Day 180: "Play hard, you'll forget the fear."

In Vegas, last day of Conference.  I'm exhausted.  Watched The Blood of Heroes starring Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, Delroy Lindo, and Vincent D'Onofrio.  An apocalyptic, dark future movie where the sport of "Jugging" is the only form of entertainment left.  It's a brutal combination of lacrosse, football and a skull.  The hero, Sallow is a veteran of the sport, just looking to survive.  The movie is pretty good and the sport is just brutal to watch.  A fun diversion and definitely worth checking out, especially if you are a Rutger Hauer fan as I am.

Sorry about the short review, but I'm beat and need a real break for a night.  7.5/10

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 179: "Remember: to go against the Church is to go against God."

My recent history with post-apocalyptic, alternate future movies is bleak to say the least.  I had little faith that Priest would break this streak.  It begins with a short, surprisingly well done, animated history of this world and its ruling theocracy.  That alone drew me in.  After that the story turns to a priest in that society who begins to have doubts about the veracity of certain truths.  After seeing cracks and faults in the facade of the new world order, he begins to rally around the fact that the vampires that were thought conquered and placed on a " reservation", are roaming free again.  He is ordered to stand down by the Monsignor, but instead chooses the truth as it is and begins a new war on the vampires.  I thought this was going to be another Legion, I was wrong.  This was full of action, the vampires were pretty cool, and I liked the history of the world.

Paul Bettany stars as Priest, a complete vampire hunting badass.  Christopher Plummer is Monsignor Orelas, Priest's main antagonist on the council and reason he walks away from everything he fought for.  Karl Urban and Maggie Q also star.

Based on a graphic novel, as most movies these days seem to be, Priest is better than a lot that is already out there.  The violence and language is strong so the R rating is well warranted.  Give it a spin if you're in the mood for a good, end-of-summer popcorn flick.  7.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 178: "There's nothing sadder than a puppet without a ghost."

You're all going to have to forgive me this week, I'm in Las Vegas on business, and am running around from dawn until dusk, so these reviews are going to be a bit brief for time's sake.  Today's movie was the 1996 release of Ghost In the Shell.  I am not really a fan of Japanese animation, but I loved Akira, and thought it was time to add to my woeful total of one Anime seen.  Ghost is gorgeous, for starters.  I can't remember ever seeing a more technically precise and beautiful hand-drawn animation.  They filmmakers also used computer animation as well, which was in its infancy in 1996.  The story, from what I can tell (I never was very good at following the convoluted plots of Anime films), revolves around a specialized task force that hunts down rogue androids whose artificial intelligence has gone wrong.  Someone is reprogramming domestic androids to become assassins, and the group has a whole new problem on their hands, as they are made up of augmented humans, and still subject to most human weaknesses.  The action is fantastic, and the sound work is really good too.  I had a lot of fun watching this, even with my lack Anime experience.  I watched the subtitled version, so I have absolutely no idea who was in this, but the actors did very good voice-overs.  I have to be honest here, I would rather watch a subtitled film than a dubbed one simply due to the fact that a lot gets lost in translation.

If you are looking for an entry film into the world of Anime, I recommend Ghost highly.  It's a lot of fun, with a story that is a bit confusing at times (to me), but worth a viewing or two due simply to the high quality of the animation itself.  8.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 177: "Birds versus monkeys! "

Watching Rio, sitting in my hotel in Vegas, my good friend and roommate turned to me and said,"Dude, this is like watching Angry Birds, the Musical starring Will I Am."  He is of course correct.  Rio is a brightly colored, musical, childish fantasy made by the same guys who did the Ice Age series.....only worse.  The story of a highly domesticated (he's so domesticated he can't even fly) blue Macaw who lives in Minnesota with his owner, is called upon by a Brazilian bird sanctuary worker.  There is an opportunity for Blu (the pet Macaw) to mate with a female in Rio de Janiero to aid in repopulating the species.  They go, he gets kidnapped by bird smugglers, then he and the female, Jewel, spend the rest of the movie vying for their freedom.....with songs.  It's Disney gone wrong.  It was overly geared to kids, and I felt really patronized as an adult.

Jesse Eisenberg plays Blu, and even tries his hand at singing.  He should stop.  He is a good actor in a crap role here.  Anne Hathaway is Jewel, yet another role for her trying to break out of her Princess Diaries-esque parts.  Keep trying, Anne.  The usual cavalcade of guest stars also appears in minor support roles as well, no big surprises there.

If you have kids, they'll love it.  Otherwise, skip it and go watch Ice Age, you'll have more fun.  I'll catch hell for this review, but you know what?  Don't care.  It's my blog and I'll hate when I want to.  I just couldn't like this one, it was just too cute and patronizing.  5.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 176: "Can I get everyone's attention right here for a second? We're talking about breaking into a PO-LICE station here."

Filmmakers really need to know when to end a franchise.  Fast Five is cinematic proof.  A good, not great movie, it really should have been called The Brazilian Job, for a couple of reasons: 1) it's a pretty blatant rip off of The Italian Job, 2) hair is pretty scarce in most places.  This was a good crime/action caper with a ton of action, car chases and shootouts, but the story itself was, to be nice, HIGHLY improbable.  The characters we all know and love are back (I mean everyone from the past films) stealing cars, driving them in the most dangerous ways possible (some, not so possible), and coming out unscathed.  They escape to, apparently, extradition free Rio De Janiero, Brazil, get involved with the local crime lord, get double crossed, finally get tracked down by the U.S. authorities, and gain resolution in the most ridiculous ways possible.  It sound, and to a point, is, stupid, but it was fun.

Trained, hairless ape-man Vin Diesel returns as emotion-free Dominic Toretto, again playing the role in the most minimalist fashion he can (or is able).  Paul "Keanu Reeves, Jr." is Brian O'Connor, now on "...the other side of the wanted poster..."and as grungy and talent free as I remember.  Jordanna Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Matt Schulze all reprise their roles from the earlier films as well.  The main addition is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Diesel's mirror image, FBI hunter.  I assume he is in the movie to show the audience what would have happened to Toretto if he had grown up to be a cop, but who knows.

A fun, but deeply flawed (especially if the laws of physics are near and dear to you) movie that is just dripping with excess testosterone and is quite possibly the furthest thing from a date movie that you can watch.  See it for kicks, not for an artistic experience.  6.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 175: "Decepticons, mobilize. It is time."

