Johnny Knoxville and his Jackass Troupe are back, with their new reality comedy, Bad Grandpa is new this week.
This is filmed in the Borat style. Where Knoxville is dressed up as an 80 year old terrible grandfather traveling around the country with his 8 year old grandson. They stop in various cities along the way, (including Cleveland where some of this was filmed) and stage various shocking scenario's, looking for the honest reactions of innocent people. There isn't much plot to it, you've kind of heard the entire thing. And being fair, as tasteless as this is at times, there are some pretty funny moments in it. And some other guilty pleasure laughs.
It's kind of Borat meets Jackass the TV show. One thing should be made clear right up front, this movie, although with some objectionable moments, this is not near the mean-spirited plan that Borat was. Borat had an definite agenda. Borat seemingly was designed and made to offend, denigrate, and demean certain groups of people that were contrary to the producers agenda. This is far more tame.
Certainly there are some groups here that are targeted but it is done with a far more "joke is on you" style opposed to a viscous style. This movie even goes so far as to show the aftermath of all of these groups during the closing credits that showcase that many who were duped, all took it with great fun.
Be aware too, that you're seeing tons to TV commercials for this movie, and you're seeing a sanitized minute or so. This is every bit of an R rating. I admit, there are some funny moments here. Also kudos to them for the amazing, and I mean amazing makeup job on Knoxville. He doesn't look 80 as they claim, but he does look quite old and believable and nothing like himself at all. He also did a terrific voice that was spot on fore this character. You would never recognize him in any way. That of course was the central thing that had to be gotten right and it was.
Bad Grandpa. Incorrect and over the edge? Yes. Vile and mean spirited? No. Sort of a "let's forget we're adults for few minutes" feel to it.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW - The Counselor
A lot has been made about the star-studded cast and big time producers of the new drug-crime thriller, The Counselor.
The Counselor stars Michale Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt. This was also directed by Ridley Scott. A dream team for sure. In short what this movie is, is a story of people getting involved in things they have no business getting into, with dire concsequences.
The Counselor (Fassbender) is a young lawyer in El Paso Texas who is greedy, arrogant and amazingly, almost laughingly naive. He, against a ton of advice not to, decides to go wrong and enter into the illegal drug world with his biggest client (Bardem). He is also working with another long time crook (Pitt), all while falling in love with Laura (Cruz). He has a lot going on, and gets in so far over his head, he has a hard time coming to terms that once in, he can never get out.
A shipment of 21 million dollars of Mexican Cartel drug money is being shipped to the U.S. to finance business fronts to move more drugs. This truck then is stolen by other horrible people, and the theft is connected to The Counselor, and his partners. Although they actually had nothing to do with it. They all soon learn that the drug cartel is a ruthless, terrible bunch that know NO bounds at all. And they want their money back, and they want revenge. And more.
This is a very intense, and very graphic movie that pulls no punches. This is refreshing in some regards. Although this is very violent sometimes, and exceedingly brutal in others, this is honest movie making. This is not a special effects fest, or a watered down movie to keep a PG-13 rating. This movie is highly adult, and has a story to tell you have not seen before. This is well written, brilliantly acted and presented in an in your face fashion.
This movie also shows the horrible underbelly of the worst criminals on Earth. You will be astounded at what they are capable of, and how brutal they can be. One of the great things about this movie is, is that you know when our hero enters this world it will not end well. But, you have no idea what kid of torment they are capable of even though they spend a lot of time preparing you for it. It still takes your breath away. This is exciting, and paced very well, with a story that is placed squarely in the cross hairs of the world we live in today.
The cast is worth talking about. Bardem is quite good as the affable, but lousy guy named Reiner. Pitt is strong in his small but central role. And Diaz, at times appears to be over matched by the cast around her, she overall holds her own in her role of of Malkina, a ruthless complicated woman "in love" love with Reiner. Supporting cast is strong.
The Counselor. This is certainly not for everyone. But if you are willing to go in, unlike the movie characters, you can get out. Good, not great.
The Counselor stars Michale Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt. This was also directed by Ridley Scott. A dream team for sure. In short what this movie is, is a story of people getting involved in things they have no business getting into, with dire concsequences.
The Counselor (Fassbender) is a young lawyer in El Paso Texas who is greedy, arrogant and amazingly, almost laughingly naive. He, against a ton of advice not to, decides to go wrong and enter into the illegal drug world with his biggest client (Bardem). He is also working with another long time crook (Pitt), all while falling in love with Laura (Cruz). He has a lot going on, and gets in so far over his head, he has a hard time coming to terms that once in, he can never get out.
A shipment of 21 million dollars of Mexican Cartel drug money is being shipped to the U.S. to finance business fronts to move more drugs. This truck then is stolen by other horrible people, and the theft is connected to The Counselor, and his partners. Although they actually had nothing to do with it. They all soon learn that the drug cartel is a ruthless, terrible bunch that know NO bounds at all. And they want their money back, and they want revenge. And more.
This is a very intense, and very graphic movie that pulls no punches. This is refreshing in some regards. Although this is very violent sometimes, and exceedingly brutal in others, this is honest movie making. This is not a special effects fest, or a watered down movie to keep a PG-13 rating. This movie is highly adult, and has a story to tell you have not seen before. This is well written, brilliantly acted and presented in an in your face fashion.
This movie also shows the horrible underbelly of the worst criminals on Earth. You will be astounded at what they are capable of, and how brutal they can be. One of the great things about this movie is, is that you know when our hero enters this world it will not end well. But, you have no idea what kid of torment they are capable of even though they spend a lot of time preparing you for it. It still takes your breath away. This is exciting, and paced very well, with a story that is placed squarely in the cross hairs of the world we live in today.
The cast is worth talking about. Bardem is quite good as the affable, but lousy guy named Reiner. Pitt is strong in his small but central role. And Diaz, at times appears to be over matched by the cast around her, she overall holds her own in her role of of Malkina, a ruthless complicated woman "in love" love with Reiner. Supporting cast is strong.
The Counselor. This is certainly not for everyone. But if you are willing to go in, unlike the movie characters, you can get out. Good, not great.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
LOCAL GOLF - Sunday Morning Golf Course Review
Course: Bunker Hill
Location: Medina
Directions: Corner of Rt. 42/Hamilton Road. Easy access from I-71 ad Rt. 303
Dewsweepers Tee Time Was: 730AM
Conditions: Cold, sunny and wet.
Bunker Hill Website
This week The Dewsweepers played a tough, but nice gold course, Bunker Hill. Bunker is not a long golf course, but it is challenging in many regards. We have played Bunker many times over the years, and we seldom score as well as we think we are going to while standing on he first tee. We all hit the ball pretty well, but with the wet rough, fast greens and tough pin placements we didn't post the numbers we hoped for. But that's Bunker. It seems like it should be so much easier.
Bunker Hill is a course that is set up very nicely for any kind of player. Numerous tee boxes help out players of all skill levels. There is a lot of terrain too, uphill, down hill, and there is a ton of water in places on this course. There is some sand, but not too much, and today the greens were absolutely fantastic. I mean they were borderline perfect. They have been punched, and have healed in wonderfully. They were fast, and true. If you read a break, it was there, and you should play it. Serious kudos on the greens. And today's pins were about as tough as they could have been.
