tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54318214673826528162024-03-13T07:01:51.049-07:00loosen the keyRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-17658669749399513502023-07-03T12:40:00.004-07:002023-07-03T12:40:43.496-07:00Quarantine Reviews 14: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEUwf3WtRLIMDUP6UAHh7xIx0e7zck0c035IQUKs9gR5T76r6PuGRkO-ZGKEFBMRedHjWHtD26TmdzkCnunOls8wvKFsF-gM_W9JmFGBqLe5ee2CTagDa2oTk6OESys58AhpoqWmhiiw-koDmERHKU0lhLr7K5bAmMEEylUVOenbXRsJS3hu98XDLKgE/s1920/dod-marquee-post-01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1920" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEUwf3WtRLIMDUP6UAHh7xIx0e7zck0c035IQUKs9gR5T76r6PuGRkO-ZGKEFBMRedHjWHtD26TmdzkCnunOls8wvKFsF-gM_W9JmFGBqLe5ee2CTagDa2oTk6OESys58AhpoqWmhiiw-koDmERHKU0lhLr7K5bAmMEEylUVOenbXRsJS3hu98XDLKgE/w400-h160/dod-marquee-post-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Harrison Ford in his signature role as Indiana (photo credit: Lucasfilm)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</i> (released June 30, 2023) <br />Ryan's Rating: ✯✯1/2 (out of four)</p><p>"If Adventure has a Name it's Indiana Jones"</p><p><br /></p><p>I was going back and forth between 2.5 and 3 stars. I initially chose 2.5 but went to 3 and now am back to 2.5. Overall the movie a fun though overlong ride not as good as the previous Indy films but better than many of the recent re-boot/sequels to come along.</p><p>The majority of the story takes place in 1969, shortly after the Apollo 11 moon landing, with our favorite Dr. Jones retiring from teaching at Hunter College in New York City (a seeming step down from the vast Marshall College he and Marcus Brody worked at in the 1940s). He lives alone in a small apartment and is basically a man out of his time which has made him a curmudgeon. Then his estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) shows up asking for Indy's help in locating Archimedes' Dial which is said to have magic powers. If you know anything about Indiana Jones you can probably guess this leads to a globe trotting adventure. </p><p>First off Ford is (still) wonderful as Jones, and it is exciting to see him put on the hat and whip one last time. He gives a great performance adding real pathos to some scenes and acknowledging that time is passing Indy by and he's seen so many things both great and terrible yet he still has one more run in him. It also has the meta quality of Ford himself as he has seen the movie industry change through the years and we as his fans have seen him change. Waller-Bridge's performance is great and engaging though her character occasionally is given odd changes in the beginning of the film in what seems an attempt by the screenwriters to give her unneeded depth, this is a heroes and villains story people. I would watch a stand alone period piece adventure movie starring Waller-Bridge, she is a great addition to the film.</p><p>The villains led by Mads Mikkelsen (always a fine villain remember <i>Casino Royale</i>) and his group of "former" Nazis are never as memorable as the ones in <i>Raiders</i> or even Cate Blanchett's Soviet in <i>Crystal Skull. </i>They serve their purpose but I feel Jones is better when he is taking on an army of endless soldiers with tanks as opposed to a set group of bad guys.</p><p>As we see in the movie trailer there is a sequence where Ford is made to look like he did forty years ago through CGI effects. And this opening sequence on a Nazi train is one of the most imaginative and engaging in the whole film. Though the CGI seemed a little off almost as if Ford is wearing a mask but I suspended my critique to thoroughly enjoy the sequence. Some of the later chases in the movie are often so clearly CGI creations it may take some viewers out of the moment.</p><p>The film is overlong at 2 hours and 45 minutes. The makers forget Indy is based on the old time Saturday Matinee Serials which are little short films from the 1940s which ran on TV in the 1950s and 1960s. All the previous Indy adventures were right around two hours yet here when we start heading for the three hour mark the story gets overwhelming where exposition drags and the chase scenes feel repetitive. I will say the dialogue is far better than the JJ Abrams TV banter of the recent Star Wars trilogy.</p><p>Director James Mangold is a good filmmaker and I've enjoyed a number of his previous films (I think <i>Knight and Day</i> from 2010 is one of the most enjoyable and underrated action comedies). He knows how to film big widescreen action chases and get good performances yet he has the unfortunate task of following Steven Spielberg and Mangold is not Spielberg (not many are). Spielberg is one of the most imaginative and greatest filmmakers of the last fifty years and probably in the history of all cinema. He is able to imbue a film with a true sense of awe and wonder and joy that few others can (Remember the crew of the cargo ship cheering as Indy is riding the top of the Nazi sub from <i>Raiders</i>, the wind blowing his hat back to him after surviving the tank going over the cliff from <i>Last Crusade</i>, etc).</p><p>All this being said the movie is fun and I had a good time. The film is a nice finale to the series (a better closing than <i>Kingdom of the Crystal Skull</i> was fifteen years ago).It also reminded me how great John Williams' theme song is, the few times it is used brought me great joy. I saw it in a historic old movie theater which is how it is meant to be seen, a place where the seats aren't silly recliners, where you don't have to pick your seat in advance on a diagram that never resembles the actual auditorium, and the popcorn is not more expensive than the ticket. Maybe I have a little bit of Indiana Jones in me as well. "Give 'em Hell Indiana Jones". </p><p><br /></p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-28092461865555601022023-07-01T09:41:00.000-07:002023-07-01T09:41:02.796-07:00Quarantine Reviews 13: The Batman<p>Hello Readers, 2022 marked the return of the "only in theaters" movie releases. Here is a review of one of the movies I saw in 2022.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>The Batman</i> (released March 2022) Ryan's rating ✯✯✯ (out of four)</p><p>In Gotham City (here perpetually gloomy and often raining) a new to the cape Batman (Robert Pattinson) is working to clean up the crime in the city when a psycho calling himself The Riddler (Paul Dano) begins killing high level politicians and public servants (the mayor, the DA, Police Chief) in increasingly elaborate ways. Each death is accompanied by a riddle addressed to Batman and also gruesome videos shared on the internet with a greater conspiracy pointing to the late Thomas Wayne and family. This leads Batman to team up with Lt. Jim Gordon (the always reliable Jeffery Wright) and cat-burglar/club hostess Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) to figure out the bigger picture and stop the madman. </p><p>This is just part of the plot of this three hour film, there is also the Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturo), bigger societal issues of the wealthy vs. the working class, corruption in institutions, the internet creating extremism, etc. There is a lot going on in the film but it is very well made and well put together. The story by Matt Reeves and Peter Craig focuses more (compared to other Batman films) on Batman's detective origins with a lot of time spent investigating the Riddler's riddles, though savvy viewers will be able to figure out some of the clues far quicker than the people in the story. </p><p>Reeves also serves as director and he and his team have fashioned a visually stunning film. Reeves knows how to stage scenes both big and small. The sequence where the Batmobile first appears is excellent, or when Batman first fights his way into the Iceberg Club with its bright red lights cutting through the darkness. The film often has one more trick or surprising gadget to showcase. In the final climax when Batman makes his entrance, it is truly exciting. The use of Nirvana's music in some key scenes is debatable, I personally was not a fan of its use here but I may be in the minority. Also note the movie is visually dark so if you're watching in a daytime room you may have a hard time seeing parts of the film. In the theater it was occasionally hard to see.</p><p>Pattinson is very good as Batman and to a degree Bruce Wayne. I say this because in the course of the long film he only appears as Bruce Wayne in a handful of scenes. Dano is very creepy as the Riddler (miles removed from Jim Carrey in the 1990s) though he has the unfortunate place of being behind Heath Ledger's Joker from <i>The</i> <i>Dark Knight</i> and some of his sequences are fairly similar (videos of his crimes, his long monologues, his crazed posse).</p><p>If you have no interest in a Batman movie then this is probably not for you. If you have the slightest interest there are rewards in watching the movie. I will say some of the content is pushing the limit of PG-13, the Riddler is intense and his murders are pretty graphic even if the most graphic moments are kept just out of frame there is enough shown. For example one victim's face is eaten by rats.</p><p>I am a fan of detective and investigative noir style movies so this was in my wheelhouse. It was a good film to get back into the theater to see.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-89687797974495101352023-04-09T20:09:00.000-07:002023-04-09T20:09:57.104-07:00Quarantine Reviews 12: AIR see this movie in the theater<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Air</i> (released 2023). Ryan's Rating: ✯✯✯1/2 (out of four)</span></b></p><p>It's only a movie until someone goes to see it. </p><p>This is the type of movie I truly wish there were more of in the theaters. <i>Air </i>directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery (in his first produced script) tells the story of Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon), the down on his luck Nike, Inc. recruiter who in 1984 bet his career and Nike's fledgling basketball shoe division on the wild idea to sign a rookie named Michael Jordan. We have all bought a pair of Air Jordan shoes and we know Michael Jordan would become one of, if not, the greatest basketball players but even with these foregone conclusions the film is still able to hold the tension, suspense and drama. While some may think this is a basketball movie or a story of Michael Jordan it really is not. It is the classic underdog story about the behind the scenes players when Nike was just a jogging shoe.</p><p>Damon, who gained a bit of weight for the role, is in a part similar to that of 2019's <i>Ford v Ferrari</i> (a movie I was also a big fan of and recommend). He brings an honesty, everyman quality, and screen presence and turns in a fine performance. It is also a joy for a fan like me who has seen him from his reckless young roles like Will Hunting and the gambler in <i>Rounders</i> through Jason Bourne actions, into these mature roles where he still carries the same determination and we stand for something attitude of those early films. To me he is the Jack Lemmon of today. The way Lemmon was to the 1970s and 1980s, a sturdy leading almost character actor who we can identify with and believe in.</p><p>The cast is filled with familiar faces and they fit their roles perfectly: Affleck plays Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight with his Buddhist aphorisms and his purple running suits. Chris Tucker as Howard White a Nike executive who eventually became the VP of the Air Jordan line, Tucker is very good as a supporting character actor at this point in his career while still employing the energy from his youth. I hope he does more of these dramatic supporting roles (similar to his work in <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i>). Jason Bateman plays the marketing executive and his deadpan expressions and delivery was made for this type of dialogue. Chris Messina, in a patented Messina role, as foul mouth sports agent David Falk. Matthew Maher steals his scenes as the odd designer who created the Air Jordan shoes. And the always wonderful Viola Davis (apparently requested by Michael Jordan to play this role) brings a gravitas and power to her handful of scenes as Mrs. Jordan, Michael's mom. The close-ups of her talking on the phone are a master class in performance. </p><p>Convery's screenplay is well done with eloquent yet believable dialogue that is delivered in a fast back and forth manner it reminded me of Aaron Sorkin's work as well as those Howard Hawks 1940s films. Affleck's direction is also strong, he gets good performances and knows how to stage scenes while there aren't any big actions sequences he knows how to move the camera and he knows how to pace a film (neither of which are no longer givens in the movie industry sadly). The film also comes in just under two hours it knows how to tell its story. The omnipresent songs from the 1980s (Cyndi Lauper, Night Ranger, Big Country, etc) on the soundtrack was distracting and at times seemed overkill but I did appreciate the use of Tangerine Dream songs from other 1980s films, a nice nod to film buffs.</p><p>Produced by Amazon Studios they have decided to release it only in theaters and while it is not a special effects extravaganza it reminded me of how satisfying seeing a solid well made film on the big screen can be. Almost as satisfying as my Air Jordan shoes from when I was a kid. </p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-62584239910357881012021-11-14T12:47:00.002-08:002021-11-14T12:47:15.577-08:00Quarantine Reviews 6: Four movie/music Documentaries to see<p>Dear Readers,</p><p>I hope you are having lovely Fall season. Here are several documentaries about music and movie people that I've watched recently. Happy Film Viewing everyone.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wG4gKvLAp_0/YZFzNx_wqpI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/_zVXR2JkeXYCIBCeyafsG-Du7V9Z33VTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s612/gettyimages-78305998-612x612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="519" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wG4gKvLAp_0/YZFzNx_wqpI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/_zVXR2JkeXYCIBCeyafsG-Du7V9Z33VTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/gettyimages-78305998-612x612.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hal Ashby w/ actress Ruth Gordon. pc: getty images</span></td></tr></tbody></table>HAL</i> (released 2018) Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯✯ (out of four)</span></p><p>Hal Ashby was one of the 1970s American New Wave/Auteurs along with Scorsese, Coppola, Allen, Bogdanovich, Spielberg, etc. but Ashby has become a forgotten name among the group despite his films routinely appearing on greatest movies lists. Hopefully this excellent documentary will bring him back to prominence. Ashby started as a film editor, winning a best editing Academy Award for his work on <i>In the Heat of the Night</i>, before moving to directing with 1970's <i>The Landlord. </i>Following his debut is a string of seven critical and commercial successes from 1970 to 1979 (<i>Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Bound for Glory, Coming Home, </i>and <i>Being There</i>). He was a free spirit and a bit eccentric (as you can tell by any one of the films listed) yet his movies had a warmth and quietness that was not often present in Coppola or Scorsese films of the era. Ashby's style, because of his editing background, was to film as much as possible and then form the movie in the editing room which worked in the artist centric Hollywood of the 1970s. When the system changed in the 1980s and the studios began to exert their control over filmmaking they often stopped him midway through the process thus leaving his released films unfinished and rearranged without his input. This also explains why his 1980s films are often incoherent his free style was butting heads with the restrictive new studios. I do want to say his final theatrical film, <i>8 Million Ways to Die</i> (though very little relation to the book it is based on), is a fine Neo-Noir mystery/thriller despite its reputation as a bomb. Hal Ashby was an important director of 1970s American Cinema, his influence can be seen on directors like Noah Baumbach and many of the 1990s Independent Filmmakers. I loved this documentary and I hope it exposes more people to Ashby's work. Check this one out.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bt5eib9gPV8/YZFuk_jpzhI/AAAAAAAAA6o/QmmSdiepwiIjZBPMSLXRu3w10UgV8E1lQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/AAAABZOLceS6X3vVbu5ONJdKTyqjQ9jqs8HpTlw17gPT1a2PYAtaXJGplhrxvD4eILdr0rhX78xRjvFJ955NhYmXhdGorSI6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bt5eib9gPV8/YZFuk_jpzhI/AAAAAAAAA6o/QmmSdiepwiIjZBPMSLXRu3w10UgV8E1lQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AAAABZOLceS6X3vVbu5ONJdKTyqjQ9jqs8HpTlw17gPT1a2PYAtaXJGplhrxvD4eILdr0rhX78xRjvFJ955NhYmXhdGorSI6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nina Simone, pc: netflix</span></td></tr></tbody></table>What Happened, Miss Simone?</i> (released 2015) Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯</span></p><p>I am a little ashamed to say I did not know anything about Nina Simone before watching this documentary. I knew she was a famous musician/singer usually labeled jazz (though I learned here she mixed a number of styles) but that was it. This film (made with the participation of Simone's daughter) chronicles her life from being drawn to playing the piano as a child in the local church, to her not being accepted into a music conservatory college because she was black, through her popularity in the 1960s, her struggle with mental illness, and eventual comeback in the 1980s. Simone was a spectacular songwriter and pianist with a distinct voice who embraced the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Her 1964 composition "Mississippi Goddam" became a famed protest song. Her abusive husband and manager wanted Simone to stay away from anything political but Simone ignored the demands of popular music to fight for equal rights, and she paid for it as concert venues and radio stations cancelled her and her songs. She eventually left the United States settling in Barbados and Liberia among other areas. She spent a large part of her life undiagnosed with bipolar disorder. While the documentary is well made it may only skim the surface of Simone's story. It was a good introduction for a neophyte like me. My two favorite moments herein are a scene late in the film during her 1980s comeback when she stops the concert to instruct a specific audience member to "sit back down" and does not return to performing until the person complies. The most moving moment is a performance of "To be Young, Gifted, and Black" at a college campus where only a small number of black students are studying, and the song brings everyone to their feet. Simone's piano playing is on display throughout and it is a treat to listen to.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BHN0_jSmz7I/YZFwfiyeIJI/AAAAAAAAA68/l7QW30_PS-gvp3Uu1Q_1OphNoStp1LkSACPcBGAYYCw/s1200/235f95d3-d4aa-4941-bc6c-a6f339326aae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BHN0_jSmz7I/YZFwfiyeIJI/AAAAAAAAA68/l7QW30_PS-gvp3Uu1Q_1OphNoStp1LkSACPcBGAYYCw/s320/235f95d3-d4aa-4941-bc6c-a6f339326aae.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Natalie Wood on the movie poster. PC: HBO</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind</i> (released 2020) Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯</span><p></p><p>Made for HBO Documentary Films and directed by Laurent Bouzereau (who made the excellent docuseries <i>Five Came Back</i>) is an American Masters style film looking at the life and career of actress Natalie Wood. Produced by Wood's oldest daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner (who also serves as the on camera interviewer). She speaks with many of Wood's closest friends/family including Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Richard Gregson (interviewed shortly before his death in 2019), Courtney Wagner, Elliot Gould, and naturally Robert Wagner among many others. Since Natasha knows all of these people very well the interviews have an intimate quality and I suspect the shared stories are ones the individuals would have only shared with Natasha. I learned a great deal about Wood's business ability in which she negotiated off-hours from filming each week to see a therapist, or as a teenager she created contracts which allowed her to pick one film a year that was not a studio choice (something very rare at the time especially for a young actress). I didn't know she started acting at such a young age because her father lost his job and Wood, while still in elementary school, supported her whole family with her acting career. My main complaint is the film makes a statement that Wood's career and life are overshadowed by her mysterious death in 1981 at age 43 (which is true) and they state this film does not want to focus on her death as so many stories do. This sounds great but the last section of the film focuses entirely on her death with Robert Wagner recounting his memories in detail and what he suspects happened. A number of reviewers felt this turned the film into a PR stunt (also only friends are interviewed) because in 2018 Wood's death was reopened and Robert Wagner was now a person of interest. I was a bit dismayed at the fact Wood's death (again) overshadowed the story of the documentary. I am a big fan of Wood's work especially <i>Love With the Proper Stranger </i>and of course <i>West Side Story</i> and <i>Splendor in the Grass</i> among many other films. I enjoyed the home movies and personal touches of this documentary. If you are looking for a <i>Dateline </i>style expose this is not it, if you are interested in a well made documentary about an important actress this would be for you even with its flaws.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv2dUIfYEsA/YZFxkufmvQI/AAAAAAAAA7A/ZlnP1BiEs24HGOh1GswTXPqPjMCLfehWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1100/gettyimages-94282088_wide-0324340508477ea682c3ab64197e898a4966d266-s1100-c50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1100" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv2dUIfYEsA/YZFxkufmvQI/AAAAAAAAA7A/ZlnP1BiEs24HGOh1GswTXPqPjMCLfehWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/gettyimages-94282088_wide-0324340508477ea682c3ab64197e898a4966d266-s1100-c50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Band with Robbie Robertson center. pc: getty images</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band</i> (released 2019) Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯</span></p><p>A companion piece to Robbie Robertson's 2017 memoir/autobiography <i>Testimony</i> this film chronicles Robertson's history as well as the history of the seminal rock group The Band of which he was a member. In the years since the group's break up in 1977, Robertson has remained in control of the group's music and also received much of the royalties. Fellow group member Levon Helm made very vocal claims that Robertson was cheating the other members. This is Robertson's story and his view of the history of the group (as one of only two remaining members he has become sole spokesperson), it could also be an image rehabilitation as he stayed quiet regarding the one sided business accusations. He does not address those accusations directly though says he visited Helm shortly before Helm's death (but Helm was not awake due to illness). There are a number of great archival items shared here and Robertson is very charismatic throughout as he narrates the story. Also included are interviews with Ronnie Hawkins, Veronique (Robbie's wife), Bruce Springsteen, Martin Scorsese, David Geffen (seeming more pompous than usual) among others. Helm and other Band members appear in archival footage and Bob Dylan's interviews are taken from previous documentaries though edited to seem like they were conducted for this film. Your enjoyment of this movie will really depend on your taste for Robertson. I'm glad this film was made and regardless of your opinion on Robertson, the music is great and the history of the Band is always interesting.