As much as I loved the original Transformers cartoon in the '80s, I was unimpressed, to say the least, with the first movie.  I held little hope as I sat down to watch the sequel, and, unfortunately, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen did not disappoint.  It was awful.  I never got involved in it, the story was just stupid, the acting was atrocious, and the special effects were confusing at best.  The story involves the Decepticons retrieving their leader from the ocean floor and attempting to bring back their predecessors, known simply as the Fallen.  The Autobots stand in their way, along with their diminutive human allies.  How and why the Decepticons never just wiped the humans out is beyond me, but whatever.  The effects just bewildered me.  Director Michael Bay, who can frame and shoot an explosion better than anyone in Hollywood, decided to make the mechanics of the Transformers so intricate and complex that I had no idea which robot was which, and watching the transformations was dizzying.  Ughh...

This isn't even the bottom of the barrel.  When the best performance in the movie is that of Shia LeBeouf, worry.  Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro; all equally abysmal.

This movie is terrible, and even worse, really long.  Two and a half hours of explosions, CGI, thin plot, and atrocious acting come to a massive head in this garbage heap.  Skip it, and watch Robot Jox instead.  1.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 174: "Golf? But you're a homosexual."

I Love You Phillip Morris is one of the most bizarre, confusing movies I have seen.  Take one part Catch Me If You Can, dumb down the con man, add a love story, put all of that on a speeding train, then watch the train hit a wall full speed, and you get this film.  Essentially the story of a married Texas lawman who, after an  automobile accident, realizes that he is gay, and must be open about it, leaves his wife, moves to another part of the country, commits many, many fraudulent acts to maintain his new lifestyle, is eventually caught, put in prison, and discovers his one true love there: Phillip Morris.  Once released, he continues his con man ways, gets caught, escapes, gets caught, escapes....you get the idea.  The whole joke of the picture seem to be that this is a true story.  This is not a bad movie either, it was just promoted completely incorrectly.  It went from really funny to touching to funny again; emotionally, it was all over the place.

Jim Carrey stars as Steven Russell, the ex-lawman gone criminal.  The whole movie I didn't know whether to cheer him, feel sorry for him, or just laugh at the absurdity of the whole situation.  Carrey really did a great job here.  Ewen McGregor plays Phillip Morris, Russell's true love and his inspiration.  McGregor put such pathos into the role that you absolutely feel his pain when their world comes crashing down.

If you do decide to catch I Love You Phillip Morris, do not watch any trailers beforehand, they are completely misleading.  The only way I found to describe this movie is a comically tragic modern love story.  The acting is wonderful, but the story left me confused.  7.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 173: "You want to know if we're armed? We're armed."

Public Enemies, like most Michael Mann films, is a very well made film.  Also, like other Michael Mann films, has great action sequences with a lot of slow, down time between.  Public Enemies is the story of the end of John Dillinger's career as a bank robber, the formation of the FBI task force that caught him, and all the trials and tribulations inbetween.  The movie starts with a bang, showing the audience the daring prison break of Dillinger's gang.  From there the story slows to give us the background and story behind the newly formed FBI and Hoover's attempts to build a Federal police force.  This was a roller coaster of drama then action then drama then action....you get the idea.  Like Heat, the acting and action sequences are amazing, but the story tends to get in the way.  Mann is the thinking man's action director.

An amazing cast is headed up by Johnny Depp as John Dillinger.  Another amazing turn from Depp, he plays Dillinger as as one of the most intense, live-by-the-moment people I have seen.  Christin Bale is Charles Makley, the man charged by J. Edgar Hoover to catch Dillinger.  Bale's performance is also magnificent, looking like a man who is constantly hamstrung by his superiors in order to maintain the facade of a young, professional crime unit.  Billy Crudup plays Hoover, a nice change of pace for him from the "nice guy" roles I'm accustomed to seeing him in.  The cast is rounded out by Stephen Dorff, Jason Clarke, James Russo, and David Wenham.

A brilliantly made movie hampered by patches of boring, Public Enemies is worth a viewing, but be ready with the fast forward button.  7.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 172: "Black September does not scare. Kill or be killed, that is their way."

Made in 1977, Black Sunday is a spy film from a more innocent era.  This movies was made when terrorist attacks were a freak occurrence, when an attack on America was unthinkable.  Black Sunday is an unflinching look at the preparations for, and attempted government prevention of, a planned mass terrorist attack on American soil.  Very straightforward in its delivery and a bit dry in places, Black Sunday is a well made, tense spy thriller.  A Palestinian terror group calling themselves "Black September" is planning an attack on U.S. soil to "share" the sense of loss and suffering that that people is going through, having their homeland stolen from them by the Israelis.  They want the U.S. to stop delivering aid to Israel, and this attack is intended to be their message.  The leader is using an American ex-POW, who, because of his incarceration, is very vulnerable and susceptible to her suggestions.  Israeli commandos are in cooperation (read: observing) the Americans' hunt for the terrorists, and from there the story heads to its inevitable climax.  I have to say, I've never before almost issued a spoiler alert for a poster.

Robert Shaw (Quint from Jaws) stars as the Israeli Major hunting down the terror cell.  This guy is a great actor, but is completely unconvincing attempting an Israeli accent.  His quiet kind of tough works well, but is spoiled when he opens his mouth to speak.  Bruce Dern, stretching his acting chops here (not) as the psychotic, unhinged U.S. pilot was up to his usual par.  Honestly I wasn't blown away by the rest of the cast, as they seemed to be more window dressing than actual roles.

Not a bad spy thriller, but there are much better out there.  Black Sunday rolls along until its showpiece finale, then just gets silly.  I was expecting a bit better here, but I could have done a whole lot worse.  6.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 171: "Before my father passed away, he warned me about the dangers of Everest."

Released in 1998, Everest chronicles, in glorious IMAXy goodness, the climb to the summit of the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest.  Just over 5 miles above sea level, it has claimed more lives than the next 3 highest combined.  Beautifully shot, Everest does a magnificent job of portraying the beauty and majesty of this peak.  They cover the climb from base camp and show the procedures that the climbing party has to do to acclimatize themselves to the altitude.  My main gripe with the film is the number of dramatizations that the filmmakers use to move the story.  I understand that they could not shoot and use everything, but don't dummy up the drama by recreating in a controlled environment dramatic events that occurred on the journey, it cheapens the experience.  Other than that, this was a beautifully shot look at one of the most remote and difficult places to see on Earth.  During their ascent, there was another team climbing to the summit that got caught in a blizzard on May 8.  This was the party that had it's story documented in the film Into Thin Air. 

