Another Bout Of Depression And A Teenage Date

Hi again, Imaginarians. I'm so sorry I went away again for the last couple of weeks. I had another bout of depression and it hit me pretty hard. I'm taking meds but sometimes I get overwhelmed. I hope you will forgive the silence. I've been on Facebook, but even that has been sporadic.

Anyway, did you all enjoy the weekend? I went with my nephew on his date. He's only 14 and needed a ride to the theater. He and his young lady went in to see Ride Along and I went into Frozen. They enjoyed the film immensely and well, I liked Frozen, but didn't love it. The singing got to be too much. I did enjoy the fact that it was about sisters who save each other and did not rely on the trope of the kiss from Prince Charming. Afterwards, we met up with the girlfriend's mother and younger sister for dinner at The Dixie Kitchen, a wonderful restaurant specializing in Louisiana style food. Pulled pork and mashed sweet potatoes with fried green tomatoes. Yum!

As thanks for taking him, my nephew helped me shovel last night because, yes we got more snow. Again. Another 6 inches and yes, I'm still sore. We live on a corner lot so there is a lot to shovel. I'm really grateful for my nephew as his date pulled me out enough to be social and I've gotten a bit of spark again.

I also watched the debacle of the Super Bowl. I was so not into it this year and even the commercials annoyed me. Too contrived for direct emotional responses rather than about the products. I know beer can be a patriotic drink for some, but come on. And I will not even get into the sexism of some these ads. I've got plenty to say in a later post about the sexism that is certainly running rampant through this country, particularly in politics.

I have not written, but I did manage a few sentences yesterday and made some changes to another ms. I know, shoot me now. I can't wait for IWSG on Wednesday. HELP!!

So what is the good news around here. I've been so out of touch.

Friday Fun

Happy Friday, Imaginarians!! We made it through the week and I managed to write a few more paragraphs, which makes two whole pages into my newest creation. My good mood is also due to the fact that I am participating in my first blog hop since my absence. Michael Di Gesu is hosting The Coffee Hop, in which we describe what makes us want/need/desire that cup of amazing goodness each day.







My addiction isn't so much coffee as it is caffeine. Oh my God do I have an addiction. I alone, have a billion dollar habit. It is monstrous. I require gallons throughout the day to keep me functioning until I come alive at night like a vampire. Drink it, chug it, sip it or mainline it through an IV. Before I have my first hit, I very much resemble one of the walkers from my favorite show, The Walking Dead.

I can't think, I can't speak English and if you come near me, I'll likely chomp on you. Be warned before you approach me at anytime before High Noon. Wave a hand first. If I blink and growl, stay away or shove some caffeine into my zombie-esque hands.

Go visit the other participants of this hop. We're having a great time and there's some real Colombian coffee at stake.

So anyone got any big plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to get some writing done and watch some movies I have not seen from last year. Oh before I go, I watched the Oscar nominations yesterday and Bad Grandpa received a nomination for Best Makeup and Hair. This is so unbelievably awesome and the big surprise, no nomination for American Hustle in spite of Bradley Cooper's tremendous perm curlers. Johnny Knoxville can officially and forever say he starred in an Academy Award nominated film. Fucking brilliant! I highly recommend this film, it was the funniest damn movie of last year. It was so much better than The Heat, which I found spectacularly unfunny. Not one chuckle or hint of a smile from me through the entire two hours. Yikes! I also recommend We're The Millers for lots of laughs.

Have a great weekend and a terrific time hanging out at The Coffee Hop.

Hump Day

Hey Imaginarians, it's Hump Day and nothing much has been going on. I did meet with my crit partners for the first time in months and we did get a lot of stuff read, plus we had a terrific time talking as we had a lot to catch up on. I also managed to write a few paragraphs, not much, but I'm getting back into writing at least.

I want to say thank you to all of you who have stuck by this blog and me. I could not ask for a better group of  friends and supporters. I'm making my way to all of you, its just taking me longer than I thought.Coming back is hard and I still have my dark moments.

Sunday was a lazy day for me. I totally did nothing but watch old movies, then the Golden Globes. I watched Arsenic and Old Lace as well as The Thing From Another Planet, plus a Bob Hope classic, Bachelor In Paradise. It was a day for total relaxation around here. And yes, that means I did not watch football. I just don't care about any of the teams this season. I will watch the championship games and the Super Bowl, but these other playoff games were meh. I burned out my enthusiasm after watching the Packers lose at home in a close shave.

I can't wait for the Oscar noms tomorrow. I'm really hoping Leonardo DiCaprio gets a nom because he deserves it for his wildly brilliant performance in Wolf Of Wall Street. Loved that movie, it was so wrong it was epic. And most uses of the F word in a three hour period. Over 500 times. Now that is creative usage of a very versatile word, which also happens to be one of my favorites. I haven't seen it used so creatively since Goodfellas.

Happy Friday And What I Learned from 2013

Whoo hoo, it's Friday, my favorite day of the week. It seems it takes forever to get here sometimes, doesn't it? Do you all have big plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to get some writing done and catch up on American Horror Story because I missed the last four eps, so shhhh...No Spoilers! ;)

I can't believe 2013 is over. The year ended on such a downer, but I did have an amazing time and learned alot, good, bad and ugly. Here are just a few of those lessons...


I learned one of my favorite TV shows, Sons of Anarchy, has some of the stoopidest, most ignorant fans out there. Example, recently a dedicated fan site posed the question "Since the show is coming into its last season, who do you think will die?" Me: "Everyone. This is Hamlet set in a motorcycle club according to Kurt Sutter [the creator] and everyone died in Shakespeare's play." Ignoramus Fan: "Shut the fuck up U dum cow. This is about Jax and the mc and guns and shit,  not a story some old dude wrote like 40 years ago. Git fucked u bitch."  Ah the intelligent discourse to be found on the internet.

I must make a Murtagh list because there is definitely shit I am too old for. Like riding my once beloved Tilt-A Whirl. I was so excited at the Festival of the Lakes this past summer. I got on the Tilt-A-Whirl with my nephew and sister. We got a great car that spun like mad. Sadly, when the ride was over, I nearly fell half a dozen times before I managed to stagger down the stairs and off the ride. Thankfully, I did not embarrass myself by yakking all over. I was, however, dizzy for the next two hours. A sad, sad, day for me.

Apparently, I am broke enough for the Federal Government to be on Medicaid, but still make too much money according to the State of Illinois, who denied me the coverage.

One of my local movie theaters has the first showing of the day for $5. Methinks that I will be seeing a lot more features at 9:00 AM on Saturdays.

I learned how to use a Smartphone. Yes!

2013 was also a year of reunions. I also reconnected with a couple of very old friends. We had been MIA from each other' lives for 15 years and thanks to Facebook, we got back together and have hung out several times.

Last year was also a great one for movies and while I'm not going to compile a whole list, some of my faves were The Hobbit 2, Thor 2, Pacific Rim, Man of Steel, Iron Man 3, Fast 6, World War Z and God, help me, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa. I have a very juvenile sense of humor.

