THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) - CINEMA CLASSICS

In the lexicon of science fiction, very few titles have as much power as Robert Wise's 1951 classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still." The title alone is one that strikes mystery, intrigue, and albeit fear into whoever comes across the poster or title at a video store or online. As a fan of the science fiction genre, I don't know what took me this long to get around to watching it. One thing I can say though, is that it was certainly worth the wait.

World War II has ended. The baby boom generation is young. And the world's politicians are now knee deep in cold war paranoia, nuclear fears, and ideals. Across the globe, radar systems track a flying saucer that has entered Earth's atmosphere and has come to rest upon the President's Park in Washington D.C. (because, you know... America). Inside is an enormous robot named Gort and the extraterrestrial who controls him, a humanoid by the name of Klaatu (Michael Rennie) has come to Earth with a mission of peace and warning, but before he can deliver his message, he's shot and placed under arrest by the US military (because, you know... America). The Presidential Secretary (Frank Conroy)speaks to Klaatu and it is revealed that he must speak to the United Nations because he brings a warning with dire consequences for Earth should it not be heeded. Taking on the fake name of Carpenter, Klaatu manages to escape and finds refuge with an unsuspecting family made up of single mom Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son, Bobby (Billy Gray). He tries to get in touch with Professor Robert Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), a man who can assemble the scientific pioneers of the world in hopes of saving humanity. Meanwhile, a manhunt of gargantuan proportions escalates as the US Military tries to close in on Klaatu.

Gort, a massive metallic sentinel sent to assure the safety of Klaatu on his mission, played by Lock Martin

What sets this film apart from the B-flying saucer pictures of its day is that Edmund H. North's script sets out to become greater than what is set at face value. So much so that even director Robert Wise has said that he didn't fully see the film's symbolic meanings until years later. However, a big theme that was confirmed to me by the end of the film (which I will not speak about due to major spoilers) is that it's very much the story of the Messiah. That's right, Jesus.

Klaatu comes to Earth to try and save humanity. Bullets can kill him, but he can heal more quickly than a normal human. A modern day re-telling of the story of Jesus begs the question, would we be afraid of this man? And as a result, would we quickly make him out to be a criminal bent on doing more harm than good. Don't belive me? Here's some more proof: Klaatu hides using the name "Mr. Carpenter." What was Jesus' profession again?

Another element the film plays up is the media and how news travels between people. When Klaatu (pronounced cla-two) moves into the boarding home belonging to Bobby and Helen Benson, the other boarders gossip as to what sort of evils the fugitive extraterrestrial may be up to. Even today with the advent of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. This topic has never been more relevant as it has today, the film really was leaps and bounds ahead of its time. Especially in this regard.

Michael Rennie as Klaatu

However, my favorite part about every message in the film is that ultimately, our fate is in our own hands. Part of the reason I love the films of John Carpenter, for example, is because of his very dark outlook about humanity. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" certainly does not tell us that when left in the hands of humans, our fate will not be a good one. But instead, the film makes us decide. Will humanity heed Klaatu's warning, or will we continue to live as we had been. It's the neutrality of the decision that makes Robert Wise's film so powerful. The ending isn't necessarily open ended nor is it set in stone. When the film was over, I was left with a feeling of wanting more!

I can't talk about this movie without mentioning the music written by Bernard Herrmann. For the film, in addition to the traditional instruments of the orchestra, Herrmann wrote a part for two Theremins, an instrument that uses antennae and radio waves to make a sound. It's this other worldly noise that give the film a super eerie edge. The Theremin was used in B-Movie score prior to "Day the Earth", but never quite in this fashion.

Klaatu's craft lands at the President's Park in Washington D.C.