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-qvzVpXyTc/YZFyLrohYFI/AAAAAAAAA7I/yg2Y9BFZCd4eMhAuj1mX4_MW_VtiRyS5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/37QX7fTizptsUhtUqXasqkNpWX8-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-qvzVpXyTc/YZFyLrohYFI/AAAAAAAAA7I/yg2Y9BFZCd4eMhAuj1mX4_MW_VtiRyS5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/37QX7fTizptsUhtUqXasqkNpWX8-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard Stanley in his home. pc: Letterboxd</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau</i> (released 2014) Ryan's rating ✯✯✯</span></p><p>Richard Stanley is a white South African film director who made a handful of short films and music videos in the 1980s then had two cult hits with his independent <i>Hardware</i> (1990) and <i>Dust Devil</i> (1992) both of which were science fiction/horror films that were later purchased for distribution in the USA. After these two films his dream project was to present a more faithful adaptation of H.G. Wells's 1896 novel <i>The Island of Dr. Moreau</i>. This documentary chronicles Stanley's plans for a film that was not made because Stanley was fired by New Line Cinema only a week into production and replaced by veteran director John Frankenheimer. The eventually released 1996 movie bore little resemblance to Stanley's vision. This is probably one of the best (though presented in a purposefully ragged style) documents of independent creators not able to work in the mainstream. This documentary features interviews with members of the cast and crew who were brought into the film by Stanley but then left adrift (and still having to make the movie) when Frankenheimer took over. Also featured are executives and back room people who shed light on the decision making process. And finally we have present day interviews with Stanley (still wearing a safari hat and vest) living seemingly in a cabin in the wild. This documentary can take a place next to <i>It's All True</i>, <i>They'll Love Me When I'm Dea</i>d, and the recent short TCM documentary on the UCLA and Black Independent Film Movement of the late 1980s focusing on Charles Burnett.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-89508661845716869832021-08-01T13:42:00.005-07:002021-08-07T11:57:38.845-07:00Kalapana: The Original Albums CD Box Set!!!<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lNlt6AolVKw/YQcGhCH_a5I/AAAAAAAAA50/2d510a9SLrc7AfOFaqcyG88CXPtY2LlVACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3869.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lNlt6AolVKw/YQcGhCH_a5I/AAAAAAAAA50/2d510a9SLrc7AfOFaqcyG88CXPtY2LlVACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3869.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br />Kalapana: The Original Albums Box Set</b></span><p></p><p>For this post I am stepping away from my normal Movie Reviews to talk about one of my favorite bands, Kalapana. I have been a fan since I was a little kid, my father had the cassette tapes in the car, and when I was a music columnist for <i>Ka Leo O Hawaii</i> my first several articles were all about Kalapana. The CD box set "Kalapana: The Original Albums" was released in 2018 and is the first time their first seven albums have been collected together on CD. It also marks the first time the band members of Kalapana will be getting their due royalties from their original and most popular albums. Released through Manifesto Records, if you like physical media and are a Kalapana fan you need to get this set before it is out of print. I've made a short video with my initial thoughts on the set that I need to figure out how to share, but in this post you will find more details I want to share with you all and that add to the video review.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some general notes about the Kalapana CD Box Set. Individual Album info below.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>All seven albums have been remastered and the sound is clearer and crisper than the previously available CDs.</li><li>The outer box is standard thicker cardboard (common in CD box sets) and it is painted to look like wood.</li><li>Each disc has the respective album artwork printed on its top side.</li><li>Each of the CDs is in its own cardboard gatefold cover (or eco-pack CD case) designed to resemble the original vinyl LP records sleeves. Be careful, the individual discs slide out of the cardboard sleeve very easily and they may fall out when you least expect it.</li><li>While the CD sleeves are very similar to the original vinyl sleeves they are not exact replicas. For instance the inner sleeves of LP vinyl often included song lyrics but no lyrics are included here (except on Kalapana II since lyrics were printed on the outer sleeve of the original vinyl). </li><li>Also of note, all of Kalapana's albums are now available on streaming services and download purchase on places like iTunes. This includes their albums from the 1980s all the way into the 2000s (such as Lava Rock, Hurricane, Back in Your Heart Again, Walk Upon the Water, Blue Album, etc).</li></ul><p></p><p>Notes about the Individual albums in the box:</p><p>1. Kalapana (also called Kalapana I)</p><p>Their big hit first album, featuring many of their best known songs ("The Hurt", "Nightbird", "You Make it Hard", "Naturally"). Released in 1975 in Hawaii on Vinyl, re-released on CD in the late 1980s in Hawaii by OTB Records. Note this boxset CD follows the original vinyl song order, this results in the song "Going, Going Gone" being the sixth track as it was on the original 1975 vinyl release and not the first track as it was on the 1980s OTB CD release. This album is a must own for any fan.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Kalapana II</p><p>Another hit with more classic songs, ("Juliette", "Blacksand", "(For You) I'd Chase a Rainbow"). Released in Hawaii on vinyl in 1976 and re-released on CD in Hawaii in the late 1980s by OTB Records. This is the first album to feature Alvin Fejarang on drums and Michael Paulo on saxophone/flute, both of whom would become official band members on the next release (here they are listed as side musicians). Mackey Feary left the group shortly after the release of this album. </p><p><br /></p><p>3. Kalapana III</p><p>Here is where the details get more complicated. Released on vinyl in Hawaii in 1977 but in the 1980s when it was transferred to CD, the CD was a Japanese edition (through Pony Canyon Records) and only available in Japan or as an import CD. This marks the first Hawaii/USA release of the album on CD. The song order is different on the various editions as well. The version in this boxset has "Alisa Lovely" as the opening track and the songs follow a largely alphabetical order based on song title this follows the listing on the original vinyl LP sleeve. As mentioned previously Michael Paulo and Alvin Fejarang are listed here as band members and Randy Aloya joined the band with this record as bass player and vocalist. </p><p><br /></p><p>4. Many Classic Moments (Studio Album)</p><p>There are two Kalapana albums with the title of "Many Classic Moments" (the other has the subtitle of Original Soundtrack listed below). Kalapana were hired to write songs for the surfing documentary <i>Many Classic Moments.</i> The eight songs featured on this album are the new songs for the documentary (really six new songs, a cover of the song "Can You See Him", and "Naturally" from their first album). The new songs include the popular title track, "The Water Song", and "Down By the Sea". Released on vinyl in Hawaii in 1978, again when transferred to CD in the 1980s it was only released in Japan or again as an import. This marks the first Hawaii/USA release of the album on CD.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Many Classic Moments (Original Soundtrack)</p><p>Released only in Japan on Trio Records in 1978 as a double vinyl album featuring all the music in the surfing documentary <i>Many Classic Moments</i>. Follow me here, the eight songs from the Many Classic Moments studio album (listed above) are included, along with orchestral music (not written by Kalapana) and dialog snippets from the film. Older Kalapana songs (such as Blacksand, (For You) I'd Chase a Rainbow, Mana, etc.) are also included here as they were featured in the documentary film. Never released in Hawaii/USA until this box set.</p><p><br /></p><p>6. In Concert</p><p>A double live album only released in Japan in 1978 on vinyl and then CD in the early 2000s (again only available as an import or in Japan). Recorded live in Japan and Guam this is a powerhouse recording and one of three live albums released by Kalapana (the others being "Reunion" in 1983 and the DJ Pratt led Kalapana album "Japan Jam Live" in 1980). These concerts feature exciting renditions of songs from Kalapana III and Many Classic Moments as well as the Malani Bilyeu songs from the first two albums. Kimo Cornwell (later of the Jazz band Hiroshima) joins the group on synthesizer for this album and the next.</p><p><br /></p><p>7. Northbound</p><p>The group's final album before disbanding in 1979 (they would reunite with an altered lineup in the 1980s). Only available in Japan until this boxset. Most of the songs here will be new to fans but there are some gems. My personal favorite is "Rainy Day" by DJ Pratt that is available here (also on the compilation "Black Sand: The Best of Kalapana"). In the historical booklet it's noted that by the end of Northbound's recording there were only three of the seven band members left and those three decided to call it quits once the album was released.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQCL74nBxAA/YQcGssRPS5I/AAAAAAAAA54/BEtOBzhhgpoFwt_2WCsBz7DMOs7rDPyiACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3879.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQCL74nBxAA/YQcGssRPS5I/AAAAAAAAA54/BEtOBzhhgpoFwt_2WCsBz7DMOs7rDPyiACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I just have one criticism and it is not about the set itself it is about the marketing. I wish there was a better marketing or announcement when this was released November 30, 2018. I'm someone who is often searching and looking up information about Hawaii's music but I did not know about the box until January 2021. I know Malani Bilyeu (a founding member and lead singer) passed away suddenly in December 2018 so that overshadowed the release yet it would have been a perfect tribute to Malani for this to be really promoted especially to the fans. This is a small complaint since I found my way to the music. <p></p><p>I am very very happy this set has been put together with such care. Happy listening everyone.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-81929612190800694692021-07-18T18:26:00.000-07:002021-07-18T18:26:19.246-07:00Quarantine Reviews 11: Movies released in the last year<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello Readers,</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I realize most of my reviews are for classic or older movies, so Here is a list of films released in 2020 or 2021 that I have seen and reviewed. Happy viewing everyone!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_OX0knBNVwA/YPTERcLJTfI/AAAAAAAAA44/LT7iY8puY-UBQtJ4HOPmIvfPgSMgVkXbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/MV5BNTAyNDIyOGYtMDA0My00MGQ4LWIyMWQtNGY2YjgzODdiZTcxXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_OX0knBNVwA/YPTERcLJTfI/AAAAAAAAA44/LT7iY8puY-UBQtJ4HOPmIvfPgSMgVkXbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BNTAyNDIyOGYtMDA0My00MGQ4LWIyMWQtNGY2YjgzODdiZTcxXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Carnaval del Barrio" lifts the spirits. credit IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">In The Heights </span></i><span style="font-size: medium;">(released 2021) Ryan's Rating: ✯✯✯ (out of four)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p>Is it good? Yes. Is it great? No. Is it entertaining? Yes. The long awaited film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's and Quiara Alegría Hudes's hit Broadway musical has arrived in select theaters and on HBOMax. I watched it on my TV but it is clearly designed for the big screen and I'm certain if you see this film in a theater it will increase your enjoyment and affection. Completed in 2019, but delayed due to the pandemic, the film tells the story of a community in the largely Dominican area of Washington Heights, New York. All of the characters have dreams and hopes but the world and the wealthy keep making these goals harder and harder to achieve. The main story takes place over three days during a record heatwave; our heroes are Usnavi (a bodega owner played by Anthony Ramos), Vanessa (a hair dresser who wants to be a fashion designer, Melissa Barrera), Nina (a local girl just back after her first year at Stanford, Leslie Grace), and Benny (a taxicab dispatcher, Corey Hawkins) among many others all of whom are at a crossroads in one way or another. The screenplay, also by Hudes, has been updated with new sequences to reflect changes since the play first appeared fifteen years ago. The elements from the play and the elements added for the film do not always fit together which sometimes makes the story move in fits and starts. There is an added framing device of Usnavi telling the story to his daughter that provides some great scenes but feels extraneous. The "Piragua Song" in the play served as a fun interlude that helped to build the world and also had a reprise that gave it a punch line, in the film (with the reprise cut) the song seems merely an excuse to give Miranda a part in the movie. On the upside director Jon M. Chu has a long history with musical and dance (he made <i>Step Up 2 and 3</i>, two Justin Bieber concert documentaries, as well as the musically influenced <i>Crazy Rich Asians</i>) and he uses that background to give us numbers that range from music videos to Busby Berkeley crowd sequences, and to the MGM musicals of yesteryear. The song "96,000" is filmed at a public swimming pool where the neighborhood goes to beat the heat and the sequence brings to mind the water dancing of Esther Williams films. All this is to say the musical numbers had me smiling, the cast is good and engaging, and despite some of the clunky pacing I was entertained. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt1NITDWBmg/YPTF2FSBdjI/AAAAAAAAA5A/LzyHEB91-SImBGmWA3BAgOPGq_4OW-XYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s945/MV5BZDg1YTQ1OGMtNjJkOS00OTdhLWE3OWEtMDc3NWQ5YWMwYWUxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUwODE1ODk%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="945" height="154" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt1NITDWBmg/YPTF2FSBdjI/AAAAAAAAA5A/LzyHEB91-SImBGmWA3BAgOPGq_4OW-XYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h154/MV5BZDg1YTQ1OGMtNjJkOS00OTdhLWE3OWEtMDc3NWQ5YWMwYWUxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUwODE1ODk%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Angelina Jolie looking for wildfires. Credit: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Those Who Wish Me Dead</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 2021) Ryan's Rating: ✯✯1/2 </span></span></p><p>In the Montana wilderness a former smoke jumper (Angelina Jolie), haunted by a deadly mistake during a fire, is posted in a secluded watch tower when she finds a young boy fleeing from two ruthless assassins. Visceral and entertaining though sometimes feels like an assemblage of good parts and not a full unit. Jolie is perfectly cast, it is great to see her back in this type of role and her presence fills the screen, but the narrative switches points of view which leaves Jolie largely absent from the first half of the movie. Director/Co-writer Taylor Sheridan (writer of a number of hit films and co-creator of the series <i>Yellowstone</i>) is widely praised for his detailed characters in action/thriller situations and here is no exception but for me this film seemed overstuffed with plot and backstory. The opening sequence (an exciting parachute jump into a fire) seems out of place, while it is a grabbing opening it turns out to be an abrupt backstory explanation that gets repeated throughout the film. The run time is short, the story is only an hour and a half, causing the multiple plots at times to seem geared for a mini-series as opposed to a single film. This could also be the result of the film being adapted from a novel where there is more space to explore subplots. I wanted the story to stay with Jolie and the boy battling the elements to escape the killers (which does happen but more in the second half). At the same time there is an excellent side character played by Medina Senghore, a pregnant woman who runs a wilderness survival camp. She could have had a whole movie to herself. I am a great fan of Sheridan's 2017 film <i>Wind River</i> which has a similar story, but that film pulled everything together in a solid whole and I wanted this film to be more like that one. Overall <i>Those Who Wish Me Dead</i> is exciting and fast paced (some of the violence is brutal so be warned) but at the end I felt it was just okay when it could have been great. </p><p><br /></p><p><span><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcDdF6Tv9kg/YPTOOZb4zbI/AAAAAAAAA5I/12c69PAe1SgUYOpVuc7CKDRyx6deh4UygCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/MV5BODhmYzRjMDEtNzYzYS00OWFiLTk4MDYtZDVkNzMyY2E3MTA2XkEyXkFqcGdeQWpnYW1i._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0%252C0%252C500%252C281_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcDdF6Tv9kg/YPTOOZb4zbI/AAAAAAAAA5I/12c69PAe1SgUYOpVuc7CKDRyx6deh4UygCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BODhmYzRjMDEtNzYzYS00OWFiLTk4MDYtZDVkNzMyY2E3MTA2XkEyXkFqcGdeQWpnYW1i._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0%252C0%252C500%252C281_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andra Day as Lady Day. credit IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">United States Vs. Billie Holiday</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 2020) Ryan's Rating ✯1/2</span></span></p><p>Andra Day (in her film debut no less) is excellent as Billie Holiday and it is a shame the film is not as good as her performance. The plot concerns the FBI's (at the request of the big wigs in Washington D.C.) pursuit of Holiday, due to her popular song "Strange Fruit" (about lynchings in the United States) which the government feared would stir up the population. The film covers about twenty years of Holiday's life (as well as some flashbacks to childhood) but it is so disjointed and confusing, we as the audience are often left wondering where we are in the story. There is a framing device (Holiday being interviewed on a radio station) which could have added some focus or clarity to the events but it is not used well. To top it off there are few scenes that explain why Holiday was such a success and her ability with music. A brief scene early in the film where she is rehearsing and is telling her band how to play this line and what would work in the club gives one of the few glimpses of Holiday's musical abilities and that she was more than an excellent voice. The moment is then lost in a sea of the ways Holiday was abused (both by herself and by many others). To top it all off the two hour running time feels like five hours. Billie Holiday is an important figure in history and the story of her unjust pursuit by the FBI is an important story. Surely there is a better film to be made from these powerful stories.</p><p><br /></p><p><span><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJc1yw9JCdc/YPTPvlYx4MI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/Mcpmr4CYvKQ2dA6Mc71nN32zsx3zetpIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/MV5BMWI4MGU4NzktYzk1OS00MTZmLTgwYTAtMjNhNjA3OTk5Mjg0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJc1yw9JCdc/YPTPvlYx4MI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/Mcpmr4CYvKQ2dA6Mc71nN32zsx3zetpIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BMWI4MGU4NzktYzk1OS00MTZmLTgwYTAtMjNhNjA3OTk5Mjg0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn. credit: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Pieces of a Woman</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 2020) Ryan's Rating ✯✯1/2</span></span></p><p>As many reviewers have noted the first nearly thirty minutes of the movie is a recreation of a home birth and ends with the baby turning blue and dying. This agonizing sequence is followed by the film title appearing on the screen which hits the viewer like a hammer. Vanessa Kirby (best known as Princess Margaret on the first two seasons of <i>The Crown</i>) plays the woman who lost her child and her performance, with all its nuance, is excellent though the film often moves away from her character which is where it falters. About half the story involves her construction worker husband (played by Shia LaBeouf) and the way he deals with the loss of the baby. LaBeouf gives a strong forceful performance but his character is the less intriguing of the couple which made me wish for more of Kirby on the screen. Also on board is Ellen Burstyn, as Kirby's high society mom (and Holocaust survivor), who fully embodies the character in all her love and vindictiveness. It is a great showcase for the actress. The best sequence is a dinner party that turns into a mother daughter argument performed with shattering power by Burstyn and Kirby. Written and directed by a husband wife team who based it on their experiences of losing their own child, and first done as a stage production. With this backstory it makes sense why the film follows both LaBeouf's and Kirby's characters, but I thought it would have been a stronger film if it focused more on Kirby and Burstyn. There are some symbolic moments that seem a little on the nose (a literal bridge being built, the growing of apple seeds) but that is nitpicking. The movie is well filmed (though clearly in Canada not in Boston where the story is set) sometimes in long unbroken takes where the camera drifts around the characters. The acting is uniformly strong and while the dialog is well done the story structure seems to drift away from the main character a little too often.</p><p><br /></p><p><span><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I1keqQ0MjPY/YPTRyfZh8qI/AAAAAAAAA5g/W8RT1tZwIos3CR-fTsb4gpAKzRNgmNUlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/MV5BZWM4MDJjNzMtYjk5Ni00MTJkLThlNjAtZDdjODhlNzU4ZTcwXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I1keqQ0MjPY/YPTRyfZh8qI/AAAAAAAAA5g/W8RT1tZwIos3CR-fTsb4gpAKzRNgmNUlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BZWM4MDJjNzMtYjk5Ni00MTJkLThlNjAtZDdjODhlNzU4ZTcwXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John David Washington on a mission. credit: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Tenet</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 2020). Ryan's Rating: ✯✯</span></span></p><p>I have to come right out and say it I am not a lover of Christopher Nolan's films. He knows how to stage scenes but I often find his story pacing/timing to be problematic which makes many of his films fall flat for me. (There are two of his films that I greatly enjoy <i>Inception</i> and <i>Batman Begins</i>, I haven't seen <i>Dunkirk </i>or<i> Following </i>or<i> Memento, </i>I have seen all the others). <i>Tenet</i> tells the story of a spy (a commanding John David Washington) who gets involved in a mission to find a group of wealthy European terrorists (led by Kenneth Branagh) who are using a time travel device to do bad things (as with Nolan movies it is never truly clear when you think about it). The catch is that when you travel through time everything is reversed (inverted), the characters walk backward, cars drive in reverse, marks on walls appear and disappear. There is the typical dialogue that is made to sound important but is really just elaborate and read by very good actors while not really saying much. This is all the more evident here because the basic plot is the same as any time travel movie (<i>Bill & Ted</i>, <i>Timecop</i>, etc.). As expected the action scenes are well filmed and at times very imaginative since many of them take place in a form of reverse movement. Alas, I had the same feeling blah feeling as I do after watching many of Nolan's movies. One part of the movie I found most interesting is the wonderful actress, Elizabeth Debicki, plays almost the exact same role as she does in the great 2016 limited series <i>The Night Manager.