Fast & Furious - It’s more than just about being FAST – It’s about FAMILY

Anyone that knows me knows of my fascination with Vin Diesel and cars.  This makes the Fast & Furious franchise a winning combination for me.  I’ve been hooked since seeing the first installment in 2001.  Ron and I enjoyed it so much we saw the first one twice in theaters the same weekend!  And we’ve made it a point to see each installment on opening weekend – seeing many of them on the first showing at our local theaters.  Yes, this means that we’ve even been to a midnight showing.  Lucky for us the theaters are now showing the early screenings a little bit earlier. And I can't even count the number of times I've watched the films at home.  One of my favorite rituals is to re-watch all of the previous films immediately before the new release.  I never get tired of watching them. 

On opening night Ron and I (with several friends) saw Furious 7 in IMAX at Pier Park Grand on Panama City Beach.  It was a great night spent with some great friends watching an awesome movie.  While we see a lot of movies (typically one every weekend) we don’t usually go with other people.  This outing was special though.  We were with friends that we’ve made through the car scene.  Like-minded people!  We don't typically see films in IMAX either...the few we have haven't really lived up to being worthy of the extra bucks you have to pay.  This one is an exception though.  It was fantastic in IMAX!!

I know there are a few people that haven't seen the films (but for the life of me I don't know why not...LOL).  For those few people (and anyone that just wants a refresher), here’s a short recap of the previous movies (courtesy of their IMDB descriptions).... (you can skip down past this section if you are already as familiar with them as I am).

***Spoilers Ahead...Only on previous films / NO spoilers about Furious 7***

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Rated PG-13 / Worldwide Box Office: $207.3 million

Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster........

Directed by Rob Cohen

This was the first installment of the franchise and was inspired by an article entitled Racer X written by Kenneth Li in May 1998. Read it here: Racer X

Los Angeles police officer Brian O'Connor must decide where his loyalties really lie when he becomes enamored with the street racing world he has been sent undercover to destroy.

IMDB page: IMDB - The Fast and the Furious

Trailer: Official Trailer

There is also a 1955 film by the same name but there is no connection between the two.  You can watch the 1955 film here: The Fast and the Furious 1955 film

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

Rated PG-13 / Worldwide Box Office: $236.4 million

Stars: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser...

Directed by John Singleton

Brian O'Conner and childhood friend Roman Pearce are re-united by the FBI to bring down a Miami drug exporter in exchange for clear records.

IMDB page: IMDB - 2 Fast 2 Furious

Trailer: Official Trailer

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

Rated PG-13 / Worldwide Box Office: $158.5 million

Stars: Lucas Black, Zachery Ty Bryan, Shad Moss...

Directed by Justin Lin

A teenager becomes a major competitor in the world of drift racing after moving in with his father in Tokyo to avoid a jail sentence in America.

IMDB page: IMDB - Tokyo Drift

Trailer: Official Trailer

This film was the third film released but had little to do with the first two.  When the franchise picked up speed again it became obvious that they would get back to this storyline...which they did in Furious 7.  This is why I suggest watching it after Fast & Furious 6.

Fast & Furious (2009)

Rated PG-13 / Worldwide Box Office: $363.2 million

Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster...

Directed by Justin Lin

Brian O'Conner, now working for the FBI in LA, teams up with Dominic Toretto to bring down a heroin importer by infiltrating his operation.

IMDB page: IMDB - Fast & Furious

Trailer: Official Trailer

Vin diesel and Paul Walker together again - enough said.

Fast Five ( 2011)

Rated PG-13 / Worldwide Box Office: $626.1 million

Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson...

Directed by Justin Lin

Dominic Toretto and his crew of street racers plan a massive heist to buy their freedom while in the sights of a powerful Brazilian drug lord and a dangerous federal agent.

IMDB page: IMDB - Fast Five

Trailer: Official Trailer

Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

Rated PG-13 / Worldwide Box Office: $788.7 million

Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson...

Directed by Justin Lin

Hobbs has Dominic and Brian reassemble their crew to take down a team of mercenaries: Dominic unexpectedly gets convoluted also facing his presumed deceased girlfriend, Letty.

IMDB page: IMDB - Fast & Furious 6

Trailer: Official Trailer

**********Total Worldwide Box Office so far: $2,380.1 billion!!!!**********

Which brings us to the current film:

Furious 7 (2015)

Rated PG-13 / Worldwide Box Office - TBD (but massive I'm sure)

Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson
IMDB page: IMDB - Furious 7
Trailer: Official Trailer

If you're like me you can't get enough of the scenes from these movies or the extras.  You can find MANY videos from the entire franchise on their YouTube page here: Fast & Furious YouTube Channel.  And if you want even more information check out this page: Fast and Furious wikia

In my opinion this just might be the best action film franchise ever. Why, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.  The films appeal to a global audience with their racially diverse cast. The storytelling is complex and thought provoking while at the same time offering up soap opera worthy twists.  There are elaborate stunts, car chases, car racing, and action packed fight sequences.  When watching the films you will experience humor and joy and escapism.  Don't get me wrong....there are definitely things in these films that are unrealistic...but isn't that one of the reasons that we go to the movies?

