13: Fear is Real (2009)

I apologize but I couldn't resist. I want to respect the idea of a reality show that tests contestants breaking points and allows for people to be voted off, but it's been done. It's called C-Span. The instant it started, m'lady commented, "Isn't that the cabin from Evil Dead?"
It very well could be.
SPOILER ALERT:
Executive Producer--->Sam Raimi.
I'm not sure if that's a plus for the show or a minus for Raimi.
With all the flash and polished editing effects, I have trouble buying into this show as a "reality" much like any other "reality" show. How can anyone be scared when they're being filmed by people holding cameras? The IR and Nightvision stuff is kinda neat if you like that voyeuristic "I'm watching attractive people get scared" type o' thing.
I wanted the show to work. And I think it could if it had a confederate or two that could stage a death. Morbid, and moderately illegal I know, but considering how many different silence clauses and contracts participants sign, I don't think it's impossible.
I leave with this:
You know it's going to be crap when people are afraid of a modulated voice synthesizer... even if it is added in post.

The Power of Nightmares Part II

This is one of three in a BBC series that charts the rise of and similarities between radical Islamists and the neo-conservative political activists. It's presented clearly, chronologically, with fairly entertaining, if random video footage (b-roll) to supplement the interviews. One creepy scene had home video from a car driving around at night in DC in 1991, presumably during the US invasion of Iraq, part I. There was no real point but it was gripping footage, like something was about to blow up.

Anyhow, there are creepy similarities between the politics of fear used by the Islamists and the Neo-cons. Both end up basically hating the populace after their tactics fail. For example, the whole persecution of Bill Clinton for his supposed sex crimes, perjury, whitewater, etc. fit into the Neo-con (and by association, Islamist) agenda by trying to rid the world of a moderate. But in the end, no one really cared enough to impeach him.

The soundtrack is Eno, from Another Green World, which is pretty cool. Those Brits stick together I guess. No watch checks but I was a little tipsy so that.

I think the opening monologue talked about the "myth" of Al Quadae and how it's pumped up by the media. That's probably true but the director Adam Curtis kind of gave it drive-by treatment. I'll go a-looking for the other two DVDs in the series. Rock.

Oh, and there wasn't a single woman interviewed in the hour and a half of dialogue. Probably those Islamists' fault for not recruiting more females, I gather. (sarcasm). Well maybe men did it all -- but not according to Charlie Wilson's War. Julia Roberts character had blood on her manicured hands.

300 (2007)

Madness?! This is my movie review! I had to do it. A review for a movie so filled with awesomely cheesey lines needs to use cheesey lines itself. That is not to say the scripting in 300 is bad. It's rather fitting for what the movie is. And what it is is a comic book adaptation.

The style of the movie may be an acquired taste. 90% of the film was made on blue/green screen and so the visuals are not what one would call realistic. But to me, they are beautiful since I grew up a comic book nerd and can appreciate such a unique presentation. Furthermore, like a comic book (similar to Sin City, another Frank Miller comic) there is a lot of voice over narration. But for some reason I didn't think it as overbearing as the voice overs in Sin City. It helped the story along nicely.

This movie isn't gonna win any oscars, but it's sure to be entertaining if you like graphic action movies. There are some wicked fight scenes which used slow motion creatively, if not a bit too much though. Overall thouogh, I thought it was a pleasing movie. At times it got a little too Gladiator/Troy like, but that couldn't be helped.

I rate this "two time checks". Though those occurred during the story building scenes. If you forgot what time checks means, at least know the less time checks the better. Because I only check the time (look at my watch) when I get bored. However the fight scenes and one-liners certainly made up for the time checks. And hell, anytime you walk out of an action movie with the overwhelming feeling that you can kick anyone's ass is always a good indicator that the movie did it's job.