IRON MAN 3 kick-starts the summer...big time!

Just saw Iron Man 3 for the second time in the space of 5 days and I enjoyed it even more the second time around. Mainly because it was not as crowded as it was a Thursday showing and I could actually hear all the wonderful snappy dialogue that kind of got drowned out the first time with so many people laughing and cheering. 

Tony in his spare time

The sequel starts with a voice over by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr for the 4th time..five if you count his appearance at the end of The Incredible Hulk) who speaks gravely about the events taking place. He flashes back to 1999 on New Year's Eve as he and his bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) party it up in Switzerland and Tony romances the lovely biologist Maya Hansen (new to the Iron Man universe Rebecca Hall). She is working on a new project that can hack into the hard drive of any living organism and upgrade it's DNA. Flash forward 13 years and her idea is being used by Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who Tony rebuffs at the same party those many years ago. Well his project Extremis uses ex-soldiers and grants them the ability to regenerate severed limbs and project intense heat along with super strength. These are the weapons utilized by the terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who threatens the world with his random acts of violence.

Rebecca Hall as Maya

Guy Pearce as Killian

When Happy gets injured in one such incident, Tony calls out the bad guy for a little one on one. Meanwhile Tony is having relationship issues with his girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) as she wants him to give up the super hero business a little and take it easy. Easier said than done as Tony has had trouble sleeping ever since the New York incident involving him and The Avengers. So he is constantly working on gadgets as his latest armor, Mark 42, can now adhere to his body magnetically from a distance which is very cool.

Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin

He will need all his smarts to take down Killian and his Extremis cronies. The Mandarin is an all different issue that I don't want to spoil here. You will never see it coming though. There is also a cool sub-plot when Tony crashes in Tennessee and is befriend by a very wise kid named Harley (Ty Simpkins). Their scenes together are the funniest bits in the whole movie. The whole cast in very engaging. RDJ can now play Tony Stark in his sleep and he does not coast on his laurels as he is just as good and sharp as he was the first time he suited up back in 2008. Paltrow is even more fiery as Pepper as she refuses to take a back seat to Tony's technology. Don Cheadle returns as Rhodey. And this time he is working directly for the President as Iron Patriot. Pearce makes a suitable villain that definitely will get your attention. Kingsley is pretty good too as The Mandarin but I really can't say too much about him without spoiling the movie.

Yep..trouble is coming

This shot reminds me of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang so much...

makes sense..Shane Black directed both films

As far as the action goes, director Shane Black goes all out for this one. The attack on Tony's malibu home by The Mandarin's forces is awesome! If that doesn't get your adrenaline going, then nothing will. Another great scene has to the Air Force One attack and then rescue of the passengers who are falling from the sky. That is one of the best film sequences I have ever seen! The snappy dialogue is still there and the plot never gets convulted or heavy. And the movie never drags. It is a great film and a great start for the summer movie season. And it improves on Iron Man 2 big time. I'm up for seeing it a third time for sure.
B+

Tony loves Pepper!

Can you believe I haven't been to the movies in 2013 yet?

I usually average seeing about a good 20 movies a year. Between films with my wife, friends, and co-workers that has been the amount for the past 10 or so years. Before then I was averaging nearly 30 movies, with my best being 36 movies seen back in 1992. So what is going on now? I mean the offerings have been kinda slim, but there were still some ones I wanted to check out. But between work and being sick with a severe cold/sore throat and recently a stomach bug, just haven't had the time. That will soon change. This month comes two action flicks that I am keen on seeing..the Die Hard in the White House flick, Olympus Has Fallen with Gerard Butler and the sequel, GI Joe 2. Both seem like major check your brain at the door popcorn flicks. So I think that will end my current slump. And then the first weekend in April is already circled on my calendar for the awesomely looking Evil Dead. Oh yeah! And then before you know it the big guns of summer will be unleashed..Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Man Of Steel, among others.

Come on back Monty..to the world of movies!

DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012)

Just saw Django Unchained, the newest film from Quentin Tarantino. And for the most part it is a pretty good film, damn near his best. I didn't want to write just another review as most everyone who has seen it has written some very well thought out reviews. I just wanted to point out the things I liked and the things I didn't. First the rating I give Django is a solid.....
  B+

King and Django..two men on a mission

Things I liked:

1.) The cast: top notch. One of the strongest casts in a Tarantino film since Pulp Fiction. From Jamie Foxx as the titular hero Django, who is soft spoken but one bad ass character. He wields guns like Uma Thurman wielded swords in the Kill Bill films. Christoph Waltz is excellent as Dr. King Schultz, a German dentist cum bounty hunter who frees Django, and enlists his help to track down some wanted men. Leonardo DiCaprio is perfectly villainous as Calvin Candie, the plantation owner who holds Django's wife as one his slaves. Samuel L. Jackson is unbelievably evil as Stephen, Calvin's house slave who really is more than meets the eye. Kerry Washington as Django's wife, Broomhilda, is ravishing and low-keyed hut effective in the quieter moments. Don Johnson as Big Daddy, another plantation owner who seeks payback on Django and Schultz who have crossed his path.  

2.) The music score: the songs were pretty cool but I actually enjoyed the music score itself even more. At times sweeping, at times epic, at times humorous...it all comes together for a perfect music score.

Django meets Calvin Candie

3.) The opening sequence: which sets the tone of the film as King tries to parlay Django's freedom from the Speck brothers which begins quite humorous but then turns very violent.

4.) The scene at Big Daddy's plantation and then the subsequent posse scene which is hilarious.

5.) The arrival of Django and Schultz as Calvin's place, Candyland. It's here where we get to meet Samuel L. Jackson's character, who takes an immediate dislike to Django.

Calvin gives a lesson to his guests

6.) The dinner conversation scene with the leads all charming and nice until....they are not.

7.) The explosive shoot-out where Django's just goes ballistic at Candyland.

8.) The finale

Stephen questions Broomhilda

Things I didn't like:

1.) Kinda long...at 2 hours and 45 minutes. Could have been trimmed by 20 minutes but that's a minor quibble.

2.) The ruse by Schultz and Django kind of leads to a big kind of head scratching moment when Calvin wants one more thing from Schultz before the deal is done..but I can kind of understand Schultz's reasons. You have to see the film to understand the moment I am talking about. Once again a minor quibble.

3.) Some scenes are really, really graphic. Like a man getting torn limb from limb by dogs. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Does it go overboard? Depends on your taste.  But at least is buffered by Tarantino's witty dialogue and usual banter. Be warned the language is very harsh as well. But it does fit the time period for the most part.

That's about it as far as dislikes...so as you can see more likes than dislikes. Hence my rating of B+.

Getting hooked on LOST GIRL

I recently started watching this cool show called Lost Girl on SyFy channel last year and immediately fell in love with it. The series just had it's third season premiere last night and it's better than ever. It's about the intriguing and unbelievably sexy Bo, a succubus who feeds on the energy of humans. But she refuses to give in to those dark desires and instead help people by becoming a private investigator who specializes in those weird cases. Bo is played by the wonderfully named Anna Silk, and just exudes so much sexual energy, you can just feel it. I mean she is a succubus after all. Her friend Kenzi (played by the also wonderfully named Ksenia Solo) acts as her conscience and also provides a lot of humor. Now I'm still trying to get up to speed on this show as I have seen most of season 1 and a few episodes of season 2 but I still don't know all the characters and the over-reaching storyline as of yet. But it is certainly fun doing so. If you haven't been watching Lost Girl, I suggest you give it a try. It airs on SyFy every Monday night at 10 pm EST with Season 3 now just underway.

