Flash Gordon

When I first saw this movie, I had no major knowledge of the exploits of the character, "Flash Gordon." I had heard that the film was great, but had never gotten around to watching it. When I finally did, I found that although some of the acting didn't seem as realistic as it could have, the music, scenery and plot made up for it. That's pretty much how I would feel about the TV show, if the set and props didn't look slightly more lame than I'd like.

The movie was cool. I liked the idea of a heroic human being confronted with vastly superior technology and foreign societies of malevolent intent, and yet still maintaining confidence and triumph in the face of adversity. The fact that I never expected him to stand a chance made it all the more impressive when he made sport of his captors. And his romantic exploits were entertaining as well.

I think the "Queen" song really added to the film, and seems to provide a great amount of support to the show. It's like an anthem to a living god, and that's a concept that is highly appealing. In a world of confusion, the idea of someone out there who is thoroughly dependable, pure-hearted, and will always save the day is quite a comfort.

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Close Encounters of the Third Kind

What an amazing movie. It's easy to take things for granted, but Spielberg is able to brilliantly communicate the weight, wonder, and impact of something as incredible as meeting otherworldly beings.

One of the most memorable scenes, for me, is when the people out in the desert are shown and heard chanting. It's like the aliens made such an impact on them in such a short amount of time that they created a whole new religion. To hear those people chanting the tune of the ship was like experiencing an attempt to interact with a higher level of reality. It was incredible.

I wonder if "Close Encounters" made an impact on civilization as a whole? Are people more open to extraterrestrial life because of it? Or did it come about only after people began to believe in the possibility that we are not alone?

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Money Talks

I never saw this film in theaters. When it came out on HBO and other movie channels, I avoided it. I didn't think it was for me. Recently, I watched it on cable. It was hilarious. I couldn't believe how far removed my concept of it had been from reality.

Chris Tucker is very similar in "Money Talks" as he is in "The Fifth Element," and I thought he was good in "Element." So, naturally, I enjoyed seeing him in a different role. I think the reason I didn't think "Money Talks" was going to be good was because of the advertising.

I vaguely recall being told via movie ads that Chris Tucker would be playing the fast and loose guy, while Charlie Sheen would be an uptight conservative rich snob. Those descriptions were accurate, but only to an extremely limited extent.

For some reason, I find that if I take an advertisement at face value, I'll often end up hating the idea of a movie that is later revealed to be much better than how it was depicted in a commercial.

I think it's because movie ads have reached the point where they try to sell people on the best stereotypical category a unique, individual film can fit into. If one kind of film worked before, they say, "Hey, this is just like that!" even and especially when it's not.

It's weird. Sometimes I feel deceived, especially when I finally get around to watching a movie and see that the ads were all wrong. And, especially when I enjoy a film that a faulty ad had convinced me wasn't worth watching.

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Not Another Teen Movie

This movie is hilarious, if you don't mind potty humor every once in a while. It's got references to most of the major teen flicks of the past 20 years. Maybe even more. And the cast is fantastic. Randy Quaid is brilliant. The coach, the wise janitor -- just classic.

The main reason I bring this movie up is that it stars Eric Christian Olsen. I first saw him in this, and then saw that he was in the "Dumb and Dumber" prequel. I saw "Jim Carrey" in an interview saying how he thought everybody involved in the prequel were just like a bunch of scavengers, each with a sponge to soak up the gravy the original movie had left behind. And I really enjoyed the original, so I've actually never seen the prequel.

Anyway, a few days ago I watched an old episode of Smallville, in which an old man becomes young again. Lo and behold, his youthful self was played by Eric Christian Olsen. I had seen the episode before, but this was another one of those, "Hey, it's you! I never realized before..." moments. Fun stuff.

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Killer Clowns From Outer Space

Hilarious 80's horror featuring deadly space clowns. One of the most memorable scenes involves a clown perusing a room filled with giant cotton candy. Aww, funny. Then he takes out a huge silly straw and sticks it into one of the pieces of cotton candy. Ooh, yummy. Then he slurps what might be red sugar water. Ooh, wish they'd make that!

The twist? It was blood! Every cotton candy wad was really a cocooned human!! AAAHHHH!!!!

The movie was a little freaky and funny at the same time. Mostly funny. And the music is a hoot. It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a movie called, "Killer Clowns From Outer Space."

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Dune

Pretty freakin' awesome film. Parts of it are gross, but that just heightens the triumph of the good guys in the end, when they dominate all the gross beings.

The film is based on a novel that was written 20 years prior.

The music is my favorite part. The setting is breathtaking, and the fact that it all takes place in the year 10,191 is amazing. It seems possible that things could become as depicted in the film, given the benefit of 8,000 years' worth of advancement. Although some things seemed like they were a little primitive for such a date.

I really enjoyed the concept of "There's a plan to everything" and the heroic actions of the main character. He achieved all he set out to do.

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The Gate

I saw this movie on TV a few years back, when there was no "info" available to narrow down the title to a movie that had already started. It was good for a scary movie, but I only saw part of it, and only once.

For years I wondered about it, and what it was called. For some reason, I connected one part of the film with a part at the end of "Scrooged," starring "Bill Murray," when the ghost of Christmas future reveals gremlins living in his ribcage. I think that's because "The Gate" features miniature demons that looked similar. For all I know, they may have looked identical!

"The Gate" is about kids and a gate to Hell or some similar place in their backyard. It's definitely worth a watch, because it's fairly unique for a horror film. It's not the best movie in the world, but for me it was one of those things I wondered about for a long time. When I finally saw it on TV again, it was great. Mystery solved!

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