Review: Predator 2 (1990)

People in the Movie:  Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Kevin Peter Hall

Director:  Stephen Hopkins   

Pigeonhole:  Action / “Sci-Fi”

The Basics: Seven years into the future, during a very hot summer, Los Angeles is being torn apart by a gang war in between two drug cartels.  Lt. Mike Harrigan (Glover) is a shoot-first-ask-questions-later street cop, who, along with 3 of his detectives are trying to save the city.  There are even bigger problems, a humanoid-like alien, a Predator (Hall), is also stalking, hunting, and killing in the city, and he is not choosing sides.  

Recommendation: This is nice action film that reasonably succeeds as a sequel.  As a standalone (meaning you did not see the first film) it will work fine, in fact, it might actually “seem” better not having seen the first film.  “R” rating is for violence, language, and brief nudity.

My Take:  The idea of the Predator in the “urban jungle” works well.  The movie also follows some sequel good rules: the kills are more gory, the Predator has more diverse weapons, and the good guys are no better at stopping this Predator than in the prior film.  My only criticisms of the film lie in the casting, and the subplot of the government’s desire to capture the Predator.   

**spoiler alert** Let me start by saying that Danny Glover is a great actor, and I respect his place in Hollywood, as well as enjoying many of his films.  However, I did not like his role being cast as Lt. Harrigan in Predator 2.  The role called for an action character capable of taking on vicious street gangs, shrugging off politics and ultimately interference from the government, as well as physically taking down a Predator.  I accept him as the “rogue cop who can’t follow the rules” (a favorite movie moniker of my brother), but appearing physically able to be fighting the street gangs early in the film then taking on the Predator later – especially chasing him building to building as it is portrayed towards the end of the movie- is too much of a stretch for me.  Glover was just coming off his role in Lethal Weapon 2, where is portrayed as getting “too old for this”, yet he comes back and does this, an even more physically challenging role, and as a detective, no less?  Unfortunate. 

In addition, the whole subplot of a DEA group headed by Agent Keyes (Busey) attempting to capture the Predator was bordering on ludicrous.  Keyes and his crew supposedly have a bunch of intelligence and data tracking the Predator through Los Angeles, including information about the Predator who took out the Special Forces group in the original movie, yet they believe they can capture him by spraying him down with liquid nitrogen?  That is almost horror movie stupidity on display.  Fortunately, that stupidity is rewarded with the Predator dispatching Keyes and his team with haste.

In spite of these issues, it is still a good paced movie, with good action sequences, and even better is that at the end of the movie when more is revealed about the Predator mythology, specifically about their hunting and trophy collecting.  Harrigan has chased the Predator back to his ship where it appears he is going to escape, when Harrigan kills him with one of his own weapons.  Several other Predators de-camouflage witnessing the action.  Two Predators pick up their dead comrade, while another Predator then throws Harrigan an old pistol with “Raphael Adolini 1715” stamped on it – basically giving Harrigan a trophy for his kill.  This tells the audience the Predators have been hunting on Earth for centuries, and opens the door for all kinds of story possibilities.  Even more “exciting” is that while on the Predator ship, Harrigan sees a trophy room where mounted on the wall is a head/skull of an Alien, from the Alien movie franchise.  This obviously foreshadows what will become the Alien vs. Predator movies.   

Very good supporting roles are played by Ruben Blades as one of Harrigan’s detectives, by Bill Paxton also as a detective and comic relief, and finally Morton Downey, Jr. as a loud mouthed guerilla journalist.       

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  This was the first film to be rated NC-17 for violence and gore, NC-17 was new at this time from the MPAA, but the movie was re-cut (allegedly over 20 times) to have the R rating for theatrical release… The Jamaican drug cartel was based on real gangs in New York and Kansas City from the 80’s… The original Alien vs. Predator idea came from Dark Horse Comics, which were out around this time…   

Happy Birthday: Ed Harris & Judd Nelson

Ed - my favorite films of his are Enemy at the Gates and History of Violence

Judd - my favorite of his remains The Breakfast Club

Awesome Quote: The Hangover (2009)

"Tigers LOVE pepper.  They hate cinnamon."

