Top Five Film Couples

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and that means it’s time for another holiday themed top five list. My list this month is dedicated to film couples who show an immeasurable amount of love for each other. Sure, there are cinema pairs that are lauded throughout history, such as Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman from Casablanca, but I’m looking for something more. I am looking for that tangible, undying love in my duos. The couples I have in mind could not be separated by any means, physical or otherwise. Even WWII couldn’t stop these soul mates from being together. So, without further adieu, here is my top five list of film’s most in love couples.

5. John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey from “Wedding Crashers”- The couple in this movie are not romantically involved with each other. However, they are much closer and have a stronger bond than most couples I’ve seen in film. Together, these two infiltrated countless weddings to help each other score with emotionally charged women, and they even penetrated the household of a U.S. Senator to get with his daughters. Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Grey (Vince Vaughn) were not always floating on cloud nine, but even through thick times they were there for each other. There were countless times where Grey wanted to leave the senator’s house before they were discovered, but he stayed for Beckwith even though he knew it was a bad idea. The movie ended happily with both Beckwith and Grey paired with the women they loved, but a part of me believes that they’d be happier if they ditched the ladies and were just with each other. Trailer!

4. Juniper ‘Joon’ Pearl and Sam from “Benny and Joon”- Crazy people need love, too. And just because they’re crazy doesn’t mean their love isn’t any less strong. That’s the message I got out of Benny and Joon, anyway. Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson) was a mentally ill woman who was taken care of by her brother, Benny. Benny took her to a poker game with his buddies one night, and while he was away from the table, Joon played a hand for him. Benny came back to find out that Joon lost, and as a result of the bet, he and Joon had to take in another player’s cousin, Sam (Johnny Depp). Sam modeled himself after the famous silent film actor Buster Keaton, and it didn’t take long for him and Joon to fall in love. Even with the pressures of society, family and their own neuroses, nothing was able to keep these two apart. Trailer!

3. Alabama Whitman and Clarence Worley from “True Romance”- Love can make you do crazy things, especially in movies. It may cause you to stand outside a girl’s window holding a boombox over your head all night, or it might make you do something a little more drastic, like kill your love’s pimp. That’s what Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) does in “True Romance.” Worley’s boss bought him a call girl, Alabama Whitman (Patricia Arquette), for his birthday, but Worley and Whitman fell hard for each other. They discussed their lives together but realized that while Whitman’s pimp, Drexl, is alive the two could never live in peace. So, Worley went out, and with luck on his side, killed Drexl and stole a suitcase of drugs. And that is just the beginning of Whitman and Worley’s adventure together. With how far they go to protect each other, it’s clear that the love they share is all-encompassing. Trailer!

2. Samantha Barzel and Jerry Welbach from “The Mexican”- Contrary to popular belief, real love is not perfect. Since perfect love doesn’t actually exist, it’s nice to see it in film, kind of like how it’s nice to see giant robots and dinosaurs in film, too. However, when a movie shows us a realistic depiction of love, I feel it’s important to give that movie credit. With that said, I have never seen a truer portrayal of love than in “The Mexican.” Jerry Welbach (Brad Pitt) got into some trouble with a criminal organization of sorts, and owes them a favor. His task to clean the slate with the group is to go down to Mexico and pick up a legendary gun. Welbach’s girlfriend, Samantha Barzel (Julia Roberts), is tired of Welbach doing favors for these people and feels as though Welbach doesn’t actually care for her. However, if Welbach doesn’t go through with the job, then he’ll die. So, feeling as though he has no choice, Welbach goes down to Mexico to retrieve the firearm at the expense of his relationship. However, while he is in Mexico, Barzel gets kidnapped and is held hostage by a hitman. In my attempt make a long story short, Welbach and Barzel end up together because despite their hectic lives and catastrophic personalities, they love each other, through the bad times and the good. Even as crazy as they drive each other, they’ll never reach that point when enough is enough because when you truly love somebody, that point doesn’t exist. Trailer!

