'Sucker Punch' Movie Reveiw

Just came back from the theater having seen Sucker Punch and here's my two cents on it.

The film is good, with dazzling action scenes and titillating leading ladies, it's everything a nerd could ask for. You follow the tale of a girl known only as "Baby Doll" who is wrongfully committed to a mental hospital by her step father, with no one to trust aside from some of the other inmates, 'Sweet Pea', 'Rocket', 'Amber', and 'Blondie' (all of whom are very pretty girls). Together they try to find a way out of the madhouse, with every step they take being vividly imagined by 'Baby Doll' as an exciting action adventure.
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     So, one drawback to this movie is the predictability, anyone who's seen enough movies can foresee the ending to this thing. However... there is a moment where all you genre savvy people will second guess yourselves "Are they in a fantasy or this part really happening?" "So is she just imagining he's like that or is that how he really is" "Was the first part the dream or is this part fake?". This is something about the movie that I really admire, they took a premise we've seen done before, then turned it against us by creating what I can only describe as "Soft Core Inception".  Some folks may just assume that the film is an exploitative action mess, with no real depth, and that it's just an excuse for guys to see a bunch of shallow sluts run amok and shoot things. This is... okay yeah, it's sort of true, but not to such a large extent. The girls are sexy, yes, but that's not all they are... okay that's a lot of who they are, but they're tough and you'll find yourself rooting for them and admiring how bad ass they are. I'd say this is a very pro girl power movie, there is really only one male protagonist to speak of and he doesn't do much fighting, the rest of the fellas are all less than gentlemanly. One could even argue that the film makes a statement about how women are treated as sex objects, when really they should be treated like the strong fighters that they really are....

aw who am I kidding, I just want to see cool explosions and some miniskirts and this film delivers. 

The action sequences are great, each one having it's own unique flavor that taps into a different genre of fantasy, my personal favorite being the one that has German zombies in WWI (this is especially unique because most people would've chosen WWII). The thing that makes these scenes so cool is how they mix the flavors of Japanese Anime and Western Action together in a special blend that satisfies all fan bases. Director, Zack Snyder, has already proven he's one of us by bringing us Frank Miller's 300, Alan Moore's Watchmen, and the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, to the big screen, and now with Sucker Punch he's done it again, only this one was actually co-written by him! It's no wonder he's slated to direct the new Superman movie, this guy's got it.

Go see this movie, weather you're in it for the action or the *ahem* beautiful imagery, you wont be disappointed, and if at any point you start to start to lose track and are confused by the plot, don't worry about it, just enjoy yourself, let go. That's really what this movie is all about, letting go inside a fantasy world.  

Oh, and one more thing.... 

I give this movie four and a half school girl outfits out of five.
  

'Paul' Movie Reveiw

I just came back from seeing Paul starring Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, and Seth Rogen. Now I'm sure some reviewers have come down hard on this movie for it's coarse language and somewhat lewd humor, but I say they can go probe themselves because this film is great!
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   Simon Pegg and Nick Frost once again deliver great laughs as a couple of  nerdy buddies who have come all the way from England to see the famous alien hot spots of America, like Roswell and Area 51. After a delightful tour of San Diego Comic Con, the two aspiring Sci Fi writers head on an RV road trip which seems like the perfect set up for your typical cross country comedy, until suddenly things get interesting. They meet Paul (Seth Rogan) who is attempting to get back to his ship and leave Earth. The two agree to help, but are chased by a trio of government agents working for a mysterious woman.
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Okay, so, you don't have to be a sci fi fan to like this movie, but it certainly helps! This film is an open love letter to science fiction pop culture, poking fun at the genre and making references to everything from Star Wars to X-Files. It's not so much a parody of science fiction, but a story made to celebrate the spirit of it.

The movie pokes fun at Creationism and Bible thumpers  but only for a moment, it's not the main focus of the story, but it is discussed (with Paul being pro evolution). This may turn off a few more conservative types, but if they can't take a joke, well then that's their loss. The coarse language is the main reason for the R rating, with very creative swear words delivered by the whole cast (but mostly Paul) and a bit of violence, but nothing as graphic as Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz.

Most people have been initially turned away from seeing the film, due to Seth Rogen supplying the voice of Paul, perhaps because his voice is so distinctive or that he's been in so many other projects as of late, but you movie goers have nothing to fear. Rogen's presence does not eclipse the film as one thought it might, he meshes well with his costars and blends into his character. At no point in the film do I feel as though I'm listening to Rogen talking through Paul, I always feel as though I'm just hearing Paul, maybe it's because Rogen's character is so alien that I'm able to separate him from the actor. That's not to say that a little of Seth doesn't shine through though, but if it didn't then what would be the point, right?  While we're on the subject, let's talk about Paul himself, he looks so real that I at one point forgot that he was CGI. It's a shame we're so jaded about that sort of thing now, because it really is amazing when you look at it.

Now on to the rest of the cast, Pegg and Frost once again deliver another convincing friendship like they do in 'Shaun Of The Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz', but this time making room for their third amigo, Paul, creating something unique. Jason Batemen plays Agent Zoil, a deadly serious Special Agent hot in pursuit of the heroes. He's accompanied by two bungling rookie agents played brilliantly by Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio who create the classic "Guys who want to be good at their jobs, but are to stupid to be taken seriously" duo that we all love. The rest of the film is packed with fantastic actors like Jane Lynch and Jeffery Tambor as well as cameo's by some pretty fine folks (you'll have to go see the film yourself to find out who they are).
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Final Thoughts, this film is great, perfect for geeks like me, or anyone with a sense of humor. It has great laughs as well as genuine emotion and some wonderful wit that is the culmination of some brilliant actors and comedians working together in just the right way. This movie isn't an actual part of  The Blood & Ice Cream Trilogy , but it damn well is a close encounter. If I could describe this movie, I would say it's like "E.T. meets Shaun of The Dead, with a bit of Pineapple Express sprinkled on top" (sounds good doesn't it?). 

