Question of the Month – Best Star Wars Character?

Luke asked us who our favourite Star Wars characters were for this month’s Question of the Month. Head on over to see which characters get plenty love!

Oracle of Film

Can you feel it? Star Wars is almost upon us. It seems so long ago since we last were treated to that titanic battle between Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on a volcanic planet. Since then, there has definitely been a void in the lives of every Star Wars fan out there. Yes, perhaps the original trilogy should have stayed a trilogy and maybe the prequels should have taught us that movie history is best left alone, but there is nothing like the anticipation of an upcoming Star Wars movie. Han Solo is back. Luke Skywalker as a full-on Jedi Knight. Brienne of Tarth joins the cast. A new Star Wars trilogy is definitely a good thing.

So let’s celebrate. This month’s QOTM is solely dedicated to the very best of the Star Wars universe. Who is the very best Star Wars character? There are so many to choose…

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Rapid Review: Romeo + Juliet (1996)

“Did my heart love ’til now? Forswear its sight. For I never saw true beauty ’til this night.”
– Romeo

SYNOPSIS: Classic story of Romeo and Juliet, set in a modern-day city of Verona Beach. The Montagues and Capulets are two feuding families, whose children meet and fall in love. They have to hide their love from the world because they know that their parents will not allow them to be together. There are obstacles on the way, like Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, and Romeo’s friend Mercutio, and many fights. But although it is set in modern times, it is still the same timeless story of the “star crossed lovers”. – via IMDB

Gah! Can we just take a moment to truly appreciate DiCaprio’s beauty…

And then again in black and white because it stays so absolutely delicious:

Just adding this one, too! 

Some more…

And because I certainly cannot resist one last one…

DiCaprio. Need I say more? I suppose you might want some more, so I will give it to you. Romeo+Juliet is such a Baz Luhrmann experience, no two ways about it. It is extravagant, flamboyant, in-your-face and fabulous. I loved this movie when I was growing up, I thought it was a really great modernization of the play, which I enjoyed. Plus there was young, dreamy DiCaprio. We can’t even deny that. And to see a young Claire Danes, pre-cuckoo crazy Carrie Mathison is just wonderful. I think that Luhrmann did a good job bringing this forth in a new way. It was innovative, and to keep the dialogue as it was in the play is disconcerting and refreshing all at once. Grief, but these two kids were melodramatic as hell, I won’t even attempt to deny that. It is one heck of a disturbing and unhealthy relationship, and nobody can tell me otherwise about that. I am not even going to get into all the insanity of this relationship – true love, just sex, respect, what? – because I am sure we have all covered it in school a million times. The camera work was really snappy in the movie, and the way it would flow and then sometimes race and be all edgy was something that worked very well. I think the whole cast gave solid performances and it was great to see Paul Rudd, even though his role was minor. He’s such a sweetie! The costumes were something else in here, outrageous, loud, perfectly suited for the whole affair. I had a few good laughs throughout, and this movie, while not perfect, is definitely something worth spending time on and checking out – though some might need to keep a more open mind in terms of the modernization.

Rapid Review: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

“Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man; by then it was nothing to me but blinding!”
– Bane

