Solomon Kane (2009)

Maybe it is me, but I liked this movie.  Solomon Kane is based on the books and short stories written by Robert E. Howard.  Howard is also the creator of the character Conan the Barbarian. 

For the purposes of this movie, Kane begins as a his tale as a mercenary bent on destruction.  However, once he learns that his soul has been claimed by the devil, Kane renounces violence and becomes a puritan.  Yes, his life as a pacifist does not last long.  Kane witnesses several members of the family that he has been traveling with be slaughtered and the daughter kidnapped, Kane goes on his quest to rescue the girl and redeem his soul in the process.

The most notable name in the film is Pete Postlethwaite as William Crowthron.  The man that helps Kane on a path to peace.  James Purefoy stars as Solomon Kane.  Game of Thrones fans will recognize one of actors in this film, but I will keep who that is to myself.

Solomon Kane is a decent sword and sorcery film.  I think if you are a fan of the genre that you will enjoy Kane.  A little dark.  The fight scenes are pretty good.  Solomon Kane is not a bad film if you like a enough story plot to be believable.  Give it a shot.  Currently on Netflix.

Hellboy (2004)

Going to do a two-fer on this one.  Hellboy is another of the many comic book movies that have hit the screens in the last decade or so.  Did well enough for Hellboy II, but the two films did not garner a third. 

Hellboy is a demon summoned by Rasputin in the 1940's to try and win the war for Hitler.  Rasputin's plan is foiled and Hellboy is raised by Profession Bruttenholm.  Rasputin is resurrected to try and bring the end of the world.  And you can guess where the film goes from there.

Ron Perlman is charming as Hellboy and John Hurt is brilliant at anything he does.  The rest of the cast is good. However, the story is lacking a bit and the movie pacing lacks as well.  The comic book was popular enough to get people to the theaters.  My criticism here is that I don't feel that this film is good enough to watch over and over again.  And that is what you want from a movie like this.  People to buy the DVD, rent or watch on Netflix.  Yes, I watched on Netflix.

I mention Hellboy II in regard of it being watchable a second time.  Saw the movie once and really don't care to see it again.  If there is nothing else on TV and Hellboy II happens to be on, OK.  That being said, I might opt to find something else to do.  Hellboy II was really lacking a story.

Coriolanus (2011)

Was searching Netflix on what to watch next and ran across a bunch of Shakespeare films.  Coriolanus caught my eye first.  Two reasons.  First, I have not read, performed or seen this play yet.  Second, Ralph Fiennes stars and directs the film.

One thing about Shakespeare.  It is hard to do.  On stage and on screen.  Especially on screen.  The pacing of this film is slow.  You will need a lot of patience to get through it.  That being said, the performances are outstanding.  One of my issues with doing Shakespeare is that many actors cannot handle the language.  All the actors in this production handle the language well. 

The story itself is about a military leader of Rome that is asked to take civilian leadership and is ultimately banished due to his brutality on the battlefield and his lack of civilian subtlety. 

This film is placed in modern time and is crafty on how it handles the text and delivering the plot devices.  Meaning, if you have seen a Shakespeare play live, the descriptions of how wars and other actions off stage are delivered to the audience.  Very well done.

If you are a Shakespeare fan, you will love this film.  If you are a Ralph Fiennes fan, you will love this film.  While the pace is slow, this is a well crafted film. 

Tombstone (1993)

Tombstone (1993) starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer is another one of those films that is at the top of my list.  Not sure where it would be, but this is a film that I can easily watch over and over again. 

Based on the life of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday and the wild west, Tombstone gives a glimpse of what life was like in the late 1800's.  The performances by the entire cast was excellent and the gunfights were masterful.

A version of Tombstone has been attempted several times.  Both before and after this version of the story.  I found this one to be the best and what I would say would be the most authentic.  The writing, direction and acting are outstanding. 

However, this version does not need a reboot.  Unlike Abyss and Krull where special effects could be improved and make the movies better if there were remade, Tombstone does not have that problem.  My opinion is that there is nothing about this film that would need improving.  This, I think, is the best version of the story.

Your thoughts?

Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)

A friend of mine from high school could never get enough of the original Starship Troopers.  When I saw Starship Troopers: Invasion on Netlfix, I had to take a look. 

This is an animated film in the franchise.  Probably the best way to go forward if the franchise is to be continued.  However, this is not for kids in anyway.  Bare breasts are shown, cursing happens and lots and lots of blood and guts.  Again, even though this is animated, not for the kids.

The movie does bring in the three main characters from the original film.  Rico is now a general.  Carmen is a captain of a starship and Carl is still a researcher with psychic powers causing problems.  And that is where the movie goes with its story line.  Carl commandeers Carmen's ship, the bugs invade and lots of people die.  The twist here is that somehow the queen takes over the ship.  That is about all that I will say about the story.  Anymore and I will give away way too much.

