“Downfall (Der Untergang)” Movie
Yesterday I saw the movie “Downfall (Der Untergang)”, which starred: Bruno Ganz, Juliane Koehler, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Noethen and Alexandra Maria Lara.
The storyline involved the following: “In the dead of a November night in 1942, SS officers through the woods escort a group of young women to Wolf's Lair, Hitler's headquarters in Eastern Prussia. They are candidates for the post of personal secretary to the Fuehrer. Among them is 22-year-old Traudl Junge, a fresh-faced girl from Munich. Traudl is chosen for the job and she is overcome with joy at the thought of serving beside her Fuehrer. BERLIN, APRIL 20, 1945: Hitler has retreated to a bunker system under the German Chancellery. Traudl Junge is asleep in her room, deep beneath the ground. She is awakened by tremors from artillery fire. The enemy is getting closer. Charting the last 10 days of Hitler's life, from his 56th birthday on April 20th, 1945 to his suicide on April 30th, the film uses multiple characters to show the chaos of a country coming apart at the seams, from Hitler's henchman under the streets of Berlin, to the soldiers and civilians fighting and dying as the Soviet Army ravaged the city above.”
I give the movie a “B+”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a large popcorn and a medium soft drink. The battle scenes were great, and the movie accurately displayed the terror of Nazis Germany.
“Guess Who” Movie
Today I saw the movie “Guess Who”, which starred: Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, Zoe Saldana, Judith Scott and Hal Williams.
The storyline involved the following: “Percy Jones (Bernie Mac) is taking no chances with his daughter Theresa's (Zoe Saldana) future. Even before he meets Simon Green, her latest boyfriend, Percy has him checked out. On paper, he passes with flying colors -- great job, good investments and a promising future. But there's one thing the credit report didn't tell him: Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher) is white. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Unless, of course, Simon wants to marry his daughter. Which he does.”
I would rate the movie a “C”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket. The movie script was weak as it did not take advantage of the acting talents of Bernie Mac.
“Miss Congeniality 2 ” Movie
Yesterday I saw the movie “Miss Congeniality 2 ”, which starred: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, William Shatner, Heather Burns, Ludacris.
The plot involved the following: “You must be dying to know what happened to FBI Agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) after she successfully squashed an attempt to blow up the Miss United States Pageant. I know I was. She's become an overnight media sensation--and is none too happy about it. She's frustrated that her newfound fame is jeopardizing the undercover work that she loves, and that she's been rejected by her boyfriend, which quickly explains away Benjamin Bratt's character from the original. So Gracie goes right back into the frying pan when she reluctantly lets her boss (Ernie Hudson) talk her into being the new ''face of the FBI.'' This time, however, Gracie takes the task of coifed spokeswoman a little too zealously, turning into a Gucci-carrying, Prada-wearing prima donna. But when Gracie's friend Cheryl (Heather Burns), the crowned Miss United States, and pageant host Stan Fields (William Shatner) are kidnapped, it forces Gracie to take action and finally realize who she really is: a snorting, hard-ass FBI agent who just wants to hit someone. Welcome back, Gracie!”
I give this movie a “C”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket. The movie script was too confusing, but the movie had its moments.
"The Ring 2" Movie
Yesterday I saw the movie “The Ring 2”, which starred: Naomi Watts, Simon Baker, David Dorfman, Emily VanCamp and Sissy Spacek.
The movie story involved the following: “It's been six months since journalist Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) and her ashen-faced, sunken-eyed son Aidan (David Dorfman) outsmarted the sinister Samara and escaped that darn cursed tape. Or have they? They've moved to a new town and are trying to get on with their lives. Then Rachel discovers evidence at a local crime scene, including an unmarked videotape, which makes her fear it might not be over. Aidan suddenly starts behaving even more strangely, scratching at walls, saying things like, ''She can't hear us when we sleep,'' as his temperature drops dangerously below normal. He even has detrimental effects on the fauna in the area. Hmmm. It indeed seems like Samara isn't quite done putting the pretty blonde and her son, who looks nothing like her, through the ringer. Rachel must now try to save Aidan's life for the second time--and finally send that demented well dweller back where she belongs.”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie was scary, but it was very predictable. Sissy Spacek could not save the movie.
