DAMIEN RILEY, world musician and performer

Category: Uncategorized

  • Better Call Saul (Season 2)

    I fell into the Breaking Bad pool years ago and got hooked completely. Maybe it was because I’m a teacher and the main character is easy to identify with. Whatever the reason, I loved the show and watched it faithfully through all seasons. In contrast, I wasn’t very take in by Better Call Saul, the spinoff about a crooked lawyer. But that was season one, now I’m in s2 and it is really amazing.

    Better Call Saul

    Better Call Saul

    “The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer, Jimmy McGill, in the time leading up to establishing his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Patrick Fabian Howard Hamlin (30 episodes, 2015-2017)
    Michael McKean Chuck McGill (30 episodes, 2015-2017)
    Rhea Seehorn Kim Wexler (30 episodes, 2015-2017)
    Bob Odenkirk Jimmy McGill (30 episodes, 2015-2017)

    Directed by
    Written by

    Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould

    Other Info

    Crime, Drama
    TV-14
    2015
    46min
    IMDB Rating: 8.7

    Vince Gilligan is once again at the helm. He does a great job in s2 showing how Saul becomes the lawyer he is. He was like an ADHD kid who used crime as his Ritalin. His brother knows him well and shares a lot of back story that explains Saul. Like Breaking Bad, we are led hither and yon to decide if he is a good guy or not. I am still not sure myself but I like the character!

    To summarize, Saul is a lawyer who just can’t fit in any law practice. He rents a space in the back of a laundromat and starts practicing law his way. He finds loopholes but they never seem to hurt anyone, except big fat rich people, the likes that pilfer funds from old folks’ homes. I guess he’s a Robin Hood figure that way. S1 was dull in my opinion but S2 is so good, I have that same feeling when I would watch Breaking Bad. Looks like Vince Gilligan has still got it.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    This is a great, engaging show that is worth your time. It raises issues of the legal system similar to many legal drama shows. I recently wrote the same thing about Billy Bob Thornton’s series Goliath. You won’t find Saul in court much but when you hear him offer legal reasoning it’s refreshing and “everyman” in style. I highly recommend (require) fans of Breaking Bad to see this. For those who like morality play in legal dramas, this is also for you. Because it lagged a lot in S1 and I’m not yet done, this is a preliminary rating. I could see this show getting to a 8 or 9/10. For now however:

    7/10

  • Goliath (Season One)

    I’ve just finished watching the season finale of Goliath, an Amazon series, starring Billy Bob Thornton. It’s a righteous legal drama with some great acting from the man as well as from a certifiable odd William Hurt.

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    Legal dramas can be very appealing to me. I watched every episode of Judging Amy and The Good Wife and started enjoying legal drama films with Spencer Tracy in 1960 Inherit the Wind and Gregory Peck’s uber classic To Kill a Mockingbird early in my movie watching life. Unfortunately, they can also lag, sputter, and die to become boring Fords up on blocks in the annals of the IMDB.

    I wasn’t sure about Goliath at first but I’m happy to say it had suspense and smarts and all the stuff I look for in a legal drama series. There is a spot where the writing gets a little dull around episode 4 and thereabouts but these days I can’t say any show is perfect.

    There is an explosion at sea that causes much controversy. Thornton is in a bar in the first episode basically feeling washed up in his law practice. He’s been successful in ripping people off and getting money the easy way and it has more or less driven him to depression and drinking. You can probably imagine him in this state if you’ve seen the Bad Santa films.

    William Hurt plays the head of a corporation trying to hide what happened on that boat. The storyline is a mystery really that unfolds about what happened in that mysterious explosion. Thornton is approached by a woman who needs his skills to take on the corporation and he sees the chance to do something right with his skills, for a change. Oh, and don’t let me forget to mention it’s a chance to redeem himself with the firm that expelled him.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    It’s great watching Thornton in this series. He is truly in his element in this series. I recommend it to fans of the genre and of Thornton.

    8/10

  • High Fidelity (2000)

    This is before Jack Black was huge. He’s quite funny here in a supporting role. John Cusack’s character is the consummate “cool dude” managing a record store. He is also the narrator of a quirky, hosted, cult-status film that takes the viewer through museum tour of failed relationships

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    This is a hip movie for hipsters. In other words, the jokes are subtle and righteously understood by students of pop culture circa 2000. It has a simple setting: a record store and we watch Cusack’s character travel to the edge and back again not being able to keep a girl around to save his life.

    While not a romantic comedy per se, this film could be recommended as a great date movie. It conjures up the lessons of falling in love in your teens through your twenties. Cusack definitely has his shit together in terms of having a pad and a job but he falls way short of what these women need. Caught in the middle: any guy whose gone through dating segments will likely relate, I know I did.

    There is a scene when Jack Black and his friends go gangsta on “Rob” (Tim Robbins) the current dating interest of his late girlfriend. It’s quite a sight to see. The whole “bros before hoes” idea played out. But that scenes ends up different. Most of the film is a bit different, I guess that’s why it resonates so much with me.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    In a similar tone to “Office Space,” this film is quirky hilarious. You hae excellent actors, a dynamite script, beautiful women, and of course JACK BLACK! I recommend to all but especially those with a quirky and dark sense of humor.

    10/10

  • Chariots of Fire (1981)

    This is a repost of my review from 2012. I plan to write an encore review this week.

