Unearth Photo Gallery from The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY (7/17/09)

This is a selection of the better photos I was able to take while at the show: (Click to see larger)

CD Review: Mutant Chronicles - Music Composed by Richard Wells

I remember when I first heard about this film, well not exactly, but it was probably about a year ago. The title struck me as something I wanted to see, I mean its called Mutant Chronicles, how can any science fiction fan say that doesn't pique their interest? If they do, they are probably lying. Anyway, I was hoping to get a chance to see this on the big screen, I wasn't expecting a terribly wide release, but thought it would come somewhere near my area. I was wrong. The movie played in exactly two theaters for exactly seven days. What? Seriously, that is absolutely ridiculous. The cast has Thomas Jane (Punisher), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), and John Malokovich (Burn After Reading), plus the trailer gives the vibe of being a decent enough movie to pull in some money either early in the year, or possibly during the September slow down. I am not saying it would be a blockbuster, but it looks like no one had any faith in it. Perhaps it is just a bad movie.

The DVD does not arrive until August, so until then I will have to make do with the score. Composed by Richard Wells, the Mutant Chronicles music is big, bombastic, heroic, and militaristic. In short, it is a solid score that will get in your head with its strong thematic and melodic cues that will allow your mind to create its own science fiction war on the giant movie screen of the mind. Of course, it helps only having the title to go on. Not having seen the film, it is hard to judge how well it works within context. Fortunately, a good score will not be limited to being seen in conjunction with the film it was written for, but will transcend it and enable a listener to create their own visuals for the music. Not that a good score cannot merely play well with the film, but I think you know what I mean.

Richard Wells is a name I cannot say I have encountered before. I have come to discover that he is a relative newcomer with only a few credits to his name. Wells most notable works include a pair of videogames (Gangsters and its sequel), the score for the UK release of Ong Bak, and the horror/sci-fi/comedy Evil Aliens. I have not heard any of these scores, although I am aware of Evil Aliens, it is one of those movies I have wanted to get around to checking out.

The score for Mutant Chronicles does not break any new ground, nor does it try to. What it does do is create a solid listening experience that is alternately heroic and powerful, and dark and foreboding. It is a score that is easy to press play on and proceed to get utterly lost in it. It is not going to blow you away with ingenuity and creativity, but there is something about that is rather engrossing.

As I listen to this score, I imagine picking up a plasma rifle and heading out to wage war with evil creatures led by dark forces intent on my destruction. Of course, the music leads me to victory as I navigate the darkened, debris strewn streets and alleys, making my way deep into enemy territory and achieving ultimate victory. Conversely, I can also just sit there and enjoy what Wells has created.

The score begins with "Take Off," which does exactly that. This cue is upbeat and draws you right away with the military march percussion and strings with a triumphant horn line playing over it. I love this track, it is the kind of music that is inspiring in the face of certain danger.

Next is "The Night Before," which brings everything down a notch and offers a more contemplative tone as our soldiers prepare for what is to come, their final moments calm. It is short-lived as it gives way the dread and tension of "Mutant Attack." This breaks the calm and puts a hold on the heroics as there is a battle to be had.

Richard Wells does a good job of keeping the music varied and interesting, while also mixing in recurring themes, most notably the heroic theme introduced in the opening track. Considering I have not seen the movie, this is a very effective score that brings a grandiose, epic feel to what I hope is an entertaining film. It also makes me interested in seeing, er, hearing what else Wells will bring to the table in future work.

Recommended.

New Movies and Box Office Predictions: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

For all intents and purposes, this is the final weekend of the summer blockbuster season. I know there are a good number of weeks left, but none of those releases look to be any true blockbuster, not like this weekend's lone wide release. The rest of the summer will surely have some good movies, movies that I want to see, but the likelihood of a $100 million opening is slim to none. This weekend's film is a big time franchise flick and is guaranteed to make a big splash in its opening weekend.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. (2009, 153 minutes, PG, fantasy) Welcome to the sixth movie in the long-running franchise. With two film's yet to come, will this live up to fan's expectations? Will it do justice to the book? Is there enough juice to sustain continued interest? Without any new books on he horizon this film, and those to come, may need to be a bit more aggressive in their marketing. Of course, I could just be off my rocker, as the fan base seems to be stronger than ever. This entry has already opened, but I have not yet had the opportunity to see it. What do you think? I am sure there are a few of you who have already had the pleasure.

