My views on "300," and a Rant Against Relying on Critics.

One of the many things that I find irritating (and the list is long and distinguished) is the emphasis that so many people place on the opinions of critics in our society. Art critics, film critics, music critics, food critics, wine critics…there seems to be a critic for every single aspect of our daily lives. Often, I suppose we look to these so called “experts” to help us make up our minds as we decide what to wear, what to see, what to do, and what to eat. Although I can appreciate a person’s desire to be well-informed, I cannot understand the implicit trust that we all seem to have on these virtual strangers and so-called trendsetters in society. It is almost as if we have all placed “checked at the door” signs on our brains. Can’t we make up our own minds without any help from strangers?

Critics have long been accused of being out of touch with society; I firmly believe that this is the case. For example, most food critics would turn their noses up at any of the fare from McDonald’s, yet this is the same institution that has served “billions and billions.” Can “billions and billions” be wrong? Many would scoff at this, saying that people only eat there because McDonald’s is cheap. Well, even if it is cheap, people would not eat there unless they enjoyed the taste of the food. This being “out of touch” with the rest of society (likes and dislikes, etc) extends everywhere.

Our implicit trust in critics has reached the point where most of us will take critics’ opinion at face value. How many times have you been at a party and, in the midst of a discussion on a film, someone interjects with the pithy phrase “I heard that film sucks.” It doesn’t matter whether or not that person has actually watched the film; the problem is that, in order to interject in a conversation about a film, they feel inclined to quote some nebulous “person” who “said” that the film sucks. I myself am not above checking out critical opinion, but I have learned over the years that I should not limit myself to the opinions of individual critics. For example, I enjoy reading Roger Ebert’s reviews and usually agree with him; however, Ebert did not like the film “The Usual Suspects,” a film that is in my top ten. If I had blindly followed his advice, I would have avoided the film to this day. Until recently, I feared that the moviegoing public was falling prey to the phenomenon of blindly following critics on the basis of the critics' “status” of purveyors of all that is critically worthy.

Times have changed, at least with regard to films.

When one looks at the top ten lists for the past few film releases, one should note that the top films were lambasted by the critics, but they proved to be critically immune. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you “Ghost Rider,” “Wild Hogs,” and “300”. Let me first discuss “Ghost Rider.” I had been looking forward to this film. It had a good cast and a director who seemed to have an appreciation for the character. Once the reviews started coming in, however, things looked bleak. My expectations for the film diminished to the point where it was no longer a “must see” film. I saw it with my brother, and I was able to appreciate it for what it was: a cool long trailer about a guy with a flaming skull head riding a flaming motorcycle. I was entertained because I was able to check my brain at the door and because films are all about entertainment, “Ghost Rider” succeeded for me. Were the performances good? No. Was the story compelling? Nope. Was it even faithful to the source material? HECK no! At the same time, this was a bit different than “Superman Returns” or “Batman Begins” in that I did not have the same connection to the Ghost Rider character that I have to Superman or Batman. That might have allowed me to enjoy the film more than the average fanboy. My point is that I was able to enjoy the film in spite of the negative criticism.

I believe that, over the years, the impact that the critics might have on the box office has been steadily diminishing. This was reflected in the fact that only one of the films nominated for best picture this year crossed the magical $100 million gross barrier that is essential to be considered a hit (although I suppose that the minimal gross nowadays is closer to $150 million thanks to inflation and the rising costs of film production). To date, “Ghost Rider” has grossed $113 million. “Wild Hogs” displaced “Ghost Rider” at the top of the box office charts; like “Ghost Rider”, “Wild Hogs” was critically panned. In spite of this, “Wild Hogs” has become what is coined a “surprise hit.” For the people who made it, its status was no surprise. I have not watched the film, but I have “heard” (ugh) that it is a really funny film that appeals to all the middle America folks, the people who love “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “Extreme Makeover Home Edition”, and “Home Improvement.” Would it be logical to believe that the critics from LA, Chicago, and New York have their finger on the pulse of what Middle America loves? Of course not! In 3 weeks, “Wild Hogs” has outgrossed the critical darling “The Departed” in less than a quarter of the time. The trend continues with “300”.

I watched “300” on the IMAX screen in Chicago, the same screen where I witnessed the “Superman Returns” swill from last summer. The critics had not been kind to the film before its release, using hackneyed descriptions like a “filmed video game” and “sword and sandals for the MTV set”. What was completely missing from their descriptions was the beauty of the film itself. The critics were so caught up in trying to tear down the film for what it wasn’t (a throwback to the halcyon Hollywood days of “Ben-Hur”) that they missed it for what it was: a piece of artwork brought to life in a new medium. Whenever genre films are made, fanboys and genre fans alike hold their collective breath. We were all worried when Peter Jackson, at the time best known for his colossal failure “The Frighteners”, announced a Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he created a masterpiece by not dumbing down the richness of the source material (as did the film version of “Eragon”, or what I like to call “Star Wars with Dragons”). The only note-perfect translation of a comic book that I have witnessed has been Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s “Sin City”, based upon Miller’s noir graphic novel of the same name. Rodriguez recreated the novel and translated it into the film medium using the innovative merging to digital bluescreen for the entire film. I think that critics loved it because it was noir and perhaps reminded them of some of their favorite films from childhood. They did not, however, dismiss the film as a video game shot on film.

Now we have “300”. This film has a rating of 61% on rottentomatoes.com, allowing it to qualify as “barely fresh.” This was a welcome change from the low ratings of “Wild Hogs” (17% fresh) and “Ghost Rider” (26% fresh), but it was still considered, at best, only marginally good. In my previous post, I described the source material (Frank Miller’s graphic novel) and the true story that it was based on. I was looking forward to this film (critics be damned). The film did not disappoint. What many critics casually disregarded as a “video game movie” has found a place in the cultural zeitgeist that surpasses even the harshest of criticisms. No one I spoke to had a bad thing to say about “300.” Gerard Butler is magnificent as the Spartan King Leonidas, and the supporting cast is wonderful. The film moves along quickly, and the battle scenes are interspersed with quieter scenes that inform on the political machinations and the background corruption that is present with the seers and with the Spartan city-state council. In addition to succeeding by way of a compelling story, the film succeeds as a work of art. I am convinced that there is NO WAY that the filter effects, colors, and staging of the film could be replicated on a conventional soundstage. The embrace of a new medium (fully digital film with real actors) could have failed if the faith of the filmmaker was borne solely on the shoulders of razzle dazzle technology with a minimal emphasis on story and character development (witness Lucas’s failed experiment that was "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"). By utilizing the technology to assist in the storytelling where both are seamless, director Zack Snyder has succeeded where so many others before him have failed. The truism is still the same: the story’s the thing! Several scenes held my mouth agape with sheer wonder over the sheer visual beauty that they conveyed. The overall golden beige tint to the film accentuated the brilliant red cloaks of the Spartan warriors, and the scenes in the fields surrounding Sparta were beautiful, especially the farewells taken in the fields between the King Leonidas and Queen Gorgo as he made his march north to the fiery gates. The true stunner was the end scene, a scene that was a slow pull back from the body of Leonidas, riddled with arrows. As the camera (computer?) pulled back, the fallen bodies of the remaining 300 were shown as a sort of macabre tapestry that was equally grotesque, sad, and beautiful. If you choose to see the film, you will recognize the shot. Of course, there were some weak points. Rodrigo Santoro’s portrayal of the Persian King Xerxes was laughable, but this can easily be overlooked because the role was so small. Some of the mythological elements were a bit disconcerting when one considers that this film is supposed to be a film about a real battle and a real time in history, but this too is easily explained. The story is told in narrative form by Dilios, the sole survivor of the 300 who was sent back by Leonidas to tell the tale. Liberties with the narrative are acceptable, especially in light of Dilios’ desire to get the Spartan’s blood up.

The film is extremely violent; however, the violence rarely approaches the level where it could be described as gratuitous. The battle scenes are the strength of the film; the use of slow motion is used effectively to the point where the audience can almost understand the heat of battle.

