tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-319299562024-03-13T10:50:55.598-07:00Commitment FilmsCommitment to the Arts. Commitment to the Earth. Commitment to One's Self.--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-86816970723901506562018-04-18T10:33:00.002-07:002018-04-18T10:33:44.939-07:00Watch This Space...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-54830580963779924742014-10-08T23:03:00.000-07:002014-10-08T23:03:29.195-07:00Sneak Peek: ST. VINCENT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday took a cool little turn in the early evening. An hour or so before I was to finish work, I got a quick text and managed to net myself a seat at an advance screening of the new Bill Murray film, <b><span style="color: yellow;">St. Vincent</span></b>, with a Q&A afterwards with the director, Theodore Melfi.<br />
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The film itself, I liked a lot. This is the third advance look I've managed to score for a Bill Murray movie (the others being <b>Lost in Translation</b> with Sofia Coppola in attendance and then <b>The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou</b>), which is crazy to me as it happens that I'm a huge Bill Murray fan and have been since I was a child, when <b>Meatballs</b> was released. I actually just finished reading his book <i><b>Cinderella Story</b></i>, which I also enjoyed even though I know precious little about golf. It's still a fun read.<br />
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Anyway, the film was hilarious, naturally, but also dramatic with a great deal of humanity. The plight of the single mom (Melissa McCarthy) was handled well in this way and McCarthy is better here than I've ever seen her. She seriously nails her part. Naomi Watts was decent and her character grew as the film went on, though the character seems the most unreal in the story. Terrence Howard needed more scenes. He plays the heavy but just gets dropped from the story completely, which was a shame. As Oliver, the child actor Jaeden Lieberher is a highlight. He's natural, makes a strong impression and his scenes with Murray are uniformly good. And Murray's a pro. You know going in that he'll deliver and he does as expected with humor and humanity. He, McCarthy and Lieberher are the home run hitters, here.<br />
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Like last year's <b>Nebraska</b>, this one's a low-profile story about people on the ropes, emotionally. These aren't shiny happy people holding hands. They're not living the life. They're dealing with stress and disappointment. The film deals as much with the trials of aging, sickness, loneliness, single parenting and loss as it does with crotchety old man humor. Every little joke has a darker statement seething just under the surface. It's not the end all be all of cinematic experience but I teared up a lot during this thing, easily able to identify with the experiences of all three of the main characters; they're that relateable and effective. Maybe it won't resonate with a lot of people the way it did with me but then again those people can always just sit back and enjoy the pleasures of seeing a decent film devoid of waste or overproduction and maybe get a few laughs while they're at it.<br />
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The film's director Theodore Melfi was also gracious and happily related stories about the production (working with Harvey Weinstein, casting Lieberher and McCarthy, tracking down Bill), the real-life inspirations of the story and characters (his daughter, wife, mother and father-in-law) and that one of his primary inspirations for the tone of the film was Disney's <b>Up</b>, another film with a young boy/older man relationship at its core. The screening and Q&A were fun and the audience was appreciative.<br />
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A solid night at the movies for me, and, it seemed, many.--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-85702244792908992262014-09-17T19:11:00.002-07:002014-09-18T00:02:00.819-07:00Full Roaming Vapors: The Recent History of GHOSTBUSTERS III<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the 30th Anniversary of one of my favorite movies. One of the funniest, most influential and highest grossing comedies of my lifetime and a primer on how absolutely perfectly the combination of well-written character-comedy and big special-effects chaos can be achieved. We're talking Ivan Retiman's<b><span style="color: yellow;"> Ghostbusters </span></b>(1984), of course, and lately it's all over the varied forms of entertainment news these days in ways I couldn't have guessed.<br />
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Sadly, just a few months before the much talked about anniversary, actor, co-writer, and comedy genius Harold Ramis passed away. This sent shock waves through the show business world as Ramis was a warm and loved figure in the community. Almost immediately, industry talk of a proper <b>Ghostbusters III</b> sequel stopped, despite it having being teased over and over again for the better part of the last decade. <b>Ghostbusters</b> and <b>Ghostbusters II</b> (1989) director Ivan Reitman then stated that he was pretty much completely off any sort of new sequel project, which soon compounded with not only the continual screenplay rejection of the always great Bill Murray but the still-up-for-it exuberance of actor Ernie Hudson and especially the continual marching-on of the franchise holdout and co-creator, Dan Aykroyd, who'd leaked incorrect start-dates in interviews several times before.<br />
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Then Paul Feig, director of <b>Bridesmaids</b> (2011), a substantial hit for Universal, was teased online as a top contender for director a new <b>Ghostbusters</b> film, this time with an all-female cast. Hundreds of articles were written about this possibility and whether it was a much-needed shot in the arm or a total casting stunt meant to test the fan waters and see if anything floated. Industry insiders guessed immediately that there'd be a place for Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, two stars of Feig's hit, <b>Bridesmaids</b>, and possibly Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Sarah Silverman among others. Just recently, celebrating "Bill Murray Day" at the Toronto Film Festival, Bill himself gave his picks as to who he'd like to see cast: Wiig, McCarthy (with whom he'd just filmed the new picture <b>St. Vincent</b>), Emma Stone (<b>Magic in the Moonlight</b>) and Linda Cardellini (<b>Mad Men</b>), going on to say "I would watch it." I would, too. I like the idea of a female team of Ghostbusters, especially with Kristen Wiig involved, much more than any of the various Rogen-Franco-McBride-Robinson-Cera-Zuckerberg-Milano-Dukshu-Jack Black-Hader-Sudekis-Samberg combinations being thrown around in the last few years. In fact, give me a Wiig-Stone-Maria Bamford-Meagan Good team. I love me some Bamford and Good was great in <b>Anchorman 2</b>. That's my Ghostbuster Lady dream team, right there.<br />
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Not to be outdone, in the last 24 hours, Dan Aykroyd has come back into the picture and made two interesting and wild statements.<br />
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The first: he thinks the <b>Ghostbusters</b> world could/should be blown up and writ large, as Marvel has done with it's extended cinematic universe, a la <b>Iron Man</b>, <b>Captain America</b>, <b>Thor</b>, <b>The Avengers</b> and so on.<br />
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<span style="color: yellow;"><i>"It’s beyond just another sequel, a prequel, another TV show. I'm thinking what does the whole brand mean to Sony? What does Pixar and Star Wars mean to Disney? What does Marvel mean to Fox? That’s what we have to do. The whole vehicle of Ghostbusters has to be rebuilt. That’s the ambitious thinking that’s going on now. Taking on the model of Marvel where we take all of the elements that are in this movie and we put them out there as different ideas.”</i></span> -- Comicbook.com<br />
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Now here's the thing. I'm a die-hard Ghostbusters fan. With the exception of Dan himself, you're rarely likely to bump into a someone more into the movie on the street. And while there would be a certain interest for me, personally, to see something kooky like this happen (sequels/prequels/spin-offs, etc), I think for the general populace Dan comes very close in this thinking to diluting the brand to such an extent that it all comes crashing down around him. As far as it goes, <b>Ghostbusters II</b>, <b>Caddyshack II</b> and <b>Blues Brothers 2000</b> show that sequels aren't exactly Aykroyd's best friends. <br />
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Thirty years later, people still love the original <b>Ghostbusters</b>. Twenty-five years later, <b>Ghostbusters II</b> can't even get a properly packed special edition blu-ray. (No commentary track and minus several deleted scenes that are said to still exist.) People who dress up as Ghostbusters for charity Halloween parades are typically greeted with huge love and applause, especially if their suits and props are screen-accurate. And yeah, if I had the where-with-all, I'd have one too and be marching along right there with them. But the die-hards are always gonna love the Ghostbusters, while sub-par franchise expansions could really hurt the general public love. Then again,<b> The Clone Wars</b> cartoon, video games and novels kept the love for <b>Star Wars </b>alive for the last ten-plus years, despite the successful but now-reappraised Second Trilogy. So, I don't know. As long as the stories work, I guess it could be fine. There's a possibility. I liked 88MPH's <b><i>Ghostbusters</i></b> comic series much more than the longer-lasting IDW ones, as the writing and art were so much stronger in the former than the latter. The novel <b>Ghostbusters: The Return</b> was solid and true to the original films, and the 2009 videogame just flat out rocked. <br />
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I'm torn between two other movie-based schools of thought on this. <b> "I want to believe,"</b> and <b>"I've got a bad feeling about this."</b><br />
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And just a few short hours ago, <i>this</i> little nugget popped up on the internet from theactionelite.com...<br />
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<i style="line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: inherit;">Dan Aykroyd has said he is “100% assured” that a new Ghostbusters movie will be released in the next two years, and has backed British action movie star Jason Statham to star in the sequel. Discussing the possibility of moving location to London for the new film, he said: “I think that that’s a big part of what we would think about in the future, that it’s an international thing. It would be rich to do something here in the UK because there’re so many possibilities. “There are so many great locations here and… in fact true spirits here that are living right now amongst us. There is so much talent coming out of the UK but I would love to see Jason Statham as a Ghostbuster in some capacity. He’s a lot of fun,” said Aykroyd.</span></i><br />
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Jason Statham. As a Ghostbuster, Would I see that movie? <i>Hell yeah.</i> Do I think it will ever happen? <i> Hell no.</i> In a way I kind of hope it does. Sometimes crazy can work. Just look at this year's highest grossing adventure flick, the one with the raccoon and the smiling tree man. Anything can happen and <i>nobody knows nothing</i>. Still, still... Mentioning both this crazy casting <i>and</i> that there might be "true spirits here that are living right now amongst us" might not be the <i>best </i>way to deliver your messages and hopes of sane, bankable corporate filmmaking creativity to the masses.</div>
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So, okay. If <i>this</i> is the kind of thing that's going on his mind, let's get really crazy. No idea is too much, apparently. Nothing is impossible. So yeah, okay, let's open up that <i>Ghostbusters Cinematic Universe</i> and really expand it. How about a war movie? A romcom? Let's get nuts, blaze some trails and put the Busters in some whole new cinematic realities.<br />
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- Combine the new film with Ivan Reitman's long-gestating, not-really-wanted <b>Twins</b> sequel and make Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and Eddie Murphy into Ghostbusters.</div>
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- <b>A Fistful of Ghostbusters</b>. Old-tech in the Old West. Like the Doc Brown <i>steam science</i> designs in Back to the Future Part III.</div>
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- <b>Ghostbusters VS. Army of Darkness</b>. Deadites in New York. The New Venkman meets The New Ash. Pseudo-hilarity ensues. In fact, fuck it, throw some <b>Gremlins</b> in there too. why don'tcha?</div>
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- <b>Ghostballs.</b> <b>Ghostbusters</b> meets <b>Meatballs</b>. Summer Camp flick. Teens getting laid and trapping vapors. And not just the ones that come from the Fat Kid's ass.</div>
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- <b>Ghostly Instinct.</b> An NC-17 sexual-thriller about a tormented Ghostbuster having a scandalous affair with a particularly sexy spectre and vowing to help find her killer from beyond the grave. With Emma Stone and Jason Statham. Box office gold.</div>
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- <b>The Grudgebusters.</b> They go over to Japan to kick that little meowing kid's ass once and for all.</div>
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<b>- Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ghostbusters.</b> Probably the dumbest idea and the one that actually makes some kind of sense. </div>
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- <b>Ghostbusters of Mars.</b> 'Cause why not let John Carpenter get in on this, right? In fact...</div>
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- <b>Big Ghostbusters in Little China.</b> Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddemore meet Jack Burton. Lo Pan and The Three Storms don't stand a chance. </div>
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Call me, Dan... At the very least, you can stay in our guestroom here Boston while you try to set up a meeting with Damon and Affleck about location scouting for <b>Good Will Busting</b>.</div>
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--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-39442334307333696432014-02-20T09:31:00.004-08:002014-02-20T10:42:02.611-08:00Adventures in Cinema: ROBOCOP 2<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In cinema circles right now, one of the main topics of nerdly discussion is the relative non-necessity of a remake of Paul Verhoeven's<b> ROBOCOP</b>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Released in 1987, this sci-fi action satire drama chunk of awesomeness looked like a terrible good-guy clone of <b>THE TERMINATOR</b> going by the advance poster art and at the time I paid it little mind. When I saw it though, I was as bowled over by how much fun it was as everyone else. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweet action, crazy gallows humor, hugely quotable, insane comic violence and gleeful debauchery, all surrounding the heart and soul of a good guy out to get the bad guys. There were sequels, TV shows, comic books, and videogames to follow. And, it now seems, the inevitable Hollywood product remake with reduced violence and toothless satire. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As far as the sequels to the original film go, I've never seen </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ROBOCOP 3</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... (</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"A pg-13 RoboCop movie? </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who the hell would want to see </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that?"</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But</span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the also-nutty </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ROBOCOP 2</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (1990) will always have a place in my ridiculous heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from the now-classic sequence where all the new models are trotted out and shown going crazy, the meta-dialogue about bad follow-ups to superior originals, the swearing little kid drug dealer and Tom <i>Freakin'</i> Noonan... there is one event I can't help but recall whenever I think of <b>ROBOCOP 2</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The night it the film came out in the summer of 1990, my friends and I all worked in a suburban multiplex cinema off the highway between Boston and Providence. My crazy friend Chris (we all have <i>that one crazy friend</i>) and I were going to see it at the 7:00pm Friday night first show at the theater where we worked. We'd been playing Nintendo games for far too long, though, and lost track of time. He lived about ten miles from the cinema and we realized we had less than fifteen minutes till showtime. We hurriedly finished playing "Duck Hunt" or whatever we were so engrossed in and ran down to my car downstairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, at the time Chris lived across from an expansive car park in a sort of burnt out industrialized area at the end of town (not unlike Delta City, actually) and we would routinely engage in some loud, obnoxious behavior because it amused us and because, as two crazy-looking weirdos, we <i>could</i>. One example was a game we'd invented called <b><i>LETHAL WEAPON PARKING LOT</i></b>. I'd get in my car and drive backwards, he'd chase after the car on foot like Martin Riggs... and I'd swerve left and right, going backwards at high speeds, trying to lose him. What can I tell you? It was like being a stunt man filming an action scene. We were stupid and easily-amused kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time, though, I got to the car far ahead of him, which was unusual as he was always the faster runner of the two of us, started it up, and when he was about fifty yards away from my legendary 1978 Oldsmobile Royale "Uncle Buck" battletank, I hit the gas and went tearing across the pavement backwards, which was the universal symbol for "GAME ON." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris came running. But since I knew <i>we didn't have time for this</i> if we were going to make the start of <b>ROBOCOP 2</b>, I slowed down again almost immediately. <i>He didn't</i>, though. He was running at the car full speed before I knew it and when I suddenly slowed down, he flew up the front of the car over the hood and <i>BAM</i>. Rolled onto his shoulder and went right through my windshield, ripping a hole in it <i>where it looked like his head bounced off it.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now imagine this. The car is now stopped. I hear an "<i>UGH!"</i> and he rolls back off the car onto the ground. There's a moment of silence. I'm freaked. He's on the ground where I can't see him. There's no sound but the rumbling of my idling engine. A few seconds pass and then...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>HYUH HYUH HYUUUHHH..... </i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris is on the ground laughing his ass off and after a moment he gets up to survey the damage. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<i>Holy shit</i>, are you okay?" I ask him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was totally fine, as his jacket was thick enough to take the hit and cushion him from any glass or bodily harm. His head didn't actually hit the windshield or the roof or anything, he had no whiplash and there was no blood anywhere. He got the wind knocked out of him for a brief moment, came up laughing and was absolutely none the worse for wear. We both broke out laughing in relief then, as this was probably one of the more scary and more stupid things we'd done in a while. But then the true shock and seriousness of the situation hit us...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"We're totally gonna miss the start of <b>ROBOCOP 2</b> if we don't hurry up!"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we jumped back in the car and drove as fast as we could with a broken windshield to the movie theater.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finding a front row parking spot, we dashed though the lobby past our friends, some of which couldn't help but notice the giant hole in the windshield. "What the fuck?!" our friend Shawn asked. "Not now, we'll talk later!" we yelled as we grabbed two free sodas and a bunch of popcorn and briskly cut ahead of the two-hundred person line to the about-to-begin 7:00pm showing. The movie started and we were still laughing like idiots from the adrenaline. We sat back and settled into some Robo glory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a little while for some odd reason -- lack of sleep or too many videogames earlier that day -- my eyes started getting itchy. I was rubbing them when Chris asks me what's up. I whisper that my eyes are itchy and this kid decides to go PsyOp on me and mess with my head, another favorite pasttime of ours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You know why that is, don't you?" Chris whispered as we watched the film. "It's probably microscopic shards of broken windshield glass, and every blink you blink is probably bringing you<i> one step closer to blindness.</i>" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You... You <i>think</i>?" I felt <i>the fear</i> coming on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yep. Don't worry, though. I'll drive you to the hospital after the movie there, Ray Charles."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>"FUCK YOU!"</i></b> I yelled and spastically leaped to my feet, crushing people in the seats next to us and knocking others out of the way, running at full speed to the bathroom and flushing my eyes with water from the sink like a total freak show madman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The itchiness went away after a moment and fortunately I can still see just fine, thank you, almost twenty-five years later. I went back to the movie, sat back down, was fine again and just laughed like an idiot a little more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Did I miss anything?" I asked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yeah, RoboCop shot somebody for smoking a cigarette."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just another day with my crazy friend, Chris. And I always think of it whenever someone brings up <b>ROBOCOP 2</b>. Good times.</span></div>