</i> I wonder if she was 'Teneting' and going back in time.</p><p><br /></p><p><span><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IoJB0caNav4/YPTS3V3BRRI/AAAAAAAAA5o/FPAehEJdD2cbhVpn83H3okZxAhVnnpf2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/MV5BMWYwYTI4OTMtNWRhZS00YWI0LWFlMTctZTA3ZTA2ZDQ4ZDQ2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTA3MTMyOTk%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IoJB0caNav4/YPTS3V3BRRI/AAAAAAAAA5o/FPAehEJdD2cbhVpn83H3okZxAhVnnpf2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BMWYwYTI4OTMtNWRhZS00YWI0LWFlMTctZTA3ZTA2ZDQ4ZDQ2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTA3MTMyOTk%2540._V1_.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Theatrical poster. credit: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Belushi</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 2020) Ryan's Rating: ✯✯✯</span></span></p><p>A documentary on the life of the late John Belushi told through many years worth of audio recordings as opposed to the normal way of interviewing the surviving members on screen. The audio is paired with archival photos/videos as well as animated sequences and the outcome is similar to the way a Ken Burns documentary is put together. I never knew much about John Belushi's life except he died very young of a drug overdose, the most detail I read is in the excellent Roger Ebert collection of essays and interviews <i>A Kiss is Still a Kiss</i>. I found this documentary very interesting as I am a fan of Belushi's work (<i>Animal House, Blues Brothers, Continental Divide, SNL</i>) but it is sadly an overly familiar story, talented comic becomes famous and gets addicted to drugs. The audio recordings (some of the speakers have also passed away like Harold Ramis, Penny Marshall, Carrie Fisher) are fascinating to listen to for fans of 1970s <i>SNL/Second City</i> and the late 70s early 1980s films in which Belushi starred. Those who were alive when John Belushi was creating his famed comic moments may find some of the sequences overly familiar (critic Peter Sobczynski mentions this in his review) and works such as <i>Continental Divide</i> and <i>Goin' South </i>are barely mentioned. The film serves as a good archive for those of us who were not around but have come to know Belushi through his films.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-1108285972357593152021-06-16T21:19:00.003-07:002021-06-16T21:19:45.176-07:00Quarantine Reviews 10: Some movie I give one star or less...<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello Fellow Film Fans,<br />I hope all is well with you as we head into the summer months. Here are six movies I do not care for and I'm reviewing them for your safety. Happy Viewing Everyone.</span></p><p><span><i><br /><br /></i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECFjFjDvZyI/YMVVhKgqsII/AAAAAAAAA3k/dI1DazIwq0kQnYJaaFqSCKIjUb00WwacwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/hold-dark-image.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECFjFjDvZyI/YMVVhKgqsII/AAAAAAAAA3k/dI1DazIwq0kQnYJaaFqSCKIjUb00WwacwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/hold-dark-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jeffrey Wright on the hunt. photo credit: rogerebert.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Hold the Dark</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 2018). Ryan's Rating: ✯ (out of 4). </span></span><p></p><p>A good idea, a great location, and one excellent shootout sequence all wasted in a slog of a movie. The good idea: A baby disappears in a remote area of Alaska, possibly carried away by wolves. The baby's mother writes to an aged but noted wolf expert (Jeffrey Wright), asking him to come to Alaska to hunt and kill the wolves responsible but when he arrives something more sinister is a foot. Great location: the foreboding isolated snowy wilderness is well shot. Best scene: involves a police standoff between the local authorities and a Native American veteran. This sequence is so visceral and expertly staged it seems a shame the rest of the film is not better. After the first fifteen minutes the pace is nearly immobile. The atmosphere is ominous, and the performances are (I think purposefully) lifeless trying to make a comment on the darkness and mystical elements, but all that does is make the scenes boring. There's also a sequence featuring the baby's father in battle in Iraq that felt completely out of place to me. Too bad because it had promise.</p><p><br /></p><p><span><i></i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3n1V4yLgbHk/YMVWP1lpAdI/AAAAAAAAA3s/umlCjXphoSQgQGwZ3j1kXP0LSCHLTx4_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/MV5BNjY3ZTkyYzUtZjUzNi00OTQ4LTg5ODQtOTQ1NjM4N2YzYjVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNDgzNjc%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3n1V4yLgbHk/YMVWP1lpAdI/AAAAAAAAA3s/umlCjXphoSQgQGwZ3j1kXP0LSCHLTx4_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BNjY3ZTkyYzUtZjUzNi00OTQ4LTg5ODQtOTQ1NjM4N2YzYjVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNDgzNjc%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rambo ready to inflict pain. pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Rambo: Last Blood (</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;">released 2019). Ryan's Rating: zero stars </span></span><p></p><p>I'm a big Sylvester Stallone fan and I like the previous four Rambo films but this one is a waste. Gruesomely violent in the extreme, it is more violent than the previous Rambo movies and feels overly violent even for a Rambo/Stallone picture (which is saying something). Please note I fast forwarded through several sequences because of the violence. John Rambo (Stallone) lives on a ranch in Arizona (as we saw him returning at the end of the previous movie). He suffers from PTSD from his Vietnam War (and other) experiences but seems to find peace raising horses, all the while he's built a giant underground tunnel system beneath the ranch. Also on the ranch are a woman who works for him and her teenaged daughter. The daughter wants to meet her estranged father living in Mexico. Against everyone's wishes the girl crosses the border, she's quickly captured by bad guys, pumped with drugs, and sold into the sex trade. Rambo goes to find her and get revenge on the big Mexican cartel. The abuse of the teenage character is also tough to watch and it becomes clear the movie will hurt/kill anyone for a shock. It's a poorly made off-putting film and all the worse if this is the end of the series. While the title indicates this may be the final film the ending leaves it open. Maybe <i>Rambo: Final Blood</i>, or <i>Rambo: New Blood?</i></p><p><br /></p><p><span><i></i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3owA8EYKJOU/YMVW1TzgR8I/AAAAAAAAA30/6-eFmYV1KMwqbHoHdNKaB26eKiHoG2ORgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/MV5BZTAwMjkwOGMtNDBlZC00NWYzLWE5OGItYjFlNzk4YTFhZDIyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3owA8EYKJOU/YMVW1TzgR8I/AAAAAAAAA30/6-eFmYV1KMwqbHoHdNKaB26eKiHoG2ORgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BZTAwMjkwOGMtNDBlZC00NWYzLWE5OGItYjFlNzk4YTFhZDIyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tom Berenger & Melanie Griffith out in NYC. pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Fear City</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 1984). Ryan's rating: zero stars </span></span><p></p><p>A serial killer is attacking strippers in New York City, a detective and some mafia backed club owners band together to find the psycho. Great cast: Tom Berenger, Melanie Griffith, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Scalia (all fairly early in their careers). Directed by famed independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara with his usual mix of grime and neon. Terrible, but then again you never know with Ferrara.</p><p><br /></p><p><span><i></i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tXs0wteUyjE/YMVXmIsIjJI/AAAAAAAAA38/NKmaflwkvvMqYCYrPoZNqYHiJy036BlngCLcBGAsYHQ/s666/MV5BNGYyYjMwZDYtYWI0ZC00MmNhLTgyMDYtMDZhMzBjNTZkZmE4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="666" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tXs0wteUyjE/YMVXmIsIjJI/AAAAAAAAA38/NKmaflwkvvMqYCYrPoZNqYHiJy036BlngCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BNGYyYjMwZDYtYWI0ZC00MmNhLTgyMDYtMDZhMzBjNTZkZmE4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brad Pitt with his Doodle partner. pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Cool World</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 1992). Ryan's Rating: ✯</span></span><p></p><p>I've always been curious to see this movie but I should have just stayed curious and avoided it. As many have described, this is a crazy (also bad) version of <i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</i>. An animated world exists in an alternate dimension but it is threatening to merge with our Earth and we need to stop it. The animation seems unfinished and when the live actors interact with the animated world everything suddenly looks like cardboard cutouts. This may be on purpose, but it was distracting and makes the film look cheap. There's an unnecessary prologue and the movie as a whole drags and drags. Only interest is the pre-fame Brad Pitt (though his performance is not great) and Kim Basinger is fun as the cartoon (or Doodle as they're called here) who comes to life. While I am not a fan, this movie does have its supporters. </p><p><br /></p><p><span><i></i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zNGp-kltE7U/YMVba3DMIBI/AAAAAAAAA4E/DbnF7MfSJR4IQF6kRXAyHWla6sLH_OeNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/MV5BYjMwNWU1ZjktOGJhOS00ODIyLWFjNzktYjMzYTkwZTZiZjM3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zNGp-kltE7U/YMVba3DMIBI/AAAAAAAAA4E/DbnF7MfSJR4IQF6kRXAyHWla6sLH_OeNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BYjMwNWU1ZjktOGJhOS00ODIyLWFjNzktYjMzYTkwZTZiZjM3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Forger and Historian on the run. pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Incognito (</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;">released 1997). Ryan's Rating: ✯</span></span><p></p><p>An art forger (Jason Patric, zero charisma here) creates a fake "lost" Rembrandt painting but is double crossed by his employer and framed for murder. He goes on the run with an art historian (Irene Jacob) at his side. Beautiful European scenery/locations in a variation on a Hitchcock plot but a poor movie. Director John Badham is a decent director but he is unable to do anything here. Also despite Patric's 1990s good looks he shows no appeal and no ability to carry this type of adventure/thriller. He and co-star Jacob also have very little chemistry. There <i>is </i>a neat sequence showing how the forgery is created. That scene and the locations are all we have here.</p><p><br /></p><p><span><i></i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRHfS3JovnI/YMVbzTxjRiI/AAAAAAAAA4M/Hk4dVn4QjHwHDwD00YAmxDEeyveIUkyiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/MV5BYzQyMjJkODQtMzlmOC00NzNjLThkNzUtMmRlM2U3NTBlMjM5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTk3OTkxOTA%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRHfS3JovnI/YMVbzTxjRiI/AAAAAAAAA4M/Hk4dVn4QjHwHDwD00YAmxDEeyveIUkyiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BYzQyMjJkODQtMzlmOC00NzNjLThkNzUtMmRlM2U3NTBlMjM5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTk3OTkxOTA%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Detective and Professor uncover the crime pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Separate Lives</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (released 1995). Ryan's Rating: ✯</span></span><p></p><p>A retired police detective (Jim Belushi) is studying to become a therapist. One day his professor (Linda Hamilton) hires him to follow her because she is having blackouts with no memory of what she's done. The detective quickly finds out she has multiple personalities (well two), one as the straitlaced college professor, and the other as a night owl who commits crimes. The rest of the story is not really worth your time. This film was released theatrically but looks and feels like a poor TV movie. The only interest for some might be seeing a young Elisabeth Moss (<i>The Handmaid's Tale</i>) playing Belushi's middle schooler daughter.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-60885141801739070802021-05-30T12:06:00.003-07:002021-05-30T12:06:48.038-07:00Quarantine Reviews 9: Six Recommended by Jim Cameron Stan<p><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FP05JQPNK1A/YLFMwSQr9gI/AAAAAAAAA3A/jN0DM2UBHIQssqWjUvKLqptaRs2HhjVrACLcBGAsYHQ/s512/free%2Bmovie%2Bclipart.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="512" height="149" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FP05JQPNK1A/YLFMwSQr9gI/AAAAAAAAA3A/jN0DM2UBHIQssqWjUvKLqptaRs2HhjVrACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h149/free%2Bmovie%2Bclipart.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span><span style="font-size: medium;">In honor of my good friend, Jim Cameron Stan, here are six movies he recommended to me and now I recommend them to you all. The reviews are listed in the order they were recommended to me.</span></span><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Enjoy my reviews, thank you for J.C. Stan, check these films out, and Happy Viewing everyone.</span></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The Half of It</span></i>, <span style="font-size: medium;">released 2020, Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯1/2 (out of four, highly recommended)</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEIRaauRD74/YKbUnRD_kjI/AAAAAAAAA14/u2VWl98PMRICdDybQk-mB81Ot3_q88z7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/the-half-of-it-movie-review-2020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEIRaauRD74/YKbUnRD_kjI/AAAAAAAAA14/u2VWl98PMRICdDybQk-mB81Ot3_q88z7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/the-half-of-it-movie-review-2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Leah Lewis as Ellie. credit: Roger Ebert.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Ellie Chiu (played by an excellent Leah Lewis), is the only Asian in her very small rural town and longs of going to art school but does not have the money. Her father, still mourning the years ago death of Ellie's mom, runs the freight train crossing at the edge of town where Ellie works late at night. She is extremely smart, and she is secretly paid by classmates to ghostwrite their school papers. Ellie also has one other secret, she is gay and has feelings for her classmate, Aster (Alexxis Lemire), the daughter of the town's church Deacon. Enter, Paul (Daniel Diemer), a football player who is kind and shy and also has a crush on Aster. He doesn't know how to express himself so he pays Ellie to write Aster some love letters. She reluctantly agrees and the story expands from there. While the plot is a modern variation on <i>Cyrano De Bergerac</i> (or if you prefer a younger version of Steve Martin's <i>Roxanne</i>) writer/director Alice Wu and a great unknown cast fill the movie with so much honesty and heart it made me forget any familiarities of the story and allowed me to truly enjoy an excellently made film. It is rare to see a film of such nuance in today's cinema and I highly recommend this one. [Side note: This film reminds me of another Asian American independent gem called <i>Eve and the Firehorse,</i> directed by Julia Kwan, from 2005. I saw it at the Hawaii International Film Festival and I wish this movie as well was given a platform like Netflix]. <p></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Frequency</i>, released in 2000. Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVwiK9sBD7s/YKbWjlVR9PI/AAAAAAAAA2A/TcANX7y_0-gTE4K8YwjbwlLlSUlLCq_ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s778/frequency%2Bstill.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="778" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVwiK9sBD7s/YKbWjlVR9PI/AAAAAAAAA2A/TcANX7y_0-gTE4K8YwjbwlLlSUlLCq_ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/frequency%2Bstill.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dennis Quaid in Frequency. credit: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table>I saw this when it came out on VHS but didn't really remember the full story, so it was fun to watch again like it was the first time. In 1999 (present day when the movie was released) a New York police detective (played by Jim Caviezel) finds his father's old ham-radio in the basement and magically the radio allows him to talk to his long deceased New York firefighter father (Dennis Quaid) in 1969. This crux of parents, their children, and time lost is the heart of the story. There is a police investigation plot involving a serial killer that feels a little too much like a standard tv cop show (not surprising director Gregory Hoblit directed and produced a number of episodes for <i>Hill Street Blues</i> and <i>NYPD Blue</i>) and at times this police story feels like a distraction from the father/son story but if I didn't focus too much on the police aspect it worked fine. Another distraction is the attempt at New York accents by the two stars (they aren't very good at the accent), but that's nitpicking. The film also tries to explain some of the magical happenings which seem unnecessary, for instance a phenomenon with the northern lights that happens every thirty years has something to do with the time traveling radio signal. One thing I did appreciate is the nod to the creation of new memories when the past is altered allowing the future to change. In many time travel movies when the past is altered the main characters apparently lived a whole different life that they have no memory of (for instance Marty McFly has no idea what happened in his first eighteen years of life after he changes the events of 1955; he doesn't recognize his house, his family, etc.). If you stick to the heart of <i>Frequency</i> and don't get weighed down in examining the logistics this is a very enjoyable little film and you'll be glad to have seen it. I know I'm glad to have seen it.<div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Enemy at the Gates,</i> released 2001. Ryan's Rating: ✯✯1/2.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vPdby4pq5k/YKbX1N3CskI/AAAAAAAAA2I/kqLqSJ2LKRUrKu6lu1imoYE6cd_afM7JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/533b3b57dc59434aa7dfabbd09fda2580a74d7aeac0083621b465562f8517790._V_SX1080_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vPdby4pq5k/YKbX1N3CskI/AAAAAAAAA2I/kqLqSJ2LKRUrKu6lu1imoYE6cd_afM7JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/533b3b57dc59434aa7dfabbd09fda2580a74d7aeac0083621b465562f8517790._V_SX1080_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jude Law as the Soviet Sniper credit: PrimeVideo</span></td></tr></tbody></table>During WWII, a Soviet sniper (Jude Law) is built up by a writer in the war department (Joseph Fiennes) as a folk hero to boost the morale during the Nazi invasion. In turn the Nazis bring in their own sniper (Ed Harris) to hunt down this Russian hero. The movie feels like three stories that could have worked well together but never really gel like they should: First story, the two snipers hunting each other (which should be the main story but really doesn't come until maybe forty minutes in); second story, there is a historical drama aspect about the effects of war on the regular people and seeing the war from the Soviet/Russian point of view (this includes an epic opening battle sequence reminiscent of <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>'s D-Day opening); and then the third story (personally the least interesting) is the triangle between the Fiennes and Law characters (Fiennes's character eventually resents the fame he's given to this sniper) and a volunteer female soldier (Rachel Weisz). Each sort of work in and of themselves, but they never combine into a single film like the makers want. The best sequence is a stand off between the two snipers in a bombed out factory involving reflections in panes of broken glass. My least favorite of the movies listed here.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Stranger Than Fiction,</i> released 2006. Ryan's Rating: ✯✯✯✯ (highly recommended).</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7l7ew--G3hw/YKgKJ6oe87I/AAAAAAAAA2Q/0WI9xzgq9ScGHAGkZmmDiEcAMp3jnKNwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/AAAABfh2le6OQ_kcMRS7AO8nC1CgZv3BEsU_tkJZgSXUZ6wk5MO1P1gExrrOEpaRV4HGpQqVnLJKxDCqbmHfEf40_q4VckJW.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7l7ew--G3hw/YKgKJ6oe87I/AAAAAAAAA2Q/0WI9xzgq9ScGHAGkZmmDiEcAMp3jnKNwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AAAABfh2le6OQ_kcMRS7AO8nC1CgZv3BEsU_tkJZgSXUZ6wk5MO1P1gExrrOEpaRV4HGpQqVnLJKxDCqbmHfEf40_q4VckJW.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Will Ferrell as Harold finding joy in life. credit: Netflix</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Harold Crick (wonderfully played by Will Ferrell in a non-Ferrell performance) is a stuffy IRS auditor who lives in routine because he seemingly knows no other way. He does everything to obsessive precision from brushing his teeth to catching the correct bus and by choice never takes any days off from work. One day he hears a woman's voice narrating his life as if it were a novel and the voice informs him he will die in the next few weeks. Harold seeks out a local college English professor (Dustin Hoffman, who has a really nice office for a professor) to explain the novelistic narration Harold is hearing. This leads them to discover the voice belongs to a reclusive award winning author (Emma Thompson) working on her next book and little does she know that her writings are effecting real life. There's also a sweet and believable love story that grows between Harold and a woman he's auditing (Maggie Gyllenhaal). And that is only the beginning. I truly enjoyed this film, perfectly cast it never goes too deeply into its meta-narrative ideas but is an engaging life affirming tale fully realized by the filmmakers and cast. Check this one out if you haven't seen it.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mystery Men</i>, released 1999. Ryan's Rating: ✯✯1/2.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOgXNuklcgQ/YKgZQdrEEnI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/E6h43dZ75m8I0U_iI6ggXZTmPPntng7bQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1284/mystery-men-team.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1284" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOgXNuklcgQ/YKgZQdrEEnI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/E6h43dZ75m8I0U_iI6ggXZTmPPntng7bQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/mystery-men-team.