Take Five
By George Rose
July 28, 2009
Killian (Richard Dawson), the show's creator and host, is as much a fan of propaganda as the rest of the media, and convinces everyone to believe Ben is a murderer and deserves to be hunted. Amber gets the hint that maybe Ben is a half-decent guy and searches for the footage needed to clear his name. She is caught in the act and thrown into the death ring with Ben, where they, along with two of Ben's friends, must survive the four quadrants of the arena. It starts to pick up pace and entertainment value, but then you can tell the writers weren't sure how to wrap it all up, so they made the resistance's secret hiding place in the fourth and final section. This is also where they find the signal needed to post new footage clearing Ben's name and ruin the reputation of Killian. What a coincidence! Is it over yet?
Unfortunately it's not. More one-liners, failed attempts at intriguing plot twists, and a final showdown have to take place. I could go on and on with complaints and examples of the lackluster writing here (Really, an opera singing gladiator? Half-time show dancers that look like a Jane Fonda workout video?), but I've already ranted for far too long. This really isn't the worst movie in the world but it's nowhere near the top five best Schwarzenegger movies. It's an ‘80s action film, so you really can't expect too much to begin with. Like I said, it's better than Pet Sematary but it's still no Total Recall.
Overall Rating: C-
The Big Lebowski (1998) – also watched/written on July 19, 2009
So my brother and sister arrived today around 8:30 p.m., just as my hangover took care of itself and I was ready to take them out for a night of beachside drinking at our uncle's bar. They both tell me how tired they are from a day and a half of traveling, and say they want to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. instead. I thought partying was supposed to run in the family blood? I was drunk two hours after I arrived in Greece and these two are already passed out sober. Shame on them. Since they crapped out on me, I decided to stay in and watch another movie, just in case they surprise me tomorrow and grow a pair of... well, you know. My brother said he wanted to fall asleep to a movie, so I rolled the dice and let him pick which one he wanted to see the first 20 minutes of.
As the opening credits rolled, I thought I was having déjà vu. Joel and Ethan Coen? Steve Buscemi? Am I watching Fargo again? Nope, I'm watching the much talked about, but for some reason never seen, The Big Lebowski. As an avid viewer of new releases, it doesn't surprise me that this R-rated movie was overlooked in 1998 when I was 13-years-old, but I'm surprised and somewhat upset nobody forced me to watch it sooner.
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