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--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-61027760604564411722013-09-07T19:43:00.001-07:002013-09-07T19:55:13.657-07:00Martial Art: Wong Kar-wai's THE GRANDMASTER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoKjggcINcOa51d2KI-pHBNh64rs6K57rSxpbRpNuPrlSDYmVq4fIWitg92yXFs4WTsCiIJO8RLqWHKezRFAocWQ0vlEOifJ9UF4EE0OWdUfV4xmw7MrBj-PimG8DOMRU-jlb1Q/s1600/grandmaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoKjggcINcOa51d2KI-pHBNh64rs6K57rSxpbRpNuPrlSDYmVq4fIWitg92yXFs4WTsCiIJO8RLqWHKezRFAocWQ0vlEOifJ9UF4EE0OWdUfV4xmw7MrBj-PimG8DOMRU-jlb1Q/s320/grandmaster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">In fighting, as in storytelling, one of one’s greatest allies is the element of surprise. A well-placed strike, an unexpected kick. When I walked into the local cineplex this afternoon, I felt I knew what was coming as I sat down for Wong Kar-wai’s <b>THE GRANDMASTER</b>. And at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I found it to be the most unexpectedly terrific film I’ve seen in more than a year and possibly the best martial arts picture since Zhang Yimou’s <b>Hero</b> and Takeshi Kitano’s <b>Zatoichi</b>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">What makes it so great? <i>Intention and detail.</i> When I first saw the <b>Grandmaster</b> trailers I thought, “Wow, Wong Kar-wai’s doing a genre film again?” He hadn’t really done one since <b>Ashes of Time</b> in 1994 (and the cine-revisionist <b>Ashes of Time Redux</b> in 2008). In the between years, the man perfected the slow-burn romance drama with <b>In the Mood For Love</b>, <b>2046</b> and <b>The Hand</b> – his contribution to the omnibus film, <b>Eros</b> – and brought his sensibilities stateside with the noble Norah Jones and Jude Law-led<b> My Blueberry Nights</b> which wasn’t perfect but grew on and blossomed for me very quickly. So when I saw Tony Leung fighting ten or fifteen random people at night in the rain as the renowned Wing Chun master Ip Man — more recently played with general action flick acclaim by Donnie Yen — I thought it was an unusual step for WKW to make something so popularist, so apparently standard-looking. Like Edward Hopper penciling an issue of a <i>Spider-Man</i> comic. Not a bad move, just… Well, unexpected.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">I should have known better.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><b>The Grandmaster</b> is about fighting, both one’s physical opponent and one’s own desires. Part biopic, part action flick… but all art film, and even more so than it appears. A beautiful bait and switch, things start out as you might expect but in the latter half the film’s real strengths are revealed. Lovingly filmed, edited, photographed and performed, it’s not so concerned with badassness, sweeping vistas and operatic theatricality, though there is quite a bit of that in the first half and specific moments in the second and those scenes are still very well done and rank among the best anyone has ever done them. Then the visceral thrill of battle and excitement gives way to a more serene, heartfelt and contemplative second half that fits squarely into WKW’s more recent oeuvre. You realize that you’re watching something different, something that will tug at your emotions as much as it fulfills your need for fight choreography. You feel the fights more when you care about the characters this much, when they’re this well-drawn.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">No slap to Donnie Yen’s<b> Ip Man</b> films is intended here. They’re a lot of fun and remain well-made and well-performed action adventures. WKW’s <b>Grandmaster</b> is just a different take with different artistic concerns. Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper’s <b>Poltergeist</b> and Stanley Kubrick’s <b>The Shining</b> are both haunted house films. One’s a fun, sweet thrill ride and one’s a strange and shattering artistic wonder. <b>The Grandmaster</b>, just as <b>The Shining</b> does with Kubrick, also serves as a reminder about the sure-handed skill of it’s director, Wong Kar-wai..</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">The guy couldn’t make an average movie if he tried.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">(See this thing in a theater, if at all possible. This deserves to make a ton of money. And stay a moment after the credits start. There’s an unexpected midway “gotcha” there that gets a real smile.)</span></span><br />
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--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-89523613714739674122013-08-31T23:35:00.001-07:002013-08-31T23:38:06.945-07:00Note to Self: Do Try To Get Out of the House More Often.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<b>Not much news to report, for now. Some drama, some highs and lows, some biking, reading and writing. And of course, some movie watching...</b></div>
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<b>Theatrical Reviews</b></div>
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) ****<br />
The Blues Brothers (1981) ****<br />
Jurassic Park 3D ***1/2<br />
The World's End ***1/2<br />
Europa Report ***1/2<br />
The Wolverine ***1/2<br />
Iron Man 3 ***1/2<br />
Only God Forgives ***<br />
Blue Jasmine ***<br />
On the Road ***<br />
Pacific Rim ***<br />
Stoker ***<br />
Man of Steel **1/2<br />
Room 237 **1/2<br />
<br />
<b>DVD/Home Video</b><br />
Streetwise (Documentary, 1984) ****<br />
Comedian (Doc, 2002) ****<br />
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006, Japan) ***1/2<br />
Elevator to the Gallows (France, 1953) ***1/2<br />
What The @#*! Is Astron-6 (2011, DVD) ***1/2<br />
The Lost Skelton of Cadavera (2001) ***1/2<br />
Straight to Hell Returns (2011) ***1/2<br />
In the Heat of the Night (1967) ***1/2<br />
The Spanish Prisoner (1996) ***1/2<br />
Experiment in Terror (1962) ***1/2<br />
State of Grace (1990) ***1/2<br />
Alive (2002, Japan) ***1/2<br />
Texasville (1990) ***1/2<br />
Trespass (1990) ***1/2<br />
American: The Bill Hicks Story (2009, Doc) ***<br />
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012) ***<br />
Tom Waits: Burma Shave (1978/2006) ***<br />
Miami Connection (1987) ***<br />
The Public Eye (1994) ***<br />
The Split (1968) ***<br />
Marlowe (1969) ***<br />
Metro (1997) ***<br />
4:44: Last Day On Earth (2011) **1/2<br />
Doctor Who: The Movie (1996) **1/2<br />
Meet Monica Velour (2010) **1/2<br />
The Terrorist (1998, India) **1/2<br />
Just Imagine (1930) **1/2<br />
Navajo Joe (1966) **1/2<br />
Cat Chaser (1989) **1/2<br />
Parker (2013) **1/2<br />
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012) **<br />
Brainsmasher: A Love Story (1993) **<br />
Daft Punk: Electroma (2006) **<br />
Searchers 2.0 (2007) **<br />
Freaky Deaky (2013) **<br />
Trespass (2011) **<br />
Stolen (2012) **<br />
Crash (1996) **<br />
Safe (2012) **<br />
The Blob (1958) *1/2<br />
A Great Jungle Adventure (Germany, 1982) *<br />
Cruel Jaws (1995) *<br />
Zaat (1971) *<br />
<br />
<b>The Films of Brian De Palma</b><br />
Greetings (1968) **1/2<br />
Hi, Mom! (1970) ***<br />
Sisters (1973) ***<br />
Obsession (1976) **<br />
Carrie (1976) ***<br />
The Fury (1978) **1/2<br />
Dressed to Kill (1980) ***<br />
Blow Out (1981) ***<br />
Scarface (1983) **1/2<br />
Body Double (1984) ***<br />
Wise Guys (1986) ***1/2<br />
The Untouchables (1987) ****<br />
Casualties of War (1989) ***1/2<br />
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) ***<br />
Raising Cain (1992) ***<br />
Carlito's Way (1993) ****<br />
Mission: Impossible (1996) ***1/2<br />
Snake Eyes (1998) ***1/2<br />
Mission to Mars (2000) **<br />
Femme Fatale (2002) ***<br />
The Black Dahlia (2006) **<br />
<br />
<b>The Films of Dolph Lundgren</b><br />
Masters of the Universe ***<br />
Red Scorpion ***<br />
The Punisher ***<br />
I Come In Peace ***<br />
Showdown in Little Tokyo **1/2<br />
Universal Soldier **1/2<br />
Army of One / Joshua Tree **<br />
Johnny Mnemonic **1/2<br />
Silent Trigger *1/2<br />
Blackjack **1/2<br />
The Defender *1/2<br />
UNISOL: Day of Reckoning ***<br />
The Expendables ***<br />
Expendables 2 **1/2<br />
<br />
<b>The Films of the 1970s</b><br />
Serpico (1973) ****<br />
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) ***1/2<br />
Vanishing Point (1971) ***1/2<br />
Black Sunday (1977) ***1/2<br />
Little Murders (1971) ***1/2<br />
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1975) ***<br />
The Last American Hero (1973) ***<br />
Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976) ***<br />
Lady Sings the Blues (1972) ***<br />
The Carey Treatment (1972) ***<br />
American Hot Wax (1978) ***<br />
The Onion Field (1979) ***<br />
Rolling Thunder (1977) ***<br />
The Seven-Ups (1973) ***<br />
Charley Varrick (1973) ***<br />
Coonskin (1975) ***<br />
The Deep (1977) ***<br />
Joe (1975) ***<br />
The Silent Partner (1978) **1/2<br />
The Organization (1971) **1/2<br />
Heavy Traffic (1973) **1/2<br />
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973) **<br />
Aloha, Bobby & Rose (1975) **<br />
Badge 373 (1973) **<br />
Hustle (1975) **<br />
Fuzz (1972) **<br />
Driller Killer (1979) *<br />
<br />
<b>The Films of the 1980s</b><br />
Phil Collins: Live at Perkins Palace (1983, TV) ****<br />
Running Scared (1986) ****<br />
Miracle Mile (1988) ****<br />
Videodrome (1983) ****<br />
Tootsie (1982) ****<br />
Thief (1981) ****<br />
Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982) ***1/2<br />
Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983) ***1/2<br />
Dead Bang (1989) ***1/2<br />
Wise Guys (1986) ***1/2<br />
The Company of Wolves (1984) ***<br />
Grandview, U.S.A. (1984) ***<br />
Candy Mountain (1988) ***<br />
Streets of Fire (1985) ***<br />
The Entity (1981) ***<br />
Robot Jox (1989) ***<br />
The Wizard of Speed and Time (1989) **1/2<br />
Riptide: Pilot Episode (1984, TV) **1/2<br />
King of the Mountain (1981) **1/2<br />
Patlabor: The Movie (1989) **1/2<br />
The Park Is Mine (1986) **1/2<br />
Heavenly Bodies (1984) **1/2<br />
Zone Troopers (1985) **1/2<br />
Little Darlings (1980) **1/2<br />
Cutter's Way (1981) **1/2<br />
The Wild Life (1984) **1/2<br />
Eliminators (1986) **1/2<br />
Stir Crazy (1980) **1/2<br />
Malone (1987) **1/2<br />
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983) **<br />
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) **<br />
Fast Lane Fever (Austrailain, 1982) **<br />
Remote Control (1987) **<br />
The Ice Pirates (1984) **<br />
Battletruck (1982) **<br />
Get Crazy (1983) **<br />
Arena (1986) **<br />
Bulletproof (1988) *1/2<br />
Crash & Burn (1989) *<br />
<br />
<b>Books/Comics</b><br />
Black Coffee Blues (Henry Rollins) ***1/2<br />
Gonzo: A Graphic Biography of Hunter S. Thompson (Will Bingley & Anthony Hope-Smith) ***<br />
The Superior Spider-Man #1-7 (Marvel) ***<br />
Pronto (Elmore Leonard) ***<br />
All-New X-Men #1-4 (Marvel) **1/2<br />
The Big-Screen Drive In Theater (Donald Davis) **<br />
<br />
<b>Music/Spoken Word</b><br />
Escape From New York (score by Alan Howarth) 2013 Vinyl Reissue ****<br />
Blade Runner (score by Vangelis) 2013 Vinyl Reissue ***1/2<br />
Drive (score by Cliff Martinez) 2013 Vinyl Reissue ***1/2<br />
The Wolverine (score by Marco Beltrami) ***1/2<br />
Daft Punk: Random Access Memories ***1/2<br />
John Coltrane: Live at the Half Note ***1/2<br />
Edward Hopper and the Music of New York (jazz standards) ***<br />
David Bowie: The Next Day ***<br />
Eric Clapton: Old Sock ***<br />
mc chris: Friends (EP) ***<br />
mc chris: Kicks Tape (EP) **1/2<br />
Hunter S. Thompson's "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved" Audio Dramatization **1/2<br />
Man of Steel (score by Hans Zimmer) **1/2--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-82766261948590500272013-04-15T20:22:00.002-07:002013-09-07T20:11:09.680-07:00The Boston Marathon - 4/15/13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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It was a beautiful blue-skied morning as I walked to work with a roommate on her way downtown to the Boston Marathon. I've had a love/hate relationship with the Marathon for years in that I've often given it a bit of attitude (for the shutdown of local bus service and not being able to cross the street during the race, for example)... but eventually I always fall in line and get swept up in the joy of the occasion and the festivity of the crowds. The place where I work is located in a well-traveled shopping area neighborhood about two miles from the finish line and is on the actual route of the race itself, so we get to see all the runners and hear all the hoots and hollers of all the supportive people-watchers nearby. Online for a moment between work moments, I saw that a friend who'd gone down to the finish line had Facebooked something alone the lines of <i>"I just heard explosions in Copley at the Marathon, WTF?"</i> And my first thought when reading that was that it must've been fireworks or celebration cannons or something and didn't immediately think anything much of it. (The city sounds-off heavy guns at the Fourth of July on the Esplanade of the Charles River, so it didn't seem a huge stretch at the time.) Not three minutes later, the Facebook status updates of my local friends began coming in fast and furious. Then the links to news reports. And finally one of my co-workers came to my workspace and reported the official word about the bombs going off at the finish line. </div>
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The next moments and hours were sad and surreal. We all pretty much stopped working for a while as the emergency vehicles of the surrounding areas tore through our area, headed downtown. I called my Mom and Facebooked friends and family to let them know I was fine. A longtime friend stopped in from watching the race to see check in and see if we were all present and accounted for. She and I walked out around the neighborhood to grab a coffee and talk about what was going on. We saw an oblivious race runner nearly get hit by a speeding squad car. We saw elderly women at the coffee shop at the exact moment that they learned what was happening. Hundreds more runners were just jogging along doing their thing, apparently not in possession of cell phones and most likely not knowing a thing about what was happening just two or three miles up the road. National Guard people climbed into their heavy vehicle and headed off toward the scene. And most everyone was on their cells or smartphones trying to learn more about the causes and/or casualties. Eventually the street was closed and emptied, the trains were shut down and the local neighborhood looked as deserted as it does on an early Sunday morning. Later, I finally heard from my roommate who let us here at the house know that she made it home safe & sound and that she'd fortunately never actually made it downtown to the event, which was a major relief... <br />
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At work, we spent most of the rest of the day doing our jobs as usual, checking in on live-streams of local news and chatting with customers about the tragedy. We watched and listened through all the chaos of the multiple bomb reports, facts and falsehoods, the local law enforcement press conferences, the live shots from Copley Square and the city hospitals, the injury and casualty reports, the pop theories and national news chatter. They're still piecing everything together as I write this. There are reports of surveillance pictures of an individual dropping a backpack or backpacks into a trash car or cans as well as news videos and GIFs of the two confirmed blasts at the finish line area and the deep fear and terror of the scared and injured on the scene.<br />
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It reminds me of 9/11, of course. Of getting off that underground commuter rail train that morning, coming up to the street and looking up into the sky, watching for low flying planes and building fires, not knowing anything about what was happening except for the cold facts of the destruction and the dead.<br />
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It's only been a little over eight hours. So far nobody's claimed responsibility and noone seems to know who or why this happened, just yet. There are no answers just yet and there's actually very little to say. The local emotional vibe is sorrow, confusion and desire for more information, for a name and a face to put to this terrible event. Hopefully we'll get them as the night goes on and the time passes. Tomorrow's a new day and it seems it will be a partly sunny and warm one for this time of year. It will be one in which the departed will be mourned and survivors will hold each other in tearful relief and thanks. I, among others I'm sure, am thankful that this attack wasn't as large as it <i>could've</i> been, all things considered, and am also looking forward to the moment when those who did this are identified and brought to justice. I'm thankful that none of my friends or family were caught in the terror of this afternoon first-hand and am also very sad for the victims that were. There will be joy and sadness tomorrow. But we'll rise in the morning and go on with what we do, as they have in New York and London and Paris and everywhere else that suffers the evil work of cowards. And we'll get through it. As Patton Oswalt said this morning of the violent and hateful and ignorant, <i> "The good outnumber you, and we always will."</i><br />
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I have no such quotes for the ages, no answers and not much in the way of spiritual or even helpful advice. All I have is hope that you are safe and warm with those you love. And a hope that good is stronger than evil. Especially in moments like these, when it seems most difficult to believe. --mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-29235081569833655552013-02-19T21:42:00.001-08:002013-11-27T10:51:42.224-08:00Etymology and John McClane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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In doing a personal research project regarding the classic (and now over-sequelized) 1988 action film <b>DIE HARD</b> directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis, I picked up on something kind of interesting...</div>
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The expression <b><i>"yippee-ki-yay,"</i></b> attributed to Roy Rogers by John McClane (Bruce Willis), <i>may or may not</i> have actually been coined by Roy Rogers. In trying to find the actual<i> very first</i> use of the term, I found some intriguing clips on YouTube.<br />
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First were a couple of versions of the song "The Ballad of Pecos Bill" by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers. In both the following version (date unknown) and the 1948 version below from the Disney feature film, <b>Pecos Bill</b>, the line is <b><i>"yippee-i-yay, yippee-i-oh"</i></b>...<br />
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A little closer is the next song, written by Johnny Mercer and performed by Bing Crosby, "I'm An Old Cowhand" from 1936. It features the expression <b><i>"yippee-i-oh-ki-yay.</i></b>"</div>
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And in this Roy Rogers version of "Git Along Little Dogies" from 1940, he uses the expression <b><i>"whoopy-ti-yi-oh."</i></b></div>
