MovieFreak
Smashwords Edition.
Reviews/columns/short stories/editorial pieces and constant ramblings by:
Keith Helinski
Compiled and edited 2011/2012.
Foreword by:
Dennis Landmann
Foreword
When Keith asked me to write a foreword to his collection of reviews and columns (and ramblings; a word he likes to use from time to time) that were published on MovieFreak.com throughout the years, the last eight years to be precise, I thought, perfect.
Perfect, not in the sarcastic sense, but perfect in that it would get me to write something original. Like Keith, I started writing in high school for the newspaper. It was 1999 when MovieFreak grew out of my parents’ garage, inspired by my love for film. I started reviewing films on the site on a consistent basis after getting in contact with Paramount Studios, who provided me with advance copies of their new releases for me to cover.
What a fantastic opportunity and feeling it was, being able to watch films for free, having an outlet to publish to, and writing about the reasons why a film worked and didn’t work.
A couple of years later, Keith Helinski made his way to the site. The site was starting to expand by featuring columns and editorials, and he seized the opportunity. An enthusiastic young fellow, it was clear from the early start, as Keith conveyed real passion for film that was refreshing and admirable. His retrospective article on the WB channel was the type of editorial writing I wanted to feature on the site.
I saw potential for more of his thoughts to translate into editorials, and so I asked him to join as a contributor, and contribute he did, graduating from editorial pieces to film and DVD reviews. Looking back on these last eight years it is immediately apparent the improvements Keith has made in his writing since he started; a wonderful thing to see a passionate writer develop. As an editor, you start to notice these things.
As you dig into this collection of reviews and columns I hope you see some of the same things I saw in Keith. I will venture a guess and say he probably isn’t done sharpening his writing and style, and wish him the best of success as he moves into the belly of the beast that is the creative writing world.
Dennis Landmann
Owner & Editor in Chief, MovieFreak.com
September 18, 2011
A Moviefreak Retrospective by Keith Helinski, Part One
Eight years ago, I wrote a profound epic piece called, ‘A Retrospect…The WB.’ I thought it was the coolest shit I have ever written and checked many movie/TV websites, looking to see if anyone would publish it. Surprisingly(!), I did not get one bite. I was about to call it quits in my young, writing, life, when I received a strange email from a dude name Dennis Landmann. He thought The WB piece was actually good and worth publishing on his site. And so ‘A Retrospect…The WB,’ was published October 15th, 2003. And that began a beautiful friendship over at MovieFreak.com.
It was not until the following year; Dennis offered me an opportunity to write DVD reviews. At first, I was hesitant. On a technical side, I had no idea what I was writing (and to be honest, I still don’t know!), but I winged it. For my age, I thought I was f’n cool as hell, getting DVDs for free (and in advanced), and the only thing I had to do was review them. Not bad of a gig at all!
In truth, movie critics do not get the respect they most certainly deserve. Critiquing itself is an art form that is much unappreciated. Sure, anyone could bitch about a movie and get paid for it. But does anyone know about movies as much as say, Roger Ebert? The same applies with a restaurant critic, or a wine critic, or a music critic.
Ebert (and a lot of well-known critics) has as much influence in the movie industry as those that make the movies. I also like to add that Ebert has given me much inspiration for my writing then, and even now. The fact that he is still writing to this day is inspiring.
This ebook (appropriately named simply: MovieFreak) is a collection of my best and favorites from MovieFreak, as well as some unpublished gems that never made it on the site.
But while this particular collection may feature a lot of MovieFreak pieces, my movie-critiquing career did not start from MovieFreak. It actually started with The Vanguard, my high school newspaper I wrote for. The very first ‘formal’ movie review I wrote was for a small, unknown movie called Spiderman, back in 2002. And that started my hobby of movie reviewing. It goes without saying that much of the inspiration and influence I got for my movie reviews comes from a mixture of both Ebert’s technical and critique-type writing and Stephen King’s sarcastic and lighthearted Entertainment Weekly columns.
What you are about to dive into starts from my more recent writings to my ramblings from 2002 (including pieces published via Vanguard). I also threw in a couple of movie-related short stories for good measure. I cleaned up a little bit of grammar here and there without changing or altering my voice at the time. As Dennis would put it with some of my columns: “Sentence structures and wordings have not been altered or corrected for grammatical errors in hope of preserving the author's original voice, ramblings, and range of sanity!”
I also wrote a few new pieces just for MovieFreak, topping out this collection. Consider it the butter in this lengthy bucket of popcorn!
It is amazing that I have been writing movie reviews for almost a decade! I am very grateful for Dennis, who has been putting up with my ramblings and me all these years. I would not be the writer I am today (for better or worse) without the practice I gotten through the MovieFreak reviews.
Mush-mush over.
Enjoy the show!
2011:
Jurassic Park Trilogy Blu Ray review column
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo short
Hugo short
My STAR WARS story feature
Dear Roger Ebert…feature
The Lion King in 3D(!) feature
Six Feet Under short
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Blu Ray review
Cinema Paradiso short story
Almost Famous short
Everwood Season 4 DVD review
Super 8 movie review
Pirates IV short
Raise Your Glass: Stuck in the Twilight Saga short story
You Don’t Know Jack movie review
Jurassic Park - Ultimate Trilogy
SYNOPSIS
God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs...
Dinosaurs eat man. Steven Spielberg inherits the box office.
CRITIQUE
My obsession with movies really started the summer of ’93. I was 8 years old and was into Batman/Ghostbusters/ALF/Ninja Turtles/Disney. I never saw movies as anything but just movies. I never analyzed, never critiqued, and never once looked at it as an art form. It was, simply, just, movies.
