X-Men: The Last Stand

Let me say this about X-Men: The Last Stand": If you haven't read the comic books, you'll like this piece of fluff summer popcorn movie. I have not read the comic books, and I liked it.

This is the third (and final?) installment of the X-Men franchise. Everyone's back, although some characters are brought to the foreground, some sent to the background, and some killed outright. A "cure" for being a mutant is created, and the government is allowing mutants to "voluntarily" sign up to be cured. Of course, they are also designing weapons to use the "cure" as well...

This movie is what you expect. Don't expect high cinema. Don't expect great dialogue. Expect a visual and audio assault of explosions and action (interspersed with characters talking about stuff you don't really care about, other than to bridge the gap between ass-kickings).

There are deaths, although because I had no real emotional investment in any of the characters, their deaths didn't really shock me. One death in particular bugged me, though. An X-Man who is featured prominently in the first two films is killed off rather early in the movie - off screen!! The first time you find out the X-Man died was when a character says " 'Insert name of dead character here' is dead." That was it! I kept waiting for the big reveal, i.e. "No! 'Insert name of dead character here' isn't dead! Here (s)he is to save the day!" I was wrong. (S)he was really dead. Very odd.

Which brings me back to the comic books. A guy with whom I work read all the comic books, and refuses to see the X-Men movies because he knows that a lot has been changed. I told him this morning about the movie, and the deaths, and he responded: "This just confirms that I will never watch these movies."

I'll never understand why a studio refuses to follow a film's source material. It alienates the built-in fan base. Stupid.

Anyway, if you're in the mood for a good, PG-13 action movie with minimal blood, this could be it. Unless, of course, you're an X-Men comic book super-freak. Then you might want to sit this one out.

The Portal

I don't know why I haven't posted this before....

"The Portal" is a very short film written and directed by my good friend Michael Busch. It stars his brother Gary, Jared Nelson, Jennifer Pokon, and yours truly. Vincent Scalise has a "special appearance" credit which I personally find hilarious!

Anyway, the link to this film is on the right side of this page, over there --->

Check it out, along with Mike's other short films!

Poseidon

Hey all. Now, I have NOT yet seen Poseidon, but, I know a woman who has. Valerie works with Krysten (she of the "Silent Hill" trashing). I have never personally met Val, but we've traded a few e-mails. Val is a ball-busting woman who, word has it, can fart better than most truckers. Which, personally, I find rather attractive, in a odd, troublesome kind of way. What can I say? I'm weird, and I'm a pig.

Val saw Poseidon this weekend, and, as you will see, had herself a grand old time. I suspect that whenever I see this movie (be it at the theater, or on DVD) I will enjoy it as well. Remember, people: This is a summer action/disaster movie. This ain't The Color Purple, for crying out loud!

Without further ado, here's Val:

If ever you have been on a modern-day cruise ship, you feel every shake and shimmy of “Poseidon as it is turned over by a very large tsunami-like wave in the ocean.

Very quick character building in the first 15 or so minutes of the movie. The director captures the magnitude and massiveness of a 1,000 foot long “party vessel that is voyaging on New Year'’s Eve. The six story lobbies, with glass elevators, the two and three story dining rooms, the disco, ... every room, ...every hall, depicted perfectly.

Parties and dancing come to a halt as the ship is slowly churned to its side and eventually ends up completely upside down afloat in the ocean. As the passengers are told to remain calm since rescue parties should arrive in several hours, there are of course a handful of passengers that include Richard Dreyfus and Kurt Russell that choose to find their own way out instead of staying in the main room of the ship with several hundred other people. The movie follows them as they risk their lives, to save them, the ship filling behind them with water.

I found myself holding my breath each time they had to swim through water without air pockets. I found my hands getting clammy, and my body getting hot in reaction to the movie.

Dan again. Wow. Her body was getting hot in reaction to the movie. I may very well have to take a date to see this one! Too bad Val's married!

Good Night, and Good Luck

"Good Night, and Good Luck" (GNGL) is the true story about how Edward R. Murrow (remarkably played by David Strathairn) and his producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) help bring down Joseph McCarthy(portrayed with perfection by Joseph McCarthy) and the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Clooney, who also wrote the screenplay, has firmly established himself as a solid director. Shot entirely in black-and-white, Clooney uses only actual footage of McCarthy in his film, rather than an actor. It works amazingly well. Strathairn was fantastic, although I would have liked to have learned a little more about the man.

The supporting cast was excellent, although, again, every character was so professional and relatively low key, that it was hard to get a real read on any of them, with the minor exception of Reporter Joe Wershba (Robert Downey Jr.) and another staff member (Patricia Clarkson), who are forced to hide their marriage because of network rules. Ray Wise is great as Don Hollenbeck, a fellow newsman deeply worried about being labeled a columnist. A very touching performance.

This film is rather timely, given what's going on in this country and the world. GNGL clocks in at a shade over 90 minutes, and its a perfect length. I liked this film MUCH better than Clooney's directorial debut "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind."

Rent this movie.