Okay, I know it has been a long as hell time since I have posted, but I am trying to come back. A lot of crap going on lately, and soon I may even say what that is.
Wicked Truth is still on the fritz, and I must say that I miss it dearly...it is one of the things that helped keep me sane there for a bit. This goes out to Mister Hand: I hope that you get things taken care of! You deserve better than that *explicative deleted* is dishing out to you!
Now, I said a long time ago that I had a few movies to review. I have not made any progress, but I will endeavor to review some of them from memory off the seat of my pants. I tend to do better that way, anyhow.
I'm going to use a standard five star system, as follows:
1 star = Stay as far away as you can
2 stars = Might be entertaining if you are drunk with a lot of drunk friends, but don't count on it
3 stars = Okay. Don't necessarily go out of your way, but a good way to kill a night.
4 stars = This is a good movie, and comes recommended. Go out of your way a little for it.
5 stars = WTF?! You haven't seen it yet? What's wrong with you?!
First up:
Brokeback Mountain
Drama. A good date movie, as long as your date is open minded about what true love means. A very, very sad love story that tells us that love can be found anywhere, and should not be ignored or denied.
This movie follows the lives of Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, two cowboys at heart who find each other in their twenties looking for work at a ranch, watching over sheep. Through the lonely weeks out on the ranch, they find that they have a lot in common, and realize a bond that is forming that goes far beyond friendship. It seems to shock them as much as anyone else when they recognize this in a fit of passion.
Through the months that follow, they find themselves to form a caring and loving relationship that they know they have to keep hidden from the eyes of the world. At the end of the season, Ennis goes back to marry his fiancée and live life like everyone expected him to, and Jack found himself a bride later on as well. However, they never forgot about each other, and a few times a year, under the guise of a fishing trip, they found a way to meet up.
The story was tragic and heart wrenching. It lets us know that no matter what form our love takes, do not let it slip away, because you never know when that will be lost to you forever.
Set on a backdrop of beautiful western style scenery and with superb acting and screenplay, this movie easily earns:
5 stars
Next:
Serenity
Science Fiction/Western. Yes, you read that correctly, I am classifying this as part western, even though the movie takes place on a spaceship. Why? Because of the attitude and style.
This is a gritty movie about gritty people in a gritty universe. It claims great action, wonderful dialogue, and some of the best characters I have seen in a long time. To top it off, it has absolutely zero weak female characters, and that ranks highly in my book.
This movie sort of sandwiches the TV series flop Firefly (and it was only a flop in ratings...the show was every bit as good as the movie, and deserved to continue on long and strong...the ratings just weren't there). By that, I mean that the very beginning showcases what happened right before the first episode, then picks up a little after the series left off. However, you do not have to watch the series to enjoy the movie, but you will understand some of the inside jokes a little better, and have a deep love for the cast members.
A quick aside about Firefly: Had that series been put in place of Star Trek: Enterprise, it would have easily gone 7 or more seasons. As it was, it was cancelled a little more than halfway through its first. Absolutely criminal, if you ask me.
The movie starts off with Simon Tam, a respected and gifted physician, turning rebel against the Alliance (think of the Empire from Star Wars) to free his sister, River Tam (an even more gifted psychic and all-around brilliant and talented young girl) from a maximum security "school" for the psychically gifted, where they did all sorts of heinous mental experiments on her. It then fast forwards several months, where they are aboard the Firefly class ship Serenity, who has a crew that is diverse and interesting, one of the few places I have found every person involved to be well rounded and three dimensional.
Captain Malcom Reynolds (Mal): Brigand and cowboy, a renegade from the Alliance who fought in the rebellion and lost. He was a Sergeant in the war, and was looked up to during battle as a natural leader who instilled confidence and a great desire to not die, to keep fighting til there was no fight left. He was a man of faith during the war, but in the bitterness that followed the grave losses and abandonment that ended it, he could no longer hold onto his faith. When you look into his eyes, you see a steel and determination, with just a hint of that bitterness hiding behind it. It is little wonder that his crew is loyal, even when his actions seem brash and ill considered.
Zoë: Serenity's second in command, this valkyrie warrioress fought alongside Mal in the war. She is not a force to be trifled with, especially when you make her mad. She keeps her cool well, and is (almost) always professional. Strong, and fiercely loyal to both her Captain and her husband, she wouldn't hesitate to shoot first if she felt it was the best solution. She has also proven that her loyalty to her husband comes first, and will chose him over her Captain.
Wash: The pilot of Serenity is a strange and witty fellow, a man with an equal mixture of flip and flair. Sometimes comes off as cynical and satirical, but his piloting skills are without question. "I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar!" Married to Zoë in a rather unlikely matching, but the love the two of them share is undeniable.
Kaylee: The cheerful engineer is almost always upbeat. Seeing a frown or sad look on her face is a tragedy in and of itself. Her skill in the engine room is unmatched. She has a definite crush on the doctor, Simon Tam, but has trouble voicing that to him...every time things seem to start to work out, he manages to put his foot in his mouth. However, the mere fact that she has managed to keep that bucket of bolts that would make the Millennium Falcon look like a prize yacht flying says it all.
Jayne: The hired muscle, there doesn't seem to be much going through this brute's head most of the time. He seems simple, but he does have a depth that is surprising at times. Mostly simple, though.
Simon Tam: Highly regarded medical doctor, he threw away a promising career for something far more important to him: his sister, River. He would do anything to protect his troubled sister, and has taken considerable risk to do so. He also has a crush on Kaylee, though he is too cultured to admit to it most of the time, and is very much inexperienced when it comes to voicing his feelings.
River Tam: Easily the most troubled and complicated member of the crew, River has psychic powers that even she doesn't understand. She will utter a string of words as eloquent as they are seemingly meaningless. She seems terrified of something through most of the show and the movie, but shows herself off to be the strongest person on the show.
This movie easily ranks:
5 stars
If you haven't seen it yet, do so, now.
Well, that is all for now. I've made this more than long enough.
plug ahead). 
