The Void and Neztra

Across the Universe - starring Rachel Evan Wood, Jim Sturgess, etc.

I have to admit it -I am a huge fan of the Beatles. One of my first memories as a child was my father playing the guitar and singing "If I Fell". From that time on, the Beatles music became the soundtrack of my youth. So when I heard that a movie made been made featuring Beatles music, I was thrilled! Then I got sidetracked and never made it to the theater to see the movie. Then it came out on DVD and I forgot about it. So when I went to my local Blockbuster this weekend and saw this title, I snagged it.

I wasn't dissappointed. Filled with emotional snapshots of the late sixties focused on the war in Vietnam and the social upheaval as a result here in the USA, this film was a feast for the emotions: joy, wonder, awe, sadness, anger, frustration and love, this film envokes it all.

Cleverly thrown in are characters that mirror some of the biggest names in music in the 1960's - Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and more.

Also featured was Eddie Izzard, who is quite possibly one of my favorite celeb personalities.

I may be one of a few since I didn't hear a lot about this movie when it came out, but I loved it and will most likely see it over and over. 4.25 winks.

Since I avoid movie theaters on holidasy weekends as if they are filled with ravenous, brain-material craving zombies with a special penchance for the flesh of 30-something women, I do not have any "now in theaters" movies to review this week. However, my Blockbuster account is still active, so I rented some DVDs instead.

Speaking of Blockbuster, has anyone noticed the particular frenzy that is Friday night at Blockbuster? People are nuts. Say you are reading the back of the latest Harry Potter movie on DVD and it happens to be the last one on the shelf. People will hover over you, waiting to see if you will put the movie back on the shelf or not.

Sometimes I mess with them a little bit. I'll just stand there, with the movie in my hands, reading the back for about five minutes while they circle me like a voracious vulture. Sometimes I'll hold on to the DVD, even if I am not planning to rent it. I know....I think I have an evil streak sometimes...

So, on to movie reviews. Pickings were slim this weekend and the reviews will reflect that.

The Signal - starring people that are somewhat decent actors, but relatively unattractive and so, apparently unmarketable to the average film viewer and thus, totally unfamous.

This is one of those movies that I expected to be sort of terrible. Image my surprise when I found that not only was this movie well directed and fairly well acted, but, for a horror movie, boasted a fair level of social consciousness and depth, even with an incredibly ambiguous storyline. The first section "Transmission 1" was eerie and terrifying. "Transmission 2" was hilarious and ridiculous, in a great way. "Transmission 3" was the weakest of the three secitons of the movie, but still did a good job of wrapping up.

All in all, I give this 3.5 winks.

More to come...