Movie Monday With Fred!- Deep Rising (1998)

 

This Monday Fred recommends: Deep Rising (1998)

 

It's been a little while since we've had a creature-feature on here. And what better one to come back to the genre than this film here!

Hijackers board a luxury ocean liner, but discover that the entire passengers and crew have mysteriously vanished. What caused their disappearance? But, more importantly, can the hijackers make it off the ship alive?

Much like Broken Arrow (1996) last time, this is just a solid movie for a good time! It's not a hidden classic of the genre, but if you're looking for a fun flick, look no further. This is a movie that knows exactly what it is and knows exactly how much tongue-in-cheek it should be, while also taking itself just seriously enough to solidify the threat. 

And on that last point, this movie can be surprisingly gory in some spots. Nothing too gruesome, but just enough to earn itself that "R" rating. You have gooey dead bodies, an axe to the head and a quick scene of a guy having been partially digested! And the creature that does most of these things is great in terms of design, but unfortunately lacks in execution. They used CGI for the whole thing (as far as I'm aware) and...well, it didn't look great then and looks worse for wear now. Though, I suppose there's a charm to that; kind of like a homage to the 50s creature-features that came before. And no, I'm not going to spoil the creature here. Much like Tremors (1990), part of the fun is discovering that along with the characters! Though, I suppose the new cover art gives it away now, which is a shame. But since the original art (pictured above) tells you absolutely nothing about what the film is, I guess is why they changed it up.

The cast here is all pretty good as well! Treat Williams has a good unexpected every-man charm as the main hero, Finnegan. Kevin J. O'Connor adds a little more fun as Finnegan's right-hand man. Famke Janssen is good as a thief that managed to survive. And Wes Studi is always great to see and adds a little acting weight to the cast!

Behind the camera you have Stephen Sommers. And if you take nothing else away from this film, just view it as a template he would later use on The Mummy (1999)! It's all there: the likable characters, the menacing threat, the spotty CGI in some places (LOL!). 

Needless to say, if you enjoy Tremors (1990) or The Mummy (1999), you're going to have a good time here. 

Have you seen Deep Rising (1998)? Has it been awhile since you did? If you haven't, did you like it? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time I hope everyone has a great day!

The Positives About The Star Wars Sequels

 

I, like many others, was not the biggest fan of these sequels. There were too many cooks in the kitchen and there wasn't anyone to make sure that it all stayed on course or make sure there was one cohesive story from beginning to end. Then, you had two directors that didn't like what the other had done before, so they set out to "correct" what was setup prior. Which is a shame because there were things that both brought to the table that would've been interesting if they had followed through with some of them.

Now, here comes the part where you click away from the article; I think The Last Jedi was the best of the sequels...

You still here? Good! Let me briefly explain. 

Don't miss understand me, I am fully aware, and acknowledge, that the movie has a lot of problems. Was it the right choice to to make Luke a grumpy hermit? No, probably not. Killing Snoke so quickly, after building him up? Again, probably not the best of choices. Though, I will agree with everyone unequivocally that there was no reason for Holdo to not let Poe know what the plan was; all it did was make the situation worse!

But the reason why I like it the best out of the three is simply because I hate being bashed over the head with nostalgia. A little is fine and fun, but The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker did basically nothing except nostalgia bait the audience for over 2 hours. And for all its faults, I at least felt like The Last Jedi was trying something a little different. It doesn't all work, but of the three it's the only time I feel like I'm watching a somewhat new story in the Star Wars saga.

Now to get back on track with the point of this article. 

Despite the many, many flaws of the sequels I do believe there are some positives for this trilogy. And I just wanted to go through a few of them in no particular order.

Finn And Poe

We are introduced to these two in The Force Awakens and they were instantly a very likable duo! The chemistry between John Boyega and Oscar Isaac (respectively) was really engaging. I wanted more of it, but the movies decided to either split them up or not really get back to that dynamic again. Which is a shame as there was more they could've explored with Finn being a former Stormtrooper and Poe being a solider for The Resistance.