This is a relatively short film, only 45 minutes long, but it was very powerful and beautiful to see, even on a relatively small television screen.  The reason for the short length is due to the IMAX film stock.  Basically it's 70mm film stock, but the image is on the film sideways, creating an image twice the size of standard 35mm film stock, therefore taking up twice as much film per minute of film.  That gets to weigh quite a lot per hour of film.  If you do decide to see this, get the highest definition version possible.  It is very powerful and worth the watch.  8/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 170: "Is it safe?"

One thing i noticed in this journey of mine is a distinct lack of Dustin Hoffman movies.  Having seen most of them, I thought finding one might be a bit of a challenge.  I obviously forgot about 1976's Marathon Man.  It starts slowly, but stick with the film.  Once it picks up, after about 40 minutes, you won't be able to turn away.  The intertwining stories of a government man on the hunt for a Nazi war criminal who is killing off his colleagues, his in-training grad student brother, and the Nazi himself trying to remain incognito while maintaining his criminal activities make for one of the most tense thrillers I've seen in a while.  I have to say though, Marathon Man has one of the single most disturbing, squirm-in-your-seat scenes in movie history.  As Hitchcock's Psycho kept people out of the shower for months after its release, Marathon Man will keep you from the dentist forever.  I honestly won't be able to hear the high pitched whine of that particular tool without cringing for a long time. 

Expertly acted by the stellar cast, Marathon Man is a who's who of talent.  Dustin Hoffman stars as Thomas Levy, the grad student caught in an impossible situation.  His acting is absolutely cringe-worthy, as he is relentlessly pursued and tortured htrough the second half of the movie.  Sir Lawrence Olivier is Nazi doctor Szell, a man who has seen, and more importantly, inflicted many horrors upon people, and he plays the role in a stone cold, unflinching manner.  Unforgettable.  Roy Schieder is Thomas' brother, Henry.  The little time he spends on-screen is tense and he plays a spy wonderfully.

Although hampered a bit by its slow start, Marathon Man is one of the best spy thrillers of the '70s.  A well written and acted script and great performances save this movie from a place in the middle of the pack.  Give it a shot, but be advised, if you are in ANY WAY squeamish about the dentist....well, I did warn you.  8.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 169: "Smurf-Smurfitty-Smurf-Smurf!!"

You know you're in for a bad day at the theater when the kids in the audience are the ones behaving.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: adults, SHUT THE HELL UP!!!  I paid to watch and listen to the movie, not you repeat what was just spoken, or in the case of The Smurfs, meowed.  Yep, that's right, I paid to see The Smurfs.  I really need to have a talk with my niece and nephew about their movie-going choices.  I always expect Saturday morning cartoons being transformed into a 90 minute movie to be bad, but this is as close to the bottom of the barrel as I want to get.  Gargamel, in a change of character brings the Smurfs a basket of cookies in an effort to bring peace to their ongoing war.  Not buying that?  Right, Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their mushroom village to a "portal" that takes them to New York City.  Seriously, does every magical "portal" end in The Bjg Apple?  Maybe they are "wormholes."  Sorry, awful joke.  Coincidentally, so are the jokes in this movie.  Anyway, they have only a few days to get the "portal" back open so they can return home.

The human actors in this are Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays, both doing pretty well considering they were acting with air.  The real star of this is the always hilarious Hank Azaria as Gargamel.  He is spot-on funny and does a great job as the prattfalling bad guy.  He's also not too scary for the younger kids in the audience, trust me, I found this out myself.  The actors playing the Smurfs are from all over the demographic board: Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, Katy Perry as Smurfette, Anton Yelchin as Clumsy, Alan Cumming as Gutsy, and George Lopez as Grumpy.

The kids will probably love this, as the one I was with did.  Adults....just grin and bear it, at least it's short.  The effects were ok, Azrael the cat was a mediocre mix of live action and CGI.  If you want to get out of the heat for a while with the family, you could do worse, but not by a whole lot.  2.5/10, just for Azaria alone.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 168: "Hobo stops begging, demands change."

WOW.  Just plain WOW.  Hobo With a Shotgun blew me away (awful pun intended).  Released in 2011 on only 2 screens in the United States, Hobo made no splash in its theatrical release.  Just recently released and Blu-ray and DVD, I erroneously thought this to be a direct-to-video release.  So on the list it went, and WOW!  A violent, gory, funny, over-the-top homage to the exploitation films of the '70s, Hobo takes what Tarantino and Rodriguez started with Death-Proof and Planet Terror, and ups the ante by a thousand.  This was such fun to watch, never taking itself seriously, always "too far" in terms of violence, story and acting, Hobo was a reminder of what movies are supposed to be: an escape from reality.  Leave all reason and logic at the door when you sit down to watch this, or run the risk of missing the point.  The filmmakers use everything they can think of to kill in this: lawn mowers, ice skates, flamethrowers, fire bombs, it's all here.  The story starts when a drifter rolls into Hopeville (love the irony) and discovers a town run by one corrupt man and his two sons.  Hopeville is the absolute bottom of the barrel in terms of anything moral.  Videographers taping bum fights, murder in the streets, even a pedophile Santa makes an appearance.  Having been pushed to his breaking point, the Hobo, having attempted to make an improvement in his life, grabs a shotgun from a pawn shop and begins dispensing his own brand of justice.  Bloodbaths ensue, and special effects men have their playground.

One of my favorite, underrated actors: Rutger Hauer, plays the Hobo.  Apparently, he was the only one with any acting talent the filmmakers could get for this.  Hauer has made his name playing in movies that were not critically acclaimed, but, as he put it "fun."  You've gotta respect principles like that, and this part was perfect for him.  There are literally no other actors anyone might recognize here, as they all can't act worth a lick, but damn, they were fun to watch.

