On “Amazon Instant Video” I just discovered the “Luther” series at a great price and anyone who may not be familiar with the show – or fans of the show who would like to re-watch, should consider buying while the price is so low…

Season 1:   Standard – $6.99 / High Def – $8.99

Season 2: Standard – $3.99 / High Def – $7.99

This is the best crime drama I have ever seen – hands down!  I already bought the DVD’s a while ago, but went ahead and bought the HD versions here for both seasons so I’d have an online copy…

From the opening frame of season 1 until the final frame of season 2 it grabs you and never lets go…

I cannot recommend this enough…

The finale of season 2 has to be the most clever and intense showdown I’ve ever seen on a series, or movie.  THIS is what Hollywood so desperately tries to be, but generally fails at…

Another thing I like about the show is that DCI John Luther doesn’t go out of his way to try to be cool, hip or clever the way Hollywood tries to dress-up so many of their heroes as; he epitomizes all these attributes naturally and effortlessly without it feeling forced. This isn’t Jamie Fox or Will Smith who imitate cool; this isn’t about a cop chasing skirts and whistling at every attractive woman he spots on the street and trying to get his “mack” on, etc. Idris Elba has no need to try to be cool. He simply is cool. No effort needed. He doesn’t have to dress all “fly” and strut around like he’s God’s gift to the world. He doesn’t need to threaten criminals; he’s just coming for them.  No words necessary.

I am not sure how long this series will be at this price, but do yourself a favor and get it.   Just trust me!

Here is a teaser trailer:  (I don’t recommend watching many clips of this series before watching the shows b/c some of the clips give away certain twists and information)

Now what?

“….great story…loved Juan and the friendship between him and Ricky….”   -P.,  Charlottesville. VA

It’s 1889 and six months after Jack the Ripper’s crime spree in London’s East End Whitechapel district. H Division is the police precinct in charge of Whitechapel, one of the poorest sections of the city, home to factories, brothels and pubs. H Division failed to catch Jack the Ripper and when the series opens and more women are murdered in Whitechapel, it is thought that the Ripper has returned.

Detective Inspector Edmund Reid is in charge of H Division. He’s a man with a troubled marriage, due to the disappearance, and possible death, of his young daughter. He blames himself for this situation and it has taken a toll on his wife, Emily, and their relationship. Reid is joined by Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake and an American, Homer Jackson. Jackson is a former US Army surgeon, a man who seems to know his way around dead bodies. Together they police the Whitechapel district, trying to keep some semblance of law and order.

Ripper Street is dark, dirty, gritty and nasty, not unlike HBO’s Deadwood, of which I am a big fan. But I gather it’s an accurate representation of London’s East End at that time in history. It’s also a show that investigates the early days of forensic pathology. Many clues are gleaned through Jackson’s autopsies and experiments in his “lab.”

As I’ve said in previous posts, I adore Matthew Macfayden. And he’s the reason I tuned into the show. But I have to admit, though the production is excellent, writing and acting more so, it isn’t a “can’t wait until the next episode” kind of a show for me. I do look forward to the second series, which is scheduled to air in 2014, just to see how the show and the characters evolve.

MAIN CAST:
Matthew Macfayden – Edmund Reid
Jerome Flynn – Bennet Drake
Adam Rothenberg – Homer Jackson
MyAnna Buring – Long Susan
Charlene McKenna – Rose Erskine
Amanda Hale – Emily Reid

Total Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 1
In Production: 2012
Viewer Discretion: Violence, adult situations, language

Myself, I watched three episodes last week, two on Sunday and then the current one on Monday and walked around at work semi-dazed Tuesday morning. Almost everyone took one look at me and said “watched The Following last night huh?” Yes, it’s that intense.

What really shocked me is that my sister came to visit me at work last week and she said to me “so do you watch The Following? I can even sit down when I watch it!” Now my sister doesn’t like anything even mildly scary and she’s really into this show (It could just be Kevin Bacon). Same with my friend at work, her mom’s into this show. Same with my neighbor across the street. She came over on Wednesday and asked if I still had Monday’s episode on my DVR, her husband accidentally deleted it and she was about to kill him – could she watch mine and would I make her some coffee.

