Happy Birthday: Mel Blanc

Maybe the best voice actor, ever, for cartoons.
Best of the best include : Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam

Quick Look: The Tall Man (2012)

I decided to watch the The Tall Man based purely on the movie poster, and the fact Jessica Biel was the lead.  I was left scratching my head about many of elements of the film, and beginning to end what the audience was to glean from this story.
It was written and directed by Pascal Laugier, and is rated 'R' for violence, and language, although I would consider it more like a 'PG-13' than an 'R'.

*spoiler alert* The story takes place in Cold Rock, Washington, a former mining town that now seems to be little more than a diner, a small police force, decrepit buildings and its impoverished residents.  We meet Julia (Biel), our protagonist, the town nurse; she is a widow and her husband was the town doctor.  Julia has a son named David, who stays with a nanny at their house outside of town while Julia works.  Julia tries to assist the local residents as best she can with limited resources, and some of the townsfolk's inescapable situations - like women refusing to leave their abusive, alcoholic men.  Julia also notices the children are the ones who seem to be suffering the most.
We also learn that several of the local children have gone missing and are presumed dead at the hands of a local legend called the "Tall Man".  So, after a long day, Julia falls asleep, but is awakened to a strange noise, and discovers David has been taken.
She pursues the kidnapper, that we assume is the Tall Man - and that is when the film takes a very strange turn.  After finally catching up to this person at an abandoned factory, a disheveled looking woman assaults Julia and claims to be David's birth mother, stating that David was, in fact, kidnapped by Julia.  After escaping their "crazy" captor, Julia and David go back to her house, where she takes him down the basement and he is not seen after this, until much later.
Meanwhile a teenage girl named Jenny (Jodelle Ferland) has been witness to much of what has been going on in the periphery (including some of this most recent incident with David) and asks Julia if the Tall Man could take her, too.
Julia is soon arrested (for what we assume was related to David's kidnapping) and shortly after that Jenny is taken by the Tall Man, who we learn is actually Julia's (thought to be dead) husband.  They are part of an organization that "rescues" children from bad situations like extreme poverty and abuse, then places them with well-to-do families.
What is left, is the aftermath.

What was good: The film was beautifully shot.  Cold Rock looked and felt like a dirty, rundown hole.  The characters were all acted very well, everyone just seemed to fit into his or her role.  Very good supporting roles were done by William B Davis, Stephen McHattie, and Ferland.
The director did a good job to use rich colors minimally, except at the end when we see Jenny and David with their new families.  Lots of gray tones, night shots, shadows, and cloudy day time shots were used perfectly.
I really liked the concept of the movie, and even the moral questions that are brought up - were they really helping these kids to escape to a better life.

What went wrong: The film starts off like a horror film (a dark figure that kidnaps kids), but ends like a families-in-crisis drama.  The concept and the story were both very workable, but the execution just came off horribly hodge-podge, almost like two different films crashed together.  This is especially highlighted by Julia's dialogue and tears seen after she has been arrested.  I am not sure if we are to think she is upset about being caught, or if she is questioning her decision to be taking children at all.

The final sequences shows us Jenny in her "new life", living an upper middle class lifestyle and her talent at art being encouraged by a new mother.  However, Jenny sees David with his new family while she is out walking one afternoon, and there seems to be an ambiguous moment they share while looking at each other.  Jenny questions where her life is now in a voice-over, and is everything really better than it was for not just her, but all the kids who have been moved.  She does accept that in her case she specifically asked to be taken away by the Tall Man.
I did not feel there was a good tie off as to Julia's fate, other than going to prison, or the fate of her husband. 

Recommendation: If you like the idea of feeling a little frustrated at a movie's ambiguity, then The Tall Man is one to see.  Biel was not spectacular in her role, but she was also not out of place.  The visuals and environment were enough to keep me watching, but I think the director/ producer's decision to make us question the bigger issue of whether removing kids from a cycle of poverty and abuse was "the right thing to do" did not unfold in an engaging manner.

 

Worst Movie Endings: The Fog (2005)

This movie is a remake/reboot which makes it an easy target for "worst" lists, but I am always willing to give any movie a try.  I must admit some of the effects were good, and the soundtrack was decent.  The ending however, well...

