Alex's Talk

The Ugly Truth

Hearing Gerard Butler with an American accent was with the price of admission. I thought he did a really good job with his character. Katherine Heigl was cute and lovable. Those of us who have worked in the television business can appreciate the hilarious satire of the newscasts portrayed in this film. The film is a funny chick-flick that most everyone will enjoy.

The Gods Must Be Crazy

No other film I ever saw has been able to show, so well, that "civilized" man lives in TOO COMPLEX A WORLD.. the bushmen have it ok.. technology is not needed, al these SURPLUS HUMANS THAT COVER THE GLOBE ARE NOT NEEDED! ABANDON YOUR TECHNOLOGY! ABANDON AGRICULTURE!! Ok, well i'm not abandoning these things either; I've grown so attached to my films, photography, reading, etc.

The technical aspects of this film may at first bother you, when I first saw this film about 5 years ago, I knew then that the editing was a bit sloppy, or.. maybe not sloppy, but not seamless, how about.. but it doesn't matter - what matters foremost is that the idea, the communication GETS ACROSS.. it does. I may have "the message" of this film all wrong but that's ok, because it's up to me to have my own interpretation! it doesn't have to be the same as yours. what a wonderful life the bushmen have; they don't have to worry about being old, insurance, paperwork, jobs, bills, phones, electricity, car keys, etc. - granted, their life would NOT be for everyone but most people on this planet don't have it easy; in fact, few do, and I suspect that they are not "happy" or "fulfilled" and I don't care.. I'm not going to cry over the plight of any humans whose purpose for existing was/is largely an afterthought.. think about why, before you make more people.. think about the facts that they may never like you, that they may want to die at 16 years of age, that they might want to join an organization that harbors beliefs which conflict utterly with yours, that they might want to be an anti-humanity activist (contact me if the latter is the case with YOU, and I will tell you how you can help me with my propaganda)

The bushmen are PART OF SOMETHING, they have a way of living that works for them, and that's something ALL "civilized" "societies" NEVER DEVELOPED, and now it's rapidly becoming too late - populations are swelling, "resources" are being taxed, some to the point of nonexistence (or soon anyway)..

Personally, I'd rather be in a situation like the bushmen. I don't feel any need to live to see 50, 60, 70 years of age.. Why? What's the point? So one can procreate? And see their offspring procreate? On this planet? With what it's becoming, and the people that are responsible? No. no reason I can see to contribute to a population which is already way, way out of hand.

Right.. there is a story in The Gods Must Be Crazy, and I must really like it, too, as I can't count how many times i've seen the film.. it may be that some of the story was simply a device which would allow the filmmaker's preoccupations to be spread around, maybe not. again, this is my possible interpretation, which is neither right or wrong, necessarily. make your own conclusions; I urge you to see this film. if the technical aspects are too much for you to handle, then go watch some drivel like Pearl Harbor, I'm quite sure Ben Affleck has the answer to all your little problems.

In fact - this movie may have NO MESSAGE, but I think it has many. and this is something I like, is that there isn't ONE MESSAGE FORCED ON ME, which is the case with so, so, many excuses-for-films i've witnessed.. of course, a closing reminder that GOOD movies and BAD movies truly do not exist - rather, there are only films, and YOUR TAKE ON THEM. keep all that in mind.

The Gods Must Be Crazy

No other film I ever saw has been able to show, so well, that "civilized" man lives in TOO COMPLEX A WORLD.. the bushmen have it ok.. technology is not needed, al these SURPLUS HUMANS THAT COVER THE GLOBE ARE NOT NEEDED! ABANDON YOUR TECHNOLOGY! ABANDON AGRICULTURE!! Ok, well i'm not abandoning these things either; I've grown so attached to my films, photography, reading, etc.

The technical aspects of this film may at first bother you, when I first saw this film about 5 years ago, I knew then that the editing was a bit sloppy, or.. maybe not sloppy, but not seamless, how about.. but it doesn't matter - what matters foremost is that the idea, the communication GETS ACROSS.. it does. I may have "the message" of this film all wrong but that's ok, because it's up to me to have my own interpretation! it doesn't have to be the same as yours. what a wonderful life the bushmen have; they don't have to worry about being old, insurance, paperwork, jobs, bills, phones, electricity, car keys, etc. - granted, their life would NOT be for everyone but most people on this planet don't have it easy; in fact, few do, and I suspect that they are not "happy" or "fulfilled" and I don't care.. I'm not going to cry over the plight of any humans whose purpose for existing was/is largely an afterthought.. think about why, before you make more people.. think about the facts that they may never like you, that they may want to die at 16 years of age, that they might want to join an organization that harbors beliefs which conflict utterly with yours, that they might want to be an anti-humanity activist (contact me if the latter is the case with YOU, and I will tell you how you can help me with my propaganda)

The bushmen are PART OF SOMETHING, they have a way of living that works for them, and that's something ALL "civilized" "societies" NEVER DEVELOPED, and now it's rapidly becoming too late - populations are swelling, "resources" are being taxed, some to the point of nonexistence (or soon anyway)..

Personally, I'd rather be in a situation like the bushmen. I don't feel any need to live to see 50, 60, 70 years of age.. Why? What's the point? So one can procreate? And see their offspring procreate? On this planet? With what it's becoming, and the people that are responsible? No. no reason I can see to contribute to a population which is already way, way out of hand.

