Schooled by Christa Charter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Generally, I enjoyed Christa Charter’s new series starter (you can tell it’s a new series because the last line completely sets up the sequel) and her double team of detectives – Lexy and her “uncle” Mike – work well together. The mystery itself is fun and while there are no great twists and turns, it’s also not completely obvious from the outset, which is nice. Continue reading “Review: Schooled”
Not sure about this latest offering from Sofia Coppola. The story, a “ripped from the headlines” tale of suburban LA kids robbing the homes of the rich and famous in order to get their hands on lingerie and, ostensibly, to have some of the fame rub off on them, is interesting in and of itself, but Coppola’s dramatization of it is a little shallow.
Of course, therein lay my uncertainty. Coppola is a very talented filmmaker and it’s not like her to leave this story unexamined the way she does, but then, maybe that was her point – there really was nothing more to the “villains” than what you see. Maybe “The Bling Ring” really were just a group of spoiled kids, out of touch with reality and obsessed with celebrity culture to the point that they considered the people they saw on the magazines as unreal personifications of their own desires and therefore, whatever the rich and famous had should be shared equally and fairly. Continue reading “Review: The Bling Ring”
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Why did it take me so long to read this? Probably because since I was a teen, everyone who recommended it to me was a girl and I figured it was some sort of Chick-lit book about relationships and, being a guy, I wanted action and adventure. And so, from my earliest thinkings of Austen, it never quite appealed to me. Continue reading “Review: Pride and Prejudice”
There’s a moment, about a third of the way through this film, where things are going bad but not as bad as they’ll soon get. Los Angeles is being destroyed by flames and earthquakes, many people have died (others were taken up into the sky by a blue light) and our intrepid heroes, all actors playing (what I can only hope are) parody versions of themselves, are holed up at James Franco’s house, waiting to be rescued. While this is happening, they get stoned and decide to make a sequel to Pineapple Express, a film several of the actors here had been in. It’s a bad idea, this film they come up with. And yet, it feels like this is exactly what happened when Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg came up with the premise for This is the End. This was a joke that went too far. And no one in the crew had the balls to say “Guys, maybe this isn’t as funny as we think it is.”
It’s not. It’s not even a little bit funny. Maybe if you like other Seth Rogan comedies, full of obvious dick and drug jokes and set-ups which go on longer than an SNL skit, you might enjoy this, but for me, it was like watching 107 minutes of awkward award show dialogue. For people who are paid a great deal of money to act, no one (with the possible exception of Michael Cera) actually delivered a performance.
It’s too bad, too. Because I like James Franco and Jay Baruchel. And in the hands of someone who was even a little bit clever, this had the potential of being quite funny. Instead, it’s immature and lazy. When you’re a writer, one of the first things your told is you should never take your first idea. That’s the obvious one. This is a film filled with first ideas.
This is the second time I’ve seen this film and interestingly, the same problems I had with it the first time, I still have in the same way. So at least it’s consistent.
There’s an interesting thing about seeing a caper film a second time. Well, any film with a “twist” or two in it, I suppose, but caper films are known for being heavily reliant on specific plot details not being revealed until late in the game, Particularly this one, which involves magic tricks. See, watching it for the first time (and yes, I went my second time with a friend who hadn’t seen it before) you’re not expecting the surprise ending and when it comes, it hits you full in the gut. But that second (and subsequent) viewings, when you’re ready for the punch, you can usually see it coming a mile away and sometimes, that telegraphy can completely ruin the film. The Sixth Sense is like that. In recent days, due to his involvement with the Will/Jaden Smith vehicle After Earth, director M. Night Shyamalan has come to be revealed for the charlatan he is and Sixth Sense proves it. Watching that film once you know the ending is an exercise in tedium. The only reason it garnered the praise it did at the time was people weren’t expecting that hit and when it came, it sent them reeling. Continue reading “Review: Now You See Me”
The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When you “spell” a word correctly, you are in effect casting a spell, charging these abstract, arbitrary symbols with meaning and power.
Christopher Vogler’s book is, in effect, a “Hero’s Journey” for dummies, with a screenwriting angle thrown in for good measure. He makes no bones about the fact he’s basing his research on Joseph Campbell’s work, with a touch of Jungian philosophy,, all set against a Hollywood background. This makes sense, though. As any good teacher, Vogler uses a more modern language (film) in order to teach a concept which is thousands of years old. Continue reading “Review: The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers”
Monster by A. Lee Martinez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is my third A. Lee Martinez book and I must say, I’m liking his stuff. This one is a little more serious than the other two I’ve read,, but all of his works have a certain… humanity… to them – regardless of the fact the characters aren’t always, or even often, human. In this one, at least two of the main characters are, nominally, human so that’s okay. And another is a paper gnome from another dimension (a really great creation, by the by). Continue reading “Review: Monster”
Seeing the new Superman movie, Man of Steel, I am struck by a couple of things, not the least of which is how inured we’ve become to mass destruction. I know much has been made of the 9/11 imagery in the film, and I agree, it’s excessive and, for me, serves no purpose other than to show how short a distance we’ve really come in the last 12 years.