Tonight when I signed into my email account, Kevin Bacon was on WhoSay answering Twitter questions from fans about The Following. Each one was individually recorded and everything. He would take his glasses off , repeat the question, answer it. It was really cool. When my sister comes over this weekend I’m going to show her that and I bet she sits down for it. What … you don’t know about WhoSay? Well Google it  and find out.

Other finales for some series I watch include:

Castle (ABC) – Monday, May 13

NCIS (CBS) – Tuesday, May 14

CSI (CBS) – Wednesday, May 15

Elementary – Thursday, May 16

Criminal Minds (CBS) – Wednesday, May 22

Body of Proof (ABC) – Tuesday, May 28

Related articles

• An Extended Trailer for The Following Season Finale Episode 1.15 – The Final Chapter (dreadcentral.com)

It’s all about a highly successful con-artist, Neal Caffrey. Convicted of bond forgery and suspected of a lot more, he’s finally caught and sentenced to four years in prison by FBI Special Agent Peter Burke of the white collar crimes division. However, just before his sentence is up,  he escapes to look for the woman he’s in love with as he believes she’s been taken by someone. Burke finds him in an abandoned building, almost in tears with an empty bottle from Kate.

Instead of being sent back to prison for another four years (becuase of his break out), Caffrey makes a deal with the FBI: he’s white collar’s criminal consultant and helps with cases – but has to wear a tracking anklet at all times.

As the characters and plotlines have developed over the series, Peter and Neal have become a lot closer and there’s a certain amount of trust, if not respect between them.

I really do love the concept of this show – it’s refreshing to have a crime drama that’s not all about murder. In fact, there’s only ever been one or two episodes even involving one! The writers really know how to keep parts light hearted and when it needs to become more serious, and the actors have great comedic timing – the little spats between Neal and Peter, Mozzie and Peter, and the team as a whole really do make you laugh to yourself.

Each season has a main storyline that occurs throughout it. The episodes might not always concentrate on it, but it’s always there – in the little things and short scenes:

• Season One: Finding Kate
• Season Two: Who killed _ _ _ _? (Didn’t want to spoil it!)
• Season Three: The Treasure/Matthew Keller
• Season Four: Neal’s Past/Father

The season one finale was…unexpected to say the least – prepare yourself for some heartbreak girls! – but as an episode had me completely absorbed and I was shocked to be back in the real world when it finished!

The character of Neal Caffrey is the definition of ‘Smooth Criminal‘ and Matt Bomer is perfectly cast. Tim Dekay plays Peter Burke and I have to say the two of them have brilliant chemistry on screen…and faces…and voices… Sorry, getting carried away there

Upon the completion of season four i found myself watching individual episodes, so i’ve included a list of my top five White Collar episodes, just for you!
(Not in any order)

•  ’Vital Signs’ Season 1; Episode 10   Neal discovers an illegal organ trafficking ring when someone approaches June (his tennant) about a kidney for her granddaughter. Together, he and Peter try and expose the ringleader. Look out for drugged Neal, one of my favourite White Collar moments!
• ‘Front Man’ Season 1; Episode 14  Another FBI agent asks for Neal’s help in a kidnapping case because of his past with the victim’s father…but her ambition and selishness get in the way and she lets Neal walk right into a trap…
• ‘Checkmate’ Season 3; Episode 11   Matthew Keller makes his final appearance in the show as Elizabeth (Peter’s wife) is kidnapped by his men. Neal must reveal the truth to Peter and they must work with Keller in order to get Elizabeth back. Guys, there’s a fight scene towards the end…Neal reaches for a gun…it’s awesome, i’m not going to ruin it for you!
• ‘Pilot’ Season 1; Episode 1 The very first episode of White Collar! Neal recieves a secret message from Kate who he believes is in danger and breaks out of prison. There’s a sweet moment between him and Peter as Peter catches him once more and Neal makes a deal with the FBI. In exchange for not being sent back to prison he becomes a criminal consultant. Peter and Neal don’t trust each other – the team trusts Neal even less – but they have to work together to solve a tricky con.
• ‘Withdrawal’ Season 2: Episode 1  Here we see Neal for the first time in the aftermath of the season one finale and he’s at his most vulnerable – Neal and Peter are on probation too! It’s well written and the acting is fantastic. I love it! I want to hug Neal so badly in this one!