*spoiler alert*
Where this movie fails - beyond Maggie Grace's inability to change the expression on her face at any given moment - is the conclusion. 
So let's set it up: the ghosts of doomed voyage have wreaked their havoc/revenge, and the reveal has been made to the main characters that their ancestors were murdering thieves.  A big downer, yes, but let's top off the cake.  
Elizabeth (Grace), a descendant of one of the 4 previously mentioned conspirators is also the reincarnation of William Blake's (the leader of the leper colony) lover.  Elizabeth willingly kisses Blake and she transforms into a ghost too.  Then they leave everyone else standing there with their jaws open.

Um, ok.  One young woman is both the descendant of a murderer and the reincarnation of a victim of said murderer?  They probably could have tied this together by having a line or two of dialogue, or maybe some better background or a good flashback or two - but as it stands this event just unfolded.  Horribly.

Bob's Quick View: Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)

After the heart of Starfleet is attacked by a lone terrorist, the Enterprise crew is sent to the edge of the Neutral Zone to take down their enemy who is hiding on the Klingon home world. Once there, a moral conundrum forces Kirk and company to disobey orders and risk galactic war by capturing the fugitive rather than killing him from a distance. This choice throws Kirk and company into a battle resolve and ethics that could cost the lives of billions across the stars.

I know I’ve only seen this once, but it’s going on my list of top science fiction films. J.J. Abrams has once again delivers a Trek film that easily rivals the best of the originals in quality and experience. Even though time has passed between the previous film and this one, it still feels as if we pick up right where the last one left off, which in this case is a good thing. We continue to see the friendship between Kirk and Spock grow, as well as Kirk growing and evolving closer to the character old school Trek fans have come to know over the years. The story (I’m doing my best to avoid spoilers) hooks the viewer in early and never lets go. There is plenty of awesome action to satisfy the summer movie viewers, but they serve to further the story and never feels forced or inserted into the movie simply to get the adrenaline going. The version I saw was in 2d (I feel 3d is getting old) and the special effects were amazing and well used; i.e. no “Phantom Menace effect” here. Part of the movie is set on the Klingon homeworld, yet Klingons as characters are only seen in one scene of the movie. I’m not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, they’re roll in the conflict of the movie isn’t a direct one, so not a lot of screen time is needed on their part. On the other hand, Klingons are highly popular in Trek fandom and giving them more of a physical presence might have been a little more satisfying, especially given the fact that certain members of Starfleet are about to start a war with their world. Maybe for the next film? Newcomers to Star Trek will enjoy this film without difficulty, but unlike the previous film, there are many calls and references to the franchise that only long time fans such as yours truly will pick up on.
All in all, I give this movie my highest recommendations; and it’s not just because I am a life long Trek fan.

Awesome movie quotes: Thank You for Smoking (2005)

"Now what we need is a smoking role model. A real winner."

"Indiana Jones meets Jerry Maguire..."

"Right, on two packs a day."

Happy Birthday: Mr. T

his birth name is Lawrence Tureaud... best know for his roles on the 80's TV show The A-Team, and in the movies DC Cab and Rocky 3, both comedies.

Awesome movie quotes: Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)

"Did Doogie Houser just steal my fucking car?"

Happy Birthday: Dennis Hopper and Bill Paxton

Dennis - with excellent movie roles over multiple decades - Easy Rider, Blue Velvet, Speed - he remains one of my favorite actors.

Bill - has been in many movies and TV roles, but probably is best known now for his lead role on HBO's series Big Love. 

Review: Red Dawn (1984)

Red Dawn is an interesting 80's action movie that had a group of fast rising stars (at that time) as the leads including: Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C Thomas Howell, Jennifer Grey, and Lea Thompson.  It was written and directed by John Milius, and is rated 'PG-13' for violence and language.

Basics: World War III starts, with Russia and some pro-communist Latin American troops invading the United States.  The prologue informed us that the United States is basically alone in this fight, as NATO has dissolved, and no other European nations will assist.  Several large cities including Washington DC were destroyed by nuclear strikes, however, neither side is using nuclear weapons anymore due to the fear of the fallout.

