In a Mirror, Darkly

"Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant." -Epictetus







A father prays he sees a clear image of himself when he peers into his son.  Born with this son is a desire to correct the mistakes of his father, an opportunity to snuff out the generational curses of his father and father's father, and a chance to create in this new being the change he wanted but could not will within himself.  Fathers want their sons to ascend past their life in scope and ambition.  These dreams and desires burn within the soul of a man, but if a son does not come to his father to glean wisdom, this fire flames out; these dreams and desires go unsaid.  When this fire finally reignites and these unspoken desires burst through, they come out in the form of a critical comment in anger, a searing glare, a long speech on disappointment: it's the curse he learned from his father and father's father.  Anger and disappointment are the only emotions men are comfortable enough to communicate.  How can a father truly tell his son what's on his heart without him becoming soft?  It's a long road to carry that heavy load and men cannot afford to be careless.  A father hopes his son will take these unsaid things from his life and his actions: providing for his mother and sisters.  Working even when it hurts; or at least this is what he tells himself.  Work and provision keeps a house warm but creates distance.  The image a father once thought he could clearly see in his son becomes smeared.

In a meeting between father and son, Don Corleone laments his desire for Michael to be a man of great influence; he never wanted him involved in the family business. He admits his older sons, Sonny and Fredo, were more cut out for the family business: Sonny's bombastic temper and impulsive nature makes him a natural mobster.  Fredo is dim-witted and frail but he's a soldier with a good heart.  Don Corleone recognizes that Michael has inherited his brain and calculating nature; his strongest attributes.  Michael wants to learn everything from his father. Once Michael becomes don, he appoints his father as his counselor.  This is for good reason; despite Don Corleone's brutal rise to power, by all accounts he's a warm family man who's beloved and can gain never ending loyalty from the most mammoth of men.  Michael's intellect made him ideal for the lonely and all consuming endeavor of empire building but he never inherited his father's heart.  Michael is never seen having the same openness with his son that Don Corleone had with him, Fredo and Sonny.  Michael makes the Corleone family more powerful and wealthy and yet, he loses his family.  He even talks to his mother about this possibility but the tragedy is that he never corrects his course.  Though Michael is the favored son and Don Corleone believes he's his doppelganger, Michael only managed to be a darkly image of his father.

The same way a father is viewed as a failure if he's not the ideal image of strength, swagger and provision; a son can find himself cursed with the burden of ascending past his father's life in scope and ambition.  After all, a father prays he sees a clear image of himself when he peers into his son  but the traditional view of masculinity is skewed and mired with every generation.  A father cannot expect his son to mirror only his best qualities; he must be willing to shatter his own reflection and let his son see him as flesh and blood.  This is the only way to fight off the shards of bad memories that will tear through the rest of his son's life. He must see his father's aches, his fragility, those imperfections that make him a man.  Those are the things that leave the biggest impact on a son.  As Don Corleone and Michael show, there's no guarantee father and son will be a clear copy of each other but a father can die well if he instructs his son on how to walk through the broken glass of life.  Then it becomes the son's choice whether or not he becomes a darkly image.
 

Law of Faith

"A causal stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything."

-Friedrich Nietzsche







Life can be a lot like space.  At its finest, we seem to float above the fray on earth, bathe in the Milky Way and the stellar view of the planets, and admire the majesty of the stars. Nothing can hurt us up here; however, life is but a dream. Unfortunately, like space, life can be an isolating vacuum that swallows people in it's dark vastness.  The truth is life is never fine enough to violate the law of gravity because a dead end job weighs us in the dirt; the truth is the stack of bills is too high to entertain any cosmic viewing; the truth is dreams of exploring uncharted planets supernova when faced with harsh realities. Despite setback after setback, we hold onto the simple law of faith: It has to get better.  We trudge through inertia for better days because everyone in our orbit gets all the breaks: a great job, an awesome spouse, finding a twenty dollar bill in the parking lot.  If it happens to them, its only a matter of time before it happens for us.  The fight to hold onto faith is fierce; logic and best laid plans dictates the abandonment of faith but logic and best laid plans fail, only leaving faith.  Faith whispers in the darkest there's meaning in pain when life hurts, fills the void in our souls when it becomes hollow; at least that's the story we want to believe.

Dr. Ryan Stone didn't have much faith.  Despite her education and intelligence, inside she's broken.  During her mission, disaster after disaster besets her. She trudges through losing her ship and her crew but after one too many obstacles, she hits a wall.  Best laid plans convince her there's no way to get back to earth.  Logic tells her there's no life for her back on earth; there isn't anyone waiting on her, no one will mourn her.  Yet, faith knocks on the door and shows her there's another way; that something has been overlooked.  Faith could have shown itself earlier but it's never too late to come bearing rewards.  Faith shines brightest when there's obstacles to overcome.  Good endings must be earned.

A stroll through the insane asylum may not prove faith but its very existence speaks to a level of hope.  The idea isn't just to lock away people with mental illness for an infinite amount of time and throw away the key; through medication and treatment doctors hope they become better.  Dr. Stone found the faith to continue because her life means something.  Her journey of perseverance will help someone else trudge through their circumstances.  Perseverance develops strength of character but this only comes through faith.  Like space, life can be an isolating vacuum that swallows people in it's dark vastness.  Life is not short on suffering but to live is to find meaning in the suffering.  Finding meaning begins with having faith in a greater ideal: It has to get better.  We must fight for better and only than do we earn the right to tell an incredible story.

What is Cinema?