Awesome Quotes: Heathers (1988)

"F-ck me gently with a chainsaw.."

Review: Predator (1987)

People in the Movie:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Kevin Peter Hall

Director:  John McTiernan   

Pigeonhole:  Action / “Sci-Fi”

The Basics: An elite Special Forces squad led by Major “Dutch” Schaefer (Schwarzenegger) is sent to Central/South America by CIA operative Dillon (Weathers) to assist in the rescue of a cabinet member who has been kidnapped by a guerilla force.  They quickly learn the rescue operation was a ruse, and that “something” is in the jungle stalking and hunting them all.         

Recommendation: This is a testosterone driven, guns and explosions fest, with some Academy Award nominated special effects.  When you have Schwarzenegger in the lead and McTiernan directing you know what you are in for: a well paced action movie that should be checked out.   “R” rating is for violence and language.

My Take:  The plot is fairly straightforward: the Special Forces unit takes out the guerilla army only to discover a single humanoid-like extraterrestrial is stalking and killing humans in the same jungle.  We also learn that the Predator hunts when it is especially hot in the jungle, and that he has been there before or for some extended amount of time.  I also especially like Jesse Ventura and Bill Duke as supporting actors in this on the Special Forces squad.  They are portrayed as buddies going to back the Vietnam War, and both bring that “badass factor” to the screen.

**spoiler alert** While I usually root for the “good guys” in big time action films, I found myself drawn to the Predator (Hall) character the most in this movie.  McTiernan took his time building up suspense before revealing the Predator in full visage.  The audience sees first person the Predator viewing his prey in infrared vision (an excellent visual effect), somehow recording and voice mimicking men from the squad, then finally we see him strike (although he is still in stealth mode, which is also an awesome effect). 

The Predator is hunting for trophies, although there does not seem to be an apparent pattern as to whose skulls he collects versus who he skins and suspends upside down in the trees of the jungle.  Nor is there any pattern to which soldiers he shoots with his shoulder mounted plasma gun, versus whom he impales with his wrist blades.  I like these elements; it keeps the movement of the film less predictable, and it is also clear there is no way to reason with an antagonist such as this one.  It is a pure struggle to overcome a superior fighter with better weapons. 

I did not really think the final hand to hand fight between Dutch and the Predator was all that great, but it almost seemed as if the film would end no other way. 

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  The original working title of this film was “Hunter”… Kevin Peter Hall, who was 7 foot 2 by the way, could not see well out of his mask, so the final fight was very difficult to shoot… Two of the actors in this film went on to become governors: Schwarzenegger in CA, and Ventura in MN… Final body count (according to IMDb) is 64… This is the first of 3 Predator only films; Predator 2, Predators, plus the Predators appear in 2 crossover films Alien vs. Predator, and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem…

Happy Birthday: Ben Stein & Ricardo Montalban

Ben - best know for role as the droning teacher in Ferris Beuller, "anyone, anyone?"

Ricardo - my favorites of his are Star Trek 2 and Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad

Thanksgiving Picks

If your stomach is full, and you are either tired of football for the day or not interested in the teams playing, try some these films which will not involve too much thinking since the blood has flowed to your gut temporarily :

Revenge of the Nerds - a great 80's frat flick.
Raiders of the Lost Ark - a nice action film in which Harrison Ford is still young enough to be believable as an action character.
Airplane - one of the all time great spoof comedies.
A Christmas Story - watch it now, and get ahead for the holiday.
American Pie - a funny high school comedy mostly about what teenage boys are constantly seeking: sex.

Happy Birthday: Harold Ramis and Goldie Hawn

Harold - probably better know for his writing than his acting, but my favorites of his include :  Caddyshack, Animal House, and Groundhog Day (all as writer), plus Ghostbusters and Stripes (as writer and actor)

Goldie - my faovrites of hers are Wildcats, and Death Becomes Her

Happy Birthday: Sean Young

My favorite film of hers is Blade Runner

Awesome quotes: Europeon Vacation (1985)

"Hey kids, Big Ben, Parliment.."