Ripped directly from the '70s, Hobo With a Shotgun is just plain fun.  Five, yes FIVE bad guys permeate this, giving it the flamboyancy needed to offset Hauer's, for lack of a better term, subtleties.  The villains known only as The Plague are marvelously campy and fun.  Not for the kids in any way, and definitely not for the squeamish, as blood and guts are everywhere.  Tons of fun, put it on your Netflix queue and enjoy the messy ride. 8.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Review scores for month #5

This month went on for 36 days apparently.....oops.  Another month in the books, almost halfway there and, looking over the last several months, I am truly astounded by what I have seen.  Everything from some of the best movies I have ever seen, to crap that rivals 1990's Captain America (the absolute worst movie I have ever seen).  Not a horrible month, the average score was 6.70.  So here's the rundown:

Can't Stop the Music: .5 **STINKER OF THE MONTH**
Arthur (2010): 8.25
Irreversible: 1.5
Rango: 8.75
The Lincoln Lawyer: 7.5
Limitless: 8.25
Take Me Home Tonight: 6.75
Sex Drive: 6.5
Just Go With It: 2
Macgruber: 1.25
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: 8.25
Space Battleship Yamato: 9
Midnight Express: 9
Secretariat: 8
Black Moon Rising: 4.75
The Princess and the Frog: 2.25
The Avengers: 3
Jeepers Creepers: 5
Cool Hand Luke: 8.25
Evilspeak: 7.5
The Wild One: 8.5
Bad Teacher: 5.75
Killers: 5.25
Hop: 6.25
One Day In September: 9.25 **PICK OF THE MONTH**
Rise of the Planet of the Apes: 8.75
Your Highness: 4.75
American Grindhouse: 7.75
Daybreakers: 8.25
Super: 8
Repo Men: 8.5
Captain America: The First Avenger: 9
(500) Days of Summer: 5.25
The Conspirator: 9.25
Inside Job: 9.25
Fail Safe: 8.5

There you have it: one more month in the books. 167 days down, 199 to go.  Yep, I know that adds up to 366 days, but as a good friend of mine pointed out this month, I started in March, and 2012 is a leap year so February has 29 days next year.....*sigh*.  Ah well, what's one more day? 

See you later today, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 167: "What makes us worth surviving, Groeteschele? That we are ruthless enough to strike first? "

Made during the height of the Cold War, Fail Safe had the misfortune of being produced at the same time as the Stanley Kubrick classic: Dr. Strangelove.  Whereas Strangelove took the source material and twisted it into dark satire, Fail Safe retains the tension and drama of the novel.  This is one of the most suspenseful Cold War dramas I have seen.  An unidentified craft is seen flying in the direction of Detroit, and the Strategic Air Command (SAC) goes on high alert.  Aircraft are scrambled, and eventually the issue is resolved...almost.  A defective replacement part in a computer system has sent out orders to Bomber Group Six for an attack run, on Moscow.  The President then has to get on the direct line to the Soviets and attempt to abort/divert/destroy the bombers before World War Three is started.  From here, all hell breaks loose.  Unfortunately, the resolution at the conclusion of the movie is a bit...unorthodox, to be sure.

An all-star cast is headed up by Henry Fonda as the President.  Played as a man who is now haunted by what has happened and will, through the course of events, happen, his performance is unforgettable.  Larry Hagman is Jack Buck, the man who translates for the President what the Soviet Chairman is saying.  He has the unfortunate privilege of knowing what the Soviets are saying before even the President.  Walter Matthau, Sorrell Booke, and Fritz Weaver are also very good in their roles as well.

This is as dark a film as Strangelove, but the fact that it is shown as the high drama it is, Fail Safe is the scarier of the two.  Kubrick's movie used humor to diffuse and deflect the horror of nuclear war, while Lumet's gives the horror to the audience raw, and then let us do with it as we will.  A truly dark film, dated a bit by today's standards, but worth seeing nonetheless.  8.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 166: "For the first time in history, average Americans have less education and are less prosperous than their parents. "

I have always been mystified by the financial world and its labyrinthine, mystical workings.  I have never understood or even pretended to understand how the financial collapse that occurred in the late 00's came to be.  The 2010 Academy Award winning documentary Inside Job chronicles the events leading up to and directly responsible for the crash.  At first glance, this appears to be a document trying to simply tell the story of what happened, but upon watching it, I found myself getting angrier and angrier at the sheer, bald-faced greed and corruption of the parties responsible.  Director Charles Ferguson attempts to, and for the most part succeeds in, tell the entire financial tale in its simplest terms.  I was finally able to understand what the terminology of the world of finance meant.  I have not gotten this angry about a movie for a long time, as Ferguson shows the audience exactly what happened, and what resulted from the sheer greed and criminal behavior of the CEOs of MAJOR investment firms.  How the hell does someone run a huge, multinational investment firm/bank into the ground (Lehman's, Merill Lynch, AIG), defraud shareholders of trillions, yes TRILLIONS, of dollars, be the direct cause the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, cost others millions of jobs, yet walk away unscathed with huge bonuses.  As a minor example, the former, FIRED, CEO of Merill Lynch got a $161 million bonus as part of his severance package, That's $161,000,000.00;  FOR HIS ACTIONS THAT DESTROYED THE COMPANY.

This documentary examines the greed and over-indulgence that almost caused the world economy to collapse.  The crazy luxuries that these companies indulged themselves with make the 80's look like a conservative trip to the dollar store.  You need to see this movie.  It is a completely level-headed look at the collapse, and made me angrier than I have been in years.  9.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!! 

Day 165: "Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged!"

When I was in high school, I was very interested in the inner workings of presidential assassinations.  I never knew about what happened in the days after.  Robert Redford's The Conspirator takes a close look at the military tribunal that decided the fate of three of the Lincoln assassination conspirators, and, specifically, accused conspirator Mary Surratt.  Mary Surratt owned and ran the boarding house where the actual conspirators met and devised their plan to kill President Lincoln, Vice President Johnson, and Secretary of State Seward.  The "trial" of Mary Surratt has gone down in history as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American history, and this movie tells that story brilliantly.  The country, still trying to bring the Civil War to a close, and in search of vengeance, railroaded Mrs. Surratt to a guilty verdict in lieu of her son, who had escaped and was in hiding.  Watching this, I was not unaware of the coincidences in events that surrounded (during and after) the Lincoln assassination and, more currently, the events of September 11, 2001.  Our county's need for vengeance overrode our rights for justice.  Robert Redford has created a brilliant docu-drama that puts into focus the tragedy of both Lincoln's murder and the rush to judgement of Mary Surratt.

James McAvoy heads up the cast as young attorney Frederick Aiken, a man who served the Union during the Civil War.  McAvoy give Aiken a wonderful sense of confusion and conflict in his dilemma: defend a woman who may have been an accessory to the assassination of the Commander-in-Chief of the country he loyally served and bled for.  He is a marvelous young actor.  Mary Surratt was played by veteran actress Robin Wright.  Wright plays Surratt as a woman who knows she is innocent, but refuses to give her family up in her stead.  This is possibly one of her best performances.  The remaining ensemble has Stephen Root, Kevin Kline, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel, Colm Meany, Danny Houston, and Tom Wilkinson in one of his best roles: Sen. Reverdy Johnson of Maryland.

