Movie Reviews from the Dark

Greetings again from the darkness. The halfway point of 2012 has just passed, so it’s time to take note of any significant movies released between January and June.  This mid-year analysis is an annual feature because it’s so easy for first half films to be forgotten once the 4^th quarter Oscar marketing campaigns start rolling. 

Beginning in late 2010, the experts were calling 2012 the year of the blockbuster thanks to the inordinate number of big name franchises, and many of those tentpoles are finding some success at the box office.   Unfortunately, as we have learned many times through the years, a big budget does not guarantee a rewarding movie experience.   A perfect example is Disney’s John Carter, which is among the biggest box office flops in history.  Since my focus is not on tickets sold, let’s discuss which of these early-in-the-year movies are really worth seeing.

By leaps and bounds (sorry), The Avengers is the runaway success of the first half. Not only did it play to packed theatres, but director Joss Whedon assembled (sorry again) a nice cast and an interesting script, delivering a very impressive comic book all-star action fest.  The Hunger Games seemed to satisfy its huge (mostly teenage) fan base, while sci-fi lovers were split over Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.   We also had a duel between Snow White films with Kristen Stewart’s version being superior to Julia Roberts’ cackling wicked queen.

Actually, independent films provided a wealth of entertainment across a wide variety of genres, including Moonrise Kingdom, the latest gem from Wes Anderson, who is now a genre unto himself.  Fortunately, my hometown of Dallas has a few theatre options for indie films, and I take advantage as often as possible.  For those who miss the limited theatrical releases of these films, they make really nice evenings for Netflix, Redbox, cable or streaming.

The most enjoyable part of my first half movie-going this year has been the number of classic films that I have taken in on the big screen. In 6 months, I have been treated to theatrical showings of thirteen movie classics including The Godfather I and II, Cool Hand Luke, Double Indemnity, and Wings (from 1927, the first Best Picture winner).  Though it’s an unfair comparison, it does bring light to the fact that I sit through many “non-classics” each year in the never-ending hope that the next one might be an instant classic at the level of one of the true greats.

Here is a breakdown of the first half of 2012 (each category is in alphabetical order):

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

The Avengers (the best and most fun action movie)

The Intouchables (an engaging indie from France)

Marley (best documentary so far)

Moonrise Kingdom (a gem from Wes Anderson)

RECOMMENDED MAINSTREAM:

Dark Shadows, The Grey, The Hunger Games, Prometheus, Ted*

RECOMMENDED INDIES and/or WORLD CINEMA:

Bernie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Footnote (Israel), Headhunters (Norway), My Way (Korea), The Kid with a Bike (Belgium), Safety Not Guaranteed, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

CRINGE-INDUCING (not in a good way):

Carnage, Mirror Mirror, Rock of Ages, This Means War, Ted*

*Depending on your tastes, Ted fits into one of these two categories

Here is a quick PREVIEW of upcoming movies for the second half.  Get your popcorn ready:

Anna Karenina

(Keira Knightley in many costumes for Tolstoy classic )

The Bourne Legacy

(Jeremy Renner beats up people while Matt Damon rests)

The Campaign

(Will Farrell and Zack G run opposing political campaigns. Not a Documentary)

Cloud Atlas

(Tom Hanks and Wachowski bros, and Hugh Grant as a killer)

Cosmopolis

(more Cronenberg creepiness)

The Dark Knight Rises

(Batman by Nolan and Bales.  The End in IMAX)

Django Unchained

(Quentin Tarantino for Christmas)

Dredd

(futuristic, ultra-violent chaos … this time without Stallone)

The Expendables 2

(Action film sponsored by AARP)

Frankenweenie

(Tim Burton’s classic short had me in stitches)

Gangster Squad

(period mafia drama, great cast)

The Great Gatsby

(DiCaprio plays Redford… wait)

The Hobbit

(Tolkien by the creator of Lord of the Rings)

Hope Springs

(Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones get marriage counseling )

Hyde Park on Hudson

(Bill Murray as FDR cheating on Eleanor. Surprise!)

Kathryn Bigelow’s unnamed film on the Bin Laden siege

(not a mystery or comedy)

Lawless

(bootlegging brothers battle corrupt authorities)

Les Miserables

(lots of sad songs from Wolverine, Catwoman, and Maximus)

Life of Pi

(another Ang Lee head-scratcher)

Lincoln

(Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis, no vampires)

Looper

(sci-fi with Bruce Willis playing  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and vise-versa)

The Master

(Philip Seymour Hoffman as L Ron Hubbard, no Cruise cameo)

On The Road

(Kerouac’s beatniks search for “It”)

The Paperboy

(Cusack on death row. McConaughey drawls)

Seven Psychopaths

(great title, cast, director)

Silver Linings 

(who is more nuts? David O Russell or Bradley Cooper)

Skyfall

(Bond, James Bond … plus Bardem!)

