This post will be a review/rant as it prominently featured my least favorite character in the series: Raylan's ex-wife Winona. I have never liked the two of them as a couple. The way Natalie Zea portrays this character, you never get the sense that she ever truly loved Raylan (or felt anything else toward him for that matter). When they rekindled their sexual relationship a season or two ago, she claimed to love Raylan while continuing to sleep with her then-current husband Gary, the realtor she left Raylan to be with.
This week, Raylan met his infant daughter Willow in person for the first time. Willow brings up a fan theory that both my aunt and I have: She is not Raylan's biological daughter. We think she was conceived during one of Winona's trysts with Gary; after his shady business dealings got him killed, she told Raylan the baby was his to trick him into going back to her. Indeed, Winona dumps the screaming infant on Raylan early in the episode without so much as a spare diaper. She complains to him that she never sleeps because Willow cries nonstop (which the baby does), yet still is in the mood to have sex and risk making another baby.
Anyway, Raylan takes Willow to the Marshals' office with him. Art is hanging around even though he's still technically on leave. Markham is in the conference room being interviewed about something and we learn he was a big fish that once escaped the chief deputy. I wish this scene had been longer because Nick Searcy and Sam Elliott had some great chemistry.
Boyd is growing suspicious of Ava because he knows she tried to leave via Limehouse's underground railroad. He drags her to his dad's old hunting cabin, though Ava heartily protests going. He forces her to drink a shot of bourbon. Boyd doesn't stop there; he hits Ava and tries to choke her, much like his brother Bowman (Ava's late husband). He drags her out into the woods and threatens to shoot her. Ava cracks and admits that she's Raylan's informant. Boyd asks for her help in getting to Raylan. Ava agrees because she's terrified.
The last two weeks have given us more input on Ava's past. Her father was a coal miner who died after being trapped in a collapsed mine for about a week, which caused Ava to be afraid of the dark as a child. The demolitions expert that Boyd hired to help with the safe heist is her uncle Zachariah. Also, ex-military enforcer for Markham, Choo-Choo, is no more.
Markum's beared henchman Walker is proving to be as dangerous and unpredictable a character as Quarles. After being shot at the end of last week's episode, he dug the bullet out of his own shoulder in a dirty gas station bathroom a la Patrick Swayze in Road House. To keep the Marshals from tracking him, he gave his credit cards to a couple of jackass frat boys on their way to spring break in Orlando. (It didn't work; they racked up big charges at a liquor store and porno place, raising the suspicions of Tim). He also threatened to kill said frat boys. When Walker's car broke down on a back road, he called in a fake hiking accident. He fatally shot the EMT and the paramedic who responded and stole their ambulance.
I have a feeling that Tim might get involved in tracking down Walker, given that he's a former Ranger sniper. He gets the honor of best line in the episode. Rachel states that they're "chasing their dicks" in regards to finding a suspect and he replies, "Sounds really weird when you say that."
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
"Rebel Without a Cause"
The movie opens with Jim Stark (James Dean) being hauled into the police station for public drunkenness. A girl his age named Judy (Natalie Wood) is also there because she was wandering the streets by herself late at night. She tells a detective that she ran out of her house after her father called her a dirty tramp and rubbed all the lipstick off her face; "I thought he was gonna rub off my lips," she sobs. Judy reluctantly agrees to let the police call her parents and have her dad pick her up.
Out in the lobby, Jim offers his jacket to a shivering younger boy named John (Sal Mineo), better known as Plato. Plato declines. Judy becomes angry and upset when she learns her mother will be coming to pick her up. It doesn't make a lot sense because it's apparent that she hates her father. When Jim's parents and grandmother arrive, they aren't pleased about being called away from celebrating Easter at the country club.
Plato is brought into a room with another detective, accompanied by his family's black housekeeper. We learn that he's in trouble for shooting a litter of puppies with a gun he stole from his mother. Plato doesn't seem to have an explanation as to what made him kill the dogs. Throw in fire starting and bed-wetting and he'll hit the sociopathy trifecta. The housekeeper tells the police that Plato's parents are divorced and his mother is off visiting relatives in Chicago by herself. Not only is she skipping Easter with her only child, she's also blowing off his birthday.