All My Favorite Things Of Star Trek

I've been watching a lot of Star Trek of late and decided to list my favorite things of all the series and movies. I broke them down into sections with a top 5 in each. So here we go. This may change after the upcoming new Trek film, Into Darkness later this summer. As you can see, I have much love for the original crew and series. But I think each series has something great about them as well.

MOVIES

1. THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) - Still the best representation of Star Trek. Everything clicks: the characters, the effects, the story, the villian (a magnificient Ricardo Montablan) and it all comes together wonderfully.

2. STAR TREK (2009) - The franchise is rebooted for today's audiences by JJ Abrams and he does a fantastic job. Terrific effects and a young new cast acquit themselves nicely.

3. FIRST CONTACT (1996) - The Next Generation's second movie and the first where they really get to shine. You mix in time travel with the Borg and you've got an instant classic. Patrick Stewart is awesome as he gets to let loose with some action scenes and some exciting acting as well.

4. THE VOYAGE HOME (1986) - After bringing Spock back to life in the previous entry, the crew are headed back to Earth but get waylaid by this destructive probe and must travel back in time to present day Earth to save the day. This is the Trek film that everyone can enjoy thanks to the emphasis on story and not too much techno babble. Lots of hunor as well.

5. THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991) - The final voyage for the original series crew and it's a great send-off. It's more of a mystery/drama than an all out action spectacle but it still works. Great job guys.



TV SERIES

1. STAR TREK - ORIGINAL SERIES
2. NEXT GENERATION
3. DEEP SPACE NINE
4. VOYAGER
5. ENTERPRISE

CAPTAINS

1. JAMES T. KIRK
2. JEAN-LUC PICARD
3. KATHRYN JANEWAY
4. BENJAMIN SISKO
5. JONATHAN ARCHER

VULCANS

1. SPOCK
2. T'POL
3. TUVOK
4. SAREK
5. SAAVIK

DOCTORS

1. MCCOY
2. THE DOCTOR
3. BEVERLY CRUSHER
4. BASHIR
5. PHLOX
 
VILLIANS
 

1. KHAN
2. THE BORG
3. Q
4. THE DOMINION
5. KLINGONS

My first Blade Runner experience...many years ago

A lot of my readers know that Blade Runner is one of my favorite films of all time. I wanted to share this little story about the first time I saw it. I was 13 and it was September 1983. My family had just recently got HBO. And that was THE channel back then. To be able to see movies that had just played at the theaters a year ago was cool as can be. The only catch was we only had it for the main large color TV in our living room. Which made it difficult to see certain movies at certain times and days or nights. Well Blade Runner premiered on a Saturday night at 8pm. Now I don't remember why I couldn't watch it then but I missed it. So I was quite upset. I was in 8th grade at the time and when I went to school that following Monday that was like the only topic for that day. From the time I got on the bus to the time I got to homeroom, that's all everybody was talking about. Did ya see it? Man that movie was awesome. Harrison Ford. The flying cars. The replicants. All day long I had to listen to that. Even my teachers were talking about it. It wasn't until Wednesday that HBO would re-air it and I would get a chance to watch it. At 11 pm that night. My mom kept saying you're gonna be sleepy tomorrow if you stay up to watch that movie. And I was like I'm not missing it again. So I stayed up to watch it and enjoyed it big time. So when I went to school the next day to finally talk about it with everyone else, suddenly it was old news and everyone had moved on to another movie or big thing. I was like..damn. Still Blade Runner is an awesome movie and I just wanted to share this story with everyone.

WOMEN WHO KICK ASS - MILLA JOVOVICH

For my second selection in my ongoing new series of actresses who specialize in roles where they get to show their male counterparts that they can be just as hardcore as them, I choose Milla Jovovich. After kicking ass in five, so far, Resident Evil films, Milla definitely deserves to be in the conversation. But let's wind the clock back a bit to see where this beauty from the Ukraine got her start. After appearing in a lot of small parts in the late 80's and early 90's, I first took notice of her in the high school slacker movie Dazed and Confused as the quiet stoner Michelle. No action to speak of but this film would be a stepping stone for her next role. The 1997 sci-fi starrer The Fifth Element, directed by Luc Besson and starring Bruce Willis. Milla was cast as Leeloo, the fifth element, that is Earth's only hope against an impending evil. The fact that she is child like kind of throws you off as she quickly learns kung fu to become a lethal weapon. Milla would wind up marrying Besson after wrapping this film but it lasted only two years. Their pairing did produce one hell of a joy ride of a movie.

