I was fortunate enough to get to preview this film with two of the most important women in my life, my mother and my daughter. Thanks to the Arkansas Cinema Society for the opportunity! I always knew that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a trailblazer, but seeing the story of her early career on screen... put it all in perspective. Thanks to her and women (and men) like her, my daughter has more choices than I had just 23 short years ago. I will say there was one historical inaccuracy. Back in the '70s... firefighters were firemen because women were the auxiliary and didn't go into burning buildings. (At least where I lived and that is another story about how I became a firefighter.) Once you get to that part, you'll know. If you want to know the whole history of women in the fire service you can, just click here. Or women in combat, which thanks to the laws being changed, we can now do. But women have served honorably in combat for a long time. Don't believe me? Here's a document that gives a timeline of women in combat. If you have the chance to go see this film, wherever you are... do it. Take the women in your lives to see just how the battle for equality for all started. It started with a tax law assuming that women would be solely in the caregiver role. Interesting. It is in limited release now and everywhere 11 January. Felicity Jones (Rogue One) did a fantastic job as Justice Ginsburg. I don't think there could have been another better. Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Martin Ginsburg... he redeemed himself with this role from the terror that was unleashed with The Lone Ranger and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Same Waterston and Kathy Bates have supporting roles and are fantastic as always. Mimi Leder directs the cast and turns the script by Daniel Stiepleman into a moving work of art. Easily one of the best films I've seen.
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So, if you're a Nic Cage fan you've probably already heard about SpectreVision's movie "Mandy." Did you also know that it's out in theatres and video-on-demand? One of the first movies to take a shot at this type of marketing and it seems to be working. On the iTunes chart it's 11th over all as of Friday. 7th in Action Adventure, 3rd in Independent, 2nd in Horror, & 4th in Thrillers. The soundtrack is 8th overall and was featured on the iTunes homepage.
I did get to see this movie on the 13th of September. As an investor in Legion M, we had access to a special viewing before the official release date. I'll say that "Mandy" earned it's R rating! Red Miller and his girl, Mandy, lead a quiet life until Jeremiah Sands, leader of the Children of the New Dawn, sees her and has to have her. Jeremiah plots to have her, but she rejects him and he kills her in front of Red. (Well, duh, of course that's going to make anyone want to seek revenge!) It's all downhill from there. Panos Casmatos had a vision and brought it to life. It was a great homage to the early 80s, "Heavy Metal," and the horror/revenge genre. It was a trippy adventure full of blood and rage. Oh, and #NicCage gave a a great performance. I will advise, there is some full-frontal nudity of the male variety. (Thanks for that Panos!) I will caution you, this is a "midnight" movie. You may not be into it and that's okay. I recommend checking out the trailer first. If "Mandy" isn't screening in a theatre near you, here's a few ways you can get your hands on it to complete your Nic Cage collection: So, I took my daughter to see the first part of the epic wrap up to a story that started ten years ago with Iron Man. For us, this was a tradition... I took her out of school early but let me back up just a little bit here. I was in the Army for those of you that didn't know (or read that over in the short bio over on the sidebar). Back in 2008, I knew I was going to be deployed but we weren't sure if it was to Iraq or Afghanistan. We had a pretty good idea but with the military, nothing is ever certain. So, I made the conscious decision to do something fun and memorable with my daughter before I spent weeks away preparing for deployment. I figured I like comic books and Iron Man was about the best you can get (at the time) for comic book movies (Sorry Stan, I can't put comic and book together... maybe when spell check catches up). It was a great adventure and Iron Man, in my opinion for effects, got better with each appearance in a movie. I did a repeat with every Marvel movie that came out while she was in elementary and middle school. I think we only missed Thor 2 & 3, GotG 1 & 2, Doctor Strange, and Ant-Man. My kid and I have a history with the franchise. So, why wouldn't we go see the newest installment? Next year... well that will be different. Next year will be our last MCU film together before she goes