Back with the Starks, we find out that they've just moved to town. Mr. Stark sees nothing wrong with his son getting drunk, "boys will be boys" and all that. Mrs. Stark disagrees. The ensuing bickering causes James Dean to scream what is arguably his most famous line: "You're tearing me apart!" The cop tries to befriend Jim and says he can come to the station and talk to him anytime he wants to get something off his chest.
On his way to school the next day, Jim bumps into Judy, who turns out to be one of his new neighbors. She gets into her boyfriend's overfilled car. When Jim pulls up to ask how to get to school, the kids in the car purposely shout wrong, confusing directions. Jim makes friends with Plato during a field trip to the planetarium. The same afternoon, he catches Judy's boyfriend Buzz slashing his tires. Buzz challenges Jim to a game of chicken. It goes wrong, leading to Buzz's death. Jim is horrified and wracked with guilt. He tells his parents about the accident and that he wants to go turn himself in to the police; they object. Jim runs away. He, Plato, and Judy decide to hide out in an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town.
The movie is obviously a product of another time; at one point, Jim wishes his father would knock his mother out "just once, so she'd stop picking on him." Judy gets slapped by her father for kissing him on the cheek; he deems her too old for that because she's 16. Jim's mother doesn't cook unless she's wearing a frilly apron. And then of course there's the drag racing.
Rebel Without a Cause has undoubtedly influenced pop culture during the 60 years since its release. Given the many plot similarities, I feel safe in saying that it may well have inspired S.E. Hinton to write her teen masterpiece The Outsiders in the early 1960's. Rebellious characters/antiheroes have remained big draws for audiences: Jax Teller, Travis Bickle, Ferris Bueller, Jack Sparrow, Dean Winchester, and Luke Jackson to name just a few. The performances are solid. James Dean in this role is handsome, brooding, and charismatic; it truly is a pity he had his own tragic car accident before he had the chance to grow more as an actor. Sal Mineo played to perfection the shy kid who hero-worships his best friend Jim. Natalie Wood was strong as the female lead and had good chemistry with James. It really is an American classic.
Out in the lobby, Jim offers his jacket to a shivering younger boy named John (Sal Mineo), better known as Plato. Plato declines. Judy becomes angry and upset when she learns her mother will be coming to pick her up. It doesn't make a lot sense because it's apparent that she hates her father. When Jim's parents and grandmother arrive, they aren't pleased about being called away from celebrating Easter at the country club.
Plato is brought into a room with another detective, accompanied by his family's black housekeeper. We learn that he's in trouble for shooting a litter of puppies with a gun he stole from his mother. Plato doesn't seem to have an explanation as to what made him kill the dogs. Throw in fire starting and bed-wetting and he'll hit the sociopathy trifecta. The housekeeper tells the police that Plato's parents are divorced and his mother is off visiting relatives in Chicago by herself. Not only is she skipping Easter with her only child, she's also blowing off his birthday.
Back with the Starks, we find out that they've just moved to town. Mr. Stark sees nothing wrong with his son getting drunk, "boys will be boys" and all that. Mrs. Stark disagrees. The ensuing bickering causes James Dean to scream what is arguably his most famous line: "You're tearing me apart!" The cop tries to befriend Jim and says he can come to the station and talk to him anytime he wants to get something off his chest.
On his way to school the next day, Jim bumps into Judy, who turns out to be one of his new neighbors. She gets into her boyfriend's overfilled car. When Jim pulls up to ask how to get to school, the kids in the car purposely shout wrong, confusing directions. Jim makes friends with Plato during a field trip to the planetarium. The same afternoon, he catches Judy's boyfriend Buzz slashing his tires. Buzz challenges Jim to a game of chicken. It goes wrong, leading to Buzz's death. Jim is horrified and wracked with guilt. He tells his parents about the accident and that he wants to go turn himself in to the police; they object. Jim runs away. He, Plato, and Judy decide to hide out in an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town.
The movie is obviously a product of another time; at one point, Jim wishes his father would knock his mother out "just once, so she'd stop picking on him." Judy gets slapped by her father for kissing him on the cheek; he deems her too old for that because she's 16. Jim's mother doesn't cook unless she's wearing a frilly apron. And then of course there's the drag racing.
