Super 8 Review

When I was a kid, I used to watch a lot of horror movies. To some extent, I still do. However, the movies I watched and loved like "The Monster Squad," and "My Science Project" all had a team thing going on. They were kids uniting and fighting a greater threat but also sharing a bond, having that story to tell when we were older. After I moved back from Delaware, I didn't have a whole lot of friends to hang out with. I dove into those movies of that nature to fill the void of living in an excluded area.

"Super 8" is one of those movies that reminds me a lot of my childhood. They come around every so often, but given the nature of studios pumping out crap and torture porn in the Horror genre, you don't really get to see camaraderie all that much in film. A lot of people have tossed around examples of "Jaws" and "Close Encounters" as inspirations to the film. I honestly never got that vibe at any point in the film. Super 8 is much more "Monster Squad" and "Stand by Me" than anything. The story is more about the relationships of the kids than something sinister going after townspeople. While "Super 8" does have a neat looking monster and a nice twist on its sentience, it is not solely focused on that part of the story.

"Super 8" throws a lot of surprises in with a unique perspective on the lives of children. The story begins with a young boy named Joe on a swing set who has just lost his mother in an accident. You immediately get a sense of wonder about the child and understand his loneliness. His father, played by Kyle Chandler, seems a harsh and angry man due to the nature of his wife's death. After this point, you eventually meet Joe's friends who happen to be his one saving grace. All of his friends are characters in themselves, Charlie and Cary especially.

Charlie is my favorite. He's a wannabe film director and writer who was inspired by the classics such as "Night of the Living Dead" and "Halloween" much like myself. He really reminds me of me at times and his dialogue with Cary is a treasure. The scene at the table in the restaurant is classic and literally made me laugh out loud.

Then there's Alice. Elle Fanning, Dakota's very talented sister. I gotta say, the acting in the film was great, especially Alice's character. I thought all the kids were great but she really stood out. Dakota fanning has quite the reputation and is quite the accomplished actress herself but Elle looks to surpass her in many ways. She can carry a scene by herself, even at such a young age. It was quite amazing.

The turning point in the story involves a massive train wreck in which many of the previews have already given away. Yes, there's something on the train and it escapes. The creature itself is very unique. It has been abused by humans doesn't like them very much, its sole reason to survive is to get off this rock. It also uses the populous as the occasional snack. Although, I really do like the creature and effects, he's not the biggest part of the story. There's some disappointment there because you never really get the full "Alien vs. Army" vibe, although the creature does lay the smack down on some soldiers in a severely harsh way.

"Super 8" is a film that may not live up to the hype surrounding it. But that's not to say it's not a great film. I loved every second of it, but it really was made for a guy like me. It reminded me of all the times I spent fantasizing about being one of the characters fighting evil with my friends. Nostalgia is a very potent drug. I do recommend the film if you like Spielberg or Abrams, or want that "Stand by Me" feeling. Movies aren't made for that audience anymore, which is a shame, but those movies are persistent enough to remain a part of those that love them for many years. It helps pass the time until something like "Super 8" comes along.

8 of 10.

The Dark Knight Rises- Geek Talkin'

Well, let's see....What do we know about TDKR so far?

....Not Shit really.


We know Anne Hathaway is Catwoman.

"Meow."

We know Tom Hardy is Bane and yes, we've seen bane. He looks like he'll destroy someone.

Not "Meow."

There is in face a Lazarus Pit.....

"The thumb wrestling incident...."

And Ras Al Ghul has something to do with the plot....

"Like a bat outta hell, I'll be gone when the mornin' comes!"

Bane is one of the best villains of all time. Despite the abysmally bad "Batman & Robin," there's a lot of potential in Bane. He's a dominant personality, a physical and mental genius, and despite all of the other villains in the rogues gallery, he has been the one that has physically destroyed Batman. He has deduced Bruce Wayne's Identity, destroyed Wayne Manor, and broken Batman's back. And I do believe he's killed a Robin somewhere in there as well. 

