Thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is exactly how you are supposed to make a sequel. The threat is much bigger so the steaks are higher and the game changes. It builds on elements of the first film and everyone has characters that develop in their own arch.  There is actual care and effort put into making these characters likable and fun to watch. The villains are multifaceted and the heroes are flawed. It is arguably better than the first in my opinion and totally worth watching.

Available on Amazon

Both of my books are available on Amazon.com.

Top Ten Last Words For Movie Characters

Movies have the power to move audiences in hundreds of different ways. When a character meets their end, more often than not, they are given powerful final words. Sometimes the words are amusing-sometimes sad- but too many to count are quotable and have joined the pop culture lexicon. This leads to what I believe is the top ten best last words for characters in movies.

10. “Abracadabra.” - The Prestige

Turn of the century magician, Alfred Borden is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Through the twists and turns of the story we learn of his rivalry with magician Robert Angier and how he came to be on death row. This leads to him being led to the gallows and saying his famous last words before meeting his death.

9. “We… Are…Groot.” - Guardians of the Galaxy

Groot, the tree-man of the space faring group the Guardians of the Galaxy, needs to save the universe from an evil alien creature with destruction on his mind. In an act of bravery he protects the rest of the group from what would otherwise be a fatal explosion. Because his vocabulary is so limited, his words are a testament to how much he regards his new companions.

8. “Is that the best you can do, you pansies?” - Sin City

Said by Marv after being sent to the electric chair. Marv goes on a killing spree to find who killed a woman named Goldie who he is in love with. Marv’s thirst for violence, revenge, and primitive justice gets him the killer at the cost of his own life. It takes a couple of rounds of electricity to bring an almost unstoppable hulk like Marv down. 

7. “James, earn this…earn it.” - Saving Private Ryan

World War II and a squad of men are sent to collect Private James Ryan and send him home. Captain Miller and his men need only to collect Private Ryan, however he refuses to leave his comrades defending a bridge. This leads to a violent battle where nearly everyone is killed, including Captain Miller who tells Ryan to “Earn this.” meaning to be a good man. Private Ryan spends the rest of his life doing so to make the sacrifices of the soldiers worthwhile.

6. “Remember what I said about seein’ a light when you die? It ain’t true. I can’t see a damn thing.” – Tombstone

A rival gang of cowboys has shot Morgan Earp. As he lays dying on a pool table he remembers a conversation he had with his brothers about death. He offers his point of view of what it feels like to slip off the mortal coil. This pivotal moment is acted extremely well by Bill Paxton and it brings much of the reckoning on the cowboy’s head’s for their actions.

5. “Why don’t we just…wait here for a little while…see what happens?” – The Thing

After battling a shape-shifting alien in the harsh Antarctic weather, R.J. MacReady is ready to die of exposure. When Childs, another member of the research station shows up unexpectedly, he is unsure if Childs is himself or the monstrous thing as well. Exhausted and letting the cold of Antarctica take him, he has given up the good fight and welcomes whatever may come next.

4. “Clever girl…” - Jurassic Park

Robert Muldoon is hunting the loose velociraptors in Jurassic Park. The dinosaurs show signs of intelligence and he clearly respects their lethal nature as well as their wits. When he thinks he has the drop on one, he aims his gun and is suddenly attacked on the side by a raptor that was using the other to distract him.

3. “Made it, Ma! Top of the World!” - White Heat

Cody Jarrett is a psychopathic criminal with mother issues. After a heist at a chemical plant goes wrong he laughs manically shooting at police and even killing his own surrendering gang members. After shouting his last lines he blows up the chemical tankers he is on creating a massive fireball. Truly an extreme end to an extreme personality.

2. “You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is Never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well known is this: Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. - The Princess Bride

Vizzini has kidnapped the Princess Buttercup and has begun a battle of wits with a masked stranger who wants to take her from him. They both have a serving of wine with the goal of inevitably figuring out which goblet contains poison. Vizzini is a Sicilian with a silver tongue and will try to get the masked man to give away where the poison is. After much chatter he laughs in the masked man’s face before dying, not realizing that both glasses were poisoned.

