The Big 6 – 0

“In the film world, we can all be heroes. In the real world, where heroism can cost you your life or the life of the ones you love, people aren’t so willing to make those sacrifices. When they do, they are set apart from the rest of us.”~John Rhys-Davies

Time to let out my inner nerd!!!

This day in history, for giant monster film fans and for fans of the Godzilla film series.. The third of November in 1954 was the release of the “kaiju” film GODZILLA.

Now sixty years later, Godzilla fans rejoice with their top of the line Blu-Ray edition of the film or special edition DVD’s that have been sitting on shelves for the past several years are becoming unwrapped and played for the first time ever in order to watch this Japanese classic.

Like many others, I grew up watching these bad boys during my wee youth. I can recall getting excited every time “King Kong vs. Godzilla” was on television. And even before the age of ten, I kept cheering for Godzilla to emerge victorious from the ocean during that film. Even though it was King Kong that came through the waters and Godzilla was never on screen again during that epic battle ending. I remember every time I watched that movie, wanting… begging… wishing for a different ending. But it never came.

As I grew older I realized that the movie had actually called the match a stalemate and a tie as NEITHER creature won. I still contend to this day that King Kong was getting his ass kicked. But that’s for another day.

I can even remember being terrified of watching “Godzilla vs. Hedorah” or “Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster.” Having a foe that deadly was a huge risk, even for Godzilla, in my own opinion. To this day I believe that I have not watched that particular film all the way through from beginning to end.

And now there are 28 films in the franchise. On top of that, you have your two American made films. Godzilla (1998) and the Gareth Edwards film Godzilla that came out this year in 2014.

I remember as a fan being super pumped up for the American version of the film in 1998. It was every where according to merchandising. Taco Bell got on board as well as other brands. And then sitting in the front row at the movie theater practically breaking my neck looking straight up at the screen to what would ultimately be such a shock to my system as I became one of the millions of extremely disappointed fans and movie goers. And this year with Edwards version of the film, I was much more relaxed and content with what I saw than I was way back in 1998.

Although I did go back and watch the 1998 version again recently and it was not a bad film. In fact, it was a decent movie. The problem was that it just was not Godzilla.

But a BIG NOD to the G-man today. Happy 60th, big guy!!! May there be even more films to put into the franchise as we go along.

 

Zero Dark Thirty

Jessica Chastain

“He only profits from praise who values criticism.”~ Heinrich Heine

If you personally have any vested interest in this film, then you probably will want to skip this blog post.

I saw this movie on Sunday, the same day as the Super Bowl.

Yes, I knew that the “big  game” was on but I just didn’t have any interest in it whatsoever.

I had been wanting to see this film ever since I knew about it, and I had planned on seeing it earlier but time constraints held me back. But last Sunday I just up and left and went to see it.

I don’t normally watch films at the theater anymore and I was absolutely and quickly reminded as to why that is the case.

After spending nearly $30 for concession food and to get into the theater, and over 150 minutes of watching this film, my money could have been put to better use.

I had allowed myself to become a bit nervous based on a conversation I had about the film’s scenes of torture. And as I sat there in the dark (with only two others in the entire room) I realized that these torture scenes were rather quick and to the point of the film.

But I was unphased. The torture scenes were similar to the scenes in the film, “Safe House” starring Denzel Washington. THOSE scenes were a little more intense.

The film progressed in the longest fashion that I had ever known. I realize that there was a full story to tell since the film started out with a few bits and pieces of the attacks that happened on the 11th of September. So there was over a decade to cover before the film got to the point of the plot: Find Bin Laden.

This could be classified as a thriller. It could also be called a drama. But the whole “based on true events” tag line (if it ever used it) was questionable. I hate it when Hollywood uses that to promote a film that has a story and a plot that supposedly had happened in real life. As it was said to me earlier, watching films in the theater is supposed to be an escape mechanism.

Quite honestly, I figured that this film was going to focus more upon that. But it stretched out in long scenes that dragged and dragged and dragged.

Covering over a decade of a timeline shouldn’t have to be that difficult. I’ve seen films that were done many decades ago that covered over several centuries in a timeline of a plot that took LESS time than Zero Dark Thirty.

It also could be that I had higher expectations of the film. And it didn’t deliver what I had expected. Although it was very amusing to see James Gandolfini as Director of the C.I.A. that was rather close to the President of the United States. Or was it amusing that he had more hair on his head than he did when he starred in The Sopranos?

Two-thirds of the film was to cover seven years in the hunt for Bin Laden. The rest of it actually was the siege on the compound in Afghanistan…. a story that we ALL know by now.  

It was quite lengthy in duration as the ending of the film. And I began to wonder how accurate it was to what happened in reality.

It was very interesting to me that they would put on film a quick view of Bin Laden after he had been eliminated…. laying there bloodied and dead as they continued to put bullets in him to make sure. But they never clearly showed his face during any time of the film. The actor who played Bin Laden is Ricky Sekhon.

Then at the end, I just rolled my eyes as the camera came in close to the main character Maya, as played by Jessica Chastain. And that was that.

I realized also other reasons why I do not go to the theater to watch these films.

Not only are concessions stands the Devil ($18.50 spent: which is my own fault), but the volume in theaters is insanely loud. No matter if they have to be loud enough for a crowded theater, its still too much.

As a child, I always had issues with extremely loud noises. I think that during Zero Dark Thirty, I jumped a half a dozen times because either gunfire or an explosion was so frickin’ loud. And then I remembered that I had this same issue watching “Savages” in the theater. The last movie that I had seen in the theater.

I am sure that the  couple who sat about ten to twelve rows back behind me had fun watching me bounce up and down in my wheelchair like a Jack-In-The-Box every time something went KA-BOOM!!

