Cinema Static

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) WTF Was That?

2023-03-11T19:56:00.002-08:00

Everything Everywhere All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong and Tallie Medel and is written and directed by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert.

A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.

Up front... I only got halfway into this extremely eclectic story before I turned it off and I am extremely confused how this film is generating so much attention. It felt like a bad version of Doctor Who meets Pulp Fiction crossed with The Matrix. But that's just me.

Other reviews had this to say about it:

RogerEbert.com says

Editor Paul Rogers' breakneck pace matches the script’s frenetic dialogue, with layers of universes simultaneously folding into each other while also propelling Evelyn’s internal journey. Match cuts seamlessly connect the universes together, while playful cuts help emphasize the humor at the heart of the film.

Born from choices both made and not made, each universe has a distinct look and feel, with winking film references ranging from “The Matrix” to “The Fall” to “2001: A Space Odyssey” to “In The Mood For Love” to “Ratatouille.” Even Michelle Yeoh’s own legacy finds its way into the film with loving callbacks to her Hong Kong action film days and the wuxia classic “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” The fight sequences, choreographed by Andy and Brian Le, have a balletic beauty to them, wisely shot by cinematographer Larkin Seiple in wide shots allowing whole bodies to fill the frame.

The method of which they bounce around between universes was weird and distracting. The personality switches is crazy confusing, the good guy - bad guy interactions were wonky... and then I bailed half way through it.

How it's become the most nominated film of all time, BEFORE the Oscars, befuddles me. How it has an 8.0/10 on IMDb just... gives me anxiety! LOL.

TO ME, this was the most horrible film I've ever tried watching, but maybe later, if I try watching it again, maybe I'll see it differently, but right now, my first impression didn't go well.

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The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) Review: Confusingly Good

2023-03-11T18:29:00.002-08:00

The Banshees of Inisherin stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, written and directed by Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, In Bruges, Six Shooter).

From IMDb:

"Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN follows lifelong friends Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Padraic, aided by his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Barry Keoghan), endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Padraic's repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend's resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences."

The film almost needs sub-titles, due to everyone's heavy Irish accents, but it's manageable.

The cast delivers quite the story, with Farrell and Gleeson shining in their awkward friends mode... but that mentioned ultimatum triggers the oddest measure of resolve from Colm. It seemed extreme and did not make sense.

The film was one of those films where the writing keeps you engaged while it's almost not making any sense... while making complete sense.

But the bottom line is that this movie is quietly entertaining and a nice distraction during it's two hour run-time.

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NOPE (2022) Review: Yep, Quirky But Worth It

2022-11-21T18:42:00.001-08:00

Nope is a movie from Jordan Peele, starring a great cast which includes

Daniel Kaluuya,

Keke Palmer,

Brandon Perea,

Michael Wincott,

Steven Yeun,

Wrenn Schmidt &

Keith David

It was filmed locally (for me) in and around Acton, Agua Dulce & Santa Clarita, California (SoCal).

I don't want to give too much away, so the pitch for the film is "The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery."

To be honest, I LOVED the marketing for the film, where they barely gave anything away and yet, you have a subtle idea about the film, all the while, it has 6.9/10 on IMDb.

Act one gives us a ton of ecclectic background information on the cast of characters, while act two sees our characters starting to deal with the issue at hand, with act three having the classic resolution phase of defeating the issue that the local desert residents have to deal with.

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The character acting was wonderfully engaging from this top-notch cast and they really set the tone for the film.

The first two acts were pretty engaging and the third act wasn't bad, but I don't know if they were trying to get original or get desperate to come up with the final bit... either way, I had fun watching the film, it had a few real 'whoa!' moments and if you get a chance, I'd say go for it...

Just expect to be a bit confused about where it's going with some of the background info, but it all pans out in the end. And to fill out some the gaps in the story you came to understand, merely hit up the NOPE Wikipedia article that gives you a run down on the plot... and then suddenly, it will mostly all make sense!

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THE LOFT (2014) Review: Shockingly Great Twists

2022-11-08T16:48:00.002-08:00

The Loft sports a fantastic cast, as it stars Karl Urban, James Marsden, Wentworth Miller, Eric Stonestreet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Isabel Lucas, & Rachael Taylor in this film from director Erik Van Looy. It's a remake of a foreign film of the same name and premise, that being:

Five married guys secretly share a penthouse loft in the city where they can carry out hidden affairs. But the fantasy becomes a nightmare, when they discover the dead body of a woman in the loft one of the group must be involved.

This is one fascinating movie. The film starts out with a quick 10-15 second clip of a body plummeting to the street and landing on a parked car and then we're transported back in time to a scene where a property developer is having an open house for his building, but he reserved the top floor loft for him and his friends so they can have whatever events any of them want there.

The five guys are pretty much dogs to the core, all of them cheating on their wives in one way or another, but this serene situation is brutally disrupted when one of the guys comes to the loft with kitchen supplies and finds a dead body of a woman in the bed.

The five men meet to debate what to do about the dead woman, considering they are the only five that have keys to the loft, so, as they see it, one of them did it, but who?

The rest of the film has us chasing our tails and the story as it bounces back and forth between past and a bit farther past events, delving into the stories of each of the guys and how their lives and relationships could possibly impact the obvious problem in the room, aka, the loft, that dead body.

I was pretty sure early on who I suspected had 'done it,' and then as we get into act two of the film, I thought I was shoring up my suspicions. But dang, act three started to prove me wrong and after one curve ball after another, the ending and 'who done it' was quite surprising.

I do not understand how this film netted a 6.3/10 on IMDb. I felt that after watching the film, it should have been a 7 or higher. And the professional critics over on Rotten Tomatoes are just stupid, giving the film a 14%. WTF?

So if you see this movie come up on your schedule, I'd suggest checking it out. It was well worth our time and fulfilled our entertainment expectations.

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THE BATMAN (2022) Review: More Detective Than Batman

2022-07-08T17:41:00.001-07:00

The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves (Planet of the Apes reboot, Let Me In) and stars Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, and quite few more. It's quite the cast...

The synposis is:

Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis. As Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption, he's also brought to question his family's involvement in the criminal underworld.

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Just so you know: The Batman has an 7.9/10 on IMDb and 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

First up, I think WB must have had a heavy hand in the creative direction of this film, which is nothing new with this studio, because Reeves can be pretty brilliant with his creative products, but in the case of The Batman, I am still trying to digest what I saw.