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So, did Roy Rogers ever actually say<b><i> yippee-ki-yay</i></b>? Maybe as dialogue in a particular film? Or on the radio? Or in a different version of a different song? I'm not sure. If so, I still haven't found it. My research continues... </div>
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Also, I'm throwing this last clip in, 'cause it's pretty cute.</div>
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And with that, I think I may have done more actual, proper, <b>Die Hard</b> related research than the makers of <b>A Good Day to Die Hard</b> did.</div>
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<b>Theatrical Reviews</b></div>
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On the Waterfront (1954) ****</div>
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Ghostbusters (1984) ****</div>
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Evil Dead 2 (1987) ****</div>
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Manhattan (1979) ****</div>
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Chinatown (1974) ****</div>
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Jaws (1975) ****</div>
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Mad Max (1979) ****</div>
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Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) ****</div>
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Django Unchained ***1/2</div>
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The Fifth Element (1997) ***1/2</div>
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Bronson (2008) ***1/2</div>
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Jack Reacher ***1/2</div>
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Samsara ***1/2</div>
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The Dark Knight Rises ***</div>
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The 'Burbs (1989) ***</div>
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Looper ***</div>
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The Expendables 2 **1/2</div>
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The Master **1/2</div>
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To Rome With Love **</div>
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A Good Day to Die Hard *1/2</div>
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<b>DVD/Home Video</b></div>
<div>
The Silence of the Lambs: Criterion Collection (1991) ****</div>
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The Killing: Criterion Collection (1956) ****</div>
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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) ****</div>
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Dark Days (Documentary) ****</div>
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Zero Effect (1998) ****</div>
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The Thing (1982) ****</div>
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Heist (2001) ****</div>
<div>
Johnny Carson: King of Late Night (PBS) ***1/2</div>
<div>
Looking For Mr. Goodbar (1977) ***1/2</div>
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Maria Bamford: Plan B (2010) ***1/2</div>
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Escape From Alcatraz (1975) ***1/2</div>
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The Eiger Sanction (1975) ***1/2</div>
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The Long Goodbye (1973) ***1/2</div>
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The Brink's Job (1978) ***1/2</div>
<div>
The Rocketeer (1991) ***1/2</div>
<div>
Sid and Nancy (1986) ***1/2</div>
<div>
Futurama: Volume 7 ***1/2</div>
<div>
Withnail & I (1987) ***1/2<br />
Meanwhile (2012) ***1/2</div>
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Mona Lisa (1986) ***1/2</div>
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Real Life (1978) ***1/2</div>
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Haywire (2012) ***1/2</div>
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Hit! (1973) ***1/2</div>
<div>
Check It Out with Dr. Steve Brule: Seasons 1 & 2 ***</div>
<div>
80 Blocks From Tiffany's (Documentary) ***</div>
<div>
NY77: The Coolest Year In Hell (Doc) ***</div>
<div>
Resident Evil: Degeneration (anime) ***</div>
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Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) ***</div>
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Tom Waits: Big Time (1988) ***</div>
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Night Fishing (South Korea) ***</div>
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The Cannonball Run (1981) ***</div>
<div>
Private Eye (South Korea) ***</div>
<div>
Rough Cut (South Korea) ***</div>
<div>
The Nickel Ride (1974) ***</div>
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The Quiet Earth (1985) ***</div>
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White Lightning (1973) ***</div>
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The Howling (1981) ***</div>
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Valley Girl (1984) ***</div>
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Class (1983) ***</div>
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Flying Swords of Dragon Tiger Gate (HK) **1/2</div>
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The Sorcerer and the Green Snake (HK) **1/2</div>
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2019: After The Fall of New York (1983) **1/2</div>
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Edge City / Sleep Is For Sissies (1980) **1/2</div>
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Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) **1/2</div>
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Drive A Crooked Road (1957) **1/2</div>
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Endangered Species (1982) **1/2</div>
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Cannonball Run II (1984) **1/2</div>
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American Flyers (1985) **1/2</div>
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Lady in Cement (1968) **1/2</div>
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The Choirboys (1977) **1/2</div>
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Tony Rome (1967) **1/2</div>
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High-Ballin' (1978) **1/2</div>
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Saturn 3 (1980) **1/2</div>
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Machete (2011) **1/2</div>
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Bad Ass (2012) **1/2</div>
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Busting (1973) **1/2</div>
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Walker (1987) **1/2</div>
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Jaws 2 (1975) **1/2</div>
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Gator (1976) **1/2</div>
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Sliver (1994) **1/2</div>
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Jade (1995) **1/2</div>
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They're Playing with Fire (1984) **</div>
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Return to Boggy Creek (1977) **</div>
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American Anthem (1985) **</div>
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Dawn of the Dead (1978) **</div>
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Diary of a Hitman (1991) **</div>
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Live From Tokyo (Doc) **</div>
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Pink Panther 2 (2009) **</div>
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Thunder Run (1986) **</div>
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Sadako 3D (Japan) **</div>
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Raw Force (1982) **</div>
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Destroyer (1988) **</div>
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Moon 44 (1990) **</div>
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Air Doll (Japan) **</div>
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Zardoz (1974) **</div>
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Wacko (1982) **</div>
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Claws (1977) **</div>
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Howling II: Your Sister Is A Werewolf *1/2</div>
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Casa De Mi Padre (2012) *1/2</div>
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Repo Chick (2009) *1/2</div>
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Terrorvision (1986) *1/2</div>
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R.O.T.O.R. (1989) *1/2</div>
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Grizzly (1976) *1/2</div>
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Grizzly 2: The Predator (Workprint Edition, 1983) 1/2 *</div>
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Robbers of the Sacred Mountain (1982) 1/2*</div>
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<b>The Films of Humphrey Bogart</b></div>
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San Quentin (1937) **1/2</div>
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Dead End (1937) ***1/2</div>
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You Can't Get Away With Murder (1939) **1/2</div>
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King of the Underworld (1939) ***</div>
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The Return of Doctor X (1939) **1/2</div>
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They Drive By Night (1940) ***1/2</div>
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All Through The Night (1941) ***1/2</div>
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Across the Pacific (1942) ***</div>
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Sahara (1943) ****</div>
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Action in the North Atlantic (1943) ***</div>
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Passage to Marseille (1944) ***</div>
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Dead Reckoning (1947) ***</div>
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Chain Lightning (1949) ***</div>
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Tokyo Joe (1949) ***</div>
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The Enforcer (1951) ***1/2</div>
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Battle Circus (1953) **1/2</div>
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<b>The Films of Wim Wenders</b></div>
<div>
The Scarlet Letter (1973) **</div>
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The American Friend (1977) ***</div>
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Hammett (1982) ***</div>
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Paris, Texas (1984) ****</div>
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Wings of Desire (1987) ****</div>
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Until The End of the World (1991) ****</div>
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Faraway, So Close! (1993) **1/2</div>
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The End of Violence (1997) ***1/2</div>
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Buena Vista Social Club (1999) ****</div>
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The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) ***</div>
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Land of Plenty (2004) ***</div>
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Don't Come Knocking (2005) **1/2</div>
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<b>SeagalFest 2012</b></div>
<div>
Steven Seagal Vs Justin Lee Collins (2011, UK) ***</div>
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Maximum Conviction (2012) **1/2</div>
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The Path Beyond Thought (2001, Doc) **</div>
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The Voice Vs Steven Seagal (2012, TV) **</div>
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<b>Music/Spoken Word</b></div>
<div>
Maria Bamford: Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome ****</div>
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Com Truise: In Decay ***1/2</div>
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The Dark Knight Rises (score by Hans Zimmer) ***</div>
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The 'Burbs (score by Jerry Goldsmith) ***</div>
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Moon 44 (score by Joel Goldsmith) **1/2</div>
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Mitch Murder: Mars (EP) ***</div>
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Bronson (soundtrack) ***</div>
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The Amazing Spider-Man (score by James Horner) **1/2</div>
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Official Dramatized Recording *</div>
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<b>Internet</b></div>
<div>
Ricky Gervais XFM Podcast Seasons 1-4 (YouTube) ****</div>
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The Ricky Gervais Show (HBO/YouTube) ****</div>
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Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special! (Chill.com) ***1/2</div>
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<b>Literature</b></div>
<div>
Hotel Chronicles (Wim Wenders) ***1/2</div>
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The Old Neighborhood (David Mamet) ***</div>
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Kiss Your Ass Goodbye (Charles Willeford) **1/2</div>
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Gas Station (Joseph Torra) *</div>
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<br />--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-41079262849762038852012-12-11T23:45:00.001-08:002012-12-19T21:44:26.646-08:00The Eighties Experiment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of you might know how I've been going through "an 80's thing" for a little while. Some of you might call that a dramatic understatement.</div>
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It all began when I was preparing to write the dream project that I'm sure I've bored most of you about already: the <i>set-in-the-80's sci-fi action-comedy script</i> that I've been kicking around and adding to since I was in high school, <i>back in 1987</i>. </div>
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I thought about all the 80's movies that I loved or even vaguely recalled as a kid. Stuff about robots, video arcades, super-vehicles, crazy stunts, tough cops, et cetera. I decided to track down a few of these films that I hadn't seen in years and see them again, many for the first time in twenty years, to see what held up and what didn't and to see if I could fall back into them through their greatness and/or despite their faults. </div>
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The thinking was/is... In order to recapture the adventure, the fun and the greatness of the <b>Best Movies of the 80's</b>, I would have to study the genre film by film and hopefully soak in, even unconsciously, what made them great. </div>
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<b><i>"Method writing,"</i></b> if you will.</div>
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I made a list and started compiling movies and watching them all over again, then added another few titles to the list... and again... and again. I began with mostly genre stuff (sci-fi, action-adventure) but ended up expanding the list whenever and however I saw fit at any given moment.</div>
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Cut to: over<i> a year later</i>... (!) What started as a twenty-five film list just<b> exploded</b>. I'm still going at it with a few more titles to go. But, it's time to grow up again, to finally cut this experiment to an end and move on, or else I'll just keep watching more and more of these flicks, this will <i>never end</i> and I'll never get this thing written -- which is already a far too recurring theme in my current creative output. Or lack thereof.</div>
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I kept a list of how I liked the above 80's movies and figured I'd share it. Now, please don't look at some of the ratings and think, "How could this fool rate that Burt Reynolds movie over that Clint Eastwood movie?" or "How could he not give that movie I love four stars?" It's not meant to be the end-all-be-all of movie lists and there's no such thing as a "right" opinion. To be fair, there are a lot of guilty pleasures on the list that get a pass just because I still find them funnyish or cleverish, personally.</div>
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And there are tons of movies that aren't on the list or that I just haven't gotten 'round to watching again. (I still have <i>Shanghai Surprise, Secret Admirer</i> and<i> The Ice Pirates</i> to watch, for example.) It's all very subjective and these are just one guy's opinions on an experiment that's been a real blast but has taken faaaaaar too long. I'm just putting this out there for fun's sake. For the most part, you'll notice that I like a lot more movies one way or another than I don't. I usually try to find something to praise about a movie, somehow.</div>
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Anything that gets two and a half stars ("good") or better gets a recommendation from me of some sort. Be it some saucy humor, a good bar room brawl, car chase or laser gun fight. Also, I cheated and put some late 70's movies in there, too, since most of those ones I'd never gotten around to seeing until at least the 80's anyway. That, or they retain some of the 80's film spirit that I remember so fondly as a kid checking out the <i>new releases</i> wall at the local video shop. Anyway, here we go. Compare, contrast, and have fun! </div>
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<b><i><u>The Eighties Experiment</u></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Alien (1979) ****</div>
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Aliens (1986) ****</div>
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Back To The Future (1985) ****</div>
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Back To The Future Part II (1989) ***1/2</div>
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Back To The Future Part III (*1990) ***</div>
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Beverly Hills Cop (1984) ****</div>
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Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) ***</div>
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The Cannonball Run (1981) ***</div>
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Cannonball Run II (1984) **1/2</div>
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Ghostbusters (1984) ****</div>
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Ghostbusters II (1989) **1/2</div>
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Mad Max (1979) ****</div>
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Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) ***1/2</div>
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Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985) ***1/2</div>
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Poltergeist (1982) ****</div>
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Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1985) **1/2</div>
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Poltergeist III (1988) *1/2</div>
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Porky's (1981) ***</div>
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Porky's II: The Next Day (1983) **1/2</div>
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Porky's Revenge (1985) **1/2</div>
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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) ****</div>
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) ****</div>
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) ***1/2</div>
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Smokey and the Bandit (*1977) ***1/2</div>
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Smokey and the Bandit, Part 2 (1980) **1/2</div>
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Smokey and the Bandit, Part 3 (1983) **1/2</div>
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Star Wars: A New Hope (*1977) ****</div>
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Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) ****</div>
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Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) ***1/2</div>
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Superman (*1978) ****</div>
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Superman II: Theatrical (1980) ***1/2</div>
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Superman II: The Donner Cut (1980/2006) ***1/2</div>
