This is what happens when good ideas go bad. As the production was coming together, the SEALs that were brought in as technical experts voiced an opinion that they were tired of seeing themselves improperly portrayed. So, as a result, there are active duty SEALs in lead roles in this movie. That is not the problem.
The problem is that it wants to be somewhere between Black Hawk Down and Navy SEALs but it's trying to be The Hurt Locker. It falls short of both goals. Imagine Jim Harrison writing The Delta Force and you'll have this movie.
I did appreciate the fact that this is the first movie I've seen since 2001 that took me into a battle and didn't make me feel like I was playing a first person video game. While it's not a complete waste of time (just money), I think I had a more enjoyable experience with Navy SEALs.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Chronicle
While not exactly great, this movie does manage to rise above most entries in the "found footage" genre. It also does a decent job of explaining why there is a camera filming constantly.
The story follows three high school students who are exposed to something mysterious that they find underground. They suddenly find themselves with telekinetic powers.
It's definitely a new approach to a subject well beaten into the dust. The movie is more of a character study on these three young men instead of focusing on what they do with their new power. Besides that, with a run time of 84 minutes, the movie is over before you get bored with it.
The story follows three high school students who are exposed to something mysterious that they find underground. They suddenly find themselves with telekinetic powers.
It's definitely a new approach to a subject well beaten into the dust. The movie is more of a character study on these three young men instead of focusing on what they do with their new power. Besides that, with a run time of 84 minutes, the movie is over before you get bored with it.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Now Showing
Contraband
This remake of the 2008 Icelandic film Reykjavik-Rotterdam is directed by that films director and star Baltasar Kormakur. The American version stars Mark Wahlberg as a retired smuggler who has settled into family life but finds himself drawn back into the life to help out his brother-in-law, Caleb Landry Jones, who gets himself in dutch with drug dealer Giovanni Ribisi.
For the most part, it's a fun movie. However, there are a couple of pointless scenes that serve no purpose outside of time filler and to establish Ribisi as a hard ass.
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
It's rare to find a movie that is a complete waste of time. Usually, I can find that one element, however slight, and think sure, that sucked, but there was that one thing that I took away from it. Not so with this movie. I'm not sure if I have enough bad things to say about this one. In the spirit of wasting no more of your or my time, I'm just going to say avoid this movie like a diseased crack whore.
The Grey
Holy freaking hell, this movie is everything you've been promised and more! Adapted from a short story by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers who also co-wrote the screenplay (the name sounds familiar because he's the guy who wrote the screenplay for Death Sentence). This is man vs. nature on an early London scale. The characters are human and not over defined, and even the wolves have motivation.
In an age when everybody relies on computers to make movies, it's refreshing as hell to see real snow storms and animatronics. It's hard to watch this movie and believe that Joe Carnahan also directed The A-Team movie.
I'm going to leave you with one little clue to getting the most out of your experience. Somewhere close to the end, you'll know it when it happens, you're going to experience a sensation of potential let down. When this happens, ask yourself, what would Alex do in this situation? and then act on that.
Red Tails
This movie tells the story of The Tuskegee Airmen in the European theater. Originally used to patrol at the rear of the battle, they are eventually given the opportunity to prove themselves by escorting bombing missions. While mostly historically accurate, at the end of the day it is an action movie meant to give heroes back to 14 year old boys.
It's refreshing to see a black character who isn't portrayed as an under educated jack ass. In fact, from the perspective of the film, you really see racism in its naked ignorance.
When they're not in the air, the film kind of takes on that Baa Baa Black Sheep/ Black Sheep Squadron feel. Part of that may be because director Anthony Hemingway made his bones in television but I think also it has to do with the fact that one fighter base is pretty much like the other in WW II. The in air rivalry with the German pilots has a definite Von Richthofen And Brown vibe to it but it also works by giving the opposition a personality instead of just a faceless spectre who's sole purpose is to die for the cameras.
The dialogue is a little heavy handed in a few places but if you can overlook it you'll have a lot of fun with this one.
