NEXT rekalled...

I just finished watching NEXT with Nicolas Cage, Jennifer Biel and Julianne Moore. Nicolas Cage is a magician that can see 2 minutes into the future however the movie doesn't even follow it's own rules which is the movies major flaw. It sets up a world of possibilities but quickly regresses into a boring plot and flat characters. I was fairly disappointed with it, for some reason I do look forward to Nicolas Cage films even though he has a terrible track record. I guess his few successes have really stuck with me. But man, this movie is not good. I kept the faith until the 3/4 mark then I knew I had misplaced my faith. With a pedigree of an academy award winner(Cage), a multiple nominee(Moore), an academy award winning body(Biel) and an adaptation of a Philip K Dick novel one would at least expect something special but all those factors could not save this sci-fi failure.

Outlander rekalled...

Outlander, a simple film for a simple time. Your classic mysterious stranger comes to save the day movie. Classic if that stranger is a spaceman and the people needing saving are vikings from an alien monster. Going into this film I could help thinking of Pathfinder(a viking/indian film) which was horrible and Outlander easily surpassed Pathfinder in likability. As I watched the film I did think "why are they doing this?" and "that wouldn't happen" but I did still have fun with it. It has some over the top action and a telegraphed story, nothing ever really surprises you because you have seen the story with different characters and places in many other movies. But a sci-fi viking film is a first for me and that was appreciated, Jim Caviezel was a solid choice as hero spaceman looking to make amends for past mistakes. A pleasant diversion if you got nothing to do but don't go out of your way for it.

Mad Men rekalled...

Mad Men, a television show set in the world of early 60's advertising, is a gripping drama about people trying to survive in a world that isn't what the early sixties is remembered for. I had a vested interest in the show at first because I work in the advertising field and have done many ad pitches to clients and deal with people in the industry. What I found was something entirely different; a deep show with intriguing characters dealing with a society in flux. The main character of Don Draper is a man of magnetism, all the women want him and the men will follow him anywhere. He has a mysterious side but the power he demands is really amazing and even though he does selfish things you are still drawn in. There are other characters that have interesting subplots but Don Draper's life is truly dramatic. This is the type of show that doesn't slap you in the face with the message it is trying to send, characters motives are not plainly explained, it is a challenge to follow that I enjoy. The time period is as important character as the cast; the social upheaval that the USA is experiencing at this time, the interior design, the clothing, the infancy of advertising as we know it today. And not to mention the women of Mad Men would be a huge misstep as well; I am a Joan Holloway fan myself.

I had seen a few episodes of this in it's original broadcast run and recommend watching the season in big chunks(as with any show with intricate ongoing story lines) I filled in all the gaps and got a real rhythm for how the stories flowed. The blu-ray addition has some bonuses that makes having a blu-ray player almost worth it, crisp picture so you can see the world of the 60's in detail and a short documentary on the world of advertising of the period which I found fascinating. One scene that stands out to me in the series is a closing pitch that Don Draper makes to kodak in the final episode, the passion I wish to emulate in a pitch someday. A series truly worthy of watching if you want to be challenged in your viewing, not for people who are not a fan of "talkies".

Rekall Thunderdome...

Just finished watching Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome on the netflix instant download service and the movie is still the goods after all these years. This is not a new film or even a new film to me but one I definitely love re-watching. Mel Gibson tries on the role of Mad Max for the 3rd time in this post-apocalyptic film and he wears the character naturally. While the basic plot is a retread of the Road Warrior(Mad Max 2 to some) it is still fun and a little more comedic than Max's first two adventures. The icing on the cake for me is the image of Tina Turner as Aunty, the head villain. Her style in this film is all her own and continues the strong female roles that seemed to be more prevalent in 80's film making than any other era. While she maybe antagonist, she is no more villainous than any politician today and a little more innovative with her laws that only work as chants. Another character that deserves a little credit is the character of Ironbar, he is a short man with a never say die attitude even though he carries a feminine mask perched above his head. If you have never seen this film and enjoy what the 80's action films has to offer then you can't go wrong with this one.

#1 Rekalled...

Gunnin' for that #1 Spot is a documentary about an exhibition basketball game at the legendary Rucker Park in NY by a group of high school players whom all have dreams of playing in the NBA and are using it as a stepping stone. Directed by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch the film really draws on the video style set up by his music video experience. I really enjoyed it, reminded me of a more fun Hoop Dreams. The soundtrack was really good with a lot of hip-hop and other music used for a lot of samples I recognized. I am a basketball fan(I hope this doesn't revoke my geek cred) so I recognized some of the players featured in the film some are in the NBA while some others are in college and one is overseas I believe. The film shows how the kids have a lot of pressure and people hanging on to them and imposing their dreams on them, just not in any depth, this is just a glimpse. I would suggest this to anyone who has interest in basketball and hip hop soundtracks.

Gran Torino Rekalled...

Last night I witnessed Clint Eastwood's latest and greatest- GRAN TORINO. Now I am an Eastwood fan from way back do to ANY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE and ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN, I think the orangutan had something to do with it.

GRAN TORINO is totally carried by Clint Eastwood, his grumpy old man is perfectly anti-PC and out of place in this child-proof world he is being forced into. He is old school and scared by his time in the Korean War which has prevented him from growing close to his off-spring. Clint Eastwood is once again cast as the reluctant hero which he seems to do with ease in all his films, you know he will do the right thing, you just aren't sure how rough it's going to be for everyone involved. GT does come with the patented Eastwood tough guy humor and the crowd seemed to be loving his racist taunts because one does not hear things like this anymore. While Eastwood is great in this and the Academy totally dropped the ball on nominating it for anything the film does have some weaknesses, namely the other actors. "Toad" is really bad in this film as well as many other supporting actors but the story and Eastwood's Walt Kowalski outway the short comings of the other actors. I recommend anyone see this film as soon as they can.