Rebel Without a Cause has undoubtedly influenced pop culture during the 60 years since its release. Given the many plot similarities, I feel safe in saying that it may well have inspired S.E. Hinton to write her teen masterpiece The Outsiders in the early 1960's. Rebellious characters/antiheroes have remained big draws for audiences: Jax Teller, Travis Bickle, Ferris Bueller, Jack Sparrow, Dean Winchester, and Luke Jackson to name just a few. The performances are solid. James Dean in this role is handsome, brooding, and charismatic; it truly is a pity he had his own tragic car accident before he had the chance to grow more as an actor. Sal Mineo played to perfection the shy kid who hero-worships his best friend Jim. Natalie Wood was strong as the female lead and had good chemistry with James. It really is an American classic.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
"Kingsman: The Secret Service"
The trailers for this movie made me raise my eyebrows at the action sequences and chuckle at the pasty British kid dressed like a street thug. I figured it could go either way as far as quality, especially with a runtime of 2 hours. Action movies these days as a rule are quite poorly made; the reasons for this are excellently outlined in the following video.
I'll grade Kingsman based on the video's rubric:
1. The story. The trailers sum up the plot simplistically: a young British man is recruited to a spy organization called Kingsman, takes part in their Hunger Games-esque training program, and saves the world from evil with James Bond gadgets. Plot elements include vengeance, terrorism, father/son legacy, classism, and a close relationship with a mentor. These are all cliches, but are presented in a highly entertaining, original fashion. 4.5 out of 5.
2. The hero. Gary (Taron Egerton), nicknamed Eggsy for reasons nobody bothers to explain, is lower class, directionless, and has a penchant for Vanilla Ice-style hip-hop attire. He's been in minor trouble with the police. His father was a Kingsman who gave his life for queen and country. His mother has since remarried to an abusive drunk. Once in Kingsman training, he has a difficult time fitting in with his fellow recruits, who were all plucked from schools like Oxford. Eggsy eventually earns their trust, becoming an unofficial leader. 4 out of 5.
3. The villain. Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is a billionaire record mogul with a severe lisp. He's also a rabid environmentalist. He's been funding global warming research and believes that the only way to mitigate the damage being done to the planet is via mass genocide. His second-in-command Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) is a woman with prosthetic legs that are really swords. Valentine's public persona is so charming and generous that nobody has a clue he's up to anything sinister; that ability to deceive the public and influence important political figures is the scariest part of this character. 5 out of 5.
4. The stunts. The physical feats performed by the spies are either borderline unbelievable or downright impossible. In the context of the movie, you probably won't question any of them. An excellent job was done by those who actually performed the stunts. 3.5 out of 5.
5. The camerawork. The intense action sequences are filmed from different viewpoints, which keeps everything fresh. There's no dreaded "shaky cam" effects that could make certain audience members nauseous. 3.5 out of 5.
6. The vulnerability of the hero. Eggsy is just an ordinary London street kid. We learn that he had been in training for the British military, but dropped out because his mother was afraid that he would get killed in action. Before getting picked up by the Kingsman, he was unemployed. Training at the agency's country mansion and shopping for a suit gave Eggsy a taste of the finer things in life; their mock missions showed he had great potential. Everyone at the academy is competing for a single vacancy; if Eggsy fails, he will be back where he was: in the projects with nothing. His mother gets caught in the crosshairs of Valentine's master plan. If Eggsy isn't successful on the big mission, he will lose the most important person in his life. The stakes don't get higher than that. He isn't invincible to physical damage or to mistakes. 4.5 out of 5.
All these elements combine to make Kingsman one of the most original action movies to come along in recent years, although it should be noted there is source material involved. The movie is based on a comic book of the same title, which I had never previously heard of. I'm not a fan of comic book movie genre; the only ones I have been able to watch more than once were the original Iron Man and The Avengers. I can now add Kingsman to that list of exceptions. Catch it while it's still in theaters.
1. The story. The trailers sum up the plot simplistically: a young British man is recruited to a spy organization called Kingsman, takes part in their Hunger Games-esque training program, and saves the world from evil with James Bond gadgets. Plot elements include vengeance, terrorism, father/son legacy, classism, and a close relationship with a mentor. These are all cliches, but are presented in a highly entertaining, original fashion. 4.5 out of 5.