Safe House
An interesting spy thriller set in Cape Town, South Africa. Denzel Washington plays a former C.I.A. agent who has gone freelance (think of a rogue Jack Bauer). For reasons that everybody is struggling to figure out, he has turned himself in to the American embassy.
He is taken to a safe house to be interrogated when suddenly all hell breaks loose and everyone is killed except for Ryan Reynolds who is in charge of the safe house. He manages to escape with his prisoner during the melee.
Reynolds must now keep Washington in custody while on the run as the agency tries to figure out what happened. It's not as 3 Days Of The Condor as I thought it would be. It will hold your attention but it's nothing exceptional.
We Bought A Zoo
Four words- A. Cameron. Crowe. Film. This should help you in your movie watching decisions as well as determine if you keep reading. Those of you who are fans of Mr. Crowes work will appreciate this different direction that he's taking. Those of you who see a zebra with a bow on the poster and notice the PG rating expecting fluffy animals, little girls speaking in catch phrases and fart jokes, happy to disappoint you. This movie has a brain, maybe you should read the book this movie is based off of and develop your own.
It's a true story based on a man in England (California for the movie) who's wife passed away leaving him with two children. In an effort to get a fresh start, he decides to quit his job and buy a house somewhere out of town. He finds the perfect house, but there's a catch, it's attached to a zoo. Whoever gets the house also gets the zoo. As you can tell from the title, they get the house. The story then follows the growing pains as everybody adapts to their new home. I enjoyed it and I think you will too if you've managed to keep reading this far.
The Woman In Black
Imagine Jonathan Harker with a child instead of a fiancee. When he goes to the castle, he encounters Lucy Westerna who has Freddy Krueger-like motivations. Now set the whole thing in the 19th century and you have The Woman In Black.
This remake of the 2008 Icelandic film Reykjavik-Rotterdam is directed by that films director and star Baltasar Kormakur. The American version stars Mark Wahlberg as a retired smuggler who has settled into family life but finds himself drawn back into the life to help out his brother-in-law, Caleb Landry Jones, who gets himself in dutch with drug dealer Giovanni Ribisi.
For the most part, it's a fun movie. However, there are a couple of pointless scenes that serve no purpose outside of time filler and to establish Ribisi as a hard ass.
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
It's rare to find a movie that is a complete waste of time. Usually, I can find that one element, however slight, and think sure, that sucked, but there was that one thing that I took away from it. Not so with this movie. I'm not sure if I have enough bad things to say about this one. In the spirit of wasting no more of your or my time, I'm just going to say avoid this movie like a diseased crack whore.
The Grey
Holy freaking hell, this movie is everything you've been promised and more! Adapted from a short story by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers who also co-wrote the screenplay (the name sounds familiar because he's the guy who wrote the screenplay for Death Sentence). This is man vs. nature on an early London scale. The characters are human and not over defined, and even the wolves have motivation.
In an age when everybody relies on computers to make movies, it's refreshing as hell to see real snow storms and animatronics. It's hard to watch this movie and believe that Joe Carnahan also directed The A-Team movie.
I'm going to leave you with one little clue to getting the most out of your experience. Somewhere close to the end, you'll know it when it happens, you're going to experience a sensation of potential let down. When this happens, ask yourself, what would Alex do in this situation? and then act on that.
Red Tails
This movie tells the story of The Tuskegee Airmen in the European theater. Originally used to patrol at the rear of the battle, they are eventually given the opportunity to prove themselves by escorting bombing missions. While mostly historically accurate, at the end of the day it is an action movie meant to give heroes back to 14 year old boys.
It's refreshing to see a black character who isn't portrayed as an under educated jack ass. In fact, from the perspective of the film, you really see racism in its naked ignorance.
