A Christmas Carol: An Old Story with Amazing New Digital Effects

I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to watch the newest Disney cartoon movie, "A Christmas Carol", in IMAX 3-D the other night.  From the first explosion of sound and color (that made me jump practically out of my seat!), I was glued to the screen in awe of the impressive digital detail by Disney's new collaborator, ImageMovers.  My rating: $8.00 (1.-10.).

ImageMovers has quite a resume when it comes to quality-animated features.  No one can argue that "Polar Express" didn't open up a completely new level of digital animation.  This studio also made "Monster House" and "Beowulf".  I don't know how many of you saw "Beowulf", but I could see him in a centerfold he looked so real!!  Nevertheless, "A Christmas Carol" seen in IMAX 3-D is an experience I won't soon forget.  The detail of the wrinkles in the old man's fingers, each strand of hair, the facial expression, the colors, the snow (they had the A/C on high-- I thought I was in the snow with the movie characters). 

Most people know the story of Scrooge.  He's always mean and stingy.  Robert Zemeckis (who also directed and wrote the previously mentioned animated features) outdid himself with this script.  The first scene has Scrooge overseeing his business partner's (Mr. Marley) hideously dead body.  The undertaker holds out his hand for payment.  Scrooge, looking thoroughly disgusted, slowly parts with one coin -- not wanting to even release it into the man's hand.  When the hand remains out for more, it takes a brief and painful pause for Scrooge to release one more coin.  He quickly turns to Mr. Marley and removes the death-coins from his eyes, "Don't want to waste good money", as he slides the coins between his greedy fingers. 

Walking home in the snow, the stick-thin old man grimaces at every passer-by who's in the holiday spirit.  Men, women and children stop and turn away.  His fingers are so arthritic I could almost reach out and feel the dry skin over the boney joints.  The doors of his business and home are both large and foreboding like their owner.  His first contact with the night to come is at his front door.  The doorknocker morphs into Marley's dead face holding the knocker.  Scrooge falls nearly to the bottom of the steps. In denial, he 'harrumphs' into this home and readies himself for bed.  His fireplace fire is VERY small.  It's dark, shadowy, and  isolated.  When the spooks start, they are pretty scary.  At least Scrooge has the decency to show some fear along with the bossiness of his visitors.  I just loved the dialogue.  AND Scrooge looks like Jim Carrey might look if he lives to be 80!!

The current animation trend is to have as many stars voicing the characters as possible.  Disney is no different.  However, they allowed some of the main characters to look like their actors.  Scrooge certainly looked like Jim Carrey.   But did you know that Carrey played all the ghosts of Christmas, too.  Very economical and ingenious really.  Scrooge's first employer, Mr. Fezziwig, was played by and looked like Bob Hoskins.  Bob Crachit was played by and looked like Gary Oldman.  Yet, Oldman also played Marley and Tiny Tim -- I would have never known.  Colin Firth played nephew, Fred.  Cary Elwes played some miscellaneous persons so I didn't know to look for him.  I thought Scrooge's first love looked familiar but I couldn't place her --- Robin Wright Penn.  There are many more actors you'd know if you saw their faces but would be too time consuming to give you here. 

Thankfully, Zemeckis doesn't let Jim Carrey improvise much.  It would have taken away from the effects and the story.  He does shrink down and run through a drainpipe running away from the specter of hearse and demon-eyed black horses.  When he emerges, there come his tormentors again.  A quick close-up of Scrooge cringing in fear and the simple line... "Oh, come now", in Carrey's mannerism... great subtle humor!!  The scariest part of the movie is the future ghosts with all the demons, chases, falls into fiery pits, caskets, etc.  I had to think that small kids might be afraid -- cuz I was! 

Charles Dickens made a classic.  Disney and ImageMovers have made it worth paying to see again.  The rating is 'PG' -- I don't lie about the effects being so good (and scary at times).  The run time is just under 1 hour 40 minutes.  If you can see it in IMAX along with 3-D, you won't be sorry.  Animation has never been better. 

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The Fourth Kind: Aliens from Outerspace or Hell?

The trailers for "The Fourth Kind" have Milla Jovovich sternly warning the audience that what they are about to see is real, supported by archived footage which we will see intermittently throughout the movie docudrama.  The story was written by Terry Lee Robbins and Olatunde Osunsanmi who also collaborated on the supernatural/horror film "WithIN".  Because the protagonist, Dr. Abigail Tyler, a psychologist, appears pretty crazy throughout her interviews, I can see why they put Ms. Jovovich out there to lead the audience through their storyline.  My rating:  $6.00 (1.-10.).

The movie opens in the year 2000 in Nome, Alaska where Dr. Tyler has begun to notice several clients all coming to her with similar stories of sleep disturbances, night terrors, and physical illnesses/rashes etc that cannot be explained.  Dr. Tyler uses hypnosis to help uncover the core of her clients' fear.  It's during these sessions that the "real" film clips are cut in.  We see the real, grainy clip cutting in and out with the dramatization.  Both are intense and give a night chill up the spine. 

Dr. Tyler seems a coherent, scientific woman who sincerely wishes to research the strange phenomena in her practice.  She even reaches out to colleagues for assistance in brainstorming.  But, Dr. Tyler is not distanced from her patients altogether.  Her husband was killed in bed next to her by an intruder in their home.  Trauma has kept her from remembering any physical features of the murderer.  Every so often, folks ask how she's doing and suggest she take some time off.  Humm. 