There was a huge movie that came out June 11 that year. It was everywhere. It was hard to avoid it, actually. It certainly caught my interest. And it caught my dad’s, too. He took me to see it roughly two weeks after its release at the old Showcase Sterling (which does not exist anymore).
The Universal logo appeared with jungle sounds, and then, boom!
JURASSIC PARK
The first scene caught me by surprised. I was riveted, scared, enticed, all the adjectives that describe a moviegoer scrabbling in their theater chair in terror and delight! But nothing prepared me for the T-Rex scene! The scene still gives me Goosebumps to this day!
For an 8-year-old, Jurassic Park left a huge impression on me. I was amazed what movies could actually do, like bringing back dinosaurs.
And man was I JP-ed that summer. I collected the toys, the books, the comics, the soundtrack, the McDonalds cups (pains me that I got rid of a good majority of those collectibles!) I even regretfully penciled a fence and dinosaurs behind that fence on my walls in my room.
I saw Jurassic Park two more times that year, once on my birthday just weeks after seeing it the first time around. And the third time months later at the $1 theater. I, luckily, was able to see Jurassic Park the fourth time around on the big screen many years later at the Universal Cineplex in Orlando, FL, back in 2008.
I remember when the VHS was first released; it was such an event (at least in my life!) And I played that damn tape over and over. I played it before school, after school. Bored my family. Bored my babysitters. I did not care. I was in Jurassic Park-glory!
Jurassic Park tells the story of an ambitious man (John Hammond) that longs to create a unique amusement park. He accomplishes this feat by finding a way to bring dinosaurs back to life, and then sells these dinosaurs as a theme park attraction. But as Ian Malcolm points out, John Hammond bit more than he could chew. And a soft opening over a weekend, in hopes to create appeal for the theme park, turns into a nightmare no one could ever imagine. A perfect story idea for a perfect blockbuster. But was Jurassic Park truly a perfect movie?
So much concern went into the visuals of this film, that character depth kind of got placed to the side. The source material, Michael Crichton’s wonderful novel by the same name, does a better job fleshing out the story, the philosophy, the horror, and of course, the characters.
Crichton came up with a brilliant idea, one of those ideas that makes you wonder, ‘why haven’t they thought of that before?’ His idea was actually a lot simpler than the novel he intended to write. But to sell the idea, he took it and combined it with a previous story of his (Westworld). Little he realized how big the idea would become. In fact, with all his anti-Disney within Westworld (and Jurassic Park), I wonder if he has any regret of giving Jurassic Park to Universal, considering how Jurassic Park in itself has become a theme park attraction.
Jurassic Park is not a perfect movie. It has its share of plot holes, movie mistakes, and now: outdated effects.
I do wish after all these years, the movie were more close to the book. There were so many key moments from the book that would have made great movie magic (the Tyrannosaur chasing Grant and the kids through a river, finding the Raptor nest tail end of the book, Hammond’s own death scene).
Shortcomings aside, Jurassic Park is an extraordinary b-movie. It is actually more than just a b-movie, it was an experience like none-other in its day, and 18 years later, it is still a thrill for me.
The Lost World expands from Jurassic Park by adding a back story, although John Hammond had ‘Jurassic Park,’ he also had another island that the creation of dinosaurs took place at. Nature took its course, and the dinosaurs still exist on this ‘site b.’ After finding this out, two teams set out to this island; one to observe, the other to take-over. Which team finds the island first, though?
I was a 12-year-old when this movie came out summer of ’97. Jurassic Park was still a big thrill for me, as well as the anticipation for the sequel. I never noticed the criticism and the bashing of the movie till years later.
Putting my soft spot of the movie to the side for just a moment, it is not a great movie at all. In fact, it is the weakest of Spielberg films (higher than Hook or 1941, but still down in the pits of mediocrity). There is very little depth, followed by a whole lot of large, uninspired set pieces.
It also makes no sense whatsoever. Explain something to me: if the Rex is locked inside the cargo of the ship, what killed the people up above as it was heading to San Diego?
But, aside all the negative energy that surrounds this movie, I still enjoy watching The Lost World to this day. The score, for instance, is fantastic. John Williams could HAVE duplicated the Jurassic Park score, but instead, created a different kind of score for this movie. Much like the first movie, I remember I was obsessed with that score (and I still play it once in a blue moon).
I always get Goosebumps after that one-hour mark, and Tyrannosaurs comes on queue, in its terrifying glory! That trailer across the cliff scene is great, edge-of-your-seat summer movie magic. The raptors in the tall-grass is another great sequence. AND, despite how it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever as to how it played out, I am guilty for LOVIN’ that Rex in San Diego climax. I remember sitting in a pack theater the night the movie premiered, and everyone in that theater house laughed, clapped, and was in awe at that sequence. Steven Spielberg has a way of toying with the movie audience, no denying that! When the first movie came out, I remember having nightmares of a Tyrannosaurus standing next to my house, roaring its head off. I could not believe that nightmare made it to the sequel!
All and all, it is not a great film, but it is not the worse film in film history. Spielberg had his reasons why he wanted to do it (Jaws 2, 3, Revenge anyone?!?!) But I do wish he went forward with his own idea of where the sequel could go…which was a missed opportunity with…
Jurassic Park III tells yet another tale of human beings invading a ‘lost world’ with dinosaurs. This time, the story regards a divorced couple, whose’s son ‘accidentally’ stumbles upon the island, and their desperate attempt to rescue him.
I did not care for part III at all. I was disappointed in the rehash plot of human beings going into the island, ‘OH NO, RUN,’ and BOOM – end of movie. The movie was 30 minutes shorter than The Lost World, but felt oddly longer to me!