The Half-Blood Prince is the second time a director has returned for a second go-around (following Chris Columbus who directed the first two films). David Yates made his debut on the franchise with Order of the Phoenix, and so impressed the studio suits that they signed him for this film as well as the series' two part finale. It is understandable, too, Phoenix was a pretty good (at least it was a step up from The Goblet of Fire), and with the big finale just around the corner, consistency of vision is something to be desired.

As for the story, this one centers on Harry learning more about the villainous Lord Voldemorte, while also discovering a book that belongs to whoever the "Half-Blood Prince" is. I am sure there is much more to it than that, but I do not wish to read too much prior to seeing the movie.



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• (500) Days of Summer - I really want to see this one.

Box Office Predictions
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen took two weekends and has breezed past $300 million. Could Harry Potter have as easy a time? I am not so sure, but I would not count it out, I mean it did make $22 million in opening night midnight shows alone. However well it does, there can be no doubt that it will take the top spot. Everyone else will probably just slide down for one, as the returning films have been pretty flat over the past couple of weeks, save for Bruno, which I suspect a steep dip from.

Here is how I think it could play out.

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	$101 million
2	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	$17 million
3	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$16 million
4	Bruno	$14 million
5	Public Enemies	$8 million
6	The Proposal	$6 million
7	The Hangover	$5.5 million
8	Up	$3 million
9	I Love You, Beth Cooper	$2.5 million
10	My Sister's Keeper	$2 million

Movie Review: Bruno

When you look at the long line of working comedians in the business today, there are very few that are truly edgy. There are those who use shocking language to try to be edgy, there are those who are just who they are, and there are those who target the family demographic. None of these approaches are right or wrong, every person who decides to take a certain role or hit the stage with their material works their material to their talent; however, when it comes to Sacha Baron Cohen, the rules are rewritten. Love him, hate him, indifferent to hm, he is a distinctly original voice on the screen taking risks that no one else is willing to do. On top of that, he is not only about the comedy, he is also about picking at society's scabs, revealing the uglier side of people that they would probably rather not show.

Cohen made a splash in 2006 with Borat, instantly winning a spot in the pantheon of popular culture. To this day, you can get a taste of that ridiculous voice wherever you go. Sure, it has died down somewhat, but will it ever go away? I doubt it. That film saw Cohen begin his cultural scab picking, unveiling latent bigotry, backwards thinking, and a large dose of negativity. It spotlighted Cohen's skills to get under the skin and provoke a reaction. This new film focuses on a different character that is quite possibly more shocking, but also a bit less funny. Still, you will find yourself wracked with laughter, so long as you are not among the easily offended.

Bruno (Cohen) is an Austrian fashionista who is disgraced when his show flops. Amid some over the top gay sequences (calculated to get a rise out of the audience), we follow Bruno on his way to America where he is determined to become a big star. The problem is that his ideas on how to become famous, famously backfire as he takes everything to the edge and then jumps off into the abyss, thereby shocking everyone in sight.

The movie is a series of vignettes strung together by scripted pieces featuring Bruno and his shy admirer Lutz, who was his assistant's assistant back in Austria. The overall story is a thin one as it really isn't the point. The point is to see just how far they can take each scene, take to its shocking limit and see what kind of reaction can be provoked.

Bruno is sporadically uproariously funny as we watch the comedian take aim at the celeb-worshipping, stardom obsessed side of our culture. Watch as he holds a casting call for babies for a photo shoot with his newly adopted third-world child (which he swapped an iPod for) where the prospective parents will agree to anything, such as working with pyrotechnics, loosing wait, dressing as a Nazi, and being tied to a cross. It is almost too much to believe. Also witness his attempts to make a sex tape by cornering presidential nominee Ron Paul. Utterly ridiculous and featuring more male nudity than your average Judd Apatow feature.

I am really at a loss of what of what to say about the movie. To describe more of the sequences would deprive them of their shock value. The story is pretty much non-existent, existing only to string together the awkward situations and add even more zaniness.

While I did laugh out loud a number of times, I found that much of my laughter was of the nervous variety. It is not that I was offended, but what Cohen was doing was so over the top that I was shocked more than amused. In the end, the movie does what it sets out to do, generate laughs, pick at the dark side of the audience by making them complicit in the generation of humor, and just being shocking.

Sacha Baron Cohen is an interesting character. On one hand, he truly pushes the boundaries of good taste and is absolutely fearless in his pursuit of the laugh, especially if it exposes some undesirable element on the part of the target. However, as brave as he is in going for the gusto, does his brand of comedy have an expiration date? How much longer will he be able to go unrecognized? I suspect this will be the last round for this sort of Cohen film. Unless he brings on a protege, I suspect we will begin to see more roles like his performance in Talladega Nights.