But as I look around at reviews, I find the following opinions over on Rotten Tomatoes:

CRITICS CONSENSUS

"A grim, gritty, and gripping super-noir, The Batman ranks among the Dark Knight's bleakest -- and most thrillingly ambitious -- live-action outings"

"It remains an action thriller that, with detective intrigue and atmospheric styling, shows an unexplored side of the dark knight in a Gotham City that is always drenched in rain and corruption at night."

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The Batman is three hours, so be ready for that, and in that three hour format, I believe it could have been a good two-hour film but there were a lot of long, drawn out exposition scenes to drive home the dreariness of the moment or setting.

And yes, yet again, this film is set in a dark (literally and figuratively) city with dark characters and dark settings.

I'm not totally sold on Pattinson being Batman, and we saw very little of Bruce Wayne's life even though it was alluded to on and off, but this film was about Batman.

We didn't get the usual origin tale (thank god) and we're dumped right into the mythos of the character, and throughout the film, we're introduced to a few new ideas about his past that could explain a lot about the character build of Batman.

He works closely with the police force in this film, even if most of the uniformed officers are not fond of his interference, but Commisioner Gordon sees the advantage to having the world's greatest detective look over a crime scene.

The bad guys are not over the top, but rather, have ordinarily applied nicknames. But I have to say, The Penguin... that actor transformation is absolutely amazing. Unless you saw the cast list, you would never even guess who it is.

But herein lies my confusion...

As this film hit the third act, I was aching for it to end. It was long in the tooth but I'm used to movies getting to the point and resolving. If I wanted to be in this for a long haul movie experience, then this film is definitely for you!

There's very subtle moments of humor but this Batman portrayed felt like a suicidal nut-case that had no fear of dying. He says so himself in the film, that he's not afraid to die and there's even a moment where it looks like he's about to meet his maker, and he does not seem to care.

Then again, his mindset can be explained... why he's taken up the mantle of the bat, does what he does, when it's explained how his mother was not quite right in the head and his father did everything he could to protect her from that potential image.

All I can say is that it did not suck but I'm not sure I'd add it to my list of movie to buy... I'll have to watch it again and see how I feel.

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THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017) Review: What The Flying Mother Was That?

2022-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Killing of a Sacred Deer stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Alicia Silverstone & Barry Keoghan. The director of this film is Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, Dogtooth, The Favourite).

The film is... well, let me set you up with the synopsis:

Dr. Steven Murphy (Farrell) is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who presides over a spotless household with his wife (Kidman) and two children. Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin (Keoghan), a fatherless teen who insinuates himself into the doctor's life in gradually unsettling ways. Soon, the full scope of Martin's intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Steven with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter his domestic bliss forever.

The synopsis itself sounds like a great dramatic mystery, but director Lanthimos seems to like to take the artistic,esoteric route to delivering messages about life.

For one, pretty much everyone in the film talks like they're from the planet Vulcan or that they're emotionless robots slowly spouting their lines. NO ONE stands out by their actions or words. It was weird... I thought we were looking at another planet...

The sex life between Farrell and Kidman is just THE WEIRDEST!!!

But why was the dialog so drab? The reasoning behind this, is as follows:

"The audience isn't meant to form attachments to the characters, but rather question if Martin's actions are justified and wonder how Steven will react. The movie's weird dialogue ensures the audience focuses on the right elements of the movie, making it a truly unsettling watch."

(https://screenrant.com/killing-sacred-deer-movie-dialogue-improvement-good-why/)

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As the story develops, it takes a while to figure out what's going on until about the third act, as we're slowly (very very slowly) introduced to characters and situations. But along with the weird tone of dialog, we also have the most confusingly blatant attitudes of the characters. In one case, the parents are at a social function and they're talking about how their daughter has started menstruating. And later on, it seems to be a talking point for the daughter while she chats with a boy she just met!

I mean, what the heck!!!???

The reasoning behind how this story was oddly constructed is defined such as:

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is directly concerned with fate, with cosmic punishment of human hubris, with our so-called free will crumbling under the uncaringly cruel banalities of the universe. In exploring these themes, the film reminded me very much of a modern update on a Greek tragedy.

(https://collider.com/the-killing-of-a-sacred-deer-ending-explained/)

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Even though the film was a bit confounding, it was done well enough for us to stick it out to see where it was going. We were exhausted from trying to watch the film and make heads or tails out of the delivery of the story. In fact, rather than not getting attached to the characters so we can follow the tale of fate and punishment, we were extremely distracted by the deadpan tone of the characters and why they were like this.

BUT...

I'm guessing my household isn't exactly artistically minded regarding watching movies, but in IMDb the film has a 7/10 and the Rotten Tomatoes score is 80%.

So you be the judge.

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DUNE (2021) Review: A Well Done Rehash But…

2022-04-04T08:55:00.011-07:00

DUNE is a predictable and enjoyable remake with nothing original to speak of.

Dune, stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Chang Chen, Dave Bautista, and it was directed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival).

The synopsis is as follows:

A noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while it's heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.

I think many of us have seen the film from 1984 and possibly read the books.

First up, the film is a nice redo to the original with new actors in old roles, new movie tech to replace the old effects from 1984, and the story is pretty much on point with the 1984 film. But it was just that, nearly an identical redo with not too much new or original spin on the story.

It felt like it was an exact rewrite, with a compressed version of the political family dynamics during act one and act two while following Paul's internal development, right up until he meets the Fremen, who believe him to be the next coming of their god or savior.

I was a bit agitated to find out they've split the story up into multiple films but I suspect the sequel/2nd film will also by pretty much a a near exact copy of the 1984 film. I am not sure how Villenueuve can say he "developed" these films, but it is what it is.

Will I watch the Dune ? Yes... when it comes to HBO, but I'm not paying for any unoriginal remake in theaters, no matter how good it feels.

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REACHER S1 (Prime Video) Review: Fun To the End

2022-04-02T08:28:00.001-07:00

Reacher, from Amazon Prime Video, stars Alan Ritchson (as Jack Reacher), along with Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Hugh Thompson, Chris Webster, Bruce McGill, & Kristin Kreuk.

Jack Reacher is a drifter by choice, cruising to different places of choice and when he finds trouble, rights it if he has to.

The story on Amazon Prime Video of season 1, is based off the first book of the Jack Reacher series, and it starts off with us watching a man getting murdered in the dark of night.

