Hawaii 5-0 Pilot, Last Night.

I don't really remember the original Hawaii 5-0 as

I don't think I had passed the fifth grade when it aired. I do remember my dad loved it and never missed it. And I did read yesterday that Jack Lord, who died in 1998, was considered "ruggedly handsome and irresistible ..." Okay -- I will give that to the late 1960's and early 1970 and keep my own opinion of those terms. I think we grow Hollywood stars a little different now because in reality, should the terrorists be that much hotter than the cops?

Not that cops were bad, of course.

I had never seen any of the work of Alex O'Loughlin (McGarrett) before so I was

able to enjoy him with fresh eyes and I did like his performance as well as his banter with Scott Caan (Dano). Caan I have seen in several movies including all the "Ocean"'s as well as "American Outlaws". Enjoyed all. I have seen "Lost." I have seen "Battlestar", so Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park were easy to place. Great jobs.

The show itself, not bad. not the best, but not bad either. I enjoyed it. We did sorta think, with all the mentions of Dano's daughter, that Victor would be heading that way and was surprised when he didn't. The car -- hotter than the terrorist --and that isn't easy to do when your terrorist are formerly and forever Murphy and Spike ... that standing alone is way up on any scale. But I have a thing for muscle cars as most people who know me know and that one rocked. Would have done better going up the conveniently placed ramp to go onto the boat than the squad car.

I do have one question ... "Champ" ... what if the dad had kept a Craftsman’s toolbox?

That conversation might have gone different. :)

And for the obvious and the people gathered around here -- I loved Mr. Reedus' performance as Anton Hesse. I agree, not enough time, lines or anything to satisfy but enough to want more. Really wish he had been the last brother standing as they left a mystery as to whether Victor survived and Anton, he was pretty much a done deal. Needed more Reedus and his name was high up on the credits as they went by. Lucky for me, husband did forget the cookies so evil and dead did not earn five Oreos and I will have to owe the scoreboard.

The "answer the phone, you don't talk to your father enough ..." line was chilling and the

look superior and controlling.

But when Anton said the simple “Boom" in that soft, steady, in total control way -- I got shivers. Okay, I admit it. I loved it.

http://bit.ly/aT8dHU

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone". ~Rod Serling

Do not change your channel!! I will be gone for a week but will be back soon to finish the last two Norman Reedus films before moving on to Joesph Gordon Levitt. If you have more Reedus you want reviewed before I finish out, let me know before I get back!! We -- me -- just need a little vacation from life and will be basking with friends in San Fransisco!! Ahhh ... I love San Fran. My favorite city in the whole wide world!!

Back Logging Again: Beat ...

Starring Courtney Love, Kiefer Sutherland, Ron Livingston and Norman Reedus

Directed by: Gary Walkow

Written by: Gary Walkow

“Beat”, the based on a true story of people trying to find their way, looking to one another for direction and seeing one man as the center of everything they seek. Male or female, the crowd who became the original Beatniks were drawn to Lucien Carr’s charisma, his ability to bring people together even when he didn’t always know the answers himself.

After serving two years for the murder of his would be attacker, Lucien Carr, along with his good friend, Alan Ginsberg, travel to Mexico to visit their long time friend, William Burroughs. Only Burroughs has already left by the time they arrive for a side trip with his newest boy toy.

Alone, miserable with no hope and no way out, Burroughs wife, Joan, entertains their friends and eventually agrees to a road trip of their own, just the three of them. The sexual tension between Carr and Joan sizzles in every scene. Both wanting one goal, while knowing their paths will never be the same no matter how much they talk and fantasize and pretend. One night of intimacy together and they head home and Carr and Ginsberg return to New York, reluctantly leaving Joan even though they begged her to come. Her answer was always the same: “I can’t leave Bill."

On Bill’s return, a gun fanatic and while drunk, he fatally shoots Joan in the head and Lucien, who cared so deeply for her, even if he couldn’t commit to her, learns when the announcement comes over the wire while he is at work at the United Press.

Courtney Love as Joan – beautiful. I saw her in a light I have never seen before, giving a fantastic performance that radiated with depth and emotion. It was truly a masterpiece.

Keifer Sutherloang speaking in the same dialect as the real Burroughs, he was more lost than leader but held his position where he wanted it.

Ron Livingston as Allan Ginsberg almost the glue that held everyone together. Even though he himself was in love with Lucien, he knew to not seek out a relationship that would never be welcome. He was the reason behind their voices and ideas.

Norman Reedus as Lucien Carr – and have checked out the life of the real Lucien Carr – he really was a great, great man who I truly admired. Lucien Carr succeeded in life, as well in writing, seemingly without trying. People were drawn to him, as in the movie: wanted to talk to him, be with him, have him a member if their life. They wanted to sleep with him and have his essence become part of them. Reedus’ performance as Carr was one of his best. Sexy, a believer who wanted something even he could not identify.

Lucien Carr was the back bone behind The Beatnik movement.

This was a power film, full of sexual tension with almost half its scenes, with escape right on the horizon but so far away, no one was going to win. And in the end, that is what really happened – they remained friends even after Joan’s death, while they all still remembered what they created

Said William Burroughs later in life: “I am forced to the appalling conclusion that I would never have become a writer but for Joan's death. I had no choice but to write my way out.”

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.