Merlin BBC TV Series

Merlin (2008) BBC series. I finished watching episodes 1-6 and give it 2.5 out of 5 stars, but it's still passable. I can see it being popular with a younger audience, the now young-adult-aged Harry Potter fans. And Colin Morgan as Merlin is charming and earnest, the correct humble qualities of a future powerful wizard.

A young, fresh-faced Merlin comes to Camelot at a time when magic is banned. While under the care of Gaius, the court physician, Merlin learns magic secretly. The plots usually involve Merlin covertly using magic to save the town or a person.

Why did I choose to watch this Merlin? To be honest, I was hoping for something closer to Harry Potter's world. I imagine, Julian Murphy and Johnny Caps, the creators of Merlin, pitching it as "Harry Potter but without the magic!" as a selling point. Sounds crazy when I put it that way, doesn't it? But it makes sense if you file it as another attempt to Humanize the Hero (Merlin was inspired by Smallville, the TV series on Superman's early life). For viewers to relate to Merlin, he must struggle, he cannot be born certain of his fate or abilities. It is also best to make him an awkward young man.
 
I like revision. I enjoy stories, myths and legends retold from another perspective. BUT there are some "facts" that are sacred: Merlin cannot be King Arthur's peer. Merlin is at least a hundred if not hundreds of years older than him. Therefore, a story faithful to Merlin's origins should begin during the Age of the Hobbits. And no, Merlin cannot be Arthur's manservant. It's disrespectful!

One last thing, the most effect revisionist story of King Arthur, by far, is the three part series based on Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel, The Mists of Avalon (2001). Julianna Margulies played Morgana and that is the role I remember her for.To this day, when I think about King Arthur and his merry men, I remember Morgana.

Food, Inc.

Food, Inc (2008). A must see.

Five minutes into this documentary and I was scared. What if I never want to eat meat again? Or chips or even vegetables? This film links food production to assembly line production, to profit motivated multinational corporations, and to unethical husbandry.

It's not that I was surprised by the film -- I was already aware of most of the issues -- however, the footage of brown, dusty fields full of cows, of them standing ankle deep in their own feces, the stumbling, genetically modified, abnormally large breasted chicken, among other things, was truly disturbing.

A farmer in the film, Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, struck me as an intelligent, coherent speaker. His husbandry methods make sense. Cows are moved from one pasture to the next so they can graze and fertilize the grass at the same time. This is to show the insanity of subsidizing corn production, putting it into cow feed because it fattens them up, despite knowing that corn increases the chances of e.coli in their digestive tracts.

One more thing. Pigs know things. There was a scene where Salatin is walking around outside towards his pigs, and when he calls to them, they wander lazily towards him. In a contrasting scene, we see footage of the largest slaughterhouse in Tar Heel, North Carolina, and when the workers come in, hordes of pigs jostle and scream in stark, raving terror. What a nightmare. 

Here are some websites I found interesting when I was googling around about Food, Inc.:

This is the movie website:
www.foodincmovie.com

Here is their blog:
www.takepart.com/blog/tag/hungry-for-change

The Bank Job

The Bank Job (2008) starring Jason Statham.

Jason Statham grows on you. I used to groan at the sight of his balding head in a movie because I knew it would involve gangsters, heists, dynamite, guns or fighting. And in this case, I stand correct. This movie is about a handful of guys who rob a bank the old fashioned way: digging. They loot the safety deposit boxes and later find the contents -- dirty pictures of royalty and ministers, and a ledger showing payments to crooked cops -- get them in trouble with government and the thugs.

Jason Statham has replaced Bruce Willis and Vin Diesel as the next Balding Action Hero. What is it about him that appeals to the male population? Is it the kind of movies that he's in, i.e. the shoot 'em ups? No. It is more basic and simple. Jason Statham is popular with men because he is bald, as is Willis and Diesel. Every generation needs a Balding Action Hero. Why? Because men relate to him. Those whose masculinity is threatened by age or premature balding, they are reassured by the Balding Action Hero because in some subconscious manner, the image of him says to them: you can still be cool.

Expired

"Do you think it is better to have something rather than nothing if you can't have everything?"

Expired (2007), starring Samantha Morton and Jason Patric.  A good movie.

This movie is about mediocrity -- whether one settles for someone just to have someone -- and it is also about seeing past people's off-putting patterns and habits. Morton and Patric play two socially awkward meter maids. Morton puts up with many of Patric's rude, arrogant and selfish behavior to make the relationship work. Maybe she does so just to have someone, but maybe it is because she sees that Patric, in his own way is trying his best.