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Superman III (1983) ***</div>
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The Warriors: Original Theatrical Cut (*1979) ***</div>
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The Warriors: Ultimate Director's Cut (2005) **1/2</div>
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind (*1977) ****</div>
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (*1978) ****</div>
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Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) **** </div>
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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) ****</div>
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The Witches of Eastwick (1987) ****<br />
To Live and Die in L.A. (1986) ****<br />
<div>
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) ****</div>
</div>
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The Blues Brothers (1980) ****</div>
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The Untouchables (1987) ****</div>
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This Is Spinal Tap (1981) ****</div>
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Lost In America (1985) ****</div>
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Something Wild (1987) ****</div>
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Running Scared (1986) ****</div>
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Raising Arizona (1987) ****</div>
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The Terminator (1984) ****</div>
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Lethal Weapon (1987) ****</div>
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Koyaanisqatsi (1982) ****</div>
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Midnight Run (1988) ****</div>
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Time Bandits (1981) ****</div>
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Blade Runner (1982) ****</div>
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The Shining (1980) ****</div>
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Miracle Mile (1988) ****</div>
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Blue Velvet (1985) **** </div>
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Evil Dead 2 (1987) ****</div>
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Meatballs (*1979) ****</div>
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Die Hard (1988) ****</div>
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Predator (1987) ****</div>
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Airplane! (1980) ****</div>
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Diner (1982) ****</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) ***1/2<br />
Miami Vice: The Prodigal Son (TV, 1985) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) ***1/2</div>
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Some Kind of Wonderful (1986) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Married To The Mob (1987) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Police Academy (1984) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Risky Business (1982) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
At Close Range (1986) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Sid and Nancy (1986) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Bachelor Party (1984) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Outsiders (1983) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Silver Streak (*1976) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Big Easy (1986) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Paris, Texas (1984) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Goonies (1985) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Natural (1984) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
WarGames (1983) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Beetlejuice (1988) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Innerspace (1987) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Verdict (1982) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Mona Lisa (1986) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Manhunter (1985) ***1/2</div>
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Body Heat (1981) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Brainstorm (1983) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
D.A.R.Y.L. (1985) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
D.C. Cab (1983) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Gremlins (1984) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Stripes (1981) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Foxes (1980) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Barfly (1987) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Tron (1982) ***1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1983) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Max Headroom: The Complete Series (TV) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Man with One Red Shoe (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Bright Lights, Big City (1988) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
8 Million Ways To Die (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Tom Waits: Big Time (1988) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Last Starfighter (1984) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Monster Squad (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Brewster's Millions (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Corvette Summer (*1978) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Johnny Handsome (1989) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Modern Problems (1981) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Band of the Hand (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Family Business (1989) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Prince of the City (1981) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Stormy Monday (1988) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Quiet Earth (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Vampire's Kiss (1988) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Promised Land (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Doctor Detroit (1983) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Spies Like Us (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Three Amigos (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Gauntlet (*1977) ***<br />
Runaway Train (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Blue Thunder (1983) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Body Double (1984) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Rumble Fish (1983) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Slam Dance (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Stroker Ace (1981) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Howling (1981) ***<br />
Sea of Love (1989) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Crossroads (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Wise Guys (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
52 Pick-Up (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Shakedown (1988) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Pale Rider (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The 'Burbs (1989) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Valley Girl (1984) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Automatic (1995) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Superfuzz (1982) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Red Heat (1988) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Big Shots (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Labyrinth (1986) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Stakeout (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Runaway (1984) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Stuff (1985) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Convoy (*1978) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Dragnet (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Outland (1981) ***<br />
Colors (1987) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Class (1983) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Cobra (1986) ***<br />
Cop (1988) ***</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
2019: After The Fall of New York (1983) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Battlestar Galactica: The Movie (*1978) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Philadelphia Experiment (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) **1/2<br />
The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
A Prayer For The Dying (1987) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Manhattan Project (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Maximum Overdrive (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Concrete Cowboys (1979) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Sharky's Machine (1982) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Golden Child (1986) **1/2<br />
The Delta Force (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
American Drive-In (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Last Dragon (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Cloak & Dagger (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Action Jackson (1988) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Weird Science (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Capricorn One (*1979) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Streets of Fire (1984) **1/2<br />
Invasion U.S.A. (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Chopping Mall (1983) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Mike's Murder (1984) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Flash Gordon (1980) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Times Square (1980) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Survivors (1983) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Return to Oz (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Dreamscape (1983) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Silver Bullet (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Solarbabies (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Wraith (1987) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Spaceballs (1987) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Nighthawks (1981) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Quicksilver (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Quiet Cool (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Megaforce (1983) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Neighbors (1981) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Reckless (1984) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Explorers (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Raw Deal (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Gate (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Six Pack (1982) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Saturn 3 (1980) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Trancers (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Scarface (1983) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Wisdom (1987) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Walker (1987) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Zapped! (1982) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Gotham (1988) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Perfect (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Stick (1985) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Tank (1984) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Dune (1984) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Heat (1986) **1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
They're Playing with Fire (1984) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Legend of Billy Jean (1985) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
My Science Project (1985) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
American Anthem (1985) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Enemy Territory (1987) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Comin' At Ya' (1981) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Logan's Run (*1976) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Thunder Run (1986) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Enemy Mine (1985) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Spacecamp (1986) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Nightflyers (1987) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Def-Con 4 (1985) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Destroyer (1988) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Fear City (1984) ** </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Drive-In (*1976) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Cyclone (1987) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Tomboy (1985) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Wacko (1982) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
House (1986) **</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Making Contact (1986) *1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Jake Speed (1986) *1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Star Crash (*1978) *1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Terrorvision (1986) *1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Breathless (1984) *1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Joysticks (1983) *1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Krull (1983) *1/2</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Firewalker (1986) *</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Grizzly (*1977) * 1/2 star</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
Grizzly II (1983 Workprint Edition) * star</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">
The Galaxy Invader (1985) * star</div>
--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-61314940170585524942012-07-10T21:53:00.000-07:002012-07-10T22:35:02.968-07:00New York / Boston - Summer 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /></div>
<br />
<b>Theatrical Reviews</b><br />
Wild At Heart (1990) ***1/2<br />
Moonrise Kingdom ***1/2<br />
Cure For Pain: The Mark Sandman Story (Documentary) ***<br />
The Amazing Spider-Man **1/2<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>DVD/Home Video</b><br />
The Stunt Man (1980) ****<br />
Spider-Man 2 (2004) ****<br />
Lone Star (1996) ****<br />
Spider-Man (2002) ***1/2<br />
The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) ***<br />
Alien: Resurrection (1987) ***<br />
Vampire's Kiss (1988) ***<br />
Spider-Man 3 (2007) ***<br />
Slam Dance (1987) ***<br />
Automatic (1995) ***<br />
Conflict (1945) ***<br />
Invasion U.S.A. (1985) **1/2<br />
Return to Oz (1985) **1/2<br />
Looking for Lenny (2011) **<br />
Logan's Run (1976) **<br />
House (1986) **<br />
Making Contact (1986) *1/2<br />
<br />
<b>Internet</b><br />
The Maria Bamford Show (YouTube) ****<br />
<br />
<b>Literature</b><br />
LaBrava (Elmore Leonard) ***1/2<br />
When the Women Come Out to Dance (Elmore Leonard) ***<br />
The "Alien" Quartet (David Thompson) **1/2<br />
<div>
<br /></div>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-73527294863014903712012-06-08T20:27:00.000-07:002012-07-10T22:42:30.617-07:00More Human Than Human?<br />
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Here's a conceptual question I'll throw out there for those who might be interested... <b><i>Is David Evil </i></b>?<br />
<br />
He's an android, so by definition I'll assume he's <i>programmable</i> be it by use of programmed code or voice commands. But he only seems programmable by Peter Weyland. Though it's never explicitly stated, he seems to consider only Weyland his master (attending to him like a son). David is defiant with Vickers (a suggested brother/sister sort of hate relationship which made me, too, believe that Vickers was in fact also a synthetic for a while - which could have been more interesting). He often refuses to obey direct orders from various people, especially Shaw. Not only does he not care about humans in any sort of identifiable way, he goes out of his way to lie to them, seemingly calculating equations of chance and intentionally infecting Holloway, which kills Holloway and leads to the near death of Shaw and the possible destruction of the entire mission and crew. In fact, the his only<i> real</i> selfless act is trying to reach Holloway and Shaw during the storm and cable-pull them back to safety. I suspect he only did this, though, to protect his Holloway Experiment. Or possibly because Shaw intrigues him. (He watches her hypersleep dreams and later snidely compliments her "survival instincts." Very much like Ash marvels at the Xenomorph in the 1977 original. Coincidence?)<br />
<br />
Do we believe that he was, perhaps, programmed by Weyland to bring him a cure from the Engineers for his old age infirmaries no matter what the cost? Or... Do we think that he's simply exercising free will? Perhaps he was never given the big three Prime Directives in his programming. Do we think he has the ability to ignore them? Bishop (<b><i>Aliens</i></b>) does say that earlier "artificial people" models were "a little twitchy," directly referring to Ash (<i><b>Alien</b></i>) but by proxy also perhaps referring to the much further back "David" android models. How much free will do we think David has? Bishop seems to have less, citing his "behavioral inhibitors." Ash seemed to have quite a bit, though he seemed to break down (go berserk) when forced into making the tougher choices of mission vs crew.<br />
<br />
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Interestingly, Scott chooses to end <b><i>Prometheus</i></b> by having the much-beset-upon Shaw rocket off into the unknown universe in search of the Engineers... alongside the severed but still capable head of David: the very person (android) who was directly responsible for the death of all her peers as well as her own alien pregnancy, near death in alien-child birth, near murder at the hands of both the Engineer and the Tentacle Monster and near-asphyxiation -- and near-crushing from the giant crashing Engineer Ship -- on LV-223's surface.. with Shaw none the wiser as to the nature of her tormentor and with him getting next to no comeuppance aside from being beheaded - which seems to him to be more of an annoyance than anything else. Sending Shaw off into space with the very being who destroyed her whole life seems... an odd choice... for <b><i>Prometheus</i></b>' ending.<br />
<br />
<br />
Unless David's had some sort of personal epiphany, Shaw would seem to be in a position of even more danger by film's end, trapped alone with perhaps the single most untrustworthy piece of cinematic hardware since the HAL-9000. Then again, Ridley Scott similarly put everyone's most beloved psychotic killer, Doctor Lecter, onto a plane headed for safer pastures, minus a piece of his own body (his hand), back in 2001's <b><i>Hannibal</i></b>, so such a thing is in his history. Hmm...<br />
<br />
The HAL-9000 (machine) + Hannibal Lecter (human) = David (human-like machine)?<br />
<br />
<b>Theatrical Reviews</b><br />
The Avengers ****<br />
Men in Black 3D ***<br />
Prometheus **1/2<br />
<br />
<b>DVD/Home Video</b><br />
Aliens (1986) ****<br />
Diner (1982) ****<br />
Swimming to Cambodia (1987) ***1/2<br />
The Outsiders (1983) ***1/2<br />
Galaxy Quest (1999) ***1/2<br />
The Cruise (1998) ***1/2<br />
Foxes (1980) ***1/2<br />
Barfly (1987) ***1/2<br />
Alien 3: The Assembly Cut (DVD) ***<br />
Bukowski: Born Into This (2003) ***<br />
Ninja Kids!!! (Japan, 2011) ***<br />
Band of the Hand (1986) ***<br />
Convoy (1978) ***<br />
The Jerky Boys: The Movie (1995) **1/2<br />
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy! (2004) **1/2<br />
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) **1/2<br />
Concrete Cowboys (1979) **1/2<br />
Mike's Murder (1984) **1/2<br />
The Survivors (1983) **1/2<br />
Megaforce (1983) **1/2<br />
Neighbors (1981) **1/2<br />
The Gate (1986) **1/2<br />
Gotham (1988) **1/2<br />
1408 **1/2<br />
Highlander 2: Renegade Version (1991/1995) **<br />
Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984) **<br />
The Mechanic (2010) **<br />
Fire With Fire (1986) **<br />
Nightflyers (1987) **<br />
Fire Birds (1990) **<br />
Evolution (2001) **<br />
Tomboy (1985) **<br />
Cyclone (1987) **<br />
Star Crash (1978) *1/2<br />
<br />
<b>Books</b><br />
The Friends of Eddie Coyle (George V. Higgins) ***<br />
Ronin (Frank Miller) ***<br />
<br />
<b>Music/Spoken Word</b><br />
Paul McCartney & Wings: Wingspan ****<br />
Henry Rollins: Northhampton, MA (May, 2011) ***1/2<br />
Thief (score by Tangerine Dream) ***1/2<br />
B.B. King: The Best of B.B. King ***1/2<br />
B.B. King: Six Silver Strings ***<br />
Moonrise Kingdom (score by Alexande Desplat) ***<br />
Nightflyers (score by Tangerine Dream) ***<br />
The Avengers (score by Alan Silvestri) ***<br />
Rush: 2112 ***<br />
Men in Black III (score by Danny Elfman) **1/2<br />