Happy Birthday: Meg Ryan & Jodie Foster

Meg - my favorite of hers is when Harry met Sally

Jodie - my clear favorite is Nell (not)... it's Silence of the Lambs

Happy Birthday: Martin Scorsese

One of the great American Directors of all time.

Bob’s guide to Star Trek films: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Principal Cast: First Generation + Christopher Plummer, Kim Cattrall, Iman, Kurtwood Smith, and David Warner.

The Basics
The Klingon homeworld has suffered catastrophic damage to their atmosphere caused by the explosion of its moon, Praxis, which was also the Klingon’s key energy facility.  This leaves the Klingons with about 50 years of breathable air left on their world.  
In the wake of this disaster, the Klingons begin discussing a possible peace treaty with the Federation, which does not sit well with many of its members.  Nevertheless, Kirk and his crew are assigned, as their final voyage, to escort the Klingon chancellor and his company to Earth to discus peace. 
While en route, the Klingon ship is fired upon, and the chancellor is murdered by two assassins in Federation pressure suits.  Kirk and McCoy are arrested, tried, and convicted for the crime.  
It is up to the Enterprise crew to find the true murderer and prevent them from striking again when the new chancellor continues the talks of peace. 

My Take
This is another film I highly regard, not just as a great Trek film, but a great work of science fiction altogether.  A lot of what makes this film great can be seen as a “right place, right time” scenario.
*Spoiler alert* The obvious allegory of this film is the fall of the Soviet Union, due in part by the meltdown of the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, which is represented by the explosion of Praxis.  Both were “key sources of  energy,” and “:insufficient safety measures,” led to catastrophe in both cases.  
And like the hostilities between the US and the USSR, the conflict between the Federation and the Klingon empire had been a long one, and the thought of the peace was something that Kirk and company thought they would never see in their lifetimes.  This led very naturally to the conspiracy to murder Gorkon, which would have started a full scale war for no other reason that to keep the status quo.  In my humble opinion, the film does a very good job in presenting the allegory.
In the Trek universe, the Klingons started out as little more than a race of antagonists to be brought in when action was needed.  They, as a whole, began to gain depth of character throughout the series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that progression continues and grows through this film.  We learn a little about their culture, their core values, and that their blood is purple.  But more importantly, there is a civilization behind their actions, which gives them motivation beyond the scope of plot development.  This is a good thing.  
The cast performance in this movie stands out from the series in my opinion.  The tension runs high in many parts and the cast does a very good job portraying these emotions.  For example, when Spock realizes that the Federation has been betrayed by his protégé, Nimoy does a great job showing Spock filling with anger that his logical upbringing tells him he must suppress.
The film also features one of the finest supporting casts in the franchise.  Christopher Plummer stands out amongst them as General Chang, who represents the old world Klingon school of thought that war is a way of life, and peace is another word for surrender.  David Warner had played a bit of a static part in Trek five, but shows his character acting ability in the role of Gorkon making him stand out, even though he is in less that five minutes of the film.  Kim Cattrall does a good job playing the Vulcan Valeris, who is somewhat flawed in her sense of logic and brash a certain points, but Cattrall does a good job making this character believable.  Kurtwood Smith also appears as the Federation president, and shows that he can play a more reasonable character than he’s known for (watch Robocop, Dead Poets Society, and that 70’s Show.) Iman rounds out the cast as a shape shifting alien who helps Kirk and McCoy escape their prison and lead them into a trap.  She does a good job of portraying a character of strength and a less that trustworthy demeanor.
I’m not one to praise special effects for the most part, but they were done very well in this movie.  But then again, this was still an era where filmmakers knew what effects shots to use to enhance the story, rather than wow the audience away from a bad story.  
Originally, Trek 5 was meant to be the last film to feature the original cast, and this film was to be a prequel showing Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Academy.  But, due to the poor reaction to the film by critics and fans, it was decided to reassemble the cast for one more adventure.  Like I said, “right place, right time.”  The world was changing, and the world of Star Trek changed with it.  Like Wrath of Khan, this should be in your collection.  