These films show the value of friendship.  The friendship with the entire group is awesome...but the friendship between Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) is spectacular.  It's even obvious in 2 Fast 2 Furious and Vin isn't even in that one.

The films have romance...and does it right.  The films are action films and if the romance was done wrong it would come off as campy. But these films have all shown just the right amount of romance to keep you rooting for the characters' love story.  I would venture to say that romance is exactly why Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) returned to the series after being killed off.  Dom and Letty are the perfect couple because they aren't perfect.

I do love Vin and have seen almost everything he has been in.  I haven't seen The Iron Giant (which he voiced) but I have seen everything else.  I'm pretty sure I've seen almost everything Paul Walker has been in also.  And I do love cars!  There is certainly not a shortage of awesome cars to gawk at in these films (and cry over when they are wrecked).   I should note that while I love the racing in these films I do not support street racing.  I can only hope that the people that see these films keep in mind that the stuff you see on screen is choreographed.  Please do not try this stuff!!!  And obviously I don't support all the criminal acts committed in these films.  But anyone that thinks that's all these films are about should look a little harder for the real story.  The real story in all of these films is FAMILY, not just your family by blood, but your family by choice! This group has bonded together and are a family.  They are loyal to each other to a fault. They stand by each other and support each other.  They defend each other.  They love each other. The cast did a great interview on the Today show where they talk about that family dynamic - on screen and off..  Watch it here: Today Show Cast Interview

Furious 7, is an action packed thrill ride.  With an already great cast there are additional characters introduced, including Jason Statham as a villain no less!  Finally, the Tokyo Drift story line has been successfully woven into the franchise.  You get exactly what you expect in this film and so much more. I was so excited for the next installment, but at the same time extremely sad. With the loss of Paul Walker last year the franchise was on shaky ground.  A member of the family was now gone - and his death happened while the film was still in production.  While the circumstances had nothing to do with the film the fact that he was killed in a car crash really hit home.  It was unknown for a while if they would even finish the film....but thankfully they did.  My understanding is that about 85% of the movie had been shot when Paul died.  His brothers stepped in and finished for him (with the assistance of CGI magic).  I'm not going to put any spoilers here on how this situation is handled in the movie - you really need to see it for yourself.  But I will say that it is some of the best moments I have seen on film.  I don't know if there will be more installments in the franchise (but I think, and hope, there will be).  I don't know how they will move forward without Paul (but I think they can).  But I do know one thing for sure....this film was finished for him.

I'm sure I will watch all of the films many more times and will continue to love them.  I'm also sure that I will forever see them a little differently....

Remember the buster...

For Paul....

The Gunman - A Sure Shot For Me

The Gunman 

Rated R / Action, Crime, Drama

Stars: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Jasmine Trinca, Javier Bardem, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance…

**spoilers ahead**

With two new movies out this weekend Ron and I decided to start early and take in one of them on Thursday night.  Last night we went to see the new Sean Penn flick The Gunman.  The movie is based on the 2002 novel The Prone Gunman written by Jean-Patrick Manchette. 

The Gunman is an action movie and in many ways is presented like every other action movie I’ve seen – which is not a negative thing in my opinion.  Sean Penn, who is now 54 years old, looks great physically!  He has obviously been spending lots of time in the gym as evidenced by his buff and toned body (you can get a good look at it during a surfing scene later in the movie – yes, I said a surfing scene).  My only complaint about him in the entire movie is his continual need to smoke a cigarette!

Sean Penn plays Jim Terrier.  Jim is a private security contractor who also happens to be a sniper on a mercenary assassination team in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The movie starts in 2006 with images that I would definitely have rather not seen…but were important for the theme of the movie.  Thankfully the images of starving babies, war, and other atrocities were brief as they were extremely hard to look at.  While showing these images there were also clips from news programs as well as voice over discussing things like the private security contractors, world’s deadliest conflict, rape, vast mineral wealth, and meeting the demands of the Western world.  From this you know right up front that there will be lots of political overtones throughout the movie.

Jim’s girlfriend Annie is played by Jasmine Trinca, and exotic and beautiful woman.  Annie is an aid worker at a local clinic – where she gets to see firsthand the results of all of the atrocities in the Congo.  From the way they look at each other it’s obvious that Jim and Annie are deeply in love…something that seems to be a problem for Jim’s colleague, Felix (played by Javier Bardem).

During an operation, which I’m sure was supposed to be one of those “good for the country” operations but seems more like a “good for greed” operation, Jim kills the minister of mines of the Congo on the orders of an unknown client, unknown to everyone but Felix anyway.  As a condition of the successful operation Jim must immediately leave the Congo and his girlfriend Annie behind.  But don’t worry about Annie…Jim asked Felix to look after her so she’s bound to be in good hands…right?