"Who could ask for anything more than to have the opportunity--and the wherewithal--to convey by film a meaningful personal sentiment?  Not the kind of message expressed by words only, but to pass on an experience dear to the writer, with the force of a poem, a communication that combines every expressive art-photography, language, music, acting, movement-devised by man, coming out of your own feelings and seeking to reach not only the few people who are close to you but the whole world".
-Elia Kazan

Escaping to the cinema started out as paradise.  As time passed, the movie theater became a permanent residence; a home at the end of the world.  Disregarding flaws preserve love but ignoring them can be fatal.  Though paradise is calm and peaceful, there's still rain and once in a while, a hurricane develops and strikes.  A hurricane of change is plummeting cinema: the roaring winds of the digital age have sent many scurrying into storm shelters or searching for the sunnier horizons.  Nowadays movie studios only make big spectacles with a $250-300 million dollar price tag, independent films are becoming harder to produce and market, and cable television now occupies the space reserved for mid-budget films.  Superhero films are not bad but with reboots/remakes and young adult adaptations, they are the only three options at most theaters.  In the name of franchising, many properties from my childhood, the 1990s, are being redone with equal measures of nostalgia and annoyance.  The once familiar form of cinematic storytelling is being uprooted, flooded and smashed.  The blueprint for renovating cinema must be drawn up while the storm is still raging but will these new plans retain the essence and beauty of cinema?  

Cinema's essence and beauty were once confined to the movie theater.  A trip to the movie theater used to be the clear cut way to define cinema and experience cinematic storytelling. The advent of Netflix, multi-platform releases, high definition televisions, and the emergence of quality television shows have uprooted the traditional cinematic experience.  On the flip side, movie watching seems to be more convenient; there's no need to wait in line for concessions nor is there the need to sneak food into the theater.  For those souls still willing to brave the multiplex, it seems everything is a sequel.  As a matter of fact, the sequel to the movie you're watching now has already been greenlit.  By announcing multiple films in advance, there's no more dramatic tension.  The danger with franchising every movie is their uniform feel. In short, films have become episodic and in many ways, extended trailers.  The great irony of this occurrence is now the best TV shows have adopted cinematic storytelling.  Cinematic storytelling is the use of big stars, coherent direction, great dialogue and acting, character arcs, plot twist, multidimensional characters, and rich visuals as a means of storytelling.  Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Dexter and countless other shows have introduced cool and complicated characters that use to populate cinema.  The best example of this is True Detective; I even listed Rust Cohle as Matthew McConaughey's best performance earlier this year.  True Detective is a TV show with the soul of a film.  For the moment, television and home entertainment has taken the essence of the cinematic experience away from movie theaters but cinema's soul is still intact.  If the movie theaters are no longer the only place to experience cinema, is it still a relevant institution going forward?

The answer to cinema's future relevance lies in it's past.  Cinema did not originate in America.  France is considered the birthplace of cinema; The Gaumont Film Company of France is the world's first and oldest film company.  So many great film directors and cinematic movements have come from Europe and yet Hollywood became the movie capital of the world.  Though Hollywood is still considered the movie capital, the Cannes Film Festival is considered the movie mecca.  The Venice Film Festival is the world's oldest film festival.  It's not by accident that so many of cinema's most important institutions are scattered throughout the world.  Cinema is a global language.  Woody Allen is inspired by Ingmar Bergman, a Swedish director.  His name may not be mainstream but his film, The Seventh Seal, contains a scene in which a man plays chess with death; its one of the most iconic scenes in all cinema and has been parodied and referenced ad nauseam.  Everyone knows about Star Wars, some uncomfortably more than others, but George Lucas took inspiration from Akira Kurosawa.  Quentin Tarantino is as famous for his movies as he is for his extensive movie knowledge.  Cinema's best scenes and movies are iconic; they permeate through pop culture all over the globe.  It's why some filmmakers put their lives on the line to make a film.   Cinema's most important function as an institution is its ability to transport the heart and mind of the viewer to a specific region of the world and introduce a worldview that may otherwise be ignored.  Cinema's relevance as an art form depends on provoking emotion and creating inspiration through imagery across geographical, national and ethnic borders.

Cinema is still a paradise and it's not limited to an island.  The paradise of cinema is global but a hurricane of change is plummeting cinema.  However, cinema has survived similar storms.  During the 1960s, the movie industry resembled a desolate landscape because of box office bombs, television, audience apathy and global unrest.  However, by the end of the decade many of cinemas most influential artist cleaned up and rebuilt paradise.  They decided it was worth fighting through the harsh winds and rain.  The American New Wave came from this period of great strife.  Prominent directors such as Martin Scorsese, George Lucus, and Steven Spielberg oversaw the construction of a new cinema and films such as Easy Rider, Bonnie and Clyde and the Godfather shaped the landscape.  The next age of cinema will not be like the American New Wave: bold, new directors must use their own blueprints to renovate this institution.  No matter the structural changes, cinema passes through our consciences, connects people across different cultures, and evokes emotion from deep within our souls.  This is the essence and beauty of cinema.

An Ode To: Alfred Hitchcock

"Give them pleasure-the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare."

-The Master of Suspense

"Twilight has set in on another beautiful summer day.  For some, it brings feelings of joy. For others, melancholy, but for me, boredom.  Soon I won't be able to snoop on anyone. You'd be surprised just how many people leave their blinds open all day and don't think anyone is watching.  Hey, two weeks of pizza's and Netflix will drive anyone to voyeurism...I mean, neighborhood watching.  Okay, let me explain, I broke my leg a month ago and now I'm attached to this wheelchair; my ex-girlfriend would be surprised to see such a long term commitment, at least, other than my phone.  After a long day of net cruising, I spotted a sweet, refurbished Canon EOS Rebel on E-Bay for $250.00!  Look, I'm usually a pretty sensible kinda guy who keeps a budget in mind, especially in my delicate state but one can only play so much Pitfall, send so many text and I absolutely refuse to call anybody; I'm handicapped, not dying.  Plus, there's no more episodes of Orange Is The New Black.  I needed some excitement.  I had to have it.  They say the first thing to go in cabin fever is the mind, or something like that."

