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The Doors, a review by Rich

The Doors



Oliver Stone might have considered his film a tribute to the enduring power of the Doors' music, but he seems to have also intended it as a cautionary tale on the perils of both celebrity and substance abuse. Starring Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, the film focuses on the Lizard King from his days as a UCLA film student in the early 1960s to his death in a Paris hotel in 1971. In the early days of the group's formation, Morrison is at his most benign; he's just a guy hanging out at the beach writing poetry. But as the Doors' fame begins to spread--with Morrison as the focus of attention--his drug consumption and erratic behavior increase exponentially. The rest of the band--Ray Manzarek (Kyle McLachalan), John Densmore (Kevin Dillon), and Robby Krieger (Frank Whaley)--begins to grow tired of his late arrivals, the increasing number of cancellations, and the drunken recording sessions requiring infinite retakes. But no one can help Morrison as he spirals downward into an inferno of drugs, alcohol, public obscenity, and depression. Kilmer gives an excellent performance, including a frighteningly accurate imitation of Morrison's singing. Stone's intimate familiarity with SoCal in the 1960s also provides the film with a high degree of surface verisimilitude.

Despite the title, this is another 60's Stone biopic of lead singer Jim Morrison, excellently played by Val Kilmer. Morrison comes across as a vain drug-addled jeckyll and hyde bufoon, and very rarely does the film highlight his poetic prowess and front man ground-breaking performances. Perhaps this was a slightly unbalanced portrayal, it is difficult to contemplate any human being taking the drug and alcohol abuse on a daily basis as is shown here.
I was amazed by Kilmers voice, it is eerily Morrison and I had to check the credits to ensure it wasn't dubbed by another performer. Meg Ryan was totally miscast as Jims wife, and fails as the weird heroin addict.
Too disjointed, badly directed, and obsesses on matters outside of the main narrative that I was soon bored watching this.
 



(From Riches Random Reviews on March 9th, 2009)

Law Abiding Citizen, a review by KinkyCyborg

Title:Law Abiding Citizen
Year: 2009
Director: F. Gary Gray
Rating: 18A
Length: 109 Min.
Video: Widescreen :1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Gerard Butler
Jamie Foxx
Leslie Bibb
Viola Davis
Regina Hall

Plot:
Synopsis of Law Abiding Citizen
When Philadelphia family man Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) learns that the D.A. (Jamie Foxx) has cut a deal allowing one of the two killers who murdered his wife and child to escape the death penalty, he launches an ingenious and ruthless campaign of revenge. When Shelton's crimes continue even after he is incarcerated, the police grow baffled even as they desperately try to stop the bloodletting

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes


Tonight was my pick and so I chose a movie that has been one of the most talked about at my work in recent months.

Great action and suspense with stellar performances by Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. You are meant to cheer for the anti-hero but midway through Butler's character crosses a line and you no longer feel so sorry for him.... that I wasn't expecting and made for an unexpected twist.

The blabber mouths at work talked endlessly about the shocking kill scene so I knew about it, saw it coming... and jumped anyway! Sweet! 

The movie raises an interesting question that I'm sure everyone has asked themselves at some point. What lengths would you go to to get back at those who harm your loved ones?? While I certainly don't possess the ingenuity displayed in Law Abiding Citizen, I'd like to think the end result would be the same.

While I think this movie was very good I think it just misses out on being great which would have been achieved had Butler's character been allowed to carry out his final act.  This was edgy, thrilling and intense but it failed to deliver the knockout punch.

KC

Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010 on September 30th, 2010)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Wonderfalls: The Complete Series (2004/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (Canada) Length: 573 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles: English, Spanish

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Plot:
Although a recent graduate of Brown University, Jaye Tyler decides to ignore her degree, live in a trailer and work at a tourist gift shop in Niagara Falls called Wonderfalls - much to the despair of her well-to-do family. But Jaye's aimless life takes a startling turn after a lion figurine begins talking to her. Her family calls it an "episode," but Jaye knows better. Fearing for her sanity, Jaye nevertheless starts doing exactly what an increasing number of inanimate objects tell her to do and is amazed when her outrageous actions begin changing people's lives in unexpected ways.


Wonderfalls
Season 1.01 Wax Lion
Writer: Todd Holland (Original Material By), Bryan Fuller (Original Material By), Bryan Fuller (Screenwriter)
Director: Todd Holland
Cast: Caroline Dhavernas (Jaye Tyler), Katie Finneran (Sharon Tyler), Tyron Leitso (Eric Gotts), Lee Pace (Aaron Tyler), William Sadler (Darrin Tyler), Diana Scarwid (Karen Tyler), Tracie Thoms (Mahandra), Gabriel Hogan (Thomas), Scotch Ellis Loring (Muse Voice), Kari Matchett (Beth), Kathryn Greenwood (Unpleasant Customer), Chelan Simmons (Gretchen), Neil Grayston (Alec), Kim Roberts (Peggy), Curt Wu (Doctor), Steven Taylor (Loitering Boy), Bailey Stocker (Ronnie's Daughter), Lisa Marcos (Attractive Nurse), Jorge Molina (Male Tourist), Morgan Drmaj (Bellman), Anna Starnino (Traige Nurse), Corry Karpf (Heidi), Chantal Purdy (Little Girl), Melissa Grelo (Native Princess), Brandon Oakes (Native Chief), Ted Dykstra (Muse Voice)

A great first episode of a great series. At the time I was disappointed that Fox cancelled this series after only a few episodes. Luckily at later was released on DVD. And now I am glad to have a great short series, instead of having it drawn out over multiple seasons.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on November 16th, 2012)