Bottomline. Bruno is not for everyone, although I think everyone should make the attempt. It will make you uncomfortable, it will make you laugh, it will make you wonder if Cohen has a mental issue. It will also make your jaw drop seeing the reactions and responses that he gets throughout. It is a bizarre film made by a brave soul. Try it. You may like it.... or not.

Recommended.

Movie Review: I Love You, Beth Cooper

For some reason this movie reminds me of the 2004 flick The Girl Next Door. They both have similar premises steeped in the art of the male fantasy. The earlier film sees a loser guy falling for the girl next door, who turns out to be a porn star, much comedy and hi jinx ensue. The newer film centers on a loser guy professing his love for the popular head cheerleader and discovering she may return his affections. Neither film is all that great, but they are both entertaining for what they are, ridiculous escapes from reality that have absolutely no basis in reality.

Based on a novel by Larry Doyle, who also wrote the screenplay, I Love You, Beth Cooper tells the story of a nerdy valedictorian who uses his commencement speech to profess his love for the head cheerleader, the titular Beth Cooper. It is something he was sort of goaded into doing in order to leave some sort of mark on his high school years, something that cannot be undone and cannot be taken away. Along the way he also has a few things to say about other members of his graduating class. It is the sort of speech that you dream about, especially if you are a cad carrying member of the downtrodden and forgotten of the high school in crowd. Of course, even in dreams there are repercussions, as comedic and non-life threatening as they may be, they are still there. This movie chronicles what happens after the proverbial cat is out of the bag.

The tale begins with Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) preparing to deliver his speech. He walks to the podium and begins to nervously recite what he had prepared, but then, in a flash of inspiration he lets loose with the words that will forever change his life; well, at least for the next day or two. He has no idea where this will lead and it does not appear that he even gave it any thought.

Anyway, after the ceremony is over, the nervous fellow goes home and prepares for his graduation party. The expected crowd is zero, besides Denis and his possibly gay best friend, Rick Munsch (Jack Carpenter). Before leaving for the evening, his father gives him the "talk." The funniest thing about this is that his father is played by Alan Ruck, who would have likely had the Denis role had this been made in the wake of his Ferris Bueller's Day Off performance.

Well, Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere) and her ever-present cheerleader friends show up for Denis's party only to have Beth's muscle-bound Army boyfriend how up with some bad thoughts on his mind. The chase is now on as the boyfriend wants to separate Denis's head from his body and Beth just wants to be rid of him. This is how the night goes.

Honestly, there really is not much to say about the story. It begins with that dream setup of professing undying love, proceeds to the chase, moves onto the touching tender moments, then comes to its inevitable conclusion. There really isn't much more than that; however, I actually enjoyed it and have no problems giving it a bit of a recommendation to to those who enjoy this genre. It is the kind of movie whose trailers will tell you if you have any chance of liking it. It has a definite audience and it is not everyone.

Why does this movie work? It is all in the performances. Paul Rust and Hayden Panettiere have decent enough chemistry, plus they almost seem born to play these roles. Rust may look a bit old for the character, but is close enough to pull it off, plus he has that nerdy character down pat. He has some great reactions and seems sincere in the quieter moments when his character realizes that this Beth is not the one he dreamed about. As for Hayden, she carries oer the popular cheerleader from the first season of Heroes and tweaks it just a little. She is the popular girl here, but the further in we go, we begin to see the seems in her popular armor with a little insecure girl peeking through. This brings us back to the fantasy of the film, where the nerd dreams of getting the girl and seeing her for who she is and not the persona.

Bottomline. In the end, it is a trifle of a movie that will likely be forgotten in pretty short order. Still, I found myself enjoying it. I am sure I will be off of it and onto something else shortly, but for a piece of momentary escapism, it delivers.

Mildly Recommended.

Box Office Update 7/10-7/12: Bruno Tells Box "Vassup?"

After two weeks at the top, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has relinquished its crown, begrudgingly to Sacha Baron Cohen's latest creation, Bruno. The shock-omedy snuck in through the back door to steal it away, as opposed to taking a dominant role in making its presence known. It was a foregone conclusion that the pseudo-sequel to 2006's Borat would rise to the top, it was just assumed that it would be in a more definitive fashion, but a win is a win and I am sure the fictional Bruno would take it any way he could get it. I think the bigger question now is how it will hold up. Is it funny? Sure. It also does a fine job at picking at society, but at the same time, I feel for as brave as he is for doing it, I have seen enough. How will the public react? The next couple of weeks will be very telling.