The Conspiratoris a phenomenal, gripping drama about one of the most painful times in our nation's history.  Brilliantly told and amazingly acted throughout, this is one of the best courtroom dramas I have seen, let alone historical films.  Definitely worth the watch, do not overlook this movie as just another period, costume piece.  Everything about this film is great.  9.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 164: "There's only two kinds of people in the world. There's women, and there's men. Summer Finn was a woman."

Decided to watch (500) Days of Summer today, don't know why, just struck me.  I thought it might be interesting, possibly good.  Turns out I was right on both counts.  The story revolves around one young man's journey through a 500 day relationship with, what he believes to be, the woman of his dreams.  Unfortunately, she is a free spirit who doesn't believe in the trappings of relationships, preferring to go day-to-day, never knowing what might strike her fancy when.  These two eventually develop a relationship, complete with its ups, downs, and everything in between.  Each of them have some really nice insights into themselves, each other, and life in general, lots of them very quotable.  The main character, Tom, writes greeting cards for a living, and then Summer begins working in his office as an administrative assistant.  The two hit it off soon after, becoming good friends, eventually escalating to relationship.  The movie looks at a lot of different sides of relationships, from a split screen dinner party, showing what Tom was expecting versus what actually happened, down to the inane, clumsy chatter that is inherent with getting to really know someone.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Tom, a mid twenties guy who has chosen to write greeting cards, although he was trained as an architect.  As he puts it, "I guess I just figured, why make something disposable like a building when you can make something that last forever, like a greeting card."  With this statement I understood his motives.  Zooey Deschanel is Summer, bringing her distinctive style to the character.  I don't know Ms. Deschanel, but I would like to think that she put a lot of her own personality into Summer.

This movie goes from very funny to heart-achingly painful, but remains entertaining throughout.  This is a treatise on someone falling truly in love for the first time, the agony that follows when it doesn't work out, and the melancholy understanding when he discovers it will never be.  I really liked this movie, although it's not really my kind of film.  Give it a shot.  8.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!  

Day 163: "I asked for an army, all I got is you."

After a disastrous TV show in the 70's and a tightly coiled pile in the 90's, they finally got it right.  Captain America: The First Avenger is a wonderfully fun, mostly accurate origin story for one of the most iconic characters in comic book history.  The film follows the adventures of the intrepid Steve Rogers as he goes from military washout to a monumental battle with his arch nemesis The Red Skull.  From the opening of the movie, Captain America is what every comic book film should be: fun.  We watch as Rogers tries and tries to enlist, goes to the 1943 World's Fair and is recruited for a secret military project.  Eagle-eyed viewers will see a lot of references to the heroes of the day, as well as the father of one of my favorite heroes.  The plot is straight out of the pages of the comics, and retains the adventure, thrills and excitement of those stories.  The filmmakers even remained loyal to the progression of his shield through the years.  Most of the movie is set, rightly so, during World War II, with only very minimal screen time dedicated to current era Cap.

Appearing in his sixth, yes, sixth, comic book movie (TMNT, Fantastic Four I and II, Push, and The Losers), Chris Evans finally catches the role he was meant to play.  He does a great job as Steve Rogers, and keeps Steve there when he is in full Cap uniform.  Nice to see him finally get it right.  Tommy Lee Jones plays his CO, Col. Phillips with his usual bluster and confidence, a nice role for him.  Hugo Weaving continues to show that he can be the baddest of the bad, playing The Red Skull.  His performance is wonderful, as he brought the REAL personality of the Red Skull to the screen for the first time, plus, as an added bonus, they actually had the Skull as GERMAN this time.  Finally, Stanley Tucci brings Dr. Erskine (the creator of the Super Soldier Serum) to life with such an understated, subtle performance, it was impossible not to like him.

Captain America is a great summer movie for the whole family.  Lots of action, a superhero the audience can relate to, and a reason to watch all of the credits (seriously, stick around), it's some of the most fun you'll have in the theater this summer.  See it before it leaves and you have to wait for video.  9/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 162: "Welcome to your world Repo Man."

What a cool movie.  Combine a Phillip K. Dick story with the dystopian future of The Island, throw in a dash of Logan's Run, and you get Repo Men.  In the future, every internal organ and body part except the brain now has an identical mechanical replacement available.  For 19% interest the first year and 24% every year after that.  You get three months grace for late payments, and six days into month four.  After that, the company, called The Union, sends someone to reclaim their property.  Just like your automobile financiers.  The main character, Remy, is a repo man, and with his partner, are very successful at what they do.  An accident causes Remy to need a replacement part, and he has a change of heart (no pun intended by me, but I'm sure that's exactly what the filmmakers had in mind) regarding his line of work, causing him to default on his replacement.  from here the story goes very Phillip K. Dick.  Lots of twists and turns, tons of action, and a surprising amount of gore permeate the plot from this point, and it is a lot of fun to see.  Only a couple of continuity errors ("nitpicky" as my wife calls it) mar the film, but I can, and do, forgive these, as they are not easy to spot unless you're looking for them.

Jude Law, an actor I have liked a lot since seeing his performance in Enemy at the Gates, is Remy.  His transformation from stone cold, surgical killer to sympathetic fugitive is stunning to see.  He becomes the anti-hero that a lot of movies these days try to foist on audiences without giving them a history to attach the role to.  Forest Whitaker, another of Hollywood's underrated talents, is Remy's partner Jake.  The two characters have been friends since grade school, and watching the confusion and pain that Jake goes through during Remy's run makes audiences sympathize with him almost as much as Remy.  Rounding out the top three roles, Liev Schreiber is the corporate baddie-in-a-suit, Frank.  He plays the role fantastically, portraying a man who is never not selling, even to deathbed employees.  Schreiber's role isn't the best of his career, but I would watch him read the ingredients on a box of cereal.

I love being surprised by movies that I originally might have passed on in theaters, and Repo Men is no exception.  A science fiction thriller that doesn't treat the audience like they are all ten years old and delivers a fun, tight, smart action thriller that actually delivers at the end.  Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.  8.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 161: "Wanna go fight some crime? "

A direct, blatant, and unapologetic rip-off of Kick-Ass, Super nevertheless, does many things right.  Another in a series of "regular people go superhero vigilante" Super takes the violent, funny formula and ups the ante.  The main issue I had with this movie was its "mean" nature.  In other movies like this, the heroes distinctly go after crime, and real evil-doers.  here though, the protagonists attack anyone who might offend them, making this a more vicious film.  If the filmmakers were trying to say something about vigilantism being indiscriminate in its morals on what might or might not be considered evil, OK, fine, but when The Crimson Bolt is mercilessly bludgeoning a citizen for cutting into a ticket queue, it just looks mean spirited.  The story begins when Frank D'arbo's recovering addict wife leaves him for her dealer.  He decides through a series of flashbacks and self-realizations that in order to get her back, he must become a superhero, battle evil, and confront the dealer and his gang.  Along the way he picks up a sidekick, who is even more enthused to have an excuse for rampant mayhem.  Super could have, literally, taken place in the same universe and time frame as Kick-Ass, that's how closely  the movies parallel each other.

