MOVIE REVIEW - Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino is back with his latest big budget flock, Django Unchained.

This has a huge cast, with Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and a nice array of fun cameos, and a strong supporting cast.   With this being a major Tarantino release, you can be assured this is way adult, highly violent, and to many will be very offensive.  So the word is, if you are offended by harsh language, and almost three hours of unrefined racial slurs that were of the era, this is not your movie and see something else.

This story is shot in old the Spaghetti Western style of the Clint Eastwood era.  It is set in the mid 1800's at the height of slavery in the deep south.  Basically, this is the story of a character named Django (Foxx), who is a slave purchased by a German-born, turned American bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz (Waltz).  He needs Django to locate some of the criminals he is looking for because of the plantations that Django has worked on.  What Schultz finds out, is that Django is a remarkable man, who becomes the "fastest gun in the south." 

The two pair up and spend a year or so going throughout Texas collecting wanted criminals for the money.  Although the Dr., is not very fond of the "alive" part of dead or alive in bounty hunting.   Their agreement is, is Django helps Schultz find many of this bounties, and he will help Django rescue Django's wife who is still a slave at a plantation run by Calvin Candie (DiCaprio) and his assistant Stephen, (Jackson.)  This being a Tarantino flick, this is far more complicated than simply this, but it is far too deep to be explained in detail here.   But those are the basics.  As most of his flicks, there are many surprises and turns. 

First off, this is a very intense movie, that has an almost genius hint of comedy and irony mixed in.  Tarantino is a master of this.  This also has an eclectic musical soundtrack that is very well used.  There is the typical over the top violence that is tough to watch sometimes, with tons of gun play, and graphic numerous bloody scenes that are typical Tarantino fashion.  Many could find this offensive with the dialogue and stereotypes of the era.  So this is clearly not for everyone.  This pulls no punches. At times this can make you wince.

But there is a ton to like in this movie.  This movie makes you feel many emotions and that is a Tarantino signature.  Whether you like what you're feeling or not is for you to decide, but you can't deny the depth of the work and writing.  This also has the "slow burn" approach to many scenes as he lets you simmer a while as you wait for the inevitable.  Skilled movie making to be sure.  Tarantino movie are seldom short because of his style, but he keeps you locked in.  This is two hours and forty minutes.

Waltz is simply sensational as the ruthless, cunning, yet very gentlemanly Schultz, who goes through all emotions humans can on his strange journey.   He is an Oscar winner from another Tarantino movie Inglorious Basterds, and I think he wins another here.   Foxx is terrific again as the torn Django, and looks great as a southern gunfighter.  They lead the entire cast all who are really great.   Interesting, both Waltz and Foxx have Oscars, Dicaprio is a three-time Oscar nominee, and so is Jackson -  a nominee with one.  So the pedigree here is strong. 

Django Unchained.  Although a bit controversial, and not everyone's cup of tea, this is simply one of the best movies of the year.

MOVIE REVIEWS - Parental Guidance

Well the Christmas comedies keep on coming out, and this time it's Parental Guidance with Billy Crystal, and Bette Midler.

PG is an old school versus new school comedy where the older generation meets Gen X.  With all of the other comedies this holiday tanking with both critics, and movie goers, Hollywood needs a comedic hit.   Well this may not be a huge box office smash, or the funniest movie in years, PG has its moments.   But don't believe the one quote I heard, that this is one of the best movies of the year. Immensely overstated.

Crystal stars as Artie.  He is married to Diane (Midler).   He is a sportscaster for a minor league baseball team in Fresno.   He gets fired from his long time job, and has to deal with that heartbreak at 59 years old.   Diane is a retired TV weather girl, and they both are looking for the next big challenge in their lives.   Well, bring in the 3 grand kids they have in Atlanta that are the children of their only daughter, Alice (Marissa Tomei).   Artie and Diane travel across country to baby sit for a week for their daughter and you can see quickly this is not going to go well.

The children Harper, Turner, and Barker are being raised by Gen-Xers that are really out there.  Of course this is all very much parody of the modern parent with just as much being completely over the top.  But as in all good comedy, a certain amount of this is based on truth, and that makes it funny.  Artie and Diane can not understand any of the weirdness.  From the way the kids are talked to, fed, and the games they play and lives they lead.  Artie is old school, and this world that his grand kids live in is new school.   And the battle is on.  Can they develop a good relationship with the three kids, and start over again? 

This is an interesting movie.  Some of this is extremely well done.  There are real heartfelt moments, and a bit of this will bring a small tear to the eyes.   Some of this is really targeted at the heart, and speaks equally well to both generations.  That's why it's really hard to believe that some of this is so bad, and sophomoric.   And that's a shame.  There's a bunch of sellout moments in this picture that could have been reworked to make this really solid. 

Crystal is who he is.   Over the years, he kind of does one kind of  East Coast shtick in most of his movies. Midler is fun to watch, and is pretty funny at times. I really liked the character they wrote for her, and she ran well with it.  They are clearly the stars of this movie and at times show nice chemistry, when the writing allows it.

But there's just too much temptation to show grown men getting hit in the groin, singing toilet songs, and of course people peeing.  Oh, and don't forget the numerous scenes where these kids are shown in a really horrible light. But the movie does bring the blame back from them, to the overprotective parents.  But the ratio of really good, funny, and nice moments is about square with the tasteless ones.  That equates to a slightly tolerable movie

Parental Guidance.   50/50.

MOVIE REVIEW - This Is 40

Movie maker Judd Apatow has been making edgy comedies for a long time now with great success.  This Is 40 is his latest project, a sort of sequel to his Knocked Up years ago.

This brings back some of the characters from Knocked Up, and introduces us to some new ones too.  This is a look at the challenges and facts to a degree, about turning 40 in today's world.  Some of this is laugh out loud funny.   But I emphasize some.   But above all, what this really is, is 2 hours and 15 minutes of really not funny.  Also tasteless, or nothing resembling original.  This is supposed to be Apatow's most heartfelt comedy yet.   There is not one moment here that is anywhere near engaging or heartfelt.  Just distant, self-indulgent, and "I'm making the movie, so I'll do what I want."

Paul Rudd is Pete, and Leslie Mann is Debbie. They are both having birthdays in the same week and turning 40. She is panicked by it, and he is sort of disconnected.   They have two teen girls, and have their hands full with that.  Pete owns a struggling record company, and Debbie owns a small clothing store.   They have enormous financial problems, they lie to each other, and live sort of separate lives - married.  Their kids are obnoxious, so are their friends.   Plus their extended families are amazingly dysfunctional.

To be fair, a lot of this really speaks to the target audience.  Much of this is a mirror image of what young couples have gone through and are going through.   And there are a few moments that are poignant and funny.  But far too few.  This is simply not very funny.  I was in a full theater today, and many of the moments designed for big laughs, got none.

Trouble here is this.  It's the same formula that Apatow has been using for years.  Lot's of terrible language, an obsession with body parts and sounds, drug use, and a 7th grade level of humor all the way around.  Only this time we get to see such lovely things as a mammogram, a colonoscopy, a prostate exam, and a visit to the gynecologist.  That's on top watching Pete sit on the john for minutes on end while he has a fight with Debbie, not once but twice.  The formula is old, tired and been done.   He invented a formula that for himself  and now he has worn out his own welcome.  Although this time he does toss in, a parent bullying and threatening a buck-tooth little kid, and a different mother ripping into a school principal about her husband who recently died. 

I do like Rudd. Only if he could decide if he's really an original funny man, or if he's just another guy on screen.  I wish he would choose more wisely.  There are times though he really makes me laugh. Leslie Mann (Apatow's real-life wife)  is a pretty funny lady.  She always seems to have that glazed, dazed look on her face, and is sort of a not plugged in self that is charming at times, and completely original and hers alone. The supporting cast is big with names, Jason Segel, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Melissa McCarthy, Albert Brooks and others.  All small roles, all over casted, and most are unnecessary.

This goes in way too many directions, with a total loss of focus for the most part. Almost all the characters you don't really like, or worse care about.  Biggest trouble here?  This is way too long.  How no one involved with this doesn't know that is beyond me.   This is 2 hours and 15 minutes. More than likely movie makers ego run amok.

 This Is 40.  This is mostly 40 minutes too long, and nearly all of it is just a mess.

MOVIE REVIEW - Jack Reacher

One of the more eyebrow raising movies of the Christmas season is out this week, as Tom Cruise stars in Jack Reacher.

Jack Reacher is a series of books that many have read, and now have come to the big screen.   There has been a ton of "are you kidding me's", with the casting of Cruise as the lead character.   Purists will be quick to point out that Reacher in the books, is a hulking 6'4" ex-military cop.   Cruise of course is about a foot shorter than that.  But when you produce this movie as Cruise did here, you can cast yourself.  And he did.  That's been said.

Reacher is a very interesting character in his development.  Reacher is ex-army.  He has been decorated with about every single award you can think of.  He did about everything in the army that one could, include being a military cop.   Now, Reacher is a ghost of a man, who has left the army, and dropped off the radar socially in about every way possible.  Reacher does not care about the law,  or pretty much anything else, except what is right.