Prometheus (score by Marc Streitenfeld) **1/2<br />--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-74844167831433744192012-04-20T17:26:00.000-07:002012-07-10T22:09:32.791-07:00From Alien to Prometheus: Visions of Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<i><b>Alien</b></i>: Perfect suspense horror.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Aliens</i></b>: Perfect suspense action.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Alien 3</b></i>: Some big mistakes, but decent performances. I prefer the DVD box set extended-cut to the theatrical.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Alien Resurrection</b></i>: Also some big mistakes but it's solid b-movie comic book fun. Love Sigourney... but I wish the film were smarter.<br />
<br />
One thing that bothers me about the <b><i>Alien</i></b> series is all the time jumps. I understand that <i>Alien</i> takes place in the year <b>2115</b>. I can buy that. It would probably take that much time to get us into space so often that we'd have regular freight routes like the Nostromo might use. Then <i>Aliens</i> jumps 57 years to<b> 2172</b> and that's fine since that duration seems plausible enough for Ripley to have been floating around out there (her daughter and friends back home have passed on, she's Sleeping Beauty). <i> Aliens</i> leaves her, Newt and Hicks in cryostasis again until <i>Alien 3</i> picks up...<i> when</i>? My research doesn't turn up a listing for the year that <i>Alien 3 </i>takes place in, though I feel that it's meant to take place immediately after <i>Aliens</i>. So, timewise, <i>Aliens</i> and <i>Alien 3</i> are pretty much one long movie. And after<i> Alien 3 </i>comes to a close, we jump 200 years ahead to <i>Alien Resurrection</i>, presumably set in <b>2372</b>.<br />
<br />
And all that's changed in 250 years, from Ripley's basic <i>Alien</i> timeline and the <i>Resurrection</i> timeline is... Cloning? Laser-melted alcohol? Sexier androids (Ryder)? Galactic freighters don't seem to have changed much, nor language, recreational sports (basketball), sexual attitudes (Perlman) or wheelchairs (Pinon). That's what always bothered me most about <i>Alien 3</i> and <i>Alien Resurrection</i>: that there just wasn't enough imagination in them. Scott's <i>Nostromo</i> is both a nightmarish hanuted house in space <i>and a giant live-in truck</i>, basically sent out there to gather materials and transport them home to Earth, isn't it? In film, it's pretty much the first of it's particular kind (aside possibly from <i>Dark Star</i> and maybe <i>Silent Running</i>). Cameron's vision of LV-246 is still unmatched to this day in it's realistic-feeling workaday portrayal of the terraforming colony and far more sprawling and even daring in its tech visions (the anime-like cargo-loaders).<br />
<br />
<i>Alien 3</i> and <i>Resurrection</i> feel been there done that in design and portrayal. The "wooden planet" from Vincent Ward's take on the screenplay sounded promising, though, if only intellectually (and perhaps an early spiritual sister to Aronofsky's <i>The Fountain</i>). It must be daunting from a design and storytelling sense to have to come up with a cinematic future like nobody's ever seen before. <i> The Fifth Element</i> seemed a poppy, happy take on <i>Blade Runner</i> via <i>The Jetsons</i>. The vision of Zion and the scorched surfaces of <i>The Matrix Trilogy</i> got deeply earthy (literally so). Right now, the only futurist vision that comes to mind as being somewhat fresh is the one of Spielberg-and-Kubrick's <i>A.I.: Artificial Intelligenc</i>e. Love it or hate it, the combination of technology and nature (oceans, fields) paints what feels to be a future within something akin to reason, whereas Spielberg's <i>Minority Report</i> comes fairly close except for the auto-drive freeways and cryo-prisons.<br />
<br />
In this way, it's interesting to me that Ridley's gone back in time a bit with <i>Prometheus</i>. Closer to our (the audience's) present time than any of the<b><i> Alien </i></b>films, his concepts of a world between the now and the far-off imagined have me wondering just what ol' Ridley's got waiting for us. By taking the huge gap leaps through time from <i>Alien 3 </i>and <i>Resurrection</i> out of the<i><b> Alien</b></i> equation, he might be giving us something unexpected -- an imagined future we could possibly relate to. This story might not deliver any forward looking predictions of still-further technical times, but then again this story seems not necessarily to need them. We'll see our future soon enough. In both the cinema and reality. <br />
<br />
<b><i>Read all about it:</i></b><br />
<a href="http://www.empireonline.com/features/alien-3-tale-of-the-wooden-planet/">ALIEN 3 - Vincent Ward's "Wooden Planet"</a><br />
<a href="http://vincentwardfilms.com/concepts/alien-3/unrequited-visio/">The Unrequited ALIEN 3</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Alien-Quartet-Bloomsbury-Guides/dp/1582340307">The ALIEN Quartet by David Thompson</a><br />
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-51406170723650985822012-04-15T11:55:00.004-07:002012-04-15T12:11:29.683-07:00The Cabin in the Woods: Going Deeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Note to reader:</span><i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <span style="color: yellow;">There Will Be Spoilers...</span></i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Continue only if you've seen the film already.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are three genres of motion picture that I'm typically less than engaged by.</div>1. War movies. ("Yay, let's celebrate humanity's ability to destroy itself.")<br />
2. Weepy family drama. (Don't we get enough of this in reality?)<br />
3. American Horror Movies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XZH7jPfxhZaYoq3hnI7OPjYKIqGvj5zg9R2Fryfablw3hqziN7SUO15NlP0SaiPS3rEOcsvlOAwXbdHo5Z-E60f6Ycual0hTXsxeZfm16SCe50zIIWgQeHdOS1OMEhgstesHWg/s1600/cabin_in_the_woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XZH7jPfxhZaYoq3hnI7OPjYKIqGvj5zg9R2Fryfablw3hqziN7SUO15NlP0SaiPS3rEOcsvlOAwXbdHo5Z-E60f6Ycual0hTXsxeZfm16SCe50zIIWgQeHdOS1OMEhgstesHWg/s320/cabin_in_the_woods.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br />
The main reason I have such a disconnect with the horror genre is simple. For me: it's not very interesting. Much can be said about the psychological nature of people, the necessity to spin a frightening story and the cathartic need to both feel that fearful excitement and then purge it. A horror film isn't like reading a scary novel or those moments you might have known as a kid among other kids sitting around a campfire telling stories about the Hook Handed Man or some such creepy crawly oogy-boogy. To me, those scenarios, when everything is in the imagination, are far more satisfying. A scary<i> movie</i> seems like a stranger thing, as what scares one person doesn't necessarily scare another, and what scares someone one day won't necessarily scare them the next. When I was a child I was full of fear, scared of barking dogs and thunderstorms... but not anymore. Ghosts and monsters and <i>Jasons</i> and <i>Freddies</i>, they never really got to me. Also, I've never been a big fan of gore, which was a huge horror movie trope of your 70's/80's horror movies and seemed to come back in a big way with the recent crop of bleached-out, grimed-up, <i>slice-you-up-for-no-particular-reason</i> "torture porn" films of the last ten years that just drove the genre down even deeper, as far as I'm concerned.<br />
<br />
That said, there are plenty of exceptions of horror cinema that I really do love. Mostly, it's monsterless regular person-on-person horror (or "psychological thrillers" as the marketing people call them now). Classic <i>Hitchcock</i>, <i>The Silence of the Lambs</i>, <i>Cape Fear</i> (both versions),<i> The Shining</i>, <i>Audition</i>, <i>The Hitcher </i>(original). What sets those movies apart is the intellectual intent and/or artistry of the storytellers. There are a few monster offerings that work for me: mostly Japanese offerings like the <i>Ring</i> and <i>Grudge</i> films and the works of <i>Kiyoshi Kurosawa</i>, classic <i>John Carpenter</i>, <i>Alien</i>, the first few episodes of <i>The Walking Dead</i>. And then there's horror-comedy, a tough genre to pull off but beautiful when it works. <i>Shaun of the Dead</i>, <i>Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn</i>, <i>Scream</i>, <i>An American Werewolf in London, </i>even<i> Ghostbusters</i> if you like<i>... </i>It's just that for everything that comes out of nowhere and revitalizes the genre like Frank Darabont's <i>The Mist</i>, we're asked to sit through a dozen or more weak sauce offerings like the <i>Saw</i> and <i>Hostel</i> movies. <br />
<br />
Which is why something like <b><span style="color: yellow;">CABIN IN THE WOODS</span></b> makes me so happy. It's a great combo of <i>all of the above</i>. Part psychological thriller (in that the <i>evil humankind can do</i> is a potent tale), part monster movie (<i>love</i> that anarchistic third act) and all comedy, all told with both intellectual intent and high artistry. It's an all-too-rare thing: a movie that deconstructs genre and takes the piss from the silliest of the horror herd, all while making you laugh and maybe squirm just a little bit. The tone of the film's poster just above pretty much says it all.<br />
<br />
The following are a few things I've been thinking about regarding<i> Cabin in the Woods</i>. Not so much a review as a laundry list of what the film does right... and other forms of imagination food and unanswered questions that the film opens doors to but never quite explains.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Character identification.</b> For a change, <i>Cabin</i> isn't so much a film in which we as an audience identifies with the teen/twenties victims. (Not for the most part, anyway.) This time, the characters that are the most identifiable are the <em>tormenters</em>; those in the Bunker. These guys are the ones who react the way we would - and do - as an audience as they put the kids through the paces. The already-infamous "Fuck you" moment; the "Take off your top and show us the goods" lines... These Puppetmasters are the ones sitting in their chairs with their food and drinks, watching things unfold as they in fact create the scenarios. They are the audience and the filmmakers and we can identify with them as both viewers and behind the scenes storytellers. They have all the answers, and they have all the best lines. <i>Cabin</i> is the only horror film I can think of right now where we're actually as engaged by those dishing out the horror, as people, as much as those receiving it. If these people weren't heading up the Sacrifice Department of <i>Endtimes Incorporated</i>, one gets the feeling they'd be fun to hang around with. ("You are not your job." -- <i>Tyler Durden</i>)<br />
<br />
2. <b>Image narrative.</b> <i>Cabin</i> is one of those movies in which there are a great many narrative references (and so many great referential visuals) that can reward the viewer during his/her multiple viewings. The ability to slow down and go frame-by-frame via blu-ray or DVD will reveal more jokes and details than the naked eye can take in upon a single theatrical screening. Often, a movie can make a lot more money in its home-viewing run than in theaters and the visually joke-packed imagery of <i>Cabin</i> will keep some people entertained, re-watching and studying details of scenes and frames at home, for years (Example: That one shot with all the monsters in their cubes. I look forward to studying that one.) I like to think I'm a fairly together viewer, and I know there are probably dozens of inside jokes that I missed. Gotta love visual-narrative depth.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Reverse humor.</b> The first act is nothing less than brilliant, in that all the jokes and lines that are the funniest are actually being told <i>backwards</i>. We're getting the punchlines <i>before</i> the set-ups. We can relate to and understand the humor in a line like "maintenance screws up a lot" from daily experience without being told what business we're in and who any of these characters are. But these lines still work, because they're idnetifiable in a real-life context. And the more info we're given as the film goes on rounds out that world further and helps make these moments and dialogue lines make more and more sense. To tell a joke backwards and a few moments later have it become even funnier than it would be if we knew all the facts beforehand is an unusual style of humor and more challenging and even rewarding. I applaud <i>Cabin in the Woods</i> for that sort of puzzle styled narrative construction.<br />
<br />
<b>Odds and ends</b>: The chamber at the end. The one with the blood-filled wall etchings. It's like a missile silo, a long vertical tube at the bottom of which The Ancients seem to be hanging out. Is that platform "The Director" and our Last Two Heroes are talking and fighting on <i>there for a reason</i>? At first I thought "Well, maybe it's acting as a cork to keep the Ancients down there." But it seemed that the Ancients could break through anytime they wanted if they so chose to violate the Pact. Do the bloody wall etchings have a caretaker? Someone to make sure the Ancients know things are going as planned? Sounds like an intern's job to me... <br />
<br />
If the Jock thought he had a cousin who bought the cabin but didn't really have a cousin, how did the Company make him think he had a cousin? A hired impersonator or actor like the Harbinger? A gas that makes you imagine family members? Just how long have these kids been on the Company's radar, anyway? <br />
<br />
The Company Men (Jenkins and Whitmore) make a lot of references to "Guys Downstairs." (The Ancients) But when the Red Danger Phone rings, I remember someone saying "It's the guys <i>Upstairs</i>." Did I hear this wrong, maybe? And if I didn't hear it wrong, who are the "Guys Upstairs?" <br />
<br />
I wonder who originated The Pact with the Ancients and how the monsters are decided upon and conjured/created. And what could the Ancients gain from making a Pact with humankind anyway? The blood in the wall etchings? Respect from or fear from what little of Humankind actually knows that the Ancients exist? If they just took over, they'd get all the blood/respect/fear they want. Until they killed everybody, I guess? Maybe that's why there's a Pact. To ensure future blood/respect/fear for the Ancients. I never understood this about sacrifices made to appease the gods. Sorry for my lack of knowledge regarding ritual. <br />
<br />
And lastly, Ancients making pacts with humans... Isn't that a little like people making a pact with ants? Has there been a film or novel in which a world is entirely populated by gods like the Ancients with no humans? <br />
<br />
Maybe some of this was all fully explained and I just missed it while having so much fun watching the film. I've always been a fan of the nuts and bolts of world-building in narrative. At least <i>Cabin in the Woods</i> has a depth of mythology to be considered and explored in a fun way. A lot of movies seem unfinished due to the laziness or the lack of care of the writers. <i>Cabin</i> has the extra-added-bonus of giving us gaps that feel as if they've been left for us to fill in the blanks ourselves, challenging us to be creative in our own right, rewarding us by jump starting our own imaginations.<br />
<br />
You know... Just like kids sitting around a campfire telling stories. :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Theatrical</b><br />
An Evening with Don Hertzfeldt ****<br />
The Cabin in the Woods ***1/2<br />
The Raid: Redemption ***<br />
<br />
<b>DVD/Home Video</b><br />
Running Scared (1986) ****<br />
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) ***1/2<br />
Futurama: Volume 5 ***1/2<br />
Future Cops (Hong Kong, 1993) ***<br />
Raising Cain (1992) ***<br />
52 Pick-Up (1986) ***<br />
Love at Large (1990) **1/2<br />
Rumble Fish (1983) **1/2<br />
RocknRolla (2008) **1/2<br />
The Dukes (2007) **1/2<br />
Ricochet (1991) **1/2<br />
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) **<br />
Enemy Territory (1987) **<br />
Nothing (2005) *1/2<br />
<br />
<b>Literature</b><br />
Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob (Kevin Weeks) ***<br />
Frank Miller's Holy Terror **1/2<br />
<br />
<b>Music/Spoken Word</b><br />
The Best of Bill Hicks ****<br />
Rollins' Choice (Henry Rollins, Blue Note) ****<br />
John Carter (original score by Michael Giacchino) ***1/2<br />
Laserhawk: The Vistors ***<br />
Charlatan: Equinox **1/2--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-9629323164873681092012-03-26T20:32:00.001-07:002012-04-15T10:08:15.277-07:00No News, More Reviews...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JSfKX6JG6HSP-DdTsJuPw2vN7bEgM03o1ihpEkAtb22kze4v4FSlYRBMCWAnMIzxILR0iKcMvSl3N8QrLOFmb4hbCAAeH4mWm5ZE0aQObjR0P-1i-CvkF2iCRT6pqQdABEsSNw/s1600/steinway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JSfKX6JG6HSP-DdTsJuPw2vN7bEgM03o1ihpEkAtb22kze4v4FSlYRBMCWAnMIzxILR0iKcMvSl3N8QrLOFmb4hbCAAeH4mWm5ZE0aQObjR0P-1i-CvkF2iCRT6pqQdABEsSNw/s320/steinway.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theatrical Reviews</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life Without Principle (Hong Kong) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Carter ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DVD/Home Video</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Audition (Japan, 1999) ****</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Koyaanisqatsi (1982) ****</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japan's Tsunami: Caught On Camera (Documentary, UK) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visual Acousitcs (Doc, 2009) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Close Range (1986) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kikujiro (Japan, 1999) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Bank Job (2008) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Natural (1984) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcarde (Doc, 2007) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Million Dollar Hotel (2001) *** </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Noriko's Dinner Table (Japan) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bright Lights, Big City (1988) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 Million Ways To Die (1986) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Panic in Needle Park (1971) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moon Over Parador (1992) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Modern Problems (1981) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Family Business (1989) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take Me Home Tonight ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out For Justice (1991) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Captured (Doc, 2008) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">State of Grace (1990) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nobody's Fool (1994) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spies Like Us (1986) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three Amigos (1986) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">True Believer (1989) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Killer Inside Me ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crossroads (1986) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Expendables ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Outfit (1973) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Revolver (2005) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iron Man 2 ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They Came Back (France, 2004) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Prayer For The Dying (1987) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love Exposure (Japan) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Killer Elite (2011) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Streets of Fire (1984) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suicide Club (Japan) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quiet Cool (1986) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perfect (1985) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rambo (2008) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tank (1984) **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Women Want (Hong Kong) **</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Legend of Billy Jean (1985) **</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Comin' At Ya' (1981) **</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breathless (1984) *1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmnVfZuQ4rorCLJWxuknHibrQ5EzDM7LYrQagxuENBHLI8kLuPJZ3qoIhyDAWNeYXePLZ59O7t1UBti0Esydim5wRutXYmE1Vs2J7prnU-_TRn5RZLDcw4m_zjLRUWV6pwhaMcg/s1600/vanhalen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmnVfZuQ4rorCLJWxuknHibrQ5EzDM7LYrQagxuENBHLI8kLuPJZ3qoIhyDAWNeYXePLZ59O7t1UBti0Esydim5wRutXYmE1Vs2J7prnU-_TRn5RZLDcw4m_zjLRUWV6pwhaMcg/s200/vanhalen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Music/Spoken