Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

That's cool Optimus I was just wondering what you were expecting to see in Blade Runner. I know for myself, the movies I don't like are the ones I expect (or want) to be different, than they turn out to be. I seen a movie a month ago that everyone loved, and I though I would love it, but...it was completely not what I had hoped for, so I ended up disliking it. I think that happens to most people.

Director: Neil Burger
Writers: Neil Burger, Dirk Wittenborn
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña
Genre: Drama Comedy

About: Three soldiers returned home to the USA from Afghanistan, end up taking a cross country road trip together. Their stories are interwoven as they deal with their war injuries and learn life has moved on without them, during their tour of duties.

Review: I love indie films, and I love road trip films, especially when they're cleverly written and insightful. I instantly liked the film and cared about the three characters. I thought all three main actors were very good and made me care about what happened to them. In the hands of another director this could have turned into a typical sentimental film but it never does that, thank goodness.


I loved the way this was edited and filmed...no quirky camera tricks, no fast cut edits, no flash backs. I especially like the way each of the character's stories wrapped up at the end. Good old fashion story telling, that kept me involved!

I thought it was cool how the film showed that all three characters were first and foremost soldiers. They breathe, think and act, soldiering. The director shows us how the three are different than civilians when they interact with non-soldiers.

I thought the end scene where they say goodbye to each other at the airport and Micheal Pena kisses Rachel McAdams goodbye showed how they were all soldiers: In most films they would have passionately kissed, falling in love and ended up together. But Pena kisses her not on the cheek, and not squarely on the lips, but off to the side of her lips (as a solider buddy might do)...

Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast: Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Fable

Ugetsu is based on an ancient Japanese fable that takes place in a turbulent time during the sixteenth century, when the Japanese were in a civil war. It's a morality tale of love, hope, dreams and the supernatural.

I liked this film right off the start and as the story progressed I became even more interested in it. It's a very interesting story! It held my interest and I was very curious as to what was going to happen next.

I enjoyed the folk lore style of story telling, quite well. I thought the actors were appropriate for being cast as historical folk lore caricatures. I liked the fable itself and it was filmed beautiful too.

I wasn't sure if the poor potter who met the noble lady and marries her, was drugged by her? Or was he enchanted by her or under a spell?...Or did he marry her of his own free will? It seems an important question as it determines much of the moral of the story.

I wish his story in Ugetsu had ended at the point when he returned to his home and found it was empty. I would have ended it by showing him vacantly staring out the widow at what once was. That's the way I would like it.

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I didn't get a chance to write about The Lucky Ones when it was in the HoF, but I thought it was a great movie, and it probably would have placed pretty high on my list if I had submitted one.

I'm generally not a fan of Tim Robbins because I find him unlikable in most of his movies, but I kind of liked him in this movie. I also liked the other two main characters, which made it easy for this movie to draw me into the story and care about the characters.

I also liked the ending because they didn't just take the easy way out with the predictable happy ending of two of the main characters ending up together.

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The Lucky Ones is a good one! I'm not surprised that you would like it. Both me and my wife liked it, but I think I liked it more. Have you seen Mother's Day (2016)? I just got through watching that this evening and it was pretty silly. Innocuous, with a few laughs but mostly silly.

No, I haven't even heard of the movie Mother's Day, but I don't think I've seen any movies from 2016 yet. I'm way behind on current movies. I usually catch up at the end of the year when the Oscar nominees are announced.

I suggest you put Mothers Day at the bottom of your list. It's nothing to write home about. I wanted to shut it off after 15 minutes, and it only got worse.

I took a quick look at the IMDB page for it, and it has a low rating, and no stars that I really care about, so I'll probably just wait to watch it until it's on TV eventually.

It can't be worse than the movie that I watched tonight. Hudson Hawk (1991) starring Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello and Andie MacDowell. It starts off fun, with Bruce Willis and Danny Aiello singing to time their robbery, but it quickly gets ridiculous after that. I remembered it being a bad movie, but not that bad.

I never seen Hudson Hawk, but I remember it had a lot of buzz about it when it came out. I might watch it for Andie MacDowell

Director: Michael Moore
Writer: Michael Moore
Cast: John Candy, Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman, Kevin Pollack, Rip Torn
Genre: Satire Comedy

About: A mild mannered American President (Alan Alda) whos popularity is at an all time low, gets talked into staging a Cold War with Canada. Meanwhile Bud Bright (John Candy) the not-to-bright sheriff of Niagara Falls heads to Canada to cause mischief.