One of the highlights of the year was me getting to drive a 2013 Dodge Challenger. I learned I do love to go very, very fast.

So what stood out from 2013 for you? Have a terrific weekend and I'll be be back on Monday. It sure feels good to say that.

Pacific Rim: An Adrenalized Tale of Giant Robots vs. Giant Monsters

Happy Hump Day Imaginarians!! I've been remiss this week so far, but today I'm bringing you a review of my favorite summer movie of them all so far, Pacific Rim.

I was strapped in for this one from the first frame. Guillermo Del Toro delivers a powerful, high octane anime come to life with terrific characters, a wonderful, yet cheesy script and fx that some of the best I've seen on film.

A dimensional rift has opened in the Pacific Ocean allowing giant monsters known as Kaiju to come through to earth. They attack Pacific Rim cities like San Francisco, Tokyo and Manila. To combat these beings, Earth has banded together and created the Jaegers, giant robots that require two pilots who are completely in sync with one another mentally. As the war drags on, the Jaegers become obsolete as Earth pins its hopes on continental walls to hold back the Kaiju. When the wall fails (and you knew it would) there are only 4 Jaegers left. Raleigh Becket, a former pilot, is called back into service when the remaining Jaegers are sent to Hong Kong.

Charlie Hunnam steals the show as Raleigh. He's vulnerable, smart, strong and has enormous chemistry with his badass co-star Rinko Kikuchi who is Mako Mori. Mako is the assistant to and adopted daughter of, the director of the Jaeger program, Stacker Pentecost. Idris Elba plays Stacker and he does a good job being leader, hardass and father figure. Charlie Day and Born Gorman are terrific as the dork scientists, Geiszler and Gottlieb, who are trying to figure out how to understand the Kaiju. Day is funny, silly, providing a certain comic relief that was great, but got on my nerves after a while. I was hoping he'd get eaten or squashed. Ron Perlman shows his villainous side as Hannibal Chau, a black market dealer in Kaiju parts and other things who helps Geiszler get his geeky hands on a Kaiju brain. There is great chemistry between Perlman and Day.

The fx are huge. Beyond huge. They are definitely what a summer blockbuster is all about. I found myself gasping for breath as the monsters attacked, just like I did as kid and first saw Godzilla. The Jaegers were ultra impressive and I so wanted to try my hand at driving one.

Guillermo Del Toro has created an adrenalized tale of giant robots vs. giant monsters that is an epic summer film you'll want to see again and again.

Man Of Steel

Hey there Imaginarians! Did you all have a great weekend? I did. I took my nephew to see Man of Steel and what an epic film. My nephew and I were clutching the arms of our seats for almost the whole film. Okay, before I go blathering off on a hundred different tangents, how about I just get into my review? LOL

We all know the story of Superman, he's been part of our group think for decades, but Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead) has given our favorite Kryptonian a slightly new polish and it works. There was lots of noise about this being too dark, too gritty, but in a word...Hell no. Superman is still the exact same square-jawed boy scout, however, he's been made a little more real and accessible. I never bought into this kid growing up with perfect acceptance of his powers, no feelings of isolation, no adjustments or anything. The comics have always glossed over that, at least the ones I remember reading. hell, even the Chris Reeve film, the standard bearer, whitewashed that part. This Superman is along the lines of the Smallville Clark Kent, an eminently more realistic and yes, believable, hero. I don't know about you, but I want to know that my hero has struggled, that he's had to overcome and still struggles. You can't have good without some bad, there is no perfection. Saints have their flaws and so should superheroes. Oh I can hear the protests now, "Mel, Superman's not human, he's from Krypton." Bull shit. He's humanoid and anything remotely human is flawed to the nth degree.

I digress.

Cavill brings this Superman to wondrous life. He struggles, he's isolated, hell, he's scruffy, something that Clark Kent never was before and I love it. Henry's turn is strong, quiet, yet there is a commanding air about him. He has humor, warmth and a deep love for those around him. He gets ticked off and there is one scene where he avoids a bar fight, but gets his own revenge and I pumped my fist. It was beautiful.

Amy Adams is terrific as Lois. Smart, strong and a take-no-prisoners attitude coupled with compassion and a huge heart. She risks herself for Clark because of who he is and what she finds out he has gone through. She's not awed by his looks. The chemistry between Adams and Cavill sizzles. They fairly smoked the screen. You could feel the depth of attraction and affection. I cannot wait for chapter 2 of this romance.

Now for the villain of the piece...Kneel before Zod, er Michael Shannon. Oh my God was he incredible. Zod is a warrior, sworn to protect Krypton and their way of life to the exclusion of all else and Shannon delivers that depth of duty and psychosis in a pure crazed, relentless performance. I could not take my eyes off of him when he was on screen. He even outshone Russell Crowe and the delicious Cavill in some cases.

The supporting cast was terrific as well. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner were so amazing as the Kents, a couple struggling to raise not only a child, but a being who will change our world. Their performances were honest and true. Laurence Fishburne did not get enough screen time as Perry White, but I hope he remained because he was not only a hard-nosed news man, but he had a softer side that made me love him. He and Amy had great rapport. Harry Lennix and Christopher Meloni struck a perfect balance between hard nosed soldier and decent fellow. They weren't flat, stock soldiers like Stephen Lang in Avatar.

I do have to make special mention of the badass bitch of the movie, Antje Traue as Zod's second, Faora Ul. She rocked it, kicking ass and taking names. Her fight scenes were hellagood and I hope she gets more action work ASAP.

The fx were bold, brilliant and just had my mouth agape almost the whole time. I could have caught Skittles in my trap. Zack Snyder knows how to do big action, yet keep human and real, unlike Michael Bay. Each fight, explosion, etc. has a purpose beyond "wouldn't that be cool."

There was really only one flaw for me and that was Krypton. I thought it was a little overdone, too much like Dune in some sort of medieval, opera style when it should have been more tech and smooth like Minority Report or Star Trek. For me people who have to fight with metal swords don't travel in space.

Overall this was one hellacious good time and I can't wait to strap in for another.

Any of you see this yet? What did you think? Talk to me.

Best and Worst Remakes Blogfest

Happy Friday!! It's time for the awesome Best and Worst Remakes Blogfest. Hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Livia Peterson, Dragon Father Al Diaz and Stephen Tremp, we are here to skewer the worst and praise the best.

I like to start off with bad stuff first. So here are my Worst Remakes Ever:

The Women

What were they thinking? The subject matter really isn't that timely anymore unless you're talking the Ladies Who Lunch Tennis Set. And really no chemistry with Annette Benning, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes. YAWWWNNN... Norma Shearer and crew were so much better and wittier.

All The Kings Men

Why take a brilliant actor like Sean Penn and stick him in a play by play remake? Completely unnecessary to remake an already amazing film.

King Kong

Peter Jackson, you dumbass! We did not need a lame silly remake of a perfectly good giant ape film. I don't care how great your fx were ,the story stunk to high heaven and so did the acting. Your cast was more boring than Hayden Christiansen's performance in the Star Wars prequels. Like James Cameron with Avatar, you sought to dazzle us with frosting and hoped we would ignore the lack of substance underneath.

