Dead Alive

This is a movie we watched over and over and over in college.  I wasn't sure if it would hold up to being watched under less...auspicious circumstances.  But, I saw that it was up on Netflix Instant and thought I'd give it a shot.  Turns out it was written and directed by Peter Jackson (the Lord of the Rings guy), several years before even Heavenly Creatures (another movie I highly recommend). Back in the paleolithic era, when I was in school, no one had ever heard of Peter Jackson.

Dead Alive is a zombie movie, but saying that really doesn't do it justice. It's hilarious! It's similar in tone to Shaun of the Dead crossed with The Evil Dead, and with the goofiest Sumatran Rat-Monkey you've ever seen!  And the best quote ever from a zombie ass-kicking kung-fu fighting priest:  "I kick ass for the Lord!"

As a side note, the movie heavily features Aleister Crowley's Thoth tarot deck, with some weird modifications (check out The Star card).

Day Break

I started watching a really interesting series that Netflix just got (in fact, it seems like they jut got a lot of new TV, so expect a lot of new TV reviews over the next few weeks.  It's called Day Break.  It stars Taye Diggs (so, so tasty) as a police officer who's been set up for murdering a DA.  He is arrested for the crime soon after he wakes up.  Thing is, he keeps living that same bad day over and over (Groundhogs Day style).  I'm only on the 4th episode, but it's really good so far.  Very complicated plot, with lots of twists and turns, and mystery.  Every "day" you learn a few new clues.  Good cast, interesting idea, strong mystery, lots of action.  I'll keep you posted as I watch more.  B+ so far.

Into Eternity

I just saw this amazing documentary. It's not yet available on Netflix, but you can watch it on YouTube. It's about building an underground repository for nuclear waste in Finland, but it's really about the philosophical implications of trying to make something that will last 100,000 years (that's more than 5 times longer than the cave paintings at Lascaux; 20 times as long as the pyramids at Giza). It's haunting and beautiful, and everyone has these Finnish accents, which makes it seem extra ethereal. Highly recommended. A+

Immortality

I have a strange fondness for fiction about immortal creatures.  Preferably, not vampires, just humans that happen to live forever.  One of my very favorites  is Jerome Bixby's The Man from Earth.  It's a lovely, small movie that seems like it was probably written as a play.  It's entirely driven by dialog and good acting.  It takes place almost entirely in a small cabin.  A group of friends who are all academics are sitting around chatting, wishing their friend John a fond farewell.  He tells them an amazing story.  I can't really say more without giving anything away, but I've watched this movie several times, with many different people, and it's always been a hit.  (With my weird intellectual friends....this isn't a movie for everyone)  A+

 Tuck Everlasting is a cute kids movie based on a book I haven't read.  It stars that girl from Gilmore Girls.  It also features Ben Kingsley and Sissy Spacek.  It's a pretty straight-forward story about a girl whose over-protective parents keep her locked away.  She gets lost in the woods, and runs into an immortal boy.  Teen romance ensues.  B for adults, but probably A- for kids.











Highlander: Season 1 

When I was in high school, this was my best friend's favorite show (although, I think the tastiness of Adrian Paul had more than a little to do with that.) The show is interesting, but I don't feel like it does a very good job of capturing the crushing ennui of immortality.  The show goes downhill after season 2.  B