Movie Night Thoughts: Blade Runner

Random Movie Ramblings: Movie Night Thoughts: Blade Runner: Blade Runner sits in my top favorite 5 movies of all time. The list is fluid in exact order, and has had some new additions recently,...

Bobbie Petrino Media Circus..... really?

I've been trying to figure out lately when the nightly news, news papers, and general main stream news became The Jerry Springer/Nancy Grace shows???? I understand, you have to feed the people what they want, if you don't give them that then you can't keep your job, or have a channel. I just don't understand at what point the public stopped wanting the steak and potatoes of what's going on in the world, and instead just wanted to be fed the fluff and dribble.

I can understand the head coach of a major university team having a motorcycle crash is at least worth a mention on the news. But that's not what we got, we got 5 minutes about the crash, then 15 minutes about motorcycle safety. Never mind the dozens of other motorcycle crashes there have been, just lately, but oh my gosh coach has a wreck, so let's spend the whole news cast on it now.


I don't even care about the "inappropriate relationship", or that he lied to the media about having a girl on the bike with him. I don't give a crap about anyone who lies to the media, heck, I encourage it, the way the media is anymore. He didn't lie to the police, that would be a problem. He didn't lie under oath, like a certain president did. So he didn't tell people he had been having an affair, so what, the only people who's business that is would be his, hers, and his wife's. So he didn't tell his bosses, I wouldn't either. In fact, the only thing I can tell he really did wrong is leaving the scene of an accident.

Now, I'm not saying it shouldn't have been mentioned, maybe deserving 2 minutes if that. On the other hand, if the university didn't look into it, covered it up, or had not acted in the universities, and the states, best interest, then THAT would be news. So if Jeff Long has said he's looking into it, and it seems he is doing so, that should be the end of it till he makes a decision. Now if it seems that decision is against general public opinion, and that the university is allowing a sexual relationship in violation of the university HR polices, then THAT is news.

In fact, as far as the Petrino issue goes, that's the ONLY thing, aside leaving the scene of an accident, he may have done worthy of the news. I don't think personal affairs (no pun intended) are worthy of the news. I understand there is a conduct clause in his contract, but that's between him and his bosses. But if he violated University HR policy, or if she got her current job because of his influence, that's another story. It's still up to the University to decide if he did violated their policies. If it seems he did, and they don't enforce the normal process for situations like this, then THAT is also news worthy. However, if it turns out he didn't violate any policies, or if he did, that he gets the same repercussions as others that have done the same thing, then it's not worthy of anything more then a mention in passing.


I'm somewhat on the fence about the conduct clause, really that's up to his bosses. But they will use public opinion to decide if they will use it to remove Petrino or not. And maybe precedence? I would like to know how they have reacted to others with similar contract in the same situation. That would be news worthy. If this has never happened before for someone with this clause, then I would say they have to follow public opinion. Since it's a public university. If it was a private school, that would be another matter.

Movie Night: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 I think is the best movie of them all, maybe it's because they've all come into their own, maybe it was the pacing, maybe the action. The special effects where top notch as well, really quite awesome even compared to the previous moves. But whatever it was, this was the best of the bunch. Seems the critics agree across the board as well, and it's rare I ever agree with the critics. 


Finally the kids are not kids anymore, and all the sub-plots come to an end, course since it's the last one they had too. All the kids are finally treated as adults, and they fight dirty and hard. If you haven't read the books there are surprises after surprises. They almost waited too long, and the actors all had gotten just a little too much older, but it by no way took away from the movie. 


This was by all mean a dark movie, and the series had moved away from being true "kids" stories books ago. It's ruff, it's gritty, most of the actors are dirty and injured somewhat during the whole movie. This movie had a great amount of attitude, and it made for an enjoyable experience.  I may even watch it again.