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Replacement Heroes. credit: decider.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table>When a big time super hero (played by Greg Kinnear) is kidnapped, a group of amateur heroes (Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, etc.) band together to save him and the city from the clutches of a mad villain (Geoffrey Rush, clearly having a ball). These low rent heroes (sort of) have powers, with names like The Bowler, The Shoveler, and Blue Raja, but are more of a ragtag misfit team. Based on an independent comic book series the film feels like a comic come to life with its framing and shot compositions and the elaborate sets. It is a fun movie but its pace is a bit slow and like many movies about teams has to take up a lot of story time introducing the characters. My favorite (and this is not a joke toward the Jim C. Stan) is The Bowler played by Janeane Garofalo in another tailor made part. I remember this was a big hit for my freshman class when it came out in 1999.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Vast of Night</i>, wide release 2020 (festival 2019). Ryan's Rating: ✯✯✯1/2 </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ra-NrVbh_5Q/YKbT6w7DZaI/AAAAAAAAA1w/f_Ynj_0kufEGiY4uo8jGCv1avY3ysnEVACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/the-vast-of-night-movie-review-2020.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ra-NrVbh_5Q/YKbT6w7DZaI/AAAAAAAAA1w/f_Ynj_0kufEGiY4uo8jGCv1avY3ysnEVACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/the-vast-of-night-movie-review-2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jake Horowitz and Sierra McCormick pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table>It's the late 1950s in the small town of Cayuga, NM, and it's the night of the big high school basketball game. The town switchboard operator (played by Sierra McCormick) and her friend the local radio DJ (Jake Horowitz) discover a strange sound coming through the phone and radio lines that appears to be otherworldly. While this basic plot has been used countless times (<i>Close Encounters, The Blob, Them, Twilight Zone</i>, <i>Contact</i>, heck this could be a 1950s <i>Stranger Things</i>) first time director Andrew Patterson (and writer under a pseudonym) makes it all seem fresh and surprisingly original. Patterson nods to this familiarity with a framing device of a 1950s TV show "Paradox Theater" (this neat framing has meta-narrative connotations but also works to cover up some edits or possibly moments that were not able to be filmed in the budget). Throughout the film there is a tangible unsettled feeling and the tension builds and builds as the films progresses, al based the way Patterson sets up shots and uses long single takes superior yet subtle performances by the actors. There is a close up/long take of McCormick operating the switchboard as frantic calls come in that lasts for several minutes it is handled masterfully by both the director and actress. To quote reviewer Sheila O'Malley (one of the many who operate under Roger Ebert's team), "It's old-fashioned in a beautiful way: once upon a time, a close-up really meant something, and close-ups really mean something in <i>The Vast of Night</i>." I fully agree. Director Patterson has a great eye for framing and camera movement and while he made this film with a very small budget (apparently paid for almost entirely out of his own pocket) it always looks like a high quality film. Patterson's feature directing career (after many years making commercials) is off to a good start and I hope he has the opportunity to make more films as well put together as this one. <p></p></div></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-14956472112494984842021-04-23T19:08:00.005-07:002021-04-23T19:08:36.635-07:00Quarantine Reviews 8: Academy Award Winners and Nominees (prime for rediscovery, and one current nominee)<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1VJAWdMPbA/YIIHU1gbTXI/AAAAAAAAA0s/setYf1588LESkdQyzAALj3MR60MBFoYwACLcBGAsYHQ/s353/93_Oscars_KA_Poster_Vert_1080x1350-Navy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="282" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1VJAWdMPbA/YIIHU1gbTXI/AAAAAAAAA0s/setYf1588LESkdQyzAALj3MR60MBFoYwACLcBGAsYHQ/w256-h320/93_Oscars_KA_Poster_Vert_1080x1350-Navy.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright Academy of Arts and Sciences</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Oscar Fever, Ryan Reviews: </span><i style="font-size: large;">Hud, Lillies of the Field, Only When I Laugh, Tender Mercies, Starman, </i><span style="font-size: medium;">and</span><i style="font-size: large;"> The Trial of the Chicago Seven</i><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">With the 2021 Academy Awards coming up this weekend (an event I've watched since I was a little boy) I've reviewed several Academy Award Winners and Nominees that are prime for rediscovery!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Viewing!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span><i></i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muOK-rRYQnY/YIIH9bts26I/AAAAAAAAA00/eoX9Dmuw9-A0n3XfirAL7RqfcGIWgKkDACLcBGAsYHQ/s1300/AFI21_HUD_Social-Assets_B_v1_1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muOK-rRYQnY/YIIH9bts26I/AAAAAAAAA00/eoX9Dmuw9-A0n3XfirAL7RqfcGIWgKkDACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AFI21_HUD_Social-Assets_B_v1_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cinematographer James Wong Howe. credit: AFI</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><i><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Hud.</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> released 1963. Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯✯ (out of four)</span></span><p></p><p>Based on a novel by Larry McMurtry (who just passed away in 2021) and like most McMurtry stories it is a coming of age character study about the conflicts between the old world and the new world. Hud Bannon (Paul Newman), a young self centered womanizer, is constantly at odds with his father, Homer (Melvyn Douglas who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), an aging rancher with an admirable moral code and unflinching principles. They operate a cattle ranch in a small Texas town in the 1950s. Also on the ranch is teenaged Lonnie (Brandon deWilde) who is trying to find his way in the world and is unsure if he should follow Hud's rebellious ways or Homer's more principled lifestyle. Over the course of the story an entire herd of cattle becomes infected with foot and mouth disease which could be the end of the ranch. There is a powerful scene where the entire herd needs to be killed to prevent the spread of the disease. Patricia Neal (who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar) plays the ranch housekeeper who wants nothing to do with Hud or his continuing advances. Filmed in spectacular black and white with Oscar winning cinematography by James Wong Howe (a truly important figure that should be better known, an innovator in the field and all the more impressive because he was Asian American at a time when there were none or very few behind the camera). Martin Ritt always gets exceptional performances from his actors and here is no exception in a truly moving film.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Lilies of the Field</i> released 1963. Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯✯ (out of four)</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NenEqN3-sg0/YIIIlqHVfVI/AAAAAAAAA08/RmmiXXYvrXctZSG8otbg0WUXDuH6QhA7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/liliesofthefield1963.81430.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NenEqN3-sg0/YIIIlqHVfVI/AAAAAAAAA08/RmmiXXYvrXctZSG8otbg0WUXDuH6QhA7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/liliesofthefield1963.81430.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sidney Poitier. photocredit: TCM</span></td></tr></tbody></table>This film is probably best known today for Sidney Poitier winning the Best Actor Academy Award making him the second black actor to win a competitive acting award (Hattie McDaniel was the first) and making him the first black man to win Best Actor (he would be the only one to win Best Actor for nearly forty more years). I wonder how many of today's viewers have actually seen the movie? I must confess I had always wanted to see it but never took the time until 2020. It is prime for rediscovery. Poitier plays Homer Smith, a man who can fix anything and is good at construction. He is driving west to find work but makes a pitstop at a farm in Arizona occupied by five German nuns. The head nun (Lilia Skala, Oscar nominated) believes he has been sent by God and convinces (really tricks Homer) into staying with them to build a chapel. This dynamic, the push and pull between the two headstrong characters (Homer and Mother Maria), is the heart of the story, and the plot is almost like a bible parable. It is a very small and simple movie but I found it very moving and Poitier is as always commanding to watch. I highly recommend it for an old fashioned film and it is only 90 minutes long.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Only When I Laugh</i> released 1981. Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯ (out of four)</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TSZr4zp3Fk/YIIJXQaiepI/AAAAAAAAA1E/xxqGWnlOCa8K590uRrUeTEDV3FgIla2IQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/4c9b50046199da05f837ac9d5ec7e883443e53047b64089ded0eb34a4c2b92a9._V_SX1080_.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TSZr4zp3Fk/YIIJXQaiepI/AAAAAAAAA1E/xxqGWnlOCa8K590uRrUeTEDV3FgIla2IQCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h180/4c9b50046199da05f837ac9d5ec7e883443e53047b64089ded0eb34a4c2b92a9._V_SX1080_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Marsha Mason and Kristy McNichol pc:Prime Video</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Based on Neil Simon's play <i>The Gingerbread Lady</i>, with a screenplay adapted by Simon, follows a once successful Broadway star, Georgia (Marsha Mason), who lost her career to alcoholism and as the film opens she is leaving a rehab center. She returns to her New York apartment and her two best friends, one an unemployed actor (James Coco) and a debutant who is obsessed with appearing young (Joan Hackett). Shortly after returning home, Georgia's teenaged daughter (Kristy McNichol), who normally lives with Georgia's ex-husband, comes to live with her. The story continues with Georgia working to stay sober, create a relationship with her daughter, and working to get her Broadway career back on track. There is a very theatrical feel to this (showing its stage origins) and I had to get used to the rhythm of Simon's dialog here because it is not quite realistic. Once I became accustom to the film's style I enjoyed the movie, especially the acting, and I love the location filming in New York. The four main actors are great but Coco and McNichol really stand out (Mason, Coco and Hackett were all nominated for Academy Awards). Prime for rediscovery especially for fans of Broadway and Neil Simon's work. That being said I want to note, the alcoholism is not presented in a very credible way, and there is an assault of the main character (off screen late in the film) that is also not handled well, both are simply here as plot devices. This offhanded use of very real issues may effect your enjoyment of the movie or may make you not want to see it (Siskel & Ebert hated this movie for this and several other reasons). While watching the film it didn't bother me as I was swept up in the story, but as I was thinking about the film for this review it rubbed me the wrong way. I'm still very glad to have seen this film and do recommend it. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Tender Mercies</i> released 1981. Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯1/2 (out of four)</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_prjSszaQg/YIIKclZRjlI/AAAAAAAAA1M/CSd0Gvq4i_gAjoEfjwzxkRorKotD1HIcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s765/MV5BYWExNDdhZDgtMmE2MS00NzliLTliMmEtMDgyYmNiNTU5ZTlkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="765" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_prjSszaQg/YIIKclZRjlI/AAAAAAAAA1M/CSd0Gvq4i_gAjoEfjwzxkRorKotD1HIcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BYWExNDdhZDgtMmE2MS00NzliLTliMmEtMDgyYmNiNTU5ZTlkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duvall and Tess Harper. pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) is a once successful country musician who lost his career and family to alcoholism. As the film opens Mac wakes up from a days long blackout in a roadside motel located in a vast open area of Texas. The motel is owned and run by a young widow (Tess Harper, in her film debut) whose husband died as a young soldier in Vietnam about ten years prior, she also has a ten year old son. He asks if she needs an employee in exchange for a place to stay. She agrees and eventually they fall in love and get married. Now, that could be a story in itself but this all happens in the first ten minutes. Hotron Foote's Academy award winning screenplay is really a series of loosely connected scenes/vignettes all centered around the Mac character. For such a low key role Duvall commands the screen and is mesmerizing, he even does his own signing. This role won him a well deserved Best Actor Oscar. The entire cast is excellent and while I thoroughly enjoyed the film (and was moved by it) this may not be to everyone's liking since it is so quiet. If you're willing to stick with it there are a lot of rewards.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Starman</i> released 1984. Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯1/2 (out of four)</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_LQUMxeUbY/YIIMJHGahbI/AAAAAAAAA1U/0owqCavXa8gAg4DbVEbr0ejXlYGRJP3mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s299/images.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_LQUMxeUbY/YIIMJHGahbI/AAAAAAAAA1U/0owqCavXa8gAg4DbVEbr0ejXlYGRJP3mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. pc: blu-ray.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table>In response to the invitation from the Voyager 2 space probe, a being from outer space comes to earth. In Starman's initial arrival to Earth the ship is shot at by the military and crashes in Wisconsin near the home of a young widow (Karen Allen). Reviewing photos and home movies, the starman takes the form of the woman's recently deceased husband (Jeff Bridges). Soon Starman and the widow (against her will) are on a road trip to Barringer Crater Arizona where he must meet his pick up ship in four days. The basic story and several scenes are very similar to <i>E.T.</i> (which was released two years earlier) but this is a very different movie. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned into a road picture with the two characters traveling cross country, initially I thought the two would stay on her farm so this change of scenery was an exciting change and despite the fact that this is an easy way to show Starman interacting with American life it all rings true. There are some truly great shots of the open desert as they near Arizona. There is a scene where they hitch a ride in the back of a pickup with some migrant workers and we see the clouds and mountains expand in the background in a single shot/long take. I found it breathtaking. Bridges (nominated for Best Actor here) is great as the alien in an unfamiliar skin. Critic Roger Ebert notes that one of the best parts of Bridges's performance is that he never fully becomes human. His speech and movements are always slightly off center and it provides for a great performance. For me, the real key to the film is Karen Allen, who has the less showy and therefore more difficult part. Her progression from fear and uncertainty to warmth and affection is the heart of the movie. This is director John Carpenter's most a-typical film and it is arguably his best. Highly recommend by me.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Trial of the Chicago 7</i> (2021 Nominee) released 2020. Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯1/2 (out of four)</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUIbhIko7C4/YIIM2NEo3fI/AAAAAAAAA1c/X8V8lvq_G7o8iXGIGf-aR78-HdU7lFe4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1800/merlin_177227988_de81c935-ade5-46bf-80b2-094c38758f25-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUIbhIko7C4/YIIM2NEo3fI/AAAAAAAAA1c/X8V8lvq_G7o8iXGIGf-aR78-HdU7lFe4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/merlin_177227988_de81c935-ade5-46bf-80b2-094c38758f25-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">pc: nytimes.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Currently nominated for six Academy Awards is another fine film by Aaron Sorkin, who in my opinion has yet to make a bad film. As the title explains this film focuses on a ludicrous trail of initially eight but eventually seven anti-Vietnam war protest leaders who were brought to trial as a scapegoat for the Nixon administration under claims that the seven started the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. As many reviews have stated, Sorkin plays with the facts and rearranges some of the events in order to tell his story so this should not be taken as a complete reenactment but more a commanding film inspired by real events. Perfectly cast. Sasha Baron Cohen (Oscar nominated here) is excellent as Abby Hoffman and this was the first time I have seen Cohen in a film where I forgot it was him. The film is ultimately timely in its depiction of a corrupt government and legal system (Frank Langella as the deranged judge is infuriating), as well as abuses of police power are all unfortunately relevant. Originally intended as a theatrical release (it had a very short run) but made its wide release on Netflix due to the pandemic. It seemed more suited to the TV screen I'm not sure why. It is a fine film and I was enthralled, engaged, and entertained.<p></p><p><br /></p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-67530908713544806752021-04-10T20:40:00.002-07:002021-04-10T20:40:38.780-07:00Quarantine Movies Reviews 7: Four small town murder mysteries<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Watch out who you chat with in these small towns (really three small towns and a big estate)!</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ryan's Reviews of <i>Cookie's Fortune</i>, <i>Clay Pigeons</i>, <i>Drowning Mona</i>, and <i>Gosford Park</i>.</span></b></p><p><b></b><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: large;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1m2p9vdqWM/YHJtpdgk9oI/AAAAAAAAA0c/wEK6y5kUYDYt94EYwjMeJwhMkxK71GbawCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/de8cd09adcedb32425eddb54f6d9c401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="475" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1m2p9vdqWM/YHJtpdgk9oI/AAAAAAAAA0c/wEK6y5kUYDYt94EYwjMeJwhMkxK71GbawCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h213/de8cd09adcedb32425eddb54f6d9c401.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Janeane Garofalo and Vince Vaughn in Clay Pigeons. pc: IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Clay Pigeons</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> (released 1998) Ryan's Rating ✯✯1/2 (out of four)</span></p><p>I have wanted to see this film since I saw the VHS cover in Blockbuster Video but at the time it was a little older than my sixth grade mind could handle so my family was not going to rent it for me. I never got around to watching it till now (though the Amazon Prime Video version is a pan & scan, seemingly copied from a VHS which maybe takes it all full circle). </p><p>Clay (a young Joaquin Phoenix) is a lazy guy living in a small town (possibly in Texas though the film was shot in Utah) and has been sleeping with his best friend's wife. His best friend kills himself and makes it look like a murder committed by Clay. Soon a mysterious drifter, with a creepy laugh (early career Vince Vaughn), shows up and insinuates himself into Clay's life. Within a week more dead bodies start showing up all with a connection to Clay and then the FBI arrives (Janeane Garofalo) to look into it. This is a mix of Neo-Noir and a black comedy, the opening scene really pulls the audience in and the first thirty minutes are so good that the rest of the film doesn't sustain the greatness of the beginning. On top of that the pace slows down at about the halfway mark. I enjoyed the movie overall, though the ending is not a satisfying resolution and sometimes the country songs on the soundtrack dilute their scenes instead of enhancing them. It is very reminiscent of the 1980s and 1990s independent Neo-Noirs or crime films like <i>Blood Simple, </i><i>One False Move</i>, and <i>Red Rock West</i> (among many others). If you're a fan of Neo-Noir and have an hour and forty five minutes give this one a whirl.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Cookie's Fortune</i> (released 1999) Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯ (out of four).</span></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMdj38SagI0/YHJsuX-uvlI/AAAAAAAAA0U/XYjEDNo2jWEW6W6gjdwKHFeilufthReEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s964/Cookies-Fortune-Featured-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="964" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMdj38SagI0/YHJsuX-uvlI/AAAAAAAAA0U/XYjEDNo2jWEW6W6gjdwKHFeilufthReEwCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h214/Cookies-Fortune-Featured-Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Charles S. Dutton and Liv Tyler in <i>Cookie's Fortune </i>PC IMDB</span></td></tr></tbody></table>During Easter weekend in a small Mississippi town, a wealthy eccentric woman named Cookie (played by the always lovely Patricia Neal) dies in her sleep and her money hungry sister (played by Glenn Close) claims it was murder. Soon Cookie's longtime friend and handyman (Charles S. Dutton in one of his most appealing performances) is charged with the crime, though most of the town doubts his involvement. This Robert Altman film, like all Altman films, is an ensemble piece with a wonderful cast (including Julianne Moore, and many1990s familiar faces like Liv Tyler, Chris O'Donnell, and Lyle Lovett) and a more whimsical lighthearted approach than I am used to from Altman. And like other Altman films it is more of a character study than a true mystery as the audience knows full well what happened but we are watching to see how the story plays out with the these wonderful characters. It is a sweet funny film.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Drowning Mona</i></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">(released 2000) Ryan's Rating ✯✯ (out of four).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In a town where everyone still drives a Yugo brand car because it was used for market testing in the 1970s, the most hated resident Mona Dearly (played with gusto by Bette Midler) is murdered when her brakes fail. The sheriff (excellent Danny DeVito) begins to investigate and finds a town full of suspects but all evidence seems to point toward his soon to be son-in-law (pre-fame Casey Affleck). This is a very black comedy, with much of the "humor" being downright mean. Through flashbacks we see events told by different characters and how the story changes depending on which character is speaking. The plot is a traditional small town "whodunit" mystery but run through a wacky filter and by the end I did not really care to figure out who the culprit was. The movie feels too long even at 96 minutes and the excellent cast that includes Neve Campbell (the sheriff's daughter) and Jamie Lee Curtis (not given much to do as a chain smoking waitress). It would have been better shorter and maybe as an HBO TV movie instead of a theatrical feature. There are some funny ideas, like the Yugos.