Rainn Wilson is Frank/Crimson Bolt, playing the inept hero with the bravado of a man who believes himself invulnerable.  As Frank, you feel for the guy; a loser who has eked his way through life, while being crapped on by the world, now empowered as Crimson Bolt to right those injustices.  Ellen Page is Boltie, his sidekick.  A complete bundle of every kind of twenty-something energy that there is.  She is so gung ho in the role, it's a blast to watch.  Kevin Bacon is the epitome of evil in Frank's world, and does a great job as Jaques.  Liv Tyler, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, and Greg Henry fill out the remaining large roles.

Super really is a lot of fun, poking fun at the superhero genre as often as it does itself.  I only wish the filmmakers had not aped Kick-Ass so closely and gone for their own style of over-the-top violence and humor.  Give it a spin around the block, you may not be disappointed.  It earns it's R rating, as the violence is splatterrific, the language coarse, and there is some sex as well.  8/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 160: "I can't even remember what it's like to be human."

So at this point, in 2011, vampire films have become one of two things: highly romanticised, teen angst, emo dramas, or flat-out parodies of their former greatness.  Daybreakers goes against type here to deliver a different, exciting, and, most importantly, good vampire movie.  Set in a future where vampires have taken over the planet, Daybreakers explores the disaster that can be inherent to such a society: food supply shortages.  When the blood supply begins to run out on the vampires, the class system begins to show its ugly face, and those who are unable to feed begin to become something more dangerous, even to vampires.  A huge corporation has been investigating and researching the possibility of a "blood substitute", with horrific results.  As it turns out, the only solution to the crisis is to develop a cure for vampirism.  This movie just works on many levels and is so well written, I was surprised to find out that it did not do all that well at the box office.  I guess the public isn't ready for a return to the traditional vampire/monster.  Too bad, because Daybreakers portrays vampires as they were meant to be: bloodthirsty monsters who are not on the prowl for love or acceptance; conscience rarely enters into a vampire's decision making process, and they are better villains for it.

Ethan Hawke stars as Edward Dalton, the scientist in charge of developing the new substitute.  I am not a real fan of his past work, but he does an admirable job as the ethically challenged researcher.  Willem DaFoe plays "Elvis" Cormac, a former hunter, now "cured" of his vampirism and on a crusade to bring humanity back from the brink of extinction.  He plays Cormac so over-the-top, you can't help but to root for him.  Sam Neill is the evil (not just because he's a bloodsucker, either) corporate boss Charles Bromley.  This guy provess that you don't have to be human to be ruled by the almighty dollar.  Wow, an ironically mulit-layered vampire.

I am big fan of the classic monster movies, and this is a bit of a return to that.  I'm sick of monsters needing motivation and angst other than that they have to deal with being a monster.  A good friend of mine refers to monsters who have a motivation, the ability to, and more importantly, choose to do heroic deeds, despite all signs pointing in the opposite direction, as "Noble Monsters."  I definitely feel that Edward Dalton falls into this category.  If you're a fan of good monster movies, give it a shot.  8.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 159: "Would you mind taking your clothes off for the camera?"

I completely hit the "random" button tonight, and the Fickle Finger of Fate chose the 2010 documentary: American Grindhouse.  I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.  It doesn't go as deep into the grindhouse culture or even the history as deeply as i would have liked, but it was still funformative (if edutainment is a word, I can claim funformative).  Think of American Grindhouse as a magazine article on the subject rather than a text book.  It covers the history of exploitation films all the way back to Thomas Edison, but in a very cursory and glossed-over way.  As John Landis said in the movie, "...five minutes after they discovered the camera, someone was getting exploited in front of it."  The interviews just seem to be an opportunity for the interviewees to come up with clever tag lines.  The filmmakers interview many of the exploitation directors, as well as the directors of today who were inspired by these movies.  I was disappointed to see that they missed out on the poster boy of the modern grindhouse genre: Quentin Tarantino.

This was a really fun look back at the exploitation genre, I wish they had gone just a bit deeper though.  I wanted a college course on this and got a high school summer workshop.  It was very well made and never really got dull or preachy about the morality of the whole thing, although a view from the other side might have been cool.  A lot of fun and worth the 81 minutes you'll invest in it.  I found it highly ironic that I wanted more depth from a genre of film notorious for how shallow it could be.  Hehehe.  Not for the kids though, as you may have guessed, lots of boobs, blood and bad language.  7.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 158: "This quest sucks!"

Your Highness is what would happen if a fan of swords and sorcery smoked a ton of pot and wrote his dream story.  That's not a good thing.  Yes, I know, it was SUPPOSED to be a stupid stoner comedy, but I had no idea it would be this bad.  Prince Fabious' fiance is kidnapped, and he goes on a quest to save her, taking along his slacker brother: Thadeous.  Along the way they fight for their lives, see a lot of breasts, meet a tough and independent woman warrior, fight some more, and eventually save the day.  That's about it.  There are just some genres you shouldn't mix, fantasy and slacker comedy being prime examples.

The unfortunate pairing of James Franco and Danny McBride produce precious few funny moments, but there are a few.  Even the casting of Natalie Portman couldn't help this movie out.....and she was in a bikini.  Zooey Deschanel is a personal favorite, she was the best thing in this, but that's not saying a lot.

Skip this one, pretty dull with a few "meh" laughs.  Not impressed at all, but far from the bottom of the barrel.  4.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 157: "Caesar is home."

I must admit, after the 2001 debacle that called itself Planet of the Apes, I was highly skeptical that any film to follow, if the were any, would be just as, if not more atrocious.  I am happy to say I am wrong.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes not only reboots the franchise in style, but there is depth to the story as well.  No longer relegated to the scriptwriters' kiddie table, Rise shows the audience the folly of human arrogance and the consequences that ensue (in the obvious sci-fi way here, but the lesson is still valid).  While testing a potential cure for Alzheimer's Disease, a young scientist discovers beneficial side effects in his primate test subjects.  A demonstration goes horribly wrong, and his project is cancelled, but not before he takes the baby of the initial subject home.  Years pass, and Caesar grows, not just physically, but emotionally and intellectually.  Another unfortunate accident happens, and Caesar is taken by animal control.  From here, all hell breaks loose.  The apes are no longer men in prosthetics, but fully realized motion captured CGI characters.  Technology caught up with the dreams of the filmmakers, and the result is spectacular.  There are plenty of clever plays on the story from the original 1968 Planet of the Apes as well, as Caesar is now the stranger in a strange land.  If you have seen and liked the original, the irony will not be lost.

