Tag Archives: movies

“Eye In The Sky” — SUPERIOR

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Alan Rickman Eye In The SkyJust as I could not recommend the ridiculous film “Batman v Superman,” so must I highly recommend the UK film “Eye In The Sky.”

The late Alan Rickman delivers what will likely be the most coveted line in movie history just prior to a passing.

“Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war.”

And perhaps it couldn’t have occurred to a finer British actor, given the range of his talents and the shocking news of his demise via pancreatic cancer at the age of 69.

I’ll leave it to you to determine which parts of the film are accurate, and which parts are not

The parts with the pussified and limp-wristed politicians unwilling to make an actual decision that could fire back on them?

Yes, that’s accurate.

The parts of the USAF drone pilots having to set up the complicated preparations to unleash missiles with murky ROEs?  Inaccurate.  Too long.  Too open.

Truth?  If drone pilots question their jobs, they can and will be replaced.  Further?  They wouldn’t be there in the first place if they questioned their missions.

If the good Lord could send me some comets, I could perhaps suggest a few locales, otherwise.

BZ

 

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The Hateful Eight: to be AVOIDED

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H8ful 8 1Or:

“I Wasted Three Hours of My Time So You Won’t Have To”

by BZ

Though those were three hours of my life I won’t be able to get back, the time was ameliorated by the fact that I first went to go see The Big Short (an excellent film actually worth seeing), then theater-hopped to H8ful Eight.  Thusly I paid no money to Quentin Tarantino.  I made it up to the theater by purchasing two bags of popcorn and two cokes, a set for each film.

I cannot say anything bad about Ennio Morricone’s score, a film composer responsible for classic western themes such as “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly,” “Once Upon the Time In the West,” the “Dollars” films with Clint Eastwood.  Overall, an excellent choice by Tarantino, as he has used Morricone before.

That said, the film attempts to be a bit of what it’s not — a sprawling landscape spectacular.  And it isn’t.  Certainly the Colorado ranch on which it was shot is a gorgeous locale, but the film doesn’t have the exterior brilliance and impact of Innaritu’s “Revenant” though it would appear Tarantino is attempting precisely that, with his lengthy and lingering shots of snow and rolling hills.  He just doesn’t have the chops to pull it off and instead of stunning, the shots quickly become, like the rest of the movie, tedious.

Finally, it would appear that this film primarily exists as a celluloid/digital excuse for Tarantino to have his actors say the word “nigger” as many times as possible.  Not just Samuel L. Jackson; oh no.  Every actor on the set, save perhaps two.

Once you slog through all three hours of this monstrosity you hope there’s some kind of “payoff.”  You’d be wrong.  Tarantino wants the “payoff” to be a statement about race cooperation (Walton Goggins “comes around,” you see).  Instead, the “payoff” is trite and too little for too much patience and time expenditure.

In summary?

The movie is too long, too insipid, the director is a jerk, and you’ll hear the word “nigger” spoken, I’d wager, easily over a hundred times.

If that’s your cup of tea, have at it.

Otherwise, stay away.

You’re welcome.

BZ

 

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Tomorrowland: two hours of propaganda

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TOMORROWLAND

Translated: “aren’t you sorry you spent your cash?”

Yes, go ahead, you can say it: “you didn’t see that coming, BZ?  George Clooney?  Disney?  The trailers?”

Apparently I wasn’t paying attention until the film started.

After a few minutes, I knew I’d been bilked by Clooney, Purple Skies, and Leftist Hypocrisy (my wife liked the CGI).

In summary: global warming and corporatism is going to kill us all in just a few years.  Adults won’t help; we can only enlist young ethnic kids wearing colorful clothing all around the planet.  Everyone but “them” are nothing but Big Evil Carbon Footprinters.

However, the film (“oddly enough”) is littered with big corporate names like GM and Chevrolet.  Clooney and the producers don’t mind taking their corporate cash and displaying their products, clearly.

There.

You’ve just seen the film.  I have now saved you anywhere between $6 and $15, depending on where you live.

You’re welcome.

BZ

P.S.
For a holiday “blockbuster,” Tomorrowland had the worst Memorial Day weekend take since 2001.  In other words, it’s tanking.  About a half hour into the film, someone behind us said: “I should’ve waited for Redbox.”

 

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