This is the first good film of the year. Thankfully, it only took 3 months to get here. Will it be considered a classic? Probably not. Was it enjoyable? Heck, yes! Was it worth the price of an IMAX admission? They should be charging MORE to see this film. What about what the critics said? Well, my advice is look to what the film hopes to accomplish with its audience. If an audience watches a film and looses itself in a film without wondering “how did they do that?”, the film is a success. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of reading Frank Miller’s source graphic novel, I recommend that you read it prior to seeing the film. Your appreciation of what Zack Snyder and the Virtual Studios team have accomplished will be that much greater.

March 8...and a week until Spring Break

School and life go on. Right now, I am in the depths of the semester. So far, the semester has not been as stressful as the last one. I think that a lot of this is due to the fact that, for the first time in my law school career, I do not have Legal Writing and Analysis. I am taking 5 classes and I am taking 16 credit hours. My daily routine consists of classes and studying. This also includes the weekends. I do not have classes on Fridays, but I have been spending Fridays in the library trying to get a head start on the week.

There has not been a lot going on socially, and I have yet to see any of the newer films that are out on the screens (except for “Ghost Rider”, but the less said about THAT film, the better!). I was happy to see Martin Scorsese finally win an Academy Award for Best Director for “The Departed,” but at the same time, I know that this was not for his best work. This was definitely more of a “career accomplishment” award for someone who, arguably, made the best films of the 70s (“Taxi Driver”), 80s (“Raging Bull”) and 90s (“Goodfellas”). At the same time, I think that most of Scorsese’s films retain a certain sense of the 70s sensibilities, and I agree with Peter Biskind’s assessment of “Raging Bull” in his book “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls”-“Raging Bull” could be considered an orphaned child of the 1970s. I was disappointed that Eddie Murphy lost in his bid for an Academy Award, but I hope that this will be the first in a run of nominations for Eddie.

I am looking forward to catching the film “300” this week. Director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae. This is the celebrated “few against many” battle where, in 480 B.C., 300 Spartan warriors (led by the Spartan King Leonidas), held off hundreds of thousands of Persian ruler Xerxes’ warriors for three days. All of the Spartans were ultimately killed. I first became enamored by this version of the tale when I read Frank Miller’s graphic novel, and upon viewing the earliest trailers, I was relieved that they retained the lighting and shading techniques used by Miller in the illustrations in the graphic novel. I love the look of the film. Although George Lucas was the first to truly take advantage of a “set-less” film (filming the actors in front of the blue screen and then filling in the details later) for his film “Radioland Murders”, it was not until his later Star Wars films that the technique was finally perfected. The use of this technique and the more modern digital video cameras have taken everything one step farther; the technique was used with great effect in Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s film “Sin City.” There, the directors were able to fully render actual scenes from Miller’s graphic novel perfectly. Zack Snyder appears to be paying the same sort of attention to Miller’s work from the “300” graphic novel, as some of the scenes from the trailer directly mirror scenes from the graphic novel. This gives me hope for Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s 1985 graphic novel/miniseries “Watchmen”.

I am halfway done with the semester, yet this is only my second post. Bear with me!

First Post of 2007..It's a long one....

So it has been over a month, but I have some really good excuses. First of all, I had exams for most of the month of December. I have always hated exam time. I tend to lose track of the days, and my normal routine suffers greatly. I have no time for relaxation, and I cannot enjoy my NFL games as I normally do. Furthermore, my exams were spread out over a 2 week period. While this might be conducive to studying, it is in no way conducive to having an actual life for a 2 week period during the holiday season. It is SUCH a joykill for Christmas! Anyway, I made it through exams relatively unscathed. My final exam was for Evidence, and it was a toughie. The next day, my friend Tom and I went to the early show for “Rocky Balboa.” I know what you all are thinking:Artful, I thought you liked GOOD movies, not dreck like the “Rocky” series. All I have to say in response to that is that, once again, as was the case with the James Bond series, “Rocky” was an integral part of my formative years. The first Rocky film that I saw was “Rocky III,” the motion picture introductions (for better or for worse) of both Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. Both of those larger than life figures made quite an impression on me and went on to be icons of the ‘80s. In retrospect, I realize that watching “Rocky III” before the previous ones in the series handicapped my ability to understand the impact of Mickey’s death on Rocky, one of the seminal dramatic moments of the series. At the same time, I was able to appreciate the friendship between Rocky and Apollo and how Apollo drove Rocky to find the competitive spirit within him. My father always loved Adrian’s confrontation with Rocky on the beach in California during his training session where, in one conversation, she reignites within Rocky his own sense of self worth. A few years later, I watched “Rocky IV.” In spite of its flag-waving, Reagan-era, cold war propaganda messages, it succeeds as pure pop entertainment. Having grown to appreciate the character of Apollo Creed and his friendship with Rocky, my young mind was shocked when Apollo died in the ring at the hands of Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago. Few people appreciate Sylvester Stallone’s ability to find talent. Dolph Lundgren was actually a Fulbright Scholar who was set to attend MIT on account of his genius (seriously!), but the acting bug bit Lundgren in a hard way and he threw it all away for the chance to be a star opposite Stallone. In the long run, it was not a bad trade, as the film proved to be a launching pad for Lundgren’s turn as a “B” list action star for the rest of the 80s and the early 90s.

But I digress. I enjoyed “Rocky IV” as did most of the movie going audience. The soundtrack remains one of the best collections of workout music available, and Rocky’s cold, single-minded determination to avenge the death of his friend was something that was, up to that time, an unexplored facet of Rocky’s psyche.

Finally, a few years after watching "Rocky IV," I sat down and watched the original "Rocky" and its sequel, "Rocky II." Many people forget that the original "Rocky" won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing in 1976. Furthermore, Burt Young, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, and Sylvester Stallone were all nominated for the various acting awards. I think the most surprising thing was that Bill Conti's memorable theme was nominated for Best Original Score, but it did not win the award! The original "Rocky" was a wonderful film that transcended the normal "sports underdog" formula and reformulated it for the next 40 years. People tend to forget that the underdog lost at the end of the film. People also tend to forget that the boxing was never front and center in the film. The film was about Rocky and Adrian. Having revisited the original "Rocky" prior to my viewing of "Rocky Balboa", all I can say is that it really stands the test of time (moreso than "Rocky III" or "Rocky IV").

“Rocky V.” The less said about that debacle the better.

15 years later, we have “Rocky Balboa.” The newest film is a wonderful bookend to the saga of “Rocky.” When the trailers first started playing, I was skeptical. Who wanted to see an aged (60 y o) Stallone in the ring? It looked like a desperate attempt by an over-the-hill 80s action star to recapture some of his former glory and squeeze blood from a stone. There is no way that it could be a worthy sequel to the original “Rocky,” as Stallone claimed throughout the filming. Advanced word also revealed that Adrian was dead. Adrian dead? She was the heart and soul of the franchise. A Rocky film without the immortal phrase “Yo Adrian”? Unthinkable!

And then, just before the opening of the film, Stallone conducted a 200 question Q & A session with the website aintitcoolnews.com. He answered anything and everything. His answers were thoughtful, insightful, and self-deprecating (particularly on his distaste for such misfires as “Get Carter,” “Driven,” and most of all, “Stop, or My Mom will Shoot!” I thoroughly enjoyed the Q & A, and I must admit that my curiosity was piqued by his answers. I made plans with one of my movie going buddies from law school to see the film the day after my last final.

I ended up really loving the film. My fears about the absence of Adrian were unfounded. The film was a poignant reminder of the great love affair of Rocky and Adrian. Her spirit pervaded the entire film, and I found myself getting a bit choked up early on when Rocky, on the anniversary of Adrian’s death, revisited all of the places he and Adrian went on their first date. The film was bolstered by ghostly images from the first “Rocky” film, as the audience was treated to a view of events as Rocky remembered them. His ghosts became ours, and the audience felt his sadness and desolation. Paulie was also part of this journey, and his reasons for not wanting to revisit this time in his life allowed actor Burt Young to truly shine. I was taken aback. Was this a Rocky movie? Wow. The entire set up of Rocky’s newfound desire to fight was believable. He had reached the point where he did not really want to go on. He was living in the past, where his happiest memories were. The thought of digging down deep and finding the fighting spirit is something that everyone can relate to...the strength to go on. It is also the central message of all of the Rocky films: overcoming the odds to keep going. Sure, there are a lot of flaws with the film: for all of his skill with defining the characters of Rocky and Paulie, the rest of the characters suffered short shrift. The final scene, however, is where Stallone revealed his hand and was the perfect coda for a classic movie series (except for “Rocky V”). I recommend this film, but I also recommend watching the first “Rocky” before going to this one.