In some ways, Patric's character reminds me of Adam Sandler in Punch-Drunk Love (2002), except without the self clarity. 


Every once in awhile, you see a movie with a scene matched with the right song. Below is only the song Story of a Dying Man by Chris Stills from Youtube.



Samantha Morton. She has an unforgettable face, and excels at playing characters with pent up, conflicted emotions bubbling under a somewhat calm demeanor. The first time I saw her, she was Jane Eyre in the 1997 TV movie. I remember thinking, finally, someone is being faithful to the book and has cast the right actress to play Jane Eyre, someone who isn't stunning, or gorgeous but plain looking. The next time I saw her, she was in the big leagues, playing a psychic genius alongside Tom Cruise in Minority Report (2002). And finally, what I remember Morton for is Code 46 (2003), a brilliant science fiction movie about genetic incompatibility between two lovers.

The Last Mistress

The Last Mistress (2007), directed by Catherine Breillat, starring Asia Argento and Fu'ad Ait Aattou.

I realize now that I should probably come up with a rating system. I say this as I try to decide whether I like The Last Mistress or not. I would say 3 out of 5 stars. No. It's probably closer to 2.5 stars.

Most of the time, I dislike book-ended movies or lengthy re-telling of the past.  This movie involves the latter. A man, shortly before he marries a rich young woman, is confronted by her grandmother on his ten year relationship with his mistress. He tells her how it all began, and how he has ended it. Of course, true to the title, we see that he cannot leave his mistress. The End.

Devil imagery  -- the mistress is dressed as the devil when they first meet, pagan love making scenes -- attempts to show how being in this relationship is like being in hell.

Surfwise

Documentaries don't fit with my initial plan to make this blog about movie stars and mainstream junk. I don't care, I'm going to include them anyway. I love documentaries, especially ones that let you see into other peoples lives.  Some films are fascinating.


Surfwise (2007), directed by Doug Pray is a documentary on the Pakowitz family, known as the first family of surfing. In short, this film is about a family that lives outside of society, and the happiness as well as the consequences of that lifestyle. The nine children were home schooled and the family lived on the road or in a camper on the beach. Through newspapers, interviews, photos, old footage, this film captures the many sides of this lifestyle choice: living the utopian dream, glowing health from eating well, exercise and communion with nature; poverty in the lack of clothing, and livable space.

Dorian Pakowitz wrote a book called Surfing and Health. He says (I am quoting what his son said in the movie from memory) in the past, humans fought to feed themselves each day but now, the challenge is to escape food, to limit our food intake to what we need and what is good for us.

Yes Man

Today I watched Yes Man (2008), starring Jim Carey and Zooey Deschanel. Not much of a story. The main draw is the strong pairing of that comedy duo: ZD has a simple, flat way of delivering her lines that complements JC's aggressive, quick quips. You could almost imagine that in real life, if the age gap was smaller, let's say half of the actual 18 years, those two possibly, could have fallen for each other. But then again, Jim has a penchant for busty blonds, as evidenced by his current GF, the former Playboy Playmate, Jenny McCarthy. A slight framed brunette, no matter how soberly dead pan, might not have cut it.

Molly Sims plays Jim's wife (11 years his junior in real life). I remember her as Conan's piece. Once upon a time, Conan O'Brian was doing a segment of his show outside, and he caught a glimpse of her while she was broadcasting as a VJay (or whatever you call them) for MTV. He drooled a little spittle, and in that bug-eyed, frantic way of his, said something to the effect of, "That woman is so hot. We must get her on the show. How can we get her on the show?" And then one night, as if by magic, she was on the show.

Bradley Cooper plays Jim's best friend. Seldom do I forget a face, or the pitch of a whine. The Cooper was recently portrayed by the rags as being in the position of choosing Renee Zellweger over Jennifer Aniston. He's gotten alot of press and hence, a career boost by association with these two ladies. I suspect he loves the attention.

I digress. I remember Cooper on Alias, as the reporter friend of Sydney Bristol, played by Jennifer Gardner. In the show, Brad's character was in love with Sydney and their TV selves slept together. Sydney immediately regretted it, their TV relationship got awkward and soon thereafter, Cooper's character got written off the show. Somehow I still see Bradley Cooper as his Alias character, a desperate, puppy dog fawning over Sydney/Jennifer. And if they got together in real life, I suspect Gardner would quickly regret it too.

There is something else, something amphibian. He reminds me of Kermit the Frog. It may have something to do with his shiny eyes and the shape of his nose and chin.