Interesting Notes:  Originally, Kim Cattrall’s character was to be Lieutenant Saavik, frst portrayed by Kirsty Alley.  But Cattrall objected to this because she did not want to be the third actor to play this role, and she also thought it would be a betrayal of the original character to have her betray Spock the way she did.  So the character was changed.
Also, Michael Dorn, who is best know for playing Lieutenant Worf on TNG, has a small part in this film as General Worf, Kirk and McCoy’s defense council for their trial.  It has been implied by the writers that this is Worf’s grandfather.  General Worf is present at the peace talks at Camp Kitomer.  In the TNG storyline, Worf’s parents are killed in an attack on the Klingon outpost on Kitomer, which makes this a very significant locale in Klingon history.          

Happy Birthday: Beverly D'Angelo

From Columbus, OH, my hometown...  My favorite films of hers were the first 2 Vacation movies

Full Review: Freddys Dead: The Final Nightmare (Nightmare on Elm St. 6) 1991

People in the Movie:  Robert Englund, Lisa Zane

Director:  Rachel Talalay  

Pigeonhole:  Horror / Teen Slasher

The Basics: Freddy Krueger (Englund) has killed all but one teen left and in Springwood, Ohio.  He luckily  escapes town (and Freddy), but with amnesia, and he ends up in contact with Dr Maggie Buroughs (Zane).  Maggie and John Doe (as he is now called), along with 3 other teens travel back to Springwood, where some interesting discoveries are made.  Freddy, before he was killed by the mob, had a child.  It is a fight to the end, and to not ruin it, but as the title suggests, Freddy is dead.     

Recommendation: Fans of the series should see this one.  As a standalone (meaning you have not seen any of the preceding films) it would make very little sense.  “R” rating is for violence, and language.  

My Take:  This is a tough movie to gauge.  It does not feel like any of the other Nightmare films despite Freddy killing several teens, and it’s almost as if it stands alone in some ways bringing in elements that the audience was never aware of to the Freddy mythology.  The tone feels almost detached either intentionally to separate it from the other Nightmare movies, or because of poor writing.  Nothing going on seems to be real, like a dream within a dream, or some other similar metaphor.  The final 10 minutes were shot in 3D, this being the first Nightmare movie to have that feature.  By the end of the film I was almost expecting someone to wake up from a nightmare, having imagined it “all”.  Some entertaining cameos are made by Johnny Depp, Tom and Roseanne Arnold, and Alice Cooper.  There is a great montage run during the credits of some of the “best scenes” from all the prior films.

**spoiler alert** There seems to a lot of head-scratching new plot items in this movie.  Maybe it was the writer’s desire to not really expand the storyline, but more to go in a different direction from the previous 5 films. 

The story picks up 10 years after Alice’s last encounter with Freddy in ‘Dream Child’.  We do not know how he came back, or how he managed to kill all the teens in Springwood.  Further disjointing the mythology are 2 facts; Freddy had a daughter before he was killed (we also see that she may have inadvertently caused his mental state to crumble), and that Freddy’s power to invade people’s dreams and exist on a different plane has come from 3 “Dream Demons” that live in his essence.  The daughter element is somewhat entertaining, and the fact it is his daughter who takes him down at the end makes it somewhat sweeter.  However, the Dream Demon element was completely absurd.  I have always preferred the idea of a “bad” character being evil by his/her own choice or doing.  Doing the bidding of or for a demon just does not have the same weight, in my opinion.  I will give credit to writer for bring back an element from the first film: to defeat Freddy, Maggie had to pull him out of the dream world and into the “real world”.

While Freddy’s demise is probably the best part of the film, there is one somewhat goofy kill he makes with a teen stuck in a video game.  Freddy plugs his glove into a game deck (a la the Powerglove from Nintendo) and “plays” with the character.   As I also mentioned earlier, Alice Cooper has a nice little cameo as Freddy’s adoptive father who is scummy pimp-type guy.

Not the best Nightmare installment, but certainly not the worst.      