"Looking through it now, the clarity at dusk is unreal.  Right on schedule, the children duck and dodge through the sprinklers.  Mr. and Mrs. Minivan transport their infantry back home. Mrs. Sandy, a wonderful, old widow who worries over me so, tends to her tomatoes one last time.  She makes the best peach cobbler, I already inhaled the last plate she brought over.  I'm becoming such a fatty.  Well, one last pan of the neighborhood before lights out.  I hope Eve's home, I'll make her feel sorry for me and come over, she's...oh, there's my next door neighbor.  All business tonight, no waves. He's not really interesting, he's a bit of a mama's boy.  Since the accident he sees it as an invitation to act neighborly.  I can never remember his name...Charlie, maybe?  I don't know, some plain name. He closes the blinds, he's probably stuffing a bird.  Yeah, the guy talks about only two things, his mom and stuffing birds. Real Ted Bundy type stuff.  Though he's never closed his blinds to do that...okay, nothing to see.  He's definitely a lonely heart, he figures I am too since we're both bachelors, but I'm known to have a guest or two or four.  Man, I need to text Eve,  where's my phone?"

"The only thing more sucky than having this anchor attached to my leg while taking a shower is placing this anchor inside of a plastic bag to take a shower...crap, I left my phone downstairs, I'll hobble to it later.  I also left my camera laying on the bed.  Like I said, the mind is the first thing to go.  Just two and a half crutch assisted hops into the bedroom.  Hmmm...Charlie's light's still on, maybe he's burning the midnight oil.  I need a better look; alright, steady the camera, steady, zoom in...he's not so lonely after all, there's a woman on his bed.  Wait, I shouldn't be watching...she's putting her hands up, they're taped together.  It's like she's pleading...he's holding a knife in.  He lifts it up; she hops up and plasters herself against the window.  Her face red, eyes swelled with tears, her mouth wrapped in duct tape, her screams imprisoned.  She bangs against the window...her eyes close and she slumps down toward the floor.  He looks down at her...I can't believe...no, he looks at me.  Where's my phone!?"

"It's downstairs, I have I to run, ahhhh!  Right, broken leg, I gotta crawl now, I'm a huge idiot. What....no, he's pounding on the door.  The alarm blares, he's stampeding up the steps.  I have to hide, I need to get under the bed, come on crawl!  He's stopped, he's upstairs; I feel his glare piercing into my back.  He stomps over and drags me from under the bed.  I claw the floor, reaching for the door threshold; he flings me into the bathroom, hot shower running behind me.  I push myself back, my only option.  My back hits the bathtub wall, he towers over me, holding a knife."        

The ultimate nightmare scenario. For six decades, Alfred Hitchcock mined our subconscious fears and anxiety's for inspiration.  For over fifty films, Alfred Hitchcock forced us into the role of voyeur; intriguing us with what we saw but at the same time, making us question our moral sensibilities.  He was the architect of most techniques used in the film today.  His considerable shadow looms over every frame of film produced.  Psycho fathered Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers; it grandfathered every horror/slasher film ever made.  Every movie, T.V show and commercial now uses the vertigo effect.  Through his cameos, interviews, trailers and television series, Alfred Hitchcock created film brand recognition: it's the reason Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and execs at film franchise juggernaut Marvel can swim in bank vaults full of money.  The strength of any thriller today is measured on whether it's Hitchcockian enough or not, which is an corroded, double-edged sword. 

Like every buzzworthy, tall, athletic, shooting guard is compared to Michael Jordan, every new director who makes a great thriller or suspense film is christened a new Hitchcock disciple.  Without any since of irony, professional wordsmiths like critics and prognosticators diminish words like "master" and "Hitchcock" and hand out laurels like little league trophies.  Some directors (David Fincher) continue to produce great work in the face of such comparisons while others (M. Night Shyamalan, you knew it was coming) are declared his legitimate heir apparent only to be crushed under the crown's weight.  Then, there are directors who are seen as only carbon copies until they make something original (Brian De Palma).  Not that Hitchcock had a problem with plagiarism; heck, Hitchcock plagiarized himself, often re-shooting similar scenes from earlier films in later movies.  He even remade an earlier British movie, The Man Who Knew Too Much twenty years later starring James Stewart.  

In the end, his place on cinema's Mount Rushmore is undeniable but what about his indelible mark on our psyches?  Who else can make us think twice before getting into the shower, welcoming a distant family member, or question a man's fondness of his mother?  I tip my hat to you:  The Master of Suspense, The Architect of Nightmares, Sir Alfred Hitchcock.

Desert of Jadedness

"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well".

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery






No one seeks out a desert; its discovered after fleeing from hurt.  Trust, a delicacy so brittle but given with much care and heart attached, is now fragmented.  Hot, vivid images of betrayal crash into our psyche; the blood coursing through our body feels like lava.  When we stop at last and look around, there's no life to be seen.  No water, no vegetation, no sign of the oasis that was home.  Though these new surroundings are alien, it feels better this way; isolation is the best policy.  Sun and sand are our only companions. Now time can stitch the heart back together; however, no one lives in the desert for very long.  After much wondering in the desert, a miracle happens.  Someone possesses and shows pity, bringing us back to civilization.  However, we are not the same.  Jadedness has seeped in and dried up the well of hope and goodwill.  Our voice carries cynicism, our eyes are void of any compassion.  Jadedness casts harsh shadows and colors perception black and white.  All of this came from caring too much; now, we don't stick our neck out for anybody.