I do wonder how well it would come across to someone who hadn't seen the other movies or read the books. It doesn't spend any time with back story, but just jumps right into the current action. It assumes you already know the story. I think this movie would be 10x better if watched right after the other 7. The amazing thing about this series is that it's the only big budget, blockbuster movie series to feature 8 movies total, all comprising one long story. The closest Epic would be Starwars at 6, and they were made out of order, and the feel and quality from the first three to the last three were vastly different. However I can't say all the Harry Potter movies were perfect either, Part 1 of the Deathly Hollows really let me down, it was far too slow, it feels like 80% of the story and goodness was in part 2, but they had too much for a single movie. So Part 1 got 20% content, and 80% fluff.

Bullying in the modern age....and why kids die.

Bullying is nothing new. As long as there have been kids bigger then other kids, and as long as there has been kids who needed to make others feel small to make themselves feel big, there has been bullying. I'm not really completely sure if bullying is getting worse, in fact I believe it maybe getting somewhat better then in the past, the difference is how the bullied react as apposed to the past.


Here are some Bullying Statistics you might find interesting. You can follow the link to get the full rundown, but here's a summary. 60%  of kids feel bullied, but only 16% of staff at schools feel kids are bullied. Right off the bat we see one of the big problems. Denial by the institutions we send our kids to. The thing is, most bullies have figured out how to do what they do where staff can't see. Out of sight, out of mind. Another problem is many school bullies are not the rough lugs they later become, but in school they are often well liked by the teachers, and are often involved in school sports and other programs. (However the statistics above show they often end up in jail, and even become life time criminals) The staff sees them as outstanding students, but once a teachers back is turned they become monsters.


And the more they get away with it, the more they do it, because they can. They don't pick on just the small, "nerdy" kids, they study the pack and figure out the ones the staff DOESN'T like, and are less likely to believe. Or the ones they can scare to the point they would never tell. The entire school system is prone to ignoring the pleas of "problem" students. When it comes down to the word of the "popular, well liked" student, and the "outcast", who is most often believed? I've seen bullying ENCOURAGED in school by certain staff if it was their star players or students picking on the non-popular kids. Bullies become teachers too, and let it go on under their noses sometimes, it's what they did when THEY were in school and think it's the right of the "upper crust" to keep the "under crust" in it's place.


25% of students felt staff did something when there was bullying, 71% of staff believed they did something. Once again it goes to show just how little the staff of our schools really know and understand what's going on around them. 66% of school shootings have had bullying as a factor. So why has bullying turned so deadly in the last 20-30 years or so??? It's always been there, but why are the bullied now bringing guns to school to settle the score??

The question is a complex one, but one of the main reasons I feel we are seeing an increase in retaliation against bullies and other kids in schools is because of pride and self worth. These aren't a bad thing in and of themselves, but can turn deadly when things are brushed under the rug because it's just "kids". Kids are growing up faster then ever, adults know if they attack other adults there's a chance someone is going to die. But with kids it's assumed it won't get to that point... but why is that??? What makes people think that just because they are kids that they won't try and react as an adult would? Kids are often taking care of themselves now at an early age, having to grow up and learn how to be responsible. Mom and Dad are often at work now, because people just can't live on single incomes anymore. Or even as often, it's a single parent trying to provide like a couple would. Long hours, late nights, and often kids are learning faster, and taking on more at an early age.


In the past, kids who were bullied might try and fight back, till one time they won. Or they might have just taken it, and grown up to be the timid and picked on adult. But the path of just giving in, and letting the bully win is becoming harder and harder for kids to swallow, they have more self worth than that now, and won't live like that. If they can't beat them back with their fist, and if they feel the school or the parents aren't doing anything, they will take care of it themselves. Somehow they will make it stop. However they can.  And the next thing you know you have dead bullies. And often others as well, sometimes it's also the kids who stood around and laughed, or just the one's who watched and did nothing who get the busy end of the gun pointed their way. Sometimes it's just random people, because NO ONE helped or did anything to stop the pain. So everyone must pay. Bullying doesn't cause just physical damage, but emotional damage as well. Deep un-healing wounds in some.