1. Mallory and Mickey Knox from “Natural Born Killers”- Good guys aren’t the only people who can fall in love. Often times the bad guys fall in love even harder, and Mallory and Mickey Knox (Juliette Lewis and Woody Harrelson) from “Natural Born Killers” are the ultimate example of that. These two, more than any other couple I know of, have shown the strongest bond to each other. Maybe it’s because they are a couple and partners in crime that their love is so impervious. When you and your loved one are criminals, you have to watch each other’s backs especially so because the law is after you. The kind of strain that would put on a relationship would either break it or make it titanium strong. In this case, it appears to be the latter. Even after being forced apart and locked up in a maximum security prison their love didn’t ebb one bit. If anything it got stronger, and their reuniting was an explosion of emotions. These two have shown the most perfect, passionate love for each other and deserve to top my list. Trailer!

Top Five Media Related Things I am Looking Forward to in 2009

Top Five Things Media Things I’m Looking Forward to in the New Year

With the New Year comes new opportunity. People take this chance to restart their lives and make resolutions in order to make the coming year even better than the last. However, my favorite part of the New Year is all the cool new things coming out. New books, movies, video games, television shows and much more all get prepped for release throughout the New Year. So, with so many things coming out, I felt now would be the appropriate time to unveil my most looked forward to of 2009.

5. Champions Online (PC) - Like “City of Heroes,” “Champions Online” is a super hero themed MMORPG created by Cryptic Studios. The draw of this game is the fact that it’s extremely customizable. You can choose the basic things like your hero’s height, weight and gender, but even smaller things like how they move. They can run on all fours like an animal, jerk around like a robot or float from place to place like a telekinetic person. And beyond this, you even get to create your own arch nemesis. Besides the graphical shift from jaw-dropping prettiness to comic book style cel-shading this looks, “Champions Online” looks like it’s nothing but an improvement. See Here!

4. Crank 2: High Voltage- The first Crank film was amazing, but in the cheesiest way possible. The plot was insane brilliance that allowed for Hollywood’s newest action hero, Jason Statham, to go around and perform intense stunts where ever he went. Sex in public, zapped with a defibrillator, stealing a cop’s gun and motorcycle; nothing was off limits. Crank 2: High Voltage will be starting where the last one left off, which happens to be with Statham crashing into the ground from a helicopter. He should be dead. There is no reasonable explanation as to why Statham is still alive, but he is nonetheless. And I think that’s what draws me to the movie. The filmmaker is just plainly putting it out there. “Yeah, you thought he was dead, but he isn’t. Deal with it and enjoy the ride.” I like that style. See Here!

3. The House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii) - The House of the Dead arcade games have been a large part of my childhood. When my dad used to take me to movies, I would play the first House of the Dead until the movie started. I played it so often that I have the entire first game memorized. The sequels were a lot of fun, too, so this newest edition shouldn’t be a disappointment. Also, this game is a prequel. It takes place during the 70s, and it has a strong 70s horror movie feel to it. So combine the zombie-shooting plot device with a grind house-style attitude and my current generation console of choice, you have my likely game of the year. See Here!

2. Terminator Salvation- I’m a science fiction nerd, and as a science fiction nerd there are two things I like a lot: time travel and artificial intelligence. The Terminator series is centered on both, so of course I love it. The first Terminator was trendsetter, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day is probably the best action movie ever made. Even Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which did not have James Cameron directing and starred an old Arnold Schwarzenegger, wasn’t too bad. So, it’d be strange for me to not look forward to this movie. Finally instead of hearing about the hell the future is, we get to see it. And, better yet, Christian Bale is playing an adult John Connor. Hopefully he leaves his Batman voice at home. See Here!

1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine- My number one choice is a comic book movie? Gasp! Typically I am not the biggest fan of Wolverine. It’s easy for people to like him as a character. He’s tough, sarcastic and can never die. He’s too easy for me to really get behind. However, even with my ambivalent feelings toward Wolverine, this movie looks awesome. The Weapon X Project is one of my favorite storylines in the Marvel universe, and this allows entrance to one of my favorite comic book characters: Deadpool. Yes, he’s being played by Ryan Reynolds, but I’m going to give him a shot. If he sucks, then I’ll admit. If he doesn’t, then I’ll be the first one to celebrate. And the best part about Wolverine is that he’s a fighter, so more than any other Marvel movie I am expecting a lot of action in this one. I am especially excited for the showdown between Wolverine and Sabertooth. Oh man, I just got the chills. See Here!