So there you go guys! At the moment they’re my top five episodes, although it was really hard to decide!

Can’t wait for the next series and I hope you watch it too, you will not be dissapointed! Any questions about characters or plots just comment below

Bea x

Dead Man Down… 

This super serious movie stars the super serious Colin Farrell and the also super serious Noomi Rapace as two super serious people with a mountain of super serious secrets. From the moment they catch the other’s despondent gaze, a blossoming relationship forms as he comes over to her house for cookies, and she visits him for… Glasses of water. However, the aforementioned secrets begin to rear their ugly heads as light is cast on both Farrell’s illegal dealings and Rapace’s lust for revenge. Can they sweep out the skeletons from their respective closets before driving off into the sunset?

Dead Man Down is brought to us by director Niels Arden Oplev, the Danish guy behind the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo film of 2009, and as with many international directors his introduction to Hollywood isn’t a memorable one. Farrell is a henchman, a crony if you will, for some mob boss (Terrence Howard) involved in the narcotics business. Not only does he attempt to downplay his Irish accent (which is semi-successful), but his character is actually a Hungarian who is also trying to hide his native tongue. The result is a Frankenstein’s Monster of a tongue which is as funny as it is distracting.

But Farrell’s amalgamation of a dialect is merely the tip of this iceberg of problems masquerading as a film. Dead Man Down is simply trying to be two things: on the one hand, we get a gritty crime thriller about the trials and tribulations of the trigger-happy underground lawlessness, while on the other we’re treated to a fledgling romance between the two neighbours. Apart they could have been great, had each story been given more of a polish and the scripts rewritten, but as it is the film remains a jambalaya that disappoints rather than dazzles.

Farrell and Rapace’s relationship is tough to buy, and not very well written.

There’s a fairly awesome shootout right near the beginning, but from there the story devolves into a decidedly uninteresting spiel about death threats and Farrell’s backstory that moves at a snail’s pace. Couple this with the tiresome love plot involving  Rapace, a young lady apparently horribly mauled in an accident (yet who is still ridiculously attractive; the wounds look like a Henna tattoo). Literally the only sliver of entertainment in this film comes from Rapace’s French mother, played by Isabelle Huppert, a hilariously nosey deaf woman. As the sole source of comic relief, without her this film would be zero fun whatsoever.

Erratic pacing, continuity errors (Rapace claims she can no longer work, yet she works just fine later on), needlessly convoluted plot threads (death threats, phone-tapping, jigsaw puzzle pieces) and a distinct lack of fun all combine to make Dead Man Down a total drag. I’m lucky I had a coffee beforehand, because otherwise I’d have been asleep.

[Written for The Student Standard]

Simon says: leave him there, don’t be a hero!

The Last Stand (2013)
~UM Rating ☛ 6.5/10
Director:Jee-woon Kim
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville
107 min  -  Action | Crime | Thriller | Comedy
MPAA: 15LV

Arnold is back and he did an excellent job in terms of everything. After a long time I saw an action movie which was fun and thrilling. It was excellent to see a great mix of comedy from Johnny Knoxville. I bet you gonna laugh like hell at the end and also thrilled by the car chase. The film never takes itself too serious (which is good thing) and is surprisingly funny throughout. Arnold’s acting is a little rusty, but he more than made up for it in the action scenes. “The Last Stand” shows that even in his 60s, Arnold Schwarzenegger still has what it takes to carry a big-scale action movie. It might take him a little longer than it used to, but he’ll still end up handing your tail to you when it’s all said and done. From the looks of his upcoming films, he’s just getting started. Recommended (highly)

Movie Plot

The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.

Poster – Reviews Created by ~unitedcba http://www.facebook.com/unitedcbaMR  ©2013 ~unitedcba

A contemporary story of murder, deception, revenge and corruption in a world where the line between cops and criminals is blurred, “Low Winter Sun” begins with the murder of a cop by a fellow Detroit detective. Seemingly the perfect crime, in reality the murder activates forces that will forever alter the detective’s life, and pull him into the heart of the Detroit underworld. The series is based on the 2006 award-winning British two-part mini-series of the same name written by Simon Donald and produced by Tiger Aspect Productions.

