Name: JPRoscoe
Email:
Bio: Follow me on Twitter @JPRoscoe76! Loves all things pop-culture especially if it has a bit of a counter-culture twist. Plays video games (basically from the start when a neighbor brought home an Atari 2600), comic loving (for almost 30 years), and a true critic of movies. Enjoys the art house but also isn't afraid to let in one or two popular movies at the same time.
Posts by JPRoscoe:
High Noon (1952)
February 20th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: High Noon
Studio: Stanley Kramer Productions
Genre(s): Western/Action/Adventure/Drama
Release Date(s): May 1, 1952 (Premiere)/July 30, 1952 (US)
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Hey guys…you can come out and help me now…guys?
Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) is coming back to Hadleyville. He and his gang are gunning for Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) who helped put Miller way. Miller’s train is scheduled in at noon, and the newly married Kane realizes that he must rally a posse to help stand up to Miller and his men. With much of the town against him and only an hour before the train arrives, Miller will learn where he stands in the town that he vowed to protect…and it will be a battle.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann, High Noon is a Western. The film adapts the John W. Cunningham 1947 short story “The Tin Star” originally printed in Collier’s Magazine. The film received Academy Awards for Best Actor (Cooper), Best Film Editing, Best Original Song (“High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’)”), and Best Dramatic or Comedy Scoring with nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing-Screenplay. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1989 when the Registry began.
Here come the bad guys!
High Noon is one of those films that you feel you know even if you haven’t seen it. The story has been referenced in pop culture since its release and sequels and remakes have been made with High Noon Part II: The Return of Will Kane (1980), High Noon (2000), and Outland (1981) as a science-fiction version of the film. Despite all the options, the original is the only way to go.
The storytelling was kind of revolutionary in that the film tried to tell the story in real time. There is some playing with time and Will sure gets around town as he seeks help, but for the most part, the movie takes place in the time frame of the runtime. Despite being a relatively short film, the movie’s script manages to develop a number of characters and present a smartly told story while providing both action and classic Western moments.
Gary Cooper was largely considered too old for the film when it was being made and being paired with Grace Kelly who was only twenty-one (they also had an affair during the filming). Lloyd Bridges plays the jerky deputy well but Lee Van Cleef was allegedly originally cast for that role but looked too villainous. I really like Katy Jurado as the mysterious Helen Ramirez and her story in Hollywood also is interesting. Lon Chaney Jr. has a small role as well as Harry Morgan.
I’m starting to reconsider that whole “You should get out of town” idea.
The movie also get the classic Western feel. It is a dusty, lonely town with big figures and saloons and general stores. While it seems like a cliché in many ways, the film’s classic nature and black-and-white style make it feel natural especially since much of the film is Cooper going around the town trying to strum up support to help him…the town becomes a character itself.
High Noon is a great movie and often considered one of the best films ever made. The film lost the Academy Award to The Greatest Show on Earth which was largely considered one of the worst best pictures…which was allegedly picked to appease Joseph McCarthy who liked Cecil B. DeMille’s support. In this sense, High Noon got the last laugh. It might not have won the Academy Award, but it will live on…as a classic.
Cactus Flower (1969)
February 18th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Cactus Flower
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Genre(s): Comedy/Romance
Release Date(s): December 16, 1969
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
One little lie can’t hurt anything…right? How about 20 or 30?
Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn) is seeing a married man…or at least she thinks she is. When her neighbor Igor Sullivan (Rick Lenz) saves Toni from a suicide, her lover Dr. Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) decides to marry her. Julian has been lying about being married and enlists his nurse Stephanie Dickinson (Ingrid Bergman) to play his wife…but Stephanie has feeling for Dr. Winston as well.
Directed by Gene Saks, Cactus Flower is a comedy based upon the Abe Burrows 1965 play. The movie did well in theaters and received positive reviews. The movie received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Hawn).
The rom-com story has been done to death. It seems like there are always rom-coms popping up and they are rather predictable. While Cactus Flower is the predictable rom-com it is easy to forget that the stories like Cactus Flower were probably a bit more original when they were originally released.
Ingrid and Goldie get down!
The story of Cactus Flower can be called from the start of the movie. You know who is going to end up together and you know essentially how it will play out. The movie could easily be set in the 1940s or the 2000s because the track of the story does have this basic typical path. What distinguishes Cactus Flower is that it is loaded with snappy dialogue presented by strong actors that raises the movie.