I think the biggest disappointment for me, it could have went into the direction of where Spielberg wanted to go: a team retrieves the can of embryos Nerdy dropped in the first movie, and Voilà(!), you have potential of a real blockbuster there.
There was also potential of cherry picking between the two books Crichton wrote with Ingen’s competitors (Biosyn) and the ‘Five Death’ Islands. Even a prequel story with how both islands came to be would have been compelling.
Instead, a recycled mixture of the first two movies rolled into one stinker (did not help when the script writing was rushed, and then leaked online)!
Jurassic Park III is not a horrible movie by standards of real, horrible, movies. It certainly is no Spiderman 3, X-Men 3, Batman & Robin! The special effects are grand on their own merits. I especially loved the Pterodactyl sequence. I was always disappointed they never made it in the first two movies, so to see them get their own section was great. And Sam Neill was good at being Sam Neill!
However, that is not enough to WOW me. I still can not watch the entire movie without fast forwarding. At least, as bad as it might be, I can watch The Lost World in its entirety.
THE VIDEO
All three films are presented each with its own 1:85:1/1080p transfer--encoded with VC-1 on a 50GB disc.
It has taken me a couple of weeks to write this review, mainly because of my mixed-feelings of the transfer. I am sure if you have been following the reviews all over the Internet, as well as on Amazon.com, you know by now the pros and cons regarding the transfer.
The massive con here is, it is a Universal title. Universal has its own reputation of Blu Ray transfers. Other than Serenity, I myself am not familiar with Universal’s Blu Rays. But I know enough reading online to know what I was getting myself into.
Still, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. ‘Can’t be that bad, can it?’ - I thought to myself. Needless to say, I was very disappointed when I first popped Jurassic Park in the Blu Ray player.
Like all films in Blu Ray, the lighter textures look really great. Especially the daytime shots, with the tropic setting. Looks amazing. However, the darker textures (mainly the nighttime shots and internal scenes) looks very grainy.
VERY GRAINY.
The Lost World is an improvement. Jurassic Park III is the best looking of the three films. But I doubt that will make the videophile’s jump UP and DOWN for this set.
Here are my thoughts; Steven Spielberg is the kind of filmmaker that cherishes old film. It took him a few years to get used to the digital filmmaking. He honors the digital effects, yes, but doe not care for the bells and whistles George Lucas goes nutty for. And as of late, Spielberg has been very vocal about keeping his movies as is (he even boldly stated during one of his interviews, that he regretted the E.T. redux back in 2002). With that said, I think this is the transfer Spielberg would prefer.
I am still on the fence here. Yes, it would have been nice to get a better transfer. The grain is very annoying. But at the same time, there are good spots in the film that looks sweet on a widescreen TV.
This is not a pristine, top of the line, spared-no-expense – high definition transfer of Jurassic Park. But compared to the VHS, and the DVD years ago, it is a step up. Put the DVD copy in a Blu-ray player, you will notice poor resolution. Put the Blu-ray copy in the player, you will notice the resolution is slightly better (for instance, the money shot of the Tyrannosaur chewing through the fence and showing off its sexy body is more detailed and clearer to see).
THE AUDIO
I was so disappointed that the DVD set from years ago did not include a DTS track, after all, Jurassic Park was the very first film to introduce DTS in theaters. I am happy to say that this Blu Ray set includes all three films with a booming, blasting, boosting, and blaring 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. I have been having fun with both my own home theater stereo system, as well as my Sennheiser headphones. All three films sound GREAT.
While Universal may (or may not) have remastered the picture quality to its true potential, Universal did a top-notch job in the sound department. After the Tyrannosaur roars, the roar echoes, as it seems even more menacing as before. After Grant/Tim climbs down the tree, car goes down with them, and they are ‘back in the car again,’ the voices echo as if they are in the car (I rechecked the DVD after hearing that, and did not notice the echo voices). And that is just a couple that I noticed right from the getgo. I have played the first movie several times since I bought this set, and have noticed quite a few sound effects I have not before.
If there is one competition this set will have up against the Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars sets this year, it is the audio. Between the three, Jurassic Park sounds the best.
THE EXTRAS
Universal could have dumped this set with or without the features that was part of the DVD sets. But unlike George Lucas, they ported everything from the DVD sets (as well as the Beyond Jurassic Park bonus disc that was part of the 4-disc DVD set ten years ago). Everything that was ported over is in standard definition.
On top of that, Universal included a new documentary called Return to Jurassic Park, produced by the always delightful Laurent Bouzereau, whom is best for directing all of the making-of materials for Steven Spielberg’s laserdisc/DVD sets over the years.
On the Jurassic Park disc, there is three Return to Jurassic Parks.
Dawn of a New Era (25:30, HD), Making Prehistory (20:20, HD), and The Next Step in Evolution (15:00, HD).
It was a pleasure to see what everyone looks like these days. I must say, I have always had a crush on Ariana Richards. She still looks good!
Other than ‘looking back,’ a good majority of what’s been said has already been said. So a Jurassic Park nut like me that has read up everything that I could find over the years, has seen all the bonus material off the DVD sets years ago, may find this repetitive.
On the The Lost World disc, there is two Return to Jurassic Parks.
Finding The Lost World (27:40, HD) and Something Survived (16:30, HD).
I found these two actually more interesting than the three on Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg does not say right off the bat, ‘I didn’t want to do this, this isn’t a perfect movie’ like he did with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Dull Skull. But he admits that it is not a perfect movie by any means, but it did make a hell of a lot of money. He also admitted that he had in mind, a different story idea for where the sequel could go (which I would have been more interested in).