Kylo Killing Snoke And The Throne Room Fight

As I mentioned earlier, I don't know if it was the right decision to kill off Snoke that early with all that build up. But the way they did and the subsequent fallout from it was one of the highlights from The Last Jedi for me. I like that Kylo Ren wanted to usurp his master, fully embrace the Dark Side and take control of The First Order. Then the fight with Snoke's Elite Praetorian Guards was very cinematic (though some of the choreography is fairly clunky with some very accommodating stuntmen)! I love the red background as Rey and Kylo battle the guards, moving back and forth, and around each other; not only are they fighting to protect themselves but each other as well. Then as the throne room burns around them they both try to convince the other to join them in their cause.

Expanding The Force

This is one that I never really understood people's issue with. Why wouldn't people want an expansion of what The Force can do? I really enjoyed the concept of being able to see, touch, and pass things through The Force. Not only visually, but just lore wise as well. And I don't mind the Force Healing, I just think they could've handled it a little better.

The Kylo vs. Rey Fight On The Ruins Of The Death Star

Probably one of the best duels from this trilogy; I like the feel of this fight. It's the last one Kylo and Rey have against each other and it almost has the weight needed to stick the landing. But the trilogy's issues rear their ugly head again, because we never got some truly great character beats between these two. But I think the setting is great with them fighting on the half-sunken wreckage of the Death Star as the waves crash around them, threatening to wash them away. And I like that when Kylo senses that Leia died, and he gets injured, it started to ignite his change of mind about the path he was truly on.

Han Solo's Appearance In The Rise Of Skywalker

And following up with that last pint is this scene. Not only was it great to see Han Solo back one last time, but I love the ambiguous nature of his return. Was he a Force ghost? Or was he just Kylo's conscience taking the form of his father? Either way you want to look at it, I think it's one of the best moments from the trilogy. I like how it echoes their last moment together from The Force Awakens, but this time Kylo needs the extra push to turn him back to the Light Side. And I think both actors do a great job here!

Captain Phasma

This one hurts the most out of this list for me! Such a cool character and I was really excited to see what they'd do with her. But--going back to the problems with the movies--the creative team didn't do anything with her character after The Last Jedi. And they could've brought her back after she "died" in that film to have one final confrontation with Finn. Think how much cooler it would've been to see Captain Phasma and Finn fighting onto of one of those Star Destroyers in The Rise of Skywalker! Seeing those two having one last fight was one of the things I was really hoping to see from that movie, but was unfortunately let down in that aspect of it too. And they could've even designed her armor to have been repaired in a fun and menacing way.

As a side note, if you haven't read her stand alone comic, you should! It details what happened to her between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. And it's a pretty good read. You get to see more of her character and just how far she's willing to go to save her own skin! Definitely go check it out!

The Kylo vs. Rey Fight Through The Force

This just a visually exciting scene to watch! I love the concept and execution of it. I know if you were to show it from one of the perspectives of the other characters it'd look like Rey or Kylo Ren were just swinging wildly at thin air, but for us the audience it's a fun moment! And I like that it expands on some of the moments that came before it, like Kylo finding water droplets on his glove after he and Rey have their first connection through the Force. Or when he snatches the beaded necklace from her to learn her location. But it also helps set up the moment later when she passes the light saber to him. All in all I think it was a unique way to have a light saber battle without it feeling like all the other ones.

Kylo Ren

Okay, I lied a little earlier. I wanted to save this one for last!

Easily the best thing about the whole trilogy. Honestly, if he was the focus of the story the movies would be a little better for it. Adam Driver must have back problems from holding those films up. Which is funny to think about now, because at first I wasn't the biggest fan of his character in The Force Awakens. He seemed too whiny and threw temper tantrums at, what seemed to be, the drop of a hat!

But as the trilogy came to a close, he quickly became the most interesting character. I liked the idea of him basically being seduced back to the Light Side and fighting against it. And as mentioned earlier, him killing Snoke and taking over The First Order, and wanting Rey to join him was exciting. His moments with Han Solo were both very solid (though TFA got a little too heavy handed with the visual symbolism) and showcased his mindset and struggles at both ends of the trilogy. And those are just a few examples.

 It's a shame the movies turned out the way that they did, because if the had more connective tissue and weren't trying to undo what came before his character could've been something special.

 

And those are just a few of the things that I think the sequels did pretty well. I just wanted to take some time to highlight some of them as I feel it's too easy to tear these movies apart. And as I said earlier, I'm not the biggest fan, but these aren't the worst movies to ever exist either, they are just not as cohesive of a story--with some questionable choices-- as they should be. But under the right circumstances they can still be fun as long as your expectation are tempered.