    Chariots of Fire was directed in 1981 by Hugh Hudson, known also for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. It stars Ian Charleson as Eric Liddell, a devout Christian runner, and Ben Cross as Harold Abrahams, a dedicated Jewish runner. Watching the movie now, over 30 years later, one can identify an A-list class from both major and minor characters.

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    This movie is based on a true story. It is called a drama, history, and sport movie by imdb.com. It’s one of those movies I liked so much I bought. It’s a story of running, endurance, and conviction. The signature music of Vangelis inspired many in my generation to run and to appreciate running. I’m a proud runner probably because I saw this film at age 11.

    Chariots of Fire is about two rising Olympic champions: Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams who are driven by very different impulses. Liddell is an ardent missionary who cares more about “feeling God’s pleasure” when he runs that he does about winning trophies or medals. Abrahams on the other hand is overly ambitious about winning. He is in fact primal in his drive to win at any cost. There is a lot of development toward the climax but the most important point is when the Olympics are to be held on a Sunday. Liddell refuses to run due to his beliefs. This is where we see the conviction of a truly inspiring man displayed in real time. Because this is a true story, we feel the temptation we might have to run but Liddell refuses. It is an excellent conversation piece. What drives us? How do we define success? and What will we not do in our quest for that success?

    This movie is a gem and a pride among movies. While I don’t share Liddell’s polarized worldview, I still admire his conviction and resolve. This movie tells me I should define success and answer the questions above for myself. I am always defining and redefining myself. Chariots of Fire reminds me that true success has to be self-defined. You don’t have to be a runner to enjoy this film, it’s for everyone. When I first saw it I was 11 years old. When the credits rolled, I got up to walk out of the row. My mother stopped me and motioned me back into my seat. I saw the eyes of my parents and siblings watching the credits in awe as they listened to the angelic music. I would later learn the theme song and play it in the house hundreds of time. This is truly a remarkable film in my collection.

    10/10

  • Ghost in the Shell (2017)

    The seeds of this story were sown with Blade Runner and the Matrix. I don’t know if the creator knows that or not but they were. Androids do indeed dream of electric sheep and I know I may after watching this visual candy parlor for the eyes the past couple hours.


    Ghost in the Shell
    “In the near future, Major is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals.” -IMDB
    Cast
    Scarlett Johansson Major
    Pilou Asbæk Batou
    Takeshi Kitano (as ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano) Aramaki
    Juliette Binoche Dr. Ouelet
    Directed by
    Rupert Sanders
    Written by
    Shirow Masamune (based on the comic “The Ghost in the Shell” by), Jamie Moss(screenplay) …
    Other Info
    Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
    PG-13
    Fri 31 Mar 2017 UTC
    107min
    IMDB Rating: 6.9

    This film is also a child of the Matrix. Johansson does a pristine job as the heroine. I’ve never read the comics but I feel so lucky the director saw fit to adapt them into this amazing sci-fi action film of 2017.

    I love everything about this film: the special effects, the look of the city with it’s giant hologram advertisements. Though it started slow in the first 1/4, it picked up and became an insane ride I didn’t want to get off. Think of our bodies as shells encasing our brains, maybe we all can identify with being a “ghost in a shell.”

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    The concept of finding your purpose radiates from this film. Young people will be drawn to it because they are doing just that in their young lives. All humans will relate wth the loss suffered by the mother and the quest of “Major” (Johanssen) to regain her memory and set out on her mission, whatever that is. I found it entertaining and inspiring and recommend to anyone, though children below 13 may find it hard to understand. They will likely still enjoy the incredible colorful world created through special effects.

    9/10

  • We Go On (2016)

    Don’t go messing with the dead, that’s what this film is letting us know. Perhaps it’s better that door remain closed.

    We Go On
    We Go On
    “Paralyzed by his fear of dying, Miles Grissom is offering reward money to the first person who can show him a ghost…” -IMDB
    Cast
    Annette O’Toole Charlotte
    Clark Freeman Miles
    John Glover Dr. Ellison
    Giovanna Zacarías Josephina
    Directed by
    Jesse Holland, Andy Mitton
    Written by
    Andy Mitton (screenplay), Andy Mitton (story)
    Other Info
    Drama, Horror, Thriller
    Tue 07 Feb 2017 UTC
    90min
    IMDB Rating: 6.4

    This is a pretty good idea for a movie but it certainly doesn’t belong on a big screen. This film is enjoyable but not clever or ultra-creative in any way. To put it bluntly, we’ve seen this before. It’s a lot the The Sixth Sense the way supernatural and/or dead things cross his path. Unlike that film however, there are no mysterious curves in plot that deserve discussion over coffee.

    I suppose the film is good enough on the couch as you’re preparing to fall asleep. The jump scares are very mild and nothing really comes close to scary or jarring. Will our hero learn about and believe in the afterlife? That is the question. He pays for a full page ad in the paper asking people to give him proof and the movie him seeking that proof through strangers. Do we go on? I won’t say, watch if you want to see what this film maker thinks.

    Final Thoughts
    This film is better suited to the drama genre. Nothing horror here but the same old tired cliches of seeing dead people. Having said that, it is cleanly made and has a beginning, middle, and an end so it’s something just worth watching at home when you are seriously out of any impressive horror to watch.

    My Rating: [usr 6 text=”true” tooltip=”false”]