Star Wars-The Phantom Menace in 3D

February 10^th, 2012 is listed as the release date for the next “remake” in the Star Wars Film series. Episode I the Phantom Menace will be released in 3D. I recall reading about this several years ago and I wondered why George Lucas would make the films into 3D. But with new technologies being released for home use there is 3D television and soon everyone will want to buy the New and Improved Blue Ray 3D version of the set. The 1^st trilogy will be released and then the 2^nd and George will make more than he could imagine!

I don’t plan on purchasing the 3D version on DVD or Blue Ray, but I am looking forward to seeing the films again in the theater. I loved watching them all when they were first released and the chance to see them all over again makes me feel alive and young again rather like I was when they were first released.

I can recall watching the pod racing scenes in the 1^st episode and they were not my favorite, but well worth sitting through to see the incredible light saber duels between Darth Maul, Qi-Gon Jin and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

It’s just over one month until the release of episode 1 and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to it in a way I’ve not felt for a very long time! Thankfully I don’t feel like saying, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Star Wars Episode 1 in 3D

http://www.starwars.com/watch/episode-i-3d.html

Jedi/Sith Duel in the Naboo Core

http://www.starwars.com/watch/episode_1_duel_into_the_core.html

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Hell Boy 2

Hell Boy 2-The Golden Army was released this past summer. I can hardly believe that I’m saying this past summer already. And for anyone who is a fan of the comic or a fan of the first movie, then you’ve already seen it, but for those who have not and who enjoy sci-fi in general I’d recommend this movie.

You may be a bit taken aback if you don’t read the comic and be at a slight disadvantage on the learning curve for watching the movie, but it’s not anything that you can’t overcome-especially if you enjoy the film and watch it more than once! The first film Hell Boy that was released the summer of 2004 and while I was not a fan or reader of the comic I thoroughly enjoyed the first movie. Ron Perlman plays Hell Boy very well-he portrays him more like a stereotypical bad attitude cop than a being from an alternate reality. He’s just your average everyday crime fighting prince of darkness trying to fit in! He has the same problems that many of us have. Difficulty with his supervisor, trying to get along with his co-workers and he’s in love with someone he works with and is trying to make that work too.

So just ignore that he’s 7 feet tall with red skin and sanded down horns on his head. Some guys shave their head-he shaves the horns!
The first installment had us seeing how Hell Boy came into our world, and then his subsequent work on a specialized government task force to rid the world of paranormal phenomena. His task was to stop Rasmussen from taking over the world-and while the Monk was pretty ugly he did have a hot girlfriend! Why do the bad guys get such hot looking women? You never see Jedi knights walking around with their arms around gorgeous babes! [Forget that the Jedi order is celibate, and that it has nothing to do with this movie!]

The second movie has the king of the Elves fighting his son for control of the mythical golden army-why would we call the army mythical? If we can have the royal court of the Elves why can’t we have a “Golden Army”? But there is the ever present Hell Boy/Bad Boy image and attitude that continues to exist from the first movie-and it does continue to provide both excitement and laughs in the film.

Over all I recommend this film!

Hell Boy 2-the Golden Army
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411477/

Hell Boy [2004]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167190/

Wikipedia-Hell Boy 2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellboy_II:_The_Golden_Army

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Burn after Reading [2008]

Well the latest version of movie mayhem and madness by the Coen brothers has arrived here in Michigan. I’ve already heard mixed reviews from the TV celebrity-movie critics, as well as some negative reviews online. The simple answer as to whether you should see the movie or not is found in a set of questions. Ask yourself whether you’ve seen previous Coen brother movies and if the answer is yes then ask yourself if you’ve enjoyed them. If the answer to this second question is yes, then ask yourself why you’ve not yet gone to see it!

It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of their movies, Fargo is still my favorite of theirs, and so I’m sure I’ll be accused of simply getting on the small band wagon that is out there to say, “Yay the Coen Brothers made another film!” But this wouldn’t be an accurate representation of my interest and like in the film. It has similar qualities to Fargo-such as, they both have a very graphic renditions of people being “liquidated” [come on who uses the word “kill” anymore?] They both have very few total people removed from the film with prejudice! [Ok yes I’m thinking of trying to parody the act/word as much as possible in this blog]

Frances McDormand is in both-though she plays very different characters-her character in this latest film reminds me of Steve Buscemi’s character in Fargo. Both are a bit of a weasel and looking for the easy way out-Buscemi with an easy score with a kidnapping and McDormand with having elective plastic surgery over working out!] Both are a bit promiscuous-Buscemi’s having sex with a prostitute at a truck stop and McDormand is picking up guys off the internet and having sex on the first date!

Besides the reminiscent sense of Fargo that I just discussed Burn after Reading has interesting scenes at the nation’s top intelligence headquarters-Langley, Virginia. The movie starts and ends there, but what I thought was so hilarious is the callous way in which they treat and deal with people who have met their maker prematurely. JK Simmons plays the CIA Supervisor in such a deadpan over the top way-much like his previous character roles in Juno, Spiderman1, 2 and 3 as well as Thank-You For Smoking.

