This was definitely the week Drive ruled Dorkdom. Saw it Friday night and despite all the hype, the film still managed to kick all kinds of ass. And it turned me into a fan of Ryan Gosling, an actor I've never particularly liked (need to Netflix Lars and the Real Girl, Blue Valentine, Half Nelson). Went home and immediately downloaded the soundtrack and I've been cruising around these last couple of days pumping it through my stereo. I'm definitely 10% cooler while it's playing.
MOVIES OF THE WEEK!
Thor: Started the week off with a blu ray viewing of Thor. I'm still pretty damned impressed with this flick and I don't quite get the lukewarm responses I'm getting from people. Maybe it's because I'm just amazed that they made a Thor movie that wasn't completely ridiculous and stupid. They took the Marvel's Norse God and made him work in the world of Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man. I dig the Jack Kirby space Asgard stuff and Kenneth Branagh's dutch angle direction doesn't bother me one bit. Chris Hemsworth will always be Thor for me, the way Christopher Reeve will always be Supes. Thor is just a fun movie, practically a comedy is parts. Fine by me.
Take Me Home Tonight: Yeah, it's just That 80s Show The Movie in most respects but I couldn't help myself from enjoying the antics. Topher Grace is a fun leading man and I wish he could get more work. Teresa Palmer is perfectly Prom Queen and somehow likeable. Chris Pratt delivers one of the most painful bursts of man crying I've ever experienced and it's always nice to see Michael Biehn in a film even if it's a throwaway. Not going on any year end Best lists but it'll pass the time.
South of Heaven: One brother is held mentally captive by a Mad Dog. The other brother finds transformation via a brutal beatdown. Soon they will collide in a burst of oddball violence. South of Heaven has a fun cast, wild colors, and probably weird for weird's sake painted backdrops. Is it good? Maybe. I definitely like Shea Whigham's wacko killer and Diora Baird is exceptionally effective as the little girl lost (wish they both had more to do). Still, feels like it was made by a couple guys who just really love David Lynch films.
Halloween II: Definitely a few steps down in quality from the original, but I enjoy how the film picks up immediately after the first film's cliffhanger ending and I like the broken down performance of Jamie Lee Curtis. Donald Pleasence is consistently wonderful as the mad doctor in violent pursuit and you gotta love The Last Starfighter, Lance Guest popping up as the heroic EMT. Kinda wish Charles Cyphers' vengeful sheriff daddy had a more prominent role and the pacing definitely looses steam about halfway through. But it's fun. Not Halloween III fun, but fun nonetheless.
Drive: Neon L.A. Noir at its finest. Drive is a brutally violent crime story with a fantastic lead performance in Ryan Gosling. He manages to pull off a soft, stunted soul one moment and then bursting with scary blood curdling terror the next. Absolutely stunning, favorite lead performance of the year withoutadoubt. Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman are scary good as well--heck, everybody gets under your skin here. Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac. Nice euro techno score to round it out and Drive just might be at the top spot of the year's best films. If you want to read more of my Gosling Love check out my review over at cineAWESOME!
TV OF THE WEEK!
It took about 3 days, but I watched all 22 episodes of Fringe Season 3 this week. Man oh man, do I love this show. What started off as an X-Files knock-off has quickly grown into one of the best science-fiction shows to ever grace the boob tube. I'm not going to spoil things here cuz my co-dork has yet to partake in the glroy, but who would have thought this show would go where it did? And I love how the third season is practically all arc. Very few episodes of the week. Riveting TV.
COMICS OF THE WEEK!
The New 52: Sooooo...maybe you've heard but DC Comics has not only relaunched all their titles but they've completely restarted The Universe. Kinda. I, like a lot of others, got sucked up into the hype and I started snatching up #1s left and right. I read Justice League, Green Lantern, Red Lanterns, Swamp Thing, Frankenstein Agent of SHADE, and Demon Knights this week. I sorta enjoyed the evil rageiness of Red Lanterns but the rest get a big meh from me. 1. I like my decades worth of continuity. 2. Um, some of these titles don't feel like Reboots, Green Lantern picks up right where Geoff Johns last arc left off. 3. I hate these giant crossover cash-ins. 4. And I bet this reboot will get rebooted within five years.
Vertigo Crime: I read and reviewed three Vertigo Crime books for my Four Color Grind feature over at Daily Grindhouse. Area 10, The Bronx Kill, and A History of Violence. I enjoyed all of them, but they also didn't blow me away. I was thinking about the Vertigo Crime series. They're good crime comics but I often feel that they're mining territory that books and film have done way better way often.
CON OF THE WEEK!
Monster Mania: Dragged my Co-Dork's butt to Hunt Valley, MD on Saturday. He may not get as big a thrill as I do with touching celebrity heroes (insert creepy wistful sighing sound), but I saw him light up when Tom Atkins (Halloween III! Night of the Creeps! Maniac Cop!) sold him a "Thrill Me" shirt. So don't pay too much attention to his convention hate. Also got a couple seconds with John Carpenter and sat in Christine. These autograph sessions are always surreal and weird but they provide for great Facebook profile pictures like the one above.
--Brad
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