Following the film, I went home and went back to sleep. This was a good day. On the Saturday before Christmas, I drove to Cleveland to visit my friends Aaron and Julie and their family. I completely surprised Aaron, and we all went to the house from “A Christmas Story,” a house that had been restored as shown in the classic Christmas film. Following that, we went to the Chinese restaurant from the movie (yes, there was Peking Duck and “fa ra ra ra ra”, but thankfully, not at our table). We were treated to some of the best Chinese food that I have ever had. I highly recommend a visit to the restaurant if you are in Cleveland. Christmas itself was fun because of Aaron’s kids. Viewing the wonder and excitement of Christmas through the eyes of children, I think, keeps us all young. I had a wonderful time at their place, but I could not do it justice within this short blog entry.

The weekend of New Year’s, I flew to Omaha to attend the wedding of a classmate . Several of my classmates also made the journey, and we ended up having a wonderful time. We were, by far, the most fun table at the wedding, and people there knew it. I had a great time hanging out with my friends in a relaxed social setting. I flew back to Chicago on New Years Eve and I had a wonderful New Years as well. Quiet. I went to bed early and relaxed for a couple of days. I flew out to Virginia on January 4, and my parents were there to pick me up from the airport. We were going to drive down to Orlando and meet my brother in Disneyworld for a few days. The drive down was uneventful, but it was fun. I cannot remember when my parents and I last spent 12 uninterrupted hours together. Dad and I both split the driving responsibilities, and we made it to Orlando in excellent time. My brother flew in that evening and joined us at a hotel near the airport. Bright and early the next day, we checked into our hotel on the Disney property. It was a value resort, but that was fine because we were not going to stay in the hotel for most of the time. The first day was spent at Disney-MGM. The family took in most of the rides and attractions here on day one. Mom, in her infinite wisdom in planning all aspects of the trip, had paid for park hopper passes. This meant that we could visit any and all of the parks on any given day. This proved to be ideal, as our family took full advantage of it to go to multiple parks on the same day. Day 2 started bright and early at EPCOT. Our efforts to see everything were a bit hampered by the running of the Disneyworld marathon, but we still managed to go to Soar, Test track, Mission: Space, The Universe of Energy, Honey, I Shrunk the audience, and Finding Nemo. That pretty much exhausted most of EPCOT, as the world showcase was something that my parents have experienced for real. In the evening, we went to the Magic Kingdom and rode the new Pirates of the Caribbean ride, the one featuring Jack Sparrow. We also revisted the Haunted Mansion, the Carousel of Progress, and the On Monday, our last day at the Disney resort, we started the day in the Animal Kingdom.

Now, the Animal Kingdom was the only Disney Park that neither my brother nor I had ever visited. We (the whole family) immediately went to the Tree of Life to watch the “A Bug’s Life” 4-D show (highly enjoyable). After that, we went on the jungle safari and then spent some time walking around the park. The park is well designed, clean, and welcoming. My brother, a fan of roller coasters, wanted to ride the new “Expedition: Everest” ride, so we made our way to the Asia part of the park. While my brother went on the ride, my folks and I relaxed with a little soft serve. The vending cart was a little interesting. In keeping with the Indian theme of that section of the park, the side of the cart was painted with an image of the Hindu God Ganesha….with his multiple arms holding a multitude of frozen treats. Now, I am not a strict Hindu by any stretch of the imagination, but I must admit that my cultural pride was offended by this blatant disregard for my heritage. I mean, Disney should be even MORE conscious of such things than other corporations. Heck, they even stopped the sequences on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride where the pirates were chasing comely wenches for fear of offending feminists. One might think that a company that is so socially aware might have done its research when designing a theme park around a culture that contains over a billion people. Ugh.

Anyway, after that, we attended the live Lion King show. It proved to be a good coda to the Broadway show (a show that I had attended when I was still living on the East Coast. We then made our way back to the hotel, and my brother caught a flight back to Chicago while my parents and I went back to MGM for the evening. I then passed the evening watching the NCAA Football “National Championship” game, where the Gators walloped the Buckeyes. It was fun being in Florida when this happened.

Early the next morning, my parents and I checked out of the Disney resort and went to our hotel outside of Universal Studios. We had our tickets to go to the Universal parks and spent the entire day at the Islands of Adventure. I highly recommend the Spider-Man ride, the Jurassic Park River Ride (my parents were such good sports in going on the water ride, and my mom, who hates rides with huge vertical drops, handled the one on that ride like a pro), the “Terminator 3D” film, the Jaws ride, “Back to the Future”, and the “Shrek” 4-D movie. I actually though the “Shrek” film was a better sequel than “Shrek 2.” At the conclusion of our very busy day, my folks and I checked into our hotel. Early the next morning, we hit the road and were in Virginia in 11 short hours. I had a (too short) day with my parents back in Virginia, and I then flew back to Chicago for the beginning of my new semester of law school.

Upon arriving in Chicago, I rode the El downtown and picked up my books for my classes. $590 poorer, I took my books home. Following a short nap, I hit the books. I wish that my vacation had been a bit longer.

The first day of classes arrived all too soon. At 9:30 on Monday morning, I was in my seat in Patent Law class. There were not too many of us, and our instructor is an accomplished practitioner of patent law here in Chicago. The rest of the day was given to reading for my Tuesday classes. I ended up changing around my schedule a bit, and my Tuesday/Thursday classes are now Corporate Finance and International Intellectual Property. In addition to those 2 classes and Patent Law, I am also taking a course on Federal Courts and a course in Commercial Arbitration. I am back to feeling very busy, but at least I do not have classes on Friday nor do I have any evening classes.

Whew… this has been a long entry. Now I am pretty caught up with everything that has gone on in the last month. Look for new entries detailing my 4th semester of law school!

Exam Blues are back + a review of the newly-released "Donner cut" of "Superman II"

Exam time is here, and boy am I…calm? Yes, a strange phenomenon has happened. I am actually calm the day before my first law school exam of the year. I suppose it comes from the knowledge that I have prepared as I did for my summer Criminal Procedure class. As part of my preparation for that exam, I created my own outline from scratch. In the process of preparing the outline, I absorbed the material to the point where it was enough for me to score an “A” on the exam. I have repeated this process for my Copyrights and Trademarks class and will do so again for Business Organizations and for Evidence. It seems to really work in that my time is not spent learning the common material. Instead, most of my study time has been spent refining the points where I am not at my strongest. The result has been a relative absence of stress. I am sure that will change when the time comes to sit down for the exam, but I distinctly remembering feeling more stress last year than this. Oh well…if I knew now what I knew then….

I have also settled on a schedule for my next semester in school. I will be taking Patents, Advanced Civil Procedure, Wills and Trusts, Trial Advocacy 1, and Commercial Arbitration. There are quite a few “bar classes” that I will still need to take during my third year, but I feel that taking the classes closer to the time when I will take the exam will definitely be to my benefit. I have another great exam schedule, and my only “bad” class day is Wednesday, when I start at 9:30 and end at 8:30. Ouch. At least I will have Fridays off! I find it strange that I will be ½ way done with law school at the end of this exam period. All of my other levels of education (high school, college, and especially graduate school) lasted so much longer than the 3 years that I will have spent learning the law. Part of me is having a difficult time getting my mind around this, but at least I will be out making a living in a short amount of time.

Hmm…what else can I talk about…oh yes, I recently saw a “new” movie, the Richard Donner cut of “Superman II.” All of you probably remember my rants against the so-called return of Superman in Bryan Singer’s film from this past summer, so you can imagine how anxious I was returning to see a film that I thought was a worthy sequel to a classic superhero film. I was astonished (in a good way) with the difference in tone and feel of the Donner cut as compared to those of the original Richard Lester-directed “Superman II.” Gone were the Paris sequences, most of the Niagara Falls sequences, the ridiculous new powers that Lester gave Superman, the mystery behind how Superman received his powers back after being stripped of them, the “Superkiss” that erased Lois’s memory of Superman’s secret identity, and the ridiculous scenes where the supervillains got into a bar fight in a small Southern town. The battle sequences over Metropolis were much more complete, the villains (well, except for Luthor) were much more menacing, and, most important, Jor-El (Marlon Brando) returned in this film. The sacrifice that Clark made in giving up his powers for Lois had much more import, as Christopher Reeve delivered his lines as a man pained by having to do without his own personal happiness for the greater good. In the earlier version of the film, without Jor-El, the audience never really felt the import of Clark’s decision or understood why he so easily gave up his powers. Here, the struggle is apparent and well done. The return of Superman’s powers is also shown to great affect and, remarkably, dovetails quite nicely with the “Smallville” TV series. The return of the powers is an emotional sequence that still resonates days after I first saw it. In that one sequence, the superiority of the Donner cut of the film versus the Lester cut becomes readily apparent. I highly recommend checking out this film if you get a chance. Hopefully, Bryan Singer will do the same before embarking on his next film.