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><i>Gosford Park</i> (released 2001) Ryan's Rating </span><span>✯✯✯ (out of four).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another wonderful late career gem by Robert Altman. At the British Estate of the title a wide array of aristocracy and their servants gather for a weekend party where the host is killed. While there is a murder and a solution, the murder element of the story doesn't really happen till quite late in the film. This is really a "upstairs/downstairs" ensemble piece as we see the lives of the wealthy and their servants juxtaposed. The Oscar winning screenplay by Julian Fellows is a precursor to Fellows later success. He took many of the elements in his story here and several years later created the extremely successful <i>Downton Abby</i> TV Series. An enjoyable ensemble piece that is not really a mystery but just an interesting character study with great cinematography, excellent set/costume design, and wonderful performance by a great cast.</span></p><p> </p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-66698172751466999402021-02-20T18:57:00.002-08:002021-02-20T18:57:56.752-08:00Quarantine reviews 6: Mank (or maybe Citizen Mank) a film for film buffs.<p><u style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Mank</i> (Netflix released 2020) Ryan's rating ✯✯✯ out of four.</u></p><p><i><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpePGCfrFUc/YDHIA9rbPVI/AAAAAAAAAzc/TD4HrDIYbEw_P_KcnjiVQ7o1TRh8CaBnACLcBGAsYHQ/s1284/mank-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1284" height="278" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpePGCfrFUc/YDHIA9rbPVI/AAAAAAAAAzc/TD4HrDIYbEw_P_KcnjiVQ7o1TRh8CaBnACLcBGAsYHQ/w502-h278/mank-1.png" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies & Gary Oldman as Mank (Still: Indiewire)</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The latest Netflix production from top tier director David Fincher tells the story of famed screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (played by Gary Oldman in another fine performance) and his writing of the screenplay for <i>Citizen Kane </i>(RKO Pictures 1941). <i>Mank,</i> like <i>Kane,</i> uses a non-linear storyline where the present story is set in 1940 with a bedridden Mankiewicz writing the first draft of <i>Kane </i>and we flashback to various moments between 1933 and 1937 that inspired his writings.</p><p>This story which is rarely if ever told from Mankiewicz's point of view is controversial in some film circles as there has long been a debate (most famously articulated by critic Pauline Kael) that Herman Mankiewicz really wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane and Welles' writing credit was simply for show. Others believe that the alcoholic Mankiewicz merely provided ideas and Welles wrote the screenplay alone. The film takes the view of the former with Mankiewicz writing the screenplay alone and Welles picking it up. There is a scene near the end of this film where Mankiewicz requests screen credit though he originally agreed to none which does not please the young Welles, but he grudgingly agrees. I personally take the middle road Mankiewicz wrote an epic screenplay (since he was a friend of William Randolph Hearst, the inspiration for Charles Foster Kane, it only makes sense) but Welles edited it down to what we see on screen much like he did with his famed Mercury Theatre adaptions of Shakespeare and the <i>War of the Worlds </i>radio play to name a few.</p><p>The screenplay for <i>Mank,</i> by the director's late father Jack Fincher (a longtime dream project for the older Fincher which sat unmade for decades), is similar to Scorsese's <i>The Aviator</i> (2004) as <i>Mank</i> is only focused on a very specific time in the protagonist's life. We do not see Herman from childhood to the end of his life we see a set year and snippets of the preceding decade which makes for a good story. </p><p>The film <i>Citizen Kane</i> (1941) looms large here, with many of the scenes in <i>Mank</i> intentionally staged to resemble or reference famous scenes in the earlier film. In <i>Mank</i> when L.B. Mayer gives an oration to his studio staff about pay cuts it resembles one of Kane's campaign speeches, the sequence between Mankiewicz and his guilt ridden friend Shelly on election night fully calls to mind the scene between Kane and Leland after Kane's unsuccessful election. A scene late in the film where Mankiewicz and Marion Davies have a picnic the background appears to be a matte painting common for 1930s films and used for a number of scenes in <i>Citizen Kane,</i> particularly the opening scene of the castle on the hill. </p><p>The black and white cinematography (by Erik Messerschmidt) also evokes a 1930s style, the shadowy noir-esque lighting is also employed, and there is even a use of deep focus photography in a number of scenes which <i>Kane</i> pioneered. During some of the more romantic flashback scenes a circular "cue mark" flickers in the top right corner of the screen as if we are watching the film in a grand 1930s palace and the projectionist is being signaled.</p><p>Despite the 1930s setting and look it is intriguing/sad how many of the film's 1930s issues reflect today, especially the use of "Yellow Journalism" and smear campaign that was created by MGM big wigs during the real life California Gubernatorial race Upton Sinclair and Frank Merriam. As well as the concept of wealthy owners asking workers to take cuts while they do not during the Depression. Fears of communism and socialism, etc. </p><p>Overall, I am glad the film sheds light on the often overlooked writing abilities of Mankiewicz though I really hope the film will work to clear Marion Davies history. Davies was a talented and very successful comedic actress in the 1920s and 1930s though she is often confused with the fictional untalented character Susan Alexander from <i>Citizen Kane</i>. There are several scenes where Mankiewicz emphatically states Susan is not Marion, usually falling on deaf ears, but her portrayal here by Amanda Seyfried is one of the best I've seen (she has also been played by Kirsten Dunst, Melanie Griffith, and I still need to see the 1985 TV film portrayal by Virginia Madsen) and Seyfried really brings out Davies humor, and good spirit here.</p><p>I enjoyed <i>Mank</i> and recommend it but it is geared for insiders and film buffs, the story will most likely be confusing to those unfamiliar with the characters or some of the history. For instance, if a viewer has no knowledge of William Randolph Hearst (it could happen) and his media empire of the 1880s-1930s there is not much explanation here. There are also a number of Hollywood notables that briefly appear in the story (Charlie Chaplin without his famed tramp mustache, Norma Shearer, David O. Selznick) that are given little background or introduction. </p><p>The acting is uniformly strong, the look of the film is great, but to fully appreciate <i>Mank</i> you'll want to see <i>Citizen Kane</i>, as well as one or both of these following films: the 1996 documentary <i>The Battle Over Citizen Kane</i> and/or the excellent HBO Film version of this documentary <i>RKO 281</i> made in 1999 (where Mankiewicz is played by John Malkovich). </p><p>Happy film viewing my friends.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-86590236992251557142020-12-24T18:48:00.002-08:002020-12-24T18:48:50.240-08:00Quarantine Movie Reviews 5: Movies I did not care for...<p> Hello Readers,</p><p>I hope you are doing well despite these uncertain and often confusing times. I know I get worried and have this anxiety seemingly lingering under everything I do. I have experienced people just losing all sense of manners or common sense for instance someone I've never met before threw pebbles at me because they claimed I was slamming my closet doors. I would like to hope that in a normal non-pandemic time this would have been handled differently on their part. Either way I did not care to have pebbles thrown at me for something that I was not aware I was doing. In the end since it seems people are so free to share what they do not care for below are some movies I've seen during this pandemic that I did not care for. In alphabetical order, I hope you stay well and positive.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>6 Underground</i> (2019). Ryan's Rating ✯1/2 out of 4</p><p>This expensive Netflix movie is directed by Michael Bay and stars Ryan Reynolds as the leader of a group of "Ghosts," spy like mercenaries with special skills (sharpshooting, get away driving, gymnastics, etc.), and they are working to prevent a military takeover in a European country. With a screenplay by the team that wrote the <i>Deadpool </i>movies Reynolds is pretty similar to his character there wisecracks and all, but this is a Michael Bay movie through and through so the action scenes are gargantuan and well done but the movie is long and not terribly interesting save for the action and Reynolds charism and sarcasm to carry the rest of the movie. A film scholar could also argue this is Michael Bay satirizing his own style in a way similar to Joel Silver making <i>Fair Game</i> back in the 90s. If you truly love Bay you'll probably like this, I found myself fast forwarding between action scenes.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>The Assignment </i>(1997) Ryan's Rating ✯✯ </p><p>A fictionalized account of the hunt and capture of real life terrorist Carlos The Jackal. Starring Aidan Quinn as a US Naval officer who looks like Carlos and Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley as his CIA trainers/handlers. I remember when this came out it received a number of good reviews and I remember being interested because I liked Aidan Quinn. The movie did not really hold up as it plays more like a 1990s cable movie that focuses more on the day to day process of tracking Carlos rather than the action movie it seems to want to be. The three main actors give good performances but this will be one of those movies probably relegated to late night TV.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Backtrack or Catchfire</i> (1990) Ryan's Rating ✯1/2</p><p>There are two versions of this film one a 98minute movie and the other a two hour director's cut. I saw the 98minute version. The story follows an artist (Jodie Foster) who witnesses an LA mob murder and then must flee for her life when a contract is put on her head. The mob hires a strange hitman named Milo (Dennis Hopper who also directed) to track her down but he falls in love with her and they take it on the lam. Hopper having regained some of his clout in the 1980s (after losing much of it in the 1970s) seems to be trying to make a film that takes the oddness of David Lynch's work but wrap it in a more upbeat almost comedic view. There are a number of big action sequences and also cameos from the likes of Joe Pesci, Bob Dylan, Charlie Sheen, Catherine Keener, Julie Adams, and Vincent Price among others. To be fair Hopper disowned this shorter version that had a limited release saying the studio messed up his movie. His director's cut was released on video after the success of <i>Silence of the Lambs</i> made Foster a box office star. So this longer version may be better but I found this short version more of a neat time capsule than anything else.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Drive</i> (2011) Ryan's Rating ✯ </p><p>An LA stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) moonlights as a getaway driver for anyone who is willing to pay his fee and agree to his terms. He falls for an attractive neighbor with a young son but when the woman's husband is released from prison his old criminal connections threaten the family and Gosling steps in to help which goes terribly wrong. This movie has split audiences and reviews, some love it some hate it. I didn't care for it, the cinematography is good and the big name cast brings depth to flat roles but the story or lack of story is poorly paced and the bursts of extreme violence in the second half really sunk it for me. Wants to be something along the lines of Michael Mann's <i>Thief </i>or <i>Collateral </i>but does not come close.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Killing Them Softly</i> (2012) Ryan's Rating ✯1/2</p><p>I only watched this half way and then turned the movie off, so I can only review the first half. Set during the 2008 presidential election and economic recession a mafia protected gambling den is robbed and the mob calls in a hitman (Brad Pitt) to find who is responsible. Despite the advertising showing Pitt wielding a shotgun this is not really a gangster movie it's pace is lethargic and a number of scenes (especially those between Pitt and the late James Gandolfini) seem improvised or unedited to the point where they feel like a rehearsal for a theater production. Pitt is good in these type of character roles but he is not given very much to do in the first half, most of the time he is just listening to other people talk. Also many scenes are punctuated by a news story from 2008 featuring then Senators Obama and McCain and then President Bush and the parallel was not really clear to me in the first half anyway. Fine cast and a dark look to the film that sets the tone but left me cold.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Serenity </i>(not related to the Joss Whedon <i>Firefly</i> franchise) (2019) Ryan's Rating ✯1/2 </p><p>Be warned this review contains some plot spoilers. I'm on the fence about this one it is not a good movie but I was able to watch it all the way through without losing interest. Matthew McConaughey plays Baker, a fishing boat captain on a Caribbean island, who is obsessed with catching an elusive yellowfin tuna. one day his ex-wife (a blonde Anne Hathaway in femme fatale mode) shows up on his boat and asks Baker to kill her current abusive husband. He reluctantly agrees and [SPOILER] this is where the movie pulls the rug out from under the viewer and turns into science fiction. There are a number of hints and strange happenings that suddenly make sense when this twist occurs but it is such an elaborate change I actually said, "What?" to the TV. The first half of the film is fully a film noir/neo noir picture, Hathaway's fake blonde hair is clearly a reference to the classic <i>Double Indemnity</i> which has similar murder plot points, then it changes to a Sci-Fi mystery like <i>The Thirteenth Floor </i>or<i> Total Recall</i>. Some of the scenes and dialogue are very awkward, even over the top, but that may be the point I don't know when it was finished I knew this was not a good movie but I was not completely sorry I watched it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-6465152397091299452020-10-05T13:04:00.005-07:002020-10-09T11:50:20.514-07:00Quarantine Movie Reviews 4: Searching for Bobby Fischer, Where the Money Is, and Scorpio<p> Hello dear readers, </p><p>I hope you are doing well, three more fun reviews, two movies I enjoyed and one I did not. Check out the reviews and if they spur you check out the movie. Thank you for reading, stay safe. (movie poster images from IMDB and Wikipedia)</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GcRU5KyZCI8/X3i7TynhLVI/AAAAAAAAAwI/2_09OfbR4XEQNvFEc0ZRbM3Wg4JbSeXQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s383/Searching_for_bobby_fischer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GcRU5KyZCI8/X3i7TynhLVI/AAAAAAAAAwI/2_09OfbR4XEQNvFEc0ZRbM3Wg4JbSeXQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Searching_for_bobby_fischer.jpg" /></a></i></div><i>Searching for Bobby Fischer</i> (released 1993) Ryan's rating ✯✯✯1/2 out of four.<p></p><p>Inspired by a true story, and based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Fred Waitzkin, this film tells the story of a New York City sports columnist (played by the always reliable Joe Mantegna) whose young son turns out to have a natural gift for chess. The father then finds his young son a teacher (Ben Kingsley) and begins entering the boy in competitive tournaments around the country quickly losing sight of his son and becoming fixated on winning. This is the directorial debut of master screenwriter Steven Zaillian (he wrote <i>Awakenings</i> and <i>Schindler's List</i> at this time but has gone on to write a number of other great films) he gets strong performances out of his actors and great use of NYC locations, though the beautiful look of the film is most likely thanks to legendary cinematographer Conrad Hall. The real life chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer, though name dropped in the title, really has very little to do with the movie aside from brief mentions of his career. Film critic Roger Ebert lamented that the film marketing at the time failed to make clear the movie is not a biography of Fischer. It really is an examination of how parents lose sight of being parents while living vicariously through their children and how parents can unknowingly use their children to fulfill their missed dreams. This is a must see film for any parent and a touching and very well acted story.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7xQW6Tl3nyo/X3i7aeKrDqI/AAAAAAAAAwM/R3GfbDIzAYQ2y6VJNmEKgPJKPPEmOlzkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1185/MV5BNmY2ZTM0NjYtOTlhZC00YjA2LThjZTktOTUwMDExZjM3ZjU0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxMTY0OTQ%2540._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="796" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7xQW6Tl3nyo/X3i7aeKrDqI/AAAAAAAAAwM/R3GfbDIzAYQ2y6VJNmEKgPJKPPEmOlzkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BNmY2ZTM0NjYtOTlhZC00YjA2LThjZTktOTUwMDExZjM3ZjU0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxMTY0OTQ%2540._V1_.jpg" /></a></i></div><i>Where the Money Is</i> (released 2000) Ryan's rating ✯✯ maybe two and a half...<p></p><p>Paul Newman plays an aging bank robber who fakes a coma to be moved from prison to a nursing home in the country in hopes of escaping custody. One of the nurses (Linda Fiorentino), who feels stuck in the dead end town, figures out his scheme and convinces him to help her rob an armored car route that runs through a number of stops in the nearby town. The film could/should have been much better, it plays more like an edgier Hallmark TV movie and no surprise that the film's director worked mainly in British television before making this film. I did enjoy the film because of Paul Newman. This was one of his last live theatrical films (he did a number of animation and narration in his final years) and he is a joy to watch. His charisma and obvious acting abilities carry the simple film, he can grin or wink and it carries more than some actors can do in an entire hour. I'm a classic movie fan so it is always nice to see one of the greats get to do what they do, I wish the overall movie was better but Newman makes it worthwhile, Fiorentino is also good as the nurse. It is interesting to note that Newman's longtime friend Robert Redford made a similar film (which was much better) in 2018, <i>The Old Man and the Gun. </i>If you are a Paul Newman fan this is a movie to check out especially with its short 88 minute running time.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njiW18Ivue4/X3i7gFCw41I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/owy591-aw8ct9pNTNYnSuVndeVNfN9j0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/MV5BMzM4ZTI0ZmItY2VjZi00MzI4LTlhYTAtYjg2NzJlNGE1N2U0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxMTY0OTQ%2540._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="803" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njiW18Ivue4/X3i7gFCw41I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/owy591-aw8ct9pNTNYnSuVndeVNfN9j0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BMzM4ZTI0ZmItY2VjZi00MzI4LTlhYTAtYjg2NzJlNGE1N2U0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxMTY0OTQ%2540._V1_.jpg" /></a></i></div><p><i><i><br /></i></i></p><i>Scorpio</i> (released 1973) Ryan's rating ✯<p></p><p>This is a bad movie, it could have been good but it is not. Familiar story involves an aging spy/assassin (Burt Lancaster) who the American CIA believes is now a liability so they hire his French protege, named Scorpio (Alain Deleon), to kill him. What is set up as a thrilling chase is nothing of the sort, most of the movie focuses on office bureaucracy, the two assassins personal lives, plans of where the other may go, and faux discussions of morality. The two stars are good and it is filmed in Europe. There is a great action sequence right in the middle of the film involving a chase and fight at a construction site which is easily the highlight. Worst of all is the final showdown between the two assassins, it's a big let down especially after nearly two hours. Skip this one.</p><p><br /></p><p>Until next time readers.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-41529783456341172972020-09-13T12:55:00.000-07:002020-09-13T12:55:17.639-07:00Quarantine Movie Reviews 3: Project Power, The Naked City, The Lost City of Z<p>Hello readers, here are a few more movie reviews for films I've seen during this pandemic. I hope you enjoy.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eADqGANcPTA/X153Atwh-YI/AAAAAAAAAvo/L8FyWP5uzakro-oDr47dL3fmYKtXyVBOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s755/Project_Power_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eADqGANcPTA/X153Atwh-YI/AAAAAAAAAvo/L8FyWP5uzakro-oDr47dL3fmYKtXyVBOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Project_Power_poster.jpg" /></a></i></div><i>Project Power</i> (released 2020) ✯✯1/2 (out of 4)<p></p><p>This Netflix original movie (that was on the autoplay preview right when you logged in a few months back) stars Jamie Foxx as a former soldier tracking a new street drug called POWER which gives its users super powers (the results vary by user balls of fire from their hands, super speed, healing powers, massive strength, etc) for only five minutes. He is tracking the drug to its source in order to rescue his kidnapped daughter who plays a key role in POWER's creation. Along the way Foxx teams up with a teenaged dealer (Dominique Fishback who played Darlene on HBO's excellent series <i>The Deuce</i>) and a New Orleans Police Officer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt in full wisecracking cop portrayal). I have to say I found the movie entertaining though if you think about any of the plot it does not make much sense and there are holes galore in the story (for instance at certain points in the film they say the drug activates something in the user and they won't know until it is taken what power they will get, then later it seems there are specific pills that have specific powers). Also the superpowers that are created are not much different than what we see in the X-Men films I've seen some reviewers bemoan that lack of newness but that didn't bother me personally. The film benefits greatly from the three stars, especially Foxx's charisma and star power (no pun intended) as well as the location of New Orleans. If it had been set in Los Angeles it would have been too similar to too many other movies. There are a number of well staged fights and a fast pace which entertained me for the two hours, just don't think too much about the story while you're watching.