Holding steady in second place, and playing as a strong counter programming film, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs slipped just 33% from its debut frame. It's too bad they could not make a classic. While this franchise plays well with the young crowd, it does not offer much to cinematic history and will likely be forgotten a couple of years down the road, it that long. A funny side note: I was talking to a friend who did not realize this was the third movie in the franchise.

Michael Bay's robotic monster mash skipped over the animated dinos on its way to third place. Perhaps this is where everyone realizes that is not a very good movie and it begins its slide to the bottom. Yes, wishful thinking, it likely has a way to go before it dies off completely only to be reinvigorated upon its eventual Blu-ray release.

Public Enemies placed fourth, and while it is doing all right, I would like to see it do better. This film is fantastic with a strong script, great performances, and solid direction. This is where the mainstream meets the arthouse.

There is only one other new film on the chart this week, I Love You, Beth Cooper. The teen comedy appears to be dead in the water, finishing way down in seventh place. I saw the movie and while it is not great, it is perfectly enjoyable for what it is. It may not be worth a trip o the theater, but as a rental it should perform admirably.

This weekend will surely be dominated by the release of the latest Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Two movies dropped off the top ten this week: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (11) and Year One (13).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	N	Bruno	$30,619,130	$30,619,130	1
2	2	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	$27,607,497	$119,680,193	2
3	1	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$24,213,875	$339,221,800	3
4	3	Public Enemies	$13,794,240	$66,221,110	2
5	4	The Proposal	$10,603,884	$113,861,076	4
6	5	The Hangover	$9,933,238	$222,444,906	6
7	N	I Love You, Beth Cooper	$4,919,433	$4,919,433	1
8	6	Up	$4,715,746	$273,834,761	7
9	7	My Sister's Keeper	$4,294,382	$35,915,782	3
10	8	The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3	$1,543,516	$61,437,955	5

Box Office Predictions Recap
As I look over the numbers for this week, I feel pretty much satisfied, more or less. Sure, I was off in a few places, but I was pretty close in most places. My biggest mistake was with I Love You, Beth Cooper, which pretty much tanked. I thought this would have made a bigger splash than it did, as shown by my estimation. Of course, I also expected Bruno to land a bigger number than it did, but when it comes right down to it, I suppose it landed about where it should in retrospect.

Here is how the field matched up:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
1	1	Bruno	$30,619,130	$36 million
3	2	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$24,213,875	$26 million
2	3	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	$27,607,497	$24 million
4	4	Public Enemies	$13,794,240	$16 million
7	5	I Love You, Beth Cooper	$4,919,433	$14.5 million
5	6	The Proposal	$10,603,884	$8 million
6	7	The Hangover	$9,933,238	$6.5 million
8	8	Up	$4,715,746	$4 million
9	9	My Sister's Keeper	$4,294,382	$2.5 million
10	10	The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3	$1,543,516	$1.25 million

DVD Pick of the Week: [REC]

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

Full disclosure: I have not seen many of these titles, and what follows are not necessarily reviews, but opinions based upon what I know of the titles I pluck from the new release lists I peruse. The opinions I give based on the new releases are my own, and my recommendations are based on my personal interest. In any case, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find something you like or a title to point me towards.

Now, there are weak weeks and there are weak weeks and this, my friend,is a weak week. As I looked over this week's list, I was amazed at just how few titles of interest there were. Seriously, it is a dead zone this week. That means this is a good week to catch up on those titles you may have missed.

[REC]. Ever heard of this one? Well, this is the Spanish movie that Hollywood got wind of while it was still in production, bought the script and then proceeded to make sure it did not make it overseas until after their remake had its run. The remake was released last Fall and was called Quarantine. I have not seen the original, but from I understand, it is very nearly a shot for shot copy. The film is first person footage, not quite found footage (ala The Blair Witch Project), about a news crew tagging along with a fire company to a call at an apartment building. Inside the apartment is something strange, the tenants are turning into bloodthirsty zombie-like things. I loved Quarantine, I hope to enjoy this as much.