2. The hero. Gary (Taron Egerton), nicknamed Eggsy for reasons nobody bothers to explain, is lower class, directionless, and has a penchant for Vanilla Ice-style hip-hop attire. He's been in minor trouble with the police. His father was a Kingsman who gave his life for queen and country. His mother has since remarried to an abusive drunk. Once in Kingsman training, he has a difficult time fitting in with his fellow recruits, who were all plucked from schools like Oxford. Eggsy eventually earns their trust, becoming an unofficial leader. 4 out of 5.
3. The villain. Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is a billionaire record mogul with a severe lisp. He's also a rabid environmentalist. He's been funding global warming research and believes that the only way to mitigate the damage being done to the planet is via mass genocide. His second-in-command Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) is a woman with prosthetic legs that are really swords. Valentine's public persona is so charming and generous that nobody has a clue he's up to anything sinister; that ability to deceive the public and influence important political figures is the scariest part of this character. 5 out of 5.
4. The stunts. The physical feats performed by the spies are either borderline unbelievable or downright impossible. In the context of the movie, you probably won't question any of them. An excellent job was done by those who actually performed the stunts. 3.5 out of 5.
5. The camerawork. The intense action sequences are filmed from different viewpoints, which keeps everything fresh. There's no dreaded "shaky cam" effects that could make certain audience members nauseous. 3.5 out of 5.
6. The vulnerability of the hero. Eggsy is just an ordinary London street kid. We learn that he had been in training for the British military, but dropped out because his mother was afraid that he would get killed in action. Before getting picked up by the Kingsman, he was unemployed. Training at the agency's country mansion and shopping for a suit gave Eggsy a taste of the finer things in life; their mock missions showed he had great potential. Everyone at the academy is competing for a single vacancy; if Eggsy fails, he will be back where he was: in the projects with nothing. His mother gets caught in the crosshairs of Valentine's master plan. If Eggsy isn't successful on the big mission, he will lose the most important person in his life. The stakes don't get higher than that. He isn't invincible to physical damage or to mistakes. 4.5 out of 5.
All these elements combine to make Kingsman one of the most original action movies to come along in recent years, although it should be noted there is source material involved. The movie is based on a comic book of the same title, which I had never previously heard of. I'm not a fan of comic book movie genre; the only ones I have been able to watch more than once were the original Iron Man and The Avengers. I can now add Kingsman to that list of exceptions. Catch it while it's still in theaters.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Cabin Fever
Kentucky does a lot of things well, however, preparing for any type of winter weather is not one of them. A few flurries send people dashing to the nearest store for bread and milk. Earlier this week, a severe snowstorm was predicted and Facebook was filled with pictures of bare shelves at Walmart. Such scares are common and I was fairly confident it wouldn't be as bad as predicted.
Well, the meteorologists picked this time to be right. Over a foot of snow fell on average; the governor declared a state of emergency. Every aspect of life has come to a grinding halt: government offices like the DMV and the health department, K-12 school districts, colleges, daycares, and even a major mall are shut down. I have been unable to leave my house for the last 3 days. 72 hours, 4,320 minutes....
If ever a song could sum up the feelings of an entire state, I think this Disney number would.
Well, the meteorologists picked this time to be right. Over a foot of snow fell on average; the governor declared a state of emergency. Every aspect of life has come to a grinding halt: government offices like the DMV and the health department, K-12 school districts, colleges, daycares, and even a major mall are shut down. I have been unable to leave my house for the last 3 days. 72 hours, 4,320 minutes....
If ever a song could sum up the feelings of an entire state, I think this Disney number would.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Justified: "Sounding"
Ava has gotten even more squirrelly and wants to leave Harlan County, Boyd, and Raylan far behind. She went to Noble's Holler asking for Limehouse's help to disappear, even offering up her engagement ring as payment. Limehouse didn't take her up on the offer. Raylan had a come-to-Jesus with his informant, telling her that unless she cooperates and gives the Marshals intel to use against Boyd, she's going right back to prison. The episode also answered the question of what Ava's maiden name was: Randolph.