He is an interesting mix vigilante, genius detective, but is still military tough.  He is James Bond-ish of sorts as he is good at about everything, but does not wear a tux while doing it.  In this movie, he whisks in from out of nowhere, to help a beautiful young attorney Helen (Rosamund Pike) solve a crime.  Seems an army veteran sniper shot a bunch of people in broad daylight in Pittsburgh, and Reacher starts to dig deep to see what really happened and who really did it. And why.  The police investigation has been far too tidy, and easy.  Reacher hears of the story, and moves in to find out the real truth.

This movie is proof positive that Hollywood can make a very good action flick, that deals with some tough subject matter and not make it go over the top.  There is violence here, but it's tempered and all of it is central to the story.  There is humor, and there is some real nice irony, and a few really solid plot twists that make this entertaining. Toss in a dynamite chase scene and Jack Reacher is pretty darn good.  This movie also turns into sort of a "damsel in distress" movie, that turns Reacher into a hero, and that's hard not to like.   But you've got to be able to get past Cruise in this role.  If you can't, you may be dismissing this out-of-hand, and not going anyway.

Despite how you may feel about Cruise in this kind of role, where he beats up 5 guys at at time in one scene,  3 in another, and is not the Reacher that the fans know, he does hold his own.  I am not a huge Cruise fan, but I will give him props when it's deserved.   After a couple of decades of overacting and being a parody of himself on and off the set, Cruise has become far more tolerable on screen lately. 

But as big of a role as this is for him, the real story here is Rosamund Pike.  She is terrific as the buxom beauty, Helen who is an aggressive attorney and at times owns the screen.  She is so very different than many other leading women, she was brilliantly cast. They did not need a household name as Helen, but someone of this ilk.  And she is great.  She is a star on the rise with countless projects in the works well into 2014. She could be the next big deal. Her style is very different than most, she really cuts through.   I first saw here in the ill-conceived, Wrath Of the Titans, but everyone's got to get noticed.  Better things are head for her.

Jack Reacher.  Overall, this is a holiday hit. And there will be more of them.

MOVIE REVIEW - The Guilt Trip

Seth Rogan and Barbra Streisand star together in the new "comedy,"  The Guilt Trip.   The word "comedy" is being used here only by intended definition.

It has certainly been a long time since Streisand has been on the screen in a starring role.   Here she plays an overprotective ethnic mother, Joyce of her only son Andy (Rogen) who is now about 35 years old.  Andy is a highly educated inventor who has invented a new organic household cleaner.  He is trying to pitch it to large companies for distribution with no luck at all.   Andy is sort of awkward, and not overly skilled at the spoken art.   Joyce, does not have that problem.

So Andy is going on a coast-to coast driving trip with meetings and pitches along the way, and for reasons that are so ridiculous, he decides to take his non-stop talking mother with him.  And so they strike out on this adventure in a compact car, and they start talking.  And talking, and talking and talking....my gosh make this stop!!!!

This is essentially a two person movie with Rogen and Streisand and you get so sick of listening to these two yammer on about nothing for a thousand miles or so.   These two have no real chemistry, but not all of this is not their fault.  The writing on this picture is putrid.  And if they let these two improvise much of this, that too was a bad decision.   Much of this is really hard to sit through and walking out might cross your mind.   This is really not funny, and there is no pace to speak of.  Just constant bickering between these two clowns, and even though it may speak to some in it's authenticity, this is really irritating after about 15 minutes.

Then The Guilt Trip tries to grow a heart in the last 10 minutes or so, and actually does. The final few scenes are easily the movies best.  But it is way too late, and you are too fatigued to really care about anything that happens to these two at the end.   There is just far too much of these two.  Observation - a packed theater laughed out loud - once.

Rogen can do good work, and at times I like him.  He does have a certain style that in the right role is pretty entertaining. I like him far more as side dish as opposed to main course.   Streisand is who she is.   She is possibly the greatest pure singer of our time, and has been for a generation or two.  She has been great in many movies, but not here.  She is so grating, that all you do is wish she would just shut up, and maybe break into a song, so we could here that magical voice sing, and not speak another single word.  You actually find yourself wishing you could hear the gentle, soothing voice Fran Drescher  made while starring on The Nanny.

Oh, there's a laugh or two, but that's it.  This just lays there, and finds your spinal column, grabs it with both hands and twists -  hard.   This is two hours of your life that will come and go, and you can never get back.

The Guilt Trip.  Annoying and flat - would be kind.

LOCAL GOLF - Belly Butter Ban? - Yay or Nay?

With all of us being golfers, we have heard about the proposed new rule change taking place in 2016.   The change to the "Belly Putter."  I took some time to think it over.

Golf's leading governing powers actually didn't go all out and "ban" the club.  Just the way that that club, like any other club can be swung.  The rule is that no club can be anchored to your body when you swing it.  It steadies the club, and gives it a "pivot point" per say, thus making that particular swing easier.   Look at it anyway you want, pro or con.  That's the reality of the anchoring of the club.   It makes it easier.  Many of the pro's wouldn't do it if it wasn't.

Since about 47 percent of our strokes are on the green, this is a significant amount of the game.  Perspective - golf has been around for 600 years.  Many equipment improvements have been made, courses are better and longer, and greens smoother and faster.   But none of that makes the game easier. In fact, just the opposite.   Not that golf is ever easy.  But an anchored club is simply that. Steadied, when the nerves and skill level may not be so much.

Better equipment has made the game more mass appeal.  Drivers made out of space age materials are longer, and supposedly straighter.   But there's still plenty of hacks out there with 500 dollar drivers and 1,000 dollar irons.  Most of them are just hitting the ball deeper and faster into the woods or water.  Because in the end, it's the swing that matters.  Holding the club out at bay, in your hands and doing all that is required to make good shots is harder than you might think. 

Golf and baseball are probably as tough as any game there is to play well. Both require the most skill overall.  Taking nothing away from basketball or football.  But in those sports, it is possible to "out-athlete" people, and overpower the opposition.  In baseball, amazing hand-eye coordination is key to hit or catch a 100 mph ball.  In golf the opposition is the course and of course yourself trying to get the lowest score you can with the allure being that this is an incredibly difficult game.   Make it easier, and you remove some of the allure.

They've tried hard to make baseball easier at the professional level for decades to please the fans. Lowered the mound, added too many teams and watered the talent pool.  Invented the designated hitter so pitchers don't have to bat.  Made new stadiums band-box style where home runs fly out at breakneck pace.  Plus, the umpires no longer call high strikes.   And it hasn't made the game better, just longer.

This change to the belly putter basically will only affect the various professional tours at this point.   Weekend hacks like us for the most part will still be able to do what they want if they wish.  Only they can make that individual choice.   But the best players on earth, playing the hardest game on earth should have to play it without violating one of its basic premises.  PGA pro's should play it all the way out, the hard way.   In fact, the courses they play by and large should be set up even tougher for them.   Golf's intention is to challenge par, and for par to challenge you.  At tour events, professional players shouldn't be shooting 20 or 25 under par.  That's too easy, but they get their feelings and egos hurt to quickly playing par golf.  As will many pros about this belly putter business.

Golf is hard. Plenty hard.  Subliminally that's the reason most of us love to play it.  It's the hard, that makes it the great game that it is. 

MOVIE REVIEW - Hitchcock

In limited release is the new Anthony Hopkins flick, Hitchcock.    It as it would be, this is a story about film making great Alfred Hitchcock at the time he was making his classic, Psycho in 1959 and 1960.

This film deals with Hitchcock's absolute obsession with making what would become the groundbreaking horror flick.  Psycho of course, was a different kind of movie for the era, basically becoming the first "slasher" flick.  Although it is incredibly tame by today's standards, it was huge at the time and scared people to death.  But the classic shower scene still holds up well as far as begin scary is concerned.  Psycho changed movies forever in numerous ways, and Hitchcock was the one bold enough to know that this was to become more than just a movie.

Hopkins is great as Hitchcock in about every way.  He looks like the icon, and sounds like him too.  In this picture he is in conflict with his wife Alma (Helen Mirren).   They have been married for decades, and she of course is a screenwriter in Hollywood too.  There are years of resentment, and jealousy coming to a head as Alfred becomes incredibly obsessed with this picture and it's young and beautiful star, Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson). 

Even though they let us in on some of the nuances behind the making of  Psycho, this movie is generally about how making this movie affected his personal life with Alma.  This is not a "trivia" movie. Yes, they address some of the roadblocks and secrets associated with Psycho.  One slight bombshell for some may be that the book Psycho was actually based in part, on a true story from Wisconsin.  But Psycho was not  completely true, but based on real a real guy arrested by terrible crimes named Ed Gein.

This is a very nice picture that hopefully will find some success.  It boasts a great cast that also has Jessica Biel as Vera Miles (also in Psycho)  and Toni Collette as Hitchcock's trusted assistant, Peggy.  Collette is terrific in her small role, as are Johansson and Biel.   Through the magic of makeup and costuming, these women are transported back in time and look stunningly authentic as 1960 ish Hollywood beauties.  They each own small roles that they really took charge of.  All very good.   Johansson and Biel both look amazingly like Leigh and Miles.  

I can't think of a movie that Helen Mirren has made lately that she hasn't been great in.  She and Hopkins give command performances here and develop a wonderful chemistry that is palpable.  Both are outstanding.  This move also sports a respectable supporting cast, and really terrific sets and costuming.   I always think it's fun to be sent back to the golden Hollywood age in movies when done well, and this is.  This movie is quick and tidy at 95 minutes and very well conceived and edited.  Just like a real Hitchcock movie from his era.