The Haunting in Connecticut. This is a movie I enjoyed on the screen and have come to have fonder memories in retrospect. It is one of the better ghost stories to reach the big screen in recent years. The movie s well acted and has an air of authenticity around it as we get deeper into the haunting. This is based on the true account of the Parker family who moved into a home in Connecticut in 1986 in order to be closer to the hospital where their son was receiving cancer treatment. Shortly after arriving, the boy started seeing apparitions in the house. That is when all hell seemed to break loose in this quiet Connecticut community. Interested in knowing more? This may be one you will want to check out.

OC Babes and the Slasher of Zombietown. How can you go wrong with a title like that? I have no idea what this movie is about and have no doubts that it is terrible, how can it not be? The description says that a group of OC stereotypes are trapped in a bar following a zombie outbreak, only to be trapped with a serial killer. Really? I may just have to see this. To top it off, the writer/director bears the name Creep Creepersin. Do you think that may be a pseudonym?

Fulci Frenzy (Perversion Story, The Psychic). Here is a two-pack of Fulci flicks, neither of which I have seen, so this may be a worthy pick-up to put alongside the likes of Zombi, The Beyond, and Cat in the Brain. Perversion Story centers on an insurance salesman who lands on death row for the murder of his wife, the problem is that she is still alive. The Psychic tells of a psychic woman who opens a wall in her husband's home, finds a skeleton, and proceeds to investigate who this person is. Sounds like a fun evening to me!

Movie Review: The Hurt Locker

When it comes to movies set amidst the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the rest of the Middle East, there is almost a prerequisite that they make some sort of political statement. Look at films like Lions for Lambs, Body of Lies, The Lucky Ones, Stop-Loss, Rendition, and even Charlie Wilson's War, all have their say on the current state of affairs. However, no matter how good or bad those movies are, they generally forget that there are people involved. The stories become too involved with the big picture, making grandiose statements, and telling us how we should feel that the trees are lost for the forest. Very few of them strip the message out for the people, and when they do they lose much of the power they could have had, like The Kingdom. Now we have a film that loses the political grandstanding and focuses on the reality of the situation with characters to truly care about.

Helmed by Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker puts us down on the streets with the soldiers on the front line, with the soldiers risking their lives day in and day out. Is this a tale to take as any sort of fact? Probably not. As unbelievable and exciting as reality can be, it can often be boring and dull, meaning any film you see based on reality has invariably had its drama/action/suspense pumped up a bit in an attempt to make it a bit more watchable in a cinematic setting. That said, Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal have crafted a film that goes for a realistic feel rather than absolute reality. The finished product is involving, affecting, and downright thrilling.

The Hurt Locker does not so much have a plot as it does a group of characters that we follow. Do not look at this film as a narrative, it is more like an audience being embedded with a squad as they go about their work, sort of like a reporter going out in the field. It is exciting, thrilling, frightening, and strips everything down to the essence. This is not about the dialogue, it is about people, their hopes, desires, fears, and ability to act in the face of great stress.

At the center of out story is Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner). His specialty is defusing bombs, you know, the nasty improvised devices found in bags on the side of roads, packed into cars, and strapped onto people. He is very good at his job, and despite the risks he takes with his own personal safety, when it comes to operating on a bomb, he is as careful as if he were operating on his own flesh and blood, meticulous, skilled, and determined to finish his task. Always at his side is Sergeant Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), he is the man charged with keeping our bomb defusing tech safe, always with his eyes out for snipers, suspicious characters, and any other dangers that could impede his work.

This movie is not really about catching the bomb makers, it is about making sure the bombs don't go off as well as constantly seeking the rush that the job provides. Everything ties into the quote that is used to open the film: "War is a drug." James is always looking to get that next fix. He needs to be on that line, you need him on that line..... Sorry, wrong movie. Still, it seems rather fitting as we watch James go through the motions, risking life and limb to not only do the job, but get back to that high again.

It is fascinating watching these men go about their business. The tension that is built up is quite palpable, literally putting me on the edge of my seat. What makes this film great, is not only the way it puts you on the street with these soldiers, it is the soldiers themselves, how the characters are written and how they are performed.

The characters are written in a very internalized fashion. You need to pay attention to really get the full effect of these characters as they do not verbalize everything. They are written as people, not plot points, and it works out beautifully.

Jeremy Renner is a face that is recognizable but cannot always be placed, this movie will put him on the map. It is an incredible performance, he carries so much behind his eyes in this role. William James is a man who knows his job, knows he is the best at it, and he knows this is where he belongs. He needs to be where the action is, but it comes at a price, it is something he will have to live with as long as he is on the job.

