This is one of those feel good movies that will go down in film history with the likes of Revenge of the Nerds. Its not all about getting even with the bullies of your life but to be accepted for who and what you are, friendship is the most important thing in life and this movie proves it. Using the three most geekiest actors there are, Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder, was a stroke of genius, they play these characters to the hilt and it works right up to the very end of the movie.Three adults witness some neighborhood kids picking on a young boy, they challenge the boys to a baseball game and the fun starts from there. There is a guest appearance by Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson, that helps give the movie more of a feel of authenticity. The situations that are presented on the field are all overly exaggerated but completely believable, from winning the game on a hit batter to a player with forged documents brought in to win the game. Also with a supporting cast, that on their own would headline a movie, this is a film that should not be missed. The sight gags are in great abundance, and prefect for this comedy, and the house that Jon Lovitz's character lives in is a nerds wet dream come true.
I would rank this movie up at the top of a sports film list, right there with Walter Matthau in The Bad News Bears and Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard. This movie could be watched over and over again and not get old, the comedy is funny and very light hearted, and the lessons that we learn by the end is poignant in today's society.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Catwoman
Changing the mythos of a well known character can be the downfall of any movie that has intentions to becoming a franchise, Catwoman is just that kind of movie. To continue this character from the Batman series people thought that they would at least use the same premise for Catwoman herself, but they were wrong and the movie suffers for it. After an unassuming woman is killed and then given cat like reflexes she becomes a vigilante to avenge her death. The two biggest problems with this film is that there is to much emphasis on the love story and the abilities of the cat persona. The CGI work here is alright but the there are spots that are just to fake looking and some of the fight scenes look bad. The biggest star of this film is Halle Berry in the new Catwoman outfit, but without a good story this isn't enough to carry the movie. There are a couple of parts that are worth watching, both are in the first fight sequence in the jewelry store. Wearing a leather bikers outfit Berry does a good impression of Eartha Kitt from the 1960s Batman series and the fight itself looks like the Catwoman that people were expecting from Batman Returns. Giving the Catwoman a history though time, and explaining that this version was just the next one in line was an interesting avenue to take, but it doesn't help.
I watched this film with a complete open mind and wasn't expecting a lot, with all the bad press I figured that it was going to bomb from the opening scenes. I think that Warner Bros. really failed here, they had the opportunity to expand on, at the time a dead Batman franchise, but they not able to pull it off. I'm not saying that I would watch this again, and it certainly doesn't deserve a franchise, but if you've never been exposed to the character before then maybe you'll enjoy it.
I watched this film with a complete open mind and wasn't expecting a lot, with all the bad press I figured that it was going to bomb from the opening scenes. I think that Warner Bros. really failed here, they had the opportunity to expand on, at the time a dead Batman franchise, but they not able to pull it off. I'm not saying that I would watch this again, and it certainly doesn't deserve a franchise, but if you've never been exposed to the character before then maybe you'll enjoy it.
The First Power
With the end of the eighties came a barrage of low budget films with big stars, at the time, trying to make a quick buck. Some of these movies have still to make it to DVD but the ones that have are worth watching. Enter The First Power, this is not the best film that Lou Diamond Phillips has done but I always liked the idea of blending elements of the Exorcist into a cop movie. The information about the Catholic religion that is introduced helps with the believability of the powers and the situations that the actors find themselves in. There are three powers that God or Satan can bestow upon a mortal and they are: the Third Power - to inhabit another's body, the Second Power - the ability to see the future, and the First Power - the power of resurrection. A serial killer has made a pact with the Devil and upon his death he is granted these powers and plays havoc with the LA police department. Phillips is the cop here and unfortunately the main focus of the killer. Phillips at the height of his career looks to young to play the hardened cop that is here. Some of the best parts of this film is the camera angels that are used to achieve the visual effects, some are so believable that its hard to see them as stunts. The ending isn't the best but I'm sure that MGM was hoping for a sequel to come out of it, but you can't have everything.
This a quick and enjoyable movie that you don't have to spend a great deal of time figuring out. Some of the situations are predictable, but if you've never seen this film before its worth a look. Like I've said in the past, just don't expect to much.
This a quick and enjoyable movie that you don't have to spend a great deal of time figuring out. Some of the situations are predictable, but if you've never seen this film before its worth a look. Like I've said in the past, just don't expect to much.
