Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-08-15

Star Trek: Renegades (2015)
Director: Tim Russ
Cast: Adrienne Wilkinson, Walter Koenig, Sean Young, Manu Intiraymi, Corin Nemec, Gary Graham, Tim Russ, Chasty Ballesteros
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Length: 88 minutes
Production: Fan based, Pilot movie

"Set a decade after the U.S.S Voyager's return to Earth, a rag-tag crew of renegades and outcasts must covertly work with Admiral Chekov and Tuvok to stop forces threatening the Federation from outside, and within."

Star Trek: Renegades is a fan funded and produced, movie pilot made with the intention of selling a new Star Trek TV series based on this movie. It's not intended to compete with any of the theatrical release ST movies. It had a tiny budget of $375,000 and while some of the film reflects that, still it's amazing on what they did with such little money. Renegades is mainly a showcase for characters and the actors who play them and for a possible story line that fits within the Star Trek canon.

The idea is that in the year 2388, which is 10 years after the TV series ST Voyager ended, the Federation is under a threat from unknown forces that are operating from outside and within the Federation. No one can be trusted, hence the use of a group of outcast, the renegades.

The head of the renegades is Lexxa Singh a direct descendant of Khan Noonien Singh. Played by Adrienne Wilkinson, I liked her! She was attractive and yet had a weather beaten, tough edge to her. I liked the idea of a woman in charge and as captain. Just like Captain Janeway she's tough but intelligent.

Lexxa Singh (Adrienne Wilkinson)

They're several alumni Star Trek actors making appearances in Renegades, most notably is Tuvok (Tim Russ) and Admiral Chekov (Walter Koenig). I've always though both Russ and Koenig were fine actors and they add a lot here.

Commander Tuvok (Tim Russ) from ST Voyager and Admiral Chekov (Walter Koenig) from the original Star Trek.

Guest appearance by Robert Picardo (Louis Zimmerman).

Another returning Star Trek character is the former Borg drone who was returned to individuality by Captain Janeway...

Icheb (Manu Intiraymi) from ST Voyager.

Icheb has been turned into a weapon of war by convert operations inside Star Fleet as a result he is bitter and has become a rouge outcast.

Perhaps one of the strangest casting choices is Sean Young (Rachel in Blade Runner). Sean has been accused of being difficult to work with and actor James Woods once took out a restraining order on her. I'm not sure if she is someone you would want to be in a continuing TV series. I didn't particularly like her character.

Lucien (Sean Young)
Lucien a scientist who worked on Jupiter Station with Dr Zimmerman. After her experiment killed someone she went rouge.

Mostly the story was action adventure base with little of the Star Trek commentary on the human condition. There was a lot of fighting and phasers and explosions but Star Trek is much more than action and the story itself wasn't that compelling. The special effects were decent to just OK but that's too be expected with a tiny budget. Renegades lacked heart but with a revamping it might make a good TV series.

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Last edited by Citizen Rules; 10-25-22 at 10:16 PM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-11-15

The Last of Robin Hood (2013)

Cast: Kevin Kline, Dakota Fanning, Susan Sarandon
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance

The last days in the life of legendary Hollywood actor Errol Flynn.

Amazing, Kevin Kline is Errol Flynn! He looks like him, he talks like him and he's even got the facial expressions down pat. I'd say he channeled Errol Flynn from the great beyond!

Based on true events about the last days of Errol Flynn before he died in the arms of his teenage girlfriend. Errol was only 50 when he passed and already a legend on and off screen. The phrase 'In like Flynn' was a popular reference to living one's life as verbose as Errol did.

Errol Flynn was in many of my favorite films so I was concerned if they were going to trash his reputation. Oh sure Errol had a reputation as the life of the party, a hard drinker and a lady's man to boot. According to his life long friend Olivia de Havilland, Errol was always a gentleman towards the ladies, but he did love em.

The Last Days of Robin Hood does Flynn's reputation justice. Kevin Kline portrays him as a likable chap who has the misfortune of following in love with a 15 year old girl. The girl played by Dakota Fanning had lied about her age saying she was 18. Her mother actively supported the relationship and later would come under scrutiny for encouraging the relationship.