Bottomline. The Hurt Locker is a movie that needs to be seen. It is a first rate movie that delivers on emotional and technical levels. It is thrilling as we watch the bombs being defused, watching James search for answers, watching the difficulty with which the answers come, or don't come.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Moon

Directed by and based on a story by David Bowie's son, Moon is a wonderful accomplishment for a first time feature director. It is a mature and assured tale that offers so much content for discussion packed into a brief and leisurely paced run time. It is a film that finds itself at the crossroads of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, and Event Horizon. While it finds itself at those crossroads, making a deal with the devil, it is not merely a greatest hits mash of what we already know, it is a bold and original vision that delivers a mesmerising experience at the cinema. It is a great example of what intelligent hard science fiction can be, a great defense for a genre that has been overrun by effects, fantasy, and a general lack of logic (not that it is always a bad thing).

Going in to Moon, I was unsure of what I was getting myself into. Considering the very limited release I had seen the trailer once, knew I wanted to see it, but had no idea what it was really going to be about. In the end, I guess it did matter much as I knew it would be something I would be into.

The movie definitely proved interesting. It is the sort of film that sneaks up on you, draws you in, makes you interested, and then is over. It is not an action film, it is not a fast paced film, it is one that allows the story to slowly unfold over the course of its run time, seeping into your brain, making you curious as to where it is going or what the meaning of it all is.

In the near future, possibly the same world that 2001 was set in, a new fuel for energy is discovered on the moon. It is called Helium3 and is used to fuel clean nuclear fusion. A mining facility has been set up on the dark side of the moon and is almost completely automated. The station is manned by a crew of one, and that person signs on for a three year stint, ensuring everything runs smoothly, tends to maintenance and repairs, but otherwise is left to entertain himself in the well-stocked base.

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is nearing the end of his contract, and it could come soon enough. The man is on the verge of breaking down. Three years in isolation, save the HAL-like presence of the base computer GERTY (voice of Kevin Spacey), can be trying on a person's mind. Sam is beginning to see things as he goes about his day. Is he losing his mind? No, h is just tiring of being so utterly alone, his only connection with Earth being recorded messages from his wife and his superiors. Sounds like enough to drive anyone batty.

It is an interesting idea, to examine the effects of isolation, of being surrounded by technology with no other meaningful human contact over an extended period of time. Three years is a long time and Sam Rockwell does a fine job of showing how there can wear a mind down, seeing things and talking to himself being a couple of big factors. However, this is only part of the story, and just a small part at that.

One day, Sam heads out in a rover to investigate a potential problem with one of the automated mining vehicles. En route, same gets distracted resulting in a bad accident. Sam then wakes up in sick bay on the base, wondering what happened. This is where it begins to get strange. As you know from the trailer, another Sam shows up on the base. Is this a copy? A figment of his fractured imagination? Something else altogether?

This is the sort of movie that the wrong detail given in the right place can ruin it for the potential viewer. So, with that said, I am going to decline to give any more hard details. This is the kind of film that is best to see clean, avoid whatever detail you can and allow the film to work its magic.

Director Duncan Jones, who also wrote the story that Nathan Parker based his screenplay on, does a wonderful job of keeping the story interesting. He plants a number of question seeds throughout that will make you wonder if what you thought you knew is accurate or not. It is an intelligent film that requires audience participation. If you just let the story unfold and wash over you as a passive observer, you may like it, but you never be sure of what you know. You need to be an active participant, picking up on the clues dropped throughout to point you towards the truth. I think. Trying to figure out the truth is like trying to hit a moving target that you can't see.

Much of the credit needs to be given to Sam Rockwell. He gives a powerful, multifaceted performance that will make affect you. He perfectly embodies the fractured persona of Sam Bell. Quite simply, he carries the emotional weight of the movie, a quietly charismatic and easy going presence on the screen delivering a performance you will not be able to look away from.

Bottomline. Powerful movie, one that everyone should see, although I suspect many will not be able to become absorbed by it. It is a quiet, slow moving film that does not go in the direction that I expected. It is a case of a story being told the way it wants to be told rather than by the expectations.

Highly recommended.

Movie Review: Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs

2002 saw the arrival of a ragtag group of prehistoric critters banding together to save a baby. They came together for a common goal despite their rather obvious differences, including the fact that one of them is a predator to the others (a sabertooth tiger). In the end, they achieved their goal of saving the baby and ended up forming an odd family among themselves. Four years later the non-traditional herd are making a go of it as the Ice Age is in full swing, until they discover the Ice Age is coming to an end and a rush of water threatens their valley. They were able to come through that relatively unscathed. Now they are back and I am sure you are wondering just what they could be faced with now. All right, maybe not, but I am going to tell you anyway: dinosaurs. That's right, after finding humans and surviving the impending end of the Ice Age, they have to contend with dinosaurs!

