Katniss Everdeen is lucky! "Bowling for Columbine" Review.

Let me first say that I don’t watch documentaries. They go against my belief of what a movie should be. That’s not to say that documentaries are bad, or that I advocate against them, it’s just that I value entertainment more than anything when it comes to movies and documentaries fail miserably to entertain because they are not even trying to, they are trying to inform you. That being said, I have watched a few docs here and there and I can appreciate when a good one comes a long even if I don’t enjoy it myself.

We all remember back when “The Dark Knight Rises” was coming out and everyone was so excited about it and then… All it takes is one person with a disturbed mind to destroy lives and make people live in fear. Then there was the Sandy Hook massacre. I keep thinking of the parents that had to open their child’s Christmas presents. I know that both incidents were terrible but for obvious reasons the Batman shooting in Colorado hits a little closer to home. What could we have done to stop them? Should we have taken away every gun from everyone? Should we have given guns to the teachers of Sandy Hook? Should we have made ushers at movie theaters carry special “Regal” AK-47s? I won’t even pretend to know what the correct answer is but I do know what my beliefs are. Before I give my opinion however I think what Michael Moore has to say on the matter is very interesting.

“Bowling” doesn’t exactly solve much with its commentary on gun ownership and massacres but it is a great study on some of the minds working to defend each side of the argument. For example there is a sequence in the film that shows many people trying to ponder the reason behind the shooting in Columbine, and how they had the balls to come up with an answer as ridiculous and facepalm worthy as Marilyn Manson, who makes an appearance in the film and makes a good point about influence “…the president is shooting bombs overseas, yet I’m a bad guy because I sing some rock and roll songs. And who is the bigger influence; the president or Marilyn Manson? I’d like to think me, but I’m going to go with the president.” If you think about it he is right on more than one level. Why don’t Americans care if people in other countries die but when a US citizen gets shot, their face is on your television for weeks?

Another big figure that makes an appearance in the film is the great actor Charlton Heston. Sure he is a magnificent actor but president of the NRA? I get that there are people who defend our right to own guns as stated in the U.S Constitution, but when people are so fascinated by guns that they want them for more than protecting their home and hunting, that’s where I call bullshit. A while ago I went to a shooting range where they have trapshooting to look for a job, and the place gave me the creeps. The place was repugnant; I went to the bathroom and I couldn’t tell if I was pissing in the sink or the urinal. And then everywhere I looked there was a guy cradling a gun like it was their dick. Not to mention the possibility that if I bumped into someone it could have been the exact moment where he decided that he had had enough and it was time to blast my head off.

Sure not everyone who owns a gun is like that, hell most people who own a gun I would say are ok but like I said before, it only takes one guy. Im I saying that I oppose guns? No, in fact we need guns; otherwise what are we supposed to hunt with, bows and arrows? We are not all like Katniss Everdeen. Im not saying anything really because the bottom line is, what is the two cents of a 21 year old white American film blogger going to do in the end?

Michael Moore whether you like him or not can make a very good documentary. He knows how to stage interviews, how to edit his information together, and how to show exactly what needs to be shown, but I still can’t enjoy him no matter how good he is because after all he is just a documentary filmmaker.

7/10

Where do you stand on gun control? Tell me in the comments below. Also don’t forget to vote for the Star Wars contest I am part of. Remember the poll closes June 9^th. Click here to read my article and here for Tom’s.

You Killed My Father. Prepare to Die! "The Princess Bride" review

     I was torn between the theatrical poster and the 20th aniversary edition cover featuring the title as an ambigram in selecting the graphic to use for this review. Normally I would go for the theatrical version but I think the one I ended up using looks better don't you agree?


     Before Rob Reiner turned into a fat and annoying political activist, he directed a few movies that happened to be quite good. Coming off the success of "Stand by me", Reiner made "The Princess Bride", a story that has been told myriads of times: A young woman named buttercup (Robin Wright) is to be married to a prince but her true love (Carey Elwes) is thought to have been killed by a pirate. She gets kidnapped before the wedding by a Spanish swordsman, a giant whose vocal register is so low Xerxis from "300" would be ashamed, and their irritating but funny Sicilian boss. But guess who is there to rescue her? Her one true love in disguise of course.


      As I said, we have heard of that story so many times we know how everything turns out. So when someone takes the responsibility of bringing something so familiar to the screen they should try to make it stand out from the other ones right? Rob Reiner doesn't even try and instead gives us the most basic fairy-tale anyone can ask for. The result is a surprisingly charming film that will put a smile on everyone's face and make children laugh out loud. 


     Both leads become their roles like no one else could have. That is not to say that you would be amazed or surprised by their performances as they are both playing roles similar to what they have played through their career. A funny cameo by Billy Crystal with an unrecognizable face but an all too recognizable voice bookends the film's interesting cast.


     What made me want to watch this film when I first saw it was the amount of hype that surrounded it. A lot of websites would have it high on their "best-of" lists and quite a few people from both sides of my family were recommending it including an uncle of mine who is slightly picky. You can imagine how high my expectations were when I watched but you probably couldn't imagine my disappointment after I found out what type of film it actually was. When grown men and women endorse a film I usually expect it to be a film for adults but in the case of "The Princess Bride" I felt like I had been robbed of another film like "Return of the King" or "Pan's Labyrinth". 


     This is the movie that made me realize that there actually is a difference between a family film and a children's film and this one is definitely the latter. Everything is aimed towards children and thus didn't entertain me as much as it should despite being nothing actually being wrong. From the slapstick humor, to the corny music, to the deliberately overplayed performances, to the colorful sets and landscapes, this movie seems like nothing but an expertly crafted, 98 minute, very expensive, Saturday morning children's program you would find on the Disney channel rather than a theatrical release worthy of being in various top 10 fantasy movie lists.


     If you watch this movie thinking you want to be entertained and you are over 13 years old you're in for a surprise, but if you want to put on something for your kids to watch and keep them quiet then this is perfect.


7/10


     But what about you? What is your favorite fantasy movie? Click here to cast your vote.