Latest “Scenes I Love” comes courtesy of Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson.
There’s nothing else to say other than: “AK-47, the very best there is. When you absolutely, positively, got to kill every motherfucker in the room; accept no substitutes.”
Now, that is true since the venerable rifle designed by the late and great Mikhail Kalashnikov sprays all over the place like a freshman seeing a naked girl live for the very first time. Now, his comments about the .45 was a tad misleading. The .45 will jam once in awhile, but not more than any other firearm and the fact it’s still one of the most sought after and popular handguns in the world speaks to the creative genius that is John Browning.
Remember when The Monuments Men was everyone’s pick for the best film of 2013?
It may be hard to remember now, especially now that the film has actually been released and dismissed by most critics. But, during the summer of 2013, all of the people at Goldderby and AwardsDaily were convinced that The Monuments Men would be a major player at the Oscars. Sure, the thinking went — 12 Years A Slave and August: Osage County would be major contenders but the surest bet for a win was The Monuments Men.
With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to laugh but, at the time, the logic behind this assumption seemed sound.
After all, The Monuments Men not only tells a true story but it also takes place during the only good war, World War II. It’s directed by George Clooney, who is the epitome of a star.. The film features supporting performances from Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and John Goodman. The film also has a valuable message about the importance of culture and how tyrants always try to control and suppress the imagination.
So, who can really blame all the usual suspects for deciding, without having actually seen the movie, that The Monuments Men would be great? Even when the film’s release date was moved from December of 2013 to February of 2014, it was assumed that it was only being moved because 12 Years A Slave was such a great film that no movie — not even The Monuments Men — could hope to compete with it for the title of best film of 2013.
“The Monuments Men?” they all said, “It’ll be the best film of 2014…”
And then, finally, The Monuments Men was released and we all got a chance to see it and…
Well, it turns out The Monuments Men was not quite what everyone was expecting. It’s not quite bad but, at the same time, it’s also not quite good. Instead, it simply is.
To its credit, The Monuments Men attempts to tells a worthy story. During the final days of World War II, Frank Stokes (played by George Clooney) leads a seven-man team of art historians who are tasked with both recovering art stolen by the Nazis and keeping allied soldiers from accidentally destroying Europe’s culture while trying to save it. Stokes and his team find themselves forced to deal with both soldiers who resent being told what they can and can not blow up and with a competing team of Russians who are eager to take as much art as they can back to Moscow.
The film makes a very relevent point about both the importance of art and why it must be preserved and protected for future generations. As the proud recipient of a degree in art history, I really wanted to like The Monuments Men. Especially considering what our President recently had to say about those of us who majored in art history, this is a film that I wanted to see succeed.
Unfortunately, The Monuments Men does not succeed. It’s an almost painfully old-fashioned film, one that features every single wartime film cliché imaginable and which never manages to be as interesting as the story its trying to tell. We like the monuments men because they’re played by actors like Bill Murray and John Goodman but we never get to know any of them as individuals and, as a result, their story falls flat.
A lot of the blame has to rest with the director. As I watched The Monuments Men, I found myself thinking about the other films that George Clooney has directed. Confessions of A Dangerous Mind is memorable largely for Sam Rockwell’s lead performance but, otherwise, the film tries way too hard to be wacky. Good Night and Good Luck is sincere but rather simplistic. Leatherheads is a comedy that’s not that funny. And finally, there’s The Ides of March, a film which thinks it’s a lot smarter than it actually is. I think, when it comes to George Clooney, there’s a tendency to be so blinded by his charisma that we tend to assume that he can do anything, including direct. However, if one can manage to ignore Clooney the star while considering Clooney the filmmaker, it becomes obvious that he’s actually a rather unimaginative director whose good intentions often times disguise the fact that he’s not much of a story teller.