off to college. (I'm not crying, you're crying. Stupid ninja cutting onions behind me...) I'll tell you right now... if you're a casual MCU watcher... catch up, fast. I hadn't finished GotG 2 or Thor 3 and there were major spoilers. Some fan theories were busted but one big one was confirmed! Red Skull is not Thanos but he does play a part and that is all I will say about that. It was a great theatrical presentation. Very vivid color. You cheer, you laugh, you gasp, and yes, you may shed a tear (and that was in the first 10 minutes) as you watch the story unfold on the screen. So much thought went into each section of the script to keep it all flowing... I'm impressed. As a writer myself, I know how hard it is to keep the continuity for a few characters let alone twenty-nine! Mind you, that is not counting the rest of the minor characters. IMDB states there were ninety-eight souls listed in the cast list. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you go. However, if you have a younger child that doesn't grasp the concept of "movie death" leave them home. (We had a child in the theatre, about 5 or so that cried, loudly, when his favorite character "died" on screen. I will tell you, it disrupted the moment.) If you're a Game of Thrones fan ... Peter Dinklage plays a larger-than-life role. To keep this truly spoiler free ... Avengers: Infinity War definitely earned its $630 million. What do they have in store for fans May 2019? Wow. Just...wow. I will try not to spoil this for anyone. If you're thinking that this will be another "Empire" you are sadly mistaken. If you're looking for the answer to "Is Jedi plural?" yeah, I'm not gonna answer that for you... I'd like to point out that I counted 5, possibly 6 but that would be a SPOILER, hero's journeys. Here's a quick run down: 1. Rey - she has been a reluctant hero since the beginning of TFA, but with TLJ she owns the journey. 2. Finn - is he a coward or is he just concerned for his friend? He is the epitome (IMHO) of a reluctant hero, yet he turns out to be pretty badass. 3. Luke - I know, how is he a part of this? Watch the movie and you'll see. He, too, is a reluctant hero, yet he finally owns the destiny he was meant for. And if you've watched @hamillhimself on Instagram, you already know he says Luke is more of a mentor. FYI, he's still pretty good with a lightsaber. 4. Poe - he's a hero and he knows it. He strives to be as heroic as people think he is because he feels he has to live up to the legend that is Poe Dameron, Ace Resistance Pilot. 5. Rose - a new character to the story but a wonderful addition! You don't realize she's on her own journey until later in the movie and that moment is amazing. It would be a shame if J.J. Abrams didn't use that for IX. I have a complaint... they took a cheap shot at Rey's linage. It had been teased for months that we'd finally learn who Rey's parents were. Now, we all "saw" in TFA that Rey's parents left her. Or did we? No one really knows and Rey can't really be reliable to answer that. So, that still leaves the burning question... who are Rey's parents? There are other things in the film that point toward her parents being members of the Resistance and you know which ones I'm talking about. Porgs... you've seen them, unless you've been under a rock, then here's a quick explanation. They're birds from Luke's island. And they're adorable. They are not Ewoks and they are not the next Jar Jar Binks. However, they are cute little scene stealers! To sum up the movie without spoilers... Yay for the good guys... Oh $#!t for the bad guys. Oh, *SOB* for the good guys. If you haven't booked your tickets yet, what are you waiting for? Do it now you will. Come back in a week or so for a spoiler filled review. #TeenVogue
Today, I am really glad that my daughter is the kind of girl that doesn't care about your magazine. Now, I'm glad you have a Wellness section some kids may not get that kind of info from their parents. But your target audience of 11-17 year old kids are definitely NOT old enough for a how to on Anal Sex. Thank you for having detailed anatomy labeled correctly but that doesn't excuse the lack of good judgement. No 11 year old should be having sex, let alone anal sex, regardless of sexual orientation! Save that how to guide for an audience that is old enough. Yes, I read the whole article. Not because I needed a how to (FYI, if you're not ready, it hurts) but to find the best angle in which to write this. You put this article in both digital and print. You decided that the girl next door needed to know this. You decided the boy in India needed this. Wherever your content can be accessed, you decided CHILDREN needed this. You didn't consult their parents to see if they wanted them to read it in the pages of your magazine rather than asking them about it. You've taken the parenting out of