Along comes a house-sized man by the name of Jack Reacher, (Ritchson) a war hero and ex-military cop who stays off the grid, traveling with no luggage, using fake names only using cash. Reacher turns up in Margrave, Ga., where an old blues musician he likes supposedly died. He isn't there long before this drifter/stranger is wrongly arrested for murdering two men on the night he hit town. (The scene we were first shown)

One thing leads to another and Reacher is involved in trying to bring down more than a small town conspiracy, which leads to more deaths than I can keep track of! But all rightfully executed, if, even if it was at the hands of this self-styled vigilante.

The series confounded me at first because of how large Reacher is. I first experienced the character in the Tom Cruise movies, not realizing that the character from the books is indeed, the size of a house. It took a little to adjust to, as I appreciated how the Cruise-sized hero was able to handle himself... this new behemoth of a man seemed quite able to take care of himself in most any situations, but alas, they sent plenty of men each time to eliminate him.

Regardless...

I found Reacher to be rather entertaining through and through, with nary a boring moment, all the while, episodes peppered with flashbacks to Reacher's youth, giving us more insight into how Reacher ticks. Each episode had some new development to the riddle that Reacher is investigating and that’s part of what keeps the story moving forward.

The bottom line is that Reacher has been taught to do what's right, because that is the brave thing to do.

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HAWKEYE Review: Fun and Real

2022-03-25T07:30:00.001-07:00

Hawkeye on Disney Plus stars Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steifeld (True Grit, Bumblebee), Florence Pugh, Vera Farmiga and few others. The Storyline is:

Former Avenger Clint Barton has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. Possible? Maybe with the help of Kate Bishop, a 22-year-old archer with dreams of becoming a Super Hero. The two are forced to work together when a presence from Barton's past threatens to derail far more than the festive spirit.

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They say that Hawkeye (Renner) was one of the least watched Marvel series, but it garnered a 7.7 out 10 on IMDb after 142k votes, so you be the judge, because I actually enjoyed the series.

In the show, we see what it's really like to be a hero, with all the aches, pains and effects on one's body after having participated in world saving adventures. It was fun to see the real side of being a hero. But we also see the notoriety a hero can experience, even if he's trying to be humble about it, but it's hard to evade when everyone recognizes you.

Clint is in New York with his family and right before they all leave, Kate Bishop (Steifeld) manages to get a hold of Clint's old Ronin outfit and ends up getting caught on TV wearing it.

This triggers all kinds of trouble... from gangs seeing "Ronin" in town and coming in to exact their revenge on the murderous anti-hero, when Clint went on his killing spree binge after the snap.

Of course Clint sees the suit on TV and has to stay behind to try to get it back and destroy it properly. In the process, he meets Kate and through it all, between them both, they tackle the challenges that comes from trying to get the suit back, and all the old enemies of Ronin.

Through it all, they confront problems with Kate's mom (Farmiga), her fiancee', and what not.

I'm being vague because it's a lot of fun experiencing the different aspects of the storyline as they develop. And boy, there's one whopper of an ending that I didn't see coming (cause I didn't look at the full cast list).

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Kate is an annoying, willful, rich brat who thinks little of others while she gets her kicks, but over the span of the series, she comes around and grows on you. Clint is in constant conflict with Kate, trying to just do the right think while tolerating her, but she grows on him too! Plus, we get to witness Clint coming to term, to some degree, with Nats death.

If you're any kind of a marginal or full-core Hawkeye fan, I think you'll love the show.

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ANNIHILATION (2018) Review

2022-03-02T08:59:00.001-08:00

Annihilation is an interesting take on what could be considered an alien invasion of a sorts, kind of film. I think.

An alien beam strikes a lighthouse, and from there, a bubble of energy starts to expand from that impact point, changing everything in its path in fascinatingly different and confusing ways.

A biologist's husband disappears. She puts her name forward for an expedition into an environmental disaster zone, but does not find what she's expecting. The expedition team is made up of the biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, a surveyor, and a linguist.

The film stars Natalie Portman, Benedict Wong, Sonoya Mizuno, Oscar Isaac, in a film directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later, Never Let Me Go).

Annihilation is a fascinating sci-fi story, about an alien presence that inserts itself in a place on Earth and as it's influence on the immediate environment grows, so to, does the world of the space it controls. People go into this bubble it's created, to never be heard from again, but as people go into the bubble, weird things start to happen to them, from losing time to going a bit mad and turning on each other.

Natalie Portman plays an ex-military kind of scientist that is part of an expedition that heads into the anomaly and finally makes it to the destination that everyone was looking for...

And that's all I'll say, because that's the way it is.

It's a wonderfully engaging sci-fi flick and I think you'd enjoy it to some degree.

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NIGHTMARE ALLEY (2021) Review: Nightmare Long

2022-02-28T08:55:00.003-08:00

Nightmare Alley stars quite the cast, including Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, & David Strathairn in a film directed by Guillermo del Toro.

The synopsis reads as follows:

"An ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is."

The film starts out watching Bradley Cooper walking away from a home that he just set on fire. From there, he joins a carnival, meets a girl, they leave the carnival to start their own kind of carny entertainment, does really well at it until Cooper meets a conman who is better at the game than even he is and suddenly his wonderful life starts to begin to unravel.

Oh where do I start?

Guillermo loves to tell and tale in-depth, and this film runs two hours and thirty minutes to prove it.

But to be honest, the first third of the film is just developing our one character of Cooper's, just to start to engage the film's synopsis. We meet people that have NOTHING to do with the underlying plot. Once we get into act two, that too is a bit slow but at least we've started to engage the characters that will get the plot we've been promised, moving forward.

This is a very deeply detailed running story, with details and nuances that are wonderful to experience, as one turn of the story leads to another.

It all comes down to what I feel is a classic kind of del Toro ending, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

If it weren't so long, I would have loved this movie.

Nightmare Alley got a 7.2/10 on IMDb and was nominated for four Oscars. So you be the judge.

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ETERNALS (2021) Review: About As Boring As You Can Get

2022-01-28T08:12:00.001-08:00

The Eternals stars Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Ma Dong-seok, & Harish Patel. The film is directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider, Songs My Brothers Taught Me).

Basically, the film jumps back and forth between present day and the past of humanity as we follow what is called the 'saga of the Eternals' as they use their powers to shape the civilizations and history of Earth. We watch them battle dragons in bygone eras and their emotional interactions in present day.