Casino Lucky Bear Manuscript
The past few days I've been working another novel manuscript: Casino Lucky Bear. It has been slow going, but I'm feeling good about it.
“Hostage” Movie
On Tuesday afternoon I saw the movie “Hostage”, which starred: Bruce Willis, Jonathan Tucker, Serena Scott Thomas, Michelle Horn and Ben Foster.
The storyline involved the following: “Talk about pressure. When LAPD hostage negotiator extraordinaire Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) has a bad day, lives are lost--and it is after one particularly bad day that Talley decides he's had it with the job. Plagued by guilt, he relocates his family and becomes the police chief of a sleepy northern California town. But it's about to be woken up. Corrupt accountant Walter Smith (Kevin Pollak) and his two kids--teenager Jennifer (Michelle Horn) and grade schooler Tommy (Jimmy Bennett)--are taken hostage in their house after a carjacking attempt by a trio of young punks goes awry. Talley is forced to step in once again as the hostage negotiator. Why, you may ask, since he is now just a lowly police man? Because it turns out Talley's family is being held captive by Walter's superiors, who need to get something very important out of the house. They demand the seasoned Talley take control of the situation before things get really ugly. And they do get ugly.”
I would rate the movie a “B”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a medium popcorn and a medium soft drink. It was a good action movie, and Bruce Willis’ performance was excellent.
“Constantine” Movie
On Monday I saw the movie “Constantine”, which starred: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Max Baker, Djimon Hounsou, Tilda Swinton and Gavin Rossdale.
The storyline involved the following: “Heaven. Hell. Us humans in the middle. It's all very complicated. But John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) seems to have a handle on it. Born with a gift he says no human should ever have, he has the ability to see what he calls ''half-breeds''--angels and demons that walk the earth in human skin (and apparently, there are a lot of them). Of course, the horror of it is too much to bear and Constantine tries to take his own life. But he fails. Now, having been to hell and back again, quite literally, Constantine is marked as an attempted suicide with a temporary lease on life. He patrols the earthly border between heaven and hell, acting as an exorcist of sorts. Of course, the guy isn't doing it because he feels empathy for the human race or anything. It's for purely selfish reasons. He hopes that if he sends the devil's foot soldiers back to the depths he'll gain some kind of redemption, a free get-out-of-jail card, so to speak. Constantine's attitude changes, however, when a skeptical police detective Angela (Rachel Weisz) enlists his help in solving the mysterious death of her beloved twin sister. They end up uncovering a twisted master plan brewing between the demons and angels which could bring about a catastrophic series of otherworldly events. Perfect.”
I give this movie a “C”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket. The movie had too much religion, and I’m tired of movies about the devil and hell. The movie had no logical sequence, and it could have ended after twenty, forty, sixty, seventy, ninety and hundred minutes.
Robots Movie
On Friday I saw the movie “Robots”, which featured the voices of: Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, Stanley Tucci, Robin Williams and, Dianne Wiest.
The plot involved the following: “In a mechanized world, an imaginative young inventor, Rodney Copperbottom (voiced by Ewan McGregor), wants to be as famous as his hero, the greatest inventor of all time, Mr. Bigweld (voiced by Mel Brooks). With his father's ''follow your dreams, and never give up'' ringing in his ears, Rodney leaves his small town and sets out to the big, bad Robot City to meet his idol and show him his invention. Once there, Rodney meets the Rusties, a ragtag group of street-smart bots, lead by the wacky Fender (voiced by Robin Williams), who know the ropes. Rodney finds out that Bigweld has gone into seclusion and Robot City is being taken over by an ambitious robot named Ratchet (voiced by Greg Kinnear), whose motto is ''Why Be You, When You Could Be New?'' Ratchet soon halts production on parts for the older robots. If the bot folk can't afford the new stuff, they are gathered up and sent to an underground chop shop, where Rachet's hideous mother, Madame Gasket (voiced by Jim Broadbent), melts them down and turns them into metal for new parts. But the evil duo's plan is soon spoiled when Rodney and the Rusties start fixing the older models and decide the must get the reclusive Bigweld back on track to fight back.”