The course was a bit wet from all the weekend rain, but it was not a washout. The fairways were in great shape, but the rough was wet and tough and cost us all a bunch of strokes. Overall the course played well for this time of season. And today, with no real roll, it played long and certainly more difficult that it usually does.
Both Joe Red and Tex were off this week so it was me, Beef, and Red's son Bryan. Bryan had the highlight of the round by making birdies on 3 of the last 4 holes, including hole-out chip in on 18. Beef and I played our games, but scoring was tough with the wet, cold and the slow track. Bryan was the low man today with those birdies down the stretch with a nice 83. On this course today? Pretty good.
Beef and I fired an average round, with nothing near as exciting as all of Bryan's birdies. I fired an 87, but could have been much better. I had 4 double bogeys that were simply silly, and missed 2 birdie putts I have to make from short range. Might have been the conditions, but mostly it was bad play between the ears. I hit the ball well, and let a round get away. Happens. Beef hung in there and shot an 89. But for all of us, the conditions made it tough.
Course highlights? Number 3, a nice par 5, water all down the right, requires 3 good shots, or two fantastic ones. 4, is a brutal par 4, over water and water right, tough green to hit. Number 7, par 3 180 over a huge gorge to an elevated green. Number 9 and 18, run parallel, ones a par 5 one a four, down hill and up hill to greens that are tough to hit. Great holes.
Bunker Hill is a really nice place to play, and should be on your list of must plays next season! Or late this season!
Scores
Bryan - 83
Wynn - 87
Beef - 89
Here's some of the other courses we have played and reviewed recently.
Location: Medina
Directions: Corner of Rt. 42/Hamilton Road. Easy access from I-71 ad Rt. 303
Dewsweepers Tee Time Was: 730AM
Conditions: Cold, sunny and wet.
Bunker Hill Website
This week The Dewsweepers played a tough, but nice gold course, Bunker Hill. Bunker is not a long golf course, but it is challenging in many regards. We have played Bunker many times over the years, and we seldom score as well as we think we are going to while standing on he first tee. We all hit the ball pretty well, but with the wet rough, fast greens and tough pin placements we didn't post the numbers we hoped for. But that's Bunker. It seems like it should be so much easier.
Bunker Hill is a course that is set up very nicely for any kind of player. Numerous tee boxes help out players of all skill levels. There is a lot of terrain too, uphill, down hill, and there is a ton of water in places on this course. There is some sand, but not too much, and today the greens were absolutely fantastic. I mean they were borderline perfect. They have been punched, and have healed in wonderfully. They were fast, and true. If you read a break, it was there, and you should play it. Serious kudos on the greens. And today's pins were about as tough as they could have been.
The course was a bit wet from all the weekend rain, but it was not a washout. The fairways were in great shape, but the rough was wet and tough and cost us all a bunch of strokes. Overall the course played well for this time of season. And today, with no real roll, it played long and certainly more difficult that it usually does.
Both Joe Red and Tex were off this week so it was me, Beef, and Red's son Bryan. Bryan had the highlight of the round by making birdies on 3 of the last 4 holes, including hole-out chip in on 18. Beef and I played our games, but scoring was tough with the wet, cold and the slow track. Bryan was the low man today with those birdies down the stretch with a nice 83. On this course today? Pretty good.
Beef and I fired an average round, with nothing near as exciting as all of Bryan's birdies. I fired an 87, but could have been much better. I had 4 double bogeys that were simply silly, and missed 2 birdie putts I have to make from short range. Might have been the conditions, but mostly it was bad play between the ears. I hit the ball well, and let a round get away. Happens. Beef hung in there and shot an 89. But for all of us, the conditions made it tough.
Course highlights? Number 3, a nice par 5, water all down the right, requires 3 good shots, or two fantastic ones. 4, is a brutal par 4, over water and water right, tough green to hit. Number 7, par 3 180 over a huge gorge to an elevated green. Number 9 and 18, run parallel, ones a par 5 one a four, down hill and up hill to greens that are tough to hit. Great holes.
Bunker Hill is a really nice place to play, and should be on your list of must plays next season! Or late this season!
Scores
Bryan - 83
Wynn - 87
Beef - 89
Here's some of the other courses we have played and reviewed recently.
MOVIE REVIEW - The 5th Estate
This could be one of the worst movies of the year. If not, it will certainly be on many 10 worst lists. And absolutely on the list of the least interesting.
The 5th Estate is a bio-pic of Wikileaks creator, Julian Assange and his website that was a new way of delivering news to the world. Wikileaks of course is the site that leaks all kinds of information on the web all over the world, while having double and triple and beyond ways of protecting the human whistle-blowers. This sight has, over the past decade or so been at the center of many huge scandals, from toppling governments, to corruption, to the gigantic U.S. military secrets leak of 2009, which was the largest in history. This is the story of Assange and this group, and how they do it, and how it all come to be.
Sure, the way you view politics may play into how you feel about Assange and his website. You may be thinking he is a revolutionary and a hero. Or you may be thinking he is reckless, dangerous, hates The West, and has little regard for any agenda but his own. The motive behind Assange and how you feel about his mission is up to you. And for the few who go to see this movie, there is bound to be some emotive chat over coffee at movies end. Nothing wrong with that.
Problem is, putting the politics aside, this doesn't have one single compelling scene. This is two hours and ten minutes of Assange talking on the cell phone, or texting, or instant messaging. There are even a few scenes of him setting up a laptop, and plenty of him carrying it around in a back pack. IM-ing partners across the table, all the while spewing dialogue that becomes insanely mundane. Sound like an embellished account? It may be, but it's not too far off. I have seen reviews stating this is "thrilling" and "exciting". Holy cow, these people needs lives. Seriously what movie were they watching? Responsible reviewers need to put their emotions away for 2 plus hours and watch this as a movie. Watch it honestly, and if this is really compelling to you as a movie fan, you're the easiest person on Earth to entertain.
This is so immensely uninteresting you may have a tough time staying awake. Oh, and by the way, the interest was low, this brought in 1.7 million dollars opening weekend. 10 times less then the Carrie remake also opening over the weekend. Slightly above Runner, Runner , 2 weeks old and one of the worst reviewed movies of the year. Oh, yeah another movie about the internet.
There is not any part of this movie that is worth waiting for. You don't like any of the main characters, not because of what they represent on screen or not. But in their incredibly thin development. This movie just has a bunch of actors spewing lines on screen, taking this no where slowly. There just is not enough story here for a feature length movie that is entertaining. Maybe a documentary on PBS, but not here.
They keep making movies about web pioneers and websites, and they all are really not interesting. From The Social Network, to Jobs, to this. The Social Network was heralded a the time, but as time goes on we are learning that too is very forgettable. This is far worse. Truth is, maybe making movies about computer geeks, just isn't good cinema.
The 5th Estate. Really, really bad. Might be horrible.
The 5th Estate is a bio-pic of Wikileaks creator, Julian Assange and his website that was a new way of delivering news to the world. Wikileaks of course is the site that leaks all kinds of information on the web all over the world, while having double and triple and beyond ways of protecting the human whistle-blowers. This sight has, over the past decade or so been at the center of many huge scandals, from toppling governments, to corruption, to the gigantic U.S. military secrets leak of 2009, which was the largest in history. This is the story of Assange and this group, and how they do it, and how it all come to be.