The Karate Kid

Will Smith, I love you, but you really did an injustice by bringing us this cross cultural nightmare. Hello! You can't call the him the Karate Kid if he is learning kung fu.

The Ring

Holy hell! This American remake of a brilliant Japanese horror flick was just pure comedy. I spent the entire time laughing at the ridiculousness of it.  Naomi Watts completely sucked and that creepy kid of hers was the only horror-esque part of this movie.

And now for my Best Remakes

The Thing

Best. Remake. Ever. Now I loved the original The Thing From Another World, but Carpenter's flick was off the chain incredible. it is one of my all time favorite performances by Kurt Russell as well as one of my fave movies of all time.

The Wolfman

Go ahead roll your eyes, call me crazy, but I thought this was creepy, atmospheric, stylish, sexy and had some great wolf attack scenes. It did awesome justice to the old Lon Chaney film and the cast was just brilliant. I love the unrated version and watch it whenever I need a pick me up. :)

Dracula

Second best remake ever. Gary Oldman and Francis Ford Coppola did an outstanding job bringing Stoker's novel to life. Far superior to the old Bela Lugosi film, which really could not delve into the sexuality of the Count. The cast was amazing and the script very well written.

3:10 To Yuma

James Mangold really delivered on this remake of the old Delmer Daves directed Glenn Ford vehicle. Intense from start to finish, this one was a worthy heir to the original. I loved all of the performances, especially Bale as Dan Evans.

Ocean's Eleven

George and Brad were just incredible. I loved this movie from start to finish. It was smart, sexy and oh so witty. I love me a great caper flick and this one delivered in spades.

Dawn of the Dead

Are you sensing a theme here? LOL Yes, I love my monster movies. I really dug George Romero's original, but this one made me love zombie movies forever. I watch it whenever I get a chance, even the spliced up versions on Syfy and AMC.

Go ahead and debate, call me insane, call me brilliant. (LOL well that last one is just a wee hope).

Have a super weekend my friends, my family!!

Scenes of the Crime: The Big Easy

One of my fellow bloggers, the awesome Brent Allard over at Criminal Movies is participating in a series called Scenes of the Crime by Furious Cinema. For my piece, I've chosen the best Dennis Quaid movie ever, in my opinion, 1986's The Big Easy.

Dennis is Remy McSwain, a New Orleans police detective who is investigating the murder of a local mobster. As he unravels the mystery, he suspects that some fellow officers may be behind the killing. His work has him crossing paths with Anne Osborne, played by Ellen Barkin, a district attorney who is charged with rooting out police corruption. As they work the case together, she witnesses Remy participate in some rather unorthodox behavior like free meals and coffee, small things that lead her to accuse him of being on the take.

Remy is all smooth Cajun charm, laughing off her suspicions, telling her that "...this is way things work down in the Big Easy, cher." To him, the son of a cop, free meals, a gift every now and again, is all part of business as usual for the NOPD. He sees nothing wrong with a little gratuity here and there. After all the boys in blue put their lives on the line for the citizens every day. It's just the way the people of New Orleans show their gratitude.

Remy keeps trying to charm Anne into coming around to his way of thinking even as he finds damning evidence of bigger, more insidious corruption. Anne grows more suspicious of Remy and his fellow cops, though, and when Remy is caught accepting a bribe during an Internal Affairs sting, she is forced to prosecute him. Her tentative trust in him is now shattered.

The blue line stands and evidence disappears, clearing Remy and humiliating Anne. After his sudden acquittal, Remy becomes disillusioned, realizing that his fellow officers, his own father included, really are committing crimes. He knows he has to stop them if he is ever going to live with himself and remain a cop.

The script by Daniel Petrie, Jr. is amazing and astute. He sets up an intriguing, thriller-type mystery, that draws the audience in and holds them hostage. Remy and Anne are strong protagonists whose visions are absolute. Remy grew up in the system, this is his world and he sees nothing wrong. He is a cop and for him being a cop is not just about the justice, it's about the respect of the people. Anne is unswerving in her vision of black and white, right and wrong. The chemistry between Quaid and Barkin is so volatile, they sizzle in their scenes together, incinerating the screen. The supporting cast is beyond magnificent and includes John Goodman, Ned Beatty, Grace Zabriskie, and the late great R&B singer Solomon Burke as mobster Daddy Mention.

This movie is ripe with atmosphere, the city of New Orleans a supporting character herself. Director Jim McBride takes us into the Big Easy from the colorful streets to Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Delta and the bayou. The scenes are steeped in Nawlins style. The score by composer Brad Fiedel is pure delta jazz and blues with lots of horns and zydeco beats. Big Easy's soundtrack features gospel, zydeco, cajun and R&B music. Performers include Professor Longhair, Aaron Neville and the Neville Brothers, Beausoleil, The Dixie Cups and a piece by Dennis Quaid. He wrote and performed the song "Closer to You" in the film.

I cannot say enough about this picture. It gets me every time I watch it and I highly recommend seeing it if you get the chance. Or pulling it out if you haven't watched in a very long time.

Movies and Zombies

So how was everyone's weekend? Mine was a lazy, movie and zombie weekend. Except for some running around, I slept and watched movies. There great ones and there were lame ones. They were movies that I failed to see when they came out, some titles stretching as far back as 2008. I know I'm supposed to be a huge movie geek, but hey, I can't see everything. LOL

I loved Sunshine Cleaning Company with Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. It was a poignant story with a lot of heart about two sisters in a struggle to get their lives on track after they both stumble out of high school and end up with broken lives. I discovered a new to me actor, Clifton Collins, Jr. He's terrific, totally blending in whatever role he takes on. He was what drew me to another film I enjoyed, The Experiment with Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker. A group of men volunteer for a psychological experiment whereby one group is designated the guards, the others, the prisoners. The project is supposed to last for 2 weeks, but by day 6 it has all gone to hell. It was Lord of the Flies, but with men and I enjoyed it very much as LotF is one of my favorite books.

Now, unfortunately, I did not enjoy every film. George Clooney's The American was very slow and I kept waiting for more action, but nothing happened. Then we get a really lame ending. It was filmed in Italy so that kept me from completely hating it.  All in all the movies were pretty good.

Now on to the zombies...

SPOILERS AHOY!!

Last night's Walking Dead saw the return of one of my fave characters, Morgan, played by the incredible Lennie James. I was horrified to find out what had happened to him and to poor Duane, his son. Yet I am pissed, too, as I loved Morgan. See, now I hate Merle even more. As if that were possible. The bastard got off lucky only losing his hand. I want more parts cut off and I know just where to start, too. Man, my eyes were burning with tears when Morgan finally broke and yelled at Rick about not being on the other end of that radio, that he had listened every day, but Rick wasn't there. My heart just cracked wide open. On the other hand, I was happy that seeing Morgan pulled Rick off of the Crazy Train for a bit.

