Backlogging Again: The Messenger 2

Messenger 2: The Scarecrow

Staring: Norman Reedus, Heather Stephens, Claire Holt, Richard Riehle, Darcy Fowers, Matthew McNulty

Directed by Martin Barnewitz

Written by Todd Farmer

There was nothing amazingly spectacular about this movie. Just the opposite, actually. I can see where real critics would have had a field day on it. The plot was pretty thin, it didn't make sense in a whole lot of places -- Stay With Me -- It was predictable "Hum ... look the kid can drive the tractor even as mom keeps telling dad 'stop teaching the kid how to drive the tractor ...’ wonder if that will come in handy later?"

John Rollins is losing his farm, his crops, his wife to another man, all his security, his children ... nothing could possibly go worse as the bank comes after him, the crows eat his crops, his credit is pulled, his irrigation system breaks. It is looking pretty damn bleak until he finds the hidden closet in the barn storing an ancient and ugly scarecrow that his neighbor assures John will change everything.

And it does. With a few dead bodies adding up, some sexual aggression, failure to hold onto the children he holds dear ... it really is a no win situation that is explained by the little ghost girl "The Scarecrow doesn't protect the man. It protects the land."

And you know what? I loved this movie. I really did. Yeah, it got a little too spooky for big, tough me while I was home alone in a dark house in the middle of nowhere. There may have been a time or two when I suddenly had to get a drink of water. Use the bathroom. "Opps, I better transfer that load of laundry right now."

But what this movie may have lacked in Academy Award nominations it made up in something so much better. It was fuuun. I had fuuun watching this. And I watched it again. And again. I recommended it. Yeah, it's not the greatest of horror films, though it scares you here and there, but man, what a great way to spend the night. Fun. How many things are just that much friggin' fun? I loved it and appreciated every frame of screen time.

A Crime ...

A Crime

Staring: Harvey Keitel, Emmanuelle Béar and Norman Reedus

The story of love lost through violence, a relationship desired to heal all wounds and the length one woman will go too to get the man she views as perfect.

I have read that this is considered to be Norman Reedus' best performance ever. This was verified by fans. I might have to agree.

Vincent Harris (Reedus) comes home in time to find his beloved wife murdered just minutes before. His life shattered, he is left with a puppy he didn't even know for four weeks was his, a gift she had picked up just that afternoon as a surprise to him. "Vickie" becomes his focus as Vincent trains Vickie as a race dog for the next three years. When he is not training him, Vincent is trying to solve his wife’s murder. Living in an apartment across from Alice Parker (Emmanuelle Béar), Vincent helps her, is there for her, and though he is aware of her desire for him, it never truly crosses his mind the lengths she will go to possess him.

"Is he your boyfriend?" she is asked.

"He will be as soon as I solved this crime."

Her idea for solving the crime is to set up a taxi driver, Roger Culkin (Keitel), though manipulation, sex, set ups – really bad, bad things that eventually get poor Roger found guilty in the eyes of vigilante justice and Roger goes into the river in the trunk of his own taxi.

Vincent’s affair with Alice begins, even as Roger comes back from the dead.

“Out of all the cabbies you wanted to set up for the murder, you picked me …?”

Tell tale line.

And it is soon evident that as conniving as Alice had been to win Vincent, her love was genuine and she will do anything to protect him.

Not a high powered film with extravagant emotions, but more of a slow simmer with excellent performances by all the major players. The ending, maybe a little bit more predictable than I would normally like, but not in the least bit distracting. Vincent was a quiet man who loved deeply and in the end, Vickie won first place in his race and Vincent and Alice were able to start a new life.

Floating ...

Floating, 1999 staring Norman Reedus, Chad Lowe, Will Lymann and Sybil Temchen

Written and Directed by William Roth

1999 Best Jury Award: Best Acting Performance: Norman Reedus

1999 Cinematography Award Wolfgang Held

1999 Best of Festival Award: William Roth

Several things immediately make "Floating" different than any other Norman Reedus parts of the time. Tenth movie out, released after "Boondock Saints", a couple years after "Six Ways Till Sunday", the character Mr. Reedus portrayed in "Floating" was very much different. He wasn’t the “bad guy” or villain often mentioned by Mr. Reedus, citing “he just has that look.” The man portrayed didn’t kill anybody in this part, nowhere near. His character, Van, was lost, looking for his own identify as he was abandoned by his mother, rejected by his girlfriend and trapped in a relationship with his father that was both dependent and abusive.

This was a coming of age film, very much different than any other part and not requiring a fire arm.

Van, the hero was facing every nightmare a kid could face the year before college. Loss of the life he knew, a mother who walked away and never looked back, taking all the family money. Van lost his house, his security, his chance at the college he wanted to attend. A swimmer who wanted to be on the team at school, he now spends his days on the pond he has always called home.

"I had it. A white picket fence life. Good friends. Good family. Good life. And my dad blew it. Screwed himself up in a car accident. We were kind of depressed for awhile. But now we are doing alright." ~Van

Everything about Van’s life is sacrifice – and he is so damn good at it, even when he is miserable. When his underlining anger surfacing, he still manages to be there for everyone who needs him. He cares for everyone he loves. From handing his father Red Five paints instead the Red Six, to trying to reach the girlfriend who treated him so cruelly, to his new friend who has his own a secret. When Van did find it out, it didn’t even faze the relationship. He stood by Doug to the end.

Van was a good, good guy. Lost, but searching, hoping for an answer that was out there somewhere and not even sure where he was supposed to look.

Trivia: I do believe it is the only time where Mr. Reedus’ tat on his chest was altered. Also, in most stills, it switches sides.

