Welcome to the journal of writer Daniel Powell. Movies, books, and the occasional discussion of life and family...
1.30.2012
Red State (2011)
Kevin Smith makes an abrupt departure from his usual fare in the hyper-violent Red State (2011). A film that skewers both fringe religious zealots and the government agencies tasked with monitoring them, Red State is an effective commentary on the nature of how religion has been co-opted by a select few to champion hatred and violence against others.
Smith's steady hand in direction keeps the pace moving here. His writing is vulgar (I had to turn it off after my daughter asked what the main characters were saying), but so authentic. I loved the interaction between the boys as they negotiated their rendezvous, and was shocked and very saddened when their fates grew clearer.
In just a short time I grew an affinity for them, and that's the mark of a good writer.
Michael Park is spellbinding as the hateful Abin Cooper (that opening monologue is priceless!). He preaches fire and brimstone sermons inside his compound (there are a number of references to the botched ATF siege of the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco), where a small congregation of family members listen in starry eyed wonder.
They stockpile weapons and murder folks whose lifestyles they disapprove of.
John Goodman plays special agent Joe Keenan. It's his job to neutralize the Cooper family, and when things spin out of control, he's left holding the bag. Goodman does a nice job here, and in the third act we get an interesting glimpse into what life might be like behind the scenes in some of these government agencies.
I won't give too much away, but the rapture sequence was a really nice, surreal touch. Overall, I enjoyed the film. Not for the faint of heart, but definitely worth a look (B+)...
1.27.2012
Gaming the System
I enjoy maintaining a web journal in part because I have a small forum to offer my views on books and movies I enjoy. It's a treat to scroll through old posts and see a tangible record of the creative works that have touched me over the years.
I don't have a lot of reviews on Amazon, but I'm making a concerted effort to offer more of them. And I'll be honest--I typically stick to the old adage that if you don't have anything nice to say, you should just keep your mouth shut.
But my reticence in offering negative criticism is kind of mitigated by practices like the one mentioned in that article. I mean, how legitimate can a product review be if there are businesses out there stuffing the ballot box?
I sometimes hear a radio advertisement about a company whose sole purpose is to bolster cyber reputations. Wow. I mean, there's a local advertising agency that offers 3,000 "likes" in the first month or clients get their money back.
Strange times, folks. Strange times indeed...
1.25.2012
The Ultimate Anthology: "26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss"
"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" ~ Stephen King
"Voluntary Committal" ~ Joe Hill
"The Pear Shaped Man" ~ George R.R. Martin
"The Small Assassin" ~ Ray Bradbury
1.24.2012
Herein Do Not Fail
1.20.2012
The Forecast Calls for Pain
It binds families closer together; sometimes, it drives them further apart. It can be a wake-up call for positive growth, or it can push a person down dark paths of anger and depression.
For Vivian Bowles, tragedy has created a sense of focus.
Bowles has never been the same since losing her daughter in a hit-and-run accident. Her marriage died, her business crumbled, and she tumbled into a deep well of sorrow and despair.
She sustained herself by channeling her grief into a singular mission: finding and punishing the person responsible for her daughter’s death.
Her quest for answers has taken her from Florida to Colorado, where she plans to teach Sheldon and Terri James a hard lesson in personal loss.
Things are about to get very cold in Colorado…
Frozen, a 20,000-word novella that explores the depths of human suffering and the power of a mother's love, will be available for purchase in February 0f 2012.
1.19.2012
The Ultimate Anthology: "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut"
"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" ~ Stephen King
"Voluntary Committal" ~ Joe Hill
"The Pear Shaped Man" ~ George R.R. Martin
"The Small Assassin" ~ Ray Bradbury
"Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros" ~ Peter S. Beagle
1.18.2012
You Snooze, You Lose!
1.17.2012
Staying the Course
1.12.2012
Big Bag O' Headlines
US will have world's strongest military despite cutbacks
- According to the fine documentary Why We Fight, the United States spends more on defense than on all other areas of the line-item budget combined. I doubt that trend will continue as boomers continue to become eligible for entitlements, but I was happy to see that we'll see some decreases in spending in the near future. I've been a little disappointed in Obama's ability to follow through on his campaign promises in this first term. While he's not the author of the coming decrease in military spending, I do see it at least as a partial delivery on yet another of the things he promised back in 2008. Panetta is correct. We'll still have the world's finest military, with some outstanding men and women representing our country with great distinction. But as we see the long-awaited conclusion of one of our foreign military adventures, and the other is just over the horizon, I hope that whichever candidate wins this year will keep the focus on domestic defense, homeland security and intelligence. We need to focus on deficit reduction, following through on the promises made to millions of Americans (education, health care, social security), and shifting our priorities to focus on life here in America.
- Spoiler--false premise...turns out life simply isn't fair, folks!
- I notice these stories a little more since I looked at the fine movie Contagion. It doesn't mean anything other than I never paid much attention before to these pandemics, but still, it's scary stuff...
- Admit it--there's a heck of a yarn in this one. Maybe my "Oily Man" will lurch out of the Gulf of Mexico, hunting BP executives and snacking on their jowly facial fat...
1.09.2012
"Is there any more troll stench?"
1.06.2012
Coming Soon
1.03.2012
Congratulations, Oregon!
February Reviews: Gray Mountain, John Grisham
I enjoy John Grisham's books very much and I usually knock out a couple per year. I have read three so far in 2024, and his writing is...
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One of the serendipitous outcomes of the 2020 stay-at-home orders (depending on your movie-going habits, of course) was a flood of excellent...
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It doesn't get much more depressing than this story . Many years ago (like three or four) it would have been unheard of for kids this yo...
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Aaron Polson is a talented writer who I think you can expect big things from in the coming years. A quick stop by his website offers links ...