The voice acting is pretty good.  The animation itself is ok.  Doesn't completely suck.  Has more of a video game feel to it.  If you want to see a good amount of digital death, this is the movie for you.  And as I said at the top, you can find this movie on Netflix.

Heavy Metal (1981)

Yes, I am a dork.  Can't help it.  Heavy Metal is a true cult classic.  The movie follows the Locnar (if I am spelling that correctly), a glowing orb that causes chaos through time and space.  Kind of like Sauron's ring in Lord of the Rings.  Where the stories and animation look and style came from is the graphic magazine of the same name, Heavy Metal.  Lots of boobs and other craziness for the demented person of the 1970's and 1980's.

This is not a film I would suggest sharing with the offspring.  While it is wonderful and the sound track is very early 1980's hard rock, the sexual content might not be something you want to share with your kids.  Wait until they go off to college, but not before then. 

As I said, I am a dork and this is a wonderful movie to watch and relive some of those altered nights with the friends watching very strange animation.  And it happens to be on Netflix. 

So, grab whatever gets you a bit altered and watch this classic.  Just make sure the kids are at a sleepover or something.  This might confuse them and you trying to explain what they saw will most likely fail.

Abyss (1989)

Abyss (1989) was another one of those sci-fi films that did not get a lot of respect in the theaters.  However, it did really well in rentals and on movie channels. 

Abyss follows a group of deep water divers searching for a lost submarine.  What they discover is some type of life form that can control water.  Of course there is deep conflict within the group between the military and civilian members.

As I mentioned with Krull, this is one of those films that should get a remake.  The difference between remaking Krull and Abyss is that I feel that Abyss could use some tweaking of the story.  The end of Abyss was a bit anticlimactic, but if they went with the original script the movie would not suck at all.

Abyss is not on Netflix at the moment.  Will probably have to be something you will have to buy online or be lucky and find it in a Best Buy or another store like that.

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (2008)

About 2 or 3 years ago, I got my daughter into super hero animation.  We started out with the most recent Justice League series.  Not the new Justice League that were the sidekicks and Superboy, but the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.  We have watched the various Marvel live action films and most of the DC animated movies.

What we watched recently was Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow.  Descendants of Captain America/Black Widow, Thor, Black Panther, Giant Man/Wasp and Hawkeye with the help of an elder Tony Stark and eventually Hulk look to end the rule of Ultron.

We both liked this movie.  My daughter is not nearly as versed in Marvel lore as I am, but she caught on quick to what was going and the movie did a lot to help fill in the past enough for her to understand what was going on.

The Pym character was a bit annoying, but tell me that we all didn't know someone like that as a kid.  Which pretty much stands for all the kid characters.  Trying to find their way in the world and making huge mistakes along the way.  They are kids, what did you expect?

Anyway, this would be a good movie to sit and watch with the kids.  Struggle and triumph win the day and can be a good moral lesson to talk with your kids about.

Tomorrow When the War Began (2010)

I have decided that I will be watching more foreign films.  Tomorrow When the War Began is the Australian version of Red Dawn.  However, this version is really good.

Ellie and Corey decide that they want to have a friends only camping trip out in the bush.  After the trials of getting the group together all the teenagers try to impress each other.  Usual teenage stuff.  Then one night, several planes fly overhead.  However, unlike both versions of Red Dawn we do not see the carnage until the kids head back to town and find all their homes abandoned. 

Another difference between Red Dawn and Tomorrow is that there are no attempts to fight back until the end of the film.  This story deals more with the psychological state of the group and how they finally come to the decision to fight back.  Red Dawn was all about the action and showing that no matter what Americans will fight back no matter what their age.

I was very impressed with this film.  The acting was wonderful.  Storyline was very well thought out.  Wonderful cinematography and direction.  It was just well done.  Currently on Netflix and I say it is a must see.

Curse of the Dragon Slayer (2013, among many other titles)

Yes, I watched another sci-fi/fantasy film.  And Curse of the Dragon Slayer was bad.  First, the story really didn't have anything to do with dragons.  Second, the acting and script were pretty bad.  The special effects were cool and can we just say thank god for technology.  No longer need multi-million dollar set ups to make effects on people and scenery.

Anyway, if you enjoy bad fantasy films for a good laugh, you will get a kick out of this one.  I don't like giving too much away about a film, but there are so many holes in this script I am surprised it made any sense at all.  I will say the dwarves were funny and got a kick out of them, but that was about it.

You can find this on Netflix and be glad the Netflix bill covers all the good stuff that is coming to the service.  Not sure what else I can say about this film...or what else I want to say about this film.