Star Wars Saga
I can openly say that I am a Star Wars geek, not that I go around dressed up or quote dialog in my daily life but I do enjoy the movies even when I rewatch them. The series of films were conceived with the old serials of Buck Rodgers and Flash Gordon in mind, therefore the movies need to be seen in sequence. Where this is such a long storyline, over sixteen hours, I will comment on each film so that all of the pros and cons can be identified. I know that some of what I say here is going to anger some readers but these are my views and opinions, so just live with it.
The Phantom Menace-Even though we waited twenty-four years to seen the beginning of this story most of us were disappointed. Not that there was a problem with the story itself but the inconsistencies started right from the very beginning. We're introduced to new characters, some of which were only hinted at earlier on and some that we never heard of. The problem with these characters is that they are plugged into roles that we were told were filled by other people, Yoda didn't train Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon did. Jar Jar Binks was a mistake from the very beginning, the character is annoying and the dialog is so slurred that half the time it is not understandable. The new character that deserved to live a little longer is Darth Maul, with his red and black skin/tattoos he truly looks like evil incarnate. The duel between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Darth Maul is one of the best sword fights that was ever put to film. The most haunting part of this sequence is the music by John Williams, it proves the point that music is a strong contributor to any scene on film. Seeing the beginnings of how Senator Palpatine, who later becomes the Emperor, manipulates all of the people around him is completely enjoyable. The advancement in the art of special effects from the earlier movies is so evident that the effects seem seamless with the live action. The other thing that must be said is that George Lucas can not write dialog even when the characters are like family. But as the beginning of a massive storyline it’s not that bad.
Attack of the Clones-Giving us a glimpse into the start of the one major event, the Clone War, that all of the characters are related to is one of those rare opportunities that not many storytellers get to do. Here we see the evolution of all the main characters in the story to the points that we become familiar with them. The other thing that is interesting to see here is the ships and machines in their early development stages. The introduction of Jango Fett as the bounty hunter that the clone troops, later to become Imperial Storm Troopers, are cloned from is an interesting twist to the storyline. The one thing that drags this movie down is the love story, there is to much time spent here and it slows down the progress of the film. For an action adventure film there is so much effort put into this part that you start to lose interest in the movie.
Clone Wars -This animated series was developed to fill in the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and it does its job very well. The battle and action sequences are so good that they could rival many live action fights in most movies. The best thing here is the introduction of new characters, Asajj Ventress, Durge and General Grievous, they are all strong characters that are well deserving of continuing on in the storyline. It is hard to believe that the General is the only one to advance on to the next film. To see our characters go through battle after battle, you begin to understand how they get weary and disillusioned.
Revenge of the Sith-Seeing the end of the war and how the Republic moves on to become the Empire is one of the best parts of this film. The make up job done on Ewan McGregor is outstanding, he looks like a young Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan. The two biggest transformations here is Palpatine into the emperor that we all know and Anakin into Darth Vader. I was hoping that Anakin's change would still leave questions in for me, so that the shock value in The Empire Strikes Back, when he tells Luke who he is, is still there. Unfortunately no, once you see this movie that shock is lost. The best part of this film is the ultimate fight scenes with Obi-Wan and Anakin, the way it is choreographed and shot it looks and has the feel of the samurai duels of the Japanese cinema.
A New Hope-Of all the films for this series of films this is the shortest of them, coming in at two hours and three minutes. Since at the time it was not known if this film was going to draw the audience in an almost clean ending was given, so that if it failed there wouldn't be many questions left open. When this movie was released in 1977 it set the bar for what science fiction movies had to measure up to, few made the grade many fell far short. The two big star veterans that were tapped for this movie are Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing, the voice of James Earl Jones was added in as the voice of Verizon, I mean Darth Vader. The introduction of these characters into the sci-fi genre is nothing short of amazing, thirty years after being shown to audiences the magic is still unstoppable. The special effects that are used here are completely old school, miniatures, models and costumes are used to achieve what is seen on the screen.
The Empire Strikes Back-Out of the six films this is still by far the best and will always be considered the cream of the crop. As the title implies this movie is the Empire flexing its collective muscles and is in control from the opening battle to the final scenes. The first duel between father and son is fought here and shows the showmanship that Lucas has with his storytelling. Having such a dark chapter in this series, just goes to show how this story progressed to the point of being an icon in the collective minds of the fans. The Empire is so overpowering in this movie you almost get the feeling that there is no hope by the end. Having Frank Oz create and work the puppet of Yoda is sheer genius, it shows how the craft of puppeteers is an art form that can truly never be rivaled. Of all the props that are used in this series, the Han frozen in carbonite is by far the best, and is a great transition of the character.