1. I’ve… seen things…you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off of Orion. I watched C-Beams…glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate.  All those moments will be lost… in time…like tears…in the rain. Time to die.” - Blade Runner

This is possibly the best last line for a movie character ever. Roy Batty is a replicant and has a limited lifespan of four years. He is close to his expiration date and is being hunted by a police officer trained to kill replicants. All he wants is to live longer because he has seen so much and has so much more he wants to see. It is a great line that thematically fits the movie’s theme of the brevity of life.

There are many other lines that should also be considered honorable mentions. For example:

"Mein Führer, I can walk!"- Dr. Strangelove from Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

"I can't lie to you about your chances... but, you have my sympathies." – Ash from Alien

"What is your major malfunction, numbnuts? Didn't mommy and daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?" - Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket

"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." – Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars: A New Hope

Even though these characters may die on-screen, their iconic last lines ensure they won’t soon die out in our memories. With great writing and witty lines that have been added to the pop-culture lexicon, it is certain that we will be quoting these moments for years to come.

Top 10 Bottle Movies

A bottle movie is a movie that takes place in mostly one location. It creates a feeling of claustrophobia and unease, which makes the movie all the more fascinating.  Often they are the films that are based off plays. There have been many movies that can be considered bottle movies. Here are a few that are my personal favorites:

10. Devil – The M. Night Shyamalan film where five strangers are trapped in an elevator and one of them is the Devil. There are moments that are cheesy but it is still written like a creepy episode of The Twilight Zone. The really eerie parts are that you have no idea what will happen to these people when the elevator lights begin to flicker.

9. Frozen – Not the Disney cartoon but rather the 2010 film of the same name. Three friends go to a ski resort and soon find themselves stranded on a ski lift. Stuck with the prospects of freezing to death or the facing the possibilities of the dangers of falling below, each much make a crucial choice.  The cold isolation makes this movie worth while as well as the fun dialogue between the three friends.

8. Buried – An American civilian working as a truck driver in Iraq is kidnapped and buried alive. The entire movie is shot within the coffin where the driver, played by Ryan Reynolds, calls his friends and family in an attempt to save himself. It is an impressive movie and is possibly one of Ryan Reynolds’ best acting to date. The suspense is very real as you hope his character can find safety.

7. Open Water – This is a little different for a bottle movie. Instead of being trapped somewhere confining they are trapped in a wide-open space where there is literally nowhere else for them to go. Based off the chilling true story, a couple is left behind by their scuba group and are stranded in the open ocean. If you ever feared the ocean before, this movie will make things all the more scary.

6. Identity – Much like the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None, Identity is a whodunit set, for the most part, in a cheap Nevada motel. The cast is a lot of fun and the psychological thriller aspects of it all make this movie incredibly entertaining. It is a smart movie that I don’t want to give away too much of here.

5. Cube – Several people find themselves trapped inside a rotating cube laden with traps. Their personalities clash but each of them is trying their hardest to escape this mysterious capture. It is a strange Canadian film, which is well-acted and fascinating to watch. It also has a bit of The Twilight Zone feel at times.

4. 12 Angry Men – 12 Angry Men tells the story of 12 jurors who argue and discuss a case as one juror goes about establishing reasonable doubt in all the others’ minds. It all takes place in the jury room and after enough time you begin to feel to the same frustration in some of these people. It’s a provocative movie that is still relevant today.

3. Das Boot – A great movie from the point of view of a Nazi U-boat and its crew. The claustrophobic feeling is taken to a new degree as the U-boat must silently avoid depth charges, torpedo ships, and get back to their base safely.  It is a deep movie that covers the horrors of war from a side we don’t always look at, the Germans.

2. Bug – A psychological thriller about two lovers who share a mutual insanity the longer they are together. Taking the backdrop of a crappy motel, it gets more and more claustrophic as they loose themselves to their madness and start covering everything in foil in hopes of thwarting the “bugs” in their skins. The acting is amazing and the mood is chilling and worth seeing.

1. Moon – Moon is the story of a lone man on the Moon harvesting resources with his friendly robot. The moon base and a bit of the moon is all we experience in terms for a set. Still, Sam Rockwell gives an amazing performance as Sam, the man just trying to do his job until he can get home. It’s a fantastic movie that has an amazing twist. If you have a chance you really need to give this a watch.

Bond Movies- From Best To Worst

Having recently seen all 23 of the James Bond films consecutively, I have ranked the films from best to worst. I won’t go into detail on each one, but I will discuss the best film and the worst film respectively.

