Fargo

Fargo
(1996) [Trailer]
Directors: Ethan Coen (IMDB), Joel Coen (IMDB)

I've traveled to every state in the U.S. except for Montana, Idaho, South and North Dakota. I've, at some point, got to go to those 4 bad boys so I can knock that crap off my bucket list. I've been compiling a list of shit to do in each state, but I'm running into a little issue, there's nothing to see in North Dakota except.... you guessed it... Fargo. Oh wait, you didn't guess it, oh well.

This is the story of Jerry Lundegaard (William H Macy) and how much of an idiot he is. Jerry hires Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife so Jerry can collect the ransom money from her rich father. Carl and Gaear end up abducting her but are pulled over by a state trooper in route to their hide out, they kill him and two other unfortunate passerbyers who witness the murder. Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), a local cop, is called in to investigate and she starts to unravel the crime.

I'll start by saying this movie is perfect, and I wouldn't change anything about it. I've seen it many times and feel the same way after viewing it. The Coen Brothers know how to tell a story, and this is them at their best (also reference THIS). The performances of everyone are so well executed, you feel drawn into the quirky little world they've created and it seems so believable. I love how you know shits going to go south immediately from the very first line of dialog in this film, and boy does it ever get screwed up. This story also has a great little juxtaposition, Jerry's family is ruined because of his greed and yet Marge's family (her husband and soon to be baby) are completely happy living within their means. Mo money, Mo problems! Hopefully you've already seen this, if you haven't you really should right away.

Take Shelter

Take Shelter
(2011) [Trailer]
Director: Jeff Nichols (IMDB)

People with my name rule. Curtis is a great name and I think it's the best ever. I bet you wish you had it... sorry you do not. I rule.

Curtis (not me, but Michael Shannon) is an average joe raising a family in rural Ohio. One day he starts having premonitions of an on coming apocalyptic storm. His visions come to him in his dreams primarily and they start to get pretty fucked up. Curtis thinks he has a mental illness, because of his mother, who's insane. He takes it upon himself to start pimping out his storm shelter in the back yard, just in case he's not nuts. As time passes he gets a little more insane, or is he normal and everyone else is insane, I guess you'll have to watch and find out.

This movie was at the top of the list of films I wanted to see last year but never got the chance too. I loved this, and had I seen it last year, it could have possibly made my top ten, and definitely my honorable mentions. It's got all the right elements I need in a movie. It's suspenseful and creepy. It's beautifully shot and the score is eerie. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain are perfect in it. The story is original and well executed. It's just a really solid film, and holds your attention throughout. It's on VOD and blu-ray so what are you waiting for?

The Interrupters

The Interrupters
(2011) [Trailer]
Director: Steve James (IMDB)

I'm a lucky guy. I grew up in a great neighborhood, I have two parents that love me very much, and I love them. I'm fortunate. Sadly, there's a tons of people who can't say the same thing. It's a shit world, but there's still a glimmer of hope.

The Interrupters are a group of Chicago based activists that hit the rough city streets in order to stop gang violence. They are all ex gang bangers who want to try and make their city a safer place to live.

This documentary is awesome. I missed it in the theaters last year, and have been trying to track it down ever since. It was really hard to find until Frontline on PBS aired it for free the other night and my good friend alerted me about it. It's extremely captivating, powerful, and I felt like crying a few times while watching this... that's right, I'm not afraid to admit that. I would highly recommend you watch this and you can do so if you have PBS or it's on their website for free right HERE.

A Woman is a Woman

A Woman is a Woman
(1961) [Trailer]
Director: Jean-Luc Godard (IMDB)

Strippers need love too. They're people just like you and me. They bleed when they are cut, they cry when they are stung, they cough when they are sick. The plight of the stripper is an age old tale and in this next film, Jean-Luc Godard explores the untold story of this seedy industry. Not really, I just thought that sounded cool.

Angela is a stripper in Paris who is dying to have a baby. Problem is Emile, her boyfriend, does not. She is presented with the option of sleeping with Alfred, Emile's BFF. She's a stripper, what do you think she does?

This film is really cool. It's definitely ahead of it's time, and the style and subject matter are pretty out there for the early 6o's. Jean-Luc's direction is awesome. His use of bold colors, quick cuts, and abrupt starting/stopping of the score make for a very unique film. It's was interesting how many times he took the characters out of the film, and had them interact directly with the audience with little winks and nods. There's also ton's of cool ideas and images that reoccur in the film. I like how there's always a couple making out at the entrance to their apartment, or whenever Angela and Emile are in bed arguing, when they turn the lights off then back on again, Angela is on the other side of the bed sitting up. I loved this and would recommend it or Breathless as a good starting point for Godard. It's available on Netflix Instant, if you have it, go HERE!

Commando

Commando
(1985) [Trailer]
Director: Mark L. Lester (IMDB)

It's Valentine's Day and the air is thick with love and romance. Couples everywhere are sitting by candle light and whispering sweet nothings to one another. I'm sitting here watching Commando with my wife. You can take all that commercial bullshit and shove it, real love is watching Arnold use a machine gun to plow down bad guys with your soul mate.

