I had every intention of getting up this morning and jotting down some thoughts about Watchmen. Instead, I've awoken to find that I can't hold my head straight without some pain in my upper back. Looking in the mirror, my neck is literally slanted at an angle without me even trying. What the heck? This coupled with wrenching my knee whilst slipping in the shower Saturday are all definite signs that my death gene has kicked in despite the new running regimen Meaghan and I started on Sunday.
That's right. Meaghan and I. Running.
I'll try to get to Watchmen later. Right now, I'm just trying to get through the work day without my neck locking up.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Watchmen Expectations
It's official. I just purchased tickets for tomorrow's 1:10 showing of Watchmen on the IMAX at the Minnesota Zoo. In preparation for the experience, I finally got around to reading the acclaimed Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell) comic that it's based on. It's every bit as good as all of the hype suggests. However, if you're going to see the movie and have only seen the various trailers and commercials, you're being misled.
Despite its appearances, Watchmen is not your typical slam-bang, action-packed superhero story. The movie is supposed to be pretty faithful to the source material, so let me issue some warnings now. At its heart, Watchmen is a whodunnit. You shouldn't know the who until sometime in the 2nd half, and you won't know the why until very close to the end. Most of the time the bad actors are well established going in (Look, it's Magneto! Hey, there's the Joker!), but that won't be the case here. Instead, you'll be presented with five heroes with very different world views. In the end, you'll have to decide which one you agree with most.
There are a lot of characters and an alternate timeline to deal with, so I thought I'd assist by giving a brief, spoiler-free primer. If you want to go in completely blind, feel free to skip this part. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to this movie.
Most of the timeline changes will be covered in a montage during the opening credits, but here are a couple high points:
- Masked heroes first appeared on the streets in the 1940s
- The US won the Vietnam War
- Masked heroes were outlawed by the Keene Act in 1977
- The year is 1985, it's the height of the Cold War, and Richard Nixon is still President
The story is likely to jump back in forth in time from present-day (1985) to various points in the past, but the main heroes fall into two main waves: the Minutemen from the 1940s and the Crime Busters (Watchmen in the movie) from the 1960s.
Minutemen:
- Hooded Justice: Identity unknown. The original masked vigilante, disappeared under mysterious circumstances during the McCarthy era.
- The Comedian: Identity unknown. Active employee of the US government; went to Vietnam.
- Nite Owl: Hollis Mason. Retired, owns a car repair shop. Wrote a memoir about life as a superhero.
- Silk Spectre: Sally Jupiter. Typical sexpot superheroine, very commercial.
- Captain Metropolis, Silhouette, Dollar Bill, Mothman - not important.
Watchmen:
- Dr. Manhattan: Dr. Jon Osterman. The one true superhero with powers. Due to an accident at a US government lab, he gained the ability to manipulate time and space at the subatomic level. Works for the US government; is the reason Vietnam was won and is a one-man nuclear deterrent in the Cold War.
- Ozymandias: Adrian Veidt. "Smartest Man Alive", he retired from the hero business before the Keene Act. Is now a successful businessman.
- Nite Owl: Dan Dreiberg. Inspired by the original Nite Owl, was forced into retirement by the Keene Act.
- Silk Spectre: Laurel Juspeczyk. Daughter of the original Silk Spectre, trained for the job at a very young age, forced into retirement by the Keene Act. Works for the government as Dr. Manhattan's "companion".
- Rorshach: Identity unknown. Still active despite the Keene Act, known for his brutal methods, former partner of Nite Owl.
I'll try to post again tomorrow after I've seen it with a brief review.
Despite its appearances, Watchmen is not your typical slam-bang, action-packed superhero story. The movie is supposed to be pretty faithful to the source material, so let me issue some warnings now. At its heart, Watchmen is a whodunnit. You shouldn't know the who until sometime in the 2nd half, and you won't know the why until very close to the end. Most of the time the bad actors are well established going in (Look, it's Magneto! Hey, there's the Joker!), but that won't be the case here. Instead, you'll be presented with five heroes with very different world views. In the end, you'll have to decide which one you agree with most.