Sure, the way you view politics may play into how you feel about Assange and his website. You may be thinking he is a revolutionary and a hero. Or you may be thinking he is reckless, dangerous, hates The West, and has little regard for any agenda but his own. The motive behind Assange and how you feel about his mission is up to you. And for the few who go to see this movie, there is bound to be some emotive chat over coffee at movies end. Nothing wrong with that.
Problem is, putting the politics aside, this doesn't have one single compelling scene. This is two hours and ten minutes of Assange talking on the cell phone, or texting, or instant messaging. There are even a few scenes of him setting up a laptop, and plenty of him carrying it around in a back pack. IM-ing partners across the table, all the while spewing dialogue that becomes insanely mundane. Sound like an embellished account? It may be, but it's not too far off. I have seen reviews stating this is "thrilling" and "exciting". Holy cow, these people needs lives. Seriously what movie were they watching? Responsible reviewers need to put their emotions away for 2 plus hours and watch this as a movie. Watch it honestly, and if this is really compelling to you as a movie fan, you're the easiest person on Earth to entertain.
This is so immensely uninteresting you may have a tough time staying awake. Oh, and by the way, the interest was low, this brought in 1.7 million dollars opening weekend. 10 times less then the Carrie remake also opening over the weekend. Slightly above Runner, Runner , 2 weeks old and one of the worst reviewed movies of the year. Oh, yeah another movie about the internet.
There is not any part of this movie that is worth waiting for. You don't like any of the main characters, not because of what they represent on screen or not. But in their incredibly thin development. This movie just has a bunch of actors spewing lines on screen, taking this no where slowly. There just is not enough story here for a feature length movie that is entertaining. Maybe a documentary on PBS, but not here.
They keep making movies about web pioneers and websites, and they all are really not interesting. From The Social Network, to Jobs, to this. The Social Network was heralded a the time, but as time goes on we are learning that too is very forgettable. This is far worse. Truth is, maybe making movies about computer geeks, just isn't good cinema.
The 5th Estate. Really, really bad. Might be horrible.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW - Escape Plan
I know, there's a whole lot of eye rolling out there, another Sylvester Stallone action flick. This time he teams up with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan.
In a nutshell, this is the story of a highly trained prison escape artist contractor named Ray Breslin (Stallone.) He owns a company that is hired by the Federal Government to be imprisoned in maximum security Federal pens to see if they can be escaped from. He has managed to break out of every one. He turns in notes after each escape and shows the wardens where they are weak on security. For this, he and his company are paid millions.
Trouble is, there are those out there that have been stealing his notes, and compiling all the information they need to build illegal prisons that are for profit. Where people can be incarcerated with no trial, or charges or any reason at all other than the prison is being paid to hold someone in this custom fortress. Now the irony of it all. They kidnap Breslin to keep him in his own prison forever, and off the streets.
In prison he befriends another inmate (Schwarzenegger) and together they start to formulate a plan to escape the inescapable. And in the process, try to find out who contracted them to be put away, and to bring down the prison and its leader Warden Hobbes (Jim Caviezel). Can they somehow find their way out? And we know who Breslin is, but who is his new friend? And why have they hit if off so well in prison?
For those who are wondering why Stallone is still making these kind of movies, I would have to ask this. What is he supposed to do? The Expendables series so far has turned out to be great fun, and this is OK too. This is not a shoot-em-up blood fest. Yes, there is some gun play, and some blood, but there is also a real nice story here for this kind of movie. They develop the main characters well, and the chemistry with Stallone and Arnold is pretty good. The supporting cast with Caviezel, Sam Niell and Vincent D'onofrio too, is very nice. This movie has a turn or two that you will absolutely not see coming and that really was a nice touch - or two. Well done.
There are a few slow spots, plus some this this is a bit fat fetched, and a bit convenient. But so what? This is not supposed to be a documentary. This is action-fiction period. And to its credit, it goes to great pains to keep the story first, and the action, effects and stunts second. To compliment the script, not become it.
Escape Plan. For what it is, I liked it.
In a nutshell, this is the story of a highly trained prison escape artist contractor named Ray Breslin (Stallone.) He owns a company that is hired by the Federal Government to be imprisoned in maximum security Federal pens to see if they can be escaped from. He has managed to break out of every one. He turns in notes after each escape and shows the wardens where they are weak on security. For this, he and his company are paid millions.
Trouble is, there are those out there that have been stealing his notes, and compiling all the information they need to build illegal prisons that are for profit. Where people can be incarcerated with no trial, or charges or any reason at all other than the prison is being paid to hold someone in this custom fortress. Now the irony of it all. They kidnap Breslin to keep him in his own prison forever, and off the streets.
In prison he befriends another inmate (Schwarzenegger) and together they start to formulate a plan to escape the inescapable. And in the process, try to find out who contracted them to be put away, and to bring down the prison and its leader Warden Hobbes (Jim Caviezel). Can they somehow find their way out? And we know who Breslin is, but who is his new friend? And why have they hit if off so well in prison?
For those who are wondering why Stallone is still making these kind of movies, I would have to ask this. What is he supposed to do? The Expendables series so far has turned out to be great fun, and this is OK too. This is not a shoot-em-up blood fest. Yes, there is some gun play, and some blood, but there is also a real nice story here for this kind of movie. They develop the main characters well, and the chemistry with Stallone and Arnold is pretty good. The supporting cast with Caviezel, Sam Niell and Vincent D'onofrio too, is very nice. This movie has a turn or two that you will absolutely not see coming and that really was a nice touch - or two. Well done.
There are a few slow spots, plus some this this is a bit fat fetched, and a bit convenient. But so what? This is not supposed to be a documentary. This is action-fiction period. And to its credit, it goes to great pains to keep the story first, and the action, effects and stunts second. To compliment the script, not become it.
Escape Plan. For what it is, I liked it.
Friday, October 18, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW - Carrie
The classic tale of Carrie is not the greatest horror movie ever written, but it is an important cog in our pop-culture machine. And it has been remade again, and is open this weekend.
Carrie was the first novel that put the great Stephen King on the map, and became a huge stepping stone for Sissy Spacek starring as Carrie in the 1976 original. This version stars the lovely Chloe Grace Moretz as Carrie in a movie that is maybe more relevant today than 40 years ago.
If you don't know, Carrie is the story of Carrie White. She is an amazingly awkward teenage girl who is being raised alone by a complete lunatic mother in small town Maine. Carrie is bullied horribly at school and at home, and is a young girl on the verge of a meltdown. Carrie has the worst things imaginable happen to her from virtually all of her classmates at school. Carrie though discovers that she possesses certain "powers." Harmless at first, moving things with her mind, and being able to control small things. But as time goes on she finds her powers are linked to the quiet rage within her that she masks and keeps pressed down
As the bullying escalates, she is invited to prom with a very popular boy. And in a fixed vote, is voted prom queen so she can suffer the ultimate humiliation the class can think of in front of everyone. They soon come to know that they picked the wrong girl to mess with as Carrie unleashed her powers for evil and has her revenge on them all. Carrie unleashes her supernatural, or demonic wrath on her classmates, and settles the score.