That, ultimately, is the main problem with The Monuments Men. The film is full of effective scenes and charismatic actors but they never quite gel to form a compelling narrative. At one point in the film, Bill Murray and Bob Balaban are sent to one part of Europe while Goodman and Dujardin are sent to another. We get a handful scenes featuring each team. Murray and Balaban bond with a scared German. Dujardin and Goodman deal with a teenage sniper. Suddenly, in the next scene, Clooney drives up to an army camp in a jeep and there’s Murray, Balaban, Goodman, and Dujardin all standing outside a tent, waiting for him. How did they all get back together? Where is the camp located? Did either team accomplish what they were sent out to do? The film never tells us.
(Meanwhile, the less said about a lengthy subplot featuring a lot of awkward interaction between Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett the better.)
As I said before, it’s not that The Monuments Men is a bad film. It’s just such a disappointing one.
This pick for song of the day marks the fifth time the “Bards” from Germany has made an appearance. This song marks the third track to be chosen from their latest album, At The Edge of Time. To say that I am a fan of Blind Guardian would be just a tad bit of an understatement.
“Valkyries” is the latest song of the day and it’s Blind Guardian at their most progressive metal. As a band they’ve grown from a German speed and thrash metal band then became one of the progenitors of the power metal subgenre. For the past dozen or so years they’ve evolved their sound to incorporate progressive, melodic, symphonic and orchestral stylings to their basic power metal sound.
This song has lead bard Hansi Kürsch writing about Norse mythology, specifically the concept of the Valkyries who fly and roam above the battlefield to take those…
Since Arnold Schwarzenneger left the California governor’s office and politics he’s gone back to doing what he was good at (or at least good at during the 80’s and 90’s). His first couple of films since getting back in front of the camera has been average at best (though I must say that Last Stand was pretty fun).
Now, we have him back in another film, but this time around one that’s a very hard, gritty R-rating that he hasn’t done since ever. He’s always had rated-R films, but they had a certain fun tone to them. With David Ayer’s Sabotage it looks like Schwarzenneger is trying to flex his hardcore bones. It’s definitely a surprise to hear him curse like a sailor during the red band trailer.
Sabotage is set for a March 28, 2014, release date.
Last night, I finally watched the latest Lifetime “original” film, The Good Mistress.
Why Was I Watching It?
When the Good Mistress originally aired, I was in Austin celebrating Valentine’s Day. As a result, the film had been sitting on my DVR for four days before I finally got a chance to watch it last night.
As for why I recorded it in the first place — well, you know I can’t ever resist the temptation of a good Lifetime film.
What Was It About?
Recovering alcoholic Sandy (Annie Heise) is looking to start a new life after being involved in a tragic car accident. She moves to a small town where her best friend from high school, Karen (Kendra Anderson), get her a job. Sandy also meets handsome and smooth politician David (Antonio Cupo). After Sandy sleeps with David, she discovers that he also happens to be Karen’s husband! And, it turns out, the women he has sex with have a habit of turning up dead.
Can Sandy still start her new life and expose David without losing Karen’s friendship and giving into the temptation to start drinking again?
Will David respond to everything Sandy says with a devilish smirk?
Will the nice and well-meaning sheriff fall in love with Sandy?
Most importantly, will there be a huge twist at the end?
If you’ve ever watched a Lifetime film, you already know the answer.
What Worked?
This was pretty much your typical Canadian-made Lifetime movie. A woman with a past moves to a small town, reconnects with an old friend, sleeps with a handsome man, and then discovers that he’s married and her life is in danger. It happens at least three times a day on Lifetime. Yes, it’s totally predictable and rather silly but, to quote Icona Pop, I don’t care. I love it.
Was the Good Mistress a good movie? No, not really. However, it was an enjoyable and entertaining way to waste two hours of my life. It was a Lifetime movie and that was good enough for me.
What Did Not Work?
The film’s title, while obviously meant to make viewers like me associate this film with The Good Wife, is totally incorrect. First off, just because you accidentally have a one-night stand with a married man that does not make you a mistress. If it did, there’d be a lot more mistresses in the world.