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  While this was supposed to have been the end of Freddy Krueger, there were two more Robert Englund Freddy/Nightmare movies, plus now the reboots with Jackie Earle Haley…

Full Review: Nightmare on Elm St (5): The Dream Child (1989)

People in the Movie:  Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox

Director:  Stephen Hopkins   

Pigeonhole:  Horror / Teen Slasher

The Basics: Freddy Krueger (Englund) is back to terrorize and kill even more teens, while continuing to spout off one-liners.  He is using the dreams of Alice’s (Wilcox) unborn child to “attack”, and Freddy also wants to be re-born into the “real-world”.  Maternal issues are abound as we also learn more about Freddy’s mommy.

Recommendation: If you are a fan of the series, you should see it, so you can say you watched it.  As a standalone (meaning if you had not seen any of the prior Nightmares) you would be lost. “R” rating is for violence, language, and brief nudity.

My Take:  To at least focus on the positive, the special effects are entertaining and more eye catching than the prior Nightmares.  The overall tone also feels darker than some of the preceding films; the filming was done with filters on the cameras giving it a more somber look.  The acting, on the other hand, is worthless, the story seems full of holes, and seems driven purely by the FX and waiting for the next kill and/or one-liner.  And one item that somewhat bothers me - the body count is not that high- considering the fact this is a fifth installment of a series.  

**spoiler alert** Alice and Dan (Danny Hassle) having survived Nightmare 4 are now graduating high school, and a couple.  That is short lived – Dan gets killed in a traffic accident/ Freddy attack (one of the interesting FX scenes). 

Alice is pregnant and is dreaming about Amanda Kruger, Freddy’s birth mother.  We later learn that Amanda, of course, will become the key to destroying Freddy this time.  The audience is given a little more about Freddy’s past, which does add to the Freddy Krueger mythology, but that’s about it on the story side. 

Several of Alice’s friends are dispatched; one my favorites is the comic geek vs. Freddy in a comic drawn story that appears to be unfolding with the events of the movie, it reminded me a little of the Ah-Ha video “Take on Me”.  But as I noted earlier, the story is somewhat of a mess.  Alice comes in contact with a young boy named Jacob, that we find out is like an avatar of her unborn son (I couldn’t figure it out, either), and it is Jacob along with the soul of Freddy’s mother who was formerly trapped at the now abandoned Westin Hills Sanitarium (Nightmare 3) who must take away Freddy’s power in the final battle this time.    

Alice survives, which is a first in the Nightmare series: a main character surviving more than 2 movies.

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  Robert Englund has stated this is his least favorite of the Nightmare series … The movie is not actually called Nightmare on Elm Street 5, it is referred to throughout as Nightmare on Elm St: The Dream Child.  That is of little consequence, everyone calls it number 5.  

Bob's Full Review: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Bob’s guide to Star Trek Films
­Principal Cast: First Generation + Laurence Luckinbill and David Warner

Basic Plot
While the Enterprise crew is on shore leave, the Federation receives a message from a Vulcan cult leader who has taken political hostages and demands to negotiate for their release, in person.  Kirk and company answer the call and head for the Neutral Zone while working to correct the severe design flaws that are causing problems aboard the new Enterprise. 
After fighting their way past Sybok’s army, Kirk and his crew are forced to surrender after finding out the cult’s “hostages” are part of the greater plan.  Kirk and company are taken prisoner and their ship commandeered for Sybok’s ultimate goal.  
One by one the crew of the Enterprise are mesmerized into the service of the strange Vulcan leader who uses a form of emotional hypnosis to win loyalty in others.  It is up to Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to find a way to save the Enterprise, and perhaps once again, the whole galaxy.

