Remember this Name

Ten years ago I saw a lousy teen movie called 10 Things I Hate About You but I saw something in it. I saw an actor in it named Heath Ledger and I KNEW he would be a big star.  I've seen it again.  REMEMBER this name:

SAM WORTHINGTON.    

Europe????

Why are we so concerned with how Europe views us?  Why are so many of the elite obsessed with their "culture" and the views of us?  Two stories:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1127823/Illegal-immigrants-DNA-tested-new-crackdown-France.html

and 

http://ezralevant.com/2009/01/hollands-national-suicide-note.html

The Europe that the media presents to us is gone.  The Europe that we want to believe is the beacon for how we should behave is a myth.  It's a scary thought but it's over.

Tina Fey-

I am the only one whose had enough of her?  I've had an impacted assfull of her and self-deprecating humor along with the awe shucks bullshit.  How much more can the media throw on us.  A closer look is needed-

THE GOOD-

Fey wrote and co-started in "Mean Girls", a brilliant film on modern day, teen life with a specific focus on shallowness with a strong feminist bent.  It's fantastic, in fact genius.  I wish Fay genius rubbed off on it's star.  

THE BAD-AKA-THE REST OF HER CAREER

Fey was the head writer of the second worst SNL news segment in the shows 25+ year history.  The worst being the current incarnation with Seth Myers as the lead writing.  There was nothing funny about her time-it straight up sucked but somehow she gained a rep I can't fathom.  Lets go through the list: Norm Macdonald, Chevy Chase, Dennis Miller, Dave Aykroyd and Jane Curtain, Colin Quinn, Chist even Brad Hall-all funnier than Fey

Fey is the executive producer, producer, writer and star of the most overrated show in the history of television-30 Rock.  I am the only one who doesn't find it at all that funny?  Am I the only one who find the subject matter a bit used?  Used by a better TV producer, who didn't do it better but did it first? Used by a better producer who didn't have the advantage to work on a show that he later made funny of?   Oh, I guess I do get it, the show is a "snarky" examination of modern television with a focus on the struggle of surviving under the unfortunate influence of corporate types like the Alec Baldwin's character?  Well if that's so hard?  Why is 30 Rock, without great rating, not only still on air but winning awards?  Certainly the corporate/Alec Baldwins like thugs would be throwing you off the air?  The existance and "success" of the show disproves it's own purpose.

Baby Momma-She didn't write it or direct if but she was in it-nice job-GENIOUS!

  

The Wrestler-Review

This is my first post and it should come a shock to those who knows me,  it's a movie review.  This blog will be about four things-life, culture, politics and movies. So, why not start with a movie review -which I think is the hardest type of essay to write of the four to write.  However, I won't write convention reviews-I'll assume you either know about or have read about the movie or have actually seen it.  I guess my reviews are more of film critcism as opposed a straight review but anyway...

The Wrestler-Best Movie 2008 (however I'm seeing Slumdog tomorrow)

I have been deeply effected by only a few few films, and trust me, I've have seen them all, so the following short list are serious films that have serious messed with my mind.  I'm not talking about horror films like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or tearjerkers like "Good Will Hunting."  While both great on their own, they offer short term feeling.  I'm talking about films that gave me deep visceral reactions and  that made me question who I am, where I'm going and what the fuck I'm I doing with my life.  

In all three of these film, I saw alot of myself in the lead characters, and their actions either scared or inspired me.  The first film is "The Gambler" (no, not with Kenny Rogers but "Ruby" is a classic), which made sure I'd never gamble on sports.*  Watching the film made me realize that sports gamblers don't really want to win-they just want to gamble and experience the thrill of living on the edge.  Losing is more important than actually winning.  It's a frightening film and I saw a alot of James Caan's character in every one of my friends that bet with bookies.  I made sure that would never be me not matter how much I understood The Gambler's action were.  The film shows addict behavior better than any drug film I've seen-onto drugs...

"The Boost" with James Woods and Sean Young is equally scary and absolutely made sure I'd never do coke.  The film strength is in showing addiction's power over it's victims not in how low an addict will go to get a high but in how no matter how "high" the addict life is, the drug will drag them down to life's lowest depths. I have spent the last 20 years not only avoiding doing coke, but even being in the same room with it. Let just say I see parts of myself, literally,  in each of the prior film's lead characters and in ever one  of their situations.  Had I started gambling or blowing lines, I certainly would have become just like them.  It reminds  me of the old adage "Know thyself."  I know myself and I know freebase and parlays and would not be good this writer.

