A low budget movie that paid big dividends. Definitely influenced a lot of 80's action movies like The Terminator and Die Hard.
Introducing a new star Mel Gibson, who plays Max, a highway patrolman in Outback Australia. When he busts a motorcycle gang, they seek revenge on his fellow officers and then come for his family.
Max goes rogue to fight back. Many sequels ensue.
Dune: Part 2 (2021) directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Blade Runner 2049) is a soaring interplanetary story that deserves a big screen watch. The book Dune published in 1965 is regarded as an inspiration to the Star Wars story and the comparison is apt:
An Emperor striving for galactical domination by control of the trade routes
A conflict between two related families
An epic showdown between the two sides
Here’s a recap of Dune: Part 1 (2021). Paul Atredies (Timothee Chalamet) is an exceptional child, the son of the Caladan planetary leader, Duke Leto Atredis (Oscar Isaac) and Lady Jesssica (Rebecca Ferguson), who is a member of the mystical order of the Bene Gesserrit. The legend is that the Bene Gesserrit will bear a son who will become a great leader.
While Paul is being tested by the Bene Gesserrit, the opposing House Harkonnen seeks to kill Duke Leto Atredis but agrees to spare Paul and Lady Jessica, who make their way to the planet Arrakis. They encounter the natives, the desert dwellers known as the Fremen, led by Stilgar (Javier Bardem). Stilgar believes that Paul could be the Lisam Al Garib, the long awaited savior, and so he takes Paul and Lady Jessica under the Fremen protection.
As Part 2 begins, House Harkonnen seeks to take control back of Arrakis now that Duke Leto Atredis and Paul appear to be out the way. There are a lot of stars in Part 2 that were not in Part 1: Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan) , Austin Butler (Feyd-Rautha), Christopher Walken (Emperor Shaddam IV) Plus we have returning: Josh Brolin (Gurney), Javier Bardem (Stilgar), Dave Bautista (Rabban), Stellan Skarsgard (Baron Harkonnen) with larger roles than before.
gly accepted into the Fremen tribe.
As Part 2 continues, Paul learns the ways of the Fremen to survive in the desert. He proves his worth by fighting alongside Chani (Zendaya) against raiders. Chani grudgingly goes along with Stilgar to allow Paul into the tribe. Stilgar, recognizing that the planet needs a Reverend Mother from the Bene Gesserrit, convinces Lady Jessica to ascend to that role, otherwise she is of no use to them. In a final test, Paul shows that he is a real Fremen by riding a sandworm.
Ultimately Paul and Feyd-Rautha square off in a duel to the death. But is that the end or just a new beginning? Who will control the valuable spice, or tame the inhospitable planet, which before it was named Arrakis, was called…. Dune.
Confused? Good! It’s a complex plot, based on a 600 page science fiction book weaving an interplanetary story with many references to both Chrisitanity and Islam. And there is a lot of material to acknowledge: 5 book sequels, one 1984 movie directed by David Lynch and one 3 part TV miniseries (2000) in those Pre- Netflix days.
Stay tuned for the expected Part 3, whereby Paul’s unborn sister Alia, may shed more light on the future. As I would expect the last dying words of the book’s author Frank Herbert (1920-1986) to be, “I’ll tie this all together somehow.”
Who would have thought we'd still be watching the original stars? If they're not dead, then their children are there. That's the premise of this sequel to a sequel. Having missed the setup of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it took a bit to catch up. Phoebe (McKenna Grace, Paige from Young Sheldon) is the (androgenous) daughter of the dearly departed Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler) and she keeps busting ghosts with her family including a "stepfather/teacher" Gruberman (Paul Rudd).
Light fare, but it made me feel kind of old!
A fun Rom-Com, very reminiscent of My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
Great scenery of Sydney - Australia and Sweeney. She might be the next Michelle Pfeiffer.
A think-piece, it's a movie about writing a book, specifically the author's journey in writing "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent" by Isabella Wilkerson.
Directed by Ava Duvernay, it's kind of a modern day Roots, with an interwoven story between America, Germany and India.
Can't figure that out? "Good" as one of my former professors used to say when someone said "I don't understand".
It all comes together in a furious bout of writing inspiration. End credits announce that it was a best seller in 2020. So you can be forgiven if you had not heard of it.
It’s a classic Chicken and the Egg problem: Is this movie significant because it was Executive Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama? Or is it because of its A-List casting? Academy Award winners Julia Roberts andMahershala Ali star, plus Ethan Hawke and of course, Kevin Bacon.
For starters, what does it mean to be an Executive Producer? Traditionally, it means an outsized financial investment in the film’s budget, with the promise of a return on that investment. Alternatively, it is more of an honorary title, likely to compensate for some nonfinancial support in making the movie. My guess is that the second choice is most accurate.
The President and First Lady support ties into the subject matter of the End of the World story.
Julia Roberts (Amanda) and Ethan Hawke (Clay) are a White married couple and decide on a whim to go on vacation from New York City to the Hamptons. After they check into their rented McMansion with their two children, the first night they get a knock at the door from two Black people, father George (Mahershala Ali) and daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold). The racial dynamics are bubbling at the top of the movie. George announces that he is the owner of the home and needs to stay there. Amanda refuses, and barely believes the story. But they compromise and six people are now uneasily in the house.
There is some type of 9/11 or “End of the World” or Disturbance in the Force activity occurring in the background. Phones, internet, GPS are down and thus information is scarce. Who can believe what? There are many elements of conflict: Black v. White, Rich v. Poor, Prepared v. Unprepared, Knowledge v. Ignorance.
The movie is a very Alfred Hitchcock mystery, with elements of The Birds (1963) (an unknown force acting against the protagonists), Vertigo (1958) (nothing is as it seems) and North By Northwest (1959) (no safety even in a rural area). Many unusual camera angles add to the disorientation.
The fact that a former President is involved suggests that some of the ideas have a kernel of truth to them. In that respect, various plot points seem “Ripped from the Headlines.”
Is it all that much different from other End of the World movies like 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) or This is The End (2013)? It certainly approaches the topic from a more News angle than a Science Fiction angle. But which is it? The good news is: there is no right answer.
**** of 5