My Take
*Spoiler Alert*  The basic plot of this movie, the Enterprise seeks God, was conceived as a possible storyline for the original Trek film, but was abandoned in favor of the V-Ger story.  It was later rehashed and used for this film.  
That being said, the plot of this movie is somewhat weak, if not coming completely from left-field.  We are asked to believe that Sybok is able to influence the will of others by making them face their greatest pain without any explanation as to what he is actually doing to the subject’s mind, let alone that it works on Spock and not Kirk.  Sybok also reveals that he is following a vision given to him by God himself.  It is never explained whether the entity they encounter at the end of the film (who turns out not to be the one true God) somehow gave him these visions or if Sybok is merely delusional.  
It is also never explained what “The Great Barrier” is.  We are shown that whatever it is, it is blue and no one has ever crossed it.  It is spoken of as if it is highly dangerous, but the Enterprise and a Klingon Bird of Prey cross through it with no problems.  I would have like to known where this thing is and what makes it so intimidating to space farers.  
The fact that Sybok is Spock’s brother didn’t bother me.  What bothered me is the idea that Spock is so strict with his syntax that he never told Kirk, his best friend, that he had a brother, simply because he and Sybok were half siblings rather than full.  I can only guess that Sybok is the elder brother since Sarek was still married to Spock’s mother at the time, and as far as I know, Vulcans do not practice polygamy.  So, what happened to Sybok’s mother?  Did they get along or hate each other?  And why did Sybok abandon his peoples’ adherence to logic?  These are a few items I would have liked to know more about.  
In Star Trek lore, the Neutral Zone is an area of space that separates Federation, Romulan, and Klingon territories.  According to the Neutral Zone treaty, no one is permitted to colonize or set an outpost on any world within the Zone.  Yet, Sybok lures the Enterprise to a colonized planet within the Neutral Zone without explaining why such a thing exists.  It is explained that the planet was seeded with the dregs of the galaxy, but it is never stated for what purpose and/or when the treaty was ratified to allow colonization of the planet. 
The last thing I had a problem with is the fact that the Enterprise, which is a brand new ship in this film, is falling apart around the crew while they’re on this mission.  Would the federation really build such a substandard starship?  I think not.  If the ship had been damaged by its trip through the great barrier, it would have filled two big plot holes in this film.  
It sounds like nitpicking, but when you pile up this many inconsistencies in one film, especially a Trek film that is going to be seen by hordes of lifetime die-hard fans who know the names of every actor who played the red shirt ensigns who died left and right in the original series, people are going to notice.  
This was the Trek film that inspired the infamous “odd movie curse,” which states that all odd numbered Star Trek movies are destined to suck What’s really sad about this film is that it did have some potential.  I liked the idea of Kirk going up against a fanatical cult leader and his minions.  And like I said, I didn’t have a problem with the prospect of Spock having a long lost brother, by the dynamics of their relationship should have been developed a little better.  I’m not sure how I feel about the idea of the search for God, but as explained earlier, it needed a little work.  Basically, what this film really needed was more revision on it’s script.  If you’ve never seen a Trek film, DO NOT begin with this one. 

Interesting note: A scene was scripted but never shot which involved the “false God” taking the form of a giant rock monster and chasing Kirk across the desert before being shot down by the Klingon Bird of Prey.  The idea of this scene was later lampooned in the film “Galaxy Quest.”
     

Awesome movie quote: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)

"Come see the violence inherent in the system. Help, help I'm being repressed!"

Bob on Bram

I agree that Bram Stoker's Dracula is a central icon to the figure of 
the vampire. The novel essentially took a folklore monster and made it 
into a darkly romantic and mysterious figure. There is no doubt in the 
novel that Dracula is a monster and a force of evil, but there is 
something alluring and beautiful about him and brings forbidden desires 
to surface. This is the kind of quality that nearly every vampire in 
film and literature since has embodied.

Interesting note: Even though he is the title character, Dracula is only 
physically seen in about 30% of the novel.

Full Review: Kids (1995)

People in the Movie:  Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloe Sevigny

Director:  Larry Clark  

Pigeonhole:  Drama / Indie

The Basics:  An indie film that takes a raw look at a day in the life of teenagers in New York City.  Telly (Fitzpatrick) and Casper (Pierce) spend their day looking to have sex with teen girls they know from around the neighborhood, as well drinking and smoking marijuana throughout.  Jennie (Sevigny) learns that she HIV positive and spends her day trying to find the boy who infected her.  The movie looks and feels almost like a documentary with the camera work and dialogue, but it is not.   