But what do you think? Are these some of the positive things for you from the sequel trilogy? Do you have any others to add? Or do you think there are absolutely no redeeming aspects to these film? Let me know in the comments below!

My Top 5 Favorite Westerns

What happened to this once great, and prevalent, genre of movies? Between the 1950s to 1980s the Western genre was very abundant; though they were starting to lose their appeal by the 80s. After that time, they all but dried up and blew away with the cliched tumbleweed never to have been really seen again. There were a couple in the early to mid-90s, then again in the early 2000s and 2010s, but they've never stayed around for longer than one or two fleeting movies at a time. 

Now, you can argue that they genre just evolved to be included in, and melded with, others; such as SciFi (i.e. Firefly), Horror (i.e. Bone Tomahawk), Comic Book (i.e. Logan or Jonah Hex) or Modern Day (i.e. Justified). But a standard western needs to make a return, and soon. And I'm talking good guy vs. bad guys (or at least morally grey characters fighting each other), saloons, shootouts, quick-draw duels on main street at the stroke of high noon, large sweeping vistas and little to no CGI, and characters riding off into the sunset! Whether it's throwback to the romanticized cowboy or a revisionist take on an old, retired gunslinger; these are stories that could use a resurgence! And if for no other reason than for Hollywood to produce something other than mostly Comic Book adaptations (don't get me wrong, I enjoy Batman and Spider-Man movies, but a variety would be nice)!    

And with all that out of the way, here are some of my favorite Westerns of all time!

 

 

5. Django Unchained (2012)

This is the newest movie on this list, but that doesn't make it any less of a modern classic of the genre!

Bounty-hunter Dr. King Schultz frees Django--a slave--and enlists him into his profession to track down wanted men. But soon after Django needs his help to find his wife that was sold to a ruthless plantation owner.

If you've ever wanted to see Quentin Tarantino tackle the western genre, this is it! A highly stylized revenge flick with all the Tarantino dialogue you can handle! And while the story is rather simple (like many stories of the genre) it's his characters, dialogue and style that help this one stand out!

And this film is chock-full of great actors! Christoph Waltz is a treat as Schultz, employer and mentor to Django; Jaime Foxx gives the right amount of style and determination to Django; and Leonardo DiCaprio is mesmerizing as the sadistic Calvin Candie! And that's not to forget the rest of the cast comprised of Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, James Remar, Jonah Hill, Don Johnson and many more!

And what more is there to say here? If a Tarantino directed western is something you've been looking for, then it's there waiting for you to enjoy! Then go check out The Hateful Eight as well! 

4. High Plains Drifter (1973)

Looking for something that might have a slight supernatural bent? Then look no further than High Plains Drifter!

When a gun-slinging stranger rides into the town of Lago the townspeople quickly plead for his aid to protect them from returning outlaws. But little do they realize the stranger not only has a high cost for his services, but also have his own motives for being in the town.

Clint Eastwood decided to continue his Man With No Name persona (though this is not related) that he had been widely known for, and made this as his first western he directed. And what a film it is too! There's something to be said about a movie whose protagonist could be just as dangerous as the men he's supposed to be defending the town from. And I think that's why it's one of my favorite westerns. Watching the stranger wreak his own havoc on the town as his motives become more clear throughout the runtime is one of the best aspects of the film. It gives the story an extra sense on danger and dread until its ambiguous final shot.

Performances are good all around as well! Clint Eastwood, as The Stranger, had all but perfected this type of role by this point, and is just as good here. But I think one of the standouts is Billy Curtis, as Mordecai, one of the few townsfolk that are decent and try to do the right thing.

Go check this one out as soon as possible! If you like The Man With No Name Trilogy, you'll like this one as a spiritual successor!  

3. Deadwood Series/Movie (2004-2006/2019)

It might be a slight cheat to have both the show and the movie in this spot. But the movie concludes the story that the show started, so I'll allow it. Plus it's my list and there's nothing you can do to stop me!

Set in Deadwood, South Dakota during late 1800s in a rough mining camp. The show follows the lives of Al Swearengen, the local brothel and saloon owner; Seth Bullock, a former lawman trying to start a new life; and Wild Bill Hickok--along with many others. Their lives begin to intertwine as more and more outside disturbances--such as a new saloon owner, a wealthy tycoon and the U.S. Government--begin to move into the camp.