Hitchcock. There is nothing not to love about this movie.

MOVIE REVIEW - Playing For Keeps

Let's line up the big stars and make a romantic comedy, and call it Playing For Keeps.   Oh, and let's bring in Gerard Butler to star in it.

That's the new movie of the weekend, and this could be a very interesting bell weather moment for romantic comedies.   They have all been tanking lately at the movies, so they have pulled out all stops here.  This stars Butler, Jessica Biel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid and Judy Greer.  Someone for everyone.   And let's make the content about soccer moms, and mild family dysfunction.  AND, let's make sure that it's friendly for everyone.   If this tanks, the genre for the time being may be dead.

Butler stars as a former soccer great (George)  who has a 9-year old son with his ex-wife Stacy (Biel).   He's kind of bouncing around looking for work, and being sort of a dad-beat dad.   He becomes by accident the coach of his son's soccer team.  Of course the kids love him because he's a great coach and player.  And the single soccer moms love him because he's single, good with kids, and looks like Gerard Butler.  So they all are trying to get his attention one way or another.  George is trying to get a job at ESPN, and he also is trying to grow up and be a good dad to his son. 

But the moms are getting in the way.  There is Barb, (Greer) who is the insecure, but looking single mom who is after him.  There is  Denise (Zeta-Jones) who is trying to get him in at ESPN in exchange for his favors.   There is Patti (Thurman) who is married to Carl (Quaid)  but would rather sleep with George.   Then there is Stacy, who George still loves and wants back, but his blunders keep getting in the way.   Will the end up back together?  Well, of course they will.  Is this fun?  At times.

No lack of effort here, they have all the right people in place, and for the most part this is a good story.  Butler is pretty fun,  and so are the rest of our stars.   The story is friendly and deals with highly topical events in young parents lives.  It's not anywhere near perfect, but there's nothing really wrong here except one thing.   It does not have mass appeal to the people who drive the box office at all.  There's no action, no chase scenes, no bad language, and no subject matter that is edgy and borderline offensive.   Those comedies are the ones making the real waves today, not this.  And it's sad that there is not room for more styles of comedies that are successful.

More than likely this will be a mild hit, and move on.   Hopefully this will find a niche following that still like sort of silly, everything works out comedies that are not targeted to 16 year old locker room humor.   This is fun at times, and some of this does not work, but overall it's hard to rip into this.   Butler kind of does one thing, but he's good at it. Biel is over-casted in in her small role, as is Zeta-Jones but they need the possible draw.  Judy Greer is very funny in her silly little role as Barb. She is usually pretty good in her small movie roles, and I like her.   And the story is completely fine.

Playing For Keeps.   Fun.

It's Always Golf Season

All year long I've been writing about all of the great golf courses in the area that The Dewsweepers play every Sunday morning.  Although now that the weather is starting to change, golf is more challenging this time of the year.  I played three times in the last week, including 18 holes Monday (December 3) and even walked it with a pull cart.

My fellow Dewsweepers (Beef, Tex, and Joe Red) still play when we can, but it will be the spring when we again play every Sunday, and I'll write about it on Monday.  But we will play when possible, even in the winter.  We love golf, and we know you do too.  This summer we did have some younger Dewsweepers that filled in when someone could not make it.  Beef's son Dirk was one his nephew B-Roz was another , and Joe Red's son Bryan was also.  It was a pleasure to tee it up with them.

The other day I read something that amused me.  Bryan typed on social networking that on Thanksgiving weekend, he shot a really nice 79!  His best round of the year...way to go.  Then went onto say that this was the weekend he was putting his clubs away for the year.  - What?   I don't think I ever heard that sentence before.  I know I've never said it.  Put the clubs away... for the year?  

Oh, you might move the clubs to a new place, clean them up, and really clean out the bag or something.  But all veteran golfers know that you never really "put the clubs away."  Beef showed a real crafty veteran move by bringing his clubs inside, to clean them up and warm them up.  Good move.  Tex chimed in by bringing up that you may have to adjust your schedule, but the season goes on. Even Joe Red chuckled out loud at that foreign sentence, "Put the clubs away for the year." 

I think the unofficial Dewsweeper parameters are this.  50 degrees and over for the high, we can play.  40's and sunny for the high, we play.  Good rule of thumbs.

Man, with the clubs put away for the season, Bryan must have been drueling last weekend when the temps hit 65 in December.  Wonder if he caved?   I know I would have if I had made such a hasty decision to shelve the clubs into oblivion.   I played three times, I was dyin'.   It was so nice, I had to get out and tee it up with Tex and Beef.   Joe Red was out of state for work and he couldn't join us. But we did get profanity laced texts from him, cursing us as he was in upper Michigan where it was snowing as we were scoring low.  But, the veteran that Red is, he had his clubs with him... just in case.

Golfers know even here, it's always golf season.  We'll give Bryan a slight pass on this one and chalk it up to a youthful mistake and we'll see if he he follows the same protocol next season.   Also should be noted Bryan is a newlywed.   So there's that. But it's fun to pick on him for this.  See, that is what golf foursomes do, right?  The ribbing never stops, even in the semi-off season, and even if there's not much golf being played.

See you on the course soon.  Hope for 40's and sun!  The Veteran Dewsweepers don't even own a calender. 

MOVIE REVIEW - The Collection

Ah, these kind of movies are always fun to review.  This week it's the new slasher, horror flick, The Collection.  Right up front, I am not anti-slasher flicks. Been seeing them for 30 years, and they are like any other movie in some fashion.  There are good ones and bad ones.

But this is quite possibly the worst movie of the year in just about every single regard.  It is the sequel to the 2009 hunk-o-junk, The Collector.  You know, it's one thing to be bad, silly, and not well thought out.  It's another thing to be unoriginal, and a rip-off, and that's all this is. 

If you need (or want) refreshing, this is the movie that has the same basic feel of the Saw series.  This horrible serial killer is killing hundreds of people with strangely made steel torture devices that he controls, as he slaughters people at will.   "The Collector" now has an old and abandon hotel that he has turned into his own torture chamber.  All boobie-trapped and tricked out to make rescuing his victims virtually impossible.  But they try.

Elena is a young woman who has been captured by our killer. Her rich father then hires a group of thugs and rescuers to go into this hotel and save his little girl.  All with the help of a man that has escaped the killer -  the day earlier!.   So let's set this scene. The Collector is well known on the news as this killer that has seemingly killed hundreds of people with hundreds more missing and presumed captured by him.   So, this is what transpires.   Keep reading, no kidding.

So after our heroes find this hotel (by the most ridiculous means possible,)  this groups of 6 non-professionals decide to go into this killing chamber.  With light weapons, no protective clothing, no communication, no plan, no escape plan.  Just the wish to bring Elena home.  So they go in and of course, start getting picked off one by one, dying horrible, bloody deaths.   Who in the world would not have called in the police, a SWAT team and just the authorities in general to capture a notorious and famous serial killer inflicting terror over the entire world?  Well, these clowns.  This is just one of 1,000 things that make this just plain sputrid.  And it is so amazingly obvious. 

And it gets way more dumb than that but it's not worth it here. This is a blood fest of the first order.  Killing, dismembering, and extreme torture is all you get.  Clearly, the makers of this series saw Saw, loved it and decided that it's too much work to be original, but easier to take someones idea and call it your own adding your own bells and whistles.  Making bad movies is one thing, being completely unoriginal, and brainless is quite another.

The Collection.  It's not scary, or suspenseful, or anything near compelling at all.  It's just killing and landing head first in body parts.  The door is open for more of these, but let's all pray that this one is such a financial disaster that we can avoid this torture again.  First weekend take of 3 million - complete disaster.

MOVIE REVIEW - Killing Them Softly

Brad Pitt is back again this fall, and this time it's the new mob-related, economically-charged Killing Them Softly.  If there is something called an "artsy," gangster flick this might be it.

KLS is the story of a very scary Mafia hit man named Jackie (Pitt) and his unorthodox, yet in the end classic ways of killing enemies to the Mafia run businesses, namely card games.   It also is makes very loud social statements about the economics of the world, including the money blood-letting that can exist in any capitalistic society.   But this movie is set in America.

Someone is robbing the mob...in mob-run card and poker games.  The higher ranks of the mob bring in Jackie to put an end to this by taking out the principles doing the robbing and those responsible for setting it up.  Jackie is not their normal hit man, but the usual hit man has met his own end.  Jackie has different methods of doing contract killing.   He kills you emotionally first, then literally kills you after you are basically ready to be killed for your deeds.   There are some very scary and compelling moments in this movie when Jackie is killing you softly first. The actual killing is almost anti-climactic.  A scene between Jackie and one of his victims in a dive-bar over a beer as Jackie is wearing him down mentally is absolutely incredible.  Scary stuff without a shred of violence.  Every great performance has a signature scene that separates that performance from the field.  The bar scene is Pitts.

This movie is very much off the beaten path in many regards.   It has a very strange and eclectic musical soundtrack that correlates directly to what is happening on screen at that moment.   It also weaves in a narrative background of news footage from former President Bush as he leaves office, and President Obama as he is taking office in his election night speech from 2008.  Their narratives in effect narrate parts of this movie indirectly.  This movie starts out seemingly very disjointed, and is a bit hard to stick with, but as time rolls on, it pulls it all together nicely.