well, parenting. Does it matter that you had a "Sexpert" write the article or that it was easy to understand? No. What matters is, kids lose their innocence earlier and earlier it seems. Let them be kids a while longer without shoving sex in their faces. If you want to do something about the lack of GOOD sex ed in schools where they can learn about this and birth control (because anal sex is NOT safe against pregnancy and STDs unless there is a barrier), sponsor legislation to put Abstinence Plus sex ed into schools rather than the archaic Abstinence Only model. If you want to be a voice for kids and sex, keep in mind that at 11 - 13 kids are curious about how their bodies work. Stick with that because they shouldn't be having sex. Your 14 and older audience will probably pick up Vogue rather than your magazine anyway. So, put your sex ed in that space. Let kids be kids and don't rush them to grow up. (P.S. I've been talking about sex with my daughter since she was 9 and she's not afraid to ask me questions but I'm awesome like that.) Wow! I was skeptical, yet optimistic about this film. Three different actors to play Spider-Man in fifteen years. Each actor brought something different to the role. Tobey Maguire was by far the most brooding Peter Parker with a witty alter ego. Andrew Garfield was a happy medium and Tom Holland was brilliantly funny. I also wasn't sure about Tom Holland. I am happy to report he did a stellar job capturing the essence of an awkward teen. His Spider-Man is by far the wittiest of the three and he's downright adorable.
The writers (all six of them) did a great job setting the whole thing in high school; another aspect that I wasn't sure would work but they nailed it. The story was engaging and the plot wove well into the rest of the MCU. (You will have to go see it to understand!) I'm not going to talk about theme or story structure or characters. What I am going to do is reassure you, this was the best decision Sony made. Each Spider-Man film before was good and contributed in their own way but in my opinion "Homecoming" is the best so far and I have always maintained that Maguire is my favorite. Oh, stay for the end of the credits! I was one of a fair amount of folks sitting in a dark theatre at my local cineplex waiting on the new Wonder Woman movie last night. As has become Hollywood tradition, theatres pre-release new releases the day before their actual release date. It's seems a bit... counterproductive in terms of opening weekend numbers. But with this movie, I feel these "preview" showings were important since Warner Bros. didn't invest as much in the way of marketing as they did Suicide Squad. Were they worried they'd have another Catwoman on their hands? Well, they shouldn't have fretted about that.
The story line is great, however a bit problematic with setting it in WWI. A friend of mine pointed that out. If Diana was still in London for WWII would she really have let Hitler happen? I'm thinking that's a big fat no. Over look that for a moment. The pacing was great. (There wasn't a really good time to exit the theatre for more snacks or other business.) The costuming was outstanding (my daughter wants her own set of Wonder Woman armor to cosplay). The effects, locations and overall quality of the film were much better than anyone could have asked for. Gal Gadot is a badass. Not just because she plays my childhood hero and owned the role in ways that Hollywood never thought Lynda Carter could back in the day. (Lynda Carter was a badass too, don't get me wrong.) She served two years, as required, in the Israel Defense Force with a role as combat trainer. She taught gymnastics and calisthenics. Add that to the self defense that the military is taught and we have a badass. The themes are obvious: Good vs. Evil, Ancient God vs. Humanity, Love vs. Hate, and the loss of innocence. The film really was about Diana's coming of age if you will. We're introduced to the adult version and a memory from the past whisks us back to her childhood. We learn how Diana was raised, how much she doesn't know about the world outside Themyscira and that the Queen is over protective by not allowing Diana to train with the other Amazons. When Steve Trevor crashes his way to the island everything Diana knows is challenged but she still believes in good people and bad people. So she leaves to go fight the war with her wayward pilot. There's love, explosions, gunfire and lots of girl power. I won't give away any other details of the film but I will tell you... go see it! You won't be sorry! (Wonder Woman will be the DC movie-verse's saving grace!) I finally finished the series this morning. I liked it. I'm sorry if you didn't. I never read the comics but I was vaguely familiar with the character of Iron Fist; so, I didn't have a preconceived notion of how it was supposed to be, or not be.