The cast is top notch, but it is also a strange cast. The movie largely introduces Goldie Hawn who is a “supporting character” despite largely being the heart and the driving force of the film. The Laugh-In star radiates in the movie and brings a real joy and heart to her character. Walter Matthau plays the typical Walter Matthau character, but it is Ingrid Bergman who plays out of character and is fun due to her classic dramatic roles.
Jealous yet?
The movie has very limited sets. There is essentially the club, the dentist office, and the apartment. The club tries to be very hip and trendy (with popular music playing), but it still is amusing to see what feels like a manufactured coolness. Movies based on plays often have to make the most from few locations and the film does a decent job.
The movie in general is a film you can tell is a play adaptation. The clever dialogue and situations have that stage play feel. As a result, Cactus Flower doesn’t feel very modern despite some modern themes. The film has been remade a few times including Just Go With It in 2011 starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.
Lorena (2019)
February 17th, 2019|
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A trip in the way-back machine
June 23, 1993, the lives of Lorena Bobbitt and her husband John Wayne Bobbitt became household names. Lorena Bobbitt severed the penis of her husband and tossed it out of the window of her car…and everyone had an opinion. Men and women saw the case different, and both Lorena and Wayne had their day in court. The effects the case had on society since that night are explored with the players involved.
Lorena is a four-part documentary series released on Amazon Prime. Directed by Joshua Rofé, the documentary had Jordan Peele as a producer and was released on February 15, 2019. The series was released to positive reviews.
Should she have gone to jail? Should he have gone to jail?
I can remember the furor about the Lorena Bobbitt story. As a guy, the idea of waking up to that was horrifying…and a kid, that was as deep as it got. It seemed like at the time, there were just tons of different stories grabbing attention from the Long Island Lolita, Pamela Smart, the Menendez Brothers, and of course O.J. Simpson later…the Bobbits’ story was the one that was danced around the most since much of the events were taboo for TV. Lorena is an in-depth look at the events and the aftermath.
The documentary is aptly compared to O.J.: Made in America. The series is about more than the event. It is about the media, the treatment of women, double-standards, and what that does to the people involved. It also dives into how the idea of the crime was reported since aspects of the crime were not generally talked about on TV. While pro-Lorena, the documentary gives both parties to state their case.
Lorena’s got her life together…
Lorena Bobbitt is a question in herself. There is a language barrier for her and being a foreigner is part of what kept her trapped in a relationship. The documentary doesn’t shy away from the fact that much of Lorena’s motivation for marriage was to get United States Citizenship, but that doesn’t leave her open for abuse or sub-human treatment. Even if she had a fiery temper (which she might have at the time), it feels like she had a genuine break from reality and the verdict in her side was just. At the time, she felt it was wrong to go to the institution, but from the documentary, it seems like that event helped stabilize her.
John Bobbitt is part of the documentary but doesn’t come off well. While he “won” and stayed out of jail, he didn’t benefit from being forced to confront his issues. In 1993, it was harder to prove abuse due to lack of documentation, but in 2018, he’s shown a cycle of abuse that throws out any questions of “if he did it”. The fourth part of the documentary does go to show how that he was unfortunately forced into the cycle of abuse at an early age and that might have an effect on him that he has never even realized.
…the same can’t necessarily be said about John Wayne
The series is composed of interviews and media clips from both during the trials and today. It is crafted smartly though if you binge watch all four parts, there is some overlap and repetition. Though it isn’t a Dateline True-Crime story, it also feels that a few portions of the story are overly extended (parts 2 and 3 could have probably been whittled down into one part).
Lorena is an interesting exploration that feels contemporary with everything going on in the fight for equality. I feel that the portions of the documentary that explore the effects of being a “National Headline” are the most powerful and interesting (aka “where are they now” studied in depth), and I almost wish that the documentary had focused more on this. A person noted how the Lorena Bobbitt trial would be covered today and stated that it probably wouldn’t be that different with FOX News taking one side and CNN taking another as the two figures slug it out in court…while I agree with that, I also think that sadly people maybe wouldn’t have patience for a court case and would just want a quick wrap-up as another sensationalized case takes its place. The biggest change between 1993 and 2018 is maybe that we’ve become even more desensitized to an event like Lorena Bobbitt’s actions…the internet is full of them.