The best movie was Skyfall. The acting is top-notch. We see Bond as a flawed character instead of an unstoppable killing machine. The villain is not seen until halfway into the movie, so there is a lot of build up. When we do meet him he is interesting, over-the-top, and complex. Skyfall takes the Bond mythos and gives it meaning for a modern age.

The worst was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. George Lazenby plays James Bond and he is dull as dishwater. The plot is stupid, even for a Bond movie. The action is poorly edited and leads to a finale that is as abrupt and unpleasant as a car door to the face. The only entertaining aspect is seeing young Diana Rigg as a Bond girl. She would go on to play Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones.

In order from best to worst:

1. Skyfall
2. Casino Royale
3. Quantum of Solace
4. Diamonds Are Forever
5. Goldfinger
6. Goldeneye
7. License to Kill
8. You Only Live Twice
9. The Living Daylights
10. The Man With The Golden Gun
11. Live and Let Die
12. Thunderball
13. Dr. No
14. From Russia With Love
15. The Spy Who Loved Me
16. Moonraker
17. The World Is Not Enough
18. For Your Eyes Only
19. A View To A Kill
20. Octopussy
21. Tomorrow Never Dies
22. Die Another Day
23. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

My Top 10 Movies This Year

10. Under the Skin

9. Godzilla

8. St. Vincent

7. Guardians of the Galaxy

6. The Lego Movie

5. Snowpiercer

4. Captain America Winter Soldier

3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

2. This is Where I Leave You

1. Oculus

The Wild Mind of Barbie Wilde

Barbie Wilde is probably best known for her role as the female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. With a number of film roles under her belt, she is now tackling the literary world with her first book The Venus Complex. The story centers on serial killer, Michael Friday, and his erotically charged crimes.

The story is a taught thriller that was surprisingly steamy considering the content being so brutal. The characters are complex and dark.  The erotic nature of the crimes are very steamy and worth reading. I had the opportunity to correspond with Barbie and talk to her about her book and career.

You were the female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. How did you come to get cast in that part?

           

I think that the producers were looking for people who had some kind of dance or mime training, as the received wisdom at the time was that mime artists were more capable with handling the prosthetic makeup process. I was a classically trained mime, as well as an actress, which is why I think that I was asked to audition.

I met with Tony Randel and we had a chat. I actually knew what the word “Cenobite” meant, which was a plus. (It means a member of an order, normally a religious order.) And so I got the part. Pretty simple, as auditions go!

How long did it take in makeup for that role?

The prosthetic makeup process took four hours to apply and we needed half an hour to lace me into the Female Cenobite costume. Of course, this doesn’t take into account the hours of preparation: the casting of my head so the makeup crew could design and make the prosthetic pieces specifically for my face, makeup tests, costume fittings, etc.

What goes through your mind as a performer bringing a role as a scary as a cenobite to life?

So many things... Spencer Tracy once advised actors to just learn their lines and don’t bump into the furniture. (But of course, he was a superb actor who did a hell of a lot more than that on screen.)

The thing about playing the Female Cenobite for me was that the extraordinary makeup really informed my performance. Looking into the mirror for the first time and seeing that blue-skinned, ravaged face, bald head, a pin through my nose, and metal jewelry holding open the bloody wound in my throat really made a strong impression on me. It was an extreme image and it made me feel powerful. Also the way the makeup was glued to my skin made me feel quite claustrophobic, which again, added to the performance in some way. As research, I read Clive Barker’s The Hellbound Heart, the novella that was the basis for the Hellraiser films. The Lead Cenobite in the book was a female, which I found very interesting.

 
You have interviewed a number of famous musicians during your television hosting days. Who were some of the most memorable to speak with?

John Lydon (AKA Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols). He was adorable, totally professional and very funny. He was also game for anything. (I interviewed him in a giant net for the TV show Hold Tight.) Totally at odds with his bad boy image.

Iggy Pop and the B52s were great fun as well. There was also the “Elvis” of British pop, Cliff Richard. We’re both big Star Trek fans, so we were able to geek out about our favorite TV show.

The film Grizzly II was never completed but has garnered a cult following. Have you ever been recognized for your performance in that film despite it not being completed?

Well, I’m recognizable in a few scenes, but the big scenes were when I was on stage as the drummer of an electronica band were all long shots, so you don’t see much of me. (Meanwhile, the grizzly bear was feasting on various audience members on the edges of the crowd.)