The biggest problem is the old school thinking that it's just "kids being kids". It's just simply not that simple anymore, beaten down kids no longer have to stay on the ground eating dirt. It may ruin their own lives, and others as well, but they know they don't HAVE to just take it, if no one else can or will, they can make it stop. They don't have to let someone else make them feel like nothing, make them a laughing stock. They will show them, show them ALL!! And the next thing you know kids are dead.

If schools would just change their thinking it could almost all be avoided. Zero tolerance schools are a good start, but everyone has to make stopping the bullying priority number one. Not even one singe kid should have to live in fear, or should have to be made to feel less then anyone else because of the others ability to "beat them up, or put them down". And if the schools react, and take care of the problems, then no one has to die. They have to be proactive, not every kid is going to report bullying, some will fear retaliation, humiliation, or not being believed. Schools are great about treating students in disrespectful ways, and ignoring what they don't want to deal with.


Parents also need to try and make sure their kids feel safe coming to them with these kinds of things. Parents don't get the chance like teachers do to see it happening, but if your kids are comfortable sharing with you, then they should let you know if this kind of stuff is going on. Sometimes it still may be to embarrassing for the child to admit. Then look for signs of wanting to avoid school, or certain people in school. Depression and sadness could also be hints. If your kid comes to you, or if you suspect, you MUST do something, drastic if need be. If the school won't do anything, pull your kid out of school and demand a review of the board, go to the papers, raise hell. Let your kid know YOU care, even if no one else does, and that it won't be tolerated!!!


And for the 33% of school shootings that AREN'T bullying related? In part you can blame the media, not directly, but indirectly. If a kid is thinking of taking their own life, what better way to be remembered for all time then by going down in a blaze of glory? And they may not have been bullied, but often they are outcast, tormented by other student in other ways then physical, sometimes just by exclusion. Then you add in a broken heart, hurt feelings, rejection, or other extreme emotional pain and there is no telling what crazy stuff a kid might do. Almost all either take their own life directly, or do "suicide by cop". Often after taking as many of their tormentors, or random victims, along as possible.


There isn't much you can do about the emotionally unstable. Almost all teenagers could be considered to fall into the category at one time or another. But you can try and pay as much attention to the triggers of these types of behaviors as possible. You can't stop hurt feelings, and you can't stop teenagers breaking each others hearts, but you can stop the bullying and tormenting. Zero tolerance, even from staff, and a policy of dismissal of any staff that doesn't act on knowledge of possible bullying or tormenting, is a great first step. The best way to make sure people are paying attention is to make sure that not paying attention has too high a cost to risk it. Because in the end it does, for everyone. Unforgivably the death of many kids hasn't been enough cost for the institutions yet, but maybe hitting their wallet would serve better?

From the ashes sometimes Rises the Phoenix

So many people walk around blind to the truth and brainwashed beyond reason. And far too many walk around claiming to the world how they, and only they, walk in the light, while everything they do cast a shadow across all of mankind. In questions of good and evil, they believe they serve the forces of good, while their actions and all they do sows the seeds of evil.  


I walked on the....er... wild side from about 15-27. Aside from murder, theft from individuals, and violent crimes, I've pretty much done it. I was raised very middle class, Christian, and conservative. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, except that all too often it becomes a trap. People seem to start thinking it's the ONLY way, and any other way is wrong, sinful, or criminal. Not that there are not other classes, or views, that do exactly the same thing, but I can only speak to what I know.


My walk "outside" the norms I was raised into really opened my eyes to just how much more there is in the world other then the "truths" I knew and had always been taught. Even though that period of my life was a wild roller coaster ride, I've never regretted a moment of it, or the people I met or the experiences I had, even when they were unpleasant. I've seen the roughest, toughest, most tattoo'd man show the greatest kindnesses I've ever known. Or I've seen those with nothing, give all the have to help another. I've seen those who claim to hate God act more like Christ then any preacher I've ever known. And I've seen the reverse as well. 