Eight years later Jim returns to the Congo, but this time is not there as a private security contractor; instead he works for an aid group providing safe drinking water.  See, Jim is a good guy after all.  Jim is still having flashbacks from the minister’s assassination in which he pulled the trigger.  The flashbacks are accompanied by horrible headaches (as they should) which we later find out is because he has “post-concussion syndrome”.  While I don’t doubt that he would have these flashbacks, I do doubt that a person that can accomplish this kind of assassination would not have done MANY other things that would also be causing him duress, yet we never see flashbacks of those.

While working with the aid group the group is attacked by locals looking for “the white man”.  Jim manages to evade death (after killing most of the others in true action star style) and then commences his trek to find out who sent them.  He is certain it has something to do with the DRC assassination so he hunts down some of his old colleagues in London, Terry (played by Mark Rylance), who is now an executive at the security firm they both used to work for, and Stanly (played by Ray Winstone), who appears to be a beach bum.  You know that one of these is going to end up being a bad guy for sure.

Jim eventually ends up in Barcelona, where he finds that Felix and Annie are now married.  This seemed to surprise him but I doubt that anyone in the audience was surprised by this. After some “as expected” confrontations between the three of them, and some adultery between Jim and Annie (you knew that was going to happen right?), the action (and violence) in the movie really starts to heat up. 

It turns out that Jim has been keeping journals containing evidence of all the things the security company, including himself, did over the years.  Needless to say, the security company doesn’t want this information to come out….enter Interpol.   Of course Interpol is very interested in obtaining this information and they have the perfect agent for the job – Idris Elba.  Idris Elba really doesn’t do a lot in this movie…but he still looks good just standing there.

The remainder of the movie is full of action sequences, including a bull fight, leading up to the “happily ever after” ending.  Ok, so maybe I left out some significant scenes…I don’t need to tell you everything, do I?  You really need to watch this movie to truly appreciate the action scenes. 

I’ve seen some bad press about this movie criticizing everything from the Africans in the film not having any lines to speak to Sean Penn’s performance to the degrading of women to the predictable storyline.  But I enjoyed it.  I knew exactly what to expect when walking into the theater…an action film with political overtones.  I thought Sean Penn’s performance was great.  The movie actually kind of reminded me of the Bourne movies and the Taken movies….and I wouldn’t mind seeing other movies with the Jim Terrier character in them.  So even though some may not like it…it was a sure shot for me. 

You can find the movie info on IMDB here:

IMDB - The Gunman

And the official site here:

Official Site - The Gunman

And if you want to read the novel it was based on you can get that here:

Novel - The Prone Gunman 

  

Chappie Did Not Make Me Happy

This weekend my husband and I went to the movies and saw the new Sci-fi movie Chappie.  Being a Hugh Jackman fan, as well as a Sci-fi fan, I expected to enjoy this movie.  Boy was I wrong!  I was extremely disappointed in it on so many levels.

The description of the movie according to IMDB is:  In the near future, crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. 

The link to the IMDB page is here:IMDB - Chappie 

The link to the official page is here: Chappie Official Page

The movie was written and directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9)…yet one more reason to expect it to be a good sci-fi flick.  

The idea of a robot learning to think and feel for himself is actually very intriguing to me.  With all the advances in technology recently this seems like something that could definitely be on the horizon….and could actually be a good thing on many levels.  Blomkamp really missed the mark on telling this story though. 

**Spoilers ahead**

The movie is set in Johannesburg, South Africa in the near future at a time when order is maintained largely by a robotic police force called Scouts of which Chappie is one of.  Chappie is injured early on and scheduled for destruction.  Deon Wilson, the developer of the Scouts (played by Dev Patel) wants to test a new program on Chappie (to see if robots can actually learn to think and feel on their own) but is denied by his company’s CEO (played by Sigourney Weaver).  So what does Wilson do?  He steals the robot out of the scrap pile to test on his own and as he is leaving with the robot he is carjacked by some street thugs (played by the rap group Die Antwoord).

This is where the movie went downhill to me.  The street thugs began teaching Chappie their way of life….the criminal way of life.  In the next segment of the film Chappie learns how to talk and walk like a gangster, how to use a gun, how to use a knife, how to harm humans (and repeadedtly does so), how to steal cars, etc…generally, he is taught how to be a thug.   And of course, there is the unnecessary dog fight scene.  They didn’t actually show the dog’s fighting but they implied it and they did show dogs dead.   

Hugh Jackman’s character, Vincent, has also developed a robot, The Moose, which is operated by a human wearing a helmet that links him to the robot.  The Moose is loaded with armaments and extremely lethal with Vincent at the helm.

The altercation with The Moose and Chappie, and all the humans in the crossfire, is over-the-top violent….to the point of one person literally being cut in half by The Moose.

Anyone that knows me knows that I’m not easily offended by violence in movies.  I prefer to watch crime movies, thrillers, action…you get the idea.  But I have a huge problem when the violence in the movie is done in such a manner that it actually teaches people, especially children, to be violent just for the sake of being violent. 