Recommendation: Understandably a very polarizing film due to the subject matter.  I personally hold it in high regards, and recommend seeing it.   I have seen the same version of the film called both NC-17 and unrated, either way, I would urge caution with younger teens.

My Take: Eye-opening is the phrase I would use to best describe this film.  Seeing these urban teens defiling themselves with a seemingly invincible (or maybe more like completely apathetic) attitude was a wake up call to this former suburbanite.  Yes, the movie is a work of fiction, but based on real people (according to the writer), and the production very much made the on-screen product feel all the more genuine.  

**spoiler alert** The opening scene is Telly talking a very young looking 13 year old girl into having sex with him.  We also learn this girl is a virgin, and that Telly “prefers” this.  Meanwhile his friend Casper sits on the stoop of the apartment building drinking beer and reading a comic book.  Telly soon exits the building having finished his conquest for the morning; he and Casper then proceed to walk through the city for more debauchery, thievery, substance abuse and eyebrow raising conversations with other delinquent friends of theirs.

The movie flips between the activities of Telly and Casper, and the other “lead” Jennie.  We are introduced to Jennie and her friend Ruby (Rosario Dawson) as they and 2 of their friends are hanging out, discussing sexual encounters they have had, and why they like sex.  Their conversation is equally as raw as the same discussion going on across town with Telly, Casper, and an apartment full of their buddies.  Jennie and Ruby proceed to a local clinic where they have previously had blood drawn to check themselves for STD’s.  The irony (of course) is that Ruby reveals she has had risky unprotected sex with multiple partners and she is STD free, while Jennie, who has only had sex with Telly learns she is HIV positive.  Jennie, very distraught, then begins searching for Telly, presumably to inform him he is HIV positive.

Telly and Casper continue along their day’s expedition and; steal money from Telly’s mom, go to a skateboarding park to smoke a blunt, beat a kid unconscious for disrespecting them, hook up with a few friends, break into a private pool for a swim, and make their way to that night’s party.  Jennie ventures around hitting most of the spots Telly and Casper were hours before and ending up in a rave where she takes a home-made rave drug (similar to ecstasy), before ending up at the aforementioned party.

The finale:  we see this party where pre-teens are smoking weed, Telly working his way into the pants of his next virgin victim, and many other guys and gals trying to make out with each other, as well as being in various states of intoxication.  Jennie shows up, still loaded on the drugs from the club, and sees Telly having sex with another girl, so she walks away to pass out on a couch – without saying anything, but still distraught.  The scene cuts and Casper wakes up in the bathtub, and gets up to wander through the apartment seeing everyone passed out.  He sits down next to Jennie, still passed out, pulls off her pants and has sex with her – and yes, since she did not consent, it is rape.   The scene cuts again, we see Casper wake up and utter “what happened?”

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  This movie has a great soundtrack that I would recommend giving a once over, even if you choose not to watch the movie…

Vampires among us...

While Bram Stoker did not invent the vampire - the legends and myths had been around Eastern Europe for centuries - he created a character and a writing such that it became the template for most vampire fiction, and subculture that is alive (ha,ha) and thriving today.
It would be hard to imagine horror/fantasy movies, TV, and literature without the vampire.

Happy Birthday: Bram Stoker

The writer of Dracula, one of the most famous horror novels of all time.

Awesome movie quote: They Live (1988)

Spoken by Nada (Rowdy Roddy Piper.) "I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum."

down but not out... mother nature strikes again

To review the weather that has struck the homestead this year:

- Record snow fall
- Ice storms
- Tornado and microbursts, back to back
- Hurricane Irene
- and now the motherlode- a Nor'easter that did more damage than Hurricane Irene.  About 12 inches of snow in less than 10 hours, and it took down more trees than I have ever personally seen.  Pictures will be pending.
Bear with us, more reviews are pending, I just have to get power back to be able to make my usual posts.

Thanks for your continued viewing.

James