The story takes place in and around the fictional town of Calumet, Colorado, where students at the local high school witness the hostile forces parachuting down and begin killing civilians.  A group of "kids" led by brothers by Jed (Swayze) and Matt (Sheen) take off into the woods/mountains outside of Calumet during the invasion.  They are able to gather some supplies and weapons at a sporting good store owned by Robert's (Howell) father before leaving, ahead of the hostile forces.  After several weeks in the woods they venture back into town to discover that many of the local men have been placed in re-education camp at the town's drive-in movie theater and the enemy military controls everything.

The group picks up two new members Toni (Grey) and Erica (Thompson) while visiting an elderly couple, and then the "fun" begins.  The group, now calling themselves the "Wolverines" (their high school mascot) begin guerrilla-style attacks on the invaders with a lot of success for several months.  However, the Russian special forces arrive and several of the Wolverines are killed in some skirmishes.

The films ends with Jed and Matt wandering back into town in a "final showdown" fighting, while 2 of the other Wolverines escape to 'Free America', where the Americans are still in control.  The epilogue states that the Soviet forces were later repelled.

What you might like:
- This is a very pro-American, anti-Soviet, "us-against-them" themed piece, that really highlights what the Cold War in the Regan years was all about.  The idea that these high school aged kids from "Anytown, America" would stand up to the cold, arrogant, evil commies and fight is enough to make any red-blooded United States citizen smile.
- Howell truly transformed throughout the film.  His character Robert started out as the scared teen, but quickly turned into an "adult" as Matt and Jed taught him to hunt deer, in a particularly interesting scene as Robert consumes some blood of his first kill.  Robert slowly degenerates into a cold killer as the Wolverines' campaign progress - not that he enjoys it, but that he accepts it as part of their lives.  He is finally killed attempting to stand in the open, as if invincible, against a Russian helicopter attack. 
- There is plenty and gunfire and explosions to keep action fans satiated, and there is no sad attempt to force a romantic storyline in.  Plus, we are meant to think that "we won".  Yay.

What you might not like:
- Outside of Howell, the other leads were emotionally flat.  The lines from the script were being delivered, but there was just nothing there.  I would have understood if it came off like shell-shock or PTSD - which Howell did - but everyone else looked like they were in a high school play.  We saw very little interaction between them after the beginning, to build any kind of personalities or dynamics.
- The believability factor really gets pushed.  The idea that these teenagers are fighting against trained military and winning every battle - early on - is laughable.  Not only are they winning (killing all of the enemies and damaging or stealing their equipment), none of the Wolverines are getting hurt.  We never see the kids training to use some of the heavy duty weapons, for example, rocket propelled grenades and .50 caliber machine guns, yet all of them can fire these tools of war with precision. 
Again, with the tone being pro-American, the enemy soldiers are made to look like complete idiots.  The leaders bellow out grandiose orders, and the underlings run scattered about.  So the question begs, if they are such idiots how did they even succeed in the initial invasion?  
It also seemed like in the town, the citizenry just threw up their hands and said "we give up" and the only people fighting back are this group of kids.  There was also no explanation as to why certain citizens were sent to re-education camp after the invasion, while others were permitted to basically go about their business.    
- The flow of the movie, especially the "sense of time" as to how much (action) has happened, over how long of a period (days/weeks/months).  It's as if a bunch of action scenes and drama segments were spliced together, almost haphazardly.  It made me feel at points like I was watching something that was edited for TV, even though it wasn't.  We see this group of kids that have supposedly been fighting for months, yet other than slight costume changes and snow on the ground (at one point), we would not know the difference from the beginning or end of the movie.  From one scene to the next it is impossible to fill in the blanks as to what preceded the action that is happening now.  (This goes along with the believability factor.)
- Other than a verbalization near the end of the movie that Jed and Matt were "used up" from all the fighting, there was seemingly no acknowledgement what this war was doing to the characters.  Like my comments about the flat emotions, it seemed like the action was just going through the proverbial motions at times. 
- Getting back on the topic of the other townsfolk: wouldn't have anyone else joined in the fight with the Wolverines once it was seen they were winning against the clearly inferior invaders?  That made very little sense that no one was really rising up to actively assist these kids.   

