Star Trek: Into Darkness

Summer blockbusters are now starting to appear in DVD. There are several action films that I am looking forward to... Star Trek Into Darkness, is the one I most anticipated. If you are a Star Trek fan, like I am, and you have not watched this movie yet – rent it today!! When Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner passed the phaser on to the new Star Trek youngsters, I was at first very skeptical. At this point, I will say nothing about the debacle of the Next Generation movies, except that Captain Picard should've stayed on the small screen... However, the first new version Star Trek that came out a few years ago was pretty decent. This second attempt is even better! Captain Kirk, Spock, Bones and the rest of the characters seem much more developed than they did in the earlier movie. The actors have studied the old films, and the nuances and character flaws are all there for us diehard Trekkies to enjoy. The fellow that plays Spock, looked and acted exactly like Leonard Nimoy to me. The action is nonstop. The CGI is fantastic. The futuristic gadgetry is still there. The plot seems to be a prequel to a remake of the "Wrath of Khan"– which I hope is on the docket for a 2016 release (all I've been able to find out is that the next Star Trek movie is slated for 2016 – no information on the plot or title). Granted, the Star Trek story is still the same and the corny dialogue still exists, but I have to admit I love it. There's just something about exploring space, "going where no man has gone before," that captures my imagination every time. With this second movie, I believe that the Star Trek franchise has successfully remade itself for a new generation of Trekkies... And us loyal older fans are happy to come aboard and join the ride.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

My 23 old son recommended Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It is a British gangster movie set in London's East End, during the late 1980s or early 1990s. It is part suspense, part thriller and part comedy. The movie and the characters don't take themselves too seriously, which is good, and the purposely grainy cinematography adds to the comic book feel of the film. The dialogue is pure Cockney, sometimes a little difficult to follow. One scene even uses subtitles – slightly weird, but effective. For an old fella like me, there were just too many characters and the plot was to complex and twisted for me to keep up. However, I stuck with it and in the end it was well worth my effort. I thoroughly enjoyed how everything came to a great crescendo at the end, tying the suspense and story nicely together. The acting was acceptable, the characters were interesting, the dialogue was entertaining when I could understand it, and the action scenes were nicely done. Worth a rental if you are in the mood for a British style gangster movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Mud

Mud, is an intriguing title for a movie and an even more interesting name for the main character played by Matthew McConaughey. Set along the banks of the Mississippi River, Mud is discovered living on a deserted island by two adolescent boys. The movie is billed as a "coming-of-age" story, which is true, but also I believe it goes much deeper than just showing the experiences of two boys growing up – it is a story about the importance of love in our lives. Ellis is one of the boys, his parents are getting a divorce and he can't understand why they don't love each other anymore. He meets Mud who is hopelessly in love with Juniper, played by Reese Witherspoon. From Mud, he learns about the power of love, the mystery of it and is in awe of the loyalty that Mud has for his one true love. Ellis has his own experience with first love. He learns that love is difficult, not always linear or predictable, but in the end he learns that love is wonderful and the most important thing of all. A very nice story that grabbed my attention from the very beginning, even though it was slow in pace and lacking BIG events through most of the movie. Generally well written, but there were a few times during this film when I thought, "how did they get there or how did that happen?" The dialogue was good, however the boys often seem to be saying things meant to help the story along, not necessarily what the characters would really say. The visual aspects of life along the Mississippi River were captured exquisitely, and I assume accurately. I was very interested in seeing more about that part of the country, and way of life. If you're interested in good storytelling, this movie is worth renting!