There are a lot of characters and an alternate timeline to deal with, so I thought I'd assist by giving a brief, spoiler-free primer. If you want to go in completely blind, feel free to skip this part. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to this movie.
Most of the timeline changes will be covered in a montage during the opening credits, but here are a couple high points:
- Masked heroes first appeared on the streets in the 1940s
- The US won the Vietnam War
- Masked heroes were outlawed by the Keene Act in 1977
- The year is 1985, it's the height of the Cold War, and Richard Nixon is still President
The story is likely to jump back in forth in time from present-day (1985) to various points in the past, but the main heroes fall into two main waves: the Minutemen from the 1940s and the Crime Busters (Watchmen in the movie) from the 1960s.
Minutemen:
- Hooded Justice: Identity unknown. The original masked vigilante, disappeared under mysterious circumstances during the McCarthy era.
- The Comedian: Identity unknown. Active employee of the US government; went to Vietnam.
- Nite Owl: Hollis Mason. Retired, owns a car repair shop. Wrote a memoir about life as a superhero.
- Silk Spectre: Sally Jupiter. Typical sexpot superheroine, very commercial.
- Captain Metropolis, Silhouette, Dollar Bill, Mothman - not important.
Watchmen:
- Dr. Manhattan: Dr. Jon Osterman. The one true superhero with powers. Due to an accident at a US government lab, he gained the ability to manipulate time and space at the subatomic level. Works for the US government; is the reason Vietnam was won and is a one-man nuclear deterrent in the Cold War.
- Ozymandias: Adrian Veidt. "Smartest Man Alive", he retired from the hero business before the Keene Act. Is now a successful businessman.
- Nite Owl: Dan Dreiberg. Inspired by the original Nite Owl, was forced into retirement by the Keene Act.
- Silk Spectre: Laurel Juspeczyk. Daughter of the original Silk Spectre, trained for the job at a very young age, forced into retirement by the Keene Act. Works for the government as Dr. Manhattan's "companion".
- Rorshach: Identity unknown. Still active despite the Keene Act, known for his brutal methods, former partner of Nite Owl.
I'll try to post again tomorrow after I've seen it with a brief review.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Pulp
One band that often finds its way into my CD player is Pulp. One of the biggest bands in Britain in the 90s (along with Radiohead, Blur, and Oasis), Pulp never quite hit it big over here in the States the way the others did. Quite possibly too raunchy for radio here, they have a way of tickling my funny bone that not many other bands have. Rather than spend a lot of time talking about the music, I'll let you just listen to various selections from throughout their existence instead.
*I apologize in advance for the videos that aren't official music videos or live performances, but I wanted you to hear as much as possible.
Early Years: Pulp had a lot of different lineups and sounds in their first few years, some good, some bad. These are two of their better songs from that era.
Little Girl (with Blue Eyes)
They Suffocate At Night
His 'n Hers: Pulp emerged for good in 1994 with this pop album.
Lipgloss
Babies
Do You Remember the First Time
Razzmatazz
Different Class: Their 1995 follow-up is one of the greatest albums of all time: 12 tracks, all single-worthy.
Mis-Shapes
Pencil Skirt
Common People
Live Bed Show
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
Underwear
Bar Italia
This is Hardcore: 1998's turn into darkness, my personal favorite.
The Fear
Dishes
Help the Aged
This is Hardcore
A Little Soul
Like a Friend
In recent years, frontman Jarvis Cocker (yes, that's his real name) has gone solo with a successful 2006 album. It features Running the World from the closing credits of Children of Men, one of the best anti-politician anthems ever.
Enjoy.
*I apologize in advance for the videos that aren't official music videos or live performances, but I wanted you to hear as much as possible.
Early Years: Pulp had a lot of different lineups and sounds in their first few years, some good, some bad. These are two of their better songs from that era.
Little Girl (with Blue Eyes)
They Suffocate At Night
His 'n Hers: Pulp emerged for good in 1994 with this pop album.