Susan Sarandon played the unscrupulous mom to a tee. She's always good in her roles and here she really gets a plum of a role. The period piece film is set in the late 1950s and everything looks authentic. I felt like I was watching the last days of a great actor.

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Last edited by Citizen Rules; 10-25-22 at 10:18 PM.

gbgoodies

I'd give her a HA! and a HI-YA! Then I'd kick her.

11-11-15

It sounds like you liked The Last of Robin Hood a lot more than I did. I thought Kevin Kline was terrific, but the movie wasn't very good. Errol Flynn had a reputation as a womanizer, but I thought this movie took it a little too far.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-11-15

I have to disagree that Errol was a womanizer, at least in the way the term is often used. From everything I heard he treated women with respect and never forced himself on him. I'd call him a lady's man. I suppose that's my guy provocative viewpoint

...BTW I came very close to having Errol as my avatar years ago. But I'm not the life of the party as he was

As far as I know the story of him having relations with a teenage girl is accurate.

gbgoodies

I'd give her a HA! and a HI-YA! Then I'd kick her.

11-11-15

From what I read, the story in the movie is true. The movie seemed to be more about the 15 year old girl than about Errol Flynn. I didn't think the movie was bad. I just didn't think it was good either.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-13-15

I agree it was mostly about the teen girl and I wish it had been more about Errol. I did object to the scene where he injects a narcotic into his leg. As far as I know he did not use illegal drugs, booze oh yah he did that.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-30-15

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Directors: George Miller, George Ogilvie
Cast: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Max is on a mission to get back his stolen vehicle. He tracks it to a post apocalyptic settlement called Barter Town. There he enters into a deal with the head of the town, 'Aunty'. Barter Town operates under one law, 'bust a deal, face the wheel'.

This is the third installment in the Mad Max series and the last time Mel Gibson played Max. Beyond Thunderdome is a much different film than the previous two films: Mad Max and The Road Warrior. Beyond Thunderdome creates an in-universe world that shows us a glimpse of humans in a post apocalyptic setting. Barter Town has it's own culture and it's own law. Max is the stranger there, who's in danger of breaking that law.

Max (Mel Gibson) with his double barreled sawed off shot gun.

Mel Gibson will always be Mad Max. He plays this to a tee. He's brutal, he's self reliant and yet still retains a spark of humanity.

It's hard to image anybody other than Tina Turner playing Aunty Entity. She's likable, she's treacherous and she looks the part. It's her desire to completely run Barter Town that drives the story.

Aunty Entity (Tina Turner) brings her role to life and also sings two songs from the movie.

Aunty: "Do you think I don't know the law? Wasn't it me who wrote it? And this man has broken the law. Right or wrong, we had a deal. And the law says, "Bust a deal, face the wheel. "

Crowd Murmurs: 'Bust a deal and face the wheel.'

Dr Dealgood: All our lives hang by a thread. Now we've got a man waiting for sentence. But ain't it the truth? You take your chances with the law. Justice is only a roll of the dice....a flip of the coin, a turn of the wheel.

Shakespeare never wrote truer words. And that is by far my favorite part of the film...it gives me goose bumps.

The fight inside Thunderdome is the stuff of movie legends.

After 45 minutes the film changes to Max encountering a group of children who live in a desert oasis. They have formed their own religion based on an event that had happened in their past. This part with the kids is still good, but it loses some of the intensity of the first 45 minutes. Still there's plenty to see and the film moves along at a good pace.

It's rather sad for me to watch Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome because like the children in the desert oasis I kept vigil, hoping for Mad Max to return in another movie. While finally he did, but it wasn't Mel Gibson and I'm too old too care now.