Review: What's wrong with people!??? Canadian Bacon has a dismally low rating at IMDB, but this is one of the most satirical, clever, well written, biting humor movies, I've ever seen. Written and directed by Michael Moore (Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine), yes! it's that Michael Moore the one that the extreme right loves to hate. This is the only non-documentary film that Moore made...and it's a doozie. Packed full of Moore's social commentary on big business, big government and the effects of an out of control media. The jokes are subtle so those looking for Adam Sandler type humor will hate this. And that's probably why I loved it! There's so much going on that if you blink you can miss a dimuitive gem of witticism.

Kudos to John Candy and Alan Alda for delivering Michael Moore's dialogue with style. Canadian Bacon might have been a no-brainier title for a movie, but make no mistake about it, you will need a brain to enjoy this.

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You're a glutton for punishment.

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Well ya but Andie was hot back in the day.

She's not the punishment, the movie is.

Mother's Day (2016)
Director: Garry Marshall
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Canadian Bacon - thank you, Rules!
I have some fond memories of this movie (haven't seen it in many years.)
Interestingly, a movie that came out two years later: Wag the Dog (1997) had virtually the same plot - trying to create a war for PR reasons - but with a slightly more serious take (although it was also a comedy.) I remember watching Wag the Dog and saying, "Hey! They stole this plot from Canadian Bacon"

I had to edit this to say... OMG! I never knew Michael Moore wrote & directed this! I'm not sure how to feel about it now. I'm not a fan of Moore these days (although, at one time I bought his TV show "TV Nation" on VHS tapes)!

It was funny when the movie started as I seen the director of Canadian Bacon was Michael Moore, but thought, 'nah it can't be him, he makes documentaries.' But then as the movie goes on and it's very Michael Moorish, I start to wonder. Then I see him in a cameo role and knew it was him. I had never seen one of his films before. I know a lot of people don't like him. But at any rate it was a funny movie...and sadly the last film released with John Candy in it.

On the bright side I still have a bunch more Candy films to watch:

Wagons East (1994)
Armed and Dangerous (1986)
Once Upon a Crime (1992)
Brewster's Millions (1985)
Tunnel Vision (1976)
Really Weird Tales (1987)

I've not seen any of them, not even Brewster's Millions. So I have something to look forward to.

I finally watched Wagon's East (1994). It's got some weak areas, but it's not as bad as people made it out to be, in fact, I'd say it's a bit underrated. Perhaps the fact that it's John Candy's last film cast a shadow upon it?

Without spoiling; my favorite character in the movie turned out to be the one played John C. McGinely! For me he ended up stealing the movie. He's very cliched at first, but watch and see what happens.


Come to think of it, John C. McGinely has left his mark as a character actor on me from a few films: Platoon, Office Space and the wildly suspenseful thriller Intensity (1997) - a made for TV movie (don't know why since it would have killed in the theater) where McGinely breaks from his usual comedic roles to play a charismatic yet sadistic serial killer!

John C. McGinely...that name doesn't sound familiar to me, so I Googled him and I don't recognize him. But I have Platoon on order from the library (I'm on a Vietnam war kick) and I'll be watching that soon. I think one of these days I'll check out Office Space as I'm liking Jennifer Aniston more than I would have thought. I'll probably try of Wagon's East as my next Candy movie, so I'll see what I think of McGinely's character in that one.

Have you never seen Platoon, Rules?
Probably my favorite Viet Nam film. Intense, suspenseful, action-packed, violent and it has some very disturbing material.
The first time I saw it in the theater I walked away a bit shaken & stunned - as if I'd experienced some of the war (although all I did was sit in a chair for 2 hours.)
Outstanding cast & performances (even by Charlie Sheen - before he went mental).
Keep an eye out for a young Johnny Depp in one of his early film appearances.

I've written about Office Space on this site before, but it's one of those films that grew on me - I didn't really care for it when I first saw it, but then it became more & more relatable to my job at the time. Now I watch it as a cult classic.

Yeah, I seen Platoon, but like a million years ago. Seems to me I liked it. Wasn't there a TV series called Platoon? I use to watch that and liked it as well. Johnny Depp is in it? thanks for mentioning that I had no idea.

I remember you saying you liked Office Space, it has a lot of a fans. I don't think I would relate to it as I've never even got close to any office type work, but I'll give a shot.

Catch ya latter, time for pizza and a movie (go figure)