On the Jurassic Park III disc, there is only one Return to Jurassic Park.
The Third Adventure (25:20, HD).
Other than the mention of the Jurassic Park ride, I found this to be as boring as the movie it is supposed to reflect.
I bought the massive Gift Set which comes in a sturdy, card-board box that looks like a crate from the movie, and also includes a nice looking toy/statute of the Rex breaking through the Jurassic Park fence. I do not usually go for the corny studio ploys they do with these sets, but that Jurassic Park geek in me could not resist!
Best Buy sells an exclusive and nice looking steel-box set, and if it were not for this gift set, I would have bought that set instead.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Rewatching Jurassic Park in its somewhat HD glory made me realize it is not the greatest movie of all time (though, summer of ’93, it was in my world!) I know it has its shortcomings. Like all big blockbuster movies, style reigns over substance.
But it is still a favorite of mine after all these years; the sounds, the visuals, the music, everything still gets me excited, thrilled and inspired every time I see it! The sequels, not so much, but the nostalgia of The Lost World still makes it enjoyable to watch, and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Is this set really worth the money? Not really. Is this a must buy? Not really. But do I recommend buying this set? Yes.
The ‘new’ revisited retrospectives are repetitive (say that a 100 times), but fun to watch nevertheless. The video transfer may divide buyers, and I do not blame them. But the kick-butt audio presentation makes up for it.
If you see a good deal of this set on Black Friday, pick it up!
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was very close to the source material: cold, brutal, and relentless. And like the source material, it’s very hard to digest, which is why I fell in love with the source material: it’s honest about the world. The world is bleak, dangerous, and cruel. This movie isn’t based on an over-the-top super hero, or a cheesy slasher movie, or an unrealistic monster movie. The source material is about real people doing real, nasty, things. A man that made his career studying nasty people doing nasty things wrote it. And like in the movie Bambi, the real monster in this world is man. And unfortunately, it’s still a man’s world (in some cultures, that is - and some religions that keep up with the ‘man’s world’ tradition, which is one of my biggest resentments to religion). The original Sweden title for the source material here is called ‘Men Who Hate Women.’ It’s not as catchy as ‘Dragon Tattoo,’ but is more honest to what the story is about - and what the story represents. But as graphic as the movie is (and it’s quite graphic, including a rape scene that would make any stomach go uneasy), this story isn’t in any way, shape, or form - promoting nasty things. Instead, as all three books do well in - it is a character study, a profile of corruption, and exploiting the real horrors in life. A journalist that studied sex trafficking, Nazis, government cover-ups, and rape cases wrote all three books. It may make your stomach sick to know that there is authenticity with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. But as Stephen King once pointed out, truth is scarier than fiction. And to think somewhere out there right now, a woman is being raped and murdered, just because she is a woman…the world needs more Lisbeth Salander’s, Mikael Blomkvist’s, and Stieg Larsson’s.
Hugo
Martin Scorsese spent his entire career proving that the power of the movies is magical. Sometimes he picked dark subjects. Other times, he would pick lighthearted subjects. But he was always passionate with every movie he made. While Steven Spielberg is my favorite of all time, Spielberg has his share of hits and misses.
But.
EVERY MOVIE Marty directed is f’n great. Mind you, I do have my favorites and non-favorites. But putting preferences aside, you can’t deny Scorsese’s body of work.
The latest from Marty: Hugo, is yet another shining example of Scorsese’s craft as not just a filmmaker but also a storyteller.
The difference between a ‘fill-in’ director and a director like Martin Scorsese, Marty has a passion for what he does. This movie wasn’t made to win the box office (which is evident, since we all know what is winning the box office right now). This movie wasn’t made to earn money. This movie was made to earn the hearts of those that loves movies.
Martin Scorsese finally picked a story that harnesses his deep love for movies. There are several scenes that describe a darkened room with a projected light aiming various moving pictures on a white screen as magic. I can imagine the feeling Scorsese felt when he read that in the script. It’s probably the same feeling I had seeing the love of film expressed in this film.
Like the foreign film, Cinema Paradiso, Hugo is a love story of sorts. It’s a love letter to movies from a guy that doesn’t just make movies, but LOVES movies.
My Star Wars story.
After reading Mitchell Hattaway’s well-written review of the Blu Ray set over at MovieFreak.com, it got me thinking of my own Star Wars story. Although it isn’t nearly as exciting as the many lucky peeps that has experienced Star Wars on the big screen back in ’77, I am sure this story relates to many others that grew up in an era before DVD!
I remember my parents had a VHS copy of the original ORIGINAL trilogy. It wasn’t the greatest of quality, and I may have ruined it after repeat viewings. But man, did I play that tape over and over. This must have been in the late 80s, early 90s – before I was dazzled summer of ’93!
For some oddball reason, I always favored Return of the Jedi. I just love the darkness of it (despite the corny Ewokes!) And that epic space battle always gets me.
By the mid-90s, the original ORIGINAL was released in THX surround/picture quality, and my parents grabbed it for Christmas that year. We never got into the laser-disc fad; it was always videotapes until the 2000s, with DVDs.
Anyhow, I remember playing those tapes over and over as well.
Wasn’t until ’97, I really got into Star Wars. The trilogy was re-released in theaters. I was a kid then, and never really paid any attention to the ‘special edition’ controversy. All I cared about is seeing each film, on the big screen!