This movie was rated R – something definitely not made clear through the trailers. In fact the trailer made the movie seem as if it was more geared for children…WRONG. 

While I am not big on censorship, I would strongly recommend that parents use caution when allowing their children to watch this movie.  The lessons they will learn from this movie are simply how to be (or at least act) like a thug.  I told this to Ron while we were watching the movie and my point was proven as soon as we walked out of the theater.  There was a group of children (probably all under age 10) that watched it with one adult.  They left in front of us and when leaving the theater were talking about how much they liked the movie while pretending to hold guns and talk about shooting.  Yes, I know this is something that is shown to children everyday…on television, movies, video games, books, etc….but there really has to be a line drawn somewhere.

I can’t seem to find the right words to really express how much this movie disappointed me.   And I don’t want to be a voice for censorship.  I really do think that people should make up their own minds.  I would hope that all parents that allow their children to see this movie also take the time to sit down with them and discuss it.  And again I will say…Chappie did NOT make me happy.  L

Fifty Shades of Cray Cray!!!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or completely off the grid, by now you have undoubtedly heard of Fifty Shades of Grey.  The best-selling trilogy written by E.L. James is hugely popular…so popular Hollywood snatched it up and has brought it to the big screen.  I have read the books and now that I have seen the movie as well I thought I would jump on the commentary bandwagon.  I will warn you though….you might not agree with my thoughts about the books or the movie.

If you are looking for me to tell you NOT to read the books or NOT to go see this movie you should just stop reading this right now. I am of the opinion that you can make up your own mind as to whether you want to read the books or see the movie – you don’t need me telling you one way or the other.  What I will tell you is what I think about them.  You can agree or not.

I have to admit that I didn’t read the books when they were first released.  It’s not the typical genre that I read as I usually choose murder mysteries instead.  But after so many were talking about it I had to see what all the hoopla was about.  The books were ok…not great…just ok. The writing was not the best – but they were never intended to be literary classics.  And to be perfectly honest I was a little surprised at the sex in them.  No surprise right?  Actually wrong!  From all I had heard I expected the books to be full of sex – extreme sex – they were being called pornographic after all - yet the majority of the books was just typical romantic dribble.  Now don’t get me wrong…the sex that was in them was pretty intense…but I really expected it to be all throughout from the way everyone was talking about them.

I read the books and put them aside really not thinking too much about them until they started casting for the movie. Wow, did everybody have an opinion on that! Once casting was complete and filming started the controversy with the movie really got amped up.  It seemed that everyone had an opinion on it.  Either people were complaining about the casting choices or preparing for a wild night out or campaigning to get it shut down. Regardless of which side you might fall on I can assure you that all the controversy has been great for the books and for the movie.  As they say…there is no such thing as bad publicity.

The movie stars Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia (Ana) Steele.  According to the website www.imdb.com this is what the movie is about: Literature student Anastasia Steele’s life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey. (Here’s the IMDB link…IMDB - Fifty Shades of Grey)

I have read A LOT of stuff about the books and movie.  From Facebook statuses, to comments, to blogs, to articles….a lot of people have opinions about this one…and most of the opinions are pretty strong one way or the other.  Many of the things I have read have been writers trying to convince people to NOT go see the movie.  The funny thing about that is that in almost every one of these writings the writer had NOT read the books yet proceeded to express an opinion about them – even saying that the books were poorly written.  And no, I’m not assuming that they didn’t read the books – they actually say that in their articles.  How can they possibly have an opinion on the way the books were written if they didn’t read them?

I even read one article from a journalist that had the chance to see an advance screening of the movie but had not read the books beforehand.  Some of the things she specifically complained about being in the movie were straight from the book (like Ana biting her bottom lip all the time).  Why would that not be in the movie?  It was an important part of the books – and had this journalist read the books she would have known that.

In many of the articles I read it was stated that this series teaches people that it’s okay to be a cold, sadistic, person as long as you are good looking and rich.  True, Christian Grey – the main character in the series, is in fact good looking and rich.  He also happens to enjoy sadomasochism (or S/M) sex.  Does this fact make him a sadist?  To some people apparently it does.

According to www.dictionary.com the definition of sadist is: A person who has the condition of sadism, in which one receives sexual gratification from causing pain and degradation to another. A person who enjoys being cruel.  I agree that Christian definitely receives sexual gratification from causing pain – but it is not done by causing degradation.  There is nothing degrading about the way the acts are performed because there is nothing done without consent.