Overall this film moves quickly and does have an interesting-and semi believable plot. Two idiot gym employees find a cd with what appears to be sensitive information on it. They try to sell it and get into more trouble than they’d expect. Again-if you’ve enjoyed previous Coen brother’s films I would recommend you view it.

Burn After Reading [2008]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887883/

Burn after Reading-Working Films Production
http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/film.php?filmID=112

Fargo [1996]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Best Star Wars Film..??

Which is the Best Star Wars Film?

Is it fair to even ask such a question? After all they were created and filmed over the course of 27 years. Film technology changed dramatically over that time. Each film had a different director and Lucas was undoubtedly a different person when he wrote Sith than he was when he wrote Star Wars. Is it fair to compare and critique Sith with the original Star Wars [A New Hope] and any of the films in between?

But while it may seem unfair to compare the films themselves the story lines, ideas and characters can certainly be compared. We’ve all probably watched all the movies in one marathon night-on more than one occasion! And seen the progression of Luke’s farm boy style and naiveté in A New Hope change and mature over the course of the next two films. After all some six years passes from the start to the finish of the first original three movies. Han Solo’s character as well is a good example-he goes from a greedy, self-serving, narcissistic smuggler to a more open and selfless person at the end of Jedi. We can’t call him General Solo without his future love-Princess Leia-helping him out. We see an over confident, loud mouthed, scared little girl in the opening scenes and by the end we witness the transformation to someone who will risk her life not only for the rebel cause but for the man she loves!

Certainly I could continue to wax philosophical about all the differences in the characters as well as how they’re related to the last three movies, the prequels, but in the end the question still remains-which Star Wars Film is the Best?

I think the answer that anyone gives must have an explanation to it, and any explanation we give will always have a footnote added to it. Whether that footnote is that it was Lucas’ first Star Wars film and that it did not have much backing from the studio, or if it was because it was directed by someone who never watched sci-fi in their life. Whatever the footnote is we all have our fave film.

Which one is yours?
And why?

Star Wars Official Web Site
http://www.starwars.com/

Monday, September 15, 2008

Star Wars-The Clone Wars

This isn’t your Uncle Owen’s Clone Wars Story!
I’d heard the reviews from the critics, and read about the movie on the website. I know there’s a cartoon that will start next month that this movie sets up. I realize the movie introduces us to a new character-Ahsoka, Anakin’s new padawaan. I know it’s a Star Wars film that Lucas produced, but I can’t help but feel disappointed in some way-not like Obi-Wan when he saw the video records of Anakin slaughtering younglings-but more like when Yoda thought Luke was going to lift the fighter out of the bog, and then it sank back down.

This movie has several flaws-not the least and most obvious seems to be that the animation is not believable. Lucas could have done so much better with the animation. It’s not just a movie to introduce us to the cartoon TV series that will soon start. It’s a movie in the Star Wars genre and needs to be produced as such. I hope that the next animated film that Lucas produces will have a better script, better animation, and no holes in the story line please!

When did Anakin get promoted to master?

When does Yoda nearly force a padawaan on to a master to train?

All these question and more-are not answered in the movie!

Clone Wars-the movie [2008]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185834/

Star Wars official web site!
http://www.starwars.com/

Clone Wars TV Show
http://www.starwars.com/theclonewars/news20080903.html

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Blade Runner

Set in a futuristic LA that reminds me more of a present day Detroit on a rainy day in March. The move Blade Runner came out in 1982-back when I was in grade school mind you-and it was supposed to represent the dismal future we all had to look forward too. I recall my father watching it years later on TV and saying that in 50 years we’d all have to live with acid rain, and no sunshine from too much smog. [He was always an optimist let me tell you!]

But beyond the superficial themes of the movie it addresses much deeper themes that will, in our very near future, come to bare on us and impact our daily lives.

The themes of epistemology-what do you know? How do you know it? And just because others agree with something, does that make it right or true? What does it mean to be human? Can an android-a computer-be alive? What does it mean to be alive?

When I studied biology to be alive typically included taking in fuel and giving off waste, as well as procreating. Would an android qualify for that? It takes in some type of fuel to run on its own-battery power, chemical power, uses electricity and then gives off heat, light and at least some type of chemical waste. But what about procreating?

Does an android-a computer-pass on its genes to anything else? What about when a computer copies and downloads a file? What about viruses on computers? They seek out other computers, replicate themselves and move on without concern of what is affected. This is reminiscent of bacteria and viruses. It’s not the same type of life as human, but it could be considered a type of life. And if it is considered life, would that mean we would need to treat it-treat computers-in a different way?

And would the computers know it was alive? Would it realize that it had a life that was different than a human? Would it know what it was?

There’s a scene in the movie after Harrison Ford interviews Sean Young [who is playing an android] where Ford is incredulous that Young is not aware that she is in fact a replicant-which is also ironic because the debate has been going on for 25+ years that Ford’s character is also a replicant but is unaware of it too. A replicant looking for replicants-a computer searching out computers, but doesn’t know he’s a computer.