Another thing which strikes me about this film is how lazy the screenwriters are, knowing the iconic nature of the characters involved, they figure we already know all we need to know so if they’re not going to mess with the canon, they don’t give us anything to go on. We know nothing about Lois Lane, The Kents are stereotypical salt of the earth farmers and Perry White has been reduced to a figurehead with bark but no real bite. Continue reading “Review: Man of Steel”
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Coming on the heels of reading “X-Men – Days of Future Past,” the theme is similar yet, I think, much better executed here. The fact that this is a one-off helps. Chris Claremont didn’t have to worry about monthly continuity, he could simply write the story he wanted to write. But then again, the X-Men have long been the Marvel stand-in for “the Other” so it’s no surprise they are the go to characters when anyone wants to make a point about intolerance and hate. This story has the added bonus of including religious zealotry and hypocrisy. Of course, as a book written in 1982, the resonance it has with today’s America and the ideology which is pushing for a theocratic government is pretty impressive.
So, overall, a bit of an easy target and a simplified answer to a complicated issue… but huge props for calling out racism in any form (and for probably the only time a certain racial epithet was uttered in a mainstream comic book, and uttered by a proudly jewish girl who is under 18 – almost as many discriminated against minorities you can jam into one character).
PS: Thanks to Doc Pockets for reminding me of this one.
So I went and saw World War Z last night. I liked it.
I understand it has absolutely nothing to do with the book, which I also understand is quite good and written by the same guy, Max Brooks, who started this whole zombie craze with his book “The Zombie Survival Guide” (and who also happens to be the son of famed comedian Mel Brooks). Not having read the book, and understanding that books and films are two very different animals (teaching a course on literary adaptation will do that to a fella) I don’t think I’m missing anything. I also think that if you went in to this expecting to see a faithful adaptation of the book, you missed out on a fun, exciting and heart-stopping thriller. Continue reading “Review: World War Z”
X-Men: Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have to say, I remember reading these initial books when they came out in 80-81 and I remember being absolutely blown away by them. This was the introduction of Kitty Pryde, who, if you are a comic reader and my age, you had developed a massive crush on at just the right time in your formative years (it didn’t hurt she was Jewish, as I was, so, ya know, there was a bond). So it was with this sense of nostalgia I picked up the compilation
Behind the Scenes: List of the 100 Best BTS Photos from Iconic Movies.
As a film buff, former screenwriter, part-time art department flunkie and now history of film professor, I love this site. To me, 90% of the magic of film is what happens behind the scenes, how it all gets put together seamlessly so when you’re watching it, it’s all happening in real time – regardless of whether the scene were filmed miles or months apart, whether the characters involved were in the same room or they never met in person (or if they ever existed at all).
The other nice thing about seeing these behind the scenes glimpses is they serve to separate the actors from the characters and the drama of the finished product with the fun and enjoyment usually to be found in the making of.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
You know, I’m not sure if I’d ever actually read this before. I think I must have because I remember the hammerhead people (and where were they in the recent Oz film?) but I certainly didn’t remember it the same way it was. Like most people, I figure I’m tainted by the iconic 1939 film because the book, while containing most of the same elements as the movie, has much more (and actually, some less). Continue reading “Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
What can I say? You see a film advertised with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson and if you don’t know what you’re going to get going in, you haven’t been paying attention to cinema the last decade. And in that respect, The Internship doesn’t disappoint. Of course, that same reasoning can also be used to explain why the film did poorly at the box office and is getting a paltry 6.4 rating on IMDB and a piss poor 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is NOT a film for anyone looking for deep meaning, clever dialogue or twisty, complicated plot lines. Instead, this is a film for people who want to spend a couple of hours out of the heat, watching characters you know do what’s expected of them and everyone comes out exactly where they’re supposed to be by the end.
Director Shawn Levy, who started his career doing Disney TV, has a features resume filled with nice but innocuous films (Night at the Museum 1&2, Date Night, Real Steel), films you forget while walking to the parking lot, but at least they’re films you could take the family to see. Continue reading “Review: The Internship”
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This isn’t so much a story as a cautionary tale of what will happen if America (any country, really) lets religion control its politics. There’s not much in the way of plot and smarter people than I have spent a lot more time than I writing about all the allusions and metaphors. I’m glad I read it, finally, though. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t read it because I have a grudge against Margaret Atwood. It’s a personal thing, they way she denounces science fiction and then explains that what she writes is “speculative fiction” because hers doesn’t have space ships in it. I call BS on that.
It’s also interesting in that I’ve recently been on a Dystopian Literature kick and I’m fascinated by the wholesale stealing of ideas from Brave New World to this and This Perfect Day. In the end, though, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Claire Danes interpretation of it as well. With audio books, the narrator can save a bad one or kill a good one, but in this case, I think Ms. Danes did a great job.
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 