The Island

A few days ago on Facebook, a few of my friends and I were discussing thrilling movie moments, and somehow Michael Bay and Transformers was brought into the discussion—and not for anything good. They seemed to be of the opinion that the lack of plot and decent acting, substituted with loads of special effects, makes Michael Bay a bad director. I tend to agree with them on this subject when it comes to the quality of the Transformer films, but cut the director a little slack. He's not that bad of a director. I quite enjoyed Bad Boys 1 and Bad Boys 2, and The Island—which this rather long introduction is about.

The Island is a fantastic sci-fi thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlet Johansen. Captivating and mesmerizing, Michael Bay skillfully introduces us to a world of child-like simplicity. As soon as we are immersed in this world, the threads of the tapestry begin to unravel to reveal a world that doesn't exist, and the greed selfishness of human nature rears it's ugly head. Without spoiling the ending, I will tell you that this movie has that "thrilling movie moment" my friends and I were discussing, and thus validates Michael Bay (in my book at least) as a half-way decent director.

Patrick Swayze Marathon

I don't know why I've done this, but lately I've had a craving for Patrick Swayze movies from the 80s and 90s. I think it stemmed from the fact that (hold your breath) I have never seen Dirty Dancing. I know, I know. Shocking. Anyways, here is a brief summary of three of Patrick's movies I watched last week.

Dirty Dancing I actually really enjoyed this movie. It definitely had a Footloose feeling to it, and not really surprising since Dirty Dancing (1987) was made three years after Footloose (1984). I thought it was tastefully done, although I am sure at the time it came out it was super scandalous. Funny how that works isn't it? It was interesting to see the cast and pick out people who continued on to fame, and to see those who fell by the wayside. Good show. I'd watch it again.

Ghost Ah, you know, the first time I saw this movie (a few years back or so), it definitely seemed to be a lot more intense than the last time I watched it. Not sure why that is—maybe the fact that I knew how it ended played a part in it. I think it's a decent show, but it's not one that I'd take down off the shelf and watch just for the heck of it.

Red Dawn I've loved this show since the first time I saw it, even though the acting is typical of acting in 80s movies. Great story and a great cast, both main actors and supporting actors. I was surprised to see a much younger Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing) since I had just seen her the other night getting all steamy with Swayze. It was interesting to see Charlie Sheen (Platoon, Young Guns) and Lea Thompson as well (Back to the Future 1-3, Space Camp). Rumor has it (still waiting to see a trailer) that there is going to be a remake of Red Dawn released in 2011. Should be interesting.

Anyways, that's it for the PS Marathon for now. There might be another round in the near future, maybe.

Easy A

Easy A is as much a chick flick as the book The Scarlet Letter is appropriate reading for young teenage girls. While this isn't a remake of the Scarlet Letter (thank goodness), it is a great spin on the idea of it. Be warned, though, the language is a bit rough, especially for a PG-13 movie (another reason this country needs a ratings overhaul).

All in all, I would have to give this movie an A, both for originality, and a superb cast, but knock a few points off for the excessive use of the "s" word. Not a good movie for young teens, in my opinion—best leave this one for the grown ups (and old married couples).