However, one problem that I had with the film was in the third act, when Helen must confront the robotic leviathan Gort. Patricia Neal plays a very strong female character who is trying to not only raise her son and watch over his newfound friendship with Mr. Carpenter, but she also has to deal with Tom Stephens (Hugh Marlowe), her boyfriend who seeks a career of political fame. However, in the third act, she succumbs to the typical "damsel in distress" antics that these movies so famously made stereotypical. However, it's only for a moment. Just as quickly, she turns it off, which I found even more annoying. I don't understand why the filmmakers felt it necessary for her character to flip out for a moment only to get a grasp of herself in one of the next shots. Panic? Maybe, but it was a very ineffective way to communicate it.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a landmark in cinematic storytelling and delivers a message that's still very much present today. Robert Wise uses beautiful lightning (the scene where Klaatu enters the boarding house for the first time comes to mind), crisp writing, and superb acting to tell his story. I can't believe I've owned the disc since July and hadn't watched it until just last week. I loved this movie so much that I am in no way going to go near the remake that was done a few years ago. The film is from the 50's so it is a little corny and plays like a stale episode of the "Twilight Zone" at times, but that doesn't detract from the power of its story and the reminder that the salvation and destruction of mankind is in our own hands.

8/10

Rated G
Directed by Robert Wise
Written by Edmund H. North
Based on a story by Harry Bates
Runtime - 92 Minutes
7.8 stars of 10 on IMDb
96% on Rotten Tomatoes
The Day the Earth Stood Still on Blu-Ray from Amazon

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (2013)

Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage by Somali pirates in the Spring of 2009. For those who remember the story, it was a harrowing time for the US military and those directly involved. Now in 2013, director Paul Greengrass has adapted the story for the big screen starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener (briefly), and Barkhad Abdi as the leader of the Somali Pirate band.

Captain Richard Phillips is on another routine shipping route going from Oman to Mombasa when his boat, the MV Maersk Alabama, is intercepted by Pirates from Somalia. Early in the film we see the band of hijackers put together. Lead by Abduwali Muse (Abdi), a young man who is physically small (being referred to as "Skinny" by Mahat M. Ali's character, Elmi). However, he is on a mission to prove himself to the rest of his tribe. Muse is sets his sights on raiding an enormous vessel, in this case, the Maersk Alabama, Captained by Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks). A by the book, no frills Captain, Phillips runs a piracy drill when it suddenly becomes the real thing. When the Somalians finally board the ship, they hold the crew on the bridge hostage as the rest of the ship's crewmen hide themselves in the engine room. Finally, as a last ditch effort to get some real money out of the situation, Muse and his crew board a small lifeboat on the Maersk and take Phillips hostage, asking for millions of dollars in his return.

The Somali pirates attempt to board the Maersk Alabama in "Captain Phillips"

Captain Phillips is not your typical hijacking action picture (this certainly isn't an "average joe" version of "Air Force One" set at sea). Director Paul Greengrass takes his style that made his previous works very difficult to watch (depending on what school of thought you belong to) and makes "Captain Phillips" seem like a bizarre voyeuristic look at something the American public heard about on the news. I wouldn't necessarily call it a "fly-on-the-wall" style approach, but to me, the shaky cam style felt much more at home with Captain Phillips than it did with Bourne. Greengrass has honed his technique enough to add even more to a visual depth to the movie's dry hues of brown, oranges, yellows, and blues.

What really sells this movie and makes it an excellent experience is the lead performance of both Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. If one of those two roles wasn't cast solidly, I don't think the film would have worked on the level that it did. Francine Maisler must be praised for assembling a small cast within a much larger supporting cast of blank militaristic hair cuts, sweaty sea pirates, and panicked American sailors. The film goes into overdrive when Muse, Elmi, Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), and Najee (Faysal Ahmed) enter the lifeboat.

Tom Hanks deals with the hijackers as Richard Phillips

One would think that because many people went into the theatre knowing the ending, the film would suffer because of it. After all, the true life story of what really occurred was heavily covered by American and global news outlets. But when it came down to it, none of it mattered. The film was every bit as nail biting and extremely intense as if I'd never known any of the elements of what occurred.