I was also into the books then. I bought the tie-in books (including the first one George Lucas wrote). And I was also into the video games (Rebel Assault and Dark Forces), and got into the other spin-off books (Shadows of the Empire, being my favorite). I was into the soundtracks, and collected the toys (pains me that the Micro Machine Millennium Falcon got killed many years ago! I also collected the movie posters (I still have them).
I heard/read/and was excited for the prequel trilogy…
I just turned 15 when The Phantom Menace came out. At first glance, I thought it was damn great. But after multiple viewings, the novelty wore off.
I was working at AMC Forum 30 when Attack of the Clones came out. Once again, at first glance – I really enjoyed it. But, again, after multiple viewings, well, you get the idea. I should point out that I bought both films on DVD when they first came out – and I ended up trading them in at FYE after several years.
Now, I could point out, like many have pointed out, that Empire and Jedi were better-directed movies because Lucas never directed them, but we won't go there. To be fair, though, I am a big fan of American Graffiti!
2004, the original trilogy got released on DVD. I remember it was HUGE! I remember I drove to the nearest Wal-Mart to purchase that bad boy. And as soon as I got home, I put the DVDs in the player and played those bitches. It wasn’t until that very moment; I started noticing the changes with the special editions back in ’97, and the changes that were made for the DVD.
The way I feel then, and even now, is I am 50/50 with the changes. Some makes sense. Some don’t. Some I like. Some I don’t. What kills me the most is Return of the Jedi - my favorite of the series. The whole Jedi Rocks song-and-dance in the Jabba palace does not make sense. And the photoshop at the end of the movie also makes no sense to me. I still cringe at that part!
2005 comes, and Revenge of the Sith finally arrives! Much like the prequels, and the changes made in the original trilogy – it is a mix bag of good stuff and cringe-worthy stuff. Honestly, after all the changes done with the trilogy, and the over-exposure of the prequels, as well as all the animated incarnations of the Clone Wars (which sounded much cooler in the original trilogy anyways!), I really got Star Wars-ed out!
So with the release of this Blu Ray set, I have all sorts of mix feelings. Part of me, that Star Wars geek that still resides in me (it’s small, but it’s still there), wants it. The other part of me, the part that got rid of Menace and Clones – the part that still has a hard time with Jedi Rocks and a photoshop Anakin, doesn’t want to shell all that hard-earn-money into something that I have mix feelings for anyways. If it were an actual ‘complete’ set, then yeah – I would have pre-ordered that bitch!
But let’s be honest here, this is Lucas we are talking about. A man that operates like Disney, but creates half-ass sets, thinking they can milk it like Disney (but unfortunately for him, he succeeds).
A ‘complete’ Star Wars Blu Ray set would actually be in the hundred-dollar range for the amount of features I would want out of it. Not just that original ORIGINAL trilogy that I grew up with, but also butt loads of features.
-Ewoke Adventures
-Droid Adventures
-Christmas Special
-Star Tours
-A retrospective of the books over the years
and of course, the DVD features that never made it to the Blu Ray set…
Now that’s a set I would buy – the Star Wars fan in me would get giddy just at the thought of it.
Anyhow, that’s my Star Wars story. I am still a Star Wars fan at heart. But it doesn’t give me that nostalgic feeling Jurassic Park, Jaws, and Disney does. And I'll be honest here - any time ANY of the Star Wars films is on TV, I flicker the channels. But anytime WRATH OF KHAN, VOYAGE HOME, or FIRST CONTACT is on - I am glued to the TV. But we won't get into that debate!
Dear Roger Ebert,
I've been a fan of yours for many years now. You've been a great inspiration to me, and there was a time I even wanted to be a movie critic, because of you. I started writing movie reviews for my school newspaper almost ten years ago and even ended up being a contributor to MovieFreak.com the year I graduated from high school (2003). I didn't quite make it as a critic, but I am always writing!
I recently read your memoir, Life Itself, and once again, feel inspired by your writing. I even flooded my Wastin' Away Press blog via tumblr.com, with excerpts from the book (I hope you don't mind, I did quote you, and rest assure, these quotations are Ebert legit!
What I love about the way you wrote your book, it is very versatile that it could interest almost anyone to read it.
-A journalist.
-A movie buff.
-A movie goer.
-A writer.
-Or just someone that enjoys reading celebrity memoirs.
I was really moved tail end of your book. The fact that you are still writing to this day is inspiring. Truth be told, you could be spending the rest of your life doing nothing. But you choose to write, because writing isn't just your occupation - writing IS your life. Most people that don't write do not comprehend that. But every single writer does.
No matter what one writes, every writer feels the same about writing. It's a shared understanding. But with you, writing has been more than just writing, it has been your voice. I can't imagine what it is like being in a room full of people, and not being able to keep up with the conversation as it is going. But I can imagine how much you have relied on your writing to communicate. I myself have a hard time communicating as I am talking. I find that I write much better (and I seem smart when I write, oppose to my big, loud, mouth!)
I don't expect you to read this. But regardless, I feel compelled to let you know I love your book and enjoy your weekly reviews. Despite the fact that I disagree with some of your ratings (I am sure you haven't heard that one before!), I absolutely love your writing, especially when the creative mind of Roger Ebert runs wild with some of the god-awful films you had to review!
Thank you so much for many years worth of great writing (and many more to come).
Sincerely one of your loyal readers,
Keith Helinski
The Lion King in 3D(!)
The Lion King…
I really benefited from being a ‘90s kid, because in my lifetime – I grew up with four instant Disney classics (plus the start of Pixar’s legacy). I still remember seeing The Lion King in theaters back in ’94. I still remember being obsessed with the music, and playing the score over and over. I still remember getting giddy each and every time the classes I had throughout the years in school, played The Lion King. And I still remember when The Lion King came out on DVD.
