dontjuststareatiteatit Reviews

Battlefield Earth (2000)

Wha? Huh...?

[1/10 · 23 January 2007]

"We'll use this learning machine to learn how to fly!" Huh?

"If I die, this will be sent to home office." Wha?

Distmantling nuclear bombs from a manual... stored right next to the bomb. Huh?

Gold reserves kept inside Ft. Knox have gone undetected by an advance superior species, that desires nothing but gold, for 1000 years. Wha?

An alien species teaching their slaves microbiology. What was that?

Helicopters that have gone untouched for 1000 years have remained fully fueled. What the...?

Destroying an entire planet with one conventional warhead. Wha?

Battlefield Earth: A Saga for the year 3000... Huh?

Aliens (1986)

THE Definitive Action Movie

[10/10 · 14 April 2006]

1986. The world had just gotten off the heals of The Terminator, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and The Temple of Doom. Audiences thought they had seen it all. That was until the summer rolled around. The world of the action movie hasn't been the same since. Aliens, James Cameron second sci-fi epic masterpiece, arrived and smashed the limits of what a movie could do and raised the bar for all future action movies to come.

Taking the premise of Ridley Scott's horror masterpiece, James Cameron, in a self-penned screenplay, turned it into one of the most exciting visual experiences I have ever taken part of. The screenplay, coming in at around 2 hours and 20 minutes, takes its time and sets up the characters so that we feel more for them. We don't even see an alien on the screen until almost an hour into the movie. Each character is fully developed and we cringe when we see them die. The horror that the aliens bring is all the more magnified because of our deeper understanding of the characters emotions and their connections to each other. Notice Vasquez's and Lt. Gorman's death together. Since early on the in the movie, Cameron developed their dislike for each other. Building up the tension between these two characters, we feel the pay off when we see them except death together. Anyone who says action movies must be devoid of emotion and sit on some nihilistic plane, has obviously never seen this movie.

Using his groundbreaking screenplay, Cameron then weaves a tale so rich in visuals and sounds that we become fully immersed in the story. Winning the 1987 Academy Awards for Best Sound Effect and Best Visual Effects, also being nominated for best film editing, original score, best art direction and best sound, Cameron innovated the way the technology of the time was used to make movies. Notice his stunning use of cinematography and editing to create this future, alien planet. Scenes are drab and dark up until the action starts, when Cameron paints the screen with bright colors to create a sense of urgency. Take the scene towards the end of the film, when the aliens first break into the compound. He saturates the screen with red for about 5 minutes. Then switches it back when the action is done. This technique has been copied many times since this film (re: Hunt For the Red October).

And, last but most certainly not least, we can forget to mention Cameron's casting choices. Weaver, looking as sexy as she did the rest of the 80's, plays the role of a lifetime. It's too bad Hollywood doesn't produce roles like this anymore. Cameron created such mutli-dimensional characters that the actors were able to really sink their teeth into them. Bill Paxton plays Hudson to perfection, delivering hilarious, 80's style lines, right when needed. Other notable performances include Jenette Goldstein's Vasquez and Carrie Henn's Newt.

All in all, this by far Cameron's most accomplished work. His work on the first Terminator got everyone's attention but it was this film that proved his genius. If it wasn't for Aliens, Cameron's subsequent, big-budget "The Abyss" and "Terminator 2" would not have been made. All in all, this film ranks as one of the most revolutionary visions of the past 25 years and among one of the best films ever produced. A must for all movie fans. 10/10

Scarface: Origins of a Hip Hop Classic (2003 Video)

Garbage

[1/10 · 6 January 2006]