As time goes on, all the dragons and monsters had been defeated, but suddenly, something changes and a dragon (it’s more of a referral I'm using for the demon monsters they’re dealing with) shows up, and suddenly, the Eternals find themselves banding back together after spending many many years forging their own, individual lives.

But things aren’t as they seem they should be and as the Eternals start to delve into this new development or problem, they learn things that they had no clue about, and things start to turn sideways for them, their lives and their allegiance.

- - -

I don’t know where to start…

A third of the movie is barely watchable on a phone due to scenes that take place at night or in caves.

I expected A LOT more from Jolie, but for the first two acts her character was just an emotional vegetable, and she barely stepped up as the third act evolved.

Hayek seemed to also be wasted, but by mid-act two, I was getting used to this.

We’re watching characters (or at least I am) that we’ve never heard of because we never bought their comic books, so we had to suffer watching the film try to make these god-like beings relatable in flashbacks and present-day stabs at relationships.

The threat is so big, but not that big… as it only threatens the Earth and not the entire cosmos.

And then there’s the big twist with the internal dynamic of the team that took the wind out of my sails and definitely surprised me.

All in all, I’m glad I waited until it came to Disney+ and NOT paid Box Office dollars to see this film. I would have been disappointed in my expensive boredom…

Maybe it’s just me, because it got a 6.5/10 on IMDb. But I don’t believe I’d chase after any sequel that may or may not come out. (Though they did warn us that the Eternals will return)

And those mid and after-credit scenes made absolutely ZERO sense to me.

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DARK WATERS (2019) Review: The Ugly Side of Consumer Science

2022-01-16T09:07:00.006-08:00

Dark Waters stars (and produced by) Mark Ruffalo as lawyer Rob Bilott, who is hired by a group of small town folks from Parkersburg, West Virginia, to investigate the suspected poisoning of their local water supply and nearby dump by a company called DuPont plant. Yes, that DuPont.

Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, Victor Garber, Mare Willingham also star in this film directed by Todd Haynes.

The film is an insidiously captivating movie experience as we watch Bilott battle DuPont within the limits of the legal system as DuPont is in it for the long battle using every trick in the legal book to keep defending itself and its use of these highly toxic chemicals to make their products.

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The chemicals turned out to be extremely toxic to living organisms and are known as PFAS, or forever chemicals. Unlike many chemicals that flush through our system, these do not. They stay around forever and accumulate within your body as you are exposed to them.

The lawsuits were initially filed against DuPont by Bilott in 1999. So while I was watching the movie, when Bilott was first hired, I presumed the case would be an informative and eye-opening bit of info. But what started in 1999, went on for 20 years as Dupont defended their use of the chemical. The chemical is used in common, everyday products we use, like teflon pans and waterproof clothing and coating on eyeglass lenses.

It’s an insidious situation where companies favor profit over the welfare of others.

One of the issues is that the EPA only regulates compounds in their databases, and PFAS are only in their databases when a company submits the substance study. There are hundreds of PFAS in existence that are not in the EPAs database.

An environmental group had documented a decades-long deception of chemical companies like DuPont burying the truth that PFAS build up in our blood and present risks to human health. They showed that by the 1960s, animal studies conducted by DuPont revealed that PFAS chemicals could pose health risks.

And to this day, Dupont and other companies fight the lawsuits.

Dark Waters on Amazon.

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The articles at this link documents A LOT about this problem that a few companies have willingly subjected our species to:

https://www.ewg.org/dupont-and-others-reach-4-billion-settlement-forever-chemicals

time.com/dark-waters-true-story

ehn.org/dupont-c8-parkersburg

ejatlas.org/hollie

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THE SURVIVALIST (2021) Review: Nope... Not Worth My Time

2022-01-09T08:24:00.001-08:00

The Survivalist stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, John Malkovich, Jenna Leigh Green & Ruby Modine... in a film directed by Jon Keeyes.

I'm going to lead with the premise that the film got a 3.4/10 on IMDb, so if you want to stop reading now, you won't miss much because I don't have much to say... Another huge clue about the quality of the film is the lack of images provided to IMDb for a film. Instead of the usual 45-hundreds of images, this film has ten. Ouch.

When I saw the previews for the film with Jonathan Rhys Meyers & John Malkovich I thought, 'Cool! I like Malkovich.' But oh, was I in for a disappointment!

The tag line says:

'A year and a half after the fall of civilization due to a viral outbreak, a former FBI agent finds himself forced to protect a young woman who is immune to the disease, from a dangerous gang leader hunting her.'

The film starts out with two people being pursued by some crazy folks with the intent of shooting the man and catching the woman... the man's last words to Sarah (Modine) were to find his friend, Ben (Meyers), who was an FBI agent, for protection.

The people chasing the girl are led by a religious zealot named Aaron (Malkovich) who mysteriously recovered from this deadly virus. This sets him on a path of righteousness, as he chases down this one girl who supposedly is immune to the virus. He wants to breed her to save humanity. Whether she likes it or not.

Sarah finds her way to Ben's place, the family farm, only to find out he was just some kind of computer tech guy for the FBI, not an action-oriented agent. But on the bright side, his father, and hence by virtue, relation, are survivalist, prepared for the worse.

Sarah finds Ben, Aaron find Sarah and hence Ben and the standoff commences!!!

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This film is seemingly the harbinger of upcoming films, basing their post-apocalyptic worlds off of the worst that Covid could do to us if we were all chest-beating, non-mask wearing freedom for rights advocates.

In this case, most of the world is dead with barely a few surviving and those that have survived are a bit off in the logic department.

People like Aaron and his RV full of followers are hell bent on doing what they think is the best for humanity...

The story had potential but the execution had a lot to be desired. Inconsistent characters. Characters with little or no motivation, just acting out a role. Then the cinematography was OK but there was just so much that fell short with this film that it bordered just barely above being a Syfy channel movie. Those aren't bad... with enough beer and friends to mock them.

But I wouldn't go out of my way to see this film.

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VOYAGERS (2021) Review: A Gritty Look At Our Future

2022-01-07T08:45:00.020-08:00

Voyagers was written and directed by Neil Burger (Divergent, The Illusionist, The Upside) and stars Colin Farrell, Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, & Fionn Whitehead.