Beasts Of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild was nominated for several Academy Awards last year; I believe Best Picture, and also Best Actress. I finally got around to watching it this evening and for once I'm left without words. They will come, but I'm not sure if they will be coherent. Perhaps that's because the movie itself was not completely coherent – part documentary, part fantasy – all drama. It was powerful, visually, emotionally and dramatically, but the message of the film, if there is one, eludes me. Maybe I just have to think about it for while longer... Perhaps that's the draw of this film, every viewer can decipher what it means on their own – it will mean something different to each one of us. Set in some apocalyptic-like, Louisiana Bayou, before and after Hurricane Katrina moved in, the poverty and raw emotion was at times difficult to watch. The brutality of the characters' situation was appalling, but probably real for many people. It made me realize that we are spoiled, and have little true understanding of the plight of other people on the other side of the levy. The little girl, who was nominated for the Best Actress Award, did a wonderful job, but I got the feeling that a lot of the time she was just being her precocious self and not really acting. You need to listen carefully to her narration, that's where the true story unfolds. The courage and perseverance of her character throughout was inspiring. The father was drunk, dying and self-destructive, yet he was still a redeemable character, loving and trying to protect his daughter in his own way. The minor characters, I believe all local Louisiana folks, were interesting and bizarre at the same time. I know very little of the true Louisiana culture, and wonder how accurate they were portrayed. You may not "enjoy" this film and it won't leave you smiling, but I guarantee that it will make you think. Definitely worth a rental.

The Company You Keep

The Company You Keep, a recent, Robert Redford film just out on DVD did not do that well at the box office, but it may be worth the rental. I found it decent, but not spectacular. It was billed as a suspenseful thriller, but was actually more of a slow-paced drama. The story however, was very interesting, based on true events during the late 1960s and early 1970s. A radical group of young people called the "Weathermen" had splintered from the popular anti-Vietnam War movement and became domestic terrorists. They did some bad things, bombings and such. They ended up killing a security guard during a bank robbery, before they went underground. To me, this story stream was worth pursuing, especially in our current world situation. Unfortunately, the movie focused on a few remaining characters 30+ years later when they were much older, in hiding, and mellowed with age and comfortable with their middle class suburban lifestyles. One of the Weathermen, Susan Sarandon, turns herself in for unexplained reasons, sending the rest of the group into turmoil. I kept hoping for some flashbacks to bring the characters into deeper focus, but instead the story centered on a young, ambitious journalist, Shia LaBeouf, and his attempts to investigate and uncover Robert Redford and the rest of the gang. Here, the story fell apart. He was completely unbelievable as an aggressive journalist. His acting was flat and uninspired, dialogue cliché. I've seen so many great journalists in films, so perhaps my expectations were too high. The facts and breaks in the case seemed to just fall into his lap. He was always two steps ahead of the FBI – which by the way, were also portrayed very cliché and unoriginal. Robert Redford has some bright spots in the movie, but not as a terrorist on the run, instead, as an aging father who loves his young daughter. There is no real suspense; the movie is much too predictable. The writers, producer and director missed the mark on this one. They should've focused on the background, feelings and emotions of the Weathermen more deeply, forgetting their paltry attempts at "thrill" and "suspense." I don't really recommend this film unless there's nothing better to watch this evening! Or, you adore Robert Redford.

Deadwood

Deadwood is a HBO Original Series that aired several years ago. The setting is the gold mining camp/town in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1876, just after gold was discovered and General George Custer lost the battle of Little Big Horn. Deadwood is part of the Wild West, not yet annexed into the Dakota or the Montana territories. The camp springs up overnight, the gold attracting every type of human being – prospectors, merchants, saloon operators, gamblers, prostitutes, drunks, gunfighters, criminals and common folk. I originally got this series to watch for research purposes – the Gunslinger's Confession takes place partly in Deadwood and the Black Hills during that time. The HBO series served me well for this purpose, but soon I was drawn into the entertainment value of the show itself. I found myself "binge watching" three or four episodes per night until I finished the entire DVD set (three seasons).

