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Michael Crichton in Random Speculation
Michael Crichton in Random Speculation Friday
07Nov
Michael Crichton: 1942-2008
Fri, November 7, 2008 
As a big fan of Crichton's work, I feel that I must pay homage to the man that has inspired countless movies, television shows, and books. As an author, Crichton will be remembered as one of the very best of the century. This man was a genius on many levels, and is evident throughout his works. I can't think of a bad novel of his that I have read, and I've read virtually all of his stuff. Some highlights include: Sphere, The Terminal Man, Jurassic Park, Next, State of Fear, and The Great Train Robbery. As with movies you can watch many times and not get tired of, these novels never get tiresome to me, no matter how many times I've read them. His creative mind will be missed.
We do have one posthumously published novel, that will be released in May of 2009. I know that I will be one of the first to get my hands on it, and can only hope it is one of his bests.
Unfortunately, his creative vision was not translated well on screen in but a few of his works.
My top 5 Crichton Films:
Jurassic Park-Definitely his best known work and best film. Screenplay does navigate from the novel, but not in a way that destroys the effects of the film. Excellent flick thanks to Spielberg and Crichton's collaboration, and highly influential. Too bad the sequels suck. 
The Great Train Robbery-One of my favorite books as well. This is one of his first adaptations, and I love this movie. Before crime capers became popular like Ocean's 11, etc., this one was ahead of its time. It's also very loosely based on a true event. 
Eaters of the Dead(13th Warrior)-See Review here.
Twister-Although not a book before it was made into a movie, Crichton wrote this and it thoroughly entertained audiences to the tune of $241,000. Hard to watch it more than once, but I think everyone remembers the infamous "cow flying scene".
Disclosure-Changed the term sexual harrassment and its connotation in context. Very sexy film, and more appreciated after it was out of theaters. 
Friday
24Oct
Body Of Lies(2008)
Fri, October 24, 2008 
Well, I actually saw this movie a few weeks ago, but never got around to actually sitting down and writing a review about it. I really have had something to do every night. Anyway, you would think that when you put 2 solid actors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe with acclaimed director Ridley Scott that you would have something spectacular in the way of cinema. Too bad that is not the case.
Body of Lies disappointed me on a few levels. One, I like DiCaprio. I think that he is a smart and a good actor. He chooses his movies wisely and to date, it is hard to pinpoint any miss steps. Russell Crowe on the other hand chooses some that don't make any sense. The bad Proof of Life, the unnecessary A Good Year to name a few, but he generally makes good picks as well. If I could blame this movie on Crowe I would, just because of his more frequent bad choice in roles. Too bad I can't. The problem here lies within the script.
The overall premise of this movie is to show the audience the inner workings of the CIA in the Middle East. It does a good job establishing this notion, with DiCaprio's character as the main protagonist in the story. His role as a field agent is acted flawlessly and utterly believable. Crowe is also well cast as his superior in the organization, and does whatever he chooses with the information that he receives. His reports and orders are usually instinctive, not always based on intelligence from the region, and come across clearly as someone who is in charge but doesn't really understand the consequences and repercussions of his instructions. He acts(no pun intended) like he is fully aware, but it is obvious that he does not.
There are allegiances based on information exchanges and torturous interrogations that are no doubt based on real life events and situations. All these interplay nicely with the story of DiCaprio's role as an agent, yet nothing really progresses in this movie consistently. The story is nothing new, just replayed by Crowe and DiCaprio and drawn out with no climax. The love interest in this flick is introduced about halfway in, and really adds nothing to the story. I guess she helps DiCaprio pinpoint his role more, but that is a stretch and so is the rest of the film.
Overall: Good acting by good actors, but even they can't save this anticlimactic espionage film. It's really too bad, but you should skip this one. Just wish I did.
Reel Review: 2 out of 5 Reels
tagged Russell Crowe, Body of Lies, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ridley Scott, CIA in Action/Adventure, Drama
Russell Crowe, Body of Lies, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ridley Scott, CIA in Action/Adventure, Drama Thursday
16Oct
Forgetting Sarah Marshall(2008)
Thu, October 16, 2008 
Before I get into the actual review of the film, I want to explain my feelings on comedic films in general. Over the past few years, there have been many attempts at comedies, mainly in the form of spoofs that frankly don't deserve to be made. I'm talking about Scary Movie 1-134, Epic Movie, etc. These movies might have one or two laughs, but they have essentially ruined the comedic genre by overflooding the market with them. Where is There's Something About Mary, Porky's, Old School, Wedding Crashers, The Jerk, Dumb and Dumber, and Coming to America? Obviously, I prefer the latter to these new spoof/crap films. Yes, there are some good ones that come out during the year, (Tropic Thunder), but stuff like Beverly Hills Chihuahua? Come on, someone make a decent comedy...
