An Unsolicited Review

I recently made another trip to one of the local thrift stores, hoping to find a decent VCR (so that I can have one in the living room and my bedroom as well). I left empty-handed in that regard, but scored in the area of good-looking movies on VHS. The store was clearing out a bunch of them, and so I got three good ones for a dollar in addition to a fourth for another dollar. How three of them are remains to be seen, but I have watched one already.

Entitled "Death Before Dishonor", it comes from that period in the mid-80s when America was terribly aggrieved by the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, and had few outlets for anti-Arab feelings except for the Iron Sheik of pro wrestling fame. To give a brief synopsis, a Marine sergeant is transferred to the security detail of an embassy in an Arab nation called Jemal. His commanding officer is kidnapped, the embassy is bombed and he must face off against the villainous "Abu Jihad".

"Predators": Partly Reviewed With Partial Spoilers

It's commonly the case that I watch a movie and see nothing but the fundamental problems that, if addressed, would have made the movie good or better. This is all just my opinion, naturally, and I can certainly be wrong. As capable as I am of admitting fallibility, I am none too capable of keeping my opinions to myself, and so I feel I must address the shortcomings which I saw in the 2010 film "Predators".

There are really only two severe problems I had with the movie, so this shouldn't take so very long. The first thing I felt was annoyance with the initial premise. In the film, a gaggle of soldiers, mercenaries and such are kidnapped and airdropped into a place where the predator aliens hunt them. It feels like an old, hoary freshman film student's idea to have a bunch of strangers wake up together with no idea of where they are, or what's going on.

Another Review, It's True

On this New Year's Day of 2013, I can think of nothing more inappropriate to talk about than the old movie I watched last Friday, but that's just what's going to happen. You can probably expect a New Year's item in some months, or never. Being timely is something I have never done so well. What I write may not be popular now or ever, but it will at least hold up. Anyway, with this evening's plans taking shape and creeping up, I'm seizing on this movie idea.

Entitled "Rockwell", the box described it as a basic story of retribution exacted by a man whose friends were set upon by some bad guys. It was an obscure film recommended by solely one fact: billed second to a man called Randy Gleave was none other than longtime Utah Jazz standout Karl Malone. While examining the box in the store, I couldn't guess why he would be in it. I presumed the film to be some kind of vanity project.

The Other Film About Shipwreck Survivors

There are many tv channels available to the discerning media consumer. Aside from the major television networks, there is a panoply of niche cable offerings for one to fritter away lonely hours with. For me, perhaps the foremost TV succubus is Turner Classic Movies. At virtually any hour of the day or night, you will find them broadcasting a film which entirely lives up to their name (not the 'Turner' part, but the other two parts). Just the other day, I was watching a movie that blew me away.

On "Speed Racer"

I did a few things today. First was church, which was good. Then came some sporting events. I watched some of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and then switched to the dodgers-cubs game. After that finished, I put on the second of my netflix discs: "Speed Racer". I have fewer things to say about this film than I thought I would. I wasn't crazy about it. There were lots of exciting things to look at, but there wasn't really anything in the story that grabbed me. It was the sort of plot that was apt to show up in the original series, but that doesn't make it appropriate for an expensive film version.

Perhaps what the situation called for was the sort of re-imagining that Battlestar Galactica got. I'd say that such an effort on the part of the Wachowski brothers was surprising, but after all these years, the only good thing they've had was the first Matrix movie.

I still have the second disc of "The Tudors" season 1 to watch, and I may offer impressions of that when I get to it.

On "Scanners"

I watched the first of the three discs I had received from netflix- David Cronenberg's 1980 film Scanners. Every time I watch one of his movies or one of Larry Cohen's for the first time, it feels like this low-rent nugget of gold that only I know about. It's like it's this personal thing that belongs to me, that I can share with who I like. It takes me back to roaming the aisles of the video store and spotting something with awesome cover art, bringing home, and realizing I've stumbled across something amazing and practically life-changing.

Cronenberg's work, at least until his last couple, is also intensely weird and twisted. It's a little less so when compared to the work of Guy Maddin, but still pretty twisted. In this one, certain people on Earth have telepathic powers, and Cronenberg exploits that premise well in his story of good telepaths against evil ones. I don't give things away, but suffice it to say that Scanners possesses qualities of dread and eeriness that don't exist in today's works of science fiction and horror. Some of the entries in that genre made today are good, but none are like Scanners. Check it out.

The Latest From Netflix

Recently, Scanners, Speed Racer and the second disc from The Tudors season 1. I'm looking forward to watching these, though the second of those was evidently poorly regarded. Reviews to come.

Orson Welles & Don Quixote

Yesterday, in addition to the films I wrote about then, I also watched Orson Welles' Don Quixote. I think that I needed some time for my thoughts to percolate.

I never had read the book or seen any other adaptation prior to this, and while I feel I now have some idea of what it's about, I don't think that Welles gives a really pure and complete realization of the source material. This seems to have been one of the numerous films he made overseas under reduced circumstances. Early in his film career, Welles shined very brightly and burned bridges. Thusly, after Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Third Man, and Touch Of Evil, Welles found himself making The Trial in eastern Europe, and this film in Spain, along with others, never with the backing he once enjoyed.

This film was kind of interesting. Ultimately I had to come out against it, but appreciated the sensibility with which it operated. Though their dialogue was dubbed by other actors, the ones appearing on screen were enjoyable to watch. The interplay between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza was fairly good. It was peculiar that the modern world should intrude on the period in which the story is set. I wonder whether that was a deliberate choice, or whether limited means necessitated that.

As I said, I didn't really care for it, but will always watch the output of someone like Welles. As they say, even his failures are worth watching.

On "Redbelt"

"Redbelt" was of interest to me mainly because of the involvement of David Mamet. I can't recall whether it was "Glengarry Glenross" or "The Spanish Prisoner" which I saw first, but I found them both to be fabulous, and have been a fan of David Mamet since. He has a particular quality to his work which agrees with me. His films are populated with hard, driven people (mainly men). They're aggressive and cool, and their dialogue sounds like no real person I've ever heard. Often the plots become quite complicated and labyrinthine. Even so, I think that he often captures truth.

With this film, he does not really rise to the level of previous works. At least, that's the case in my estimation. I like it alright, if only to see the very skilled character actors who frequently appear in Mamet's projects. Actors like Ricky Jay, David Paymer, Joe Mantegna and others may not be able to carry films on their own, but add a certain immeasurable depth and richness that I personally highly prize.

Not a bad idea, but not executed as well as it might have been. I did find the lead actor to be ok. Perhaps he might achieve acclaim in another film. He'll probably warrant that.

On "Freedom's Fury"

Some time ago the famous "Blood In The Water" match of the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics came to my attention. I'm as interested as anyone when politics intersect with athletics, since those two subjects are two of my favorite. Either one is capable of inflaming my passions sufficiently to make me lose my composure.

Now, about that match: In the weeks leading up to those Games, a popular uprising came about in Hungary against the occupying Soviet Union. The freedom fighters succeeded in driving out the Soviets, but it further transpired that the latter party was able to re-invade and brutally put down the revolution after some thirteen days.