In my adventures I never harmed another person, except maybe myself at times, is some peoples opinion at least. I never saw any of it as harm, but experiences to help me grow, and expanding of my limited viewpoint. I tried anything that was different, or outside the "norm". I never shied away from any...aids.... in expanding the reality I knew, and tried everything I could get my hands on at least once. If it was a boundary, I crossed it. If it was a wall I climbed it. If it was a door, I opened it. And would do it all again without reservations. All these experiences added up to the person I became, the man I am. And I like this person I am, I'm comfortable in my own skin, and I'm proud of my traveled soul. And I owe it all to throwing away preconceived notions and finding my OWN truths, not another's truths. And the only way to find, is to look EVERYWHERE, if you don't then you haven't looked at all. 


I did return more to the values and...calmness... of my early life. I settled down when Race was born, when I was 27. Now my wife says she married "boring" Justin...LOL. She sometimes wishes I still had some of that wild streak, but I'm pretty tame anymore. I sowed my wild oats, and loved every minute of it. But it took too much effort, and was far to hard to be stable while adventuring. Adventuring, and steady work, often conflict. You have to be free to live free, and things like work and money have to take a back seat to the thrill of new experiences, people, and situations. But when you have a family to provide for, the priorities change, at least for me. 

I'm still as open minded as ever, and I will always have my broadened horizons. There were nights (it always seemed to be nights) of my life where after the fires died down, I emerged forever a changed person, shaped and tempered by the flames. And maybe a little singed around the edges, but all for the better. Those things changed me forever, and I am now cooled down and molded, but of soft supple steel that can bend and give, not cast of brittle and unmovable iron. 


What I've learned in my travels is that there really is no good in black or white, but the world is really best when full of shades of gray. The best place to be is astride the line running down the Yin-Yang, because moving too far from the middle blinds and warps a mind and soul. Some of the greatest evils ever visited upon the earth were done in the name of "good", and some of the most evil intentions have resulted in great "goodness". But once you wander too much from the middle, nothing but pain and misery follow, if not of the one who wandered, then for others, often many others. Sometimes the whole world. All things are best in balance....all things!!!!


I'm not saying my methods would, or even should, work for everyone, or really anyone else. It was my path, and my path alone, even while I shared it awhile with others. Some of those others I've also seen changed and molded by our experiences, and mostly for the better. But it wasn't a path for the weak minded or weak souled, some people are consumed or warped by the flames. You see them sometimes, the broken, the "burned out", the corrupted. Some of the worst become the users, destroyers, the ones we think of as evil, those that have wondered far from the balance. The ones for whom violence is the only answer, or taking what should be others for themselves, the greedy, the lost. Those that climb to the top on the broken backs of others they used up and tossed aside. You see them from the back alleys of the meanest streets, to the offices of wall street, to capitol hill. The warped and lost are not by any means cast to the bottom of society, they also rise to the top..... I often wonder what that says about society as a whole???

Move Night: Super 8

   Maybe it's J.J. Abrams as director, or maybe Steven Spielberg as producer. Maybe it's just brilliantly written, casted, and acted. But this is one of the the best movies I've seen in a very long time. Super 8 is "Stand by Me" meets "The Goonies" meets "The Sandlot". With aliens. I give it a A+. It's your standard coming of age, early teen, "nerdy boy gets hot girl" movie, but with a heart and soul, and characters that move you. Set in 79 it falls story wise after "Stand" before "Goonies" and right around "Sandlot."

   The acting in this movie was really great, or once again, maybe just really well directed. There was one scene that will forever stand out for me. It's where Alice is asking Joe how to "play" a Zombie. Then she's looking at him just normal like, and the "zombie" comes over her. She "attacks" him, abet in slow motion, ending with a bite on the neck. Then she draws back and goes back to normal Alice. This almost made the hair stand up on the back of my head, the way her expression slowly changes, and her eyes....it's amazing acting. I think the whole scene was to show off just how good Elle Fanning really is. Since this is a movie, in part, about making a movie, there's another scene they really let her go to town on. It's her first scene in the boys movie, and she's to play the wife. They do a "run through" of the scene, and she just really nails it. You really feel like she's feeling it. Keep an eye out for this girl, she's going places. She's been in quite a bit of films already, but I think she's just coming into her own now.