Once a upon a time, Rick fought against tyranny but now, he stews away in the desert; jadedness long sapping him of any passion. The refugees reek of desperation; there's no time to be jaded.  Casablanca is the land between dream fulfillment and failure.  Rick's jaded false face, though convincing, does not hold up and comes off more often than he cares to admit.  At the beginning of the film, Rick refuses to allow a German banker access into his cafe. Ilsa, the person responsible for his flight in the first place, arrives and rips off Rick's facade.  Rick's atrophied heart beats once more.  It's amazing how as time goes by, old wounds thought healed again ache.  She arrives in Casablanca with her husband, a renowned leader who's key in turning the tide in World  War II.  Rick fights his desire to not hurt anymore versus the need for his life to mean something.  Helping Ilsa amounts to something bigger than himself but jadedness continues to convince himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart.    

Trust, a delicacy so brittle but given with much care and heart attached, is very dangerous.  When we trust people, we also give them permission to hurt us.  When trust is destroyed, we flee into the desert to live in isolation.  Though sensible, living in isolation is a slow death.  Rick could not live adrift in Casablanca without affecting others.  At some point, those tattered pieces of heart scab over and heal.  Though the scars are visible, it doesn't change the functionality of the heart and its still the same after the scabs fall away.  Jadedness is a vital part of the healing process, it is not the end.  Wonder in the desert long enough and a well is found.  Live long enough and pain will find us all.  Separating pain from life is akin to separating fertile soil from a tree, we need pain to grow; it's better to feel pain and know we're alive than it is to feel nothing and not know we're dead.  We're going to have to endure pain and jadedness but after healing comes the time to live, love, and begin beautiful friendships.      

The Graduate Drift

"Well, I would say I'm just drifting.  Here in the pool. It's very comfortable to drift here."

-Ben Braddock










Drifting sucks.  Drifting is akin to a slow death in this sink or swim world but there are times where it's beneficial.  In college, it's okay to float from class to class, flock from this group to that group and dabble in different majors.  After graduation, its time to celebrate; its time to be exalted by family and friends.  After the party's over, the time for reflection commences: the time comes to actually read the diploma and see what this piece of paper qualifies the wielder to do.  Visions of the future washes over.  Then it becomes difficult to breath, a sinking feeling envelopes the stomach.  Accolades and accomplishments are nothing more than resume fodder.  Our path is no longer clear; our worldview skewed.  The perfect plan emplaced upon graduation is deviated from after the umpteenth rejection.  Poor job prospects dampen the burning passion we covet but cannot claim.  The where, when, how, who and why's push us under water.  We drown in the anxiety of real bills and accumulated debt.  Not only are we worried about the future, it feels easier to sink.    

Ben Braddock is flooded with worries during his parents display of him.   Everyone throws advice toward him; there are so many floats being thrown out and yet he shows no desire to be saved.  When he decides he wants to be saved, he grabs onto the float thrown by the most attractive of all his parents friends.  He's content to drift in and out of his parents pool and in and out of bed with Mrs. Robinson.  Ben is not sure of what his accomplishments mean or what they say about him.  Even though Ben is drifting, at least he's still afloat.  Mrs. Robinson has been sinking for a long time and has long lost interest in coming up for air.  She started drifting after becoming pregnant with Elaine, giving up her art major and succumbing to Mr. Robinson's proposal to marriage.  For years and years, she's allowed alcohol and her husband's late nights to weigh her down.  The float Mrs. Robinson threw out was really an anchor.  Mrs. Robinson's dilemma is not different from many older people who feel this way about their job or marriage, it's just a more acceptable form of sinking.  

Mr. Robinson tells Ben to sow his wild oats and have fun as a young man. This statement is ironic considering Mr. Robinson was doing the same with Mrs. Robinson when she became pregnant.  Mistakes made in youthful exuberance have lasting consequences into old age.  Ben does not want to be where Mrs. Robinson is, desiring a second chance at mid-life.   It's easy to fawn for youth, the chance to swim down a new stream before the anxiety of real bills and accumulated debt extinguished the passion we coveted but could not claim.  Life ebbs and flows; swimming or sinking depends more on current than strength or skill.  This is something young people today, myself included, should have heard a long time ago.  We've been taught to swim or sink when sometimes drifting is the best option.  It's important to look up and see the vastness of the sky; feel and smell the freshness of the air and glean rays from the sun; to close our eyes and just float.  

Reboot Sequel Smackdown! Spider-Man 2 vs. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The sequel to the reboot of the original trilogy, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swung into theaters to less than stellar reviews.  The complaints critics spun against the movie is that it's unfocused, there’s too many villains, a bloated running time and a convoluted plot; it’s pretty much a remake of Spider-Man 3.  However, at Escape To Cinema, besides writing deep, moody retrospectives on films; I’d like to believe I can articulate and analyze why a movie failed to meet the basic levels of entertainment.  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had some good moments but it left so much on the field and reminds me of Omar Little’s brother, it has no heart.  Only 10 years ago Spider-Man 2 was described as the high watermark for superhero films after so many ballyhooed letdowns (The Hulk, Daredevil, The Punisher).  So, in this first edition of Reboot-Sequel Smackdown!, I will scrutinize the best and worst attributes of each Spidey film.

