Monthly Archives: May 2013

Don’t Tease Us Bro!

If I mention Frankenstein to you odds are one of two cinematic scenes popped into your head.  Either you though of the monster itself – and than very likely the monster as created by Boris Karloff and Jack Pierce, or you thought of the creations scenes abuzz with bride-of-frankenstein-boris-karloff-1935electrical apparatus and a tremendous thunderstorm outside. Of course both of those images come from Universal’s 1931 Frankenstein directed by James Whale.

It is curious that a film produced over 80 years ago should still have such an outsized impact on public consciousness, particularly considering that so many other interpretations of the story have been made in the interim. Why do these other films, some made by extremely talented filmmakers fade from mind and this one stick so readily? Continue reading →

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My brother

Yesterday my brother, Jimmy ‘Ace’ Evans died. He was a good brother and a strong man. Throughout his life he endured many trials that would have sundered other people, including myself.

He fought a war against cancer, but it was not the tumors that took him from us but  pneumonia. During our conversations while he battled the disease and when he conquered it he told me that he had made peace with his mortality. He accepted that life ends with a grace, dignity, and calmness that astounds me and fills my heart with pride. I hope that when my time comes and that terrible news is given to me that I can accept it with half the strength he showed.

He was an artist, captured nature with a camera. Birds were often his subjects and on his facebook page he shared with us some astounding images. He was a poet, a talent I deeply respect as I have no ability to craft poetry. He was a philosophical man and a political activist.

My brother always encouraged and supported my feeble attempt at prose and I will miss him dearly.

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Movie Review: Star Trek: Into Darkness

Alice+Eve+in+Star+Trek+-+Into+the+DarknessThis review will be broken into two sections. The leading section will be spoiler-free for those who have not seen the film and who wished to remain naïve and innocent about the horror that will fall upon them. After the jump I will rant and bitch about specific elements of the movie that are particularly stupid, insipid and insulting. Do not blame me if you read past the jump and find yourself spoiled. (Personally I’m not sure this film can be spoiled. That would take as an implication it exists in an unspoiled state, something I find very debatable.)

Star Trek: Into Darkness is a poorly talented con-man utilizing action and fast fight scenes in place of a bluff roll hoping to keep the audience so distracted with spectacle, visual effects, and action so that the poor viewers will never noticed the Michael Bay levels of stupidium from which the script was constructed.

If you saw the nine minute preview attached to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, then you have already seen the start of Star Trek: Into Darkness, and the least stupid portion of the movie.

The film lacks any real scenes of character and development. While this edition is more of Kirk’s story than Spock as was the case with Star Trek (2009), the audience is treated to no dramatic scenes of length to get to know their characters or explore their issues. In this film stuff happens! Before you can process, or question the Stuff more stuff happens and this is bigger stuff. The filmmakers – if they are thinking this far ahead – are desperately hoping that no one will stop during their razzmatazz and ask what is it that these characters are trying to achieve. The plot is a convoluted tangled of scenes that nominally are related, but have as much to do with story, arcs, and development as a poorly crafted first person shooter.

There are moments of real acting, but they occur infrequently because the actors are given so little to work with. One of the best actors, Benedict Cumberbatch, is utterly wasted. As a villain his motivations are sketchy and his supposedly brilliant intellect crafts only the most base and insipid of plans. Simon Pegg, a talented actor with deep geek cred, continues to perform in a manner so utterly at odds with the source material that is it simply best to pretend his character is a distant cousin to our beloved Scotty.

This film continues the previous movie’s utter disdain for science and the vastness of the cosmos. If getting to Vulcan in moments bothered you in Star Trek (2009) what these characters achieve within a single day will infuriate you. There is no consistency in technology or capabilities.

If you are getting the impression I disliked the film you are correct. This is a movie that the more you think about, the more you question, the greater the stupidity. I cannot recommend that you see it.

AND NOW FOR SPOILERS

Continue reading →

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Warning Educational Materials ahead

So Sunday I was tooling youtube and other video hosting sights, looking for interesting films and such to watch. (No, not porn. Get your mind out of the gutter.) I ended up searching for a World War II training film I had caught part of during a TCM Memorial Day Marathon. (I did find it, it’s called Resisting Enemy Interrogation. It’s got a cool story as German Interrogators try by hook and by crook get information from 5 down airmen.)

However, while looking for that video I found several others that were very interesting. One on flak (anti-aircraft fire) how it works and how to evade it, and a Sad Sack cartoon on the importance of maintaining you weapon properly. The most informative video I found though was one on the basics of small arms and how they work. I have friends who collect guns, and I remember shooting rifles as a boy with my father, however nothing has every made the mechanics of modern firearms as easy to understand as this WWII training film. I present it here for your education or enjoyment. (It is about 40 minutes long.)

 

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