There’s no basement in the Alamo!

Howdy Yall! Im off to Texas to visit my wife for her Air Force graduation! I will be returning on the 13th with possibly some new reviews! Until then I left you with a 5 star and a 1 star to browse over.

Does this mean my wife is back for good??? No.

After her boot camp graduation, she goes off to Tech School. In Tech School, she learns the skills she needs to preform her specific job in the Air Force. It will probably be sometime in August that we are reunited for good. Until then, stay tuned for more reviews!

Youth of the Beast (野獣の青春 or Yajū no seishun)

Youth of the Beast [1963]

Youth of the Beast is one of Seijun Suzuki’s best known films. This film was made 4 years before his departure from Nikkatsu Studios in Japan.

Joji “Jo” Mizuno (Joe Shishido) is the new tough guy in town. For now, he may join a yakuza or two, but only if it helps him on his quest for vengeance. He seeks justice for the death of an old friend, and he wont stop until everyone involved has paid their price!

Well, I cant say TOO much about what goes on in this movie, for fear of giving too many plot twists away. But even if you knew the entire story, you would be surprised at how great it was.

I bought this not knowing anything about it. I liked the cover on the DVD, I knew it was part of the Criterion Collection, and I saw through Amazon that it had no real negative rankings. Boy was I in for a treat! Right in the first 5 minutes, the movie leaps out of the screen and you are suddenly in for a ride.

Joe Shishido does a wonderful job playing the tough guy. And I’m sure his overtly large cheeks helped out quite a bit. Lots of style and charisma. Its also very easy for him to fly off the handle and loose control. Very very well played. All the characters did a good job acting. I cant think of one bad performance in the entire movie, even if I tried.

A twist ending can make you remember a film long after you have seen it. This movie has its share of twists, and the final characters demise is unforgettable. The action scenes were terrific for a “old Japanese movie”. The parking lots, office buildings, fields, and even dining rooms were transformed from average to full out thrilling locations!

Although not as “artisically liberal’ as some other Seijun Suzuki flicks, (Tokyo Drifter, Branded to Kill) you are still treated to some eye poping colors and visuals that Suzuki is ever so famous for.

If it sounds like I am going to give this movie 5 stars, you are correct. 5 stars. You need to watch this movie. You need to own your own copy to show to others. I have not shown it to anyone yet that hasn’t absolutely fallen in love with it.

August Rush

August Rush [2007]

My wife is a big Freddie Highmore fan, and she has to see everything he is in, because, “He’s just so cute! That’s OUR son!” So off we went to the theaters to see ‘August Rush’.

August rush is the story of orphaned boy named Evan Taylor AKA August (Freddie Highmore). August dreams of finding his parents and has an exceptional talent for music. Well guess what? His musician parents (Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers) also dream of finding him.

August goes from orphanage, to the homeless streets, and to the halls of Juilliard to hone and practice his craft. All along, he believes music will reunite him with his parents. When this musical prodigy gets a gig with the New York Philharmonic, his separated parents find him and each other under extreme coincidence and fairy tale bliss.

Hmmmmm. Well, I didn’t really care for this movie much. Perhaps it is because, if you read the last two paragraphs, you know all about the movie already. If you even read the back of the DVD box, you’re sure to never be surprised.

The movie was strange because it was trying to make things seem so dark, depressing, and deep. Most of the time, he spends his time being homeless with other kids. But in trying to paint such a realistic picture, they forget that you cant do ‘magic’ out of nowhere and suddenly make it a puff piece. It was VERY sappy, and not touching at all. EXTREMELY predictable. It felt constantly like they were trying to make you cry. But its hard to cry when you feel nothing for the actual characters. You may know a little of their story, but none of them have much depth or presence. All you know is that they all like music a whole bunch.

OK! And we get that August can pluck guitar strings and pound on the sound box! If they show it one more time, or try to impress me with the same tired song again, Im gonna freakin throw up!

The movie had some OK parts. A vagrant simply called ‘Wizard’ (Robin Williams) is creepy. Robin Williams proved once again that he can play a good lunatic. But didn’t we already know that??? (Death to Smoochy, One Hour Photo, Insomnia, etc) Terrance Howard has a small role as a child services worker. He is always smooth, even in tiny roles.

But that’s not enough to save this sinking ship. 1 star. I wouldn’t touch this movie. If you read about it, you know all you need to know. I guess if you were a SUPER fan of classical music, and the wanted to see Julliard on screen or the New York Philharmonic, then you could justify your viewing and make it perhaps 2 stars. But I’m not a fan. And neither is my wife now of Freddie Highmore. I want my money back.