The script is every bit as tight as the claustrophobic passage ways aboard the Alabama. Another element of the script that I really loved? The film becomes twice as intense and claustrophobic when Phillips and the hijackers enter the tiny lifeboat in which the film's third act takes place. Well done, Mr. Greengrass. As the Oscar race heats up, I wouldn't be surprised if both Hanks and Abdi garnered nominations in the Lead and Supporting Actor categories respectively. "Captain Phillips" is a tight, intense, and brilliantly made film that crosses multiple genres and does them well. Hanks is hypnotizing in the lead role as a man who just wants to go home.

8/10

Rated PG - 13
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Written by Billy Ray
Based on the book A Captain's Duty by Richard Phillips
Runtime - 134 minutes
8.1 stars on IMDb
94% on Rotten Tomatoes

THE WORLD'S END (2013)

To those lucky enough to have discovered the first two films in Edgar Wright's "Cornetto Trilogy" early on, it became apparent that the people who made these films had something special about them. What that "special thing" is may never be answered, but one thing was for certain: Whatever charm or special something that actors Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright have in common translated to brilliance on film. The "Cornetto" films were titled as such because they each feature the appearance of a Cornetto ice cream treat in some form, several of the same actors appear in each film (with the cast being lead by Pegg and Frost), scripts penned by both Wright and Pegg, all three were directed by Wright, and they all feature the "normal man in an extraordinary situation" style story.

The film centers around the reunion of 5 high school friends who 20 years earlier, attempted a pub crawl of epic proportions: 5 guys, 12 pubs, and 1 pint of beer from each watering hole for each of them. Their small town of Newton Haven proudly calls this strip of drinkery the "Golden Mile." However, the 5 of them didn't make it to the end, failing to complete the final goal, each of them blundering in some form or another. The quintet is lead by Gary King (Pegg),a middle aged man stuck in the long past prime of his high school days. His friend Andy (played by a surprisingly dramatic Nick Frost), Steven (Paddy Considine), Oliver (Martin Freeman), and Peter (Eddie Marsan) all return to finish what they had started years earlier. However, upon returning to Newton Haven, they notice that things aren't quite like they used to be. Not only have locations changed and some of the pubs have been made to look like one another (Starbucking as Steven calls it in the film), but the people are acting very strangely. Before the end of the night, the group discovers that the dark secret Newton Haven is hiding beneath its seemingly normal exterior. As the grop gets more and more drunk, they realize their odds of leaving Newton Haven alive dwindle.

From left: Oliver (Martin Freeman), Steven (Paddy Considine), Gary (Simon Pegg), Andy (Nick Frost), and Peter (Eddie Marsan) return to their hometown of Newton Haven to finish a pub crawl they never completed in high school.

As with "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", the script from the mind of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg is tight, well put together, and brilliantly written. Never once in the film do are characters have a glimmer of interpretation. What I mean by that is that in this film Simon Pegg was born to play Gary King. Nick Frost was born to play Andy Knightley. The same can be said for the rest of the cast. Every role is perfectly filled. A factor in that is more than likely that Pegg and Wright tailored their scripts to individual actors when revisions began before production, after all, all of the principal actors except for Eddie Marsan have been in at least one of the other "Cornetto" films (The Andies, anyone?).

However, a really stunning turn, and this is coming from being a huge fan of the first two films, is that Nick Frost's character loathes Pegg's. Definitely one of the more surprising and risky aspects of the entire film. Where in "Shaun" Pegg as the titular charcter was a grown man who just needed to get over being stuck in his mediocre job and life, "World's End" finds Pegg having to give us a character who refuses to grow up, leading to quite possibly, the best confrontation between two characters (Andy & Gary) in any movie released this summer.

Rosamund Pike as Sam, sister to Oliver, played by Martin Freeman in "The World's End"

I can't sing enough Praise for Wright. Under his direction, the film's action sequences really shine in both an original and geeky way. His film oozes homages to "Invasion of the Body Snatcher", "Westworld", "The Omen", and "Road Warrior" among many. At times though, it feels like Wright is more comfortable paying homage to other filmmakers than stepping into his own realm, much like John Carpenter. So in a way, Wright is the modern John Carpenter? I'm blowing my own mind here.