I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of the characters. The writing is superior. Every character is perfectly flawed and conflicted with desires and emotions that make them come alive on the screen. Just a couple of examples – Al Swearinger is the proprietor of the Gem Saloon, one of the original settlers in the camp. He has the foulest mouth and disposition imaginable. On the surface, he is ruthless and only interested in making a profit. He easily orders his henchmen to beat or murder any who cross his path. He's always angry, yet he cares for his whores and working boys with a fatherly affection that is wise and knowledgeable. It's clear that he loves them, and relishes their loyalty. Seth Bullock, another main character, reluctantly accepts the position as Sheriff. He's tall and handsome. He is the silent type. He had given up his job as a Marshal in Montana to pursue a more ordinary life as a hardware store proprietor in Deadwood. The reasons are not abundantly clear, but it is apparent through his actions and the slow unfolding of his personality that Mister Bullock has a dark past. He is torn between good and evil. He works to restore justice, protect the innocent, and make things "right," while at the same time he is prone to sudden unexplainable violence. All of the characters are wonderfully written and acted... The dialogue throughout the episodes is excellent, though sometimes a little bit hard to follow because of the attention to the late 1800s "authentic" style of speech – although, I have no idea how accurate the writers and actors are in their efforts. If you enjoy Westerns, especially the dirty and gritty type, this is a series you should watch. Be warned, this show is NOT for youngsters or the easily offended, the cursing is pervasive, sex graphic, and the storyline is grim and violent.

Oblivion

Another summer released science fiction film with mixed reviews... "Oblivion" was certainly not the blockbuster that Tom Cruise and the producers had hoped for, but it was entertaining and worth a rental—though probably not worth the price of admission at movie theaters these days. So, why the mixed reviews and limited success at the box office? Tom Cruise, a huge star, probably brought a large audience to the film, but unfortunately, he is beginning to appear much to type cast and one-dimensional. His acting is sometimes good, but often dismal. He is pinned in the same niche again. Like Morgan Freeman, who was also in the film, these guys seem to always play themselves, which works well if you've only seen them in a couple of movies, but when they play the same role over and over again, their characters become too predictable and tedious. The story, sadly, was also extremely "used" and uninspired. It felt like the writers went to a movie script garage sale, and purchased parts of several past science fiction movies and threw everything into a blender... Where is the originality? "Oblivion" was just a mixed up remake of so many other End of Earth, Survived the Apocalypse, Save the Human Race movies—there was nothing new. However, not all was lost. There were a few good twists in the plot. The action scenes were fun! Also, the depiction of the future was very believable and extremely well designed, filmed and rendered. I loved the gadgetry, architecture and some of the imagery. The computerized special effects kept me most engaged. The obligatory shots of a totally destroyed New York City – the Empire State building, Statue of Liberty flame, etc. – were tiresome, but overall everything was visually pretty cool. So, in conclusion, If you don't like Tom Cruise, you will probably hate this movie. If you do like Tom, enjoy! Science fiction fans will find the visual aspects of the movie worthwhile, but may groan, like I did, at the unoriginal story.

House of Cards

I finally got around to watching this series on Netflix and thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes the eight dollars a month I have been paying Netflix worth it—I hope they create some more original programming. Kevin Spacey, the main character, plays an ambitious Congressman from the Fifth District in South Carolina, and just happens to be from Gaffney (the small town where I lived for three years just after graduation from Clemson). He is the Democratic Majority Whip. There are 13 episodes to watch with lots of interesting characters, twists and turns, so I won't try to describe any of the plot. Basically, this series is all about the corruption and ruthless wheeling and dealing in Washington, DC. If HALF of the goings-on depicted are true, which I believe is entirely possible, our government is a nasty place—no wonder nothing ever gets done. The acting is superb. The dialogue and writing is very engaging. I particularly like how Kevin Spacey speaks directly to the camera at times. It's not too highbrow or complicated, so it's easy to follow the story from episode to episode. Very well produced. If you subscribe to Netflix, and enjoy political drama, then you will definitely enjoy this series. Well worth it! I