The first Ice Age was an enjoyable, family-centric romp, nothing terribly classic and probably not deserving of a sequel. As we all know a sequel did come, and it proved to me that they should have stopped after the first as its story was dull and its runtime was padded with sequences featuring Scrat the sabertooth squirrel and his endless quest to possess a single acorn. Unfortunately, it proved to be a box office success, all but guaranteeing a third film would be made. It is here, and in an attempt to ensure a sustained level of interest the currently popular 3D process has been employed. Finally, proving that I may actually be a part of the problem, I went to the theater, got my glasses and sat down to watch it.

After the screening was over, I slowly walked out of the theater, disposing of my emptied bag of unsalted popcorn (the only way to go), and depositing my 3D glasses in the recycling bin as I went. On my face was the barest hint of a smile. I walked secure in my belief that the gimmick of the Ice Age has run its course, that I am still impressed with the RealD 3D process, and that this movie was an improvement on the lackluster second part. Still, I think I would have felt more rewarded had I seen Up again.

As Dawn of the Dinosaurs opens, we catch up with our main characters reaching important turning points in their lives, and it sounds suspiciously like any random episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. Manny (Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah) are doing their part to repopulate the mammoth population and are expecting their first child, Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) feels left out and has dreams of being a parent himself, and Diego the sabertooth tiger (Dennis Leary) believes he is losing his edge living around what should be his dinner and wants to regain that hunter's instinct he feels he has lost. Meanwhile, Scrat continues to track down that elusive acorn, only to find love and competition in a female version of himself called Scratte (in the ads, these critters don't speak and rarely interact with our main characters).

It had to happen at some point, this oddball collection of incompatible critters were bound to reach a point where they would drift apart. It is up to this movie to bring that drama to life in a comedy about why they came together in the first place and how they will always mean something to each other, but told in comedic fashion, of course.

Sid, feeling left out and wanting to be a parent wanders off and discovers three eggs, apparently abandoned, and decides to bring them back to the herd and raise them himself. Of course, this turns out to be a terrible idea as they turn out to be dinosaur eggs and when they hatch, the babies wreak havoc, which increases exponentially when mommy (a T-Rex) arrives in search of her missing young. She collects them, along with Sid, and heads back down through the crack in the ice that had initially revealed the egg.

Manny, Ellie, Diego, and the possums, Crash and Eddie (introduced in the second film), head into the crack in an attempt to rescue their kidnapped friend. Along the way they meet Buck (Simon Pegg), a hunt-hardened weasel who is in search of the giant dinosaur that took his eye (his personal Moby Dino). He is a crazy fellow who may be the only way our heroes will be able to navigate this lush underground world and its many dangers.

Comedy and adventure ensues as Manny and the gang hunt down Sid and avoid the big bad killer dinosaur. It turns out to be mildly amusing, a distinct step up from the last one, but still pretty forgettable in the big picture.

The main reason to watch this movie is three-fold, and while it is an argument for the film, it is not necessarily a compelling one. First is John Leguizamo, whose work as Sid is pretty dang funny. Second is Scrat, his silent film style antics have been the highlight of the series, always with the right amount of zaniness. Thirdly is Simon Pegg, it does not seem to matter what this guy does, he steps up to the plate and delivers. His Buck is insane and rather fun. To a lesser extent, the animation has improved with each successive film, and the 3D is employed well and not so much as a gimmick, but a tool to add depth to the image.

Bottomline. Despite being a step up from the second film, I cannot through my support behind this one, as it still feels like a franchise stretched past its expiration date. The kids will like it, no doubt about that, but most seem to like Up too, which is vastly superior. I think Pixar may have spoiled CG animation for me. Still, I would take any Ice Age movie over the likes of Space Chimps.

Mildly Recommended.

Movie Review: Public Enemies

When I first heard that a movie was coming out called Public Enemies, I initially thought it was going to be a remake of the 1931 James Cagney gangster film The Public Enemy. Turns out I was wrong, but there is a connection between that film and this new film. It is not quite a direct connection, more of a relation, but it is there. This new film centers on the couple of years where John Dillinger was active and terrorizing banks while running circles around the FBI, and it just so happens that Dillinger was a fan of gangster pictures and was likely a fan of this particular film. In any case, there is nothing to directly to connect the old Cagney flick and the new Depp flick, although I guess a case could be made about both having top flight actors of their respective generations in the lead.