As Leeloo...getting the drop on someone

They would return for The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc in 1999 before their union dissolved and it was another showcase for Milla to flex her action muscles with scenes of sword fighting, and horse riding. 

Ready to kill some zombies

But it wasn't until the first Resident Evil bowed in 2002 that Milla's action credentials were solidified. As Alice, the heroine, she gets to kick much ass. Not so much in her initial offering but as the sequels came, she became more and more stronger and efficient at taking out zombies. The first Evil racked up $100 million worldwide at the box-office so a sequel was quickly green lit. For the sequel Alice was imbued with super strength and agility as she was given the T-rex virus and her body bonded with it but did not turn her into a raving zombie. She became a one woman wrecking crew. There have been a total of five Resident Evil movies now, counting the recently released Retribution, which saw the theatrical grosses swell to $230 million worldwide. Safe bet there will be a sixth movie with Milla returning once again.

Definitely armed for battle

Oh and in between killing zombies Milla got to engage in some derring do as Milady de Winter in the 2011 Three Musketeers remake. She was by far the best thing in this insipid film. Milla Jovovich..a woman who can kick ass!

 After five movies, Alice knows the drill

Adrianne Palicki just can't catch a break...

Adrianne Palicki...poised for greatness

Actress Adrianne Palicki has had some bad luck recently regarding her films and TV series. If they're not getting canceled, they are getting delayed. I have been following her career since the pilot episode of Supernatural back in 2005, where she played Sam Winchester's ill-fated girlfriend Jessica. She played that role on a recurring basis over the course of a handful of episodes. Her biggest role was that of hot to trot high school vixen Tyra on the NBC series, Friday Night Lights. So far a steady, decent career, nothing earth shattering but she wasn't making commercials either.

As the new Wonder Woman

Her bad luck would first appear when she was cast in the new proposed Wonder Woman series. But once images of her in that shiny WW costume appeared, there was an immediate backlash. NBC pulled the plug on the series before one episode ever aired. That could have been her break-out moment, but alas it did not happen. That was last year. This year she had a plum role in the expected blockbuster GI Joe 2 as Lady Jaye, co-starring The Rock and Bruce Willis. Originally poised to come out in June, the studio pushed the film back till March 2013 to tweak the 3D process..so they say. Most people gather it was to shoot more scenes with Channing Tatum, who was having an unbelievable year with hits The Vow, 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike. Word is, he initially was only seen briefly in Joe 2 before his super year took off. A bad break for Adrianne. And now this week her long delayed film Red Dawn finally hits theaters after sitting on the shelf for two years. It came in 7th this week at the box-office. Ouch!

As the delightful Holly Rocket in Elektra Luxx

But I happened to see Adrianne over the weekend in this underrated, little scene gem called Elektra Luxx, playing Holly Rocket, a not too bright porn star wannabe. She gives a funny, off the wall performance that was perfect. But like I said, no one has heard of this 2010 women ensemble pic. It co-stars Carla Gugino, Connie Britton, Marley Shelton, and Garcelle Beauvais. Bad luck that not too many people have heard of it.

Hopefully Adrianne will soon get the attention and credit she deserves because she is an actress right on the cusp of stardom.