Word</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Adventures of Tintin (score by John Williams) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">War Horse (score by John Williams) ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Van Halen: A Different Kind of Truth ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mitch Murder: After Hours ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mitch Murder: Television EP ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mitch Murder: Elevator Music EP ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mitch Murder: This Is Now EP ***1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (score by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worship: The Dome EP ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worship: Out There EP **</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stephen Falken: Phantom Tracks, Volume One ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lazerhawk: Redline ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Com Truise: Galactic Melt **1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Literature/Comics</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drew Struzan: Oevure ****</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spider-Man: Noir (Marvel) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spider-Man: Noir - Eyes Without A Face (Marvel) ***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Machine Man: Four-Issue Limited Series (1982) **1/2</span>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-64929272454263611522012-01-29T23:08:00.000-08:002012-06-11T22:37:10.280-07:00Fall/Winter - 2011/2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">Theatrical Reviews:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The French Connection (1971) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Battle Royale (2000, Japan) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Terminator (1984) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">True Romance (1993) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poltergeist (1982) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Manhattan (1979) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Annie Hall (1977) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hugo (3D) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (USA) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Adventures of Tintin (3D) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">War Horse ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drive ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Rum Diary ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Real Steel **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Thing (2011) **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">DVD/Home Video:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until The End of the World: Director's Cut (1991) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American Graffiti (1972) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miller's Crossing (1990) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something Wild (1987) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Harakiri (Japan, 1962) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ugetsu (Japan, 1953) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Midnight Run (1988) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1941 (1979) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter The Void (France) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kwaidan (Japan, 1965) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onibaba (Japan, 1964) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naked Lunch (1991) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High Fidelity (2005) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beetlejuice (1988) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Insomnia (2002) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The American ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (HK) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1983) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Life and Legend of Buffalo Jones (1976) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Space Battleship Yamoto (Japan) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Man From Nowhere (Korea) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hide In Plain Sight (1980) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snuff Box (UK, TV Series) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cyborg She (2008, Japan) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Winnie The Pooh (2011) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Rain People (1969) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kuroneko (Japan, 1968) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're No Angels (1989) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Promised Land (1987) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Town (2010) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shaolin (HK) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Southland Tales: The Cannes Cut **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghostbusters 2 (1990) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the Sinatra Club **12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Countdown (1968) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feeding Frenzy **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Car (1977) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slither (1973) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woochi: The Taoist Wizard (Korea) **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lulu on the Bridge (1998) **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Underworld (1997) **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drive Angry **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Born To Raise Hell *</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">The Films of Humphrey Bogart: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Petrified Forest (1936) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dark Victory (1939) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High Sierra (1941) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Maltese Falcon (1941) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Casablanca (1942) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To Have and Have Not (1944) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Big Sleep (1946) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dark Passage (1947) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Key Largo (1948) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In A Lonely Place (1950) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The African Queen (1951) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beat the Devil (1953) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're No Angels (1954) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Desperate Hours (1955) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">Classic/Noir:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Asphalt Jungle (1950) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Steel Helmet (1951) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mystery Street (1950) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pickup on South Street (1953) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Satan Met A Lady (1936) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out of the Past (1947) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Act of Violence (1948) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Hitch-Hiker (1953) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gun Crazy (1949) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Murder, My Sweet (1945) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lady in the Lake (1947) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Maltese Falcon (1931) **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">Music/Spoken World:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miles Davis: Elevator to the Gallows (soundtrack) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tom Waits: Bad As Me (Limited Edition) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scrooged: Danny Elfman (La La Land) ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mitch Murder: Burning Chrome ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blade Runner: EMS Recombination (soundtrack bootleg) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DJ Z-Trip & DJ P: Uneasy Listening, Volume 1 (2000) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Adventures of Tintin (score by John Williams) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Ian Black: I Am A Wonderful Man ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Die Hard: Michael Kamen (La La Land) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Explorers: Jerry Goldsmith (Intrada) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mc chris: Marshmellow Playground ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drive (original score/soundtrack) ***1/2</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Ian Black: Very Famous ***1/2</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dexter Gordon: Gotham City ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joe Bargar & the Soul Providers: Two Sides ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Isaac Hayes: Hot Buttered Soul (1969) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The State: Comedy for Gracious Living ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chrysta Bell & David Lynch: This Train ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Lynch: Crazy Clown Time ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James Hyman: Pulp Mixin' ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mc chris: Race Wars ***</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jeff Bridges (2011) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Showalter: Sandwiches & Cats **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: #444444;">Literature/Comics:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frank Miller's Sin City: The Hard Goodbye ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frank Miller's Sin City: The Big Fat Kill ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frank Miller's Sin City: That Yellow Bastard ****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frank Miller's Sin City: Family Values ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frank Miller's Sin City: Booze, Broads & Bullets ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frank Miller's Sin City: To Hell and Back ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woody Allen on Woody Allen (Stig Bjorkman) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Blade Runner Sketchbook (Blue Dolphin) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Art to Choke Hearts & Pissing in the Gene Pool (Henry Rollins) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghostbusters Infestation: #1 & 2 (IDW, miniseries) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghostbusters #1 & 2 (IDW, monthly) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wolverine Noir (Marvel) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">X-Men Noir (Marvel) ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">X-Men Noir: Mark of Cain (Marvel) **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dennis Hopper: A Madness to His Method (Elena Rodriguez) **1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dennis Hopper: Movie Top Ten (Jack Hunter) **</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">100 Bullets: First Shot, Last Call (DC/Vertigo) **</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Internet:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review (Red Letter Media) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut (on youtube) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Wain's Wainy Days (wainydays.com) ***1/2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black Lodge: "Twin Peaks" Atari 2600 Game ***</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2011: The Year's Ten Best Films:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Tree of Life</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13 Assassins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Midnight in Paris</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blank City</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Page One: Inside The New York Times</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part Two</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Norwegian Wood</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drive</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hugo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Booth at the End</span></div>
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<br /></div>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-17527346940366651992011-09-03T13:17:00.000-07:002011-09-04T21:38:35.223-07:00Sky & Sea, Boston - August/September 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4keuDD_UTdpwhYyRSxxIGpvNKQpXbO0ew1FCjUinYgu2zGKTVpS_uRWP4yq9q1hEX5LVsIY8f7fe2hyphenhyphenEx6PU2JIA2zkPAzpPmJQtmKoT3GTghUn8KLauWmtfsvdWt_InQzVd4Eg/s1600/P8262403b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4keuDD_UTdpwhYyRSxxIGpvNKQpXbO0ew1FCjUinYgu2zGKTVpS_uRWP4yq9q1hEX5LVsIY8f7fe2hyphenhyphenEx6PU2JIA2zkPAzpPmJQtmKoT3GTghUn8KLauWmtfsvdWt_InQzVd4Eg/s320/P8262403b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648232853841122706" /></a>
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<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Theatrical Reviews:</b></span></div><div>The Shining (1980) ****</div><div>Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) ****
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<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>DVD/Home Video:</b></span></div><div>One False Move (1992) ****
<br />Norwegian Wood (Japan) ***1/2
<br />City of Hope (1991) ***1/2
<br />The Killing (1956) ***1/2
<br />Sexy Beast (2000) ***1/2
<br />Out of the Blue (1980) ***
<br />Dark Passage (1947) ***
<br />Five Corners (1987) ***
<br />Fear City (1984) **
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<br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Internet:</b></span></div><div>The Booth In The Corner (Hulu) ****
<br />Half in the Bag (Red Letter Media) ***1/2</div>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-33659794237910534982011-08-13T20:46:00.001-07:002011-09-04T18:22:00.974-07:00NYC (and a bonus) - August 2011<div>
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<br /></div>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-89107060400732585182011-08-07T21:59:00.000-07:002011-08-08T09:07:37.622-07:00Style and Execution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsGHhChToxKr5QFJ2qVe0hkf1c-4Y3OTt_zXxfPOpKCwBU_xjINeL4XkkMHNH_HNhFU8nfmkxz68BaMryL_TEiur8Qf4EjzM5ct461hGGvW35NNMSTa41qqvKGdMHYSFTpltBBw/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsGHhChToxKr5QFJ2qVe0hkf1c-4Y3OTt_zXxfPOpKCwBU_xjINeL4XkkMHNH_HNhFU8nfmkxz68BaMryL_TEiur8Qf4EjzM5ct461hGGvW35NNMSTa41qqvKGdMHYSFTpltBBw/s320/7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638359900543473186" border="0" /></a><strong style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">July 17th, 2011</strong><p>It's been a few beautiful, dry and cool days lately, during which I had to work. (<em>Of course</em>.) Now the 90 degree heat's come back again... and on my day off. (<em>Naturally</em>.) The humidity wasn't scheduled to arrive again until nightfall though, so I grabbed my notebook, Diet Coke & cookie and went to my spot at the Park. The swelter didn't phase me in the slightest as I started the outline for the story, proper. All the backstory work I'd been doing lately fell right into place. The story was originally going to be a real-time investigation sort of thing, but now I see the value of flashbacks and imagined realities in this particular story and they seem to flowing in their places pretty well. It has to do with what the Hero has grown up thinking is a particular truth or two about his past, only to have the actual truth given to him from two or three other people, even as we suspect that those people might be coloring their own particular meaning of the truth in their own way... Flashbacks and such really are the only way to make this come alive visually. I guess noir films use them for a reason, after all. </p><p>The key, if I'm allowed by fate to direct this film, is to differentiate between the actual/real past material and the imagined past material, visually. Soderbergh used color temperature in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Traffic</span> to split up his Washington/Mexico/Los Angeles based storyline. I'm thinking "locked-down camera" for the false/imagined past and "handheld but not shaky-cam" as the actual/real past. I've long felt that the great films of the 60's/70's always had that handheld you-are-there news camera sort of realism (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Medium Cool</span>, for one). Maybe this is a way to go. Or maybe the other way around would be more interesting, almost turning the convention on it's own ear. Will have to think about that...</p><p>At any rate: I felt the<em> first, real sense of accomplishment</em> today. It feels like I've planned out the entire film now, from the opening shot to the closing credits, on paper. After four-plus years, the story is now finally all laid out. The tough part's over. Next is the mostly-easy part. The actual writing of the first draft.</p><p>
<br /></p><p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 7, 2011</span></p><p>Spent my last few days off getting life stuff done. Finally relenting and putting the air conditioner in, paying bills, cleaning the room, seeing the occasional film, house and cat sitting. These all cut into my creativity time a little. I did get around to gathering all my little notes on scraps of paper and color-copying them to 8.5 by 11 inch sheets, so now I have fresh new versions to refer to, should I need them. Maybe I should digitize them and keep them on the laptop and iPod Touch, too. Having them available to me at any given moment sounds like a decent idea.</p><p>I've also decided to have another sort of back-up plan. The story I'm working on, you see, is sort of a remake. But not really. That is: there is a terrific old thriller that I've always enjoyed. To film-people it's a classic, however to most average audiences it's largely unknown, which is a tragedy since, at least in my opinion, it really should be as recognized as <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big Sleep</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cape Fear</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">White Heat</span> and a host of others. The thing that always struck me about it was it's amazing opening scene. Not to give it away but it's a tough and sparse slow-burn of dramatic perfection. Beautifully written, directed, photographed and performed... and it's probably my favorite opening scene of all time.</p><p>Some time ago, I figured it would be a great idea to keep that amazing opening scene, line by line and shot by shot, exactly as it is in the original film, then veer off into uncharted and deeply personal (to me) territory, as a way of both paying homage to the classic original, while striking off on my own and telling a story that only I can tell.
<br /></p><p>Only recently did I consider this: What if I were not able to get the rights to the original material? That could be a huge problem, since I couldn't really start with the Scene Two and expect to have the same dramatic or emotional impact. If you can imagine, say, what <span style="font-weight: bold;">Reservoir Dogs</span> might be like without the pre-title sequence with the "Like A Virgin" conversation in the diner where we meet Keitel, Madsen, Buscemi and the rest, you might get the picture. The film would just start with Tim Roth crying in the backseat of a speeding car. You'd miss out on the impact of the moment, the shock and some of Tarantino's most well known dialogue. You'd just jump headlong into screaming and blood. It wouldn't work nearly as well. The same would happen with my story.</p><p>I then decided to write a back-up first scene. If I couldn't get the rights to the material I needed, I wanted to cover myself. I kept the same general idea but altered the setting, time of day, the players, moved some of the characters around like chess pieces. I brought in a character, someone who wasn't scheduled to show up for another ten or fifteen pages. I'm trying to keep the same slow-burn feel of the original but bringing it another, more shocking and possibly more contemporary place. The only difficulty is that I can think of at least two other movies that start in a similar way, yet different enough - I think - to be considered separate and unrelated pieces. In a genre story, it's surprisingly difficult not to repeat (or even unintentionally steal from) what you've seen and loved in film before. Tough guy dialogue, familiar settings... I'll have to keep a close eye on this. I'd really love for this to be something wholly original, emotional and special.
