It is Some Fairly Decent Carnage

Two sets of parents meet at one of the couples’ apartments to discuss a fight that occurred between the couples’ children. So sets the stage of Roman Polanski’s 2011 film, “Carnage.” Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly play Penelope and Michael Longstreet. Kate Winslet and Kristoph Waltz play Nancy and Alan Cowan. Nancy and Alan are invited to talk about their childrens’ fight at Penelope and Michael’s New York City apartment. The object of the discussion is to talk through what happened and to discuss what kind of monetary repayment for broken teeth shall be incumbered, as well as what kind of punishment is to be given.
“Carnage” is one of those films that can be described as “it’s not for everybody.” It can also be described as a filmed play, which I do not find distracting, but it does put some people off. With the exception of a park as a background for the opening and closing credits, the apartment is the only location in the film. “Carnage” reminded me of David Mamet’s fantastic 1994 film, “Oleanna.” “Oleanna” was much better than “Carnage,” however, Polanski’s film is not without merit. “Oleanna,” pissed me off, but in a very good way. “Oleanna” left me taking one side of the issue and wanting to yell at the screen and talk about it at great lengths with movie friends after watching it. I could easily watch “Oleanna” once a year. “Carnage,” while well-made and well-acted, did not have a great deal of emotional teeth. It did not make me want to discuss the issues raised in the film. It did not make me want to take one side’s position and champion it to the degree to which did Mamet’s film. The fact that “Carnage” is so well-acted is to it’s benefit. With lesser actors, it may have had even less impact. It is difficult to say that one actor was better than any of the others in “Carnage.” Jodie Foster, definitely gives the angriest performance in the film, while Cristoph Waltz gives the most subdued. John C. Reilly’s character, Michael, is the most likable, and is the funniest, however, that is not to say that his character is, indeed, likable. He is just the most likable out of the four fairly unlikable characters in the film. One’s reaction to “Carnage” will depend on one’s tolerance towards films that contain static scenes of dialogue and no scenes of action or stuff explodin’. I love films like “Carnage.” It is always fun to simply watch great actors and actresses act. In “Carnage,” one gets to do this. While the story depicted in the film was not of great interest to me, the very good performances by all four actors made it worth the time. Two last tangential thoughts: It was great to see John C. Reilly in a non-comedic role again. He is humorous in “Carnage,” however it is not the “Step Brothers” kind of funny which either is fun goofy or can fall flat in it’s attempt to try too hard with the vulgarity. Vulgarity can be very funny, but not if being pounded over the head with it in a “look at my disgusting butt sore” way.
Thankfully, no butt sores are seen in “Carnage,” however, there is a very memorable scene involving Kate Winslet. It was the most realistic of those kinds of scenes I have seen. I would not be surprised if it was real. It is not the way most would want to see Kate Winslet, but it is the most action-packed scene in the film. I liked “Carnage,” and if you enjoy dialogue-centered/performance driven films, I would recommend it. Before you see “Carnage,” though, seek out “Oleanna.” It is much better and is the same type of film. As well, seek out the more well-known film, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” and always remember that coffee is for closers.

When in Doubt, Make Some Cookies: A Half-Ass Examination of The Hunger Games With a Consideration of It's Epistemic Nature in a Kantian Society