And that's about the best, and shortest, description of the show I can get across as it's a show packed with side-characters and subplots for it's 3 season (and movie) run. And that's the best thing about this show, it's so rich with a diverse cast of characters that you get a pretty good sense of pretty much everyone's wants and motivations throughout it runtime. Now, there are standouts, of course; Al Swearengen, played by Ian McShane, is hands down the best (and most prominent) character as you watch him do everything he can to scheme to keep control of what power his has on the camp. Then you have Seth Bullock, played by Timothy Olyphant, a retired lawman just wanting to start a new life by opening a hardware shop to sell goods to would-be miners hoping to strike gold, but as time goes by he once again has to put on the badge.

And make no mistake, while there are some villainous characters here, the good ones are just as likely to do something questionable as well. Every one of these characters tend to do things that will suit their own interests, and they tend to help others if it will benefit them in some way. That's not to say they're all cutthroats or anything, they just feel like they make more human choices in the end.  

So, if you're looking for a different type of western, look no further than Deadwood!

2. Tombstone (1993)

What a fun, almost perfect, movie this is! If you know someone who's never seen a western before, this is the best one you could possibly show them!

Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Morgan and Virgil, arrive in the town of Tombstone looking to make their fortune and become reacquainted with an old friend, Doc Holiday. But soon after they are thrust into the roles of lawmen, when a group of outlaws calling themselves, The Cowboys, begin to terrorize the town, leading to the historic shoot-out at the O.K. Corral.

Easily the most re-watchable film on this list! And for good reason! The cast here are all excellent, bringing the right performance to all their characters. Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton, as Virgil and Morgan respectively, while not having a ton of screen time, make their presence felt both on and off screen. Powers Boothe looks like he's having a ball playing the villainous leader of The Cowboys and Michael Biehn stands out as his right hand man.

And, of course, there's Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday. And what else is there to say that hasn't already been said about this performance? The movie becomes even more electric every time he is on screen and any actor that plays Doc Holiday will forever be in the shadow of that legendary performance!

Wondering where Kurt Russell is for my praise of this film? I wanted to give him his own solo spot. I feel when people talk about this movie they always bring up Doc Holiday first, and for good reason. But it always feels like Kurt Russell's turn as Wyatt Earp gets almost pushed back to a secondary character, like Virgil and Morgan, when he is quite literally the glue that holds this film together. Not only did he bring the right type of stoicism to the role, but rumors have it (and Val Kilmer later confirmed it) that he stepped in behind the camera to ensure the film stayed on track and they got the shots they needed; basically doing some ghost directing. And I think that's worthy of some praise!

So, if you, or someone you know, are looking for an all-around great western, look no further than Tombstone!

1. Unforgiven (1992)

God. Damn. For me, this is the best western ever made. While the others helped solidify my growing interest and appreciation for the genre, this one got me through the door! Before I was introduced to this masterpiece (not a word I throw around a lot, mind you) I never really cared much for western movies. I always saw them as the typical "good guys in white hats fighting bad guys in black hats" or more like "John Wayne" type of westerns. The characters never seemed particularly interesting to me as most of them were good guys out to win the day. And before you ask, I wasn't introduced, or cared about, the Spaghetti Westerns that came out before. It wasn't until my dad bought this movie on DVD and suggested I might like it as it wasn't what I considered a typical western; and he was absolutely right!

Unforgiven follows William Munny(Clint Eastwood), a retired gunslinger, as he and his old friend Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) take on one last job to help a young bounty hunter known as "The Schofield Kid"(Jaimz Woolvett).

And while that doesn't sound like much of a story--or at least a worn out one--it's how it's told that keeps you engaged until the end.

This is a dark film, filled with characters with dark pasts. It's a very grounded film giving off a more authentic feel to how the west might have been in some ways. This is not a good guys vs bad guys film; these are morally bankrupt people trying to make a living or maybe just trying to redeem their past sins.

This movie is downright perfection for me. Everything from the performances--I dare you to take your eyes from the screen whenever the characters are present; to the cinematography with its gorgeous color pallet and wide expansive shots. Even the editing is exactly how it needs to be, allowing the characters time to breathe; for you to get to know them and in turn allow them to grow. Make no mistake, this is not a fast paced, action packed movie, its a slower character driven piece. But when the violence does start it has the the right amount of weight to it that this story should.