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Last edited by Citizen Rules; 10-25-22 at 10:23 PM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-30-15

Thanks HK

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

The Homesman (2014)

The Homesman (2014)
Producer: Tommy Lee Jones
Director: Tommy Lee Jones
Writers: Tommy Lee Jones & Kieran Fitzgerald
Actors: Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer, John Lithgow
Genre: Western Drama
Length: 122 Minutes

Synopsis: On the desolate American prairie in the 1850's, three pioneer women have been driven mad by the deaths of loved ones. Their husbands are unwilling or unable to care for them so it's decided they will be sent back east to be cared for. With no one else willing to take on the arduous task of transporting them 500 miles by wagon...it's up to one ruggedly independent and stubborn woman, Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilllary Swank). Mary is a pious woman of 31 years of age and unmarried. She has not only survived on the prairie but manages to save money. Her prospects look good, but no man will marry her as she's "plain as a bucket and bossy." Along the way she rescues a good for nothing drifter, saving him from a lynching, George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones). She insist that he accompany her on the trip and obey her orders. Briggs is not to keen on this idea but goes anyway as she offers $300 at the end of the trip.

Review: Sounds good huh? But I bet you've never heard much about The Homesman...probably because this is one poorly executed film. It's based on a novel and seems to offer the unique telling of pioneer days from the perspective of a woman. Hence some call it a feminist western. Nothing could be further from the truth. What we see is, in a small community of a dozen people, 3 women go insane because they couldn't handle the lose of loved ones. Mary Bee does starts out with fierce determination, but then in one scene when she decides to be left behind to clean up a grave site and then gets lost....she goes to pieces and turns into another overly emotional female character.

Two thirds of the way into the film after two men have rejected her proposals of marriage, Mary Bee decides to do something that is totally out of character for her. She's strong and religiously pious, so the last part of the film makes no sense at all, except to allow Tommy Lee Jones to take the limelight. It's Jones' movie, he's the producer and the writer and the star....so he gets to play hero and the film's third act focuses on him. We're 'treated' to several cliche scenes straight out of a Hollywood action western. If this was a spaghetti western or action western it would be cool, but it's not, it's suppose to be a serious look at how tough life was for pioneer women.

Hilary Swank is excellent in this movie, she stills the scenes from bumbling Tommy Lee Jones. John Lithgow has a brief but inspired performance as the town's minister. He's excellent. I wish I could say the same for Meryl Streep's cameo, she doesn't even try to get into her character. And Tommy Lee Jones himself, he's more of a caricature than a character. At times I could not understand his dialogue thanks to his fake western accent.

Perhaps the worst part of this film is the hatchet job editing. At that start of the film we see what appears to be an abrupt flash back showing people we have not yet been introduced to. Were not sure who they are until latter in the film.

Interesting review...I've never even heard of this film, but I don't think Hillary Swank has made a good movie since Million Dollar Baby and her presence will make it hard for me to invest in this one, but I do loves me some Tommy Lee Jones, despite your assessment of his performance, I still may have to check it out.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by gbgoodies

I'm not a big fan of Woody Allen, but I haven't really seen enough of his movies to say that I dislike him either. I just find him kind of annoying sometimes.

But I liked your review of Radio Days, so I'll add that movie to my watchlist and give it a try.

Radio Days is one of Woody's most underrated films...a perfect combination of warm nostalgia and silly slapstick that also highlights Woody's flawless taste in music. His Oscar-nominated screenplay is flawless.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

I was thinking of you when I watched the film, I thought it seemed like something you might like. I was surprised that I liked it that much....and you know I think that is the only film I've seen Julie Kavner in.

Kavner is also in Hannah and her Sisters, Shadows and Fog, and Deconstructing Harry.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

Big Eyes (2014)

Big Eyes (2014)

Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston
Genre: Biography Drama
Length: 106 Minutes

A biopic drama about painter Margaret Keane, who painted the 'big eyes' paintings that became a huge commercial success in the 1960s. It follows her struggles with her husband who claimed he had painted her paintings and kept her from telling the world the truth.

Big Eyes?...Tim Burton? Sounds like an insane combination! But no Mr Burton shows great restraint and tells a straight forward story of a struggling artist, Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) and her emotional and legal battles with her smooth talking, slimy business minded husband (Christoph Waltz) who steals fame and respect from his wife by claiming the paintings are his work. He goes so far as to make her sign his name to the art and keeps his wife a virtual prisoner in her home. Even her own daugher from a first marriage is kept in the dark about the paintings.

