Chatter Of The Squirrel

Transformers

Thursday morning, 1130am show. Probably the first screening in this timezone. Even that early in the morning, there’s a long line at the cinema. Good thing I already bought the tix online several days ago.

Used my credit card, paid online, and chose my seat somewhere near dead centre of the theater. Then at the cineplex, there are two e-ticket vending machines that no one seems to have figured out yet. Just needed to slot my credit card into one, keyed in my IC number for verification, and the tix is printed out.

Back to the movie…

It was KICK ASS!!

Anyone born before 1980 will love the movie.

Giant brawling robots, with fight choreography worthy of a John Woo movie. Lucasfilms Light and Magic did the CGI, and what they did for this film was way more impressive than any of the last three Anakin flicks.

The quality of the CGI is apparent, and goes without saying.

The story has a nice mix of light-heartedness and heated action. There are elements of Herbie, Pete’s Dragon, and maybe even a bit of American Pie. Plenty of humor, and some cliches which -though tired- really bring back memories.

“You failed me yet again, Starscream.”

Gold!

Anyways, don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone.

100 Bullets

Started reading this series of comics a couple of years ago, then left it behind for a while. Suddenly found myself having a bit of free time now, and got caught up with it, at issue 83 now.

100 Bullets is a line of comics from DC Vertigo, comics for more mature readers. There are assassins, gangsters, crime bosses, drugs, addicts, violence, conspiracy, revenge, etc. A great social commentary of where the world is heading.

The premise begins with a mysterious agent, who randomly hands out a brief-case containing a gun and 100 untraceable bullets. Any law agency finding those bullets will cease their investigation. Inside, there’s also irrefutable evidence telling the recipient of the briefcase who they can blame for screwing up their life. The gun gives them carte blanche. The gun is a chance for the recipient to administer his/her own justice, or revenge.

The story has numerous unique and interesting characters. XIII crime bosses working in relative peace with each other; 7 Minute Men, assassins who enforce this tenuous peace; Agent Graves handing out briefcases encouraging random people to exercise their rage.

The most powerful and memorable story is issue 11, Heartbreak Sunnyside Up. Agent Graves gives a briefcase to a waitress, and tells her the story of her runaway daughter. How she ran away from home at 12 with no money, forced into prostitution, abused, drugged, infected, and died broke and broken at 15. Agent Graves gives the mother the briefcase with the gun and bullets. And evidence of what made her daughter run away from home.

The mother returns home. Confronted her husband wordlessly. And emptied all 100 bullets into him. The grief, the pain of betrayal, the rage were very eloquently told in simple, silent images. A superb example of how the graphic novel used its unique medium most successfully.

A lot of the stories are pulp though. Exactly the kind of stories like in Pulp Fiction. But great reading.

Also liked the story where it purported that Joe DiMaggio might have assassinated JFK to avenge Marilyn Monroe. Agent Graves handed a briefcase to Joe while he’s grieving over Marilyn’s grave. And this is where I checked up http://www.findagrave.com, and discovered that Norma Jean was interred in a wall crypt. Not a grave like it was drawn in the comic.

I don’t know why, but knowing this gave me an odd thrill.

NEXT

Nicholas Cage is a lame stage magician with an unusual ability to see 2 minutes into his future.

But an FBI agent discovers his ability, and attempts to recruit him to stop a terrorist threat.

I particularly enjoy stories with some element of time travel, or future sight. Some favourites being: Donnie Darko, The Butterfly Effect, and the first two Terminator movies. I can even stretch this list to include The Lake House (even though it’s got Keanu and Sandra in it…)

NEXT doesn’t top any of the above movies. But I enjoy the premise, which is based off a Philip K. Dick novel: The Golden Man.

The movie is drastically different from the novel. The novel takes place in a post-apocalyptic world with mutants, and the protagonist has golden skin and future sight. A literal golden man, hunted by an agency that wants to study his abilities.

The movie isn’t so kooky. It used the basic premise, and wove a fairly engaging love story around the lame magician. It’s almost a whole new story, but it’s good to see Philip Dick given credit for it anyway.

Almost all of the movie adaptations of Philip Dick’s stories turned out great.

Blade Runner, an early Harrison Ford flick based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

Total Recall, with Arnold the Republican, based on We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.

Paycheck, with Ben Affleck & Uma Thurman.

Minority Report, with Tom Cruise.

A Scanner Darkly, with Keanu, Robert Downey Jr, Winona Ryder etc.

NEXT isn’t the best adaptation, but it’s in very good standings.

Shooter

A Mark Wahlberg movie.

He’s a first class sniper, set up as the fall guy for a conspiracy to assassinate the President.

He manages to escape from the trap laid by the conspiracists, evade capture, investigate the bad guys, clear his name, and take his revenge on the evil greedy capitalists.

A very predictable formula. But at least competently executed. Yet it’s an un-outstanding movie…

The Rock

One of Nicholas Cage’s best movie. Have seen it multiple times, and still enjoy it.

Just found out that Michael Bay directed this. Let’s hope he did as good a job with Transformers too.

Awesome quote:

“This is more enjoyable than my average day. Reading philosophy, avoiding gang rape in the washrooms… though that’s less of a problem these days. Maybe I’m losing my sex appeal.” - Mason (Sean Connery)