There are two children who live with their mother, Dr. Tyler,  in a lovely home rather out in a remote area.  The daughter is about 5 and the son 8 (can't remember for real, sorry).  The son has something against his mother --- more like a rebellious teen than a school-aged kid.  Why so oppositional?  Humm. 

As Dr. Tyler brings back the memories of her clients under hypnosis, some of the most frightening scenes occur.  And everyone who remembers has unfortunate consequences.  So bad that the sheriff starts accusing Dr. Tyler of causing the bad stuff.  About the same time, Dr. Tyler starts having her own flashbacks and recollections just like her patients.  Anytime you turn the lights out and scratching movements in the hall precede a disembodied force opening the door to come get someone.....it's CREEPY!!  It definitely works.

I saw this movie with the hundreds of other die-hards at 10PM at night.  That helped the fear factor.  No real aliens beings are shown.  A "trigger" figure of an owl comes to each of the victims.  Commercials make the owl look alien very close up.  That doesn't come through much in the movie.  I have to say, most of the audience who gave opinions that I heard, loved this and believed it was true. 

Now, I have to tell you my point of view.  I know you rely on me for that.  Every film clip where the aliens come or humans are revisited by aliens under hypnosis, the film becomes wavy, grainy, or totally obscured.  Why, if this went on for months, does no one film with more than one camera and/or get someone in with electronic expertise to be prepared for this interference?  But no, every clip is the same.  This is the year 2000, folks, not 1958.  A floating guy scene was pretty great.  But the scene where Dr. Tyler has an experience, it becomes the "Exorcist" revisited.  Supposedly, she and her two colleagues filming the event were all abducted and returned later.  Neither of the two would make a statement on screen.  Alien voices are recorded.  Lo and behold, they sound just like demons ..... and they speak in ancient Sumerian  (and her colleague knows how to translate it).  The translation is something like, "I am God and you have no control".  Sound like demonic possession to you?  Uh, yeh. 

So, now we have to consider that aliens have been visiting Earth since ancient times ('Stargate") and maybe they are demonic ("The Exorcist: The Beginning").  The devil has spaceships and likes his demons to put computer chips into humans?  A paranormal researcher/writer has a video clip on IMDB "Fourth Kind" site that you can watch.  She wants the movie to open a dialogue because millions of people are having these experiences.  Humm. 

Familiar face, Will Patton, plays the Sheriff who wants to pin everything on Dr. Tyler.  Elias Koteas plays Dr. Tyler's colleague and family friend who helps her brainstorm and hypnotizes her.  It's really a small cast.  The talented screenwriter, Mr. Osunsanmi, also directed this strangely unique film. It's rated PG-13 and runs about 1 hour 40 minutes.  Robbins and Osunsanmi have other projects in the works which I won't mind making time to see.  I would NOT take children who would be disturbed by this topic or you won't get to sleep alone again for a while. 

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Astro Boy: The Best of Japanese and American Cartoon Talent

I expected 'Astro Boy' to be another nice kid-movie.  Pleasantly surprised, I found it witty and thoroughly entertaining --- one of those cartoons in which adults will enjoy catching double-entendres while the kids will enjoy the characters and action.  My rating: $8.50 (1.-10.).

As in most alternative universes, man has destroyed his home planet by negligence.  Scientists have found a way to levitate a huge island of land into the sky on which all the privileged live.  The old earth is a junk yard. 

Nicolas Cage plays the brilliant Dr. Tenma whose research into humanoid robots has led to an entire industry of second-class servants in his floating world.  Some robots are more refined than others.  But, they have in common, that their owners do not see them as intelligent creatures.  Such is the underlying theme -- who owns humanity?  Is it the humans or is it those who respect the uniqueness of all sentient creatures?  

Dr. Tenma has a son.  He, too, is brilliant.  A good boy until his curiosity literally kills him.  When the boy is lost, it is early in the film and removes some of the safe boundaries of a normal children's movie.  This turns out to be a good thing because it allows exploration of the contrast between human/nonhuman as well as the idea of discrimination and class structure within a society.

Tenma's intense grief over the loss of his son stimulates the making of Astro Boy.  At first, he is to take the place of the son.  But, Tenma's intelligence over rules his emotional side.  He rejects the boy.  The robot doesn't know he's a robot.  It is truly heartbreaking to see the cruel withdrawal of love.  The boy is sent out  to face a cold, cruel world.  Never fear, he soon discovers the unique talents that make him a super-boy.   

Donald Sutherland voices General Stone.  He's the current head of society and up for re-election.  There's a jab at the our modern politicians who insist that making war on someone will assure successful re-election.  It is Gen. Stone who contributes to the loss of Tenma's boy.  And Gen Stone who wants to expoit the robot child -- to the point of making his own father turn him over to be destroyed.  I'm telling you, the story has some deep moments. 

Tenma's partner, Dr. Elefun (Bill NIghy), is the usual short, white-haired, scientist without capacity for evil.  He discovers the blue and red power crystals.  Ying and yang, if you will.  The blue will produce life and good things; but to exist, there must be it's polar opposite.  (Can't you see the Japanese cultural coming through?)  Not surprising, Gen Stone see the value in the red side to build an army of indestructible robots.  The blue ends up in Astro Boy.  Good against evil -- the age-old battle.

Freddy Highmore, the absolutely amazing, British child-actor from 'August Rush', plays Astro Boy.  (His accent has been erased, something many adults can't master with expensive coaching.)  Astro Boy ends up on the earth's surface and mixed up with some waifs under the supervision of a circus ringmaster named Ham Egg (Nathan Lane -- they even made the character look like him).  Egg has the kids scrounge for parts and old robots to use as robot gladiators.  Even on earth, there is animosity between humans and robots.  You can see the predicament in which Astro Boy finds himself.