Ford-She’s a replicant isn’t she?
Tyrell-I’m impressed…How many questions does it usually take to spot them?
Ford-I don’t get it.
Tyrell-How many questions?
Ford-twenty, thirty, cross referenced.
Tyrell-It took more than a hundred for Rachael, didn’t it?
Ford-[then realizing that Rachael believes she’s human] she doesn’t know…
Tyrell-She’s beginning to suspect it I think.
Ford-Suspect? How can it not KNOW what it is?

Later in the film Rutger Howard-who is caste in the role of villainous robot-meets the man who literally created him. WHO on this earth can say they haven’t at some point wanted to be able to come face to face with their maker-with God-before they died? To ask her questions, to ask for forgiveness, to ask...something?
And Howard’s character has a very appropriate comment to the character playing his god:

Tyrell-I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner.
Howard-It’s not an easy thing to meet your maker.

Howard’s character near the end of the film-knowing his life is about to end-gives a very insightful and moving soliloquy.

Howard-I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark…All those moments will be lost in time…
Like tears in rain…

And yet who among us-if we knew the date and the time we were to die-wouldn’t be traveling to the ends of the earth in search of our maker to bargain, plead and threaten for more time, more life?

All of us eventually die-even computers, and the last line of the movie reinforces that.

It’s too bad she won’t live. But then again who does?

Blade Runner [1982] imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/

Monday, September 08, 2008

Sweeny Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Tim Burton has made many fine films that capture the
mind and imagination of film goes over the past 20
years. These movies include; Beatle juice [1988],
Batman [1989], Edward Scissor Hands [1990], Batman
Returns [1992], Planet of the Apes [2001], Big Fish
[2003] and of course Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
and Corpse Bride in 2005. Burton’s latest creation is
not to be viewed lightly-neither by critics nor by
film goers. It is a tale that is depressing and quite
dark.

You don’t want to view this film if you’re looking for
a Marry Poppins or The Sound of Music type of plot and
feeling at the end of the film. I left the theater
feeling more depressed then when I entered. It has a
bleak beginning and its end is not what I expected,
but it delivers a punch to your head and a stab to
your heart in a one-two rhythm that would make Cassius
Clay proud.

Johnny Depp plays the title character-Sweeny Todd-and
he returns to London on a dreary ship hoping to find
his wife and child waiting for him to return. Depp’s
character was falsely accused of a crime by the local
jurist and sent to jail. We learn some of the past
from Depp’s reminiscing as well as other character’s
looking back at the past. Alan Rickman plays the evil
judge in the film. He had Depp thrown in jail years
ago so that he could take Depp’s wife and child as his
own. Depp returns to learn that his wife is dead and
his daughter is now the judge’s ward. Depp makes
preparations for revenge and includes Helena Bonham
Carter’s character in the plot. Carter’s character has
an unrequited love for Depp in the film and she makes
it clear to anyone listening that she wants to include
Depp in her life now. Depp only has revenge on his
mind though. His character is clearly in pain over the
loss of his life, his wife and his daughter. It
appears that he’d rather inflict pain and suffering on
anyone who may get in his way of revenge over the
possibility of forgetting the pat and starting over
with Carter’s character.

The movie seemed slow to start and it has a
considerable number of songs in it-this should not be
a surprise to anyone who knows the film is based on
the musical. The characters all sing at least one song
in the film and most of them sing several. The end
credits had 25 songs listed and all were sung by one
or more of the characters. I give credit to Depp,
Carter, Rickman and others for putting their voices
out there for us to critique, but unless you’re
looking for a dark and sad musical I would advise you
to think twice before viewing this film. It’s very
graphic and has quite a lot of blood and violence in
it. Though the violence and subsequent blood does
follow from the characters desire for revenge it
didn’t make viewing it any easier. If you’re looking
for a dark and depressing film-with blood and violence
thrown in-then this may be the right film for you to
see.

Sweeny Todd [2007] imdb
http://imdb.com/title/tt0408236/

Sweeny Todd on Broadway
http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=23326

sweeney todd movie-official web site
http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Charlie Wilson’s War [2007]

I went and saw this film last night and found it to be
a good film overall. I thought that Hanks played a
believable character-Congressman Charles Wilson from
Lufkin, Texas. As I sat in the theater listening to
the characters talk about where they were from and
what part of eastern Texas they lived I thought of all
the times I’d driven bye, driven through or visited
the towns and cities-from Lufkin, to Nacogdoches to
Houston!

The film itself is based on the actual events-leading
us to see that the US Congress and other agencies were
more involved in the Afghan rebels fight against the
former Soviet Union than may have been officially
acknowledged. It’s not a long movie-just over 100
minutes-but it moves quickly and has some very nice
cinematography. The ending is the part that made me
think and wonder-specifically what our actions today
sew for our future. Throughout the film Hanks is
politically maneuvering to get the right votes to
support his appropriation bills to purchase weapons
for the Afghan rebels, but at the end of the movie
Hanks is asking in a sub-committee for One Million
dollars to build new schools in Afghanistan-yes all of
one-million US dollars. He is refused and told that no
one cares about schools in Afghanistan.