Lorena—Complete Episode Guide:
“The Night Of”
1.1 The Night Of Release Date: 02/15/19
On the night of June 23, 1993, Lorena Bobbitt severs the penis of her husband John Wayne Bobbitt and throws the penis. Rescuing and reattaching the penis, police try to piece together the chain of events. As Lorena tells of years of abuse at the hands of her husband, the media and people of the United States and the world learn of the story…and the people surrounding the events find fame and fortune. The John Wayne Bobbitt trial is coming to Manassas and the world is watching!
“A Woman in Trouble”
1.2 A Woman in Trouble Release Date: 02/15/19
Lorena Bobbitt has lost her rape trial against her husband John Bobbitt and now is facing her own trial. As reports of domestic abuse surface against John Wayne Bobbitt, questions about the reporting of the domestic violence rise.
“An Irresistible Impulse”
1.3 An Irresistible Impulse Release Date: 02/15/19
As the trial of Lorena Bobbitt continues, more sensational media rises with Tanya Harding’s story coming out. Lorena’s state of mind on the night of June 23, 1993 comes into question. A surprise witness for the defense comes forward, Lorena’s chances of avoid jail could change.
“The Cycle of Abuse”
1.4 The Cycle of Abuse Release Date: 02/15/19
Lorena is found innocent due to reason of insanity, and the debate over the verdict is discussed in the media. John finds work in the porn industry and suffers a setback when he goes for elective surgery. Lorena faces a mental institution and faces bill struggles while trying to escape the spotlight.
Related Links:
At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
February 17th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: At Eternity’s Gate
Studio: CBS Films
Genre(s): Drama
Release Date(s): September 3, 2018 (Venice Film Festival)/November 16, 2018 (US)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
A brother’s love
Vincent van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) has isolated himself in the small French town of Arles. Facing mental illness and a madness to paint what he sees, van Gogh struggles to keep sane as his work is ignored and criticized by his peers. His brother Theo van Gogh (Rupert Friend) and Paul Gaugin (Oscar Isaac) find Vincent is getting more and more ill…and madness fuels his art.
Directed by Julian Schnabel (who contributed to the screenplay with Jean-Claude Carrière and Louise Kugelberg), At Eternity’s Gate is a biopic of Vincent van Gogh and his last years. The film was released to critical acclaim and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor (Dafoe).
Loving Vincent was an interesting look at Vincent van Gogh by bringing his paintings to life. Here, you have a similar period of van Gogh’s life being presented and at points an attempt to create van Gogh’s view of the world. While the story is average, the film looks great and features a great performance by Dafoe.
I just slipped shaving…honestly
The movie is at its best when it start to question the “what is art” idea. This is a concept that has existed for ages and many revolutionaries (like van Gogh) weren’t appreciated when they bucked the system. The descent into madness in the film also does take on some great nuances with van Gogh being unable to separate his vision from reality.
Dafoe is great. He plays the madness as manic and sometimes repressed. It is this fit-like performance that Dafoe who does a great job trying to explain madness and vision (and the difference between the two) to others. I liked Rupert Friend as his brother who is trying to help by enabling his art, and Oscar Isaac plays a nice Gaugin. The sequence between Mads Mikkelsen and Dafoe at the mental hospital was one of the stronger scenes of the film.
Art drives madness…madness drives art
The movie has some great scenery, but often the movie intentionally tries to give the appearance of van Gogh’s art. High yellow colors and vision-like sunny days really highlight his style and his sickness. There are sequences that are almost dream-like and you aren’t always sure what is reality.
At Eternity’s Gate is probably a movie that will mostly interest fans of van Gogh or fan of Defoe. It isn’t really story driven and the idea of art, infamy, and fame…and what it all means are ideas that are touched upon, but could easily have been fleshed out even more. Pair this with Loving Vincent and have a van Gogh weekend.
Related Links:
The 91st Academy Award Nominations
Total Recall (1990)
February 15th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Total Recall
Studio: Carolco
Genre(s): Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): June 1, 1990
MPAA Rating: R
Take a two week trip into Total Recall!
Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has a dream to escape his boring job on Earth when he learns about Rekall. Rekall can implant you with the trip you can’t afford and send you on an adventure you can’t believe. Despite being warned against going, Quaid decides to try his hand at a vacation to Mars. During the implant process, a deeper programming is discovered, and Quaid is exposed as a secret agent named Hauser. Now Quaid has to get to Mars, and everyone, including his wife Lori (Sharon Stone), is out to kill him. Once on Mars, Quaid learns the about the life he has forgotten and the war he was fighting…but could it all just be in his head?
Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Total Recall is a science-fiction action-adventure film. It is based on the which was based on the short 1966 Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (April 1966). The film faced an X-Rating but then was cut to receive an R-Rating. The film received positive reviews upon its release and won a special achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects with nominations for Best Sound and Best Sound Editing.
I’ve got this crazy hand and 5 kids to feed!
Arnold Schwarzenegger was king in 1990. His action movies were killing in the box office, but they weren’t always that great (but you had to see them). I couldn’t wait to see Total Recall and ate it up when it was released…I got the movie on VHS and watched it into the ground. It still remains one of Schwarzenegger’s stronger outings.
The story is intentionally twisted and smartly written in a way that the real story is never real clear. You are given red herrings over and over again that paint an obvious set-up…or not. It is one of those films that never gives you a real answer, and in the long run, you don’t really care. It just is a fun ride that you can take more than once to see the different layers…plus, it is still loaded with Schwarzenegger one-liners and action.
The movie went through a lot of changes during the production and was in production hell for years. Richard Dreyfuss, Patrick Swayze, William Hurt, and Matthew Broderick were all considered for Quaid. Schwarzenegger is still Schwarzenegger in it, and a big, muscular Quaid works with the story, but it also feels like Quaid could be more cerebral. You have a good supporting cast of Sharon Stone as the wife and Rachel Ticotin as the girlfriend. Ronny Cox plays the evil villain while the classic bad guy Michael Ironside is the man pursuing Schwarzenegger. Marshall Bell is a scene-stealer as Kuato (who was allegedly dreamed up by David Cronenburg when he was attached to direct) and Mel Johnson, Jr. is good as the faithful (?) cab driver Benny.
Open your mind!!!
The movie excesses in violence and action along the lines of RoboCop, but it has the Mars landscape to play with. In addition to the sets, you have the mutants like Benny, Kuato, and a certain three-breasted prostitute who was popular. It is easy to forget how revolutionary some of the effects in the film were when the film was released and scenes like the (“Two Weeks”) mask scene and the X-Ray weapon detector were impressive in 1990.
Total Recall is a fun adventure and has some of my favorite Schwarzenegger moments in it. The movie holds up relatively well for being high concept sci-fi and the story keeps the movie fresh. A Canadian TV series called Total Recall 2070 ran for a season in 1999 and was based on the works of Philip K. Dick and a remake featuring Colin Ferrell was released in 2012 to much less favorable reviews…stick to the original and “Open your mind!”
Related Links:
Undefeated (2011)
February 14th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Undefeated
Studio: Zipper Bros Films
Genre(s): Documentary/Sports
Release Date(s): March 13, 2011 (South by Southwest)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Will Chavis stay in school and on the team?
Manassas High School needs a break. In a depressed area outside of Memphis, the people of the community haven’t had much luck recently. With a strong team coached by volunteer Bill Courtney, the Manassas Tigers have a chance to do something they’ve never done…win a playoff game! With college hopeful Montrail “Money” Brown, massive lineman O.C. Brown, and troubled Chavis Daniels, the team’s chances are high, but even if they fail, they could be undefeated!
Directed by Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin, Undefeated is a sports documentary. The film was released to critical acclaim and premiered at South by Southwest. It received financial backing by Sean “Diddy” Combs and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Sports movies are often a dime a dozen, and they generally follow the same path. The underdog rises up against the odds and succeeds! The little guy scores the winning touchdown against giants and is carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates…but Undefeated immediately sets the tone that anything is possible and the tension is real. A ******spoiler alert****** exists for the rest of the review.
Will Money be able to play?
