Still Here...

Working on posting new content soon.  New movies, shows, books and more are heading our way.  I'll be taking a look and commenting on as many as I can.  See you in the funny pages...

SKYFALL NEEDS NO SAFETY NET

James Bond is back in his 23rd official outing and it may be one of the best franchise films in recent memory.  Now that MGM/UA has left their long standing financial worries behind, new life has been injected into the series.  Daniel Craig's first outing, in Casino Royale, was a good start to launch the actor into the role, but Quantum of Solace slowed the pace down a bit.  However, Skyfall is as big and bombastic as it gets with great performances from the all-star cast.  Craig is accompanied again by Dame Judi Dench as "M" and they are joined by the likes of Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes with Albert Finney along for good measure.  Other familiar characters resurface as well as Bond gets back to the globe spanning adventure he's known for.

While the plot may be a bit thin (hey, this is 007 not Shakespeare) there are some great story elements and several nods to franchise history since this is the 50th anniversary, after all.  Also, I have to point out that they've actually managed to give Bond back his sense of humor.  Craig's portrayal has been so serious until now.  He has a few of the trademark one-liners and some amusing back-and-forth dialogue with the villain and other characters.

With a running time of 2 hrs and 23 minutes, they are able to weave some good character development around the action and they finally, FINALLY give Judi Dench more screen time.  Why they have neglected to give the Academy Award winning actress so little to do or say until now is beyond me.  Overall, this is a great addition to the franchise that is now supposed to be back on track with bi-annual installments, and Daniel Craig is reportedly signed on for 2 more.  Hopefully, they will continue to weigh quality over quantity.

James Bond will return...and nobody does it better.

...AND NOW FOR TWO THINGS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

The Pirates! Band of Misfits from Sony/Columbia and the makers of Chicken Run, is an animated feature for the family.  While it's not the best one of these to come along, the kids enjoyed it and it had several amusing moments.  The voice talent was great, featuring Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Salma Hayek, David Tennant, Anton Yelchin and Brian Blessed!  We had a good time and it's a good film for a family movie night.


Then there's Cabin in the Woods.  This is NOT a family film.  But, it was surprisingly fresh for its genre.  Taking the old, tired horror formula, college students head out for a weekend away in an old (you guessed it) cabin in the woods.  But, this is not your typical hack-and-slash maniac movie (though there's plenty of that).  For those not in-the-know, I won't spoiler it, but nothing is what it seems and the movie takes several unexpected turns.  The ending is pretty awesome too.  Even though I'm not crazy about the creative team behind the story, I'll give them credit for being original.  And just a quick aside here, and if you see the movie you'll know what I mean.  This was totally an adult version of a Scooby-Doo episode, or maybe since Chris Hemsworth is in it, Thor and Shaggy vs. the Forces of Evil.

'Coma' Put Me To Sleep

For anyone who was interested in watching the mini-series remake of Robin Cook's 'Coma', and hasn't seen it yet, you might consider skipping it.  Great cast and production values.  Geena Davis, James Woods and Richard Dreyfus starred with Ridley and his late brother, Tony Scott producing.  The first night was a good set-up.  Second and  final night was a complete waste of time.  It, unfortunately, deteriorated into 2 annoying cat-and-mouse chase scenes with the protagonist running through the darkened corridors of, first, a university lab building and then the darkened corridors of a research facility as the villain(s) pursued.  It became comical as we watched her pass every (unlocked) exit in each building and opt to hide under furniture instead.

Oh, and at what point did 2 nights (4 hours with commercials) become a mini-series?  Anyone remember 'Roots',  'The Thornbirds', 'Shogun', 'Marco Polo', Winds of War' and a half dozen other epic television events from the late 70's, early 80's.  Now those were mini-series! (or is it serieses? - spell checker says no). 

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

Below is a mostly confirmed list of genre specific movie release dates.  Enjoy...
 