   Not to say the other actors, kids as they might be, are slouches. Most of these guys did a really good job, you can really get into some of them, Joe, Alice, and Charles really shine. Most of the rest of the cast, with the exception of Joe's dad Jac, take a back seat. I think all of them are solid performers in the film, the supporting cast really didn't get enough meat on the characters to really judge their talent. But there was no "bad" acting in my opinion, but with sketchy characters is can be hard to tell what's by design and what's by accident. I did feel the "sexy sister" was hammed up a bit, but that may have been design, and no fault of the actress. The video store clerk, mainly a plot device to get the kids from one scene to another, was also a bit awkward. I think it was the writing, not the acting. He was more a plot device, like the "sexy sister", then a character, they just needed to give him enough flesh to explain him, but they didn't really flesh him out enough I felt, but it worked. Movies are time limited.
   
   It's got a sweet "like" story going on behind the scenes (too young and innocent to be a "love" story), but it addresses deep issues in it's plot. It shakes a finger at human kind and it's fear of the unknown, it shakes a finger at blame, and guilt. As Sci-Fi as the film is, that's almost just a backdrop for this character driven story. It never goes into the Sci-Fi parts, just touches on them in passing. There is no science here at all, nothing is explained. It's not science fiction, but human fiction. It can be a bit campy at times, but unlike in many movies, it all fits with the feel of the movie. If this movie is lacking anything it's the character development could go even deeper and spread wider exploring more of the cast. But J.J. Abrams is always good at pacing, and this moves seems to have that great balance of pace, dialog, and action that makes a good story a great movie. This story would make a great book, then the characters could really be explored.

   You see the love("like") story coming a mile off. The plot twist that explains an early scene, and the "Romeo and Juliet" type unexplained hatred between the two fathers, is foreshadowed and no surprise if your paying attention. I think it would have been better served WITHOUT the foreshadowing, I think it would have hit harder, but no one asked me. Anymore, most of us have seen so many movies, and read so many books, there's isn't much new in stories anyway. But just because you see it coming doesn't lessen the impact, or take away from the moment it is revealed. It's even kinda sweet and touching once it unfolds, even though for pacing it's quickly glossed over.. I must admit the scene with the two fathers facing their issues is really good, not because of how big and grand it is, but because of how much it's not. How small and down-to-earth it is.

   I must say, one of the things I think I like most about this movie, is how "real" it is. There are a few scenes that seem kinda out there, but mostly is seem like what would happen to normal people, in a normal town, on a normal day. Well, if a very angry, bad ass, alien is set free on that normal day. And it doesn't seem that far fetched to me at all, none of it. It's much like "Stand by Me" and "The Sandlot" that way. And the outlandish parts are not that far off what we see in "The Goonies". It is a touch scarier then the other movies in a few parts, and has a scene or two of gore on the bus. It also has a bit of cussing by the kids, not constant, and mostly justified, but it's there.

   If you liked those other films, you'll like Super 8, if you didn't, well then you might not like this one either. I will say "The Sandlot" and "The Goonies" are in my top 20 FAVORITE movies of all time, if not in the top 10. "Stand by Me" wouldn't make my top 20, personally. But if I was to list the GREATEST movies, not just my favorites, it would rank in the top 20. I think I'm a romantic at heart, without the underlying "love" story I just doesn't make the list. And in this one they don't even kiss, or show their growing regard in any physical way, till the very last moment of the movie, then it's very, very tame. This had made the list however, my personal top 10 FAVORITES. It would be in the running on the GREATEST list as well.

And all with a no-name cast.... of course most good "kid" movies are....

