Reviews by yord

This movie was my introduction to the Firefly series. From the first scene of Mal walking through the ship, I was immediately taken in. What a great set, and a colorful cast of characters. There is something to love in every one of them. After watching the TV series, I felt even more attached to them, making it a bittersweet end to a phenomenal and imaginative universe. The story is that of Mal Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion with such great charm and wit, who captains the Firefly-class ship Serenity… oh, hell. The story is great, but what I really love about it is the interactions between the crew and the lovable crazy genius River Tam and her development into the super-weapon that the government made her into. Joss Whedon is a sharp writer with a keen director’s eye. There is real loss, which sort of magnifies the effects of both the comedy and the drama, which I appreciated. Some fans were upset with the way he handled the end of this beloved series, but I completely ate it up and couldn’t see it ending any other way.

While not as deep as the previous movie, The Dark Knight Rises manages to be an immensely satisfying conclusion to this gritty trilogy. From the impressive opening scenes until the end, I was riveted, with director [Link removed - login to see] skillfully baiting me along not with plot points, but with interesting characters brought to life by an all-star cast that I actually felt invested in, and curious to know more about. This film seemed to be less about the Batman and more about Bruce Wayne ([Link removed - login to see]) and how he tries to cope with his inner turmoil, aging body, and where this legacy he has created will go once he is gone. That last point eats away at him--being gone--and Alfred ([Link removed - login to see]) is keen to notice his focus. He worries about Bruce, worries that he is on a self-destructive path towards inevitable death. He doesn't want to bury another Wayne, but he is increasingly hopeless. That theme of hopelessness is a primary undercurrent throughout the movie, as things go from bad to worse when Bane arrives in Gotham.

"I will build you and Gotham up with hope and then destroy you. Hope is really the key to torture. Gotham will build to a point of joy and then be wiped from the map."

[Link removed - login to see] plays the supervillain this time around, fulfilling the unenviable role of following [Link removed - login to see]'s notable turn as the Joker, and manages to put his own brand onto the legendary back-breaker, Bane. While the mask he wears looks awesome, it does block most of his face and distorts his voice. However, I liked the strangeness of his accent and delivery, and Bane's intensity comes through when the camera looks into his eyes. At times I thought the editing was a little abrupt and confusing--I honestly thought that they could have added about 15 more minutes to the run-time and let scenes play out a little slower. Minor quibbles aside, the final sequence is so fulfilling that I was almost brought to tears. This is not a stand-alone movie--it almost requires that you've seen the previous two movies for you to fully understand every moving part. So, if you were a fan of the previous two films, do not miss this final installment.

After detailing my fond memories of this early sneaking game to [Link removed - login to see], he felt inspired to pick it up and see what it was all about--which gave me a chance to re-play it and relive the co-op glory with my now-older thumbs. While it wasn't exactly the shining experience I had remembered, I can safely say I still had a blast running from dogs, shooting fat guys, hiding around corners (and slapping those annoying flies), and [Link removed - login to see]. Very simple gameplay mechanics--you get dropped off somewhere with your teammate, you enter the facility, grab the shiny stuff and leave. Smash and grab. However, the fun here is in the approach. You aren't really rewarded for being successfully sneaky, it just feels good to do it. That doesn't detract from the core, goofy fun of it. After all these years, it manages to retain a quirky charm, largely thanks to the unique art style that was daring enough to be original instead of an homage to a more popular style. The levels are relatively short, but increasingly challenging. It only took us a few hours to see the credits roll, but we had to be quite methodical by the time it got to the final level to make sure we could beat it within the time constraints. This was a nostalgic playthrough that really showed me how far gaming has come, and solidified my opinion that if the game mechanics are fun, it doesn't matter how old or pretty the game is.