I was in for a shock when I found out about Kimba, the White Lion. I won’t go into details. Just google it! It pains me that one of my favorite Disney movies is an unaccredited remake! In fact, it pains me more than sitting through Lion King 1 ½ again! But it is what it is. And it doesn’t take away from the sheer experience of the Disney logo showing up on the screen, a sound of a lion roaring, and Elton John’s ‘Circle of Life’ immersing in your ear-drums! Except..maybe…
…in 3D!
or does it?
At first, I didn’t like the idea. And I still don’t like the idea. I was all for having things in 3D. But now that EVERYTHING is in 3D, I don’t care for the 3D gimmick anymore. It works perfectly for flat movies like Avatar or My Bloody Valentine. But Lion King is a well-made Disney gem with flawless animation. It does not need the gimmick to enhance the magic of the film.
Luckily, it’s only for a limited release. I went to see it with my grandma, who was more curious than me. This was her first 3D experience, and she bit into that eye-candy with delight. Me? I was impressed with the digital print. And I must say the backdrops did look amazing in 3D. But I still feel strongly about my convictions when I say, Lion King doesn’t need to be in 3D: it’s perfect as is.
It is what it is. Hakuna Matata!
It was a treat to watch my grandma giddy. That is the magic of Disney. Doesn’t matter what age you are. Once that castle magical ignites the screen with the music of ‘When You Wish Upon a Star,’ the kid in all of us comes to play! As unnecessary as this 3D gimmick is, I hope it gives many people that nostalgia I had, and I hope it brings magic to those kids that never experienced The Lion King on the big screen. If there is one thing I do wish Disney did more often – bring back their classics on the big screen again, like they once did many years ago. It doesn’t need to be in 3D. A digital print would be sufficed.
A short above Six Feet Under
Once upon a time, there was a man named Nate. He worked at a grocery store. He had a happening career there. He was at the prime of his life. He was going to visit his family for Christmas, when tragedy hit him from the side. He then got sucked into the family business he desperately ran away from all those years ago.
Like all tragedies go, he was a mess at first. But he learned to pick himself back up. He also started becoming comfortable with the family business. He was an idealist of sorts. But he was also flawed. He tried his best in life, but against his own limitations, he always managed to screw things up. Especially when it came to relationships. He had as many relationships as the customers he dealt with at his family business did.
Soon, tragedy hit him again. Nate then and there became the family business, rather than being part of it. The family business happens to be called The Fisher and Sons Funeral Home. And Nate happens to be a character from the show, Six Feet Under.
Six Feet Under is five seasons worth, 13 (or so) episodes a season. It aired on HBO ten years ago. I got hooked a few years ago, and ended up picking up the series box set, which consists of a box looking like a tombstone underground.
Six Feet Under takes a very touchy subject for everyone, and makes it almost comforting. It is never pretentious or preachy. It is sad. It is funny. But more important than that, it is real. And it eases the subject matter in real life a bit.
I recommend you netflix it. It is the top of my own favorites, list.
The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Editions)
SYNOPSIS
The Fellowship of the Ring: With the help of a courageous fellowship of friends and allies, Frodo embarks on a perilous mission to destroy the legendary One Ring.
The Two Towers: In the middle chapter of this historic movie trilogy, the Fellowship is broken but its quest to destroy the One Ring continues.
The Return of the King: The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring.
CRITIQUE
I once heard a Star Wars fan boy tell me that Peter Jackson ripped off George Lucas. He said, “Come on – RETURN OF THE KING?!?! Peter Jackson obviously ripped off RETURN OF THE JEDI!” I could enlighten you with the rest of the conversation, but I don’t recall much else because my intelligence dropped to the ground at that very moment!
In case you have been living under a rock, The Lord of the Rings has been around for quite a while. I don’t wish to give the history of it. Just check the MANY documentaries that are featured on this set. It gives great detail about the books, and the man who wrote the books.
But what I will do for you is remind you how much influence the books had. The Lord of the Rings certainly did not start the fantasy genre. The Wizard of Oz, maybe. The Bible, definitely! But The Lord of Rings is only 50+ plus years old. Sure, it has its AARP card handy. But it is not ancient by any means, even if it feels like it.
It wasn’t until the ‘70s when people started getting turned on by Middle Earth. It inspired many songs by Led Zeppelin and Rush. It inspired Stephen King to write his magnum opus, The Dark Tower series. It even inspired George Lucas to make a certain space opera, something fan boys don’t care to admit!
For many years, the talk of a movie adaptation plagued by, ‘it will never happen.’ But as Stanley Kubrick once said: “If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed.” And Peter Jackson did both.
The Lord of the Rings films are rare. For one thing, it is rare to see movie(s) as close to its source material as possible. It’s even rarer to find someone that is in deep love with the source material that they are adapting. There was a lot of fear that these films could fail. But it did the very opposite. It succeeded in ways that I am sure not even Tolkien could dream of.
And even more rare, to have a trilogy that is as good from start to finish. Even the fan boy’s so-called ‘greatest trilogy,’ has its weak moments (especially anytime a certain someone goes slaphappy with the revisions!)
These films inspired a new era for the fantasy and epic movies to come. It also made role playing games at friend’s house cool again, yearly visits to your local state’s Renfest not so embarrassing, and kids to read Tolkien’s classics. It made people want to revisit Middle Earth again. And I am sure these films will be beloved years from now.
It goes without saying that these films also have its share of mockery. I think Kevin Smith did it best on Jay Leno (before he used that material in Clerks 2). Yes, these three films are VERY slow moving. But that’s what makes them great – it doesn’t rush into things or spoon-feeds the audience. It allows the characters to think and feel – and the payoff is greater when that extra amount of attention is given.