This has been updated nicely to fit today's world. I contend that with all the emphasis on bullying today, this fits well into the conversation. The way Carrie is bullied in the 2013 version, is not far off, if at all from what we hear on the news seemingly daily. That is the strength of the original story. Teens can, and have always had the potential to be horrible to each other. But in 1976, the behavior King wrote about here was unheard of. That's why it worked then. Today, sadly nothing is really out of reach for some teens. That's why this works better today. As where in 1976 the bullying was so over the top, today it is all too real. Kids today seemingly at times know no bounds.
This version is fresh, topical and relevant. It is also very disturbing to watch at times, but it's Stephen King. There is plenty of social commentary, and symbolism as is normal for King stories. The original story is in tact, with well thought out and necessary updates within. The premise is timeless and still will be in 20 years when this is remade again with some young actress not yet born.
I loved Moretz as the new Carrie. She was very comfortable here, and reinvented this role well. I was concerned at first she may be a bit too pretty to be so awkward and real, but she pulls it off and you believe her. And she can also be hideous as well, when Carrie goes wrong and off at the prom. This also star Julianne Moore as her crazy mother and she was good as well. The supporting cast is fine, but make no mistake, this is Moretz's movie.
Carrie 2013. Relevant, and for what it is, and for what is has been - well done.
Carrie was the first novel that put the great Stephen King on the map, and became a huge stepping stone for Sissy Spacek starring as Carrie in the 1976 original. This version stars the lovely Chloe Grace Moretz as Carrie in a movie that is maybe more relevant today than 40 years ago.
If you don't know, Carrie is the story of Carrie White. She is an amazingly awkward teenage girl who is being raised alone by a complete lunatic mother in small town Maine. Carrie is bullied horribly at school and at home, and is a young girl on the verge of a meltdown. Carrie has the worst things imaginable happen to her from virtually all of her classmates at school. Carrie though discovers that she possesses certain "powers." Harmless at first, moving things with her mind, and being able to control small things. But as time goes on she finds her powers are linked to the quiet rage within her that she masks and keeps pressed down
As the bullying escalates, she is invited to prom with a very popular boy. And in a fixed vote, is voted prom queen so she can suffer the ultimate humiliation the class can think of in front of everyone. They soon come to know that they picked the wrong girl to mess with as Carrie unleashed her powers for evil and has her revenge on them all. Carrie unleashes her supernatural, or demonic wrath on her classmates, and settles the score.
This has been updated nicely to fit today's world. I contend that with all the emphasis on bullying today, this fits well into the conversation. The way Carrie is bullied in the 2013 version, is not far off, if at all from what we hear on the news seemingly daily. That is the strength of the original story. Teens can, and have always had the potential to be horrible to each other. But in 1976, the behavior King wrote about here was unheard of. That's why it worked then. Today, sadly nothing is really out of reach for some teens. That's why this works better today. As where in 1976 the bullying was so over the top, today it is all too real. Kids today seemingly at times know no bounds.
This version is fresh, topical and relevant. It is also very disturbing to watch at times, but it's Stephen King. There is plenty of social commentary, and symbolism as is normal for King stories. The original story is in tact, with well thought out and necessary updates within. The premise is timeless and still will be in 20 years when this is remade again with some young actress not yet born.
I loved Moretz as the new Carrie. She was very comfortable here, and reinvented this role well. I was concerned at first she may be a bit too pretty to be so awkward and real, but she pulls it off and you believe her. And she can also be hideous as well, when Carrie goes wrong and off at the prom. This also star Julianne Moore as her crazy mother and she was good as well. The supporting cast is fine, but make no mistake, this is Moretz's movie.
Carrie 2013. Relevant, and for what it is, and for what is has been - well done.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW - Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks is back in the new action, thriller Captain Phillips. This is based on the true story of a American cargo ship taken hostage in Somali waters in 2009. You may not remember the actual incident, but you will remember the end game clearly. Enough said.
Hanks is Captain Phillips. A veteran ship captain of the huge cargo ship Maersk Alabama. It sails with thousands of tons of cargo in sometimes very treacherous waters. The Alabama was in waters off the coast of Africa in 2009 when it was taken by Somali pirates and was attempted to be held for ransom. This is common practice in these waters, as the corrupt war lords and organized crime leaders in this part of the world are very powerful. BTW, the Maersk Alabama was the first American ship pirated in over 200 years.
As the ship is taken, Phillips tries with all he knows to save his ship, and end this siege as quickly and safely as possible. But he soon finds that to be impossible. And he finds himself in a situation that is simply terrifying for any man, anywhere. Hanks is great as our hero, and it is good to see him land a nice role in as story worth telling.
The real star of this movie though is an actor named Barkhad Abdi. He is simply sensational as the "captain" (Muse) of the Somali pirates who commandeer the Alabama. The character written for him was remarkable, and complex. He gaunt and scary physical appearance here was amazing. He is truly scary in this movie, in a script that had to have it. You needed a believable, haunting, interesting and intimidating villain to pull this off and he is it. This movie, does not work without his performance and the inner conflict of his character. His character is the single key to success here. I don't now where Abdi came from, as there is virtually no information available on him anywhere. But he is terrific. Exceptionally well done.
Captain Phillips though good, does suffer from a couple of problems, first it is entirely too long at 2 hours 15 minutes. This could have been shaved some and been far better. It also belabors some points to point of nausea. And there are few dead sports where it all seems so slow. But in it's defense, it does take us where we have never been before. On the bridge of a gigantic freighter and lets us inside that world. And alerts of to the plight and bravery that it takes to sail these waters, and they do ti every day. That is well done as well.
Captain Phillips. Good, not great. A good night at the movies.
Hanks is Captain Phillips. A veteran ship captain of the huge cargo ship Maersk Alabama. It sails with thousands of tons of cargo in sometimes very treacherous waters. The Alabama was in waters off the coast of Africa in 2009 when it was taken by Somali pirates and was attempted to be held for ransom. This is common practice in these waters, as the corrupt war lords and organized crime leaders in this part of the world are very powerful. BTW, the Maersk Alabama was the first American ship pirated in over 200 years.
As the ship is taken, Phillips tries with all he knows to save his ship, and end this siege as quickly and safely as possible. But he soon finds that to be impossible. And he finds himself in a situation that is simply terrifying for any man, anywhere. Hanks is great as our hero, and it is good to see him land a nice role in as story worth telling.
The real star of this movie though is an actor named Barkhad Abdi. He is simply sensational as the "captain" (Muse) of the Somali pirates who commandeer the Alabama. The character written for him was remarkable, and complex. He gaunt and scary physical appearance here was amazing. He is truly scary in this movie, in a script that had to have it. You needed a believable, haunting, interesting and intimidating villain to pull this off and he is it. This movie, does not work without his performance and the inner conflict of his character. His character is the single key to success here. I don't now where Abdi came from, as there is virtually no information available on him anywhere. But he is terrific. Exceptionally well done.
Captain Phillips though good, does suffer from a couple of problems, first it is entirely too long at 2 hours 15 minutes. This could have been shaved some and been far better. It also belabors some points to point of nausea. And there are few dead sports where it all seems so slow. But in it's defense, it does take us where we have never been before. On the bridge of a gigantic freighter and lets us inside that world. And alerts of to the plight and bravery that it takes to sail these waters, and they do ti every day. That is well done as well.
Captain Phillips. Good, not great. A good night at the movies.