Daniel Craig IS Ian Fleming's JAMES BOND!

My father and I have always enjoyed movies. I credit Dad with instilling in me an appreciation for the craft and artistry involved in making movies. I don’t think that Dad knows that my lifelong appreciation for movies began the summer between 5th and 6th grade. During the school year, my father had purchased a very heavy and exotic looking device that, for all intents and purposes, looked like a giant tape recorder. My father was excited about this giant box, and my brother and I could not understand why. Our confusion lasted as long as it took for my Dad to put a tape into the box and press “play.” We found ourselves watching a movie on TV. We were able to pause it so we could go to the bathroom or get snacks. My mind was really blown away when my Dad was able to play a TV show that had been on 2 nights before. Wow. The family VCR was definitely a hit, and I think that we were among the first adopters of the new technology. Dad, in his infinite wisdom, had even chosen a VHS machine instead of Betamax. His decision was highly prescient. Our love affair with the VCR intensified upon Dad’s purchase of a video camera. Now, we were able to film all of our family’s special moments and watch them instantaneously instead of waiting weeks for Super 8 film to develop. No more setting up the projector and the screen. It was all so awesome. I know that, in a world of tiny camcorders, digital cameras, and DVRs this all might seem a bit trite, but I grew up in a time where we had 3 channels (6 after Dad set up a UHF/VHF antenna). It really seemed like magic to me.

The VCR was also the way that Dad and I bonded. My parents were very good about choosing appropriate films for my brother and me (resulting in me not seeing “My Fair Lady”, a “G” rated film, mind you, for a few years because Henry Higgins yells the word “Damn” several times). The real fun came during the aforementioned summer when Dad took my brother and me to the video store, the Video Discount Warehouse, located in Portsmouth, VA. This was a time before the ubiquitous Blockbuster Video, Hollywood Video, Erol’s, Movie Gallery, and Family Video. Every Wednesday, Dad would take us there and let my brother and me choose movies. I still remember how the films had stickers on the spines (red “As” for new releases, blue “Bs” for slightly older releases, and green “Cs” for old releases and kid films). Dad would always let my brother and me choose the maximum 6 movies, and he did not limit us to the most inexpensive lists. Sometimes, he would gently make suggestions if we could not decide. I used to look forward to my Wednesdays with Dad because they were true bonding times. Neither of us was into baseball as many fathers and sons are, so we bonded over films. I think that, except for my love of science fiction films, we have a pretty similar taste in movies to this very day.

One of the films that we rented that summer was a recent blockbuster, “Octopussy.” Up to that point, I had only watched part of a James Bond film, and it had bored me to tears. The film was “From Russia, With Love,” and I remember when it was broadcast on ABC falling asleep while watching it. I also remember my parents’ amusement at my comment upon viewing the moment when Bond, fresh from the shower with a towel around his waist, finds Tatiana Romanova in his bedroom, sits down on the bed, and starts his seduction. My comment? “Wouldn’t he be embarrassed if his towel fell off.” Hey, I was pretty young, so I didn’t quite get the sexual overtones of Bond. I think that my parents were both amused and comforted by my naivety. Anyway, “Octopussy” was available, and we rented it. I was mesmerized from the first moments of the film. Roger Moore became the Bond of my childhood the moment he flew out of Cuba using the tiny jet in the pre-credit sequence. The next time we went to the video store, Dad let me rent the max number of Bond films. I devoured them over the next few days. My favorite Bond when I was a youngster was Roger Moore; I think that a lot of this had to do with the foppishness of his performance. As a kid, you never want to fell as if the hero is really in any danger, and I never felt that Moore was ever in any danger.

Time went on. As I reached my teen-aged years, Moore gave way to Dalton, and my appreciation for the performances of Dalton and Connery grew. My appreciation was born both out of a more mature appreciation for how the character was portrayed (with me wanting more realism from my action heroes) and out of my appreciation for Ian Flemings original James Bond novels. Connery came closest to Fleming’s description of Bond, and and I later learned that Fleming, impressed with Connery’s portrayal of his creation, introduced a Scottish background into Bond’s backstory during the writing of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," which coincided with the filming of "Goldfinger". Dalton took his cue from the Fleming novels, but subpar screenplays and having the role of the follow-up to the popular Moore (not to mention a long drawn-out lawsuit concerning the character of Bond), proved to be Dalton’s undoing. I always felt that Dalton received short shrift for his portrayal, and it is not deserved. He did the Fleming Bond proud. Between the last Dalton film, 1989’s “License to Kill” and 1995, there were no Bond films as the lawsuit was litigated. In 1995, however, Pierce Brosnan was given the role and was superb in the film “Goldeneye.” Brosnan proved to be a worthy successor to the Bond mantle, and the story also gave the audience an all too rare glimpse into the psyche of Bond. There were not a lot of gadgets in the film, and Brosnan gave a subtly nuanced performance as Bond, finding middle ground between the intensity of Dalton and the foppishness of Moore. Still, I never thought that Brosnan could compare to Connery from the first 3 Bond films. Sadly, the quality of the films deteriorated rapidly shortly after that (a remote control BMW in “Tomorrow Never Dies,” Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist in “The World is Not Enough,” and an INVISIBLE CAR and a diamond-satellite refuge from “Diamond are Forever” in “Die Another Day”). The future looked bleak. Brosnan was starting to look a little too old for the role (a role that was originally offered to him in 1986 before NBC screwed that up). The screenplays by Purvis and Wade were ludicrous, and I started to wonder about the viability of the franchise. I found myself reading the books, and I wondered why the filmmakers couldn’t just make a straight translation of Fleming’s novels. The thing that every single Bond film has missed was Fleming’s character. The movie Bond (with the noted exceptions of Dalton, Connery’s first 3 films, and George Lazenby’s single film portrayal in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”) all missed the boat when it came to understanding the character of Bond. Bond is an assassin, a cold, calculating, cruel weapon of the MI6.

Word then started coming about a NEW Bond. This Bond would be Daniel Craig, Paul Newman’s weak son in “The Road to Perdition.” I was a bit nervous about this until I saw his performance in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich”; his performance in that film convinced me that Craig might be a good Bond, but I was skeptical as to whether the producers would actually take advantage of Craig’s talent by providing a good screenplay. When the trailers for the new film started to play, I started getting more excited. This was a different kind of Bond, one who seemed to have sprung from the pages of Fleming’s novel. “Casino Royale” opened yesterday. I saw it today.


Wow.

The origin of Bond proved to be every bit as satisfying as that of Batman in “Batman Begins.” The screenwriters (the much maligned Purvis and Wade, with an assist from "Crash" writer/director Paul Haggis) crafted an excellent story, using Fleming’s novel as the template and FAITHFULLY ADAPTING it, changing some minor aspects that had to be changed due to the post-Cold War world we live in. We see the 2 kills that made Bond 007 (2 kills, 2 “0s”, hence 00…and this is straight from Fleming…even the first 2 kills were lifted straight from the 1952 novel). Daniel Craig IS James Bond to the point who…dare I say it…not only challenges Connery’s portrayal but actually SURPASSED it in many ways. The plotline is timely and not far fetched, the stunts were not ridiculous, and there were no gadgets. The wonderful thing is that we get to see what made Bond Bond. I cannot recommend this film enough. Halfway through the film, I reflected on what a good film it was, not just what a good “James Bond” film it was. Several things made me smile…retaining Rene Mathis and Felix Leiter as characters from the novel, the creation (lifted straight from Fleming’s novel) of the James Bond martini, the total lack of slapstick and ridiculous science, the acting of Daniel Craig, the soundtrack (not the opening song, but the string-heavy instrumental soundtrack that was a throwback to the great Bond soundtracks of the 1960s), and the overall “feel” of the film. This film felt like a classic 1960s Bond film sans rocket packs and bulletproof cars. Much of the dialogue was lifted straight from the novel, and I was pleased. This is a great film. I cannot recommend it enough. I was also impressed with the pacing. In most action films, the character scenes are too often viewed as filler for the action sequences, but the scenes had true import in this movie. In the end, when Bond (excuse me, Daniel Craig) delivers the famous introduction, I was smiling. When the original arrangement of Monty Norman’s James Bond theme played over the final credits, I was smiling even more broadly. Even the theme was as it was in the early Connery films. This was a great Bond film. This was a great spy movie. This is one of my favorite films of the year.