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODYLM0R3w6Q/X153HgZ9rHI/AAAAAAAAAvs/H4or5F_3c4MVh-DYQ6G0V5Y-f-uGw084gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ozJwCiRbeWisV4EUZfCnlxm7HKDT3K_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1288" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODYLM0R3w6Q/X153HgZ9rHI/AAAAAAAAAvs/H4or5F_3c4MVh-DYQ6G0V5Y-f-uGw084gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ozJwCiRbeWisV4EUZfCnlxm7HKDT3K_original.jpg" /></a></i></div><i>The Naked City</i> (released (released 1948) ✯✯✯<p></p><p>Classic documentary style film capturing basically a step by step police investigation, opening with the murder of a young woman and continuing through the capture of the suspect. Barry Fitzgerald plays the wily Irish NYPD detective on the case and he gives an excellent performance. The film is dated largely because every police television series even to this day has copied the format: show the crime, call in the detective, collect evidence, interrogate suspects, eventually find the culprit in a chase scene. This film was produced by a NYC newspaper crime columnist who wanted to create a film that captured the day to day of an investigation and what was so trend setting about the film is that it was filmed entirely on location in New York City. Though it is common place in present day movies to film on location, at the time most movies were filmed at the studios in California on elaborate sets and never setting foot on actual locations. For instance the film <i>An American in Paris</i> was filmed entirely on MGM studio sets where they recreated full streets and even the banks of the Seine river as opposed to flying to the actual Paris locales. If you are interested in history this film will give you a snapshot of New York in 1948 through its black and white Oscar winning cinematography and it will also show you where all those crime shows we love so much came from.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXUpXYs0x6A/X153Wb8_ynI/AAAAAAAAAv0/3zzdOitP2_QL4kNnHz_eUm2daLDSMPHpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s326/The_Lost_City_of_Z_%2528film%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXUpXYs0x6A/X153Wb8_ynI/AAAAAAAAAv0/3zzdOitP2_QL4kNnHz_eUm2daLDSMPHpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The_Lost_City_of_Z_%2528film%2529.png" /></a></i></div><i>The Lost City of Z</i> (released 2016) ✯✯<p></p><p>This historical biopic tells the story of Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), a British explorer and cartographer, who made several trips to the Amazon jungle in search of a mythical city of gold. The film harkens back to 1950s adventure films like <i>King Solomon's Mines</i> (1950) though the historical nature of the movie makes it very episodic and ruins the grand adventure the audience is expecting. Fawcett travels to the Amazon and back to England several times over the course of the movie which makes the actual drama and difficulty of his journey far less exciting. The film is very lavish but the dark cinematography gives it a melancholy feel so when there are triumphs in Fawcett's career we do not feel them. It really should have been a grand adventure but it comes off more as a series of bland scenes. </p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-88175619841095195252020-08-30T15:32:00.000-07:002020-08-30T15:32:59.303-07:00Quarantine Movie Reviews: Comes a Horseman, Saving Mr. Banks, 52-Pick Up<p> We all have long lists of movies we've been meaning to watch, I've been catching up on films during this pandemic while staying inside. Here are three more of the films I've seen I hope you enjoy. -Ryan</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hq6--hJRIro/X0wmU4Dsr7I/AAAAAAAAAu8/dwXUUdkSk3A4_-JHmtTlTVer7ChrT--YwCLcBGAsYHQ/s385/Comes_a_horseman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="258" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hq6--hJRIro/X0wmU4Dsr7I/AAAAAAAAAu8/dwXUUdkSk3A4_-JHmtTlTVer7ChrT--YwCLcBGAsYHQ/w206-h308/Comes_a_horseman.jpg" width="206" /></a></i></div><i>Comes a Horseman</i> (released 1978) ✯✯✯ out of four<p></p><p>A majestic film about the "modern" American West set in the 1940s during the waning days of WWII. Jane Fonda plays a widowed rancher struggling to keep her land and round up enough cattle to pay the bills. One day a neighboring rancher (James Caan) is found wounded and is nursed back to health by the widow. They reluctantly decide to become partners as they are the last two independent farm owners in the area, to round up a herd of cattle for sale to fend off the big land baron (Jason Robards) who wants to own the entire valley and drill for oil. The team of director Alan J. Pakula and cinematographer Gordon Willis (who previously worked on <i>Klute</i> and <i>All the President's Men</i> among others) create truly beautiful images here that are unlike anything they previously have done as a team before. They usually work in urban city environments so it makes this film all the more impressive as they capture the majesty of the mountains. plains, forests, and ominous clouds, these are truly paintings on film. The story is simple in the extreme and the film is slow paced and quiet, sometimes to the point of nothing happening except pretty images, which may lose many viewers. I was not bothered by the leisurely pace I was bothered by the heavy handed villainy of the Robards character, his performance is commanding as usual, but the script gives him very little to work with. As well the big climax seems to come from a completely different movie and almost feels tacked on, it feels out of place in the film. Overall I have been wanting to see this film for a long time and I am glad I saw if just for the beauty of the filmmaking and acting.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mvzQJ0b3oYo/X0wmfV5iebI/AAAAAAAAAvA/AvNd14745H4zO0Fkm_IJd72bcHCv7S3bACLcBGAsYHQ/s512/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="384" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mvzQJ0b3oYo/X0wmfV5iebI/AAAAAAAAAvA/AvNd14745H4zO0Fkm_IJd72bcHCv7S3bACLcBGAsYHQ/w246-h328/unnamed.jpg" width="246" /></a></i></div><i>Saving Mr. Banks</i> (released 2013) ✯✯1/2<p></p><p>This Disney historical fiction, depicts the pre-production of the studio's classic 1964 film <i>Mary Poppins </i>and specifically the process of convincing and securing permission from author P. L. Travers (wonderfully played by Emma Thompson) to use her characters for the film. That is the basic story but as the title implies it really is about Travers coming to terms with the long ago death of her dreamer/banker/alcoholic father (Colin Ferrell) who is the loose basis for the Poppins character Mr. Banks. There's also Tom Hanks playing Walt Disney (the person not the company) and despite his high billing he has more of a supporting role, but when he is on screen the movie really shines it's a shame he is not in more of the film. This film actually harkens back to the live action Walt Disney Pictures films of the 1980s and early 1990s, such as <i>Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken</i> and <i>Never Cry Wolf</i>, which were more adult oriented but still family entertainment though young children will probably be bored by any of these. Overall, though the whole first hour is mostly set up which makes it a little slow going since we all know where the story is headed, the period detail excellent, the actors are perfectly cast, and it is an entertaining story.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7MqHLM2i94/X0wmpXv9lUI/AAAAAAAAAvI/pFkzIIFyS2sEemV0dsqLrYbAODjzGAT7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/18311_EPSON462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1130" height="513" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7MqHLM2i94/X0wmpXv9lUI/AAAAAAAAAvI/pFkzIIFyS2sEemV0dsqLrYbAODjzGAT7ACLcBGAsYHQ/w283-h513/18311_EPSON462.jpg" width="283" /></a></i></div><i>52 Pick-Up</i> (released 1986) ✯✯<p></p><p>A wealthy Los Angeles inventor (Roy Scheider), whose wife (Ann-Margaret) is a candidate for public office, has an affair with a young model (Kelly Preston) and as the film begins he is blackmailed with videos of his liaisons with the young woman by three men hooded men with guns. The inventor decides to turn the tables on the blackmailers and fight back. Based on a book of the same name by Elmore Leonard (who also co-wrote the screenplay) we have the usual snappy dialogue, and the plot is good, though like some (most) of Leonard's work we spend over half the film with the sleazy villains and after a while there is no enjoyment there it just makes the viewer feel lousy, on top of that the big climax is a big let down. The blackmailers (led by John Glover at his slimy best) work in the world of low budget pornography and prostitution clubs of Sunset Strip, which features a continual abuse or degradation of women that makes the movie hard to watch (Preston's character is tortured, Ann-Margaret's character is kidnapped and then pumped full of heroin, etc). The only reason I gave it two stars is because of the strong cast and it is directed by John Frankenheimer whose excellent eye and use of LA locations bump it up a little, other than that it is a hard ride.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-82927939170164936802020-08-23T16:56:00.002-07:002020-08-23T16:56:41.721-07:00Quarantine Movie Reviews: The Organization, Fatal Beauty, and Love Letters (August 2020)<p> Dear Readers,</p><p>The COVID-19 Pandemic and resultant stay at home regulations have, for better or worse, given me, like many of you the opportunity to watch a large amount of television and movies at home. Here are reviews of three of the movies I've watched, hope you enjoy!</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hy6HUifW2ow/X0MAc-JvQAI/AAAAAAAAAuo/P2_j3V48PaINlFPdPHPxIDMNTBHSZ63CQCLcBGAsYHQ/s755/MV5BNjQ3N2QzNDItMmMyYi00ZGM3LWE1MzEtNTczNDdmZTQ5ODYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="497" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hy6HUifW2ow/X0MAc-JvQAI/AAAAAAAAAuo/P2_j3V48PaINlFPdPHPxIDMNTBHSZ63CQCLcBGAsYHQ/w216-h328/MV5BNjQ3N2QzNDItMmMyYi00ZGM3LWE1MzEtNTczNDdmZTQ5ODYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg%2540._V1_.jpg" width="216" /></a></i></div><i>The Organization</i> (1971) Ryan's Rating ✯✯✯ (out of four)<p></p><p>Three years after the success of <i>In the Heat of the Night</i> Sidney Poitier reprised his role as Detective Virgil Tibbs in two back to back films, 1970s <i>They Call Me Mister Tibbs</i>! and this 1971 film, his third and final time playing the character. These sequels have very little to do with the original Academy Award Winning hit aside from Poitier's presence and the character being a brilliant detective. As in the previous sequel Tibbs is a San Francisco Detective with a wife and little boy (all of which is different from the original film). The convoluted story involves a robbery in which a man is murdered, a young revolutionary group contacts Tibbs says they committed the robbery but not the murder. Tibbs believes them and works to find the real culprits. I enjoy movies like this, old fashioned police investigations that are filmed on location creating a kind of time capsule. The film will probably seem dated as many police TV shows have taken these elements and used them to death but Poitier is always good to watch.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNnCIifcCm4/X0MAMmIjQcI/AAAAAAAAAug/-nlxEApg6QUp7hsgjBQFmCX3iYevEDvqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s445/51XJPVY3H6L._SY445_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="305" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNnCIifcCm4/X0MAMmIjQcI/AAAAAAAAAug/-nlxEApg6QUp7hsgjBQFmCX3iYevEDvqwCLcBGAsYHQ/w195-h285/51XJPVY3H6L._SY445_.jpg" width="195" /></a></i></div><i>Fatal Beauty </i>(1987) Ryan's Rating ⭐⭐ <p></p><p>I first heard of this movie when I was in elementary school. During summer break I would stay with my grandparents during the day because both my parents worked. Every Thursday afternoon around 4:30pm (Hawaii time) TBS would show a movie, sometimes part of the "Dinner and a Movie" series other times just a Thursday night movie, the films were usually from the 1970s and 1980s and usually action or thriller movies. My parents would always arrive to pick me up at around 5pm, so I would inevitably only see about thirty minutes of any film. I remember being very drawn to the beginning of this movie but never saw the whole movie until now.</p><p>Whoopi Goldberg plays LAPD detective Rita Rizzoli, working to bust a drug ring. She drives a pink 1960s Mustang convertible, wears bright colored 1980s clothes, has a silver Beretta she carries in a shoulder holster. Also Sam Elliott is here as a mercenary with a lot of cool guns who is hired to kill Rizzoli but ends up falling in love with her. I can see why my childhood self was excited about this movie, my adult self is less enthralled. The movie shifts in tone from an action comedy in the <i>Beverly Hills Cop</i> mode, to violent starring vehicle closer to <i>Sudden Impact </i>or <i>Cobra</i>, along the way tries to put in some anti-drug drama, most of which plays like an after school special. Through all the style shifts Goldberg is very good and could have done more police action films if they had come her way.</p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZXFje3jp08/X0MArYf0-QI/AAAAAAAAAus/CWSuY0wXEw4f8wFfUnR2HHszmXljLL-YgCLcBGAsYHQ/s394/Love-letters-movie-poster-1984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZXFje3jp08/X0MArYf0-QI/AAAAAAAAAus/CWSuY0wXEw4f8wFfUnR2HHszmXljLL-YgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Love-letters-movie-poster-1984.jpg" /></a></i></div><i>Love Letters </i>(1983)<i> </i>✯✯1/2<p></p><p>A low budget drama that I first caught in high school on one of those movie channels like Flix, but again never saw the whole film until now. Jamie Lee Curtis (in her first non-horror starring theatrical film) plays a young Los Angeles public radio host who discovers a box of love letters from her recently deceased mother. The letters detail an extramarital affair between her married mother and a married older man, this then coincides with Curtis having her own affair with an older married man who is one of the sponsors the radio station (played by James Keach). The film sometimes feels like a repertory theatre company performing original work that is not quite finished, the acting is natural and strong but sometimes falls into melodrama and the script sometimes meanders. Curtis though is excellent in the lead and one can see why she became a big star. Writer/director Amy Holden Jones would go on to write such popular films as <i>Mystic Pizza, Maid to Order, </i>and <i>Beethoven</i> as well as creating the recent TV series <i>The Resident</i>.</p><p>That's all for now I've been watching a lot of movies so I hope to be back soon with more reviews.</p><p><br /></p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-43652159452615498762020-03-08T19:06:00.002-07:002020-03-08T19:06:29.121-07:00Spenser Confidential, rebirth of the hero<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1iwh-hQH4c/XmVHG0TGZHI/AAAAAAAAAsg/YJsW11eCdvIB9Dks9oRcrKPfEugSPv5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BMTdkOTEwYjMtNDA1YS00YzVlLTg0NWUtMmQzNDZhYWUxZmIyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1iwh-hQH4c/XmVHG0TGZHI/AAAAAAAAAsg/YJsW11eCdvIB9Dks9oRcrKPfEugSPv5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/MV5BMTdkOTEwYjMtNDA1YS00YzVlLTg0NWUtMmQzNDZhYWUxZmIyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
Spenser (his first name is never revealed) first appeared on bookshelves in 1973's <i>The Godwulf Manuscript </i>written by Robert B. Parker and starred in forty more books before Parker's death in 2010.<br />
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The book series gave way to the TV series <i>Spenser for Hire</i> (1985-1988) with the perfectly cast Robert Urich and Avery Brooks as Spenser and Hawk. That was followed by four lifetime TV movies in the mid 1990s.<br />
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Joe Mantenga starred in three A&E TV movies and also performed several series audio books in the early 2000s. With the passing of Parker author Ace Atkins took over writing the novels in 2012.<br />
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Fans of those previous incarnations of the character (like myself) will find a very different Spenser in the new Mark Wahlberg movie <i>Spenser Confidential </i>which premiered this past Friday on Netflix. While much has changed there will be a number of familiar elements for longtime fans.<br />
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In this new film directed by frequent Wahlberg collaborator Peter Berg (<i>Patriot's Day,</i> <i>Lone Survivor,</i> <i>Deepwater Horizon</i>) we find Spenser as a former Boston patrol officer sentenced to a five year prison term for beating up corrupt police Captain Boylan (Michael Gaston). Upon his release, Spenser is taken in by his old boxing coach Henry Cimoli (a perfectly cast Alan Arkin in the one character taken unaltered from the books) and becomes roommates with aspiring MMA fighter Hawk (Winston Duke). All Spenser wants is to get his truckers license and move to Arizona to start his own shipping business, yet fate intervenes when Captain Boylan is brutally murdered and an old friend of Spenser's is framed for the crime. It's time to put those old detective skills to use to clear a friend and stop the bad guys.<br />
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Loosely based on Ace Atkin's 2013 novel <i>Spenser: Wonderland</i> the adaptation is written by newcomer Sean O'Keefe and Oscar Winner Brian Helgeland (he also wrote screenplays for the adaptations of <i>LA Confidential, Blood Work, </i>and <i>Mystic River</i>). The film is entertaining and fast paced, director Berg knows how to stage a fight scene, and is really modeled on the thriller/mystery starring-vehicles of the 1980s and 1990s like Stallone's <i>Cobra,</i> Arnold's <i>Red Heat, </i>Bruce Willis's <i>Striking Distance,</i> and Clint Eastwood's <i>Tightrope </i>to name a few. It is the kind of movie where a character gets stabbed in the ribs with a shive, then he puts a Band-Aid over the wound and it's like it never happened.<br />
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Wahlberg's Spenser is truly a Boston everyman no longer a professional private eye (originally inspired by Chandler's Phillip Marlowe) he is closer to the characters Wahlberg has played in <i>The Fighter</i> and <i>Four Brothers. </i>Retained from the books and previous TV incarnations he is a former boxer with an Arthurian moral code for doing what he believes is right. Here Spenser is still finding his way whereas in the books he arrived fully formed and changed very little through the years.<br />
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Winston Duke's Hawk is a completely new incarnation no longer the ultra smooth fine silk wearing mercenary, here he is a up and coming MMA fighter being trained by Spenser and Henry. The son of murdered community activists he enjoys organic salads and oat milk and has Spenser's moral code for helping the helpless.<br />
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It would be remiss if I did not mention Iliza Shlesinger's scene steaming turn as Cissy, Spenser's former/current girlfriend. Gone is the stuffy psychologist Susan Silverman, in her place is the hard talking take no prisoners small business owner who can argue as well as Spenser can punch.<br />
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I hope they make more of these films, as a longtime fan of Spenser. Parker's novels were what really got me into loving books and pleasure reading, I was a late bloomer in that respect as it was not till the early 2000s when I began gravitating toward traditional novels. Spenser and Hawk are like old friends that make right what once was wrong and life is just a bit better with Spenser around. <br />
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<br />Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-17824942329591521152019-10-12T18:22:00.000-07:002019-10-12T18:22:56.041-07:00Revisiting The Big Chill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6OPBBbtqUg/XaIvsd2BhRI/AAAAAAAAAq8/m00ghdfjHk4A7jwbXDLBCQwtPSKMhi3aACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/51Q8810M3TL._AC_SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6OPBBbtqUg/XaIvsd2BhRI/AAAAAAAAAq8/m00ghdfjHk4A7jwbXDLBCQwtPSKMhi3aACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/51Q8810M3TL._AC_SY400_.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<i>The Big Chill</i> is a 1983 ensemble drama comedy, directed by Lawrence Kasdan and written by Kasdan and Barbara Benedek (for which they received a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination)<br />
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The story centers around a group of seven (originally eight) 1960s idealists who were close friends at the University of Michigan but have drifted apart since graduation. It is now 1983 (about fifteen years since their college days) and the seven are drawn together for a funeral when the eighth member of their group, the never seen Alex, kills himself. After the services the seven friends, most of them spouseless, spend a long weekend in a large southern vacation home straight out of Pat Conroy. During their stay they have long talks, reminisce, drink wine, rekindle relationships, wonder about the dreams of youth, and wonder what drove Alex to take his own life.<br />
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[Side Note: Kevin Costner, one of my favorite actors, was cast as Alex and that <i>is</i> him as the corpse in the opening scenes. There were originally flashbacks with Costner but Kasdan eventually felt the flashbacks did not add to the present day story and cut the scenes]<br />
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I first saw the movie in the late 1990s, I was in middle school or early high school. My parents gave me the 15th anniversary edition VHS tape for Easter (pictured above). My mom and I watched it later that day, I was excited because my parents had repeatedly told me how much they liked the film and how good it was. During my first viewing I was less than enthralled, I did watch it all the way to the end, but I remember not enjoying it. Memory fails me as to why I did not care for the movie back then, it could be that the film is more of a character study and a series of scenes than a traditional narrative. It is not structured with a truly forward moving plot and when the vacation ends most of the characters return to the lives they had at the start of the film (except William Hurt's character, the pill popper, who decides to clean up his life) there is not a lot of change. Which may be Kasdan's point.<br />
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Several of Kasdan's films are what could be called concept stories where the audience is left to find the catharsis or climax on their own. For instance <i>Continental Divide </i>(1981)<i>,</i> which he wrote but did not direct, about a cross country romance has a long drawn out ending where the characters keep catching trains extending their romance but end up exactly where they started promising to cross the country again. <i>Wyatt Earp</i> (1994) ends with a flashback that I believe is supposed to bring up the questions of legend and the history of the West but seems an odd climax to such a long film (I will say without the flashback the film would have no ending at all). Yet in <i>Grand Canyon</i> (1991) when his cast of characters finally reaches the natural wonder of the title the final shot and the looks on the actor's faces provides an immense catharsis for the viewer and I myself cannot explain why that ending works as well as it does.<br />
