Aligning of the Planets

When I spent a year in Tallahassee attending Florida State University, the biggest perk I enjoyed was the Miracle 5. This was a theater in town devoted to foreign films and the like, something that you often find in college towns. I ended up going there quite often, and regretted leaving it behind when I returned to Jax. Aside from the Pablo 9 theater at the Beaches, the theaters in town here are strictly mainstream.

So imagine my surprise when I looked to see what was opening today and found not one, not two but five (FIVE!!!) quirky, alternative films getting screen time in town and at an AMC googoplex, no less:

Bright Young Things - This is a study of the London youth culture during the 1930's. It's directed by actor Stephen "Jeeves" Fry. It's an offbeat British film, but not in the vein of "The Full Monty", which is what usually makes it into our theaters.

Donnie Darko: Director's Cut - I didn't see the original when it was in theaters, but I'm quite aware of the cult following it has gained since then. I know enough to say that it's got some serious fantasy and dark humor elements to it.

The Final Cut - Robin Williams goes dark again in this small, sci-fi thriller about a man who edits the memories of the dead in order to present a memorial film to the friends and relatives of the deceased.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence - This is the sequel to a much respected Anime title. Although I've mentioned before how mainstream Anime is going, this is still a surprise since most Anime that makes it to theaters these days are family-friendly Disney properties ("Spirited Away") or kid fluff ("Pokemon"). If this sequel is like the original, it doesn't fall into either category.

The Last Shot - A Hollywood satire done with many recognizable faces such as Matthew Broderick and Alec Baldwin. I suppose the plot could rightly be compared to "Get Shorty", but from what I've heard it's still not your average, predictable comedy.

This is simply unheard of around here, and I am quite delighted. Jacksonville is trying to go back to it's film roots and create a community of fans. I attended the Jacksonville Film Festival for the first time last summer and caught "Napoleon Dynamite" at the marvelous Florida Theater downtown. The movie was a laugh riot and I swore to myself to see more than just one film the next time the festival is held. To be sure, l be posting reviews when it does.

The irony of all this is that I'm probably going to see a small film at an entirely other theater tonight: "Shaun of the Dead" at the Cinemark. The reason being that it's the film I'm most interested in seeing (and most willing to lay down $8.00 for). If I have a chance, then I'll try and see one of the five above later on in the week. At the very least, I want to boost their box office to compete with "Shall We Dance", which is based on a beautiful Japanese film they had no damn business remaking, especially with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez.

Expect a review of "Shaun" sometime next week. Until then, have a fun weekend, folks.

A Wink and a Smile

I admit it. The debates made me nervous, and I'm glad they're over. Yes, it was obvious while watching the first one that Kerry was doing well, but that didn't mean he couldn't screw up at any moment by hesitating at an uncertain question or loosing his cool. Of course, my worrying was for naught as he won that debate and arguably won the other two as well.

Watching footage the morning after, however, brings up a phenomenon I have yet to wrap my head around: Dubya's purported charm. I've seen it written about countless times and, frankly, I can't see it. I can objectively recognize and respect the charm possessed by Presidents such as Reagan and Clinton, regardless of political party. But Dubya's style of speaking has always, always been off-putting.

In the debates, his efforts to look relaxed and casual were so forced to the point of being grotesque. His face gets quite a workout as he sneers and grins and winks and looks for all the world like he's having some sort of attack. Do the party faithful truly look at this and see something that could be called normal? Do they see him smirk through every charge Kerry levels at him and see him as Presidential? There was so much hoopla about Gore's sighing during the 2000 debates, yet this could be considered subtle compared to Dubya's performance this year and yet his supporters continue to say he looks just dandy.

For me, the most satisfying moment of these debates came last night. When Kerry spoke of Bush's dismissal of Bin Laden as unimportant back in March of 2002, Bush responded that he never said that. Kerry was absolutely correct, of course, and this moment is being played up by Democrats as a major mistake by Bush in the debate. My attention, however, is on what he said after his denial. He said "It's kind of one of those exaggerations".

The printed word does not do the quote justice. He says this last word, well, in an exaggerated way. It's clearly meant to be a big joke as he smiles and puts so much emphasis on it. But this was a presidential debate, not one of his crowd-controlled stump speeches. There was no response to his quip. Rather, it produced a silence you could almost hear crickets in.

