"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Movie Monday

Not a full review of a movie this week. That will have to wait until next Monday because I only got to see War, Inc. once and you know I like to look at movies at least two times before I review them.

War, Inc. has been on a few times in my movie packet but it's next viewing is not until 2 am Tuesday. I have my trusty Verizon recorder all set up since 2 am can be dozing time for me and I don't want to miss any of this.

My first viewing of the movie was also in the middle of the night and I was sure that my ADD would kick in and I would just turn it off and pull up Movie Spoilers for the plot. Didn't happen. I was mesmerized. I watched the entire movie thinking that this was the best anti-war movie since The Americanization of Emily (which really was a cop-out since it ended happy Hollywood style.)

Even before I get to watch this a second time, I have to say: Don't miss this movie. It's a comedy with a bite or it's a tragedy with some smiles. And, it says stuff you should be hearing.

This week I'm going to touch on Twilight (No, don't scream and run away!) again because the MTV awards were last night and there is a lot of buzz on the net today about the Twilight cast being there.

First, after way, way too many viewings of Twilight (New Moon viewings are getting there but only by skipping the whole Jacob Black middle), I still think this first movie is a well constructed and well acted venture. It moves; it tells the story and I get it; and its actors mouth some pretty hokey lines without me rolling on the floor in laughter.

Juxtaposition Twilight to Mulholland Drive which I just watched last night in the middle of the night. Oh, the agony! It was clueless to plot points and entertained like paint drying very, deadly slowly. And that one had Naomi Watts.

Last night, the MTV awards showed trailers from Eclipse and HP and the Deathly Hallows. I saw both this morning and I really don't understand all the raves about the HP & DH clip. It was a rapid-fire 20 seconds long and probably cutting edge CGI. However, if I didn't know anything about the plot of the novel, I would be lost. John Hurt is shown in a nano-second and I think Harry then speaks to him off screen for a nano-second. As I remember, his character plays a vital part in DH but he hasn't been in the series since the first movie. Who remembers him in his split second in the trailer?

The Eclipse trailer was much slower and started with an objectionable scene (and I mean objectionable to fans as I read forum postings) with Bella leaving Edward standing in the parking lot as she gets on Jacob's motorcycle and rides off with him. WTF? Then it went into previously shown trailer parts with the newborns and Victoria and Edward.

I have to say I don't understand the Twilight vs Harry Potter movie and now trailer feud. The two trailers were completely different: I didn't like the Eclipse one and I thought HP & DH was just an exercise in REM.

I guess I should say that I'm really not that impressed with the HP movies. I feel absolutely no empathy with the characters (though Daniel Radcliffe was sooo cute when he was younger) and, granting that Rowlings is a so much better writer than Meyers, her plots are still all fantasy - just a different type of fantasy and written so much better. (OK, the supporting actors in HP are better known but the kids - Harry, Ron and Hermione - are played by pretty average actors.)

Movies like War, Inc. have an obligation to be well-done. Movies like HP and Twilight would be nice if they were well-done but there is a millions plus fan base for both of them which may grouse aplenty but will always be an enormous core audience. When you're the meme, for your time, you're top of the world.

That's it for today though I do want to touch on the Twilight series' abusive male/female relationship and the abuses of our capitalism in an upcoming post. OK, don't roll your eyes. I was amazed when I mentioned this analogy to my husband and he agreed that I could be right. I was stunned! I thought I was going to be dismissed with: Oh boy, another hair-brain analogy.

And, I'm working on a Valkyrie post. You know, the movie with Tom Cruise. There's a lot there.

See you next week.