One of the more disappointing moments in this episode, at least for me, concerned fan favorite character Bob Sweeney (Patton Oswalt). Last week's trailer showed him in a nicer uniform driving a shiny new car; I was hoping that meant he'd achieved his dream of becoming Trooper Bob. Alas, he's still a constable, just pawned some of his stuff to get new toys. However, it is still perilous to underestimate Bob, as one of Limehouse's henchmen found out when he got a Taser shot to the nether regions.
Bob isn't the only one using electricity as a persuasive technique; Wynn Duffy used a cattle prod on a crooked prison guard who was fired after attempting to sexually assault Ava. Rachel and Tim are presumably trying to use that guard Feekus (sp?) to get information on Duffy and his connection to Markum and Katherine.
Boyd is still no closer to finding the right explosives expert to crack the safe at the pizza parlor. The one he hired this week succeeded in making something go boom, but probably lost his hearing in the process.
One of the more disappointing moments in this episode, at least for me, concerned fan favorite character Bob Sweeney (Patton Oswalt). Last week's trailer showed him in a nicer uniform driving a shiny new car; I was hoping that meant he'd achieved his dream of becoming Trooper Bob. Alas, he's still a constable, just pawned some of his stuff to get new toys. However, it is still perilous to underestimate Bob, as one of Limehouse's henchmen found out when he got a Taser shot to the nether regions.
Bob isn't the only one using electricity as a persuasive technique; Wynn Duffy used a cattle prod on a crooked prison guard who was fired after attempting to sexually assault Ava. Rachel and Tim are presumably trying to use that guard Feekus (sp?) to get information on Duffy and his connection to Markum and Katherine.
Boyd is still no closer to finding the right explosives expert to crack the safe at the pizza parlor. The one he hired this week succeeded in making something go boom, but probably lost his hearing in the process.
"Harum Scarum"
(Image source)
I've been a huge Elvis fan since I was a little girl, but had never seen any of his movies until this weekend, when I received this one for Valentine's Day. Elvis is pretty much playing himself as singer/actor/martial artist Johnny Tyronne. Johnny's latest project Sands of the Desert is predicted to be a huge success. Johnny is in an unnamed part of the Middle East doing a goodwill press tour to promote the movie.
Things are going well for him until he's kidnapped. Some revolutionaries who've seen his on-screen fights want him to assassinate the ruler of a small kingdom that's been cut off from modern culture for about 2,000 years. Johnny manages to escape his kidnappers and goes on the run, hoping to find an airport where he can catch a flight to the next stop on his press tour. The rest of the plot is thin and involves assassins, a bulgy-eyed thief, a little person, two cute orphans, and plenty of belly dancers.
At its best, the movie is campy fun. None of the locals look even vaguely Middle Eastern. Elvis is so charming that you forgive him for not being a great actor. During the film-within-a-film Sands of the Desert, Elvis kills a leopard by karate-chopping it. There are duels with very obviously plastic swords. I suspect the setting was chosen to cash in on the popularity of both Elvis and Lawrence of Arabia. Like all Elvis movies, this is a musical. The best song involves Elvis strutting around a marketplace imploring the belly dancing native girls to "shake that tambourine."
However, the fun grinds to a screeching halt during a scene where Elvis is sheltered by the caretakers of the orphans. The girl, who's probably 10 at the oldest, begs to be taken to America and promises to "be a good slave girl." She then shows Elvis some seductive dance moves while he sings to her. Yes, you read that right. It's pretty creepy to watch and it seems to go on forever.
That part aside, Harum Scarum was intriguing enough overall that I may well investigate some of The King's other movies.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Justified: "The Trash and the Snake"
The beginning of this final season has already seen plot twists that came quicker than a blind curve on a Kentucky back road, most notably the death of dim-witted gator poacher/neo-Nazi Dewey Crowe. Ava is out of prison and acting as a confidential informant for the Marshals with Raylan as her handler. Art is at home recuperating from his gunshot wound, leaving Rachel to ride herd over the lunatic misfits at the office.
Raylan is trying to sell his father's old property and turned down the offer from a bearded man named Ty Walker. Ty also made a generous offer for land owned by Raylan's former English teacher and her husband, which was also declined. The teacher and her husband died from carbon monoxide poisoning after their furnace malfunctioned. Raylan isn't so sure it was an accident. His suspicions are confirmed when Tim discovers plastic taped to the windows of her house.