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Anyway back to <i>The Big Chill, </i>in the past few months of 2019 I caught the film on one of those unedited and without commercials TV channels. It was just starting with Glenn Close's character getting the phone call and segueing into the "Heard it Through the Grapevine" montage which expertly introduces each of the main cast. I sat and watched the entire film for the first time since that Easter Day of my youth and I was completely enthralled, even moved by the film.<br />
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I am sure this newfound connection is cause by the fact that I am now an adult and closer in age to the characters in the film than when I watched it as an adolescent. I have had a number of experiences and met people very similar to those depicted in the movie.<br />
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[Side Note: the characters are all caucasian, educated, upper class individuals. I have a feeling if you are a member of this demographic the film will hit you, it may be a miss if you are not I'm not sure.]<br />
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Kasdan and Benedek have created a group of seven characters so familiar that they are able to embody any number of real people that the viewer has known from their own past, which some critics have deemed causes them to be cardboard or shallow. The shallowness is most likely on purpose because all the characters have sold out to become upper middle class yuppies<br />
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Another major benefit is that Kasdan and his casting director selected a group of actors who became engrained in the popular films of the 1980s and 1990s (this film was at the start of many of their careers so this was also a bit of luck). For instance I cannot for the life of me remember any of the character names, I see them simply as William Hurt, Glenn Close, JoBeth Williams, Tom Berenger, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, and Jeff Goldblum. Each brings their everyday charm to their roles and considerable screen presence while still seeming like your next door neighbor.<br />
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The camaraderie of the cast shines through and while watching the film I truly believed they were all friends in college. This bond that comes through the screen is a credit to the filmmakers since none of the actors had previously worked on film together and save for Hurt none had worked with Kasdan before filming. This would be the beginning of a collaboration between Kline and Kasdan that to date has produced six movies together. The friendship depicted again conjures up my own memories of friends I could talk to all night, and stay in a vacation home with.<br />
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This movie more obviously than his other films, encompasses Kasdan's love of the past and a longing for an earlier time that runs through all his work. His screenplay for <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> (1981) called on the Saturday Matinee Adventure Serials of the 1950s. <i>Body Heat</i> (1981) fully recreated film noir of the 1940s and 1950s and help solidify the neo-noir boom of the 1980s. <i>Silverado</i> (1985) was the first major studio western in nearly a decade and kickstarted the genres brief resurgence in the 1990s. <i>The Bodyguard </i>(1992) was conceived and written as a 1970s Steve McQueen vehicle, it would have sat nicely next to <i>Bullitt</i> and <i>The Getaway</i>. His most recent film <i>Darling Companion</i> (2012) focuses on a long married couple who must examine their past and forgive each other during a vacation weekend and could be seen as a bookend to <i>The Big Chill.</i><br />
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While I may not see my own group of young friends often or ever again, when I watched <i>The Big Chill </i>they are enlivened on the screen in the words and faces of the actors. Here Kasdan with his love of the past has created a film that speaks to a whole generation of Baby Boomers (and seemingly generations to come) that were and are wondering where the days of youth have gone.<br />
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<br />Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-43202749974228702962019-07-28T10:55:00.002-07:002019-07-28T10:59:13.708-07:00Film Review: Manhunt "John Woo is Back!"(Released 2017)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CYorLFjjwDo/XTS_BtWRZ5I/AAAAAAAAAqE/m_JUsKo14pE7kU5dxkToYl3cDm4_cc_IwCLcBGAs/s1600/v1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="206" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CYorLFjjwDo/XTS_BtWRZ5I/AAAAAAAAAqE/m_JUsKo14pE7kU5dxkToYl3cDm4_cc_IwCLcBGAs/s320/v1.jpg" width="216" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SS5Adw3yp8/XTS_Ie8zDjI/AAAAAAAAAqI/9tthiaP3Tx4yhV-ElRH1S67XuD4cr7sZACLcBGAs/s1600/j2k5rqswx4001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1147" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SS5Adw3yp8/XTS_Ie8zDjI/AAAAAAAAAqI/9tthiaP3Tx4yhV-ElRH1S67XuD4cr7sZACLcBGAs/s320/j2k5rqswx4001.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4537986/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_3" target="_blank">Manhunt</a></i></span></b><br />
Released 2017<br />
Directed by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000247/" target="_blank">JOHN WOO</a>!<br />
(Ryan's rating ★★★1/2 out of four)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to come right out and say it, I love John Woo. As a boy growing up in the 1990s his Hong Kong urban action films were my favorites. So this review may be a little biased.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Woo's lyrical film style where every main character carries two guns (usually Baretta 92FS) was termed by critics as "Bullet Ballet" or "Gun Fu" due to its stylized violence, choreographed like a dance sequence. While characters jump, spin, tumble, and slide through the action scenes there is always an air of reality to the dance and that is Woo's gift, he takes things that are so over the top they should be terribly unbelievable but they become commanding in his hands.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Manhunt</i> (released in Asia in 2017 and currently available on Netflix streaming) is Woo's first action drama in nearly twenty years.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The story follows Du Qui (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1833620/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Hanyu Zhang</a>), a high powered corporate lawyer whose client is the giant Tenjin pharmaceutical company. The film opens</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in a bar (strikingly similar to the bars in <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097202/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_25" target="_blank">The Killer</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092263/?ref_=nm_knf_i1" target="_blank">A Better Tomorrow</a></i>) where two characters discuss how classic movies are sadly falling out of style. In a wink to the audience this will be a classic style Woo film. I do not want to reveal too much but a an exhilarating gun battle explodes so seamlessly I was hooked. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the opening credits we shift to several years later as the owner of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tenjin</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> pharmaceutical </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">appoints his ne'er-do-well son as the future head of the company during</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> a large celebratory gala. Du Qui has also won several lawsuits in the company's favor. He is planning on leaving Japan, but the company sends a beautiful woman to make sure Du Qui stays put. Yet the next morning he wakes up next to the murdered woman and is quickly framed by some corrupt police officers. He escapes and goes on the run to prove his innocence.</span><br />
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Enter <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0298048/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Masaharu Fukuyama</a> as the dedicated detective who is reaching his breaking point (in the same vein as Danny Lee in <i>The Killer</i> or John Travolta in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119094/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><i>Face/Off</i>)</a> who soon realizes that Du Qui is innocent. This sets up one of Woo's most common themes, the similarity and/or eventual partnership of two men on opposite sides (usually of the law). The detective and the lawyer team up with a woman they both know from their past and take it on the run to prove Du Qui's innocence and Tenjin's illegal activities. The trio of two men and one woman is another common Woo theme (see <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101020/?ref_=tt_sims_tt" target="_blank">Once a Thief</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104684/?ref_=tt_sims_tt" target="_blank">Hard Boiled</a></i>). The plot gets too complicated to recreate here but is surprisingly easy to follow while you are watching with all its additional information.</div>
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The Media Asia logo at the beginning is straight from those 1990s VHS tapes I watched growing up. The film has a feeling of coming home while still being current and exciting. If you are not a Woo fan or a fan of Hong Kong action cinema this may not be for you. More cynical viewers will also need to put their mind into a place where jumping a few inches to the left allows you to avoid a massive amount of machine gun fire and a gunshot wound to the shoulder does not slow you down until the story needs you to slow down. </div>
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But such is a John Woo film. He rose to fame in Hong Kong in the 1980s and early 1990s with such classics as <i>A Better Tomorrow,</i> <i>Once a Thief, </i>and especially <i>The Killer</i> and <i>Hard Boiled</i>. The latter two influenced countless film and filmmakers (Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and <i>The Matrix </i>to name a few). Less talked about in America is the harrowing <i>Bullet in the Head</i> which takes place during the Vietnam War as three friends try to use the war as a way to get rich quick in the smuggling trade through Hong Kong. The popularity of these films in Asia and on home video in America led Woo to Hollywood in 1994 with a series of financially successful though often critically panned films (<i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107076/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_20" target="_blank">Hard Target</a></i> (far better than it is given credit for), <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115759/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_19" target="_blank">Broken Arrow,</a></i> <i>Face/Off</i> (his best in America), and <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120755/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_15" target="_blank">Mission Impossible 2</a></i>). After <i>Paycheck </i>(poorly received) Woo transitioned to making epic historical films, the first taste was <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245562/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_14" target="_blank">Windtalkers</a></i>, and returned to Asia to make <i>Red Cliff </i>and <i>The Crossing</i> (both of which were so long they were split into two theatrical films each). As well as the video game <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranglehold_(video_game)" target="_blank"><i>Stranglehold</i> </a>(which I personally love and is a sequel to <i>Hard Boiled</i>).</div>
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Manhunt is a tribute to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Takakura" target="_blank">Ken Takaura</a> (the Clint Eastwood of Japan), one of Woo's heroes. It is a true return to form and a tribute to everything I love about John Woo's filmmaking. While the plot is overly familiar, like many of Woo's films, the fast pace and Woo's touches keep it fresh. Now don't get me wrong this is not a director going through the motions of the things that made him famous this is a director rediscovering his calling. </div>
Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-39710840849796368752019-07-14T12:19:00.000-07:002019-07-14T12:19:06.536-07:00Film Review: My Name is Nobody (released 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfZ1CXxi3vg/XSto3QOBbvI/AAAAAAAAApw/49FIPKprzKIX824vzXQET1QHM3JBy_yBQCLcBGAs/s1600/51%252BA7NjYEEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfZ1CXxi3vg/XSto3QOBbvI/AAAAAAAAApw/49FIPKprzKIX824vzXQET1QHM3JBy_yBQCLcBGAs/s400/51%252BA7NjYEEL.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070215/" target="_blank">My Name is Nobody </a></span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Released 1973</span><br />
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Directed by Tonino Valerii</div>
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(Ryan's Rating: ★★1/2 out of four)</div>
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<br />This <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Western" target="_blank">Spaghetti Western</a> (though filmed in New Mexico and Spain) is really a comedy spoof of the genre's manly image. In particular the films of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001466/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Sergio Leone</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollars_Trilogy" target="_blank">Dollars Trilogy</a>, <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064116/?ref_=nm_knf_i3" target="_blank">Once Upon a Time in the West</a></i>) the man who basically invented the Spaghetti Western. </div>
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Leone is credited with the story and was a Producer (though uncredited in some prints), fans have long debated how much input he had over the film as his hallmarks are all over the screen. The two loner gunslingers with a mutual respect who work together, the "Mexican Standoffs", and even a revisit of the shooting off each others hats from <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059578/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_6" target="_blank">For a Few Dollars More</a></i>. Also Leone's longtime composer Ennio Morricone provides a wonderfully off kilter score for this film.</div>
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<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000020/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm" target="_blank">Henry Fonda</a> stars as Jack Beauregard a legendary gunfighter who wants to retire and sail across the sea. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001352/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm" target="_blank">Terrence Hill </a>has more screen time but less lines as the title character Nobody. The simple yet convoluted plot is really just an excuse to hang set pieces on, the basic story involves a gang of men trying to kill Beauregard as he is moving across the state to make his steamboat trip. Nobody is a young fan of Beauregard and follows him along in an effort to convince Beauregard to go down in the history books by taking on the hundred and fifty men single handed. There is also the business man who has a mineral mine that he is passing off as a gold mine...but that is confusing even when seeing the whole movie (this may have made more sense in the longer Italian version).</div>
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Since this is a Western spoof there is a running gag of Nobody never shooting anyone despite his ability with a gun. He prefers to shoot glasses out of people's hands, or hit them with oversized circus props. There are also joking references to Western lore, the gang is named "The Wild Bunch" and walking through a graveyard they find a tombstone for <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001603/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Sam Peckinpah</a>. Nobody's name also alludes to Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name" Trilogy starring Clint Eastwood.</div>
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This film is designed for lovers of Sergio Leone and film buffs, it will probably leave casual viewers cold. It is overlong and can be slow moving, also while Hill gives a great performance sometimes his zany antics drag. The shootout in the barbershop, and the bar sequence are wonderful Leone stylings. Yet many of the tension building moments end in a comedic chuckle as opposed to the expected gunfights. Even the climactic showdown with the Wild Bunch is more exciting for its widescreen beauty and staging than its action quotient.</div>
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The retiring gunfighter unable to escape their past became a common theme as the Western Genre dwindled in popularity in the 1960s (a trend that sadly continues into the present day). Actors associated with playing cowboys were given valedictory swan songs, John Wayne's <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075213/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">The Shootist</a></i>, Randolph Scott's <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056412/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><i>Ride the High Country</i> </a>(also one of the last for Joel McCrea), and Clint Eastwood's final Western <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105695/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Unforgiven </a></i>to name a few.</div>
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Following that retiring theme this film would prove to be Fonda's final feature in the Western genre (discounting his cameo in son Peter's <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080116/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Wanda Nevada</a></i>), it is a fitting cap to a career that includes such classics as <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038762/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">My Darling Clementine</a></i> (as Wyatt Earp), <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036244/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><i>The Ox Bow Incident</i>,</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064116/?ref_=nv_sr_3?ref_=nv_sr_3" target="_blank"><i>Once Upon a Time in the West</i> </a>(excellent in a rare villainous role) and that alone makes the film significant.</div>
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I have been wanting to see this movie for a number of years as a fan of Sergio Leone it adds to his all too brief film output. So I was very happy to see it streaming as part of Amazon Prime. I went in expecting a traditional western so I had to adjust my expectations as the film played on. If you go in expecting a spoof instead of <i>A Fistful of Dollars</i> you'll be good. Happy trails readers.</div>
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Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-89967434576593745252019-07-06T12:43:00.001-07:002019-07-06T12:43:21.481-07:00Film Review, Allied (released 2016)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3-yeU2iIio/XSDgNsJHlNI/AAAAAAAAApY/1dcPu_lWOH8MuRK5jQdLgHRkzw6hQU0lgCLcBGAs/s1600/MV5BYWI3OTkxNDYtMzNkOS00M2FhLTgyNjktOTk4OTMwY2ZhMWJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTc3MjUzNTI%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1333%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1333" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3-yeU2iIio/XSDgNsJHlNI/AAAAAAAAApY/1dcPu_lWOH8MuRK5jQdLgHRkzw6hQU0lgCLcBGAs/s400/MV5BYWI3OTkxNDYtMzNkOS00M2FhLTgyNjktOTk4OTMwY2ZhMWJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTc3MjUzNTI%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1333%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3640424/" target="_blank">Allied</a></i> </span></b><br />
Paramount Pictures 2016<br />
Directed by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000709/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Robert Zemeckis</a><br />
(Ryan's Rating ★★★ of four)<br />
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I am a fan of classic movies and films that are not in ultra high definition. As well as movies where the special effects department is not directing the movie. Do not get me wrong I like a good Marvel movie but at the end of the day I'll be watching Turner Classic Movies or the Western channel.<br />
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What I find so enjoyable and refreshing about <i>Allied </i>is that it could have been made in the 1940s (albeit minus the brief nudity and brief profanity) with Clark Gable and Greer Garson. For those of you who do not enjoy classic films (yes I look down on you) because you feel they're slow or boring <i>Allied</i> moves at a clipped pace that kept me glued to the screen.<br />
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The story is set during WWII where two operatives, a Canadian working for the British (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm" target="_blank">Brad Pitt</a>) and a French spy (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0182839/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm" target="_blank">Marion Cotillard</a>), meet in Casablanca on an assignment to assassinate a Nazi supporter. They are undercover posing as a wealthy married couple who have charmed their way into the upper crust of the city. This opening thirty or so minutes could have been a movie in itself but is really only act one in this film and it is some of the most enjoyable set up I have seen in a long time.<br />
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Needless to say the two spies fall in love, get married, and move to London (during The Blitz). He takes a desk job for the military and she becomes a house wife raising their baby. Then his superiors suspect his French wife of being a German operative and the rest of the film moves into a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitchcockian" target="_blank">Hitchcockian</a> mystery where Pitt's character and the viewer are unsure who to trust.<br />
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Pitt fits into this period piece exceptionally well and shows his movie star charisma and acting chops. I for one always find Pitt hit or miss, he is very commanding on screen in everything but often I find his films underwhelming. Here he succeeds with aplomb.<br />
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Cottillard is one of those performers that I have seen in about a dozen films but I can never remember where I have seen her. This is probably due to her immense acting abilities which allow her to disappear into characters and also that she does not really make traditional blockbusters (for instance she is not associated with Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel). She perfectly fits into the 1940s period and her performance is right on pitch.<br />
