The Cult of (Cathode) Ray

Vol. 2.5

THE HANGOVER: PART II (2011) United States

Not a film about which I thought I would be writing and certainly not a film I thought I would use as a return to the theater. But, here we are and here I go. The movie was damn funny. This is dick and toilet humor, to be sure, but it's funny. Check your brain at the door because the only intelligent aspect of this film is Galifianakis spouting factoids about Thailand which may or may not even be true (feel free to check).

The cast, at it's core, are even funnier than before and the supporting cast, especially Paul Giamatti for his few seconds, were brilliant as well (brilliant used relatively). I will likely not need to tell anyone the premise, nor do I need to appeal to anyone who hasn't seen the first one as pretty much everyone but my grandfather, the preacher and his wife are likely to have seen it, and you're probably waiting for the crowds to die down for your trip to Part II so... maybe this is my chance to say that I saw it first (Friday Night) or maybe I want to put your fears to rest if you're wondering if they recaptured the magic this go 'round. They did, so... GO!

Post script: The film is the Hollywood debut of Mason Lee, son of director Ang Lee. And, everyone heard that lost-his-fucking-mind actor Mel Gibson was supposed to make a cameo... that role went to Nick Cassavetes who got it after Liam Neeson dropped out. Oh, the drama. This month, director Todd Phillips stated that a third film is being planned.

The movie has already destroyed records so it doesn't need my help. I just found it a pleasant surprise from what I thought would be a messy bore. It isn't, nor is it CITIZEN CANE. If you thought it might be, then you're type is the butt of every joke in this film.

See it!

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The Cult of (Cathode) Ray

Vol. 2

KICK-ASS (2010) United Kingdom/United States

When I learned that Matt Vaughn was attached to this film I didn't think for a moment that it would suck. However, Cage attached to pretty much anything now days can guarantee mass suckness. I braved the waters anyway as I am prone to do when I've heard good things and I was pleased at the outcome. KICK-ASS, based on the comic by Mark Miller, was fast-paced, funny and hyper-violent (except that all of it was done as only Vaughn could have, with so tact). Cage was acceptable but still over-acted. He is hardly the focus, though, so it's ok even though I felt much of the film was miss-cast. Aaron Johnson as Kick-ass and Chloë Moretz as Hit-Girl were perfectly cast as was Mark Strong as Frank D'Amico. The other roles were bluh or over-done (with the exception of Jason Flemyng as the Lobby Goon who appears twice for only a few moments but still demands your attention. It was HE who should have been Big Daddy! and Dexter Fletcher, whose death scene is that of legend, should have had a bigger role as well) and most of the minor characters just blend in. Which was, perhaps, the point.

My biggest "meh" of the film had to be Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist. Chris is good at what he does and doesn't even suck in this film (I am looking forward to his version of "Evil" Ed Thompson in the new Fright Night) but his performance is a little phoned-in. Maybe even more so than Cage's. Not enough to ruin the movie or the character. It's just... meh.

I love the film and am glad to own it. It's an over and over watcher with more good than bad. So if you haven't yet, see it. It get's my approval and my ownership.

Get your hands on it! Rent it, Netflix it, buy it!

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...oops

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Yawm ad-Din

Thanks to Stuart Dahlquist
the Day of Judgement
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Gojira

I am really enjoying watching daikaijū films of late. I started with Gojira then moved on to Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro-Monster and All Monsters Attack. If you get a chance to watch these films, they are a great way to shut down and enjoy some silly sci fi. If you are a bit to anal and can't relax it once and a while, skip it and just wait for your miserable death.

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The Cult of (Cathode) Ray

Vol. 1

This is a new feature to Caveat lector and it's called - The Cult of (Cathode) Ray (Yes, it is a shout-out to Black Francis). It's my attempt at reviews of this, that and the other on my TV. Sometimes "mainstream", sometimes "cult". Sometimes "old", sometimes "new", sometimes cinema, sometimes tube... what do they all have in common? They are all on my TV (via DVD or broadcast) and they have all been viewed by me. So like it or hate it... welcome to my TV Casualty (HA!).

THE QUIET EARTH (1985) New Zealand

I saw this movie in the late 80's while spending the weekend house/dog-sitting for some friends of my parents. They had one of those giant satellite dish set ups that looked like the rebel alliance along with a tribe of Ewoks might try to blow up... they were that big back in those days, kids. They had a ton of channels and one of them showed a film from NZ called, THE QUIET EARTH. No doubt, this is the kind of movie that young Peter Jackson used to cut his teeth before REALLY putting his home on the movie map.

The film starts much the same way that 28 Days Later does... but, that is where the similarities end. After roaming the streets of a deserted Earth and systematically losing his mind in the process, he begins to piece together what happened when he learns that he is not alone. As the others and he put 2 and 2 and .4358746 together, they start to figure out where everyone has gone... sort of. The end will have you saying to yourself, "um, what the fuck just happened?" and you'll love it.

The movie was based on the book of the same name by Craig Harrison who was making a joke about a New Zealand tourist who didn't know that New Zealanders take weekends off and felt abandoned and alone like the only person left on Earth. Its present-day offspring are many, but perhaps the biggest comparison has been made to the 1959 Harry Belafonte film THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL, of which it has been called an unofficial remake (?!).

I have to point out that the soundtrack to this film is what got me into soundtrack and instrumental music. I have searched for a vinyl, tape of CD copy of it, to no avail. But it's REALLY good and very memorable.

The film is far easier to find now as part of the CULT FICTION film series (of which I will likely be reviewing more) so, get your hands on it! Rent it, Netflix it, buy it. This is a fine film that deserves more than it's cult status, but thank RAY it still has it.

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Se reposer dans la Paix, M. Cooper

"If it's boring, then it's tiring." ~ John "Jackie" Cooper, Jr. (09.15.11 - 05.03.11) Rest in Peace
Rest in Peace, Mr. Cooper
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