I give this movie a “C”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket. Though it was number one at the box office, I thought the characters were irregular. I’m not a big fan of animation.
Update Re Omak Lake Monster
I'm about to complete my second draft of my novel manuscript: The Omak Lake Monster.
Below is a web address for a Yahoo.com discussion group, which posted news articles
about Native writers, storytellers and movie actors. The discussion has open membership and is free.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nativewriters/
Thanks. Steve LaFountaine
The Jacket Movie
On Tuesday I saw the movie “The Jacket”, which starred: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kelly Lynch and Kris Kristofferson.
The movie story involved the following: “In trying to piece this movie together, we know that Gulf War veteran Jack Starks (Brody) suffers from amnesia after surviving a combat-related gunshot wound to the head. If that wasn't enough, once he is back stateside, he is soon accused of murdering a police officer although he has no recollection of the crime. It keeps getting worse for the guy. Jack is then committed to a mental institution for the criminally insane and is placed under the care of the unconventional and somewhat twisted Dr. Becker (Kris Kristofferson). The doc puts Jack on a controversial treatment regimen in which he is injected with experimental drugs, confined in a straight-jacket, and locked for extended periods in the body drawer of the basement morgue. Well, isn't that lovely? Oddly enough, in this drugged, disoriented and claustrophobic state, Jack has an epiphany. He is somehow propelled into the future, where he meets Jackie (Keira Knightley), and discovers that he died soon after being admitted to the mental institution. Together, they search for a way to save him from his fate. Does that make any sense?”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie was entertaining but dark. There were few likeable characters.
The Pacifier Movie
On Monday I saw the movie “The Pacifier”, which starred: Vin Diesel, Lauren Graham, Brittany Snow, Faith Ford and Carol Kane.
The plot involved the following: “Vin Diesel stars as Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe who, as an elite member of the world's fiercest and most highly trained force, thought he was prepared to take on any duty no matter how perilous or impossible...until he tried baby-sitting. Assigned to protect the five out-of-control children of an assassinated scientist working on vital government secrets, Shane is suddenly faced with juggling two outrageously incompatible jobs: fighting the bad guys while keeping house. Replacing his usual arsenal of wetsuits and weapons with diapers and juice boxes, Shane not only must battle a deceptive enemy but wrangle teen rebel Zoe (Brittany Snow), sullen 14-year-old Seth (Max Theriot), 8-year-old Ninja-wanna-be Lulu (Morgan York), as well as 3 year-old Peter and baby Tyler - not to mention their off-beat Romanian Nanny (Carol Kane).”
I give this movie a “C”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket. Vin Diesel tried his best, but he could not carry this movie. The film was very predictable because of the subject matter.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman Movie
On Sunday afternoon, I saw the movie “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”, which starred: Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Tyler Perry, Shemar Moore and Lisa Marcos.
The plot involved the following: “Helen McCarter (Kimberly Elise) thought she had the perfect life with lawyer husband Charles (Steve Harris): a big house, lots of creature comforts, and a stable--albeit staid--marriage. But Helen's world shatters when Charles tells her, on the eve of their 18th wedding anniversary, that he wants a divorce and literally kicks her out of their spacious mansion to make room for another woman. Devastated, she runs to her beloved pot-smokin', gun-totin' grandmother Madea (Tyler Perry), who lets Helen know she's a proud, beautiful black woman who nonetheless should whoop the bastard's ass. As hurt as she is, Helen really just wants to pick up the pieces and move on, if she can. She finds guidance and empowerment from her family and friends, including new friend Orlando (Shemar Moore), a drop-dead gorgeous construction worker whose sweet and sincere ways more than help Helen get through her pain. And he cooks, too. Really, there's no contest.”
I give the movie a “B+”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a large popcorn and a medium soft drink. It was a humorous movie, and the actors were great.
Because of Winn-Dixie Movie
Yesterday I saw the movie “Because of Winn-Dixie”, which starred: Annasophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, Dave Matthews and Eva Marie Saint.