Walls ...

"Walls" by Jack Roberts, 2006 Starring Jayce Bartok, Greg Haberny and Norman Reedus

“PRODUCTION: Shot over 7 days, spread out over 6 months. Walls is a short film based on a feature screen play called "Livingston Ave." Which is currently being shopped for funding.”

A short, twenty minute film, not easy to locate on the Internet.

http://vimeo.com/14167976

"Walls" is the condensed story of Jay Styles, his rise to fame, the loss of his brother and the article Rolling Stones wants to do on it.

A vivid recollection of past and present, of the brotherly love obvious even when sex, drugs and rock & roll are ripping them apart. I really enjoy watching these short pieces as so much is packed into a small amount of time, making you want more and more. Mr. Reedus' part as Henry Flesh, Rolling Stones reporter is actually a pretty damn cool part to play when you are a writer looking at the performance and thinking what an amazing job that must be.

“Is that what the whole Keith experience influence is?” Flesh asks.

“The Keith experience? We finally get to that, huh?”

“It’s unavoidable," Flesh shrugs.

The Keith Experience was a driving force behind this band. His presence on stage, his dynamics and on the night they signed their first contract, he died of an overdose, leaving his brother, Jay, in a prolonged mixture of sorrow, grief and memories.

This was an emotional film to view, shot with beautiful cinematography showing a mixture of the bands past while Keith was alive, and the movements of Jay though his life as he continued to move forward all the while grieving the brother he couldn't save.

A must see.

Backlogging: Moscow Chill

Moroz po kozhe or Moscow Chill, 2007

Filmed and Released in Europe. Released in America under the name "Moscow Chill" on DVD in 2009. I think it was.

I read in a review – and then, of course, couldn’t find again to back this up -- that "Moroz po kozhe" was extremely popular in Europe and Asia, but never released in theaters in America. I can't prove I read that, but I really did! Though it didn't make much sense to me as I did really love this movie which was a perfect example of range of performance by Mr. Reedus: Ray vs Mac vs. Murphy.

In this film, computer hacker, Ray Perso, can make ATM machines spit cash, which lands him in a rehab institute with the declaration he can never use a computer again.

My favorite scene in the movie, which actually has little to do with the plot is when one of the doctors in the center asks “Do you think this glass is half full Ray, or half empty ...” The look on Ray's face as he dead pans this idiot, giving no answer, is classic. His answer was in that one look.

The only problem I would have with this part – and I am wondering if it is a bad one – but it would be Ray's opinion to the abduction out of the center by two Russians and his only reaction being a shocked sigh once he realizes where they were heading – Moscow. I think talking your way out, maybe bribery, a damn computer code might have been in order instead of getting on a plane with total strangers to a place you had never been to do something you have no clue about. That's a long flight to be thinking "Humph ..."

Ray had a quiet resignation of “Sure” in the situation and then he explained to the heavy weight, Dolphin, the theory in Greek Mythology Prometheus who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. Zeus then punished him for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. Ray liked this story. He mentioned it a few times.

Ray was very easy going. And really a nice, nice guy. Nice to the girl, nice to her son, nice to her dad. Hell, I think he would have been nice to the bear if it had gotten any closer. Ray was one of my favorite characters portrayed by Mr. Reedus because he was more interested in the people and not the money and the circumstances. He hated witnessing a meaningless murder. He really did try to adjust, to come to terms with what he was being sucked into, but when it came down to killing, he didn't want to. It was merely do or die.

And in the end -- he walked away from the chance for the money so he could instead have a chance at the family.

Pretty cool. And Ray remains one of my all time favorites!! :)

RESULTS: Who Do YOU want in your LifeBoat

Okay ... I know ... I know ... everyone is living and breathing to know the results ... LOL And let me just tell you that all of the answers were fantastic. It was through an intricate voting system devised by me and a seventeen old genius that we were able to come up with fair --

Okay --- we assigned everyone a number and drew them out of ... well ... pile on my desk. I didn't have a hat and we really are not very sophisticated around here. :)

For the Poll: The numbers are are follows for who would keep you alive in a your Life Boat:

Arthur: 28%

MacGyver: 35%

Gibbs w/ Tony 7%

Johnny Depp 14%

Viggo 0%

Buffy 14%

It was admitted to me that Johnny Depp was only wanted for the sex and rum ... :)

For me, I would have voted for Arthur twice if the program would have let me cheat!! :)

The Who Do You Want in Your Life Boat Question?

The Award goes to Joanne with this answer:

"Clearly the only practical answer is MacGyver. He could whip together a helicopter out of palm fronds and rubber bands. I was going to say the Professor from Gilligan's Island, but although he could make cars and radios out of coconuts, he couldn't manage to fix a hole in a boat. Plus MacGyver will develop all those alien connections. A Stargate might come in handy."

And lastly, the Follower whose name was drawn?

Josie @ http://takeonehundred.blogspot.com

Thank you for playing with me, guys. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again soon!

~Jax

Five Fans and I Type ...

I seriously cannot believe this is turning into a competition!! However, tell me which one you want HERE and I will start typing again instead of pacing and avoiding. Because really -- it's a blog. About movies. And I think it's fun, or I thought it was fun. I thought it was a whole hell of a lot of fun. But ... really ... I promise you ... it's a blog. About movies. No world peace. No cure for cancer. Won't be feeding the worlds hungry from here.

Blog. Movies. Get it?

Good. Please leave your comments and I will see what I can do, but I am on vacation in two days where I plan on thinking of nothing but warm sun, cool water, my husband of twenty seven years -- our anniversary -- and a bunch of Pina Coladas.