The Princess Bride (1987)

This has got to be in my top 5.  The Princess Bride has everything.  Yes, the movie can appear cartoonish.  Yes, the movie is a bit campy.  But here is the thing.  The fight scene between Westley (played by Cary Elwes) and Inigo (played by Mandy Patinkin) has no rival.  I have seen a lot of sword fighting over the years and this fight is the best. 

As you can see I will have nothing buy praise for this movie.  I recently sat my 7 year old daughter down to watch it with me and she absolutely loved it.  For a 7 year old, it was a bit scary in the fire swamp scenes and she really wanted Prince Humperdink to die.

I highly recommend this film be passed down generation to generation.  And yes, this truly is a film for everyone.  If you do not like this film, please seek therapy.

Oh, one other thing....it has Andre the Giant in to.  If you don't know who Andre is, look him up.

Again, brilliant film.

The Craft (1996)

You know....the more I think about what I am doing here the more I realize what I am actually doing.  I am given you ideas of what to watch tonight.  Or what to watch some other night.  Looking through Netflix, the channel guide on the TV (does TV Guide even publish a listing anymore?) or wherever else I watch video content, there is just so much to choose from that have some sort of idea of what to take a look at just might help.  I am sure other people are doing this as well, but are they going back in time and reminding you what was fun to watch.

The Craft hit theaters in 1996.  Was not received well.  The box office take barely covered the budget for the film.  For me, however, I enjoyed this film.  First, Catholic girl skirts.  Yes, I am overly male sometimes.  Close to 20 years ago, what do you want from me?

Next, the cast was actually really good.  There was a wonderful chemistry among the coven and they played off each other extremely well.  Now, if you want to be nit picky, you could say that he story was weak.  What I felt was weak was the special effects.  But it was 1996.  What we are use to now is light years away from where special effects were in 1996.

This movie is on Netflix and I think it is a lot of fun.  High school girls dealing in forces that really shouldn't and then going after someone that can harness the power?  I think if you watch this film with low expectations that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Krull (1983)

The next few posts will be all about the movies I would live to see remade.  The reason is that the effects of the day were not all that great and I feel that the current technology will make what was a cult film more widely appreciated.

The first is Krull.  This film hit theaters in 1983.  The audience was the scifi fantasy geeks like me and did not do all that well.  The thing is when the film was syndicated on TV and the pay channels the viewership was pretty good. 

I really enjoyed this film.  The story has great potential and the action had great potential as well.  With a complete redesign of the various environments, make-up and stunts, I think this film could do a killing at the box office.  I even think they could pull this off with the exact same dialog. 

Krull stars Ken Marshall and Lysette Anthony.  Krull also happens to be the first movie Liam Neeson appears in.

Now I have to ask those 5 people that will read this post...Do you think Krull could do well with a remake?

Final Fantasy VII: Avent Children (2005)

As I have mentioned before, I am an animation fan.  Can't help it.  I am an adult and I still like watching cartoons.  Especially due to the fact that animation in whatever form it is allows for so much more spectacular story telling and effects.  Live action is catching up, but when it has come to super heroes and the sci-fi/fantasy world nothing beats animation.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is based of the video game franchise of the same name.  I was a bit distracted today, but this one was kind of a disappointment.  The story was a bit fragmented and was hard to follow.  Some of the story elements were kept in the dark about until the end.  Even then I was confused.

I action was fun although seemed a bit repetitive.  Multiple motorcycle chases and battles that seemed to be pretty much the same sequence each time.  The final battle was cool though.

Watched this particular version with English subtitles and that could have been a part of the problem as well. Anyway, the main reason I watched this one was due to my enjoyment of the 2001 release of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.  The version of that film that I watched was in English and I felt that the storyline was much better and easier to follow.  There were times with Advent Children that I was just confused as to what the objective was.

Watched on Netflix.  You might like this you might not.  There are some good fight scenes.  I could be wrong about my assessment, but just not really thrilled about this film.

Red Dawn (2012)

Way back in 1984 a movie came out that played into the psyche of the time.  Red Dawn placed a band of high school kids against the Cuban and Russian armies attempting to invade the USA.  Everyone I knew at the time could not get enough on that film.  In the theater, on TV when it was replayed and renting at the local video store.  Two years ago, they decided it might be a good idea to remake Red Dawn.  This time it is the North Koreans invading the USA with a tiny bit of help from the Russians.

There are a couple key plot lines that were kept.  The drinking of the deer's blood and Darryl leading the Russian forces to the group's location.  This time both scenes are under different circumstances and results.

The actors did the best they could with the script they were given.  The action sequences were a lot of fun to watch.  However, the overall story line does not play well.  A massive power outage turns out to be the way to get into the USA without being seen way ahead of time?  Yeah, not so much.  And the North Koreans do not have the resources to make an invasion like that happen.