The bad guy behind the scenes of the Harlan County land grab is Avery Markham played by Sam Elliott. He's got high hopes (pun intended) that marijuana will be legalized, which he will then grow in Harlan County. Avery's girlfriend Katherine (Mary Steenburgen) seems to know entirely too much about everyone's past, including parts of Ava's that aren't supposed to be public knowledge. Katherine tells Ava that she's the real brains behind Avery's scheme and she seems like the kind of woman who could kill you at the slightest provocation. Her silky menace reminds me of a character from another FX series, Gemma Teller-Morrow of Sons of Anarchy. I have a feeling she will meet a similar fate. Katherine and Ava have a lovely girls' day out involving snorting cocaine and ripping off a jewelry store.
Harlan's resident explosives expert Boyd Crowder is planning to blow up a safe in the basement of a local pizza parlor. Its owners are involved in the Dixie Mafia and rumor has it the safe has a few million dollars in it. He recruited the help of a wild-eyed safe-cracker played by Jake Busey, son of poster child for sanity Gary Busey. SPOILER: Jake does not survive to the end credits.
Additionally, Rachel running the office has meant a lot more screen time for one of my favorite characters: Deputy US Marshal Tim Gutterson (Jacob Pitts). We haven't learned anything else about his mostly shadowy past, but that's not really a big deal. It's a lot of fun to watch him and Timothy Olyphant play off each other. Tim's already had some good snarky one-liners; in an episode a couple of weeks ago, he saw Raylan watching nanny-cam footage of Willow and said, "I thought that was a random Internet baby." Last night, when Raylan told him about his former teacher, Tim asked if she "watered little Raylan, helped him blossom?" Raylan confessed that she was a mean old coot who nearly made him hate reading.
Next week's episode looks promising with Patton Oswalt reprising his role as Constable Bob.
Raylan is trying to sell his father's old property and turned down the offer from a bearded man named Ty Walker. Ty also made a generous offer for land owned by Raylan's former English teacher and her husband, which was also declined. The teacher and her husband died from carbon monoxide poisoning after their furnace malfunctioned. Raylan isn't so sure it was an accident. His suspicions are confirmed when Tim discovers plastic taped to the windows of her house.
The bad guy behind the scenes of the Harlan County land grab is Avery Markham played by Sam Elliott. He's got high hopes (pun intended) that marijuana will be legalized, which he will then grow in Harlan County. Avery's girlfriend Katherine (Mary Steenburgen) seems to know entirely too much about everyone's past, including parts of Ava's that aren't supposed to be public knowledge. Katherine tells Ava that she's the real brains behind Avery's scheme and she seems like the kind of woman who could kill you at the slightest provocation. Her silky menace reminds me of a character from another FX series, Gemma Teller-Morrow of Sons of Anarchy. I have a feeling she will meet a similar fate. Katherine and Ava have a lovely girls' day out involving snorting cocaine and ripping off a jewelry store.
Harlan's resident explosives expert Boyd Crowder is planning to blow up a safe in the basement of a local pizza parlor. Its owners are involved in the Dixie Mafia and rumor has it the safe has a few million dollars in it. He recruited the help of a wild-eyed safe-cracker played by Jake Busey, son of poster child for sanity Gary Busey. SPOILER: Jake does not survive to the end credits.
Additionally, Rachel running the office has meant a lot more screen time for one of my favorite characters: Deputy US Marshal Tim Gutterson (Jacob Pitts). We haven't learned anything else about his mostly shadowy past, but that's not really a big deal. It's a lot of fun to watch him and Timothy Olyphant play off each other. Tim's already had some good snarky one-liners; in an episode a couple of weeks ago, he saw Raylan watching nanny-cam footage of Willow and said, "I thought that was a random Internet baby." Last night, when Raylan told him about his former teacher, Tim asked if she "watered little Raylan, helped him blossom?" Raylan confessed that she was a mean old coot who nearly made him hate reading.
Next week's episode looks promising with Patton Oswalt reprising his role as Constable Bob.
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