<br /></p><p>At any rate, now I'm on the fence in that I really like the new opening. The way I see it in my mind visually, the way that I imagine it lighted, edited and performed... I think it might actually suit the rest of the story better than that classic scene that inspired it. It seems more of the same world, more fitting. Maybe I'm deluded. Or, maybe that's a sign of some sort of artistic maturity. Something the makers of remakes and reboots should try to feel: that it's all wonderful to pay tribute to those who inspire you, but it takes more courage to go your own way...</p><p>I guess we'll see.</p>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Theatrical Reviews</span>
<br />Blue Velvet (1985) ****
<br />Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part Two ***1/2
<br />Rise of the Planet of the Apes ***
<br />Captain America ***<span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br />
<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-weight: bold;">DVD/Home Video</span>
<br />To Have and Have Not (1944) ****
<br />High Sierra (1941) ****
<br />Naked (UK, 1993) ****
<br />Stanley Kubrick's Boxes (Documentary) ***1/2
<br />Eyes Wide Shut (1999) ***1/2
<br />SubUrbia (1997) ***1/2
<br />Spartan (2004) ***1/2
<br />Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part One ***
<br />It Came From Outer Space! - 3D (1953) ***
<br />Outrage (Japan) ***
<br />Blow Out (1981) ***
<br />Judgment Night (1993) **1/2
<br />Times Square (1980) **1/2--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-35339880308393311462011-07-13T23:28:00.000-07:002011-07-20T00:55:35.660-07:00Getting Comfortable<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG9Gm0kkbdRlW3YtzgPNz16Ig6BdBxwO5a8rtV7GSaxbu8P1TXnq3bF-01XRrsS67b8tMi6t1a4p48-UW0dB48RL5qlo9HNM9dDfBsjvCvwHvK6xcpNykKH2xVDrl5AQI_X39gA/s1600/a+-+Copy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG9Gm0kkbdRlW3YtzgPNz16Ig6BdBxwO5a8rtV7GSaxbu8P1TXnq3bF-01XRrsS67b8tMi6t1a4p48-UW0dB48RL5qlo9HNM9dDfBsjvCvwHvK6xcpNykKH2xVDrl5AQI_X39gA/s320/a+-+Copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630567596134133474" border="0" /></a><strong>July 9th, 2011</strong><br /><p>Yesterday was my birthday. Meh. Forty-one and precious little to show for it. The older I get, the less this stuff means to me. Maybe next year I'll manage to get myself a little something useful for my birthday: a screenplay sale for my current project. Another goal to strive for. <br /></p><p>After being away for a few days visiting my Mom (which is always nice), I've come home to more heat n' humidity and am finding it impossible to get anything done, I had the suspicion that getting out of the apartment to get some work done might be a good idea. And in that instant, I had a flash: a complete vision, which included all the particulars of where and under what conditions. I felt that I needed to get my notebook -- and a Diet Coke and chocolate chip cookie for the proper caffeine and sugar regimen -- then travel down to this great Park off of Beacon Street, lay down in the grass on said hill and just let the creative spirit take me where it would. </p><p>I'd never really done that before, in terms of trying to write, and have typically felt a little awkward whenever I try to relax or "lay out" like "regular people." It's like, sometimes I see people just relaxing and enjoying the day, throwing their Frisbees back and forth and cavorting with their gorgeous friends and significant others, and sometimes I feel sort of uptight, in a way. Exposed or vulnerable or something, as if I were going to be attacked or made fun of for some odd reason. As if the Wolves walking by would see me as the Weak Sheep in the herd and therefore sum me up as an easy target.</p><p>Part of it comes from being a local resident working in retail; in that where ever you go, you typically end up seeing someone you know or have regular dealings with when all you really want is some space. Sometimes it's someone you like, someone you enjoy seeing and talking with... but sometimes it's the Douchebag Kid That Comes From Money who, for whatever reason, tried to shoplift from your store and now wants to screw with you to look like a big-shot in front of his friends. Or the Angry Drunk you had to kick out for being a public nuisance who you still see around town giving you the evil eye as if to say, "Someday it'll be <span style="font-style: italic;">your turn, buddy</span>." It's also partially something I (dis)affectionately refer to as Fat Guy Syndrome. Comes from being made fun of a lot as a kid. If you grew up popular or well-adjusted, you probably wouldn't understand. (No worries, though. I came around, eventually.)<br /></p><p>Most of the time I can let these feelings go. Between the heat of the previous few days, the feeling that I'd been squandering my vacation time and the hyper-personal nature of the story I'm working on, though, I was surprised that this vision of this particular <em>where-and-when-to-write</em> came to me in the way that it did. So, wanting to be creative no matter what, I got my things together (that is, my supplies and my head), packed my stuff and headed out there.</p><p>Turned out, the Park was a great idea. Two Dudes were in the spot on the hill that I wanted to be in, so I found a nearby bench. Not too comfortable, though. After about a half hour the Two Dudes left and I grabbed my things, went over to my originally preferred space and found what seemed like my Optimum Creation Zone. Stretching out on my stomach and facing the field, baseball diamond and tennis courts beneath, I went to work. It went <span style="font-style: italic;">perfectly</span>. I cranked out about six pages of all-new material for the backstory, right on the fly; things I needed to really make the crime plot work. Nothing Earth-shattering in the screenwriting world sense but very valuable to me, personally, and my story structure. Between moments of brainstorming, I smiled as puppies played in the nearby grass. I watched those Frisbees flying between those gorgeous friends and significant others and all those things that gave me pause earlier that day became wondrous and beautiful.</p><p>I started to realize just how negative thoughts can kill one's creativity. I almost didn't go out there at all, I almost didn't do anything that day. But once I did and once I decided to let those concerns of mine go, and once the words started flowing, I was able to relax and make progress. </p><p>I'd forgotten how good that could feel.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">July 14, 2011<br /></span></p><p>My week's vacation ended a few days ago. "Back to the daily grind" means "less time to create." But then again, that makes the time that much more valuable. Today was a day off. Not wanting to waste it all, I decided to get more backstory done and set up how it progresses into the current timeline narrative. Couldn't go back to the park today, though, due to rain. I know now that it's much easier for me to work on the project away from my room. Far too many distractions here amongst the DVDs, vinyl LPs, books, Atari games and Internets. I figured I'd try the local (and<em> air-conditioned!</em>) Library instead, grabbed my notebook and umbrella and headed over. </p><p>I'd never looked for the best spot for writing in there before. I made a few laps around the halls, desks and hidden corners. Looking for the perfect combination of relative silence, lighting, solitude and a window view of the outdoors, I settled into a quiet corner near a soothingly-ticking grandfather clock and started in. After about an hour and a half, I'd gotten close to four more pages of the main outline completed. Next will be the real work. The narrative proper. I should get my notes together and Xerox them for easier travel. Might need them in the coming sessions.</p><p><br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Theatrical Reviews<br /></span>Taxi Driver (1975, 2011 restoration) ****<br />Down By Law (1986) ****<br />The African Queen (1951, 2010 restoration) ***1/2<br />Page One: Inside The New York Times ****1/2<br />Hobo with a Shotgun **1/2<br />Jaws 3D (1983) **<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DVD/Home Video</span><br />Coma (1978) ***<br />Firefox (1982) ***<br />Big Rig (Documentary) ***<br />The Gauntlet (1977) **1/2--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-72019745641436539042011-07-04T17:21:00.000-07:002011-09-10T20:21:47.908-07:00Back To Business: Gaining Clarity and Focus and Keeping It<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo1kKVlNH3HPWRz9qYRGWAdwUaj6-Y-vMFtit9H5qu2l8rfBTSKWBaI_Tqt7NgAVwHaZcUCzecpcNArRRKHook0sJYkAP2Btec6AH7C4uR3_W2HaMt9NyHyLk6LXKc4Ny61WN1A/s1600/Typewriter_keys.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625657658170075250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo1kKVlNH3HPWRz9qYRGWAdwUaj6-Y-vMFtit9H5qu2l8rfBTSKWBaI_Tqt7NgAVwHaZcUCzecpcNArRRKHook0sJYkAP2Btec6AH7C4uR3_W2HaMt9NyHyLk6LXKc4Ny61WN1A/s320/Typewriter_keys.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 256px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a>Some time ago, I was fairly creative.<br />
Starting in 1984 until about 2001, I'd been involved with or dabbled in everything from cartooning, photography, high school newspaper journalism and film criticism, local cable access news and entertainment, film school, screenwriting in both personal study and formal classes and video production and linear video editing. I managed to cobble together two full-length scripts -- one, a silly Hollywood action-comedy; the other, a smaller independent crime comedy -- which gathered some kind words but failed to earn me local literary representation. Stepping up to the plate and prepping for something big, I penned a short forty-pager for a video-film that I'd written and planned to direct and perform in. <br />
Sadly, the project failed to get off the ground due to the usual bad luck, poor planning and misunderstandings. Following that and the lamentation of my lack of personal wealth, I concentrated on the writing aspect of film making which made sense as it just doesn't get any cheaper than pens and paper. Then life got in the way, as it often does, and a combination of unpleasant life experiences, emotional depression, lack of personal belief -- and even general laziness -- kept me from creating anything more than than an occasional blog posting for the subsequent few years. But not <em>completely</em>... <br />
About four years ago something clicked and I had the inklings of a new storyline. Something very... no,<em> extremely</em>... personal. It was far from fully-formed, and is still in fact taking shape. Over these recent years, I had to put a few things to bed, so to speak. Feelings, worries, misgivings... Call them what you will. But finally, one thing has led to another and it's pretty much all there in what could finally be considered a workable form. As of this moment, it exists only as fragments. Pieces of notebook paper, storyboard drawings and torn corners of napkins are tacked to a bulletin board above this laptop. MP3s of appropriate pieces of music, effects, photos and memories from my childhood and young adult past pepper my room, my hard drive and my mind. Just recently, a specific piece of information that I was given provided the true necessary spark to get moving again. And now it's time to take it to the next level. <br />
Growth and maturity rarely come easily. And as no less than screenwriting guru William Goldman has said, "The easiest thing on Earth to do is <em>not write</em>." So, this note will hopefully serve as a method of keeping track of myself and the New Project. The goal is to finish at least a first draft by the 2011 holiday season. And they say that if a writer fears that they might not keep focused, they should tell others of their progress in an effort to keep a sort of goal; that the more people who know about it, the more likely the writer is to continue with it. Starting here and now, I'm doing just that. I thank you in-advance for your interest and any encouragements offered. <br />
I'll try not to let any of us down. <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<strong>2006-2011:</strong><br />
Concepts, theories, investigations and emotional preparations. Studying: in theory and practice, through reading and viewing the lives and works of those who have come to be spiritual and professional influences. These influences on the current project include, but are not limited to...<br />
Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese, Richard Siodmak, William Shakespeare, Humphrey Bogart, David Mamet, Clint Eastwood, Michael Mann, Kenny Rogers, Haruki Murakami, Kevin Weeks, Jack Kerouac, Andrew Vachss, Elmore Leonard, Carol Reed, Henry Rollins, Toshiro Mifune, Tom Waits, Ernest Hemingway... and my Nephew, Father and Mother.<br />
<strong>July 4th, 2011:</strong><br />
Hammered out most of the main backstory at last, which is necessary to continue any further. The narrative is a crime mystery and a large element of the narrative lies in the past. Feels good to see how all these things that have just been<em> concepts</em> for so very long are flowing together in what appears, at least for now, to seem like a natural, organic and believable flow. The idea is to take a genre story and give it an emotional depth usually only seen in our most deep and personal everyday lives. Getting down the protagonists' pre-story lives is crucial and key. Laying the foundations. No fireworks tonight. There's work to be done.<br />
<b><br />
</b>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-13505960070235729112011-06-21T18:27:00.000-07:002011-06-21T20:16:41.083-07:00Night & Day, Boston - May, June 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNUDOoHYDNKplKWmOo1WP8HgB9NdFNHktEqv_t-heZc-n0MwOL-_2E_wDg7OQO6n_G4Ut-EmIA3SUSnXqRTjKPEepeUviNlHmwWuSWDHKrhcawzqolm7KC7Lj1jdadQ6GK7qpeA/s1600/HARBORWIDE.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNUDOoHYDNKplKWmOo1WP8HgB9NdFNHktEqv_t-heZc-n0MwOL-_2E_wDg7OQO6n_G4Ut-EmIA3SUSnXqRTjKPEepeUviNlHmwWuSWDHKrhcawzqolm7KC7Lj1jdadQ6GK7qpeA/s320/HARBORWIDE.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620863077916631874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ3TjokEy-lQ-DXTjwG0R60xIEujMY0o41nkmbdhsrlUC2hYvqq4DXapcXpnhbHd1ceyM1wZgyGFj11XONvcbElfDWGsDMRpOcox8xNnshQPGQlr-HBj3iIMRoDSkdmckVx6uoA/s1600/pruview.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ3TjokEy-lQ-DXTjwG0R60xIEujMY0o41nkmbdhsrlUC2hYvqq4DXapcXpnhbHd1ceyM1wZgyGFj11XONvcbElfDWGsDMRpOcox8xNnshQPGQlr-HBj3iIMRoDSkdmckVx6uoA/s320/pruview.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620863373680345250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRGUrDopn-1ksfG3VhxZGfJIVBm0TVCYwJW3zvkIkUlO_BKg2sR3Pa_nWN6W_Dgn7NTBrivupWAndDCmCF9iSfKCO35i6JpeMmLy5Zux6PRNzmyFoxiDQp439SpA7QXCwtkEJIg/s1600/EQ.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRGUrDopn-1ksfG3VhxZGfJIVBm0TVCYwJW3zvkIkUlO_BKg2sR3Pa_nWN6W_Dgn7NTBrivupWAndDCmCF9iSfKCO35i6JpeMmLy5Zux6PRNzmyFoxiDQp439SpA7QXCwtkEJIg/s320/EQ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620863867390334034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2F-B_Gius1XwYjP3a3Z6tRilw7BXciZ7PWjS4JJkrhPejItHjsY2Q0fe1-rZ75BqA_5kiUlBuxd8iqFf7PptYwxUx3JEmQ29Hk6b2KvRmhdxPVXn8_0y3bPKCMIcrirSPtQhBeg/s1600/ducks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2F-B_Gius1XwYjP3a3Z6tRilw7BXciZ7PWjS4JJkrhPejItHjsY2Q0fe1-rZ75BqA_5kiUlBuxd8iqFf7PptYwxUx3JEmQ29Hk6b2KvRmhdxPVXn8_0y3bPKCMIcrirSPtQhBeg/s320/ducks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620864210518866146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KeyeV-nRcEfAvDoIV1pu85HdaPL0LBXD2JgccNSwb03B74QtokAA5HYNyP5Vm8cOdDHu84caD772BR0UdeZH3kbz-JVY2-F3aq0bo2nJ-F80fOPjEFy0ua8YkiWwrDIGoiZV4g/s1600/Para.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KeyeV-nRcEfAvDoIV1pu85HdaPL0LBXD2JgccNSwb03B74QtokAA5HYNyP5Vm8cOdDHu84caD772BR0UdeZH3kbz-JVY2-F3aq0bo2nJ-F80fOPjEFy0ua8YkiWwrDIGoiZV4g/s320/Para.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620864345436953618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z3TBc6opIxsZEzq8j03ofSUfmGtCmV6LXYC2XEEgOAFb_voUpTWfL-kyW0_xQoGj7r-rvE2SVIFO7q1KgFH-KayJIfqRq8-6GpIM1RynlNOZrSVnfptkpI_m_WD88LVzR87XGQ/s1600/fisher.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z3TBc6opIxsZEzq8j03ofSUfmGtCmV6LXYC2XEEgOAFb_voUpTWfL-kyW0_xQoGj7r-rvE2SVIFO7q1KgFH-KayJIfqRq8-6GpIM1RynlNOZrSVnfptkpI_m_WD88LVzR87XGQ/s320/fisher.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620864474073088434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgix9QKv3ByDTQLrz1gh-7y-fksgUwBz26RA31rnM6ujYfBpCnKiNQGs4cuQqfdu0H5IbvpiiUtgunAM3cavi-Gu0YRuYGZZmhsyr89fav52mZrI-gw_q787HwxNuPGsSlwkQGw/s1600/CORNER.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgix9QKv3ByDTQLrz1gh-7y-fksgUwBz26RA31rnM6ujYfBpCnKiNQGs4cuQqfdu0H5IbvpiiUtgunAM3cavi-Gu0YRuYGZZmhsyr89fav52mZrI-gw_q787HwxNuPGsSlwkQGw/s320/CORNER.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620864567523022706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And oh, yeah... Reviews and stuff. It's been a while.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Theatrical</span><br />The Tree of Life ****<br />13 Assassins (Japan) ***1/2<br />Midnight in Paris ***1/2<br />Blank City ***1/2<br />X-Men: First Class ***<br />Super 8 ***<br />Thor ***<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">DVD/Home Video</span><br />The Deer Hunter (1978) ****<br />Unforgiven (1992) ****<br />Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World ***1/2<br />The Thin Red Line: Criterion Collection ***<br />Youth of the Beast (1963, Japan) ***<br />Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981) ***<br />Another Stakeout (1993) ***<br />Night and the City (1992) ***<br />Under Fire (1983) ***<br />Kick Ass ***<br />Hero At Large (1978) **1/2<br />Monsters **1/2<br />Defendor **1/2<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Films of the "1980's"</span><br />Smokey and the Bandit (1977) ***1/2<br />Smokey and the Bandit, Part 2 (1980) **1/2<br />Smokey and the Bandit, Part 3 (1983) **1/2<br />Police Academy (1984) ***1/2<br />Max Headroom: The Complete Series (TV) ***<br />Porky's (1981) ***<br />Porky's II: The Next Day (1983) **1/2<br />Porky's Revenge (1985) **1/2<br />Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1986) **1/2<br />American Drive-In (1985) **1/2<br />The Last Dragon (1985) **1/2<br />Action Jackson (1988) **1/2<br />Quicksilver (1986) **1/2<br />Zapped! (1982) **1/2<br />Scarface (1983) **1/2<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Literature</span><br />The Man Who Saw The Future (Edmond Hamilton) ***<br />City Pier: Above and Below (Paul G. Tremblay) ***<br />They Live: Deep Focus (Jonathan Lethem) ***<br />Boy (Takeshi Kitano) ***<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Video Games</span><br />Team Fortress 2 (PC) ***1/2--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-30210827490313469002011-02-23T09:17:00.000-08:002011-09-10T20:23:18.032-07:00NYC - February 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9hQz8IZTp6YvHJImcBBJW56VyM0Q60JBiLuR2AVPRJriXgOiZ5ao1tgXTSVjuDdO6tT-dd_e79oGe9hbGb2s83FYwrqdaLS1QuqSXX_b9x3IsQzoalG74-xqcaVqVy5RGuvA_Q/s1600/P2112532b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576938668399408370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9hQz8IZTp6YvHJImcBBJW56VyM0Q60JBiLuR2AVPRJriXgOiZ5ao1tgXTSVjuDdO6tT-dd_e79oGe9hbGb2s83FYwrqdaLS1QuqSXX_b9x3IsQzoalG74-xqcaVqVy5RGuvA_Q/s320/P2112532b.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 240px;" /></a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeO0ypS3KQ3MF-ULvEOl6Khanlw1iJXQloxzZ20FUqjWnkDmwjVrUKf7iIuX7LYeYZ8dBOFwqXbHXEvvW4K44CpZ5n0zzQkX3Uta7uxXKuMPzjF8JnbInubdXnaEmLOd1gqGg6w/s1600/P2112597c.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576938258515158498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeO0ypS3KQ3MF-ULvEOl6Khanlw1iJXQloxzZ20FUqjWnkDmwjVrUKf7iIuX7LYeYZ8dBOFwqXbHXEvvW4K44CpZ5n0zzQkX3Uta7uxXKuMPzjF8JnbInubdXnaEmLOd1gqGg6w/s320/P2112597c.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 240px;" /></a></div>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-81229136223332971102010-11-04T09:22:00.000-07:002010-11-04T10:09:06.534-07:00This Is How Greatness Happens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCJZd_6f7qGBTpONoajs823Tvl011FhrhUj5wKGV2HDA2KFXAJg9m1bcFM0kygjsM8V_i5okhA0SGOrzt9mEjEH3E8WctA6b1GiB3DgaMzQlwo4xZ69Tw4Ws2DMc6dYrmUeyRcg/s1600/crazy.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCJZd_6f7qGBTpONoajs823Tvl011FhrhUj5wKGV2HDA2KFXAJg9m1bcFM0kygjsM8V_i5okhA0SGOrzt9mEjEH3E8WctA6b1GiB3DgaMzQlwo4xZ69Tw4Ws2DMc6dYrmUeyRcg/s200/crazy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535742516274656978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Thursday</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><br />November 4, 2010</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><br />12:09 p.m.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><br /><br />Luke-at-work and I are at the store, receiving thirty-eight boxes of merchandise from the day's FedEx drop. We pass the moments, talking...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Me:</span> So, last night I saw the coolest little horror movie I've seen in years.