I have to say that the British have been good at coming up with different ways to tell stories. And Accused is a new way of telling stories of law and order.

Each episode is a different story of an ordinary person awaiting trial for a crime. (The last two episodes are linked with the outcome of one story leading into the next.) Each episode opens with the main character being lead to the courtroom and portions of the trial are intercut with the backstory of how this person got there.

A man at the end of his tether finds a bag of cash that can get him out of debt. A mother loses her son in a workplace accident she considers suspicious and she needs someone to blame. A taxi driver becomes obsessed with one of his fares. How far will he go to have her? A father believes his daughter has been molested and takes the law into his own hands. What circumstances would compel you to commit a crime? Would you go to such extreme measures?

Accused features many well-known UK actors including Christopher Eccleston, the ninth Dr. Who, Juliet Stevenson (Place of Execution), Olivia Colman (Peep Show), MacKenzie Crook (The Office) and film actors Andy Serkis and Sean Bean. I enjoyed seeing Olivia Colman in a seriously dramatic role, quite the opposite of anything else I’ve seen her in previously. And if you’re a fan of Sean Bean, his role in Accused is quite a surprise.

This is not in any way a feel-good show. Sometimes it’s quite sad, and definitely serious. I had a bit of sympathy for some of the accused, but others not so much. I thought the first six episodes were the best.

MAIN CAST:
Christopher Eccleston – Willy Houlihan
Juliet Stevenson – Helen Ryland
Olivia Colman – Sue
Andy Serkis – Liam Black
Sean Bean – Simon
Mackenzie Crook – Alan Buckley

Total Seasons: 2 (10 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 0
In Production: 2010 – 2012
Viewer Discretion: language, violence, adult situations, brief nudity

I’m writing an essay on forensic psychology and am going to be taking a course during the summer. I came across this video that seems to have very useful information, if you ever considered forensic psychology, look past the crime dramas!

Friendly reminder: tonight’s 

Any predictions for tonight?

Each selection is hand picked, and the author encourages responses to all work so leave comments.

Be sure to follow BooksByBrian for more updates and new works

This 2013 crime drama stars Ryan Gosling (Drive) and Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) and is directed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine).  At a run time of 2 hours and 20 minutes, it’s rated R for language, violence, teen drug/alcohol use and a sexual reference.

Critics have described The Place Beyond The Pines as a film about “fathers, sons and consequences.”  And they couldn’t be more right.  It’s also a film told over three separate stories, standing on their own and spanning a total of 15 years.  We start off with Luke Glanton (Gosling), a motorcycle stunt driver who learns that he’s fathered a son with his one-time lover Romina (Eva Mendes).  Having never had a relationship with his own father, Luke feels a desperate need to insert himself into his son’s life.  Needing money to provide for him, and prove to Romina he’s worthy of her love, Luke turns to robbing banks.  This is proceeded by some important events (not to spoil anything) and the film’s focus then shifts to Avery Cross (Cooper), a rookie cop who’s faced with several moral dilemmas.  The Place Beyond The Pines finally comes to a head 15 years later when Luke and Avery’s sons meet each other for the first time.

I walked into this film with very high expectations and I’m relieved that those expectations were not only met – they were exceeded.  This marks the second time Cianfrance has teamed up with Gosling.  The two first worked together on Blue Valentine, which gave the viewer a raw look inside a failing marriage.  Under that cool and calm exterior is a character full of anger and sorrow.  No one can convey this quite like Gosling, which is why he’s currently among Hollywood’s “A-list” of actors.  And Cooper coming off of his success on Silver Linings Playbook does not disappoint.  Maybe next year he’ll take home the Oscar – provided the Academy hasn’t forgotten about his wonderful performance being it so early in the year.

It’s rare to walk out of a theater feeling so satisfied.  And it’s even more rare to walk out knowing that what you just saw will soon be hailed an American classic.  The Place Beyond The Pines is that film.  People will be talking about it for years to come, and hopefully it sets a new standard for the way in which stories unfold on screen.