           

I think that the Grizzly II’s cult status is more to do with the fact that very early on in their careers, George Clooney, Laura Dern, and Charlie Sheen played “Red Shirts” who got munched by the bear in the beginning of the film.

 
What was it like to meet Morcambe and Wise?

They were fabulous. Considering they were icons of British comedy, both Eric and Ernie were very down-to-earth and adorable. I had a lot of fun playing a store mannequin that comes to life and dances with them in their show.

What are some of your favorite films?

Almost too many to mention! Well, recent films that I’ve liked tremendously and would love to view again are Interstellar and Maps to the Stars. (I was lucky enough to see Maps to the Stars in Toronto and David Cronenberg did a Q&A afterwards.) If I had to list a few more, then: Sin City, The Talented Mr Ripley, Casablanca, The Big Sleep, some films by Hitchcock (Psycho, Rear Window, North By Northwest, Dial M For Murder) and any film by Quentin Tarantino.

Favorite horror films would be: Hellraiser (of course), The Haunting (1963), The Innocents (1961), Audition, The Ring, Sinister, American Mary, The Ninth Gate and From Dusk til Dawn. I also like Sci-fi horror like Alien, The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Thing (1951 & Carpenter’s 1982 version).

You were in Death Wish 3. Did you have a chance to meet Charles Bronson?

           

We met on set and we did some scenes together, but we really didn’t have time to chat. His wife, Jill Ireland, was quite ill at the time and every moment that he didn’t have to be on set, he was with her.

What got you started studying mime and working with the SHOCK Troupe?

           

I was in London, England, studying acting, and a friend recommended some mime classes taught by Desmond Jones at the Dance Centre in Covent Garden. I went to some of his classes and eventually was invited to join Desmond’s mime troupe, SILENTS. We worked around London in Fringe Theatre venues and our performances culminated in a week long residency at the Arts Theatre Club in Leicester Square. The maestro of mime himself, Marcel Marceau, came to see us, which was pretty cool.

           

My partner at the time, Tim Dry (Star Wars, Xtro), and I branched out with a double act and then we were asked to join SHOCK, a mime/dance/music group that also featured Robert Pereno, LA Richards and Carole Caplin. We ended up signing a record deal with RCA and released a couple of singles in the 1980s. We also toured a lot, supporting such artists as Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Ultravox, and Adam and the Ants.

If you could work on any film throughout history, which would you choose?

           

I would have loved to have been Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep.

What led to the writing of your crime novel The Venus Complex?

           

I’ve always been fascinated by the psychopathic mind and serial killers. I consider myself quite an empathic individual, so knowing that there are humans out there who seem to be incapable of making emotional connections, who regard the rest of us as sheep, really intrigued me.

What I wanted to do with The Venus Complex was to show the serial killer’s mindscape, his motivations, his inner turmoil and his twisted sexual fantasies, which I felt hadn’t been addressed in most of the serial killer novels that I’d read. That’s why I chose to write the book in the first person, which was a bit of a challenge!

Has the reception of your book been positive?

           

I’ve been very pleased that The Venus Complex has received such fabulous reviews from Rue Morgue, Fangoria, etc. Although my lead character, Art History Professor Michael Friday, starts out as a regular guy, he really spirals down into some seriously murderous behavior and politically incorrect rants at the world. Yet people do seem to relate to him in positive ways. And Fangoria has called me “one of the finest purveyors of erotically charged horror around,” which is an amazing accolade.

Michael Friday is a largely unpleasant person with massive anger issues. What drove you to write about a character that seems to have so many problems?

           

As mentioned before, I find criminal motivations very compelling. Ever since I first found out about serial killers decades ago, I wanted to know what made them tick. There is no one answer to that question, so I felt that I had to explore this kind of character in fiction.

 

Did you study criminal psychology prior to writing The Venus Complex?

           

I read 67 books about criminal psychology, forensic techniques, homicide detection manuals, etc. I interviewed a detective from the Manhattan North Police Precinct in NYC, as well as a few forensic psychologists. Also, a friend of mine, who was a professional dominatrix, was very helpful in my research. In fact, her statement to me that her greatest sexual fantasy was to sleep with a serial killer was the inciting incident that kick-started the idea for The Venus Complex.