If that scene is an accurate portrayal of how the US
left the region after the Soviets pulled out of
Afghanistan is it any wonder why so many people in the
Middle-East have nothing but hard feelings for the US?
When the US could have given its public support to
Afghanistan for rebuilding schools, homes, roads it
turned its back on the country and its people. Why
would the people of the region think the US has
anything but the interests of the US in mind when it
sends US troops and advisors there now?

The US has a poor and tarnished image and I wonder if
the seeds of this fruit have been sewn years before.
Unfortunately the sour fruit is continuing to be
cultivated by the US government today. We need a
change for the better before we find ourselves
watching suicide bombers in our backyards on the local
news.

charlie wilsons war-universal web site [2007]
http://www.charliewilsonswar.net/

universalpictures.com
http://www.universalpictures.com/

Charlie Wilson's War-imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Mr. Roberts [1955]

I’ve seen this movie previously and have been very
impressed by the writing, the acting and the overall
feel that is conveyed by the film. Henry Fonda stars
as the title character-Lt [jg] Douglas Roberts.
Fonda’s character is assigned to a cargo ship
somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but he
longs to be where the action is on a battleship
assigned to a large task force. He even sees the task
force go by him while he’s working one evening.

The film also has Jack Lemon, William Powell and James
Cagney playing significant roles. Lemon plays
Ens.Frank Pulver who is the comic relief through most
of this film. He tries multiple times to “score” with
any woman who comes across the path of the “bucket”
that they serve. Powell plays the ship’s
doctor/surgeon and is the resident wise man to both
the men and the officers on board. Cagney plays the
crotchety, old captain and has no humor, no good will
and no like for anyone but himself-if  Scrooge or the
Grinch met Cagney in this film they’d find a friend to
be sure!

The film was made in the mid 1950’s and conveys some
of the boredom that many soldiers and sailors may have
experienced in the war. The film does really seem to
be very dramatic-how exciting can a cargo ship
be?-until near the end when we learn how much the crew
appreciates Fonda’s work with them as well as the
emotional ending where we learn that Fonda’s
character-after having gained a transfer to one of
those battleships in the task force-was killed during
an air raid attack near Okinawa.

I’m writing about this film because I recently saw
online that it will be broadcast this evening-Saturday
December 29, 2007-on the local Detroit PBS station at
9pm. For anyone who has not seen it and who enjoys the
Second World War genre then I’d recommend viewing this
film.

Mr. Roberts [1955] imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048380/

Amazon.com DVD Mr. Roberts
http://www.amazon.com/Mister-Roberts-Henry-Fonda/dp/6305225761

youtube.com-Mr. Roberts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddskeaNSTBc

Saturday, December 29, 2007

I am Legend [2007]

I saw the most recent Will Smith film this evening-I
am Legend- and I found it to be very good. I also
found it to be depressing. The story line is that
Smith is a scientist who is also a soldier in the US
Army-he plays Lt.Col.Robert Neville-and a deadly virus
has broken out in the US and all across the world. It
starts with Emma Thompson being interviewed by a CNN
like reporter about her recent discovery and ability
to cure cancer by changing the measles virus into a
useful tool. The next set of scenes indicates that the
virus Emma Thompson created had apparently morphed
into a deadly virus that turned the 1009 people who
were part of her clinical trials-and who they believed
had been cured of cancer-into wild, crazy, rabid like
creatures that had lost all their humanity.

The movie is really very good and presents an
interesting plot. The movie is set in NYC and Smith
spends the entire movie in NYC on the borough of
Manhattan. I do not know how they managed to make
Manhattan look as desolate and over grown as they did.
The city that never sleeps couldn’t possibly have
taken a break so long to let Smith and the movie crew
shoot in Times Square, the south side seaport and on
the Intrepid, but it looks just like Smith is living
alone in Manhattan. I was amazed by the footage and
impressed as well as it seems so real. Also, Smith is
the only human actor-not meaning to ignore the acting
ability of Samantha his dog-on screen for an hour or
more in this film. He portrays an ambitious, focused
and lonely scientist quite well. We also learn through
seeing Smith’s flashbacks much of what lead up to
where he is now and why things are the way they are.
Smith’s emotion also is obvious-but not over played-
as it leads him to his decision to avenge as best he
can the death of his best and only friend in the
movie. His acting also makes it clear why he chooses
to exit the movie as he does-to defend the cure he has
found and to leave it in the hands of those who have
hope for the world.

This is a good movie and one to see either in the
theater or on DVD at home later. Smith may have a
chance at an Oscar nomination with his performance,
but it may be difficult as there are other very good
performances that will compete for a nomination. Plus
this may be seen more as a sci-fi movie versus a drama
despite the emotion that is conveyed by Smith
throughout and how well he conveys his slowly losing
the ability to discern between reality and what may be
imagination. However you may view the film, as sci-fi
or as drama, it is one to see.

