MOVIE REVIEW: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

The Mission: Impossible series is interesting, in that in my opinion, it took the producers three tries to finally get the formula right. While the first film was decent, it was way too gadget-heavy for my taste, and the action somewhat underwhelming (heck, there were barely even any guns or martial arts to compensate); the best moment being Tom Cruise's rappeling down a ceiling to a high-security terminal. The second film I can't even remember well, other than the fact it dragged on with an overwhelming amount of car chases and a thin plot. The third film is my favorite because it successfully blends the action, plot, gadget use, and even a little drama, effectively making Ethan Hunt the American James Bond that he should be. So five years later, we get this: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

A botched data retrieval at the Kremlin in Moscow leads to a terrorist attack, and the dissolution of Ethan Hunt's IMF espionage group as the attack is framed on them. He regroups his team, taking along the chief analyst (played by Jeremy Renner) to track down the perpetrator. Their travels take them to Dubai and India in pursuit of a strategist in possession of launch codes for a nuclear missile, while the man's assassins keep the team at bay.

I can't really say if Ghost Protocol is the best of the series like many critics have been raving. If anything, it's second-best in my opinion, because the third set such a high standard for the new J.J. Abrams-helmed direction the series has been careening in. Ghost Protocol is pretty much business as usual; sure, there are plot twists, but the storyline with agents going rogue is nothing we haven't seen before in James Bond. Still, that doesn't stop the movie from being a fun trip. Tom Cruise is still Tom Cruise, but now that he's getting older (yeah, it's actually happening), his acting has taken a much more Clint Eastwood-esque approach. Should he step down as Ethan Hunt, Jeremy Renner has enough charisma and energy to helm the series as much as Cruise has, even if Cruise's days as Ethan Hunt are numbered. Although I didn't see this in IMAX, I can imagine the scene with Cruise scaling a high-rise Dubai hotel is exceptionally more vivid. It was hair-raising enough for the audience in plain-old 2D. Overall, it was a stellar action film; nothing groundbreaking, or remotely trailblazing for the series (aside from introducing Renner) but enjoyable enough and with enough action and plot to spare.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

Food for Thought: "This-Has-Nothing-To-Do-With-Harry-Potter" Treacle Tart

Before finding out what it was, I was just vaguely familiar with this dessert that happens to be a favorite of J.K. Rowling's famous, fictional young wizard. Somehow, I stumbled upon a description of the treat while browsing for recipes and I thought "Wow! That looks good!" and "If I publish a recipe, people will think it has to do with Harry Potter, which I must avoid."

So I hope that clears up my intentions for you.


With that in mind, here's what you'll need:

- 1 pie crust

- 1 1/8 cup of golden syrup (I was told maple syrup is okay, but I tried it once before and it came out too "sticky." It's easy to make on your own if you follow another recipe)

- 1 heaped tablespoon of molasses

- zest and juice of 1 small lemon

- A drop of honey

- 4 eggs

- 1 cup of bread crumbs

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the eggs and combine the syrup, molasses, and lemon juice/zest. Mix together with the eggs and add the bread crumbs.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 mins or until the mixture is firm or the pie crust is golden brown.

And there you have it. Quite a tasty dish, sweet in a "pancakes-and-waffles" kinda-way due to the syrup. If that's something you enjoy, by all means, dig in.

Mangia!

- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: The Muppets (2011)

I'm not ashamed to admit I've been a Muppets fan as long as I can remember. Something about their endearingly warm, wackiy and (literally) fuzzy personalities brings out the inner-child in me, but doesn't condescend my intelligence. I actually remember a time when the Muppets were a presence on Sesame Street (before Disney bought them out). I also remember seeing The Muppet Christmas Carol in the movie theater nearly 20 years ago; it actually taught me a rudimentary understanding about death that was frank but safe enough for a child to understand (it was also the first Muppet project after Jim Henson passed on). So it was with great excitement and baited anticipation I embarked on seeing The Muppets.

The story opens with a puppet named Walter, all he wants to do with his life is fit in the human-dominated world he lives in with his human brother Gary. One day, Walter catches the premiere of The Muppet Show and becomes the troupe's #1 fan. Flash-forward 20-30 odd-some years later, and Walter and Gary are on their way to L.A. to visit the now-dilapidated Muppet Studios, taking Gary's earnest but oft-neglected girlfriend, Mary. After discovering a billionaire oil-magnate plans to tear down Muppet Studios and build an oil drill. Alarmed, Walter tracks down Kermit the Frog and convinces him to round up the rest of the gang for a reunion telethon in order to save Muppet Studios, musical-numbers, self-discovery, and hilarity ensue.

I think Jason Segal hit the nail right on the head in an interview I read where he expressed that the magic of the Muppets involves avoiding cynicism in humor by making people laugh without the humor occuring at someone else's expense. This was a welcome change from what I expected out of the usual Muppets fare, in that there is a slight dramatic element with the Muppet characters often expressing feelings of abandonment, and willingness to be accepted. The audience is virtually channeled through Walter; the Muppets' main cheerleader who wants nothing more than them to succede, and in the process, discovers his purpose in life. The message is timeless: follow your dreams and never give up in what you believe in. It's the sentimentality the film exuded that basically made it so enjoyable for me. On the other hand, the musical numbers are Oscar-worthy, and the slapstick, sight-gag-based humor is relatively fresh. Often times the plot became a little predictable, maybe even a little derivative of past Muppet-efforts, but that didn't stop me from enjoying what was a welcome face in the fall film scene.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

Food for Thought: Kimchee Chicken Noodle Stew

Yes, that's right. I'm at it again with the new recipes, and it's quite a lot of fun. This latest entry in my Anglo-Italo-Asian cooking repertoire features kimchee, or what is otherwise known in Korea as pickled cabbage that's been fermented in chili oil. It's something that I've been meaning to try, and I wasn't disappointed by the results:

- 1 Box of rice noodles (or pasta)

- 1 jar of kimchee

- 2 chicken breasts (chopped and cooked with a drizzle of Sriracha chili sauce and some black pepper)

- 2 cups of chicken broth

- 1/2 an onion (chopped)

- A handful of chopped shiitake mushrooms

- 2 scallions (green onions)

- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

- Olive oil

Cook the noodles according to the instructions. Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil, cook the onion until it browns (this picture is actually of the chicken...)

Add the kimchee and reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken, chicken broth, and soy sauce, cook for about 10 minutes and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.

Toss with the noodles, garnish with the scallions, and serve.

This is a nice, savory dish that is accented by a nice, spicy bite at the end. Granted, it wasn't as hot as I'd expected it to be, but it was a nice variation on cuisine I had not tried before.

Mangia!
- Jon

Food for Thought: Arrabiata Sauce

Arrabiata, it's Italian for "angry style", and it's the spiciest sauce you'll find on their restaurant menus. This was another improvisation on an established dish that I came up with while the Republican Debate was on. Don't worry, those two things are not mutually exclusive!

Arrabiata traditionally uses red chili peppers, but unfortunately, my faithful supplier, Wegmans, ran out. So I used green chili peppers this time around. I guarantee, if you keep everything here as I've outlined, you'll be very satisfied.

- Prepare with the ingredients from my Pomodoro Sauce

- 2 Red chili peppers

- A generous dash of cayenne pepper

- A few drops of hot sauce

Chop the peppers and add them to the vegetables in the Pomodoro sauce. While the sauce is cooking, add the cayenne pepper and hot sauce.

Continue to cook as directed and serve with your favorite pasta.

Lately, for economic reasons, I've been on a bit of a pasta kick. But I'm not complaining in the least! It's one of my favorite foods, and there may be a few more sauces I'll post in the near future.