Pitt is extraordinary again.   He is perfectly cast as the scary Jackie. And man, does he look like an undesirable sort you would hate to have gunning for you.   Pitt will more than likely be bandied around again this year at Oscar time as best actor.  He will more than likely get a nomination for this.  He is backed up by a great supporting cast with James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, and Richard Jenkins.   This movie is molded together very skillfully with a nice mixture of heavy duty gangster flick, psychological thriller, some Alfred Hitchcock, and a bit of art to it.  Very well done,  very raw at times and very adult.  But also very good.  Also KLS does something you really don't expect, it ends suddenly and that was a surprise to me, as it had the feel of being a much longer movie.  It's only about 95 minutes and that was a great decision.
Brad Pitt is terrific, and so is Killing Them Softly.  

MOVIE REVIEW - Red Dawn

Well let's all climb back in the time machine and jet back to 1984, it's a remake of the old Patrick Swayze flick Red Dawn.  This time it stars Chris Hemsworth.   Should be noted it opened with a tremendous thud during a big box office holiday weekend.

Red Dawn is the story of a few young kids who join together and form a militia to battle the enemy, after the United States has been invaded and taken over by another country.  This time it's North Korea, in conjunction with many other nations that have formed an evil coalition to destroy America.  This version has been updated with more modern technology in the story and uses today's international troubles and perceptions to form the backdrop of this new movie.

Interestingly, at the movies start, they have actual news footage of President Obama, Vice-President Biden, and Secretary Of State Clinton talking about the modern day threats to America.  So, movie-goers can reasonably deduct that the movie makers are saying that this invasion by modern enemies has taken place during their watch while in power.  Although the movie goes no further than that, it is a bit surprising to see. There is no mention of these real life political players after they are seen on screen describing the real threats out there in the real world. And mentioning the enemy by name.

After the North Koreans invade the west coast, our "heroes" band together to fight back and try to take back our nation.  There is not an American military for some reason, only these 10 kids with no heavy equipment, or airplanes or any real knowledge of how to fight.  And they are up against the full fury of the Korean military, and guess what?  They are successful.

This is just a bunch of silliness.   Truth be told, there is not one really believable moment in this trash heap.   It just looks more silly as the movie trudges on.  This I think is supposed to be some kind of "Yeah!!!"  movie, but it just doesn't work.   At all.  Each scene is more silly than the last, and at times becomes amazingly insulting to anyone over the age of say 15.  That is probably about the age that would be the cut-off  for anyone taking this seriously.   The original was mediocre at best, and there was really no reason to dig this up and do it again.   But sometimes the temptation is just too large, and the new and creative ideas are just too few and far between.

I guess if you have to take a break from your war video game in the basement and get out of the house to do something different, this may be your movie.  But you will not be able to watch this in your underwear like you do in your basement while video-gaming.

Red Dawn - 2012.  Please!

MOVIE REVIEW - Life Of Pi

Ang Lee is an interesting film maker.  He is going to again create quite a stir with this latest creation, Life Of Pi new this week.   This is based on the incredibly successful book of the same name.

Lee has given us really diverse projects over the years.  He seems to grab the ones that people say either can't be done, or will be amazingly hard to do.   Sense And Sensibility, Brokeback Mountain, Hulk, and of course his jewel, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.   Life Of Pi was said to be way too hard to bring to the screen effectively, but it's very good.

LOP is the story of a young Indian boy, Pi who at a young age begins a very eclectic spiritual journey while living in India.  He is Hindu, but he also studies Catholicism, as well as the Muslim faith.   His family run a beautiful zoo in India, but when the political climate in India changes, he and his family are forced to leave India. They are going to try to start again in Canada.

They take the zoo animals and leave India aboard a Japanese freighter and set out across the Pacific.  Then the giant ship goes down in a terrible storm.   Pi is the lone human survivor in a steel lifeboat with a orangutan, a zebra, hyena and a full grown Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.   They set out on a journey of survival for months in an attempt to be rescued.   How on earth will they make it? And how is it even possible to live with these exotic animals and fierce carnivores?

Of course in the end this is far, far deeper than simply this.  And there is plenty of symbolism and deep thought provoking moments in this movie that test Pi's multiple faith's and make you look at this story from many different angles.  All in all this is a very powerful and interesting story.  But the star of this movie is the actual movie making.

This is not some huge action-sequenced movie, although there are many compelling "actiony" scenes.  This is very difficult movie making.  All these animals, especially the tiger who is one of the main stars of this movie.   Pi's interaction with Richard Parker The Tiger is extensive, and the main thrust of this movie.  In what is certainly a mixture of real tigers, and animated it is extraordinary the chemistry that is developed between Pi and Parker.   This movie I feel could only have been done this well by Lee, as somehow he finds a way to make it all look so easy.

Richard Parker The Tiger develops a real on screen personality, you get to know him, even though he is a top of the food chain killing carnivore.  What Lee does visually with this tiger character is nothing short of amazing in scene after scene.  Few film makers would have even taken this on. And the pressure was on too, as this is a great story from a hugely popular book.

This is a 2 hour visual feast and treat for movie goers in every regard.  It's also a great piece of conversation over coffee when its over.  The plot is certainly open to multiple interpretations.  Daring and bold movie making that virtually anyone can see.  Although even though it stars a young boy, some of this could be a bit too intense for real young movie goers.  PG-13 seems apt here.

Life Of Pi.   The star of this movie is the movie making. Much of this will be considered at Oscar time.   Ang Lee, well, well done.

MOVIE REVIEW - Silver Linings Playbook

I always like going to movies and see a story that you really have not seen before.  And that is exactly what the new Bradley Cooper movie is.  A previously untold story at the movies.

Silver Linings Playbook stars Cooper as a young man named Pat.   Pat lives in Philadelphia and has just been released from a mental hospital in Baltimore.   He has been trusted to the care of his parents.   Pat has been living his whole life with an undiagnosed case of Bi-Polar disorder that finally overcame him when he found his young wife in the shower in their home with a co-worker.   Pat went off and assaulted the man, and ended up in the mental hospital as a result of his actions.

Clearly, Pat has real problems.   He has no filter between his brain and his words.  He basically offends everyone with everything he says.   He is reluctant to take his medications, and is staggering through his young adult life.  He is unable to cope with any real conflict, and becomes his own worst enemy time after time.   But he is incredibly intelligent, and has a plan for his life.  As ill-advised as it may be.

Pat then meets Tiffany  (Jennifer Lawrence).  She is a young woman mourning the recent loss of her husband who was killed.  She too has many mental issues to deal with, but when she and Pat meet there is some kind of strange chemistry.  Although Pat is set on getting his wife back, he is torn about Tiffany.   Tiffany is a creative type, who makes a deal with Pat to be the go-between with Pat, to his ex-wife.  Pat has to enter a dance competition with her, in exchange for her help.   Sound confusing?  It's not, but there are a ton of side plots with SLP.

This is part tragedy, part romantic comedy, and part drama.   But mostly what this is, is good.  Cooper is sensational as the terribly conflicted Pat.  Cooper continues to branch out and do different roles, and is quickly becoming Hollywood's most promising young male star.   But this movie does not work without Lawrence.  This entire project is about very mentally unstable people, with all of their baggage and quirks trying to fit in in the real world.   The casting of the incredibly quirky Tiffany was crucial, and she is perfect.

Lawrence here is the amazing combination of strange beauty, off beat presence, and a deeply troubled young woman with a story to tell.   Cast the wrong Tiffany, and this falls flat. She is the gasoline in the engine of this movie, and every scene she is in makes this a better movie.   She is likable, vulnerable, all the while being believable and looking like someone you would know.    

There is also a wonderful supporting cast led by Robert Dinero as Pat's OCD father, and Chris Tucker as one of Pat's friends from the mental hospital.  Both are great, as is the rest of the cast.  There's a lot of good in this movie, and it so far has skated a bit below the radar.  This is very intense at times, and very funny at times.  This is a very well written project that gladly takes you through a ton of emotions, and really makes you feel as you attempt to walk in our characters shoes.   That is this movies beauty.  You can't help but try hard to understand characters most of us can not possibly comprehend.

Silver Linings Playbook.  Very well done.  A must see.

MOVIE REVIEW - The Sessions

Every once in a long while a movie comes out that is so original that it takes the critical community by surprise.   The Sessions, a very powerful and original drama is that movie.

First off.   The Sessions is for about one in every 100 movie goers.  It is not casual movie watching as it deals with weighty subjects and ones that are certain to make some squirm.   It is a true story based on a man's essay from  the 1980's about his sexual journey as an adult, after being terribly stricken and paralyzed as a young boy.

That man was Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes) who died in 1999 at the age of 49.   O'Brien was struck down by polio and was left unable to move his total body from the neck down for virtually his entire life.   He had to spend about 20 hours a day in an iron lung to survive.  He can come out of it for a few hours at a time, but requires endless care 24 hours a day.  His body can feel, he just has no muscle control at all.