This was a brilliant way to conclude a brilliant trilogy! I know that Luke and I don’t necessarily see completely eye to eye on this one, but I still think it is really good. At least we can agree that this trilogy is a stroke of utter genius. Plus, Tom Hardy as Bane. I mean come on, like that wasn’t going to go down phenomenally. Tom Hardy was just an amazing Bane, and his role was simply flawless. Nolan again nailed that perfect mix in the villain, where you wanted to know more about him and see what he was going to do, but still held out that Batman would save the day. Christian Bale is, again, just the most perfect Bruce Wayne/Batman. Seriously. The way he embodies both the billionaire playboy and the Dark Knight? It’s awesome. However, as much as this movie got right, I am not going to pretend there weren’t flaws. The pacing was a little uneven, and there was some incredibly flawed logic thrown in here. For instance, I get that John Blake is intuitive and all, but just guessing Batman’s identity right off the bat was just too much for me, and there is also the issue with Bane knowing exactly where Applied Sciences was, though it is apparently “not on the books” anywhere, and not public knowledge. Also, I am not a fan of Anne Hathaway, and her Catwoman/Selina Kyle is someone that grows on you after multiple viewings, but is still not a character I enjoy a lot at all. Yeah, there were a few niggles, but so what? This movie is ridiculously quotable. My fiancé just doesn’t even know what to do with me… walking up staircases and he doesn’t turn on lights? “Ah, you think darkness is your ally.” Threatening someone? No sweat! “It would be extremely painful… for you.” My one colleague and I communicate a lot in Bane quotes (well, any movie quotes). It’s a problem, we know, yet we have absolutely no plans to change that. But truly now, Bane is awesome on so many levels (and so hot here – the ladies will understand this, though it was unexpected)! And there are so many quotes in this movie that beg to be used. One of my favourite things in this movie was the return of the Scarecrow. I adore Cillian Murphy and I am a big fan of his Dr Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow. I was thrilled to see him given more screentime this time around as opposed to The Dark Knight. Anyway, The Dark Knight Rises is another solid outing from Nolan, is really fun even though it is flawed, and closes one of the greatest trilogies of all time off properly. Go watch these all again immediately. Go on.

PS: I just remembered now – this movie was totally worth every second of my two week self-enforced internet ban prior to its release (I hate getting things late in SA)! It still remains a running joke, and Natasha still can’t believe I underwent something like that for a movie.

Review: Interview With The Vampire – Anne Rice

The Vampire Chronicles #1

SYNOPSIS: Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force—a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. – via Goodreads

I must admit, I liked this far more when I was younger. Maybe it was typically because as a teen we are all trying to find ourselves and a place to fit it, we are all so angsty. However, reading it again did not thrill me so much, but this was one of the books that was a little more difficult to get into because of how it is told. It was annoying for me to read it as this long ongoing monologue basically, every now and then flipping back to the fact that the story is being told to some reporter. In a sense I suppose it all comes full circle by the end. Also, there are a lot of flawed aspects to it, like the relationship between Louis and Lestat never really means anything. At all. The book had plenty to make you damn uncomfortable though. I mean, when Claudia was killed, she was a child. Itty bitty. That’s something, but not the pinnacle of the nastiness at all. To refer to her, Claudia, a child, as sensuous before she was even turned or lived for so many years, and later as a lover was highly disturbing. Maybe after those sixty five years it starts to make more sense, but from where it was, not so good. Not so great. I understand that this was written shortly after the death of her own young daughter, and some of this was understandable, such as Claudia’s issues with never aging and always being “a doll”, but there were other places where it was downright disturbing. I was incredibly excited when Armand was brought in, as he always was my favourite vampire. Something that also never made sense to me with this book (it was not the first that I read) was the total misrepresentation of Lestat. He is not at all in any of the other books as he was described here. I also got annoyed by how Louis would drift away into pointless soliloquy of the beauty around him. There were strong undertones of homo-eroticism throughout the novel, and Louis was such a negative, depressed Nelly ever. I am not a real fan of emos, and this was just one of those “over the line” instances for me. Ugh. But at least nothing sparkled here, and things are a little darker in here, which is why I enjoyed these books so much when I was younger. Apparently I do need to reread these, seeing as this was a total shock to my system upon re-examining it. The book is not particularly gripping (again I state most likely because I have found myself in between all these years) and it’s really slow. It just doesn’t flow perfectly and pull you in. This does not mean it is a terrible book, it’s an alright read, just nothing to write home about. I am so scared I get to the rest of the books and they all disappoint me like this again… ugh, I will have to sell them all, though it took me years to collect

August Blind Spot Review: The King of Comedy (1982)

“Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.”
– Rupert Pupkin

SYNOPSIS: Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin wants to achieve success in show biz by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy. – via IMDB

