By The Scent of The Sea

8 o' clock in the evening on Edgewater Drive in Dunedin, Florida is simply a great place to find oneself. Plain and simple. He new this. He new it well. It is of course where he even found himself tonight. Like he often did. Amongst the purity of Florida atmosphere.

It was only a short walk along the grassy pathway, the sidewalk that ran itself alongside the sea. And on the other side of him, was the vast body of water that made up so much of why his town was so attractive in the first place. And on the other side, in turn, of that body of water, was Clearwater. The beaches. The Buildings. That lifestyle celebrated and known a nation over.

'The Counselor' Teaser Trailer Drops

"You may think they are things that these people are simply, incapable of. . . There are not."
                                                                                                                                                                                 --Westray

It's here. It's finally here. The first footage from Cormac McCarthy's first screenplay, "The Counselor." This is the man responsible for No Country For Old Men, the best selling novel that the Coen Brothers turned into a 4-Oscar win, Best Supporting (for Javier Bardem who plays in this), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and ultimately Best Picture.

Got your attention now do I?

A Review: World War Z

"If you can fight. Fight. Help each other. Be prepared for anything."
                                                                                                                                --Gerry Lane

There is a brilliantly executed scene where Gerry (Pitt), on the run, picks up his daughter's plush toy in the streets of Philly. (Not the Springsteen song)

The toy also speaks with an adorable and haunting voice. And as Gerry and his family run to safety, the toy begins--in unison and by coincidence--to count up from the number one aloud as a pedestrian recently bitten begins to transform. Gerry watches from a safe distance as the man bitten changes from human to undead in twelve seconds flat. He mentally logs the time-stamp and can't shake the horror of watching the man rise hungry, charged with menace and, yes, not exactly dead or alive.


But sadly, this film is a shadowy reflection of it's former self. With grander aspirations of what it set out to do. Having followed the production since the scripting and greenlight stages, this is the not the same product, and the ingredients have changed. A ghost of it's former self.

Man of Steel Proves Itself Worthy of It's Name

"You can save them. You can save all of them."
                                                                                          --Jor-El

As of tonight, the estimated total for Man of Steel is $116 million, taking into consideration the midnight screenings, we get to $128 million. The last time a Superman film bowed at the box office was 2006's Superman Returns. Guess how much that one did in it's first weekend? $54 million. In three days. In 2006. Not 1978, 2006! That's number 2 for best opening for a non-sequel in the history of everything and anything and even your mom. #1 of course being, The Hunger Games. 

"They finally got the Superman formula right," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "Superhero movies really are the bread and butter of the summer box office. The fact that 'Iron Man 3' has the biggest opening of the year so far and 'Man of Steel' has the second biggest opening of the year just proves that."

 Right-o. Maybe, this, is not what people wanted. They evidently wanted this instead. I'd also like to add at this time, that I'm one of the few champions of Superman Returns. Me and one brother of mine are some of the select few that are totally A-Okay with the film. It is Bryan Singer after, right? Okay, just checking.

Here here! To David Goyer, Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for furthering and revitalizing the Superman series on film. I was 100% satisfied with the film, and am looking forward to the future of the newly established DC/WB universe.

Munki out.

A Review: Man of Steel

"One day you're gonna have to make a choice: 
    Whether to stand proud in front of the human race--or not."
                                                                                                    --Jonathan Kent

You can't think through this one you have to feel it. . . 

Those are a summation of my precise feelings on the film itself. And the reward in doing that is sweet enough to drink deep with satisfying results.

Life Imitates Art: Robberies At Cannes Film Festival

Purportedly $1.4 million dollars (that's this many -- $1,400,000) in Chopard jewels was stolen last night out of a hotel room at the Novotel Hotel in Cannes, France during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Coincidentally, the film opening the Un Certain Regard (A certain glance) category at Cannes Film Festival hours before the robbery: Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, a film about ritzy robberies in celebrities homes.

How did the thief/thieves extract these jewels?

A Review: Pain & Gain

"I've watched a lot of movies Paul. I know what I'm doing."
                                                                                                          --Daniel Lugo

There are exactly two ways one could view this film:

A Review: 42

"Gentleman. . . I have a plan."
                                   --Branch Rickey


Sports is not my strong suit, so I unfortunately cannot wager how well the film worked, in the context of the times, the flow of the game's content in relation to era and so on and so forth. But, I will also argue in a moment how that actually strengthens my view of the film, side-stepping a critic's point-of-view as a Baseball fan and clouding their judgement of the film. 

From what I understand, as usual, there are elements and story points in this that quite simply did not happen, and some, skewed and manipulated to suit the director's vision. So, as a man of film, and not a Baseball enthusiast, did I notice anything I found unsound, or clunky enough to throw the film off as the credits began to roll?

No. It's a very sound, very satisfying, very tightly rolled film about Baseball, the men who played it, the ones in charge, and the public embracing the first black player to rise from the ranks of negro-league player, to minor league player, to major league rookie of the year.

Scenes That Are Dope: The Gameshow

Late last night, in a tipsy-buzzed-drunkish little bout of curiosity, euphoria and nostalgia, this little Munki went a-browsin' through his digital folders and stumbled across an oldie (not a goodie). The oldie beheld for him a simply fantastic scene, in an out of context the thing is badass.

So I cut this thing up and now we get to explore it together! Munki and human alike!

Enjoy (asssholes)!