Fiction Vs. Fiction

Just because a movie is loyal to the parent material it is based on does not mean the movie is good. You know what that does make it, though? Loyal. That’s it. There are some things you can do in books and the like that you cannot do in film. And also, just because a movie strays from the parent material does not mean that it is inherently bad. Sometimes changes are necessary to turn something written into something visual. Let’s take a look of examples from each.

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl is a widely celebrated children’s book. It’s the story of a kid who doesn’t quite fit in with his peers and wins a prize to tour a chocolate factory. That’s a day dream almost every kid has had, so it’s no surprise that the book was popular. There are two movies based on this book: the 1971 film by Mel Stuart starring Gene Wilder, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” and the 2005 film directed by Tim Burton starring Johnny Depp, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

The Stuart version departed from the book but did so in the interest of the audience. The Oompa-Loompas and the songs they sang were changed, along with the swapping of the squirrels for golden egg-laying geese and the addition of Charlie’s school scenes. Each of these differences added a distinctive flair that otherwise would have been missing. The Oompa-Loompas would have been a lot less interesting as small natives, the geese that lay golden eggs are a lot more fantastic than squirrels that are good at checking nuts and the school scenes helped the audience feel empathy for Charlie. These and other small differences were all added to create a children’s film that can stand the test of time.

The Burton film, however, stuck closer to the book. Charlie’s father is present, there is no Fizzy Lifting Drink for Charlie and Grandpa Joe to drink and the Oompa-Loompa songs are kept as genuine as possible. However, these points of accuracy don’t necessarily add anything to the film. Charlie’s mother in the 1971 film was a lot more sympathetic than both of the parents in the 2005 version, so the addition of the father didn’t bring anything worthwhile to the table. The ordeal with the Fizzy Lifting Drink added one of the most memorable scenes in the Stuart version where Charlie and Grandpa Joe had to burp to avoid being sucked up into fans. And while the words to the songs in the Burton version may be more accurate, the songs themselves are produced in such a way that it’s difficult to decipher what they’re saying. Not to mention, they aren’t as catchy as the songs from the Stuart version. Burton’s film wasn’t bad, but it’ll be Stuart’s that people remember.

Then there is The Punisher. The Punisher is a Marvel Comics anti-hero who decided to become a vigilante after his family was executed by the Mafia. The comic book series was rarely deep, but it was violent and that was enough to pull in readers. Since the comic’s genesis, there have been several movies made from it. The two most recent were the 2004 film “The Punisher” starring Tom Jane and the 2008 redo “Punisher: War Zone” starring Ray Stevenson. Neither movie was particularly good, but the 2004 was clearly the better movie.

The 2004 film took place in Florida, which is an immediate departure from the comic book series, which takes place in New York. On top of that, it wasn’t the Mafia that killed his family in this movie but a money launderer. While these differences didn’t necessarily impair the film, they definitely didn’t help it. However, the film succeeds in showing us the Punisher, Frank Castle, before his family was killed and showing us the execution itself. Both of these setups help the audience have sympathy for Castle, so we encourage him to become, or at least understand why he becomes, the Punisher. Also, even though the Punisher is a well trained soldier, he is still vulnerable in this film. There’s always a sense that he may die when battling the killers who have been hired to take him out. This keeps up the films suspense and helps the audience stay interested. So, while the movie wasn’t excellent, it had some good elements.

The 2008 film did things differently. It stays more true to the comic book in such that it takes place in New York, the Mafia is the organization to kill his family and the character acts more like the Punisher generally. These points of precision are wasted, though, due to the lack of quality everywhere else. The villains and secondary characters were written without effort, the story is horrendous and, well, it was just plain bad. The most we’re given are a couple of flashbacks of his family’s death to understand Castle’s plight, which isn’t enough. And The Punisher comes off as a rampaging golem who is never actually in danger. Nobody, not even the main antagonists, ever really challenge Castle. And without that challenge, there’s little suspense to keep the audience interested. Besides the colorful cinematography, there isn’t really anything of worth in it.