Naturally this made my list because it is a Scorsese flick with exceptionally good reviews and something I haven’t seen before. It starts off slow, not boring, just slow, like you aren’t really sure what is going on. However, the minute it gets into full swing, Rupert Pupkin is no longer the guy you feel for, just trying to get a foot in the door of Hollywood and comedy. No, sirree. He is pushy and really weird and you cringe watching him, it is so desperate and embarrassing. The themes here, whether subtle or in your face, are something that is undeniably common in today’s society, and that is truly strange. De Niro delivers one hell of a performance, hands down. He was brilliant, and his timing in this was excellent. Naturally, when he and Scorsese team up you are bound to get something good. The movie might start off lightly, but it devolves into pretty dark comedy, which is always comedy that I enjoy. I appreciate the way the movie examined celebrity obsession from both ends of the scale, and I really felt for Jerry. The lengths that some people will go to to achieve fame is incredible, and the desperation the famous covet some privacy just shows you it isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. All Jerry wanted was some privacy. All Rupert wanted was a chance to shine. Then let’s just talk about Marsha for one deranged second. Oh. My. God. That was just lunacy at it’s worst. I mean Rupert was quite a handful to deal with, but she was totally off the rails. Wowee! Anyway, The King of Comedy is directed well, has a fascinating story and great pacing to deliver it to you, some outstanding performances all round and works incredibly well. If you have not checked it out, it is well worth it, and if you are into dark comedy, this might tickle your fancy.

Movie Rob Sporadic Scene: Mr Holland Opus (1995) – Final Scene

Rob of MovieRob returns today with yet another Sporadic Scene! I have not seen Mr Holland Opus, but I am sure that it is a solid pick. Thanks a lot Rob!

If you have a scene that you would like featured, drop me a mail at sporadiczoe@hotmail.com with a link to the scene and an explanation as to why.

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Rally during the final scene – This scene is the culmination of 30+ years of teaching for a musician turned teacher who isn’t quite sure whether it was worth it.

Rapid Review: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

“We don’t really move. I mean, we’d like to, but… my mom is sort of attached to the house. Attached is, I guess, not the right word. She’s pretty much wedged in.”
– Gilbert Grape

SYNOPSIS: Gilbert Grape lives in Endora, a place where nothing much happens. The only times the police get something to do is when Gilbert’s autistic brother Arnie tries to climb up on the watertower nearby. Taking care of Arnie is mostly Gilbert’s task which can be pretty demanding, at least while you are working at the local grocery store. Then one day Becky and her grandmother pass through Endora getting trouble with the car. Gilbert falls in love with Becky, but gets problems when he tries to find time for his own private life. – via IMDB

I am sure most people have seen this, and if not, that is certainly something that needs to be changed! There is a lot to like about this movie, even after so many years. For one, DiCaprio. Of course I was going to start there, you all know I head up the DiCaprio club around here hahaha. No matter how young or how old, or how complex the role, DiCaprio never ceases to amaze me. His portrayal of Arnie was heartwrenching and heartwarming both at once, and his character was adorable. He really shines here, stands out, and is so totally believable every step of the way. Johnny Depp is not to be forgotten, playing Gilbert Grape, back when he still used to take on diverse roles. I was a fan of Gilbert, he was a complex and layered character, someone I could identify with and root for. The relationship between Arnie and Gilbert is beautiful, and DiCaprio and Depp give it so much power, too. The movie is a slow burn and a heavy drama, so don’t think you are going to sit down, get ninety minutes of simple film, and move on. The story tells us about Gilbert, the obstacles in his life, the people he is surrounded by, his friendships and his family, the burden he bears, and the responsibilities he perceives. Watching his struggles is quite an ordeal, and you admire Gilbert for holding things together for so long. I think he and Becky were a great fit for each other. The humour is very entertaining in here, and at the same time it can get so damn depressing you actually feel it inside (think – bathtub, slaps). The supporting characters all contribute to the story in their own way, too, and help make this film something that lingers after you have seen it. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape gets you thinking on a lot of things in life, and is shot well, the pacing is right, drawing you into a lazy day in Endora, showing us that small town and the life it holds and the people that populate it. I enjoyed this, and would highly recommend this, even after all these years it holds up quite well.

