Risen

Well I have to say 'Rises' was well worth the wait. I'm feeling like the members of MHB that I went with enjoyed it overall, too. When I went into work the next day and eventually discussed the movie with a couple of work buddies who are die hard comic book guys, I realized I had to walk away before I got too annoyed.  There's no pleasing some people, but I've come to the conclusion that there really is no pleasing the hardcore comic book readers when it comes to the movie adaptations. My friend Steven, who is a huge Joker fan, really liked this one but still favors 'The Dark Knight'. As for me, I can't rank Nolan's three at this point in time. They're all connected but there are things in each of them that really stand out and shine. As for 'Rises' the fight between Batman and Bane underground was easily the best scene and I loved the beginning sequence with the plane because it was a lot like a James Bond opener. The ending was great too because plot-wise everything was resolved leaving nothing open for Nolan but at the same time sort of inviting other filmmakers to give Batman a try. A writer for Rolling Stone made a really good analysis of the Nolan trilogy which was along the lines of: In a post 9/11 world, Batman took on the role of a soldier, very much so in 'Rises', fighting terrorism and like the events of 9/11 he's fighting it or dealing with it in his own backyard. 'The Dark Knight' raised the issue of whether or not it was moral to use technology to spy on people to ensure their utmost safety, which is what we're dealing with now with things like The Patriot Act signed by Bush and continued through Obama. But anyways, awesome summer movie and in general. Great cast, Gary Oldman awesome as always, Marion Cottilard and Anne Hathoway smokin' as always. Another great score by Zimmerman.

Big D's Top 5 Sci-Fi Flicks

2001: A Space Odyssey

Admittedly when I watched 2001 for the first time back in high school, I fell asleep within the first half hour. That doesn't sound like very good praise for a film you consider to be part of your top five favorite science fiction movies but when I sat down to watch it again I realized that it was because I wasn't used to 2001's speed and style. I grew up watching the fast paced and action packed Star Wars and loud, obnoxious cartoons. The movie has a very slow pace with little dialogue so its the visuals that keep you watching throughout the first forty five minutes or so. But unlike many movies that make the mistake of putting more emphasis on visuals and less on acting or story, 2001 succeeded in all three. Written by scientist and sci-fi author Arthur C. Clark and legendary director Stanley Kubrick, 2001 one takes you on a journey from man's fragile beginnings to its encounter with a mysterious alien technology in the depths of the solar system.

 Blade Runner

Like THX-1138 or John Carpenter's The Thing, Blade Runner has become sort of a cult sci-fi movie for the past thirty years. Set in a highly polluted and overpopulated near future in Los Angeles, Blade Runners like Harrison Ford's character Deckard are paid to hit the streets and hunt down fugitive synthetics, advanced robots who'll do anything to delay their own destruction. Blade Runner is very cerebral with elements from other films like Taxi Driver and The French Connection. The world of Blade Runner was what certain demographics and crowds were looking for who were tired of the warm-hearted feel good blockbuster that was E.T.. 

Alien

For many years I've put Alien on a very high pedestal. Story-wise it really bordered on being a B movie, but it was the cast, the acting and visually striking sets and star monster that elevated the picture into something that was far from mediocre and revolutionized horror and sci-fi. With an eerie yet beautiful score that wasn't overly present, slow and simple camera movement and a Hitchcock-esc method of letting the audience scare themselves, Alien was a departure from the kind of sci-fi audiences had been getting for quite some time and it opened a lot of doors for other filmmakers. I loved the whole underlying dynamic of  the antagonist Weyland Corporation acting as the man behind the curtain or puppeteer pulling the strings so to speak. Prometheus was a great compliment to this movie and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel.

A.I. : Artificial Intelligence

In my opinion Spielberg is at his best when he's doing sci-fi and this is my favorite Spielberg sci-fi movie. The story was originally the brainchild of 2001 co-writer Stanley Kubrick and he had intended on directing the movie that was to become A.I. but passed away before he got the opportunity. He asked Spielberg to do it and after a lot of back and forth between the two directors over who was right for it, Spielberg finally agreed to make the movie for his dying friend. I'm sure A.I. would've been great had Kubrick directed it but Spielberg did an amazing job. Most of the sci-fi I love, as you can probably tell, deals with the philosophy of having robots who look just like us also walk among us as equals and I've always been fascinated with that dilemma of whether or not man is going to far with technology. Haley Joel Osment really showed his acting chops here and I wish the movie was more widely recognized and accepted. A very intelligent and beautiful story all around, check it out.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Last but absolutely not least we come to the masterpiece that is Empire, my number one fav. If you ask most Star Wars fans what their favorite Star Wars episode is, you get the answer "Empire!". And for good reason, you're entering a story in which the universe and characters have already been established so there's little need to explain much beyond the iconic opening plot scroll in space. For me Empire has everything I want in a sci-fi movie, or most movies for that matter. I've seen it so many times I can replay it word for word, scene by scene in my head without error. How do you like them nerdy apples? But seriously, I think it strikes a chord with a lot of people in the way that many second acts do. Its when everything goes to Hell and the antagonist gets the upper hand. In this case the antagonist happens to be my favorite character and Empire was the ultimate Vader comeback. What really did it for me was that Lucas took a back seat and hired a director that understood what this movie needed. If only Kershner had directed Revenge of The Sith. 

"Andy!" - Aunt Bee

I know this is primarily a movie blog but I wanted to pay tribute to a huge tv icon that passed away on the 3rd. I didn't watch the Andy Griffith show growing up but I started watching it a couple of years ago and even more so with my dad when I would stay with him throughout the week. Mayberry was definitely like the world of Leave It To Beaver in the sense that you knew no place could be that perfect but there was a part of you that wished your town or your world was. And sitcoms from that era are nothing like they are now. Old schoolers like my grandparents see that as a bad thing but I've always tried to look at social change with optimism because it is inevitable whether you agree with the change or not. But I can watch Andy Griffith and sometimes laugh just as hard as I do when I'm watching a sitcom like Seinfeld or Friends and I think that says a lot considering, again, the social changes. I love the above picture because its such a classic, iconic image of an American father and son and it reminds of when I was Opie's age and my papaw or my dad from time to time would take me fishing. I was never good at it but I didn't care. I was with the most important men in my life and that was all that mattered. R.I.P. Andy. It almost feels like we lost a president or something.

So far this week I went and saw two movies. One of which was Brave and the other being Ted. So far this has been a great summer for me and Ted really delivered while Brave did not. Brave was a pretty short film and just didn't do too much. I'm a big fan of most Disney movies and most Pixar movies but this one really let me down. There was very little comedy and the story wasn't really anything new. Just your typical rebellious girl character who is great with a bow and arrow ( yes this is actually a typical character) and nothing new in the princess who doesn't want to be promised to some guy without choosing. Disney did actually do a good job not giving away too much of the plot in the trailers so I will give them credit for that. The movie has been well recieved though so I wouldn't be surprised if that flaming red hair makes it on screen for a sequel.

The picture above should tell you all you need to know about this movie. It totally lived up to all the hype and all of my expectations. I absolutely loved the little, filthy, foul mouthed teddy bear and I am not ashamed. Even Wahlberg gives his best to be funny and doesn't do a half bad job. I don't want to give away too much of the funnier things and appearances in the film but I highly suggest everyone get out there to see this movie. Enjoy it and leave the theatre with the satisfying feeling in your mind from knowing it is sure to get a follow up film after the great weekend that Ted had.