This sauce came out with what I'd describe as a "medium" level of heat/spicy. It's enough that it won't offend anyone who doesn't like spicy, but also strong enough for those like me who are addicted to it. It's ideal with penne, but obviously, I didn't feel it was necessary.

Mangia!
- Jon

Food for Thought: Amazing Adobo Black Bean Chipolte Chili

This concoction that I whipped up on a whim may have a silly-sounding name, but I only made it that way because it not only happened to be amazingly-good, but the word "Amazing" completed the acronym I thought up to help make the dish easier to rememer - "AABBCC". Okay, it still sounds dumb, so let's just call it "ABC" and move along...

- 1 box of rice

- 2 cans of black beans

- 1/4 lb of ground beef (or just a solid handful, vegans may substitute with tofu, or whatever)

- 1 small can of chipolte peppers in adobo sauce

- 1/2 an onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 small can of diced tomatoes

- 2 bay leaves

- A handful of chopped cilantro

- Olive oil

Coat a large skillet with olive oil and fry the onions and garlic until they become soft. Add the chipolte peppers and beef. Stir-fry for about 10 minutes.

In a separate, large pot, cook the black beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, until they start to boil. Reduce heat about halfway and add the beef/adobo sauce mixture. Return to a boil and cook for another 10 minutes, adding the cilantro after about 5 minutes.

Cook rice according to instructions, top rice with the chili, serve, and enjoy.

Fast, easy, delicious. My kind of meal. This isn't anything extravagantly spicy, but it has that nice, smoky kick with the aftertaste that many will associate with chipolte. Also, I didn't have any available, but shredded cheese will go nicely with this (I recommend pepper jack, but only because I'm a masochist when it comes to hot or spicy food).

Mangia!
- Jon

Eulogy To My Grandmother

In spite of the circumstances, I’ll always remember this year as one of the most eventful ones for my family, at least from my perspective. Even though I will miss my grandmother, I know she is in a better place; free from the suffering she had experienced with difficulty.

It has been eight years since I recall a loss from my father’s side of the family. While eight years may not seem like a long time, remembering events that have happened up until this point makes us realize it is. For that, I feel very fortunate. And I feel fortunate that we are together here as a family.

We won’t be around forever, but we can always be certain our family will. And our family will be there to take us with them. I’ve seen our family grow with cousins, and extend with in-laws. Family is the essence of humanity. It’s not about who makes more money, or who has a better house, it’s about being with the people you care about. It’s about what truly matters. And that’s why long after we’re gone; we will go on forever, because our family will remember us. And we’ll remember Grandma Sue.

I’ll always remember, when I was little, my grandmother and I used to read Shel Silverstein poems. To the best of my memory, we never had one favorite; we liked reading them all. So I selected one I thought reflected how we both enjoyed the simple things in life…

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

MOVIE REVIEW: Super 8 (2011)

Hi everyone, I know this is long overdue, but understand: I was quite busy in between the time I saw this and am currently sitting down to write this review. But in a nutshell - I finished moving into my new apartment and passed my Contracts final for law school! It only took half the week for my professor to disclose the results whilst I waited as a nervous wreck. But enough about me...

Super 8, as evident by it's name, is a love-letter from the production/direction team of Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams to amateur filmmaking. In the late 70s, young Joe Lamb is doing makeup and special effects for his friend, Charles' zombie film, when a mysterious UFO crashes into an adjacent trainyard. Narrowly avoiding death, Joe and his pals investigate the wreck and discover the trappings of a government conspiracy, and a strange object with an unexplained purpose. When the mysterious alien begins rampaging around the neighborhood, Joe and friends must band together in order to figure out why the creature came to Earth and what they can do to stop it.

Super 8 is pretty much The Goonies meets War of the Worlds (or maybe even E.T.), but that is to say the film takes the best elements of those films, and perhaps even other works of Spielberg and melds them into a charming pastiche of science fiction, filmmaking and retro appreciation, and family drama. The latter is what the film initially appears to set itself up as. Once the "invasion" occurs though, it's a completely different ball game that may seem a little jarring to some, but makes sense once you factor in a lot of the exposition that was elaborated upon earlier. I don't really have much else to say about the actual film itself without spoiling what would be crucial plot details that manifest in many parts of the film throughout, but I will say it's an incredibly enjoyable romp that takes drama and action and weaves them both in the ways that only Spielberg is experienced in doing. A solid addition to the summer movie lineup.

8/10

Peace,

- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Hello friends! Sorry for my prolonged absence. I intended to write this long reflection about growing up and going off to law school, but much to my dismay, life beat me to it. Nevertheless, since I'm obviously going to be posting a lot less frequently nowadays, I'll try and write a proper reflection piece to officially put my blog on hiatus. In the meantime; last night, I got to see my first theatrical film in over a month. It is with baited anticipation, I give you: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Picking up off the shores where Harry, Ron, and Hermione mourn the loss of Dobby the house elf, the trio work their way back to Hogwarts in an effort to find the last of the Horcruxes; artifacts which upon destruction, weaken the power of the sinister Lord Voldemort. While reuniting with his fellow classmates; now ready for battle against the Dark Wizards, Harry discovers more insight into his own prophecy, and the ties that bind him towards it.

Part 2 is a fitting conclusion to a series that, for the better part of my adolescence, has dominated my pop culture psyche. The pace is brisk and appropriate, and the performances are adequate. It is perhaps the most action packed out of the entire series. Many viewers may get some vibes of the battle scenes from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, or at least I did. My biggest complement I can give to the last two films of the series is how the production team finally managed to wise up and treat the stories with the maturity and grittiness they deserve. The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort is exceptionally well-done, you get a tangible sense of relief after the tension of the fight, knowing that justice for the wizards has finally been served.

Now, here's the tricky part. In spite of my complements of the film as a strong series-ender; as a standalone film, well, it's not anything extraordinary. Unlike Part 1, which totally took me by surprise with it's appropriately executed twists and pathos (I consider it The Empire Strikes Back of the series, not the maudlin travesty that was Half-Blood Prince). Part 2 is entirely based off of continuity and minimal exposition; with the plot simply going from Point A to Point B. And as interesting as the expositional scenes were, too frequently did they interupt the kinetic and exciting frenzy of the action. A little frustrating for me, since the book was so much more fluid and epic with it's treatment of the plot.

(SPOILER ALERT)

Lastly, Part 2 suffers from one nearly-fatal blow: The epilogue. The story advances to 19 years after the events of the main plot, as we see the pre-adolescent progeny of Harry Potter and pals board Platform 9 3/4 on their way to Hogwarts. However, the production team has made the peculiar descision to have the original actors (who are in their early 20s) portray middle-aged versions of their roles, with embarrasingly negligible make-up work that failed to give the illusion that they've matured. Sorry make-up artists, but the actors still looked 20! Pairing them up with other actors who were probably no more or less than 8 or 9 years younger than them in real life just looked awkward and unrealistic. After such excellent attention to detail in the rest of the film, how could they drop the ball on something so noticeable?

What irks me even more is the fact that the Harry Potter series is a moneymaking juggernaut. There's no excuse, especially in this economy, why the rich, fat-cat producers couldn't settle for an Academy Award-winning make-up artist, or CGI maestro. Hell, they could've even cast some age-appropriate, well-established Anglo actors like Daniel-Day Lewis (as Harry), Simon Pegg (as Ron), Nicole Kidman (as Hermione), et al. to do cameos, paid them each £600,000 and called it quits. It would've been a much more refreshing and realistic choice, but in the end, it is what it is, and unfortunately left a bad tase in my mouth.