Wow.

Congratulations, Daniel Craig. May the producers continue to provide good screenplays for you to use, and may we continue to see you as Bond for years to come.

For those of you interested in watching the films in chronological order:
1) Dr. No
2) From Russia, With Love
3) Goldfinger
4) Thunderball
5) You Only Live Twice
6) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
7) Diamonds Are Forever
8) Live and Let Die
9) The Man With the Golden Gun
10) The Spy Who Loved Me
11) Moonraker
12) For Your Eyes Only
13) Octopussy
14) A View to a Kill
15) The Living Daylights
16) License to Kill
17) Goldeneye
18) Tomorrow Never Dies
19) The World is Not Enough
20) Die Another Day
21) Casino Royale

Note..I realize that there was an earlier version of Casino Royale, and I know that Connery was in the Thunderball remake, Never Say Never Again, but the only authentic Bond films (in my opinion) are the ones from Eon Productions.

Update: all is well...I guess...

Sorry for the long delay in updating my blog. I had been right on target at a new post every two weeks, but once again, my law school work has foiled me! The only thing I can do is blame Legal Writing for the delay. The strange thing about the second year of law school is that while it is much easier than the first year, there is a lot more work to do. I am writing for a journal this year, writing for my Legal Writing class, attempting to keep up with the reading assignments for my other classes, and I was selected (3 weeks ago) with my buddy Don as a Moot Court Negotiations Team member. Life is busy…not hard, but busy. The hard time is almost at an end, though, as the Moot Court Regional Competition is in 2 weeks, my last Legal Writing Assignment (EVER!) is due in 3 weeks, and exams are just around the corner. Of course, then all I have to do is worry about next semester…..

I had a lot of fun last weekend (the weekend of October 20). My parents came to town, and we had a wonderful visit. Whenever my folks come to town, I have a really good time. We ate, talked, and walked. The problem was that before I knew it, the weekend was over. I was left with the same empty feeling as before when they left town. I really do not like only seeing my parents once every 3 months or so. Our family is much closer than that. In the end, I am looking forward to a January trip to Orlando. That’s right! I am 35 years old and am going on a family vacation to Orlando with my parents and my older brother. I count myself extremely fortunate to be a part of such a close family. I mean, I used to think that my parents really did not get me. This time, however, my parents were able to read into my irritability at some moments as anxiety over getting some work done over the weekend. My parents were the ones who suggested that I get some work done; they took the onus off me because they realized that I want them to keep coming out to Chicago to visit me; if I worried too much about work and made a big deal about it, they would not want to come. That is the LAST thing I want to happen. I want them to continue coming to visit my brother and me (and yes, they DO read my blog, so I hope they get my gentle hint J).

After the weekend was over, the real work began. I had to write my entire legal writing assignment and do a lot of other work in an extremely short period of time. This was stress, but it was completely manageable. I sure was glad when the weekend showed up…but wait! My brother and I threw a Halloween party! Amid all of the decorating and preparations, there was not enough time to enjoy anything on Saturday until the party itself. All of our friends showed up, and we had a blast. I don’t think that I have dressed up for Halloween since I was 13 years old, but I had fun dressing up as a Dark Lord of the Sith. For your entertainment, I have included a photo of me and my brother (I am the one on the left)!

A visit from a friend and "The Departed"

Sometimes friends can really be what we need to get through a particular hectic series of days. I mean, we go through our normal day-to-day schedule, trying to balance the demands of work (or school), job hunting, and other activities (like paying bills, cooking, grocery shopping, etc), and you can feel a bit overwhelmed. Right when you have lost all sense of how to relax, your friends can come along and provide a reality check. My friend Jennifer from Owings Mills, MD was in town for a conference this week, and we had a chance to catch up on Friday and spend a day around Chicago doing nothing. That was a wonderful thing and was just what the doctor ordered. We had lunch at Grand Lux Café on Michigan Avenue, and we took advantage of a gorgeous Chicago fall day to go up to the Observatory Deck of the John Hancock building. I had never done this most quintessential of tourist activities, and it ended up being a lot of fun. While walking to Navy Pier to retrieve Jennifer’s car, we made an impromptu decision to see the new Scorsese film, The Departed (more on that later). All in all, my day was a much needed respite from the pressures of law school. Thanks, Jennifer!

So, since there has not been a movie review in some time, you all might be wondering what I think of Scorsese’s latest magnum opus, The Departed. First of all, one cannot find fault with the cast. Di Caprio, Nicholson, Damon (taking full advantage of his natural Boston accent), Wahlberg, and Martin Sheen all did outstanding jobs with their material. The film, a remake of the Chinese crime drama Infernal Affairs, was a tour de force for the actors. The engrossing plotline combined the best elements of the crime drama, action, spy, and police genres. I always separate the truly great films from those that are merely good by considering if I am able to remove myself from the real world and be completely engrossed and taken away by the story. This was the case here. I cinematography was gorgeous, and every shot was lovingly framed by Scorsese. My only grip would be the hamfisted editing. Scene transitions were anything but seamless, and one never gets the sense of time going by. One minute, Di Caprio’s character is just starting his undercover mission; the next, years have gone by with no visible changes other than a verbal reference. What the story lacked in developed plotlines and perfected editing was more than made up for by the acting performances. I liken it to the film Heat, an excellent film that would have been merely good without the performances of De Niro and Pacino. This is the first true Oscar contender of the year, and the performances alone are well worth the price of admission.

I love the NFL

Well, another week has gone by. It is almost Wednesday, and I cannot believe how fast my year has been progressing. Next week will mark the completion of my first month as a 2L. 3 months until finals! The last couple of weeks have been rather hectic, but then, what else is new? At least I can enjoy my NFL games now that I have Mondays off to do schoolwork. This Monday, however, I had a second interview with a Chicago-based intellectual property firm. I think it went pretty well, but one never knows until one gets the acceptance or denial. I have not received any denial from any of the firms with whom I interviewed, and I am feeling a lot better about my job prospects. I am also feeling better about my schoolwork. I have taken my uncle Ravi’s advice into the new school year, and the result has been even more free time (yeah, right!). Seriously, his advice on getting up early to get some work done in the wee hours of the morning is something that I highly recommend. My classes are a lot of fun. I am enjoying all three of my traditional classes, and I also have a pretty good handle on my legal writing class. Everything just seems a little routine now.

Now I am going to get into a discussion of the NFL season thus far. For those of you who could not care less, skip on down to the next paragraph. For the rest of you, all I can say is: wow, what a season. For the first time in a long time, my favorite teams are all winning. Let’s start with the Baltimore Ravens. Since Art Modell oh-so-wisely moved them from Cleveland (don’t believe me? Think about the Lombardi Trophy he won within 4 years of the move versus the 30 years of futility he experienced in Cleveland), the Ravens franchise has been in search of a passing game. We had some wonderful times with Vinny Testeverde passing to Michael Jackson, but since the move from Cleveland, the Baltimore quarterback roster has included (and Aaron, correct me if I am wrong here): Vinny Testeverde, Jim Harbaugh, Scott Mitchell, Eric Zeier, Stoney Case, Tony Banks, Anthony Wright, Kordell Stewart, Chris Redmon, Jeff Blake, Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl winner (!)), Kyle Boller, and now Steve McNair. The last time we had the receivers and the quarterbacks on the same page, however, was way back when Vinny was firing darts to Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander (oh so long ago). We never had a chance to match up a great passing quarterback with great receivers. Now, we have a quarterback who is 2 years removed from an MVP season passing to his favorite receiver from that time (Derrick Mason) and a future superstar in Mark Clayton (I hope) plus the best tight end in the game. We are set for offense. Our defense is healthy. The only teams that would seem to stand in the way of the Ravens are the Bears (NFC) and the Chargers, Bengals, and Colts (AFC). The Ravens will play the Chargers next week, a game that will be a match up of undefeated teams. After the way the Ravens limped out of Cleveland this week, I must admit to being a little scared.