Secondly, even if Sandy could be considered a mistress, she could hardly be considered a good mistress. After all, she not only threatened to reveal David’s infidelity but accused him of murder as well. If anything, she would be a very bad mistress.
“Oh my God!” Just Like Me Moments
Since it’s been a while since I last stood outside a bar and had trauma-induced flashbacks or unintentionally slept with a married man, I worried that I would not be able to relate to Sandy. However, then I saw the scene where Sandy — in a grocery store parking lot — gets distracted and loses control of her shopping cart. The same thing happened to me the last time I was at Wal-Mart. Unlike Sandy, no cute guys jumped out of nowhere to catch the cart for me.
Ever since the premiere of the first official trailer for Marvel Studio’s Guardians of the Galaxy this song has embedded it’s catchy claws into my brain. I’ve even caught myself humming the song at work.
“Hooked on a Feeling” is a song I’ve heard and enjoyed in the past but never as more than a passing fancy. Maybe it’s how well the song fit in with James Gunn’s trailer for his space opera film. It’s so out of place that one cannot but fall in love with it.
So, while I let this musical virus work its way through my system I thought I’d share it with everyone else as “Song of the Day”.
Hooked on a Feeling
Ouga Chaka ouga! ….
I can’t stop this feeling Deep inside of me. Girl, you just don’t realize What you do to me. When you hold me In your arms so tight, You let me know, Everythings alright, ahahah
I’m hooked on a feeling, I’m high on believing, That your in love with me.
Lips as sweet as candy. Their taste stays on my mind. Girl, you keep me thirsty for another cup of wine.
I got it bad for you girl, But I don’t need a cure, I’ll just stay addicted, If I can endure All the good love, when we’re all alone Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on.
I’mmm, I’mmm Hooked on a feeling. I’m high on believing that your in love with me. All the good love, when we’re all alone Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on.
Ahaha I’m hooked on a feeling, I’m high on believing, That your in love with me.
I’m hooked on a feeling, I’m high on believing, That your in love with me.
I say I’m hooked on a feeling, And I’m high on believing, That your in love with me. I’m hooked on a feeling.
Allen Anderson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and studied correspondence art courses at The Federal Schools, Inc. of Minneapolis, receiving his diploma in 1928. He worked as a staff artist at Fawcett Comics from 1929 to 1939, before moving to New York and working as a freelance artist. Anderson served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and eventually moved to upstate New York where he opened a small ad agency and worked as a sign painter.
The ratings numbers for the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead was again shocking critics and fans both. Ratings for the show just stupefies critics of the show who can’t seem to get a handle on why this show has gone beyond popular and into pop icon status. By now we can honestly say that the show’s writing will never reach the status of other current popular shows like True Detective, Game of Thrones or that of Breaking Bad. Yet, the show continues to appeal to millions of fans not just in the US but worldwide.
The Walking Dead is basically a horror soap opera that’s airs on a basic cable network. But each and every week the show airs a new episode it beats everything put up against and more than holds its own with NBC’s Sunday Night Football. It’s a show that has had and continues to have issues with it’s writing and some of its characters, but for some reason the whole affair resonates with the millions who wait with anticipation for each new episode and news to appear.
Even detractors and strong critics of the show (some of who, vehemently hate the whole thing’s success and popularity) manage to still watch the show if just to poke fun and tear it down. It’s almost as if by doing so they can find that secret ingredient as to why the show remains so popular and successful.
Tonight’s episode focuses on the rest of the prison group who fled their sanctuary after the battle with the Governor’s forces. Last week it was more on the fleeing Rick, Carl and Michonne and their journey from the brink of despair to at least a semblance of hope and acceptance. We begin with the duo of Daryl and Beth who fled the prison on foot.
It’s an odd pairing that puts together one of the show’s most badass and pragmatic characters with one of it’s most hopeful (at least now with Hershel Dead). It’s a cold opening and section of the episode which includes diary readings by Beth of her renewed faith and need to continue to live after the group arrives at the prison. Once again we see the ghost of Hershel looming over all the survivors like a shade trying to give them hope to live for the next day despite the travails and horrors they’ve just left behind and still looking forward to.