In the end though, while an unsurprisingly flawed film adaptation. Part 2 is a solid ending to a rollercoaster-ride of a notable fantasy series.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Fair Game (2010)

Being a relatively carefree freshman in high school, the Valerie Plame exposure scandal was something that understandably flew under my radar. Years later, I first became interested in the circumstances surrounding her illegal outing as a CIA agent after reading Scott McClellan stellar exposé What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception, which dealt in detail the discovery of "Plamegate" from the perspective of President Bush's White House Press Secretary. Fair Game is a film based on a book by the same name by Plame, which re-tells the events leading up to and culminating in the scandal that cost Plame her job, privacy, and dignity. It's an incredible story for sure, and the film does adequate justice in outlining an interesting milestone in government corruption.

For those of you not immediately familiar with the story, Valerie Plame is (technically, was) a CIA operative who was frequently called upon for covert operations, in part, due to her background in international relations. After uncovering contradictory data relating to "yellowcake" and the lack of existing weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, to which her husband, former US Ambassador Joseph Wilson, writes an incriminating New York Times op-ed piece. The Bush Administration gets wind of this story, and under the supervision of advisors Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, expose Plame as a CIA operative, in an effort to discredit her husband's story. Seeking retribution, Wilson takes the battle to the mainstream media, but conflicts with his wife's interests, whose moral sense of duty restrains her from vocalizing her inner torment.

Fair Game is an interesting political drama, that as a drama in the most intrinsic sense, brings a very palpable mood to the story, thanks to the tight script and excellent performances by Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. Penn is actually a standout as Wilson, given Penn's own political leanings, he's practically born to play this role, as he channels his trademark rage against the Bush Administration in the form of his character. The beginning first act, consisting of Plame's investigation and day-in-day-out life as a spy is very expository; interesting, but not as gripping as the film's later acts when the scandal occurs and comes to a head. Director Doug Liman does inject some moments of melodrama towards the end, but they're not maudlin, and remind us that these real-life characters are human, and do have moments of weakness and fear that we may otherwise not realize. Otherwise, this is solid political storytelling, all around.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Thor (2011)

I'm going to be honest, I'm getting tired of comic book/superhero films. While the vast majority that I've seen have been very good, I haven't felt truly riveted by any since Spider-Man or The Dark Knight. The problem is, most of the comic book films of the past decade struck me as too similar to one another. The battle of good-versus-evil has become an exercise in predictability. So why do I keep seeing them? I'd rather wait and see the coveted Avengers film once it actually gets made (and becomes too expensive for any studio to handle!). Nonetheless, I keep seeing them out of pure hedonism, in hopes that the action will draw me in more than the story. Such is the case with Thor.

In a separate dimension called Asgard, Thor is the son of the god, Odin. He banishes Thor from Asgard after what he sees as an act of abuse of power. Thor defends his acts as a reason of protecting Asgard from a race of creatures called the Frost Giants. Nonetheless, the now-mortal Thor finds himself in a small desert town in New Mexico. Discovered by a pretty young astrophysicist named Jane, along with her advisor and assistant, cultures clash as Thor learns about the new world around him. Meanwhile the government begins to get suspicious, when they get wind of Thor's ostentatious arrival. Thor not only has to deal with legions of suits to get back his power, but his turncoat brother, Loki, back in Asgard, as well.

As predictable as the story was for me, Thor nevertheless proceeded to keep me entertained, thanks to the action and stellar cast. I didn't know much about Chris Hemsworth before going into this, but he brings the right amount of physicality with some surprising touches of humor. Natalie Portman, one of my favorite actresses, is great to watch, as usual. The rest of the cast does fine, with enough distinctly written characterizations to justify their roles. Even though the action is your typical CGI-explosions-and-mashups fare, there's a lot of vividness to the choreography. Even the locales where some of it occurs, like Asgard, in spite of the obvious artificiality, are beautiful to look at. These two elements combined together, make for a nice change from the usual city-in-ruins deal that we see in superhero/comic book films. Even if you may be a little sick of the superhero-film glut like I am, Thor may surprise you. What may have been more surprising to me at the end was when I realized it was directed by none other than Mr. Shakespeare himself, Kenneth Branagh!

7/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Midnight in Paris (2011)

I'm still reeling from having seen Midnight in Paris, not because it blew me away as a masterpiece, but because of how much I appreciated it's relative originality. While I'm not a huge Woody Allen fan, I'll admit, he's the most entertaining and artistically-gifted misanthrope in Hollywood. He'd probably balk at that comment, 'cause Allen is as notoriously anti-Hollywood as any director can get. He shuns the Academy Awards, his films survive more than one week only in New York and L.A., and Europe is the one place where he has mainstream popularity (I can attest from personal experience, Allen is to Spain what Jerry Lewis is to France). But enough about the man, let's see what he has to offer us...

Midnight in Paris is about Gil, a socially-awkward screenwriter who's working on a novel in order to break the mundane routine of his career. While on vacation with his materialistic fiancee and equally snooty future in-laws, he is lured into a 1920s Ford Roadster that appears on the stroke of midnight on a deserted street. Gil is swept into a smoky bar where Cole Porter is playing piano, and he finds himself mingling with the likes of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, Stein, et al. of the important artistic and literary figures of his ideal golden age. In spite of discovering an escape from being born in the wrong decade, things get complicated when Gil begins to fall for a young flapper, who seems to be the muse of his byegone idols.

Witty and fun, Midnight in Paris really spoke to me, based on the themes of nostalgia and what it feels like to wish that you belonged in a different time, where things were simpler and you felt you shared the same desires and ambitions as those in the time. I, personally am a fan of the 20s, so seeing these figures brought to life by some terrific actors is really a treat! Owen Wilson also does a good job of channeling Woody Allen's insecurities and idiosyncracies, since you can really tell the role is a mirroring of Allen, but Wilson makes it his own, charisma and all. The Paris locations were shot beautifully, and the audience is treated to wonderful images of Versailles, the Seine docks, and even some great period set designs that had me yearning to see the excellent Bullets Over Broadway again. Not entirely groundbreaking as a romantic comedy, but definitely one of Allen's recent best.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: 127 Hours (2010)

With 127 Hours, ladies and gentleman, I've officially seen all the Best Picture Nominees of 2010, and have seen all the Best Picture nominees for the...sixth year in a row. Sad? Or impressive? You be the judge (not that I really care all that much, haha). But in regards to the film, as simplistic (or repulsive) of a story from what you may already know, it packs an incredible dramatic punch. I never thought a film about a guy trapped in a canyon would be as thrilling as director Danny Boyle had made it out to be. While fascinating as it is, I doubt anyone who is faint of heart will find interest in it (especially the climax!). The more "disturbing" aspects of the film shouldn't really deter anyone, since it really is a one-of-a-kind work.

Based on a true story, young adventurer Aron Ralston is trekking the canyons of Utah, when a boulder sends him crashing down a deep trench, trapping his arm in the process. With no people in sight, one-half thermos of water, one camcorder, and one plier/knife. Aron realizes the gravity of his predicament. As he documents his state of mind on camera and begins to hallucinate under the stresses of pain and dehydration, the audience is treated to flashbacks of his life and vivid dream sequences that illustrate his frame of mind during the ordeal. Until eventually, he is forced to resort to drastic measures to survive, and escape...