In your novel, you compare modern civilization to ancient Rome, where people only care for food and entertainment. Is this something you feel as well, or simply the character?

I think that when writing fiction, it’s almost as if you’re doing an acting job. You have to put yourself in the shoes of your character. You have to think as they would, otherwise you wouldn’t be able fool people into believing that the character is real. (Catherine Trammell called this “suspension of disbelief” in another one of my favorite films, Basic Instinct.)

I think that Michael got to the point in his life when he was extremely cynical about humans and their motivations. I am a bit cynical, but not as much as he is.

If your novel were turned into a film, whom would you want to play Michael Friday?

I think that Michael Fassbinder would be a fabulous Michael.

Michael blames violence in schools on movies and TV. What are your opinions about violence in the media?

I am totally against censorship, but I do think that parents should take some responsibility for what their children are watching and the effects that really violent shows might have on young minds. However, saying that, I was really disturbed by some sci-fi movies that I watched as a kid and I didn’t turn out to be an ax murderer! However, I am not a man. Violence seems to be an easy option for men, young men in particular. You only have to observe what is happening all over the world to wonder whether TV, or movies, or video games don’t feed into this adoration of violence.
           

Of course, there are also the viruses of tribalism, “culture” and tradition that feed violence, especially against women.   

Michael goes on long rants at times regarding his distaste for religion, pop culture, and greed in politics. Is the character based on anyone in particular?

           

No, I just made up the character and then let him run with his rants. Although I have to confess, occasionally seeing certain items on the news would spark the inspiration for a “Michael Rant”.

Michael is complex - he hates people one minute then is indifferent to them the next until, finally, he wants to be a “somebody.” Why prompted you to make him care about fame and infamy if he is indifferent or hates the people around him?

I just wanted to make Michael as realistic as possible. He is a pain in the ass, funny, contradictory, murderous, stupid, smart, obsessive, infantile, very clever, sometimes yearning for fame and sometimes desiring anonymity. In other words, a fairly typical example of the human race!

The Venus Complex has a strong main character comparable to Catcher in the Rye and the Dexter novels. Both stories contain a smart character that is disgusted by the mendacity and stupidity of those around him. Was that intentional? Did either story influence you in any way?

I read The Catcher in the Rye years ago and it’s a wonderful book, but I can’t say that it had any direct influence on me. And to be honest, The Venus Complex in first draft form was finished a long time before Dexter hit the TV screens. (It was a bit of a challenge to find a publisher that understood me.) I’ve never read the Dexter novels, so there wasn’t any influence there.

The non-fiction books that made the biggest impression on me were The Order of the Assassins and The Criminal History of Mankind – both by Colin Wilson. As far as fiction is concerned, I loved The Red Dragon by Thomas Harris because he really delved into the character of the serial killer, Francis Dolarhyde, in that book. I’ve always been more interested in the whydunnit, than the whodunit.

Fiction authors that I admire are: Shirley Jackson (The Lottery, The Haunting of Hill House), Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr Ripley, Strangers on a Train), Dashiell Hammett (The Thin Man), Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) and Clive Barker (The Hellbound Heart, Cabal, Weaveworld) and finally Ernest Hemingway for his economical, muscular writing style.

Is this the last we’ll hear of this particular killer, or will his tales continue in further stories?

People keep asking me about a sequel. I’m giving it some thought…

What projects are you currently working on?

           

I’m writing a screenplay based on one of my short horror stories, “Zulu Zombies”. “Zulu Zombies” was published late last year in the Bestiarum Vocabulum anthology by Western Legends Press and then reprinted in Fangoria’s Gorezone #29.

I’m also putting together an illustrated collection of my short horror stories, as well as co-writing a musical drama for stage and screen.

Barbie Wilde can be found on the following:

Website: www.barbiewilde.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BarbieWildeAuthorActress
Twitter: @barbiewilde
Youtube: www.youtube.com/barbiewilde

New Top 30 Movies.

