Contagion

I was excited about Contagion because watching Gwyneth Paltrow die an agonizing death made me joyous. Contagion became like Outbreak where an unknown disease comes to our borders. Contagion is really interesting and has a strong ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Lawrence Fishbourne, Elliot Gould, and previously stated target of my hatred Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow comes back from a business trip to Hong Kong with flu-like symptoms, but ends up dying two days later. Other people start dying who were exposed, an epidemic ensues, this is the story of how it gets contained and treated in essentially real-time. I was a big fan, though the bouncing from story to story got a little old because I wanted a greater focus on Fishbourne and the CDC, but the other characters are interesting enough to not ruin the movie. It gives a little bit of a worldly view of the outbreak, I just don't care about Hong Kong villages as much as I should perhaps. I love the inside look at the CDC and damage control during crazy times. Fishbourne is rock solid in his role as CDC director. He's the best part of the film as he deals with the various bombs getting dropped all around him. This was better than expected and worth a viewing.

Bottom Line: 7.0 out of 10. Worth a rental, or if you live in the Madison area, a viewing for $3 at Market Square on Odana (I probably should get sponsored by them...) I can't imagine anyone being disappointed as this movie maintains tension and a general sense of unease and excitement throughout.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I saw this at the cheap seats for $3, so I didn't go in with a lot of risk here. This film attempts to explain how the previous Planet of the Apes films are possible. I like how it tries to make it possible for monkeys to become smarter, it's not too crazy. James Franco is a scientist possessed to find a cure for Alzheimer's because his dad (John Lithgow) suffers severely from it. His company tests on monkeys, monkeys get violent and need to be put down, Franco can't put down an infant ape who was born with the chemical in their bloodstream so he sneaks it home and treats it like his own child. Ape attacks a man who attacks John Lithgow, gets thrown in an ape prison of sorts (Brian Cox of course runs it) and is mistreated. He trains the other apes, breaks out, exposes them to the chemical to make them smart (Alzheimer's Cure) which Franco has now produced in gas form because liquid form wouldn't combine with his dad's tissue for an extended period of time. Ape's get smart, escape, run wild and piss me off. If anyone can explain to me how ape's can overrun a SWAT team with guns without getting shot to shit reasonably, maybe I would have cared about this film. I made no emotional attachment to the ape-baby thing, so the movie didn't work for me. Franco and the cast is solid, story is respectable, I just got pissed when apes are lightening quick, bulletproof demons. It was preposterous.

Bottom Line: 6.1 out 10. You can watch it when it's free, just don't expect to be wowed by really anything.

Penn State- YICK

I stand on the outside of this for the most part because everything about this pisses me off. I am one of the few that finds the blame heaped on Joe Paterno as unwarranted and unfair. I will throw about some arguments that you may or may not agree with, but I feel without question his departure was unceremonious and unfair. Before I argue for him he spent 46 years at that University making it something. He donated over $5 million dollars in the last 10 years to build a library and hospital. I really think Paterno has done more for Penn State than any other man has done for any other University in history. On to the uncomfortable stuff.

Paterno is a head football coach and at the time in question he was 70-something years old. A graduate assistant says, with NO conviction or specific graphic language, that your colleague and probably close friend of over 30 years was doing something in the shower with a boy. Paterno goes to his A.D. & the campus police with the knowledge, which underwent two investigations that NEVER became a case tragically, and when nothing becomes of it that's the end for him. He's not a detective, crusader, or anything besides a 70 year old football coach. McQuery deserves the most ire for his failure to better portray what he saw into something meaningful. He's the witness, the person who actually saw a sexually perverse act, but somehow failed to convince anyone of it's seriousness. His wholesale failure is the issue. The scorched earth policy of condemning other people is a bullshit cop-out by the University to distance themselves from something they completely failed to deal with. Universities will try to handle things are their own instead of jumping to the police, my sister explained that to me about the situation following her three years stint as a Hall Director & her husbands experience with campus security. Paterno went up the chain of command, passed his limited knowledge to those in power to do their jobs. Paterno is the biggest name, so he gets the biggest blame.

A group of trustees and gutless assholes decided to use this to finally get him out the door. They wanted him out in 2004 but Paterno refused to resign. His life is so intertwined to Penn State I feel like he can't live without it. He's given more years of his life to Penn State than anyone reading this has lived. To think he'd do anything to bring shame to the school makes no sense. I don't understand how anyone could want him to do more than what he did. He took the limited information he had to the people he was supposed to and they failed the victims, just like McQuery failed the victims. Paterno has no reason to get crucified on this. There were 50 other people who have more blame than Paterno, but this gets heaped on him to force him to stop coaching football to save the University his salary, but to lose their souls. Penn State is fucked either way, now they are fucked and without honor or loyalty. Rolling over on Paterno solves nothing and proves nothing. Salinsky will still burn in hell and prison for the rest of his days, Penn State will suffer in recruiting and enrollment for the foreseeable future, and Joe Paterno will still be involved in trying to make Penn State better even after it threw him on a grenade that they pulled the pin on.

The Rite- It's Alright

Being a fan & genuinely frightened by exorcism and demonic possession (and Anthony Hopkins) I felt like I needed to give The Rite a shot. The central character is a non-believer going through school to become a Priest because it's a free education and what his family (Dad) wants it. He has a creepy past of working in his dad's mortuary and it's creepy. He questions God & his purpose, but with a few threats from the Montsenior he goes to Rome to learn about exorcism. While in school the friend of the Montsenior sets him up with Anthony Hopkins who is a living legend of exorcism. He starts treating patients suffering from demonic possession, most notably a pregnant lady probably raped by her father. Young guy thinks she not possessed, but psychological trauma is causing her problems and Hopkins refutes that by having him witness crazy shit. It's pretty decent effects and creepy acting. The mood and setting is great, good use of lighting. Pretty good acting, Hopkins is excellent. The movie hits a fever pitch when Hopkins is possessed and pretty much terrifying. His possession is the best part, but WAYYYY too short. It ends way too quickly rather than reaping the benefits of a crazy Hopkins who is genuinely scary.

Bottom line: 6.4 out of 10. I'd recommend it. I watched it On Demand and it's totally worth it for Hopkins alone.

Ides of March

Ides of March is a story about the political machine in America. Trying to elect a man President involves shady back-dealings and side deals. Ryan "Baby Goose" Gosling is the up and coming superstar in campaign planning. He's #2 to the wise old hand of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. George Clooney is the can't miss Democratic party candidate who is running neck and neck with some other schmuck. Other schmuck is lead by the craft Paul Giamotti and political dealings and and craziness ensue. All mixed up in this is the cute intern played by a pretty blond chick I'm too lazy to look up. Gosling is doing mad work for Clooney who should be doing great, but the Republicans are voting for the other schmuck so they have a better chance to win the upcoming election. Things take a crazy turn when Giamotti attempts to seduce Gosling to his campaign calmly telling him that he's on the wrong team and that they will win Ohio and NC, wrapping up the election. Gosling starts banging hot intern, hot intern bagged Clooney and got knocked up in an amazingly short timeline by him. Everything goes into crazy tailspin mode and it's pretty good. Very solid acting all around, but the story is frankly pretty boring and lacks suspense and action. Certainly worth watching when it's nice and cheap/free for you.

Bottom Line: 7.3 out of 10. Very solid movie through and through. Big fan of Clooney directing and the great ensemble cast he put together.