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Luke:</span> What was that?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Me:</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> The Mist</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Luke: Ahhh, that was awesome. Can you imagine setting all those people on a ship on fire?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(pause) People... on a ship...?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Am I thinking of the wrong movie?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Maybe </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The Fog</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">? </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Yeah, that's probably it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Naaaaah, I'm talkin' 'bout </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The Mist</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">You mean that one with the crazy Curse Lady telling everyone that the monsters are all, like, God's will and everybody splitting up into two factions before going totally sacrifice crazy?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Yeah, have you seen it?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">No. I just know everything that happens in detail through osmosis and psychic powers.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Did you like it?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Yeah. (pause) Man, it would suck to be cursed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">I used to think I was cursed. I had this seven year stretch of shitty luck. Then I realized that's just the ebb and flow of my particular life. Seven years good, seven years bad...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Where are you in that cycle, now?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(thinking) Second year into cycle of good.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">Hooray!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">But yeah. Curses suck, probably.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Imagine being an eight year old... and cursing someone... for... stealing a cookie.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">My cookie that I </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">baked</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">? Or my cookie that I </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">plan to eat</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">? Or give to someone?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Either. You're a little girl who curses someone.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Am I a witch?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Sure, maybe.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Am I a "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">good little</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> witch?" Or an "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">I'm gonna eat your soul</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> witch?"</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">Dude. You're </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">eight</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">It could happen. If her parents were also, like, soul eaters and stuff... and cared how they raised their child.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">You're at a picnic and your little brother steals your cookie. So you curse him.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Right. I'm an evil little witch at a picnic at night in the rain. We're eating mice sandwiches... Is this a children's story? I think it has potential. We call it "My First Curse."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">(laughs)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Maybe the witch is in her forties and has kids... and one of the kids misbehaves and starts cursing her little brother and the Witch Mom's like "Wait now, honey. Let mommy tell you about </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">her</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> first curse." The brother, like, steals her sandwich.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">I thought it was a cookie.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Maybe. Maybe it's a cookie sandwich. Or, maybe it's an ice cream sandwich with cookies on the outside. And the ice cream is cookie ice cream! And the witch's name is Cookie! And she's wearing a Cookie Monster costume!!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">That is so deep on so many levels.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hey. I'm creative.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Coming soon to a theater or children's book shop near you.<br /></span>--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-62176058073239451252010-10-14T15:16:00.001-07:002011-02-23T09:17:05.482-08:00Pseudo Review: "The Little Sleep" by Paul Tremblay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUxeTZhyphenhyphenvf4vFcCjXSWaI1ggW3C3TKfUmYm-Smgy1PlqrBRaEwaCY5Q53avnxPjQw9-yngQvpCYlrjuHsuc9Wgu5DTzVQrh-NEaJL03aOa5mVCaNmYgyRR_aKGEfeEkZ1Wsswiw/s1600/TLS.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUxeTZhyphenhyphenvf4vFcCjXSWaI1ggW3C3TKfUmYm-Smgy1PlqrBRaEwaCY5Q53avnxPjQw9-yngQvpCYlrjuHsuc9Wgu5DTzVQrh-NEaJL03aOa5mVCaNmYgyRR_aKGEfeEkZ1Wsswiw/s320/TLS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528048350591164994" border="0" /></a>A couple of months back, I had the estimable pleasure of bouncing my wonderous self off the pavement of South Huntington Avenue. I'd been riding my bike for two hours per night after working a full day's shift and thought this might be a great, inexpensive way to both get to know the areas that I wasn't so familiar with and to lose a few pounds. Night One was along the Charles from Allston up to MGH and into Cambridge a little. Night Two took me down toward Boston College and around the Reservoir a few times. Night Three consisted the back streets of Cambridge along the Harvard area; lot of ins and outs and what-have-yous. And then, Night Four: along Jamaica Pond, through JP and down toward Huntington. That's when it happened.<br /><br />Trying to move to the right side of South Huntington in order to let cars pass more safely, my front tire got stuck in a Green Line trolley track and I flipped over, head first, to the waiting rubberized street below. I remember velocity, the sudden and winded "HUNNPH!" as I hit the ground, and I recall coming to rest on my left side... almost as if I'd planned to go to sleep there. Three or four seconds later I was getting up onto my feet. I'm a fast recoverer, partially because I'm so damn tough (yeah, right) but moreso because I'm typically embarrassed of such a fall and somewhere, deep down, I want any possible witnesses to know that "I'm just fine, thank you, there's nothing to see here, so move along."<br /><br />Though there wasn't any pain to speak of, I certainly <span style="font-style: italic;">looked</span> the part of the banged-up bicyclist. Road-rashed knees, arms and face, bloody cuts, newly slightly-chipped tooth... This was nothing I couldn't handle. I've never thought much of my particular look anyway, so I was able to deal with what happened, mostly. I'd broken a wrist in three places but not known it; it was stiff, I felt, but not painful. In short (if it's not already too late to make such an attempt) I felt like a big, mangled dope who was supremely lucky not to have been killed. I limped my way home, having neither my cell phone on me nor enough money to call a cab. After being bandaged up and told to stay off my feet for a few days, I opened "The Little Sleep," a great detective novel with a rich and often tough local flavor by Paul Tremblay.<br /><br />As a guy who's seen and loved probably a few too many Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade stories, myself, I fell right in with Tremblay's protagonist, Mark Genevich. A South Boston private investigator with a form of narcolepsy that flows from fatigue to hallucinations to full-on cataplexy, he eeks out his existence with a sizable helping of contempt for both others and himself. The novel's opening scene is a grabber: a local female television celebrity reveals her hand, which is missing a few fingers, and asks the dark Detective Genevich to find the people responsible. But soon Genevich "wakes up" and is wondering... Did this meeting just happen? Was anyone just here? And where did this mysterious note in my handwriting come from?<br /><br />Genevich is referred to as being somewhat facially disfigured following the accident that brought on his narcolepsy in the first place. Though he covers his scars with a growth of beard and the requisite detective raincoat and hat combo, his spirit is just as shattered as his rumpled appearance, if not more so. Hiding in plain sight, he's an imposing figure masking a deeper soul. He's all-there in his interior world with a razor sharp humor that he wields like a weapon, yet often has great difficulty saying the right thing to the right person at the right time. He's the classic underdog hero; one that might seem like - and even consider himself - the perfect loser, but has an inner strength that can, and often does, serve as a sort of salvation.<br /><br />Genevich's investigation takes him from the streets of Boston to the power offices of Local Government, through a hallucination or two and eventually into his own past. The narrative works brilliantly on its own, but it's the character himself that's the novel's ace in the hole. He's gruff, he's dark, he's often unpleasant. A moralist who's ready to believe the worst. He's the blue collar joe in the white collar corridors. The damaged hero that we love and want to succeed; to solve his crime and to find personal peace. As I mentioned above, I sympathized with this character to a dramatic extent. Not that Genevich would ever accept anyone's sympathy. And as I'd been feeling a little "off" that particular month due to my bicycle wreck, moving through the chapters of "The Little Sleep" I'd thought to myself, "<span style="font-style: italic;">I know this guy.</span>" And though I knew I'd be fine in a few days once the wrist healed up, I found myself hoping that Genevich's situation would turn itself around, too. Sometimes a character just clicks with you, you know?<br /><br />A second novel featuring Genevich, "No Sleep Till Wonderland" is also available and it's quite a ride in its own right. I look forward to what I hope will be many more installments in this local gumshoe's life and times. He, and creator Paul Tremblay, have great things ahead of them.<br /><br />More info:<br />http://thelittlesleep.wordpress.com/<br />http://www.paulgtremblay.com/paulgtremblay/index.htm<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_G._Tremblay--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31929956.post-29878510891158853992010-10-11T21:51:00.000-07:002011-09-10T20:13:48.778-07:00Little Big Man: A True StoryHowdy, people. Not much news to report these days. Broke my wrist biking on South Huntington Avenue in Boston. (Healed now, but ligament surgery awaits.) Regressing to my younger days by recalling and playing a lot of classic 80's music and video games, as well as watching lots of 80's movies; wondering if they'd hold up as well as I hoped they might. Some did, some didn't. Got me one o' thems "iPod Touch" deals. Like it a lot, especially for listening to 80's music and playing 80's video games. Still perfecting my homemade chicken soup. Hopefully evolving as a person. And recently, I introduced someone new to this blog. She went all the way back to the first post and reminded me that I'd mentioned early-on that this report would include discussions of <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">film criticism, love, honor and the occasional dirty joke.</span> <span style="color: yellow;"> </span><span style="color: yellow; font-weight: bold;">"But,"</span><span style="color: yellow;"> </span>this new reader commented, <span style="color: yellow; font-weight: bold;">"I don't really see any dirty jokes yet."</span><br />
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Well, I hate to disappoint people. So it's time for a <span style="font-style: italic;">kinda-sorta</span> dirty joke, one which some of you might have heard before... but what the hell? The following is a true story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtGCa4omQAhHBja0rHwauab6y59ykG7T8BAgH_lnAVMGm1TedvBMiHn5gWhEx_iy_e4XgSTfCAdYdOSr1dqhrQCdxJw8eBs87RwgdpN6x1JshrNys_GLvmI_47wdANULm0pLNJw/s1600/oooh+the+temptation.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527031607906585410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtGCa4omQAhHBja0rHwauab6y59ykG7T8BAgH_lnAVMGm1TedvBMiHn5gWhEx_iy_e4XgSTfCAdYdOSr1dqhrQCdxJw8eBs87RwgdpN6x1JshrNys_GLvmI_47wdANULm0pLNJw/s320/oooh+the+temptation.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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Back in my post college days, I had a lot of terrible and meaningless temp jobs. Manual labor, mostly. Organizing and moving warehouse merch around, conveyor belt and truck loading gigs. That sort of thing. One such job was at the local Georgia Pacific housewares storage facility, unloading 18-wheeler shipments of window-sashes and door accents and various adornments for McMansions all over the state. Ten hour days, five days a week, starting at 7 o'clock every morning. It wasn't the <span style="font-style: italic;">worst</span> job I'd had in those days, but I have to admit that I would often fantasize about jumping a fork lift off the second story landing and knocking down the first wave of bay window storage shelving to see if I could wipe out row after row of the warehouse's entire capacity like a giant million-dollar set of dominoes... A man can dream.<br />
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Some of my coworkers were cool, but one just plain sucked. "Freddie" was about my age. About 24 or so; fairly young for this particular shop. But despite being about a foot shorter than I was and without any sort of education or apparent need or desire for one, you could still refer to him as a blowhard. Talking loudly at every moment, full of sound and fury while signifying nothing, this guy thought of himself as the big man on campus, while some of us enjoyed referring to him as suffering from what we called LGS: Little Guy Syndrome. That is, the affliction under which someone behaves like a loudmouthed braggard of total idiocy in order to make up for being so small in physical stature. Sometimes I find it a pleasure to take people like this down a peg. And just a couple of days after starting this job, I'd decided to test this lame's personal waters.<br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;">"Hey assholes,"</span> he'd called out. He'd considered "asshole" the group nickname for those of us that were just temps. <span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;">"I don't care what anybody else says in this place, okay? I gotta </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">lotta shit</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;"> that's gotta get done around here. When it's quittin' time, I </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">go</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;">. </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Fuck</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;"> overtime. My nights are </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">mine</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;">. So no matter </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">what</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;"> they give ya' to do in the office... If </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;"> need ya' to help me out, ya' </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">help me out</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;">. Remember that, fellas. No matter what, </span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I always come first</span><span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic;">."</span><br />
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I just laughed and joked, <span style="color: yellow; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"No wonder your girlfriend always looks so disappointed."</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Hiyooooooooooo!</span> <span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">:)</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Theatrical Reviews</span><br />
Brazil: The Director's Cut (1985) ****<br />
Predators **1/2<br />
Red **1/2<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqTdy1cKcMPFAHkqwS9qiCtbPtOrjEwxC1fU3ryFSdeBAXpsoVWkqGxsndrycaszdFgpM-hQOftM7ti61iHCf4aXIwcMpcviE8LRds6XqXcFF_01W2lq-BkEL3QpTCyaBkudaRA/s1600/greatness.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527032220224479698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqTdy1cKcMPFAHkqwS9qiCtbPtOrjEwxC1fU3ryFSdeBAXpsoVWkqGxsndrycaszdFgpM-hQOftM7ti61iHCf4aXIwcMpcviE8LRds6XqXcFF_01W2lq-BkEL3QpTCyaBkudaRA/s200/greatness.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 140px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Films of Akira Kurosawa</span><br />
Sanshiro Sugata II (1945) ****<br />
Rhapsody in August (1991) ***1/2<br />
Madadayo (1993) ****<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Films of the "1980's"</span><br />
Miracle Mile (1988) ****<br />
Brainstorm (1983) ***1/2<br />
D.A.R.Y.L. (1985) ***1/2<br />
Big Shots (1987) ***<br />
Outland (1981) ***<br />
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) **1/2<br />
The Manhattan Project (1985) **1/2<br />
Cloak & Dagger (1985) **1/2<br />
Weird Science (1986) **1/2<br />
Capricorn One (*1979) **1/2<br />
Runaway (1984) **1/2<br />
Cobra (1986) **1/2<br />
The Philadelphia Experiment (1986) **<br />
Silent Running (*1972) **<br />
Dreamscape (1983) **<br />
Spacecamp (1986) **<br />
Firewalker (1986) *<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">DVD/Home Video</span><br />
Twin Peaks: Definitive Gold Box Edition ****<br />
Midnight Run (1988) ****<br />
The Long Goodbye (1973) ***1/2<br />
Michael Clayton (2008) ***1/2<br />
New York, I Love You ***1/2<br />
K-20 (Japan, 2008) ***1/2<br />
Oleanna (1993) ***1/2<br />
The Girlfriend Experience (2009) ***<br />
Goemon (Japan, 2009) ***<br />
Timeline (2003) ***<br />
Next (2007) ***<br />
The Bogey Man (UK, 1992) **1/2<br />
My Name Is Bruce (2007) **1/2<br />
Deja Vu (2006) **1/2<br />
Bangkok Dangerous (2008, USA) **<br />
Babylon A. D. *1/2<br />
Angel of Death (2009) *<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8DHBRTAijOEyQumNcwx8Y3_VOnfHGkD36dZjgU5p-GdzqoB_ydxUR0heyOvjlaBMmt_AO5YdZvbW33BfwWhtE95VicCqa5iOl50xRrWkQWI3MFPPQg7uxCyUIXmslALKBdtoTw/s1600/rum.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527033225382543378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8DHBRTAijOEyQumNcwx8Y3_VOnfHGkD36dZjgU5p-GdzqoB_ydxUR0heyOvjlaBMmt_AO5YdZvbW33BfwWhtE95VicCqa5iOl50xRrWkQWI3MFPPQg7uxCyUIXmslALKBdtoTw/s200/rum.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 130px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Literature</span><br />
The Rum Diary (Hunter S. Thompson) ***1/2<br />
No Sleep Till Wonderland (Paul Tremblay) ***<br />
On The Road (Jack Kerouac) ***<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Music/Spoken Word</span><br />
The Social Network (score by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross) ***1/2<br />
The Runaways: Music from the Motion Picture ***1/2<br />
Hal Hartley: Soon (Music from the Play) ***1/2<br />
The Blue Note 7: Mosaic ***1/2<br />
Juliana Hatfield: How To Walk Away ***<br />
Edy (score by Nils Petter Molvaer) ***<br />
Bob Dylan: Modern Times ***<br />
Lisa Gerrard: Departum ***<br />
Chris Isaak: Mr. Lucky ***<br />
Eric Clapton: Clapton ***<br />
Assault Girls (score by Kenji Kawai) **1/2<br />
Chris Isaak: Live at the Filmore **1/2<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Video Games</span><br />
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (PS2) ***1/2<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yrfGlsGVWIreRf3ETd0F1p8fJlxa7FAwAMddg7vNRG9GTfqrvDVaUQcXBFxv_nj-7wcq-ov76olnK0MzEBwMAqYvW_njnWde0c27lys4Rqa_0Zv4Svh6GxedzHTGrrHQKged-Q/s1600/greatscott.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527033696441546882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yrfGlsGVWIreRf3ETd0F1p8fJlxa7FAwAMddg7vNRG9GTfqrvDVaUQcXBFxv_nj-7wcq-ov76olnK0MzEBwMAqYvW_njnWde0c27lys4Rqa_0Zv4Svh6GxedzHTGrrHQKged-Q/s200/greatscott.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 150px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Board Games</span><br />
Back To The Future: The Card Game (Looney Labs) ***<br />
Rory's Story Cubes (Gamewright) ***<br />
Pass The Popcorn ***<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Internet</span><br />
Star Trek (2009) Review (Red Letter Media) ***--mcchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836755230207895814noreply@blogger.com0