My score: 10/10

 The quote is taken from newly released film, The Place Beyond the Pines (2013). I don’t know if you’ve seen director Derek Cianfrance’s previous work Blue Valentine (2010) – and I struggle to find words for the people whose only comment is “nothing happened” – it’s a cinematic beauty that explores the nature and stages of a couple’s relationship. All I can say is, watch it. Starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine in my opinion was as raw as you can get. The emotion displayed on screen is as natural and authentic as possible, most of the takes were only done once and while filming the stars lived together in the house that is featured in the film, replicating a familial environment. All of this is why I am highly anticipating (and so should you) Cianfrance’s 2013 generational film that stars Gosling again, as a fatherless f*ck-up who reveals the traumatic “tale of fathers, sons and the legacy of sins that are passed down through the generations” (Kevin Jagernauth of Indiewire’s The Playlist Blog). Alongside are co-stars Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Ray Liotta. Cianfrance and Gosling almost telepathically gave birth to the idea behind the film together: it should be one of this year’s most gripping crime dramas.

Top of the morning to ye blog readers. Last week’s segment, Hidden Gems of Netflix, elaborated on the awesome art of searching for finer videos of a certain eclectic value, using the video streaming service: Netflix. This week’s find was on my to-do list for the last two years, and only now have I found this lost relic of modern Irish culture. Jack Taylor is an Irish short-film television series about a ex-Guard (Irish Police officer) who becomes a private investigator, based the acclaimed novels written by Ken Bruen. EDITOR’S NOTE: I F**king Love These Books. The dark, edgy, alcoholism soaked, wet rag, detective stories bring an acquired taste of Irish noir to readers across the world. The televised version does have some alterations from the novels, but it’s originality makes the show it’s own gem. The first 3-part series is available now, giving fans of Game of Throne’s Iain Glen (Jornah Morment,) a chance to see the “King of Friend-Zone” kick some major arse, including his own.

Iain Glen as Jack Taylor in his Ban Garda regulation all-weather coat Item# 8234

The Scottish born actor lives up to Jack Taylor’s Irish charm with ease. Taylor pours out of Glen as smooth as bourbon. The salty, gritty, and quick witted private investigator knows how to stay ahead of Galway’s criminal minds, when he isn’t pissing himself depressed and drunk at his office: the pub. The novels are mostly written in the first-person perspective of Jack, and so taking this semi-third person approach to the story, allows Glen to fill in the few blanks that 8 books leave agape. Luckily, Jack is still Jack: He loves to drink, he loves to be difficult, he still loves the classics. Glen has portrayed novel characters in the past, but he’s been acting for over 27 years, but some how managed to stay under the radar. Yet when it comes to Jack, Glen fits the physical description of a washed up Guard, perfectly.

The first episode, based on Bruen’s first Jack Taylor novel, “The Guards,” premiered on Ireland’s television on March 31, 2010. The Guards starts with bang as Jack’s old life is washed away with one punch of a government official, right before this awful 80′s guitar intro song, that thankfully, is not in any episodes following. Jack’s first big case lands in his lap when a slightly more femme fatale Anne Hennessy (Tara Breathnatch,) hires Jack to find her missing daughter. A line of teenage suicides leads to Jack needing help from his former drinking buddy Sutton (Ralph Brown,) an artist, who’s more involved and more sadistic than in the novel. One major character alteration is Kate Noonan (Nora-Jane Noone) who’s not a cop in the novel. In fact, she’s a heroin addict who has a beautiful voice that occasionally helps Jack in his investigation, and even propositions herself. In the show, Brown is an likable, sober, and diligent version of Kate, who has several opportunities to show off her beautiful voice. In the novel, Jack gets beat up by a Guard, who’s daughter, also a Guard, helps Jack in investigations. Ridge, or Nic Iome (misspelled) a she calls herself in her native tongue, Gaelic, is much different than Kate. Namely the fact that she is a lesbian and doesn’t try and kill Jack like Kate does in the books. Combining the two characters seems logical given the fact it’s written for television. Minor differences in character and plot can allow a filmed story run smoother, and it proves true in this case.

Jack’s bitter friendship with Father Malachy (Paraic Breathnach) the priest who smokes like a chimney, doesn’t change in the least.