James Franco, again playing wooden very convincingly, is the scientist Will Rodman.  It's a good thing the movie's attraction was elsewhere.  John Lithgow is Will's father, doing his usual marvelous work.  Tom Felton is Caesar's main adversary Dodge Landon (another inside joke from the 1968 original, watch it and you'll get it) an animal control employee with a sadistic streak (quite a stretch).  Best of all is renowned mo-cap actor Andy Serkis as Caesar.  He continues to impress with his natural physical acting style.  Also appearing are Brian Cox, Freida Pinto, and David Oyelowo.

This is a wonderful reboot to one of my all-time favorite franchises.  The series has grown up and, if they can manage to keep the camp out, might have a future again.  I am actually excited to see if another good film can come of this.  Definitely do not wait for video on this, as it looks really good on the big screen.  No more cheesy make-ups (I'm looking directly at you Tim Burton), no more campiness, GO APE!!  8.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 156: "When I was a kid my father used to say our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized. Our worst fears have been realized tonight."

Munich, 1972.  The world was watching the Summer Olympics, marveling at Mark Spitz (kids, this guy was the Michael Phelps of the day) when Palestinian terrorists kidnapped eleven Israeli athletes and murdered several others in an attempt to liberate over 200 political prisoners.  By the time the events had run their course, all eleven athletes and all but one terrorist were dead.  One Day In September is an amazing, in-depth, graphic look at the events leading up to, during, and following the tragedy.  Director Kevin Macdonald got everyone he could find to tell their side of the story here, from the media to the surviving terrorist.  Macdonald did everything he could to see that as many views of the tragedy are shown here.  He begins by showing how Germany had to fight tooth and nail to actually host the Olympic Games, after the debacle surrounding the 1936 games.  He tells the audience of the conditions the Palestinians had to endure, forcing them to take such drastic measures.  We see the family lives of several of the Israeli athletes, and the hopes that they had going to the games in Germany.  Macdonald presents all of this with very little bias one way or another, the mark of a good documentary.  The care and respect with which he treats the subject is apparent from the opening minutes of the film, as he uses whatever medium is available to convey the emotions and gravity of the hostage situation: still photos, videotape, film, everything is viable material.  Steven Spielberg's Munich took a peek at the events that occurred, Macdonald dissects them.  This is a brilliant, important documentary, and one that should not be missed.  Michael Douglas narrates, which can be a bit distracting (His voice just seemed....inappropriate, for lack of a better word).  The subject matter does get a bit graphic at times, as it was a brutal event, but give it the time it deserves.  One of the best documentaries I have seen.  9.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 155: "Too long have we labored under the yoke of the Bunnies tyranny!"

As stupid and inane as it is funny, Hop is Hollywood's single (I think) attempt at an Easter movie.  Combining very good computer animation with live action footage, Hop succeeds at one and fails at the other.  The story revolves around the Easter Bunny's son: E.B.  He appreciates what his father does, but is not inspired to follow in his footsteps, E.B. wants to be a drummer in a band.  He runs away from Easter Island (yep, that Easter Island) to Hollywood, and proceeds to run into fellow slacker Fred O'Hare (seriously, writers, do better with the names...geez) who is having problems of his own, be it keeping a job or moving out of his parents' house.  The two get into some zany, slapstick, tired and played-out situations, make self-discoveries, happy ending, roll credits.  Very vanilla and by the numbers.  Hop does have its share of genuinely funny bits, all at the hands of the CGI characters.  Ironic that the real actors are out performed by the fake ones, but I digress.  The animated characters look very convincing in the real world, but when real actors are placed in CGI environments, the illusion falls flat.

Russell Brand is E.B.  I am liking this guy more and more, his delivery is great, and he really has that English charm that Dudley Moore brought to the screen.  He has really grown on me.  Hugh Laurie is the Easter Bunny,  using his natural English accent.  It's kind of weird, I grew up watching him on the BBC's Blackadder, so I know what he normally sounds like, but after almost a decade of House, I can't hear his voice without waiting for the American, snarky, wise-ass remark at the end of a sentence.  Hank Azaria voice work is brilliant as always, playing the disgruntled Easter chick Carlos.  Gary Cole, Kaley Cuoco, and Elizabeth Perkins are the remaining human cast.

Like I said, equal parts stupid and funny, Hop is definitely one for the family.  Kids will love the cute animation and goofy, slapstick humor, and parents.....well, let's just say you won't hate it and have probably been forced to sit through much worse choices.  Give it a shot, you might be surprised.  6.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 154: "How weird is this going to get? Because some things you cannot unsee."

As run of the mill as you can get these days, Killers is as vanilla as the ice cream on your apple pie.  The most interesting thing in the first 20 minutes of this movie is the Ferrari California that the main character drives through Nice, France.  Just a completely unbelievable (really, I didn't believe any of it for a second) mess early on, Killers eventually catches its stride in the last half hour.  I really wasn't convinced nor did I care about the boring suburban life the two main characters tried to convey, and once the shooting and action started, it was too late for me to get emotionally involved at all.  It seemed like the filmmakers got together, couldn't figure out what story they wanted to tell, watched True Lies, liked it, then hired a couple of film students to write their own version.

Ashton Kutcher portrays the sexy assassin Spencer Aimes (the names in this were dead giveaways to characters' personalities and jobs too), a man who decides to quit after one last job, and falls in love with Jen Kornfeldt (see what I mean), played by Katherine Heigl.  I have to admit, they are a good looking couple, but, damn, what I would have given for some chemistry on-screen.  They both just looked awkward trying to pull of domestic tranquility.  Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara (who was funny as hell), Alex Borstein, and Martin Mull fill the remaining mediocre roles.

Beginning as a mess, ending with mediocre action sequences, and containing completely unbelievable characters, Killers isn't the worst way to kill an hour and a half, but invest the full two hours into True Lies and you won't even remember Killers as an option.  5.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!! 

Day 153: "You know, in a lot of ways, I think that movies are the new books."