I Am Legend (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/

I Am Legend (2007) Yahoo! Movies
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809768369/info

I Am Legend
http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com/

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off [1986]

As I’ve watched a Broderick film recently it made me
reflect on when I first had the chance to see Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off. I was a senior in high school and
it was spring break. The film was playing at a second
run movie theater and a bunch of my friends-all of us
who were going to school but not necessarily at the
same school-met up at the theater and watched it on a
late Saturday night.

It was a great film to see when you’re a senior and
thinking about graduation and no longer want to be in
school. Attending classes, homework, gym, government,
religion and math classes. All of those gave me
“senioritis“ in a very big way. I had no desire to be
in school the last couple of months, and to make
matters worse I can recall I was really sick too. I
missed nearly three weeks of class from an illness.
Looking back I’m amazed I was able to graduate and
that I didn’t miss so much school that it put me too
far behind to graduate.

But there is a line, a soliloquy, by Broderick near
the beginning of the film that expressed my feelings
about high school very well.

“The key to faking out the parents is the clammy
hands. It's a good non-specific symptom. I'm a big
believer in it. A lot of people will tell you that a
good phony fever is a dead lock, but you get a nervous
mother, you could wind up in a doctor's office-that's
worse than school…
You fake a stomach cramp, and when you're bent over,
moaning and wailing, you lick your palms. It's a
little childish and stupid, but then, so is high
school”

I love that line and still do. My high school years
were not the best of my life and I was very glad to
leave high school behind and move on to college.

The film has great scenery of Chicago as well-from the
Sears tower, Wrigley Field with the Cubs playing, the
stock exchange and parts of downtown. It’s almost like
a cheap 90 minute tour of the city-with comedy thrown
in for good measure! It also has a great cast;-Mia
Sara as Ferris’ girlfriend. Alan Ruck as
Cameron-Ferris’ best friend, as well as Jeffrey Jones,
Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Ben Stein and Charlie
Sheen in a short cameo appearance.  Put them all
together along with John Hughes’ writing and directing
and this film is not only funny but was a big hit with
students and continues to be on cable and on DVD.

When you find you need a day off from your usual
routine considering playing hooky with Ferris Bueller!

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091042/

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - Yahoo! Movies
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800064675/info

Monday, December 17, 2007

The Freshman

I saw the Freshman this past weekend. It’s been quite
awhile since I’ve seen this film, but each time I do
it reminds of the first time I saw it. It was the
summer of 1990 and I was in college. I saw it with my
then college girlfriend, and I thought it was very
funny. She was upset that I thought Penelope Ann
Miller was beautiful in the film. I laughed every time
she’d say Matthew Broderick’s character name-which was
Clark-but she said it with the typical New York east
coast accent. So I laughed when I heard her say,
“Cl-aaarrr-k” each time. She also wears some very
stunning dresses in the film and she is a very
attractive young woman in this film.

The story line has a Matthew Broderick playing Clark
Kellogg a young man starting his freshman year of
college at a prestigious film school in New
York-honestly I think it was NYU. Upon his arrival he
manages to get a ride someplace-but not to school-from
Bruno Kirby who steals his bags and belongings. This
of course turns out to be the crux that gets Clark
involved with the Sabatini family early in this film.
Clark “accidentally” comes across Bruno Kirby’s
character and Kirby promises an easy job for Clark to
pay him back for stealing his bags.

This job turns out to be to drive an illegally
transported Kimono Dragon from the airport to some
place in Jersey-talk about being initiated into NYC!
Clark finds himself in the middle of working for a
mobster without realizing it. Next he finds he’s about
to marry Mr. Sabatini’s daughter Tina-who is played by
Penelope Ann Miller. Clark seems to be on a
rollercoaster and it may very well lead to his grave!

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is near the
end. Broderick learns that Mr. Sabatini-played by
Marlon Brando, who looks a lot like the Godfather,
this could be on purpose too-has a plan to get
Broderick out of trouble and himself out of the
business for good. He does learn that it’s a high risk
plan and they could all end up dead, or perhaps living
in Palermo Sicily. Later Broderick is contemplating
his future….and he says to himself, “in a few hours I
would be free, or dead, or Rodolfo Lasparri" It makes
me laugh every time I see it. 

This film is very entertaining, and makes me laugh
when I see it. Broderick’s performance is reminiscent
of his role as Ferris Bueller back in 1986’s hit
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Penelope Ann Miller is
stunning to see in this film and her performance is
excellent. She plays her character well.  She portrays
Tina as an independent, intelligent woman who does not
step on any of the actors toes in this film and as
such gives a superb supporting performance.

If you enjoy Matthew Broderick, or like to laugh I’d
say give this film a view. It’s always been worth my
time to see it.

The Freshman [1990] imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099615/

Yahoo Movies-the freshman
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800142712/details

Monday, December 17, 2007

Grease

Grease is another film that I enjoy watching when I’m
feeling alone or need something to pick me up and give
me a smile. The film is set in the 1950’s and I was
nowhere near being born yet, but it doesn’t stop me
from enjoying the film. So many of the characters we
see in this film could be from today. High school
students may wear different clothes and have new
technology to play with-iPods, cell phones and
PSPs-but the interaction of the students is still the
same. Though I do admit that seeing Patti Simcox skip
around the playground in her “poodle skirt” made me
laugh the first time I saw it!