It has been several years since I posted my top 30 favorite movies. Looking back, I've seen a lot more and things have changed a bit. Here is the amended list:

30. Battle Royale

29. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

28. Dawn of the Dead

27. Paranormal Activity

26. Highlander

25. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

24. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

23. Ed Wood

22. Psycho

21. The Seven Samurai

20. Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

19. A Clockwork Orange

18. Raising Arizona

17. The Passion of Joan of Arc

16. Harold and Maude

15. The Dark Knight

14. Return of the Jedi

13. Return of the King

12. Wall-E

11. Disney's Alice in Wonderland (animated)

10. Let the Right One In

9. Brazil

8. Ghostbusters

7. Rocky

6. King Kong (original)

5. The Thing (1982)

4. Pan's Labyrinth

3. Fight Club

2. Inglorious Basterds

1. Back to the Future

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – review

Let me take you back to 1990 when the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie came out. I was super excited to see a live action version of the characters I loved as a kid finally on screen.  Looking back on that movie now it seems very silly, but I appreciate the effects and the stunt work that went into it. The writing and plot is lacking which is completely excusable from the mind of a child.  This is the case a with the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.

April O’Neil, played by Megan Fox, is a reporter trying to find out more about the Foot Clan crime wave taking over New York.  After being attacked, she is saved by four CGI mutant turtles.  As it turns out she had a pivotal role in their mutation and thus they become fast friends.  Now they must band together to stop the Foot Clan and it’s evil master the Shedder.

The biggest problem with this movie is that it is called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  It should probably be called April O’Neil.  Everything centers on her and the turtles have become secondary characters to their own movie.  April O’Neil is not that interesting nor is Megan Fox that entertaining of an actress to carry that weight.  At times she seemed to struggle with the words from the script. 

The action scenes are fun to watch and are well shot.  You can honestly say that there was care to make it look fun and interesting. The Shedder is pretty much a joke. He looks like a metal bird at times.  Master Splinter is nightmarish; his eyes display a soulless abyss of blackness while he dons a bizarre fu-manchu and is voiced by none other than Tony Shalhoub.

There are so many plot holes in this movie it could have come from a Swiss cheese factory.  The bottom-line is that it is a bad movie. That being said, if I was the kid I was in 1990 and I saw this I would have enjoyed it. I think that makes the difference. I am not the audience for this movie at all. It’s more of a movie for kids with a couple of cheap jokes for the parents that had to take them to the theater. If you are curious rent it. If you have kids that are into the Ninja Turtles then they will probably have fun and you’ll be the hero.

The Top Ten Movies to Watch With Your Father This Father’s Day.

Another Father’s Day is upon us. If you are anything like me you celebrate every holiday with a movie.  If you have a chance to watch one of the following gems with your own father, instead of a traditional gift like a tie or cologne, then go for it.

These movies feature many different characters that run the gamut of cinematic spectrums. Here are the movies I think are the best to watch with your father on Father’s Day.

10. Road to Perdition- Tom Hanks plays an enforcer in the Irish Mob. After his son witnesses him murder a group of people, his boss kills his family and then goes after both Hanks and his son.  Tom Hanks goes on the run while the mob hunts them. Tom Hanks must now protect his son from the man who raised him as a surrogate son. The colors are muted which really enhances the Depression era look of the film. It is dark, moody, and shows the skill of the cast which ha really gone out of the their comfort zone.

9. Mr. Mom- Michael Keaton plays a father of three in Detroit who loses his job at an auto plant. His wife gets a job before him and he becomes a househusband. Hilarity ensues as he befriends other housewives. He learns how to cook, clean, and do other various things while his wife experiences the corporate world.  Being written by John Hughes in the eighties, it has the perfect mix of humor and cheese. It is fairly dated but the charm of the actors makes it a fun movie to watch.

8. National Lampoon’s Vacation- Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo play Clark and Ellen Griswold. Clark wants to load up his family in their crappy station wagon and drive across the country to go to the theme park, Wally World.  On the way they deal with car troubles, getting lost, meeting horrible family members, and staying in shady hotels. We watch a man who just wants to spend time with his family get pushed to the brink of insanity with hilarious results. 

7. Raising Arizona- Nicolas Cage plays H.I., an ex-con who marries a woman who cannot have kids.  The news tells them about a rich family that recently had quintuplets. So they come up with a plan to kidnap one of the babies for themselves. The rest of the movie is a comedy or errors that only the Cohen brothers could create. The script is witty and the characters are incredibly likeable for the poor white trash that they are.  It is a slice of life that is humorous and smart.