Newton Haven certainly does posses the small town feeling that makes films like "Tremors", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" or "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" so creepy. Behind the façade of normalcy, lie everybody's deep dark secrets. Though this theme is nothing new, the film explores the topic from a technological standpoint. Machines are now everywhere, but can people be as cold and calculating as a computer? Another fantastic overtone to the films is putting the past behind you. Personally, I know people like Gary King who are stuck in their high school days. Simon Pegg is brilliant in the role, having nothing but fun and selling the character. Also, I had a friend who always wore Doc Martins in high school and in this film, Gary wears DM's. A very cool and authentic touch. A lot of great comedy is shared between Simon Pegg and Oliver's sister Sam (played by Rosamund Pike).

Simon Pegg delivers the performance of his career as Gary King

Of the three films however, this one is definitely the most serious. In "Shaun" and "Hot Fuzz", the audience gets to see the transformation of Pegg's character from the beginning to the end of the film. In "World's End", we're dealing with a man who refuses to grow up, especially as society is quickly changing around him. In brilliant Wright fashion, there is plenty of foreshadowing of future events through things we see the characters do and speak about. Hell even the title itself points to the direction the movie is going in, but which one!? There are multiple routes to take, however, they all lead to the same conclusion. Brilliant.

Another interesting aspect to keep your eyes peeled for are the frequent references to Arthurian Legend. Our main character is named Gary King. His friend's name? Andy Knightly. Beer of choice? Golden Crown. Here's another possibility that dawned on me after seeing the film a second time: the movie could be a metaphor for the current state of Hollywood filmmaking. Reboots and even Starbucking (nothing being original, but looking like new versions of something old), mentioned in the film to describe the first pubs our characters enter. I'll let the viewers decide on that one. But the last thing to look out for, pay particularly close attention to the use of the color blue in the film.

"The World's End" is the final film in the "Cornetto Trilogy", following genius zombie rom-com "Shaun of the Dead" and the masterfully made "Hot Fuzz." "End" is the most daring, ambitious, boldest, and most profound film Wright has made to date. For the fans of the trilogy, there are plenty of running gags kept throughout all three films that return here. The film has nothing but heart and sets out to make us laugh and even ponder how much technology has a grasp on our daily lives. It is a perfect book end to the trio of movies and one of the best films of the year. If you missed it in theatres, I can't recommend it enough. Pick up a copy on Blu-Ray, pour yourself a pint, and enjoy the ride.

9.5/10

• Rated R
• Directed by Edgar Wright
• Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
• Runtime - 109 minutes
• The World's End on Blu-Ray; Cornetto Trilogy Collection on Blu-Ray
• 7.3 of 10 stars on IMDb
• 89% on Rotten Tomatoes

Barnes & Noble's 50 Off The Criterion Collection Sale - UPDATE #2

It's that time again folks!

Payday at work was this past weekend, so that means that it was time to make a trip down to my local Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Ventura, CA to pick up some more titles on the Criterion Collection while their 50% off sale is still happening!

I picked up two titles I've always wanted to watch this past Monday. One of them being horror, because - you know... I'm the horror guy (see every post in the month of October if you don't know what I'm talking about). In actuality, I bought three titles this evening, but one of them is a gift for a professor of mine. Here are pics of what I got for myself up today and what I've picked up so far!

Thank you all for reading and I'll talk to you all once more for update #3!

• The Night of the Hunter (1955)
• El Norte  (1982)

And here's what I've picked up this far as part of the sale, for myself:

• Criterion Update #1

MAN OF STEEL (2013)

After the financial and critical blunder of "Superman Returns" (a film I actually enjoyed), Kal-El returns to Earth in the Superman franchise reboot "Man of Steel". The cast includes relative unknown Henry Cavill as Kal-El and seasoned veterans like Michael Shannon, Laurence Fishburne, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, and Russell Crowe in the supporting cast. The film is directed by visionary Zack Snyder with a story from executive producer Christopher Nolan and a script written by David S. Goyer, writer of "The Dark Knight." Now that I've listed a lot of the names behind this film in that order it absolutely astonishes me that "Man of Steel" only holds the audience's interest in bursts. The film is bloated, top heavy, and for a great deal of screen time, a mess. However, within the chaos are glimmers of hope that make me want to believe that something great is in store.