Silver Linings Playbook

I'm not sure why this movie was categorized as a romantic comedy. It is a romantic story, and it does have some lighthearted moments, but the movie deals with the very difficult topic of mental illness in a serious and heartwarming way. There's no slapstick, no gross sophomoric humor, or general adolescent silliness. This is an adult movie about an adult topic. It's a movie about family, life lessons, struggling through adversity, and finding love. Bradley Cooper (best known for The Hangover movies) plays the troubled second son of the iconic actor Robert De Niro. Jennifer Lawrence (best known for The Hunger Games) plays a troubled neighbor. Bradley and Jennifer, both struggling to cope with their mental issues, find each other. The rest of the world doesn't quite understand why they thrash about trying to live day to day. They just don't fit in, and in actuality they don't want too. They feel lost and alone in a strange world that can't seem to accept them as they are. However, because of their common experiences, the two main characters create a friendship based on mutual understanding, which eventually turns into love. The acting is superb! I'm surprised that Bradley Cooper is more than just a pretty face – and showed that he can actually act. Jennifer Lawrence is all grown up and promises to be a fine actress for many years to come. Robert De Niro was wonderful as always... Even Chris Tucker I had a good part to play. The story is seamless and completely believable. The dialogue is excellent. There are no big action scenes, special effects, or big aha moments. It's just a wonderfully paced meaningful movie. I was drawn-in to the story from the very beginning, and I immediately empathized with the characters. I never got bored and I stayed with them throughout. I cheered. I laughed. If you haven't seen this movie, rent it!

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Sadly, there was little magical about this movie. The writers, producers and director seemed confused about the central theme and message of the movie. They didn't know if they were making a serious drama about the state of "magic" in our Las Vegas-centric world, or a comedic satire. The story, two young boys discover the world of magic, dream of becoming magicians, make it big in Las Vegas, become bored and cynical with their success, lose everything because of their uninspired performances and the success some upcoming "street magicians" who steal the younger audiences – was a great basis to start from. It could've easily made an excellent serious drama about magicians and the life they lead. The struggle between the traditional magicians/illusionist versus the new breed of shocking guerrilla street magicians has real potential and depth. Unfortunately, however, the movie relies too much on stupid jokes, silly off the mark satire, and shallow cliché. I think they mistakenly tried to make a comedy, but because of the serious undertones throughout the movie, they failed here as well. Steve Carrell does a decent job as Burt Wonderstone, but his character is so thoroughly unlikable that even when he loses everything and strives to make a comeback, I found myself not empathizing with him at all. Jim Carrey has a great part as the shocking, crazy, and unbelievable street magician – but again the character is shallow and the writers could have easily given him much better material to work with. He just came across as annoying. The movie is undeniably flat. Nevertheless, there were a couple of scenes that I did find enjoyable; the part where Burt met his original magical inspiration at a nursing home during the time he had lost everything and was struggling to find himself, was particularly enjoyable and somewhat heartwarming. Unfortunately, those scenes did not last very long, and soon we were brought back into the confusing world of NOT comedy – NOT drama. Don't bother with this one... Watch something else.

Jack Reacher

Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, seems like the same character he plays in almost every other action movie he has made lately. I'm not sure if this guy can act – at least he can follow directions and as an action hero he usually hits the mark – corny and shallow as it may be... He did take his shirt off a couple of times for the ladies – with the requisite scars from past battles that are supposed to somehow give the character depth. This film I give a rating of equal parts good and equal parts bad. Half of the story, half of the acting, half of the scenes, and half of the characters were pretty good and entertaining – the other half spilled out of my TV screen and dirtied the floor with shallowness, wasted attempts at humor, and a corny sense of patriotism. One scene in particular bothered me, I think I can safely explain my confusion and adverse reaction without spoiling the movie for you – actually the part that I want to lambaste a little is shown in the trailer. Tom Cruise is being chased by the bad guys and the cops at the same time. He's driving a hot red GTO – I think that's what it is. The car was cool. He comes to the middle of the city, abandons his car smooth and silky-like, walked slowly over to a bus stop where at least 20 working men are waiting for the bus home. He melds in to the group, one man even gives him his Pittsburgh baseball cap to wear. Cruise boards the bus with the men – end of story. Several things bother me about this – first of all, are we supposed to believe that all of these workingmen were waiting at the bus stop at the same time. What kind of work did they do? Were they construction workers?? More importantly, why would they attempt to help someone who was clearly running away from the police. I think in this day and age of terrorism, the more likely scenario would've been that the men would have jumped Tom Cruise and held him down until the police came and arrested him. The fact that Jack Reacher is supposed to be a good guy, the supposedly super detective, who lives off the grid and who cares about justice, and will do anything to get the bad guys – just didn't come through very well in the movie, and the last scene, just made everything that more shallow and confusing. Cool, but stupid. So, if you like Tom Cruise – watch this movie and enjoy it. If you're in the mood for 50% mindless entertainment and 50% Tom Cruise in his typical role, then this one's for you.