Bond is back and better than ever in the terrific SKYFALL

After an extended four year break from cinemas, James Bond returns...with a vengeance. Skyfall is the 23rd Bond film since 1962, so it marks the 50th anniversary of that occasion. And let me tell you something...this film is beyond awesome. Daniel Craig returns for this third time and now he fits very comfortable in the role of the super spy. I mean he fits really good. The film begins in Turkey with Bond being assisted by a field agent named Eve (wonderful performance by Naomie Harris) tracking down a stolen hard drive of deep undercover British agents. This leads to a frenetic chase by car, then motorcycle, then train. Things go south, as the two agents fail and Bond is reported missing, most likely dead. M (played by the always terrific Judi Dench) has to take heat from her superiors about the botched affair while Bond spends his time recovering and drinking trying to get over his own personal demons.

Bond on motorbike in Turkey looking dapper

But once an explosion goes off at MI6 headquarters Bond comes home to do what he can. The banter between him and M is distinctly frosty but also caring. This is probably the best onscreen employer/employee relationship ever. Before Bond can go back into the field he must pass a series of physical and mental tests to deem him fit for duty. His skills are decidedly not up to snuff as he can barely hit a target with his PPK. And is severely out of shape. But pass he does..sort of and M sends him back out, much to the chagrin of Gareth Mallory (played by Ralph Fiennes), a new figure in MI6, who is worried that Bond might mess up again. Bond gets a new personal PPK by the new Q (played cleverly by Ben Whishaw) and they get to have some classic Bond/Q banter that recalls the old Bond films.

Okay Bond, let's get these buggers!

On to the mission which sends Bond to Shanghai after the hard drive to encounter the exotic Severine (played by French actress Berenice Marlohe) who winds up taking Bond to her employer and the villain of this film, Silva (a blonde Javier Bardem). Silva's introduction is a classic one as he meets Bond and tells him of a childhood story involving rats. From the first time you meet Silva, you know this guy is bad news. And once you find out his connection to M, it becomes a more personal film for Bond and M too.

The villain of Skyfall...Silva

Skyfall is amazing. I can't praise it enough. I know some have complained of not enough action and being too long but this film is more than just about action. I think it's a great story about three people (Bond, M, and Silva) who are haunted by their past sins and must confront them and each other. This film is gorgeous to look at. The cinematography is excellent by Roger Deakins. Taut direction by Sam Mendes. A great music score by Thomas Newman, who supplies the Bond theme quite a few times through out the film. Also Craig gets to drop a few more one liners that was sorely missed in his first two outings. But he doesn't get carried away with them, just the right amount. The action scenes when they do come are quite thrilling. From the opening chase sequence to a thrilling fight sequence in a Shanghai skyscraper between Bond and an assassin.
There's also the exciting subway chase/courtroom shoot-out that will get your adrenaline going. And then things end with a standoff at Bond's childhood home between him, M, family friend Kincade (played by wily Albert Finney) and a whole passel of Silva's men. The performances are all top notch, especially Craig, Dench and Bardem. They form quite the fractured trio and you are fully vested in their relationship and how it all will end. I also love the homages to the classic Bond films like the aston Martin Craig keeps in storage and finally gets to drive, the introduction of Q and a new Moneypenny as well. Wait till you see her..she's cool as can be. Oh and the theme song by Adele...heavenly!

Bond going old school on some fools

All in all, Skyfall is one of the best Bond films ever. And one of the best films by far of 2012. It's great having you back James! Can't wait for your next adventure.
A

Eve draws down on someone

The exotic Severine

Bond and Severine take a little boat ride

Be My Guest: June Hill Dentzer

My guest for the month is a friend of mine I met on Facebook. Her name is June and we've been friends since last summer. We share a love of movies and comic books. And she graciously accepted my invite to come on Hero Worship for a little Q & A. Take it away June..

1. If you don't mind, could you feel in my readers on what makes June who she is.

Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc...

I've been a registered nurse in an emergency room for the past 14 years. I suppose this has made me pretty intense, though I really always have been. I am ridiculously opinionated. I love film, and the types of films I watch vary widely from 70’s grindhouse to art cinema, indie films, horror, superhero movies...just about anything except really stupid comedies.  In my spare time I dabble in photography and I’m passionate about pop surrealism and art vinyl toys, and I’m in recovery from a $70 a week comic book habit.