Allowing the show to differentiate from the novels also gives MAGMA productions a chance put together semi-original episodes. Episode 2, “The Pikemen” is based on a sub-plot of the 4th novel, The Dramatist (produced last year for season 2.) In this episode, Jack’s assistant Cody (Killian Scott) appears 4 episodes too early, seemingly building up his character’s value for benevolent reasons, I’m assured. I mean, it’s Irish an novel, it’s not about death, tremendous guilt, or anything like that. The third novel, “Madelyn Martyrs” is well written for television, and much like Glen’s interpretation of Taylor, lives up to it’s charm.  Netflix gives the series 3 out of 5 stars, but giving the fact that I’m both a fan of the novel and crime dramas alike, I give it solid 4 emeralds.

If you’re looking to catch up on Ken Bruen’s novel, check out this website. If you’re looking for the series, it can be found on Netflix, under the Recently Added section, somewhere around Zombie Diaries 2.

Lewis, a resident of San Francisco, uses that city for the setting of his novel. It opens by introducing the protagonist, Mark Mallen, as an ex-cop junkie, a man deep into his addiction to heroin yet not so deep that he has totally lost the memory of who and what he once was–a successful undercover narcotics cop with a wife and daughter. When a detective visits him with word of the murder of Mallen’s closest friend from his days on the force, Mallen begins a journey to break his addiction and find those responsible for his friend’s murder.

The story is well-paced, the characters clearly portrayed. The dialogue rings true as does Lewis’s knowledge of his subject. Mallen’s struggle to get clean and stay that way is woven throughout the narrative, always there in the background like a dark curtain that threatens to fall over the hero and drag him back to the darkness. The reader easily cheers for him and hopes that he not only stays clean and solves his friend’s murder, but that he may someday find happiness again with his estranged family.

I enjoyed the story being set in San Francisco instead of someplace more familiar like New York City or Los Angeles. We see too much of those cities on television crime dramas. Lewis uses the city and its underbelly of crime and drugs like another character in the story.

There are few novels that I’ve read where I became invested enough in the characters to want to read on after the last page is turned. But I am happy to say that Untold Damage was one of those books. I look forward to Lewis’s follow-up novel, Critical Damage.

Later this week Robert K. Lewis will join me here for a little Q & A about himself and his writing. Stay tuned! In the meantime, check out his blog, Needle City: http://needlecity.wordpress.com/

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:”";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

The life and times of Dawson C. Walton

Born and raised in California in 1957 and spending most of my childhood in the desert I learned to appreciate the finer things in life thanks to my Mom

At the age of seventeen I joined the Army and did my basic and A.I.T in Fort Polk Louisiana then was shipped to Germany for what I thought was going to be the rest of my tour but that was not to be. I reenlisted for another three years and was then stationed in Arizona for a year where I married my first wife and in the Army’s wisdom I was sent back to Germany for the remainder of my time.

When I got out I moved to Minnesota. After trying numerous jobs I realized that working with my hands was what I wanted to do. So I entered the maintenance field. After divorcing my first wife I married my second wife of twenty four years now. I have two grown children John my son who is thirty one and Heather my daughter who is twenty two now.

I started writing in 1995 while working in a warehouse and I had this idea the guys liked it and told me that I should write that down so I picked up a spiral notebook and started writing maybe six months into it I got busy and it ended up in the closet.

Jump ahead a few years while cleaning out the closet getting ready to move I stumbled onto my many notebooks that I had written in years ago. As I started reading then again that was when I knew that I wanted to become a writer and put the stories that were in my head down on paper.

Currently working fulltime as a plumber for an owner of six apartment buildings I know that being a licensed boiler operator and certified residential maintenance technician has given me the opportunity to further learn the trade.

My first book Dreams: One Man’s Journey was the start of it all and led to the second (Dreams: Border Wars) and third (Dreams: Good vs. Evil) volumes of the trilogy.

My forth book Galaxy battle: Coming of a new age was actually released before good vs. evil.

I thank God for giving me the mind and ability to write stories that so many have loved and enjoyed reading. I do not know what more to say my life is pretty boring good thing my books are not.     

