comes about. Here seeing how the feelings of apes are mirrored from human feelings from everything from love, hatred, equality, and murder, we're given a chance to see how the laws of apes began to form for the future generations. Not one of the best of the five films but it is nice to see the progression of the ape society, the further fall human society and the early development of the mutant Underdwellers in the future Forbidden Zone.
Planet of the Apes (TV series) - Two astronauts survive a crash landing in a field and then must fight against the apes that rule the world in order to find a way to stay alive and get home. The series only lasted fourteen episodes and the biggest problems that they had was that producers changed too much from the concept to make it entertaining. The astronauts were from 1980 and the civilization that fell lasted until somewhere around 2390, and without the ape revolt in the 1990s, it's hard to accept that this timeline would have the same evolution of talking apes. The stories also focused more on the inner workings of the ape/human society and less on the action that you need to drive this story.
Return to the Planet of the Apes (cartoon series) - A group of astronauts crash land on Earth of the future where apes are in control and are in constant battle with the Underdwellers in the desert. This series was only thirteen episodes long and done in a serial fashion so if you missed an episode you may get lost easily in the story. Another problem it had was that some of the episodes were broadcast out of sequence, which distorted the story for any one watching it. The issues that were being acted out are a little beyond the a child's understanding so it never got a chance to go that far in the story arc. The animation is crude but the story is very reminiscent of the original series of films.
Planet of the Apes (2004) - A science mission around an uncharted planet leads to an uncontrolled evolution when a time warp sends an astronaut into the future and discovers a planet ruled by apes. Tim Burton's re-imagination of the original concept is quite good, when this was first released most fans were looking for a remake of the first film, and I think that is why a lot of people didn't enjoy this retelling of a well-established story. One of the things that I think that this version is missing is all the similarities to the former culture that had been before them, where there was no civilization on the planet to begin with, there was no way to make the connection to the past. Mark Wahlberg in the lead role does an excellent job as the lost pilot and the guest role of Heston as the ailing elder ape works to complete a cycle where he has played both human and ape roles for this franchise.
As time goes on the stories and issues that this series is about start to become dated and don't seem to be relevant, but there are more likenesses to the world around us now than ever before. Do we still have the thoughts of there being a lower class for the upper classes to exploit and enslave, do we still kill each other for land or belief. There are something's that we as a people of the world wish not to think about, but I ask this, are we right now better than the story arcs that are presented in these films and shows, I think not. Maybe that is why so many look at these movies in a comical way, because they don't want to admit that there are some similarities that we just can't get away from. But all in all these are some of the most entertaining films in the sci-fi genre, and if you watch them for what they are, four different timelines towards the same future, you'll actually enjoy them all even more.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sublime
The majority of horror films that come out now fall into the classification of shock horror, this includes the sub-genre of slasher films. There are not a lot of the psychological thriller/horror films that are made now a days, even the Japanese have turned toward the shock genre with their film making. I wasn't expecting to much from this film, I mean let's be real how many good psychological thrillers have there been in recent years. This one grabs you by the nose from the beginning and leads you through a maze of extremely high intensity situations and doesn't let go until it feels you've gone far enough. Done in a very Hitchcockian way you are repeatedly left on the edge of you seat with questions, but as the story evolves you seem to be as lost and helpless as the main character.
The day after George Grieves turns 40 he goes to the hospital for a routine colonoscopy, but when he awakes he discovers that he has been given major surgery and from there the horror is just beginning. This is an extremely eerie movie to watch and with all of the things that you hear on the news about mistakes that happen at a hospital makes this film even more nerve racking. The plot twists are very well placed throughout the story and keeps the audience guessing about what's going on right up to the very end. Tony Krantz does an expert job at directing this film, and with Thomas Cavanagh as George the feelings of loss and helplessness come right off the screen to torment the audience.
This film goes far beyond just being a thriller about mistakes at a hospital but it creeps you out knowing that there isn't anything that the main character can do to save himself. I had no intension of watching this film until I just happened to see the trailer for it and thought I'd give it a chance. Now after watching it I can truly say that this is one of the better psychological thrillers out there and if that's the kind of movie you like to watch you've got to check this one out. This movie will drive you over the edge and then stand there and wave to you as you plummet over.
The day after George Grieves turns 40 he goes to the hospital for a routine colonoscopy, but when he awakes he discovers that he has been given major surgery and from there the horror is just beginning. This is an extremely eerie movie to watch and with all of the things that you hear on the news about mistakes that happen at a hospital makes this film even more nerve racking. The plot twists are very well placed throughout the story and keeps the audience guessing about what's going on right up to the very end. Tony Krantz does an expert job at directing this film, and with Thomas Cavanagh as George the feelings of loss and helplessness come right off the screen to torment the audience.
This film goes far beyond just being a thriller about mistakes at a hospital but it creeps you out knowing that there isn't anything that the main character can do to save himself. I had no intension of watching this film until I just happened to see the trailer for it and thought I'd give it a chance. Now after watching it I can truly say that this is one of the better psychological thrillers out there and if that's the kind of movie you like to watch you've got to check this one out. This movie will drive you over the edge and then stand there and wave to you as you plummet over.
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