movies – Page 6 – Looking to God

The Breakfast Chicks

Posted on May 14, 2014May 8, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Saturday, March 24, 1984, Shermer High School—It begins at 7:00 A.M. with five students serving detention. Each one coming from a different background. Each one has a reason for being there.

“… And these children
that you spit on
as they try to change their worlds
are immune to your consultations.
They’re quite aware
of what they’re going through…”

David Bowie

The John Hughes film The Breakfast Club defined a generation. The song Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds became an anthem. For those of us who can remember that far back, we knew who the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal were. We walked the halls. We stayed in our cliques. The one thing we had in common though was we were all going through the same growing pains. Somehow, we could relate with each other.

Two characters in the movie, Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) and Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) have their problems. Claire’s last name should be Standoffish, since she is a stuck-up little rich girl who daddy pampered all the way to high school. Allison, on the other hand, blends in with the scenery. No one really notices her and no one really cares. Together, they make up the girls of The Breakfast Club.

Claire is a self-absorbed user with nothing on her mind other than herself. In Claire’s world no else matters other than what she buys, who’s she with, and what looks good on her. Don’t be fooled. What she represents is an image her spoiled friends will accept. In that hard shell, however, lies a person with a heart. She feels the awkwardness of being well off, and wishes she wasn’t an object her parents use to get back at each other.

Allison calls herself a nymphomaniac, but later admits to being a compulsive liar. Of course, no one knows this until she opens her mouth and spews out lie after lie to those gullible enough to believe her. Like Claire, Allison pretends to be someone else in order to feel accepted by others. Teen angst runs through her veins and her biggest problem is her parents ignoring her.

In spite of their problems, Claire and Allison recognize who they are in a group therapy session. Meant to spark resolution, the students bare their souls to reveal their true selves to those willing to identify with them.

The results?

Dear Mr. Vernon.

We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong but we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, with the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain. And an athlete. And a basket case. A princess. And a criminal. Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,

The Breakfast Club.

Women Who Wow Wednesday has always been about strong women. Claire and Allison belong here. Their confession to who they are and what they pretend to be provides an opportunity for those wondering what life really was like in the 80’s. In reality though, life in the 80’s was not much different to the way life is now.

Everyone pretends. Everyone wants to be accepted.

If you’re from that era, what does The Breakfast Club mean to you? Who do you identify with in the group?

Sweet Moments

Posted on May 9, 2014May 10, 2017 by Jack Flacco

That moment during a hot summer day when the clouds above you churn and you know it’s coming. The smell of burning wood on a cold winter night and all those memories flood your mind of how it used to be when you were a kid. How sitting on the park bench while the wind chills you reminds you of what a hot chocolate will taste like when you get back indoors.

They’re there. We just have to see them. Those beautiful junctures that make life all the more wonderful to live. Allow me to take a sliver of time from Freedom Friday to tell you about my sweet moments.

How the grass smells when I first cut it. How the house looks when it’s clean. How the garden looks when de-weeded. How I feel when I have a good movie I want to watch and have been waiting all week to watch it. How the sound of an ice cream truck brings me back to when I was a boy playing hockey with my friends in the street. How a sunset makes all the sense in the world, even when things at the time don’t make sense.

When the first snowfall hits, and my excitement builds knowing Christmas is right around the corner. When the leaves change, and I have my camera with me to take incredible shots of the colorful foliage. When the birds return after having spent those dark months away, and they sing their wonderful spring melodies at five in the morning.

The way my tongue dances after I bite into the most delicious dinner ever made in the history of culinary excellence. The silence I hear when I’m reading a good book. The joy I feel when a plan works as expected. The smell of an electronics store when I first walk in and all I want is the latest film release, but it tempts me with more. The sight of a dog chasing its tail and not knowing anything more complicated than that.

There’s more. Like those times I walk in on my wife, grab her in my arms, and tell her how lucky I am to have her. When I look into the eyes of my children and find myself staring back. That moment spending time with the extended family and someone tells a joke that everyone laughs. How the smile on someone’s face can make all the difference in the world when having a tough day. And how I try to see the good in others even when they’re terrible to me.