The Place Beyond The Pines;
Pic source: Wikipedia

“If you ride like lightning, you’re going to crash like thunder”, a friend tells Luke. The Place Beyond the Pines opens with an impressive sequence of a local fair where we are introduced to Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), a stunt motorcycle driver. We see his tattooed body first – with a ship on his back, his cigarette and his partner – a motorcycle. After performing his act in a “globe of death” for the residents of Schenectady, Glanton comes face to face with Romina (Eva Mendes), a local girl with whom he had a one-night-stand a year ago. He soon discovers he has a son with Romina and decides to take responsibility for both the child and the mother. Glanton’s life of reckless abandon changes forever when he sees Romina with another man, Kofi (Mahershala Ali) at his child’s christening. It is a heart-breaking scene where nothing is said but a lot expressed… that’s the brilliance of director, Derek Cianfrance who has made a crime drama that is emotionally taxing and refuses to give an easy way out, both to his characters and the audience.

Glanton starts using his best “skill” to rob banks and riding away to safety on his trusted bike. We are treated to some stunning escape and chase sequences before we meet Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a rookie cop who turns into a local hero. He is uncomfortable with the new developments in his life and the corruption at the Schenectady Police Department. The director makes us empathize with Cross and when we think the story is going in a certain direction, it takes a sharp turn again. The final act, though dramatic and grand, leaves a lot to be desired… but then you can have your own interpretations.

Written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio and Darius Marder, The Place Beyond the Pines is not an easy film to watch and that’s where lies its brilliance. It is an ambitious film that explores the themes of father-son relationship, crime, remorse and redemption. Gosling delivers a brilliant performance as a brooding criminal who just wants to take care of his girl and his son. Cooper on the other hand has a more complex character and he does full justice to it. In one scene he finds himself holding a baby at a suspect’s house where they are conducting a raid; we can feel his guilt in this wonderfully written, directed and performed scene.  Eva Mendes manages to make her presence felt even while the film essentially focuses on the two male characters. Her scenes, though short, show her as a confused girl to an angry lover and later, a desperate mother.

Cinematography by Sean Bobbitt is another highlight of the film… grand shots of Glanton riding through the pines to the more intimate and disturbing scenes, everything is perfect. Music by Mike Patton is excellent, especially this hauntingly beautiful track “The Snow Angel” that you also get to hear in the film’s trailer. At 140-minutes, it is a long film but if you don’t mind movies that make you uncomfortable, then this is ticket you should buy this weekend.

PS: The Place Beyond the Pines gets its name from Schenectady, a city in the State of New York, which roughly translates to “place beyond the pine plains” in Mohawk language (source: Wikipedia)

Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) joins us in wondering where it all went wrong

“If you ride like lightning, you’re gonna crash like thunder”. So says gangly mechanic Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) to his small-time crime protégé Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling). Glanton is a drifter and sometime-carnie who has previously eked out a living as a motorcycle stunt driver. Arriving back in the green suburbs of Schenectady, New York, Glanton discovers that a woman he had a brief tryst with, Romina (Eva Mendes), has had his child. He decides to stay in town, to see his son and insert himself back into their lives. In order to do so, he’ll need money. By chance he meets Robin, who shows him the ropes of a bank robbing scam, but gives him the aforementioned warning.

It’s a cool line. Maybe you’ve already heard it in the trailer for the movie. It’s just too bad that director Derek Cianfrance, who co-wrote the picture, hasn’t heeded the advice himself. Because The Place Beyond The Pines embodies these words. What we have here are 55 electric minutes of cinema followed by an hour and a half of complete drivel.

Like a stunt gone wrong, the movie fires on all cylinders, before taking a chance that doesn’t come off and slamming into the barriers. What remains is an aimless, limp wreck. One which ought to be put out of its misery but is left to linger on. And on. And on. It pains me to come down so hard on a film which, for a while, seemed set to become one of the highlights of the year. But ride like lightning and you’re gonna crash like thunder, and The Place Beyond The Pines is all the more disappointing for the greatness that is squandered.

Following a captivating opening tracking shot which follows Glanton through a carnival to perform his stunt routine, the film quickly establishes a devilish spirit. Cianfrance, who scored an indie hit with Blue Valentine and has more than enough ability to really fly as a filmmaker, conjures an intoxicating atmosphere of illicit danger around his star Gosling, and in this early stretch The Place Beyond The Pines evokes hot summer nights and, through Mike Patton’s superb and evocative score, a sad sense of impending doom.

