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| 11/16/2004 |
| November 16th and Counting |
A Movie Review
by Wes Bennett
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Here in Athens my time has been stretched between my 9 to 5 job of grading 11th grade essays for the University of Georgia, helping out with an independent film called “Somebodies” and preparing for the long awaited adaptation of “The Gallon Challenge.”
Obviously the website has suffered greatly. Although I have not had time to write film reviews, I have had the chance to enjoy several movies in the last month and a half.
Since I still do not have time to write full reviews, I thought I would at least include a quick run down of the last six films I have seen and some brief thoughts and insights.
1- “The Forgotten” is one of those films that an unsuspecting viewer might have gone to see because it had a great preview and nothing else was really out.
Julianne Moore stars as a mother whose son suddenly disappears and everyone begins telling her that she never had a son.
There seemed to be a lot of intriguing possibilities, such as mental illness or some bizarre conspiracy.
While running the risk of giving the entire film away, it turns out that aliens are conducting memory erasing experiments on humans. I promise I’m not making this up.
It’s truly one of the worst ideas in cinematic history. Stay away at all costs. This film is AWFUL.
2-“Team America” is the latest feature film from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the South Park creators.
“South Park” almost never fails to be absolutely genius, but whenever these guys put out a film, it sucks.
Now I admit that a fair number of people actually really like the “South Park” film. But I hate it. I think its dumb, loud and crude.
The entire point of the film was to use as much profanity as possible in order to offend the ratings board and prove a point about how its hypocritical to allow violence but not language in American films.
For the most part critics seemed to enjoy the film. They thought it was clever in its mockery of big, budget action films. It’s supposedly insightful how they make fun of both die hard conservatives and the radical anti-war liberals.
But in my opinion to describe the film as resembling anything that is “clever” or “satirical” is insulting.
I would like to think I’m not the only one who sees a difference between “South Park” series and these movies.
They seem to have little point, no subtlety, no cleverness.
Also just the idea that they would use puppets for the whole thing... I can’t help but think that every film they make is just a joke on the audience.
Really it’s like trying to explain why the final episode of “Seinfield” was not funny. I can’t. These guys need to put more effort into these films, or just stop.
3-“Saw,” is the new horror film about a serial killer who comes up with interesting ways to get the victims to kill themselves in order to teach them a lesson (think Kevin Spacey in “Seven.”)
The film is supposed to be incredibly gory, but again, I found “The Passion of the Christ” to be much more offensive and gratuitous. (I got so sick of people telling me that’s the way it really was. How do they know? Obviously I know that crucifixion isn’t fun and that Jesus suffered. But its like some people already have their minds made up about certain things. Those are the same people who will tell you that freedom isn’t free, in defense of rising body count of American soldiers.)
Anyways, I found the film to be wildly entertaining. This isn’t some mindless gore fest. This is a smart film with a lot of twists and turns.
Cary Elwes (Wesley from “The Princess Bride”) is perhaps the weakest part of the film. He’s really not a very good actor. When he suffers an emotional breaks down it is almost embarrassing. (Think Ben Affleck in “Jersey Girl.”
To be fair there are some sick things in the film, but in terms of entertainment, this is a quality movie.
4-“Ray.” All anyone can talk about is how great Jamie Foxx is as Ray Charles. Ok, I’ll admit it the guy can act. If you want to see my Jamie Foxx ass-kissing, read my review of “Collateral.”
The film reminded me of “Ali” in spirit, but was more enjoyable. I didn’t really know that much about Ray Charles and to see his rise to fame and fortune is an incredible story.
The man was a womanizer and heroin addict for many years and really overcame a lot of obstacles.
Some of the musical sequences were stunning such as when Ray composes “What’d I say.” But the film’s weakest point comes when Ray composes “hit the road Jack” during a serious, emotional fight with a lover. It’s something we would see on a VH1 film.
Foxx will probably get nominated, and I would have no problem with that. It’s amazing how Foxx nails the physical mannerisms of Charles, because he is so much bigger and built than the slight Charles.
Perhaps the most unexpected scene of the film occurs when Ray dives over a table and begins beating a man who insults his new album. Totally unexpectant.