You see, I have many sweet moments in my life, and I’m sure you have them, too. If you look closely, you can see them. They’re there. They’re waiting for you to discover. When you do, it will amaze you by how it makes you feel knowing you’ve found one. Not everyone knows about them, but that’s okay. One day they will.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

What are you sweet moments? What special place do you have that you can call your own?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Clementine

Posted on April 16, 2014April 18, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Few women in life are memorable. Fewer women in film are so. Joel (Jim Carrey) doesn’t remember ripping the pages from his journal. Apparently, it’s been two years since his last entry. Taking a day off work in February, walking the beach in Montauk seems to ease his preoccupation with the guy who had hit his car overnight. He’s a mess. Maybe he should get back with Naomi. She loved Joel.

Clementine (Kate Winslet) captures Joel’s attention in the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It may be because he saw her slip a shot of alcohol into her mug at a restaurant or because of her blue hair. Then there’s the fact they take the same train together and he can’t lift his eyes off her, but she’s someone worthy to have eyes on. After all, Women Who Wow Wednesday wouldn’t be what it is without a female lead to think of as worthy.

She says, “Hi,” and he answers, “I’m sorry?” He can’t believe she’s talking to him.

She asks him if he ever shops at Barnes & Noble. He says sure. She then says that’s where she’s positive they met. She’s been a book slave for five years, but he probably doesn’t recognize her because of the hair color. It changes a lot. Today her hair is called Blue Ruin. Tomorrow it may be Red Menace, Yellow Fever or maybe even Green Revolution.

She introduces herself as Clementine and asks for no jokes about her name, please. Not because they offend her, but because she’s heard them all before: Huckleberry Hound comes to mind, “Oh, my darlin’, oh, my darlin’, oh, my darlin’ Clementine. You were lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine.”

Joel loves the name, calling it pretty, then says, “It means merciful. Right? Clemency?”

She says, “It hardly fits. I’m vindictive, truth be told.”

Clementine has to be one of the most interesting characters on film. She describes herself as an “out of sorts”, “sorta nutso” gal, but gets anxious when she’s thinking she’s not living her life to the fullest, taking advantage of every possibility, making sure she’s not wasting one second of the little time she has—at least, that’s what she says.

Joel’s never met anyone like her. He’s taken a shine to her.

On Valentine’s Day, the day they meet the first time, he spends the evening with her, talking with her at her apartment. When he gets home, he couldn’t wait to call her. The first thing out of her mouth is, “Miss me?” He says yes, and she laughs. She actually tells him she will marry him. That’s the first day.

Clementine does what we can only imagine. She treads on thin ice and wonders why we can’t do the same. She’s a bucketful of energy, a firecracker and she has a way about her that someone can only describe as odd. But in all this, in her weird and eccentric ways, Clementine enjoys life and doesn’t mind showing it to everyone around her.

What does Joel see in Clementine? He can’t place his finger on it. He knows there’s something about her—

She’s unique. Different. And it’s that uniqueness that makes her someone to get to know outside the funny look she has to her hair. She makes him imagine of a world beyond himself. A world open to new ideas and thoughts.

Clementine may be strange, but she’s whom we want to become. Children discovering new things each and every day of our lives.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

Have you seen the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? What did you think of Clementine?

Monday Mayhem

Olaf the Zombie

Posted on April 14, 2014April 16, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Last week’s Women Who Wow Wednesday featured Anna and Elsa from the movie Frozen. A couple of my readers had asked if I would consider writing about Olaf the snowman. You see, they thought Olaf exhibited zombie traits and it would make for a great subject for a Monday Mayhem post. At this moment, I agree.

However, at the time, I didn’t see how an animated snowman would become the symbol of zombieism in a Disney movie about two siblings trying to mend their relationship after a grave fallout. I’ll admit, even I couldn’t see the connection.