There has been no time for movies or relaxation (save for my precious NFL)! The life of a law student is upon me. Help!

The chaotic life of a 2L begins....

So, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? It has almost been a month. My apologies to everyone. The last few weeks have gone by like a whirlwind, and I have barely had time to catch my breath. So, what have I been doing? Well, when I last wrote, I had been captivated by the wonderful novel “The Prestige,” by Christopher Priest. I was getting ready to head to Cleveland for a few days of R & R with my best friend and his family. I arrived at Aaron and Julie’s on Thursday and stayed through the weekend. We had a wonderful time. We ate, we played video games, we watch movies, and celebrated my (gulp) 35^th birthday. Aaron and Julie took me to a wonderful restaurant in downtown Cleveland called Sushi Rock. We dined on some excellent sushi and had a wonderful evening. I arrived back in Chicago and immediately started getting ready for classes on Thursday, but first I had a law interview for a firm in Madison, WI. The interview season for summer associate positions (for NEXT summer) was already upon me, and I was fortunate enough to have been granted a number of second interviews with some pretty reputable firms around the country. The interview was an all day affair, but I found some time to have lunch and dinner with some former colleagues of mine from my last job. I arrived home late on Wednesday night, but I was ready for class the next day. The following week, I found myself on a plane to Washington DC for another second interview. I flew back on Wednesday night and was in class the next day. I was able to catch my breath a bit this week, and I needed it. There are still some things that I would like to take care of around my place.

I haven’t watched many movies since the last time that I wrote, but I did read an excellent book (yet again on the recommendation of my friend Aaron). Anthony Bourdain, the chef with his own TV show on the Travel Channel, wrote a novel in 2000 called “Kitchen Confidential,” a fascinating look into the secret society of kitchens around the world. Bourdain’s book comes across as a completely honest and, at times, painfully unflinching look at his life and the places his work as a chef has taken him. Bourdain also has a wonderfully wicked sense of humor, and I found myself laughing out loud while reading several of the passages (much to the consternation of my fellow train riders in the morning..I guess they thought they were stuck with “crazy guy on train”). Bourdain also teaches. For example, the best nights to eat in a restaurant are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. The WORST meat in the cold rooms is served whenever someone orders something well done. Don’t ever (EVER) order mussels from a restaurant. Knife sets are wastes of money. All you need is one chef’s knife of a particular manufacture. Am I being too cryptic? Pick up the book! It is wonderfully readable and chock full of fun facts. Bourdain has become my favorite (non) celebrity chef.

My reference to reading on the train reminds me that I need to rant briefly about something. iPods are slowly and surely removing us from daily important social interactions. Everywhere I look (on the train, on sidewalks, in elevators), men and women walk around attuned to their own world, the eponymous white ear buds sticking out (and the volume too damned loud!), tuning out the world at large. This has caused a reduction in day-to-day conversation and interaction among the people in our society. Now, I am not an iPod hater. I love my iPod. It saves me when I am at the gym, and iTunes is a wonderful computer program for cataloguing one’s music. My problem is that I can see the iPod-ation of our society will have some farther reaching consequences beyond early hearing loss in the majority of individuals under the age of 30. What is my suggestion for a better society? If you are around other people (unless you are doing something like RUNNING), turn it off. Not only will you save your ears (and the ears of those around you..those ear buds really aren’t worth crap), you might be surprised to find that you are living in a society of pretty decent people.

Sorry if the entry seems a bit rambling, but there was a lot on my mind. Until next time….

An incredible book of magic, mystery, and murder

Citizen Kane. The Sixth Sense. The Usual Suspects. The Shawshank Redemption. Ender’s Game. What do these films and books have in common? They have all successfully provided fascinating mysteries and so-called “twist” endings that have excited and delighted audiences and readers since their respective releases. Who doesn’t remember the thrill of discovering the meaning of Charles Foster Kane’s last word (rosebud) in Citizen Kane? How about the revelation of Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects? M. Night Shamalyan provided many clues to the mystery in The Sixth Sense, but audiences still thrill at the revelation at the end. How did Andy Dufresne escape from Shawshank? How real were the battle simulations in Ender’s Game? No matter how many times I see a certain film or read a certain book, I can tell whether the author or creator is a master of his craft by how easily he is able to manipulate his audience. Mysteries do that, and I have been fortunate enough to take part in yet another such journey. The author is Christopher Priest, and the novel is The Prestige.

I first learned of the novel when doing an internet search on a forthcoming film from Christopher Nolan. My friend Aaron Fraley told me of a new film coming out and directed me to the trailer on the internet (on Apple’s Quicktime movie trailer site). I am a huge fan of the director Christopher Nolan. Although I was underwhelmed by his sophomore effort (Insomnia), I loved Memento and Batman Begins. The trailer for The Prestige blew me away. It was full of atmosphere, mystery, and suspense that bordered on horror. The cast was also intriguing: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Scarlett Johansson. After viewing the trailer, I immediately went to the internet movie database (www.imdb.com) to get some more information on the film. Upon arriving at the site, I noticed that it was based on a novel that was published over 10 years ago. I immediately procured a copy of the novel and started reading it on Tuesday, August 8.

I finished it on Wednesday, August 9.

The Prestige was the veritable “book that you cannot put down.” The book chronicles the rivalry of 2 fictional 19^th century magicians, Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier, the levels to which the rivalry rose and the depths to which each (along with their heirs) sunk in order to win. There is science, magic, murder, intrigue, love, death, wealth, poverty, and, above all, mystery. Late last night, when I reached the climax of the novel where everything was made known, I uttered aloud an “OH MY GOD” even though I live alone and was READING A BOOK! The climax uncovered the author’s masterful manipulation of the reader (me) throughout the first part of the novel. It did not end there, and in this, the author was even more deliciously devious. My discovery of this mystery with 80 pages left to read lulled me into a false sense of complacency whereby I did not expect the rapid- fire succession of surprises that were yet to come. The novel itself proved to be a most wondrous magic trick. I could barely fall asleep after completing it. I kept turning over the narrative in my mind and marveled at how the author had so easily manipulated me. Moreover, I was amazed by how much I enjoyed the experience. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you are looking for an incredibly fun read that will keep you guessing until the end, The Prestige is the novel for you. The only problem with discussing the novel is that there is no way to tell you about the relevant plot points of the story without giving the whole thing away. I would not have wanted anyone to take away the fun of the journey; therefore, I will extend to you the courtesy of secrecy.

Having discussed The Prestige, I can now turn my attention to discussing a few more films of the summer. First up is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. In their infinite wisdom (yeah, right), Disney brought back the entire team from the first film and signed them for 2 more (PoC: At World’s End will debut next May). This means that Jerry Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and last but NOT least, Johnny Depp all returned. I’ll be honest: except for Johnny Depp, I could have done without the rest. As with any sequel, when the cast gets larger, the screen time afforded the rest must go down. Here, we are introduced to Davey Jones, Bootstrap Bill Turner, the crew of the damned on the Flying Dutchman, the evil new head of the British east India Company on the Island, the voodoo priestess…do you sense a pattern here? The first film succeeded because of Johnny Depp and in spite of Orlando Bloom. Granted, the ladies might enjoy Bloom as eye candy and I personally think that Keira Knightley is a looker, but the root of the success of the first film was Geoffrey Rush as Barbarossa and Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp gets greatly reduced screen time in order to give service to the rest, and the film suffers as a result. Throwing special effects at the screen does not help matters, and I left the theater feeling rather cheated at the short shrift afforded Depp. Oh well…the film was not as bad as Superman Returns, but it could have been better. The great surprise was the return of Jack Davenport’s character of Norrington (Elizabeth’s suitor from the first film). Where (in the first film) he was a boring officer of Her Majesty’s navy, Davenport had an opportunity to shine in this one as a fallen officer seeking redemption after having fallen into a pit of drunken despair. Norrington will probably be integral to the next film as well (judging by the finale of this chapter). This is a good thing.