There is a new series afoot in theaters. “The Hunger Games” is the first of what will likely be three films, or perhaps, four films if it is decided to break the last book into two films, which is the current trend. “The Hunger Games” concerns a young woman named Katniss Everdeen, played by the very good Jennifer Lawrence, who was also very good in “Winter’s Bone.” Katniss lives in a future society in which at some point there was civil unrest and an uprising of citizenry occurred. Either I was not paying close enough attention or it is never fully explained why said civil unrest and uprising occurs. One can always point to the government being selfish, soul-sucking assholes, but that is too superficial,and, again, I do not know if that is the reason anyway. Perhaps the books, written by Suzanne Collins, explain the back story in greater depth.
As a viewer of the film, though, I would have liked to have known a bit more about how things got how they are in the future society used as the setting for this story. Proper usage of back story in a film, or series of films, provides more depth and richness. This, in turn, allows the viewer or reader to become more invested in the story. The back story, of course, does not have to all be given at the beginning of the film. Many times back story is told throughout the course of the film. Whatever the case may be, back story is a nice thing to have and “The Hunger Games” felt devoid of this important element.
As for the rest of the film, it left me emotionally inert. It is not a bad film. It is not at all a great film. It is an ok film. There are several cool set designs and costumes to look at which are visually appealing. Many of the elements of “The Hunger Games” do seem borrowed from other films, predominantly “The Running Man” and Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil.” The notion of televising a battle to the death is directly from the Arnold Schwarznegger film, which was based on a Stephen King book. Other films of which I was reminded while watching “The Hunger Games” were “Gattaca,” and “Logan’s Run.” I know it is more and more difficult to come up with original ideas these days, so I was not as bothered by these similarities as I once would have been.
The film never captured my interest. I could not get interested in the plight of the two leads, Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson as Katniss’ fellow combatant, Peeta Mellark. The two actors’ performances are very good. Their performances did not lessen my interest in the film. The story in the film is too juvenile for my tastes. I do not understand why a government would choose as punishment on a society for rebellion and causing all hell to break loose, a battle to the death between 10-18 year old kids. That seems like a very lame punishment. Seriously, inhumane as it is, it just seems like a silly punishment. Of course, this is why the books are geared towards young adults, I suppose. That age group in peril makes for solid sales. An awful lot of time is spent in a dark forest as well in the middle of the film. Things of consequence happen, however, these scenes felt just as boring as many of the scenes in “Avatar” did. Of course, in “Avatar,” there were a lot of cool 3-D effects to distract me from the dull story.
Philosopher, Immanuel Kant, would have said that it is against my will to have enjoyed “The Hunger Games.” It is difficult to resist Kant . A good will is one which is influenced by moral demands. Such reasoning implies that one’s nature is to be attracted to that which is not moral. Can morality be dictated in one’s mind, or is it particularly innate in all of us? That is a question not answered in “The Hunger Games, “ however, it is a question all the same, a question to which many answers can be given. Kant states that the only thing which is good is a good will. Decisions that one makes in life should be guided by their inner morality or goodness. Am I, then, not good for not enjoying “The Hunger Games” to fullest and greatest capacity as not only a film lover, but also as a human being, representative not only of the planet Earth, but also the Delta Quadrant? How shall I continue to represent such an august group of people when pressed with such matters and a desire to compliment my life and my actions with good? Is nature, indeed, a series of events that will occur independently of our action or inaction upon it? What does the number 26 really mean? If the universe is infinite, why do we assign numbers to anything? Since we are assigning numbers to things, I will give “The Hunger Games” 2.68 out of 5. Had the performances of the leads not been as good as they were, the number I have assigned to the film would be less by approximately 18.91 percent.
I know that I am probably in the minority as many people seem to have enjoyed “The Hunger Games” more than I did. Again, it is not a terrible movie. It is ok, but not terribly memorable. I think a yummy batch of chocolate chip cookies is now in order, so I will go prepare some for consumption.