The hodge-podge of kids all have stories.  Most are orphans.  Kristen Bell plays Cora, a girl about Astro's age.  Astro's good energy brings to life an old battle robot called 'Zog' (Samuel Jackson).  He becomes good as a result.  The stray robots on the surface can see through Astro to know he is robot.  Some of the funniest scenes are with these robots of the Robot Revolutionary Front.  Astro is discovered and put in the ring.  His goodness will reach into the hearts of kids and adults both in the audience.  His innate belief in making peace keeps the evil side from getting too out of hand.  There's plenty of action, though.  The topics around discrimination are tackled beautifully. There is a very nice ending.  Charlise Theron is heard as the intermittent narrator -- I'm not sure the narration added much, however. 

Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) has the honor of being the originator of 'Astro Boy' as well as most of the genre of 'Manga' and 'Anime' we know today.  I'm not always a fan of pure Manga and Anime.  The Japanese have a penchant for being pretty brutal in their violence even in children's programming.  I liked that writer Timothy Harris ("Trading Places"/"Twins"/"My Stepmother is an Alien"/"Brewster's Millions") worked with animator/director, David Bowers, to make a softer Astro Boy with humor and redeeming grace while still hitting hard topics like good versus evil.  Bowers (from Britain) has worked as an animator on many successful films such as "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" and "FernGully: The Last Rainforest".  I think he was a wonderful choice to work with Harris.

The movie runs about 1 hour 45 minutes and is rated 'PG'.  There were children of all ages at my screening with none being visibly traumatized by the subject matter.  'Astro Boy' is well written and entertaining.  The animation is superb.  I'd watch it again. 

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Amelia: Hilary Swank Channels Amelia Earhart, 1928-1937

"Amelia" has stacked against it the fact we all know the ending.  Can't change that.  I wanted to see what the writers and director would do with Hilary Swank as the leading lady.  Billing Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor was icing on cake.  Swank's costumers, hairdresser, and make up artists own the credit for making her a perfect Amelia Earhart.  I daresay no other actress could looks so like her.  But the story, ultimately, was a biography slanted toward her personal life.  For as much as flying is mentioned and done, the main story was Amelia's non-flying life.   Add no chemistry between either of her movie lovers and you get 'awkward'.  My rating:  $6.50. (1.-10.).

Hilary Swank can act.  However, I think her success is owed to her smarts in picking great parts.  Let's face it, she has that tomboyish quality that fits a fighter ("Million Dollar Baby") and a waif-ish quality that didn't serve so well as femme fatale("The Black Dahlia).  I liked her as the grieving widow in "P.S., I Love You" (even though I saw it because Gerard Butler was in it).  Not to be impolite, having such angular features and figure, Swank couldn't pull off playing, say, Scarlett O'Hara or Bridget Jones.  Yet, screenwriters Ronald Bass ("My Best Friend's Wedding"/"How Stella Got Her Groove Back") and Anna Hamilton Phelan ("Gorilla's In the Mist"/"Girl, Interrupted") tried to make this Amelia Earhart a modern woman of her times with, maybe, a hint of bi-sexuality and a practitioner of 'free love'.  Sure, it details her rise to aeronautical success but there's definitely more emphasis on her relationships on the way up. 

Richard Gere plays Earhart's publicist turned lover turned husband, George Putnam.  According to this film, he practically had no other client after Amelia Earhart.  His whole revolved around her personally and professionally.  Occasional jabs at his using Amelia as a meal ticket come up.  He certainly drove her to maximize her fame selling shoes, luggage, her own clothing line, etc.  She did it "so we can afford to fly, George.  That's all that matters".  Gere is still a hunk -- white hair and all.  He can take his shirt off with pride.  I just wasn't feeling his professed "I'll die without you" devotion in the script.  There are a couple of before and after bedroom scenes -- probably because they wanted to keep the rating 'PG'.  Or maybe they saw the blatant lack of intimacy between the two stars. 

I appreciated several pieces of padded history such as Eleanor Roosevelt's trip in a plane with Amelia.  Their dialogue was well written and I liked Cherry Jone's (the police officer in "Signs") as Eleanor.   On Amelia's first flight over the Atlantic, she's used for female publicity rather than respect as a flyer.  But she gets to confront the two cocky male pilots one morning.  Swank does that in-your-face seriousness well - verbally kicking the guy's butt.  Then, it's her brainstorming that makes the mission a success.  That part of the story documents her true aviation intelligence paving the way for more respect from the male-dominated field.  She came in third in an all-female airplane race after becoming famous.  Thinking to make her embarrassed, the media attacked.  But, the good sport that she was, Amelia cheered on the winners and retorts that "as long as a woman wins, I'm happy!". 

I felt lost when a young woman knocked on the door one morning.  Putnam (Gere) seemed to know her and invited her in.  She glanced knowingly at the mussed bed.  It's Eleanor Smith (Mia Wasikowska - "Defiance"), a young, female pilot come to interview Amelia.  She practically tells Amelia she's gunning to take her fame.  Amelia just says, "Don't let anyone hold you back."  So, tell me, why is this in the movie?  You have to know who Eleanor Smith is in the context of history not to be out in left field.  That would be me.....way out there in left field.  Putnam gets to be an overbearing lout telling Eleanor to throw the airplane race a couple of scenes later.  Why was that in the movie? 