The film's story centers around the salvation of Kal-El, son of Jor-El (Russell Crowe), the planet Krypton's most brilliant scientist. Warning the Kryptonian high council that the depletion of natural resources on the planet will lead to it's destruction, he is ignored. Meanwhile, Krypton's military leader, General Zod (Michael Shannon), stages a coup that lands him and his conspirators a one way trip to the Phantom Zone, an alternate dimension that is used to imprison criminals. To save his son, he and his wife send the boy to planet Earth, where the atmosphere will support him. However, the combination of less gravity than on Krypton and the yellow sun will give him powers that will defy comprehension. Baby Kal is sent off in time to be saved. Krypton is destroyed. On Earth, we follow a more adult Kal (Henry Cavill) and flash back to a younger one as well (played at different ages by both Cooper Timberline and Dylan Sprayberry). Because of the destruction of Krypton, Zod and his fellow para-military villains are freed and his has set his sights on finding and destroying Kal-El, in a personal vendetta against Jor-El.

Henry Cavill as Superman in "Man of Steel"

A great deal of the film's story is set away from the city of Metropolis, which is a staple of the Superman universe, much like Gotham is to Batman. The fact that we don't really see much of Metropolis until the second act was something that I thought was a breath of fresh air and reminiscent of "Superman: The Movie."A large portion of action takes place at the Kent family farm and downtown Smallville. This is where the production got a little carried away with product placement. When Zod finally returns to Earth, he chooses to engage Kal-El in one of the places he holds close to his heart: Ihop. Well, more specifically the Ihop located in Downtown Smallville. When they finally break free, I was relieved that the scene would finally continue and the the filmmakers had gotten their sponsor's 15 minutes of fame portion out of the way - when they crash into a Sears. Who knew that Smallville, what's supposed to be a small town in the heartland of America had so many places to shop?

Adding to the film's epic scope, is the discovery of a Kryptonian scout ship frozen in ice. Kal manages to get get on to the crew working the find using a false identity, something he'd been doing for ages, living a nomadic lifestyle moving from job to job. This was yet another new take on the character that I felt is what was needed. For so long, we've seen Superman stand for all that is right and also, live what is right. He had a good job, home, and kept his head down as Clark Kent (a name given to him by Jonathan and Martha Kent, his Earth parents played by Kevin Costner and Dian Lane respectively). Instead, we see Superman as a dirty, bearded, and homeless man with seemingly no happy ending in sight. Anyway, back to that ship that just so happened to be in the ice. Ace reporter Lois Lane from The Daily Planet, Metropolis' top newspaper, is covering the story when she encounters Kal.

Michael Shannon steals the show as General Zod.

Talk about no chemistry. Amy Adams was great as Lois Lane when she argued with her editor Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) or was out doing research trying to find the mysterious identity of the man she met in the arctic. But as soon as she begins to interact with Cavill as Superman, any spark to her character is lost. The two have absolutely no chemistry together and the film suffers for it. It seemed as though Adams was not the first choice for the role of Lois, nor the last, but she doesn't seem to be the right fit for it. This is indeed a really bizarre aspect of the film because every actor in it besides Adams feels perfectly cast.

However, the saving grace of the film are the performances of Michael Shannon as Zod, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent. All three actors added so much depth to the dialogue which they spoke that their appearances on screen made me feel like I was watching the comic book characters brought to life as opposed to a live action adaptation of them. Shannon steals the film, outshining everyone, Cavill included. His performance as Zod was scary, dark, and full of conviction. As Krypton's military leader, his job and sole purpose in life was to ensure the survival of Krypton and its citizens. He failed. So naturally, he's pissed. However, something happened that I wasn't expecting. In act III of the film, in which the final conflict is reached, I felt for Zod. There was something I wasn't at all expecting to happen.