6. Kick Ass- You might be asking, how this is a Father’s Day movie? Nicolas Cage plays the father of a little girl he is training to be a costumed vigilante.  Kick Ass is about a teenage kid that puts on a costume and tries to make a difference by becoming a hero. He finds allies in a man and his little girl who call themselves Big Daddy, played by Nicholas Cage, and Hit Girl.  The relationship between Big Daddy and Hit Girl is really amusing to watch. At first it comes off as completely normal but soon reveals a bizarre and a violent upbringing.  The movie is really amusing and says a lot about what it takes to be a hero.  Nicolas Cage steals the show with his performance. 

5. It’s A Wonderful Life- When it comes to good fathers and good men, George Bailey give of himself until it hurts.  In fact he has given so much that he has driven himself nearly suicidal. George Bailey is like the Giving Tree of characters. He gives so much of himself that he gives up on his own dreams in order to make those around him happy. It always seems more tragic the more I watch it. He is a better man than he takes credit for and he deserves a lot more than he gets from life. Still, it is a lovely movie with a great message. He tries so hard for his family and in the end it takes an angel warping time and space to convince him to not kill himself after Old Man Potter rips him off.

4. Finding Nemo- Marlon is a clownfish that losses his entire family save his son Nemo. When a diver takes Nemo to an aquarium in a dentist office, Marlon goes on a long trek in search of his son. On his long journey he comes to face fears like sharks and schools of jellyfish, and he makes new friends like Dory and several sea turtles.  Pixar makes the sea look bright and colorful. Each fish had a very unique personality and it works very well with the narrative. When each element comes together it is a sweet and sentimental story.

3. Life is Beautiful- Roberto Benigni plays Guido, an Italian Jew that uses humor to find the love of his life and to keep his son safe in a Nazi concentration camp. When the Nazis take him and his son to a concentration camp, he does everything he can to use his humor to shield his son from the horrors they will face. It is an incredible performance from everyone involved. It is incredibly believable that a father would want to protect his son from the horrors Guido experiences.  It is almost impossible to make it through this movie without the accompaniment of tissues. It is a charming and lovely film that showcases the selflessness of a devoted father.

2. The Descendants- George Clooney plays Matt King, whose wife is seriously injured in a boating accident. As his wife is being kept alive by machinery, he must take care of his two young daughters. He soon discovers that his wife was having an affair. He and his family must come to terms with both the loss of his wife and the infidelity as well. It is a very genuine and heartfelt movie. George Clooney takes a character that is going through a lot of pain and gives him a sense of humanity, which is a nice change of pace from his typical charmer persona roles.

1. The Godfather- The Godfather is all about family. The Godfather, Vito Corleone, played by Marlon Brando, takes care of not only his entire family but also much of his Sicilian community; usually expecting payments for his favors with favors. He expects his sons to be strong men. While the sons have a lot of flaws, they all look up to their father and know that he has their best interest at heart. He even tries very hard to steer his youngest son Michael away from the criminal life. Vito Corleone is a loving man who is dangerous when crossed.

Whether you watch this in the spirit of the holiday or you watch this with your father, you will likely find these movies enjoyable. Some of the films might even help your dad get in touch with a sensitive side you never knew he had. In either case they are great movies that will be fun to watch.  So enjoy the films and have a safe and happy Father’s Day.

The Top 10 Giant Movie Monsters

When you want big action you can’t get much larger than giant monster movies.  We love these movies because threat is often intensified and people need to find unique ways of overcome colossal odds. Some are misunderstood creatures, others are just creatures out of their element; regardless, they are dangerous.  With that being said, here are the creatures that bring the “badness” to the cinema in the biggest way.

10. The Kaiju –Pacific Rim

The Kaiju are aliens that managed to come to our world through cracks in the ocean.  While there are different varieties of Kaiju, humans developed giant robots called Jaegers to defend against them.  Pacific Rim showcases great scenes of cheesy dialogue and incredible effects as giant monsters and giant robots duke it out. The monster design is very impressive. It is the perfect cinematic eye-candy to enjoy without having to think too deeply.

9. The Kraken- Clash of the Titans (1981)

The Kraken is the mythical creature that is near unstoppable.  Only with the head of Medusa can the hero Perseus stop the Kraken from killing the Princess Andromeda or destroying the city of Joppa. The Kraken was one of the many bits of stop-motion created by the genius Ray Harryhausen.  His care and skill gave the illusion of life and personality to each of his inanimate figures. The Kraken is an impressive beast with multiple arms, which had to be a challenge to animate. It is a great display of story and animation.