And on a side note...I got a real kick out of those zombie traps Morgan built, which included live bait. Insane, he might be, but he's still thinking outside the box.And holy shit, that arsenal he accumulated. Man, we are going to kick Team Woodbury's asses!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the bonding that went on with Michonne and Carl. They were badass together and took out several walkers in a diner where a picture of Carl and his parents was hanging. Carl wanted that picture for Judith and I was terrified when he dropped the picture in the midst of the zombies and wanted to go back for it. Michonne saved the day, though, and I loved that she came back with a colorful cat statue for herself. And hell to the yeah Carl said that Michonne was one of them to Rick. About time, too.

Okay and funniest moment of the night was the poor hitchhiking backpacker who kept begging Rick, Michonne and Carl to take him with them. His pathetic yelling and running down the road had me shaking my head and laughing. "Hey dumbass! There is no hitchhiking in the apocalypse. You will be a zombie salad bar."

SPOILERS OVER

I wanted to let you all know that in spite of my new schedule, I will be doing a post on Wednesday for the Insecure Writers Support Group. So tell me all about your weekend? I want details. :)

Movies: The Best Of 2012

I'm not a happy camper this morning. Not at all. That noise on the wind is my heaving sobs of abject despair. My poor Irish were massacred by the Evil Crimson Tide in the championship game last night. I need copious amounts of chocolate and wine to get through today. Some one come sing "Soft Kitty" for me, pretty please? On with the show while I mop my pride up off the floor...

Since I tortured you with the Worst, now I'm going to make you smile and give you my Best Films of 2012. Again films are subjective so one woman's treasure is certainly someone else's WTF. Now then without any further ado and in no particular order these are my very best movies this year and ones that I would gladly own and watch over and over. There are a few that I have not seen as yet so they did not make the cut

Haywire

Hell to the yeah, a woman who can kick ass and actually looks the part. Gina Carano gave us Mallory Kane, a black ops assassin who gets screwed over by her handlers. Superior script, great cast and we get to see Gina kick Ewan's, Channing's and Michael's collective asses. Booyah!

Resident Evil: Retribution

I don't care what anyone says, this franchise just keeps getting better and better. Alice is one of the finest female roles out there. She is far and away unlike any of the typical cliched female characters that are like the tribbles of film, continuing to multiply in spite of all our advancements. The 21st century and I still have to see women as girlfriends and wives of cops instead of being cops, hello End of Watch. It's also nice to see a successful horror film franchise where the women aren't brainless candy canes.

The Avengers

Joss Whedon wrote and directed and it starred a coterie of hot men. I don't need anything else, really. However... This was an epic film that delivered on so many levels, I had to see it three times in the theater. Something I have not done since LOTR.

The Hobbit

Back to Middle Earth with Peter Jackson...I was on board the instant I heard about this. I waited a hell of a long time and was enthralled from the opening scenes.  This was utter perfection.

The Dark Knight Rises

Of course Nolan's final Batman is on my list. I freaking LOVED this. JGL stole the show as did Anne Hathaway. She rocked as Cat Woman. And I don't care what anyone says about the end, Bruce Wayne is DEAD and Alfred was having a hallucination.

The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe blew me away in this old fashioned creeper from Hammer. I saw it all alone in the theater and that made it even more unsettling. Epic ghost story in my opinion and one of Daniel's best performances. Harry Potter doesn't live here anymore.

Moonrise Kingdom

Oh Lord this film made me laugh and laugh. the characters were all brilliantly quirky and the dialogue was stupendous. Edward Norton as a Scout Master had me snorting my Diet Pepsi everywhere. Underneath it all is a tender tale of kids trying to find themselves.

Like I said there are several films I have yet to see like Django and Les Miserables so I could very well expand this list. Hope you enjoyed reading my take on the Best and Worst of Movies for 2012. I am looking forward to all the new stuff in 2013. Now I'm going back to bed...I don't want to face this rotten day after.  Sigh...

Movies: The Worst of 2012

Real life is still kicking my ass and I continue to be rather scarce around these parts, but I thought I'd post my Worst Movies of 2012. I have quite a list, but I chose the most heinous offenders. Fortunately, most were seen via Red Box so no real expense was felt by Yours Truly.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part Deux 

This movie is the cherry on the shit sundae that is the Twilight film series. All I can say is "Thank God, the nightmare is over."

Cosmopolis

Who the hell keeps giving Robert Pattinson work? This was a boring, confusing snorefest about a stupid rich boy.

Anna Karenina

In which fucking Keira Knightley and her sugar daddy, Joe Wright,  ruin another great novel.

The Grey

This is one male chest beating cliche after another. "I am Man, grrr... See me fight Wolf" An utter bore with lackluster acting and insipid direction. I was shocked at how bad Liam Neeson is in this film.

The Vow

I'm sorry, but I just cannot stomach sugar coated romantic dreck. They should have saved themselves the budget and gone right to the Hallmark Channel or Lifetime Movie Network. I had to double up on my diabetes meds after this one.

Chronicle

I hate found footage, but couple that with a cliche-ridden story about wastoid teenage boys who get superpowers and you have one of my worst nightmares. There was nothing original or exciting about this film whatsoever. The writing and cast were so awful, I want to bleach the experience from my brain.

What To Expect When You're Expecting

They made a movie based on an ancient self help book for pregnant women. 'Nuff said.

Playing for Keeps

Honestly Gerry, I love you. But you have got to stop doing these half-witted rom coms and get back to doing 300/Coriolanus calibre work. You haven't had chemistry with a leading lady since Lena Heady.

Okay, done ranting. I'm sure I'll be hearing all kinds of "WTF, Mel," but, movies are subjective and one woman's trash is another person's treasure. ;) Stay tuned for my Best of 2012.

Girls Kick Ass, Says So On The T-Shirt

Hey Imaginarians, while I am off in Deadlineville, my wild and crazy cool pal from Mind of Mine is here with an awesome guest post on my fave subject, Girls Who Kick Ass. Take it away, my friend...

Girls Who Kick Ass!
When I am picking a movie, either at a store, in line at the movies or downloading on that old World Wide Web. I ask myself, what kind of movie do I want to watch, Action? Thriller? Comedy or Drama?
I go through the list of movies and I often find that the genre is not really important. No, the quickest thing to draw me into a title is a strong and powerful female lead. The type of lead that demands your attention and whom eases screen presence. Give her a weapon to kick ass, be it intellect, wisdom or a pistol.

This guest post is an ode to those ladies, the ladies who kick ass and take no guff from anyone. Those Positive female role models. I should probably tell you at this point, that these are in no particular order, as in not to infuriate anyone. I know the effects, someone else's personal opinion can have on internet geeks. I am the same way....'What do you mean you have listed the Pink Power Ranger, number 5 of your all time favourite rangers, Roooarrr'. *Smashes up key board*

So here we go...

Sandra Bullock - Angela Bennett - The Net.

I can't really remember when my obession with with Heroine's began. But I can remember the first to have such an impact on me. The star making vehicle for Sandra Bullock was released to cinema's in 1995 and I believe we rented it sometime after that. The Net tells the story of Angela Bennett, a computer analyst and recluse, whose live is taken over by a computer terrorist group who believes she has access to a disk which could bring them down. They change her name, kill her only ally and force to her to get her life back, the only way she knows how.