This kind of film has "visceral" written all over it. I especially give Danny Boyle huge props for making such apt use of editing, sound, cinematography and music to express the myriad of thoughts going through Ralston's mind during the suffering. James Franco, as Ralston is excellent. I never really gave him much credit as an actor before, but the whole film is pretty much all about him, and he does an amazing job of conveying the inexplicable torture and despair that his character experiences. I wouldn't say that this is the kind of film anyone would really watch over and over again, but I admire the stellar work that has been done on this production. In the hands of someone else, it could easily have come off as too manufactured. The audience practically feels the same sense of desperation and ultimately relief after what Ralston goes through. Overall, Boyle has taken great pains to craft a story that stays with you, long after the credits roll.

9/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Inside Job (2010)

Inside Job is the 2010 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, and takes a relatively objective apporach to analyzing the origin and consequences of the current global recession. Narrated by Matt Damon, the director uses pointed visual guides and graphs to explain the concepts of deregulation, systemic risk, etc. Augmented by interviews from economic insiders/pundits Paul Volcker and Eliot Spitzer, among other outsiders, Inside Job is and outstanding piece of work for bringing the drama of the recession to the limelight, and sparing no blame for the Wall-Streeters and corporate honchos alike, who allowed the excessive spending to spiral out of control into the mess our country is currently in, today.

Granted there's a lot of different people to blame for the recession, and more than just one factor, alone. Inside Job presents these factors as a slick outline, while sticking to the basic core factors of the housing bubble, credit bubble, and executive corruption. For some people who are not well-economically versed, a few things may go over their heads, I certainly had to work hard in order to keep my focus on the facts. Luckily, it's a topic that has strong relevance in today's political climate, and people should find that as incentive to watch (as long as they don't find the topic too depressing to stomach anymore). It is miles more comprehensive than Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story, which I felt leeched more off of victims unemployment misery, making it a treatise of remorse, rather than diagnosis. Complex? Yes. Engaging? Definitely. Inside Job should satisfy anyone seeking answers to the cause of the crisis.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: The Hangover Part II (2011)

Most of the time by watching the trailer, I can sense what kind of a sequel a sequel is going to be from a mile away. After seeing the trailer for The Hangover Part II, I was very afraid. "This is the exact same movie!", was the thought swimming through my head, as I stared slack-jawed at my screen. The only way I knew this film could be good was if it still managed to be almost as funny, but even more outrageous than the first. So now that I've seen it, I can oddly enough say that Hangover II is this decade's Home Alone 2 - An obvious re-hash that managed to surprise me by how funny and ridiculous it still managed to be.

Somewhere between the first and the second movie, Stu fell out with his hooker Vegas-bride and is now engaged to a gourgeous Thai beauty named Lauren. Two nights before the wedding, Alan embarrasses Stu before his fiancee's rigid father, then Stu, and his "three-best-friends-that-anyone-can-have" take Lauren's teenage, med-student prodigy brother, Teddy down to the beach for a bonfire, complete with beer and marshmallows. They wake up the next morning in a dingy Bangkok hotel, without a clue how they got there. Doug and Teddy are both missing, and in their place is a mischievous monkey. All hell breaks loose as the three take to the streets as culture-shock and insanity ensue.

You don't need to have seen the first one to enjoy the second, and contrary to the general consensus, most people who I know loved the first one will enjoy this one. I guess I happen to fall into the camp of the latter, since I loved the first one so much. The more-of-the-same gags were fun, in a revisionist sense; like Stu's tattoo and Mr. Chow's full-frontal nudity, but they're either mildly predictable, or mostly spoiled in the trailer. Yet, where the film excelled was by taking some of the gags (especially those for shock value) above and beyond the pale. In some instances, Hangover II does manage to out-gross it's predecessor with the shock-gags. Even if the plot was predictable itself, because everything was playing out almost exactly the same as before, the air of mystery was still present, as I still wondered "How the heck are they really going to get out of this one?". I guess I'll still hold the first Hangover, near-and-dear to me, because of it's freshness, and for the fact that said quality actually allowed the humor to be more effective. But make no mistake, it's re-hashed sequel is still enjoyable, and took me by surprise with it's humor quite a few times.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Hello everyone! Sorry for my prolonged absence from blogging, but a lot has been going on lately between work, finalizing my law school admission, getting a lease on an apartment, and getting abused by my allergies. Since life in general has been taking such a toll on my spare time, I've decided to reduce my postings to more current events. I'll still write about something if I feel like it, or if I have the time, but since my leisure-writing time has become scant nowadays, I regret that so will my blogging frequency. No matter, though. I'm going to keep writing until compelling circumstances state otherwise. In the meantime though...

What came seemingly out of nowhere, and with less hyped fanfare than what I remember is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth entry in the Disney/Bruckheimer cash cow, helmed by the great Johnny Depp. This is a much different, more tightly focused entry in the series. From what I understand, the purpose was to open a new chapter in the adventures of wily protagonist Jack Sparrow a la "Indiana Jones" and other serials. Gone now is the tired, overblown love story between Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. Instead, the audience gets what they may have secretly wanted in the first place: a story owned and encompassed by Jack Sparrow, as opposed to the Will/Elizabeth/Jack trifecta that dominated the original trilogy. While it's a fun film, it lacks the epic scope that made the original three more far-out and entertaining.

Some time after the events of At World's End, Jack Sparrow finds himself in front of the King of England and Barbossa, his old nemesis, now Captain of the British Navy. They are comissioned to venture back to the Caribbean to beat the Spanish in search of the Fountain of Youth. But Sparrow is also in search of an imposter of his, who turns out to be Angelica, the feisty daughter of the rogue pirate Blackbeard, and Sparrow's jilted lover. The three reluctantly join forces in the quest to find the Fountain, and must endure a series of trials in order to unlock the Fountain's secrets. As is expected in these films, the typical cartoonish madness also ensues.

As I said before, the lack of featherweight subplots that I felt bogged down the last two films is refreshingly absent for Tides. In return, we get a few old faces, but mostly some new, interesting characters. What I felt was sorely missed from this entry though, was the lack of spectacle and over-the-top action sequences that made the series unique. Apparently, the budget for this series was slashed in half, from the $300 million special-effects-behemoth of At World's End. $150 mil isn't chump-change for a film, but it shows in the lack of epic action money-shots and more emphasis on (admittedly) some very good swordplay and stuntwork. Actually, some may appreciate the return to practicality, but I just felt the series set such a high bar for fantasy and spectacle that Tides didn't really meet it in that department. In fact, I'd argue it's even less epic than the first film, but don't consider that a deal-killer when deciding to see the film.

What Tides does have to offer is Johnny Depp returning in full form, anyone who missed his antics as Jack Sparrow will be very pleased to see him gobble scenery like a kid in a candy store. Also fun to watch is newcomer Penelope Cruz, who brings identically caustic chemistry between her and Depp that they both shared in Blow, ten years earlier. Angelica is pretty much the "Princess Leia" of the new series, and I found her very engaging as a female lead. Also, at a few minutes shy of two hours and forty minutes, it's the shortest, and most tightly-paced of all the Pirates films in my opinion.

Fans should generally enjoy Tides, and everyone else may find themselves in for a fun, harmless ride. It's a different Pirates, but a very solid standalone adventure tale. I didn't see the film in 3D, but by all accounts, I was told by many it was terrible and inconsistent. The effects only surfaced in several sequences, and the process made the film dark and grainy. 3D is becoming sadly overrated in mainstream films nowadays, anyway. But I'm sure hardcore Pirates fans won't care, either way.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon

SPECIAL POST: Osama Bin Laden (1957 - 2011)

I am writing this as I watch this historic news event unfold before my eyes: "Osama Bin Laden Is Dead". It's a very surreal moment, as many people and myself can recall the scathing memory of where we were on 9/11, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City. We would later learn that Bin Laden, the leader of Islamist Terrorist group Al Qaida was responsible for helming the attack. Now, he lies dead in a Pakistan mansion at the hands of American troops. As I write this, people are massing outside the White House in D.C., in a public display of patriotism and celebration. I'm reading on Facebook about undergraduates at my alma mater celebrating and singing on the quad. I wish I was there with them. Admittedly, it is a barbaric thing to act so hedonistically over the death of an individual, even one so evil as Bin Laden. But realistically, it's one less terrorist in the world that we need to worry and fear about.