I didn’t even bother to stick around for the final seconds of the credits just to see if something was added. Something that many people miss, but doesn’t happen 100% of the time.

As I left the theater and walked through the front door, I turned on the television and found that the Super Bowl was at halftime and Beyonce was on stage doing her thang. I was so exhausted from the disappointment of it all that I had no interest in watching the second half. Although I do know that there was a power outage in the third quarter and there’s been some really hilarious jokes floating around on the Internet about it. And I do know who would end up winning. Isn’t that the important part anyway??

I think however that my expectations were far too high for this film. The excitement build up that I had when I found that they were making a movie about the hunt for Bin Laden had soared to a level of high that never should have been reached.

Then again, perhaps this film was made in too much haste.  At least for a Hollywood production. I figured documentaries and special programs would come, and they did. But a Hollywood produced film, I never really thought would come so soon.

The only example I have is the film “Selena” starring Jennifer Lopez. That film came out within just a few years of Selena’s death. And now when I watch it, I just wonder what Hollywood was thinking making a film so soon. But without this film, Lopez wouldn’t reach the status and level of fame that she has today.

So who knows? Maybe this film will catapult Jessica Chastain’s career?? I for certain had never heard of her until this.

All I know is that in my opinion, I should have waited for the DVD release. And as much as I was disappointed with it as a whole, I know that when that DVD release comes that the darn thing will end up in my collection.

I was asked later in the evening which movie I went to see.

I’ve been referring to it as “Zero Dork Thirty” ever since.

 

 

 

A Very Memorable First Impression

“What did the five fingers say to the face?”~ Dave Chappelle

Yesterday I received a call from someone that I knew so long ago. After about an hour of talking and catching up with one another, she had invited me to return to Kansas to be there to celebrate the renewing of her wedding vows to her husband.

I actually was there when she got married during a small civil ceremony. I was the one that actually walked the bride outside onto the deck where it all took place. Such an honor.

But now they are going to renew their vows this March and of course she knew that I lived so far away, and yet still felt it was important for her to invite me anyway. As they say, it was the thought that counts.

After a while, I called my friends in Kansas to talk about the fact that she had called to invite me. And then the conversation had turned to taking a few moments to remember some memories that my friends and I had. Particularly the day that I met my friend’s wife for the first time. We all agreed that this story is funny, and that I should share it on my blog.

I had been friends with Jeremy for a few years and he kept talking about this woman whom he had dated a while back. They lost touch with one another and he began to wonder about her. But then when Jeremy’s sister was going to be married, he told me that this woman, Weslyon, was going to be in attendance at the wedding. So I shouldn’t panic if he “disappeared” for a while. After all, he was my ride.

I was introduced to Weslyon and she was very smart, quirky, and funny. It would come to be that myself, along with Jeremy and his brother, and Weslyon would all hang out together for the rest of the day into the night and the following day.

I remember thinking that it was really awesome to be able to hang out with people my own age, doing whatever we wanted and having no curfews or anything. Just young adults doing what they pleased.

After the wedding, we strolled around in the Wal-Mart for several hours. I would come to find out very quickly that Weslyon was a bit of a prankster of sorts. Very fast on the comebacks. But once you’ve been had, you’ve been had. Props were to be given to her.

We then went out to eat, and then decided to go to the movies. Now this is where this blog dates the whole situation. We went to go see “Men In Black”.

From right to left, was myself-Jeremy-Weslyon-Jeremy’s brother. The “Awesome Foursome Of Friends”.

In the darkness of the theater during the silly advertisements and trivia questions and movie facts, Jeremy’s brother and I noticed that… Jeremy & Weslyon were holding hands.

Hmm….

Well of course now we had to pick on them. We told them that we were not going to tolerate any hanky-panky during the film. And threatened to separate them if they misbehaved.

But my general comment about it was that they’d find a way to still hold hands even if we sent Jeremy to the back of the theater.

"Nobody saw it coming in the darkness. Everyone was shocked."

In the blink of an eye, I felt an excruciating sharp pain across my collar bone. Weslyon had reached over and slapped me, while reaching across Jeremy’s chest. Jeremy to this day claims he never got touched but felt the wind of her swinging arm go by his face.

There I sat, wondering what just happened. I never saw it coming. Not while sitting in the darkness. She didn’t make a sound! For awhile, we nicknamed her “assassin”.

I didn’t say anything. Nobody said anything. Not until after the movie when Weslyon had began to profusely apologize to me for hitting me like that. I could never figure out until probably close to a year after it had happened as to WHY it happened in the first place.

She had misheard what I had said about Jeremy finding a way to still hold hands with her from way back in the theater. What she thought I had said was far worse and perverted, so she retaliated in her defense.

This is how my friendship with Weslyon had started. With a smack across the collar bone due to a misunderstanding. And we still laugh about it to this day.

I found myself with Jeremy & Weslyon one full year after it had happened. I ended up having this conversation with her from the backseat of their vehicle, talking about how it had been one year since that fateful smack. She again apologized and I told her that in memory of it being one year, and neither one of us were dead from killing one another, I bought her a gift.

“Men In Black” on VHS.

The look on her face was priceless. Jeremy lost it, laughing so hard he began to drool on himself. But then Weslyon and I hugged and she thanked me.

Weslyon still is the Queen of comebacks. I’ve not met anyone her equal. She got me good on the telephone yesterday. I was stunned to the point of being speechless. Yep, she’s still got it!! And honestly I hope she never loses it. Life would be dull if she did.

But now I can say that I understand why they say to be silent during the movie, because you never know when the backhand of death will come flying in your direction in the darkness.