2. What are some of your favorite films? Modern and classic

I love everything by Quentin Tarantino, and I’m currently really enjoying the Dutch films of Paul Verhoeven, especially The Fourth Man, Spetters, and Turkish Delight. I love old Hammer horror films, like The Legend of Hell house, I love Corman films, old musicals like Singing in the Rain. I love Hitchcock films. I love Almodovar films...The Skin I Live in is one of the best modern films I’ve seen in a long time. Or really violent films like Ichi the Killer.

3. Describe your first movie-going experience. Like where, how old, with who, etc...

The first movies I can remember seeing were both with my Aunt Suzie. She took me to see Bambi and a version of A Christmas Carol...I don’t remember which one. There was a scene looking up from the grave that I remember being pretty freaked out by. I can also remember going to the drive in with my parents and being told to sleep in the back of the station wagon. I saw Up the Sandbox and I think it was What’s Up Tiger Lily? that way

4. What is your favorite film genre?

I love a really black comedy. Or a really violent film, preferably with brutally homicidal women. I giggled all the way through Kill Bill the first time I saw it.

5. Who are some of your favorite actors/actresses?

I have a lot of favorites. I love Angela Bettis. She was chilling in the movie May, and more recently All My Friends Are Funeral Singers. I like Chloe Moretz and Juno Temple. Keep an eye on them. They’re young but I think will go far. I like Michael Fassbender. He’s been showing an interesting range lately.

6. What films upon first viewing did you not like, then later on when re-watching them,

loved the hell out of them.

Bad 80’s horror films and Corman style B movies. Years ago I was a bit of a movie snob, preferring a more cerebral indie film or foreign films. I couldn’t appreciate a more low brow type film. Now I can’t get enough of them!

7. What are some of your favorite film quotes?

 There's a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon you." Now... I been sayin' that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, that meant your ass. You'd be dead right now. I never gave much thought to what it meant. I just thought it was a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker before I popped a cap in his ass. But I saw some shit this mornin' made me think twice. See, now I'm thinking: maybe it means you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. 9mm here... he's the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could mean you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. And I'd like that. But that shit ain't the truth. The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.  Jules..Pulp Fiction

8. What classic films that are widely loved, could you care less about?

Casablanca. I watched it once and didn’t care for it at all.

9. If you threw a movie theme party, describe how you would do it. The costumes, decorations, food, etc..

Wow...that’s tough. Obviously a Tarantino themed party...probably with all the food in the shape of feet.

10. Who's the biggest film fanatic that you know? Besides yourself of course.

No question about that...Chris Dallis, my boyfriend. I met him online. On our first date, I told him “ I’ve gotta warn you...I like movies” Chris-“Great! I like movies too!” Me- “No, I mean I REALLY like movies”. This led to a four hour discussion that proved that while I loved film, I knew NOTHING about it at the time. And how sexy it is to finally find another movie nerd. He has since proceeded to educate me on all the finer aspects of film. Just today he received Tim Lucas’s All the Colors of the Dark, the ultimate work on Mario Bava, on which he dropped a startling sum

11.Describe the perfect way for you to watch a movie.

Curled up on my couch with Chris with NO interruptions. I love to go to the theater but all too often find that at least half of the people there are absolute jerks. The best theater experience I’ve had was at Whip It...I was the only person in the theater. It was delightful!!

12. And finally, who are some of your favorite film characters?

Maggie Gylenhall’s character in Secretary, Angela Bava’s in May, and the Bride in Kill Bill. I always love the homicidal women, and the whole rebirth through S&M theme of Secretary is a delight. Sorry...I’m a bit off. My therapist says it’s okay


Wow..what awesome answers June gave. Does she not sound cool or what? I would like to thank her for being my guest this month and I hope everyone enjoyed having her here as much as I did.