He is a gifted poet, and writes beautiful sonnets with only the use of his mouth to type.  He is also blessed with great insight, and snappy sense of humor that makes him very charming.  He, at age 38, after consulting with his priest (William H. Macy) Mark decides he wants to have a physical love life, and takes the steps necessary to achieve that lofty goal.   He researches and finds in San Francisco there are "sex surrogates."   These are caring people that introduce handicapped people sex, and teach them what is needed to know later with a future partner.  They are health care professionals that actually participate in lovemaking with the patient as best they can.  But these sessions and this journey will not be easy.

O'Brien's surrogate is a women named Cheryl (Helen Hunt).  They have sexual "sessions"  She becomes part of Marks life briefly, and turns out she learns more about life from Mark than she thought.   Mark also has a major impact on many other women from a caregiver that he falls in love with, without reciprocation.   To a woman he finally meets later on in life till his death that he falls in love with, and it is returned.  As it would be despite all his limitations, Mark ends up with many of the same situations and heartbreaks that we all have had.  He is a gifted man, in a not so gifted body.

The Sessions is approached in a very straight forward fashion.  They hold nothing back, with graphic nudity, and many sexual situations we are not used to seeing on screen are right there.  There is nothing implied about this movie, it's all there.   It is a story that you don't know, and you've never seen before.  And in the end, I thought this was brave movie making on many fronts.   Both the willingness for the late O'Brien to allow his powerful story to be told on screen, which is very different than having it simply read.  And to the movie maker who made it so.  The director of this movie also suffered from polio as a child.

This movie has gotten huge critical acclaim from many within the movie community.   It has been honored by many organizations, and festivals.   But it's a movie with very limited appeal, and really zooms in on a certain kind of movie goer.   You will have to be a real movie lover to appreciate this. For some, this will be very uncomfortable.

The Sessions. Rated R - highly adult.   Very brave, original, and well done.

Precursor To Winning

Few things, if any one thing can galvanize a community like a winning professional team.  Needless to say there hasn't been near enough of that around here lately.  We have been through our share of heartache.  And the Cavs, Tribe and the Browns have all contributed.

That's why the Browns game at Dallas this weekend was such a big deal.   Look, I know the Browns in the end did not get it done.  But in perspective this was one game, one loss for one team. The Browns stared down a long time powerhouse, America's Team on the road with a big TV audience.  I grow so weary of all of the negative Facebook and Twitter comments by obviously frustrated fans about how the Browns stink.  And posters take the cheap way out by blaming the coach, the refs, or even "paying off the league so Dallas would win."  Negative, poor me, and I should have known comments.   Grow up. The Browns just aren't ready yet.  But for the first time in memory, they are gaining on it. 

Gladly, there are a whole lot of young fans today that got to watch the Browns play a hard fought game against a proud and heritage franchise the Cowboys in Dallas.  Sadly, these same young fans don't know the Browns are a proud and heritage franchise that over its entire history has done a ton of winning.  Remember, the NFL was around long before the NFL/AFL merger and the Superbowl. And those championships count just as much for history, just not to ESPN.  Pay no attention to them.

For all the late losses, the Browns have played hard all year long.  They have belonged in every building they have played this season, and that has not always been the case in recent years.  Problem is the Browns are just not blessed top to bottom with the talent needed to win every week at the games top level. But they do show up, and play hard.  And that's what makes this season different.

Who knows where the Browns go this week, and in ensuing weeks to come. But the Browns seem to be coming of age.  They seemed to be a bit older and more mature playing in a huge theater when it would have been easy to have a bad case of stage fright.  A game like this from a clearly inferior team in the NFL, was paved possible by weeks of heartbreak and disappointment. 

A good reminder.  Anyone can win, that's easy. Learning to win is an art that the Browns have not yet mastered.  But losses build character, tugs on your pride, and helps you dig deeper and find out things about yourself you didn't know before.  You find out what's really inside. Tough losses challenges you to look at yourself honestly, in football and in life.  The Browns are finding something deep previously not found.  The Browns are growing from the inside, and that is the home of the beating heart.  And they have plenty of it.

Like real life, we don't always get our way.  That is the lesson sports teaches us more than any other.  Heartache, in the end makes the good times that much sweeter.  And there will be good times and winning with this Browns team.  New owner with a new attitude will set the stage for years to come.   
Think about the young Browns this year.  A change of ownership.  The firing of their president, heartbreaking losses, suspensions, and key long term injuries.   Plus, a head coach that will not be here next year.  And the Browns show up and compete highly week after week.  It's time to grow with this team.   And focus....there were years and years when the Patriots, Colts, Falcons and yes even the Steelers did not win very much.

This is a gritty bunch.

MOVIE REVIEW - Lincoln

The highly anticipated, Lincoln is new in theaters this week, and not a moment too soon.  

Right up front, what a great movie this is.  Wow, this is a gigantic challenge and very brave movie making as Hollywood attempts to bring to the screen the iconic Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president. This is an all-star cast that lined up behind Steven Speilberg who made this flick, simply to be a part of it.  This is first class movie making all the way around.

The Civil War is in its waning days, and this movie focuses only on the last 4 months or so of Lincoln's life.  This is based on a heavily researched novel by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.  It stays focused on Lincoln's struggle to pass the 13th Amendment to our constitution that would forever abolish slavery and grant slaves legal rights in America.   It goes into great depth of the politics of the day, and the political characters that made up the congress of the Union during the Civil War.  For those of you thinking this is a movie that may be a somewhat action filled Civil War movie with war scenes and battles, this is not your movie. This is 2 hours and 30 minutes of pure political drama.

Daniel Day-Lewis is Lincoln and is nothing short of fantastic.   It is unimaginable that he will not win every single acting award that exists for this role.  There few parts you will see any actor do in any movie that is larger than this one.  He brings Lincoln to life in an eerie fashion. He looks like him, he sounds like you might think Lincoln would, and moves like you imagine as well.  He also brings Lincoln to life like you would want him.  He is the man you would hope he would be.

The develop Lincoln as more than just a president, but as a man.  A simple man, yet an incredibly intelligent and complex man. Strong, yet frail.  A huge presence of a man, yet....just a man.  He is simply sensational.  Lewis recites mounds of well written, and difficult dialogue in a fashion so natural, you may forget it actually is not Lincoln. 

He is amazing in scene after scene all Oscar worthy.  But the "Now, Now, Now!"  scene is the clincher.  As good as he is in this entire movie, he seals the Oscar deal with this performance as Lincoln emotionally scolds members of his cabinet who are reluctant to support him in his quest for amendment passage.  Simply terrific.  Uncanny how much you feel you are actually in that room with them.

There is a huge cast along with Lewis, too many to mention but lead by Tommy Lee Jones.   You will see dozens of your favorite actors playing large and small roles here. All very good, all very effective. Casting was very well thought out for this movie and done perfectly.

Costuming and sets are Oscar worthy, as well as the script and screenplay, and possibly Jones as supporting actor.   At this point of the calender year this is the runaway best movie, and best project of the year.   It is also courageous movie making.  The audacity to attempt to bring life to Abraham Lincoln is a brave move.  As a movie maker you don't want to mess this up.  This is well done, and well thought out.  They had a great plan, and stuck to it.   Great decision to focus on a short period of time with Lincoln as opposed to his entire life.

Lincoln.  Oscar worthy, astounding in every single regard.  Give Daniel Day-Lewis the Oscar right now.

MOVIE REVIEW - Twilight Breaking Dawn 2

Well all things must come to an end. And it seems at least today, that the Twilight series has the sun setting on it.  Or because we are talking vampires, the sun is rising on it.

This of course has been immensely popular in today's culture and has launched the careers of Kristin Stewart who now garners 25 million a movie.   Robert Pattison has done great work outside of this non-challenging series. And Taylor Lautner who ran around with Taylor Swift for a while, and will probably always be remembered as the guy who wears a shirt on screen less than Mathew McConaughey.

So this is it.  Bella (Stewart) is now a vampire.  She and Edward (Pattison) have gotten married and had a baby.   And Jacob (Lautner) still stands around a brutes that Bella is not his girl.  But now that she's a vampire, she's really out because he of course is a wolf.   But here, the child is in question.  Word is out that she is an "immortal".   Which means she is a huge threat to the world vampire community because of her still untapped power.   So she has sparked a huge civil war within the vampire world.  Many believe that she must be killed.  Of course Bella, Edward, and the Cullens don't share this view.

So the Cullens assemble a "dream team" of vampires, and the wolf pack decides to back them up against the opposite waring faction of the vampires to protect the child.  After the battle, who will win and live on, and possibly happily literally ever after?  I'm guessing I know even before I walk in.  That's Twilight.

You know for a series that has been creative and imaginative at times, it's a shame it couldn't be at it's end.  This movie is far more worried about having all of its major characters getting their action and "Matrix" moment than finishing a story effectively.   It all comes down to a major battle scene with the two sides having a huge fight to the death - sort of.  And everyone has to get thier minute to fly through the air, and rip off someones head, or something like that.   Or to strike their highly dramatic pose on screen while they whip up some kind of power that has be be inserted later by computer.

A whole lot of this looks like people playing dress-up again.  I wonder (outside of the payday) if these actors feel foolish while filming these movies.  At times looks like kids playing in the back yard.   Note to all.  There is no shortage of decapitation, and death in this movie.  Body burning and pretty intense violence for young viewers.  I saw some in this showing around 7 or 8 years old.   This movie and the last were borderline R rated for many reasons.   But no real blood, and language that is tame keep the PG-13 in tact.  But there is a lot of this really inappropriate for little ones.