Movie Night: Conan, The Barbarian (2011)

   This remake of Conan wasn't that bad really, I'd give it a Solid C+, maybe a B-. I was entertained and it engaged me. I had heard some people remark that Conan shouldn't be that small, but I don't think once your watching the movie you notice he's small at all, he's not a hulk like Schwarzenegger r, but he does come off larger then life in the movie. And really, Jason Momoa as Conan isn't a small guy unless your compairing him to someone as large as Schwarzenegger anyway.   

   I'm not really sure if it was the writing, or directing, but the female lead, Rachel Nichols as Tamara, come's off very forced at first, like they are trying to portray her as 10 different things at once. But she settles into the role finally. I wonder if those were some of the first scenes shot, or if they were trying to cram about 90 minutes of character development into 10 minutes.

   The "evil daughter" of the main antagonist was a strangely written, directed, and acted character as well. That may have been intentional, she's one whacked out girl, but I think they were also trying to make her sexy, and evil, and crazy, and powerful all at once. But pulled none of them off with great success. She's just one crazy B%amp;. There is one scene where she's trying to take "Who's your Daddy" in the incest direction it seems, and it's pretty disturbing. 

   Ron Perlman as Corin was good, course I'm a big fan of Ron Perlman, so I may be biased. In his case it may have been a case of brilliant casting more then acting or directing. But Jason Momoa did very well in this movie also. I had a feeling the director has a hard time with women, or did in this movie at least, the men he did very well on, but fell short on the women.

   It seems this director has a thing for remakes, he's directed 6 films, most of them remakes of classic movies:

ar	Title	Director	Producer
2003	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2004	Frankenstein
2007	Pathfinder
2009	Friday the 13th
2011	Conan the Barbarian
2012	The Fly

   Also this movie is pretty bloody and gory, not for the weak stomached. In the very first scene there is a field C-section done on Conan's mother. It has about 5 mins of completely topless girls in it also. And one semi-softcore love scene. Those parts reminded me more of 80's skin flicks, but it wasn't a theme through the whole movie. So it's not exactly kid friendly, but you might find this one is your 13 year old boys favorite movies, and you may have to retrieve it from his room a couple of times....then hide it. LOL

   It was an pretty good movie really, the story wasn't too bad, the directing was what kept if from being a solid B or B+ movie. I don't think the writing was really good enough to get it to an A. Also I kinda feel some of the scenes were so the director or producers could stare at some naked girls on set for a day or two. I'm sure the crew didn't mind, but they don't get to choose, so we know who the horny teenagers on this film were....LOL.

Movie Night: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

   When I came out of work on Wednesday morning (I work nights) and went to the Redbox in our lobby like I do every Wednesday morning, to get the latest releases, Pirates was out of stock. That's a first. Only employees in our building have access to this machine, so it's always had any movie I've ever tried to get. I then got on my phone and used my Redbox app to search, out of 30+ machines in the area, there wasn't a copy within 25 miles. 


   Even though I couldn't get copy when I wanted too, this boded well as an omen to how good this movie was going to be. Later in the evening, as people would have been returning their copies, I got on the web site and found one close by, and reserved it. 


   Honestly, I didn't really feel it was worth the trouble. Johnny Depp still made the movie, but he seemed somehow an older, and calmer Captain Jack Sparrow (not a good thing). I missed the story line, and the actors, from the other 3 movies. Those that returned were ok, but not brilliant. I wasn't engaged with Black Beard near as much as I had been with Davy Jones in the previous movies, or even Commodore Norrington.

   I found Penélope Cruz as Angelica was an awkward character though most of the movie, but in the end turned out ok I guess. The pacing of the movie, however action packed it was at time, was slow and the timing seemed off. I think changing directors for the 4th movie was a big mistake, it barley kept our interest.

   Overall, it was an ok movie, I'd give it a B-, it would have been better if I hadn't have seen the first 3 movies and already had an idea of how it should have been made. I didn't think the $1.20 I paid was to much, but I'm glad I didn't see this in the theaters.