What makes this movie work is, it's true. This is one of those 'stranger than fiction' events and it actually happened to Mrs Keane. In the 1960s her art work was famous. You couldn't walk into a room with out seeing a reproduction of her art on the wall. When I was a little kid one of her lithographs of a big eyed sad dog hung in my bedroom. Tim Burton is an advent collector of her art and a personally fan of Margret Keane and for that reason he sought to tell her story.

I really liked this film and so did my wife. It's easy to watch, not to fast, not to slow, nice pacing. Both Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz are talented actors and are excellent in this. They bring the characters to life...It's the uniqueness of the story itself that makes this worth watching.

In the last six months or so, I have been looking at Amy Adams through fresh eyes and that is the primary reason I will be adding this film to my watchlist...oh, and your review.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

Space Station 76 (2014)

Space Station 76 (2014)

Director: Jack Plotnick
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Marisa Coughlan, Matt Bomer, Jerry O'Connell,Kali Rocha
Genre: Dark Comedy Drama, Sci-Fi
Length: 93 minutes

Premise: What would happen if people's culture, values and styles were permanently stuck in the mid 1970s and yet it was the future on some space station...what would that future look like?

Space Station 76 is not sci-fi. It might seem like sci-fi because it's set on a space station orbiting an alternative earth but that's the end of the sci-fi part. There's no CG, no lasers, no space battles. The entire movie takes place in a few rooms inside the station and it's about people and their neuroses.

The film is based on a stage play and like many play based films it's heavy on dialogue and characters. The director described the film as a dark comedy. Comedy really isn't the right word, it's more of an expose. This is not a Space Balls or Galaxy Quest type film. The 'comedy' is dry and subtle and comes out of examining the values and personalities of these people who are permanently stuck with 1970s lifestyles. Better yet, don't think of it as a comedy at all.

The decor and set design is fabulously all 70s. There's a lot of detail that went into making this alternative version. It's fun looking at the sets and spotting styling cues from the past. How many can you see in the photo?

Space Station 76 is a small budget Indie film, which dares to be different. If you go into this film with no expectations you might just enjoy it as much as I did. It helps if you're familiar with the 1970s. There's no big story arch, no huge conflicts, just a bunch of chain smoking pill popping, drinking people who can't seem to get their life's together.

I don't know how you do it Citizen...another movie I have never even heard of but will be adding to my watchlist.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by SilentVamp

You know what? I was really obsessed with "West Side Story" - of all things - when I was a little kid. And when I got older - say about 10 or so - I got the record of the Broadway cast. So I had an idea of what was different about it. Yet, I always wanted to see it on stage. And when I saw it, it was good, but not good enough for me. I think it is because when I compare the two, I like the changes that occurred in the movie so much more than how it was originally presented. For me, the changes worked better with the story. Also, I think my childhood obsession could've impaired my judgment of the "real" version. I don't know if any of that makes sense, but that is the best that I could explain it.

My first theater experience was "Camelot". I grew up loving musicals. And I was about 11-12 when I started to become really hooked on original Broadway shows. My brother bought me the cast album of "Camelot". There were songs that I knew from the show and others that I ended up liking better than the "known" ones. Anyway, I was 13 when I saw "Camelot" on stage. This is when Robert Goulet was touring as King Arthur. I LOVED IT!! I thought it was great and it is still in my top 10 for live shows. But then I got it into my head to watch the movie.

I am assuming you have seen it. And I am assuming you know how I felt about the movie.

What a waste of a great opportunity to make a great movie.

By the way, I am sorry to take over this thread now.

I've never seen West Side Story onstage, but I love the movie. On the other hand, film versions of Broadway musicals are rarely better than the stage production (The Sound of Music comes to mind). It's kind of like movies based on books...it is a given that the book is almost always going to be better and we know that going in...the same with movie musicals...it's a given that it was better onstage because it was created for that venue. And just for the record, I detest Camelot...a musical I have seen onstage and on screen...that musical bores the crap out of me.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by gbgoodies

The comedy part isn't hard to see, when you look back at movies like Max Dugan Returns and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I never saw the musicals part coming.

