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Showing posts from April, 2013

Living in 'Oblivion' is Unoriginal

In 2017 the Moon had been destroyed, and Earth attacked, nearly wiped out completely, by aliens known as Scavs. Oblivion  takes place in the year 2077, where two of the few humans left on the planet - Jack Harper ( Tom Cruise ) and Victoria ( Andrea Riseborough , the British girl with the side-swiped futuristic 'do and crooked teeth) - work as an effective team of security and drone maintenance, their memories of a past Earth wiped. Director Joseph Kosinski ( TRON: Legacy ) adapted the sci-fi based on his own unpublished graphic novel of the same name. Jack Harper's place of salvation is a lake house which is somehow still intact after the destruction of all Earth surfaces. In this solace, Jack pulls out his New York Yankees ball cap, dons a flannel shirt, and pops on the vinyl - it is all very heavy handed. There are ways to portray the notion that Earth is severely missed sans the hyper-American "artifacts." Nearing the end of Jack's mission, he comes across

Gosling Goes 'Beyond the Pines'

"If you ride like lightning, you're gonna crash like thunder." Director Derek Cianfrance and Ryan Gosling team up again after 2010's Blue Valentine for the crime drama focusing on fathers and sons,  The Place Beyond the Pines . Gosling plays Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stunt man for a traveling circus. While Luke is passing through Schenectady, New York, with his carnival, he runs into an old flame Romina ( Eva Mendes ). Driven by the new found knowledge that he had become a father during his absence from Romina's life, Luke's ambitions have moved from entertaining audiences to providing for his son Jason. After being spotted riding like lightning through the pines, Luke lands a job working in a repair shop. Frustrated with his lack of finances, he is persuaded by his manager to apply his talents as a stunt man and getaway robbing a bank. I drew from Gosling's Luke undeniable similarities to his character in Drive (2011), to the point where it felt li

Arrested Development Returns for Season 4 on Netflix

The worst decision a network (Fox) ever made in canceling a television series was in 2006 with Arrested Development , a show about the dysfunctional Bluth family headed by Jason Bateman . I mean just look at the image above. Don't you want to be on that boat, even if it's sinking? Before its demise, Season 3 of Arrested  even pleads to viewers through Ron Howard's narrational voice-over to get the word out, fearing that development with the series would be arrested for good. But the demand for more Arrested was so high after collecting such a passionate fan base for the cult comedy series that creator Mitchell Hurwitz is launching Season 4 to bring fans up to speed on what the characters have been getting themselves into before the full-lenth film release. 15 new episodes will emerge from the banana stand's grave and greet patiently awaiting fans on Netflix  May 26, 2013. Stream back-to-back episodes if you will, as it will be difficult not to ingest greatness in lar

Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams is The Rebirth of a Nicks Generation

Stevie Nicks premiered her intimate new documentary Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams   last night at the Landmark Theater about the making of her 2011 album 'In Your Dreams.' The Sorceress made an appearance after the screening to do a Q&A with her adoring fans, myself included. It was an enchanting evening to say the least, being in the presence of a true rock goddess and the inspiration to so many flailing hopefuls. A shy 11-year old girl is brought to tears when she gets the chance to ask her idol what she should do as a young singer. This documentary bleeds through the screen Stevie's dedication, perfection, and humor! Much like a journey, as many of her records are, in the film each song tells a story behind it. Nicks is true and unaware of the camera that is recording history being made of her first album release in a decade. In Your Dreams  reveals Stevie's most joyful experience making a record, cementing it in time, sharing it with those who need their Nicks