Return of the Jedi-The final chapter could have done without one of the biggest character mistakes of all time, the Ewoks are just too cute and cuddly to be in this series. When I first saw this movie in 1983 the crowd cheered when an Ewok was killed in the final battle. The duel here with Vader and Luke, bringing about Vader's redemption, shows how close father and son are. It seems at times during the battle that they are each pulling their punches, and neither wants to kill the other. This is also the time when every fanboy's dream came true when Carrie Fisher sported the Slave bikini and all of the hormones into overdrive. With all the good things about this movie it is hard to get past the idea that so much of it is geared towards merchandising toys.
To see this long story come to an end, leaves you wanting more and that's where all the books and comics have been essential. The expansion of the Star Wars universe and mythos is in complete flux, new stories are always being created and new characters being introduced. Now that I've seen the whole thing from beginning to end it is truly one of the greatest science fiction stories ever told, barring some small glitches, it is the ultimate good verses evil story. But nothing is ever perfect and there will always tomorrows in the future. So I say in closing: May The Force Be With You and never give a Jawa an even break.
The Phantom Menace-Even though we waited twenty-four years to seen the beginning of this story most of us were disappointed. Not that there was a problem with the story itself but the inconsistencies started right from the very beginning. We're introduced to new characters, some of which were only hinted at earlier on and some that we never heard of. The problem with these characters is that they are plugged into roles that we were told were filled by other people, Yoda didn't train Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon did. Jar Jar Binks was a mistake from the very beginning, the character is annoying and the dialog is so slurred that half the time it is not understandable. The new character that deserved to live a little longer is Darth Maul, with his red and black skin/tattoos he truly looks like evil incarnate. The duel between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Darth Maul is one of the best sword fights that was ever put to film. The most haunting part of this sequence is the music by John Williams, it proves the point that music is a strong contributor to any scene on film. Seeing the beginnings of how Senator Palpatine, who later becomes the Emperor, manipulates all of the people around him is completely enjoyable. The advancement in the art of special effects from the earlier movies is so evident that the effects seem seamless with the live action. The other thing that must be said is that George Lucas can not write dialog even when the characters are like family. But as the beginning of a massive storyline it’s not that bad.
Attack of the Clones-Giving us a glimpse into the start of the one major event, the Clone War, that all of the characters are related to is one of those rare opportunities that not many storytellers get to do. Here we see the evolution of all the main characters in the story to the points that we become familiar with them. The other thing that is interesting to see here is the ships and machines in their early development stages. The introduction of Jango Fett as the bounty hunter that the clone troops, later to become Imperial Storm Troopers, are cloned from is an interesting twist to the storyline. The one thing that drags this movie down is the love story, there is to much time spent here and it slows down the progress of the film. For an action adventure film there is so much effort put into this part that you start to lose interest in the movie.
Clone Wars -This animated series was developed to fill in the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and it does its job very well. The battle and action sequences are so good that they could rival many live action fights in most movies. The best thing here is the introduction of new characters, Asajj Ventress, Durge and General Grievous, they are all strong characters that are well deserving of continuing on in the storyline. It is hard to believe that the General is the only one to advance on to the next film. To see our characters go through battle after battle, you begin to understand how they get weary and disillusioned.
Revenge of the Sith-Seeing the end of the war and how the Republic moves on to become the Empire is one of the best parts of this film. The make up job done on Ewan McGregor is outstanding, he looks like a young Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan. The two biggest transformations here is Palpatine into the emperor that we all know and Anakin into Darth Vader. I was hoping that Anakin's change would still leave questions in for me, so that the shock value in The Empire Strikes Back, when he tells Luke who he is, is still there. Unfortunately no, once you see this movie that shock is lost. The best part of this film is the ultimate fight scenes with Obi-Wan and Anakin, the way it is choreographed and shot it looks and has the feel of the samurai duels of the Japanese cinema.