Looper

Looper, has an interesting title and concept, but is not extremely well conceived. I'm a sucker for good science fiction stories, so that's what first attracted me to this movie. Time travel is always fun, and the idea of sending criminals back in time to be murdered and disposed of is a very good solution to a difficult problem – so you would think. However, when you're the Looper that has to finally dispose of yourself 30 years in the future, it creates complexity and problems. Throw in a kinetically charged, possibly evil, wonder child, and there's your plot. The special effects are pretty cool and it's always fun to see how directors, producers and writers imagine the future. Though, the future in this movie doesn't look so appealing. Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt all did decent acting jobs with the material they were given. They could have done without the silly makeup job for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, trying to make him look like a younger version of Bruce Willis – the makeup looked weird. The director has to realize that his audience has already agreed to watch a SF movie anyway, so spare us the lame attempts at continuity or reality in the actor's faces. Spend more time on good dialogue, character development and a realistic vision of the future. So, with all that said, I did watch the entire movie and I did enjoy most of it. Worth a rental, but caution for science fiction buffs only.

The Watch

It was Friday night, and I was looking forward to watching a mindless comedy. Unfortunately, this movie was less than mindless and barely watchable. I was quite disappointed, as I like Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and aliens. They have all made decent comedies in the past, but somehow the four of them together just never gelled. Ben Stiller's character was flat and lifeless. Vince Vaughn was even more over-the-top than usual. Jonah Hill probably had the best character of the three, but his understated humor clashed with the over-the-top bits throughout the movie. And unfortunately, the aliens were just remakes of all the other alien movies I have ever seen. They did not even bother to create original looking monsters. The writers resorted to too much crude sexual humor and weird bouts of schizophrenia in all of the characters. I was never able to truly connect to any of them, and I really didn't care if the aliens skinned them alive for not. It's so hard to find a decent comedy these days that has a real story and believable characters – sophomoric humor and 30-second gag jokes just don't cut it for me anymore. It's a shame, because this movie had potential. There were even a couple of scenes that were minimally funny, they just never carried through to make the plot or the characters anything but shallow shells. I did watch the entire movie, however, at the end I felt like I had wasted two hours. Don't bother with this one!

Love in the time of cholera

Occasionally, I'll enjoy watching a love story, if it's well-written and acted. This relatively unknown movie set in Columbia in the late 1800s and early 1900s, fits the bill...The movie is based on the novel by the Colombian Nobel Prize winning author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Without giving too much away, I'll say that it's a story about a young Colombian man, Javier Bardem, named Florentino. He falls in love with a beautiful woman way out of his league. They have a brief romance through the letters only, when finally, the young woman marries a rich and handsome doctor, Benjamin Bratt. To compensate for the loss of his one true love, Florentino becomes a Colombian "Don Juan" keeping a record of the many women he makes love too. He enjoys the sex, but he's a hopeless romantic, and never forgets his first love. Fifty-three years later, (Florentino is able to count exactly how many years, days and hours since he first had fallen in love with her), the doctor dies and Florentino makes his move. That's all I'll say... Not wanting to spoil the movie for you. The acting is superb, Javier is excellent. The poetry, language, monologue and dialogue are wonderfully deep and yet accessible. The background of Columbia is beautiful. This is not a movie about cholera, it's about romance and the essence of love. If you're interested in a decent love story, not your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy or overly dramatic teenage love story, this will entertain you. I recommend it.