The Internet was still a rare comodity at the time of it's release and it is as much a character driven as it is laced with not so clever plot devices. Fan of the CSI tool kit, full of things, which have not been invented yet, might want to take a retrospective look at this one. This movie is no Citizen Kane (I have never even seen Citizen Kane), nor is it a Gigli (Not seen that either) but it has it's moments. Bullock makes the list because she didn't need to use her fists to kick ass and that is alright in my book.

Bridget Fonda - Maggie Hayward - Assassin (Le Femme Nikita, Point Of No Return)

My parents, really were laxed when it came to monitoring my viewing. I was pretty much allowed watch anything, regardless of age. Like the movie above, I watched this for the first time, when I was quite young and like everyone else, watched it again when I got older and realised that I had no idea what was going on. For instance, I didn't realise that the opening shoot up in the pharmacy happened because Maggie needed them druggggsss! Yep, she was a big oul heroin junkie. I had a big old metaphorical hard on for this movie, as soon as a reformed Mags, kicked of those stylish black stiletto's, cocked her gun and went on a shooting rampage in a fancy hotel. That is a women after my own heart. She will die trying of course, cuz I like the mens.

I could go into more detail about the plots of the movies I am listing but I really don't feel like it...eh, I mean, they really don't matter. In fact, if I am honest and this is just between me and you, many of the entires, don't actually have any. *Sssshhh*. To sum it up in a nutshell, Gabirel Byrne, saves Fonda from a death sentence but in turn, makes her an assassain, which is where all the fun begins. She is set free eventually, or so she thinks but as she falls in love, she is called on to do the odd job. Kill some politicans, help a buddy move a sofa. Before that 'final job' where all the shit hits the fan. As I said that doesn't matter, what matters is, you see Fonda, kick the living shit out of a would be mugger. That my friends, make this move awesome.

Bridgette Wilson- Sonya Blade - Mortal Kombat

Now, when I played computer games as kid, a couple of titles really stood out for me. Street Fighter - Big props to my girl Chun Li, Streets of Rage, Whadup Blaze! and also Mortal Kombat. In 1995, Mortal Kombat hit our screens. Die hard games fan were appalled but I was in love. In love with Sonya Blade, played by Bridgette Wilson. She had one thing on her mind, movie stardom and to kill Kano, the red eyed killing machine. Now, this movies, views on feminism are slightly askew, first, she is able to kick ass no problem but by the time the movie ends, she has fallen in love and needs to be rescued. But for the 45 minutes or so, where she kicks ass, has earned her a place on this list.

You know how the movie goes, but here is a brief recap to get you up to date. Various fighters are recruited to fight on a mysterious island, for a mysterious tournament to save mysterious earth. Oh wait, I guess mysterious isn't appropriate description for Earth, anyway...They must win this tournament must be won, or bad things will happen to earth. I guess they lost then.....

Halle Berry - Patience Philips - Catwoman.

I am going to get so much slack for this but I have to admit it, I have a drug problem and I didn't hate Catwoman. There I said it, I like them drugs mmmmkay. Berry, plays Patience, a shy mousy artist, who is more inclined to lick someones boots than tell them where to shove it. I for one, have never met a black women like her but I didn't write this movie...She uncovers a secret by, get this, a cosmetic company and is killed. This is obviously where the cat fun starts.

As I said, many people hated this movie for the simple fact, it is fucking awful. But I am not one of those people. I think its mighty fun! Frances Conway, even plays a crazy cat lady. Sharon Stone, plays a business women, who has turned to steel or concrete or some other kind of implausible shit. Who really cares, all that matters is Catwoman kicks some ass, and she does my friends. She does.

Sandra Bullock - Gracie Le Free Bush - Miss Congeniality.

As a young gay man, this was 90 minutes of glitterati orgasm. It was a boat load of fun, to watch the transformation of Bullock, from a slob to beauty queen and with some inspired casting of Candy Bergen, you can't help but love this. It is genuinely funny, entertaining and I have run out of adjectives to describe how fucking awesome Miss C really is.

Bullock plays Gracie, an FBI agent who is chose to go undercover at the Miss America beauty contest, to weed out a terrorist who may target the competition  Cue hilariousness, as she is made over to fit in with the other air contestants, only to find that things or people are not as simple as she looks. This is Bullock's second entry on this list, lets just say, the women knows how to pick a good movie. I was even tempted to put The Blindside on here because lets face it. Lee Anne Toughy also, kicks ass.

Jennifer Lawrence - Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games.

Ok, time to get serious. I have nothing bad, dry or sarcastic to say about this movie. But lord I will still try. Nope, got nothing. For a reason, I can't quite fathom right now, I had very little interest in this Hunger Games saga, I hadn't read the books, or checked this out at the cinema. Come to think of it, I don't recall even seeing a trailer for it.

Jennifer plays Katniss, who lives in a world very different to how we live now. She is the epitome of ass kickiness. She competes in a barbaric tournament, known as the Hunger Games. I finally gave in and watched it after catching her Jenny in the disappointing House At The End Of The Street and absolutely freaking loving her in it. I am exciting for the coming sequels.

Milla Jovovich - Alice - Resident Evil

Big Mansion, underground labratory, hot girl kicking it in a red dress. Yes, I can only be talking about one movie, Resident Evil. This movie actually contains two girls who Kick Ass, Milla and Michelle Rodriguez. One becomes a disgusting zombie, the other becomes a telekinetic head fuck, who can kill people by looking at them. But either way and lets all say it together, they both Kick Ass!

The plot is probably well known enough. Crazy lab, zombies, implausible plot devices. It has it all. It's actually grown into a massive franchise, which eventually invited Ali Larter to the mix and although nothing beats the first and most interesting movie, they still have a lot to offer to the genre.
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This was just an ode to some of those girls who kick as on the movie screen, to be honest there are a lot more. But no one as time to go through them now, me or you. So let's her it for those ladies, who did not make this list.

Charlie's Angels, known as Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Danny De Vito (Drew Barrymore). The electrifying Elektra played Jennifer Garner, The fantastically stormy Sue Storm brought to life by Jessica Alba. Krispy Kreme and fucking ugly shoe destroying Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich. 