But after careful consideration, multiple viewings of Frozen, and plenty of ice cream—I don’t know, I’m just making this up as I go along—I’ve come to the conclusion that Olaf the snowman is in fact a genuine, true to life, not of this world zombie. Well, that’s to say Olaf displays undead tendencies. Let’s see what I mean—I’m dying to find out, too!

For those unfamiliar with the movie Frozen, I’ll give you a quick spoiler-free summary.

Princesses Anna and Elsa are sisters. Elsa has this magical power to conjure snow out of nothingness. She’s so good at it that she can create an ice rink with a simple step of her foot, a storm with the wave of a hand, and a snowman that talks. Yes, we’re talking about Olaf. He’s what we call possessed. Maybe not, but his personality is warm and cuddly.

On numerous occasions, Olaf falls apart. Much like a zombie, even after losing his head he still manages to stay alive while his parts try to find themselves. On one hand, it’s funny. Who doesn’t want a talking snowman who falls apart and succeeds in putting itself together? On the other hand, it’s creepy. Imagine strolling in the middle of the backyard during winter to find the snowman you had broken into pieces confronting you with revenge on its mind for what you did. Not so different from zombies, huh?

Then there’s the whole summer melting thing. Olaf loves summer. He hasn’t a clue as to what summer would do to him, but he loves the sun. In a part of the movie where he finally gets close to fire, he realizes he’s hot, and he begins melting. For a split second, you could attest to the fact you saw a zombie in Olaf’s melted state. I’m talking rotted eyes, skin falling off its body, skull appearing from under the snow. It’s quite disconcerting. I wouldn’t want to be in the same room while this happens.

Have I talked about the possessed limbs yet? I haven’t? Well, then. Olaf’s arms are branches stuck in his torso from Elsa’s conjuring. If they detach from his torso, they remain alive, crawling, bending, grabbing—similar to zombies. Have you seen zombie arms independent from their bodies? They’re crazy sights. They have a life of their own. In Olaf’s case, his arm separated from his body and smacked someone in the face. But we won’t get into that, will we?

So, do you see how innocent Olaf the snowman is really a zombie in disguise. I wouldn’t have believed it either hadn’t I seen it for myself.

Now I’m wondering if I should build a snowman next winter.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

What do you think of Olaf the snowman/zombie? Would he pose a threat to humanity?

Monday Mayhem

Terminators vs. Zombies

Posted on April 7, 2014April 9, 2014 by Jack Flacco

They keep coming and coming and don’t let up. They’ll hunt you down and kill you without mercy. They have no soul. They’re impervious to pain. They are dead inside, unable to feel empathy or feel anything for that matter. They will not rest until every single human soul lies dead under their feet.

If you think I’m talking about terminators, raise your hands. C’mon, don’t be shy. They sound like terminators, don’t they? They’re not, at least not in my book. I’m talking about zombies. How many of you guessed right? Well, you’re wrong, too. They’re terminators. Not sure, are you? Welcome to another edition of Monday Mayhem.

For those not familiar with the origins of The Terminator movie, one day, director James Cameron was suffering from a very high fever when in the midst of his dreams a metal skull appeared to him. It had burst into flames and filled his mind in a frenzy of horror. When he awoke, he immediately took to his typewriter and within twenty-four hours had the treatment written of The Terminator. Just like that.

For those unfamiliar with a film treatment, it’s a short story written in present tense prose with a liberal dollop of the director’s style. It’s much more detailed than an outline.

The idea behind The Terminator lies in man’s quest for immortality. A terminator does not feel, does not ponder on life’s great mysteries, does not fill its head with silly arguments of what is right and wrong. It roams and kills. Nothing more. Not much different from the undead, really.

Let’s have a look at similarities between terminators and zombies.

Persistence—Terminators do not know when to give up. They will keep coming after its target until either it dies a terrible death or its battery depletes. The likelihood of its battery depleting is next to zero. Therefore, you can run it down, drive a metal rod through its body, crush it with a steel girder, and blow it up. It will still come after you without relent. A zombie works the same way. Once it spots its victim, it will stop at nothing to capture it. Other than a shotgun blast to the head, nothing will deter it from its aim to make human its main dinner dish. It will keep coming and coming. It will not stop until we’re all dead.