When they're not in the air, the film kind of takes on that Baa Baa Black Sheep/ Black Sheep Squadron feel. Part of that may be because director Anthony Hemingway made his bones in television but I think also it has to do with the fact that one fighter base is pretty much like the other in WW II. The in air rivalry with the German pilots has a definite Von Richthofen And Brown vibe to it but it also works by giving the opposition a personality instead of just a faceless spectre who's sole purpose is to die for the cameras.
The dialogue is a little heavy handed in a few places but if you can overlook it you'll have a lot of fun with this one.
Safe House
An interesting spy thriller set in Cape Town, South Africa. Denzel Washington plays a former C.I.A. agent who has gone freelance (think of a rogue Jack Bauer). For reasons that everybody is struggling to figure out, he has turned himself in to the American embassy.
He is taken to a safe house to be interrogated when suddenly all hell breaks loose and everyone is killed except for Ryan Reynolds who is in charge of the safe house. He manages to escape with his prisoner during the melee.
Reynolds must now keep Washington in custody while on the run as the agency tries to figure out what happened. It's not as 3 Days Of The Condor as I thought it would be. It will hold your attention but it's nothing exceptional.
We Bought A Zoo
Four words- A. Cameron. Crowe. Film. This should help you in your movie watching decisions as well as determine if you keep reading. Those of you who are fans of Mr. Crowes work will appreciate this different direction that he's taking. Those of you who see a zebra with a bow on the poster and notice the PG rating expecting fluffy animals, little girls speaking in catch phrases and fart jokes, happy to disappoint you. This movie has a brain, maybe you should read the book this movie is based off of and develop your own.
It's a true story based on a man in England (California for the movie) who's wife passed away leaving him with two children. In an effort to get a fresh start, he decides to quit his job and buy a house somewhere out of town. He finds the perfect house, but there's a catch, it's attached to a zoo. Whoever gets the house also gets the zoo. As you can tell from the title, they get the house. The story then follows the growing pains as everybody adapts to their new home. I enjoyed it and I think you will too if you've managed to keep reading this far.
The Woman In Black
Imagine Jonathan Harker with a child instead of a fiancee. When he goes to the castle, he encounters Lucy Westerna who has Freddy Krueger-like motivations. Now set the whole thing in the 19th century and you have The Woman In Black.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentines Day viewing
Dracula
81 years ago today, Universal released Dracula with the tag line "A different kind of love story". It starred Bela Lugosi in the title role and Edward Van Sloan as his adversary, Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Both actors reprising their roles from the immensely popular stage play by Garrett Ford, which was adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker. The screenplay was adapted by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston and was the first movie to be made under the Dracula name.
Nosferatu was made in 1922 and was supposed to be the first adaptation but Stoker's widow wouldn't release the rights.
Lugosi made over 100 movies in his career but he is best known for his role as the Transylvanian Count. Surprisingly, despite all of the sequels and spin-offs that Universal made following the 1931 classic, Lugosi only reprised the role one other time in 1948's Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein.
My Bloody Valentine-the special edition
Made in 1981 during the golden age of the Slasher film, this movie was also one of the first to suffer from a grass roots movement by studios to self police after coming under fire by parent groups for violence in cinema. It was also two months after John Lennon had been killed. Unfortunately, the theatrical cut is a mess but now thanks to the miracle of home video, you and your special someone can snuggle up and watch Harry Warden take his revenge for being trapped in a mine while the whole town celebrated Valentines Day.
On a side note, no, you're not crazy if you find yourself reminded of themes also running through Happy Birthday To Me. John Beaird was one of the writers on both films.
Red Shoe Diaries
Definitely one of writer/director Zalman King's best works, this movie was also used as a pilot for a long running television series. Red Shoe Diaries also put David Duchovny on the map as being a leading man.
The story follows a young woman, Brigitte Bako, who has opened too much of herself to her fiancee, Jake, and now searches for a secret that will be hers alone. She has a chance encounter with Tom, Billy Wirth, but things spiral out of her control to the point that she takes her own life.
Jake, Duchovny, finds out about Tom as he discovers her diary while packing away her things. Now the two men must come to grips with the loss of the woman they loved.
