Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "The Book of Eli"

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "The Book of Eli"

Dir: The Hughes Brothers Starring: Eli (Denzel Washington), Carnegie (Gary Oldman), Solara (Mila Kunis), Jennifer Beals, Malcolm Mcdowell, etc.

In the not-too-distant future, in a post-apocalyptic world, a loner named Eli travels for thirty years to protect a Holy book from an erudite, ruthless self-appointed tyrant (Gary Oldman). This tyrant will stop at nothing to get his hands on this book. Carnegie (Oldman) realizes the power of the words of the book, and he intends to twist them to consolidate his power over those who he rules over in addition to his loyal thugs who enforce his rules by force. However, Eli is a more-than worthy opponent, and he will himself stop at nothing to protect the book. In many ways this movie was similar to the other end of the world as we know it film "The Road". In Eli's world, there is no soap, very few people can read, people get whatever food they can slaughter, sometimes even resorting to cannibalism. Also, highwaymen will kill other people for any reason or no reason. I liked this movie a lot more than I expected to.

Essay: " Is '"American Idol'" Biased?"

Essay: "American Idol Biased?"

It has recently come to my attention that the wildly popular talent show "American Idol" may have a bias against the old, the heavy and the homely. The minimum age limit is sixteen, and the upper age limit is twenty-eight. I don't know why the upper age limit is twenty-eight. I'm sure a lot of potentially successful would-be professional singers could be either under sixteen or over twenty-eight. I don't know about those under sixteen, since most of those are legally required to still be in school ( whether they want to be or not), but as for those over twenty-eight; I'm sure there may be grounds for age discrimination over this arbitrary age limit.

For instance, one recent contestant named 'General Larry Platt at I believe the Atlanta auditions apparently made up his own song entitled: "Pants On The Ground". He may or may not have sang it as a joke, but three of the judges started singing along and Simon Cowell even said it could be a hit song. Simon killed the contestant's dream though when the sixty-two year old was declared "too old for the competition".

In a similar recent audition a heavy contestant known for her so-called "boob flex" seemed to faint and a moment later got up and started singing. I'm no expert, but in my estimation, she had a very good voice. Anyway, perhaps for pretending to faint, or more likely for her weight, she was sent home packing.

I have only been watching "Idol" regularly for a couple of years, but most women finalists are young, thin and attractive. While most male contestants are also relatively young and thin. The only really heavy contestant I can think of is Jennifer Hudson, who went on to great success in music and film. Saying "American Idol(s)" are only age sixteen to twenty-eight is to me like saying the "World Series" really represents the whole world rather than just the United States and Canada plus a smattering of Dominican, Asian and international players.

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Daybreakers"

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Daybreakers" Rated R

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Lyle (Willem Dafoe), etc.

In the near future planet earth is overrun with vampires. More than 99% of the population are vampires. The remaining humans are in hiding or are "farmed for blood". The supply of humans and authentic human blood is running dangerously low. If a substitute for human blood is not found soon, most vampires will revert to a primitive, aggressive state. In this state, they are even dangerous to other bloodsuckers.

Ethan Hawke plays a reluctant vampire and hematologist who refuses to ingest human blood. He also strives to find an alternative to our blood, and even hopes to find a 'cure' for vampirism. He stumbles on people with crossbows, and he joins them. Sam Neill is one of the villains. Good premise, but not the greatest. However, it has a very good cast.

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Avatar" in 3-D

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Avatar" in 3-D

Directed by: James Cameron Starring: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Colonel Miles Quaritz? (Stephen Lang), Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), Zoe Saldana, Parker (Giovanni Ribisi) Michelle Rodriguez, Wes Studi etc.

One of the most visually stunning and imaginative films ever made. A wheelchair-bound ex-marine travels with other ex-soldiers, scientists and greedy corporate types in the year 2154 to pillage the planet or moon "Pandora" of a rock known as "unobtainium" which is worth tens of millions of dollars. The ex-soldiers are along to move the ten-foot tall blue inhabitants away from where the valuable rocks are either voluntarily or by force. The only weapon the blue people or "Na-vi" have are arrows tipped in a deadly toxin. They are really no match for the human invaders. The "Na'vi" are very similar to Native Americans.

Although he has no training or "Na'vi" language lessons, Sully is made part of the "Avatar program". Avatar's are a combination of human and "Na'vi" DNA, controlled from afar by the human's whose DNA is part of their Avatar (kind of like puppets in a way).