The same goes for pretty much all the little groups who made it out of the prison. We see each and everyone of them not just fleeing for their lives, but also trying to get find a reason to continue on. With Tyreese and his group of Lizzie, Mika and Baby Judith it’s to continue on if just for the sake of keeping the girls alive. His road seems to be the toughest with three little girls to keep safe which makes his reaction to seeing Carol alive (at this time Rick hadn’t told Tyreese about Carol’s confession in regards to Karen’s death) was one of relief.
With Sasha, Bob and Maggie we see a trio dealing with the events they’ve just fled in their own ways. Sasha seems to be the most pragmatic with wanting to keep moving forward, scavenge for food and find a shelter. On the opposite end of the spectrum we see Maggie still dealing with the murder of her father (Hershel) and not knowing if her younger sister is still alive and, worst yet, if her husband (Glenn) made it out. It falls to Bob to find a middle ground between the two women’s agendas. Ironic considering that Bob, in the first half of the season, who was always unsure whether he truly belonged in the group and if his own personal demons meant he was a liability (yes and, to a degree, yes also). When they come across the prison bus that Maggie thought Glenn was in full of zombies and its passengers either turned or devoured one could almost see the light of hope fading from Maggie’s eyes. So, it was such a relief (again finding relief of any kind seems to be one of tonight’s theme) when Glenn wasn’t on the bus in one form or another.
Then there’s the final section of the episode where we find out that Glenn definitely survived the attack on the prison, but was left behind (due to the fact he left the bus to try and find Maggie during the battle) all alone in the ruins of their former sanctuary. He doesn’t know whether anyone else made it out and if his wife was amongst them. For a moment when back in their cell room he breaks down and seems to want to just shutdown and not deal with this new world anymore, but once again his time spent with Hershel brings him back from the brink.
Even new to the gang, Tara Chalmers, looks like she’ll fit in with Rick and his gang. She seems to survive when everyone else around her dies. Tara also harbors her own demons with the biggest being her participation in attacking the prison and getting pretty much everyone in her group killed. She’s troubled and hurting emotionally which makes her a perfect fit for Rick’s group.
Yet, the episode tonight all ended it’s three different sections with a sense of hope. The biggest being news that a new sanctuary might just be close enough for them to find shelter and safety once more. The biggest reveal of all in tonight’s episode is the arrival and introduction of three new characters whose impact on Rick’s people may just be as important and game-changing on the show as it was in the comics.
With the group slowly finding their bearings it looks like the apocalyptic battle that sent them all in different directions wasn’t the end. Things are definitely not over for Rick and his people. Will this new sanctuary hinted at in tonight’s episode become a new Woodbury or will it be something that Rick and his people can turn into something even better than the prison. The prison was sanctuary but was never an ideal place to restart whatever form of civilized society the survivors were hoping for. Maybe this new place they’re headed to will be that place.
Notes
Tonight’s episode was written by Matthew Negrete & Channing Powell and directed by Tricia Brock.
At least now the question of what happened to baby Judith has now been answered.
Lizzy looks like she’s turning out to be the very proper sociopath.
We get some resolution as to what happened to Tara’s sister, but only through Tara’s recollection of her being swamped by zombies after killing the Governor.
Some very fine work by Greg Nicotero’s wizards over at KNB EFX with the zombie kills and flesh-eating (I think these two things are part of why people continue to return to this show despite detractors and critics yelling to everyone and no one why it’s stupid to do so).
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you all Sgt. Abraham Ford, Rosita Espinosa and Eugene Powell played respectively by Michael Cudlitz, Christian Serratos and Josh McDermitt.
Talking Dead Guests: Alanna Masterson of The Walking Dead, Joe Kernen of CNBC Squawk Box and Jim Gaffigan
Through the Shattered Lens 