A New Hope-Of all the films for this series of films this is the shortest of them, coming in at two hours and three minutes. Since at the time it was not known if this film was going to draw the audience in an almost clean ending was given, so that if it failed there wouldn't be many questions left open. When this movie was released in 1977 it set the bar for what science fiction movies had to measure up to, few made the grade many fell far short. The two big star veterans that were tapped for this movie are Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing, the voice of James Earl Jones was added in as the voice of Verizon, I mean Darth Vader. The introduction of these characters into the sci-fi genre is nothing short of amazing, thirty years after being shown to audiences the magic is still unstoppable. The special effects that are used here are completely old school, miniatures, models and costumes are used to achieve what is seen on the screen.
The Empire Strikes Back-Out of the six films this is still by far the best and will always be considered the cream of the crop. As the title implies this movie is the Empire flexing its collective muscles and is in control from the opening battle to the final scenes. The first duel between father and son is fought here and shows the showmanship that Lucas has with his storytelling. Having such a dark chapter in this series, just goes to show how this story progressed to the point of being an icon in the collective minds of the fans. The Empire is so overpowering in this movie you almost get the feeling that there is no hope by the end. Having Frank Oz create and work the puppet of Yoda is sheer genius, it shows how the craft of puppeteers is an art form that can truly never be rivaled. Of all the props that are used in this series, the Han frozen in carbonite is by far the best, and is a great transition of the character.
Return of the Jedi-The final chapter could have done without one of the biggest character mistakes of all time, the Ewoks are just too cute and cuddly to be in this series. When I first saw this movie in 1983 the crowd cheered when an Ewok was killed in the final battle. The duel here with Vader and Luke, bringing about Vader's redemption, shows how close father and son are. It seems at times during the battle that they are each pulling their punches, and neither wants to kill the other. This is also the time when every fanboy's dream came true when Carrie Fisher sported the Slave bikini and all of the hormones into overdrive. With all the good things about this movie it is hard to get past the idea that so much of it is geared towards merchandising toys.
To see this long story come to an end, leaves you wanting more and that's where all the books and comics have been essential. The expansion of the Star Wars universe and mythos is in complete flux, new stories are always being created and new characters being introduced. Now that I've seen the whole thing from beginning to end it is truly one of the greatest science fiction stories ever told, barring some small glitches, it is the ultimate good verses evil story. But nothing is ever perfect and there will always tomorrows in the future. So I say in closing: May The Force Be With You and never give a Jawa an even break.
This is America, Charlie Brown
I'm a big Charlie Brown fan and I've seen just about everything that has been done for the him and the other Peanuts characters over the years, but this set had escaped me. I had heard of it back in the late 80's but never saw it. The idea of Charlie Brown giving some American history lessons sounds very good, and starts out that way, but then slowly becomes hard to watch. Not all of the character are here, but the main ones are and their famous attitudes are not tampered with for the sake of the show.
Charlie Brown and the Gang travel through American history to highlight some of the more important items of interest. The subjects that are covered range from the voyage of the Mayflower to the building of the Transcontinental railroad to the NASA space station. The first five episodes have our friends injected into the time periods as subjects on the sideline. After that it turns into them giving book reports in class where their imagination carries them into the action. This series also does not play around with the myths of history it deals with just the facts and makes it enjoyable. The episode entitled The Smithsonian and the Presidency is very fun especially when they find their own cartoon hanging in the museum.
I wasn't overly thrilled with this set, I'm glad that I got a chance to see it but I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Young kids who are learning about American history will find it interesting and fun. The best thing is that this series could be used as a teaching tool, because in some ways it doesn't sugar coat anything, it tells you the truth through and through.
Charlie Brown and the Gang travel through American history to highlight some of the more important items of interest. The subjects that are covered range from the voyage of the Mayflower to the building of the Transcontinental railroad to the NASA space station. The first five episodes have our friends injected into the time periods as subjects on the sideline. After that it turns into them giving book reports in class where their imagination carries them into the action. This series also does not play around with the myths of history it deals with just the facts and makes it enjoyable. The episode entitled The Smithsonian and the Presidency is very fun especially when they find their own cartoon hanging in the museum.
