Brief Review for BBC-Series 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979)' by John le Carré

TV Series (BBC series) = Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979)

Writer = John le Carré

3/5 Stars ***

This 7-part BBC series was based on the John Le Carré novel of the same name, and stars Alec Guinness as main character George Smiley. I have not read the novel itself, but this TV series is quite good. It has its slow areas  but it nevertheless keeps you thinking about all the details and of course all of the names of the players in this complicated game of double agents and internal politics. The main plot is focused around the SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) and its highest branch termed 'The Circus.' To cut a long story short, there is a mole in this branch of a few top players leaking information to Moscow-central and George Smiley (Alec Guinness) finds himself in charge of the secret investigation . One of the interesting and revealing points of this story is how all of these high-powered members of 'The Circus' spend a good majority of their time and energy vying for position and playing political games with each other rather than actually doing effective intelligence work (sounds like the C.I.A.). If you are into spy stories then you should check this one out, but note there is not a lot of action in this series and its more about connecting the dots in lieu of all the political games.

Brief Book Review for 'Catcher in the Rye' (1951)

Catcher in the Rye (1951)

So I finally sat down and read this one, after years of intending to (honestly just never getting around to it), and also seeing it on that Top 100 BBC Books List that has been floating around the social networks this past year. Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951, was written by author J.D. Salinger (who just past away a year ago in January 2010). After reading a little bit about the author's life (according to his wikipedia page) one comes to conclude that perhaps the book is actually written verbatim from his own personal experience of human interactions, and just going about his young-life in New York City for a few days. It is most definitely a book that will be less interesting to women, that is of course unless you wish to know how the mind of a young-male actually operates. This book also does a wonderful job of revealing the insanity of compulsive thinking, which is an affliction that affects almost every human being on the planet at present. I would recommend this book to you to read, especially if you are a male, and even if you a female too. I am not sure that I personally would put this book on the Top 100 of all time list, or consider it to really be one of the great American literary works as many do, but many acclaimed critics and people much more well read than I do. If it helps to unveil the insanity of the current state of human egoic consciousness to even a few people then more power to it. Check this one out!

Brief Movie Review for "Ondine" (2010)

Ondine (2010)  3.5/5 Stars ***

Interesting story, not too believable and a bit predictable but worth a one-time watch. The part that gets me is that we are all supposed to believe that these people swimming in the coastal waters just off of Ireland aren't all getting hypo-thermia?? Maybe there is some sort of warm ocean current around the shores of Ireland that I am unaware of but I can't imagine that those waters could be warm enough to even want to consider jumping in. Note that there is somewhat predictable twist to this one.  

Brief Movie Review for "Harry Brown" (2010)

2/5 Stars **

Strange movie, its kind of like a comic book vengeance story made into a movie with Michael Caine, which is a bit of a strange role for him, I am puzzled as to why an actor like Caine would accept such a role. The story is basically a latest UK remix of Charles Bronson's 1974 action hit "Death Wish," and a few of the scenes actually reminded me of another vigilante super-hero type movie that was also quite bad called "Darkman." Wouldn't really recommend this one and wouldn't watch it again.

Brief Movie Review for "City Island" (2010)

3/5 Stars ***

Una peli divertida, claro! Was a funny comedy and was produced well. Is about a family who keeps lots of secrets and interesting personality perks from each other, which inevitably unravel and the comical situations this puts the characters in makes the movie worthwhile and not serious. I recommend this movie for a good laugh, and I looked it up on the map, City Island aye??

Brief Movie Review for "Heaven Knows Mr. Allison" (1957)

 4/5 Stars ****

This is a World War II movie starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr. It is quite a good for a war movie, and one with a little bit of suspense here and there. A marine and a nun are trapped alone on a South Pacific island near Fiji that is frequented by Japanese troops, interesting plot and apparently there were two Oscar nominations given to this one.

Brief Movie Review for "Night of the Iguana" (1964)

4/5 Stars ****

Good and goofy movie! The character interactions (and the quality actors) are the key to this movie (as with most), but it really focuses on the characters and what seemed like mostly realistic emotional and not always logical way of dealing with the challenges in their lives. Richard Burton's character is classic, actually the first of his movies I've seen, and surprised he never got any James Bond roles. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill film or plot, so check it out, at least you'll get something different from the typical formulas, that is unless you are a formula person. Great poem there to btw.

Brief Movie Review for "Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" (2009)

5 STARS *****

A truly enlightening documentary about the history of the Vietnam War and the American named Daniel Ellsberg who helped to leak the famous Pentagon Papers, which led to the Nixon-Watergate scandal and more importantly and end to the Vietnam War (which lasted from 1955-1975). This documentary is a history lesson for me and anyone who watches it. It is also interesting to see this in the face of the current wiki-leaks situation, and just how history repeats itself. A must see for anyone who gives a damn about history and the future of our world.