This Documentary Rocks

A good documentary will introduce the viewer to something, somebody, or some idea for which, up to that point, the viewer has, most likely, not had much exposure. That sentence had five commas. Not everyone can do that. One such documentary that, not so much introduces the viewer to something new, but delves into it’s particular subject is “The Rock-afire Explosion.”
“The Rock-afire Explosion” details quite well the history of the animatronic band that was installed at every Showbiz Pizza restaurant in the United States between 1980 and 1983. In “The Rock-afire Explosion,” you will meet Aaron Fechter, the man who created the animatronics which were used in building the mechanical rock band. Fechter’s company was given the task, in the early 80’s, of building and shipping 200 sets of Rock-afire Explosions for every Showbiz Pizza in the country. In the documentary, the viewer also meets a handful of Rock-afire Explosion devotees whose passion for the animatronic creation is certainly evident.
I enjoyed meeting every subject of this film. This documentary succeeds because it allows the subjects to be themselves and share with the filmmakers and the viewers their interests. This is a necessity in an exemplary documentary. There are no false notes, no fabricated drama anywhere in the film. Bravo to the documentarians, Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason, who simply put together a wonderful film about a very interesting subject. The film is not made in such a fashion by which the viewer feels as though the filmmakers are making fun of anybody or passing judgement on anyone because they have what may be considered to be a “strange” interest. Once again, bravo to the filmmakers for resisting that urge in what seems to be a current trend in much lesser documentaries. Only once in the film is that annoying trick of showing the subject on camera looking away from the camera while that same subject is heard on voiceover used. This seems to be something that started in documentaries in the 90’s. It simply looks ridiculous.
Anyway, that is the only thing wrong with “The Rock-afire Explosion” and it is a very minor infraction. Otherwise, it is a lot of fun. I was surprised by how much is covered in the film. I learned the history of the creation of the band, the man who created it, and the history of Showbiz Pizza. The documentary is also very well structured and never loses focus on it’s subject. It could not have cost that much to make this film. That is a testament to how a fine documentary can be made without any fancy camera angles and allowing the subjects of the film to tell the story. If you grew up in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, you will surely enjoy it. It is a solid film and worthy of your time. It can currently be seen on Netflix instant streaming. The dvd of the film is also available at the film’s website.

5 Cereals I Would Have Tried

None of these cereals exist anymore, however, if I would have been aware of them and old enough to appreciate them, I would have liked to have tried them. I do remember Corny Snaps and C.W. Post. I loved both of them, especially C.W. Post. I think Corny Snaps tasted a little like Cap'n Crunch, which, as Epistemology Tonight Platinum Members may remember, is on my list of favorite cereals. Let us now take a closer look at the following extinct cereals and find where they place in the pantheon of cereal history.

1. Banana Frosted Flakes: These were frosted with a banana flavored frosting and had banana pieces added to said flakes. I would have been curious to try them. I am a fan of banana flavored cereals, especially Banana Nut Crunch and Trader Joe's Banana Nut Clusters. In fact, I am looking forward to Trader Joe's opening stores in the Dallas area so I may relive some of my past bliss as I ate said Trader Joe's cereal.

2. Corny Snaps: As I mentioned in an earlier sentence, I believe Corny Snaps tasted like Cap'n Crunch. Please see your Epistemology Tonight User's Guide for where to find this previous statement. Should you have any difficulty finding this statement, do not hesitate to call Epistemology Tonight Customer Support at 1-888-555-2221. A representative will be glad to assist for the nominal amount of $45.12 per minute.

3. C.W. Post: Named for the founder of Post Cereals, Charles William Post, C.W. Post was a granola cereal if I remember correctly. It was yummy. I ate it whenever I would go to my aunt and uncle's house. There was also a university in New York named C.W. Post, however, it was recently renamed LIU Post University. It is part of the Long Island University system.

4. Pink Panther Flakes: Strawberry flavored yummy flakes. Probably pretty darn tasty.

5. Punch Crunch: This was a spin-off cereal from the Cap'n Crunch family of cereals. They were Cheerio shaped pieces flavored like fruit punch. This was have been an interesting one to try. I am not sure if the taste would have been successfully achieved, however, I would have had a go at it.

So, there it is. Another exciting blog posting about something very trivial. Epistemology is the study of the nature of knowledge with reference to it's limits and validity. I hope that these posts have given knowledge you can use in your every other day lives. There will be more as my brain continues to flow forth with random information.

Felis Solis Errabat Silvis Oculis Videt

This is a list of 10 films I could watch once a year.