She Said, He Said Our 50 Favorite Movies

Happy weekend and welcome to one-half of the dual post  She Said, He Said: Our 50 Favorite Movies. I, of course am the She Said while my good friend Brent Allard from the wonderfully brilliant site Criminal Movies is my He Said. Today we are spotlighting our 50 favorite films, well 50 of them anyway. :) These are the films we love for various reasons, not necessarily because they changed the landscape of cinema or won  Academy Awards. So here they are in no particular order, just categories for organization. And while I tried to stay at 50,  I kinda sorta went over. By a lot. In my defense there are about 500 more that I left off the list. I can't help it, I love movies. LOL And I was never one for rules anyway, even if they are my own. ;)

Click for Brent's List

Horror

The Howling (1981)
The Exorcist (1973)
John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)
Dawn of the Dead (2004) 
Halloween (1979)
Psycho (1960):
The Evil Dead trilogy (1981)
30 days of Night (2007) 
Frankenstein (1994)
 Dracula (1992)
Silver Bullet (1985)
Dog Soldiers (2002)

Sci Fi

Aliens (1987)
Star Wars trilogy (1977-83) 
E.T. (1982)
Independence Day (1996)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Blade Runner (1982)
The Terminator (1984)
Serenity (2005)

Crime

Thunderheart (1992)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Zodiac (2007)
The Big Easy (1986)
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
The Accused (1988)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
El Mariachi (1992)
Sin City (2005)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)



Mob 

Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
 Goodfellas (1990)
The Godfather (1972)
The Untouchables (1987)

Thriller

Jaws (1975):
Cape Fear (1962)
Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Comedy

Stripes (1981)
Princess Bride (1987)
Zombieland (2009)
Arsenic & Old Lace (1944)
The Thin Man (1934)
Topper (1937)
Bad Teacher (2011)

Action

Haywire (2012)
Hanna (2011):
Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 (2003-4)
Gladiator (2000)
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Enter the Dragon (1973)

Drama

Mask (1985)
Silkwood (1983)
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
Casablanca (1942)
Whale Rider (2002)
Inherit The Wind (1960)
Sophie's Choice (1982)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Hoffa (1992)
How Green Was My Valley (1941)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Joan of Paris (1942)

Romantic

Titanic (1997)
Heaven Knows Mr. Allison (1957)
Romeo and Juliet (1968)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Somewhere In Time (1980)
Last of the Mohicans (1992)
High Road To China (1983)

War

Glory (1989)
Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Platoon (1986)
Casualties of War (1989)
The Longest Day (1962)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

Fantasy
 
Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-3)
The Crow (1994)
300 (2006)
Big Trouble In Little China (1986)

Cargasms

Vanishing Point (1971)
Fast Five (2011)
Bullitt (1968)

Western

Dances With Wolves (1990)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
3:10 To Yuma (1957)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)
El Dorado (1966)
The Searchers (1956)



What a long ass list, huh? I'm glad you stuck it out. What are some of your favorites? And don't forget to check out Brent's list.

Friday Awesome Sauce

It's Friday, yeah,yeah,yeah!!! It occurred to me that there is a lot of good things happening around the blogging community so I'm going to give a little shout out to my fellow writers and friends.

Julia Phillips Smith has a new story out, Bound By Dragonsfyre, Book 1 of the Dragonsfyre trilogy. A fantasy epic that you so do not want to miss. I'll be posting my review here soon.

My friend Jeremy from Retro-Zombie has his incredible artwork available on T-Shirts now. Go on and check them out. I collect tee shirts and I can't wait to get some. Yay Jeremy!!

K.C. Kendricks, author of some of the best erotica out there has a new book out, River Walk. It's the third in a series about a shapeshifter named Sundown and his lover, Fallon, a detective. I am addicted to the series.

Need help marketing your books? I know I do. We should head right on over to Gail M. Baugniet's blog. She is hosting author and marketing guru, Phyllis Z. Miller. Phyllis is talking about  tips for using Amazon and Facebook to spread the word out about our stories.

You Should Know

I've been so neglectful of this lately, but I'll be getting back to this more frequently. Today's You Should Know is Mina over at Some Dark Romantic. I've just started getting to know her and she is incredibly fun, outspoken and smart. Her tag line is brilliant "...middle-aged Goth Mom whose dreams haven't quite breathed their last." Mina blogs on Mondays and Thursdays. She is very supportive of her fellow writers and dreamers. Go one and check her out, she's fantastic.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to come back tomorrow when I post my 50 Favorite Movies in a She Said He Said dual post with Brent at Criminal Movies. And you know there is going to be a whole host of creatures on this list...Werewolves, Elves, Ax Murderers...LOL

Monday News, Views And Other Things

Greetings Imaginarians, how was your weekend? Mine was good, but too hot and certainly too short, LOL. It seems like I just went to bed and it was Friday night. And now it's Monday morning. Yikes!

On Saturday, I did a Men in Black movie marathon with my oldest nephew. Since there were just the two, we threw in some Resident Evil and visited with Alice for a bit as well. I loved sharing MIB films as my faithful sidekick had never seen any of them before. It was like passing on a beloved treasure. It was awesome seeing him laugh his little butt off at Agents J and K as they took on aliens and saved our planet. Twice.  And when we were done with MIB, he went right to Alice for some Extinction and After Life. Needless to say we are anticipating the newest Resident Evil installment, Retribution.

Thank you all for commenting on my post on Friday. It seems, however, that my selection of Meryl for the actors list was in violation of the rules for the Ten Best Actors blog relay. Busted! I apologize to my friend Matt at FilmMattic, who  kept Meryl on the list. Sorry, Matt. Didn't mean to get you into trouble, too.

So, in compliance I changed my choice to Meryl's one time love, John Cazale, an actor I love, whose stellar career was cut short by cancer. He is best known as Fredo Corleone, but he did five feature films that were all nominated for Best Picture. You can read my update here.

You know someday, there will be no more separate, but equal terms differentiating the sexes. I can't wait to say so long to ridiculous, gender constraining words like actress, waitress, huntress. Screw the esses! Why aren't we simply actors, waiters, hunters? Why the add on? I never understood that and drove my English teachers nuts. Why are there so-called male and female words? Do these words have girls parts and boy  parts I don't know about? Okay, enough with the rant. I'm raising my blood pressure and haven't had my dose of caffeine, yet.

I'm giving a big shout and congrats to Christine Rains, whose story, Red, has been accepted for inclusion in Pill Hill Press' Daily Flash 2013: 365 Days of Flash Fiction. Rock on Christine! Make sure you also check author Gail M. Baugniet's blog. She has a very intriguing interview series called Fast Five in which she talks to some phenomenal writers.

In my own writing news, I should have my Battleship review up later today or tomorrow. I am also putting the finishing touches on  an article about the film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter opening this Friday. 

Enjoy your Monday, my friends.

I Rock! Blog Love Monday And Movies

Thank you Captain Ninja Alex, who stunned me with his You Rock Award. Just wow. Holy Guacamole this is incredible!

After Maynard's award and now Alex's, plus all of the awesome comments you leave here every day, I am just blown away and profoundly grateful to be a part of this community.

Alex included me in some very cool company, bloggers that I just love and admire. Go check out these magnificent people who make this blogging community a great place to be:


Ella at Ella's Edge Her poetry and art are incredibly beautiful. She's also celebrating a three year blogoversary. Yay!

Roland at Writing in the Crosshairs His writing is just phenomenal and he is a great community supporter.

MPax at Wistful Nebulae Her writing is sheer brilliance, her knowledge of all things astronomy is vast and her photos are gorgeous.

Matthew at The QQQE He does wonders to help his fellow authors and bloggers. I love his query critiques. He offers a lot of great advice and so do the people who leave comments.

Old Kitty at Ten Lives and Second Chances She is just the best. So funny and so warm. She gives a lot of blog love to everyone she can out there. A pillar of this community.

Jeremy at Retro Zombie Zombies, art and whatever else comes to his wildly imaginative and brilliant mind. Jeremy's site is eclectic and cool. Not to mention his awesome books.