These past ten years have been subconsciously riddled with fear for me, the amplification of security in every avenue of transportation and public gathering. The constant micromanaging from educational institutions to working specific jobs. Not to mention the dismal perspective other events in the world at large have brought upon us. I'm in awe of seeing people gathering now at Ground Zero, I visited the site a year after the attack. It was a very eerie place; the last time I had seen the WTC was the summer before, from across the Hudson Bay in Jersey City. It is an incredible feeling of justice after learning what has happened. I almost feel as though I'm writing my feelings as a stream of consciousness, but this is the best way I can express myself in my current state of mind (The moderate amount of alcohol I've had, notwithstanding).

What makes this event so significant, is how much it feels upon first glance as a turning point for our political climate. We still do not know the full details of what happened, aside from President Obama's speech about how the attack operation was executed. My first thought was: "This is going to be as important to Obama's presidency as was the fall of the Berlin Wall was to Reagan's" (even though the USSR fell during Bush Sr., pundits still attribute that event to the Gipper). Does it spell re-election for Obama? So many will hold their breath baited in anticipation. I do anticipate heightened security in the interim; Bin Laden may be gone, but there's always going to be another upstart in the works. It is imperative that we keep our guard up for the best interests of our country.

Does this spell the end of the "War on Terror"? Probably not, as terrorism is unfortunately perpetual. But it is notable that a major force in the Al Qaida movement is now gone. And what of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? I have friends who have served. One of whom I currently work with insists that things have been "over and done, long enough". It would seem ideal that we could terminate operations and bring the troops home. I don't expect the wars to be over as soon as possible, but I do think we should see a reduction in combat of some kind. It may still be too early to predict a lot of the impact that this event will result in. It is incredible though, that for all the mudslinging, caustic debate over political rhetoric, and ire over Democratic/Repubican schisms that have been among the biggest divisive social issues in this country, that the death of Bin Laden becomes the one to unite us, once again.

God Bless America,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Sophie's Choice (1982)

It took me long enough, but I've truly begun to appreciate what an amazing actress Meryl Streep is. I don't need to go into paragraphs on how adroit she is at her craft, that's all been said and done. What I find amazing is how every film I've seen of hers, she's managed to captivate and hold my attention no matter what the subject matter. She easily outshines the quality of any film she's in, and I could almost watch anything pretty much for the sake of her acting. So strangely enough, I resisted seeing her Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance in Sophie's Choice because the film never really appealed to me; long, melodramatic, and depressing. But it turned out to be that, and then some.

Sophie is a Polish-Catholic immigrant to the United States, living with her mercurial and abusive partner; the Jewish-American lab assistant Nathan. When a young writer named Stingo moves into their boarding house, he becomes captivated by the couple's capricious lifestyle, but moreso by Sophie's past. She resists disclosing any details, but Stingo ultimately figures out for himself that she was a Holocaust survivor. Among her horror stories, is one that led her to make a choice that changed her life forever.

The said "choice" scene is easily the most emotionally scarring scene I've ever seen on film. It also goes without saying that Streep's performance is impeccable in this film, she comes off so chameleon-like in her role you almost cannot recognize her, save for her familiar facial features. The other performances are good as well, and the production design is excellent. While the film does feature the characteristics of melodrama that I've grown ineffectually accustomed to, I can honestly say, the main reason anyone would really watch this is for Meryl Streep. Like most of her other films, everything surrounding her is simply "good", yet she manages to steal the entire show.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

So I'm sure you're all wondering: "What the heck am I doing reviewing Memoirs of a Geisha?" especially when I haven't even read the book. I don't know if that's a bad move on my part, but the trailer drew me in. And once again, this film proved how much of a sucker for well-edited trailers I am. I wish I could say the same for the film itself, as I simply found it nowhere near half as exciting as the trailer had promised. The actual film itself covers an interesting piece of Japanese culture, but Memoirs is pretty much a protracted tale of style over substance.

In the early 20th century, young Chiyo is sent away by her poor farming family to be sold for slavery. She is taken in by the mistress of a geisha house. She makes repeated escape attempts in order to reunite and run away with her sister, but continually fails. One day, she captures the attention of an affluent man with an affinity for geishas. As she grows up, Chiyo is taken under the wing of geisha guru Mameha, and learns the way of the geisha. The adjustment period is particularly difficult for the beautiful, blue-eyed Chiyo, as men and the promise of freedom constantly tempt her.

I remember this film causing a huge controversy when it came out, due to the female leads being played by Chinese actresses. Whatever ire spurned between the Asian parties responsible is ridiculous to me, as the women in the film give great performances, in my opinion. The production design is very beautiful, and it shows from the three artistic design Oscars the film eventually garnered. For all the film's fine trimmings and the interesting view it gave behind geisha culture, it was extremely dull at times. The drama and pace seems to bounce around in a slipshod fashion; events come and go with very little establishment. I basically felt like I watched something that dragged on and on with loads of pretty pictures. The producers had a fine piece of work here, all they needed to do was find a competent screenwriter.

5/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: The Killing Fields (1984)

The Cambodian genocide was a harrowing event in history that I became fully aware of in my freshman year of high school. Thanks to an amazing English class, I ate, drank, and breathed the wonderful book First They Killed My Father by genocide survivor Loung Ung (she even visited my school!). Around this time, it was brought to my attention that there existed this film called The Killing Fields that dealt with two angles of the story as the genocide broke out. Only recently, did I actually get a chance to watch it.

American journalist for the New York Times Sidney Schanberg is covering the Cambodian civil conflict between the National Army and the Khmer Rouge. It is during this time, he collaborates with Cambodian journalist Dith Pran, who serves as his interpreter. In the name of journalism, they clandestinely venture into the village of Neak Leung, where they are captured by Khmer Rouge forces and subjected to witness the genocide, firsthand. When an attempt to evacuate Pran with the help of British forces fails, Schanberg returns alone, remorsefully recounting his experiences, while Pran stays behind, and makes an effort to survive the regime. But little does Pran know the effort that Schanberg is making to try and track him down.

Killing Fields is excellent in that it doesn't require star power or excellent filmmaking techniques to effectively convey it's message. The affecting story is driven mostly through the images of disturbing brutality and violence that make the film seem almost documentary-like at times. Is there a down side to any of this? Well, it can be a little slow at times, but not that it hinders the pace of the story at any point in time. This authenticity is only made more tangible with the casting of genocide survivor Dr. Haing S. Ngor as Pran. Ngor's own story is equally as harrowing as Pran's, and although he won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, Ngor met a tragic end; murdered in his L.A. apartment by Asian gang members. The film does end with a sliver of hope for the ravaged Cambodians, and even though John Lennon's "Imagine" has become somewhat of a cliche in anti-war films, it's used here in wonderfully poignant and ironic effect.