So, departing from the parent material, whether it is a book or comic book or something else all together, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Iron Man movie departed extensively from its origins, and it was one of the best reviewed films of 2008. The filmmaker just needs to be sure the changes he or she makes is in the interest of the audience. Otherwise, the movie might bomb like the majority of Stephen King adaptations.

Top Five Christmas Movies

Honorable Mention: Die Hard- While it wasn’t at the center of the plot, this film actually was a Christmas movie. John McClaine went to L.A. to see his children and estranged wife for the holiday. There’s even a scene where McClaine is being driven around in a limo and the chauffeur is listening to “Christmas in Hollis” by Run-D.M.C. What’s more joyful than that? Really, if you take away the terrorists, the violence, the nudity, the blood and the language, you have the heart of a very merry Christmas movie. However, it is only an honorable mention because every other movie on my list is specifically centered on Christmas.

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas- This is one of the ultimate movies in the opinion of my generation. It combines Christmas and Halloween, two of the biggest holidays in this country, and creates a mish-mash that’s fun for creepy goth kids and naïve, sheltered children alike. The music is elegant and beautiful at times and spooky and scary at others. My favorite track, “What’s This?” has burrowed a place so deep in my heart that I always listen to it before Christmas. The pull of the movie, though, comes from the hero, Jack Skellington. He’s an icon in his Halloween town, but he still feels emptiness in his heart and tries to mend it by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over Christmas. How sweet.

4. Scrooged- This is a 1988 comedic interpretation of “A Christmas Carol” starring Bill Murray. Well, it starts off as a comedy when we see Murray as the bitter T.V. exec pitch his idea of a promo for a Christmas special, but it quickly gets depressing like the story “Scrooged” was adapted from. We get to see a homeless person freeze to death, one of Murray’s newly made ex-employees go crazy, Murray’s assistant’s depressing home life and how much Murray’s own family hates him. However, it all ends well with the patented ending of Murray coming back to reality with a new heart of gold.

3. Home Alone- This movie is great for three reasons. First, it allowed me to see what life could be like if I was a kid living in a giant two story house by myself. I never lived in a place with stairs, but after watching “Home Alone” I’ve always wanted to ride a sled down some stairs through the front door and into a snow covered yard. Secondly, it gave me plenty of ideas for booby traps to utilize against my then nemesis. And third, it was a touching. The protagonist kid learned that his neighbor wasn’t a serial killer, but just an old man who wanted to see his granddaughter. He learned that his family, while annoying some times, truly loved him and would always be there for him. Pretty nice sentiments for a movie famous for hitting people in the head with paint cans.

2. Joyeux Noel- This movie, more than any other movie, depicts what I believe Christmas ought to be. It takes place during World War I at a battleground where the French, Scottish and Germans are fighting each other. It was Christmas Eve and in a cautious ceasefire the three groups decided to celebrate the holiday together. These soldiers who were killing each just the previous day were now sharing champagne and chocolate, singing together, playing football with each other and attending mass along side each other. And, to me, the best part of the movie was that the next day the soldiers couldn’t fight each other anymore. They knew they were supposed to, but they couldn’t do it. The feelings they shared on Christmas Eve stuck with them and changed them. They weren’t enemies anymore; they were brothers.

1. Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas- Maybe this was a predictable pick, but I have to stay true to myself. I haven’t had a Christmas yet where I didn’t watch this movie. It’s a film that I’ve been watching since I was a kid; since Christmas was still about wonder and excitement. I still sing (and make up my own words for) the song that plays when the Grinch is stealing everybody’s presents. I still laugh at the dog that has to wear a single antler to impersonate a reindeer. And, to be honest, I still get a little teary-eyed when I see the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes. It’s a nostalgic movie for me, and I bet it will be for many more generations.

Transporter 3 and Sonic Unleashed

Transporter 3:

The 80s and 90s were the culmination of action movie franchises. The Die Hard series began in the late 80s and the newest addition came out in 2007. The Lethal Weapon series also began in the 80s with the newest film being released in 1998. It has been a while since a new string of action movies really took off. That's what made the Transporter movies so exciting for me.