The plot involved the following: “In this film based on the Newbery Award-winning children's book by Kate DiCamillo, Opal (AnnaSophia Robb) is a lonely 10-year-old girl who has moved to a sluggish small town in Florida with her preacher father (Jeff Daniels). She has a tough time getting through to her dad: when he is not preaching the gospel, he walks around in a haze, haunted by the departure of Opal's mother many years before. But when Opal adopts Winn-Dixie, named after the supermarket where she found the mutt, things start to brighten up for the little girl. With her special companion by her side, Opal ends up meeting some pretty interesting people in the town. They include Miss Franny (Eva Marie Saint), the local spinster librarian who spins great stories; Otis (Dave Matthews), the shy drifter working at Gertrude's Pet Shop; and Gloria (Cicely Tyson), an old blind lady living with ghosts from her past. Through Opal's sunny disposition and Winn-Dixie doggone tenaciousness, they help the town find their joy and their sorrow. And at the same time, they mend Opal's troubled relationship with her father. Collectively now, awwww!”
I give this movie a “C”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket. The dog, Winn-Dixie, saved the film. It was a slice of life film with many quality twists.
Be Cool Movie
Yesterday I saw the movie “Be Cool”, which starred: John Travolta, Uma Thurman
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Vince Vaughn, Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel,
Cedric the Entertainer, Christina Milian, André Benjamin, Greg Alan Williams, James Woods, Steven Tyler, Arielle Kebbel, Robert Pastorelli, Paul Adelstein, Kimberly J. Brown, Carol Duboc, Keila Collins, Joe Perry, Minae Noji, Skyler Stone, Anna Nicole Smith
Phil Jackson, Stephen Maye, Stacy Ferguson and Will.I.Am.
The storyline involved the following: “Mobster-turned-movie producer Chili Palmer (John Travolta) decides to shift over to yet other creative, albeit dangerous, terrain: The music industry. He's spurred along by the murder of his friend, small-time music maven Tommy (James Woods), who leaves behind a beautiful widow, Edie (Uma Thurman) and a massive debt to a dangerous rap music mogul, Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer). Chili tells Edie about Linda Moon (Christina Milian), a gifted singer he decides to manage after seeing her perform. With her raw talent, Linda has the potential to bail them out. But first they have to get her out of a nasty contract and abusive relationship with her former manager, Nick Carr, (Harvey Keitel), his right-hand man, Raji, (Vince Vaughn), and his right-hand man, a bodyguard with the unfortunate name of Elliot Wilhelm (The Rock). Complicating things are the Russian mob, and a bevy of cops keeping Chili in their crosshairs. This all feels tacked on, as the nameless, accented characters serve the same purpose as robots in a science fiction movie--they can get blown away without sacrificing any stars or feeling any emotion (prioritize those considerations as you wish).”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie was saved by the number of movie stars in the film, but it was generally a confusing movie.
Son of the Mask Movie
Yesterday I saw the movie “Son of the Mask”, which starred: Alan Cumming, Jamie Kennedy, Traylor Howard, Bob Hoskins and Ben Stein.
The storyline involved the following: “The strange mask that gave Jim Carrey remarkable powers in the 1994 hit The Mask makes a mess of a seemingly ordinary family in this special effects-laden comic fantasy. Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy) is a cartoonist living quietly in suburbia with his wife Tonya (Traylor Howard), their baby son Alvey (Ryan Falconer), and dog Otis; however, their lives are turned upside down when Otis discovers a strange green mask which channels the spirit of Loki (Alan Cumming), the Norse god of mischief. Both Otis and Alvey get their hands (or paws) on the mask, and soon both are shape shifting and making all manner of trouble while having a great time doing it. Unfortunately, this isn't the end of Tim and Tonya's troubles -- it seems the supreme Norse god Odin (Bob Hoskins) has given Loki the assignment of recovering the mask, and Loki will do whatever he must to get the mask back from Alvey and Otis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide.”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie was entertaining, but the storyline was weak and did not make sense.