Killing Them Softly

A dark and gritty crime drama set in 2008. Somehow the writer, director and producers tried to make the connection between the 2007 – 2008 United States/Wall Street financial collapse and the economic collapse of a local crime community because a couple of mob-protected poker games get robbed – pretty far-fetched! It didn't work for me. Instead of music or other white noise in the background, we hear radio and television snippets of the Wall Street collapse, government reaction, and Obama's 2008 election campaign speeches... This connection may have worked for some, but it just seemed to be out of place to me. The crime itself, robbing mobsters in their own poker game, seemed a little bit underwhelming as the main plot for a gangster movie. Though, the actual robbery was a little bit suspenseful. The crooks were dirty and greasy, you immediately don't like them. This is in almost comical contrast to the slick and clean Brad Pitt, who played the hitman hired to clean up the mess. Brad likes to "kill his victims softly," without fuss or emotional attachment – but the actual murder scenes are filmed with a gritty slow motion violence that is actually quite gripping, if you're into that kind of stuff. Normally, I find it entertaining, but only if there is a decent full-fledged story behind the violence – this film however, was all quite shallow. The actors were decent, and some of the dialogue was quite good. James Gandolfini (the Sopranos) played a sad but interesting part in the movie – I think this was his last major role. Unfortunately, this movie was a waste of time and a rental. Not recommended.

Trouble with the Curve

Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman a good lineup for a baseball film, so I thought. Turns out this movie wasn't very much about baseball. Instead, it was about the grumpy old typecast Clint Eastwood father figure, trying to reconcile with his ambitious therapy ridden thirty -something daughter. Baseball was sprinkled around the periphery, giving the characters something to do and talk about. Unfortunately, the movie was slow and predictable. The directors and writers never really decided if this was a movie about a father daughter relationship, a romance, or baseball. The acting on the whole was dismal... Poor Clint, it really is time for him to give Up acting. I have a lot of respect for him, I loved him as Dirty Harry and as the ultimate gunslinger in the old spaghetti Westerns, but recently he has just played the old-timer with failing health, trying to hold on to old traditions and misplaced nostalgia. I still watch his movies, though, hoping he'll pull out a 45 Magnum and tell a bad guy to "make my day!" However, he didn't come anywhere close to that kind of glory in this movie. It seemed like he was still talking to the empty chair at the Republican convention – he meandered through the movie and when he tried to show some real feelings or emotion, it was painful to watch. Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake were not much better – I think they're both decent actors, but two 30-year-old adults throwing baseball trivia questions back and forth is not my idea of romance. Do people really do that? It was just not believable, especially since most of the questions they asked each other were obscure baseball facts that happened way before they were even born. John Goodman was the one bright spot in the movie. I hope someday, he is rewarded with a good leading role in a film. Well, I've bashed this movie enough. Oh, one last thing, I do think if this movie script had been combined with "Money Ball" and they focused on the traditional scouting methods versus the computer and analysis of the modern era, they would have come up with a great baseball movie. On the whole however, it was a "nice" movie and pleasant to watch. If you're tired of over-the-top action films, stupid sophomoric comedies, overly dramatic love stories, then this movie might be for you!

Parker

I was in the mood for a decent action movie, and movies about clever thieves are always interesting to me. I was leery 10 min. into the film, and sadly, I was very disappointed two hours later after watching the entire thing. Jason Statham has made a few good movies in the past – he's a great action star. But, unfortunately the script and story just did not make muster on this one. His attempt at a Texan accent was laughable. He strode to the movie lifeless and uninspired.  J-Lo offered a little bit of "eye candy" but it was not enough to overlook her dismal acting skills. She really should stick to commercials and music. Nick Nolte was barely understandable. He played Jason's father, and murmured and grumbled through the dialogue. He needs to retire. The bad guys were stupid, almost comical. The story and character development never really occurred, we were supposed to empathize with Jason somehow – he's supposedly a thief with a code. That was explained with only a few feeble lines of dialogue and never really was solidified. And another thing, I do like action movies with some semblance of reality – Jason was shot three times and stabbed two times and never missed a beat – "come on man!" If I wanted Superman, I would've rented that. Not recommended!

