Mel Gibson is becoming a pussy in his old age. I say that with the greatest amount of respect that I can muster for an anti-Semite. Perhaps his pussification is due to the fact that he has had 49 children with two different woman. Ergo the reason I’m still a badass is because I have no children. My point is Mel Gibson is a pussy.
Before Mel Gibson Was a Pussy
For the record I love Mel Gibson as an action star. He shows pain really well but he’s even better at being a badass. The Road Warrior, the rare superior sequel, is one of my favorite movies. It’s superiority to Mad Max is minute. The original is still a great movie. It’s one of the best revenge movies of all time.
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I’m not one to put things I like in the order I like them in, but ‘flesh-eating horror’ is my sixth favorite genre of film. A movie about cannibalism from a sadistic Italian director should be right up my alley. It’s not. …just a few too many rape scenes for my taste. I’d feel better about myself if I were caught watching Silk Stalkings while wearing three tube socks than if caught watching just about every other scene in this film. You have to hand it to the Italians, though: Cannibal Holocaust (1980) is just part of a long line of disturbing pieces of Italian art that intensely captivates.
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J.D. Salinger died on Wednesday, and so did Howard Zinn. Their deaths are interestingly coincidental in that both writers share the commonality of having their careers defined by a single book—The Catcher in the Rye and A People’s History of the United States respectively—and also in the opposite ways each author handled the success of that book. Salinger, of course, received a great deal more fame upon the publication of The Catcher in the Rye, and to me, his response (seclusion) doomed him to be more of a literary celebrity than accomplished writer. I should qualify that pronouncement with the disclaimer that I value an artist’s oeuvre much more than any one piece; anybody can be lucky once, but a true talent is able to continually produce good work. I also believe it is much more difficult to create something as an artist of some renown—when you know that a novel will be widely read and reviewed—than it is when you are working in obscurity, unsure if your art will be seen by anyone. Whether it was his intention or not, Salinger’s withdrawal from the literary world was an admission that he could or would not produce fiction that lived up to his celebrated novel.
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I can’t say that I recall a movie off the top of my head where Denzel Washington was a quasi-martial artist. If you can then please help me out here. Based on the previews, The Book of Eli is trying to convince us that the 55 year-old actor can handle himself with a couple of swords.
So how was it? Who saw it? Should I go or should I skip this one?
Update 1/31/2010 (SPOILERS): I saw The Book of Eli yesterday and I am surprised to say that I liked the movie. Looking back at the ONE comment we received, I feel I’m going to have to disagree with MemoRiley. I found the film frightening because of the power of the book. I think everyone would agree that there isn’t anything more divisive or unifying in the world than the Bible.
In the film the world has been shattered by a war that some claim the “book” is to blame. That I believe. Our wars today come down to religious acrimony. After the war in the film all the bibles were destroyed and Eli has the only one in existence. (It’s the King James version by the way.)
It’s been 30 years since the war and no one can read. Only a few elders even know about religion. The antagonist, Carnegie, played so well by creepy-ass Gary Oldman, is one of them. Carnegie wants the Bible because of its ability to control the people. (He was probably a faithful viewer of Fox News before the war.) Eli is on a quest to take the book across the country. He doesn’t know why, just that the voice in his head told him to. Eli goes to war with Carnegie and many people die. It is yet another war over the Bible. Another, as if there hadn’t been enough death already. I mean, the world has ended. Maybe this book isn’t the best thing to have around.
As a viewer I’m supposed to root for Eli and his quest but I wasn’t sure that I could. The scariest part of the film for me was the printing of the book. Now the world could once again will unite behind the power of the book. Sure they might be inspired to rebuild but how long before those who believe and those who don’t clash again? It is a cycle of hate. In a world with nothing I don’t believe a Christian God is the answer. I believe food, water, and shelter is what everyone needs. Christians today forget that when they refuse to feed the homeless unless they sit through the Sunday service.
The Book is powerful. There is no doubt. As much as we all want to believe that it will lead us to the promise land, it won’t. The only thing it really provides is a reason for humanity to do the horrible things we do.