The biggest villains of the movie are Colonel Miles Quaritz? (Stephen Lang) as a gung-ho military officer who looks forward to engaging and killing the indigenous 'enemy' and Parker (Giovanni Ribisi) a corporate man whose sole concern is exploiting Pandora for all the valuable "unobtainium" he can get his hands on at any cost.

Acerbic, cigarette smoking scientist Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) is none too happy that this untrained wheelchair-bound ex-marine is part of her program. However, she is respectful of the "Na'vi" people and their harmony with the natural world.

Sully finds a female member of the "Na'vi". Although she thinks he is a "scown" (a moron), she teaches him to survive in their harsh environment. After awhile he becomes an official "Na'vi" and he chooses her as a mate. On Pandora are all kinds of deadly, dangerous animals. Sully learns to appreciate the ways of the "Na'vi" and he helps them to survive human greed and militarism. Perhaps the best movie I have seen in the last year. Like a combination of "Dances With Wolves" and "Lawrence of Arabia", among others, set in outer space. You have to be a real "scown" not to enjoy this movie, even though it is about three hours long.

TV Favorites, Past and Present

TV Favorites, Past and Present

"Alias" (1990s) Stars: Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), Victor Garber, Carl Lumbley, Michael Vartan, Lena Olin, etc. The show that made Jennifer Garner a star. I actually rearranged my work schedule so I would never have to miss it on Sunday nights. Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) is a graduate student recruited to what she thinks is a branch of the C.I.A. Instead, she unknowingly becomes a spy with the shadowy and nefarious SD-6. When Sydney realizes that SD-6 is an evil organization she tries to destroy it. Her father, played by Victor Garber, is a double agent with both SD-6 and the C.I.A. Sydney's mother, played by Lena Olin ("Romeo is Bleeding") is a Russian spy. In season 2, SD-6 is destroyed and Sydney, her father (Victor Garber), Carl Lumbley's character, and other former SD-6 spies are now C.I.A. agents recruited by Michael Vartan's character, who becomes involved with Sydney. Her manipulative and Machiavellian former boss ends up a consultant for the C.I.A, in spite of his treasonous exploits with SD-6.Although probably shot in Hollywood, every episode is set in an international location(s) with Sydney in danger and usually kicking some butt to prevail. Now on home video.

"Wiseguy" (late 80s to early 90s) Starring: Vinny Terranova (Ken Wahl), Jonathan Pike ?,etc.

Vinny Terranova (Ken Wahl) is an FBI agent with the Organized Crime Bureau who spends eighteen months behind bars as part of his "cover". Not even his own mother knows about the real reason he went to prison. She thinks he has turned out bad, which he isn't too happy about. Anyway, soon after being released he arranges to be in the right place at the right time to meet crime boss Sonny Steelgrave (Ray Sharkey) and he soon infiltrates the mob. They become really good friends until Terranova comes across enough evidence to put him away. He feels ambivalent about betraying Steelgrave, especially after Sonny chooses to kill himself via electrocution than to face the music for his crimes. "Wiseguy" had episodes which were like a miniseries or "arcs". In another 'arc' Terranova infiltrates the organization of bipolar genius Mel Profit (eventual Oscar winner Kevin Spacey) and his sister played by Joan Severance. Mel and his sister were so close as to seem almost incestual. Vinny is even in more constant jeopardy with the chamelionic personality of Mel Profit than he was with Sonny Steelgrave and his associates. In another memorable 'arc', Terranova infiltrates a white supremacist organization initiated by a sleazy conman (played by actor and eventual failed Presidential candidate Fred (Dalton) Thomas) after a young person in his neighborhood becomes recruited by the organization.

"Prison Break" (2000s to 2009) Stars: Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), Theodore Bagwell (Robert Knepper of "Heroes"), Stacey Keach, etc.

Engineering genius Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) attempts to rob a bank so he will end up in "Fox River Penitentiary" so he can attempt to rescue his half-brother Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) from Death Row by way of a highly risky escape attempt. Scofield even goes so far as to having the schematic design of the prison tattooed all over his body. Little does Scofield know how dangerous the prison environment can be, especially with dangerous sociopaths like Theodore Bagwell aka "T-Bag". When it comes time to escape, Scofield reluctantly allows Bagwell to tag along, even though T-Bag is an unrepentant and manipulative criminal. In season 2, Scofield, Burrows and a number of others escape to Panama. Scofield and Bagwell end up in a worse prison in Panama, until they again escape. In subsequent seasons, Scofield, Bagwell, Scofield's former prison nurse turned girlfriend, and several others attempt to take down a shadowy organization known as "the Company" which framed Burrows and seems to want them both dead by scamming the organization out of a high-tech device known as "Scylla", whatever the heck "Scylla" is. Unfortunately, in the final episode Scofield dies, but over all the series seemed to get better as time went on.