It's an ugly sight to see a joke fall so flat, and it was emblematic of his debate performances in general. There will be those that continue to see him through rose-colored glasses, but there will be others who start to see the real him and shamefully turn their head in revulsion. Glory be.

Review: "A Bridge Too Far" (1977)

Let me throw some names at you: James Cann, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Elliot Gould, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Ryan O'Neil and Robert Redford. Movies with a cast this huge and prominent simply do not get made anymore. Salaries are too high to hire so many name actors for an ensemble piece. Soderbergh's "Ocean's 11" was an exception since its cast was willing to take pay cuts, but those circumstances are few and far between. Perhaps this is for the best, as there can be such a thing as a film so laden with stars that it becomes too awkward and ungainly to work.

"A Bridge Too Far" is based on an actual campaign waged by Allied forces in 1944. With German troops on the retreat after the success of D-Day, there was a great desire by commanders to finish them off, and consequently the war, very quickly. Operation Market-Garden involved a massive airdrop of troops and supplies in order to seize and hold five bridges until the second wave of tanks and ground troops could arrive to secure them. Innumerable problems hindered their efforts and when all was said and done, the allies suffered about 17,000 casualties, which was twice the number of D-Day.

The title comes from a quote by Lt. General Browning after the operation had failed, and so does it also apply to the film. The operation failed for a number of reasons, one of the main being that they spread their forces too thin and tried to capture one bridge too many. With the film, we are constantly going back and forth between at least six different groups at one time and, save for the recognizable actors, it soon becomes confusing. Even people who have studied WWII can easily become lost in the midst of this film. Although the movie clocks in at just under three hours, the overload of scenes and subplots make it feel twice as long.

Yet there are moments here that are unforgettable, such as the image of one soldier scouting a bridge ahead of his comrades while holding a cane umbrella. Then there is the horror of paratroopers jumping over a field infested with Nazis and being shot in midair, unable to do anything to protect themselves. The most memorable moment for me is the scene of a group of soldiers held up inside a mansion adjacent to a long, wide lawn. On either side of the lawn are thick woods where the Nazis lay in wait to pick off anyone who ventures out. When a much needed air drop deposits their plain metal supply canisters in the middle of the lawn, someone has to make the call to go out and get them. The results are tragic.

There are too many great actors here (In fact, this is the rare DVD cover that features no faces of the stars, but instead a battle scene), so I'll only pick out a few for mention. Gene Hackman has a memorable, albeit brief, appearance as the commander of the Polish contingent. Anthony Hopkins is perfectly believable as a the "gentleman" soldier who is out of his depth with this next mission. And Elliot Gould, who has become familiar to current audiences in the aforementioned "Ocean's 11" remake, takes a gruff but comic role as a cigar chomping Marine for whom absolutely nothing is going right in this war.

As with a lot of films I review, I'm being a little kinder than I should be with this film's rating. It's best to watch it in small chunks over a period of days instead of one sitting. The film is of greatest value to WWII buffs who relish any chance to root for the heroes in exciting battle scenes. For them, sit back and enjoy, but don't expect anything too coherent.

Six out of Ten

Our house may be too small for a dozen drummers.

Aside from the cool weather finally arriving here in Jax, October is one of my favorite months because of my birthday. This year I turn 31, and to make it special, Mrs. Mosley is doing a "12 days of Christmas" type arrangement where I get twelve days of gifts. Although she doesn't consider this terribly inventive, I've been enjoying it very much.

The final tally of gifts included:

Four DVD's ("Road to Perdition", "Galaxy Quest", "A Few Good Men" and "Blazing Saddles")
Three CD's (The "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" soundtrack, a "Best of Johnny Cash" CD and a collection of different renditions of "Danny Boy")
Three Gift Certificates/Cards (Panera, Blockbuster, Firehouse Subs)
One Book (Coraline by Neil Gaiman)
One Bag of Gourmet Hazelnut Coffee

It's a fine list of gifts, but I suppose, as practical as my listing is, I should put it in the proper format:

On the twelfth of my birthday, my true love gave to me,
Twelve Saddles Blazing,
Eleven Cashes Singing,
Ten Pipes A-Calling,
Nine Bagels Toasting,
Eight Judes A-Limping,
Seven Brits A-Slanging,
Six Stars A-Questing,
Five Co-ra-lines,
Four Steaming Subs,
Three Good Men,
Two Rental Films,
And a Bag Full of Co-o-of-fee.

Yes, we're that sickeningly cute. Just thank your lucky stars you have the internet to filter us through, otherwise I'd have to post a warning up top for any diabetics tuning in.