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John have great
chemistry on film, and the supporting cast of Stockard
Channing, Jeff Conway, Didi Cohn, Dinah Manoff, Sid
Caesar, and Frankie Avalon make watching this movie an
experience that comes close to an event worth writing
down in your pda calendar!

The movie is based on the Broadway play. The story
line is simple-boy finds girl, boy looses girl, boy
realizes he loves girl and has to win her back and
finally boy wins her back and they live happily ever
after! The music in the film is also worth mentioning.
Travolta and Olivia Newton-John have a few duets
“Summer Nights” and my favorite song “You’re the One
that I want”. There’s a solo by Frankie Avalon singing
“Beauty School Dropout” which my mother has told me is
her favorite part of the film-I think she’s imagining
that she’s being sung too instead of Didi Cohn. This
is also the only film I think I’ve seen Stockard
Channing sing in-she sings “Look at me, I’m Sandra
Dee” and also “There are worse things I could do”.

The film is nearly two hours long and it moves
quickly-from the beginning of the school year to
graduation. It has a pep rally, a big dance and a car
race included for the price of admission, but what
high school would be complete without each of those?
This film is fun to watch and always gives me a smile.
It’s funny in parts, has some very good music and has
a typical Hollywood style ending. But it wouldn’t be
such a fun movie if it didn’t have a happy ending.

imdb.com-Grease [1978]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077631/

Yahoo Movies-Grease
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800072405/info

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Love Actually [2003]

I recall going to see this movie several times when it
was out in the theatres. I watched it on DVD for the
first time since it stopped its run in March of 2004.
I was genuinely pleased to watch this film again. If
I’m feeling down, depressed or alone this film picks
me up and gives me not only a laugh and smile but it
makes me think that if these people can find
love-despite being so screwed up at times-then perhaps
I still can too!

The movie follows several different characters or
couples through the five weeks before Christmas and
how their love life gets better or worse in this time.
Some of the more notable characters include Hugh
Grant-as the newly elected PM of the UK! Laura Linney
as the only American in her office and is desperately
in love with one of her co-workers. Alan Rickman as
the boss of the office Linney works in and is blind to
the fact that his secretary is making a move on him.
Colin Firth is an established author but a complete
looser in love-until he meets his Portuguese
house-keeper.  Liam Neeson plays a recently widowed
man who has to somehow make a connection with his
step-son and possibly bring Claudia Schiffer to the
funeral as his date! There are also cameo appearances
by several notable actors-though you do need to keep
your eyes open for a few of them-Billy Bob Thornton,
Denise Richards, Rowan Atkinson and Claudia Schiffer.

The movie is over two hours long but it’s never felt
that long to me. Perhaps it’s the writing and editing
that went in to making this film that keeps it moving
at such a steady pace that it makes the time pass
quickly.  Also I found myself getting wrapped up in
the lives of the characters to the point where when
the film did end I didn’t want it too. It has some
very good music that accompanies it and the Christmas
setting of the film couldn’t be a better time to view
this movie on DVD or even give it to someone you love
as a gift. I enjoyed this film immensely and enjoy it
more each time I see it. For anyone who considers
themselves a romantic at heart or who wants to share a
fun couple of hours with their loved one then consider
watching this film. You may find that love actually is
all around you afterward!
   
Love Actually [2003]
http://www.loveactually.com/

imdb.com-Love Actually
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/combined

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Rush Hour 3

I saw Rush Hour 3 this afternoon. It’s not a movie
that I’d usually have on my list of ones I’d want to
see. I have nothing against Chris Tucker or Jackie
Chan, but I’m not a huge fan of the genre of films
that they typically star. In spite of this I can say
that I honestly enjoyed this film. It’s not going to
win any Academy awards-like American Gangster probably
will next spring-but it does provide what it
advertises and that is entertainment-from the opening
scenes with Chris Tucker trying to direct traffic and
listen to his iPod simultaneously to the near non-stop
shooting, car chasing, karate fights and people
jumping off the Eiffel tower!

It is not a difficult film to follow as the plot is
simple. Someone is killed in the beginning and Jackie
and Chris’s characters promise the daughter of the
assassinated man that they will find the killer. This
search leads our main characters across LA and across
the world to Paris, France. They find a very
interesting cab driver-who decides to join their cause
in Hollywood style-as well as some additional bad guys
and some pretty women who Chris Tucker tries to hook
up with throughout the film as well. The chemistry
between the two appears real on screen and it
translates into some very good action sequences as
well as amusing scenes between the two.

My favorite part of the movie that made me laugh the
most though was the end credits as they included
several outtakes and bloopers from production. It made
the entire audience laugh!

If you’ve seen the other two Rush Hour films then
you’ll most likely enjoy this one. If you’ve not seen
the previous two but are looking for a fast paced
action film that has some good laughs in it then this
may your film too.