For those that have actually read the series it’s obvious that Christian Grey is not a cold, sadistic, individual.  He may be a little unusual and definitely has different sexual tastes than most….but Ana knew exactly what she was getting into BEFORE she had sex with him.  She agreed to the conditions he outlined with no promise of financial gain.  And the series shows in depth how this type of relationship can have negative results as well.  Their relationship (or Christian’s prior relationships) may not be something you are interested in getting involved in or it may be against what you believe in personally or spiritually….but when it comes down to it Christian and Ana are both adults and entered into a consensual relationship with each other with a complete understanding of what was to be expected.  The only time Christian hit Ana was as part of a sexual act in which she was told exactly what was going to happen and had a “safe word” to use if she wanted it to stop.  So technically, she was ALWAYS the one really in control.  If Christian were a true sadist he would have committed acts of actual abuse on Ana, acts such as beating her, kicking her, throwing her around, or telling her she was worthless.  Christian doesn’t do these things to Ana.  He clearly outlines what will happen…she agrees…and then it happens….all for the purpose of sexual gratification.    

Some articles have stated that the series does not promote love or romance but instead promotes sex purely for pleasure.  Really???  Have these people even read the books??  Never mind…we’ve already established that they haven’t.  In this series Christian and Ana do not have sex outside of a committed relationship.  No, they weren’t married, but they had an agreement with each other that was stronger than a lot of marriages I know of in the “real” world.  Christian may not have done a lot of stuff that some people consider romantic…but he did what he thought he was supposed to.  He bought her things – clothes, expensive dinners, a car! – isn’t this what happens in a relationship?  You provide for your partner right?  He took her on exciting adventures (like in his plane) all the while wooing her.  Is this not what romance is?  You find out what your target likes and you do what you can to woo them into the relationship.    

I heard someone compare this to prostitution.  Yes, Christian buys stuff for Ana.  Doesn’t that happen in all relationships?  She wasn’t given these things on the condition that she have sex with him.  He gave her these things because he wanted to have a relationship with her, sex only being a portion of the relationship.  He wanted a commitment – not just a one night stand like is fairly common amongst many today.  I couldn’t tell you the number of people I hear talking about how they just want to “get laid” with no intentions of having an actual relationship with the other person.

The relationship with Christian and Ana was not one sided either.  Ana was not just a subservient slave to Christian.  She didn’t put up with anything she didn’t want to.  She let him know when something made her uncomfortable. She worked with him on his issues and helped him deal with his Fifty Shades state and heal and grow as a person.  Isn’t this what you are supposed to do in a relationship?    

Some claim that Fifty Shades of Grey teaches guys that they can do whatever they want to a girl and she will just take it.  Once again – the one’s that say this must have either not read the book or definitely interpreted it differently than I did.  When it seemed as if the relationship was over she felt like her heart was being ripped out BUT that doesn’t mean she was going to just accept things as they had been.  She demanded a different relationship and he conformed.  This does not mean that they no longer had a S&M sexual relationship – that wasn’t where the real problems were.  Even when Ana worried on occasion that their relationship had become “too vanilla” for Christian to be satisfied, she still wasn’t willing to back down from her limits and what she expected from the relationship.  The relationship did change though.  It adapted to what was best for both of them.  Again…isn’t this what is supposed to happen in a relationship?  Aren’t all successful relationships full of adapting and compromising?

And all the complaints that this series, including the movie, is loaded with sex to make it a best seller… well of course it is.  Sex sells people.  That’s been proven forever!  It’s nothing new for Fifty Shades of Grey.  Sex is everywhere. It’s in books (including the Bible).  It’s on TV.  It’s in the movies. And I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon.  If this is a problem for you then don’t participate in it.  Don’t read the books.  Don’t watch the movie.  But don’t judge me because I do either.

I, like many others, did not read the books because I am missing something in my relationship.  I did not read them because I am missing something sexually or emotionally.  I read them because I wanted to.  I read them out of literary curiosity.  Now that I’ve read them does this mean that I want my relationship to be the same as Christian and Ana’s? No…but if I did, really, whose business is it?  Can I not enter into whatever type of relationship that I want to with my husband as long as we both agree on it?  

There are many that say that reading these books or seeing this movie is not supporting your spouse…that you are dishonoring the relationship you are in.  I may be a minority in this but I just simply don’t believe it.  As a matter of fact I discussed the books with my husband.  He went with me to see the movie.  It doesn’t mean that we in turn felt the need to change our relationship to be more in line with Fifty Shades of Grey. 

Anyone that knows me knows that I think everyone has a right to make their own decisions.  If you want to read these books – read them.  If you want to watch the movie – watch it.  If you don’t – then don’t.  But don’t just assume that because I have it’s going to somehow take over my psyche and change me into what I have read about or seen.  I absolutely love Vin Diesel.  My husband is completely aware of this.  My fascination with Vin, or any other good-looking man, does not mean that I intend to cheat on my husband.  I’m fascinated with mysteries – but that doesn’t mean that I have any intention of murdering someone.  I love horror movies, the more gore the better – but that doesn’t mean that I plan to run around chopping people up with chainsaws or want to experience it actually happening to someone else.  I read a lot of different types of magazines and books – but it doesn’t mean that I want all of what I read to play out in my real life. 