What's always bothered me with the film Scarface is that people use Tony Montana as some sort of role model. As if the way his life was displayed in the movie is one which we should all look up to. What's even more disturbing is that this image has been marketed to the minority population of America as being cool, hip, and an acceptable way of behaving. Seeing young Hispanic and African-Americans walk around wearing Scarface shirts deeply bothers me because it re-enforces stereotypes that they've been trying to shed for years. Well, for years, this is why I avoided purchasing this movie. But, I gave in. It's such a great movie and Pacino is excellent in it. Then, I checked out the back of the DVD case and saw that this short little gem was included with my purchase. "Def Jam: Origin of a Hip-Hop Classic". Sheesh, I can see the hypocrisy building already. So, in the "documentary", we see such hip-hop leaders as Puff Daddy, Snoop Dog, Method Man, Nas, Eve, Clipse, and we can't leave out Scarface, can we? These are all people who have, through incredible luck in some cases and incredible talent in others, risen to the top of their profession. Sorta like good old Tony, right? Well, there's a huge difference. These people work in a legitimate field of business, they pay their taxes, and in most cases, people don't have to be killed to continue to be successful. What a lot of these people also have in common is that they have tried throughout their careers to help the cause of the minority in America. In a place where you're judged instantly based on the color of your skin, tearing down these stereotypes is a very difficult process to accomplish. Seeing these famous people talk about how much they look up to Tony Montana and value the lessons they learned from him makes me real sad. These are the people that a large amount of minority children look up to, these are the people they listen to. And what are they telling them? That Tony Montana is someone to admire. "Hey, I'm rich, I'm successful, I have everything I've ever wanted, and you know who I look up to? Who my role model is? Tony Montana, a drug dealing, murderer." What's even more frustrating is that Scarface was written by a white guy, directed by a white guy, and marketed by white guys. I have nothing against Oliver Stone or Brian DePalma, it's those other guys who market it as something to look up to, it's those guys that bother me. An African-American male will buy this movie, see his favorite rappers talking it up, and this in turn will leave the impression that Tony Montana's behavior is somewhat acceptable. It's not. To me, this seems like blatant propaganda and it's garbage. Almost makes me not want to own the Scarface DVD.

Walk Like a Man (1987)

If this movie was a horse, I'd have to shoot it...

[1/10 · 22 September 2005]

Horrible, Horrible movie. I remember watching this movie as a kid and sorta liking it but then again I was 10. After visiting this movie at a later point in my life I realized how bad this really was. The story is about a boy(Bobo) who was separated as a baby from his millionaire father by falling out of a sled in the woods. Oddly enough, he's then raised by wolves who for go any natural instinct to eat him and instead decide, collectively to raise him as their own. Years later, he's found by this cute researcher who takes him, finds out his mother and brother are still alive and attempts to return him. Now, Bobo's brother is set to inherit all his father's money instead of only half if his brother isn't found by his 30th birthday. Naturally, his brother doesn't want him return. There then comes a extremely boring section where we see this researcher trying to educate Bobo. Horrible, not funny, and inconsistent. Not only that but it seems as if the crew of the film were trying to be seen in this movie. I could count at least three occasions where I could see the boom mike on the screen and at least one occasion where I can see the camera man on screen. But whatever, even The Godfather had its mistakes. What bothers me more is the fact that the comedy seems contrived and Bobo's mental state seems to shift around in the movie. At one point, he's a bumbling idiot, the next moment he's arguing a case in court and then he's back again to being the idiot. Do not see this movie, see something like the Big Lebowski to see a good comedy. This is garbage.

Primal Fear (1996)

Norton leads, everyone else follows.

[5/10 · 22 April 2005]

Primal Fear tells the story of a high class Chicago lawyer, Martin Vail (Richard Gere). Picking up the case of a young troubled altar boy(Edward Norton) accused of murdering the priest of his church, Vail undergoes a transformation upon realizing that his career is perhaps not the most important thing in life. Going up against the lead prosecutor and ex-girlfriend (played by Laura Linney), Gere takes us through the usual cliché courtroom drama that seems to be prevalent in today's crime based movies and t.v. shows. The story is good, adequate at the most. It reminded me more of a extended episode of Law and Order, which isn't bad per se but I expect more from a major motion picture.

What really carries this movie, however, is Norton's performance. Brilliantly played, it put him on the map and made him ready for bigger roles in movies like "Fight Club", "American History X", and "The People vs. Larry Flint". Playing two characters essentially stuck in the same body gave Norton the opportunity to stretch out and show everyone what he really is capable of. It was great to watch him slipping in and out of different characters all before my eyes in a way that seemed convincing and not overacted. Check out the scene where we first discover Aaron's secret side. The transition from Aaron to Roy happens before your eyes and it showcases Norton's acting ability. Bravo to Mr. Norton. If it wasn't for Norton's role in this movie, it would be a well below par courthouse film.

Rating 5/10