Rapid Review: The Dark Knight (2008)

“Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it!”
– The Joker

SYNOPSIS: Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker. – via IMDB

I get the same thrill every single time I watch it, without fail. Yes, let me rave about it some more. This is truly another masterpiece from Christopher Nolan, and everything was just as it was supposed to be. The cast was fantastic (again), and Heath Ledger brought so much to the table with his performance, though it was heartrendingly his last. The day he died we really did lose one of the greats and I will always maintain this. Hans Zimmer composes us a beautiful and perfect score for this, and it only makes everything you see that much more amazing. He truly is a phenomenal composer, and adds so much to all the projects that he works on. I love that this was also not a simple plot, and it was constantly being changed up. This is the Joker, after all. Nolan gets the villain thing. Again, we know Batman must triumph, but the Joker is so mesmerizing you want to give him free reign of Gotham and just see him tear to it to the ground. The Joker thrives on chaos, no more, no less, and I think The Dark Knight captured that perfectly. The effects were also incredibly well done, and the cast all came together to give us something to chew on. Aaron Eckhart was so good as Harvey Dent, he was the White Knight of Gotham, he was someone you could back, a man of integrity and honour and nerves of steel, and his descent into the underbelly of Gotham and being thrown from his pedestal was intense and painful to watch, and you can get why he would lose his mind. The movie is infinitely quotable, and there are so many cool little things strewn throughout this (the small tidbits) that make it so great (think the Joker’s vegetable peeler between all his knives). I am still a fan of Christian Bale as Batman, he is fantastic, and he really handled the material well for the film, being torn between fighting for Gotham as well as turning himself in to stop the Joker. Bruce’s relationship with Fox is still one of those fantastic ones. I was also a fan of the brief sighting of the Scarecrow, because you all know how much I loved Cillian Murphy in that one. There is so much to rave about in this movie… the action, the script, the performances, the score, the effects, truly. It is a phenomenal watch, and remains my favourite of the bunch just because it is so chaotic, crazy and out there.

Review: Carolina Moon – Nora Roberts

SYNOPSIS: Tory Bodeen grew up in South Carolina, in a small run-down house, where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt—and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. But she had Hope, who lived in the big house just a short skip away and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn’t allowed to be at home: a child.

After young Hope’s brutal murder, unsolved to this day, Tory’s life began to fall apart. And now, as she returns to her hometown, with plans to settle in and open a stylish home-design shop, she is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of the past. As she forges a new bond with Cade Lavelle—Hope’s older brother and the heir to the family fortune—she isn’t sure whether the tragic loss they share will unite them or drive them apart. But she is willing to open her heart, just a little, and try.

Living so close to those unhappy memories will be more difficult and frightening than Tory could ever have expected, however. Because Hope’s murderer is nearby as well… – via Goodreads

This was a recommendation from my bestie, Natasha, who is a massive Nora Roberts junkie. This novel, however, is one that I liked far more than most that I have read. There was less hanky panky crap clogging up the pages, and this actually had more of a story to tell. There were places where I felt things were not fleshed out properly, or a jump was made in the story, but other than that it flowed quite well. I liked Cade’s character eventually, though I really do have to wonder what is up with Roberts writing about these pushy males, who all pop up, fall for the girl, and refuse to accept that the girl’s not interested. It has been like this since pretty much the second book onward for me. Initially, Faith was a character I could not stand, and while she remained childish and annoying at times, she was also the character that lightened the story up quite significantly at times. To read about Tory’s childhood was very sad, there is nothing as awful as growing up in an abusive home. Ugh, it was terrible to read about it, but truly gave more weight to the story and all that happened. The villain is not a shocker at all, and the “investigation” so to speak is relatively non-existent. If you are going to read this for a serious, in depth “whodunnit”, you are going to be sorely disappointed. If you are looking for a read with a character battling her past, moving on, making things happen for herself, this would be the one. It’s like… this dramatic little soap opera on paper, and it was exactly what I needed. Not too much romance and sex to irritate me like the others (think of the forest fuck fest of the last one I read), but not absolutely nothing happening to frustrate me, either. It was something that kept me busy and entertained, and I enjoyed it. It was nice to read a novel set in the South of America again, though I cannot say that Roberts captured it as successfully as other authors, and there were some things that were said/done that even had me wondering about how accurate it was. Maybe I have been spoiled by reading so much Anne Rice, and she lives in and loves the South, and it comes through in her work. There were also too many loose ends right at the end, but I suppose you can’t have everything. Oh well. I did appreciate the darker tone that was set in this novel, it gave rise to more different characters than she usually writes about, and I liked that.