The good news here is this. Pattison is now free to take off the white makeup and the red lipstick and lip liner, and step out of these movies and be the real star he may be destined to be.  I have liked his work outside of this series a lot.  Stewart never has to work again, with this and the Snow White/Huntsman thing going.  I wonder in the long run, what happens to her?  She is always going to be Bella.  Lautner will more than likely continue not to wear a shirt much of the time

Twilight Breaking Dawn part 2.   It's over.  Now all can move on.

MOVIE REVIEW - Skyfall

This is the 50th anniversary of James Bond movies.   What a milestone when you think about it. An incredible franchise that has endured the decades, the actors, the times, and styles of movie making. This is installment number 23.

Skyfall is the latest Bond flick with Daniel Craig again in the lead role.   Full disclosure, I am a Bond fan, but I am not blind to the fact that there have been good and bad Bond actors, as well as good, not so good, and a few bad Bond movies.  But Skyfall is a darn good Bond movie.

One of the really unique things about Bond movies is that they operate outside of the Hollywood system to a degree.  Bond movies are virtually never talked about at Oscar time, and they seem separate from the rest of the movies at the box office.  Bond movies only seem to be compared to other Bond movies. And that's some of the fun.  They are kind of an event, as opposed to simply a movie.

Skyfall has done what all good Bond flicks do.  They are action packed, exciting and create a really sinister and deplorable villain.  This time it's Javier Bardem as "Silver."   Silver is an ex-MI6 agent that has now gone horribly rogue.  He is an international terrorist who uses technology to carry out terrorist acts of all kinds all over the world from a remote island.   He is ruthless, brutal and highly immoral.   He is out to kill M from MI6, and is targeting the agency in general.

Bond is thought to be dead, but obviously is not.  He "comes back from the dead", and reports for duty to go after Silver.  Although there are questions about Bonds age, and his competence.   The Secret Agent business is young man's game.  Does Bond have enough left to be the Bond we need him to be?  And can he again save the world?   

Skyfall is amazingly exciting, with wonderfully done action scenes.   The opening action sequence is fantastic as most are in Bond flicks.   But this is above most.   Even though Craig is a different kind of Bond as opposed to previous, these movies still have a thin line of fun and lightheartedness throughout. He is far more serious as Bond and does play it closer to the vest.  But Craig is great. I am a big fan of him in this role, who in time will be tough to replace.

Bardem is sensational.   He is one of the most underrated actors out there.  He was amazing as the villain in No Country For Old Men, (he won the Oscar), and he is just as good here.   Silver is a deeply complex character that you never really figure out, and that is his strength as a character.  Silver is wonderfully written.   Great supporting cast with Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, and some new and re-casted characters will give this franchise a nice relaunch of sorts.

Adele wrote and performs the new theme song to Skyfall, as it is a throwback to Bond themes past. It helps set the tone for this movie right after the terrific opening action sequence.  Well done.  There is a lot to like about this movie in general from start to finish.  One of the really great things about this movie in particular is that it walks a fine line of not talking exclusive to hard care Bond fans.  If you're new to Bond, you can jump in pretty quick.  And it does make you want to learn more about Bond movies.  It is quite inviting.

Skyfall.  Extraordinary that this franchise has transcended all this time.   Extremely entertaining.   Just what movies should be. A real fun ride. Very good.

MOVIE REVIEW - Wreck It Ralph

You have to admit, the formula for the new Disney animated smash hit Wreck It Ralph is nothing short of pure genius.

First you take hugely popular Disney animation.  Then you mix in a story line that centers around retro video games from the early 1980's.   Then toss in the more up-to-date video game style of today.   Then cast some really popular young stars to voice the main characters here, and it can't miss.  And Wreck It Ralph is the largest Disney animated movie opening ever.

How brilliant is this mixture?  First video games in general. Hugely popular of course.   Make a story about games that young parents of today used to play as kids, and then games that they still play endlessly as adults.  And play with their children.  Of course fans are going to pour into theaters.  That is the star here, the winning idea.

This is a fun movie that is very creative as "stars" of video games can jump from video game to video game.  Wreck It Ralph is a original story, that also boasts what Disney animation does best.  It creates very original, and interesting characters that you somehow come to care about in the short 80 minutes you are there.  

John C. Reilly is Ralph, a friendly video game villain who only wants to be loved, so he sets out to other video games to seek the love he is missing in his own game.  Sarah Silverman is Vanellope, a little girl from another game that Ralph befriends.  Silverman's performance is really great as the sassy little girl.   Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch also very good in their voices.   Overall this is a pretty good time.

This has the feel of Cars to a degree.   I have noticed these Disney animated movies are becoming a little more frantic, and manic over time.  This is visually very striking, but at times is borderline sensory overload.  This is a growing trend as the movie studio fights to keep the attention of kids, and now even their parents.  Like Cars, for some this might be a bit much in the visual and audio stimulation department.

Wreck It Ralph.   A great, and imaginative formula.  Overall, fun stuff.

MOVIE REVIEW - Chasing Mavericks

You know every now and again a good surfing movie hits the theaters, and this time it's Chasing Mavericks.

I know, there are far more interesting things to make movies about than surfing.  So what must be done, is that there must be a far larger story within.  Soul Surfer comes to mind last year as a surfing flick with a rather deep story to tell.  And Blue Crush a couple years ago, not so deep, but a mild hit. Chasing Mavericks has nice base story and for the most part, it's true.

It's the story of young Jay Moriarity from Santa Cruz, California.   He was the16 year old kid that became world famous in 1994 when surfed and wiped out while surfing Maverick (gigantic, dangerous) waves in California.  His incredible wipe out was caught on all kinds of film and he became an international sensation from that moment on, as it made every media outlet and magazine cover world wide.   He was a cult hero of sorts from that moment on in the surfing world.

Chasing Mavericks is the story of his very young life and his struggles as both a kid and a young surfer.   His home life is horrible.  He is being raised by a single mom who has hard a hard time growing up herself.   So Jay befriends his neighbor, Frosty Hesson.  Hesson is a legendary maverick surfing icon, who takes young Jay under his wing and teaches him more than just surfing and maverick surfing.  But also becomes Jays "father,"  in the process.  This is actually more of a movie about these two coming together and bonding, and becoming a family.  And that is done very well.

But make no mistake, there is plenty of surfing.  So if surfing is not your thing, this is not your movie.  And some of the surfing is quite breath taking to watch, and very well done.  There are also a couple of side stories that this could have done without, but it's not a deal breaker.   This might be a bit too long too as I was ready for it to wrap up.  But again not a movie killer.  

This is a very interesting story, and one that you don't know, and I always think that's a leg up in today's out of ideas movie arena.  This "surfing'" movie follows the same formula in part that Soul Surfer did last year.   It puts the human story first, and the surfing second.   Most good sports movies get that right.  That is the key for success.   There is also a bit of the Karate Kid formula as well.

Mavericks stars Johnny Weston as Jay, Gerard Butler as Frosty, and Elisabeth Shue as Jays mom.  Plus, there is a really nice performance in a small role as Frosty's wife, Brenda from Abigail Spencer.  She has a nice resume of TV roles on some pretty good shows, and there is much movie work ahead for her in 2013 and beyond, with movies in production now.  She is very, very good in this small role and really props this movie up with class and a nice soft touch. She's great.  I loved her.

Chasing Mavericks.   This is going to slink away with hardly a whimper a the box office, and that's a shame.  There is much to like here.

MOVIE REVIEW - The Man With The Iron Fists

RZA is making his debut in feature length movie making with this weeks new release, The Man With The Iron Fists.  

RZA of course one of the greatest hip hop music producers of all time, is now taking a run at the movies. And he cultivated a bunch of big names to help him get going.  They include Russel Crowe,  Lucy Liu and a pretty good international cast.   Even big time producer Quinton Tarantino has a hand in this, and it shows.

First off, this movie is not for everyone.   These kind of movies are an acquired taste, and they are movies that you kind of have to "get."  Is this complete irony, parody and satire?  Yeah, kind of.   It is exceptionally violent, but much of this is that "silly" violence.  It's kind of a cartoon violence. But make no mistake, this is violent. Rated R and well deserved in every aspect.

It's the story of big trouble in 19th century rural China.  In Jungle Village there is a huge shipment of gold coming through that many rival gangs want control over.  This is all spinning around a very low key blacksmith (RZA) who is forced to forge elaborate tools for these gangs they use to wage war with one another.  So these gangs begin a violent hand-to-hand war to seize control over the gold and Jungle Village.

This is one scene after another of "Matrix-like" martial arts scenes that at times are quite creative and well done.  There are some fascinating effects, and some well done aspects to this flick.  They do weave in a side story or two, and they do their best to tell a story revolving around the martial arts scenes.   Also most of this, including the fight scenes take place in a brothel, and there is no shortage of exploitation of women, and even they are drug into the marital arts scenes.  But you do see that coming.

These movies can have some guilty pleasure laughs for movie goers, as much of this is designed for it.  Is this a drama, or a dark, dark comedy, or an action flick?   Actually it's all all of the above.  This movie will be far more interesting to young men than women, and that's certainly the target audience.   This is yet another look back at the martial arts movies at the 1970's and pokes fun at them, and blends in a certain 'hipness" to it that will make it palatable for today's fans.