First things first: I am not a point-and-click adventure gamer. I have not played many of them, and if I have, I have not beat any of them. Enter Gemini Rue. It's kind of a miracle that it even managed to catch my interest, but after watching the [Link removed - login to see], I knew there was something more to this sci-fi noir game. Right from the start, I felt as if I was back on my SNES, playing some long-forgotten gem of an adventure game. The environments, all drawn by the game's sole creator Joshua Nuernberger, are incredibly detailed and it is a pleasure to just soak in the gritty atmosphere. You play as Azriel Odin, ex-assassin on the crime-ridden planet of Barracus, who is searching for his kidnapped brother--whom you also control for certain segments of the game. As Delta-Six--Azriel's brother--you must go through a series of tests while trying to find out why your memory was erased and what exactly you are doing in this sterile facility. However, things are not as they seem, not the facility and not even the people you meet. You may not be able to tell the truth to anyone. The puzzles were intuitive and enjoyable, but at times tedious since there is no "run" option. I was also annoyed that I could not pause during dialogue moments, but these are very minor issues in an otherwise tremendously satisfying game. Without revealing any key spoilers, the plot is cerebral, intended for a mature audience that deals with questions of the fallibility of memory, the mystery of knowing oneself, the uncertainty of the past and the future, crime and morals, and, especially, trust. No one trusts anyone on Barracus, and for a good reason. Tell someone too much about yourself and you will wind up as the next corpse on the trash heap. Don't miss this engrossing indie gem.

Slavoj Žižek, who narrates this fascinating exploration and analysis of modern film, introduces to us this important idea: “Cinema is the ultimate pervert art. It doesn’t give you what you desire—it tells you how to desire.” In no time at all (and with a thick accent) Žižek expounds on the power of film to alter one’s desire, simply by showing you characters that desire. By this simple act, film as a whole has altered the consciousness of the world, Žižek argues, by introducing ideas of want where none existed before. After giving us this basic premise, he rattles off ideas to support it, along with seemingly tangential tirades about psychoanalysis and Freud as fast as he can say it. Presented in a great style by director Sophie Fiennes in actual locations used in the famous films being analyzed, this seems like more of a platform for Žižek to be Žižek, who is clearly a gifted and powerful philosopher. He has great insight into memorable scenes, presenting first the clip and then his analysis and explanation of how it might affect a watcher. Some great thoughts include the idea of the voice as a foreign intruder, an entity that comes from the abyss inside of you that is not entirely yourself, mostly an actor for evil with undercurrents of well-meaning. He give details about the death drive, not in the Buddhist sense of seeking self-annihilation in order to find peace, but more along the lines of an inanimate object—something beyond death, almost undead—that possesses a sort of drive within it that causes humans to feel uneasy, to want to be rid of it; to want it. Žižek explains, “the only way to get rid of the object is to become the object,” thus setting us up to be reintroduced to his original idea of the pervert art of cinema and its influence on culture worldwide. I haven’t even begun to talk about Part 2 of this three-part film on cinema. If you are a fan of film analysis or Žižek, seek out this hard-to-find three-part documentary. There is much to be learned.

An epic, Shakespearean drama set in the settlement of Deadwood in the Black Hills of South Dakota, this series focuses on the will of humans to make their name and their living, each taking advantage of the complete freedom--or lawlessness--on a different moral spectrum. In Deadwood, those that seem the most evil may not be, and those that smile and pay well may well be rotted on the inside.

"In life you have to do a lot of things you don't fucking want to. Many times, that's what the fuck life is... one vile fucking task after another." :: Al Swearengen

Featuring an impressive cast and well-developed characters, with prominent historical figures making appearances, you see how life might have been in all of its brutality. Alliances--some surreptitiously made, others more public--forged and broken at the sight of gold or the idea of the government encroaching and slowly but surely removing those freedoms people have learned to love, in the name of safety and lawfulness. Or is it just another surreptitious alliance, some power play by a wealthy businessman across the nation trying to take advantage of a fledgling community? It's easy to see how simplistic morals can become complicated when your life and liberty is on the line and the only person you can trust is public enemy #1. This is a deep, eloquent and moving series, punctuated by moments of blue-collar wisdom ("I wouldn't trust a man who wouldn't try to steal a little..."), real heartbreak (the Civil War is still a fresh wound to many in the camp) and downright dirty tactics. I could not recommend this series any higher.

Crisp, neo-noir perfection, masquerading as a summer action flick but with a dark and existential core. Tom Cruise plays against his type as an assassin, a lone grey fox named Vincent sent to make five hits in a single night using any means necessary... and cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) happens to be that means. Deftly directed by Michael Mann--who knows every nook and cranny in L.A. and the perfect angle to shoot them--he is able to breathe Stuart Beattie's poetic screenplay to life, keeping Foxx incredibly nuanced and bringing Cruise to his cold and empty peak.