That leads me to my next point: the movie's final confrontation and climax. I will not address the final battle between Zod and Ka-El in "Man of Steel" due to a major spoiler. Instead, I will post a new entry discussing the ending of the film and what it could mean for our character. The final battle is a great way to sum up the experience of watching this film: It's loud, violently edited, and too over-the-top. Ironically enough, I'd say that in the process of saving Metropolis and the rest of the world, Superman actually destroyed a lot of it. I'm not kidding. The city is left in ruins. Zod delivers a final commentary to Kal in a gray field of rubble before throwing Kal through more buildings. Building fall on top of buildings, jets crash into city streets, and hundreds run for cover, all as Hans Zimmer's rigidly over-produced score blast through whatever speakers were unlucky enough to be used by you to watch the film.

Things aren't going very well in the city of Metropolis.

I don't understand how anyone would accept Superman after pretty much wiping the city clean off of the face the Earth to supposedly "save it." The script is long and it suffers from David S. Goyer attempting to create a modern Iliad. Superman is the stuff of legend for today's young generations (the case could be made that superheroes are the Greek Gods of today) of kids, but the Phoenix must rise from the ashes right? And it does. At its heart, "Man of Steel" is a story about first contact. What if suddenly, the existence of extraterrestrials was confirmed and one of them had been living among us all along? The film does explore these topics in subtle and not so subtle ways. With Zack Snyder, who in my opinion is the worst director our there today, at the helm, the film is too long, too effects heavy and uninspired to warrant a second watch, but contains the seeds of what will hopefully lead to far more interesting Superman stories. As expected, a sequel to the film was announced not long after "Man of Steel" opened, confirming that the creative team needed to get Superman's origin out of the way to move on to bigger story arcs:

5/10

• Rated PG-13
• Directed by Zack Snyder
• Written by David S. Goyer
• Story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
• Runtime - 143 minutes
• 7.4 of 10 stars on IMDb
• 56% on Rotten Tomatoes
• Man of Steel on Blu-Ray

Barnes & Noble's 50% Off The Criterion Collection Sale - Update #1

Today, I stopped by my local Barnes & Noble store in Ventura to take advantage of the Criterion Collection being marked at 50% off. The sale usually comes twice a year, sometime in August and once again during the fall. In August, money was tight, so I had to watch my pocketbook pretty closely. Being that I have a job now, I was able to go a little bit more crazy this time around!

I love stepping over the the Criterion section of B&N and seeing all of the films that could potentially become favorites, great memories, or a great study in all things cinematic. Unfortunately, many of the films of the Criterion name have gone unwatched by me, something I intend to change slowly but surely.  I spent more than I should have, but I regret nothing! All titles are currently marked down, as I mentioned, so advantages must be taken, corners cut, and Blu Ray players activated.

Here are the films I picked up today:

• Che (2008)

• Charade (1963)

• The Uninvited (1944)

Part 2 will be coming up soon! The sale goes on through December 2nd.

The Barnes & Noble Criterion Collection Sale - Fall 2013 Edition!!!!

There are multiple things that I look forward to every year: John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl, seeing Brain Wilson live in concert, Thanksgiving, and the Summer and Fall Criterion 50% off sales at Barnes & Noble! One of which is upon us now! Stay tuned for more details including dates, my must own Criterion picks, and what I'll pick up from the sale! All the exclamation marks after every sentence don't do my excitement justice!!! I MUST TYPE IN ALL CAPS!

• For more info on the Criterion Collection visit their official site: http://www.criterion.com/
• Ryan Ghallager runs CriterionCast, a regular podcast about all things Criterion including upcoming releases, reviews, and panel discussions on films in general, you can find his site here: http://criterioncast.com/
• And of course, here's the link for the sale on Barnes & Noble's website - but as it has happened in the past, you can also find the 50% off deals at your local B&N stor as well: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray-Disc-DVD-Special-Editions/379003202?cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-asRKMkp*Elc-_-10:1&r=1

Thank you all so much for reading!

Cheers, everyone!