Movie Review: No Country for Old Men

Call the toss: heads or tails? Don't really matter cause I was cheated out of seven bucks for the ticket to go see this darn thing! "No Country for Old Men" is a crime/drama/suspense/thriller/Western/drama....you get the point. Written and directed by Ethan and Joel Cohen, based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. It opens with various clips of the beautiful Texas landscape as Tommy Lee Jones delivers the opening narration, similar to the way Sam Elliot opened "Ghost Rider." Any who, Jones is hunting one day minding his own business when suddenly, he stumbles upon a whole bunch of dead Mexicans, a truck with a huge amount of dope, and $2 million in cash. He picks up the money, along with some of the ammunition that's left, and heads out. So he goes to the police, turns it in, and then they team up to track down the rest of them...WRONG! He goes out on his own and becomes the target of a psychotic Javier Bardem. Don't ask me what's wrong with this dude, all I know is that he's SCREWED UP! He was obviously in on the drug deal but what side of it? No one knows, he just wants the money. Jones starts going from town to town, giving us no clue as to what he plans on doing: is just trying to put some distance between him and the bad guys or is he trying to make off with the money himself? Impossible to tell.

The main thing that just sticks in my crawl about this film is the gritty, senseless violence, and complete lack of closure. Jones ends up getting himself killed after a bunch of nameless Mexicans raid his hotel room, Javier leaves several bodies in his wake, but never gets what he's after, and the films ends with an old sheriff telling about a dream he'd had. No happy ending, no explanation, good vs evil and evil wins.

But then again, I suppose that's what the story is intended to make us do, cringe as he realize that this film depicts the real world. Every day the news papers are filled with stories of people whose actions no one can interpret. I'm reminded of John Carpenter's classic "Halloween" as the character Dr. Samuel Loomis, explains to the sheriff just what kind of man the serial killer Michal Myers really is, "I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply…evil."

What I liked? Well, the suspense had me on the edge of my seat. There were some great camera shots for scenes requiring meticulous detail, and the acting was pretty good. Javier plays on of the best villains I've seen on the screen since Kevin Spacey in "Seven". You defiantly felt you were in the times. Location shooting couldn't have been any better, and the barren desert landscape was magnificent.

This film defies all the rules that we expect writers to follow when we go see a picture. We expect a plot, characters and an outcome that makes sense, whether good or bad. But the more I think about it, the more I'm beginning to understand how this so accurately portrays the environment we live in. No one is truly safe. As horrifying as it may be, we forget by putting on rose-tinted glasses. It hurts to be reminded that evil still exists, but then again, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. All in all, the film isn't bad after you get over the initial reaction. You just need a moment to let it all sink in.

Power to the pen and those who wield it.

I'm Back!

Hey readers!

I had a wonderful Christmas vacation. I've gained weight (just a little) from all the turkey, apple pie, egg nog, cookies, corn, green beans, and....*sigh* everything else. Got alot of editing done on Lunar Dawn, I'm now done with the first 100 or so pages. My goal is to have the book ready by next summer, but who knows? I got a new digital camera, been playing with that alot. This is just a quick post to let you all know that I'll be back to work on this blog soon. I got a surprise for everyone, so keep checking in! I hope you all had a great holiday season, and have a happy new year!

Pearl Harbor

Hello everyone,

It's December 7th, the day that continues to live in infamy. Over 60 years ago on this day at 8 AM, over 200 Japanese aircraft descended mercilessly on Pearl Harbor with the intention to completely destroy the American fleet. Over 2,300 sailors and Marines were killed as the island was bombarded by wave after wave of fighter planes. The very next day, Congress declared war on Japan, what would be referred to as "waking the giant".

Today we all ought to take just a few moments to remember that this is the day our nation was smacked in the face, and realized that our existence was at stake. So what did we do? What did millions of young men and boys all over the country do? They dropped what they were doing and went to volunteer. On that day, no draft was necessary because everyone knew what was happening. Nearly four years later, the Empire of Japan was brought to its knees by the Atom Bombs.

I'm not going to waste my time and energy writing about the politics of the times, or the conspiracy theories behind who MAY have known something about whatever. The fact is that we were attacked and we responded in the appropriate manner. Do I have a grudge against the Japanese today? No, that wouldn't be right, because the generation today isn't responsible for what happened so long ago. But be certain that this day transformed us into a mighty power. It was one of those rare times in history when we put aside our differences and banded together like good American citizens should every day, to fight a common enemy. Imagine what would happen if we did that to fight against the terrorists today? Or poverty?

"December 7th, 1941: a date that shall live forever in infamy." It's almost funny when you think about Roosevelt. He scratched out the original sentence, "a date that will live in world history" and replaced it with more passionate words. This is the day we lost our innocence and left home to do our job.

I'm sure hundreds of people are already at the memorial, standing just a few feet over the carcass of the USS Arizona. Moments of silence, prayers, and witness testimonies. May God forever allow their souls to rest in peace. I hope that we never forget this tragedy and blatant travesty.


Power to the pen, with which one may honor and give praise to the millions of dead who gave their LIVES for freedom!

Taking a Break

Hey guys,

I know it's been awhile since I last posted something, but I have a good reason. My first semester in college is drawing to a close, and the final exams are only a week away. After that I've got a nice, long break for Christmas, during which time I hope to edit alot of Lunar Dawn and write some more articles. I haven't forgotten about you so don't worry, I'll be back ASAP!