9/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Idiocracy (2006)

Sitting at the bar with one of my friends, he turns to me and goes "Have you seen Idiocracy?" I shake my head "No". "You should, because I'm convinced this is what our world will ultimately turn into, the way things are going". So I did. Obviously, or else I wouldn't be writing this. In any case, any comedy with a socio-political bent must immediately go up on my queue. But why, did this film become so little-known, despite having been directed by Mike Judge of Office Space and starring people like Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph? Perhaps the studio got cold feet after seeing all the jabs taken at consumerism, with the use of actual companies (upon further research, this turned out to be pretty much the case, and I am ever the wiser). But hey, for all it's bleakness, Idiocracy is pretty funny, too.

After a brief lecture on the topic of dysgenics (out-breeding the intelligent, due to a lack of consequential hindsight on unprotected sex for stupid people, and a lack of sexual initiative on the smart people), a group of government agents elaborate on a plan to put an "average Joe" military worker (named Joe, ha ha) and a prostitute named Rita in an experiment on human hibernation. When they are accidentally neglected after a SNAFU, the two emerge in the year 2505 and find the world totally changed. Society has regressed into a tasteless, classless, lawless, and even brainless atmosphere while consumerism has apparently taken control. Needing to find a way home, Joe, Rita, and their new friend Frito look for a way to locate a supposed "time-machine" that had been invented, recently.

What I enjoyed about Idiocracy was the fact it took a clever idea about the regression of modern society into something so dystopic yet possible, given the conditions, and combined it with the traditional Mike Judge sophomoric humor that I know and love. Some of the supporting performances were a little obnoxious, but many of them do shine, thanks to the script. I had trouble accepting the fact that things were rather bleak for the main characters, and that the film didn't do a whole lot to have the main characters make any effort to have the future society try and think for themselves. Perhaps that was deemed a futile idea, as many of the new society's denizens are pretty incorrigible as it is, I just thought there could have been more possibilities explored in the alloted time the film had. Still, I enjoyed Idiocracy for all it's dumb humor and strangely thought-provoking story.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights, "it's about porn" is what I'm told by anyone who brings up this film in conversation. You'd think a film about the pornographic film industry would be relatively sleazy. But leave it to someone like Paul Thomas Anderson to take that sleaze to a whole other level. The characters of the porn industry in Boogie Nights are fascinating figures; this is how they lived, and I'll be damned if losing my public dignity meant such a pleasurably hedonistic life of decadence. Boogie Nights takes us into this world, drawing us in a la Scorsese with the long cuts and strongly written character exchanges. Oh, and it's late 70s/early 80s trappings are pretty awesome.

In 1977, a young runaway dropout stumbles upon Jack Horner, one of the most reputable directors in adult entertainment, while working in a Southern California disco. Intrigued by his star appeal, Horner courts the lad into his world of sex, drugs, and smut, where he takes upon the name "Dirk Diggler" and makes a smash in the pornographic mainstream, thanks to being well-endowed "down-there". As time goes on, and the money rolls in, greed runs rampant within the circle of friends as their excesses spin out of control. Needing to stay afloat in a world where he must live fast, Diggler tries to take matters into his own hands.

The great thing about a film like Boogie Nights is that the atmosphere is so strong, I found myself so entertained by the action (...other than the sex, geez!), that it made me easily forgive the greater story flaws the film had. In other words, when you think about it, there really isn't much new to the story that Boogie Nights presents, other than what I felt was your typical "rise-and-fall-from-greatness". Not to mention, with such a great ensemble cast, we're rarely given a glimpse into what their own lives are like. Sure, the film is centered around Diggler, but I thought it would have been interesting to have explored some of the supporting characters more in better detail. Still, with a film like this which excells at keeping me interested with it's strong acting and sharp dialogue, I doubt anyone will be bored with Boogie Nights, even with it's two-and-a-half-hour length.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Ever since the passing of Dame Liz, it dawned on me that I had never actually seen any of her early work. My familiarity with her went only within the realm of her cheesy perfume commercials, the glut of news reports about her health, and The Flintstones. Since I had read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, years ago in high school, it seemed perfectly fitting that this would be the one for me to check out. And hey...not only did Ms. Taylor happen to be a good actress, but BOY, was she gorgeous! She pretty much sizzles in this film alongside her equally talented co-star, Paul Newman. The color photography captures every nuance of soul through their piercing, lightly-colored eyes. But enough about them...

Brick Pollitt is an ex-football star-turned-alcoholic, who spends his spare time trying to drunkenly relive his glory days on the field by himself. Brick is married to Maggie - the "cat" - a sexually-frustrated sexpot who's become the black sheep of the family on account that she and Brick are childless. That problem is only one of many that encompasses the couple's turbulent relationship, and Maggie herself feels akin to the film's namesake, due to her undying loyalty to Brick and her lack of direction on "where to land" should she "fall off" the "roof". When Brick's father, Big Daddy's 65th birthday rolls around, and the family comes together once again, things begin to get really heated as the cracks in the Pollitt family begin to expose as well.

What was cool about stage-to-film adaptations in Golden Age Hollywood, is that many of the filmmakers took great strides not to mess too much with the original. Granted, there are some subtle changes and visual elaborations of off-screen activity, but for the most part, the film is pretty faithful to the play, from what I remember. The producers even managed to keep the supporting cast intact, which I thought was a nice touch. While I've already elaborated plenty on the acting, I will say for those of you who are wary towards watching old movies that this one is very dialogue-heavy. All of the action is pretty much confined to one set for the approximate hour-and-forty-minute runtime. However, I appreciate that kind of intimacy within a film. It's not very common, nowadays, but that's what makes Cat on a Hot Tin Roof stand out, in comparison to today's more flashier adaptations.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Ghost World (2001)

Ghost World is a dark comedy, that caught me off-guard by how dark it actually was. Based on a comic book by Daniel Clowes, it follows the lives of two high-school graduates with nihilistic temperaments who are searching for meaning in their world. If you think of Scott Pilgrim as your direct definition of a comic-book film, Ghost World isn't like that. Rather, this film plays it (mostly) straight, and relies on it's dialogue, as well as some colorful sets and costume choices. While it didn't blow me away, in terms of the writing, I found the characters very intriguing and often very funny.

Enid and Rebecca have graduated high school, and rather than go to college, decide to spend the time they have in front of them figuring out what to do with their lives. Mainly, their favorite past time is torturing others with psychological pranks. Their schadenfreude antics lead them to Seymour, a 40-something single record collector whom Enid takes a keen interest in. Never feeling any sort of strong emotional connection to anyone like him before, Enid sets out to re-invent Seymour's life for the better, but faces the challenge that it puts upon her friendship with Rebecca, her relationship with her family, and her own self.

I find the characters in Ghost World fascinating, because they're unlike anyone I've ever met before, but are extremely believable. Enid herself reminds me of a cross between Holden Caulfield and Juno. In some ways, these characters represent the emotional pits of despair we've experienced from time-to-time. The acting at times is fantastic, especially from Thora Birch and Scarlet Johanssen, who have since gone on to do wonderful things in their craft. I can see some people considering the ending to be rather bleak, and I do wish the characters sought some type of resolution, but I'm not sure this was the kind of movie for that. In any case, if you like quirky dark comedies, Ghost World should do the trick.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Super Mario Brothers (1993)

As one of the first few video games I ever played and loved, it shocked me that I never actually had a chance to see Super Mario Bros. - the movie. I understand that there was probably a good reason why: SMB is a confused, muddled mess of a flick that somehow manages to be entertaining for all it's B-movie trappings. It's such a departure from what the film should have portrayed, that one wonders what the producers were thinking. It's not exactly a re-imagining, or a direct-transaltion. And there's some pretty cool effects that actually justify some marginally substantial production values, yet one wonders why they didn't go the extra mile? Oh well, it is what it is, and what it is, is, well...

