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farconej
Reviews
Raines (2007)
Potential
I don't watch TV much, if at all. Never have been a fan of the crime wave that's hit the world over the past half decade; the little I did catch always felt overblown in almost every sense. Granted, this doesn't apply to the genre by and large, for I've seen barely anything; it's just that what I did see, I was incredibly turned off by. Also worth noting is I've never cared for crime-themed shows/films in the first place. So why'd I check out 'Raines'? Goldblum.
....and he's basically the reason this show impressed me, in that I actually came away liking it. For sure, the pilot seemed a bit lazy at times, both in acting and direction, and the story was typical fluff, but I did enjoy the dynamic between Goldblum and his hallucinatory victim. It's hokey and absurd, to be sure, but taken as an overt metaphor for his thought process, it works. I wasn't crying by the end or anything (as Goldblum nearly does), but there was a certain amount of resonance when his victim disappears after the case is solved; naturally, one of the hooks of the show is the emotional "bond" that forms between Goldblum and the empathetic hallucination. I should add, the victim in this particular episode happens to be a young, quite sexy "prostitute" -- though her character in Goldblum's mind really doesn't appear as one would imagine she did before her death, given her job and actions -- but whatever.
Goldblum does appear to be sleepwalking throughout a reasonable amount of it, but I'd rather watch Goldblum sleepwalk than pretty much any other actor that appears on television; he's a genius (his performance in 'The Fly' is one of my very favorites in all cinema). And he's basically handsome and charming to boot (I'm a male), tall and charismatic. One little complaint, though, is that he does his little "drooping of his eyes" bit WAY too much (it's sexually fueled, also; he did it two or three times in 'The Fly' to great effect -- in the romantic context of that film it was suited perfectly, and used in respectable moderation -- but it feels tacky and merely a mask for him conveying any emotion in those particular moments. Again, though, it's a fairly trite nag.
Again, the episode wasn't spectacular (that being said for a pilot is was probably pretty exceptional; even many of the great shows out there have abhorrent, painful pilots), but this hour of 'Raines' was entertaining and somewhat affecting, enough so that I'll be catching the show when it finally hits the airwaves. Pretty confident I'll be following it throughout the entire season, too.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000)
Can't get enough.
Bought all the DVD's few weeks back; had seen a handful of episodes on Adult Swim and enjoyed them -- knew the show was good enough to shell out $20 per volume. Prediction was right.
Random, but side-splittingly funny. Why? Who knows. For one, Carl. And Shake. And Meatwad. Frylock. Their interpersonal dynamic. Their individual personalities. Really, they're all hauntingly (they chat with me in my most blissful of dreams for hours, or rather, I wish) lovable. The show captures sentiment with the best (Simpsons, Family Guy, etc), which is all the more impressive because it's SO f'n tweaked out and absurd. I adore the characters, and any time Carl's magnificent presence is on the screen, I fall more in love.
Just watched about 8 episodes with some friends from Volume 3, arguably the finest. Phenomenal. We were all cracking up hysterically. It's random, but surely that doesn't make it genius in itself. One thing that does contribute to the greatness is unquestionably the voice acting, which is stellar, and the dialogue which is written for the commanding voices.
Only will appeal to a certain crowd, of course, but for that crowd, there's little better out there. Personally, I find this and the genius of Larry David and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' to be the finest shows on television currently. Family Guy is dear to me but the show lacks consistency and falls flat more often than it should. The show also seems a bit shallow at times -- occasionally it feels like cheap, overt writing. ANYWAY... Aqua Teen is delicious.
They're on season five now, and I hope it continues for many more years. Maybe it will reach its peak and match the unparalleled virtuoso of 'The Simpsons' from about seasons four to nine-ish.
Alexander (2004)
Love it.
This movie is so superior to Troy that it isn't even worth debating. On my first viewing of Alexander, I must say I was impressed, if only because the film's reputation is so maliciously poor; I was expecting nothing but a rotten, stinky piece of claptrap. Things bothered me -- Vangelis' score, initially, felt far too pompous (especially the first 1/4 of the film) -- there were too many moments of obvious overacting -- I didn't care for the transition from the battle in India all the way back to the sequence following Phillip's death. But, I was impressed -- both visually and in the way the story generally developed; it was interesting and quite absorbing, despite some obvious flaws.
Now let me get this out -- I'm not a history major. The comments made here about the film's historical inaccuracy, I cannot deny, and quite frankly I would be inclined to agree with them. Alexander, from the very, very little I know, was supposed to be a great warrior, and this is not portrayed. Likewise, Stone makes him out to be quite a progressive leader, mixing the races and all that jazz... Didn't buy it, especially since the hints at his ideals and an implicit sense of being ahead of his time were obvious and trite.
That being said, I enjoyed this film merely as a work of fiction; a good story, absolutely "sensational" visuals, and an absolutely brilliant score by Vangelis. Acting that, overall, is more intense and believable than most the crap Hollywood releases these days; and editing that, while far from consistent, made for some of the best cinematic moments I've seen in quite a few years.
So, the cinematography.. Don't think I need to elaborate on this; even many naysayers agree it's beautiful. Shocking to me, however, was how I found Vangelis' score to be out of place initially, but eventually keen and eloquent -- pitch perfect for quite a number of scenes. For example, the first battle sequence; beginning with some poor, unmelodic nonsense on synth (the worst bit of writing in the film), but evolving into a brilliant, minimalistic drum pattern, with (admittedly cliché) exotic vocals on occasion. It eventually proves to be boldly climatic and utterly satisfying within the context of the entire sequence. Furthermore, his themes are INCREDIBLY grandiose; shameless in their epic nature, but all the better for it. Inparticular, shining moments include the cue when Alexander first tames Bucephalus (ironically the moment that irked me most upon first viewing), and the entire sequence in India. When Alexander and his calvary charge about midway through the fifteen minute sequence, and the camera pans from a close shot of Alexander to a distant shot of him and his calvary -- Alexander screams "Come Macedonians, RIDE... RIIIIIIDE!" -- it quite honestly sends shivers down my spine. In that time span of three or four seconds, Stone captures more spirit than a lot of films can muster in an entire running time. It's just utter, cinematic greatness, and that's the only way that I can state it. Unbelievable. Only a few moments later -- following Alexander's charge, rise and fall against an elephant -- there are more of these lavish, gorgeous scenes. Again -- and I only go into detail in hope that others who like the film (or rather, love it) will relate with glee -- it is a pitch-perfect combination of stunning, artistic photography and motifs from Vangelis that put other composers to shame (and I adore many a film composer). As Hephaistion and Bucephalus fall, the film shines brilliantly again -- completely and utterly striking, expressive, raw, and tender... Despite the film's general lack of emotion, the scene melts the heart and inspires with it's passion.
On the downside, the film's psychological perspective on Alexander is not incredibly interesting, nor is it subtle. There is an enigmatic presence to Farrel, but I'm not sure if it was intended or the fact that there's very little consistency to his character period. Consequently, the film isn't too emotionally captivating, despite the fact that certain scenes do envelope.
But basically, this film has become a favorite of mine. It's not perfect -- no way -- but it's epic, it tries and it both fails and succeeds. But it feels so passionate, so heartfelt in the intent of almost everyone involved, that I can't possibly dismiss it. In fact, I always feel compelled to stand up for it and recommend it. Unfortunately, too many post-modern lemmings have no eye for art, music, or aesthetic. Such is the world we live in, unfortunately.
(That being said, I'm not one to criticize those that dislike the film -- some of my favorite critics loathed it... From what I've observed, however, I just don't think a lot of the naysayers express much sign of intelligence and, as a result of that, validity.)