It’s called entertainment people.  Books, TV, Movies, and Music are all forms of escape.  They are meant to be watched for entertainment purposes – to give yourself a small break from the hustle and grind of your real life.  Sure, sometimes I wish I could jump into what I’m reading/watching/ listening to…but I can assure nothing that I read, watch, or listen to is going to convince me to do anything I don’t really want to do.  In my opinion, anyone that is so mentally pliable that they can be easily swayed to take actions they wouldn’t normally take because of a form of entertainment (including a video game) needs to work on their mental fortitude.  If a work of fiction can alter their stance on issues then they are likely to be in danger of blindly following anyone or any movement.  Know where you stand.  Know where your limits are and stand firm by them.  But don’t judge me or others because we have different limits than you.  And DON’T force your limits on me or other people.

As for my grading of the movie itself…it was ok.  Certainly not the best I’ve seen but absolutely not the worst I’ve seen either.  It stuck close to the first book in the trilogy and ended leaving me anticipating the adaption of the second one.  The actors performed exactly as I expected.  Sure the story is a bit weak…I already knew that…remember I read the books.  But in my opinion the movie is a success. It is erotic (as expected).  It is definitely NOT pornographic.  It’s for people with an open mind.  It’s for people who just want to be entertained…therefore it’s for me.

And as an added blog bonus...here's a interesting read sent to me by a good friend:

25 Facts About BDSM That You Won't Learn In "Fifty Shades of Grey" 

Movie

Today's photo is a movie....and again I couldn't pick just one...and I'm sure it comes to no surprise that I have picked movies with Vin Diesel in them.  :)

The first movie is Pitch Black from 2000.  It's the first movie that I saw Vin Diesel in and I was hooked on him immediately.  And that voice...oh my goodness...  "You're not afraid of the dark are you?"

IMDB link: Pitch Black

The Second movie is The Fast and the Furious from 2001.  This movie cemented my affection for Vin (and the entire Fast franchise).  I mean really, how could I resist Vin in fast cars...a 1970 Dodge Charger at that.  And started my love of Paul Walker...RIP.

IMDB link: The Fast and the Furious

Divergent…Book vs. Movie…Which One is the Better Version?

I read a lot of books and I watch a lot of movies.  As I’m sure you know there are a lot of movies that are based on books.  In those cases I typically read the book before seeing the movie….or if I haven’t had the chance to see the movie before reading the book I usually skip reading it.  I do this because usually the movie doesn’t hold a candle to the book (at least with how my brain works).  Divergent has proved to be an exception to this rule for me.  I saw the movie before reading the book…and then knew I HAD to read the book (the trilogy actually).  So I quickly downloaded the trilogy on to my Kindle and started my journey into Veronica Roth’s world of dystopia and divergence.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised with how closely the movie adaptation followed the book.  Don’t get me wrong…there were plenty of changes – some things added and some things excluded – but overall I was pleased.

Out of curiosity I did some reading (surprise, surprise) to see what changes I may have missed.  In case you are interested I’m including some (but not all) of the changes here.

***Warning***Spoilers Below***If you have not read the book or seen the movie and plan to do so you might want to stop reading now.

Divergent is the story of Beatrice (Tris) Prior (played by Shailene Woodley), a 16 year old girl living in dystopian Chicago.  Society is divided into five factions based on the particular virtues: Abnegation (the selfless), the faction she grew up in; Dauntless (the brave); Candor (the honest); Amity (the peaceful); and Erudite (the intelligent).  While the children grow up in one particular faction when they are 16 years old they must select their faction of choice at the Choosing Ceremony.  Most tend to stay with their original faction with very few changes.  Beatrice’s choice surprises even her when she chooses Dauntless.  What follows is the story of her transformation into the world of the Dauntless as she undergoes rigorous physical and psychological tests and figures out to handle a secret she is trying to keep from everyone.  And then there is Four (played by Theo James) – the Dauntless leader she meets and develops a romance with. 

The movie has quite a bit of other talent staring in as well:  Ashley Judd plays Beatrice’s mom Natalie, Tony Goldwyn plays her father Andrew, Ansel Elgort plays her brother Caleb, Jai Courtney plays the Dauntless leader Eric, Ray Stevensen plays Four’s father Marcus, Maggie Q plays the Dauntless tattoo artist Tori, Miles Teller plays the despicable Peter, Zoe Kravitz plays Beatrice’s friend Christina, Mekhi Phifer plays Max, Ben Lloyd-Hughes plays Will, Christian Madsen plays Al, Amy Newbold plays Molly, and the extremely talented Kate Winslet plays Jeanine.  