MOVIE REVIEW - Machete Kills
LOL! Some movies are simply not-reviewable. And that is the new, second installment of he cult classic, Machete, Machete Kills.
This is closed circuit for only those who went to, or rented the original from a few years ago and made it a box office hit. This is more, and much more of the same as the first. The Machete series is a huge, serious, outlandish parody of many genres of movie making, poking as much fun of itself as at others. It lampoons, superheros, action movies in general, James Bond, martial arts movies and many others. All on a small movie making budget.
But this time they got a ton more stars to come along for the ride. The first one was loaded with stars too, and this time, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Lady Gaga, Amber Heard, Jessical Alba, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Antonio Bandaras come along for the ride. They join the original cast members of Danny Trejo as Machete and Michelle Rodriguez.
Machete is a former Mexican Federale, now he he is some form of aging action hero star who can't be killed. He is capable of doing most anything, and his character is a mix of James Bond, Rambo, and Jackie Chan. He and his organization have been hired by the President of the USA (Sheen), to diffuse a nuclear attack from a Mexican War Lord who was given the nuke from a rogue defense contractor, Voz (Gibson.) So Machete takes the case and heads to Mexico to quell the threat. Along the way there are numerous fights and battles where he emerges unscathed and he makes his way back to America.
This is a silly, and sometimes fun action flick. The way over the top, gratuitous violence is basically cartoonish, as are many of the ancillary action sequences. Yes, there is plenty of decapitation, amputation, and disembowelment to go around. And it's all portrayed in a silly, and sometimes humorous way. Truly, this is an acquired taste and will not be appreciated by much of anyone for the exception of guys, 17-27 years old. It's a cult movie, so if you don't "get it" you won't "get it.". Many casual movie goers will wonder what the heck it the point?
This series, as silly as it is, does try to make some social commentary of our nation, and the world we live in. But that will be lost on many, who are only there to see the violence and the silliness. This though did make me laugh a few times, as did the original but this will not be on any list as one of the years best.
Machete Kills. Cult classic. And there will be more.
This is closed circuit for only those who went to, or rented the original from a few years ago and made it a box office hit. This is more, and much more of the same as the first. The Machete series is a huge, serious, outlandish parody of many genres of movie making, poking as much fun of itself as at others. It lampoons, superheros, action movies in general, James Bond, martial arts movies and many others. All on a small movie making budget.
But this time they got a ton more stars to come along for the ride. The first one was loaded with stars too, and this time, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Lady Gaga, Amber Heard, Jessical Alba, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Antonio Bandaras come along for the ride. They join the original cast members of Danny Trejo as Machete and Michelle Rodriguez.
Machete is a former Mexican Federale, now he he is some form of aging action hero star who can't be killed. He is capable of doing most anything, and his character is a mix of James Bond, Rambo, and Jackie Chan. He and his organization have been hired by the President of the USA (Sheen), to diffuse a nuclear attack from a Mexican War Lord who was given the nuke from a rogue defense contractor, Voz (Gibson.) So Machete takes the case and heads to Mexico to quell the threat. Along the way there are numerous fights and battles where he emerges unscathed and he makes his way back to America.
This is a silly, and sometimes fun action flick. The way over the top, gratuitous violence is basically cartoonish, as are many of the ancillary action sequences. Yes, there is plenty of decapitation, amputation, and disembowelment to go around. And it's all portrayed in a silly, and sometimes humorous way. Truly, this is an acquired taste and will not be appreciated by much of anyone for the exception of guys, 17-27 years old. It's a cult movie, so if you don't "get it" you won't "get it.". Many casual movie goers will wonder what the heck it the point?
This series, as silly as it is, does try to make some social commentary of our nation, and the world we live in. But that will be lost on many, who are only there to see the violence and the silliness. This though did make me laugh a few times, as did the original but this will not be on any list as one of the years best.
Machete Kills. Cult classic. And there will be more.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW - Runner, Runner
Runner, Runner starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake is the shear definition of "swing and a miss."
This movie is a behind the scenes look at the online gambling industry that has become huge business world wide. Sounds like it could be interesting, but it's really not. In fact, this movie looks bored with itself and has the look of being made a long time ago, and is just now finding itself in theaters.
It's the story of Richie (Timberlake) who is a graduate student at Princeton. He is paying his college tuition by playing online poker. He is about 60 grand in the hole to the university, and then loses all of this money online. He and his brainy friends find out that they in fact, have been cheated by the online company (what a shock). So Richie decides to go to Costa Rica where the company is based and confront the owner, a huge gangster type named Ivan Black (Affeck). Sound ridiculous already? It is.
He then befriends Ivan and they become partners to a degree, and Richie bags going back to the states to finish school so he can lead a life of being a big wig in the online gambling business. Trouble is Ivan is playing him, and then all the backstabbing begins and so on and so forth. Guess what? Ivan is really a terrible guy, and Richie is really a smart guy, and the FBI is involved, and then there is some form of a silly romance where Ivan and Richie are sharing a woman....please make this stop!
This movie could not be any less interesting if they tried. It looks like a million other forgettable movies and goes nowhere. Right up front, do you or anyone else really care that some privileged Ivy League kid is having a hard time paying for college? Yeah, me either. This is one of the cardinal flaws of this flick. No one cares one bit about our "hero." Game over. And Affleck is simply going through the motions here, the whole time asking, "When do I get paid so I can go home?"
You don't care about the principles, and the whole thing is just so....uninteresting. What a waste of time and money. And what a horrible flop its opening weekend with two big stars in the lead.
Runner, Runner. Run...the other way!
This movie is a behind the scenes look at the online gambling industry that has become huge business world wide. Sounds like it could be interesting, but it's really not. In fact, this movie looks bored with itself and has the look of being made a long time ago, and is just now finding itself in theaters.
It's the story of Richie (Timberlake) who is a graduate student at Princeton. He is paying his college tuition by playing online poker. He is about 60 grand in the hole to the university, and then loses all of this money online. He and his brainy friends find out that they in fact, have been cheated by the online company (what a shock). So Richie decides to go to Costa Rica where the company is based and confront the owner, a huge gangster type named Ivan Black (Affeck). Sound ridiculous already? It is.
He then befriends Ivan and they become partners to a degree, and Richie bags going back to the states to finish school so he can lead a life of being a big wig in the online gambling business. Trouble is Ivan is playing him, and then all the backstabbing begins and so on and so forth. Guess what? Ivan is really a terrible guy, and Richie is really a smart guy, and the FBI is involved, and then there is some form of a silly romance where Ivan and Richie are sharing a woman....please make this stop!
This movie could not be any less interesting if they tried. It looks like a million other forgettable movies and goes nowhere. Right up front, do you or anyone else really care that some privileged Ivy League kid is having a hard time paying for college? Yeah, me either. This is one of the cardinal flaws of this flick. No one cares one bit about our "hero." Game over. And Affleck is simply going through the motions here, the whole time asking, "When do I get paid so I can go home?"
You don't care about the principles, and the whole thing is just so....uninteresting. What a waste of time and money. And what a horrible flop its opening weekend with two big stars in the lead.
Runner, Runner. Run...the other way!
Friday, October 4, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW - Gravity
George Clooney and Sandra Bullock star in the new space thriller, Gravity. Two big stars, a ton of special effects, regular D, 3-D, and even IMAX, all for this 87 minute movie.