Back in early movies and TV, the sotto-voce speech was all you heard.  Everyone sounded like they came from New England or Boston   Thus, the other major irritant for me.  The accents came and went ---- badly.  In one and only one scene, Gere sounds like Ted Kennedy.  Thankfully, the accents generally went by the wayside most of the time.  They were so bad, the humor of it would have taken away from story. 

The  most annoying peculiarity was intermittent narration by Swank/Amelia as she wrote/read all kinds of flowery prose about her life or flying.  Her movie character gave us no inkling she had that gift.  I assume that the writers, trying to be true to Amelia, interjected these passages from her real memoirs.  But, the cadence of Swank's speech as Amelia often followed this unnatural prose-ish rhythm, also.  These little things throughout the movie made me feel I was in a bumpy car rather than a gliding train -- sorry, got carried away by metaphors.  

IMDB gives credit to two books, "East to the Dawn" by Susan Butler and "The Sound of Wings" by Mary S. Lovell from which the script was adapted. To me, the writers couldn't decide if it were to be a romance, woman's rights story, or biography.  Director, Mia Nair, ("Monsoon Wedding"/"Vanity Fair"/"The Namesake") has a history of emotional moviemaking.  I think she lost focus with all the directions the script took to tell Amelia's story. 

This movie is rated 'PG'.  It runs just under 2 hours.  There are lots of redeeming qualities in "Amelia".  I enjoyed most of it.  I also thought  Amelia got lost in all the soap opera before she was lost at sea in her plane. 

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Where the Wild Things Are: This Cast Needs Counseling!!

Larger than life creatures with grotesque features who threaten to eat little boys don't sound appetizing to me.  I sat through "Where the Wild Things Are" and watched the audience.  One, seven or eight-year-old boy sat on the edge of his seat drinking a 40 ounce soda appearing mesmerized, all the while with a small smile of delight.  (Maybe he just had to potty.)  The adults seemed hypnotized - no response.  You get the point that I spent time looking around?  My rating:  $6.00 (1.-10.).

Totally an amateur, you see, I can admit I just didn't get it.   No, silly, I got it was a kid's fantasy.  I just don't get why it's a movie.  Trying to see some deep meaning, I surmised writers, Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers, took a fantasy break themselves.  The monsters were caricatures of people in his life with whom he had psychological issues?  My worst supposition was that the monsters were alternate personalities and the kid had multiple personality disorder.  IT'S POSSIBLE....OK! 

The movie starts out with a sweet boy, Max (played by 12 year-old Max Record), playing in the snow on a nondescript, suburban street, building an igloo.  We get the impression he's often alone and, although used to playing alone, he misses having people in his life that would pay attention to him.  His sister, we also assume, is supposed to be watching him while mom is gone.  He's banging on the window and door to get her attention.  She totally ignores him.  He walks away with just enough sadness we feel mad at the sister and sad for the kid.  Vying for attention, he attacks his sister's friends with snowballs as they all prepare to leave the house.... and Max.  Max joyfully throws and gets pelted with snow.  Then, the much bigger boys become overly rough throwing snowballs, chasing Max into his igloo, and smashing it on him.  Max cries pathetically. 

That's where Max becomes different.  He's so angry that he destroys his sister's room leaving a huge puddle of melting snow from his clothes in her room.  Then, he puts on a crazy wolf costume - white with little, standup ears and a long, bushy brown tail.  Catherine Keener plays his mother.  (Keener has taken the pragmatic, well-preserved female roles lately.  Ex-wife and editor in "The Soloist" and the woman who gets "The 40 Year-old Virgin". )  She gets reservedly upset with Max but they clean everything up and forget it.  But when her boyfriend comes over, Max gets jealous.  When he can't get attention any other way, he throws the wildest tantrum ever that finally breaks mom's emotional dam.  She asks what we all want to ask, "What's wrong with you!!" 

That's when he runs off in his costume on a frigidly cold night into the forest and away on a row/sailboat for a 2-day journey with no food or water.  Finally arriving on an island in the middle of the ocean, he explores until he comes upon the strange creatures with whom we spend an hour of weirdness.  No dream state indicated at any time. 

The monsters have interpersonal problems.  One, named Carol (James Gandolfini), is smashing huge, balls of wood.  Others standby and watch or try to discuss his reasons for doing so.  Carol is depressed because KW (Lauren Ambrose) abandoned him.  Ultimately, Max the brave and fearless, runs out to join in smashing the balls.  Facing threats of being eaten, Max makes up a tall tale about being a king. The monsters decide they need a king and Max is saved.  He also stands up in his little 3 1/2 foot body to all the 8-foot tall monsters.  This is probably where all young kids identify with his ability to get these big creatures (like adults) to bend to his will.

The monsters have distinct personalities -- mostly dysfunctional (where I got my idea they might be facets of the kid's warped personality).  Judith (Catherine O'Hara) has the horned nose and forever challenges Max's stories.  She loves Ira (Forest Whitaker) who has a hard time expressing his emotion.  The Bull (Michael Berry, Jr.) snorts and mostly stands off from the others.  Paul Dano plays Alexander, the goat-like, shy one that everyone likes to bully and pick on.   Chris Cooper plays Douglas, the voice of reason.   

These big guys have some pretty violent playtimes.  Max narrowly misses getting crushed several times.  Carol saves him a lot.  A cute part is their jumping all on top of each other after play and going to sleep with Max underneath all cozy and warm.  KW (Carol's erstwhile girlfriend) returns and befriends Max, too.  She likes Carol but he's too macho and overbearing so, she keeps her distance.  She puts Max into her stomach at one point to protect him -- furry wetness but no digestion.  As the days go on, Max enjoys being treated like a king and having friends.  But emotions get complicated and eventually everything falls apart.  Max has to deal with it -- pretty heavy for a little kid.  Max is precocious as well as in need of counseling. 