Rush Hour 3 [2007]
http://www.rushhourmovie.com/

IMDB.com-Rush Hour 3
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293564/

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

American Gangster [2007]

I went and saw American Gangster this afternoon. It was a very good movie. It’s listed as being two hours and 35 minutes but it went very quickly and didn’t feel like the near three hours I sat in the theater-which includes the previews and credits. Denzel Washington portrayed the lead character-Frank Lucas-in a very real and compelling way. He played this real person as if he was someone who was trying to make a life for himself, protect and care for his family and start a new family with his wife. He acted as if he was someone who saw what he did as a business and not as an illegal operation.
Russell Crowe has played several roles which I’ve not much cared for, but his work in this film as Detective Richie Roberts is also compelling and very believable. He plays an honest cop-which in this film is made out to be a dying breed-who hands in $1,000,000 in confiscated evidence. He’s made out to be a boy-scout and possible sucker. Someone who should have taken the money and ran, but his actions put him in the position of heading up the new drug task force and he and his team are after the big fish-the sharks-in the drug business. His investigating leads him to Frank Lucas. He has to find a way to connect Lucas to the drugs he’s importing and wrap it up all nice and neat so that no one gets away and nothing-drugs or money-gets lost.
I enjoyed this film on many levels. It has drama, action as well as it shows sides of both characters that many movies might not. It shows parts of their work life and parts of their personal life. We see Washington with his mother, brothers, cousins and wife at dinners, but we also see Crowe dealing with his ex-wife, yes a real shock for them to portray a police officer as divorced-in a court custody case over his son, as well as his lack of committed social life with different women.
Over all this is a very good film and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s nominated for several academy awards; such as, best picture, best actors, best director. I could imagine that both Crowe and Washington could be nominated as best actor next spring for their work in this film. It is rated “R” as it does have violence, strong language and occasional nudity, but it is a very good film and worth seeing or renting when it comes out on DVD.

American Gangster [2007]
http://www.americangangster.net/

universalpictures.com
http://www.universalpictures.com/

IMDB site-American Gangster
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765429/

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Hitman [2007]

I went and viewed this movie this evening. At first I was thinking it was a cross between Tarantino meets Eastern Promises and Scar Face. But by the time the movie was half over I was thinking that I should have placed a hit on myself prior to purchasing the ticket, or at the very least before entering the theater. I would have saved myself time, money and energy in watching this film. I should have known better. It has an “R” rating and it is aptly titled. The main character is a hit man-who goes by the number “47”-no stretch to the imagination that he will be killing people throughout the film. All those who are interested in gratuitous violence, explosions, and plot holes the size of the old Soviet Empire will enjoy this film immensely!

It starts out with an allusion to the church-presumably the Holy Roman Catholic Church-as they have someone dressed in a cloak tattooing a barcode on the back of the head of our main character. Additionally Ave Maria is being sung in the background. Which I can tell you does not happen at monasteries. I’ve been to a couple in my day for retreat and to visit and they do not have monks singing 24/7 for the enjoyment and spiritual enlightenment of all the brethren. This is the only allusion made to the church as a possible responsible party of the main character’s training and vocation in life.

The rest of the film centers on his killing-usually done in very quick fashion-until he apparently is sucked into a political conspiracy to eliminate the Russian President because of his new moderate political stance. The majority of the film is spent with Agent 47 trying to determine who is responsible for putting him in the middle of this political conspiracy and placing a “hit” on him.  He then uses his apparently infinite amount of money and resources to hunt them down. Additionally, he picks up an apparent innocent woman who he was to kill as an alleged witness to his eliminating the Russian President, but as Hollywood-and young men-would have it she is not killed by 47 but instead taken in by him and protected. She is supposed to be the hot woman in the film, but I don’t see it. She’s young and thin and that in Hollywood is probably all you need to be an actress in an action movie. Her ability to act may be considerable, but you’re not
going to see it here.

This film is not worth the time, the money or the energy you need to stay awake to watch it. I had a difficult time following the plot, but realized near the end that was because there was very little plot written into this film. If you’re looking for violence, explosions and a young woman to look at then this may be your film. It wasn’t mine.

Hitman (2007)     
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465494/

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Con Air [1997]

I watched Con Air a few weekends ago and it reminded
me of the first time I had seen it. It came out when I
was in grad school and I saw it with a few friends. We
weren’t looking for a movie that would inform and
enlighten us or that would broaden our horizons. We
wanted a movie that had some action in it and would
get our minds of the stresses of finals, papers and
presentations. This movie did just that and it still
will do that for me. It’s an action-packed film that
has big name stars, guns, planes, explosions, and the
appropriate good-guys and bad-guys in it.

I enjoyed seeing John Cusak in it as well as John
Malkovich and Colm Meaney. Steve Buscemi is also in it
and after having seen him in Fargo I didn’t recognize
him when I saw the movie the first time. He gained
weight for the film and his character is much more
laid back than I would have expected-he plays a serial
killer of children in the movie. One of my favorite
lines in the movie is delivered by Buscemi. He’s
sitting in the plane with the Lynrd Skynrd Song “Sweet
Home Alabama” playing in the background, and all t he
other cons are singing and dancing to the music. He
looks across the aisle at Nicholas Cage and says;
“Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing around on a
plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a
plane crash.”

