Reviews by The Mighty Celestial

.... I love ABBA.

And sayin' that does not make my pimp-ass any less hairier.
So, you know....
Shut up.

My favorite Sci-fi film of all time.
For me, this movie represented the most realistic handling of a story of aliens up to that point in time, (inspiring films like Contact & Signs, both which tried admirably to emulate the "validity" of Encounters). So much so that, at the time, it made it almost believable for me that the idea of extra-terrestrials could be a reality. Also, it was done with such a sense of awe-inspiring hope & beauty, that it almost makes me wish now that they did indeed exist (& maybe aliens do, but that's an entirely different website, altogether).
In this this Speilberg classic, the otherworlders have made contact.
And at first, that makes us humans afraid.
But when we finally come face to face with 'em, we realize that the fear we felt was based more on own insecurites than it was on these bug-eyed long-fingered lil' grey angels from space (though, you have to admit, the fact that they have a knack of kidnapping a few of our jet-fighters, not to mention a kid or two, & then instill mental images of their landing site in own minds, urging us to ruin a plateful of perfectly good mash potatoes, doesn't help much to quell our apprehension of the little buggers).
To this day, even with jaded eyes overwhelmed with modern CGI gimmicktry , the special effects in Close Encounters, combined with their elegant integration to the story's premise,
this film still leaves me with a sense of awe after each viewing.
The kind of awe that I used to feel as kid whenever I would look up all the stars in the sky on clear summer night, & wonder at all of the possibilities that must've been up there.
Mannnn....I wish a UFO would come down & fly my pimp-ass away into the limitless potential of space.


(Sans anal-probes, of course.)

Check the "on button" to your brain at the door when entering the Animal House, pick up a handful of mashed potato, mixed greens or whatever your favorite choice of sloppy luncheon side order may be,
& then, prepare for battle.







Oh, and feel free to top this entry off by entering your own toga reference here.

While Texas Chainsaw Massacre introduce us the idea of an unstoppable masked maniacal force intent on making all mere mortals that it comes upon into it's chopped sushi bitch, Halloween introduced us the formula of this theme before it became formulaic. And also before the formula became stupid.
Pay attention to the handling of the characters, the situations of each victum & even the simplicity of the musical score, & you'll find that even though this film requires the usual suspension of belief that is needed to swallow the outrageousness of this genre, Halloween does not require that you hide your intelligence too much behind any kind of William Shatner mask in order to enjoy it.
Which is why, even though I'm not a big fan of the way the genre is handled these days,
H-1 still is & always will be a classic for me.

Kal-El is the last survivor of Krypton, a distant planet that was destroyed thru ecological disaster.
Here are Earth, our yellow sun provides him with the power of a god.
Under the name Superman, he has the ability be fly faster than a speeding bullet, be more powerful than a locomotive & to leap over tall buildings with a single bound (his flying ability probably helps him with that). Not to mention x-ray and heat vision, withstand extreme temperatures, hurricane force breath & the unique ability to wear a wardrobe ensemble consisting of a cape, boots and colorful underwear worn over equally colorful tights.
And what does Superman do with all this power that would allow him to squash us mere mortals with not so much as a mere thought?
He uses it to protect us from all those who would mean us fair citizens harm through the violation of truth, justice and the American way.
Because even within an alien sentient being, no matter how distant his origins, or how impervious he may be to gunfire, there's always a chance to find the heart of a hero.
And when it comes to the Man Of Steel,
that's just how he rolls.



Yep. When it comes to comicbook movies, I am a huge comicbook nerd. And since, admitting that usually doesn't garner much respect out in the general populace, I only expect the best when a project interprets my favorite medium up on the big screen. B'cuz we comicbook fans don't need any more ammunition to makes us seem any more goofy than we already are. We can do that all by ourselves. ALL by ourselves.
And with said,
no matter what anyone says, this is the original gangsta of superheroes. So it is only fitting that the last son of Krypton's big-budget movie debut should turn out to be the one that all others must be measured by. And while I know that this movie does have it's dated flaws, it was, just like the character whom it portrayed, the one that started on the idea of how epic the concept of a superhero could truly be.

While this movie couldn't match the spontaneous quality of it's predessor, back when this came out, it was still rare for a sequel to reach the level of both box-office & financial success that this one did. The romance between the Rock & Adrian flows wonderfully into it's next level as two people trying to form a unity based on each other's distinct personalities. Carl Withers is not forgetten as Apollo Creed as this installment enters deeper into the life of the champ who's titleship comes into question. And even Mickey manages to surprise us by revealing some of the heart that seemed hopelessly buried beneath his years-long thick crust of curmudgeon hide.
As a follow up to the the first film, the plot in Rocky's 2nd. crack at the worldbelt felt like an natural extension of the story that had begun in the first film & not just as a sequel out to cash in on the success of that initial effort.

This movie is great to watch just cuz it's cool to see high school bullies get their come-uppins.

Not that I was ever bullied when I was in high school.
No, I was wunna the cool kids.

No, seriously.

I was.

Okay, after his intro in the first movie, Supes finally gets to take the kid gloves off, kick some real @ss & take names. Three rogue Kryptonians come to Earth to reveal to the Last Son of Krypton that he's not exactly the last son of Krypton. And though this isn't as good as the first one, it's still pretty soild for a sequel, especially back when good sequels were rarer than last sons of Krypton.
Even the infamous out-of-left-field "wtf" moment when Supes pulls off a big plastic-wrap S insignia off his chest during the climatic battle is negated by the strength of the Lois Lane/Clark Kent romance subplot.
Yo, Ka-El, with great power not only comes great responsibility, but also, great sacrifice too.

Yeah, I know that this is considered the weakest of the original series, but at the time of it's initial release, for me, there was was nothing more important than the Force Fever that was sweeping all of society back then.
I don't care that the Ewoks were corny, stupid & had a hit song at the time (if anyone out there has the 12-inch extended dance mix to this, contact me & you will have a new very best friend ... ),
for my sci-fi geeked-out ass, this sh#t wuz fo sho', yo.

Plus, let's not forget, this was the chapter in which Leia wore the outfit that influenced Star Wars nerds everywhere to engage in bouts of role-playing known as "Hands Solo".

I had heard of Zatoichi, but never bothered looking up anything about this long-lasting character of the East. I stumbled on this DVD, & found myself enjoying it so much, that the end result was multiple viewings with no diminishment in enjoyment. The movie, just like the series of an earlier time, follows the latest adventure of a mystery traveler commonly referred to as the "blind masseuse", who in actuality is a gentle samurai warrior who's lone wolf journeys could've well been the inspiration of the Italian counter-part, "Man With No Name" of spaghetti western fame. Silent, noble & despite his blindness, the ability to see with more clarity, not just the world around him, but also the will & intentions contained within the hearts of all he encounters.
A great classic character of the Japanese tradition.