4 Razors

Black Swan

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Black Swan
  • IMDB: link

Darren Aronofsky is a weird dude. Talented, but weird. The latest from the director who has given us The Fountain, Pi, and Reqiuem for a Dream is a journey into madness. Black Swan, his companion piece to The Wrestler, examines the the insular world of ballet through the tormented mind of a rising star.

Nina (Natalie Portman), a sheltered but talented ballet dancer, is on the cusp of stardom after being chosen by a demanding director (Vincent Cassel) for the lead role in his new interpretation of Swan Lake. The pressure of the role added to the smothering affection of an over-attentive mother (Barbara Hershey), and the arrival of a talented new dancer (Mila Kunis) begin to fracture Nina’s world as she starts to have experiences that cannot be rationally explained. These include, but are not limited to, hallucinations of strange bird-like creatures, seeing herself on the street, a growing paranoia, and an odd rash on her back as well as fingers which bleed without cause. No one else notices what is happening to her.

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Castle – Last Call

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Castle – Last Call
  • tv.com: link

I do love this show. “Last Call” involves a 135 year-old bottle of scotch, a rustic tavern, and murder. This isn’t the best episode of the show (oh, it is a darn fine one!), but it does have a little of everything that makes Castle work including some great moments for its two stars to shine such as this scene between Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) before questioning a murder suspect.

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127 Hours

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: 127 Hours
  • IMDB: link

There are certain movies that become impossible to separate from your specific movie-going experience. 127 Hours is such a movie for me.

I had heard the advance hype on Danny Boyle’s dramatic and joyous 127 Hours from the festival circuit: People are passing out in the theater because one particular scene in the movie is so intense.

Without giving too much away, the film is based on the true story of college student Aron Ralston (played by James Franco), who found his right arm trapped under a boulder on a solo mountaineering weekend in a remote Utah canyon. The infamous scene occurs towards the end of the film.

Through a combination of sound effects and music (along with the added dread of knowing what was coming for the 80 minutes leading up to the scene), Boyle created a sequence that had me raising one hand in front of my face. There is certainly a bit of a gory element to it, but that is unavoidable—and I humbly submit that it’s not the gore that is so affecting.

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The Spirit #8

/ / Comics

It begins when the Spirit catches sight of Ophelia Ottoman at the funeral of her husband, gangster Jimmy Bauhaus. Concern for the attractive widow, and a nagging suspicion that everything isn’t quite as it seems, lead the hero to shadow Ophelia and try to uncover the secret she’s hiding.

After she kills the son of one of the other crime families tensions immediately rise and our gallant hero steps in, only to discover that the death of the accused rapist and the apparent death of Jimmy might not be what they seem.

Aside from the cover (ugh, can we get rid of these “First Wave” bars at the top and bottom, please!), there’s much to enjoy here. David Hine has gotten better over the series and here seems to have gotten the tone and humor of the character just right, and the art by Moritat proves to be seductive, humorous (I love the Sprit’s smirk!), and a little bit naughty. The comic also includes another b&w Spirit adventure by Walt Simonson. Worth a look.

[DC $3.99]

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
  • IMDB: link

There is a point not too far into Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 where Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) informs Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) that everything going on, the sacrifices being made, the world falling into darkness, isn’t only about him. This is a sentiment backed-up by the rest of the film. Harry might still be the most important character, but he’s certainly not the only character.

There are several telling differences here. The first scene in the film doesn’t involve Harry at all, but Hermoine (Emma Watson) and the difficult choice she makes with respect to her “Muggle” parents (Ian Kelly, Michelle Fairley). If this dramatic opening isn’t enough to clue you in we’re in for a far darker Harry Potter then scene directly following will leave you no doubt.

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