Roaming—Those treacherous endoskeletons travel long distances to achieve their mission objective. They smash through doors, crash through windows, overcome gun blast wounds all for the sake of killing their targets. They’ll even drag their way to them if they have to, which is no different from the undead who chase after their prey. No manner of defense will discourage zombies from their inordinate plan to attack and dismember their victims. And yes, they’ll also drag to capture their victim.

Unfeeling—The driving force behind a terminator is its mission to kill its target. It does not care if its intended target has a family. It does not equate the loss of life to the loss of a relationship. Its design dictates merciless killing as its goal. In much the same way, a zombie’s ultimate quest is to satiate its craving for human. It has no empathy for the potential loss of a brilliant life. It doesn’t understand the bond between humans, the love of a parent for a child, the love of a mate for a mate. It possesses no heart. It does not cry for its victim nor does it rejoice after the killing. It can’t do any of that because it simply does not feel. How dreadful a life when a sentient life walks the earth soulless, empty and void.

Regardless of the many similarities mentioned, and I’m sure you can think of more, you know what I would find interesting? Instead of terminators and zombies going after humans, why not have them in a massive battle against each other? Wouldn’t that be something to look forward? But I think we’d know who would win.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

Can you think of other similarities between the metal endoskeletons and the undead?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Mako Mori

Posted on March 26, 2014March 28, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Pacific Rim is one of those movies where one viewing just isn’t enough. So much happens with every scene that the movie’s charm glitters even more so after multiple viewings and with plenty of popcorn.

From the grand scale cast comes an intrepid fighter with a grudge to settle and the will to die for an ideal filled with hope. Women Who Wow Wednesday celebrates Pacific Rim’s Mako Mori.

Japan once again becomes the footstool to giant monsters, this time they’re called the Kaiju. To fight against them, humanity builds skyscraper-sized robots known as Jaegers, fully armed and packing the heat to take down the Kaiju in the streets of the small island. Controlled by two pilots, the Jaegers become fodder to the Kaiju’s weapons of mass destruction. In hopes of stemming the clash with the mainland, the world’s military take one last chance on former Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) in an attempt to defeat the Kaiju.

As part of the Jaeger program, Raleigh needs a partner of equal talent to pull off the impossible—the destruction of the Kaiju. Played by The Brothers Bloom’s Rinko Kikuchi, Mako Mori is program leader Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba)’s right-hand go-to girl. If anyone knows anything about the invading monsters, it’s Mako. She’s met one up close and personal. Her experience leads her to team up with Raleigh in a battle of nerves against the giants.

To control the Jaegers, Raleigh and Mako need to hook up to become drift compatible. Drifting’s all about melding the pilots’ brains into one in order to maximize strategy and control the giant robot. Without it, the pilots would die.

Mako’s resiliency proves to be on the cutting edge of the Kaiju’s bad side. She displays a cunning for fighting Raleigh hasn’t seen since the death of his previous partner of war. The skill by which she deploys the weaponry proves surprising as they dispatch one monster after another in the heart of a battle-infested ocean.

What makes Mako admirable is how she doesn’t run away from insurmountable odds, but sticks to her guns, plows ahead and fights without so much as a whimper. She doesn’t scamper from her problems, scared. She doesn’t cry because things are too hard for her. No. Mako stands her ground and doesn’t budge on the first sight of trouble. What’s more? She trusts Raleigh with her life. No matter how bad things get, she learns to let go and allow herself to surf the drift with Raleigh by her side as her closest friend in arms. She doesn’t care what others think. She gets the job done.

Mako Mori lives as she preaches, without fear and having the will to fight no matter what stands in her way.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

What did you think of the movie Pacific Rim? What do you think of Mako?