I remember when I saw him in The Music Man, (on PBS), I thought he was good, but I didn't think that he had the "wow" factor. Maybe it was just because Robert Preston was just so hard to live up to, but I just expected a bit more from him than what I got.

Totally agree with you regarding Matthew in The Music Man...I thought his performance was kind of one-note, but to be fair, the role of Harold Hill belongs to one actor. Loved Kristen Chenoweth as Marian though...her rendition of Goodnight My Someone made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by gbgoodies

I liked Matthew Broderick in The Producers, but I agree that he was miscast in The Music Man.

I'm not sure if anyone would be able to fill Robert Preston's shoes in that role, but the only person who I'd like to see try is Hugh Jackman. He's been fantastic in everything I've seen him in. I have a CD of the Broadway soundtrack starring Craig Bierko, and he sounds good on the soundtrack, but I haven't seen him act much, so I don't know how good he was in the actual show.

I saw Matthew in How To Succeed too...that role fit him like a glove, but Harold Hill? No. And now that you mention it, I have to agree that Jackman is one of the few actors that could be a viable Harold Hill...though I loved Craig Bierko but I'm still hoping they get Jackman onscreen in a remake of Carousel that has been on the rumor mill and allegedly "in dvelopment" for about a decade now.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by gbgoodies

I looked it up, and it stars Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda. I'll give it a try.

I think The Boston Strangler is Tony Curtis' best performance.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-30-15

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

Crash 2004

Director: Paul Haggis
Writer: Paul Haggis (story & screenplay)
Cast: Ensemble
Genre: Drama multi storied
Length: 112 minutes

Premise: An intermixed, multi story tale of Los Angles residents who lead very separate lives from one another. On one faithful night, the lives of these people collide through a chain of events. Changing them forever.

Review: Crash is highly stylized and beautifully filmed. It artistically weaves together the unrelated stories of these peoples lives. It attempts to deal with the complicated and diverse subject matter of racism...as it explores the reasons and consequences. In this it succeeded.

To me, Crash was like eating cotton candy. It left me hungry for more. I never felt satisfied, I never got my fill. There were so many characters that I hardly got a chance to know them and I would have liked too. The film would have needed another 30 minutes for that.

All of the many actors were exceptional, they make the events of Crash so believable.

I found the angry cop character played by Matt Dillon and his situation interesting. He does some bad things but the film shows us how he got to have so much anger inside and that was believable.

I also liked the two characters of the African American car-jackers. The film really does try to handle the misconceptions of race very well.

I would have like to learned more about the TV producer and his wife and also the Mexican American lock smith and his family.

Crash is a unique film that embraces the idea that we all walk around isolated in our own worlds, oblivious to the lives of others that we pass. And yet we can interact in ways that have profound effects on people we'll never know.

I LOVE your review of Crash Citizen...for the longest time, I thought I was the only person on the planet who liked that movie and I got a lot of flack regarding my review of the film, but it did not change my opinion of the film. I remember walking out of the theater after seeing it and thinking to myself: This movie is going to win Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Matt Dillon is going to be nominated for Supporting Actor.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

12-01-15

Hey good to see ya Gideon, I'm always happy when somebody stops by and reads a few reviews or post

Originally Posted by Gideon58

The Homesman (2014)Interesting review...I've never even heard of this film, but I don't think Hillary Swank has made a good movie since Million Dollar Baby and her presence will make it hard for me to invest in this one, but I do loves me some Tommy Lee Jones, despite your assessment of his performance, I still may have to check it out.

I really like Tommy Lee Jones and by bumbling I don't mean he was a poor actor BUT that he was being egoistical in his role as director/producer by injecting his character into the story at the determent of the movie. But his acting is fine here.

Originally Posted by Gideon58

Space Station 76 (2014)I don't know how you do it Citizen...another movie I have never even heard of but will be adding to my watchlist.

I don't know if you like sci fi but this really isn't sci-fi, it's more like a SNL comedy satire skit. It's well done...even if you are not a big fan of sci fi, I think you would at least find the post modern 70s stuff to be interesting.

Citizen Rules