All that aside, if you see it on Netflix or one of the pay channels, sit down and watch the film.  You just might enjoy it if you are not expecting much.  I will say this.  There is a scene that did take me quite by surprise. 

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

If you have not figured things out yet, Netflix is my friend.  When Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow came out ten years ago it got panned pretty bad.  In my opinion, I have a feeling that many of the reviewers really didn't know what they were dealing with.

Here is what I mean.  The movie is darkly lit.  It has a film noir feel to it because of how darkly lit it is.  Plus it is set in the 1940's.  The actors are performing in a similar style as 1940's actors.  And the entire movie is shot with green screen.  If you are not familiar with what green screen is, all the big sets, robots and most everything else is computer generated.  And you can tell.  In the movie's defense, it was one of the first to go entire movie green screen.

I actually like the story.  Kind of cheesy, but that is film noir for you.  I recognized what they were trying to do early and made adjustments for it.  In this film, Angelina Jolie's accent is pretty bad.  Usually when she does Brit the accent is more or less believable.  Not this time.  Jude Law is Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow plays the overly curious reporter/damsel in distress.

The rundown is that if you can get past the look of the movie and suspend your disbelief with what you are looking at in regard to the story, you could enjoy this film.  If you have Netflix and have not seen the film yet, give it a shot.  You might be surprised.  Or I am completely wrong and the film will suck.  Either way, and this is for the guys and maybe some girls, looking at Jolie in tight leather is not a bad thing.

Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat hit theaters back in 1995 to modest success.  As I was flipping channels, I ran across Mortal Combat on Cinemax and thought I would watch for a bit.  The movie stars Christopher Lambert of Highlander fame.  The other name in the film that you might know is Bridget Wilson. 

This film does not stand up to the test of time, but it is a wonderful reminder of how the 90's tried so many different ways to get you into the theater.  Based off the arcade game success the studio was hoping to build off that success.  Mortal Kombat did well enough to spawn a sequel, Mortal Kombat Annihilation.  However, Annihilation did not fair well and a third film, Devastation, was shelved.  There is talk of a reboot to the, but the story line sounds really bad.

If you are in the mood for something mindless and a bit of fun.  Yes, the film can be viewed as fun.  Watch Mortal Kombat again.  Oh, for the sports fan that would go to NBA and NHL games...Mortal Kombat supplied the soundtrack to the fan adrenaline rush before and during the games.

Dear Mr. Watterson

Alright Calvin and Hobbes fans, this one is for you.  Dear Mr. Watterson takes an in depth look at the legacy of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes and newspaper comics in general.  Bill Watterson does not appear in the film.  According to the film maker and others interviewed in the film, Mr. Watterson does not like to do interviews.

The documentary takes an interesting look at how Calvin and Hobbes raised the bar for those writing comic strips at the time as well as the influence Mr. Watterson has had on future artists and his contemporaries.  They also talk about the business side of the comic strip world and the choices made in regard to Calvin and Hobbes. 

This is a documentary.  Please bare that in mind when watching this film.  The pacing is slow, but again...it is a documentary.  However, seeing the comic strips again brought back many memories and reminded me of how much I enjoyed reading the newspaper comics everyday.  You can find Dear Mr. Watterson on Netflix. 

Maleficent

Saw this film a few weeks ago with my daughter and a friend and I was pleasantly surprised.  Maleficent is a re-imagining of  the Sleeping Beauty story and the motivation behind Maleficent's actions against Princess Aurora.  

I will admit that I am not much of a fan of Angelina Jolie's work.  She is gorgeous, but her work hasn't really impressed me as of late.  This performance, however, was wonderful.  If you have not seen this film yet, I do not want to give much away.  So, let me say this...be ready for something a little different and be ready to cheer for the character you thought you would not cheer for.  

The visuals are outstanding and film as a whole is well done.  Maleficent is still in theaters.  DVD is due out soon.

Fightville

Alright MMA fans.  This one is for you.  Actually, anyone who has ever been curious about why people choose to fight.  I caught the last 45 minutes of this documentary on one of the pay channels.  Dustin Poirier is one of the featured fighters in this film.  Poirier is currently a top ranked fighter in the featherweight division in the UFC and is about to have one of the biggest fights of his life on Sept. 27th, 2014.  

Fightville shows what these fighters put themselves through and how hard it is to get into the upper ranks of the fight world.  One of the other featured fighters had a bout coming up, but was not training.  Once he came back to training a couple weeks out from the fight, he paid the price.  Not just from being out of shape, but by having his head handed to him in a sparing session.  Was a hard lesson, but a lesson nonetheless.

Fight fans who want to see the behind the scenes world of what makes a fighter will enjoy this film.  I also recommend it for the curious about mixed martial arts and to those that would like to see a story about perseverance.