First off, this movie is absolutely made for today's 3-D. It really works well here. Also, all of this is filmed in zero-gravity, or simulated zero-gravity and is certainly challenging movie making. That is very impressive. But for me, this is a movie that is far more concerned about what it can do, as opposed to what it should do. Huge on effects, but this is loaded with redundancy.
The story in short is this. A group of astronauts is orbiting the earth doing a repair to the Hubble telescope. As they are outside the shuttle, they are bombarded with a shower of space debris from a Russian space experiment goes wrong. The debris which is traveling at 20,000 mph is now destroying all other satelights and that debris is crashing into them as well. All of the crew is killed except for them and the shuttle is destroyed. So they must fight all odds to try to survive.
The goal is to get to the International Space Station, and get on the emergency pod and come back to Earth. But you can probably guess that doesn't pan out well, and now what? Can they possibly live through this storm 200 miles above the Earth?
I have seen a ton of great reviews on this movie, and I have to respectfully disagree. I think many are star struck by our cast. True, there are some remarkable effects as this is exceptionally complex movie making and that isn't lost here. But this movie really had a tough time holding my attention as it is scene after scene of people tumbling through space. This would be a sensational scene in a movie that had something else to say. But, this has little to say. But it certainly looks great on the big screen and in 3-D. This movie was absolutely made for the theater. This is not a movie that will transfer well to DVD.
Sets are great, effects are great, but the story is average. Also there are a few large holes in this that really stall it out. Do you think that NASA, the agency that does all of these remarkable things all over the universe would get the info of the accident that causes all the problems to these guys with no notice? Yeah, me either. It all seems to come out of left field, and nothing ever comes out of left field to NASA. That bothered me. Huge hole.
This movie will also shock many as to how short it really is. To be honest, you may be ready for it to end, with all the zero-gravity filming and you can become fatigued by it. But you are paying a huge premium movie ticket price for 3-D, or IMAX 3-D and for Clooney and Bullock for a movie less than 90 minutes. Should be noted too, this has a ton of Bullock, and a sliver of Clooney.
Gravity. Complicated movie making. But in the end a star studded, dressed up special effects fest for adults.
First off, this movie is absolutely made for today's 3-D. It really works well here. Also, all of this is filmed in zero-gravity, or simulated zero-gravity and is certainly challenging movie making. That is very impressive. But for me, this is a movie that is far more concerned about what it can do, as opposed to what it should do. Huge on effects, but this is loaded with redundancy.
The story in short is this. A group of astronauts is orbiting the earth doing a repair to the Hubble telescope. As they are outside the shuttle, they are bombarded with a shower of space debris from a Russian space experiment goes wrong. The debris which is traveling at 20,000 mph is now destroying all other satelights and that debris is crashing into them as well. All of the crew is killed except for them and the shuttle is destroyed. So they must fight all odds to try to survive.
The goal is to get to the International Space Station, and get on the emergency pod and come back to Earth. But you can probably guess that doesn't pan out well, and now what? Can they possibly live through this storm 200 miles above the Earth?
I have seen a ton of great reviews on this movie, and I have to respectfully disagree. I think many are star struck by our cast. True, there are some remarkable effects as this is exceptionally complex movie making and that isn't lost here. But this movie really had a tough time holding my attention as it is scene after scene of people tumbling through space. This would be a sensational scene in a movie that had something else to say. But, this has little to say. But it certainly looks great on the big screen and in 3-D. This movie was absolutely made for the theater. This is not a movie that will transfer well to DVD.
Sets are great, effects are great, but the story is average. Also there are a few large holes in this that really stall it out. Do you think that NASA, the agency that does all of these remarkable things all over the universe would get the info of the accident that causes all the problems to these guys with no notice? Yeah, me either. It all seems to come out of left field, and nothing ever comes out of left field to NASA. That bothered me. Huge hole.
This movie will also shock many as to how short it really is. To be honest, you may be ready for it to end, with all the zero-gravity filming and you can become fatigued by it. But you are paying a huge premium movie ticket price for 3-D, or IMAX 3-D and for Clooney and Bullock for a movie less than 90 minutes. Should be noted too, this has a ton of Bullock, and a sliver of Clooney.
Gravity. Complicated movie making. But in the end a star studded, dressed up special effects fest for adults.
MOVIE REVIEW - Enough Said
This will be a little review for a small movie. It's the new romantic comedy, Enough Said with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini. This is just flat out great.
It's the story of Eva (Louis-Dreyfus). She is an attractive 50 ish, 10-year divorced massage therapist with a 18 year-old daughter getting ready to go to college. She has had a tough time dating, mostly because of her exceptionally needy self. He meets Albert who is also 50 ish, divorced from an elitist woman who through he wasn't good enough for her. He too has a daughter getting ready for college. Albert is overweight, unrefined with a boring job. But he is a great guy.
Problem is, Albert is the ex-husband of one of Eva's clients, and now friends, Marianne (Catherine Keener). And she is always trashing Albert during their massage sessions to Eva, not knowing Eva is dating her ex. The conversations range from Albert's weight, to his lack of sexual prowess. After Eva figures out Albert is her ex, she is faced with the decision of either telling Albert and Marianne or not. What will she do? Will she mess it up, again?
This little 90 minute movie is simply fun and well done. A very funny smart and funny script sucks you in and takes you right inside these peoples lives and let's you watch it all. Every single character in this movie is very well defined, and it takes no time to feel as if you really know these people. This is a brutally honest script that shows people as they really are. This is casted very well, Dreyfus is great as the insanely needy Eva, and Gandolfini is simply superb as the affable Albert. This is as good as you have ever seen him. He is so likable, and looks like someone you would know. I think it's one of the best thing he's ever done. Its as you have never seen him before.
There is not one bad thing about this movie. It is a slick simple story, told well, with great characters and wonderful actors playing them. It knows what it is too. A little movie, that has something relatable to say, and says it. As it deals with mid-life love it clearly will not be for everyone, especially young viewers. But that's OK, as 95 percent of the movies made today are made for them. they have enough to see.
Enough Said. Limited release. But worth the drive to find it, and even more worth seeing. One of the best movies of the year.
It's the story of Eva (Louis-Dreyfus). She is an attractive 50 ish, 10-year divorced massage therapist with a 18 year-old daughter getting ready to go to college. She has had a tough time dating, mostly because of her exceptionally needy self. He meets Albert who is also 50 ish, divorced from an elitist woman who through he wasn't good enough for her. He too has a daughter getting ready for college. Albert is overweight, unrefined with a boring job. But he is a great guy.
Problem is, Albert is the ex-husband of one of Eva's clients, and now friends, Marianne (Catherine Keener). And she is always trashing Albert during their massage sessions to Eva, not knowing Eva is dating her ex. The conversations range from Albert's weight, to his lack of sexual prowess. After Eva figures out Albert is her ex, she is faced with the decision of either telling Albert and Marianne or not. What will she do? Will she mess it up, again?
This little 90 minute movie is simply fun and well done. A very funny smart and funny script sucks you in and takes you right inside these peoples lives and let's you watch it all. Every single character in this movie is very well defined, and it takes no time to feel as if you really know these people. This is a brutally honest script that shows people as they really are. This is casted very well, Dreyfus is great as the insanely needy Eva, and Gandolfini is simply superb as the affable Albert. This is as good as you have ever seen him. He is so likable, and looks like someone you would know. I think it's one of the best thing he's ever done. Its as you have never seen him before.