Voyagers tells the tale of our future, where the planet is dying and we need to find a new place to screw up... I mean move to. Our top scientists find a potential candidate and we need to send an exploratory crew to go investigate it. The problem is that the journey, with our technology, will take 80+ years.

The plan was a good one... send 30 young people on a voyage and by the time the ship arrives at the planet, their grandchildren will be the explorers.

Colin Farrell leads the cast in the first act, but his is not a long-lived role, leaving the surviving teens to be in charge of the mission. Regardless of any situation they may find themselves in, the young crew have all the necessary instructional guides to help keep them on their path, but as a few teens start to notice, one of their nutritional supplements is a medication designed to keep them emotionally in-check.

When they choose not to take 'the blue,' the chemical that's keeping them in check, that's when human nature kicks in and total anarchy erupts within this once well-oiled mini-society. They start to make choices that are not best for the mission, but for themselves.

Underneath it all, there are other sub-stories that are going on that are worth the watch, making the film a more intriguing watching experience…

(Sound familiar?)

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The young cast successfully pulls off this tale of whoa as the future of humanity potentially depends on these kids accomplishing their given task.

All in all, it was a very engaging movie experience that could be worth your time if you come across it in your channel surfing.

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NIGHTCRAWLER (2014) Review: A Gripping Odyssey Of A Reporter

2022-01-02T08:00:00.008-08:00

Nightcrawler (not the X-Man), directed by Dan Gilroy, stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed and more in a story about a man named Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal), a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism. While paving his way into this new endeavor, he finds that he can easily blur the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.

The film starts out watching Bloom trying to sell stolen goods to a buyer, then robbing an uber driver of his nice wrist watch and so forth and so on.

He then happens upon a crime scene and watches an independent news crew filming the crime, and as he strikes up a conversation with the camera operator and discovers that the man does this to make money.

After that, one thing leads to another, and the next thing you know, Bloom is chasing down emergency calls with a camera of his own...

As the story develops, he starts to get a feel for how the system works, and before you know it, he starts to manipulate the system to put himself at the scene of the crime long before anyone else gets there. He films things that are questionable at best, but it's ratings and big bucks.

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Through the film, Bloom strikes this viewer as a methodically intelligent crook. But as the story progresses, he has such a unemotional and a too-methodical of an approach to how he conducts business that you have to wonder if he isn't actually on the autistic spectrum, with maybe Asperger's.

Through and through, with his portrayal of this desperate yet intelligent two-bit crook turned news camera man, Gyllenhaal carries the story. He keeps you wondering while at the same time, at moments, kind of horrifies you at the depths he'll go to make a name for himself.

Nightcrawler got a 7.8/10 on IMDb and I think it's a worthy bit of entertainment, especially if you like Gyllenhaal.

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THE PREDATOR (2018) - A Mockery Of The Franchise

2021-12-30T09:05:00.006-08:00

THE PREDATOR could have been so much more but instead, it is a cheap effort to capitalize on the franchise.

Way back prior to 2018 when I heard that Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) was doing a new (back then) Predator movie, I was pretty jazzed. I couldn't wait for it to come to the movie theater.

But before it came to the theaters, I wasn't hearing great things about the film, so I gave it a soft pass of going to the theater and waited. OK, so I waited a long time... a few years... until it joined the cadre of other movies that land on FX and the like networks.

This mockery of a Predator film was written by Fred Dekker (The Monster Squad, Night of the Creeps, RoboCop3) and Shane Black, and starred Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Yvonne Strahovski, and more.

The tagline of the film from IMDb reads:

"When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race."

Which makes zero sense after watching the film but makes perfect sense if the studio supplied that tagline...

On the other hand, a teaser text from the web makes more sense:

"From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biologist can prevent the end of the human race."

Basically the film starts out with a space chase between Predator ships, where one ends up crashing on Earth. The ship is found by some soldiers and one of the soldiers, thinking he was being smart about retaining proof of encountering an alien, takes a few things from the ship and mails it to his son, who has Aspergers. When his son gets the package, he opens it and figures out how to use the gadgets in the box, which calls down another Predator ship, the one that was chasing the first ship.

A few scene jumps later, we find that somehow humans have captured the first predator and have it strapped to a table for the purpose of science. The government shows up and grabs a biologist (Munn) to help study some odd test results they've come up with. Curious development, that's for sure.

But as this beast breaks out of his confines among the scientists (shocking), a second, much bigger Predator and his dogs show up. Yes, his predator dog.

Then there's this situation where the soldier that found the alien, finds himself arrested and slapped into a bus full of military rejects. As things develop, these guys end up bringing the fight to the predator and against the government military group chasing down the alien and its tech.

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All in all, the film jumps the shark pretty early about when the test subject predator starts to escape its confines, and the biologist (Munn) goes on the offensive and tries to chase down the alien with a tranquilizer gun... seriously?

The dialog is quick and choppy. You almost need to be on stimulants to keep up.

Various other events that take place in the movie just don't feel right, plus the Predator creature itself seems more CGI than anything else... which is such a disservice to the classic franchise of using an actual character actor in costume.

I swear, the story progression felt like a Michael Bay Transformers film, where scenes are just jumbled together to get to some plot or sub-plot point, with no regard for the viewer's appreciation of story flow.

I believe the IMDb score of 5.3/10 is a bit generous and it did not fulfill my need to watch my long-time film anti-hero. If you get a chance to catch this film, go into it thinking it's more of a Saturday night Syfy Channel flick that you should watch with friends and beer, and you should be fine.

This was an amazingly disappointing film from Shane Black. Shame on you Mr. Black!

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GONE (2012) Quite The Emotional Roller Coaster

2021-12-28T09:13:00.001-08:00

Amanda Seyfried stars as Jill, a girl who was abducted a year ago, and when her sister goes missing, she's pretty sure her kidnapper is back. Unfortunately, when Jill was abducted, because she had very few details about her kidnapper, her location, or what not, everyone believed that it was all in her head. So now, when her sister disappears, no one, including the police, believe her.

The film, GONE, has quite the cast, which includes Daniel Sunjata, Jennifer Carpenter, Sebastian Stan, Wes Bentley, Nick Searcy, Socratis Otto, Emily Wickersham, Joel David Moore, Katherine Moennig & Michael Paré, just to name a few.

Gone was directed by Heitor Dhalia (Bald Mountain, Nina, Adrift) and the screenplay was written by Allison Burnett (Ask Me Anything, Feast of Love, Underworld Awakening).