Final Recommendation: The movie is comic book entertaining, and seeing the all the stars in their younger days is a treat.  Red Dawn offers little in the way strong characters and relies mostly a hodge podging of action scenes to drive the plot.  If you were a child/teen of this deacde, like me, then it could be easier to relate to this film, however, I do not consider one of the better films of the 80's.


Extras:
- There is reboot version of Red Dawn that came out in 2012, the invaders were North Korean
- Swayze and Howell starred together in The Outsiders
- Swayze and Grey starred together in Dirty Dancing

Profound movie quotes: Menace II Society (1993)

Opening voice-over: "Went into the store just to get a beer. Came out an accessory to murder and armed robbery. It's funny like that in the hood sometimes. You never knew what was gonna happen, or when. After that I knew it was gonna be a long summer."

Concluding voice-over: "After stomping on Ilena's cousin like that, I knew I was gonna have to deal with that fool someday. Damn.. I never thought he'd come back like this, blasting. Like I said, it was funny like that in the hood sometimes... I mean you never knew what was gonna happen or when. I've done too much to turn back, and I've done too much to go on. I guess in the end it all catches up with you. My grandpa asked me one time if I care whether I live or die. Yeah, I do. Now it's too late."

(more than a) Quick Look: Menace II Society (1993)

As the cover of the DVD notes 'This is the truth. This is what's real.'; Menace II Society is a gritty, urban drama that unfolds around an 18 year old street hustler named Caine (Tyrin Turner) over one summer.  The film was written and directed by Albert and Allen Hughes (aka The Hughes Brothers), in their debut to the big screen.

'R' rating is for continual use of profanities, violence, and sexual situations.

*spoiler alert*

The film opens with Caine and his friend O-Dog (Larenz Tate) going to a convenience store for beer.  O-Dog ends up shooting both of the owners for disrespecting him, and this is just the beginning.  Menace II Society takes place in south central Los Angeles; we learn Caine lives with his grandparents because his mother is dead from an OD and his drug slinging father was killed in a deal gone bad when Caine was 10 years old.

Caine deals crack in the neighborhood, and half of his friends are also street thugs just like him.  

The summer continues to unfold with Caine getting tangled in a series of "bad situations".  Caine and his cousin Harold are out driving after a party one night, and some gang members shoot and kill Harold over some "prior incident".  O-Dog soon learns the identity of these guys so he, Caine, and their friend A-Wax track the two shooters down, and kill them them in retaliation.  

After this, Caine and O-Dog try to steal a car which lands Caine in jail for short time, O-Dog being a minor avoids jail.  Now back out, Caine buys a stolen car for himself, then car jacks a guy, solely to steal his rims.  He meets a girl named Ilena that he gets pregnant, but does not want to take any responsibility for.  Ilena's cousin shows up to confront Caine about her being pregnant and Caine's response is to sucker punch then stomp him while he is on the ground.  Driving one afternoon soul searching about where his life is headed, Caine and his friend Sharif get pulled over by the LAPD, assaulted, and then left in a Latino gang's neighborhood.  The Latinos, however, assist the two by taking them to the hospital. 

Caine soon becomes involved in a sexual relationship with a mentor's former girlfriend named Ronnie (Jada Pinkett Smith). This father figure/mentor we learn is in jail (for life) for murder.  The film winds down with Caine deciding to leave with Ronnie - she was moving to Atlanta with her young son.  Ilena's cousin, as retaliation for the prior beat down, pulls a drive-by shooting on moving day, killing Sharif and Caine.  Credits roll.

My take:
Menace II Society is one of the great films of the 1990's for the writing, direction, acting, and production.  This film looks and feels rough and tense; it is very capable of making people feel uncomfortable about many of the social problems and criminal activities that were highlighted throughout.  It is hard to call Menace straight entertainment versus what is (likely) a fictionalized account of real life and/or real incidents occurring in the Watts/ Compton areas of Los Angeles for black young adults in the early 1990's.  I will note I have not read or seen any background on the characters of this movie as to whether or not they were based on real people.
Turner does a brilliant job as Caine; he is able to walk the tightrope of giving us a central character that we can never really love or hate, outright, in either direction.  I feel like there were shades of redemption possibly arriving by the end, only to see Caine cut down as a result of his prior actions.  In a voice-over at the conclusion there is recognition by Caine for the events that led him to this point, but "..now, it's too late."
Strong supporting actors in Samuel L Jackson, Charles Dutton, Smith, and Tate show us how Caine seems to pulled in multiple directions through the summer, and what what we believe ultimately leads to his undoing. 
Unlike other similar urban drama films in the early 90's, there appeared to very little hope at the end of this, outside of the characters who reportedly "leaving".  It seems we are meant to think life for these young adults will either end in a violent death or they will end up in prison.  I very much appreciated that beginning to end, there was nothing I felt that was sugar-coated, and that is very rare in film. 
The Hughes Brothers have given us a very "in your face" film in Menace II Society; while the overall outlook may be somewhat grim, I consider it outstanding and I highly recommend seeing it.