Right.. there is a story in The Gods Must Be Crazy, and I must really like it, too, as I can't count how many times i've seen the film.. it may be that some of the story was simply a device which would allow the filmmaker's preoccupations to be spread around, maybe not. again, this is my possible interpretation, which is neither right or wrong, necessarily. make your own conclusions; I urge you to see this film. if the technical aspects are too much for you to handle, then go watch some drivel like Pearl Harbor, I'm quite sure Ben Affleck has the answer to all your little problems.

In fact - this movie may have NO MESSAGE, but I think it has many. and this is something I like, is that there isn't ONE MESSAGE FORCED ON ME, which is the case with so, so, many excuses-for-films i've witnessed.. of course, a closing reminder that GOOD movies and BAD movies truly do not exist - rather, there are only films, and YOUR TAKE ON THEM. keep all that in mind.

Låt den Rätte Komma In (Let the Right One in)

I'm sure my readers will appreciate that I rarely give a movie more than 3 stars, und this is only the 4th time in my blogging career that I have given 5 stars, so I'm sure that you will understand that this movie must be some great revolution in the history of movie making... in fact, I would venture to say it is very nearly the "perfect" movie...

It was with great anticipation that I went to view this movie, after reading that nearly every reputable movie magazine gave it a 5 star rating... I knew for certain that I was in for something amazing!

I had to travel a little way as my home cinema wasn't showing it, but it was well worth it, und I would recommend it to all of my readers, even if you aren't a fan of the Vampire genre!

***Synopsis***

Oskar, a bullied 12-year old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can't stand the sun or food and to come into a room she needs to be invited. Eli gives Oskar the strength to hit back but when he realises that Eli needs to drink other people's blood to live he's faced with a choice. How much can love forgive? Låt den rätte komma in or Let The Right One In is a story both violent and highly romantic, set in the Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982.

Written by John Nordling, Producer

Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, and Lina Leandersson

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

***Fantasy Take***

Excellent fantasy movie, yet not too weird as to alienate the average viewer...

***Storyline: 5 Stars***

Brilliant story, based in a perfect fairy-tale style, simple und easy to follow, yet leaving you as if you had had the most filling meal in your life!

***Graphics: 4 Stars***

Hey, it's not really that kind of movie, but for what it is, the graphics certainly do what's needed of them...

***Acting: 5 Stars***

Oh, just perfect actors! Especially the little girl (Eli), who was both sweet, but still quite freaky at times!

***Music: 4 Stars***

Excellent music, though I would have liked a catchy theme tune to hum on my way home...

***Emotions: 5 Stars***

Excellently emotional throughout, I was completely wrapped!

***Conclusion***

Well, in conclusion... It's basically perfect... need I say more?

Enjoy, nazdrovia

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

If you like warmhearted optimistic films like me, you should say "Hello to this Goodbye"....

The Fourth Kind

This film is spooky as hell! The editing alone is enough to make you question your beliefs, as they show the actual video recordings in a split-screen with the re-enactment. Here's what really sealed the deal for me: I was very suspicious of the videos shown in the film until I did NOT see the usual disclaimer at the end of the credits that state the film and its characters are purely fictional. Yeah...it wasn't there!

Bottom line: They present the facts, and you're free to believe what you want. They say that in the beginning of the film and again at the end. I've always believed that assuming our planet has the only intelligent life in the galaxy is inexplicably arrogant. Believe what you want.

Nothing But the Truth

Surprisingly entertaining. Vera Farmiga was outstanding in her supporting role. Recommended.

Cinderella Man

Surveillance

Apparently the tainted apple hasn't fallen far from the Lynch family tree. recommended.

Two Lovers

like watching a runaway train heading for a brick wall....Recommended.

In the Bedroom

You can actually feel Tom Wilkinson's blood coming to a slow boil. Highly recommended.

Owning Mahowny

Hoffman is great and Hurt is a terrific casino boss. Recommended.

Rear Window

The Terrorist

this beautiful and suspenseful film will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to the end... highly recommended.

Pandorum

This film had several good qualities to it, including the ability to make me jump from my seat. Pandorum, in this story, is a form of space sickness that causes paranoia and homocidal tendencies. The stage is set for lots of scary, mind-screwing fun!

The storytelling reminded me of "Resident Evil", where you're shown several confusing conditions and have to follow the characters as they backtrack to piece together a time line.

The horror aspect took its influence from "The Decent", with albino, blood-thirsty mutants hunting those who have awakened from hyper-sleep. These creatures aren't mindless; in fact, they hunt in packs and love a good bout of hand-to-hand combat.

The mind-screwing reminded me of "Jacob's Ladder", where the audience isn't quite sure what is real and what isn't. It's hard to tell who's sane and who's losing their mind, which drives the tension up that much more.

Fear not, for when you think you can't handle another plot twist, all is made clear and everything makes sense. The writers just had fun messing with you until the final 8 minutes of the film!

Taking Woodstock

It Happened One Night

Loved this charming and very funny film from Frank Capra. It deserved the five Oscars it garnered in 1934. Highly recommended.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Terrific Capra tale with a great cast. "What is he, animal, vegetable or mineral? Maybe he's an oyster!" Recommended.

Il Grido (The Cry)

Dracula - Prince of Darkness