Story

Spider-Man 2 is a character driven story.  The film looks at Peter Parker juggling his responsibilities as Spider-Man while trying to pay rent, hold down two jobs, and go to school (glad this came out at a better time for the economy).  For a summer blockbuster, there are not a lot of action scenes.  The focus on Spider-Man’s problems makes him relateable and gives the movie a clear thorough line.  This approach to the character is in line with Stan Lee’s original intent. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 gets tangled in too many of its own threads.  Its more plot driven, telling the “untold” story of what happened to Peter Parker’s parents, though this central mystery garners eye rolls and shoulder shrugs at best.  TASM2 feels like an extended trailer for future installments.  Too much emphasis on villains killed the Batman franchise the first go round and it seems Electro, Rhino and the Green Goblin are guaranteed to return whether or not the audience cares.  The best part of the movie is Peter and Gwen’s relationship but it’s rushed along without any emotional payoff.  Advantage:  Spider-Man 2

Peter Parker

Peter Parker is an awkward, teenage, science nerd who's thrust into this great responsibility by fate.  His powers only seem to make things worse but he maintains his earnest goodness.  In other words, Tobey Maguire gets him.  If Peter Parker was brought into the three dimensional world, he would look like Tobey Maguire. 

Andrew Garfield is a fine actor but he's not Peter Parker.  The only awkward thing about Garfield’s Parker is his constant need to climb and lean on stuff.  Peter Parker isn't a skateboarding, hoodie clad smart aleck with an affinity for stammering and pauses (TASM2 could have been 30 minutes shorter without them).    Advantage:  Spider-Man 2 

Spider-Man

I love Tobey as Peter Parker but he’s just meh as Spider-Man.  The trademark wise cracks and snarky nature do not show up too much.  Spider-Man uses humor to hide his anxieties and insecurities when taking on powerful foes.  It could be because he's not in the suit a whole.  However, when he dons the suit in SM2, a funnier Spider-Man isn't too much to ask. 

While in TASM2, Andrew nails Spider-Man. His humorous instincts are on point; he just doesn't turn it off in his Peter Parker guise.  His Spider-Man is cool.  The point of Spider-Man is this nerdy dude becoming a cool superhero, giving nerds and geeks alike hope.  Advantage:  The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Villains

Alfred Molina lends much heart and pathos to his interpretation of Doctor Octopus.  He handles both sides of the character with great delicacy; his ambition is the thorough line that connects Otto Octavius and Doc Ock.  He's also a stunning visual villain without the aid of CGI.  He's in the mode of a mad scientist, like the Green Goblin, but his madness is steeped in his wife's death and his on failure to see through a lifelong goal; which is very relatable and realistic.

TASM2 villains aren't bad; Rhino is handled well.  The Green Goblin believes Spider-Man failed to save his life.  Electro is misunderstood and overlooked as Max Dillon.  In Electro's case, the filmmakers and Jamie Foxx tried too hard to make him nerdy in his human form but Foxx found subtle narcissism in Max, which comes out after his transformation into Electro.  The problem is with execution: Doc Ock is given quality screen time and a character arc.  After his initial appearance, Electro spends half of the movie in a water tank while Harry's transformation into the Green Goblin is rushed.  TASM2 did not use its running time in an adequate manner to establish its villains; I guess that's why the trailers showed so much.  Advantage:  Spider-Man 2  

 

Supporting Cast    

Both Spider-Man films were blessed with great supporting cast.  Spider-Man 2 standouts include the immortal J.K Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, and James Franco as Harry Osborn.  The most overlooked person in this movie is Rosemary Harris' performance as Aunt May.  She's still grieving over Ben and blames herself for his death.  She delivers a monologue about heroes that's one of the more touching speeches committed to film. 

TASM2's version of Aunt May isn't bad; Sally Field has her own speech that makes you forget this is a Spider-Man film.  Dane DeHaan's childish, bitter, on-hinged take on Harry Osborn is the most compelling part of the film.  Emma Stone would have made a great Mary Jane and it goes with saying she's a great Gwen Stacy.  Man, this is harder than I thought...so I'll subscribe to Uncle Ben's rule of life: with great power comes great responsibility.  TASM2 has way too many unimportant characters that occupy precious screen time; there’s a German doctor, some Oscorp board member pulling a Dark Knight and plotting a takeover, a key demographic represe.... I mean an adorable child dressed as Spider-Man.  TASM2 didn't deliver despite a formidable cast.  Advantage:  Spider-Man 2

So, Spider-Man 2 wins the inaugural Reboot-Sequel Smackdown!  I can't really give it a prize, or trophy or even an endorsement that means much coming from a broke, unconnected writer but being an awesome movie is a prize all its own!

Addiction to a Dream

"Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic, be alcohol or morphine or idealism."

-Carl Jung




An ideal is the perfect dream.  A dream gives us purpose.  A dream stimulates our imagination, resuscitates our bodies and spurs us to trudge through the unforgiving landscape of life.  Getting married, graduating from college, buying the house on the hill; these are big dreams.  Sometimes a dream can be as simple as losing weight and fitting into a red dress.  After a dream manifest into reality, we become giddy.  Intoxicated off euphoria, we must keep doing it again and again, it's the ultimate addiction.  There's no harm in seeing through a major accomplishment but getting to the journey's end is not as satisfying if our moral compass is compromised.  The lows from dreams deferred can drag down the high of seeing them manifest.  Disappoints and discouragements are not welcomed but they barge through unannounced anyways.  During these valleys, shortcuts are desired and welcomed; attractive detours toward our dreams with minimal sacrifice and pain.  However, when these shortcuts are taken, we lose control of our dreams and fall into addiction.  Addiction to our dream becomes consuming.  Relationships and integrity are sacrificed in our pursuit of happiness.  The very force that gave us life now dries us up like a raisin in the sun.