There is not one bad thing about this movie. It is a slick simple story, told well, with great characters and wonderful actors playing them. It knows what it is too. A little movie, that has something relatable to say, and says it. As it deals with mid-life love it clearly will not be for everyone, especially young viewers. But that's OK, as 95 percent of the movies made today are made for them. they have enough to see.
Enough Said. Limited release. But worth the drive to find it, and even more worth seeing. One of the best movies of the year.
MOVIE REVIEW - Rush
There's been a ton of hype about the new Ron Howard directed flick, Rush. I'm sure you've seen and heard it. Touting it as he best Howard movie ever, and best of this year or any year. Get a grip. Rush is a nice move, but that kind of talk is insulting to Ron Howard himself.
Rush is based on a true story of a little known (at least in this country), rivalry in the Formula One Racing circuit in 1976. The principles are James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) from Great Britain, and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) from Austria. It's the story of how these polar opposites in every way pushed each other to be the best, and how they battled through virtually everything to be so.
Formula One racing in the country is not what NASCAR is, or even Indy car racing. But on the international stage from Europe to South America and even the Far East, it is huge. The cars are Indy car inspired and are driven by drivers that realize they are being watched by millions around the globe. This story takes place in 1976 for the most part, when this circuit was essentially unregulated and was before they really took time to worry about driver safety, and the safety of the fans.
Hunt and Lauda came up through the ranks of smaller racing leagues to finally make the big time. Hunt, the typical English playboy, living by the seat of his pants womanizing and basically being his own worst enemy. But he was a first class racer. Lauda, a no nonsense stereotypical Austrian with an amazing engineering background and few people skills. But he too was a terrific racer. They come to race together and battle each other through it all. And eventually come to some form of understanding each other.
First off, there are tons of really fantastic racing scenes from all over the world. There in no shortage of great racing sequences as much of the story is told through action. But this story is far beyond the racing, and the script is very nice. This is told through Lauda's eyes, as he is the lone survivor today. He narrates much of this. There is much going on outside of the track with both of our characters and to this movies credit, it knows well that those side bars are a part of the story, but not the entire story. And that is well done. The side plots are used to contrast the stark differences about Hunt and Lauda, and there are many.
This also gets kudos in the sum of all of the parts as they work together. A nice supporting cast with Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, and Pierfrancesco Favino. Who? Exactly. A great international cast, for a movie featuring the international stage. Wonderfully filmed and edited, and the story told so all can understand. Plus, it features an exciting and perfectly matched musical soundtrack. Oh, yeah, Daniel Bruhl is great. Hemsworth certainly looks the part, but he fails to dominate the screen as Bruhl does here, but the Lauda character is a better, more complex one. You don't have to know one thing about Formula One racing to get this movie, and that is a Howard signature. He tells stories so well, ones you know and ones you don't.
As nice as this is, this is going to be one of the most overrated movies of the year. This is exciting and good. It's just not great. In short, as far as Howard movies are concerned, this is not Backdraft, A Beautiful Mind, or Apollo 13 all Howard classics. This is simply a fun, late summer movie that will be forgotten to the tundra of TNT every other weekend in a couple of years.
Rush. Good - yes, great - no!
Rush is based on a true story of a little known (at least in this country), rivalry in the Formula One Racing circuit in 1976. The principles are James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) from Great Britain, and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) from Austria. It's the story of how these polar opposites in every way pushed each other to be the best, and how they battled through virtually everything to be so.
Formula One racing in the country is not what NASCAR is, or even Indy car racing. But on the international stage from Europe to South America and even the Far East, it is huge. The cars are Indy car inspired and are driven by drivers that realize they are being watched by millions around the globe. This story takes place in 1976 for the most part, when this circuit was essentially unregulated and was before they really took time to worry about driver safety, and the safety of the fans.
Hunt and Lauda came up through the ranks of smaller racing leagues to finally make the big time. Hunt, the typical English playboy, living by the seat of his pants womanizing and basically being his own worst enemy. But he was a first class racer. Lauda, a no nonsense stereotypical Austrian with an amazing engineering background and few people skills. But he too was a terrific racer. They come to race together and battle each other through it all. And eventually come to some form of understanding each other.
First off, there are tons of really fantastic racing scenes from all over the world. There in no shortage of great racing sequences as much of the story is told through action. But this story is far beyond the racing, and the script is very nice. This is told through Lauda's eyes, as he is the lone survivor today. He narrates much of this. There is much going on outside of the track with both of our characters and to this movies credit, it knows well that those side bars are a part of the story, but not the entire story. And that is well done. The side plots are used to contrast the stark differences about Hunt and Lauda, and there are many.
This also gets kudos in the sum of all of the parts as they work together. A nice supporting cast with Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, and Pierfrancesco Favino. Who? Exactly. A great international cast, for a movie featuring the international stage. Wonderfully filmed and edited, and the story told so all can understand. Plus, it features an exciting and perfectly matched musical soundtrack. Oh, yeah, Daniel Bruhl is great. Hemsworth certainly looks the part, but he fails to dominate the screen as Bruhl does here, but the Lauda character is a better, more complex one. You don't have to know one thing about Formula One racing to get this movie, and that is a Howard signature. He tells stories so well, ones you know and ones you don't.
As nice as this is, this is going to be one of the most overrated movies of the year. This is exciting and good. It's just not great. In short, as far as Howard movies are concerned, this is not Backdraft, A Beautiful Mind, or Apollo 13 all Howard classics. This is simply a fun, late summer movie that will be forgotten to the tundra of TNT every other weekend in a couple of years.
Rush. Good - yes, great - no!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW - Don John
Every once in a while there's a movie that you really have to hang in there with to like, or even get. That is the new racy flick, Don John, a brainchild of Joseph Gordon-Levitt who also stars in it. He wrote, and produced the movie as well.
This is then story of John, (Levitt) who is a mid-twenties guy from the most average middle class upbringing you can possibly imagine. He now is a grown up mentally immature "man," who really has no clue about life in general, but women mostly. He was raised by parents that have the same problem. John objectifies women and thinks they are simply for sex. He spends his life picking up young women in bars, sleeping with them and sending them on their way. He also spends his life watching online porn, which he says in "better than the real thing." He in short, is a dirt bag dog. But his extreme naivete bails him out to a degree.
John meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson). She is another extreme middle class, beautiful young woman that has her own set of problems. She and John start dating, but it all goes wrong when John continues his obsessive porn habit. So John moves on. He is taking night classes at Barbaras demand, and there he meets Esther, (Julianne Moore.) Esther is a grown woman 15 years or so older than John. They start "seeing" each other, sort of. And she is the first woman that is willing to call out John on his lifestyle, and make him see that he is really not living life at all, but merely going through it. In an emptry, lonely fashion. Is there hope and maturity for John? That is Don John.
First off, this movie is certainly not for everyone. My feeling is that there have been people all over the country walking out of this movie in the first 15 minutes, because of its exceptionally graphic sexual nature. This movie pulls no punches. It is decked out with harsh, crude, offensive words and references, bad language, numerous pornographic scenes from the web, and exceptionally personal behavior that may simply be too much for many. This is going be very objectionable for many. This is NOT a first date movie.