Brief Movie Review for "The Darwin Awards" (2006)

** 2/5 Stars

"I found this movie a little bit hard to follow for some reason, it didn't seem quite together, but maybe that was part of the point of the movie? Anyways, its based on the actual "Darwin Awards," and I CBF to explain them here so look them up yourself. Is about a brilliant blood-phobic detective who loses his job due to the fact that he passes out when he sees blood, thus homicide detective is probably not the best position. So he gets a new job working for insurance claim companies by helping to prove that large filed claims are not legitimate. Winona Ryder helps a bit, but not really due to her acting abilities. I wouldn't watch this one again, but its worth one viewing."

Brief Movie Review for "American Splendor" (2003)

 3/5 Stars ***

Interesting story about comic writer Harvey Pekar, and apparently its not that rare of a name. Paul Giamatti does a great job with this persona, as he always does. Story takes place in the industrial and depressing landscape of Cleveland, Ohio and is about a very depressing life of a surprisingly successful Harvey Pekar. Its hard to say how I feel about this one, it is like a serious version of "Napolean Dynamite," and not near as funny because it is based on real people. Just make sure you pop some of your prozac before you really sit down with this one...not really, but a good flick all the same. 

Brief Movie Review for "Secret of the Grain" (2007)

4/5 Stars ****

A great french-language movie! This movie portrays family interactions very well, and in a very realistic light, so beware, it may remind you of your own family. Its about an Arab family living in France where a recently laid-off senior dock worker decides to buy an abandoned fishing boat and turn it into a seafood cous-cous restaurant, is a bit nerve-wracking though, especially at the end.

Brief Movie Review for "The Ghost Breakers" (1940)

3/5 Stars ***

Funny movie, pre-US involvement in WWII which makes it interesting to me. I remember Bob Hope vaguely, but he was actually quite funny, which would make sense as to why he was so famous. Its a little discomforting to see how Hollywood portrayed black people back in those days, but I guess that is just how it was then, and we should be grateful that we have moved forward some. Good movie for some laughs.

Brief Movie Review for "Virtuality" (2009)

2.5/5 Stars **.5

Interesting as far as space movies go, and it seemed to have an interesting premise. A movie (and actually a TV-Pilot, which I was previously suspicious but unsure of) about a reality tv show of people living on a space station and traveling for 10 years to a distant star while massive flooding is occurring back on Earth. This actually could have a made a good series if it was utilized that way. In my opinion the story was good up until about the last 10 mins in which the directors swiftly wrap up the story in a way that sort of leaves you irritable. I don't know about anyone else, but does every frickin space movie have to have the "person trapped in an airlock and the computer is unresponsive, and there is only a minute or so before the trapped person gets sucked out into space" scene?? Be sure to check it out if you like space movies though.

Brief Movie Review for "The Yellow Handkerchief" (2008)

4/5 Stars ****

Good flick, William Hurt always does a great job with his characters and all of the characters in this movie are believable as true personalities. The movie is mostly about Hurt's character and his life, while Stewart and Bello and Redmayne (whose character is most annoying but in a realistic way) all support. Check this one out if you get the chance.

Brief Movie Review for "I Married a Monster From Outer Space" (1958)

3/5 STARS ***
Talk about another classic (that term is getting worn out a bit I know, I will strive to come up with some new adjectives)! Did MST3K do a piece on this one, would love to see if they did. Good for a 50's movie I suppose, good for laughs and I wonder if people will ever decide to dress like that (on a large scale I mean) again, there always bringing back old trends, and we Americans are so bloody casual in our dress these days it is almost embarrassing.  Bit of a tangent there, sorry bout that, but seriously....CBF!

Brief Movie Review for "Down to the Bone" (2005)

4/5 STARS ****
Very realistic, and an educational story about what I believe is probably the experience for most people in modern society who are not wealthy or well educated and who rely on drugs to numb their pain, although the wealthy and educated spend just as much time if not more, on drugs and alcohol to numb their own inner-conflicts and insecurities in life. The story is about a mother who works at kmart and is also a drug addict, and everyone in her life are also drug addicts. Drugs and alcohol can turn off some of the mind's constant fear-mongering and harassment, but it really is a trap in of itself, and the only way to really quiet one's mind (without destroying one's own body and life) is to put a lot of time and effort into facing issues that one does not want to face, but must if healing is ever to occur, and then to once the majority of one's issues have been at least accepted and surrendered to, then one can start to work at cultivating a quiet/peaceful mind...a theory anyways. 

Brief Movie Review for "Inception" (2010)

5/5 Stars *****
Wow! Great special effects, Di Caprio and cast do a great job, and the plot is actually somewhat original, though you cannot ever get original anymore for real.  I see why this one has had such rave reviews, definitely catch this one on the big screen. Beware of the length though, it is about 2.5 hours long with no intermissions.

Brief Movie Review for "Fury" (1936)

Well, this movie is quite a bit older than the others I've reviewed, but one must keep some diversity going, plus I watched a few weeks back and was impressed, it seems a bit significant for the times, but that may often be the case.   

4/5 Stars ****

"This one is mos def a classic by Fritz Lang, starring Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney! Its one of those movies that has a real message about what I perceived as compassion. The desire for revenge when victimized is strong, but as we all know, one will become the very thing one opposes when one takes the path of vengeance. What is it that Einstein once said, something like a problem can not be solved significantly changed using the same energy that was put into creating it...or something like that. CBF."