Maurice Sendak, now 81 years-old, published this original book in 1963.  It has garnered tons of awards and maintained its popularity for generations.  My youngest daughter remembers reading it when she was eight and loving it.  I'm not sure the movie will capture the same generational popularity.  The monsters are kind of cuddly but too emotionally brittle.  James Gandolfini gets that mafia voice when he's agitated.  It's still scary even inside a big stuffed animal.  I wanted to send all of them for therapy!!  The ending floored me -- not telling you, so there. 

Jonze wrote and directed.  Co-writer, Eggers, also wrote "Away We Go" about that funny, pregnant couple on a road trip earlier this year.  That was quirky.  This was ...... confusing to me.  Total run time was about 1 hour 35 minutes and it's rated 'PG'. 

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Law Abiding Citizen: Brainiac With an Agenda Teaches the Legal System New Tricks

Gerard Butler.  A lawyer originally.  That has always fascinated me.  After "The 300", I haven't missed a movie -- he rivaled Zeus.  Back this time as a citizen wronged by the legal system he trusted, Butler gets lots of close ups and one semi-naked scene.  Perfect.  Oh, and lots of stuff blew up, too!!  My rating: $7.50 (1.-10.).

Not to waste time building too much feeling for the wife and child, a home invasion happens 2 minutes after the opening credits.  Clyde Shelton (who thinks up these names?) happily answers the knock on the front door while his cute little 6-year-old makes bead jewelry and his wife prepares the perfect meal.  With deliberate cruelty, the two bad guys played by Josh Stewart (recent of "The Mentalist"/'CSI: Miami"/"Criminal MInds", age 32) and Christian Stolte (played Charles Makley in "Public Enemies", age 47) quickly bind the victims, slowly stabs them like inserting a knife into warm butter, and then rapes the dying wife.  The piece de resistance is the rapist declaring he'll take care of the little girl because "kids like him".  EEEWWH!  Then Clyde passes out.

Next, we meet Asst DA Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx). He has a 96% conviction rate.  For ease of prosecution, he makes a deal that allows the nastier of the two bad guys to plead for a 3 to 5 year sentence in exchange for testimony against his partner.  The script keeps us guessing at first whether Rice really believes his B.S. about making the deal  to prevent both bad guys from getting off --- potentially --- on a technicality.  His boss doesn't believe it.  HIs colleagues don't believe it.  WE don't believe it.  The language and his behavior, though, help us root for Clyde more.

We feel Clyde's pain.  Butler has a great washed out appearance with those beet-red eyes from crying.  His desolation comes across well.  After making the deal, Rice has a moment of guilt/doubt.  His boss helps him over it.  Life goes on.  Rice has a successful legal career, marriage, and beautiful 10 year-old daughter when the story resumes.

For the sake of those we who live out our frustration through the vigilante justice in movies such as this, the 15 minutes of exacting payment for the sins of the two bad guys sets the pace for the rest of the story.  The death row scene was less disturbing than the warehouse scene.  Clyde gets to set, Darby, the really bad guy, up for his execution.  Imaginatively, Clyde uses paralytics to catch him, adrenaline so he stays conscious, Intravenous fluid to keep the guy hydrated to last longer, tourniquets to prevent him from bleeding out too fast, cuts off his eyelids so he has to watch in the overhead mirror, etc.  It DOES go on further.  OK, I was carried away with the details.  One's imagination is always better than the real thing.  Clyde talks us through most of the above.  The audience gets to see the set up and aftermath.  (YOU can always close your eyes and ears and hum to yourself.) 

Once Clyde is pegged as the culprit and arrested, the balance of power between Clyde and Nick becomes the focus.  We soon learn that Clyde was the brain behind government assassinations around the world.  A genius at it, you might say.  With deliberate manipulation, he takes away all the power from those in the legal system who failed his family.  Foxx plays the arrogance of Rice to perfection.  Even when the balance of power turns on itself, Rice never truly breaks, he morphs.  But, to keep the action going, lots of people die in lots of amazing ways.  

Ethereal-looking Leslie Bibb ("Confession of a Shopaholic") plays Rice's protege, Sarah Lowell.  She continually tries to live up to Rice's expectations.  Poor girl.  Talented character actor, Bruce McGill plays Rice's boss who is way out of his league fighting Clyde.  Viola Davis has a cameo as The Mayor.  Other familiar faces come and go.   

The ending rather disappointed me.  I recognized about two-thirds of the way through that there could be no true winner.  The hope of some satisfying twist kept welling up inside.  Alas, no winner in this war.  See what you think when you see it.

Kurt Wimmer ("Ultraviolet"/"Street Kings"/"The Recruit") wrote the screenplay that was directed by F. Gary Gray ("The Italian Job"/"Be Cool").  It runs about 1 hour 50 minutes and is rated "R".  The intensity of violence means you don't bring little kids!!  For now, I await Gerard Butler's next project.  'Bye. 

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Paranormal Activity: Campy At Times But I Still Got Chills

One lone mini-comment on the Pilot movie site almost made me skip this movie.  Bad, bad, bad.  But, I succumbed to having the afternoon free -- a rarity.  Since 'The Blair Witch Project' hit movie theaters in 1999, hand-held camera movies with a pseudo-reality/documentary feel have been offered with variable success.  (I hated "Cloverfield".)  Even though "Paranormal Activity" has plenty of "you gotta be kidding" parts, I have to hand it to the special effects on what had to be a very low budget.  My rating:  $7.00 (1.-10.).

