Author Archives: Felix Vasquez

My Favorite Alan Rickman (1946-2016) Performance

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It does not make me happy to discuss yet another fine performer dying to cancer, but rather than dwell on death and the cruelty of the disease, I’d rather talk about my favorite performance from the great Alan Rickman. Rickman was an amazing actor who could bend any role to his will and lend either great humanity or great menace. Surely enough my favorite performance from Mr. Rickman is from one of my favorite action comedies “Galaxy Quest.”

As Alexander Dane, he’s a man forced in to the eternal typecasting of a Spock-like character named Dr. Lazarus, and finds purpose as a hero who inspires many with his character’s classic catchphrase, which manages to inspire his alien cohorts to stand up against their alien foes. It’s a wonderful and funny role performance only Rickman could deliver. He’ll be sorely missed, may he rest in Peace.

World of Tomorrow (2015)

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world-of-tomorrow

The crude animation for “World of Tomorrow” seems like something that would distract from the overall experience, but thankfully Don Hertzfeldt’s short is still very powerful. The impact of the message and the ideas about time travel and unchangeable destiny still resonate, and the crude animation and simplistic voice work almost seem to compliment the abstract ideas presented here.

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Chilling Visions: 5 States of Fear (2014)

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chillingvisions-5states

Chiller Films’ “Chilling Visions” is on its way to being a solid series of anthology films made up of some of the best horror voices around. While I really enjoyed “5 Senses of Fear” despite being a mixed bag, “5 States of Fear” is a noticeable step down in quality. I really like the devotion of horror tales to certain ideas of psychology and fear. I also really like giving indie filmmakers a voice with highly publicized anthology horror films, I just wish “5 States of Fear” was more well put together and coherent. It’s not a bad movie, but the producers stretch the idea so far, it’s kind of pointless continuing the gimmick by tale two.

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Class of 1984 (1982)

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1984

Playing at the Alamo Drafhouse Yonkers, January 17th

New teacher Andrew Norris is fighting the rising tide of what would later become the future of the youth. “We are the future,” chants leader Stegman with his gang of punks. “I am your future,” he consistently tells Mr. Norris, and whodathunk he’d be correct? In “Class of 1984” (the prophetic remake of “Blackboard Jungle”) envisions a not too far future where the youth have all but spiraled out of control and our schools are now warzones with the potential for death at every turn. In 1982, “Class of 1984” was something of an exploitation revenge film, but decades later after utterly horrific accounts of school shootings, and students victimizing their teachers, “Class of 1984” is actually ahead of its time.

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The Walking Dead #150

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TWD-150

Heavy hangs the head that wears the crown.

For the special occasion of the 150th issue of the award winning comic series that conceived a pop culture phenomenon, Robert Kirkman delivers one of the bigger turning points in his comic book series, by delving more in to why Rick Grimes is almost unstoppable at this point. If you’ve been keeping up, the Whisperers have an army of stealth warriors that don the skins of the walkers, and are posing a severe threat on Alexandria. The loss of many key residents doesn’t just have everyone in fear, but has also caused everyone to question what kind of leader Rick Grimes.

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Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973)

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There was different energy behind David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust that ensured you were in for a whole other wild experience unlike any before it. Director D.A. Pennebaker keeps the mystique and wild tone of Ziggy Stardust alive from the opening title and then is quick to jump right in to the line outside Ziggy Stardust’s concert zooming in on the type of lovable oddities and weird wonders that worshiped Bowie and his adored his music, bringing us in to the full arena of the kind of minds and hearts David Bowie touched.

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Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)

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heavymetal2000

Boobs! Big Boobs! Big beautiful breasteses! Now that that’s out of my system, “Heavy Metal 2000” is primarily a sequel to pay tribute to the walking Amazonian that is Julie Strain. While it is adapted from a “Heavy Metal” novel like its superior animated entry, this is a film very much of its decade that is hell bent on convincing you that Julie Strain is a goddess. Not that it takes much convincing, mind you, but Strain succeeds in pull off a heroine who is very sexy but also tough as nails, and doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty; especially when her equally sexy sister is taken hostage.

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