But if you are willing to get through the huge amount of this content, you will find a pretty good story buried in the beginning, that shines through at the end. You have to hang in there with this. The characters are well defined, and this story is well written, and even though it's harsh at times. It is a good story that sadly has come to define a certain sect of a new generation of young men, and their attitudes toward young women.
This is told with honesty, maybe too honest for many, some well timed humor and some really good performances. I thought Johansson was great as the demanding control freak Barbara. She is very versatile and really branches out to be very attractive of course, but also to be very unattractive at the some time in character. Well done. The best thing about this story, is that you really don't know where it is going, and you are wondering where John's journey will take him. And that is good writing. You must have to be willing to take it with him.
Don John. Certainly not for everyone.
This is then story of John, (Levitt) who is a mid-twenties guy from the most average middle class upbringing you can possibly imagine. He now is a grown up mentally immature "man," who really has no clue about life in general, but women mostly. He was raised by parents that have the same problem. John objectifies women and thinks they are simply for sex. He spends his life picking up young women in bars, sleeping with them and sending them on their way. He also spends his life watching online porn, which he says in "better than the real thing." He in short, is a dirt bag dog. But his extreme naivete bails him out to a degree.
John meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson). She is another extreme middle class, beautiful young woman that has her own set of problems. She and John start dating, but it all goes wrong when John continues his obsessive porn habit. So John moves on. He is taking night classes at Barbaras demand, and there he meets Esther, (Julianne Moore.) Esther is a grown woman 15 years or so older than John. They start "seeing" each other, sort of. And she is the first woman that is willing to call out John on his lifestyle, and make him see that he is really not living life at all, but merely going through it. In an emptry, lonely fashion. Is there hope and maturity for John? That is Don John.
First off, this movie is certainly not for everyone. My feeling is that there have been people all over the country walking out of this movie in the first 15 minutes, because of its exceptionally graphic sexual nature. This movie pulls no punches. It is decked out with harsh, crude, offensive words and references, bad language, numerous pornographic scenes from the web, and exceptionally personal behavior that may simply be too much for many. This is going be very objectionable for many. This is NOT a first date movie.
But if you are willing to get through the huge amount of this content, you will find a pretty good story buried in the beginning, that shines through at the end. You have to hang in there with this. The characters are well defined, and this story is well written, and even though it's harsh at times. It is a good story that sadly has come to define a certain sect of a new generation of young men, and their attitudes toward young women.
This is told with honesty, maybe too honest for many, some well timed humor and some really good performances. I thought Johansson was great as the demanding control freak Barbara. She is very versatile and really branches out to be very attractive of course, but also to be very unattractive at the some time in character. Well done. The best thing about this story, is that you really don't know where it is going, and you are wondering where John's journey will take him. And that is good writing. You must have to be willing to take it with him.
Don John. Certainly not for everyone.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The Guy Next To You
The Indians are getting ready to play their first post season game at home in 6 seasons, and this area is buzzing. And it should be.
Funny, how the talk for much of the season was how no one was going to the games and the team was finally contending. We heard every excuse from everyone. The economy, the prices, the product, the owner, even apathy. A new generation of fan was emerged. One that only does anything only when winning is guaranteed. That's an unrealistic expectation in any aspect of life, let alone the hardest game on earth.
Facebook Fan, Twitter Guy and Sports Talk Radio guy, who calls shows and trashes the Tribe, and professes his knowledge all the while proving he has none about the game. Or worse, puts it in writing on the web for an historical record of his ignorance. Baseball is a game that has to be understood from the inside first. On the field second.
But those are the obstacles in the Tribe's way these days. Now the grand irony. Today everyone wants tickets, as winning has been achieved. And what has happened off the field, has finally transferred onto the field.
If you think you had a hard time believing in this team, think about the team itself. Not exactly a vote of confidence with the season they had and no one showing up. So what was different this year opposed to years past recently? Same owner, same stadium, and many of the same players. Yeah some new ones came in, and that's not forgotten. But the difference this year is simple. The new day in Cleveland Indians baseball, was that every single player was playing for the guy next to him. And not himself. You know why the Tribe won 10 straight to get here? They wanted to. They simply wanted that, for one another.
Hey, stop being cynical. I know these guys are rich, blah blah. You know what? Not one of these guys right now, today, is thinking about one dollar made or yet to be made. This is a bunch that clearly loves each other. That's the way they act, play, win and lose. What a great example they are, and have been all year long. You can see it, they play for the next guy, and that's a wonderful doctrine. Don't let him down and you won't let yourself down. Pick him up when he needs it and be glad when you've been picked up when you needed it. When your energy is focused on others more than yourself, better things happen in life...not just baseball.
These guys play hard, and together. And they have held together through the wins, losses, heat, cold, and an empty stadium all season long. Even though the masses have stayed away for the most part, Wednesday night there will be no angst, no resentment that many didn't show. But this is their time, and the Tribe will be willing to share it with us. They will welcome us all with open arms, and embrace us as if we have seen each other everyday.
For Wednesday night, - we will be one of the guys next to them. - At last.
Funny, how the talk for much of the season was how no one was going to the games and the team was finally contending. We heard every excuse from everyone. The economy, the prices, the product, the owner, even apathy. A new generation of fan was emerged. One that only does anything only when winning is guaranteed. That's an unrealistic expectation in any aspect of life, let alone the hardest game on earth.
Facebook Fan, Twitter Guy and Sports Talk Radio guy, who calls shows and trashes the Tribe, and professes his knowledge all the while proving he has none about the game. Or worse, puts it in writing on the web for an historical record of his ignorance. Baseball is a game that has to be understood from the inside first. On the field second.
But those are the obstacles in the Tribe's way these days. Now the grand irony. Today everyone wants tickets, as winning has been achieved. And what has happened off the field, has finally transferred onto the field.
If you think you had a hard time believing in this team, think about the team itself. Not exactly a vote of confidence with the season they had and no one showing up. So what was different this year opposed to years past recently? Same owner, same stadium, and many of the same players. Yeah some new ones came in, and that's not forgotten. But the difference this year is simple. The new day in Cleveland Indians baseball, was that every single player was playing for the guy next to him. And not himself. You know why the Tribe won 10 straight to get here? They wanted to. They simply wanted that, for one another.
Hey, stop being cynical. I know these guys are rich, blah blah. You know what? Not one of these guys right now, today, is thinking about one dollar made or yet to be made. This is a bunch that clearly loves each other. That's the way they act, play, win and lose. What a great example they are, and have been all year long. You can see it, they play for the next guy, and that's a wonderful doctrine. Don't let him down and you won't let yourself down. Pick him up when he needs it and be glad when you've been picked up when you needed it. When your energy is focused on others more than yourself, better things happen in life...not just baseball.
These guys play hard, and together. And they have held together through the wins, losses, heat, cold, and an empty stadium all season long. Even though the masses have stayed away for the most part, Wednesday night there will be no angst, no resentment that many didn't show. But this is their time, and the Tribe will be willing to share it with us. They will welcome us all with open arms, and embrace us as if we have seen each other everyday.
For Wednesday night, - we will be one of the guys next to them. - At last.
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