Crockett and Tubbs are back..and the summer got a little bit better...

So it has been a while, but with my exam finally behind me, I can get to work enjoying the rest of my summer (in theory). I have been fortunate enough to see 4 movies since my last report. Are you curious as to whether I was able to salvage the summer movie season? Read on.

I will talk about Pirates of the Caribbean in a later entry. Today, I want to talk about “Miami Vice.” Miami Vice has a special importance for me. The year that it debuted on NBC, I was getting ready to start high school. Yes, my formative years were spent during the run of the original Miami Vice television show. You can bet that Michael Mann’s production of Anthony Yerkovic’s dark world of cocaine cowboys during the wild west days of the drug wars in southern Florida had a seismic impact on the pop culture zeitgeist of the mid-80s. I mean, the beginning of the 80s was marked by shows such as Knight Rider, the last days of the Dukes of Hazzard, and prime time soaps such as Knott’s Landing, Falcon Crest, Dynasty and Dallas. In other words, there was precious little for an impressionable teen-ager to watch. Miami Vice stood out because of its realistic storylines, the dangers of the cops walking the fine line of being undercover and actually living the lives of drug lords, and it was shot like a film. Indeed, the show went on to influence the later cop-buddy films of the late 80s and early 90s. Miami Vice was also one of the first shows that I can remember where the bad guy often got away. The show was not about the bad guy getting caught every time. As in real life, the cops were often frustrated in their efforts. It is sad that the show’s name has almost become synonymous with 80s camp. Between Don Johnson’s 5 o’clock shadow and aversion to socks (while wearing fashionable white suits with pastel T-Shirts) and Philip Michael Thomas’s horrendous “Soul Glo” look complete with ugly gold chain, there was a lot to laugh about. It was truly a product of its time. The music was also something that set it apart from other shows that were on the air at the time. Most shows of the time had to rely on sound-alikes if they wanted to feature current rock hits. Miami Vice went one better. The show not only received the rights to play the original songs sung by the original artists; the show became a showcase for the future hit makers (and even some, like Glenn Frey and Phil Collins, who were trying to find fame after losses/changes to their own supergroups). If you wanted to know the hot songs, fashions, and cars, an impressionable teen would look to MTV and Miami Vice. Yes, Miami Vice was the cop show of the MTV generation. I have had the opportunity to revisit the original show when the pilot was rebroadcast on NBC not too long ago. The show holds up extremely well. I was surprised to find so many actors who later became famous in the pilot. Jimmy Smits and Mykelti Williamson were just 2 of the featured players on the first episode of the show.

This brings me to the new film. Would I like the new Miami Vice, with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in the Crockett and Tubbs roles? Would the show have the same vibe without the campy aftertaste of the original series? Would the music be as perfectly matched to the scenes as it was on the series? I went to see an afternoon show (much much cheaper!). As the theater lights darkened following the trailers (hmmm...”Snakes on a Plane” looks like it will be a lot of fun), the Universal logo appeared. The screen then went blank, and the opening cords of Linkin Park and Jay-Z’s “Numb/Encore” (eponymous with the “Miami Vice” movie trailer) made their way over the speakers. I was then thrust in the middle of a nightclub. We meet the vice squad in mid assignment, but the assignment was cut short because of a call from a former informant who was in danger. The story went all over the place from there, but in a good way. Unlike a Michael Bay film, where the quiet moments seemed to be merely spacers for the next over-the top action sequence, here the quiet moments fed into the “day in the life” aspect. The frenetic, dangerous, and tense aspects of life as an undercover vice cop in the middle of the major drug weigh station of the US was wonderfully realized. Michael Mann used his Hi-def digital cameras to great effect. There were a lot of moments (if you see the film, look at the shots of the Lear jet and you will understand what I mean) where I was just staring at the screen going “wow.” The action that was in the movie was gritty, realistic, and 100% germane to the plot. The performances of the actors were all right (not great, but at least they played the roles with a certain earnestness). I loved how Mann drops us off right in the middle of the action and then does not let up until the end of the film. Yes, you will get involved with the characters. Yes, the film delivers as promised. If the TV show were to be shot today, this is what it most likely would look like. Now, I am a big fan of police procedurals, but this made me miss the days when the lives of the cops behind the badge took precedence over telling the tale of yet another DNA test for blood. Oh, and lest I forget, the MUSIC was perfectly chosen for the film. Lots of Audioslave and Moby, but it really seemed to work. At the end, what I really appreciated was that nothing really seemed to change from the beginning of the film to the end. The cops went through hell and back, but in the end, it was just a day in the life. It was this type of circular storytelling that I can appreciate. Should we be so naïve as an audience that we can believe that the end of the story would wrap itself up into a big happy bow just for the sake of a happy ending for our protagonists? In an animated film, maybe. In a “feel good film of the summer,” of course. In a gritty cop film about the cocaine war, not on your life. I did not feel cheated by the film. The summer movie season got a little bit better.

No movie review this time, but other odds and ends...

This weekend I went home to see my parents. Visiting my parents tends to be very bittersweet nowadays. I love coming home because we are a close family. As I have grown older, I have a new appreciation for all that they went through as “strangers in a strange land.” I have discussed this with my brother, and we both agree that as we are growing older, there is a renewed interest in our “roots” and our “people.” I always enjoy my visits with my parents for this reason. They are a constant reminder of what is possible with hard work, intelligence, and above all, perseverance. At the same time, I hate leaving them at the end of the day. In my previous visits, my unhappiness on my last day usually manifested itself in a temper tantrum (I know, just like a 3 year old, right), and I would end up ruining the last bits of time with my folks by starting an argument. This time was no different with regard to my unhappiness on the morning of my departure. Because I recognized my own problem, I tried very hard to keep my grumpiness down because my parents do not deserve it. They provided a wonderful time for me, and I look forward to the time when I can see them more frequently. I am lucky to have had such wonderful role models for my life. In the end, the only feelings I ended up with were those involving sadness. There were no arguments; there was only the unhappiness of them pulling away from the curb of the airport. Oh well. I hope to see them sooner rather than later.

The noose is starting to tighten. In short order, I have a very busy six weeks ahead of me. My Criminal Procedure class ends in 2 weeks and the final is 2 weeks from this Thursday (!). After that, I will be pushing full bore in studying for the Patent Bar. I am also moving this week, and I have to get geared up for the fall semester for law school. All in all, the summer has been anything but restful, but it has provided me with a modicum of a brief respite for the full bore pressure of law school.

So, what am I taking next semester? Copyrights and Trademarks, Antitrust, Evidence, Legal Writing III, and Business Organizations. I was only going to take 4 classes, but with my final year in school dedicated to job hunting and studying for the bar exam, I think it prudent for me to get as many classes out of the way this year so that I will not have to pile it on in the end. I think that my future courses will include Patents, Wills and Trusts, Federal Income Taxation and Policy, Trial Advocacy, Real Estate Taxation, Genetics and the Law, Professional Responsibility. and Secure Transactions. If anyone has any other suggestions for good courses for me to take, let me know. I still have some openings for the future!

Legal headline of the month: the Supreme Court ruled in Hudson v. Michigan that police officers do not even have to knock before they enter a home with a search warrant http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/05pdf/04-1360.pdf . What does this mean? It means that our 4^th amendment rights protecting us against unlawful search and seizure have taken yet another big bite. The exclusionary rule states that any evidence that was gathered in a manner that is contrary to the 4^th amendment’s protections cannot be admitted into evidence at the trial of the D (we have seen this in the numerous police procedurals that are on the airwaves right now). Of course, by negating the so-called knock-and-announce rule, there is a concomitant weakening of the exclusionary rule. The times they are a-changing. We are moving from a country full of freedoms to one where our constitutional rights are being chipped away, yet no one seems to care. I was extremely gratified at the recent decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, which held that enemy combatants (yeah, right!) cannot be held indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay without coming to trial. At least there is a semblance of the court trying to re-establish the balance that has been tipped away from the people and towards the executive branch of the government (Patriot Act anyone?).