Casting was minimal.  Katie Featherston played Katie and Micah Sloat played Micah (pronounced me' ka), a couple who have a VERY nice home (with hardwood floors, 3 bedrooms, and a pool) and a demonic roommate.  Katie had a friend or two who visited a couple of brief times.  Mark Fredrichs played the Psychic who has all of two scenes.  The cast all used their own names, which made remembering everyone's name much easier. 

From the first scene, our two normal live-ins joke about Micah's newly purchased, huge camera that's to be used to try to catch supernatural activity recently experienced at night.  Kate's joking becomes more serious when Micah talks about inviting the entity to respond.  The psychic has already been called and they await his appointed arrival.  Interspersed between talking about nothing but the entity everyday, we watch them sleep.  A video timer runs at the bottom right of the screen, it's in black and white (night, duh), and we only notice it in fast-forward when the sleepers start to twitch quickly.  When it stops....we soon learn to expect the ominous.   

At first, the disturbances are very subtle.  They don't even wake the couple.  A low hum followed by a startling noise of different intensities keeps us, and them, lulled into a mild state of unease.  Each night has a title:  date and night number from the start of filming.  Nights are skipped more frequently in the beginning and less so when all the good stuff happens.  It's Katie's admission to the psychic that these events have plagued her off and on since she was eight years-old, when the psychic declares the entity demonic and out of his comfort zone.  He refers them to a demonologist, but of course, macho Micah keeps insisting he can fix this himself.

You know there has to be an Ouija board in a demonic movie.  Micah is made the stereotypical macho-man who gets more determined to beat the entity as the activity increases.  Kate is a pretty good sport but makes Micah promise he won't buy an Ouija board.  (So how many in the reading audience already know how THAT turns out?  He borrows one....right!!)  By then, their nightly troubles are becoming more pronounced and being caught on camera. The Ouija board night is actually my first favorite scene.

Ok, I didn't give the movie the best marks because of some things that irritated the poop out of me.  In order for us to continue to participate, the camera had to be there.  No matter how terrified they are or running about after loud noises and such, they always grabbed the camera.  When the scary stuff got going, sometimes the camera work was too obviously manipulated.  It's a minor but obvious flaw later in filming.  Katie became possessed a couple of times.  It  was kind of subtle and random.....and a bit confusing.  Katie also said, 'Stop filming me.  I mean it.  Can't you give me five minutes' or some such in EVERY scene.  I'm supposing that was improvisation?  The worst offender was why they stayed in the house for 26 DAYS!! 

On the bright side, the last 20 minutes are the best because that's when all the good effects happen.  The editing is fair at times during regular action but the writer/director, Oren Peli, did a great job on a $15,000.00 budget. It was completed in 7 days, another impressive fact to know when you watch the movie (Wikipedia).  Peli will be releasing "Area 51" in 2010.  After seeing "Paranormal Activity", I'm definitely looking forward to his next release.  This movie actually debuted in 2007 as an indie-type film which Peli couldn't get picked up even giving the DVD away.  Through a series of fortunate twists of fate, Steven Spielberg, Dreamworks and Paramount Studios made it possible for Peli's dream to come true (from Wikipedia).  

"Paranormal Activity" is rated 'R' for language and, I feel, intense subject matter.  It's only just over 90 minutes with trailers.  There are enough goofy parts to break the tension.  Yet, I got chills every time that invisible demon caused a stir.  This will be fun to see again with friends when we can joke out loud and scare each other watching it in the dark. 

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Whip It: Fun Look at an Almost Forgotten Women's Sport

Girls in rough sports have made movie storylines for years.  It's mostly girls trying to play on male football, basketball, soccer, track, etc. teams.  So how entertaining to find the right cast to pull the sport of women's Roller Derby out of mothballs.  My rating:  $8.00 (1.-10.).

Marcia Gay Harden plays Brooke Cavendar, ex-beauty queen turned postal carrier.  With two daughters, 17 year-old Bliss and 11 year-old Shania (Harden's real daughter, Eulala Scheel), she somehow thinks pushing them to win beauty pageants will make their lives more successful than hers.  A hint things aren't going to work:  Bliss walks out during a pageant luncheon in her perfect formal dress and purple hair. 

Ellen Page, who plays Bliss, never ages.  She looked 15 when she was 18 in 'Hard Candy' (2005).  She looked 17 when she was 20 in "Juno".  She now plays a 17 year-old misfit when she's 4 months from turning 23.  Is there an aging portrait in some attic?  Will she be stuck playing indefinable teens?  Who knows?  I just know that her wide-eyed charisma sucks me in every time.  Having a 20-year-old daughter who pings back and forth between being all grown up and sitting in my lap, Page's delivery of lines like...'Seriously....MOM!" or "Really?...you gotta get over this!" are perfectly endearing. 

When a girl comes of age in a movie, she has to start out as the ugly duckling with prospects.  Bliss Cavendar has no affinity for girly pageants.  It's obvious to all but her mother.  Without a direction in life, she just goes with mom's flow.  Her grades aren't terrible.  She works responsibly at the nearby BBQ bar.  And, she gets lots of guff from the "cool" kids who have cars, play sports, cheerlead, and don't have to work.  Her world includes one close friend, co-waitress, Pash (familiar-face, Alia Shawkat).  Pash has a car.  This helps broaden their horizons.