8. The Aliens- Monsters

Giant tentacled aliens that inhabit sections of Mexico are leaving entire areas quarantined zoned. Two young people attempt to travel though the restricted zone and slowly come across the creatures that they have only heard stories about.  They soon discover that these creatures are not nearly the dumb monsters that the stories report but are fascinated by electric light and actually show signs of tenderness with one another. The film is a lovely story and is worth watching for beautiful imagery and scenes that will leave you talking long after the film is over.

7. The Creature- The Host (2006)

A South Korean film about a large mutated fish-like creature that leaps out of the Han River and takes a man’s young daughter.  The movie follows his family as they search the sewers for their missing kin.  The story faces elements of redemption and courage. The whole family must overcome their weaknesses in order to fight this very literal monster.  The effects are great, the story is well done, and the actors do a great job making this situation seem plausible.  

6. Cloverfield- Cloverfield

As a monster, Cloverfield is like watching a wild elephant running amok. The movie shows that the creature is immense in size, incredibly strong, and apparently covered in tiny creatures (which sometimes seem worse than Cloverfield itself). It is capable of tearing the head off the statue of liberty and hurling it like a baseball across New York. The movie as a whole is interesting as far as P.O.V movies go. It is fairly clever and has wit and is very entertaining.  Sure there are a few cheesy scenes, but it is a movie about a giant monster roaming around New York.  What do you really expect?

5. The Ants- Them!

The 1950s were a time when the fear of radiation was at its peak. Them! was the first of the giant insect movies. Atomic test sites yield giant ants which cause a great deal of trouble for the military as they not only have to take out the nest but find the queens and her hatchlings which can fly. The movie is fun and goofy and is still a cautionary tale of the dangers of the atomic age. It is a corny movie by today’s standards but looking at it for what it was in 1954, you can see how this movie became nominated for an Oscar for its special effects.

4. The T-Rex- Jurassic Park

The T-Rex from Jurassic Park was what stole the show in that movie. Every scene, every roar, was like watching something real. The movie itself is a bit goofy today, however the effects still stand up.  The story of nature not being controlled and not fitting in our world still works (especially as the science of DNA has advanced over the years).  The T-Rex may not have the brains of the velociraptors but it wins by being a huge killing machine.

3. The Graboids- Tremors

In Tremors a Southern town is attacked by colossal worms that kill just about anything they can swallow. The town is filled with many colorful characters and a great deal of the fun and drama comes from seeing how they cope with these bizarre creatures.  The Graboids sense the tremors on the surface but are otherwise blind. They have four large anaconda-like tongues that they use to grab ahold of things and drag things into their gaping maw.  The movie has good effects, fun humor and Kevin Bacon hamming it up. What is not to like?

2. Godzilla- Godzilla (1954)

Godzilla, or Gojira in Japan, was a symbol for the nuclear holocaust. He was unstoppable by conventional weapons, he breathes nuclear flames, and he brings destruction wherever he goes.  Over the years Godzilla would fight a great many monsters as a good guy and a bad guy. In the beginning though, he was used as a destroyer and as a warning that development of destructive weapons will lead to greater suffering and death.  The movie is haunting and also very somber.  This is a very well made and still holds up as a classic of the monster movie genre.

1. King Kong- King Kong (1933)

 King Kong not only is one of the greatest monster movies, it might also be one of the best classic movies. King Kong is a giant ape that fell in love with a blonde woman, played by Fay Wray. Kong is kidnapped and taken to New York where he escapes and climbs the Empire State Building.  The story of beauty and the beast is as classic and as old as the icons, which the film is famous for. This film changed the way movies were made buy showing that advanced techniques could be successful. The film was partially filmed using projected screens behind the live actors and other times scenes were made by building elaborate sets. Many different methods of filmmaking came together to bring this story to life in 1933 and it remains impressive today. It is evident when watching Kong observe humans and after his fight scenes the work the filmmakers put into making him seem very emotional expressions.

A couple of honorable mentions would be to both versions of The Blob films. Giant monsters have been around since the first days of film. They will continue to be there rather it be stop-motion or CGI. They are fun to see in the wake of their destructive force. They can be cathartic in nature making us look inward at ourselves.  Take a chance and see if there are any that you like. Hopefully you will be in for a giant surprise.