Requiem for a Dream, as the title implies, is a ceremony of death.  The cause of the death is addiction.  In the opening scene; Harry steals his mother's television again to feed his drug habit and his mother, Sara, goes to the pawn shop and buys the television back, again.  At first, Sara's addictions in the film are not recreational drug related.  She watches daytime television infomercials alone all day.  She goes outside and talks to her neighbors, the same ones who see her son take the television again and again.  She's starving for attention and admiration from her neighbors and her son; it's her dream, it's her drug.  A prank call about being on television prompts Sara to lose weight, dye her hair and try to recapture her proudest moment, a picture of herself in a red dress at Harry's graduation.  After no success because of little effort and little patience, Sara takes "diet pills", which are actually amphetamines.  She becomes addicted to the drugs but the falsehood of her dreams were her gateway drug.  She desires to tell the world about her wonderful son, and her late husband; though in the one picture we see of all three, she's the only one smiling.  When the weight fades away and her neighbors shower her with attention,  she's finally in the sun. She continues to take the pills but once she fits into the red dress, her dreams have overtaken her.  Sara sags and crashes under the heavy load.

Dreams are not made of pixiedust and birthday wishes.  Because dreams are only of value at a cost, they're  grown through years of blood, sweat, and tears.  When our dream addiction sprawls out of control, the unrelenting internal pressure and external set backs make us shortsighted.  Requiem for a Dream illustrates this tragedy, especially through Sara. The electro shock therapy she endures is a last ditch resort to bring her back to reality.  Often times, its the broken promises, deceit and destroyed relationships in our pursuit of dreams that bring us back to reality.  If this is not traumatic enough, our manifest destiny is not built on solid foundation, but is built on sand.  The dream home comes with an albatross montage, a recent college graduate drowns in debt with little employment options, and marriage becomes a nightmare after settling for any mate because of an artificial timetable.  There's nothing wrong with having a dream and desiring and working for it to come to pass but as Requiem for a Dream shows, a dream pursued without regard to anyone, self included, is a prison sentence whether than a ticket to freedom.  We must take care to understand we're in control, one right step at a time.  

Religish?

"I'm Godless.  And so I've had to make my God, and my God is narrative filmmaking, which is-ultimately what my God becomes."

-Darren Aronofsky









Considering Darren Aronofsky's views on God, Noah is an odd choice.  The story in Genesis is short with sparse detail; the only things discussed in depth are the dimensions of the ark and  Noah and his family.  Noah is not the cliche' re-telling of the kindly old man from Sunday school who lets giraffes eat out his hand.  It doesn't follow scripture to the letter but it's not a slap in the face to Christians either.  The film says a lot of good things about trust, faith, obedience and how walking with God is not met with much fanfare.  Noah's biblical story inspired Aronofsky to explore themes such as environmentalism, humanity and man's depravity; which is why God floods the earth in the first place.  Noah is a challenging film and not just because of how Noah is portrayed; the bigger question Noah presents is how the Bible is used as creative inspiration for believers and non-believers alike.

I'm a Christian and an artist.  I've been inspired by scripture in developing ideas and characters.  I love reading about the relationship between David and Saul, their relationship  is ripe with dramatic tension and pathos.  David and Saul's story could inspire me to retell it through the lens of the gangster or superhero genre. I'm still telling the same story, same meaning, same arc but different interpretation. This potential film will run into the same issues as Noah because it does not follow the letter of the law.  The Bible is a literary work; some amazing film adaptations have stayed faithful to the heart of the story without holding onto every comma and period.  Sometimes the line between interpretation and biblical text isn't always easy to decipher.   

The Devil comes in many forms but many viewers of The Bible miniseries thought he looked like President Obama; so much so his appearance was cut from Son of God.  I'm pretty sure the Jesus on Family Guy isn't biblical.  These are easy examples but some interpretations have been accepted as biblical fact.  Many Christians grew up with the story of three wise men visiting Jesus after he's born, though the Bible never says how many wise men there were.  At some point three wise men became an acceptable part of the story but it doesn't change the heart or intent, though it's not strict to the letter of the law either.  There's a danger in taking interpretation as truth, something Noah never claims.  Satan looking like any politician injects subtext that distracts from the main intent of the story.  Family Guy's interpretation of Jesus is ridiculous on purpose but why is it fine or forgotten about and yet Noah is blasphemous beyond belief?     

Despite Aronofsky's beliefs, he didn't take God out of Noah, his Noah is a respectful, faithful and human interpretation.  Now, if Paul Verhoeven ever gets his interpretation of Jesus off the ground, there's no question about his intent and whether it's biblical.  Later this year, another well known director and atheist Ridley Scott will release Exodus, the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.  Things will be changed for dramatic effect, though basic story outline will, I hope, will stay intact.  If these films make people curious enough to read the Bible, its a good thing; it's available for believers and non-believers alike.  The Bible is an anthology; a collection of narratives, not some thick book of rules.  The Bible is structured this way for a reason and the reason Aronofsky made this movie is because he was inspired by a story from it and the story points to the source of creation and inspiration.

Top 5 Matthew McConaughey Performances

"Life is a series of commas, not periods."