And now, if Captain Ninja Alex doesn't mind, I'm going to pass along this You Rock Award to a very special little girl. Alani is 7 years and plays little league baseball on my nephew's team. She not only plays with the boys, but she does so with a hearing impairment. Alani has to step up to bat without her hearing aids because they interfere with the protective helmet and that means when that umpire calls balls and strikes, she can't hear him. Nor can she hear  when she's out on base. Those coaches sign to her the count and what to do next. I think she is just incredible, her spirit so bright and strong. You Rock, Alani! Keep it up Little Sister!

I can't believe it is June. I'm looking forward to some great movies this month. Snow White and the Huntsman, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and of course, the epic Prometheus. I'm actually leading a cool discussion about Ridley Scott's epic Alien over at 1:37 Exactly in honor of the release of Prometheus.

I'll be doing salacious and nefarious things for movie dough at this rate because I still have Dark Knight Rises to look forward to and don't get me started on December, yet. LOL What movies are you looking forward to?

Rounders

Welcome to the weekend! Yay, we made it. :) So this weekend is my big blog swap and taking over here at the Imaginarium is my great friend, Russell from the bad ass film site 1:37 Exactly. He and one of his most brilliant guest reviewers, Rainbow, are talking about one of their favorite films, Rounders. I will be over at Russell's site as soon as I see Avengers and write up a review. So without further ado...Enjoy their take on this Matt Damon/Edward Norton classic.

"Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker" - Mike McDermott 

I can't tell you how many times I've watched Rounders over the years. I've simply lost count. It became the movie I would put on when I didn't know what else to watch. When no other title would jump out at me from the DVD shelf, it became my go-to movie. I could always rely on Rounders. If you haven't yet seen Rounders then you should stop reading this and go and watch it NOW. If you want a little more information, here's a brief overview.

Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) is a very talented poker player who turns his back on the game to focus on making his way through Law School but is slowly drawn back into the poker world when he must stand by a lifelong friend, Lester "Worm" Murphy (Edward Norton) whose gambling debts are reaching dangerous levels.

There is a good chance that I am going to talk about some detailed aspects of the film so I do suggest that you watch it first before reading any further.

The first time I came across Rounders was when I was working in Blockbuster Video and I'm pretty sure that I watched it because it had Matt Damon in it and I liked what he did in Good Will Hunting and The Rainmaker but I don't believe I really knew Edward Norton at that time, although I did go back and watch Primal Fear as a result of his performance in this movie (that's a discussion for another day though).

Watching Rounders is akin to reading a Shakespearean play, not because it's set 400 years ago but because of the themes discussed; Man vs Human Nature, Lust, Betrayal, Friendship, Romance, Loyalty, and because it is about a man's struggle "to thine own self be true".

My favourite theme of Rounders is that of Man's (or Mike's) struggle against his own Inner-Nature and how he must not only accept but embrace who he is in order to move on with his life. A man is only able to fool himself so long before he ultimately realises who he is no matter how hard he tries to fight it.

Mike McDermott is a man who is a poker player at heart and a damn good one at that. When he let his own grandiose visions of living large in Las Vegas blind him at the table at Teddy KGB's place, the ensuing fall to reality is a hard one that results in Mike turning his back on who he is. However no matter how hard he tries to be someone else and pretend that the card table means nothing to him, the desire to be back in the chair with chips in his hands is only just beneath the surface. Just like a siren's song it doesn't take much for the desire to come back...

After trying to go "straight" for nine months with no poker tables and fulfilling a promise to his girlfriend to steer clear of his previous lifestyle, things get bumpy as Mike begins to realise that he is fighting his natural instinct. There are various situations and characters that fan the flames of desire and reawaken his natural (poker) instinct; sitting in on the judge's poker table, helping Worm get set up in various games, walking into venues where he previously used to command a presence, and seeing old acquaintances makes Mike realise who is.

Once Mike embraces who he is and steps back into the world of high aces, river cards, and straight flushes, he carries himself with more caution and direction than earlier in the film. This change in attitude not only results in a positive outcome with Teddy KGB but Mike has fully realised what he wants in life and nothing will stop him from going after it. Johnny Chan, look out! 

Mike's journey in Rounders is mirrored by Professor Abe Petrovsky (Martin Landau) who in some of the film's best scenes explains that when he was a young boy he was to become a Rabbi but after studying the Talmud he never truly saw God. Despite the crushing disappointment felt by his parents, Abe knew he needed to be honest with himself and follow his path towards his destiny. Unlike Mike, Abe did not try to fool himself (or anyone else) by being anything other than honest with himself and who he was.

My two favourite quotes delivered during McDermott's and Petrovsky's conversations that sum up the themes of Man vs Human Nature are;

Professor Petrovsky: We can't run from who we are. Our destiny chooses us

Mike McDermott:  If you had it to do all over again, knowing what would happen, would you make the same choice? 

Professor Petrovsky: What choice?

The characters of Mike McDermott and Lester "Worm" Murphy are mirror images of each other, at the same time both similar and opposite. When the film begins, the two characters are representative of opposite sides of the spectrum - McDermott has turned his back on his desire for card playing and is fighting his natural instinct, while Worm has embraced his inner instinct to the extreme where he plays to only win, generally involving "shady" techniques.

Worm is a man who is motivated by the need to make as much money as possible in order to prevent his legs from being broken, or worse. It's this motivation which causes him to use whatever edge he can to attain victory. However you get the impression that even if he wasn't in need of the money that he would still be employing various techniques to win each hand. 

"You always think you can beat the game straight up. That's not me. I told you, I'm always gonna look for that edge. Always"

In the end, Worm is the one who runs away from his problems and Mike (having grown over the course of the film) stays and faces Teddy KGB head on. 

Rounders is a film of multiple layers, complex themes, and involving characters, all set against the legal and illegal world of poker. Directed by John Dahl (Californication) and written by David Levien and Brian Koppelman, Rounders is a film that easily makes my Top 10 Films of all time.

My Final Thoughts; Know who you are. Don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise. Live your life. Go chase your dreams.

"First prize at the World Series of Poker is a million bucks. Does it have my name on it? I don't know. But, I'm gonna find out."

Rainbow's View

Rounders has a bit of a Good Will Hunting feel to it. A troubled guy faces his issues head on and may or may not come out on top and all the while revolving around a girl. Now ‘how do you like them apples?’ So, did the movie speak to me? Oh absolutely. I get cards. I’m that girl that goes to the casino with her man, but rather than sit at the back and watch it all unfold, I’m the girl at the table, taking my mans money – along with everyone else’s... and loving every second of it. 

Plot

The basis for the plot for Rounders is based around Mike. Mike is a law student by day and professional poker player by night.  His skill is to read his competition and bet accordingly. Mike meets a girl, Jo. Jo bails him out from a rather large Poker debt in exchange for him to quit. Basically he chooses the girl over the game. Until his friend Worm is released from jail, and the games begin...