Review: "Deathtrap" (1982)

This past weekend, actor Christopher Reeve died at the age of 52. His passing has been very emotional for a lot of people who viewed him as the very definition of the word hero. To their endless praise, I would like to add this: In terms of activism, he succeeded in bringing the debate over stem cell research to a broader populace. In terms of the Man of Steel, he succeeded in filling the tights better than anyone before or since. In terms of an actor in general, however, the man is mostly forgotten. Because of this, I am offering my own small tribute to the talent of a man who could play other roles beside that of hero.

"Deathtrap" concerns Sidney Bruhl (Michael Caine), a once successful playwright that is currently in a slump. On top of all his other troubles, he's insanely jealous of a brilliant play he's just read that was written Clifford Anderson (Christopher Reeve), a young student he once taught in a writing class. Bruhl tells his wife Myra (Dyan Cannon) that he could invite Anderson over, kill him, bury him in the garden and then take the play as his own. He then proceeds to plan out all the little details. Myra thinks he's just kidding, but she's about to find out how serious he really is when Anderson arrives one night.

The film "Sleuth", which I've previously reviewed here, is remarkably similar to "Deathtrap": Aside from both featuring Michael Caine, both are based on stage plays taking place in the home of an older writer of mystery/thrillers who goes toe-to-toe with a younger rival. Also, both films have surprising turning points halfway through. "Deathtrap" actually steals it's surprise from the finale of a classic thriller made in the 1950's (and, no, I'm not telling you which one). Suffice to say that, as with "Sleuth", I'm cutting my review short at the risk of revealing too much.

In terms of acting, Caine is captivating as always. It's also interesting to see the tables turned as he plays the older man role after his younger turn in "Sleuth". Cannon is, well, Cannon. I've never considered her anything special, and I sure as hell can't see what Cary Grant saw in her. And then there is Reeve, who used this film as a departure from the role that made him famous just four years beforehand. He got to show a bit of his darker side here, and it's great fun to watch him tear into it. In terms of what their known for, some actors are able to rise above such iconic roles (Consider Sean Connery and James Bond), but Reeve was never able to. I only hope that he knew some of us appreciated and enjoyed his work in other films.

In short, see "Deathtrap" for the mystery, the thrills and, most of all, for Reeve. It would be a fitting tribute.

(A DVD sidenote: In the early days of the new format, studios rushed older films into the market to see how they would sell. These discs mostly contained average transfers, bare bones supplements and, worst of all, were full screen. Even though DVD has broken through in a big way and more people are requesting widescreen, many of these select titles have not been re-released and nor do the studios have plans to do so. Truly great films like "Deathtrap", "The Paper" and "Fearless" all fall into this category. For the sake of these great films, Let's all hope this is corrected soon.)

Nine out of Ten

Abusing Utilities, Butchering Pumpkins, and Playing with Fire

A little bit about the Sunday Mrs. Mosley and I spent together.

After lunch with my folks, we went over to The Cummer Art Gallery to check out an exhibit on the history of film in Jacksonville. Way back during the Silent Era of film, Jacksonville was a hot spot for filmmaking and we were close to becoming a Hollywood before there even was a Hollywood. Alas, a number of factors eventually drove filmmakers to California. Also, it appears that the locals didn't care for the filmmakers too much. The most amusing anecdote was how directors would make phony emergency calls to police and firemen whenever the film they were shooting needed those kinds of extras. Ah, well. At least with Camp Blanding nearby, we can still attract the likes of Colin Farrell and Ridley Scott.

We then decided to start the Halloween traditions early and buy a pumpkin. We got one from a local church sale, brought it home and started carving. It had been quite a while for both of us since we had last carved a pumpkin. It was a messy yet satisfying experience, and had me quoting Linus throughout: "Ohh. You didn't tell me you were gonna kill it!".

Finally, we indulged in a first for me: Fondue. Mrs. Mosley, a big fan of this particular dining experience, had been coaxing me to go for awhile. My verdict? The cheese course at the beginning and chocolate course at the end were excellent. The middle course was simply good, not mind blowing. Of course, we opted for the healthier bullion instead of the traditional mixture, so maybe that makes a difference. Still it was a memorable night, not least of which for the very drunk couple that sat and cackled in the booth behind us.

Stay tuned for more posts, including a memorial review of Christopher Reeve's greatest role that wasn't Superman.