I wasn't overly thrilled with this set, I'm glad that I got a chance to see it but I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Young kids who are learning about American history will find it interesting and fun. The best thing is that this series could be used as a teaching tool, because in some ways it doesn't sugar coat anything, it tells you the truth through and through.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Let's Scare Jessica to Death
Everyone has their favorite movies that they would go out of their way to get a hold of, this is one of those films for me. Jessica was made in 1971 and has a feel that is totally 70s, from the look of the clothing to the cars that being driven to the hippie attitude, so it feels a little dated. But what sets this movie apart from others being dropped on to the trash heap is that this film is creepy and holds your attention to the very end. You can tell that it was shot on a shoe string budget but the simplicity of the shoot only helps with the realistic feel that the movie has. Shortly after being released from mental hospital, Jessica and some friends move to a small town in Connecticut where life is quiet. Once she starts to question her sanity again the creepiness takes over and never lets go. With elements of the undead and vampires the movie grabs you by the throat and never lets go. You start to feel all of the tension and anxiety that Jessica is feeling and you start to wonder if its real or all in Jessica's mind.
This is not partially the kind of film that you want to watch with the lights out, it truly will creep you out with them on. I haven't seen this movie in years but every Halloween I hoped that it would finally be released on DVD, and after all this time its still the horror classic that I remember. I would recommend this movie to any one who had never seen it but be warned if you watch it with the lights out you may suffer the same fate as Jessica.
This is not partially the kind of film that you want to watch with the lights out, it truly will creep you out with them on. I haven't seen this movie in years but every Halloween I hoped that it would finally be released on DVD, and after all this time its still the horror classic that I remember. I would recommend this movie to any one who had never seen it but be warned if you watch it with the lights out you may suffer the same fate as Jessica.
Eight Below
I don't expect a lot from live action Disney films, over the years they've had more misses than hits, so when I heard of Eight Below I wasn't to thrilled. But this film is more than a sappy story, it shows how far someone will go when a part of their extended family gets left behind. I enjoyed this more than I've enjoyed a Disney live action in a long time. Due to bad weather a science team down at Antarctica is called home early and must leave their dog team behind to be picked up later, but the storm gets worse and no one goes back. There are times in the movie that you can almost feel the cold permeating off the screen. You feel so attached to the dogs that as the days wear on you get the feeling of lost hope and that no matter what, no one will reach them in time.
What little special effects that are used here, and you will be hard pressed to find them, are not over powering and do not take away from the film. Above anything else this movie has got heart, and it shows us what love truly is and what people are capable of doing for the ones they love. If you are a dog lover, as I am, this movie will strike at your heart strings and pluck them all the way too the end.
What little special effects that are used here, and you will be hard pressed to find them, are not over powering and do not take away from the film. Above anything else this movie has got heart, and it shows us what love truly is and what people are capable of doing for the ones they love. If you are a dog lover, as I am, this movie will strike at your heart strings and pluck them all the way too the end.
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
Every now and then I like to watch a Disney film, if their good they make you feel like you haven't lost your childhood completely. The Winnie the Pooh stories are just the ticket to get this feeling and since the early to mid nineties Disney has tried to expand the stories about the Hundred Acre Woods. I love the Pooh stories they're some of my favorites so I had high hopes for this film, and I wasn't disappointed. This story introduces a new character, Lumpy, and he's adorable and loveable from the first moment that you see him.When the residents of the Hundred Acre Woods are awakened by a strange sound they are immediately disturbed but when they find tracks they realize that they have been visited by a Heffalump. From the outset of this film it is a comedy at it's best moments and a social commentary on it's lighter side. There was a little computer animation mixed in to the traditional but there are only two spots that its noticeable, other than that it is flawless.
I loved this film and can't wait for the next Pooh movie, I know that they will probably try new characters now and then but if their as lovable as Lumpy, who cares. This a wonderful addition to the Pooh stories and Disney should continue with the expansion of the mythology so that future generations will enjoy and love the characters from Christopher Robins imagination.
I loved this film and can't wait for the next Pooh movie, I know that they will probably try new characters now and then but if their as lovable as Lumpy, who cares. This a wonderful addition to the Pooh stories and Disney should continue with the expansion of the mythology so that future generations will enjoy and love the characters from Christopher Robins imagination.
The New World
This is one of those epic films that everyone had high hopes for, it had the right stars in it to drive the audience to see it. But unfortunately this film is lacking the most important piece to that puzzle, a story that wont put you to sleep. This movie has a total running time of two hours and fifteen minutes and that's about an hour to long. The scenery is so breathtaking that its hard to believe that this wasn't done with computers just to save the money on traveling around the globe to get the shots. The story of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas is retold again but this time all the little relationship problems are drawn out to help slow the movie down. During the first hour of the movie your fighting to stay awake but as soon as the colonists and the Indians have their first battle then the movie takes off, the next hour and fifteen minutes go by pretty quick.