"Someday my dream will come. One night you'll wake up and you'll discover it never happened. It's all turned around on you and it never will. Suddenly you are old, didn't happen and it never will, 'cause you were never going to do it anyway."

There is a lot to like about this film, but what really catches my eye is the cool lighting colors and the crisp HD film style. It makes the whole experience rather dreamlike yet jarringly vivid, and it helps elevate those action moments--you actually believe that characters can be hit by bullets, and that there are real consequences to where these bullets end up. After a long night, the sun starts to rise. The sky has an eerie glow, shadows seem lighter, and Vincent wonders aloud: "Think anyone will notice?"

I went into this film with a bucket full of popcorn and almost no foreknowledge of the movie whatsoever. Having seen Blade Runner and Alien, I was purely excited at the thought of a new [Link removed - login to see] movie. I expected to be launched into an entirely new setting and atmosphere, a strange new future from the mind of a noted director--however, saying I was let down at the similarities to Alien would be an understatement. The scenes go from a creepy, [Link removed - login to see] atmosphere thick with tension and a good dose of awe, until you're smacked with a heavy-handed conversation about fate and religion. While the movie as a whole never worked for me, I must say I was quite impressed with the insatiable, mechanical curiosity that seemed to drive the A.I. handyman, David--which is thanks to [Link removed - login to see]'s great performance. I rolled my eyes at the metallic "eggs" set around the shrine. I groaned at the sight of a foreign body inside a human, and scoffed as she ran away after a serious operation. I hooted when the ship rolled on its edge, and when the unlucky people below seemed to forget how to turn left or right. And when the final chest burst it made more sense, but it all felt sort of cheap... a feeling made worse when I realized I could no longer get a refill for my empty bucket o' popcorn.

The landscape of Iraq after the short-lived Gulf War was torn and alien. The fires set by the Iraqi Republican Guard in the oil fields burned for weeks, thick black smoke billowing across the empty desert. In the middle of this scene, a bipedal creature gestures at Herzog and his camera team. He is unsure what sort of message is being conveyed, perhaps one of danger, perhaps threatening. Such carnage and confusion is seen as normal in the days after Desert Strike, and the enormity of the damage makes you wonder if it could ever be forgotten, ever be truly fixed. The line between beauty and monstrous is unclear, and Herzog masterfully treads through it, bringing images and sounds that penetrate into your subconscious. In the background, the strings and the chants drone on. A crew works diligently, slowly and methodically extinguishing the fires, fixing the broken piping and turns it off--one by one by one--and with all the fires now out, the crews seem to feel something is missing. Perhaps this madness is a trick of the desert, a mirage. Was this all a bad dream? Was there a point, or was this violence for violence’s sake? Oil spews high and blackens the sky and a man smiles as he throws a torch into the heart of it and the whole crew laughs in the heat of their violation.

My third Charlie Kaufman-penned film on [Link removed - login to see], but probably his best written one. Nicholas Cage stars as Charlie Kaufman who has been assigned to write an adaptation for the book The Orchid Thief. He is having great difficulty doing so, and, as a solution, decides to write himself into the script. But his neurosis gets in the way, and on multiple occasions he hits roadblocks and completely rewrites it. It is endlessly entertaining to see how the screenplay plays tricks on the audience and even becomes a character itself. At one point, Kaufman goes to a writing seminar by McKee (at the insistence of his twin brother, Donald--also played by Cage) where Kaufman is talking to himself through voice over when suddenly McKee thunders, "and god help you if you ever use voice-overs in your script. God help you." From that point on, there are no more voice-overs. That is just one sample from it. I haven't even talked about the twin brother's interactions. Cage somehow manages to distinguish the two from each other without changing hair styles and wardrobes, but through character. You know which brother is which just by what they say and how they act. One oozes an ignorant confidence, the other is crippled by anxiety. Oh yeah, and Chris Cooper won an Oscar for his role. He deserved it. Keep in mind McKee's advice to Charlie: "Wow them in the third act and you've got a hit." Wow, indeed. You won't see it coming.