Catcher Cult

Rescue Dawn (Werner Herzog)
Renowned director Werner Herzog's inspiring film recounts the heroic saga of Dieter Dengler, a German-American fighter pilot and highly decorated Vietnam veteran whose reconnaissance plane was shot down in 1966. Captured by enemy forces and held in a Laotian torture camp near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Dengler (portrayed by Christian Bale) defied death by organizing one of the most daring escapes in the Vietnam conflict.

Just like Casino Royale, throughout this movie I kept asking myself, "why the hell did it take me so long to see this?" At first you think it is naivety and/or mental retardation when Dieter, after being captured, is all smiles with his captors. But by the end of the movie, it is obvious that he is a naturally optimistic person. Watching this movie was like watching a wise old Shaman being imprisoned and escaping.

What else really stood out was how physical of a movie it is. What the actors went through to look exactly as if they had been imprisoned for years. This is one of those movies where I highly recommend watching the special features after. It shows how deeply involved both the director and actors were in the making of the film.

10/10


London (Hunter Richards)
After jilted Syd (Chris Evans) learns that his ex-girlfriend, London (Jessica Biel), is moving away from New York City without telling him, he can't resist the urge to crash her farewell party looking for one last chance to talk. But instead of confronting her, Syd spends most of his time in the upstairs bathroom with an enigmatic Brit he barely knows (Jason Statham) -- snorting lines of cocaine and debating the meaning of life.

Even though I really like Chris Evans and Jason Statham, I kept putting this one off because of all the horrible, just goddamn plain awful reviews I read for it. I watched this movie twice in two days, the first time not really liking it, the second time loving it. The flashbacks to the arguments between Evans and Biels character are exact imitations of real-life arguments couples get into, and are nothing like the fake dialog seen in both overly dramatic Hollywood and purposely-eccentric 'indie' films all the time.

Jason Statham is perfect in his role. This movie settled the fact that this guy can fucking act. The relationship between he and Evans shows how much more important it is to talk to a male friend when going through harsh times and/or female problems, as opposed to going out and blindly fucking every piece of ass just to make yourself feel better.

I liked the use of drugs in the movie, there was no message or any shit like that. The movie neither condemns or condones drugs, the cocaine and alcohol are simply what the characters happen to be doing that night.

This movie would have earned an eight if the five minutes Dane Cook appeared would have been cut out.

7/10


We Own the Night (James Gray)
Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) manages El Caribe, a hot New York City nightclub, while estranged brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) has followed in their policeman father's (Robert Duvall) footsteps. The two are reunited by dealings with the Russian mafia, which has a foothold in Bobby's business. As Joseph puts pressure on the mob, its members turn the screws on Bobby. Eva Mendes and Tony Musante co-star in writer-director James Gray's action-drama.

I knew close to nothing about this when I sat down to watch it. A half hour into and it took a completely different direction than what I was expecting. I was very moved by the relationship between Wahlberg and Phoenix, and for some reason other than that I don't really know what else to say. The movie has two or three extremely well done tense action sequences. Oh, and an awesome face-blown-off-by-shotgun moment.

8/10

Chaos (Tony Giglio)
With a gang leader (Wesley Snipes) holding dozens of hostages at an interrupted bank robbery, suspended cop Detective Quentin Conners (Jason Statham) is pulled back into action to negotiate. But when chaos erupts inside, the baddies escape. Now, Conners must pair with rookie cop Shane Dekker (Ryan Phillippe) to find the gang before they pull off an even bigger heist in this tense action flick directed by Tony Giglio.

This movie is very, very generic. Bank robbery + dirty cops + plot twists + more plot twists. What saves it from being boring though are the enjoyable performances/likable characters played by Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, Justine Waddell, and Nicholas Lea. Nothing someone needs to rush and put at the top of their Queue, but catch it if it is on TV.

6.5/10

movie count 14/156

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King Dork (Frank Portman)
Tom Henderson (a.k.a. King Dork, Chi-mo, Hender-fag, and Sheepie) is a typical American high school loser until he discovers the book, The Catcher in the Rye, that will change the world as he knows it. When Tom discovers his deceased father’s copy of the Salinger classic, he finds himself in the middle of several interlocking conspiracies and at least half a dozen mysteries involving dead people, naked people, fake people, ESP, blood, a secret code, guitars, monks, witchcraft, the Bible, girls, the Crusades, a devil head, and rock and roll. And it all looks like it’s just the tip of a very odd iceberg of clues that may very well unravel the puzzle of his father’s death and–oddly–reveal the secret to attracting semihot girls. Being in a band could possibly be the secret to the girl thing–but good luck finding a drummer who can count to four.

This book is fucking hilarious and written by the dude who fronts that awful band Mr. T Experience. Tom and his buddy Sam have a band, yet neither of them have or know how to play instruments. They just spend their time coming up with new band names, albums, logos, etc. Reminds me of when I was fourteen.

Tom goes to a party out of town, touches an indie girl's boob and then obsesses over this 'mystery girl' that he cannot seem to track down. His father also died when he was younger, and he comes upon a box of books with encryptions and notes written by his Father that he sets out to 'decode' in hopes of understanding both his father as a person and his death more.

Those are the two main story lines. Imagine Youth In Revolt but not so ridiculously far fetched.

8/10

The Sorrows of Young Werther (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
When The Sorrows of Young Werther was published in 1774, it inspired a mass cult of feelings (and reputedly a few suicides), and made its author one of the first literary celebrities. Goethe's story of a tormented young man whose fixation on an inaccessible woman culminates in tragedy may be read as a celebration of unfettered emotion or as a mercilessly accurate portrait of aman whose dedication to pure feeling turns him into a monster.

I was intrigued by this book when I read that Napoleon had it on him when he invaded Egypt. I read it yesterday and it has right away become one of my favorite books. It takes place over a year and a half, and Werther's story is told in a series of letters written to his friend and journal entries. Goethe seems to understand human nature and emotion perfectly, and I see why he is called the "German Shakespeare." I bought the Vintage Classics edition because it was considered the "definitive English-language version" - there is nothing worse than a horrible translation. This one flows perfectly and as poetically as I'm sure Goethe's original German does.

One problem with this edition: the awful, AWFUL introduction by W.H. Auden. 1) He spoils the ending. . .which is something that would have easily been guessed halfway through the book, but I would have much preferred the ladder than knowing before I even started the book. 2) I hate when I am told how I am supposed to interpret something, which the author does consistently throughout the introduction as he bashes the main character. So if you read this edition, (which I suggest because of the translation), avoid the unnecessary introduction.

10/10

book count 16/104