• ·        Book: Four is only 18 years old in the book. / Movie: Four is 24 years old.  Theo James (who plays Four) was 28 at the time of filming but is believable as 24.  His age of 24 works for the movie except for the romance with Tris.  Tris is only 16 (in both the book and movie), which makes their romance a little bit of an issue.  For many this will probably be frowned upon.  Theo James looks young enough that you might not even think too much about it.  I understand that they reason they made this change was because it made it more believable that Four advanced as he did in Dauntless at the age of 24 rather than 18.  While I understand this I don’t think was a necessary change. 
• ·        Book: The Dauntless only wear black. / Movie: They also wear red.  I have no idea why they made this change.  I think the fact that they wore black in the book was more symbolic of what they stood far.
• ·       The character Uriah is not included in the movie version.  I read that the studio said he would be in the sequels and would be a “great actor”.
• ·        Book: Edward loses an eye (by way of a butter knife!). / Movie: Edward doesn’t lose his eye.  This is a significant change in my opinion because the violent act towards him plays heavily into his frame of mind in future stories.
• ·        Several differences relating to the assault on Tris by Drew, Peter, and Al.
• ·        Peter is much more threatening and violent in the book.   On that note…Peter is played by Miles Teller in the movie.  He did fine in that role but I’m not so sure if he would have been up to task if Peter was as volatile as he was in the book.  I read that Miles Teller originally wanted to play Four.  I am so glad that wasn’t what happened because he does not suit that role at all for me.
• ·        Several differences relating to Tris’ fear landscape (much better in the book).
• ·        Book: Tris is caught by the other initiates when she’s done zip lining. / Movie: Tris has to pull on a brake and stop herself when she’s done.
• ·        Book: Tris beats Molly. / Movie: Molly beats Tris.  (Really…what is the point of this change?)
• ·        Book: Tris also gets a tattoo of the Dauntless symbol and Abnegation symbol. / Movie: The only tattoo shown are the birds.
• ·        Book: Visiting Day / Movie: What visiting day????  In the book Tris’ mom comes to visit her and they have a very important conversation.  In the movie this conversation is had a completely different location never mentioned in the book.
• ·        Several differences with the “capture the flag” game.
• ·        There is a lot more of Jeanine Matthews in the movie than in the book.  I suspect that this is because Kate Winslet played Jeanine Matthews and anytime you have an actress of that caliber in your movie you use her as much as possible.
• ·        The ending is slightly different in the movie – again I think this is due to Kate Winslet.

Since seeing the movie not only did I read the book, but I also followed it with the rest in the series.  I have now completed Insurgent, and Allegiant, Free Four (a short story), as well as Four: The transfer (told from his point of view).  There are other Four stories coming out in July and I will be reading those as well (reviews on them later).

If you enjoy reading I encourage you to read this series.  It is considered young adult however adults will enjoy it as well.  The movie was excellent too.  I am looking forward to seeing how “Hollywood” manages to bring the rest of the story to the big screen. 

You can find Divergent, and the other books written by Veronica Roth here:

http://www.amazon.com/Veronica-Roth/e/B004FX672S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1401804422&sr=8-1

You can follow Veronica Roth on her page here:

http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/

And you can follow her on Goodreads here:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4039811.Veronica_Roth?from_search=true

And finally, here is the link to the movie’s website:

http://divergentthemovie.com/

***

Divergent (2014) (PG-13)…my rating: A- (Go see it!)

Divergent (by Veronica Roth)…my rating: 4 ½ / 5 stars (Go read it!)

Dallas Buyers Club ~ Dare to Live

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
(Rated R)

Finally…I have watched Dallas Buyers Club!  I typically watch movies with this kind of hype when they are initially released but for one reason or the other I wasn’t able to watch this one until now.  Sometimes when a movie has received as much attention as this one I find myself disappointed because it doesn’t live up to the hype.  Not this time.  I could just simply say WOW…but this film deserves so much more.

The film was inspired by a true story.  Yeah, yeah, I know a lot of films say that…but this one really was.  In 1992 journalist Bill Minutaglio wrote an article entitled “Buying Time” that appeared in Dallas Life Magazine.  The article discusses how Dallas became a center of the black market in unapproved AIDS drugs and the role that Ron Woodroof played in that.  You can read the article here: http://buyersclubdallas.com/

Hollywood became interested in the story and after several failed attempts finally made this film that took the movie industry by storm.  The movie is set in the late ‘80s and focuses on the story of Ron Woodroof (played by the fabulous Matthew McConaughey).  Woodroof is an electrician, a bull rider, a hustler, a heavy smoker, a drug user (particularly cocaine), and a lover of casual sex.  He’s also a racist and homophobic.  His world changes dramatically when he is diagnosed as HIV-positive and given an estimated 30 days to live.  Woodroof is initially in denial of his impending demise because he doesn’t think there is any way he could have a disease that seems to be targeting homosexuals. 

HIV and AIDS were new to many in this time period and the medical industry certainly didn’t have all the answers (or were keeping them to themselves).  After his health deteriorates more while taking high doses of AZT Woodroof began researching other treatment options.  In an effort to extend his life he ended up obtaining drugs from Mexico from a doctor who had previously had his license revoked in the US.  His health improves on the new drug regimen of ddC and peptite T and he soon realizes that he can make money by importing the drugs and selling them to other HIV-positive patients.  This led him to starting the Dallas Buyers Club – a membership only club where members were provided drugs and treatment free of charge in return for their membership dues – along with the help of Rayon (played by Jared Leto), a HIV-positive transsexual who he had met while previously in the hospital.  The movie continues to explore the relationship between these unlikely friends, the effects of HIV on their lives and those around them, as well as the effects of government regulations and pharmaceutical companies on the medical industry.