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The film is done quite well because when Jill goes straight to the cops, and they seem to be pretty nonchalant about her concerns, it's in a later conversation between the cops that we learn they said that her prior kidnapping was all in her head and she even served time in a crazy farm for her imagination.

And as she pursues clues that lead her upon the trail of her sister, her own behavior has you pretty much sitting in the same boat with the cops, thinking she's not quite right in the head.

One mistake after another leads her to clash with the cops, so she's now pursuing her sister while dodging the cops, her family and her shrink.

But as the story spins out into the third act, you're not sure what or who to believe until the feces starts to hit the fan...

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I don't agree with the IMDb score of 5.9/10. I think the film is much better than that, as it has you pondering one way or the other if she's right in the head or not. Seyfried delivers one hell of a complicated character, demonstrating some form of imbalance or... something.

Act 3 pretty much starts to dictate which direction the story is going, but it keeps you on edge just long enough until it's too late.

I think it's totally worth the time to watch this fun thriller if you come across it somewhere on your TV or streaming service.

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LAND (2021): A Riveting, Soulful Movie Experience

2021-12-24T10:43:00.001-08:00

Land, starring and directed by Robin Wright, is a story about a woman who loses everything that's important to her and moves to a remote region in the mountains to get away from everything that reminds her of what she lost. Along the way, she experiences everything that a harsh winter in the mountains can deliver, giving her cause to reevaluate her perspective and focuses.

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A quickie Cinema Static take:

The film opens not quite explaining what happened to Edee (Wright) but we watch as she buys a cabin out in the mountains, then disposes of her cell phone and car, (wait, what?) as she's looking to live off the meager provisions she brought. But being a city girl, she was NOT fully prepared for what this life has in store for the unprepared.

Through most of acts 1 & 2, we watch as she faces one challenge after another. Then at one point, due to her lack of preparedness, she gives up and looks to slowly die out there, leaving behind all that she lost.

Along the way, the viewer is dragged into the experience as her interactions with her new environment keeps you on the edge of your seat.

At one point, I was not sure if the film was depressing or riveting. But don't worry, it's not all dreary depression. You'll see if you watch the film.

When all is said and done, it was a powerful movie experience that stuck with me for some time afterwards. It was worth sitting through.

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WHAT IF, A Disney Plus Review, Not Bad

2021-11-20T07:35:00.001-08:00

WHAT IF on Disney+ Turns Out In the End To Be Pretty Fun

Marvel's What If started out as a curiosity show for me, seeing what alternate realities the show creators came up with and it turned into the culmination of all the stories coming together for a good cause against evil. It went from something curious to watch, to I couldn't get enough of What If in the last two episodes. It was a good pay out.

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What If has us listening to The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), as each episode deals with an alternate reality for scenarios like if

-Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) got the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers.

-T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) became Star-Lord?

-The world lost its Mightiest Heroes? Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) struggles to assemble the Avengers after the candidates are targeted by a serial killer.

-Instead of losing his hands, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) lost the love of his life? A grief-stricken Stephen Strange desperately tries to change what happened in the past.

-There was a zombie outbreak, and it wiped out half the Avengers? Is there any way to stop it...and find a cure?

-Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) was the one that saved Tony Stark, and then the two became friends — and co-workers? And there was no Iron Man?

Things start to get fun here, when

-Thor (Chris Hemsworth) were an only child and never learned to be a good hero, throws an out-of-control intergalactic party on Earth. To deal with Thor's party, Earth's Mightiest Heroes do what must be done — call Thor's mother.

The next two episodes join all these stories together, where,

-What if Ultron got his vision body and won? Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) seek to destroy Ultron following a cataclysmic event. Can the Watcher stay on the sidelines and not interfere any longer?

-The final episode follows the Watcher as he gathers the necessary forces to deal with Ultron, who has discovered the multi-verse and threatens all of life.

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What's doubly amazing is that most of the voice cast are the actors from the films with the exception of Iron Man, Black Widow & Captain America, Captain Marvel, Peter Quill & Ultron.

But what started out as a time killer, turned into a rather satisfying visual/audio experience.

I've included the list of voice actors so you can see the impressive collective of talent:

Alexandra Daniels Captain Marvel

Andy Serkis Ulysses Klaue

Angela Bassett Queen Ramonda

Benedict Cumberbatch Doctor Strange

Benedict Wong Wong

Benicio Del Toro The Collector

Beth Hoyt Pepper Potts

Brian T. Delaney Peter Quill

Carrie Coon Proxima Midnight

Chadwick Boseman Black Panther

Chris Hemsworth Thor

Clancy Brown Surtur

Clark Gregg Agent Coulson

Cobie Smulders Maria Hill

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams Gamora

Danai Gurira Okoye

Darrell Hammond Nazi General

Djimon Hounsou Korath

Dominic Cooper Howard Stark

Don Cheadle Rhodey

Emily VanCamp Sharon Carter

Evangeline Lilly Hope Van Dyne

Frank Grillo Brock Rumlow

Georges St-Pierre Batroc

Hayley Atwell Captain Carter

Hudson Thames Peter Parker

Ike Amadi O'Bengh

Isaac Robinson-Smith Brick

Jaimie Alexander Lady Sif

Jeff Goldblum Grandmaster

Jeffrey Wright The Watcher

Jeremy Renner Clint Barton

John Kani T'Chaka

Jon Favreau Happy Hogan

Josette Eales Frigga

Josh Brolin Thanos

Karen Gillan Nebula

Kat Dennings Darcy

Kiff VandenHeuvel Obadiah Stane

Kurt Russell Ego

Lake Bell Black Widow

Leslie Bibb Christine Everhart

Mark Ruffalo Bruce Banner

Michael B. Jordan Killmonger

Michael Douglas Hank Pym

Michael Patrick McGill General Ross

Michael Rooker Yondu

Mick Wingert Iron Man

Natalie Portman Jane Foster

Neal McDonough Dum Dum Dugan

Ozioma Akagha Shuri

Paul Bettany Jarvis

Paul Rudd Ant-Man

Rachel McAdams Christine Palmer

Ross Marquand Ultron

Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury

Sean Gunn Kraglin

Sebastian Stan Bucky Barnes

Seth Green Howard the Duck

Stanley Tucci Dr. Erskine

Taika Waititi Korg

Tilda Swinton The Ancient One

Toby Jones Arnim Zola

Tom Hiddleston Loki

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THE DEAD DON'T DIE (2019): A Slow Burn of Entertainment

2021-10-30T10:51:00.005-07:00

The Dead Don't Die is quite the ode to the classic zombie movie genre, with a cast that's quite amazing...