        2012
Total Recall   [8-3-12]
The Bourne Legacy   [8-10-12]
Solomon Kane   [8-24-12]
Dredd   [9-21-12]
Looper   [9-28-12]
Skyfall   [11-9-12]
The Hobbit:
    An Unexpected Journey   [12-14-12]

          2013
Oz: The Great and Powerfull   [3-8-13]
Iron Man 3   [5-3-13]
Man of Steel   [6-14-13]
The Lone Ranger   [7-3-13]
Pacific Rim   [7-11-13]
The Wolverine   [7-26-13]
Thor: The Dark World   [11-6-13]
The Hunger Games:
   Catching Fire   [11-15-13]
The Hobbit:
   There and Back Again   [12-13-13]

          2014
Captain America:
   The Winter Soldier   [4-4-14]
Robopocalypse   [4-25-14]
The Amazing Spider-Man 2   [5-2-14]
Fantastic Four Reboot   [6-??-14]*
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes   [5-23-14]
X-Men: First Class 2   [7-18-14]
Guardians of the Galaxy [8-??-14]*

          2015
Ant Man   [4-??-15]*
The Avengers 2   [7-1-15]*

* Unconfirmed

Rush Gets "Punked"

...Steampunked, that is. Clockwork Angels is the new album from Rush, and Neil Peart (Drummer and Lyicist) has written a Steampunk story in the form of a concept album with a novelization forthcoming by award winning Sci-Fi writer, Kevin J. Anderson.

Peart, Lifeson, Lee

The album itself gets back to the band's roots with more of the 3-piece and less keyboards. Headlong Flight really sounds like classic Rush. There are a few other stand-out songs but I think I'll give it a few more listens before I comment more. As always Alex Lifeson's guitar work is excellent and Peart's drumming is perfect. Time has started to take it's toll on Geddy Lee as his higher vocal range is diminishing, but he gets to show off a bit more bass work since he's freed from the confines of the keys.

The novelization of the story set forth in the album will be out in September. It tells of a young man's journey across a landscape of Steampunk and Alchemy and of course he gets caught between the forces of order and chaos, as in all good stories....

Power of Prometheus

From what I can tell, Prometheus is THE movie generating the most discussion online right now. Opinions range from it being a confusing mess to being a brilliant film. I lean closer to the latter. There is a lot going on in this movie, much of which is not explained clearly so, understandably, this may lead to a lot of confusion. There's also the religious aspect of the film. The origin of mankind is in question and this may not sit well with many. However, I must say that I've been thinking about Prometheus a lot since I saw it and most other movies just don't stick with me like this one has.

I think the scope of what the filmmakers are trying to accomplish here is on a very grand scale. Many explanations were not forthcoming because this is only a small part of a much larger story. People showing up to see another Alien movie are probably disappointed because that's not what they're getting here. It's much more. I could go on about the complex themes and different mythologies that are explored here but others have already done that in a much more eloquent and meaningful way. Suffice it to say that there are a lot of subtle layers.

The basic premise is that, 80 years in our future, scientists discover an 'invitation to the stars', if you will, to meet with beings that may have had a hand in human development and/or creation on Earth. These scientists receive backing from a reclusive bazillionaire and are able to take a full exploration crew aboard the ship Prometheus to the coordinates outlined in this "invitation". What they find is, of course, not what they bargained for. The Alien connection is mostly a nod to viewers that this is indeed taking place in the same universe. However, it is really its own separate story. If they continue on with what they've laid the foundation for here, it will be more of a parallel story on a much more epic scale.
The visuals are fantastic (I saw it in Imax 3D), the acting and effects are top notch, and while it is the biggest sticking point, I found the writing and story to be very intriguing and well thought out. I left the theater wanting more and, from what I hear, I'll get it in the extended Director's Cut when it is released on video, most likely this fall (20-30 minutes of additional footage).

My recommendation, as always, is to check it out yourself. Take in the visuals, think about what the story is trying to convey with an open mind and form your own opinion.


Prometheus is in theaters now. It's Directed by Ridley Scott, Written by John Spaihts and Damon Lindelof and stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Alba and Charlize Theron.