Extras:
- The word 'fuck' and its variants was used over 300 times, which was a record when this movie came out.
- Tupac Shakur was originally cast in the film as Sharif, however, he got into a fight with Allen Hughes which got him fired and landed him in jail for 15 days.

Awesome movie quotes: Return of the Jedi (1983)

"It's too late for me, son..."

Happy Birthday: George Lucas

Probably most famous for being the writer and director of the film THX 1138...
Or was it the creation of the Star Wars universe as we know it?

Either way, happy birthday

Happy Birthday: Jeffrey Donovan

Star of the recent TV show Burn Notice, but had a great part in Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows

Happy Birthday: Kevin Peter Hall

Best known for his costumed roles as 'The Predator', in Predator 1 and 2, as well as 'Harry' in the film Harry and the Hendersons (which also was lame short-lived TV show with Hall in the same role).

Bob's Quick Look: Stitches (2012)

In this horror/comedy from Ireland, a disgruntled party clown is killed as a result of a practical joke at the hands of a group of children he is trying to entertain. Six years later, he returns from the grave on the eve of the boy’s birthday party to exact his revenge of the children who caused his untimely death.
*Spoiler Alert* Think of the basic setup of the teen slasher flick, make the killer a supernatural clown, use your imagination, and you can get an idea of what your gonna get with this movie. It’s basically Beetlejuice meets Scream with a lot of blood and gore. Like most horror films of this type, the story is pretty simple, which is a good thing. With an 86 minute run time, an overly involved plot line would only slow down the movement of the film, especially in a movie going more for laughs and splatter. The cast performance is adequate, but even though this film was shooting for humor along with the horror, I did feel there was a certain lack of fear and terror in some of the actors that left me wanting, especially in a couple of characters I wanted to see get mauled horribly. I did like the humor aspect of the film, and it did succeed in making me laugh. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Stitches makes a sundae out of a victim’s brains. There is also no shortage of gore in this film, which will satisfy most, if not all the gore fans out there. The story is a very simple one, but it is rooted in an idea that some could argue could have been developed into a much more serious story. The main character does research into the history and mythos of clowns to explain something he saw when he was a child, and in doing so, introduces the viewer to a cult type secret society of clowns which explains Stitches’ ability and need to return from the grave. I’m a fan of what some might call “torture porn” but I can see where some would say this was an oversimplification of an idea that could have been taken to greater lengths. I was a little surprised to be able to catch this one in the theaters. I was expecting to have to wait till Blu-ray release to see it, but as luck would have it, a theater in my area ran a midnight release of the film. There is something to be said for bloody gore splatter on the big screen, and I definitely felt I got my money’s worth. I knew what to expect; a lot of blood and some dark humor that kept me laughing. It’s not a movie to make one think or challenge social issues or ideas. It’s a movie to watch over a pizza with some friends. Some say it could have been more, but what we have works well enough.

I would recommend this one to fans of gore based horror. Rated R for strong violence and gore, adult language, some sexual content and drug content involving teenagers.

