Pivot is a short foreign film with no dialog. It hasn’t won any awards that I am aware of. It hasn’t even made it into IMDB. Nevertheless I think it is a good short film that is worth watching. Here’s the synopsis: ‘When a man is witness to a murder and takes pictures of the killer, he has to run for his life. During the chase he is able to turn the tables and the prey becomes the hunter. All resulting in an unfortunate ending.’ Enjoy!
Pivot
Friday, April 2nd, 2010Turtles Forever
Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Turtles Forever is a made-for-TV movie that bridges the gap between the different versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ that have hit the big and small scren and it does it amazingly well. If you’ve ever been a fan at any age of any TMNT show, movie, or comic then this animated movie was made is for you. I started watching this thinking it would be just like any other Turtles cartoon. What I got was sci-fi, comedy, satire, and plenty of Ninja Turtle action. This movie far surpassed my expectations and kept me riveted till the end.
I’ve been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since they were just comic book heroes so I may be a bit biased. The original TV version was fun but made for kids. The latest version got better and also darker but never held my attention enough to keep up with the seemingly endless episodes. Still I’d watch an episode now and then just to see what was happening in the series. This movie does not require you to be as knowledgeable of Turtle lore as I am. You don’t have to be fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to enjoy this movie but if you are, even just a little, rest assured that you will be appropriately entertained. All that and you can even sit and watch it with your kids.
Highlander: The Search for Vengeance
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Highlander: The Search for Vengeance tells a story of Colin MacLeod, an immortal on a quest for vengeance as the title suggests. Like most movies in the long running series, the story takes place over hundreds of years and includes many flashbacks. One of the first things you notice on seeing this film are the amazing visuals. There’s plenty of sci-fi action including post-apocalyptic weapons and robots. The pace of the story is good and if you’re already a fan of the waining series, this is a special treat. You don’t need to have seen any other installment of the many movies or series however, as the movie works well on its own.
After having been disappointed with everything that has come out of the Highlander storyline of late, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Already an Anime fan, I appreciate the visual quality and overall look of the film. It is an untold story of the Highlander mythos and fits well into that franchise, paving the way for new stories to be told. That I am already a fan of the Highlander conversation is what got me to check out this film and I am happy I did. I found it to be pleasing on many levels and easily recommend it, giving it a 4 out of 5 marks.
Street Kings
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
Street Kings is the story of a veteran cop played by Keanu Reeves. This rogue cop is definitely not a good guy but he thinks he is. The problem is his methods. He’s a bad ass and will lie, torture, murder, plant evidence and do pretty much anything else he thinks is necessary to get the bad guys. He’s good at it too and his ambitious boss, played by Forrest Whittaker, always has his back and is not above a cover-up to protect his best guy. Keanu’s character always goes too far but this time he finds his own limits as gets caught up in something bigger and deeper than he expected.
Street Kings must have been the coming out party for a bunch of TV actors. You can’t go 15 minutes in this movie without seeing some star of a TV show. It also stars a couple of well known rappers and even a comedian though little about this movie is funny. This is a man’s movie. There’ plenty of gritty action and killing and very little romance. The roles of the two women in the movie are only there to support the man. Like the title says, this is a street movie complete with drugs, thugs, and rampant crime. Keanu plays the action hero like a woken up Neo in the Matrix.
This was a surprisingly good movie. There are parts that reminded me a lot of Training Day. I had to get over my issues with Keanu playing a bad ass cop but after that I was pleasantly suprised. I didn’t go to see this in the theater because no one said anything good about it but I liked it. It had plenty of action and while the plot wasn’t entirely hard to see through, I had fun getting to the end. I give this a 4 out of 5 marks.
Blood and Bone
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Blood and Bone stars Michael Jai White as Isaiah Bone, an ex-con on a mission for a fallen jailhouse friend. After being released from prison he turns to the underground fighting scene and commences to destroy everyone that dares to square off against him. Eamonn Walker plays James, the successful local gangster with even bigger dreams who also happens to be an enforcer for Franklin McVeigh played by Julian Sands. The film begins with Kimbo Slice walking through the jailhouse hallways with a shank and a crew, looking to make a killing. The fighting starts there and escalates through the movie. If you’re a fan of mixed martial arts then there’s plenty here for you to enjoy. As the film unfolds we are treated to a series of street fights that have to have been the best ever choreographed for a direct to video movie. All the moves were believable and especially well executed by Michael Jai White.
This film had everything but sex and made me think of it as a Blacksploitation movie without the exploitation. Both the good guy and the bad guy were compelling and there is a heated racial conversation between Eamonn Walker’s and Julian Sands’ character that was quite memorable. This movie had decent acting, great action, and an actual story. Director Ben Ramsey did some nice work here. Despite moments of predictability, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this film. Bottom line, it was good and should have been in the theater. I give it a 4 1/2 out of 5 marks.