The 2002 Spielberg fueled mini-series “Taken” is one of the few mini-series I’ve ever watched two times in a row. It’s at least fourteen hours in length. And I watched it two times in a row. “Taken” is just that good. The epic mini-series aired in the summer of 2002 on the Sci Fi Channel here in America, and on the 25th anniversary of “Close Encounters of The Third Kind.” While Science fiction was never really my niche as a pop culture fan, “Taken” is a whole new level of the genre that defies any and all conventions. It’s a mini-series that doesn’t just build up to something humongous, but it leads somewhere pretty incredible.
Tag Archives: Romance
Bambi (1942)
The Lion King (1994)
Whether Disney did or didn’t plagiarize Osamu Tezuka’s “Kimba the White Lion,” we’ll never truly know. What I do know for certain is that “The Lion King” is still one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had, and my number two animated film of all time. It’s a bold mixture of 2D animation, and amazing CGI that combines to tell a rather adult and complex tale about revenge and destiny.
Dumb & Dumber (1994)
I wonder if the Farrelly Brothers knew they were creating a potentially epic storyline when they invented Harry and Lloyd. There are comedy characters that are good enough for one movie, and then there are character duos like Harry and Lloyd, both of whom may be having adventures well in to their sixties. Harry and Lloyd are perpetually moronic best friends oblivious to how utterly dumb they are.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
What does “Hunchback” teach the audience? Whether you’re gorgeous or ugly, if the hot girl says you’re cool, you’ll become the hero. Also, the nice guy always finishes last. Surely Quasimodo rides off in to the sunset with his crowd of supporters in the end, but who is Esmerelda going home with later that night? “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a bastardization from Walt Disney, where they take the tragic and brilliant tale of Quasimodo and water it down so much it’s barely an adaptation when we see it in animated force.
Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 (2012)
The Marvel one shot short film “Item 47” is a movie set in the universe of the Avengers, that woks as an epilogue to “The Avengers” and a prologue to “Agents of Shield.” I’m sure this movie was created to test the waters by Marvel for a potential SHIELD TV series, and what with fans demanding more from this scenario, Marvel now has the upcoming SHIELD show to give fans more of the Marvel Live action universe.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (Blu-Ray/DVD/Ultraviolet) (2013)
You assume two very talented, and occasionally brilliant, actors would have amazing chemistry on-screen, but you’d be wrong. The chemistry between Steve Carrell and Steve Buscemi is so forced and terrible, that the screenplay has to literally start when they’re both young boys, and emphasize how lonely they are and how they became friends. This is to make it painfully clear to the audience that they’re best of friends since the performances from both men can’t really sell it to the audience.