When dinosaurs disappeared from the Earth, the meteor that caused it actually sent them to a different dimension. In this dimension, the dinosaurs evolved to become sentient, and even resembled humans (huh?). They also dominated another sentient species descended from fungi (...huh?), with the help of dictator King Koopa. The Mushroom King sent his only daughter, Princess Daisy, into the humans dimension, and she grew up in a relatively normal existence. Meanwhile, Daisy somehow befriends two Brooklyn plumber brothers named Mario and Luigi. When Koopa orders Daisy's capture, the lovestruck Luigi (...does not compute) and the sarcastic Mario chase down Koopa into his own dimension to get her back.

So, it sounds like your typical SMB plot, the problem is, the film's tone is scattered all over the place - it's too dark to be a kid's movie, and too stupid for teenagers and adults to legitimately enjoy. And the production values; they range from terrible to somewhat interesting, but they're honestly no better than a Nickelodeon TV movie. I think the only smart choice the producers made was to scale back the video game aspects, in order to compensate for their (somewhat dubious) creativity around the budget and script. I'm sure most of the actors tried their best in this, but knowing how their pedigree would turn out in later years for people like John Leguizamo, they must be somewhat embarrased in how their performances turned out. Yet, while I admit SMB is a ridiculous mess of a movie, it entertained me on the veritable "so-bad-it's-pretty-good" sort-of level. Gamers may want to stay far away, as the deviations from the source material may make them cry. Everyone else...avoid if you hate bad movies, I guess.

Not convinced? Maybe the cheesy, early-90s trailer will sway your opinion -

6/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: The Paper Chase (1973)

From the moment I made it clear I wanted to go to law school, to the countless times my LSAT practice course instructor made references and quotes to this film, it became clear that seeing The Paper Chase was a mandatory rite of passage for law students and unavoidable out of my own curiosity. For many 1Ls, Paper Chase is the first thing to scare them as far as what to expect out of law school, based on it's candid, honest apporach to the classroom environment, grounded in the difficult and often humiliating Socratic Method. But since the film is technically a dramatic work, I took these things with a grain of salt, albeit, with some slight unease. Above all though, Paper Chase is a good movie.

James Hart is a clueless, first year law student at Harvard. Hailing from Minnesota, Hart is unprepared to deal with the rigors and intense studying at his fingertips. He also has to deal with vying for recognition from his professor; the stern, authoritarian Charles Kingsfield. Hart retreats from the stress rather easily by partying, or sleeping with the local school socialite, who has become the object of his affection and reluctant psychological distress receptacle. What changes things for Hart however, is when he realizes his new sweetheart is actually Kingsfield's daughter.

Films like these have a knack for keeping my interest, because they deal directly with events going on at large in my life and speak in a way that art so brilliantly does by creating characters that one instantly relates to. While Hart is somewhat of a man-child, he gradually grows into what the school expects of him, and his will to succeede is a very admirable quality. Likewise, Kingsfield, for all his thorns is an intriguing figure, in spite of his imposing presence. The pacing is very strong, and the film has a wicked sense of humor; whose strongest source is at the taut verbal sparring between Hart and Kingsfield. Perhaps, this is a fairly apt viewpoint of the Socratic Method in action. For a 1L-to-be like myself, Paper Chase didn't fully intimidate me, because that Harvard isn't representative of every law school in the US, but it gave me some good, emotional insight from an entertaining, fictional angle.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Scream 4 (2011)



I honestly went into Scream 4, with moderate expectations. Even though I loved the first one and somewhat enjoyed the two sequels, I knew that a semi-reboot to go above and beyond the first would've been hard to top. With nearly ten years in between 4 and 3 (wow, has it been that long? I remember seeing 3 in the theater!...with my sister, who snuck me in, of course), horror films have gone the way of Saw/Hostel torture porn, ludicrous PG-13 thrillers trying to emulate Japanese ghost stories, and forgettable remakes that have tried to out-do the original in terms of gross-out factor. Without any good slashers in plain sight this past decade (save for Orphan, and I'm probably in the minority on that one!), all I can say is: "Thank God for Scream 4!"

If there is any film, especially in horror, that can go meta-theatrial-over-meta-theatrical, Scream 4 is probably it. If you know the series, someone famous or integral to the plot gets killed in a chilling manner that sets the scene for the rest of the film. This time, the opening actually messed with my head that I kept wondering what events were real and what weren't. For this installment, the plot is centered heavily around horror reboots, remakes, and the so-called "post-modern" aforementioned trends in the last paragraph. The story and script are very clever, with the new teen characters being very self-aware (not bad in the acting department, either). In spite of this, some of them (including the veterans) still fall victim to horror cliches, and the whole film itself features a few glaring examples. My favorites were the cute blonde girl vindicating her credibility to the killer on the phone, by claiming she had a 4.0 GPA, yet, she still flees up the stairs...come on! The other was when Sidney, the main character, witnesses a murder across the street, then enters the house, unarmed, to investigate the scene of the crime. Did she just surrender and snap? Or is she that ballsy? Not very smart, but whatever...

In Scream 4, Sidney, the main survivor of the last three films has carved a niche for herself as a famous author, and returns to her hometown on the 15th anniversary of the first film's murders to promote her new book. The other two are Dewey, who is now the police Sherriff, and his now-wife, Gail, who is itching to become a reporter again after marriage and domesticity have squandered her career. Upon Sidney's arrival, murders start happening again, with Sidney's teenage cousin, Jill, and her friends targeted as victims. In the ten years in between this and the last sequel, Sidney, Dewey and Gail have somehow become semi-legends; the lore of the serial killings has become popularized in a successful slasher series called Stab, and the ubiquity of cellphones, Facebook, YouTube, and blogging have forged a generational gap between the new and veteran characters. The killer knows this, and exploits the new tropes in some exciting and creative ways.

Good sequels are hard to come by, but I feel safe by saying Scream 4 exceeded my expectations by becoming a good enough film to standalone in it's own right. Besides the minor cliches bugging me, I also thought the tone was slightly uneven, early on - mild one minute, then scary the next. The thrills worked, and I was on the edge of my seat for the whole time, but in the beginning, they seemed sort of random. On a more interesting note, I kind of figured out who the killer was, in the middle, but I remained skeptical due to the plethora of red herrings. I'm obviously not going to say who it was, but when the killer was revealed, I felt really disturbed after the killer's motives were explained. Where the first Scream used obsession with horror movies as the catalyst towards the killer's main motives, like a chilling reaction to the spate of school-shootings in the 1990s, the killer in Scream 4 was motivated in a more completely twisted and sadistic way. Just like it's predecessors, Scream 4 manages to make it's own social-commentary, albeit more contemporary. The ending was perfect, for a solid slasher/thriller that made me enjoy the series all over again.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Total Recall (1990)

Total Recall is like Star Wars meets North by Northwest; it's an absolutely relentless thriller with magnificent chase sequences set in a sci-fi universe that encapsulates upon the first frame with vivid special effects and creative fantasy. How this little action-cinema staple slipped under my radar for all these years is beyond me. This is one of those films that, like The Matrix, is so involved in the fantasy angle of it's story that you could almost call it live-action anime for all it's creativity. Although I have not read the Philip K. Dick story that it is based on, I will say that at least whoever crafted the screenplay did a great job of turning it into memorable and exciting Hollywood popcorn entertainment. Even though the film is only groundbreaking in it's visual effects, everything else services the audience well.