It's no secret that Nolan's films are exceptionally dark, but Nolan has a chance to go where no Batman film has ever gone before....Into Frank Miller territory. Frank Miller's synonymous with the darker side of story telling. Batman's weaknesses are not known to his foes, other than The Joker (But the joker doesn't care about his weaknesses) and Batman has always come out unscathed in the film world. The Dark Knight changed all that with the loss of Rachel Dawes. Bruce/Batman had lost something dear to him and it exploited his weakness severely. While The Joker had been playing a mere game for his own amusement, Bane is a much more focused adversary. 

Bane is a calculating and dominating force in the Gallery, and like the examples above, he goes all in. I believe Batman will be making some huge gambles and will be doing a lot more detective work. The shadows can conceal him for only so long. 

And what part does Ras Al Ghul play? Mentor to Bane? Does he introduce Bane to the Venom?  Or is that what the Lazarus Pit is? In the comics, The Lazarus Pit is the source of Ras' supposed immortality and power.  It is a secret that has kept him alive for hundreds of years and allowed him to amass a great following. Whatever role he plays, I feel it will not be an expected one. 

The Dark Knight Rises is a little over a year off. I'm happy with the casting...but Hathaway has the most to prove here. I love her in Devil Wears Prada, Becoming Jane is also good work from her, however.....She really hasn't proven herself on any other level. She makes forgettable films like Valentines Day and Bride Wars....She really doesn't challenge herself enough. But I have full faith in Nolan and his vision for the finale. I think she's talented enough and I hope she pulls out a great performance, one that I hope she is capable of. I think it will open up a lot of doors to her, especially if she dials in something spectacular. 

TDKR is the movie that I've waited my entire life to see. I hope I live to July 2012, but I know there's no guarantee. Let's hope that we're in for something wild. 

Review: The Hangover Part II, kinda....Then SUPER!

I have two goals when I write reviews: One: I love to read my opinions about films at later dates and see if it still holds true...and Two: I want to see how my friends felt about said films if I can coerce them into watching those films. I love a good movie discussion. Between Justin and I, we've had a few epic wins at the movies and we're diehard comic geeks. My buddy Jon has also been my movie going compadre the longest out of anyone and we both share a love of cinema that has led to a lot of good times. So, in essence, I just love all things film and cinema. So...Without further...Ehh, no cliche. Here...we...Go!

The Hangover was about 3 friends and a guy they're forced to bring along to Vegas and the hilarity that ensued after drug induced shenanigans. The Hangover Part 2 is the exact same film. That's not a bad thing. It's hilarious, most definitely, and so wrong in all the right ways...but it's almost disappointing that they didn't try a different approach. If you loved the first one, you will love the second one. That's really all I can write about


And the next film review....IS SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHUT UP, CRIME! 

When I first got wind of James Gunn, he was writing a little movie called Slither, which happens to be one of the most fun horror movies in the last 10 years. It starred a relatively unknown actor(unless you were keeping up with Joss Whedon) known as Nathan Fillion. The movie ended up sparking my interest quite a bit but then I never saw anything James did after that...as a matter of face, I believe he dropped off the face of the earth.

That is, until Super.

I had odd expectations coming into this film. All of the trailers had it looking like a comedy mocking superhero films starring Dwight from The Office and the Juno girl, otherwise known as Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page. I figured I'd be in for a few laughs and it would be an alright watch. I was very wrong. 

Super is a lot of fun. Surprisingly, it's a movie with a lot of heart and it's quite sad in a lot of ways. Super surprised me by coming out strong and building into a movie that really had an uplifting and unlikely plot. Most notably, Rainn Wilson can ACT! And not just ACT! I was really quite taken with his character, as he grows from a rather unlikable loser to a very sympathetic hero. There are several scenes that just blow my mind with how well Wilson keeps a straight face. Especially those scenes with Ellen Page..

Ellen Page, hands down, steals every scene she is in. Her gleeful laughter as she cuts up a bad guy during the film had me laughing so hard my rib cage was hurting. She was wonderful. A huge step up from Juno, which I also loved, and she creates the perfect companion for Rainn in Bolt-Girl. 