Lipgloss
Babies
Do You Remember the First Time
Razzmatazz
Different Class: Their 1995 follow-up is one of the greatest albums of all time: 12 tracks, all single-worthy.
Mis-Shapes
Pencil Skirt
Common People
Live Bed Show
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
Underwear
Bar Italia
This is Hardcore: 1998's turn into darkness, my personal favorite.
The Fear
Dishes
Help the Aged
This is Hardcore
A Little Soul
Like a Friend
In recent years, frontman Jarvis Cocker (yes, that's his real name) has gone solo with a successful 2006 album. It features Running the World from the closing credits of Children of Men, one of the best anti-politician anthems ever.
Enjoy.
It Was All Personal
Meaghan and I were back in the Roch for an extended weekend and decided to cash in some free movie passes at one of our old haunts, the Chateau Theatres. Being smack in the middle of the annual winter dead zone of bad movies, we opted for a good old-fashioned action flick, Taken. If it doesn't involve a DC superhero of some kind, we typically don't see this sort of thing on the big screen. It was getting an 8.0 on IMDB and hey, it was free so it seemed worth the risk.
Before I get into the movie itself, it just wouldn't be a post here at the Amber Tower without me rambling on for a bit about something first. If I had done some research first, I would have realized that we had nothing to worry about because Taken has a good pedigree. Co-written by Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional - which if you haven't seen is a must. Natalie Portman in her first feature film; she's always better in edgy roles [see Closer, Garden State]) and Robert Mark Kamen (they co-wrote The Fifth Element which features this sublimely silly action sequence among others), it was bound to be entertaining. Throw in Liam Neeson, who is almost always good, and you're guaranteed a success.
On its face, Taken is a run-of-the-mill action flick. Neeson is a former government agent whose teenage daughter is kidnapped while on vacation in Paris. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to go to France and get her back. There's a little bit of a "ripped from the headlines" feel to the story as it turns out that the culprits have nabbed her for the sex slave trade. Unfortunately, if this movie was made to raise awareness of the issue I'm afraid it gets a bit lost amongst all the action.
It rises a bit above the run-of-the-mill in its staging of the action sequences. In your typical film, our invincible hero blasts his way through the movie on little more than his sheer badassery. In Taken, the filmmakers have taken care to show how and why Neeson is such a badass. When infiltrating the bad guys' HQ you can see him taking note of how many men are lurking about and how they're armed. When he goes to jump on to a moving boat, he literally pauses for a few seconds to look before he leaps. Our man of action is cautious and studied, but incredibly lethal.
The fight scenes are quick and to the point. No need to waste time with endless choreography (like any Hong Kong action flick) or thousands of bullets (Rambo), our man can disable a room full of baddies in under 30 seconds. He even has time to deliver some clever (but not snarky) one-liners in the process. I don't think it would be spoiling anything to tell you that our antihero saves his daughter and leaves a trail of bodies in his wake.
In the end, it's enough to make you wonder what the world would be like if everybody in law enforcement took such a personal interest in all of the victims of crime. Would the world be a safer place? Would human rights be violated in the process, or does making an omelette require the breaking of a few eggs? Taken offers no answers, but it is good fun.
Before I get into the movie itself, it just wouldn't be a post here at the Amber Tower without me rambling on for a bit about something first. If I had done some research first, I would have realized that we had nothing to worry about because Taken has a good pedigree. Co-written by Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional - which if you haven't seen is a must. Natalie Portman in her first feature film; she's always better in edgy roles [see Closer, Garden State]) and Robert Mark Kamen (they co-wrote The Fifth Element which features this sublimely silly action sequence among others), it was bound to be entertaining. Throw in Liam Neeson, who is almost always good, and you're guaranteed a success.
On its face, Taken is a run-of-the-mill action flick. Neeson is a former government agent whose teenage daughter is kidnapped while on vacation in Paris. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to go to France and get her back. There's a little bit of a "ripped from the headlines" feel to the story as it turns out that the culprits have nabbed her for the sex slave trade. Unfortunately, if this movie was made to raise awareness of the issue I'm afraid it gets a bit lost amongst all the action.
