Say what you want, but Denzel Washington has a way of making any film he is in or any part he plays more human than what might be on the page. Glory, Malcolm X, Philadelphia, The Hurricane: these are films that need and deserve to be seen because of the humanity that oozes from this actor in many of the roles he plays. In The Book of Eli, he plays a man struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where everything has gone to hell. Almost. Clinging to an old I-Pod and armed to the teeth, Eli marches across the now-open world of America in a peril less quest to deliver a book to the right people. I felt his weariness and isolation on screen as he battles individuals with no law or moral code to speak of in a world that no longer cares. Carnivores run rampant in this place and the most valuable resource has become the one most essential to survival: water.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Avatar: It's the King of the World
Did you ever see Star Wars, before they called it A New Hope, when it was released in 1977? Unless you were born around 1970 or before you probably were shit out of luck and caught it among the various re-released editions that George Lucas so strategically put out in the years since. For those special few who glimpsed the first adventure in a galaxy far, far away on the big screen, it must have been quite an experience in the unknown. I am going out on a limb to say that this might be the closest equivalent that our generation could see for some time. James Cameron has delivered on his eagerly anticipated film following the global monster that was Titanic in a way that should silence any nay-sayers.
The Empire Strikes Back: He Will Join Us or Die, My Master
If you are not a complete moron, then
you already now that The Empire Strikes Back is probably the
strongest and best-made film of the entire Star Wars canon. A New
Hope started it, Return of the Jedi made it teddy-bear
friendly, and the prequel trilogy almost destroyed the adventure in a
galaxy far, far away. But in one defining move prior to its’ 1980
release and before his yes-men green-lit The Kingdom of the
Crystal Skull , George Lucas made the perfect call in hiring
former mentor and teacher Irvin Kershner to helm directorial duties
on his sequel to Star Wars. Kershner was more interested in the
character’s relationships and growth than the special effects of
the film, which Lucas and ILM handled with considerable success. His
patience with the acting and his guidance on how the Han and Leia
romance should be handled and how Luke would evolve further along the
Jedi path made for a science fiction fantasy that took itself
seriously. What he produced was the most mature and grown up film in
the series, which has made it all the more entertaining and enduring
since its’ debut almost thirty years ago.
The Terminator: In the Year of Darkness, 2029
When James Cameron had a feverish dream
of a metal endoskeleton rising from the flames of destruction, little
did we know that he would craft this vision into the terminator
franchise and redefine what an action and science fiction series
could be. Legend has it that Arnold Schwarzenegger auditioned for
the role of Kyle Reese, human soldier sent back in time to protect
one very important mother, due to his rising stature in Hollywood
with the success of the Conan the Barbarian in the early 80’s.
Upon meeting, both Schwarzenegger and Cameron secretly thought that
the role of the terminator would fit Arnold perfectly, with his
unnatural build fitting the nightmarish image of an unstoppable
cyborg killer from the future. Cameron initially wanted the
terminator to be a machine that looked like a completely normal man
in order for it to blend in with the crowd. Lance Henriksen (See
also Aliens) was initially going to play the terminator and
although he would have provided a unique and original interpretation
of a machine with no remorse, fate gave the world Arnold in what
could arguably be called his most memorable and iconic role of his
career.
Surrogates: The Baldness of Bruce
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