MADNESS: My Thoughts On Film and TV....Oh.. before I get started.. a young man working at SAM's today came up to me and said "has anyone ever told you, you look like Penn of Penn and Teller?" "No," I said, "but I love the guy. so thanks for that.. I guess... " It must have been the beard, the glasses, and the pony tail (we won't mention the large persona that goes along with it..). Okay.. back to our program...
~ FILMS NOW IN THE THEATRE ~
SUPER 8: Take the family to see this film. From 8 to 80 they'll all get a kick out of this film of kids and monsters that takes place in 1979. Brought to us by J.J. Abrahms (produced by Spielberg), who has been able to show us great TV and now great film. His new start on the Star Trek franchise was just great, brilliant, and fun. Anyone that can take Star Trek and give us a new crew with a great story to re-boot this has got my vote to continue to make more movies. Super 8 is no exception. Let me just say this, it's not a perfect film, (not many are), but in this world of so many average let's-churn-em-out film atmosphere, Abrahms actually gives us story and action, and even some moral tales for the kids to see. Do yourself a favor and go have a fun evening.. and definitely get a tub of popcorn before you go in.. heavy on the butter.
THE GREEN LANTERN and THOR: I've been a fan of Ryan Reynold's for quite some time now. Most of his early stuff is just "guy humor" as my wife would say, but as the years have gone by he has definitely grown. He did a good job in this film version of the comic character, brought some humor to the role, and showed he can be a super hero. The problem with this film is it just didn't have the writing it needed. It was fun but not exciting. Watch it.. but wait for the video.
THOR on the other hand.. whew! What a nice surprise! I would see this in the theater if you can. Good acting, great graphics, and Anthony Hopkins was very effective as the King of this clan. When his son is about to take the throne, an impending war put it on hold, but in the end he was shown the door with his ego barely able to fit through the portal to earth. There he begins to learn, he has a lot to learn, but as with all egos this takes time. Good action, good story, and the acting of THOR himself was believable. Oh, there's some commoraderie and romantic in there ta boot. WATCH THIS!
HARRY POTTER and the DEATHLY HALLOWS Part Two:
Ten years and most of the cast survived. The only one that I know for sure who passed was Richard Harris who originally played Dumbledore. He left us early in the series and Michael Gambon has effectively taken over for the rest of this magical story.
Part two brings us the the showdown of Harry and Valdemort at Hogwarts. Dark and deathly, I feel the series has grown along with the kids (and adults) who begain reading this series over ten-fifteen years ago, showing everyone that life does change. And not always the way you'd like it. Spending ten years with these characters, and actors, they've almost become old friends we get to see every two years. Hell this is more than some of my real friends and it was good to see them again. This is a good film, and definitely worth seeing at the theater with good sound, etc. it will draw you in and you don't want to leave for anything, to see what happens next (I needed to, but couldn't!). Is this the end? Well.. it is for this part of the ride.. but I'm sure JK Rowling or someone at Warner Bro.'s is looking to the future. And of course, there is always Harry Potter at Universal where it's the only place where you can purchase the secret drink of "Butter Beer."
I think it's time for us to go down and get a mug or two with the family.
~ FILM ON VIDEO ~
NEVER LET ME GO
This synopsis is written by Fox pictures. It sums it up quite well: "As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them."
As we're introduced to the kids in this story, they're singing the school song in this English school, which is obviously a private school. You will discover just how private it is.
These kids are raised in an orphanage-like facility where they're literally cut off from the world. So much so that the school they attend, also on the grounds where they live, teaches them about the dangers of death that is just beyond the simple fences that keep them in. All they really have is each other, and as they grow older, although semi-free to roam the countryside, they still only have each other. When you learn the secret of these kids, and what medical advances mankind has made for some, but at what costs?
Carey Mulligan's performance of Kathy is just fantastic. This young actress conveys so much even in the scenes without dialogue, which there are quite a few, she keeps you pulled in and you feel what is going on without a word. That's talent. Directed by Mark Romanek who pulled off the tone of innocence which transferred to unspoken desperation.
Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, who also brought us Remains of the Day, which has received a lot of attention and up for many awards the year it was released in 2005. Although not an original idea, I did find it interesting that the theme was very close to the novel by Michael Marshall Smith, "Spares," that was released in the mid-nineties - and I should note I published the "Special Signed Limited" of "Spares" - which I am very close to. Yes, it's approached from a different perspective, but very similar all the same. I won't say more as I don't want to spoil either story for anyone. The main idea became a popular topic in the 90's and early 00's. Both are science fiction with moral tales to tell. Should we or shouldn't we?
Watch This. It will make you think.
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CRONOS
Had the pleasure to watch Guillermo del Toro's 1993 film CRONOS. Starring Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman (del Toro's been working with him longer than I knew), with an intriguing performance by the young actress Tamara Shanath. This film is a classic example of "write a good script," and everything else will fall into place. Budget or not. The Cronos device can keep you alive forever, but at a price. At times sad, haunting, humane, with splashes of humor within, this story shows where del Toro was headed. A 50/50 split in English and subtitled Spanish, this story will grab you very quickly. Glad it was finally released on DVD. If you have Netflix, you can Watch Instantly. HORROR FANS WATCH THIS!
Read more on CRONOS Here!
With my thoughts on films I usually link to their respective IMDB (Internet Movie Database) page. You can find video, synopsis, and much more. Most of these films you can find at Netflix, or On Demand cable if you're lucky.
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