A brief background of me... I worked for a few months in a comic book shop because I love comics and I needed the work since, being pregnant, I had to leave my other job. (Lifeguarding is not optimal. Something about lack of oxygen when I had to hold my breath to be underwater...) I am familiar with a lot of comics, not a super fan of one or the other, I admire the skill it takes to compress a story into 24 pages. So, I never read Iron Fist but I was still excited when Marvel and Netflix announced they were breathing life into minor characters in the Marvel Universe. We need more badass women that don't need to be saved every episode and the character Colleen Wing can hold her own. I will agree that sometimes the writing was a bit lackluster (hey, I'm available Marvel) and could have been better. Have you ever tried to deliver a line that was stiff and formal to begin with? It's not as easy as you think if you can't connect with the emotion that should be behind the line. Then add combat... I am not a Kung-fu master but it looked pretty obvious to me that there needed to be more rehearsal for some of the fight scenes. There was one that you could tell he didn't really kick someone in the face but did the hard step in front of the face to give the illusion. Maybe that was the fault of the camera angle? Who knows. While there were some minor missteps in the season... one can hope they will be repaired in the next because I'll be tuning in. I hope you do too. First things first. I have not watched the entire series, I do have things to do besides sitting on my backside binging shows.
Danny Rand. Iron Fist. I really didn't know a whole lot about the backstory of the character but I had heard of the character and the comic book. So, I did a bit of research. I love how they changed bits of the backstory for the show from the backstory in the comics. It works better for TV. Danny Rand is a rich white kid raised by mystical monks. If you know the story great! If you don't... Danny is the son of Wendell and Heather Rand. Wendell Rand is head of Rand Enterprises and has a business partner, Harold Meachum. There's an accident and the Rands are presumed dead, but Danny is rescued by two monks from a mystical order that live in a mystical village that appears in the Himalayas once a decade. He is raised for fifteen years to be a warrior before he returns to New York City in search of answers to questions he's had since the accident. (I skipped over a lot but I really want you to read the comic or watch the show!) The writers insert flashbacks at just the right points so the viewers can see what Danny remembers rather than be told. I'll tell you, flashbacks are tricky to use without being tacky, but have become a staple in the superhero universe. (Greg Berlanti and his team use them quite well over on the CW.) The effects they chose to signal the viewers that a key piece of exposition was coming is great. It gives the sense that his flashback isn't merely a memory but could be happening at the same time but on a different plane of existence. The interaction with the Meachums is quite interesting and a contrast. We discover that Ward was young Danny's antagonist and Joy was his friend. The dynamic hasn't changed a lot as far a Ward and Danny are concerned but Ward doesn't believe that it really is Danny. However, Joy is more willing to believe that the new stranger is Danny and when she does believe, she wants to help her old friend but Ward doesn't. What the what? Hm. Things might not be what the viewer thinks... I get why people have their panties in a bunch but what would people say if Luke Cage had been cast as a white guy raised by black parents? What? It could have easily happened but that's not who Luke Cage is. A black man is integral to who Luke Cage is. So why then are people pissed that Danny Rand is a white guy? Danny Rand is an Caucasian character (who just happens to be American) played by a Brit. Shouldn't Americans be mad? No. It doesn't matter all that much. The character of Danny Rand is a rich white kid from NYC, privileged. It makes him who he is. What does matter? Folks get mad at stupid little things instead of waiting to see what happens and that's what matters. Marvel casting has been spot on so far, so give them the benefit. Please see beyond the nationality of the actor cast as Danny Rand. If you can't, you imply that a white boy can't carry a martial arts show. (Remember Chuck Norris?) Think about what that means about your character. Okay, I did it. I wasn't going to, but I did. I took my daughter to see a movie about a comic book I had never heard of until the powers that be said "Hey, we're making a movie about 'Suicide Squad.'" I scratched my head and said "Harley Quin was in a comic book other than 'Batman' and her own? Okay, I'm game."