Monday Mayhem

Zombieland Rules

Posted on March 24, 2014March 26, 2014 by Jack Flacco

I love Zombieland. I can watch that movie several times in a row without getting bored. I also love the little things about it. I love how Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) loves Twinkies. What’s not to love about a zombie slaying Twinkie lover who just as well bash the brains of the undead than have a civilized conversation? Have I overused the word love yet? That’s why for today’s Monday Mayhem series I want to write about the Zombieland rules. Do you know what they are? Have you ever heard of them? If not, you’re in luck. Have a gander below to find out what they are.

Rule #1—Cardio: Do you want to survive the zombie apocalypse? Get in shape. Zombies nowadays are speed demons. They can dash from one side of a football field to another in seconds. Best keeping one step ahead of them than finding yourself served as the main course to a zombie buffet. No one wants that.

Rule #2—Double Tap: Here’s how this works, one of the undead races towards you and you blast it in the head. Don’t be cheap. Unload another bullet in their rotting corpse for insurance. You’ll never know you killed it unless its jaws lock on your jugular. By that time, it’ll be too late. Use another bullet. You’ll be glad you did.

Rule #3—Beware of Bathrooms: One thing’s for sure, when a zombie’s after you, you don’t want to have your pants down. Avoid bathrooms. Toilets kill. Zombies can smell you a mile away. You want privacy? Get lost in the woods with a small shovel. Once you’re done, pile the dirt and disappear. You don’t want that stuff getting on your shoes to have a horde after you because of improper waste management.

Rule #4—Seatbelts: If anything’s certain during the zombie apocalypse, you’ll be running hard. The second point of certainty is you’ll be driving fast. You’ll always want to have your seatbelt firmly secured around your waist. The highways will have obstacles everywhere and if you should so hit one of these obstacles, you’ll be taking a header through the windshield on to the highway ahead. Always wear your seatbelt.

Rule #7—Travel Light: Do you think you’ll have time to pack your bags and hit the road when zombies are knocking at your door? Of course not. You won’t have enough time to think, let alone pack. Much like an expectant mother, it would be a good idea to keep a knapsack prepped either at the foot of the door or the window. You’ll want to carry guns, knives, bullets—you know—the essentials. Rope will come in handy, too. But the reality is once the zombies spot you and chase you, you’ll have little else to do than run. You can’t run fast if you’re packing heavy.

Rule #11—Check the Back Seat: Have you ever seen those Horror flicks where the girl dives into the driver’s seat of her car after having ran a mile from an unknown entity? Can you tell me what happens next? Right, someone or something hops from the back seat and makes her into a side serving for lunch. Always, always check the back seat of your car.

Rule #16—Limber Up: The worst thing that can happen to you when running as fast as you can from those maggot bags is pulling a muscle ten feet into your escape plan. How could it happen in the first place? You didn’t limber up. You see, during the apocalypse, you won’t have time to fall on your backside because you’ll be too busy running. You’ll need to keep in shape if you’re to avoid the dreaded mandibles of the undead latching on to your leg. While you’re doing other things, throw in a few jumping jacks. Better still, toss in several pushups. After all, a limber human is a saved human.

Rule #17—Don’t be a Hero: Everyone loves a hero, but how great is a hero if said hero ends up as a meal? Let’s admit it, pulling the trigger on a zombie and watching its brains splatter against the wall is fun. And if you save someone in the process, it’s a thrill. However, if it’s you against them and you have nothing to gain, better save your ammo and run. Those few seconds contemplating how glorious zombie brains would look all over the dash could have gone to better use like, hightailing it out of there while you still have your life in your hands. Always run.

Rule #32—Enjoy the Little Things: Remember your first crush? Remember how it felt learning you’d passed your worst subject in school by the skin on your nose? Remember your first Twinkie? In the hustle and bustle of a killing the undead, we’ll tend to forget the little things that make life special. Take a moment between kills to reminisce about life’s little wonders, about the beauty that was and the joy you gain when thinking of the simple things. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll also find the last Twinkie on earth and know what I mean.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

What are the official Zombieland rules? Where can I find them?

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