The first Transporter film came out in 2002, and it was fantastic. Jason Statham did a great job playing the solitary Frank Martin, and the action scenes were unique and well paced. The sequel was released in 2005, and, it was less than stellar. Abandoning the European locale, this sequel took place in the States and apparently caught a bad case of American-film-itis. The action scenes were choppy, although still mildly entertaining, and the plot went from a slightly preposterous to saving the world from the apocalypse. So, what does the third one have to offer?

The writers, mistakenly, gave Martin more personality than the previous films. Instead of opening the film with Martin performing a job, it opens with him fishing with his detective buddy. This is the wrong way to open up a Transporter film. It is supposed to start with Martin preparing for his job in a parking garage. Even the awful second film got that right. Martin also is forced into giving an uncharacteristic strip tease, but more on that later.

The film took a step back from the second and reduced the impact of the antagonists. Instead of the possibility of the world being taken over by the baddies, only the Ukraine is at risk in this film. And it's threatened by evil, American polluters, no less. I don't necessarily like being portrayed as a villain, but anything is better than the group of villains from the second film. And the lead villain was played pretty well by Robert Knepper. He was the evil counterpart to Frank Martin, always obeying his own set of rules.

The action, again, was better than the second. The fight scenes (there was a whopping two of them) were still choppy and not as interesting as the first film's, such as the oil slick fight, but were well choreographed nonetheless. The heart of the action comes from other stunts. The crowning achievement was a scene where Martin gets carjacked, but has to stay within 75 feet of the car or else he'll explode thanks to a bracelet the villain put on him. It contains elements of parkour and has great pacing.

The only truly unique thing about this film is likely only to pique the interests of feminists. The leading lady, Natalya Rudakova, plays Valentina, a spoiled, privileged Ukrainian party girl who serves as the MacGuffin for the film. In the second fight scene, Martin utilizes his clothes as weapons against a group of baddies. He begins by taking off and using his coat, then his tie and finally his shirt. Valentina, watching from the car, is visually excited watching Martin undress. This is one of the few films I've seen where the Gaze is fixed on the man as opposed to the woman. And later in the film, Valentina steals the keys to the car and makes Martin strip for her in order to get the keys back. Again, seeing the woman in the position of power is rare, so the experience was refreshing.

Altogether, if you are a fan of the previous two films, then you won't be disappointed by this addition. The beginning and and scenes aren't great, but the middle section is above average. It has great action, a decent story and good acting. Watching this movie now is probably a better idea then waiting for the new Punisher movie coming out in December.

Sonic Unleashed:

I've only played several hours worth of the game, so this is more of a first look than a review. And, this first look isn't pretty.

Well, actually, the game is very pretty. I'm a big fan of the graphics. Some of the best I've seen on the Wii. Of course, if you're playing a game for the graphics, then the Wii isn't the console of choice. The Wii is all about the controls.

The controls aren't bad. The game is easy enough to play, but that's when you can actually play the game. The creators decided to deface the Sonic franchise (again) by making the game part point and click adventure. Part of the game is talking to villagers and trying to get information as to the whereabouts of somebody or something. A sonic game is about running, preferably running fast. It is not about talking to random people only to find out they don't have the information you're looking for.

Also, it should be noted you cannot skip the cut scenes. This wasn't a problem at first. I wanted to bask in the gae as a whole, so I watched the first few cut scenes. But it got to the point where it went from point-and-click adventure to cut scene back to point-and-click adventure. Wanting to get to the fast running, I began mashing buttons during the cutscenes, but nothing would let me skip the scene.

And, getting back to the controls, they kind of suck. Playing as the WereHog Sonic isn't fun. There's no enemy lock-on when fighting, so while shaking the Wii remote and nunchuck you have to keep pointing at your enemies. This doesn't sound difficult, but in practice it's a lot harder than it sounds. Also, there's no way to change the camera angle (much like the new Chrash Bandicoot game), so if you have to back track, you'll be running towards the screen, which is disorienting to say the least.

The only true perk I can think of is the actual running parts as regular sonic. If the game was entirely composed of this style gameplay, then I would enjoy the game one hundred times more.

But, alas, this is just a first look. My fingers are crossed that things will get better.