The movie focuses on three compelling students. You have Money who really, really wants to get out of Memphis and finds his hopes of getting a college scholarship dashed by an injured knee. Chavis is the player you think has no hope at the beginning of the season. He’s angry and already spent time in jail…but he surprises you in the end. You also get the gentle giant O.C. who seems like a nice kid who recognizes his faults but still hopes he can succeed…plus, he’s a monster on the field.
If this was a fictionalized drama, you could see where these “characters” are going, but real life is stranger than fiction. Chavis manages to shelve his anger and becomes humbler as the season progresses. O.C. manages to get the score he needs to move on to college even if it will be a struggle, and Money gets the greatest gift of all with an outside backer agreeing to foot his college cost regardless of his playing status. It is a Hollywood ending in real life.
Can the team do it?
Behind all the players is Coach Courtney who also seems too good to be true, but through the course of the film, you really do see the level of caring he has for the players. He knows them, knows he can’t be everything they need, but tries to be what he can to them. He’s a coach that might struggle in today’s society because of how he talks and coaches, but he isn’t abusive in his behavior since even he recognizes that the young men he’s coaching probably have enough problems in their lives.
Undefeated is a nice, uplifting film because it feels real and is real. These aren’t characters and their story does go on after the movie ends. It has been a few years since Undefeated was released and the people have moved on as life moves on. I don’t know where they went after the film, but I hope they made it and keep making it. Undefeated isn’t a just a title, but also motto.
Related Links:
The 84th Academy Award Nominations
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
February 13th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Studio: Warner Bros.
Genre(s): Comedy/Drama
Release Date(s): December 9, 1974
MPAA Rating: PG
I love how Vera clearly doesn’t know they are all laughing about (but is enjoying it).
Widowed Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) hits the road with her son Tommy (Alfred Lutter) with plans of Monterey. When a pit-stop in Phoenix goes bad, Alice finds herself forced to take a waitressing job in Tucson to make ends meet. Alice questions if her life as working and meeting a new man in David (Kris Kristofferson) could mean she could be stuck again.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a comedy-drama. Following Scorsese’s Mean Streets in 1973, the movie was released to critical acclaim and received an Academy Award for Best Actress (Burstyn) with nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Diane Ladd) and Best Original Screenplay. The film served as the basis for the TV sitcom Alice which ran from 1976-1985.
Who’s the adult here?
I loved Alice growing up. It was one of those shows that was always in reruns at the time and had a memorable opening (“There’s a New Girl in Town”). I remember learning it was a movie later and being confused all over again when the comedy and drama mixed. Despite this, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a great movie I love for different reasons than the TV show.
The movie has a strange pacing. While you generally think back about the film, you think about the diner. The diner isn’t introduced until almost an hour into the story and the film begins with Alice’s dull life and then dangerous “new” life with Harvey Keitel (playing a great, scary guy). The relationship and characters of the film drive it, and though there is a common continuing theme of Alice questioning make a life for herself or deciding to settle, it is the little relationships and interactions that make the film.
Tucson’s the weird capital of the world… WEIRD.
As a result, the movie is a real actors’ film. Ellen Burstyn really brings life to Alice, and I love her interactions with Alfred Lutter who plays her son (Lutter also played the role again for Alice pilot but was replaced by Philip McKeon). Kris Kristofferson plays his typical Kris Kristofferson role as Alice’s love interest and Vic Tayback, Valerie Curtin, and Diane Ladd make up the workers at Mel’s diner (Vic Tayback did continue the role in the TV series while Diane Ladd played Belle in seasons 4-5…as a replacement for the Flo character played by Polly Holliday). Jodie Foster plays Lutter’s troublesome friend and there is also a small cameo by Diane Ladd’s young daughter Laura Dern who is a customer in a scene in the diner.
So that Polly lady took “Kiss my grits…I’m thinking butter my biscuits?” You like?
Martin Scorsese brings his gritty realism to a comedy which is unusual (especially if you saw Mean Streets). The movie starts with an ode to the sepia colored opening of The Wizard of Oz and then goes into modern style. It still has the same feel and look as Scorsese’s other pictures from the time…but with more laughs. It is a fun flashback to the 1970s and a dusty (affordable) way of living that seems to no longer exist.
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore was originally around three hours long with more character development in the beginning. Even though I find the picture nearly perfect now, I’d love to see the extended version of the film to see how it changed and to see more of the great acting by Ellen Burstyn and the rest of the cast. It might not fit in with a lot of Scorsese’s other works, but it is a classic in its own. Scorsese followed Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore with Taxi Driver in 1976.