"Breaking Bad" (2007? to Present: AMC channel) Starring: Walter White (Bryan Cranston "Malcolm in the Middle)

Mild mannered high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) decides to "cook" crystal meth to help pay for chemotherapy after he is diagnosed with inoperable (fatal) lung cancer. He successfully keeps this from his pregnant wife, his cerebral palsy afflicted son and his brother-in-law with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He doesn't realize how dangerous and risky his criminal activity will be for him. In a later season, Walt's cancer ends up in remission, but he eventually decides to continue to manufacture illegal narcotics. Although the first season was its best, this show seems to get better with time.

"Legend of the Seeker" (Syndicated, 2008-Present) Characters: Richard Cypher aka the Seeker, the Mother Confessor, etc.

Poor farm boy Richard Cypher is found to be "the Seeker of Truth" who is prophecied to rescue the world from evil tyrant Darken Rahl, who turns out to be Richard's brother. Making things harder for the seeker are the ruthless D'haran soldiers, loyal to Rahl and "Mord'Siths, sadistic Amazon-like dominatrixes who ruthlessly torture Rahl's enemies. They also abduct innocent young girls to become future Mord'Siths by removing all their humanity by relentless physical and psychological abuse. When Richard is discovered to be "the Seeker" he travels with an aging wizard who turns out to be Cypher's grandfather, and the Mother Confessor (something like a sexy combination of a nun and a good witch). The Confessor can control any man, even Richard, by merely touching them. The Seeker and the Confessor are deeply in love with each other, but can never act on their love. In Season 2, the current seaon, Darken Rahl is dead, but is now living dead in the underworld. His 'master' is known as the "Keeper of the Underworld", who intends to destroy all of humanity. Rahl allows the dead to return to the land of the living as " Baelings" dead souls who must kill to remain alive. Also, Richard travels with a new character, Cara (Tabreth Bethel?), a gorgeous, reformed Mord'Sith who helped Richard kill Darken Rahl at the end of Season 1. "Legend of the Seeker" is like a combination of "Conan the Barbarian" and "Hercules, the Legendary Journey". This is one of my favorite current programs. "Legend of the Seeker" is based on the "Sword of Truth" novels by Terry Goodkind, which I will probably eventually read.

"Memento" (mid-90s) Starring: Guy Pearce

The last one is not a television show, but a movie. It has been a long time since I have seen it, and I don't exactly recall everything in it; but the cool thing about "Memento" is that the end of the movie starts at the beginning and then it works backwards. I remember that Pearce's character ends up killing someone. Although I don't remember much of what transpired, I know it was a really good and unique movie.

Poetry: "If At First You Can't Secede"

Poetry: "If At First You Can't Secede"

If at first you can't secede

Coup d'etat and coup d'etat again

Better to plan your coup deep inside your den

Finance, train, and arm your men again and again

If your coup doesn't take you'll wind up in the pen...

Poetry: "Did You Do That?"

Poetry: "Did You Do That?"

Did you do that?

It's already done.

Never mind work

It's time for some fun

Did you do that?

Yes I did

You'll never find it

It's already hid...

Poetry: "You Can't Please 'Em All"

Poetry: "You Can't Please 'Em All"

You can't please 'em all

So don't even try

If you do your just wasting your time

You can't please 'em all

So don't even try

The results could be

You wish you would die

You can't please 'em all

So don't even try

That's why in public, so many cry

You can't please 'em all

So don't even try

All you can do is let out a sigh

Or be confused when they ask you why.

Poetry: "Danny the Sleaze"

Poetry: "Danny the Sleaze"

Danny the Sleaze

Stole my money with ease

When it came time to repay me

He was gone like the breeze

Danny the Sleaze a grifter was he

Promised my money

Like a rat with plague fleas

Someday he'll end up in jail

And I sure as hell won't pay his bail...

Poetry: "Coughin' Leads To Coffin"

Poetry: "Coughin' Leads To Coffin"

Coughin' leads to coffin

So you better get some rest

If you have the cold or flu;

Congestion in the chest

Coughin' leads to coffin

If you're too long in the cold

Have some chicken soup

It may help ye to live old

Coughin' leads to coffin

If you have a chill

Take some Robitussin

Or some awful tasting pill

Coughin' leads to coffin

If you have the flu

Have hot tea with honey

To improve your pale, sick hue

Coughin' leads to coffin

When you smoke too long

With lung cancer or emphysema

You'll soon be long, long gone...