At the mall with mom, she's fascinated by a bunch of girls on roller skates handing out flyers for roller derby in a town an hour away.  For some reason known only to a bored teen, Bliss decides to defy logic and her parents to go view her first derby.  Pash gets to drive, against her better judgment.  Bliss becomes thoroughly enamored by the sport and the lively personalities who play it.  I think the derby cast helped me enjoy the movie, also.  Kristen Wiig plays the 'mother' of the group, Maggie Mayhem, who takes Bliss under wing.  Singer and part time actress, Eve, plays Rosa Sparks.  Stuntwoman turned actress, Zoe Bell, plays Bloody Holly.  Juliette Lewis (who seemed very tall and dangerous) plays Iron Maven -- derby star who hit her stride in her 30's versus Bliss' 17 years.  Lastly comes Drew Barrymore who plays dopey, Smashley Simpson.  Hers is probably the worst acting in the movie -- I just wanted to slap that stupid look off her face.  Thankfully, she's not stupid since she did an excellent job in her directorial job. 

I was surprised to learn that the Wilson brothers are three.  The oldest brother is Andrew who plays 'Razor', the derby coach.  I recognized his scruffy face but never put him together with his more famous brothers, Luke and Owen.  Andrew's just so much fun as the frustrated coach who gives their plays to the opposing team when his own team refused to cooperate.  Jimmy Fallon, who I think tries to hard, was actually likeable as the derby announcer.  Daniel Stern plays goofy but supportive dad, Earl. 

Roller Derby is a smash'em up sport.  We get to see some of the (probably) real bruises the size of Florida on bums, legs, hips, etc.  Page does a good job showing dedication in practice to become really good in a short time.  There is, however, only one really bad hit on Page in the whole movie.  That was good although not believable.  She would have been pulverized otherwise.  We also get to overlook the many times she stays out all night before someone catches her.  She's out skating around cones in the street for hours...but her parents have no clue.  She gets the singer in a boy band to date her (when she puts contacts in and begins her transformation into swan).  Played by newcomer with flawed good looks and a great voice, Landon Pigg romances our little sweetheart.  Bliss handles the whole thing with such a grounded attitude.  That was almost unbelievable, too.  Nevertheless, we want to love Bliss as "Babe Ruthless", her derby alter ego.  The whole movie is just wonderful entertainment. 

Shauna Cross wrote the original book, "Derby Girl", and adapted it to this screenplay.  Nice job for a newbie.  As I said before, Drew Barrymore directed.  It's rated 'PG-13' and runs about 2 hours with trailers.  All about coming of age, moms and daughters will get a kick out of seeing this movie together.  It's a harmless date movie, too.  It's just FUN.  Go see it!

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Zombieland: Zombie-Hunting Heaven with A Little Romance Thrown In

I love "Dawn of the Dead" and most of the crazy zombie/undead movies out there.  Although, there was one on DVD (can't remember the name) that looked like it was made in somebody's backyard......bad would be a kind review.  "Zombieland" makes no claims to be horror-ble.  With the likes of hemp-wearing Woody Harrelson, this zombie movie uses the monsters totally as target practice.  Ewwy, gooey, zombie parts all over the screen.  Even the suspense will make you giggle.  My rating:  $8.00 (1.-10.0).  Just plain, gory, fun. 

The movie starts out narrated so we have some point of reference how the infection started and how our heroes find each other.  Jesse Eisenberg ("Adventureland") plays an agoraphobic and germaphobic guy who lives alone and rarely leaves his computer-gaming world.  He has a secret crush on his hot neighbor who suddenly shows up banging on his door after being attacked by the local street beggar.  So lost in the thought of the girl being in his grasp, he helps clean her up and lets her fall asleep on his shoulder.  If you know zombie movies, you know what happens when she awakens -- stereotypical, crazed, cannibalistic, decaying female.  What's funny, he tries not to offend her while avoiding being bitten.  He tries to Purell her and himself.  He apologizes for running her over!!  My only complaint is he plays his part like a clone of Michael Cera in 'Juno'.  Cera could have played the part.

Back to the story.  The guy goes to a gas station where he's chased all over by a couple more zombies -- they don't fare so well after the fight.  He steals a car and ends up on the road.. alone.  The roads look like the aftermath of "War of the Worlds".  That's where our young survivor meets Woody Harrelson's character, Tallahassee.  It's Tallahassee who names Eisenberg's character, Columbus, for his hometown where his parents still live.  Once these two loons meet, the rest of the movie is a series of zombie-hunting adventures.  Tallahassee uses zombie-mutilation as stress-relief and keeps an arsenal in his trunk.  

The romance starts when the two guys meet Wichita (Emma Stone -- girl with real star potential -- "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past"/"The Rocker"/"Superbad") and her sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).  Don't ask me about the city names -- just get past it, OK?  Turns out these two cuties aren't as sweet as first advertised.  In fact, they work the guys over like babes in the woods.  Wichita and Little Rock are teen and preteen grifters from hell.  Can they be redeemed?  In a world where live humans are becoming extinct....this movie will make you wonder.

The best part of the movie for me was spent in Bill Murray's home.  Of all the houses in Beverly Hills, Tallahassee idolizes Bill Murray.  (The house is gorgeous.  Don't know if it was like Murray's real home.)  The four-some makes themselves at home.  Tallahassee and Wichita get stoned in the living room while 'the kids' eat popcorn and watch "Ghost Busters" (what else?) in Murray's private screening room.  Everyone keeps a weapon close by.  Columbus has his trusty rifle just next to his seat. 

