He Saw / She Saw: Full Metal Jacket

Sue:

This 1987 war film was directed, produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick.  Based on the novel called The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford.  I thought this was a great movie! The story begins with a platoon of US Marines at boot camp, under the profane, power-saw guidance of drill instructor Sgt. Hartman (R. Lee Ermey, a real-life drill instructor whose performance is one of the most terrifyingly realistic on record). Part two takes place in Nam, as seen through the eyes of the now thoroughly indoctrinated marines.  I would recommend this movie highly.

Bruce:

As a Kubrick fan, I had seen this film a long time ago and mostly recalled R. Lee Ermey stellar performance as the Drill Sargent.  On this second viewing, I wasn't so much impressed with the visuals of the film (which are stunning), but the character development and life lessons that Kubrick was trying to get across.  If you haven't seen it in a while, it might not be the film you remember.  I highly recommend it. 

He Saw / She Saw - The Departed

Sue:

I know I picked out this movie, but the only reason was because I like Jack Nicholson.  For me, It was too much shoot them up, plots twists and very difficult to follow.  But I enjoyed seeing Jack!

Bruce:

A complex film.  It takes a while to sink in and follow, but as you catch up to the plot it becomes engrossing  However, this fades as the film runs a bit too long and gets a bit far fetched in the end.  The blood bath that occurs at the end of the film is a bit excessive and I could see the final scene coming. 

He Saw / She Saw - P2

Sue:

A good film but I did not find it very realistic.  Its all horror with little plot.  The suspense factor just wasn't there for me. 

Bruce:

A better film than I thought it would be, although I am not really into this genre.  The production value in the film is very high and they do a good job at setting the mood and tone.  However, it did seem a little hard to believe.  It can't be that hard to get out of a parking garage on Christmas Eve. 

Cinema Cycle - 300

A re-writing of ancient history to be sure, with lots and lots of blood and gore. But if you get passed all that, what you have is lavish use of CGI that creates history as an almost moving painting done by the masters. Beautiful and revolting to watch at the same time.

Cinema Cycle - Mercury Rising

Cinema Cycle - The Interpreter

Cinema Cycle - What Dreams May Come

Cinema Cycle - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

SYNOPSIS: Boy Wizard / Bad Wizard / Plot Twists / Franchise Milking.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Apparently, the current state of mid-adolescent fantasy circa 2005.

PROS AND CONS: First off, this is a truncated review, since there were problems with the disc while viewing the film. That said, I have seen this ‘installment’ before, so I wasn’t missing much.

This is upper crust / slick film making and J. K. Rowlings knows how to weave an interesting (if not labored) storyline. But after this (truncated) viewing I walked away with something else.

This is adolescent fantasy that shows a dark side. A dark side of; secrets, distrust of authority figures, dysfunctional family relationships and ‘hidden’ abilities. Not really the kind of moral compass I would want my child growing up with.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 07/06/2017

TITLE: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

FORMAT: HD-DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 48 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 25.1 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 7051.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: A 1930s aerial mercenary solves the mystery of a mad scientist bent on destroying the world.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Suspension of reality in a Gothic vision of an alternate future reality.

PROS AND CONS:  Visually, this film is a homage to the concept of steampunk Gothic and the allure of America in the 1930s.  From the standpoint of plot, the story-line is actually pretty laughable.

Much of the film is Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow bickering like estranged high school sweethearts as they fly around the world in a vintage 1940’s Curtis P-40 Warhawk.  

The real star of the film are the visuals and production design, which is almost all rendered through digital effects.  The film has a noir-ish look and feel that is really stunning.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Babel

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 06/29/2017

TITLE: Babel

FORMAT: HD-DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 2 hours 25 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 31.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 7026.6 miles

SYNOPSIS: An accidental shooting is traced along various disjointed storylines across world cultures.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Six degrees of separation on a global scale.  The ties that bind us all are not always pleasant.

PROS AND CONS:  This film probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  It is told in a disjointed fashion with several story lines merging together as the film progresses.  

I found the film fascinating to watch, since the viewer is constantly striving to find out what the connections are in the various stories being presented.  The film is also done in a quasi-documentary style where the viewer needs to figure out the motivations of the characters in each vignette.

In the end this is more of an empathy film, to remind the audience that our actions have ramifications that we can never see and our assumptions about others are often wrong until we know all the facts.  

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - The Matrix Expeirence

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 07/20/2017

TITLE: The Matrix Experience

FORMAT: HD-DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 40 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 8.8 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6947.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: Collection of short animations made in connection with the Matrix Trilogy

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Adult cartoons that are both artistic and extremely graphic.

PROS AND CONS:  A companion disk that came with a box set for the movie series.  Providing different views and backstory to the Matrix films.  

This appears to be one of the early attempts to really engage social media and the internet during the marketing of the film franchise.  These videos appear to be squarely aimed at young boys between the ages of 12 and 21.  

While these are interesting films to watch from the artistic point of view, I found them to be extremely graphic and depressing in their nature.  You are fighting an enemy of your own making, in a battle that you cannot hope to win, because you have already lost.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Hot Rod

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 05/25/2017

TITLE: Hot Rod

FORMAT: HD-DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 19.2 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6781.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: An older teen living at home attempts to recapture of the glory of his dead father who was a stunt man.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: What the SNL crew does in their time off.  Some of the sight gages are hilarious.

PROS AND CONS:  A great film if you are a male, approximately 12 to 17 years of age.  Otherwise, most of this film is pretty cringe worthy.  The target audience is clear and they drill home the themes of the film to them.  

The film is a series of sight gags strung together into a plot, which really becomes secondary to the visuals of the film.  

The stunt and comedy scenes are well done and funny as all hell, but then we have to watch Adam Sandler move the plot forward another 12 hours before the next ROFLOL moment.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Transformers

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 05/23/2017

TITLE: Transformers

FORMAT: HD-DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 2 hours 24 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 29.5 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6762 miles

SYNOPSIS: Robots come to earth and go at each other Mano-y-Mano for 2+ hours.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: ‘What if my toys could destroy the world?, wouldn’t that be cool?”, said every boy at the age of eight.

PROS AND CONS:  My second Michael Bay movie in a week (see previous review of “The Island”).  Please, stop the explosions!

I wanted to like this film but I quickly got lost in the pre-puberty male fantasy that the movie instantly becomes.

There are several plot lines at work in this film.  Two are actually quiet interesting, the third is questionable and the fourth (with LaBeouf and Fox) is just a farce which appears to be edited in just to titillate the pre-pubescent lads.  

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - The Heartbreak Kid

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 05/02/2017

TITLE: The Heartbreak Kid

FORMAT: HD-DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 57 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 26.6 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6593.8 miles

SYNOPSIS: A middle-aged bachelor continuously misses the ideal bride and marries the wrong woman.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Every experience that a dating man experiences at one point in his life or another.  (There is an extremely ‘blue’ scene in the middle of the ending credits.)

PROS AND CONS:  I consider myself somewhat of a snob regarding film, leaning toward serious period pieces, documentaries and foreign films.  Comedy not so much, because good comedy is really hard to pull off.

This film pulls it off and pulls it off well.  I was rolling out of my recumbent cycle while watching this, having lived through almost all of the situations that Ben Stiller’s character finds himself in.  

Along with “There’s Something About Mary”, the Farrelley Brothers appear to be masters of their craft.  But don’t be fooled.  This is an “R” rated film, bordering on an “X”.  But, owwww, is it funny.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.