Since the trailer for next year’s Suicide Squad movie has been released, having magnified the uproar following the casting and look of Jared Leto as The Joker, I have decided to examine the evolution of the character in movies in anticipation of the upcoming film. Follow me, Batman fans! Continue reading
…Goes To The Movies
I am and have always been a huge movie nerd. I own hundreds of movies, and have been to the theaters for hundreds more over the years. For me, there is no better way to escape the stresses of life for a couple hours than to delve into another world and simply be entertained. Here, I will write about movies, review some that I’ve seen, convey my excitement for upcoming flicks, and may even throw some TV talk in. Stay tuned.
Movie Trailer Madness
The trailers are a crucial and exciting part of the movie-going experience, getting you pumped up not only for the film you are about to see, but for upcoming flicks that they tease. I, for one, refuse to miss them when I go to the theater, as they often enough end up being better than the movie I’m actually there to see. They complete the experience, along with paying twenty bucks for popcorn that likely cost a dollar to make, and a bucket of soda that cost even less. If the theater is crowded enough, after each trailer you can see and hear fellow fans doing the same thing you are, which is turning to the person you’re there with, and shaking or nodding your head, and making some sort of comment about your level of approval between mouthfuls of popcorn.
Ryan Remembers…My Fellow Americans
Released in 1996, My Fellow Americans is one of the sharpest, most well-written comedies of that decade. With an all-star cast including Jack Lemmon, James Garner (both of whom are unfortunately no longer with us), Dan Aykroyd, Bradley Whitford, John Heard, and Wilford Brimley, the movie delivers a plot complete with a frame job that goes all the way up to the Oval Office, and loads of laughs along the way. Lemmon and Garner star as two former Presidents who form a most unlikely alliance, forced to set aside their hatred for each other when one of them is framed for taking a kickback on a defense contract while in office.
Ryan Remembers…Down Periscope
In 1996’s Down Periscope, Kelsey Grammer stars as Lieutenant Commander Tom Dodge, a U.S. Navy submarine commander who is specifically chosen to lead a rag-tag crew in an impossible series of war games against a more decorated and power-hungry leader. Admiral Graham (Bruce Dern), has had it out for Dodge for some time due to his spotty track record on missions, and sticks him with a bunch of Navy rejects, which includes another superiors son who has a raging attitude problem, a college basketball choke artist, a driver with a gambling problem, an electrician who’s had more voltage pumped through him than a transformer, and a cook whose water is not exactly boiling. The fun doesn’t stop there, of course, as Dodge is also paired with an executive officer by the name of Marty Pascal (Rob Schneider), who himself has some quite acute anger management issues. Rounding out the cast of major characters is Lauren Holly as dive officer Emily Lake. She is sprung upon Dodge as a surprise by Graham, who is instituting a trial program that would enable women to work on submarines for the first time. As if that weren’t enough, the ship he is given to command is a recommissioned submarine from World War II that is falling apart at the seams, and is set to compete against a world-class nuclear sub in the games.
Ryan Remembers…Cashback
Back in college, I had a roommate by the name of Dave. We lived together for the final two years of school, and we did little outside of watching movies and television. He remained in New Brunswick with his girlfriend after graduation, in an apartment just off campus at our old stomping grounds of Rutgers. From time to time, I would go up to see him, and we’d spend the day gorging ourselves on the fine cuisine that can be found on Easton Avenue, and watching movies. On one of those occasions, Dave suggested a movie that he had already seen, and told me, “I don’t think you’re going to like this movie.” I scoffed, and he insisted that we watch it anyway.
Ryan Remembers…Kuffs
In 1992, one of my favorite, little-known “buddy cop” movies was released, and it keeps me laughing to this day. Christian Slater plays the title character, George Kuffs, an immature, n’er-do-well screw-up who just got his girlfriend pregnant and is trying to squeeze his older brother for money so he can hit the South American gold rush that he insists is going on. His girlfriend is portrayed by a very young Milla Jovovich, and when I say young, I mean she was 15 during the filming. His brother Brad, (Bruce Boxleitner) is a “patrol special” in San Francisco, where there is no official police force and store owners pay law enforcement officers for protection in their given district. Of course, there is lots of badness going on in the streets- stores are being vandalized, shop owners are being threatened and extorted by thugs, and the people in Brad’s district are losing faith in him. Brad is offered a bribe by a criminal by the name of Kane, who asks him to look the other way while he and his cohorts tear up the town.
Ryan Remembers…Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon
When it comes to horror movies, they are typically divided into two classes – the A-list classics, and the low-budget B-movies and remakes. In 2006, one movie created a class of its own. Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon brought with it a style and charm that is rarely seen in the genre, as the title character lets us into his world. Continue reading
Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Originally published on 8/28/14 at The Nerd In The Box (thenerdinthebox.com)
WARNING: Contains spoilers.
So, I saw it.
I had been very cautious about letting myself feel any genuine excitement about a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie since the minute word of a reboot was unceremoniously breathed upon the world. After all, everyone knows how to the world feels about Hollywood rebooting classic films simply because they have no better, original ideas. But then it got worse. Continue reading
Review: Jurassic World
WARNING: Contains spoilers!
Twenty-two years after Jurassic Park was released, and after two disappointing and arguably unnecessary sequels, Jurassic World came roaring into theaters. That roar was a loud one, as this summer’s blockbuster raked in a whopping $208 million on its opening weekend, surpassing The Avengers (2012) for the biggest opening of all-time. More than two decades after the theme park on Isla Nublar, which was meant to dazzle tourists with close-up views of real-life dinosaurs, closed due to unforeseen tragedy, a new one was built right in its place. It seems that humans never learn. While the original Jurassic films were adventurous and fun (mostly the first one), they served as a commentary on mankind’s continuous and ill-advised attempts to harness and control nature. Continue reading
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