THE VIDEO
Lord of the Rings trilogy (all three films) is presented on two dual-layer MPEG-4 AVC video 50GB Blu-rays with 2.40:1/1080p widescreen transfers. All films are slightly darkened with some green tint (and it’s very obvious with any light texture).
There is some uproar with fans about the green tint. Personally, it didn’t bother me. It’s not like some controversial drastic change that makes you yell NOOOOOOOOO!
The only real reason I decided to upgrade is the picture quality. As much as I loved my extended DVD sets, I noticed the poor picture quality as I was watching the DVDs on my widescreen TV. I don’t have the biggest TV on the face of the Earth, but the resolution was noticeable. After reading the reviews with this Blu Ray set, I bought it used via Amazon. It wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t too pricey either. I was out for the picture quality.
I popped Fellowship into the player with no real high expectations.
The few flaws with Blu Rays I noticed is dark scenes are sometimes hard to make out. The Harry Potter Blu Rays, for a good example, has a lot of dark scenes with poor resolution. Fellowship opens up with dark scenes. I was surprised with how clear it was.
From the start of the New Line logo, everything is as perfect as it could possibly be. Even the LORD OF THE RINGS logo looked just right. I was in geek heaven from the getgo!
One negative about the quality – the more pristine the picture looks, the more evident the blue screen ‘effects’ look.
And one little, tiny, micro, Hobbit-size nit-pick: the movies on two discs. I am not sure if it would ruin the quality, but it would have been nice to see the movie(s), it its entirety, without changing discs. I am sure in the future; there will be a set like that. On the other hand, considering the books are organized in six sections – it’s understandable Peter Jackson has all three movies, organized on six discs.
THE AUDIO
English DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 blasts/booms/blares/and boosts the home theater system world in ways I haven’t seen (or heard) any other Blu Ray title I own has. Compared to my DVD sets, this set is louder, crisper, and better all ways around. Worth cranking it up!
THE EXTRAS
Take my word for it, this set is
loaded! Everything from the extended DVD sets is ported here. They
are on DVD discs though. The only Blu Rays is the movies themselves.
I don’t care! And I’ll be honest; I never really went through
the entire special features on my extended DVD sets. Maybe I should
make an effort this time.
The only other nit-pick I have is a few extra bonus materials that would have been nice to see. No, not the theatrical cuts (don’t really care for that!) But it would have been nice to see the 70s animated films included on this set. I am sure that is a studio issue, though.
Also would have been cool to see Neil Peart, Robert Plant, Stephen King, George Lucas, J.K. Rowling, and many others talk about the influence Lord of the Rings had on them. No question Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering and the other entire role playing games out there also have LOTR influence.
But that is just micro-nit-picking.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Let’s get this straight once and for all. This is the set to get. NOT THE STAR WARS SAGA SET! And you know why that is? I never once noticed Gandalf blurting NOOOOO at random moments, creating cringe-worthy reactions!
Peter Jackson’s trilogy is by far superior in its scope, its direction, and its story telling. It is based upon the very material that is beloved by many, and has inspired many.
I do expect more LOTR sets to follow much like the various DVD sets. But this is it for me. I am satisfied with the picture/sound quality. And with the gazillion hour’s worth of bonus material, there really isn’t much else they can do to these movies, other than maybe adding unnecessary scenes or dialogue! Who knows? Maybe in 20 years, Peter Jackson will get bored and add NOOOOOOOO to random scenes!
“Life isn't like in the movies” - A Cinema Paradiso Short Story.
Totò' got off a blue bus. He held a suitcase in each hand. He sat them on the ground. He looked around to his old hometown. Everything changed. But everything is the same. He stared dead center to his old employer, the good ol’ Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, the place he grew up at.
Totò' started at the theater when he was just a kid. The movie projector fascinated him and the magic the projector brought to people. His good friend, Alfredo, whom is like a father figure in Totò'’s life, showed him the ropes of the movie biz. Totò' literally grew up at this theater. He had his first kiss, his first fuck, his first crush, and his first love there. In fact, his love has never left his thoughts. He wanted to be with her forever, but fate had different plans. As a result, he left the theater to join the army. He decided to come back home after his duty was completed.
Totò' stared at the movie theater with nostalgia. He noticed a man at the projector booth, leaning out of the window from inside the theater, having a smoke and catching a breather. Totò picked his two suitcases up, and walked toward the theater. He was both sad and happy to be back home. As he walked toward the theater, a dog approached him. Totò’s emotion changes rapidly as he dropped the two suitcases back on the ground, and knelled down to the dog’s level. He then petted the dog with a sign of warm friendliness.
“At least someone is good to see me home,” Totò thought to himself.
Totò walked through his town to see his good friend, Alfredo. Totò reflected upon the girl that got away all those years ago. Alfredo comforted Totò, like a good friend should. Alfredo then told Totò' that he should move on with life, including his home. He said to Totò that this place is cursed.
They both walked to the beach nearby. They sat at a bench. The sound of waves can be heard at a distance. Alfredo broke the silence.
“Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave a year, two years. When you come back, everything's changed. The thread's broken. What you came to find isn't there. What was yours is gone. You have to go away for a long time... many years... before you can come back and find your people. The land where you were born. But now, no. It's not possible. Right now you're blinder than I am.”
Totò' playfully asked: “Who said that? Gary Cooper? James Stewart? Henry Fonda? Eh?”
Alfredo sighed and said: “No, Totò'. Nobody said it. This time it's all me. Life isn't like in the movies. Life... is much harder.”