You'd think a movie with Colin Farrell and Christian Bale would be some that would be enjoyable to watch but it wasn't. A movie that spends to much time and money making sure that every little deal is exactly right and not spending any on enhancing the story is bound to fall into the Heaven's Gate syndrome. If you like either of these actors you may like the film but if your looking for a historical action film this isn't it.
You'd think a movie with Colin Farrell and Christian Bale would be some that would be enjoyable to watch but it wasn't. A movie that spends to much time and money making sure that every little deal is exactly right and not spending any on enhancing the story is bound to fall into the Heaven's Gate syndrome. If you like either of these actors you may like the film but if your looking for a historical action film this isn't it.
Half-Baked
Watching this movie just about gives you the munchies, my mind kept wandering and the only thing that kept me watching was the fact that Dave Chappelle keeps the movie rolling. You must have to be high to enjoy this film because as straight as I was it just wasn't there. I was hoping for a more modern version of Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke, but this isn't it.
Four young men who have grown up smoking weed together have to move from smoking to dealing to save one of their troop from a prison sentence. That's the whole movie in a nutshell, they do have some fun with different situations but over all its boring. Cameos by Snoop Dogg Jon Stewart, Willie Nelson, Steven Wright and a straight Tommy Chong isn't enough to save this film from my pit of rejects.
Maybe if I was high when I watched this I could have enjoyed it more, but I doubt it. Dave Chappelle is a comic genius and I've seen him do much better work than this. I just hope this one will slip into the far reaches of video Hell and never be resurrected.
Four young men who have grown up smoking weed together have to move from smoking to dealing to save one of their troop from a prison sentence. That's the whole movie in a nutshell, they do have some fun with different situations but over all its boring. Cameos by Snoop Dogg Jon Stewart, Willie Nelson, Steven Wright and a straight Tommy Chong isn't enough to save this film from my pit of rejects.
Maybe if I was high when I watched this I could have enjoyed it more, but I doubt it. Dave Chappelle is a comic genius and I've seen him do much better work than this. I just hope this one will slip into the far reaches of video Hell and never be resurrected.
Welcome to the Dollhouse
I heard about this movie while they were talking about it on the Howard Stern show, and I figured that if they thought it was funny I'd give it a shot. I'm sorry I did, I may have been looking for a different kind of comedy but this just didn't hit the mark. I didn't have a very good experience in junior high school so that may have been the problem here but no matter what, it just wasn't enjoyable.
The trials, tribulations, and horrors of the life of a junior high school student who is mercilessly taunted and ridiculed are examined and put on display. There is no safe place for this child, she gets the abuse from school, home and every adult there is in the movie. The story is pretty straight forward from the beginning to the end, and some of the situations were so predictable they played like bad memories. By the time that the movie was over I was thankful that I didn't commit suicide.
I am always open to new experiences and I will always try films that I've never seen before and that are suggested to me. To me this is the only way for me to expand my horizons and explore new avenues of imagination and storytelling. But as I continually see these films that are suppose to be so great and turn out to be duds I start to loose my faith in people knowing what is good and what is crap.
The trials, tribulations, and horrors of the life of a junior high school student who is mercilessly taunted and ridiculed are examined and put on display. There is no safe place for this child, she gets the abuse from school, home and every adult there is in the movie. The story is pretty straight forward from the beginning to the end, and some of the situations were so predictable they played like bad memories. By the time that the movie was over I was thankful that I didn't commit suicide.
I am always open to new experiences and I will always try films that I've never seen before and that are suggested to me. To me this is the only way for me to expand my horizons and explore new avenues of imagination and storytelling. But as I continually see these films that are suppose to be so great and turn out to be duds I start to loose my faith in people knowing what is good and what is crap.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Buffalo Girls
This movie was suggested to me by a family member that knew I was interested in American western films. This was a made for TV mini series put out by Hallmark Entertainment in 2004. The series is based on the Larry McMurtry novel of the same name. I'm usually not to interested in made for TV movies but I thought I'd give it a try. It's not the best western ever made but it's interesting to see the female take on the way things were back then.The life and times of Calamity Jane and the colorful characters that roamed the wild west with her at the time are examined from her involvement with Custer's 7th Calvary on their way to his meeting with Sitting Bull to her dealings with Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody. The scenes of the west are breathtaking and its hard to believe that there is still parts of the country that look like this. The stars that they got to play these characters is nothing short of flawless, Angelica Huston, Melanie Griffith, Sam Elliott, and Jack Palance to just name a few.
