Not yours but ours...

Have you ever rode a tricycle
in the fast lane of the expressway?
Have you ever played Russian roulette
with a fully automatic weapon?
I sense you have.
I sense you know
I have.
Have you
ever looked in the mirror
in search of your reflection
and walked away still searching?
I know you.
Have you
swallowed your pride
and then choked on the the inside?
Repeat after ME.
"Yes I have."
I know I have
felt pain
stood in the rain and went down the drain.
But so have you
so what you felt was not yours alone
it belonged to us
it was ours.

a shorty...

I am no poet so let me be brief/
come rain/come shine/I have no sleep/
And no I don't weep/no long story/
I wont go deep/the reason I wont slumber/
its because with closed eyes I whisper to myself...
"Ummm I wonder..."

Just a brief PSA...

I thank the 44 for the inspiration:


By our side.


Change is on my side
yes she is...

I lay bewildered
on her beaches...

she is Sandy.
Divine. I describe her features.

She is on my side yes
she is.

Change is on your side
yes she is...

Her beauty could never
be filtered...
Her worth will never be measured...

she is LIFE.
Flawless. I describe her features.

He is on our side...
I believe he is...

His mercy has no limits.
He is strength. No weakness.

He is the Almighty.
Wherever I look, I see his features.

THE OVERLOOKED, UNDER APPRECIATED, JOHN ADAMS

John Adams
*****

Rarely does cable TV produce programming worth mentioning. Unfortunately most of what it is aired on cable these days revolves around a monotonous abundance of reality TV shows. Thankfully HBO still produces programming that is bearable and even entertaining. In the case of "John Adams" they have outdone themselves. The seven part miniseries, based on the best selling biography by David McCullough chronicles the extraordinary exploits of our second commander in chief, the most stubborn of our founding fathers John Adams portrayed by the tremendously talented Paul Giamatti, who literally brought Adams to life . Although the book chronicles every aspect of his life the mini series wisely introduces us to Adams right before he represents the British soldiers who were responsible for the Boston Massacre, then we are shown just how his efforts not only within the colonies but also in Europe were instrumental in bringing about America's independence. The series successfully explains why Adams contributions to American Independence were overlooked and how this tormented Adams as he seeked the recognition that to this day he is still deprived of. On the other hand we meet the founding fathers Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin played masterfully by David Morse, Stephen Dillane, and Tom Wilkinson, who make us understand why these men are as celebrated as they are. The producers which includes Tom Hanks should be commended for the way they were able to bring together such an extraordinary cast and breath life into McCullough's award winning prose. Finally Tom Hooper, the director of the series should be awarded for his awe inspiring direction of the cast as well as his unconventional approach of filming a story that could have easily been bogged down by a conservative point of view . Instead his camera never sits still and makes the viewer an active participant rather than an observer. This miniseries should definitely not suffer the same fate as John Adams, and be over looked in anyway.

It's been awhile sorry...Presenting Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill

** 1/2

Well the classic that was 'Heat' has come and gone. The performances, the story-line, the direction, everything just blew us away literally. However it was the presence of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, that made the film what it was. We all drooled at the prospect of seeing these two giants share the screen for an encore. So when trailers for 'Righteous Kill' first emerged fans of the cinema knew that something special was brewing. 'Righteous Kill' is the story of two veteran NY police detectives played by DeNiro and Pacino respectively who must use all their wits to track a poetic vigilante serial killer. What appears to be a routine investigation turns out to be a quandary that baffles the two seen it all done it all detectives. Is the killer someone who just stays one step ahead or is the deadly scribe right under their noses? The film was made with all the right intentions however unlike 'Heat' its predecessor, something just does not feel right. Jon Avnet the film's director, despite a valiant attempt cannot attain a balance between the light comedy and the disturbed psychological elements that are present in Russell Gewirtz's seen it before heard it before script. What keeps the film afloat are the dedicated performances of the two films legends who play off of each other effortlessly. And despite the fact that both men do not bring the "heat" like they did earlier in their careers their on screen pairing is still a significant one.

BEST PICTURE OF 1980? (a small disclaimer...)

Ordinary People

***

Robert Redford’s grand opus entitled “Ordinary People” is about just that ordinary people. Which is why it was so remarkable that a film about really ordinary people could make such a significant impact when it was first released. Well I might have over exaggerated a bit. After all we are all a bit extraordinary. The story of the film revolves around a family who are suffering a tragic loss. After a freakish boating accident Buck Jarrett, brother of Conrad Jarrett and son of Calvin and Beth Jarrett passes away. The Jarrett’s each deal with the tragedy in their own way. Calvin attempts to remain upbeat; Beth bottles up her grief in order to save “face”. And Conrad who at first believes that it was his fault Buck died, attempts suicide, is placed in a facility and then is released supposedly after he has been “cured”. However Conrad still feels out of place and at the suggestion of his previous doctor is told to see therapist Tyrone Berger to help him readjust. Once he begins going to therapy he realizes that he was not really at fault at all, and that despite his parent’s efforts certain things cannot be dusted under the rug. The moving performances of Tim Hutton, as the troubled Conrad and Mary Tyler Moore as his cold-hearted mother Beth, gives the viewer a reason to forgive Redford’s passive direction. Though the film remains an ordinary one mainly due to Redford’s abilities as a director, the entire cast resuscitates a film that desperately needed CPR.

THE WILD AND CRAZY 80'S!

LADYHAWKE

**

The 1980’s were strange years. So it’s no surprise that a film like “Ladyhawke” was made during this era. Films such as “Ladyhawke” that deal with fantasy, love, playful mischief, and action were the norm during this decade. “Ladyhawke” tells the story of two lovers who have been cursed by a jealous Archbishop. But all that changes when a petty thief and a grief stricken priest help the two lovebirds (no pun intended) reverse the curse so that they could live in joyful bliss. Even though the film’s premise and screenplay are quite charming and well thought out, the film is full of clichés. The music is synthetic and cheesy, and the visual effects are archaic by today’s standard. Nonetheless the film still manages to amuse. Thanks to the cast consisting of Mathew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Rutger Hauer (whatever happened to him?) who remain enthused throughout the entire film. Richard Donner who had directed the original ”Superman” film starring Marlon Brando, also sticks to his guns and wisely chooses not to over saturate the film with too many “special” effects. So if you don’t mind taking a trip back to the crazy 80’s this is the film for you.