It rises a bit above the run-of-the-mill in its staging of the action sequences. In your typical film, our invincible hero blasts his way through the movie on little more than his sheer badassery. In Taken, the filmmakers have taken care to show how and why Neeson is such a badass. When infiltrating the bad guys' HQ you can see him taking note of how many men are lurking about and how they're armed. When he goes to jump on to a moving boat, he literally pauses for a few seconds to look before he leaps. Our man of action is cautious and studied, but incredibly lethal.
The fight scenes are quick and to the point. No need to waste time with endless choreography (like any Hong Kong action flick) or thousands of bullets (Rambo), our man can disable a room full of baddies in under 30 seconds. He even has time to deliver some clever (but not snarky) one-liners in the process. I don't think it would be spoiling anything to tell you that our antihero saves his daughter and leaves a trail of bodies in his wake.
In the end, it's enough to make you wonder what the world would be like if everybody in law enforcement took such a personal interest in all of the victims of crime. Would the world be a safer place? Would human rights be violated in the process, or does making an omelette require the breaking of a few eggs? Taken offers no answers, but it is good fun.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Winners & Losers
The Oscars were a mixed bag for me this year. Some well-deserving people finally got awards after years of being overlooked which made me happy, but I was otherwise indifferent to most of the results. It's a little odd for me. Normally I come in with favorites and expectations to be crushed, but perhaps that's just a reflection on the type of movies that were out this year.
Starting at the top, I thought Hugh Jackman did a top notch job as emcee despite his penchant for musical theater. He knows how to work a stage and was at ease with the crowd since he's, you know, an actor, too. The part of the show that really fell flat for me was the direction. I think they give out Emmys for Best Direction of a Variety Program or something like that and the Oscars telecast from the previous year often wins. It shouldn't even be nominated this year. The nail in the coffin was the much awaited "roll call of the dead". Instead of just showing us the video feed of stills, clips, and names, we got this endless series of camera moves and pans making it next to impossible to read who was being honored. Blech.
Anyway, I'm supposed to talk about movies, right? The big winner was Slumdog Millionaire taking home eight trophies in total, among them Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Song. I saw this back in January when we went out for a triple feature. Was it the best movie of the year? Probably not. To be honest, it's a pretty conventional love story with average acting. The story's one gimmick is that it's told through the lens of a TV game show. What it does have going for it is the alien setting (for Americans) of the slums of Mumbai, India. If you were to transplant the criminal aspect into a Mafia or urban youth flick, it would probably be pretty pedestrian.
All that said, it is good to see Danny Boyle finally get some recognition. His 2002 zombie horror flick 28 Days Later... ranks up there as one of the top films of the last ten years. Since it involves zombies though, it was never going to be seriously considered for anything.
After five previous attempts, long time Top 5er Kate Winslet finally brought home the gold for her role in The Reader. I actually thought she was better in Revolutionary Road this year, but she'll probably take what she can get. If you're not very familiar with her body of work, I'd recommend virtually anything that Ms Winslet is in including the two from this year. Just don't be expecting very many feel-good stories. In The Reader, she plays a harsh German ticket taker who seduces a 15-year old boy and Revolutionary Road is about the destruction of an outwardly idyllic marriage in 1950's suburbia.
I haven't seen Milk which took home awards for Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Screenplay. I'm usually an unwilling viewer of most biopics, and I generally don't think that they should win awards. Creating something new and original feels more worthy then merely imitating a real life person or writing down their words and calling it a screenplay, but that's probably just me. I would have preferred to see Mickey Rourke or Richard Jenkins win the acting award. Speaking of Richard Jenkins, if you haven't seen The Visitor add it to your queues now. It was a little movie that came and went at the art theaters early in 2008. Jenkins plays a college professor who's just been going through the motions since his wife died. One day, when he finds people living illegally in his NYC apartment something is awakened within him. Very powerful with brilliant performances all around, I was glad to see it recognized with a nomination.