Watching this film just wetted my appetite for more western films to be made but as Hollywood keeps saying there's no money in westerns. Hence the reasoning for cable channels to continue to make what the audience truly wants to watch, and make them so well that look and feel like big screen westerns. I would say that if you haven't seen this before and you enjoy a good western, you might like to see one with a little bit of a twist.
Watching this film just wetted my appetite for more western films to be made but as Hollywood keeps saying there's no money in westerns. Hence the reasoning for cable channels to continue to make what the audience truly wants to watch, and make them so well that look and feel like big screen westerns. I would say that if you haven't seen this before and you enjoy a good western, you might like to see one with a little bit of a twist.
Cabin Fever
Most of the time we as a viewing audience don't see the coming of a cult classic, but here is a chance to see history in the making. The makings of becoming a cult classic down the road are all here but for right now we have to live with the fact it has the feel of a low budget horror film. This movie has the feel of an Evil Dead/Night of the Living Dead plague film and it is a ride you wont be disappointed with.
I wasn't in a rush to see this film but now that I have, I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner. This is definitely one of the best blood baths I've taken in a long time and I can't wait to see something else from Eli Roth, the director. As I've said this will become a classic in the future so if you get the chance see it.
I wasn't in a rush to see this film but now that I have, I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner. This is definitely one of the best blood baths I've taken in a long time and I can't wait to see something else from Eli Roth, the director. As I've said this will become a classic in the future so if you get the chance see it.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
World Trade Center
On this somber day I decided to sit down and watch this film, along with United 93, I don't know if there was truly a reason for waiting so long but after all this time it still hurts to watch these events unfold. The detail that Oliver Stone drew out on film is amazing; throughout the whole film it feels as if you are right there beside the first responders to the disaster. With Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena playing the lead characters, we are shown how truly talented these two men are. From the moment they wake up on that fateful day to the rescue that saved their lives we are given a glimpse into the lives of these two men that drive them to survive. There is so much emotionally charged scenes its hard to point out just a few, but with the way that the actors portrayed these real life heroes grabs a hold of your heart and never lets go.On September 11th two Port Authority Policemen are trapped in the World Trade Center after the towers collapse, and fight to survive till a rescue team can reach them. There are a few aspects to this film, which helps it, stand out from other dramas of its kind, the first ten minutes of the film shows just how mundane and ordinary the day started out for these people, before they became a part of the historic events that took place. The other viewpoint is that of the family's perspective during the crisis, this adds to the emotional level of the film and just pushes it over the edge. With the use of news footage from that day Stone anchors the audience into the moment since most of us have seen that footage at one time or another, but he doesn't overpower you with it the way the news services did that day.
This is a nice accompanying piece to United 93, which came out earlier the same year, together they give us a small insight into what happened that day that we all lived through. The events of 9/11 touched so many in so many ways its impossible to measure, sure there are the cold numbers and facts, but with stories like these about the bravery and heroism that took place that day we can all stand proud and remember that some of our greatest heroes are those that stand beside us each and every day. So if you haven't seen this film it's a must see movie, and see it with the family it will draw you together in ways that you may never have thought possible.
This is a nice accompanying piece to United 93, which came out earlier the same year, together they give us a small insight into what happened that day that we all lived through. The events of 9/11 touched so many in so many ways its impossible to measure, sure there are the cold numbers and facts, but with stories like these about the bravery and heroism that took place that day we can all stand proud and remember that some of our greatest heroes are those that stand beside us each and every day. So if you haven't seen this film it's a must see movie, and see it with the family it will draw you together in ways that you may never have thought possible.
United 93
I sat down today and watched United 93 as a small way to remember the events of 9/11. I wanted to see this movie in the theater but thought the emotions would be running a little to high for public display, so I waited for it to come out on DVD. Watching it you can see how in some ways that every day life has changed and how complacent we were.
Anyone who did not want to see this movie, for whatever reasons, should give it a try, it may help with closure. After watching this I really can't wait for World Trade Center, which is next for today, it gives me hope that through these two films the true nature of the American spirit will be seen.
Anyone who did not want to see this movie, for whatever reasons, should give it a try, it may help with closure. After watching this I really can't wait for World Trade Center, which is next for today, it gives me hope that through these two films the true nature of the American spirit will be seen.
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