Make no mistake, Super is a very harsh film. There is a lot of Violence but not really in a distasteful way. Super puts you in the judges seat, you see these bad people and you're the voyeur. They go down and you cheer. It's really hard not to when you see the likes of the people that are represented in the film. Even a welcome presence of Kevin Bacon is marred by how unlikable he is ultimately portrayed. There are no real people to root far as the film starts. Everyone has their weaknesses and flaws...but that's what makes Super so damn interesting. It's a character piece on the realities of humanity. Yes, it's done in jest, but it's a parody of life, not simply comic book and crime films. Some of the harshest moments involve emotion more-so than violence. I almost cried near the end of the movie because of a lot of unexpected yet excellently staged events unfold. 

Super has to be one of my favorite films of all time. I was struck by the imagination and gritty realism that is portrayed on screen. There are some excellent performances by Liv Tyler, Keven Bacon, Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and a most welcome cameo by Nathan Fillion. This is a movie for movie lovers, you MUST see it if you love cinema at all because it has a lot of the best parts of it. Now, excuse me, I think I'm going to go watch it again. 

Dr. Death

Dr. Death: A harsh name for such an interesting individual. I grew up reading about this man, this doctor who has  ended the lives of so many, who has created a question which I believe did not exist before he began humanizing patients. How can one be denied death if, in fact, they prefer to die? At what point in our life does life become ours?

Euthanasia is a risqué subject. There's very little on TV that involves the subject, so naturally, the populous knows little. What they do know is that it is generally "wrong" in the public's eye. I find that interesting. I have no doubt that those feelings stem from religious ideals, after all, this great deity in the sky made us out of clay and we are all special and are of one body and soul in the lord's eyes. That's a great thought, but there are some flaws....for one, that "of one body" feeling doesn't really exist outside of clever political wording and church. As a society we group things based on how special we think they are. Think about how we survive in nationhood. For instance, we have classes (upper, middle and lower) that are generally used to separate the poor from the wealthy, we have types of healthcare coverage (basic, premium, elite) which dictate if we're going to survive longer than the next guy. We have lawmakers, ditch workers, police officers, criminals. Even in religion, you have leaders, sects, and movements all based on the superiority of ideals and separation. Are we to believe that we are equal in some great plan? Well, yes, it's expected and required for membership in certain places.

What is the right to life? Reader, do you feel you have that right? You pick out your own clothes in the mornings, you may choose to go to church, choose to play basketball or to write like I am writing now. We have free will or at least the perception of it, but can you choose to die? Of course, you may not want to die, but that is an inevitable thing. There is a concept of a natural death, but that therein is the sole reason we have gotten to know Dr. Death a little better.

Ask any home nurse if they'd trade life for a day with the patient attended to that is in ta devastating condition; chances are they won't be inclined to do so. Dr. Kevorkian spent a lot of his time talking to patients, understanding their fears and understanding their anguish. He wasn't "killing" people as some social outlets would have us believe. He was attending to a need; in this instance, that need was to die. Reading this, I'm sure it's odd: the right to die? We can kill ourselves, we call that suicide. It is apparently selfish in every instance and hurtful to a family situation. What if the family is consulted? Well, they could commit the individual and take away their primary self care rights, also known as the right to life.

We define life differently; Hindus believe that it is a circle and our Karma comes around to us in our death and based on our Karma, that determines what kind of life we will lead in our afterlife. Christians view life as a sacred work moving forward and they must instill their principals at all costs. Everyone has to face the fact that life is not defined by only us. There are a lot of influences in our day to day life that make us who we are. It is not simply our religion, our social interactions, or our knowledge of things: it can become any of those things eventually, but that's not really who we are. We can occupy our time praying or studying but that doesn't mean much without a clear idea and a will to do it. Yet, in turn, we find it difficult to justify death despite the fact that we already do it in how we learn or adapt.

Religion teaches death is a part of life and there are many things written and practiced that involve coping and overcoming death. Our legal system and religions take away the right to life. When we buy the cow...we get the milk so to speak.

So, I ask you, if you cannot walk, cannot breath without assistance, cannot think without pain, cannot exist without agony...is that life? and do we not have a right to an alternative? The greatest threat to personal freedom is the centralization of an institution whether it's government, religion...or just opinion.

Dr. Jack was made a demon for his work. Anyone could argue he did it to help or he did it to hurt, but only Jack knows why he did it. You cannot argue the fact that he had customers. You cannot argue the fact that some believe that "right" works both ways.