Jackie (2016)
February 12th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Jackie
Studio: LD Entertainment
Genre(s): Drama
Release Date(s): September 7, 2016 (Venice)/December 2, 2016 (US)
MPAA Rating: R
A recreation of the famous photo
Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) is being put through something she never expected to experience. Her husband President John F. Kennedy (Caspar Phillipson) has just been killed in front of her and now she has to plan his funeral, tell her children, and learn about the killer…all under the microscope of the world. As she tells her side of the story to a journalist (Billy Crudup), Jackie recalls the whirlwind that has been the White House and questions how her husband’s legacy will be remembered.
Directed by Pablo Larrain, Jackie is a historical biopic drama. The movie originally premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was released to positive reviews. The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress (Portman), Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score.
From people that were alive and movies around it, I’ve always heard that the week after Kennedy’s assassination was a weird, dreamlike experience. There were lots of questions of what was going on, who was responsible, and then when people were learning about Oswald and his involvement, Oswald was cut down by Ruby…all while a funeral for the President was being planned. Jackie does an interesting job telling the story of that week from the perspective of someone who was involved by blending speculation and history…but I’m not sure what to think of it.
This movie really went in a different direction when an alien burst from his chest and Hellboy showed up to kill it…
Jackie Kennedy comes off as an enigma after watching the whole movie. In mourning, she is sullen, but she’s also looking at the big picture even after the tragedy. The legacy of “Camelot” was allegedly born from her (and I guess it takes the good and bad of Camelot since I’ve never seen the story of King Arthur as a positive one). The movie does do a good job capturing the nature, confusion, and tragedy of the week from different perspectives. The country needed to mourn but also couldn’t just shot down.
Natalie Portman is a good, but the performance is bizarre in that I always found Jaqueline Kennedy odd. She had a really strange way of speaking and Portman nails the strange cadence…but it is distracting. Scenes like the recreation of Kennedy’s tour of the White House are great because they feel like the genuine article, but they always were stiff and impersonal to me despite being heralded as revolutionary. Portman is backed by a great supporting cast including Billy Crudup, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hurt (in his final performance), Richard E. Grant, John Carroll Lynch, Greta Gerwig, and Beth Grant among others.
The long walk…
The movie also looks great. The movie really highlights Jackie, and she pops in the film. I wouldn’t have normally seen Portman as a match for Jacquelyn Kennedy, but her portrayal and the visuals work hand-in-hand to make her and the world she lives in feel real.
Jackie is a tough movie because while the portrayals feel accurate, much of the story is fictionalized “truth” based largely on what historians speculate about the events of the week. In addition, Jacqueline Kennedy is a rather polarizing figure since she was America’s darling to some but others see the Kennedys as an entitled family. Regardless how you see the Kennedys, the movie captures a unique period in American history.
Related Links:
The 89th Academy Award Nominations
Christine (1983)
February 11th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Christine
Studio: Columbia
Genre(s): Horror
Release Date(s): December 9, 1983
MPAA Rating: R
Just to clarify…I’m a geek and he’s a jock…
Christine isn’t like other cars. When Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) sees the 1958 Plymouth Fury, he tells his best friend Dennis Guilder (John Stockwell) that he has to have her at any cost. Dennis finds Arnie clashing with his parents and changing before his eyes as he goes from “loser” to having a girlfriend in Leigh Cabot (Alexandra Paul). Christine seems to change Arnie, and Dennis and Leigh don’t like it…but Christine doesn’t like them either.
Directed by John Carpenter, Christine is a horror thriller. It adapts the 1983 Stephen King best-selling horror novel. The movie had average to positive reviews, but it has gained a cult following over the year.
I read Christine a lot as a kid. We had a copy of the book and reading it as a kid made you feel adult (it is a rather basic Stephen King book). Despite reading Christine, I never found it very scary. I enjoy watching Christine, but it is a lot of nostalgia, and it isn’t very shocking.
