Bait

BAIT is outlandish!

Here's the scenario:  A bunch of folks in a supermarket are in the basement of a grocery store when, of all things, a massive tidal wave comes ashore.

No spoiler, but just imagine a basement that is flooded with exits blocked by debris.  The only place for the survivors to hang out is on top of the shelves that are not under water.

Sound exciting?  Wait!  There's more!  A huge shark is trapped in the basement with the humans.  And he just happens to be hungry!

Think of Jaws meets, well, tsunami wave.  Think of your favorite disaster-survival film.  The people trapped below must get out alive without becoming... BAIT!

Haha!

And there's more!  Sitting atop those shelves are folks falling in love, criminals being criminals, and old and young trying to figure out the generation gap!

It's a hoot.  Leave your brains at the door.  Leave all your disbelief at the door.  Leave your good sense at the door.

Then turn on the film and enjoy!

Oh, by the way, one fellow suspended above the water loses the lower half of his body to the shark in a wonderful scene that will stay more than a while in your mind...what's left of it after viewing this mindless wonder of a flick.

Highly entertaining for folks seeking some low-brow fun!

The East

The EAST is a very unusual film about a rarely discussed topic: how rational people join cults and somehow become part of the movements.

First, check out Patty Hearst on the right.  Remember her story? She was the daughter of a wealthy newspaper magnate attending Berkeley back in 1974.  One day, the SLA, a group of leftist terrorists, kidnapped her for ransom to increase their coffers.  Next thing, the straight-laced, never-in-trouble Patty, was seen robbing a bank with the radicals.  Shocker!

Now check out the picture in the upper left.  That pretty blonde is Brit Marling.  Who?  Go back and check her out playing opposite Richard Gere in Arbitrage.  Yes, that's her.  She was great in that film, and almost stole the spotlight from the very talented Mr. Gere.

No spoiler, but Brit plays an agent who infiltrates a group of radicals called The East, who hide out and live communally in a cult-like manner.  When Brit joins up, she is not too fond of the group.  Soon their strange love for each other, and their mission to take down corporations who abuse the environment, capture her imagination.

Enough said.  What happens then?  Gotta go see the film to find out!

Don't expect Hollywood-style action or even a lively pace.  Sometimes the film drags a bit trying to get its message across.  Not an A+ film by any means. But with Ellen Page, who dazzled in Juno, also in the mix, the film sort of grabs and holds on.

I'm back to thinking about Patty Hearst, so the film must have touched me at some level.

Curious about Patty?  She was captured, found guilty of bank robbery when her "brainwashing" defense did not hold up, and served two years in prison before Jimmy Carter pardoned her.

Strange behavior indeed.

Olympus Has Fallen

Strangely, there are currently two movies out about terrorists attacking and taking over the White House.  Forget the one with the easiest name to remember, White House Down.  It is stupid and badly done.  But RUN out and see Olympus Has Fallen!

I'm no spoiler, but you can guess what happens:  Very evil dudes take over the president's residence, and good guys come to the rescue and get it back.

Here's the kicker:  In the movie called Olympus, the taking of the White House is so damn realistic it will make your hair stand on end!

Right, I'm talking about the way the bad guys assault and dominate the White House.  You might expect to say, hey, as usual, I'll have to suspend my disbelief about how terrorists grab the most famous house in the land.  After all, aren't there a gazilliion agents and military folks guarding the White House?

Yes indeed!  But that does not mean that it is impossible to take it over.

How?  Haha...  For you to imagine, dear viewers!

Got your attention?

Great acting and a solid script enhance the realism of the movie.  Aaron Eckhardt is perfect as the President.  Gerard Butler is a man's man as the hero who fights the baddies.  And Rick Yune is scary as the cool-headed terrorist.  Don't forget about Morgan Freeman as the Acting President.

All in all, it's a fantastic ride!  Super action.  Most of all, believable.

If I were in charge of White House security and went to see this film, I'd have trouble sleeping at night!

Enjoy.

World War Z (WWZ)

Hi movie fans!

Check out the wonderful picture above.  That would be your favorite star, ladies, Brad Pitt, with his wife nearby and yes, a zombie with a knife in the back seat!

Does that whet your appetite?  If not, it sure whets the zombie's appetite! Haha.

I'm a zombie film lover, so I must admit to some bias before I offer my two cents on this delightful romp.  I find The Walking Dead series on TV absolutely captivating in its action and symbolism, and I watch almost every film made on the zombie theme.  OK, I confess: I'm weird when it comes to this genre!

WWZ?  A fine classic among this cult.  What makes it so good?

First off, the actors. Mireille Enos, the hero of the TV series The Killing, has a hauntingly beautiful face that expresses worry and angst every time she smilles. She is good!  Opposite her is none other than Brad himself.

In my mind, Mr. Pitt has gotten a bum rap, because the ladies go for him due to his looks.  Fact is, he's a damn fine actor. From the day he leaped into the libidos of the ladies in his role as the hitchhiker in Thelma and Louise, to the wonderful work he did in 12 Monkeys, to so many other portraits, Brad can really act!

Second positive point, the action.  Wow!  I will never spoil a movie for viewers, but these zombies are scary!  See, they don't just drag their feet like your standard zombie.  They run!  And fast!  In one of the most imaginative scenes ever, the undead, as they are called, scale a wall like ants!  Amazing!

Third, the story sort of works.  I can't give it away, but there's a strong plot line having to do with epidemiology.  How did the zombies get the disease?  Why does it spread?  How can it be stopped?

Of course, the film does not challenge us mentally.  It's all for entertainment.  So if you're in the mood for some lighthearted action, and lots of super film effects, get out and see this one!

Don't get eaten on the way!

Quartet

Critics raved about this movie.  Everyone told me to run out and see it.  I finally got to it on pay-per-view, and sorry, folks, it was just not my cup of tea.

Of course, I've never really enjoyed films that go into nursing homes and try to charm us.  Is there anything truly charming about these places?  Someday there, perhaps, go I.  Yeah, folks, it's the truth.  We might all be there.  Do you want to ponder that?

Don't get me wrong.  The elderly can be affable and interesting.  But if I am going to visit a home, I'll go see a family member, thank you.

No spoiler, because it's fairly clear from the cover and the hype what the movie is about: a special home exists for the formerly musically talented.  Is there such a place in reality?  I doubt it.  But go figure.  Hollywood wants a bit of suspension of disbelief.

I'm okay with the premise.  I'm not okay with the story.  All these talented folks must re-kindle their fire and get back in touch with their musical selves.  After all, they were once so great.  So, will they succeed?

Who cares?

The big issue is that these poor folks are old.  There's no getting around that.  And getting old is sad.  Sure, it takes a positive attitude in those twilight years to keep on truckin'.  As the saying goes, getting old is not for sissies.

The good points?  Great actors:  Maggie Smith and Geoff Rush.  Great music: Wonderful arias and choruses.

But watching the elderly struggle with their issues of senility and loneliness does not strike me as a solid evening of entertainment.

The moral of the story:  Simple.  Don't get old!  If you do, don't look back.  Well, do look back if you're trying to discover your old self.  Wait!  Shouldn't we strive to discover a new self as we age?

Bottom line:  Skip this one.  Ignore the rave reviews.  Unless you enjoy watching older folks suffer.