Characters

Mike

The lead role of Mike is played by Matt Damon. Ever since I saw Good Will Hunting I’ve had a soft spot for Damon; and again seeing him on the big screen as Jason Bourne. So to go back in time and watch Rounders was quite a vintage delight. Damon embodies Mike with elements that make you believe that he really is Mike. The screen time he shares with Martin Landau as Abe Petrovsky is like watching a nephew and his favourite uncle, endearingly emotive yet with a distinct hierarchy and strong element of mutual respect.

Jo -The Girlfriend

Gretchen Mol plays Mike’s girlfriend, Jo.  Mol’s role is an interesting one.  While I want to understand her place and why she says/does things, at the same time, I dislike her presence on screen.  There seems to be a little disconnect of chemistry between Mol and Damon.  It just doesn’t seem to click. This is perhaps an error in casting as opposed to the character itself.  

Worm

Edward Norton plays Worm. An old school friend of Mike’s, who Mike feel he was indebted to.  Norton plays the role well as a gambling junkie always in need of a win, a hit, a score. Mike, like all of us, must go through the motions of what to do when an old friend leaches off your success and your reputation.  This alone hit a little close to home for me, so I related to the affiliation between Mike and Worm. I think everyone can relate to this one way or another, whether you’ve been the leach or the leached.I think the name says it all.  

KGB

Noone named KGB can be a good-guy right?  Well you’d be correct.  KGB, played by John Malkovich is the dodgy Russian kingpin that has a very strong affiliation for his Oreos.  Some of the best lines of the movie are delivered by Malkovich. Just don’t touch his Oreos.  

Summary

All the while you want Mike to come out on top you hope he does it with copious wads of dollars in his pocket.  Don’t we always want the struggling student to make it in the end? Overall the movie was just one of those that’s easy to watch. It doesn’t have you on the end of your seat but, like some of the other movies of its time, just speak to you. 

What do you all think? Agree with Russell and Rainbow? A bit meh? Haven't seen it in years? Or abhor the very essence of this film? Speak your mind below, Imaginarians. Tell us what you think.

I will be at 1:37 Exactly a bit later as I will be discussing The Avengers and I have yet to see it. Sold out! Insert Yosemite Sam curses here. 

What's Your Number?

What's Your Number? was an all right little rom com that I unexpectedly enjoyed. Anna Faris and Chris Evans had great chemistry and well Chris was wearing nothing more than a towel on several occasions. Rawr!

I was however, more intrigued by the subject matter. How many sex partners does it take before one (that one being a woman) is considered a slut? Sex and the City did a similar themed episode involving Miranda having to track back her partners. In this film, Faris' Ally reads a magazine article which says that the average woman will have at most 4 to 5 sex partners with a very few going as high as 10. She immediately starts writing down all her partners and worries when that number hits 19. Why? Well, her friends, for one, are very sniping and close-minded. One of them admits to eight partners and the other three start calling her a slut and a whore. You see these bitches are all 4 or lower and proud of their lack of experience. Proud, scratch that, make it smug that they've been good girls. So, of course they are appalled that poor Ally has had 19 partners. What a whore!

An ardent feminist, I could not take this lying down. Why do we women look down on our sisters for enjoying themselves? Hell, why do we look down on ourselves for going heels to Jesus whenever the fancy strikes? Seriously, this is 2012. I don't remember an 11th Commandment that reads "Woman, thou shalt have at most four sex partners in thy lifetime and one of them better be your husband."

Women are the nastiest bitches on the planet when it comes to judging our fellow females. We are murderous if our friends or co-workers go over some magical good girl sex number. We are first in line to condemn and throwdown the epithets slut and whore. Hell, if our current man cheats, we blame the other woman.

And the media helps lead the charge. The article in the film may have been fictional, but I have seen at least thirty similar titled features in the last year alone. I've even read a few and they are quite stuffy in their opinions about women and the mythical perfect number of sex partners. For the most part, according to these articles, written by other women, mind you, women do not enjoy sex for sex unless it's with a partner they trust and care about. That women who sleep around with random guys somehow have low self-esteem. Although, the more enlightened allow for "that unexpected encounter." Really?

Then there's the "How Slutty Are You?" quizzes that crop up. Women read these and go crazy. I have good friends, normal, intelligent women who go bonkers when they think about their sex life and worry about how many partners they've had. It's scary to listen to them run on and stress over what their current guy will think if he finds out, my gawd, that they've had more than 5 partners. Or even engaged in a little kink. Remember Chasing Amy when Ben Affleck finds out Amy was with two guys? Talk about epic temper tantrum.

I seriously have had guy friends who have freaked the hell out when they found out the woman they had been dating had lots of partners. I asked one of them, what was wrong with his new lady having had 12 partners. He himself had had well over 20. You know what he said? "It's different for a guy." ROTFLOL!!! I, of course, caved in his skull with the nearest blunt object for that tired, chauvanistic response. I will allow that men and women think about sex in different terms, but come on, if you're going to have a dozen partners, why shouldn't your woman? Do guys really think that every woman they have sex with, they're only like one of four total partners for her in her lifetime? That's nuts.

I am of the mind that how many times someone does the horizontal mambo is no one's business but their own. And there is no slutbag number either. It's ridiculous and unenlightened. Sex is part of the human condition. Whether you prefer it with a caring partner, a random pick up, a friend with benefits...It's a good time, so let's stop worrying.

The Thursday Rundown

It's Thursday and there are some exciting things coming up here at Ye Olde Imaginarium. First, Jesse aka Copyboy over at Not Worth Mentioning, made Melissa's Imaginarium his Hot New Blog of The Day, yesterday. Awesome! Thank you, Jesse!

Next, hot author Xavier Axelson will be here tomorrow. He is an amazing writer with an edge, whose stories are simply unforgettable. I've read his newest, Lily, got totally hooked and am now in the process of scooping up his other titles. I can't wait for tomorrow.

I saw two films recently, both utterly engrossing for very different reasons. The first is the new Soderbergh thriller, Haywire. What a badass bitch Mallory Kane is. Hell to the yeah, my peeps, we finally, FINALLY have an action heroine worthy of the title. Click here to go to The Movie 411 for the whole review.

The next is The Whistleblower, a Canadian indie flick about Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska police officer who volunteered for a U.N. peace-keeping mission in Bosnia and uncovered a brutal sex trafficking ring run by her fellow Americans and others. It is a very harsh film about a violent and gruesome subject. There are scenes that made me white-knuckle my chair, so if you have any squeamishness at all, do not watch. Rachel Weisz is astounding as Kathryn, but it is Roxana Condurache in her debut performance as Raya, a young Ukrainian girl sold into slavery by her uncle, that rivets. She broke my heart. My review is here.

I'll also be participating in DL Hammons Origins Blogfest on Monday, February 13th. You'll all be able to find out where my writing dreams began. "Once upon a time in a land far away..."

Also, just four more days until more new eps of my newest obsession, The Walking Dead. Whoo Hoo!

My week has been relatively quiet so far with these movies plus a little more rest and relaxation. I'm feeling better and better as each day passes. I cannot thank you all enough for the amazing well wishes. I'm still a bit out of it, so please feel free to share your news and linkage with me. Tell me how you all are. :)