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<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000709/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Robert Zemeckis</a> has made some of my favorite films (<i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit?</i>, <i>Back to the Future Trilogy,</i> <i>Forrest Gump</i>, and <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077714/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_29" target="_blank">I Wanna Hold Your Hand</a></i>). Over the first decade of the 2000s he became a champion of motion capture digital filming which he used on the wonderful <i>Polar Express</i> and the less exciting <i>Beowulf</i> and <i>A </i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067106/?ref_=nm_flmg_prd_22" target="_blank"><i>Christmas Carol </i>(with Jim Carrey)</a>. Now he appears to be returning to the more traditional live action films, with <i>Allied</i> he shows off his expert eye for framing, camera placement, wide shots, tracking, and long takes and especially pacing. A film buff like Spielberg (his mentor) and Scorsese, Zemeckis pays homage to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000697/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Billy Wilder</a> and in particular <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Hitchcock</a> (whom he previously emulated on the less successful <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161081/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">What Lies Beneath</a></i> in 2000).<br />
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Overall <i>Allied</i> is not the greatest film ever made but it is a very entertaining adventure thriller for adults with an eye for the classic which is something to be enjoyed.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-81351501672699485872019-07-04T17:17:00.002-07:002020-03-09T21:10:19.838-07:00Film Review The Death of Stalin (released 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4686844/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt" target="_blank">The Death of Stalin.</a></i> My Rating: ★★★ out of Four Stars.<br />
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This blog has taken on several different themes, it originally was intended as a blog about Hawaiian Music and the history of the music of Hawaii. It then turned into a music review journal as I went through each CD in my album collection. Then after a very long break it briefly became a creative non-fiction blog with life essays. Now once again after a multi year break it is taking on a new life.<br />
<br />
A co-worker of mine who is a film professor recently learned I had majored in film studies as an undergraduate and suggested I restart my blog with film reviews so here we are with another revamp.<br />
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My studies focused on film criticism and film history. Growing up, I had wanted to be a film reviewer like some of my favorites Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, and especially Leonard Maltin. Maltin is still my all time favorite reviewer and historian.<br />
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At the 2018 California Independent Film Festival I had the great pleasure to meet Mr. Maltin, very very briefly, and see him give an informal talk when he was presented with the 2018 Golden Slate award for his years of film history. During his talk amid the wonderful stories about Roy Rodgers, Jimmy Stewart, and Katharine Hepburn, Mr. Maltin mentioned <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4686844/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt" target="_blank">The Death of Stalin</a></i> as one of the best movies now playing.<br />
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I recently had the opportunity to see the film on DVD. As the title indicates the plot deals with the week or so following the death of the Soviet leader and how his inner circle deal with the change of leadership. Director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0406334/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Armando Iannucci</a>, best known for creating the hit HBO series <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1759761/?ref_=nm_knf_i2" target="_blank">Veep,</a></i> uses much of the same skills here satirizing political structures that he brings to his popular TV series. The inner circle is a bumbling power hungry group of backstabbers played by an excellent cast of familiar faces. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001787/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm" target="_blank">Jeffrey Tambor</a> is particualrly hilarious as the boneheaded Malenkov who takes over the role of Soviet leader. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0175916/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Paddy Considine </a>is wonderful in a small role as the nervous head of Moscow Radio. The always reliable <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/?ref_=tt_cl_t8" target="_blank">Steve Buscemi</a> is great as the fast talking Nikita Khrushchev spouting zingers left and right.<br />
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While there are a number of laugh out loud moments throughout it should be noted that this is a dark comedy with serious moments as well as depictions of the Soviet death lists, the Russian prisons, executions, and a rather violent coup. While most of the action in these scenes is just off screen or in long shot they can be disturbing (which is the intention). The director mentions on the DVD special features that he did not want the film's humor to erase the fact that the real individuals depicted were ruthless leaders who murdered many of their people.<br />
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If it were about ten minutes shorter (it's an hour and forty seven minutes) it would have been a tighter and possibly stronger film but as it is will surely appeal to those who love black comedy and satire. Is it as great as the reviews led me to believe, no, but it is a well made well acted film with some truly funny moments.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-31028539185003258452014-10-25T01:19:00.003-07:002014-10-25T01:19:30.998-07:00Story of the Judas Goat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AESkv6woPC4/VEtKzhEg0dI/AAAAAAAAAeU/WTE9R5ZGRoQ/s1600/friends-of-the-library-of-hawaii-201x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AESkv6woPC4/VEtKzhEg0dI/AAAAAAAAAeU/WTE9R5ZGRoQ/s1600/friends-of-the-library-of-hawaii-201x300.jpg" /></a></div>
In Honolulu there is an annual event called the <a href="http://www.friendsofthelibraryofhawaii.org/index.php/booksales/annual-booksale" target="_blank">Friends of the Library Booksale</a> where for one week every summer this organization uses the McKinley high school cafeteria as a giant bookstore. They fill tables with all types of books: Mystery, Hawaiiana, Fiction, Politics, Biography, Cookbooks, Childrens, VHS tapes, etc. The items are less than $5 each and on the last two days everything is half price or fifty cents. There are older editions, out of print titles, diamonds in the rough, as well as a lot of inexpensive books (hundreds of James Patterson titles). One reason this event is so popular is that there are not very many bookstores on Oahu and almost no used bookstores. The stores that sell used books are often small or the used section is a tiny area in a regular bookstore. There are no Half Price Books or Moe's like they have in Berkeley with endless aisles of used titles. So this annual library books sale is quite an event every summer, and you are almost guaranteed to run into someone you know at the book sale.<br />
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I have always been more of a library guy. I borrow books read them and return for another person to enjoy. Up until my late twenties I only owned a handful of books most of them reference or required for school. Truth be told I am still more of a library guy but as I've gotten older I find myself more willing to buy books. (Side note I do collect items kitschy things, comics, koa items, memorabilia, so why not books). I had been to this books sale once or twice when I was very little and my mom bought me some random Batman and Superman comics. Then I did not return until 2005 and I bought a coffee table book "A Day in the Life of Hawaii" and a snorkeling book for a girl I was dating at the time.<br />
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It was not until the 2009 book sale when I started my annual attendance and my search for <i>The Judas Goat</i>. As some of you readers may remember 2009 was a bit of a bad year (<a href="http://loosenthekey.blogspot.com/2014/06/rebirth-and-for-my-grandma.html" target="_blank">click here</a> to read about 2009), by the summer I was at a new job working at Barnes and Noble and trying to find my way in the world. As I was feeling lost and in a routine I was not super happy with I found myself turning to books more than ever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llZ5Dt3coMA/VEtLCZBwjEI/AAAAAAAAAec/DqZO0Cz-yjk/s1600/Booksale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llZ5Dt3coMA/VEtLCZBwjEI/AAAAAAAAAec/DqZO0Cz-yjk/s1600/Booksale.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got Books?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have been a fan of mystery books since I was little (Encyclopedia Brown Anyone?) one of my favorite authors (mystery or otherwise) is Robert B. Parker (he sadly passed away in January 2010, but he died at his desk writing!). His books were immensely popular (70s-00s) and spawned the TV Series "<a href="http://www.tv.com/shows/spenser-for-hire/" target="_blank">Spenser for Hire</a>" and the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Stone_(character)" target="_blank">Jesse Stone</a>" TV Movie series, as well as the big screen western <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appaloosa_(film)" target="_blank">Appaloosa</a></i>. Parker is the author that made me want to read mysteries as an adult and eventually write mystery books for my in progress Master of Fine Arts degree. The first book I read of his was <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/425174.The_Godwulf_Manuscript" target="_blank">The Godwulf Manuscript</a> </i>a true heir to Chandler and Phillip Marlowe. It is one of the few books I've read more than once. The novel features Parker's Private Investigator Spenser searching for the medieval book of the title and running into corruption, cults, and murder at a Boston University Campus.<br />
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By 2009 I was on the fifth book in the Spenser mystery series: <i>T<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/69629.The_Judas_Goat?from_search=true" target="_blank">he Judas Goat</a>.</i> This book is less of a mystery and more of an adventure and character study. Spenser is hired to track down and kill a terrorist group who killed (collateral damage style) a millionaire's family and left the millionaire in a wheelchair. While most of the books take place in Boston, this entry finds Spenser traveling to London and Canada. Along for the ride is Spenser's badass friend Hawk who carries a shotgun under his leather coat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2s3tzXXSuI/VEtHpueuLCI/AAAAAAAAAeI/1SPePHaGGWE/s1600/1430624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2s3tzXXSuI/VEtHpueuLCI/AAAAAAAAAeI/1SPePHaGGWE/s1600/1430624.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hardcover Edition I passed on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So back to me. I attend the 2009 book sale and I went back several times during the week. One day I find an old hardcover edition of <i>The Judas Goat</i>. It is a copy that has been withdrawn from the library circulation so it is a little beat up. There is a 1970s style blue and yellow cover, as well as a cool synopsis and bio that are not on the paperback editions. I flip through the book and wonder if I should buy it. Then I think to myself that I'm already reading a paperback copy from the library and was about half way done. I put the hardcover edition back on the table and move on. The next day I read the novel in one of those reading frenzies where you can't put the book down and you're up till late at night flipping the pages until the end. I finish the book, and I loved it. As I turn out the light on my nightstand I decide to return to the book sale and buy the hardcover edition.<br />
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As you probably guessed I went back and searched for hours and could not find that hardcover edition I had put back on the shelf. Someone bought it during my time of wishy-washiness. From that day forward I vowed to find myself a used older edition of <i>The Judas Goat</i>. For the next four years I returned to the book sale searching for this one specific book. It became something of a game I played with myself in every used book store I went into I checked the mystery section for a copy of this book. I never found it. Although I always looked for the book I began to tell myself it would never be, I would never find it.<br />
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August 2014. I was in a bit of a funk (actually I guess like all people the funk comes and goes). On this day the funk was there. I went down to Berkeley looking to purchase something to make me feel better (I know not the best tactic but it was what I was doing at the time). I purchased some comic books on Shattuck Ave. Ghostbusters ongoing series (that sadly ended in September 2014) is something wonderful to behold but I still felt a little sad because I had not been reading Ghostbusters just purchasing the issues and saving them to read when I had time.<br />
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On my way back to the car I was passing <a href="http://moesbooks.com/" target="_blank">Moe's Books</a>. I had been there several times before and always looked for the book but never found it. I decided to play my game and headed for the basement where the used mystery books are kept. I scanned the Parker area and I thought I saw the title. I passed it and then my eyes darted back. There it was on the shelf. A different edition than I had ever seen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I1PhGwkQ-Ds/VEtXIDR6ZyI/AAAAAAAAAes/0gyELDvtFFk/s1600/8309510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I1PhGwkQ-Ds/VEtXIDR6ZyI/AAAAAAAAAes/0gyELDvtFFk/s1600/8309510.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally Found!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I grabbed it, used my Moe's store credit and it was mine. On the drive home I kept reaching into my bag to see if the book was still there. I was afraid it might have vanished or all been a dream. But no I had achieved my goal and my five year search had come to an end. It is a strange feeling, now when I enter a used bookstore I have no set goal I find myself wandering aimlessly. Sometimes I still look for T<i>he Judas Goat</i> just to see if it is there. I am not sure why I have decided to tell you all this story. I guess I could say when you really are searching for something you may eventually find it. I am truly grateful that I have the opportunity (due to my life and surrounding) to play a book game like this and not worried about starvation and military uprisings. I guess that shall be my end this is something I want to share because it took up a large part of my life and also to say thank you for that life. Sorry if that is abrupt, I'm going to go read <i>The Judas Goat</i> now :)<br /><br />Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-7526129593441194562014-08-01T14:29:00.001-07:002014-08-06T19:49:26.231-07:00Up Around the Bend - Yosemite Drive pt 2 (Hitting the road) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Yosemite Drive pt 2 - On the road</b><br />
to read part one <a href="http://loosenthekey.blogspot.com/2014/06/good-vibrations-yosemite-drive-part-1.html" target="_blank">click here</a><br />
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"Catch a ride to the end of the highway, and we'll meet by the big red tree. There's a place up ahead and I'm going come along, come along with me.<br />
Come on the rising wind,<br />
we're going up around the bend."<br />
--Creedence Clearwater Revival<br />
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Quick side note: although Creedence is one of, if not, the best Swamp/Southern Rock bands they are actually from El Cerrito, California an area in the East Bay sort of near Berkeley and Oakland. Back to the travel journal.<br />
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My alarm rang at 5:30am. I needed to get an early start if I wanted to reach Yosemite by 11am. The sun was already starting to light up the sky, it was the beginning of summer. I went through my usual morning routine, but a bit quicker than normal: I did my yoga stretches, fifty push ups, a bowl of cereal, mug of orange juice. Brushed my teeth and washed my face. My overnight bag was packed except for my toiletry bag which needed my tooth brush and retainers. The bag was packed to the brim, I made sure my little green journal was stuffed in there so I could note my journey. <br />
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With a text message to my relatives (On the road see you soon!) I was off. The first few hours were freeway with walls preventing me from seeing very much but eventually the road turned into an open highway. It was largely farmland and rows of crops. I think some were avocados, others were probably citrus trees.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot9F6iY2Exo/U9QkofnowGI/AAAAAAAAAdE/54OxIKg6m0Q/s1600/navelorchard1_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot9F6iY2Exo/U9QkofnowGI/AAAAAAAAAdE/54OxIKg6m0Q/s1600/navelorchard1_0.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">California Crops </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I remember seeing only one person working in all the farmland I passed. He looked to be of Mexican descent. He was wearing blue jeans and a red plaid work short. He was riding an all terrain little four wheeled cart through the rows of crops kicking up clouds of dust. I thought that would be fun but after an hour or so it would get very tedious. I wondered if he rode up and down those aisles all day.<br />
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There was so much open farm land on my drive it reminded me of driving to Oahu's North Shore where the tight spaces of the city open to rows of pineapple crops.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RV-6KYf3-sg/U9cI1GYDlvI/AAAAAAAAAdU/c-gRIgUwf-0/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RV-6KYf3-sg/U9cI1GYDlvI/AAAAAAAAAdU/c-gRIgUwf-0/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James E. Roberts Bridge pic doesn't do it justice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What I remember most about the drive from the bay to Yosemite was passing over the James E. Roberts Memorial Bridge. I was driving along a hill and I had glimpses of a ravine with a giant lake to my left and cliffs to my right. Then suddenly everything opened up and I saw the land and sky all around me, the blue green of the lake below. The bridge is curved so I could see the giant columns that kept it above the water. I wanted to pull over and take a picture but there was no shoulder for quite a ways. I later learned that I was in Tuolumne County and the water way I drove over was an off shoot of Lake Don Pedro. James E. Roberts was a noted engineer who was an expert at building structures to withstand seismic events, no wonder he is honored in California.<br />
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Several miles after the bridge I found myself climbing a seemingly endless road up and over a mountain. It was a narrow two lanes where if I went any faster than 25mph I felt in danger of rolling into the precipice. I wondered how many car accidents occurred on such an isolated road. There were a great many cars using this winding road and if there was any back up there was no where to go unless you ditched your car. The view was beautiful (even better two days later on the way back as the sun was setting) and I made it over the hill. Shortly thereafter my gps signal started to wane and my phone battery started to drop.<br />
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I was getting closer but from here on I was driving on faith and the occasional road sign that said I was heading in the right direction. A few things I learned on my drive thus far: I suspect that the time between the yellow and red stoplight signals is much faster in California. For instance in Hawai`i you have a good 5-9 seconds before a light turns red. California it is more like 3-5 seconds. I'm not sure if it is because the intersections are bigger or if people are driving faster but that certainly seems like the case.<br />
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I also thought about Pastor Jim's question regarding "Big Land Fever" I am not sure if I felt it yet but I know the area was vast and seemingly endless and I wanted to keep driving.<br />
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To Be ContinuedRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5431821467382652816.post-91387701929134219212014-07-20T01:14:00.000-07:002014-07-20T22:43:55.864-07:00"Back Home Again" - Blog Warming Gift<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lovy17nsTiI/U8m8-x7eSgI/AAAAAAAAAcI/EBOdnlJ-fjM/s1600/IMG_0914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lovy17nsTiI/U8m8-x7eSgI/AAAAAAAAAcI/EBOdnlJ-fjM/s1600/IMG_0914.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A walk in the park</td></tr>
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"Gee it's good to be back home again, this old [Bay/blog] feels like a long lost friend. It's good to be back home again." - John Denver<br />
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A fellow blogger has moved homes from a "blogspot" to a "wordpress." I wanted to get them a Blog Warming Gift to make them feel at home in their new environment. But what to give them? a set of wine glasses? a hanging plant? extravagant? practical? Decisions, decisions.<br />
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I decided to stay simple, short and sweet (although I did spring for some digital wine glasses below). My blog warming gift is a blog post, along with some photos taken by a guy from Hawaii.</div>
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This blogger who has just moved sites is the person who inspired the renaissance of my blog. I am so very grateful to have met her.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sfmercantile.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/San_Francisco_Skyline_Twilight_Wine_Glass.jpg.w300h257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sfmercantile.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/San_Francisco_Skyline_Twilight_Wine_Glass.jpg.w300h257.jpg" /></a></div>
As a fan of the previous "Destination: San Francisco" I will miss the dark background of a cracked wall with antique portraits, but I am excited and already liking the bright white space that seems to signal something new.<br />
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The writing will remain engaging and moving as it has been and I look forward to the new adventures. I see nothing but good things to come for my blogger friend. I hope you are settling into your new location (from the number of recent posts it certainly seems like it).<br />
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Welcome home to the Bay, I hope you like your Blog Warming Gift, and Happy Blogging Miss Carroll!<br />
<a href="http://destinationsanfranciscoblog.wordpress.com/">The New Destination</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6uEjIr8jnA/U8t5U-DZJ4I/AAAAAAAAAcU/8fBOm7SsRZw/s1600/IMG_0905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6uEjIr8jnA/U8t5U-DZJ4I/AAAAAAAAAcU/8fBOm7SsRZw/s1600/IMG_0905.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunlight and Trees</td></tr>
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From,</div>
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Ryan<br /><br />
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Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720645554631513586noreply@blogger.com0