- This guy





Throughout the '00s Matthew McConaughey was the go-to guy for romantic comedies, period.  There was a time when using Matthew McConaughey and acting in the same sentence would stir the wrath of cinephiles and critics everywhere.  If someone had the unmitigated  nerve to say he's a good actor, public heckling, scorn, and  tarring and feathering were in order. He wasn't a good actor; we're talking about that oft-shirtless dude with a Texan accent who starred in that movie with Kate Hudson about him having ten days to move out of his parents house in order to discover gold. All the guy did was talk excitedly and charm the pants off his co-stars along with women everywhere.  It didn't matter that he showed dramatic promise in earlier roles like A Time To Kill and Amistad. It seemed the movie going public knew who he was.  He never seemed to mind, he just kept livin', L-I-V-I-N'.  As a result, the last few years have saw McConaughey go from the doldrums of romantic comedy to winning critical acclaim and topping it off with a Oscar win.  These five roles show Matthew McConaughey's growth into a respected actor and his surprising versatility.

5. Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Matthew McConaughey's true breakthrough.  Everyone knows someone like Wooderson; he's that guy who  still hangouts with high schoolers, chase after girls, is immature and borderline creepy. At least he would be if he wasn't so darn cool.  McConaughey showcases his effortless charm and screen charisma.  He plays Wooderson straight without winking at the audience or judgement.  He's by far the best character in this movie.

4. Rick "Pecker" Peck, Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder is a career highlight for all involved.  There are so many good characters in this movie, McConaughey's performance gets lost in the shuffle.  As Tugg Speedman's (Ben Stiller) agent and friend; Peck takes his client's request for TiVo like a call to arms.  McConaughey gets his share of one-liners ("I'm not gonna sugarcoat it for you Tugg, it was like pistol whipping a blind kid"), a huge moral dilemma and finally a big character moment (saving the day by throwing Tugg's TiVo into an oncoming rocket, classy move).

3. Mud
Playing the title character, this southern drama meditates on the complexity and volatile nature of love.     Mud as a superstitious convict who's more naive than dangerous.  His true crime is loving someone who's not good for him and for whom he has done bad things for in the name of love.  McCouaughey captures Mud's naivete, manipulation, heartbreak and anger with incredible nuisance and restraint.

2. Ron Woodruff, Dallas Buyers Club
Ron Woodruff is a hard living rodeo cowboy given 30 days to live after his HIV diagnosis.  To prolong his life, he gets treatment in Mexico and eventually smuggles anti-viral drugs into the United States.  Much has been made of his weight loss for this role but not enough has been made of McConaughey's embodiment of Ron's tenacious attitude and stubborn demeanor. He channels his natural charm and charisma into a bigot.  Even once he helps the gay community, he's doesn't become warm and cuddly.  It's a testament to his abilities that Ron becomes someone worth investing in; even his barbs at Rayon (fellow Oscar winner Jared Leto) become engaging and fun rather than mean spirited.

1. Rust Cohle, True Detective
What, this isn't a movie?  It doesn't change the fact it's a great performance.  When he and Woody Harrelson were first announced as leads, many thought McConaughey would be the lighthearted detective.  He goes way against type and shows his range as Rust Cohle: an enigmatic, anti-human detective who's good at his job and sucks at relating or empathizing with people.  In each episode Rust spouts off philosophical, nihilistic sayings that confuse and intrigue at the same time.  Rust's obsessive nature over the case and his intense beliefs make him one of the best characters on TV at a time where there's no shortage of them.  This would be impossible without Mr. McConaughey.

Top 5 Movies For '90 Kids

"Childhood was very nice.  The only thing wrong was that I was so introverted, everything became a big deal...'Oh, no, here comes the bus.  Where am I gonna sit on the bus?"

-Steven Wright



The Lego Movie was a nostalgic blast back to the past.  It reminds me of the great '90s kid movies I grew up on and watch on Netflix after a depressing day doing adult stuff...I can't be the only one. The '90s were a great time to be a kid; great cartoons like Doug, Rugrats, and Batman were on the air. Boy Meets World taught valuable life lessons every week.  Jerry Springer was at the height of his power.  Man, its hard to believe I'm a quarter of a century old (though I shouldn't feel too bad, 25 is now considered "late adolescence").  Since in a few months I'll be ripped from my youth forever, its a good time to look back and pay homage.   Here's a tribute to the kids who grew up in the '90s, the movies we loved and the parents who didn't lose their minds taking us to them.

5. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers:  The Movie
The Power Ranger Movie saw our favorite teenage, helmeted vigilantes take on Ivan Ooze.  Though it may not seem like it, this movie spoke a lot of truth.  Ooze forces parents to work for him day and night while the children are left to their own devices (Power Rangers babysat many children). The Power Rangers lose their powers and have to get them back (we've all been there).  Heck, Zordon almost died! I believe we're all better people because of the lessons taught by The Power Rangers.

4. Space Jam
I can guarantee no movie has a better soundtrack than Space Jam. Next time you have that 2:30 feeling, listen to the theme song (Its not like you're not looking at your phone at 2:30, you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't).  If that's not inspiring; try I Believe I Can Fly or Fly Like An Eagle.  Fortunately, there's no truth to the rumor about LeBron James starring in Space Jam 2.  I don't think LeBron could get away with endorsing PED use like Mike (he can truly sale anything). It's best to leave this classic.

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II:  The Secret of the Ooze (yes, this is the official title)
Go ninja, go ninja, go!  Vanilla Ice has never spoke truer words.  This movie has better choreography than most music videos today (and better editing than most action films today).  I must admit there's something admirable about grown men performing fight scenes in a full body turtle suits.  This movie gets extra credit for having the best arcade game of all time.