The first trailer for Public Enemies had me hook, line, and sinker. From the use of music, to the charismatic presence of Johnny Depp, to the determined visage of Christian Bale, to the authentic looking sets, it looked like a movie that was determined to hit all of the right notes. It doesn't hurt that Michael Mann is the man behind the camera, and while I am not a fan of all his films, he has a certain way of bringing a scene to life and making the locations as integral a character as the actual actors.

Back in the 1930's gangsters were a different breed than they are today. Back in the day gangsters were sort of celebrities as they stuck it to the man, acting in Robin Hood type ways (albeit a bit more self serving). Because of this they have gotten something of a romantic rewriting through history, much like the outlaws of the Wild West. So, I was sort of expecting a romanticized view of John Dillinger's escapades as he out duels the law in Melvin Purvis. You know, robbing banks, engaging in shoot-outs, getting the girl, the whole nine yards.

Director and co-writer Michael Mann and writers Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman, working from a novel by Bryan Burrough, have taken the story and boiled it down to its essence. It is not the story the audience necessarily wants, but it is the story that Mann wants to tell. It is generally a good thing when the creative tells the story they want to tell rather than load up on elements that are expected, it is best to focus on the story. The result in this case is a tale that strips away the romanticism of the character (although it is still there), it gives us the character of legend without the legend. It is a story that gives you the pieces upon which the legend can be built.

The movie begins with John Dillinger's (Johnny Depp) daring escape from prison and subsequent desire not to go back and live in the moment. He returns to Chicago where he has bought himself something of a safe haven. He and his crew terrorize local banks, taking them for all they can get, all while living it up with the nightlife. They were like rock stars, doing their thing with very little fear of retribution, although there is always a certain edge, a distinct danger that things could go wrong, but they scarcely paid it any mind, knowing their skills would take them as far as they wanted.

Things begin to pick up when Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) is put in charge of the Chicago field office by J. Edgar Hoover, who is attempting to get the FBI off the ground. It is thought that if public enemy number one, Dillinger, is brought to justice, it would go a long way towards getting the agency the backing it needs to be successful.

Purvis is a straitlaced, serious individual who always gets his man, and he sets about putting his G-men to work in an effort to get Dillinger and all of his accomplices. However, the story is not so much about him, despite his importance to how it plays out. This puts a bit of a clamp on Bale's performance, which is more or less one note, yet still highly effective.

Public Enemies is based on truth, although it is not a slave to it. Watching this film will give you an honest overview of the era and how things played out, just do not trust it as a definitive source, as there are many facts that are not correct. I will not go into them here, as neither this review nor this film is about being a historical document. It certainly aims to be authentic to the period and motives of the characters, but that is about it.

This movie is a cross between a mainstream picture and an arthouse picture. It has the big name stars, it has the big name performances, but it also fails to follow mainstream movie conventions. Like I mentioned earlier, the story is told on its own terms. We get to see Dillinger in action, robbing banks, not letting weak members of the crew take him down, always getting what he wants, including the woman who catches his eye, Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard). There's is a non-traditional relationship, he wants someone she can protect, she is vulnerable and needs someone to protect her. They are never really a couple, so much as a complete set of needs. It is interesting to watch their interactions, there is an interesting dynamic as he courts her all the way through what happens at the end (I cannot tell you).

Michael Mann has meticulously crafted this film to show what needs to be seen. There are no overtones of niceties. Dillinger is never made out to be a nice guy, or a good guy, the same goes for Purvis. It is rather refreshing to see a movie portray characters in a way that is real rather "movie real."

The performances are fantastic all around. There is a brutal honesty to them as they go about their business. Johnny Depp leads the way with a charismatic performance that really draws you in. You may not necessarily like him, but you will admire the way he plays the role, the character is one you cannot take your eyes off of. Christian Bale feels a little but like stunt casting considering how one note the character is, but at the same time his presence adds a little more weight to the pursuit of Dillinger, and Bale brings a distinct intensity to the role that focuses the pursuit portion of the story. Then there is Marion Cotillard, she brings an exotic beauty to the role plus an emotional vulnerability that really pays off in a powerful way.

Bottomline. This is not what I expected, and in a way I am glad that it isn't. It is a solid movie with great tension, excellent performances, and an eye for detail. It strips away the romance and leaves the cod underbelly of the legend exposed to the harsh light of day.

Highly Recommended.