The cast of this movie is phenomenal!  Unless you have been living under a rock you have probably at least heard of some of the numerous well deserved awards bestowed on the cast and crew in recent months.  During awards season there wasn’t much said about Denis O’Hare who played Dr. Sevard with only slightly more attention to Jennifer Garner who played Dr. Eve Saks, however both of their performances were excellent – especially Garner’s.  The performances of Jared Leto as Rayon and Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof were absolutely awesome!  I had seen many clips before watching the entire movie so I had an idea of how great they were in the movie, but was just blown away at their transitions.  They were so effective in portraying these characters that it was easy to forget who they really were. 

I frequently disagree with who the acting awards are given too…but not in this instance.  The awards earned by Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey were well deserved.  And the speeches given by them were fantastic.  If you did not watch the Oscars and missed their acceptance speeches (or just want to see them again) I urge you to check them out.

Jared Leto’s acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor can be seen here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCtch3DzLRs&feature=share&list=PLJ8RjvesnvDNF36HHQ0mRqDgEnLvTXnzO&index=1

Matthew McConaughey’s acceptance speech for Best Actor can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD2cVhC-63I&feature=share&list=PLJ8RjvesnvDNF36HHQ0mRqDgEnLvTXnzO&index=25

Also check out the official site for Dallas Buyers Club here: http://www.focusfeatures.com/dallas_buyers_club/overview

While this movie may not seem like the most uplifting film at first glance I challenge you to look deeper at it and deeper at yourself.  Where do your thoughts lie concerning the AIDS epidemic?  How would you feel if you or someone close to you tested HIV-positive?  What measures would you take to save or extend your life or that of someone close to you?   In the words of Matthew McConaughey…This film was never about dying.  It was always about living.  So just keep living…   

Dallas Buyers Club (2013) - my rating: A+

(Matthew McConaughey’s Just Keep Livin foundation can be found here: http://www.jklivinfoundation.org/)

Spidey Sense

The Amazing Spider-man 2 (2014)
(PG-13)

Spidey Sense

This past weekend was the release of the Amazing Spider Man 2 and it certainly had a good opening weekend with an estimated $92 million earned.  As I’m sure you would suspect I contributed to that $92 million.  My husband and I, along with our friend Holly, saw this second chapter in the reboot at our favorite local theater, The Grand - Pier Park, and we were not disappointed. 

I love movies (and TV shows) based on comic books and typically see them during the opening weekends, frequently on opening night.  This particular genre offers exactly what I look for in any film: entertainment and escapism.  With Marvel and DC alike I can always expect lots of fun scenes sprinkled with just the right amount of “real life” to make it engaging and entertaining as well just the right amount of cheesy humor thrown in.

The newest version of Spider Man stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.  Prior to seeing him in the first one I was curious on how he would do in this role.  Now I know that he is the perfect choice and look forward to seeing him don the red and blue tights at least one more time.  Emma Stone is the perfect Gwen Stacy and has excellent chemistry with Garfield.  I’m sure part of this is the fact that they are a “real life” couple; however I suspect they would work well together regardless.  And I absolutely love Sally Field as Aunt May.  Is there anything that Field can’t do?

This particular film had several villians, in particular Electro, Rhino, and the Green Goblin.  Electro was played by the always electrifying Jamie Foxx.  Foxx did a great job with his transition from the nerdy version of Max Dillion to the confused but dangerous villain Electro.  Paul Giamatti played The Rhino.  While The Rhino is from the comic books it really wasn’t of any particular interest to me.  I do think that Paul Giamatti did a fine job in his portrayal though.  I was however very intrigued with Dane DeHaan’s portrayal of Peter Parker’s childhood friend Harry Osborne and the Green Goblin.  I have seen DeHaan in a few other things before and definitely consider him a rising star.  He sort of reminds me of a young Leo DiCaprio crossed with a young Brad Pitt and his eyes are amazing!  He had great chemistry with Garfield also.  It was easy to think of them as childhood friends.

I watched the movie in 3D and was pleased with the effects.  I’m not a huge 3D fan as most often I am disappointed in how the effects turn out and feel it is usually not worth the extra cost for the ticket.  From Spidey swinging through the air on his webs to cars overturning to a dramatic story changing fall the effects in this movie were perfect for 3D.

I will have to say that I think the first Spiderman in this series was better, however this one was definitely worth watching.  And it definitely makes me excited to see the next one.  I recommend this movie to anyone that loves the comic book genre – and don’t forget to stay for the scene during the credits.

You can find the official trailer here: http://youtu.be/DlM2CWNTQ84

The Amazing Spider Man 2 (2014) – my rating: B+