This brings me to Judd Apatow and his entourage. This guy is very popular right now. His resume includes, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad. These flicks are about the same as Forgetting Sarah Marshall. There are funny moments but overall, they are all too drawn out and inconsistent in terms of laughs and story lines. Don't get me wrong. There are some very funny parts in each of these films. But, these films are not funny all throughout the 2 hours of each one. Once again, don't get me wrong. No comedy is funny the entire movie. There are "dead' times in any comedy, and the classics understand how to use this to their benefit. These are the times the plot points are inserted, and "fill up" the movie to make it coherent. Unfortunately, it seems like Mr. Apatow has it reversed.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is roughly and basically about a guy that dates a girl(Kristen Bell) that is way out of his league. She is a successful television actor in a cheesy show based on CSI. This guy(Jason Segel) is a musical compositionist for the same show, and doesn't do too much else on the side. His life is made up of hanging out with his girlfriend. When she breaks up with him(naked I might add), he tries to "forget" about her. Hence the title and where the movies plot lies. I put it to you simply because that is what it is: A guy heartbroken by a girl who tries to forget her, yet keeps running in to her everywhere. When he goes to Hawaii to get away, guess who just happens to be there as well?
Yeah, there are some laughs in this movie. Unfortunately, there are not entirely enough to warrant a second viewing of the film. I think that is where my beef with this one lies. If you notice, this is the first comedy that I have reviewed in writing. I usually don't rate comedies for the above reasons and because there are not many as of late that I want to watch again. For Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I don't really have any interest in watching it again.
Monday
13Oct
Appaloosa(2008)
Mon, October 13, 2008 
Appaloosa, Ed Harris' 2nd directorial effort is a welcome return to the western genre. With that being said, there is something great about that feat in itself. Since renewed interest in the genre after the sucess of Eastwood's Unforgiven(1992), there have really only been about 3 or 4 westerns that have even gained any type of mention or momentum in the past 15 years. Why is this? I believe that it is a few things. 1) There are a great deal of remakes and recycled story-lines. 2) Hollywood has jumped on other bandwagons more recently. (Example: destruction movies of the 90's, superhero movies of the present...) 3) I lastly don't believe that Hollywood thinks that this genre is a revenue generator like others. Maybe they are right, maybe they aren't....
Appaloosa is a good flick. It is a welcome return because it employs the simple strategy of classic westerns. There is the themes of good v bad and those of loneliness. These themes are prevalent in virtually all of both Eastwood's and Wayne's epic westerns and the film echoes some of the past glory of those films. Harris directs this film with a good eye, and it is evident that he is having fun, both with the camera and with the character he plays.
The basic overview is that Viggo Mortenson's and Harris' character, are hired gun men known for cleaning up unruly towns. They are essentially Texas Rangers, and Mortenson and Harris alike, both fit very comfortably in these roles. They encounter one town with a particularly smart and tough-as-nails criminal(Jeremy Irons) who creates his own rules, basically doing whatever he wants. This town also brings in the main love interest, Renee Zellweger. She actually does a good job in her role and is believable in her character's shoes.
The difficulty in this movie is solely in the script. It is very reminiscent of Open Range, but not quite as good. Both involve characters that have been together for awhile, yet don't really know each other personally. They are just men with strict morals, and do what it takes for the good of the community. There are elements of grandeur here, (within the casting, directing and acting), but there is nothing really new, fresh or original here.
Overall, this movie is a decent western. I'm not sure this is saying much, but it's probably the best western since last year's 3:10 To Yuma.
tagged Western, Ed Harris, Viggo Mortenson, Appaloosa, Jeremy Irons in Western
Western, Ed Harris, Viggo Mortenson, Appaloosa, Jeremy Irons in Western Thursday
02Oct
DeNiro and Scorsese: Back Again!
Thu, October 2, 2008 
I'm a big Scorsese fan. I've seen almost all of his films, and have delevoped a deep appreciation for his work as both a filmmaker and a visonary. Various news outlets are reporting that Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese have signed up to star and direct in respective roles in the mob drama, I Hear You Paint Houses. This is great news for a few reasons. One, almost everything Scorsese directs turns to gold or is hailed as Oscar-worthy. Two, DeNiro's career is in a slow decline of looking back on past glory, and needs to be resusitated correctly. Who better to do it than Scorsese?
From the first pairing of the two in 1973's Mean Streets, to the last collaboration 1995's Casino, their past has been legendary. Let's take a look at all the movies they have made together:
Mean Streets(1973) 
Taxi Driver(1976)
New York, New York(1977)
Raging Bull(1980)
GoodFellas(1990)
Cape Fear (1991)
Casino (1995)
With only one misstep(New York, New York: it's a musical, don't watch it), it is needless to say that 7 out of 8 ain't bad at all. I for one expect only the best of Scorsese and Deniro both with I Hear You Paint Houses.