2. Toy Story
Toy Story was a watershed moment for animation.  It was the first feature length, computer animated film. Toy Story is also the only movie on this list parents can appreciate more than their children.  Kids marveled at the idea of toys coming to life while they're not around.   Parents saw the parallel between Woody's jealousy of Buzz and sibling rivalries.  It's every child's nightmare to lose a beloved toy; it's every parents nightmare to know (or have) a child like Sid.

1. The Lion King
The perfect fusion of music, animation, casting and story.  The Lion King, like Toy Story (both were Disney films) is a work of art.  Simba's youthful proclamation of wanting to be king was like many children's desire and impatience to become a grown up.  Simba's journey from spoiled beginnings, to the tragedy that almost destroyed him and finally, his ascension to kingship becomes more poignant with age.  It's something everyone can see in their own lives (kingship included).  Plus, everyone feels awesome after hearing Hakuna Matata.

This Bitter Earth

"Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, false namings of real events."

-Adrienne Rich

At the beginning of Teddy Daniels' journey on Shutter Island, he believes he's a hero; a chaste champion who stays true to his deceased wife.  In his dreams,  she's maternal and loving.  She pleads with her husband to let go of her.  She believes she was the innocent victim of a mad arsonist, but  this is not true.  This false memory only holds partial truths, fragments of events Teddy cannot bring himself to face.  The truth is he has complicated his past with his delusional beliefs. His wife was manic depressive.  His response was to stay away from home and become a alcoholic.  She burned down their apartment building, his response was more denial; he moved the family out to a lake house.  This was the last straw: she took their three children out to the lake and drowned them.  Teddy's denial and delusions cost his children their lives.  

Teddy is not alone; it's the nature of our memories.  I don't believe many people have this level of trauma in their past but we all have been guilty of creating false memories and delusions.  After a bad breakup, for months and sometimes even years afterwards, we hate the same person we once loved.  Every moment of shared bliss is scrutinized for clues, warnings signs that could have spared us pain.  Every argument becomes intensified, every quirk once thought of as cute and adorable becomes annoying and disgusting. Even the good times are marginalized; colored as cruel and wasted time.  Our former love becomes demonized.  At the same time, we hold ourselves up as blameless, innocent victims of heartache.  It becomes so hard to understand how this person managed to make us care.  We were doped into feeling like we couldn't live without them and are now left to deal with this bitter earth alone.  At least, that's what our journey into the past tells us. 

The mind can be unyielding when it comes to letting go of the person once loved.  Examining our role in their transformation from loved one to loathed one can be a Herculean task. Teddy couldn't let go of the idea of what his wife was, otherwise he would have never married her.  Teddy also could not see his on guilt and culpability; like looking through a glass darkly.  In This Bitter Earth, Dinah Washington sings "And if my life is like the dust/That hides the glow of a rose/What good am I/Heaven only knows."  Shutter Island is a tale of caution: how if we're not careful, the delusions we create will become our bitter earth.       

  

From Escape To Love

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"But the cinephile is a...neurotic!  The Bronte sisters were neurotic and it's because they were neurotic that they read all those books and became writers.  The famous French advertising slogan that says, "When you love life you go to the movies," it's false!  It's exactly the opposite:  when you don't love life, or when life doesn't give you satisfaction, you go to the movies."

-Francois Truffaut, director, The 400 Blows

Looking at Francois Truffaut's youth, it's not surprising he needed to escape. He was passed from relative to relative and as he grew older, he stayed out all day and night, avoiding the dysfunction at home.  He was expelled from several schools; not that he went when given a choice, often skipping school and by 14, he dropped out.  During  the days he skipped school, Truffaut stole his way into movie theaters and frequented the Cinematheque Francaise, where he watched movies from all over the world.  At first, watching movies were his escape but soon, the cinema became his teacher, his school, his reason to live, the true love of his life. 

Rejection by peers and being a loner growing up made me all too familiar with the feelings of alienation and loneliness Truffaut must have felt.  In high school, I was self aware enough to know I would not attend the latest party or have a date on Friday or Saturday night.  Every weekend I waited in line and purchased my solace.  I escaped to the cinema and gave myself away to the dimly lit theater; to the projector, illuminated screen, and surround sound.  I shared a more imitate experience with strangers than most of my "friends".  It didn't take long for my taste to evolve; from Spider-Man and X-Men to A History of Violence and Requiem of a Dream.  It was like being a explorer, discovering and claiming this new richness and complexity in films as my own.  Cinema sprouted from a fling and blossomed into fiery passion.  Though I'm still learning how to handle this fire, Truffaut has long taken it and blazed a path.

 As a film critic, Truffaut developed the auteur theory: it states that the director is also the author of the movie and their entire body of work adheres to certain themes and stylistic choices.  Nowadays we refer to this as a brand, its what makes directors like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino stand out from guys like Chris Columbus and Simon West.  He believed a director should make a film from his or her personal viewpoint.  The 400 Blows was Truffaut's worldview, an act of love.  Learning from Truffaut, I cannot go back to escaping. Escape is too easy, too fleeting; a pleasant distraction.  I now understand what love requires, it demands total devotion to stay and absolute patience to endure.  I'll be blessed to create something personal and be passionate about it, something more than a simple escape.  I can't say it any better than Truffaut: 

"The film of tomorrow appears to me as even more personal than an individual and autobiographical novel, like a confession or a diary.  The film of tomorrow will not be directed by civil servants of the camera but by artists for when shooting a film constitutes a wonderful and thrilling adventure.  The film of tomorrow will be an act of love."