I have also provided the link to the recent US Supreme Court decisions because I think it is important that everyone recognize the protections we citizens of the United States are afforded and how the Court interprets the laws passed by Congress and how the Court weighs in on possible constitutional arguments in some criminal cases. Taking Criminal Procedure this summer has really opened my eyes to the value of the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th amendments, but at the same time, those freedoms that we enjoy are not as broad as we would like to believe. Stay tuned!

Summer Movie Season STILL Sucks! Superman (sorta) Returns

I really wanted to like this film. I have been looking forward to it since the announcement that Bryan Singer (the director of "The Usual Suspects," "X-Men," and "X-Men II") would be directing it. You see, ever since Warner Brothers' intelligent decision to sign Christopher Nolan to direct "Batman Begins," I started to have a renewed faith in the powers that be over at the studio. I mean, Warner Brothers has a stable of incredible comic heroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash), icons known the world over. Bryan Singer is the one who successfully brought the X-Men to the screen, and I had faith that he would show a reverence for the material. Well....he did, but not the right material.

If you have not seen "Superman Returns" and do not like to read plot spoilers, stop reading here and go see the film. If spoilers do not bother you, keep reading. I might be able to save you a good $8.00 movie ticket.

OK, so here I am at the Navy Pier IMAX Theater in Chicago. It is the Wednesday afternoon of the release of "Superman Returns." I have my assigned seat in the top row of the IMAX dead center of the screen. Everything is going perfectly. I know that the presentation is going to have 20 minutes of 3-D, and I am pumped for the film. As the lights dim, a brief prologue written on the screen tells us a little of the legend of Superman. We then get a view of the planet Krypton's civilization as Marlon Brando's Jor-El (Superman's father) provides a voice-over from the first Superman movie from 1978. We also hear composer John Ottman's rendition of "The Planet Krypton," the same piece of music composed for the original Superman movie by John Williams. The camera pulls back, Krypton explodes, and the main title march from the original Superman blares over the speakers, with the same typeface used for the opening credits of Donner's 1978 film. I AM THERE and loving it. And...it was all downhill from there.

What was good about the movie? In a word, Brandon Routh as Superman. I must confess that I was always a fan of Christopher Reeve's characterization of the Man of Steel, and it seemed as if Routh was channeling the spirit of Reeve in his performance. I kid you not...it was downright eerie at times. The action sequences were exciting, and the Superman moments were fun (streaking in space, flying, facing down a machine gun, lifting a continent...all very cool). What else was good about the movie? Jimmy Olsen, for once, was played note perfectly. This is as he should have been played before and how he has always been portrayed in the source comics. That just about wraps up what was good about the film.

What was bad/disappointing about the film? Just about everything else. Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane did not seem to be a hard nosed reporter, and she and Routh had ZERO chemistry (a sad thing because this was supposed to be a love story in parts). Frank Langella's Perry White was just THERE...not doing much of anything. Lois's kid was annoying. I do not have anything against kids in movies, but this kid was horrible. Last, but not least, Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor. Hoo-boy. What a disappointment. There was only one moment that I believed he was Lex Luthor, and that was when Lex stabs Superman with the Kryptonite shank after having his goons thrash Supes. Otherwise, it was a completely over the top uninspired performance. Spacey obviously did no research on the character of Lex other than to look to Gene Hackman's completely missing the mark performance from 3 of the 4 Superman films. In a recent interview, when he was asked whether he tried to stay in character between shots (as most great thespians try to do), Spacey replied: "C'mon! It's a f---in' comic book, not Othello. Umm, Mr. Spacey, more people (as sad as it is) would be familiar with Lex Luthor than they would be with the villainous Iago from Shakespeare's play. Why didn't you do the research? Heck, Michael Rosenbaum does a great job essaying Luthor on TV's Smallville. All you had to do was watch his performance to get a clue. Spacey's performance was reminiscent of Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face character in the atrocious "Batman Forever." Yes, it was that bad. I blame Spacey, but I also blame the writers.

This brings me to the real weakness of the film-the plot. It was a strictly by the numbers affair that was too long by at least 30 minutes. The pacing was horrible, and the story was all wrong. We saw something similar in Superman: The Movie (almost the same scheme by Luthor) 30 years before. Couldn’t the writers have been more original? There was no JOY in this film at all. It was heavy and pedantic. The writers, in their quest for verisimilitude to the source film material, obviously felt handcuffed by the earlier film cannon. Why should they have been? Goyer and Nolan did a great job in rebooting the Batman franchise by forgetting about everything that had gone on before it. Singer would have done better had he chosen to do the same. There was too much sadness in the film. This is SUPERMAN, not Batman. You can have a serious action film with some sadness, but you can also have joy as well. Heck, the Kryptonian symbol for "hope" is the emblem on Superman's chest. No I am not making this up...I am actually so much a geek that I know this. (What, you thought the "S' stood for "Superman"?) If the man's symbol is related to hope, shouldn't you have some hope in the film?

This also brings me to the characterizations. Having said that I loved Routh's work as Superman, the writers got the character of Superman all wrong. Superman is CLARK, he is not just Clark's alter-ego (unlike Batman, whose Bruce Wayne is the real mask that hides his true identity of Batman). The writers completely misssed the point on the character of Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman. The writers only needed to look to the recent animated series or the George Reeves version of Clark from the '50s Adventures of Superman TV show in order to figure out how to write for the Clark character, but because of the writers' failure, Clark Kent is a non-entity in this film.

Another problem is the character of the kid and the situations in which the kid is used. First problem..Lois takes her kid onto a suspicious yacht on her way to the...wait for it...Pulitzer banquet. Yeah...right. Child endangerment and chasing a story that could have waited 2 hours. Next, Lois is being threatened by a goon, and her kid reveals himself to be Superman's kid by throwing a piano into the thug threatening his mom. You read that right. A 5 year old committed murder. Nothing is mentioned about this issue in the film. Later in the film, Superman has rescued Lois, her fiancé Richard, and the kid from a drowning death. Lois convinces Richard to follow Superman back into the danger. Nope..uh-uh...I don't buy it. You see, even though I do not have any kids, I have enough friends with kids to know that in that type of situation, the CHILD's safety is utmost in a parent's mind. There is NO WAY that mother Lois would persist in keeping her kid in danger. NO WAY! I know that you all are thinking "Get a grip, Artful, it's a comic book movie." That is not the point. I am willing to suspend disbelief up to a point, but this takes the cake.

Finally, Superman having a kid with Lois out of wedlock. Great role model, huh? The writers, because of their HUGE RESPECT for the 70 years of Superman stories (note my sarcasm), decided to have Superman knock Lois up and leave her for 5 years. I didn't like it one bit. No child support, no communication, nothing. What a great icon, folks. I became rather peeved at this blatant disregard for the character of Superman. This is NOT the character. I still have not seen a Superman film and will probably never see the one that I want (except for the excellent version of the character from the DC Animated universe). Another thing with the kid is that he will have to be in every sequel. Oh, joy. The Superman Family. Just what I wanted.

Here is my recommendation to Bryan Singer. Read the comics. The ones since 1986. Get a grip on Lex Luthor. Luthor has NEVER wanted money...he has always wanted power. He built Metropolis and owned Metropolis. The Lex Luthor in the comics would never have let Kitty live after what she did in the film. He would have dropped her out of the helicopter without a second thought. Lex's motivations come from a desire for power and a desire to be worshipped, and this worship was stolen from him by an alien who swooped in and took away the good will of the citizens that it took Lex a lifetime of hard work to earn. Geez..what a great idea for a 3 dimensional villain. Do you see my point? This is the Lex Luthor of the comic book world. Also, read the comics to learn about who Lois is and who Perry is. Find Superman through Clark; don’t just use the Clark scenes as filler for when Superman has nothing heroic to do. If not Lex Luthor, use another villain. While Superman's Rogues Gallery runs dry after Luthor and Brainiac, you could give him an extraterrestrial menace. Let's not forget that Superman has the knowledge from the "22 known galaxies" from his fortress of solitude. Remember that the comics are about hope as much as they are about action. The personal stories have always been what have driven the comics, but there is joy in the personal as well. Finally, DO NOT MAKE IT CAMPY OR FUNNY IN ANY WAY! No more villain one-liners, no needless humor. Let the humor come from the situations (see Batman Begins).

The summer movie season still sucks. Here's hoping that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is good.