Well, I could have tried to enter a building…or maybe climb on top of something…maybe just some steps…oh well, let’s just run
Carpenter realized the difficulty of making Christine scary. In a world before PG-13, the movie was threatened to be a PG film and Carpenter had a lot of f-bombs dropped into the script to prevent that from happening. While a car or truck can be scary (in something like Duel), Christine doesn’t seem to be used right. Half the time, the characters end up getting run-down because they are running down the center of a road…jump over a wall or something! If the car is slowly approaching you in an alley and can crush you, climb onto the hood and climb over it. The film lacks the urgency of the high-speed chase like it needs to be.
The cast isn’t bad. The challenge is making the lead character a geek at the beginning of the film and reasonably cool at the end of the film, and Keith Gordon doesn’t seem geeky enough or cool or dangerous enough. He is a decent actor even if he is generic much like John Stockwell as the lead. Alexandra Paul is kind of bland, but it is always nice when Harry Dean Stanton shows up. Robert Prosky plays his always kind of slimy character and Kelly Preston has a small role. I do like William Ostrander as the bully Buddy Repperton (who seems more threatening than the John Travolta of Carrie). For the plot and the film, the cast works though they aren’t very dynamic.
Hell hath no fury…like a Fury
Christine does look great. The visuals of the car repairing itself cannot be done better and the car’s nice bright look does feel threatening at points. I love the sequence with the burning car going after Buddy and there is one nice, genuine jump when Christine reveals she’s been hiding in the garage all along.
Christine is a fun movie even if it isn’t the greatest movie. It is dated, but the script intentionally sets it in the 1970s, so the dating of the film doesn’t seem as problematic as some of the other films that attempt to be timeless but end up looking old. It is the type of entry-level horror movie that kids can watch and not get too horrified by…plus, it teaches the lesson “don’t run in the street” (which apparently none of the character’s never were taught).
Angry Birds Star Wars
February 10th, 2019|
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Game Info
Game Name: Angry Birds Star Wars
Developer(s): Rovio Entertainment/Exient Entertainment
Publisher(s): Rovio Entertainment/LucasArts/Activision
Platform(s): PS3/PS4/Xbox 360/Xbox One/Wii/Wii U/3DS/Vita/PC/Handheld
Genre(s): Mobile/Strategy
Release Date(s): November 8, 2012
ESRB Rating: E
A little less “Force” next time, Luke
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there is a disturbance in the Force. The pigs have taken over space and a small team of birds has set out to free the planets of the dismal control of the terrible swine. With lightsabers, tractor beams, guns, and brute force, the birds must restore peace to the galaxy. The pigs have power but the birds are angry!
Angry Birds Star Wars is a spin-off of the popular Angry Birds mobile game. The game was released in conjunction with LucasArts and was also released for the PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS among other systems. It received relatively favorable reviews.
I was really into Angry Birds when it was released. The hours spent tweaking with the trajectory of the birds and the frustration of getting one bird right on target with the follow-up bird flying off into the sky both was delightful and insanity driving. Angry Birds Star Wars follows this pattern but at points just feels like more of the same.
Use you finger, Luke…let it guide your Wookie!
As a Star Wars fan, Angry Birds Star Wars is a rather fun take on the original trilogy (though Return of the Jedi is skipped). As you progress through the levels, you get new birds and the birds you have gain new powers. As almost a cheat, you can summon the Millennium Falcon for an attack run that wipes out most of the enemies if aimed reasonably close…by later in the game, you just want the game to keep moving.
The gameplay is virtually identical to previous Angry Birds entries, but the weapons and extra abilities of the birds can be triggered at different times depending on their ability. You have characters like Han Solo who shoot lasers and Chewbacca who uses brute force. When the console versions of the game you lose the rewarding “touch” aspect of the controls and it gives you a bit more accuracy that is helpful but also goes against the basic premise of the game which favors finger dexterity.
I hear this is George Lucas’ next revision to the original trilogy…
It still is rewarding to launch the birds and hear the pain of the pigs as the characters crash into them. The designs of the levels and things like gravity pools keep the game looking fresh while still being an homage to Lucas’s classic film…plus, it is fun to see the character designs (I just wish there were more parodies of even minor characters).
Angry Birds Star Wars is more of the same, but it is a solid puzzle game that has range. The desire to “get top scores” and three-star levels keeps you coming back again and again and questioning if you can do it just a bit better (and being extremely frustrated when you somehow end up with a score that is worse). Star Wars Angry Birds II was released in 2013.