Let's backtrack to those performances for a moment. Clint Eastwood gives one of, if not the, best performance of his career as William Munny; bringing us a world-weary man who never really reconciled with his past, thrust back into it once more. Morgan Freeman brings the smallest of levity as William's friend and old partner. Gene Hackman is great as the antagonist, giving the right amount of menace, but also humanity. And Richard Harris has a memorable role as an aged gunfighter, who may not be as true to that persona as he lets on; tying him into one of the revisionist themes here.

God, I miss movies like this!

And I could continue to gush about this film all day if I could, but I think I'll leave it at where it is. I cannot recommend this movie enough. If you like westerns, or just slower character driven movies, you can do any better than Unforgiven! 

And that's my list! Let me know what you think in the comments! And what are some of your favorite western?

 

And before we go, here a few quick bonus recommendations!

Open Range (2003)

Kevin Costner stars as a former gunslinger forced to take up arms when a corrupt lawman threatens him and his cattle crew.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

A bounty-hunter and his prisoner take refuge from a winter storm in a cabin full of other shady characters!

The Quick and the Dead (1995)

A woman enters a dueling contest to seek justice for her father's death.

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

A rancher agrees to watch over an captured outlaw before being put on a train to Yuma for his trial.

The Shootist (1976)

 A terminally-ill gunfighter looks for a way out on his own terms while still holding on to his dignity.

True Grit (2010)

A farm girl hires a tough U. S. Marshall to track down the man who killed her father.

Blazing Saddles (1974)

 

In this western spoof, a corrupt politician hires a black sheriff to try to ruin the town. But he soon finds out the sheriff is a formidable adversary to his plot!

Movie Monday With Fred!- Broken Arrow (1996)

 

 

This Monday Fred recommends: Broken Arrow (1996)

 

Does anyone remember this movie? I feel like this one that gets lost in the discussion of decent action flicks from the 90s.

A rogue U. S. pilot steals two nuclear missiles and threatens the country. Now his former co-pilot, with the help of a local park ranger, are the only ones that can stop him. 

This really is a solid little action movie. It's nothing too flashy, but it is a fun way to spend a couple of hours. And sometimes that's all you need. Not every action movie has to be a classic or defining film of the genre, sometimes its nice to just watch a movie that knows exactly what it is. And all it wants to do is entertain you. 

 

 And entertain it does. You have many different shootouts in different locations, like a mine and train, along with a few hand-to-hand fights. And you have a little cat-and-mouse moments as our protagonists try to survive groups of armed men, while our villain puts his plan into action. Unfortunately, one of the major problems with a movie like this is that it's simple and not much to it. And to keep it an unspoiled experience for first time there's not much to really talk about without getting into the details of the set-pieces, and I don't like spoiling that anymore than actual plot details.

 

The cast here are all pretty good. Christian Slater, as Riley, does a good job as the betrayed co-pilot, and friend, trying to stop the nefarious plans from taking hold. Samantha Mathis, as Terry, is a pretty good side-kick to Riley as she is given a bit to do and isn't too much of a damsel in distress. But, it's John Travolta, as Deakins, that is the absolute standout! He chews every bit of scenery he's in. It might be a little over-the-top, but it is fun to watch him as he looks like he's having a blast playing the villain. Something he'd lean into a a little more the following year with Face/Off (1997).

 

Behind the camera you have the legendary John Woo directing here! This is his second American film, and while his harder edges from his more violent Hong Kong films have been a little sanded down, his still delivers some really well directed action scenes! Not as balletic as something like Hard Boiled (1992) or The Killer (1989), but a slightly more grounded take on the gunfights he's known for.

Overall, I think this is a movie that is worth at least one viewing. Just a good competent action movie that will surely entertain you until the very end! Besides, you know that twangy guitar musical cue they used for Dewey's theme in Scream 2 (1997)? Well, they lifted it from this film! The first time I heard it in Scream 2 I was like, "I know this song!".

Have you seen Broken Arrow (1996)? Let me know in the comments below!

We'll be back soon with another recommendation! So, don't forget to give me a follow to stay up to date! Until then, I hope everyone has a great day!