When I saw the first trailer, I was concerned. Very, very concerned. Why? I watch comic book superhero movies all the time. Well, my daughter happens to like Harley Quinn. My beautiful, well-developed, cosplaying fifteen year old. Why should this concern me? Margot Robbie, the fab actress that plays Harley, well, her ass cheeks were hanging out half of the movie. The only time they weren't? When she was in prison. Yeah... we can tell this was geared towards guys. Can we get Will Smith's ass out on the screen? No. But let's have the chick in four inch stilettos with sparkly hot pants and tight white t-shirt... I'm sure my friends that aren't parents won't understand. My friends that are parents to boys ... kind of get it. Just remember, when you sexualize a character for the sake of a movie, young girls see it. They think 'Oh. So, I have to look like that and act like that for guys to pay attention to me.' Wrong answer. Even if it's "just a character" remember, that's someone's daughter, someone's sister, portraying that character on screen. Guys, how would you feel if that was your daughter or your sister dressed like that? I'm trying to teach my daughter that modesty counts and how you dress and act is how people judge you (and yes folks, it is exactly that way in life; if you've never experienced it, congrats), but first impressions do matter. If you walk through life like Harley Quinn looks in that movie ... Yikes! So, my daughter liked the movie. The movie was okay. Mind you, never having read the comic I can't have the same beef that fans have. It was better than I expected (Rotten Tomatoes did give it a 27%) but not as good as it could have been. (Thank you Marvel for raising my expectations of comic book movies. You do know how to get it done.) I didn't like Jared Leto's Joker. I did like seeing Batman. Superman's death was addressed, briefly, so DC hit some of the story lines they have going right now. Kudos there. They even introduced Ezra Miller as The Flash and a Bonus scene during the end credits (Marvel-style) introduces Justice League with Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller (how she survives this leads me to believe she is meta human herself, not just a bad ass bitch). But the bonus scene is not handled nearly as well as it could have been. As a writer and a fledgling screenwriter, who is a comic book geek herself, I would have written a few spots a bit differently in the film. If I had been Warner Brothers I would have found a different director or I would have given the "Suicide Squad" library to David Ayer and said, "Research." The movie opened 5 August and has just covered budget according to the numbers offered up on IMDBpro. It should have busted the budget opening weekend. This could be a sign for WB. Change something or your stuff is going to keep tanking. (Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks so. Read this open letter to WB CEO Kevin Tsujihara.) I hold out my hope that they have not completely jacked up Wonder Woman. The story line with Rick Flag and June Moone/The Enchantress was okay. It could have been stronger. The movie could have run longer to work that out. They concentrated on the introduction of the characters in the "Squad", which was fine but went on way too long. I probably would have handled it differently. Joker wasn't as big a part of the movie as the previews suggested and maybe under this title is the only place he was this in love with Harley but I don't remember Joker being that broken up over much of anything. We could have kept Joker to a minimum. Some of his scenes weren't essential to the story. Then, we were intro'd to two characters. One we had kind of been intro'd to already but I was wondering why he was there at all. He wasn't as big of a player in the story and his lines and part could have been absorbed by someone else. The other character you knew was going to get killed. Why? There was no big intro, no backstory. He was clumsily thrown in, like he was an afterthought. Red flag. If I were you, I'd skip the cost of the ticket and the concessions and wait for it to hit RedBox. |
AuthorCollege graduate, Army vet, single mom, Husky mom, Movie lover, writer Archives
August 2022
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