Nominated movies that I still want to see:
Doubt
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Tropic Thunder
Any opinions on those one way or the other, or anything I may have missed? Let me know.
Starting at the top, I thought Hugh Jackman did a top notch job as emcee despite his penchant for musical theater. He knows how to work a stage and was at ease with the crowd since he's, you know, an actor, too. The part of the show that really fell flat for me was the direction. I think they give out Emmys for Best Direction of a Variety Program or something like that and the Oscars telecast from the previous year often wins. It shouldn't even be nominated this year. The nail in the coffin was the much awaited "roll call of the dead". Instead of just showing us the video feed of stills, clips, and names, we got this endless series of camera moves and pans making it next to impossible to read who was being honored. Blech.
Anyway, I'm supposed to talk about movies, right? The big winner was Slumdog Millionaire taking home eight trophies in total, among them Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Song. I saw this back in January when we went out for a triple feature. Was it the best movie of the year? Probably not. To be honest, it's a pretty conventional love story with average acting. The story's one gimmick is that it's told through the lens of a TV game show. What it does have going for it is the alien setting (for Americans) of the slums of Mumbai, India. If you were to transplant the criminal aspect into a Mafia or urban youth flick, it would probably be pretty pedestrian.
All that said, it is good to see Danny Boyle finally get some recognition. His 2002 zombie horror flick 28 Days Later... ranks up there as one of the top films of the last ten years. Since it involves zombies though, it was never going to be seriously considered for anything.
After five previous attempts, long time Top 5er Kate Winslet finally brought home the gold for her role in The Reader. I actually thought she was better in Revolutionary Road this year, but she'll probably take what she can get. If you're not very familiar with her body of work, I'd recommend virtually anything that Ms Winslet is in including the two from this year. Just don't be expecting very many feel-good stories. In The Reader, she plays a harsh German ticket taker who seduces a 15-year old boy and Revolutionary Road is about the destruction of an outwardly idyllic marriage in 1950's suburbia.
I haven't seen Milk which took home awards for Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Screenplay. I'm usually an unwilling viewer of most biopics, and I generally don't think that they should win awards. Creating something new and original feels more worthy then merely imitating a real life person or writing down their words and calling it a screenplay, but that's probably just me. I would have preferred to see Mickey Rourke or Richard Jenkins win the acting award. Speaking of Richard Jenkins, if you haven't seen The Visitor add it to your queues now. It was a little movie that came and went at the art theaters early in 2008. Jenkins plays a college professor who's just been going through the motions since his wife died. One day, when he finds people living illegally in his NYC apartment something is awakened within him. Very powerful with brilliant performances all around, I was glad to see it recognized with a nomination.
Nominated movies that I still want to see:
Doubt
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Tropic Thunder
Any opinions on those one way or the other, or anything I may have missed? Let me know.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Oscar Oscar!
As I sit here in dread of the upcoming Movie Maven segment on Midday today (two hours of how "corny" Hugh Jackman was - ), it occurs to me that I should register my weighty opinion on the awards outcome from last night. Look for something on that tomorrow. I haven't seen as many of the nominated movies as I'd have liked to, but I do have some recommendations for your Netflix queues.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Bock Fest
Due to the magic of the Internets, I'm pretending to have written this Saturday morning. In actuality, I'm in a car with some friends on my way to the New Ulm Bock Fest. I don't know exactly what to expect as the more I read the more confused I become. Wha? Antlers?
One of the friends is a New Ulm native so hopefully he'll know what the heck is going on when we get there. There's a forecast high of 21, so I'm bringing extra handwarmers along. Brr. Anyway, it will hopefully be a good time and we'll hopefully sample some good beer. I'll report back Monday when I've returned.
One of the friends is a New Ulm native so hopefully he'll know what the heck is going on when we get there. There's a forecast high of 21, so I'm bringing extra handwarmers along. Brr. Anyway, it will hopefully be a good time and we'll hopefully sample some good beer. I'll report back Monday when I've returned.
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