I could have done a lot worse today than going to see Bad Teacher.  Yes it is, for most of its running time, wildly inappropriate, but it is funny; a rarity in comedies these days.  It had laughs consistently through the story, and the laughs weren't solely delivered by one person.  The story of a beautiful, seriously shallow woman, who views her career as a way to land a husband so she will no longer have to work.  How this woman became a teacher is beyond me, but it is what it is.  The plot is about, not only, her hunt for a hubby, but the quest for $10,000 for "enhancement" surgery.  Really, $10,000 for bigger boobs.  I did say she was shallow.  The antics throughout the school year are actually funny at times, even though  absolutely not for kids.

Cameron Diaz plays teacher Elizabeth Halsey, a woman who truly does not give a s**t about anything or anyone but herself.  I'm not a really big fan of Diaz, but she wasn't bad here.  This just wasn't a stretch of her acting chops...at all.  Just a more "bitch" version of any one of her other characters.  Jason Segel is the highlight of this, playing gym teacher Russell Gettis.  His character is the closest thing  to hysterical here.  Lucy Punch, Justin Timberlake, and John Michael Higgins round out the remaining cast.

Not the best comedy ever, not even close, but Bad Teacher does have its funny moments.  If you're looking for a comedy to kill a couple hours and be cool in the theater, give it a whirl.  It could be worse: you could have seen The Smurfs.  5.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 152: "What are ya rebelling against, Johnny? Whaddya got?"

Most people who have seen it call The Wild One a seminal movie in the portrayal of rebellion and disillusionment.  I couldn't agree more.  Made in 1953, when America was still in the throes of victory after World War II, and entering one of the country's most prosperous periods, there seemed to little to rebel against.  The Black Rebels Motorcycle Club decided to rebel against whatever they could.  The movie is presented as a cautionary tale against the pitfalls of both being in a gang, and being too soft in terms of law enforcement moving them along.  It was weird watching both sides of the law struggling with their own problems in this, but it ultimately paid off.  A simple story, simply told, very well filmed, and superbly acted.  I was worried that the subject matter would be dated, and, with only a few exceptions (specifically the dialogue) it wasn't.  I thought The Wild One was going to be some deep, overbearing look into the soul of a real American rebel.  To an extent, I was correct, but it was in  no way overbearing. 

Marlon Brando is at his unpredictable best in this, showing the audience a man who has no idea who he is or what he wants, and has no idea if he even wants to know.  I would put this performance in his top three, behind Terry Malloy and Vito Corleone.  I have to also point out the wonderful performance of a young Lee Marvin as Chino, the leader of a rival gang, The Beatles (long rumored to be the unofficial origin of the band's name!).  He and Brando play off each other so well.

A blast from the past, The Wild One is a good movie with a great cast.  Brando's portrayal of the willing underdog is amazing, and, although some parts are severely dated, fun to watch.  I will even attribute the birth of the "Scat Rap" to the bar scene.  Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.  8.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 151: "Coopersmith, What the devil do you think you're doing?!?"

1981's Evilspeak is another one of those mythical movies that I remember wanting to see from my youth.  I was just getting into the horror genre, and in an issue of Fangoria magazine were stills from Evilspeak.  Military school? A social leper? AN APPLE II COMPUTER USED TO SUMMON SATAN?!?!!  The internet wasn't even an idea then, how was this possible?!?  I had to see this.  Well, time passed as did this movie from my memory.  Tooling around Neflix one evening, I rediscovered its existence; and no pesky parental no-nos to hamper my viewing pleasure.  Seriously, look at that poster and tell me that this could NOT be awesome.  Unlike Metalstorm: the Destruction of Jared Syn, Evilspeak was everything I could have hoped for.  This was so cheesy and stupid I couldn't help but have fun.  The story centers around a socially awkward orphan who, for reasons unknown to anybody, is placed into a military academy.  From his arrival he is bullied and tortured, eventually discovering a Satanic chapel in the basement of the school's Catholic chapel.  He discovers a treasure trove of Satanic literature and rites, eventually dragging one of the school Apple II computers to the candlelit(!) chapel to help with the translations and performance of a Black Mass.  SO STUPID, but so fun!!

Clint Howard has not had a role as good as abused Stanley Coopersmith before or since this movie.  He was the poster child for the dorky teen, and pulls it off very well.  Except when he's possessed in the climax, then he's just....creepy.  Not in the intended way either.  Anyone who grew up in the 80's will recognize some of the other talent as well; Heywood Nelson (Hey, hey, hey) of What's Happening fame is here, as is a very young, and slim, Don Stark; Donna's dad from That 70's Show.

Do not watch this expecting art, just watch it for the campy 80's horror movie that it is.  You'll have a lot of fun.  Almost forgot, there is one disturbing scene here, animal lovers be warned.  Past that: sit back, grab a bag of corn, and have some fun.  7.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!

Day 150: "What we've got here is, failure to communicate."

When choosing the taglines for my blog, I usually try to avoid the big, obvious ones.  In the case of Cool Hand Luke, I'll make the exception.  Released in 1967, Cool Hand Luke is a classic story of rebellion, isolation, and non-conformity from the beginning of one of the most turbulent times in American history.  The movie is another classic from, what I call the "Second Golden Age of Hollywood."  Some of the most brilliantly written, directed, acted and generally made, movies came out of the late sixties to late seventies.  Although this is an amazing portrayal of one man's general malaise growing into defiance, it takes a long while to get going.  The first hour pounds into the audience what kind of life these chain-gang prisoners must become accustomed to, and, believe me, I get it.  I got it after only thirty minutes, after an hour I was getting bored.  Once Luke has found something worth fighting for, then the movie just takes off.  His constant and never ending defiance of a corrupt system was a model for what was going on in the real world at the time. 

Paul Newman's portrayal of Luke was nothing short of astonishing.  His performance is a masterpiece of how to communicate without talking (much).  He delivers very few lines, if you pay attention to it.  Every bit of defiance and contempt for his situation is conveyed through his body language, particularly his facial expressions.  I can't remember the last actor I saw pull off such a nuanced and subtle performance.  George Kennedy won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Dragline, the closest thing Luke has to a friend in the camp.  Kennedy does enough talking for three roles here.  These two characters were two sides of the same coin, in terms of their personalities: one quiet and brooding, the other boisterous and outgoing.  They play off each other wonderfully.

Having now said all of this, I cannot put it in the same pantheon as The Sting, Godfather, or even Young Frankenstein.  As well done as Cool Hand Luke is, and I did enjoy it, it was just too slow in developing for my taste.  I really appreciated the social commentary that it was putting out there, but I couldn't connect with it on the level I wanted to.  A really, really good movie, worth the time to see it, but it does drag a bit.  8.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!