My other favorite line in the movie-which makes me
laugh each time I see it is when Cage’s character
along with his friend “Baby-O” and the one female on
the plane guard Bishop are at the back of the plane
and attempting to get off the plane. The rest of the
cons have just had a fire-fight with the national
guard and won, and the plane takes off with Colm
Meaney’s corvette being dragged along behind the
plane. We see the vette suspended in mid-air as if
it’s flying and we hear Cage say;
“On any other day that might seem strange.”
It makes me laugh every time I hear it.

Con Air is not a Disney movie, it’s not a “change your
life and your mindset” type of movie, but it is a
Hollywood action packed movie that will keep you awake
and has a typical Hollywood ending. If you’re looking
for that then you won’t be disappointed. I know I
wasn’t!

Sweet Home Alabama [song]
http://music.guardian.co.uk/vinylword/story/0,,2212407,00.html

Lynard Skynrd Song Facts
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1702

Con Air [1997]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118880/

Tuesday, November 27th , 2007

Happy Gilmore

Whenever I get depressed, sad or down this is one of
those movies that gives me a smile and makes me laugh.
Anyone who¡¦s seen this movie-and enjoyed it as
well-will know what I¡¦m referring too. Sandler
portrays what appears to be a average guy who keeps
showing up to make the local professional hockey
team-and keeps getting turned down as well. He
doesn¡¦t give up and thinks that the next time he¡¦ll
make it. He must have been a Cubs fan in a previous
life! But desperate times call for desperate measures.
His Grandmother is about to lose the house that his
grandfather built for her because of non-payment of
back taxes. Happy will do anything he has to in order
to get his grandmother¡¦s house back-and that includes
playing golf. What a wimpy sport compared to hockey!
You have to hit a little ball and be quiet. Now
there¡¦s a word I can¡¦t imagine Sandler ever
being„³Quiet.
Despite the obvious problems the character Sandler
plays must overcome; to remain calm and stay on the
professional tour so he can win enough money to buy
back his grandma¡¦s house, not swearing, throwing his
clubs and not punching other golfers-including an
incredible scene with Bob Barker where Sandler and
Barker are going 10 rounds on the course!
This movie has it all-outrageous characters-evil,
backstabbing, sneaky characters, a teacher and mentor
who is taken too soon from Sandler and returns to
guide him in times of need-much like Obi-Wan did for
Luke in Star Wars. It has amusing moments, funny
scenes, and the typical Sandler trying to muster up
some charm so he can win the girl of his dreams.
The ending is typical-as it¡¦s a happy one, but what
else would you expect with a film entitled Happy
Gilmore?

Happy Gilmore [1996]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116483/

Monday, November 19th, 2007

The Great Escape

I watched this film last night and was yet again
amazed at the story that was presented in it. Those
men-soldiers-who were prisoners of war in a Nazi POW
camp, were able to work undetected-for the most
part-and dig several tunnels under and out of the camp
over the course of many months. The movie presents
nothing but a positive outlook by the allied
prisoners. This seems somewhat unlikely-that after
being stuck in a prison-many of them for years-that
they did not harbor any disgust, ill will or dislike
towards the German soldiers, and the movie did not
show disrespect for the German soldiers to their
faces.
The movie I must remember is partly that-a movie. It’s
meant to entertain and it also educates and pays
tribute to the men who fought and died in that camp,
in all the POW camps and in the Second World War. The
allied soldiers also needed help from the outside-the
red cross or other aid groups sent tools and radio
parts to help the POWs in their attempt to keep in
contact with the outside world and to know what was
going on with the war.
The bigger picture in respect to the escape was that
these men who were able to escape wanted to take
troops away from the frontline. That is said in the
film, but what is not explicitly stated is that they
did this around the time of D-day. So that when the
invasion of France occurred many thousands of troops
were scattered across Germany looking for POWs instead
of defending the coastal area of France.
The film shows several individuals and their part in
the planning and implementation of the escape. It does
have drama built in to it. The scene where “the 50”
are shot and killed is really very depressing. Much
like what war must really be like-the killing of
others and depressing to all involved. The movie ends
on an amusing note-perhaps to avoid being so
depressing from the previous scene with the 50 being
killed. Steve McQueen-who is called “the cooler king”
is sent back to the cooler-for the 4th time in the
film-and receives his trusty baseball mitt and ball to
pass the time while he sits in the cooler, waiting to
be released and presumably for his chance to escape.
This may represent the non-conformist and undeterred
spirit of the US soldier, or it may represent what is
good in all of us-that we will not put up with
tyranny, oppression and dictators-and that we will
continue to work against all those the work against
freedom.
   
The Great Escape (1963)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057115/

History Channel Classroom:
http://www.history.com/classroom/admin/study_guide/archives/thc_guide.0491.html

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007