 The third film is  "Fight Club" and unlike the other two film where I avoided it's character's vices, this movie made me embrace a part of my inner self. It's best parts were not it's bonecrushing or it's  lust for blood but for it's character's need to reject societies standards for success and fulfillment.   The film best moments criticize the cubicle worklife and the Ikea filled apartment dwelling sheep we've become.  It hits my inner rebellious streak-right on the nose.  The film begs you to say fuck it-go do what you want not the world wants you to do.  I can't tell you how many times I discussing with co-workers, quitting our jobs and leaving to live the "easy life" of our choosing.  My version of that life is the second act of the Tom Cruise's opus "Cocktail."  Quit my job, move to the Caymans (no Jamaica) and tend bar.  Am I doing it? Hell no, my rebellion has become this blog.    

And so, onto The Wrestler, which  was like all those films in their effect or me-but even more so...

The "review" of the film, starts and ends with the performance of Mickey Rourke.  He is "The Wrestler"-the entirety of the film.  There is an expected plot, familiar cinematography from '90 indie films and a shockingly acute eye for detail but the is film centers and completely weighs on Rourke's performance.  It not so surprising to hear that director Darren Aronofsky chose and went to war for Rourke as opposed to the produce's choice-Nic Cage (can you image?)  He knew  Mickey was right for the role and his and the role life story were mirror images of one another.  His choice was risky but Aronofsky is a risk taker.  His gamble paid off big.

If you know me, you know that I 'm a hugh Mickey Rourke fan.  However, I honestly wasn't expecting the world from this film.  I' ve been waiting for the big Mickey comeback for years but he's a ways been a hugh disappointment. I seen him in countless movies and although he was always a presence, it was rarely because he was acting.  Sure, the roles sucked, and he knew it and hence there were always charactures not characters.  I was expecting to be disappointed, based on my own high expectations and on  initial film reviews, but the opposite happpened.   Rourke nailed every scene and there wasn't a scene wasted or untrue.  He was the Ram and I felt deeply for him.  I've heard some criticism that the film's plot has conventional story lines (the daughter, the stripper) but they was only conventional because it based on characters like the Ram-real wresters have lived that kind of life.  Ram's life was that story-it's not a cliche.

So why did this movie effect me so much?  Well, beyond my love of wrestling from may days as a youth and sheer power of the lead's ups and downs, the film really is about regret.  "The Wrestler" starts with newsclipplings from the Ram's peak at the top of wrestling and then the film show his lowly afterlife as a loser living in a trailer home.  Ram's potential was not doubt high but eventually wasted or thrown away.  Where to? Up his nose?  In the hand of hangers on?  Hookers?  Who knows, but not in the hands of his daughter.  So, then what has my own  potential given me?  What do I regret? Where am I as I write this?  Not where I want to be but I won't speak of exactly where I am next the the Ram. It's just too close-although I do have a laptop...

However, a movie is just a movie and though  Rourke's career once parallels that of  the Ram's, he today is still standing and is now winning awards. I also am also in "good shape."  I hope my "finale"  goes as well as the actor ot "The Wrestler."  You see,  no one can tell me the Aronofsky didn't know that this film would revitalize Mickey Rourke's career.  So no matter how much a downer on the face of it, "The Wrestler"'s  ultimate message,\ for me is redemption. Aronofsky and has pulled it off.  Let see what I can do! 

Towards the end of the film, I began to question my love for the "sport" of wrestling and I asked were have your my heroes gone?  Where is Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, "Rocking'" Don Moroco and  Sgt. Slaughter?  Had there lives ended like Randy "the Ram" and what place did I take part?  I love those men and always will but I worry about them.

In the end, Springsteen wrote the film's title track and in it he wrote "have you ever scene a one pick pony , then  you've seen me."  Curbside all the way.  Rourke's Randy "The Ram"  embodied that line and his performance was lived. He internalized the character and then given back to us, Micky's career mimics Ram's.  Director Aronosky saw that and put it on film-genius! 

  

Porrly written by me!