1. Samurai Cop (1989): One of the finest films in existence. It stars Matt Hannon as the titular Samurai Cop. Said samurai cop never displays a whole lot of samurai ability, however, his hair is beyond reproach and there is plenty of curb-jumping dialogue in this one. The scene between the nurse and samurai cop is brilliant. "Samurai Cop" is never boring. It contains plenty of extremely bad dialogue and several attractive nude women, so what more could you ask for?

2. Sideways (2004): A wonderful film starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen. Two men drive to the wine country in Central California as a vacation from their current problems. "Sideways" was partially filmed in Solvang, California, a town previously seen in the 1981 horror film, "The Unseen," starring Barbara Bach. "Sideways" is a fantastic film with seriously great dialogue and great pacing. Directed by Alexander Payne, who previously directed "Election" and "About Schmidt," and who directed the 2011 film, "The Descendants."

3. Logan's Run (1976): "Good carousel, tonight." "Logan's Run" is one of my favorite science fiction films. There are so many interesting set pieces in this film. The idea of carousel is fascinating and the way it is filmed during the beginning of the movie is great. The music in the film is also outstanding.

4. Superman (1978): "Superman" is like three films in one. The first 25 minutes is straight science fiction and features Marlon Brando. The next 25 minutes are like a well-done family drama depicting the life of Clark Kent in Smallville as he discovers his powers. Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter play their roles of Pa and Ma Kent wonderfully. The remainder of the film, of course, is about the adult Clark/Superman and his adjustment to his role as Superman. All of the performances in the film are outstanding, especially Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman.

5. The Room (2003): This is another goofy one. Like, "Samurai Cop," "The Room" is an amazing accomplishment in filmmaking. "The Room" contains some jaw-dropping scenes that are so fantastic, too fantastic to be believed, quite honestly. If you are in the mood to laugh at any film's expense, make it "The Room." So many situations make no sense. It is awesome!

6. Blade Runner (1982): Ridley Scott's sci-fi film based on Phillip K. Dick's, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," is a groundbreaking piece of filmmaking. So story in the film is always compelling and the performances are great. The music of Vangelis throughout the film is equally as memorable. And I love the Ladd Company logo at the beginning of the film. Total geek alert, but, yes, I love that logo on the black background. "Blade Runner" was co-executive produced by Bud Yorkin, who was one of the producers of "All in the Family."

7. Annie Hall (1977): If I had money, I would say, "For my money, this is Woody Allen's best film." That is another tired saying, so I will refrain from using it any further. "Annie Hall" is full of brilliant dialogue. The subtitles scene, the "driving through plutonium" line, Christoper Walken's brief appearance in the film are just a few reasons why I love "Annie Hall." It's Oscar for Best Picture for 1977 was deserved.

8. Z Channel-A Magnificent Obsession (2004): This is a very well-made documentary about Jerry Harvey, the creator and programmer of Z Channel, a subscription television service in Southern California that existed from 1975-1987. What made Z Channel so special, we learn from the film, is that Harvey programmed A LOT of very rare and obscure films on the channel, making this a must-have for film buffs. Obviously in the 70's and 80's, many films were not as readily available as they are now, making Z Channel even more valuable during this time period. If you love movies and the discovery of obscure films, you will love this documentary. There were several films I discovered while watching this film such as "A Safe Place" and "Welcome to L.A." "Z Channel" is a straight-forward documentary without any of the manufactured drama that is, unfortunately, present in many recent documentaries. There is real-life drama in the story of the Z Channel, however, it is presented in a natural way, without any overbearing music or falseness.

9.Slingblade (1998): "Slingblade" is flawless. All of the performances are spot on, the location shooting is wonderful, it places the viewer in that setting. The story is great and it is natural. It is a perfect film.

10. Airplane (1980): "Airplane" changed, or at least created, a new type of comedy film. The fast-paced jokes, sight gags, clever verbal jokes make "Airplane" a comedy classic. I recommend not only "Airplane," but also the underrated, "Airplane 2: The Sequel." "What is your impression of Ted Stryker?" "I'm sorry, I don't do impressions."

Thank you, kind readers, for your time and your careful attention to this matter.