Taken 2

(more particular skills from Liam Neeson)

This is 40

(Judd Apatow and cronies laugh about getting older)

Total Recall

(sci-fi remake without Ah-nuld or Sharon Stone)

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

(end of the road! Until the reboot)

GET YOUR POPCORN READY!!!

Note: this is quite a detour from the movie commentary one normally finds on this site.  Recent personal experiences and observations provided the motivation to veer from the typical content.

 Rural America is often fodder for entertainment writers.  The best, such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, provide such clear insight that we find ourselves connected to the characters and believe we understand the fabric of the community.  “The Andy Griffith Show” ran for more than a decade, stressing the humanity, humor and nuances of small town life.  Movies such as Deliverance, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Children of the Corn offer a glimpse into the dark side of those who are shut off from mainstream society.  The results, though often exaggerated by Hollywood, are often quite grisly.

My son recently lost his campaign bid to become District Attorney in a rural Texas community.  This is not a rant about his loss … it was a close race … but rather some observations about the wide chasm that exists with the citizenry, and why “community” is a misnomer when describing this area.  While our largest cities are celebrated for their convergence of varying cultures and multitudes of special interest groups, small towns thrive only if the community strives to keep up with the times, and not remain isolated from societal advancements.  To paraphrase … No Town Left Behind.

There are plenty of colorful debates to be had on whether a District Attorney, or even a Judge, should be a populace-elected position.  At the core, these are positions designed to uphold the existing laws, not draft or amend.  Logically, the optimal choice would be the best qualified candidate, not necessarily the best known.

Logic, objectivity and reasonableness seem to be the factors that divide this particular rural community.  There is certainly the group that pays attention to things such as experience, personality, endorsements, campaign platform and overall approach and vision.  This is the group that consists of individuals with whom most of us would enjoy conversing, even debating issues of substance.  Unfortunately, this group doesn’t make for interesting observatory writing.

 The “other” group is the one that so fascinates me.  What matters to these people, and why? Above all else, “one of us” is the top priority in selecting a candidate.  This was most evidenced in the State Representative race which had four candidates.  The local candidate dominated voting in this, his home county.  After all, he is “one of us” … as is his dad and his dad’s dad.  Despite his local landslide, this candidate received almost no support in the sixteen other counties that comprise this district, and did not qualify for the run-off.

What’s next on this community’s priority list?  Try church membership. Forget what you think you know about separation of church and state.  The strongest campaigning and political fundraising occurs within the church. This unspoken sphere of political influence could be exposed with minimal effort, and the sham of tax-free status would be gone for the offending church. How strong is the church bond?  When a local woman was arrested for murdering an infant by violent shaking, her fellow church members came out in mass support during the trial claiming she was a “good Christian woman”, and attended church regularly.  Of course, the jury also included some of her church members.  Do you think those jurors were strong enough to stand up to that almighty peer pressure?  Hardly.

 Surely experience and campaign issues are up next, right?  Stop thinking logically.  Next up would be marital status and procreation success.  In this area, you dare not be over age 18 and still single, lest the whispers begin about your sexual preference.  Unmarried translates into some type of character flaw to this side of the chasm. It matters not if you spent 7 frivolous years in college and law school.  The winning candidate in the DA race actually ran with his family as his campaign platform … well that, and a Dr. Seuss quote.  His obedient wife (by his side, one step behind) and four daughters were on public display and all the evidence many needed to determine he was worthy of a vote.  This despite his quoted importance of offering “a helping hand” to criminals who sometimes make a mistake.  Oh, I failed to mention that this is a FELONY-only DA position.   Second chances are fine for those with speeding tickets, but how many of us are in favor of lending “a helping hand” to those who sexually molest our child or murder our brother?

This area is filled with tough, strong people.  People who have survived tough times caused by the collapsed economy, the wrath of Mother Nature, the loss of farming and ranching income, and just an overall “land that time forgot” feeling.   Some in the area have found success by selling oil and mineral rights to their land.  Others manage to scrape out a living one way or another … or even multiple ways.  There is a group that has managed to maintain an ability to think and make mature decisions, while this other side wallows in closed-mindedness and refuses to consider any hint of progress. Drugs, especially Meth, have created an economy of their own. Luckily for those dealers, “a helping hand” is on the way.  It appears some small towns actually vote to be left behind … as long as it’s with one of their own.