“Ladder 49” was not appreciated by the critics. They thought it was too nice in its portrayal of fireman, that it made them more heroic. Or that it was capitalizing on America’s post 9-11 feelings. (I guess its ok for George Bush, but not Hollywood.)
Again the critics missed the boat. This is not a cheesy film. (Where were these people when that piece of shit movie “Seabiscuit” came out?)
This is a very good film. The firemen are all men’s men. They cuss, they drink, they womanize and joke around. They risk their lives everyday. Almost every man on the force is someone you would want watching your back.
John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix both give solid performances.
The structure of the film is very strong as well. Immediatley throwing us into an incredibly dangerous and massive fire and then slowly giving us the backstory: detailing the entire career of Phoenix, joining the force, raising a family etc etc. It captures your attention very quickly.
The ending really sticks with you. I would have been more impacted by this film had “Friday Night Lights” not come out the week after.
If you take anything away from this review, rent this film or see it at the dollar theater if you missed it.
“Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry” I saw this film at a Kerry rally downtown in Athens Georgia two days before he lost the election.
The film is by John Butler of “Pumping Iron” fame.
The film portrays John Kerry as a hero, which I would be inclined to agree with. Whatever Kerry has done since this era in the Senate, all the flip-flopping as the Republicans would say, one would have to agree after seeing this film that it is a tragedy what the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” have done.
Butler takes us back to Vietnam. Through first-hand testimonies we learn of the many horrible aspects of war, including thefree fire zones, where soldiers were instructed to shoot anyone they saw whether or not they were Viet Cong soldiers.
We learn from soldiers who served with Kerry how he saved many of their lives on multiple occasions because of his leadership and decision making.
Clearly there was not flip flopping when Kerry ran onto the beach and shot an enemy soldier who was attempting to blow up the American’s swift boat.
We learn how vulnerable the swiftboat soldiers were. That they had a 90 percent causality rate. Read that last sentence again.
When Kerry got back to the United States, he had an obligation to tell the American people that the war was not right. The principals of freedom and justice that he believed in were not being represented.
Members of the “Vietnam Veterans Against the War” such as ex-Marines Bobby Miller and Rusty Sachs recall the Winter Soldier Investigation in January 1971, in which over 100 veterans described witnessing or taking part in atrocities which are incredibly powerful and sad.
We see Sachs, Miller, Kerry, and others in their youth at the April 1971 gathering of VVAW veterans on the Washington mall, during which mothers of dead soldiers were barred from Arlington National Cemetery and soldiers threw their medals away.
Kerry emerges as the groups spokesman, going on the "Dick Cavett Show" in 1971 segment in which Kerry debates and devastates John E. O'Neill (head of the Swiftboats and author of the infamous “Unfit for Command.”)
His testimony in front of the Senate Foreign relations committee is nothing short of astonishing, especially coming from a 27 year old.
I’m sure I spoke for a lot of people when I say that election results felt like a punch in the stomach.
To think that while Kerry was delivering these speeches and working to change the course of American history and make a difference that our current president was probably getting hammered somewhere in Alabama.
Most people won’t see this film, but in light of the election results its even more sad.
One can sometimes forget the numbers that made Vietnam so devastating: 58,000 American soldiers and 3 million Vietnamese, many of these civilian casualties....
One can’t help but think that there are some parallels between the War in Iraq and Vietnam, not in the numbers of soldiers or the cause, but the attitudes of Americans toward war.
How veterans are treated if they oppose the war or tell the truth when they get back, how hard-core conservatives turn against the troops when they speak out, how patriotism is sometimes misguided, how our government can lie to us.
Despite feelings on the current administration and what Kerry has done in years since then, its amazing to see the war through the eyes of this remarkable young man. |
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V.I. Lenin says: |
Kerry |
11/21/2004 9:49:46 PM |
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| "We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it." |
- Jack Nicholson
A Few Good Men
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Distributed Beers
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| 5 |
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot |
| 4 |
Guinness Draught |
| 3 |
Newcastle Brown Ale |
| 2 |
Bass Pale Ale |
| 1 |
Samuel Adams Boston Lager |
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