Fringe: Season 4 (2011 – 2012)

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* 

What I liked:

• The way that Walter deals with Faulivia. It never ceases to entertain.
• So much more Lincoln Lee. I love the guy, both universes. He is awesome.
• Walter really was mistrustful of Peter once he returned to his timeline. Just the way he treated him was dead hilarious.
• The way Walter is actually so broken without Peter, and terrified of the world. It was really sad to see him, who he was, and how he was dealing with the new world. Astrid is still majorly important for him, but Walter is basically this mad scientist with some people, no real connections.
• Even though it was not necessarily how I would have liked it, and it was handled in quite a clunky manner and it frustrated me a little, Peter and Olivia coming together again was just beautiful. Every damn time they come together, something rips them apart, but it does not stop it being perfect when they are together. I just love watching them, they are adorable.
• The cast. I think they all do amazing jobs of portraying themselves and then alternate selves in the two universes. They should all be commended for it.
• The alternate universes starting to work together to heal the worlds, I think that it is done rather well.
• Alternate universe Astrid and our Astrid together. It was adorable, and to see the little lies our Astrid told alternate Astrid to make herself feel better about the relationship between her and her father was really heartbreaking, and the coffee the two shared was also immensely sweet.

What I didn’t like:

• How Lincoln Lee was written out in the alternate universe. This show just does not know how to write people out successfully.
• The way that the Olivia in this timeline starts to morph into Olivia from Peter’s timeline but nobody else is morphing back in and they all seem to be so calm about it all. It just doesn’t fit so nicely.
• Jumping into the future and back. This whole season just felt scattered. Initially when it started, you understood what was going on, but then it was only Olivia and Peter that went normal, and everything else stayed strange.
• How Lincoln and Olivia were sort of on their own mission, then she was Peter’s Olivia again and Lincoln just disappeared to the other universe and it was over. Why introduce something that you were going to write out without any further explanation to it?
• The way that there were just so many stories being dragged in (shapeshifters, ruining the worlds, Bell’s plan to play God, Peter and Olivia and their timeline).

Rating:
People will always say that this is where Fringe started going downhill, and I am inclined to agree (much to my chagrin). All good and well that it comes to be that Peter was erased from a timeline and we are on another one, and that Walter and Olivia’s love for him pulled him back here and that September didn’t erase the remaining traces of Peter all all, but it wasn’t done properly. Like when Olivia started becoming Peter’s Olivia again, they should have started morphing the other characters back into the same timeline. Instead, it jumps from there to Lincoln Lee defecting (for all intents and purposes) to the alternate universe so that he can be with Faulivia, and then we jump into the future with this random episode where Peter and Olivia’s daughter frees Walter from amber and saves Peter and Astrid from the amber that they, too, were encased in in a universe run by Observers. Ugh. I cannot describe to you how melodramatic it all got and how quickly it got there. It was great to see Jones return, he was always quite an entertaining villain, and sometimes his story is fleshed out well, and other times it is rushed over (why the alternate Broyles joined him and betrayed him, all done in under an episode). I miss the Fringe feel of the previous seasons, this season does not fit completely, and it doesn’t flow too well, and it isn’t quite so sure what it wants to be. I really missed the dynamic between Walter and Peter, because Peter is not part of Walter’s timeline anymore, everything is a little disjointed, and you still manage to pity the hell out of Walter. Seeing the two sides start to work together more is something worth checking out, though it is a pity that this season floundered a bit. Nina Sharp was also quite the enigma here, finally becoming that questionable and evil person we have all expected, even though they snatch that out of our jaw pretty quickly, too. I did not like how they randomly brought that one episode in from far in the future, which basically sets up for season five. Like watching the season is all for nothing if you just need that one episode. Oh well. Pity that, while this was done very well visually, good score and fantastic acting, the story is a little uneven and scattered and will certainly lose some people along the way. However, Fringe is still something I dearly love and can see myself returning to many times in the future.