In 2084, humans and aliens have colonized Mars, let alone figured how to make space travel feasible. Doug Quaid is an everyman construction worker, who happens to have an "untapped" talent for quick reflexes and martial arts. A dream where he travels to Mars with a beautiful woman continuously eludes him. Against the wishes of his strangely objective friends and wife, Quaid enlists in a "virtual-vacation" program called "Rekall", which uses false memories to create an idyllic environment for rest and relaxation. The program backfires though, when Quaid begins to have a seizure, forcing him to recover an identity he never realized he originally had.

Even though this film was made over 20 years ago, the Oscar-winning special effects still amaze me, in all their practicality. It's funny how films had a knack for appearing vivid enough to be called fake, but were still believable within the context of the story. CGI has squandered a lot of creativity for many practical filmmakers, but it also has it's attributes in other departments. At the time this was made (according to the DVD extras) Total Recall had it all, in terms of all aspects of visual and artistic design team. This is an amazing-looking film, that also happens to have some fantastic action and incredibly strange-looking creatures (there's even what I consider a hyper-sexualized version of the Star Wars cantina scene, complete with a three-bosomed femalian). Bottom line, Total Recall has it all in terms of your full-circle action movie: Explosions, cheesy one-liners, and eye-popping effects. A lot of the story may seem like more of the same, but that's not always a bad thing.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Animal Kingdom (2010)

Some films just come out of nowhere from different corners of the Earth, and you wonder what makes them so acclaimed. In this case, it was Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress Jacki Weaver's intriguing performance as an Australian crime family matriarch in the film Animal Kingdom. As a stickler for great acting, I became even more intrigued by the trailer, marketing the film as a tense thriller, along with the blurbs that touted the film as "...an Australian Goodfellas". Unfortunately, whoever wrote that blurb may not have realized that Animal Kingdom is anything but either of the last two. Despite some promising setups, I must admit I was disappointed.

In Melbourne, 17 year-old '"J"'s mother is taken to the hospital, DOA from a drug overdose. Orphaned J seeks out his grandmother, affectionately nicknamed "Smurf". Smurf takes J into her home, where he realizes his extended family is really operating one of the most powerful crime rings in Australia. His hot-headed uncles represent various "trades" from car theft to drug dealing. When the heat goes up and J becomes embroilled in murder, involving a group of corrupt cops, he goes into a witness protection program. Forced to walk the line between his corrupt family and the ethically questionable authorities, J must act fast if he is to stay alive.

I can understand why many people find Animal Kingdom to be a great film, it's got wonderful characterizations and a story whose complexity perhaps rivals that of The Departed. It is unfortunate, however, in my opinion, that the direction for the film is staler than a week-old loaf of bread. While some may appreciate the long, drawn out segments of chasing or violent aftermath punctuated by the somber score, I found it to be incredibly dull and perfunctory. Even though the acting was more-or-less okay, so much of the dramatic moments were lacking in any sort of catharsis for me. In other words, I got the basic gist of the story, but the director's vision didn't meld well with my expectations and the result, overall, was a film that wasn't very out-of-the-ordinary in comparison to other crime tales. Oh well.

6/10

Peace,
- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: The Kids Are All Right (2010)

The American "modern family"; the phrase has become the politically correct term in our contemporary lexicon for any family that defies standard preconceptions of a nuclear family. In this case, the "modern family" is helmed by a lesbian couple. I found it interesting how the back cover of the DVD for The Kids Are All Right so blatantly used the phrase in lieu of explicitly mentioning "lesbians" or "homosexuals", but it's nevertheless refreshing to see LGBT culture gaining more and more presence into the mainstream. This easily could have been a film about a heterosexual couple under similar circumstances; the fact that it isn't and the manner in which the couple are portrayed makes Kids believably grounded in it's realism. Oh, and the film also happens to be very good, too.

Nic, a doctor, and her partner Jules, an entrepreneur specializing in landscape architecture, are parents of two children, Laser and Joni. Both children were fathered by an anonymous sperm donor. As the children come of age, the teenaged Laser and Joni decide to set out and identify their biological father. After doing some research, they find out he is Paul, the proprieter of a Southern California organic foods restaurant. When the children bring Paul home to meet their mothers, personalities clash as the free-spirited Paul and Jules connect with their newfound appreciation for their children's interest in bringing together the distantly-tied family, while Nic feels unease about the new developments.

What impressed me most about Kids was the complexity of the way in which relationships are dealt with in the story. Granted, things are complicated enough when the family has to assess their present status once Paul is in the picture, but it makes for really interesting dynamics between everyone. Among the themes presented in the film, also include (believe it or not) adultery. Now, while I won't spoil who does what to whom, I will say the manner in which the problem is handled is done in one of the most honest and frank confessions I've ever seen in a film. The acting is also very good, I don't have to go too in-depth on everyone's performances, but I think they are serviced quite nicely by Lisa Chodolenko's sharp screenplay. She comes off like a more adult version of Diablo Cody; both are incredibly hip, but Chodolenko has much more dramatic restraint and her characters have amazing nuance. While I wish the final conflict towards the end was resolved a little more succinctly (rather than seemingly leaving one of the main characters out to dry), I can see why Chodolenko might have made this choice, even if I don't agree with it. Kids was definitely deserving of the accolades it had received last year, and I'm glad to have finally seen it.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

The 2011 Japanese Earthquake, and Some Friendly, Neighborhood Advice...

I'm sure by now news of Japan's recent major earthquake has long gone under the radar, thanks to the conflict going over in Libya, as well as Washington's so-called "budget disputes". To be frank, I would've written something earlier about my reaction to the earthquake, but last month was absolute bedlam, in terms of getting the time to sit down and compose something lucid. It's easy for me to write reviews (hence the glut I've bestowed upon you all, lately), but posts like these take me a good 30-45 minutes or more, to put together. Now, my life's schedule has slowed down considerably; I'm still waiting to hear back from one more of my law schools that I applied to, but things are finally starting to come together. Anyway...

As many of you are well aware of, Japan just recently had a catastrophic earthquake. Moreso catastrophic because of the damage brought onto several of the coastal nuclear reactors, and the radiation breaching into the water supply during the aftermath. As it so happens, my next-door neighbor is Professor Frank von Hippel of Princeton University. Von Hippel is a nuclear physicist who worked in the Clinton Administration as Assistant Director for National Security in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. And on a far less-important, but sentimental note; I've personally known him since I was at least four years old. Back on March 15th, he appeared on NBC Nightly News to discuss the nuclear crisis. The following link provides the video from said interview:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42093747/ns/nightly_news/?fb_ref=story_header&fb_source=profile_oneline

Sound advice, but what concerns me even more strongly is how much of a Pandora's Box the media has made nuclear power out to be. And I ask myself: Is the mainstream media, for all it's sensationalism, correct on this one, for once? How prepared are we to grapple with the consequences of a nuclear meltdown, when many of these plutonium powder kegs threaten the existance of adjacent human settlements; built to accomodate the plant employees, or otherwise? I look at the response the Japanese government took towards remedying the initial catastrophic situation of the damaged plants with disturbance. Dumping water onto the exposed components that were the main threat of a meltdown may have been the only option, but it may have also been partially responsible for the contamination of Japan's water supply with significant levels of radiation, due to the runoff slipping into the country's groundwater. Needless to say, who knows whether or not the government made the right choice?

I still don't know a lot about the disaster response perogatives or how extensive the radiation levels have reached in the affected areas of Japan, but I do hope this event serves as cautionary evidence that proposals towards alternative energy research should be taken more seriously. The sooner societies can adopt safer power sources, the less likely we as a global community may face domestic, and even environmental ruin from such unpredictable energy implementations like nuclear power. I know my views may seem quixotic to some, but I would hope that others out there are taking the initiative to figure out some sort of solution to challenging problems, like these.

Peace,
- Jon