The Man With The Iron Fists.  For some a bunch of fun, for others a bunch of junk.

MOVIE REVIEW - Flight

I always think that when Denzel Washington makes a movie, it's an essential trip to the cineplex.  And the new drama, Flight is out this week.  Denzel takes front and center again.

You may have caught that I said "drama."  And that's what Flight is.  I know that in the trailer, Flight looks more like an action flick, but it's not.  It's a drama, and a serious one to boot.   It also is nothing like it looks in advance.  But it's pretty darn good.

Flight is the story of "Whip" Whitaker (Washington).   Whip is an arrogant, self absorbed, vice-laden, egomaniac of a commercial airline pilot who works for a fictional southern passenger airline.  He is also a brilliant and gifted pilot.  While on a flight from Orlando to Atlanta, Whip with his amazing heroics saves roughly 100 passengers and crew on his flight after the plane begins to break apart about 30 minutes after takeoff.  It is certainly a miracle anyone survives.  Trouble is, even though he saves the day, Whip was drunk before and during the flight.

As the investigation ensues, it becomes clear that Whip is in fact a drunk and a drug addict.   He then goes on a series of strange binges with booze, drugs, and a very unhealthy relationship with a recovering drug addict Nicole (Kelly Reilly), who is about 20 years younger than him.   It then becomes clear that Flight is not in fact an action movie, but a story about a tragic figure and his battle with terrible vices.   And it's Denzel like you've never seen him.  And becomes the story of keeping Whip out of jail.  But will he continually get in his own way?

Washington is so good sometimes as fans we can take him for granted.  He always picks great and horizon expanding roles.   In fact, he seldom, if ever plays the same role twice.   He is highly convincing as a terrible drunk, and at times it's hard to watch.   It is hard to watch Washington play a horribly self-destructive addict.  You may actually find yourself flinching on occasion.  I've never seen him do this before, and he brings a great performance to a movie that needed his presence to pull it off.  That is what makes Flight so good. Seeing Denzel play a character this flawed.

Flight also has a greet supporting cast as big name actors generally line up behind Washington to be in a movie with him.  Don Cheadle, John Goodman, and Tamara Tunie are really good here as well.  Huge, and I mean huge kudos to Reilly who has a list of TV movies, and a few small roles in feature movies.  She is Nicole and is Whip's love interest, and girlfriend and really holds her own with Washington in scene after scene.   What a great breakout performance for her opposite a huge star.  She is very real as a woman on the edge, trying to put herself back together as well.

Flight is very dramatic, very intense most of the time, and very topical all of the time.   It is a good story, that's well written and well put together.    Hopefully this movie will not fall through the cracks, and be a real success.   It deserves a look or two.  It also has a very compelling, frantic and scary plane scare and crash scene that takes you right to the cockpit, and shows you the terror that would be a plane crash.   Very intense.

Flight.  Denzel as you've never seen him.   This is a very good movie, a great story and certainly worth a night at the movies.

Front Seat Bible

I can speak from experience that not many people are driving into work at 3AM.  Threre's an few of us, and I am one of the fortunate few that do.   It's an easy 25 minute drive.   A cracked open window, or moon roof on a smooth highway, music on... to a job that I love doing.  Most days it is a time for me to gather my thoughts and get ready for the show with Sue Wilson on WQMX that starts promptly at 5:30. 

Then there are other days like today.  When Hurricane Sandy has to be dealt with.   Like right this minute, I am at my local public library writing this article, because Sandy has killed the power at my house for the time being.  I'm tired of Sandy already.

Then there are huge snow days before the bulk of the plows are yet to get out.  That's when you know that it's really 3AM.  Or Hurricane Sandy days, like today.  It can make you a bit nervous with 70 MPH winds and driving rain on the highway.  Heck, I lived in Florida for over a decade and never drove in an actual hurricane.  So this was the first for me.   And I was a bit apprehensive as I walked outside of my powerless house into the elements and jumped behind the wheel my car, and fired it up.  

I did what you do then, turned on the defrost, the radio, and for some reason I had to adjust the seat position.  This, not being the fancy car, I had to reach under the seat for the black bar to pull forward.  And then I felt it.  Just behind the adjustment bar.   A big, blue covered bible, smack dab under the drivers seat. I picked it up and smiled. And then knew that no matter what Sandy had in store, I was going to be OK.   This was a bible given to me by one of my great friends Ray C. from usually hurricane prone Florida.  When Ray and I first became friends the better part of 20 years ago, he gave it to me and even signed the inside. You know the "To - Scott  From - Ray" part and even put the date on it, 1997. 

I remember being very moved by that act, and always valued that kind gesture and the good book given.  I remember years ago, I decided to put it under the front seat of my car for safety sake.  I put it there on the day I left Florida to move back home to Ohio in 2001.  I put it there to protect me on my long 16 hour drive that day, and in subsequent years to protect me on the 3AM drives.  I know that may sound a bit silly, buy it gave me comfort I guess.  But what I failed to remember until this morning, is that I have owned a bunch of cars since then.  And somehow, I have always transferred that bible to the new cars without ever really being aware I did. 

As I lay in bed last night having a tough time getting to sleep.  I have to admit I had a bit of stress about driving into the teeth of the bully storm, and was hoping all would be fine.  I am not a worrier at all and take things pretty easily.  But this storm was a bit different and I was concerned the drive might be too.   But if I would have remembered the front seat bible, sleep would have come easier.  

Of course today's drive was fine.  I took my time and drove confidentially in the direction of my radio dreams, and made it in to the station without incident.  Then I got to thinking.  I've been driving at that time of the day for years now in all kinds of conditions, all safely and on time.  So the good book must be doing a fine job.  At least it works for me.

I say, "God Bless the Front Seat Bible."   And thanks Ray.   What a great gift after all these years.  Peace of mind, on a day one was surely needed.

MOVIE REVIEW - Fun Size

Here comes the latest teen comedy/Halloween flick, Fun Size new this week.

You understand the logic of making Fun Size.  It's Halloween. Kids drive the box office, and there are a few young stars here that will bring in a young audience this October.  I understand that was the basic idea.  I'm just not sure it was a good idea.

It's the story of Wren (Victoria Justice).   She is a high school kid who is trying hard to fit in with the cool crowd and hang out with the cute boys.  Her friend April (Jane Levy) is the driving force behind this ambition.   Wren and her little brother Albert (Jackson Nicoll) live with their single mom Joy (Chelsea Handler.)  Joy is recently widowed and is now sewing her wild oats with her new 26 year- old boyfriend.  That means much of the caring for Albert who is 8 years old, falls on Wren.

Wren has to take Albert out for trick or treating, and has to cancel her own plans of going to a "super cool" party.  She then promptly loses track of the elusive Albert who has his own plans of causing havoc on Halloween.   Albert is dressed up as Spiderman, so he's hard to find. Albert also has chosen not to talk in a year, so he's hard to communicate with.  Will they find Albert?  And will everything work out in the end?  I'm guessing yes.  You?

First off, Jackson Nicoll would have a hard time begin any more adorable.  He creates this pretty funny character with no words at all.  And for a little boy, that's pretty cool.  Also Justice is a fresh movie face, and at times Levy gives you a good laugh or two. Plus, there is some funny parody and satire on the under 30 generation that was fairly spot-on and amusing for a while.   But the above is not reason enough to make this a full length movie.

What this is, is a made for TV movie that would be a good Nickelodeon flick for their cable network.  (They made this movie) This just looks like one of those movies and not one you throw down 10 bucks for.  This is a straight to video movie at best.

Fun for those of us from Northeast Ohio, as this was filmed in Cleveland, and much of the city and surrounding area is on good display.  It's fun to see how they wove in the city to the movie.  This makes two movies at the box office right now made here, with Alex Cross being the other.

Fun Size.  You only have to wait 60 days for this to make it to video for a buck or two.  You can make it, trust me.

MOVIE REVIEW - Cloud Atlas

Did you ever notice that everyone always seems to say, "Are you going to the new Tom Hanks movie?"  And the new "Tom Hanks" movie is, Cloud Atlas.

CA is one of the most unusual movies you will ever see, at any time.  This movie also stars Susan Sarandon, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and a real strong supporting cast.   Plenty of star power, and plenty of budget to go around.   But if you are hoping to go into a movie to see a story that is easy to follow and understand.  You may be going to the wrong movie.  

I call CA a movie-goers movie.  Meaning if you go to the movies once or twice a year, this may not be for you.  This is very long, very strange, and not easily followed.   This is for fans who like to talk and dissect movies for what could be hours over coffee long after this is over.  If in fact it ever does end.

This is far too complicated to be explained effectively here, but in short here goes.   This is a move that attempts to make a case that over the years, everything, and everyone is connected in some way.  And that no matter time period, the same human struggles ensue, basically good versus evil, and to love and choosing not to love.  Part of this story take place as far back as 1839, and as far forward as hundreds, if not thousands of years in the future. All of our stars and some supporting cast play multiple characters that are loosely based on each other.   All of them play at least one character from many different periods.   Hanks plays the most, and he is terrific in them all. Very challenging and very well done.