Matrix (aka Arnold) is a ex commando living out his days peacefully with his daughter Alyssa Milano. This group of bad guys from Val Verde steal Alyssa away from Arnold to force him to take an assassin job to kill the president of Val Verde. Arnold escapes and with the help of Rae Dawn Chong, enacts vengeance on the captures.

This is one of my favorite action movies ever made, starring my favorite action star of all time, so obviously this is gonna be a love fest. Let me start by saying, I realize this isn't a perfect movie, but I don't care... it's perfect to me. There's so many amazing quote from this movie, and they're like a fine wine, they just get better with age. The action is so over the top, it's pretty fucking ridiculous, and I love it. I can watch this movie at any time and be in hog heaven. I love the montage of him loading up his arsenal for war, the close up shots are the best ever. Marry that with an amazing score and you have the perfect action movie. Seriously, if you haven't seen this movie yet, you're an idiot.... go... now...see it.

The Stuff

The Stuff

(1985) [Trailer]
Director: Larry Cohen (IMDB)

I decided last night, before bed, that I'd pick a random old horror movie from Netflix instant to watch. I went ahead with this selection. Why you ask? Because look at that cover art!

The Stuff is a new food sensation taking the country by storm. It looks like yogurt or mayo but it's much more addictive. Michael Moriarty is sent in from the Fed to investigate this strange new food's alluring appeal. Turns out it's a evil ooze that puts people into a weird almost zombie like psychosis.

This is definitely a campy 80's horror movie that has a lot of comedic elements and would make a good double bill with something like The Blob or Killer Clowns from Outerspace. It's a little slow to get going and there are lots of cheesy parts. Part of me felt like I had seen it before, who knows, I used to watch lots of horror movies as a kid. I did like Michael Moriarty in this, he was a little over the top but still enjoyable and his performance stood out. There's also some parts featuring Pauly and Sal. Overall it was ok I guess, I just really wanted to see more gore and more of The Stuff killing people.

Star Trek: The Evens (II, IV, VI)

My wife is out of town and that means I can hook up with a bunch of....... Star Trek movies. What did you think I was gonna say? Being a Trekkie of sorts, and her hating Star Trek, I figured this would be a prefect time to revisit three of my favorite movies from the original series... II, IV, VI... AKA 'the evens' (I coined that phrase, ask permission before using it, thanks.)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
(1982) [Trailer]
Director: Nicholas Meyer (IMDB)

Captain Kirk is no longer the Captain of the enterprise, he's an Admiral at Starfleet, and hating it. He just so happens to be called back aboard the Enterprise for a training cruise. Meanwhile, another federation ship called the Reliant, has been hijacked by Khan, a crazy guy Captain Kirk screwed over 15 years ago. Khan gains control of a dangerous weapon and Kirk is called back to the helm to face his old foe.

This was one of my favorite movies growing up. I remember the critter going inside Chekov's ear as being one of the scariest things I'd ever seen. It still fucks me up. This is one of the best sci-fi films made in my book. I could re-watch it over and over. I don't know if it's nostalgia or what, but I love it. The special effects hold up, especially on blu-ray and the score is phenomenal. Ricardo Montalban as Khan is awesome, he's one of my favorite villains of all time. If you like Star Trek, I'm sure you'll agree, If you don't like Star Trek, you're an asshole... I'm kidding. No I'm not... sorry Wife.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
(1986) [Trailer]
Director: Leonard Nimoy (IMDB)

The gang is all back and this time they're in a Bird of Prey! My favorite Star Trek ship! I know what you're thinking, that I'm a dork, you would be correct. There's a strange probe that's found its way to Earth and is threatening to evaporate the oceans. It's emitting a noise and the team figure out it's an interpretation of a humpback whale's song. Only problem is, there are no whales left for the probe to communicate with. So Kirk and Co. go back in time, find whales, and bring them back to the 23rd century... hopefully.

This was the highest grossing installment of the franchise
(until JJ Abrams reboot in 2009) and overall I'd say the most popular. It's good, but there are some flaws here and there. It's really fun to see the crew in the 21st century, and the time travel element was interesting. It's kind of lame how easy it was for them to go back in time, but whatever, I got over it. When I saw this as a kid I thought the effects where mind blowing (especially the Bird of Prey) and they still hold up for the most part. All and All, it was okay, and gets a passing grade. This Guy would love this movie.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
(1991) [Trailer]
Director: Nicholas Meyer (IMDB)

The Klingons are fucked. They have no more resources to keep them afloat and they're on a path to ruin. The Federation are trying to broker a deal for peace and decide to send Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise in to mediate. The negotiations don't go as planned and Kirk and Dr McCoy are taken prisoner by the Klingons. They're sentenced to life in prison for a crime they didn't commit and have to escape to clear their name.

Man... what a good movie. It blends sci-fi, a dash of a police procedural, and mystery all into one... plus, there's a pretty sweet prison break too. There's an obvious allegory to the end of Cold World between the States and mother Russia, which was pretty cool to see played out between Humans and Klingons. To watch Kirk, and others, get over their prejudices and learn to trust their old enemy, was really well executed on screen. Just like any Star Trek films involving Nicholas Meyer, the direction, effects, and score were all top notch. Take time to check this out if you haven't, it's really good, trekkie or not.