Dexter, Season Seven

Have you heard of the new trend "binge watching"? It's when you watch a full season of TV episodes in a short period of time. I indulged in this modern day practice over the Memorial Day weekend watching Dexter, Season 7. For you Dexter fans, I probably don't need to give you an explanation of why I would watch 12 episodes in four days. For you folks that are not familiar with Dexter – it's a quite popular crime drama presented on Showtime – I'll try to give a short summary of why I enjoyed this series so much. I have watched this series, Dexter and a plethora of engaging characters grow over the last several years. It is the only TV series that I would ever rent or buy. Each year I look forward to the season coming out on DVD, as I don't subscribe to Showtime channel. Dexter (Michael C Hall) is the ultimate likable serial killer/psychopath. He is a crime scene investigator, a blood spatter specialist, for the Miami Metro. The stories are gruesome, dark and horrifying, yet Dexter has a tragically heartfelt back-story and a magnetic inner humanity. He has a method and a code to his darkness and need to kill, but the series is more about family, love, loyalty, compassion and the complexity of the human condition than it is about murder. The cast of characters, his constantly stressed out sister who is a police woman, his dead stepfather who taught him the code and still guides him, the beautiful and intriguing women who come and go in Dexter's life, the horrible criminals that Dexter meets and kills, and his Miami Metro colleagues, are all expertly written and acted. I think the program, last time I looked, has at least seven or eight Executive producers – Showtime definitely puts a lot of time, money and effort into the program. It's a amazing program, and a yearly indulgence to my own dark side, which I rarely have any tolerance for – most of you know that I am the total optimist. Dexter fans, don't miss Season Seven. For those of you not initiated into the Dexter world, start with season one or two. The show is so well-done, and highly recommended for adults only.

Cloud Atlas

An epic science-fiction/fantasy covering six time periods. Starring Tom Hanks, Halley Berry as the principal actors, and produced and directed by the Wachowski brothers (think The Matrix) – what's not to like? At least that's what I thought before I rented the 179 min. extravaganza. The problem for me is that these type of movies that involve multiple stories/plots and numerous flashbacks and forward-flashes require a lot of attentive listening and thinking – something that I often find difficult when watching a movie. The short duration of each flashback or "stay" in each time period/subplot, and the transitionless jump to each of the different stories (especially during the first half of the movie) made it difficult to remain engaged. I want to relax and be pulled along effortlessly. I don't want to have to stop in the middle and try and figure out what is motivating the characters, what time frame it is, or how the developing stories fit together. If I have to do that, I'd rather read the book. One of the six subplots could've easily been a full-length feature film. However, this movie did have everything – the past, the present and the future. Fine actors and actresses playing multiple roles. Excellent makeup and costumes. Wonderful cinematography and special effects, and I believe, if I understood the whole thing correctly, and interesting story. Without giving anything away, I can say it is about reincarnation and the interconnectivity of our lives throughout space and time – an intriguing premise that I have often included in my own writing/stories. With that said, if you like science fiction/fantasy and you don't mind following six different stories at the same time, then you might enjoy this movie. Otherwise, there's lots of other, better rentals out there.

Promised land

Matt Damon and John Krasinski did a great job writing the screenplay and acting in this thoughtful film drawn directly from modern headlines. They do a decent job of addressing the issue of fracking, attempting to show both sides of the argument. America, especially America's small towns, needs the energy and the wealth the technology brings. It promises to help us gain some independence from foreign oil. However, there is a rush to develop these wells in rural America too quickly. The technology is new, and the long-term dangers are unknown. It's clear after watching the movie where Damon and Krasinski sentiments and beliefs lie, but unfortunately as the main character says early in the film, "the energy companies have already won." Fracking is here to stay. A June 2012 study reported over 680,000 underground injection wells in the US, I'm sure there are many more than that now. Back to the movie – well acted, nice cinematography, good characters, and a strong story. Sadly, the writers decided to put in a couple of surprise twists at the end that were totally unnecessary. I was entertained by the sudden and unexpected twists, but afterwords felt that it somehow cheapened the well-developed first 7/8 ths of the movie. Worth a rental if you're interested in fracking and its effects on rural towns.