I wont say this movie is "out of this world"  because that's really cliche, but I will say that you should prepared to be abducted by laughs and probed by delight, because 'Paul' is not to be missed. Trust me, you'll want to believe.

I give this movie five Flying Saucers out of five.

The Internet Vampire.

It's finally happened, I had feared it for a while, but figured only big chains like BlockBuster were in danger, but it finally happened, my local video store is closing down. I had long since feared that this would happen, but thought that if I just kept giving them support, somehow that would protect them, but alas, I failed.

Now I know that there are a lot of drawbacks to a video store, like late fees, fearing that you'll damage the disc, and the possibility that the movie you want may be rented out by someone else when you get there, but there's one thing that it does have, human interaction. There's a real charm in being able to strike up a conversation with the sales clerk or another customer, that you just can't get with something like Netflix.

 Have you ever been sitting at home with your friends or family or significant other, and you decide that you really don't want to go out tonight, you'd rather stay home and relax with some popcorn and a couple of movies. So what do you do? Well you put on your coat and walk or drive to the video store, there you'll enter through the doors and you'll get to play the picking game! "Should I rent an action movie or a comedy?", "No, we've seen that a million times already, let's see something we haven't seen before",  "Why don't we rent some horror movies and be scared?".  Then after you've chosen a film, you venture back and are rewarded with the comfort and warmth of the house. You've made and evening out of staying at home!

Now compare that to having an instant service, you decide you don't want to go out tonight, so one of  you musters the strength to reach across the couch for your remote so you can scroll through your options and pick something that looks good. Now it's true that you have an unlimited cache of films to choose from, but that means that you're not committed to any one of them, so at any time if you get bored with your intended film, or you suddenly have the urge to watch another, no problem, you can just stop it and start up a new one, and why not check your email or text someone while you're at it? Of course I'm making this option seem less glamorous than it is, and I do know that there are plenty of things that I'm sure I'd love about having it, but what I'm saying is, Video stores used to be fun, they weren't the most foolproof way of doing what they did, but they made us interact with one another and forced us to go outside and get some fresh air even when we may not have wanted to.

That being said, when the video store inevitably does become extinct, I'm sure that I too will get a netflix or whatever, and I'll probably enjoy it, but I'll still miss that human interaction that I get when I go out to rent a movie.

The Internet Vampire isn't just draining the video store though, it's also taken it's toll on Books. Last December, my favorite bookstore, a place I'd been going to read and draw and socialize since I was in middle school, closed it's doors forever. Then, just last month, the big bookstore in the Downtown area, announced it was closing down too, thus insuring that I have one less thing to do when I go there. Of course this is most likely due to things like the Nook and the Kindle, devices that allow you to store dozens of books to read without taking up room space, but once again, have no charm. Also, last time I checked, you didn't need to charge a  paper book, or have to rub your eyes from staring at it's artificially lit pages for too long, and if you got it wet it would short out and be unusable instead of getting a little wrinkly. If I may quote a legend... "You'll never have as good a time starring at a page on a screen, as you will actually holding something in your hands", Stan "The Man" Lee said that on a documentary about the history of comics and I could not agree more with him. Tell me, what looks better on a shelf? A huge row of books ranging from science fiction and romance to history and suspense, each one bound in a different cover, ready to be pulled down and read again? or a shiny piece of plastic crap that will become outdated in a matter of months? You decide dear reader.

Okay, how 'bout this? Imagine that scene in Beauty and the Beast where the Beast pulls down the curtains of the room to reveal that beautiful library filled with books for Belle to read, Her eyes light up with excitement, He's made her so happy with that grand gesture and shown that he has a heart after all. Now picture that same scene, but instead he just hands her a Kindle which is most likely alive because everything in that house talks, much less magical don't you think?

A guy who worked at the aforementioned favorite bookstore said that "There's something civilizing about a bookstore" which I also agree with very much. It's quite true, bookstores are relatively quiet, clean, and any good one wont give you shit for just sitting around. What's more, is that once again, you have that human interaction I was talking about. Sometimes you'll see people at the big tables playing table top games, or reading together, or even just talking. Either way, they're having a good time.

Now I have one final thing to mention before I finish, one of the earliest and most prevalent victims of the Vampire... Newspapers! (dramatic music!) Okay now this one I can understand a bit more, when it comes to getting the latest news out there, the Internet has 'em beat, the only thing news companies like the New York Times and the SF Chronicle can do to stay afloat is to go digital I'm afraid. However, there are things that I will miss, like saving newspaper clippings from important events or putting the latest Foxtrot on your fridge. Also you have to think about all those aspiring journalists and artists out there who would love nothing more than to have their article or strip in the paper. Sure, anyone can post something up on the internet and have people see it (you're reading this aren't you?) but to actually have something "Make The Papers" is a real accomplishment! On another note, what will happen in movies when something interesting occurs? The age old "Spinning Newspaper" gag is in danger of becoming extinct! and where the hell are Peter Parker and Clark Kent supposed to work?

Anyhow, that's my piece for the day, now close that damn laptop of yours and go talk to the person across from you at the Cafe, maybe you'll make a new friend? Or maybe they'll tell you to fuck off because they're too busy playing Bejeweled on their laptop. Don't let that discourage you though, give it a try anyway.