Grosse Pointe Blank September 16, 2006
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This movie has always been a quiet favorite in my list of movies. I guess there is something about the romantic comedy that I can’t help but like, and this movie is no exception. This movie is the story of an assasin who invited to his 10 year high school reunion and in going to his reunion he is confronting the past that he left when he was 18 years of age. The movie features John Cusack and Minnie Driver, they go together very well in this movie and quite convincingly protray these two people. I really don’t have much more to say except that it is on my recommended list so if you are looking for a good movie to watch on a date this is not a bad start.
The Matrix September 15, 2006
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The Matrix is hands down the most influential movie in my life. I have from an earlier age always questioned the nature of my world. I am definitely not unique in having this curiosity. I started working with computers in college when I was about 18, and very quickly discovered that my level of interest far exceed most if not all the people I was in school with, and pretty much everyone I knew. As a result I found a job out of college, the very same year The Matrix was released, that paid me to break into networks and systems in the name of security. So me seeing this movie pretty much took what was a near singular focus on technology and made it the only thing in my life. That being said The Matrix is the story of a computer hacker who discovers that reality is not what it seems. There is a world that has been created in order to enslave the human mind and turn a human from a man into energy. This man with the help of other enlightened minds is helped to escape his bondage and quickly we discover that his character Neo, is the savior of the human race. The movie draws on many biblical themes and plays very heavily upon them. Not overtly religious or preachy the movie explores Neo’s journey from disbelief to his coming to believe that he is the one. The visual effects in this movie for its time are stunning and the martial art fight sequences are quite mind blowing. Looking back on the film nearly 7 years later it does appear to look somewhat dated, but frankly I continue to watch it just because the notion that it supposes is still so very interesting. I would recommend this movie any time any place any where.
The Legend of Drunken Master September 11, 2006
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I am a huge fan of martial arts films. I really like seeing the beauty and grace of a well choregraphed fightand the fact that every movie I’ve seen involves good triumphing over evil. Jackie Chan is seen by many as being the bastard cousin of Jet Li, and the like but frankly he is a very skilled martial artist and is gutys as hell. The fact that he does all his own stunts is pretty impressive, and from the looks of it has resulted in more than one serious injury. In any case The Legend of Drunken Master is the story of Wong Fei Hong a young man who is a master of a style of Kung Fu known as Drunken boxing. I’ve done some research and have discovered this is a branch of Kung Fu that is real and although not truly practiced when drunk it stems from the idea that the effects of alcohol causes the fighter to be more relaxed when fighting and thus better able to adapt when fighting. The fact is Jackie Chan makes the practice of this art form look amazing. Even though they exagerate the level to which one must drink to truly fight it’s quite wild. In even Fei Hong starts out in mischief as he always is and as a result of that mischief he ends up in a tangle with a group of men who are selling Chinese antiques to British buyers. The problem is he gets in a fight and as a result is disowned by his father and promises to never drink again, which takes away the secret to his power. The long and short is he ends up solving taking out those who are stealing, and gets them arrested in the process of doing so he is forced to drink and wins the fight and all ends of well. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes martial arts films the fighting is crazy and the story is decent so all in all a good movie.
The Blues Brothers September 10, 2006
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The Blues Brothers is hands down a great film. The movie tells the story of two brothers who discover the orphanage they grew up in is going to be closed if they can not secure $5000.00 to pay the property tax that has been assessed on the orphanage. The two brothers after speaking with their father figure, played by Cab Calloway, they come to the conclusion they are on a holy mission and what ever they do will be done with divine guidance. This movie is a musical and features some of the best Rhythm and Blues artists to have ever picked up instruments. Seeing these performances appeals to me because of my love of blues music. Some of the situations concocted in this movie are a bit far out, but it’s a comedy and because of that you can not watch this movie expecting some kind of serious movie. This film is just a good comedy that stands the test of time, and features great performances and music. Not to mention a great performance by John Belushi, clearly he died long before his time.
Jackie Brown. September 10, 2006
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I am fairly versed in movies I’ve seen almost every films that is cited on a daily basis in the current popular culture set, and I’ve seen many films that no one knows. So I’ve decided to try my hand at reviewing the films I like and hopefully spawn a dialog regarding what I’ve watched and see if I’m crazy or what. The first Film I’ve picked to look at was Jackie Brown. The film was Driected by Quentin Tarantino and hit theatres the summer of 1997. IMDB Page. I saw this film originally in the theatre and if my memory serves me correctly I had a initially strong dislike of the film. I am a big fan of pulp fiction, but I think because of my age and my mindset at the time this movie just didn’t appeal to me. However, I’ve grown up somewhat considering it’s been nearly 10 years since it’s release and I think I’ve seen a bit of life and so the eyes I watch this films through now are far different than the 20 year old that saw this oh so long ago. A little bit about the film the movie focuses on Jackie Brown, played by Pam Grier who looks really good in the film, she is involved with an illegal gun dealer and is running money in and out of the country. In the process the cops get wind of this and the story focuses on Jackie’s trying to steal the money from the gun dealer and save her life in the process. I think when I saw the movie initially I was hoping for another Pulp Fiction, but this movie is not that. Instead it’s a straight forward piece that tells the story from start to finish, and from several points of view. The movie is great because of the fact the characters in this movie are for the most part examples of people who you could probably find on the street. Now, I don’t go dealing with dirtbags all the time, but I’ve been around my fair share and it’s s safe to say with the exception of Sam Jacksons’ character I think I’ve met these people. So now as an older man I think I can better appreciate the story that is being told and I’m not watching the film with any expectations. Furthermore what really appeals to me about this film is the visual stylings. Tarentino I think does very well to set the mood and the place of the film through his use of color and style from watching the opening scene you begin to think the movie is set in the 70’s but then you quickly realize that’s not the case. In any event the films is rather long so set aside some time and watch this film you won’t be disappointed.
Why smart people do dumb things. September 8, 2006
Posted by vinnyt in : General , add a commentI’m going to have to pick up this book. I think there should however be a book called why dumb people do dumb things. However, that would require so much paper that it would cost several thousand dollars to publish a single copy so never mind.