Sadly, after a long career, Zalman King lost his battle with cancer a couple of weeks ago on February 3rd. He will be missed but remembered fondly on Valentines Day because in my opinion, he was the only man who ever knew how to tell a real love story.
True Romance-the directors cut
Based on an early script by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, this movie tells the story of a young couple who meet, fall in love, get married and wind up with a suitcase full of the mobs cocaine.
The directors cut is by far the superior version of the film because there are two expanded scenes that better define Patricia Arquette's character, plus the ending isn't as jumbled. Definitely worth your time.
81 years ago today, Universal released Dracula with the tag line "A different kind of love story". It starred Bela Lugosi in the title role and Edward Van Sloan as his adversary, Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Both actors reprising their roles from the immensely popular stage play by Garrett Ford, which was adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker. The screenplay was adapted by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston and was the first movie to be made under the Dracula name.
Nosferatu was made in 1922 and was supposed to be the first adaptation but Stoker's widow wouldn't release the rights.
Lugosi made over 100 movies in his career but he is best known for his role as the Transylvanian Count. Surprisingly, despite all of the sequels and spin-offs that Universal made following the 1931 classic, Lugosi only reprised the role one other time in 1948's Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein.
My Bloody Valentine-the special edition
Made in 1981 during the golden age of the Slasher film, this movie was also one of the first to suffer from a grass roots movement by studios to self police after coming under fire by parent groups for violence in cinema. It was also two months after John Lennon had been killed. Unfortunately, the theatrical cut is a mess but now thanks to the miracle of home video, you and your special someone can snuggle up and watch Harry Warden take his revenge for being trapped in a mine while the whole town celebrated Valentines Day.
On a side note, no, you're not crazy if you find yourself reminded of themes also running through Happy Birthday To Me. John Beaird was one of the writers on both films.
Red Shoe Diaries
Definitely one of writer/director Zalman King's best works, this movie was also used as a pilot for a long running television series. Red Shoe Diaries also put David Duchovny on the map as being a leading man.
The story follows a young woman, Brigitte Bako, who has opened too much of herself to her fiancee, Jake, and now searches for a secret that will be hers alone. She has a chance encounter with Tom, Billy Wirth, but things spiral out of her control to the point that she takes her own life.
Jake, Duchovny, finds out about Tom as he discovers her diary while packing away her things. Now the two men must come to grips with the loss of the woman they loved.
Sadly, after a long career, Zalman King lost his battle with cancer a couple of weeks ago on February 3rd. He will be missed but remembered fondly on Valentines Day because in my opinion, he was the only man who ever knew how to tell a real love story.
True Romance-the directors cut
Based on an early script by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, this movie tells the story of a young couple who meet, fall in love, get married and wind up with a suitcase full of the mobs cocaine.
The directors cut is by far the superior version of the film because there are two expanded scenes that better define Patricia Arquette's character, plus the ending isn't as jumbled. Definitely worth your time.
Monday, February 13, 2012
South Central Derby Desk Feb. 13
Good morning derby fans,
South Central is still taking it's time getting the season going but this past weekend saw the Tallahassee Rollergirls on tour and kicking ass.
Saturday-
Tallahassee went to Tulsa Oklahoma to defeat the Green Country Roller Girls 215 to 178.
Sunday-
Tallahassee then proceeded to Fayetteville Arkansas to roll over Northwest Arkansas Roller Derby 181 to 186.
Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, The Lightning Broads from Oklahoma City Roller Derby took a little trip to Ada to play South Central Roller Girls' Black Heart Queens. When the final whistle blew, the board read Lightning Broads 162 to 43.
Tune in next week when we find out about Springfield vs. Oklahoma, Atlanta's home opener, and many more. See you then.
South Central is still taking it's time getting the season going but this past weekend saw the Tallahassee Rollergirls on tour and kicking ass.
Saturday-
Tallahassee went to Tulsa Oklahoma to defeat the Green Country Roller Girls 215 to 178.