Review: Soul Man (1986)

People in the Movie: C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders, Red Dawn), Rae Dawn Chong (Commando), James Earl Jones (The Sandlot, Conan the Barbarian)
Director: Steve Miner
Pigeonhole: Comedy/ Satire

Only Skin Deep: Mark Watson (Howell) and his friend Gordon (Arye Gross) are both bound for Harvard Law School.  Mark, however, gets a last minute rude awakening when his father decides to "let" Mark pay for it himself.  Mark, rather than looking for a job or some other means to earn his way through (and also otherwise used to his white upper-middle-class lifestyle) decides instead to bilk a scholarship fund by pretending to be African-American.  He accomplishes this deception by taking a large amount of tanning pills.
So off to Harvard he goes, thinking everything will work out, since this is "the decade of Cosby", but he learns that even at a prestigious institution of higher learning, racism (in many forms) is still abound.  All is not lost as he does find love with another law student named Sarah (Chong), and Mark may even learn important life lessons along the way.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this film, as the message is still relevant today.  Some of the scenes are all time 80's comedy classics, and Howell pulled them off extremely well.
I will note that this presentation of a white man pretending to be a black man has drawn its share of criticism, and there are stereotyped images used - comedically.  I will elaborate on these further, but if satiric humor is over your head, then this movie could offend.
'PG-13' rating is for language and sexual references.

Black, White, and Grey Matter: **spoiler alert**
Mark navigates his way through the semester through a variety of "moments" that relate to people's perception of him as a black person, as opposed to just a student - contrary to his initial belief.  For example, Mark gets involved in a relationship with a girl named Whitney (who is also his landlord's daughter), who remarks, after having sex with him, about his penis size not being what she expected.  At dinner with Whitney's family one night each of her family members hilariously envision Mark in various roles including Prince (the musician), or a pimp, despite the fact he is conservatively dressed.
Conversely, it seems when Mark tries to act as he believes other black people do, he is usually wrong.  Mark shows up to a "black interest group" dressed like a Black Panther, but finds all the other members dressed in everyday clothes.  Mark quickly covers by asking "did anyone call for a cab" as he turns tail.  Mark also takes a law course with Professor Banks (Jones) thinking he might get some better treatment from a black professor.  Banks, however, informs the entire class there is no special treatment for anyone.
In another funny scene Mark is quickly selected to play basketball in a pick up game, despite his insistence that "he is not that good".  Another black player is there, who Mark then tries to emulate, but only ends up embarrassing himself trying to dribble between his legs (he hits himself in the junk) and dunking (he gets the ball wedged between the rim and the backboard).
The serious element of the film revolves around Mark getting to know Sarah, another law student.  Mark learns two facts that start to make him rethink this entire ruse; Sarah is a single mother working her way through school while trying to support her son George, and that Sarah would have received the scholarship had Mark not gotten it.  Mark and Sarah become closer, with Mark wondering what would happen if she finds out the "truth" about him being white.
Mark's house of cards finally collapses all in one afternoon as his parents (who don't know he is feigning his racial identity), Whitney, and Sarah all converge on his apartment at the same time.  He soon has come clean to everyone, including Professor Banks, in what comes off as a mock trial in a law classroom, with Gordon as his representation.  Almost all the students are heard muttering "no wonder" as the reveal is made Mark is, in fact, white.

The reason I like this movie is because it took a serious issue - racial divide - and satirized it.  It is also likely because I fell into the movie's target audience - white and middle class - the funny moments especially appealed to me.  I understand why some might be offended; Howell spends the majority of the movie in 'blackface', complete with a curly wig.  But the whole point of the movie was pointing out the fallacy of stereotypes, as well as the fact that perception of behaviors of whites and blacks towards themselves and each other are often skewed.  Soul Man broached these issues with comedy, and I really appreciated it.  No one I have ever conversed with about this film, white or black, said that he or she felt offended.  The common feeling about Soul Man is that it is a goofy 80's comedy that used the stereotypes to drive the humor almost like Saturday Night Live sketches.
      
Extras:
- C Thomas Howell dated and later married Rae Dawn Chong.  They divorced in 1989.

  

Happy Birthday: Dwayne Johnson & Brian Tochi

Dwayne aka "The Rock" is slowly building an impressive list of movie roles, including the recent hit GI Joe: Retaliation.  My favorite of his is still The Scorpion King.

Brian - best known for his role as Toshiro Takashi in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, but also played the goofy Japanese recruit in Police Academy 3 and beyond.

Happy Birthday: Julie Benz

One of my current favorite actors - TV vet with great roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dexter and more recently Defiance. She also had good movie roles in Saw V, Punisher: War Zone, and a great role in Boondock Saints II.