The film stars Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, RZA and other victims... I mean actors. The film is directed by Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Paterson).

The story:

As the movie opens, the sun seems to oddly refuse to set, watches stop working and the news of the world tilting on its axis due to oil cold fracking adds to the series of other perplexing events such as all the animals in and around town running off. These and other things start to take place around the world and in the small town setting of Centerville, where our movie takes place, is where we follow specific events.

In the middle of all this are the stone-faced police officers, Chief Cliff Robertson (Murray) and Officer Ronnie Peterson (Driver). Have you ever seen Murray's dead-pan characters? Or Driver's? These two deliver the most dry-wit delivery of caution and curiosity that only two, low-energy, small-town cops can.

As the story develops, the zombies start to crawl out of the ground and each night, more and more show up.

The quirkiness is how the undead don't just amble around looking for brains, but rather, they congregate where they used to hang out when they were alive. One couple heads to the local diner, mumbling 'coffee' as they attack the staff.

Other dead kids amble off to the comic book store, all the while, each zombie has it's own catch phrase related to it's life before it died.

What's cute, fun or quirky are all the homages paid to the zombie genre and other references, subtle and not so subtle.

In one scene, a zombie gets beheaded is dressed to look exactly like Murray's zombie from the film Zombieland.

The car that a trio of travelers drive is the same make and model from the opening scenes of the 1968 George Romero film, Night of the Living Dead. It's even mentioned how the car has a George Romero vibe. LOL.

Adam Driver's little electric car has Star Wars vehicle sounds, and he carries a key chain with a small Star Wars star destroyer. (Driver played Kylo Ren in the most recent Star Wars films)

The casting was surprising, since The cast includes one Oscar winner: Tilda Swinton; and six Oscar nominees: Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Carol Kane, Chloe Sevigny, Rosie Perez and Tom Waits.

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All in all, this was such a slow-paced horror film that you have time to have fun with it and enjoy some of the references and nuances if you catch them. (I left a lot out)

SPOILER: One of my favorite conversations stems from Driver's character continually saying this isn't going to end well. Murray's character finally snaps and asks him why the hell he keeps saying that? Driver's character replies, "Jim let me read the script."

LOL.

Despite the low review scores (IMDb 5.5/10; Rotten Tomatoes 54%) I thought this was a fun few hours for me. Again, it's nothing pulse pounding but rather, slow, digestible entertainment on a different level, like a good artistic representation of the genre and absolutely perfect for the season.

If you get a chance, get it on your DVR or don't turn the channel and enjoy the slow burn. It was totally enjoyable watching these veteran actors deliver this fun content...

Oh, and seriously, out of nowhere, Swinton's character does THE CRAZIEST thing... you'll know it when you see it. Trust me!

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INVINCIBLE on Amazon Prime, A Review

2021-10-10T08:18:00.001-07:00

Invincible is an adult animated superhero streaming series on Amazon Prime, based on the Image Comics series of the same name written by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley.

The series follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson and his coming of age transformation into a superhero under the guidance of his father Omni-Man, the most powerful being on the planet. Omni-Man, whose from another planet, is a Viltrumite, came to earth 20 years before the series started, from his home planet of super-powered aliens. He met Debbie, fell in love, and they had a child. Mark.

Why he came to Earth is touched on near the end of the first season...

During his transformation Mark finds himself struggling with balancing out his personal life, girls and his new superhero duties, where he feels as if he has to prove that he can be the hero that his father is.

His father is literally, an unstoppable force.

The series cast is full of known actors, such as Steven Yeun (Mark), Sandra Oh (Debbie), and J. K. Simmons (Omni-Man) as the Grayson family, while the rest of the cast, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Walton Goggins, Zachary Quinto, Mark Hamill, Clancy Brown and others serve as recurring characters.

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I don't know where to begin. The cast was well played, there were several critical and good sub-plots that did not distract and this animated series presented many emotional experiences to this viewer, ranging from watching a teenager trying to deal with life in general, to a boy who suddenly finds himself being one of the most powerful superheroes on the planet. Or potentially.

It was fun watching his dad mentor him in the ways of using his developing powers and his bumbling ways as he learned some of the simpler things like flying, landing, taking off, avoiding collateral damage while fighting and what not.

But there's a dark side behind all the fun teen angst that takes up some of the story line.

SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON...

There's a government agency who backs many of the superheroes in the story plus there's this one scene early on in the series where Mark's dad takes it upon himself to kill an entire team of superheroes, in a bloody and gory fashion.

Not to mention the dark undertone of how the govt keeps track of their heroes, and what not.

Yea, this show, despite being an animated series can get pretty gory and gruesome at times.

As the season progresses, we learn that Omni-Man came to Earth to deliver an ultimatum... come under control of his planet's self-imposed coalition, or be destroyed. And when push comes to shove, as Mark attempts to stop him, Omni-Man beats the living shit out of his own son, telling him he'll kill him and just have another kid, all the while, his wife/Mark's mom, was nothing more than a pet to him.

Holy shit... yep.

The series was engaging and jaw-dropping at times, but it was a great time killer and as with many modern animated series, takes a harder edge to the story telling.

Besides, it's from Robert Kirkman... you can never go wrong with his work!

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GODZILLA VS KONG (2021): Suprisingly Meh

2021-09-05T18:35:00.002-07:00

Godzilla vs Kong was a highly anticipated film in my eyes, but in the end, it felt more like one of those Michael Bay (Transformers) films where scenes and moments were just yanked out of the air to explain one thing or another to be able to deliver the big fight scenes.

Godzilla vs Kong cast includes Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick & Kyle Chandler.

It's directed by Adam Wingard (VHS, You're Next, The Guest).

The film kicks in and we learn that humans have contained Kong in a technicolor realm that keeps him protected from Godzilla sensing his presence, hence, Godzilla doesn't come to kill him. Because like the film, Highlander, there can be only one (Titan).

Then Godzilla shows up and tears up a company called Apex. (They're building a giant Mechanized Godzilla but using parts of Monster Zero or King Ghidorah to help run it.) Godzilla senses this and comes after it or components thereof since he's drawn to it because of his need to eliminate other Titans.