Alfredo sensed that Totò still does not get it.
More aggressively, Alfredo said: “Get out of here! Go back to Rome. You're young and the world is yours. I'm old. I don't want to hear you talk anymore. I want to hear others talking about you. Don't come back. Don't think about us. Don't look back. Don't write. Don't give in to nostalgia. Forget us all. If you do and you come back, don't come see me. I won't let you in my house.”
Totò' felt…
“Understand?” Alfredo asked.
Totò finally got it. His love that he was pinning over. His love for the cinema he would spend his entire life at. His life for the town that is dying. His friend, that is more like a father, wanted a better life for Toto than he ever had. Totò got it.
With sentiment, Totò said: “Thank you. For everything you've done for me.”
Alfredo said: “Whatever you end up doing, love it. The way you loved the projection booth when you were a little squirt.”
That was the last interaction Totò had with his dear/old/friend: Alfredo. Totò ended up being a very successful movie director. He kept his promise to his friend, and never visited his hometown. He moved forward, instead backward. And never even thought about good ol’ Cinema Paradiso, until Totò got word that Alfredo died.
Now old memories creep up to Totò, and pat him on the shoulder. Old memories Totò has not thought about in a long time.
Memories of how he got acquainted with Alfredo. Memories of the old theater, and how it burnt down. Memories of the new theater, and his teenager years there. Memories of his love/and/lost. And his last memory of Alfredo, telling him to leave town forever.
He hopes he made his good friend, proud.
“It’s all happening!” – An Almost Famous Short.
Imagine it being the 1970s. The Beatles came and went. Woodstock graced us all with love, peace, and rock ‘n’ roll; which ultimately meant getting high, fucking, and listening to some great tunes from poetic geniuses with noisy instruments!
After the ‘60s British Invasion, the real invasion began. Zeppelin. Sabbath. Yes. Floyd. Ohhh, the list goes on and on! And if you were in a band, you were a Golden God, especially to those lovely band aides! But watch out for the enemy. They will ruin anything that is to the definition, cool.
Yes sir, the ‘70s were a happening time for bands that wanted to make it famous, or almost famous. And the only way to do that: get your face on the cover of The Rolling Stone magazine.
Whether you are in the band rockin’ out, a band aide admiring the rockin’, or a rock journalist writing about the rock – ‘it’s all happening’ in 1973!
Everwood - Season 4
SYNOPSIS
Andy and Nina seem to be going around in circles with their love. Will they finally hook up or will Nina settle with that Party of Five guy?
Ephram and Amy also seem to be going around in circles with their love. But Amy feels she needs to find herself, Joey-Potter-style. And Ephram, well, waits for her…will they get together?
All of these (and more) enticing dramas unfold…
It has been little over a year since the last DVD release. How does the fourth (and final) season hold up after all these years (and compared to previous seasons)?
It is time to reminiscent about Everwood, and it would not be right without talking about The WB…
CRITIQUE
In one corner, you had The WB (The Warner Brothers), leading basic cable network that housed iconic late 1990s and 2000s shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, 7th Heaven, Dawson’s Creek (to name some). In the other corner, you had UPN (United Paramount Network), another leading basic cable network that housed the Star Trek incarnated series’, Everybody Hates Chris, and Veronica Mars (among a few). Both networks do not exist anymore and resides in people’s memories, youtube tribute videos, and fan sites.
Side note: The WB still has its site where you can stream old shows.
To get into the whys/hows, just wikipedia both networks. What is known, and relevant to this review, by 2006, both networks merged into a powerhouse network called The CW (CBS and Warner Bros). Through its merging transition, there was a lot of drama with what show (from both networks) would get renewed and what show would get the ax. For better or worse, Everwood got the ax after four fairly successful seasons. It should be noted that the CW execs picked Runaway over Everwood, and ironically, Runaway lasted a whole whopping three episodes before getting the ax.
Many fans were not too happy with Everwood’s demise. And even I will admit, it did not get a proper finale (though, the finale we did get did tie loose ends fairly well). Luckily, after some kick butt campaigning online, fans finally got the show on DVD. But it took a year with each DVD set’s release.
If you recall or have read my review from last year regarding season three, I was not too keen with the way the show was going (which is why I have mix feelings about the cancellation of Everwood). To put it mildly, I think the writer’s could not think of anything else to write about.
The fourth season is just, simply, boring. In fact, it is so boring that I kept noticing the repetitive music track over and over. With each comedic moment, a specific piece of music would be in the background. With every dramatic moment, this over the top dramatic score comes along. And it is never different. It is always the same score, episode to episode. That is something I never noticed with the previous seasons.
I also noticed unfinished dramatic scenes that fade out. A good example. Andy and Nina are talking. Andy says something so jaw-dropping; we get a shot of her reaction. Fade out. Commercial break. Fade back in. No mention of previous scenes.
The story lines consist of mainly, ‘will they/won’t they’ (all across the board). I can not think of one story line, sub-plot, or scenario where ‘will they/won’t they’ comes up. I am not even joking.
The first season was so damn strong and had such a dramatic season finale, that I was hooked by season two. And by golly, season two kept me hooked to that season finale. Season three, though weak in some parts, still kept me awake at least.
Nothing exciting happens in this fourth season. The finale, as, ummm, okay as it is, ends on a whimper. In fact, it ends with everyone so gosh darn happy. Call me a sour puss, but I wanted to see the show end exactly how it started, with something dramatic and unexpected.
That, to me, is true Everwood and The WB. The fourth season of Everwood felt more like something on ABC Family. YUCK!
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(Pages 1-28 show above.)