Glanton, though sketched quickly and drawn from cliché, becomes a surprisingly complex creation. Not just the one-dimensional bad boy of so many films. And Gosling’s performance, whilst not showy, is believable and charismatic, even as the character rockets through some questionable choices. When Romina is provoked into screaming “you’re crazy!” at him, you can’t completely disagree.

But when a heist goes wrong and spills out into a pulse-pummeling street chase (superbly captured with rough hand-held energy), Cianfrance throws in a curveball, one which admirably wrong-foots the audience by switching protagonists, but begins the rot that quickly takes hold.

Enter Bradley Cooper as police officer Avery Cross. Now, there is nothing wrong with Cooper’s performance. He captures the nuances of a man struggling to come to terms with a traumatic event, and in the early stages of this mid-film about-turn he admirably anchors Cianfrance’s dangerous change in direction. But he can’t perform miracles. There’s no escaping the sudden feeling that T.P.B.T.P. was born out of a “what if this happens?” conversation. That Cianfrance has seen a twist to the usual trappings of the cop vs robber story and attempted to run with it before thinking the idea through. Because almost immediately T.P.B.T.P. becomes an aimless mess, half-heartedly re-enacting Serpico as Cross is coerced into a take-the-money morality crisis by his peers (and is it me or is Ray Liotta turning into William Shatner?).

And just when we’re starting to lose all faith that this is actually heading somewhere satisfying, we cut to black and the dreaded words “15 Years Later” appear on the screen. Anyone hoping for a neat coda that efficiently ties the increasingly ramshackle and disparate plot threads together will be pained to learn that at this point T.P.B.T.P. has nearly a full hour still to run.

Cianfrance makes another brave/foolish handover, this time to young actors Emory Cohen and Dane DeHann (Chronicle) and lo and behold, against all good sense The Place Beyond The Pines just… keeps… on… going. It’s frustrating because you can see what Cianfrance is trying to do… but he just doesn’t have the story for it. Nothing fits together the way you want it to, until the movie reminds you of the kid in class telling a story, starting every sentence with “and then…”. And then… And then… And then… You’re past caring. The Place Beyond The Pines limps to a close some two hours and twenty minutes after it roared into life. It feels twice that long. Finally, thankfully, it dies. Does it achieve that grace note you’ve been hoping for? No. An astonishing waste of time.

It’s maddening because there was so much promise here. Gosling, who supports so much of that first hour, is revealed to be the real deal. His absence in later sections of the film underlines his presence and importance. Likewise that heady mood of dangerous possibility lingers long in the mind as the listlessness sets in. Also worth praising is Ben Mendelsohn, who steals every scene he is in, and provides the only real joys in the film’s final hour.

Cianfrance deserves credit. He’s trying to build a conversation about morality and consequences, and there’s a sense here that he’s suggesting that a loss of integrity can pass almost like an infection, hopping from one man (or one generation) to another. He’s admirably trying to break the crime drama out of its limitations, trying to spring it from the box it comes packaged in. But it’s a trick that hasn’t worked this time. The story is simply broken. Where Blue Valentine was a taut weave of two strong narratives, The Place Beyond The Pines appears unruly and without shape at all. You could rename it Just A Bunch Of Stuff That Happens. By all means watch the first hour – its brilliant. Then get up, go home and pretend you’ve watched a very brief four star movie. You’ll be better off.

Disappointing in the extreme.

Score: 1.5/5

Get caught up on Bates Motel tomorrow when they show the first four episodes starting at 7pm CT on A&E. A new episode premieres on Monday 8pm/7pm ET/CT.

Freddie Highmore is phenomenal in the role of Norman Bates and Vera Farmiga may play his mother Norma, but don’t expect her to be dead and in the root cellar anytime soon.

The word is out that A&E has ordered ten new episodes for Season 2 slated to premiere in 2014.

That’s even more reason to get caught up on Season 1 and stay current to the bitter end.

There’s a cool Graphic Novel download through iTunes that accompanies Bates Motel that can be read through iPhone, iPad or iPod touch (must be read on an iOS device).

The web site is so incredibly interactive (see graphic) it’s like something you’d see for a movie (you can have loads of fun there (and earn stickers from GetGlue).

http://www.batesmotel.com/12rooms/