Then we have the children who break into a series of top-secret facilities rather easily so that we can learn about mecha-Godzilla. In the end, they are pretty much the ones who make it so Mecha Godzilla gets beat.

Have you noticed that if it weren't for human intervention, Godzilla would have died a number of times by now through all his films?

As far as acting went, Alexander Skarsgård seemed restrained and nothing like I've seen of him. We didn't get enough of Kyle Chandler or any of the other

The film got 6.4 / 10 on IMDb so maybe I'm being too critical but anyhoo, I'm glad I waited until it came out on HBO Max and didn't drop money on seeing it.

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WORLD WAR C Book Trilogy By M Mather

2021-08-03T10:34:00.002-07:00

- A book review of World War C (a 3 book series), by Matthew Mather, is a multi-year story of one family's struggle for survival starting with a massive cyber attack that nearly destroys New York City and follows the primary characters in the years afterward in a mounting future terrorist war that engulfs the entire world.

This three book series is a great trilogy that involves well written human drama, great pacing with the development of the characters, technology references that can truly open your eyes (2nd and 3rd books for sure) along with plenty of action, tension and drama.

Even after these great reads, Mather's afterwords are amazingly enlightening to boot.

Matthew Mather used to be a researcher at the McGill Center for Intelligent Machines before starting and working in high-tech ventures ranging from nanotechnology, cyber security & weather prediction. So when I read what he's written, it gives me a bit of a chill that his story lines are based off of his expertise/world knowledge and it traumatizes me to some extent.

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Below are previews of his three books:

CyberStorm: A Novel:

The incredibly realistic and uplifting story of one family's struggle to survive the destruction of New York. GoodReads Award winning million-copy international bestseller now in development with NETFLIX.

Links to any of the three books are inserted below, after the descriptions.

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"New York goes dark in the dead of winter...
A terrifying mystery begins...
But who is the enemy?

Mike Mitchell is an average New Yorker struggling just to keep his family together and take care of his two-year-old son when a string of disasters shreds the bustling city around them. The Internet and communication networks go down, just as a monster snowstorm cuts New York off.

Days go by without contact to the outside world. Then weeks.

In the chaos, conspiracy theories rage about a foreign cyberattack. Was it the North Koreans? The Russians? The Chinese? Might it be the first shockwave of a global shift in power? But even these questions become unimportant as Mike and his family struggle for survival in the wintry tomb of a doomed New York."

Based on real-world wargame scenarios, CyberStorm could forever change the way you look at the modern world we live in. Be warned, this gripping bestseller may keep you up late into the night turning pages.

The author, Matthew Mather, is a leading cybersecurity expert who presented in Washington to the FBI and CIA, warning of the impending danger of possible cyberattacks like the one that "hobbled Atlanta" in March of 2018 as reported by The New York Times. Translated and published in over twenty-four countries, CyberStorm is a new apocalyptic disaster classic that will appeal to fans of A.G. Riddle, Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy.

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CyberSpace (World War C Book 2)

After long years apart, Mike Mitchell is reunited with old friends on a fishing trip in New Orleans. He brings his son Luke, now eight years old, while his wife Lauren attends a business meeting in Hong Kong.

Suddenly, worldwide GPS signal goes out. Cell phones stop working. Communications go down. Within hours, almost all international borders are closed as conflict spreads around the globe.

Thousands of planes are stranded in the air as Mike discovers that his wife took an overnight flight from China to Washington that morning. With satellites falling from the sky and rolling blackouts sweeping the nation, Mike must fight his way across the country in a desperate race to save his family.

But this is only the beginning as the shocking truth comes out, in a new generation of warfare that will forever change the world...

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CyberWar (World War C Book 3)

Cyber war picks up right after events in CyberSpace:

Chechen separatists destroyed thousands of satellites in orbit, the effects crippling the world's militaries. Power and communications failures sweep the planet, while emergency services are hobbled as fires and powerful storms rip across America.

Still recovering from his injuries, Mike Mitchell returns to his family at Senator Seymour's residence in Virginia, the place a fortress secured by dozens of Secret Service agents. The CIA has tracked down the terrorists that launched the attacks and offers a front-row seat to watch events unfold as a SEAL team closes in--but the video feed goes dead.

Outside the senator's house, thudding detonations as an attack begins.

Scrambling to stay alive, Mike realizes the onslaught isn't only against the Seymour residence in Virginia, but that a furious blitz has begun all over the country. As the full weight of America's military presses on stopping these terrorists, how are the attacks possible? Is it an invasion? Or something more sinister?

With their lives and the fate of the nation hanging in the balance, the bigger question becomes--who is the real enemy?

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And once you get done enjoying CyberStorm, some day down the road soon, you'll be able to watch it on Netflix!

Links to the three books

CyberStorm;

CyberSpace;

CyberWar.

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MONSTER HUNTER (2020) Review with Milla Jovovich

2021-05-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Monster Hunter stars Milla Jovovich, Ron Perlman, Tony Jaa and others in yet another film from her Jovovich's husband, Paul W.S. Anderson. This film is based on a Capcom video game, which kind of explains a lot.

"When Lt. Artemis (Jovovich) and her loyal soldiers are transported to a new world, they engage in a desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers."

It explains a lot including the super-cheap rental rate because because the film has a rather abrupt opening that throws you right in the action and it goes from there. We're told many things right up front and get plopped down in the scene where Artemis and her crew get instantly transported to another world of monsters and things... it felt like Dune meets the Game of Thrones dragons.

First off, the film got a 5.3/10 from 36k users on IMDb, which says a lot but if you're a Kaiju fan of sorts, and can muster through the non-stop, by-the-numbers kind of story, then you should have some form of minimal fun.

We see Ron Perlman in the very beginning then much later in the third act and his appearance is almost the highlight of the film. Though is actual appearance seems disheveled and they let him rummage through a closet.

I also thought it was very polite of the giant monsters to stick their face right up in our heroes faces so they can stick them in their only weak point!!! Very polite, indeed!

The monster visuals are topnotch. Which made sense, considering that one of the production companies in the credits was Toho, the name behind the Godzilla franchise.

It runs one hour and forty-three minutes but feels like two! But the monsters are awesome, even if the ending was... completely unsatisfactory.

But I also found myself riveted to various scenes... so...

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toho

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