This guys film and music reviews are far better than mine. Check him out. Dogmatic.com

War Of The Worlds

This film is not up to par with Spielberg's typical work. Though it has some cool SFX that must have been tooled by the George Lucas crew, it lacks in story development. There is no plausible reason for the invasion ever presented. Not that we would know aliens were coming, or why, but it would help any film of any genre to show motive. Somewhere along the line a character would observe something. Are they eating us? Do they need the living space? The only clues you get in this film are contradictory - first, their zapping us into piles of dust with their lasers by the millions, then, they seem to be harvesting us for our blood and to make some kind of fertilizer. Which is it? The second major detail that throws the audience a curve ball, is the fact that the aliens supposedly buried their fighting craft in the ground long before apparently any cities were built. How did they go undetected with the building of subways, underground garages, resource-geological surveys and drilling. Just to name a few.

Probably the greatest aspect of this entire film is the talent of 11 yr old Dakota Fanning. She has starred in such films as I AM SAM, Man On Fire, and The Cat In The Hat. She is one truly talented young girl. Very convincing vocals and expressions. We will see many great things from her in the years to come. The second good aspect of the film is the veteran actor Tim Robbins. He plays an eccentric survivalist type that lacks self control. He conveys the part well through his face.

As for Tom Cruise, well…. he needs to stick to something I hope he is actually good at like, riding Katie Holmes, or riding Katie Holmes, or best yet, riding Katie Holmes!! Or, he could continue to make an ass of himself on TV talk shows and, let me ride Katie Holmes!

To sum it all up, wait to rent the DVD if you like SFX. Watch the original film from the fifties or, read the damn book, it's better. The Orson Welles radio broadcast has more richness than this. But, no matter what, don't be afraid to see any film with Dakota fanning or Tim Robbins in it.

Can you tell that I would Really…Really….Really…like to ride Katie Holmes!

Well, I'm spending another day of my vacation waiting patiently at my sons baseball practice. I will at least get some reading time in during the three hours that I sit here frying in the heat. Cameron is fantastic at baseball. But, he went and made the All Stars and signed himself up for a summer league team too. That's right, two teams. He better be glad I love him more than life itself!!!

On Bullshit

What an interesting little book this will be on your coffee table. At first, I thought it was just a gag book. After all, I have always said that I was the one who wrote the book on it. But, I found this in the philosophy section of Barnes&Noble, and it's no joke. A Professor Emeritus of Princton University wrote this with the intent of capturing the essence of what it is, and how to identify and understand the nature of the pointless in our society. It is actually a very thought provoking read. Read more reviews at Amazon by clicking on the image.

Batman Begins

This is by far the best rendition of Batman. The characters and, general character of the film, take on a much more reality base than the traditional comic-like approach. This Batman really could exist. If you were a billionaire, with a major corporation that develops state-of-the-art military prototypes. Even the car in this seems believable.
Scott bale plays the part well. He isn't cheesy on screen like George Clooney, and is more rugged and fit for the part than Val Kilmer. Of course, Micheal Keaton's interpretation has always been my favorite; as it is with most people I know. But now, Bale's Batman will rein as the best. I believe that the directors and producers of this franchise are onto something with this crew. Hopefully, we can look forward to the same group creating more films on par with this one. In close, this Batman gets back to the roots of the actual comic book series. It is more toward Film Noir.