This is the kind of movie that Hollywood loves to make, and moreover loves to pat itself on the back over.   The hair, make-up and costuming in this movie is fantastic.  They really make all of our stars really look different in all of the parts they play.   Sets on this move are also incredible, as you are transported successfully through time.   This also an action movie at times, with great effects mostly computer generated, but still stunning to see.  No doubt this was amazingly challenging movie making and a huge undertaking.  I have no idea where they would begin.

But with all of that said, the fact that this is three hours long and is tough to follow makes it difficult for modern movie goers. When this is over, you do have the sense you've just seen something big and incredible, you just not be sure what it was.  Word to the wise too, if you have to step out for the theater for 5 minutes for a bathroom break or something, just keep going. There is no way you can catch up on what you've missed and you'll be lost. Not even asking your friend that you left behind will help.

Also, the budget has to be astounding to make this movie.  A financially bleak opening weekend has  virtually guaranteed this will be one of the biggest flops of this year or any year.

Cloud Atlas.  This just might be a bit too much of a story to tell.  I'm not sure that there will be that many that will invest the time, or the payoff.

Schools, Stadiums,Theaters, And Theme Parks

Things change every day.  But that doesn't mean at times it isn't difficult for all of us.  

At the end of the school year, my high school Berea High, will merge with Midpark High and become Berea-Midpark High School.   It will be in the current Berea building I understand, and the team will be renamed from the Braves to the Titans. 
This is on the heels of my old elementary school Parknoll closing after 50 years and being torn down.  Sad, as I don't know if I ever felt as safe in my life as I did going to that school as a kid.  Seems many of us might feel that way about our primary schools.  New schools had to be built, but it doesn't make it any less sad.

I have always felt there are 4 things that are hard to watch close. Schools, Stadiums, Theaters and Theme Parks. You know, places that were built specifically for people to gather and make life better and more fun.  I guess we understand that on the day they open, there will be a day they will close.  But, they are beyond special places.   They represent more that just a place we go...but a place we grow in one way or another.

Look at old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.  Yeah I get it, it had tons of problems.  But I know this, the Browns won a ton a championships there, and have never been the same since they left the old dinosaur behind.  And did you know that every player who's number the Indians have retired played there, and only there?   And there is not a person you'll meet that will say that they didn't have better times at the Coliseum in Richfield.

How about the neighborhood theater?  No one denies that the new places are fantastic.  But the old ones with the balcony and the one or maybe two screens?  The place that was right up the street with the neon marquis?  And don't get me started at the fun we all had at drive-ins!

Theme parks always die hard and Chippewa Lake comes to mind.  It was open for over 100 years.  Generations gathered there to have family fun. It deserved better than a chained gate and 40 years of overgrowth.

Look, I'm not saying that the new places aren't amazing, beautiful and needed.  Or that the old places were better or more comfortable.  But I might argue that they were more fun, and that they were more special to us.

For me that is certainly the case of my school.  I was sad to see Parknoll torn down.  I'm going to miss driving up there on occasion to see the brick that said SW + CP that I wrote with chalk in the sixth grade when I had a crush on Connie Price. It was there since I left.  Or the gym I played Saturday morning basketball in with Bobby G., and Scott M.  Or the fields I rode up to on my bike 15 minutes after school was over to play some kind of ball on depending on the season.  And summer camp with Valerie W., and Dave G., and others.

As for my high school?  I'm sure I'm not the first person to have their high school close or change. But it's where I did the morning announements with John R., and Kathy M.  Plus, this week is the final Berea-Midpark rivalry football game after 50 years. After this it will be one school, Berea-Midpark. 

But don't look for the hyphen on my diploma. I graduated from THE Berea High School. Go Braves!

MOVIE REVIEW - Paranormal Activity 4

Here we go again!   More Paranormal Activity and this time it's the fourth installment of this really landmark film series.

Let's look at the history here.  Paranormal Activity was a very good movie and was one of the really feel good cinematic achievements ever.   An unknown, young filmmaker makes this little movie basically in his condo.  He hires two actors, and does it for about $12,000.  And of course goes on to bring in a couple hundred million bucks.   Amazing, for this little hand held camera flick that gave us all a jolt and made us wonder what is really going on in our houses in the middle of the night.

Even PA2 was livable.  More of the same, and a bit more intense.  Brought in more dough, and seemed like a good idea at the time.   Of course, it had to give way to PA3 which began the watering down of this original good idea.  Now it's PA4, and PA1 seems like a long, long time ago.

OK, enough of the hand held, herky-jerky point of view camera shots in the middle of the night.  PA4 has the story moving on to a new family that gets to go through the bumps in the night, and the unexplained stuff at 3AM.  And you know what?  I'm bored.  Period.  I'm bored to tears.  Yet another flick where web cams are set up all night with the time stamp in the corner watching basically nothing happen night after night after night.   Good gravy, can't we think of anything else to do?  But it seems this series has one idea and it's going to ride it like a thoroughbred till we stop going.

This time they use web cams, smart phones, and laptops as cameras in our story, and it is virtually all filmed in the middle of the night again.  Yes, there are a few jolts and a few heart pounding moments, but they have lost their allure, and I fear for good.  It's just too much of a good idea.  It has worn out it's welcome.  And again for the third time in a row, it's 90 minutes of waiting for a payoff that never comes.  But there's a bunch of money to be made and that's a big temptation.  This troupe can do good work and has with other movies and that's where we should go. 

Paranormal Activity 4.    Let's move on.  Please.

MOVIE REVIEW - Alex Cross

James Patterson's complicated crime fighting character Alex Cross is back in another installment of his book series, this time it is... Alex Cross.

This is a total relaunch of the Cross character to a new generation of fans, as this is squarely targeted at a younger audience with the casting of Tyler Perry as Cross.  Plus, there is a far younger feel to this as opposed to the previous two flicks, Along Came A Spider, and Kiss The Girls.   Everything has been updated within the story itself, and in the movie making.  This will "young up" Cross and make it far more palatable to younger moviegoers that drive box office receipts.

Cross is chasing through the streets of Detroit a real monster of an assassin who is barbaric in his killing methods.  He has been hired by someone to start killing off the huge businessmen within
Detroit for reasons not quite clear at the movies inception.   And when the killer turns his sights on Cross himself and his family, Cross goes off the reservation and pursues a path of vigilante justice with his small team.  

It's also fun for local movie goers to see that much of this was filmed in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, as well as on location in Detroit.  This is a straight action flick with a ton of chases, and fight scenes.  But in a real savvy move, and understanding that Patterson's books and the Cross character is very popular with women, this keeps a PG-13 rating, and the violence is kept in check.  This would have been very easy to be very graphic and far more violent, but they put a cap on it.  It has a feel of the Law and Order SVU TV show.  Good move. This also has a real slick and up to date soundtrack and gives this a real nice forward momentum.  There is a bunch of good here.

But some of this is a bit too convenient.  Things just kind of "happen" in this movie that were more than likely explained far better in the books.   Some of the dialogue is average at best, and there are a few draggy moments here.  This kind of stumbles out of the gate, but does get better as it goes on.  And it does not get old, Cross knows when to fold up his tent and go home.

Perry is solid with the script that he was given as Cross, and a fair supporting cast with Ed Burns and others. Trouble is, they are not allowed to develop as well as Cross.  But in the end, this is not a deal breaker. 

Alex Cross.   It does have some troubles, but in the end is decent movie making.

MOVIE REVIEW - Sinister

Halloween is here again and time for the scary movies, and this week it's Sinister. Which actually is rather intense.

To start with, Sinister starts out with a real advantage by casting Ethan Hawke, a real good veteran actor in the lead.  Generally these flicks live with no-names, or has been's.  This is a script that is far better than most Halloween time movies and remembers what in real life really scares you.   So right off the bat, this has a leg or two up.

Sinister is a relatively simple story of a struggling young writer (Hawke) and his family who move into a new house in a new town so the writer can get close to the story he is working on.  He writes real life murder stories and does much research.  This new house is the center of an entire family's murder years ago.   He wants to learn as much about the case as possible.   Turns out that this house is a bit haunted, or something.  In any case something is just not right, and it seems he and his family could be in danger.

He runs across this old box of home Super 8 movies that show numerous gruesome murders of entire families from all over the country.  He becomes obsessed with the films and they start to play with his head.  Then things start to go bump in the night, and he tries to get to the bottom of the whole thing.  Is he cracking up?  Or is there real terror around them?  Is there something supernatural under foot?

Sinister is a pretty intense, and at times a scary movie.  What this movie does very well, is that this is not a slasher movie.   But there are some rather disturbing images for sure.  And they are so real, they could be very disturbing to people too young to see this.   So keep that in mind.   But there is virtually no blood, or extreme violence and that makes this movie far scarier than a bunch of fake blood.  What is intense here is the suspense, and the situations our characters find themselves in.   A lot of this movie is Hawke doing simply silent acting, and he is very good.

This is not a special effects fest at all.   It is a good script, and preys on what would frighten you.  Yes, there is some silliness to it at times.  Like why he never turns a light on at 3 AM when the terror sets in.  But this is not the first movie to do that.  One thing about this movie is that there is minimal predictability to it.  And that is its strength.  It does not make everything crystal clear, but that's not a deal breaker. It does keep you guessing.    And the door is open for Sinister to roll on next year if they choose.

Sinister.   For what it is, well done.