Sunday-
Tallahassee then proceeded to Fayetteville Arkansas to roll over Northwest Arkansas Roller Derby 181 to 186.
Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, The Lightning Broads from Oklahoma City Roller Derby took a little trip to Ada to play South Central Roller Girls' Black Heart Queens. When the final whistle blew, the board read Lightning Broads 162 to 43.
Tune in next week when we find out about Springfield vs. Oklahoma, Atlanta's home opener, and many more. See you then.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday Morning Derby Desk-Feb. 6 2012
Welcome back derby fans. Apparently there was some other sporting event going on this weekend so there wasn't much happening in the derby world as far as the South Central division was concerned. Everybody played on Saturday with nothing but silence on Sunday.
Ft. Lauderdale Florida's Gold Coast Derby Grrls All-Stars played hostess to Tucson Arizona's Saddletramps. The Saddletramps rode their way to victory with a final score of 153 to 94.
Also in Florida, Brevard County's Molly Roger Rollergirls invited Jacksonville's Duval Derby Dames over for an ass whoopin' of 130 to 90.
Finally, Athens Georgia's Classic City Rollergirls were hostess to their own defeat at the hands of Johnson City Tennessee's Little City Roller Girls. The final score was 138 to 61.
Tune in next week to find out who has their season openers as the season slowly gets started here in South Central.
Ft. Lauderdale Florida's Gold Coast Derby Grrls All-Stars played hostess to Tucson Arizona's Saddletramps. The Saddletramps rode their way to victory with a final score of 153 to 94.
Also in Florida, Brevard County's Molly Roger Rollergirls invited Jacksonville's Duval Derby Dames over for an ass whoopin' of 130 to 90.
Finally, Athens Georgia's Classic City Rollergirls were hostess to their own defeat at the hands of Johnson City Tennessee's Little City Roller Girls. The final score was 138 to 61.
Tune in next week to find out who has their season openers as the season slowly gets started here in South Central.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Mystery Monday
Why not start your week off with a good whodunit? Here are a few I've seen lately that are pretty good and not so good.
Eye See You
On paper, you wonder why this movie was never released. It stars Sylvester Stallone, Charles S. Dutton (it's his birthday today), Kris Kristofferson, Jeffrey Wright, Tom Berenger, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Courtney B. Vance and Rance Howard.
When you see it, you wonder how they got that many big names in the cast. You can't tell me that they tricked all of those guys. They must have been fighting each other to be the killers next victim just so they could leave the movie.
It was originally titled D-Tox and is the bastard child that Universal wants nothing to do with. It got a European release but didn't show up state side until the magic of home video.
The story line follows a killer who's targeting cops. Stallone plays a fed brought in on the case. When the killer takes out his girlfriend, he goes over the edge. After a suicide attempt, he checks into a special program set up for law enforcement.
The facility is in the middle of Wyoming and of course, there's a white out. Oh yeah, and the killer isn't dead. Insert every cliche about secluded buildings here and in an hour you'll see the end credits.
I can only recommend this to Stallone fans because it's almost like he knew this would never see the light of day so he just tries things you'd never see him do under a studio system.
La habitacion de Fermat (Fermat's Room)
Written and directed by Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopena, this mystery combines the best elements of a whodunit and a Poe revenge tale.
Four mathematicians are invited to a dinner party by a mysterious host. Each a stranger to the other and assigned famous alias' by their host, they find themselves trapped in a room that gets smaller with every puzzle they don't solve in time. This movie is definitely worth your time.
Mystery Street
This 1950 film noir stars Ricardo Montalban as a police detective who has to rely on forensic medicine to identify a skeleton. Once it's discovered she was murdered, he must track down a killer.
As an early study of forensics and an interesting mystery to boot, this movie works on a lot of levels. You should check this one out.
One For The Money (2012)
If more chick flicks were like this, they probably wouldn't get such a bad rap. Based on Janet Evanovich's novel (the first of 18, anybody else see a sequel in the works?), the story follows a woman as she enters the male dominated field of bounty hunting.