Only God Forgives: A Preview

"I thought it would be interesting to make a western in Asia. . ."
                                                                                 --Nicolas Winding Refn

With so many fair out week after week, keeping the dull, stupid and boring (redundant?) around as applicable adjectives for American film, Nicolas Winding Refn is the champion on the horizon, part of a budding new breed of film makers on the rise who are here to inject us with the old loving feeling: intriguing excitement.

Described as a "Western Set in Thailand" we have Nicholas Winding Refn's upcoming Only God forgives begging to course it's way through the cinematic veins of the world and show some light on our souls in just that special way Refn knows how.

Elysium Trailer Drops

At long last, after a Comic Con footage display, a poster and a special screening yesterday, we finally have the first look at Neil Blomkamp's Elysium. I can't help feeling like I'm part of the population living on earth, drowning in wait and agony while the film-affiliated live above on Elysium get the spoils and specials of this earlier than us.

If you read my stuff, climb this tree, or just know me in general, you'll know how much I championed his District 9. So you can only imagine as a fan of this burgeoning filmmaker how excited I'm finding myself about this one. With Damon staring as Max, a lowly earth-dweller who finds himself in dire need of medical treatment that can only be found on the sky-parked station, Elysium.

My Friend, Roger Ebert

This one is difficult--I've never had to write an obituary before. 

(Takes deep breath) Okay. . .

When Your Britches Are Too Big For You: Will Smith

Let's take this from the top, shall we? 

When I was a young boy, I was an avid fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Easily attracted to the star power, comedic timing, and (no pun intended) fresh and interesting approach television was taking in letting Will Smith just be himself on a television show. Unfettered and full of comedic life, hip-hip soul and television energy that proved itself to me. 

That quickly brought him staring roles in films that helped shape my interest and mold some of my earliest instincts as an actor. Independence Day, Men In Black, Bad Boys; all great movies of the 90's, really stand-out productions that cast a shadow over others, letting people in Tinseltown know just where things were heading. And with that shadow cast, a light was also forged in those movies as they began to shed light on the possibilities of what was possible with the actors. 

The material was evolving, taking shape and reflected in the emerging culture of the 90's and the champions of that era. (I could write a whole piece about the former sentence and it's contained sentiment on just Bad Boys alone--believe me.)

A Present From The Easter Bunny

Since I wore the damn costume yesterday at work, entertained some kids, made some parents happy, impressed my bosses and genuinely enjoyed myself (fuck it, I love kids dude) I figured I'd continue the spirit of things today, and drop a present down onto you fools.

And yes, I made it maself, son.

                                                                                                                                                            Click for larger image

A Review: Robot & Frank

*This review is riddled with hyperlinks (highlighted in blue) that give support and insight into the ever-speedily-moving, mindbogglingly and purely utterly fascinating world of advanced robotics. Please do not hesitate to click them and watch the videos I have located to enhance your understanding that the future of robotics has already arrived. 

--Munki



"Some things take time Frank."
                                               --Robot

Here we have a pleasantly brilliant film. And please mark those words as they are the correct labeling through and through. Both pleasant to the highest heights of the word, and, brilliant in the execution. 

First time director Jake Schreier and screenwriter Christopher D. Ford have crafted a simple tale about a retired thief who gets a robot butler and the ensuing adventures that follow. The kicker being his dementia is slowly eroding his mental facilities. 

Nothing in the film is exactly what it seems, and I'll say it now, there's even a "Bruce Willis is really dead?!" moment in here that makes a lot of sense when you think about the minor ticks and occurrences where that point in the plot is hinted to. Which is an ode to the power of the filmmakers and that one element that they used to enhance that point.   Here we have a splendid and  curious little series of events that unfold for us. 

A Review: Double Indemnity

"It's straight down the line for the both of us. . . Remember?"
                                                                                      --Phyllis Dietrichson

Here is a film about a rotten person who does rotten things that behold for them rotten consequences. One, a textbook sociopath, another fool-heartedly in love, another just doing there job. These three never saw the ending coming the way it does, who could have? For when the smoke clears and the blood starts to run into the fabric of the characters, all we're left with is confessions and remorse. 

Leave it to Billy Wilder to grab a hold of us no matter what the material is, the genre, the actors. With a particular potent talent for manipulating the best of any actress he wields in front of his lens. For the love a women, maybe the sex in-itself a muse all it's own for him. Some say this is one of the most important Film Noirs around. Having a secure amount of knowledge and expertise in the genre: I wholeheartedly agree.  

We watch as Macmurray sells to Stanwyck's Phyllis and then it turn, as she sells right back to him. Clear and cut like a crystal the decadent actions that have taken place. But then, slowly, we see the fog roll over ore eyes as the motivations of the those action become less and less clear. And now, Macmurray doesn't know who or where to turn. Or who he can trust. Which brilliantly leads us ultimately back to his Dictaphone confession that book-ends Wilder's fascinating film.

One night, bruised, bleeding and emotionally broken, Macmurray's Walter Neff stumbles into an office at the Pacific All Risk building and yanks out a Dictaphone. After a moment he begins a terrible series of confessions through a wild tale to his boss, Edward G. Robinson's Barton Keyes played to a heartfelt success that only a man of his stature and acting deftness could provide us. And so the story goes through flashback. . .

A Review: Anna Karenina

"But sin has a price. You may be sure of that." 
                                                                          --Alexi Karenin

At merely four minutes and ten seconds into the film, I smacked the right arm rest of my expensive black leather office chair and proclaimed aloud, "I'm sold! That's it: sold!"

I loved, loved, loved this wonderful ballet of a film. A lovely, graceful choreography so full of form, color and rich, dripping life.