Meanwhile, the noise awakens a body in tattered clothes and with a decrepit face.  Who do you think it is?  Duh!!  The Bill Murray scenes last about 10 minutes.  Murray's performance was perfectly hilarious.  His idea was to look like a zombie in order to  fool the real zombies into ignoring him.  One shouldn't pretend to be a zombie, however, when one is sneaking up on another person who has a GUN!!

Columbus chases Wichita.  Columbus is a virgin.  The two have no chemistry.  But, in our minds, we want the human race to procreate and, as such, allow ourselves to root for the unlikely match.  The awkward progression of their attraction (mostly from hormones and alcohol) has quite humorous implications.  The boy virgin angle is always fun to watch.  Let me not forget that Columbus has 20 or so rules of survival.  As he and Harrelson adventure across the country, each rule comes back to haunt them.  They don't actually see them.  We see them as 3-D mock-ups hanging in mid-air.  (If you watch "Fringe", you'll get it.)  It's funny if you go see the movie!! 

Most annoying?  The girls punk the boys to the point of being stupid when there are only 4 people left in the world.  Once, maybe.  But every cotton-pickin' time?  I'm guessing it was a facet of their flawed characters.  It's another thing you'll either find funny or ......  have to GET OVER IT!!   

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick co-wrote the script.  These two have collaborated on a few TV/movie projects of which I am totally clueless.  Wernick did produce a some "Big Brother' episodes.   'Zombieland' shows me they are improving.  TV producer/director, Ruben Fleischer comes to the big screen with some talented use of a good cast.   It's rated 'R' because you can't desecrate the dead and expect a lesser rating.  The run time is 80 minutes which keeps the story moving and prevents having time to get bored.  But really, it's hilarious if you can stand the intermittent gore. 

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It Might Get Loud: The Electric Guitar Played by Three of the Best in Music History!!

I listen to the radio in the car.  I like all kinds of music but spend my life watching movies and theater.  My first memory of the theater was seeing Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera in New York when I was about eight.  I'm telling you this for a place of comparison when say that I'm going to buy "It Might Get Loud" as soon as it's on DVD!!  Guys, it's THE Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin (a rock god), The Edge from U2 (since 1978), and Jack White (a music wizard), spending an hour and 47 minutes reliving the greatest moments in their memories of the electric guitar.  They JAM, man.  OMG!  This is one of the few documentary-type movies I will rave about.  My rating: $8.00 (1.-10.).

When I looked up Jimmy Page's history on IMDB, his resume was longer than anyone I've ever researched.  A genius who couldn't read music when he started, Page brought us some of the most memorable rock tunes ever.  I never knew till I saw him in this film about his being the first to use the double neck electric guitar when he wrote "Stairway to Heaven (1971)".  To then hear the original film clip with all the beaded clothes and that huge hair from the 70's -- truly a gift.  Now, white-haired, you can still see the energy in his eyes when he speaks about music.  And he was HOT in his earlier days.  There are even some photos going back into the 50's when Page was an up and coming unknown. 

The Edge, born David Howell Evans in 1961, joined U2 at its inception way back in 1978 (IMDB).  I was surprised to see he was born in England because his story, in the film, revolved around his life in Dublin, where he still lives, I believe.  His accent is Irish.  In "It Might Get Loud", he comes across as rather reserved -- not an extrovert, for sure.  Another reason from my surprise is that he has that vibe of one from an inner city -- leather wearing, knit cap, sharp gaze that looks suspicious of everyone.  The only time he really smiles in the film is when he's listening to some old tapes that bring him happy memories.  A glimpse of a human side he doesn't show to just anyone.  The music, though....the music is to die for. 

Then there's Jack White (born John Anthony Gillis).  The baby of the three musicians.  He and his "sister" Meg White (his wife according to a lovely IMDB biography. They called themselves 'siblings' for publicity purposes) started a band they called, "White Stripes" in the 90's.  His historical video was a bit  more confusing than the other two icons. Maybe his rise to fame wasn't documented as well historically as the others.  Anyway, one of his first shows was for a group of elderly war vets (it looked like England -- still not sure) who tapped their toes to his rock and roll beat.  It was a very candid, performance by a new artist. 

White can play the piano and all sorts of guitars.  In fact, the movie opens as he makes an electric guitar out of odd pieces of wood, some wire, an electric adaptor, and a glass, coke bottle right before our eyes.  It takes about 5 minutes.  And he actually plays it!!  His crazy dark, shoulder-length hair, very-arched eyebrows, and wicked sense of humor make him a darling you want to take home.  At one point, White is driving along an old dirt road.  The caption reads, 'Jack White -- today'.  The camera slowly pans past him to the back seat where a young boy sits in identical clothes.  The caption reads, 'Jack White -- age 9).  Too funny.  Nevertheless, he's a serious and talented 34-year-old who held his own every minute with his older peers. 

I can't take away that this movie is a documentary... the kiss of death for most of the popular, money-spending, audiences.  But the music is so engaging whether it's from old film clips or just listening to the personal comments from three iconic geniuses ----  you just have to see it.  I'm not kidding, I'll buy the DVD even to hear the last 15 to 20 minutes when the three jam. 

Director Davis Guggenheim won the Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth".  He's also directed many of the most popular TV series episodes like '24', 'Alias', 'Melrose Place', 'Numb3rs', and 'The Unit'.  He's hit another perfect cord in "It Might Get Loud'.  It's rated 'PG' because rock stars are NOT saints.  They ARE hard to resist!!

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