The first person she goes after is a former acquaintance who's now a cop on the run. He's trying to clear his name and she just wants to collect the money on his bond.
It's well cast. Katherine Heigl even attempts to act in this movie which is refreshing after watching her go through the motions of being "Katherine Heigl" for the last 10 years. I would say it's well worth a look.
Stephen King's Bag Of Bones
Talk about a waste of potential. I do have to admit to enjoying the book and when I heard that it was a four hour mini-series, it seemed like a no brainer. They'd have to clean up the language a little for television and tighten up a few scenes but other wise, it could be worth watching.
I'm not sure what Matt Venne was thinking of while he wrote the screenplay but it's pretty obvious he never read the book. It's like he walked in half way through and overheard somebody talking about the book.
The best scene in the movie comes when Pierce Brosnan sits down to write after his wife passes. That was a pretty honest scene. Everything else just seemed to happen because it needs to happen or out of convenience. Do yourself a favor and read the book, leave the movie alone.
Eye See You
On paper, you wonder why this movie was never released. It stars Sylvester Stallone, Charles S. Dutton (it's his birthday today), Kris Kristofferson, Jeffrey Wright, Tom Berenger, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Courtney B. Vance and Rance Howard.
When you see it, you wonder how they got that many big names in the cast. You can't tell me that they tricked all of those guys. They must have been fighting each other to be the killers next victim just so they could leave the movie.
It was originally titled D-Tox and is the bastard child that Universal wants nothing to do with. It got a European release but didn't show up state side until the magic of home video.
The story line follows a killer who's targeting cops. Stallone plays a fed brought in on the case. When the killer takes out his girlfriend, he goes over the edge. After a suicide attempt, he checks into a special program set up for law enforcement.
The facility is in the middle of Wyoming and of course, there's a white out. Oh yeah, and the killer isn't dead. Insert every cliche about secluded buildings here and in an hour you'll see the end credits.
I can only recommend this to Stallone fans because it's almost like he knew this would never see the light of day so he just tries things you'd never see him do under a studio system.
La habitacion de Fermat (Fermat's Room)
Written and directed by Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopena, this mystery combines the best elements of a whodunit and a Poe revenge tale.
Four mathematicians are invited to a dinner party by a mysterious host. Each a stranger to the other and assigned famous alias' by their host, they find themselves trapped in a room that gets smaller with every puzzle they don't solve in time. This movie is definitely worth your time.
Mystery Street
This 1950 film noir stars Ricardo Montalban as a police detective who has to rely on forensic medicine to identify a skeleton. Once it's discovered she was murdered, he must track down a killer.
As an early study of forensics and an interesting mystery to boot, this movie works on a lot of levels. You should check this one out.
One For The Money (2012)
If more chick flicks were like this, they probably wouldn't get such a bad rap. Based on Janet Evanovich's novel (the first of 18, anybody else see a sequel in the works?), the story follows a woman as she enters the male dominated field of bounty hunting.
The first person she goes after is a former acquaintance who's now a cop on the run. He's trying to clear his name and she just wants to collect the money on his bond.
It's well cast. Katherine Heigl even attempts to act in this movie which is refreshing after watching her go through the motions of being "Katherine Heigl" for the last 10 years. I would say it's well worth a look.
Stephen King's Bag Of Bones
Talk about a waste of potential. I do have to admit to enjoying the book and when I heard that it was a four hour mini-series, it seemed like a no brainer. They'd have to clean up the language a little for television and tighten up a few scenes but other wise, it could be worth watching.
I'm not sure what Matt Venne was thinking of while he wrote the screenplay but it's pretty obvious he never read the book. It's like he walked in half way through and overheard somebody talking about the book.
The best scene in the movie comes when Pierce Brosnan sits down to write after his wife passes. That was a pretty honest scene. Everything else just seemed to happen because it needs to happen or out of convenience. Do yourself a favor and read the book, leave the movie alone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)