moneybagzz
Joined Apr 2001
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moneybagzz's rating
When I first heard about 'Punching Henry' I did not know quite what to expect.
The theme of a 'can't-get-anything-right-everyman' has been tried, and not all attempts have been successful.
Then I saw 'Punching Henry.'
In the context of a guy's attempt at fame and art, everything he did, except for one thing, somehow worked against him (I will leave out the 'one thing' so as not to spoil it for those on the fence.)
The timing was right; the pace was spot on; the humor was there; and the inevitability of it all, from the two cabs to the wrong turn off the elevator, and everything in between, worked.
I'd recommend this for anyone who has wondered 'What does it take to make it in the entertainment industry?' and, more importantly, 'Just how many wrong turns can my career take?'
The theme of a 'can't-get-anything-right-everyman' has been tried, and not all attempts have been successful.
Then I saw 'Punching Henry.'
In the context of a guy's attempt at fame and art, everything he did, except for one thing, somehow worked against him (I will leave out the 'one thing' so as not to spoil it for those on the fence.)
The timing was right; the pace was spot on; the humor was there; and the inevitability of it all, from the two cabs to the wrong turn off the elevator, and everything in between, worked.
I'd recommend this for anyone who has wondered 'What does it take to make it in the entertainment industry?' and, more importantly, 'Just how many wrong turns can my career take?'
....and it is the four-year-female-feral-sexual-cycle.
Evolutionary biology equips us (for better or worse) with an ingrained memory of a short life, and an even shorter reproductive cycle.
Back in the caveman-and-cave-woman days, women would reject their mates roughly four years after the 1st offspring; the reason is quite simple: the need to avoid congenital defects.
(Let me be the 1st to admit that I'm not a biologist or a psychologist, but I have read a little about the phenomenon. And let's not forget that culture matters - society-wide, the concept of life-long marriage, a general disdain for divorce and the need to raise children with both parents have pretty clear purposes, but the notion of 'falling out of love' has its roots in the four-year-female-feral-sexual-cycle.... furthermore let's also keep in mind that some men really can be jerks, but that's not the case here).
This plays out in 'Take This Waltz.' Margot has been married to Lou for five years, meets a dark, handsome stranger and all-of-a-sudden finds there are 'gaps' in her life.
She then feels somewhat guilty about leaving her husband, but by the end of the movie we see how effective that guilt really was.
Michelle Williams did a great job as Margot, and Seth Rogen, surprisingly, was not a jerk, but a sensitive guy who simply cannot read his wife's mind.
I give it an 8 out of 10, because it really does put women in a less-than-flattering light (most TV and a not-a-few movies follow the 85% rule - since women make or influence 85% of consumer purchases, never portray a woman as anything less than perfect and avoid showing men in a sympathetic light); hats off to the director for a 'warts-and-all' approach to portraying partners in a relationship.
Evolutionary biology equips us (for better or worse) with an ingrained memory of a short life, and an even shorter reproductive cycle.
Back in the caveman-and-cave-woman days, women would reject their mates roughly four years after the 1st offspring; the reason is quite simple: the need to avoid congenital defects.
(Let me be the 1st to admit that I'm not a biologist or a psychologist, but I have read a little about the phenomenon. And let's not forget that culture matters - society-wide, the concept of life-long marriage, a general disdain for divorce and the need to raise children with both parents have pretty clear purposes, but the notion of 'falling out of love' has its roots in the four-year-female-feral-sexual-cycle.... furthermore let's also keep in mind that some men really can be jerks, but that's not the case here).
This plays out in 'Take This Waltz.' Margot has been married to Lou for five years, meets a dark, handsome stranger and all-of-a-sudden finds there are 'gaps' in her life.
She then feels somewhat guilty about leaving her husband, but by the end of the movie we see how effective that guilt really was.
Michelle Williams did a great job as Margot, and Seth Rogen, surprisingly, was not a jerk, but a sensitive guy who simply cannot read his wife's mind.
I give it an 8 out of 10, because it really does put women in a less-than-flattering light (most TV and a not-a-few movies follow the 85% rule - since women make or influence 85% of consumer purchases, never portray a woman as anything less than perfect and avoid showing men in a sympathetic light); hats off to the director for a 'warts-and-all' approach to portraying partners in a relationship.
I remember the day in late August (maybe early September) of 1979 that I caught 'Star Blazers' on WNYC TV (before Fox became Channel 5 in my area) and I was immediately hooked. Simply nothing else like it was available on TV or in theaters at the time (Star Wars was re-released earlier that year but ESB was next year, and The Flannel One's creation was not a regular TV series).
Fast forward three decades and now the animated series is rebooted (due to the popularity of the live-action movie).
Despite some flaws (I won't get into them here; too nit-picky, some would say) this is simply the BEST reboot of any series that I have seen. I have caught 22 of the 26 episodes. Each episode, most of which had counterparts in the original series (some differ greatly but remain consistent) tells another dimension of the story, and all of it adds up. I cannot wait for the final four.
The characterizations are stronger, the movement and image crispness are a wonder to behold. Kudos to Studio Xebec. The design of the EDF and Gamilon capital ships, as well as the fighters, bombers and other small vehicles (many of which were lifted from or inspired by the original series) are EVERYTHING that I wanted in a reboot of 'Star Blazers/Yamato.' I can't say this enough: this series is ripe for a competent Hollywood adaptation. It's a combination of Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Saving Private Ryan and M*A*S*H with the musical theatricality of Les Miserables (thankfully there are no song and dance routines, but the music is awesome).
If you have not had the chance to view it, do so immediately. If you are a fan of Star Wars or the re-booted BSG, you will enjoy it. And, if you are a fan of the original, either the Japanese version or the American 'Star Blazers,' you owe it to your self to sit down, and spend 22 minutes per evening - one episode per night until the series is complete - for the ride of a lifetime.
Fast forward three decades and now the animated series is rebooted (due to the popularity of the live-action movie).
Despite some flaws (I won't get into them here; too nit-picky, some would say) this is simply the BEST reboot of any series that I have seen. I have caught 22 of the 26 episodes. Each episode, most of which had counterparts in the original series (some differ greatly but remain consistent) tells another dimension of the story, and all of it adds up. I cannot wait for the final four.
The characterizations are stronger, the movement and image crispness are a wonder to behold. Kudos to Studio Xebec. The design of the EDF and Gamilon capital ships, as well as the fighters, bombers and other small vehicles (many of which were lifted from or inspired by the original series) are EVERYTHING that I wanted in a reboot of 'Star Blazers/Yamato.' I can't say this enough: this series is ripe for a competent Hollywood adaptation. It's a combination of Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Saving Private Ryan and M*A*S*H with the musical theatricality of Les Miserables (thankfully there are no song and dance routines, but the music is awesome).
If you have not had the chance to view it, do so immediately. If you are a fan of Star Wars or the re-booted BSG, you will enjoy it. And, if you are a fan of the original, either the Japanese version or the American 'Star Blazers,' you owe it to your self to sit down, and spend 22 minutes per evening - one episode per night until the series is complete - for the ride of a lifetime.