Wrestling Over Our Choices
Posted by steveonsinema on February 15, 2009
Hello and good Sunday afternoon to you! Today was a day of rest for both Warren and I, as we have been just sitting around the house watching TV and playing on the computer for most of the day.
As for yesterday, I woke up with some neck pain which has been ongoing for about the past week or so, along with a major headache. As I was in the bathroom and ready to take a shower, I called out to Warren and asked him to call a few chiropractors for me to see if he could get an appointment to help with the relief of this pain. Being it was Saturday I knew that it might be tough to find a chiropractic office which was open, but as luck would have it, Warren found someone after only a couple of calls and their office was right near the mall and the area we were headed anyway. So after getting showered and ready, it was off towards Duluth to get my bone cracked – and not the one you’re thinking of!
After my appointment, I started feeling some relief immediately, and the chiropractor mentioned that my neck and shoulder area was in really bad shape and I had many knots which could have been the root of my problems. Today was actually the first day I woke up without a headache in about a week, and my neck has been feeling pretty decent throughout the day…I can still feel slight pain off and on but not like it was.
Upon leaving the chiropractor, we headed on to the theater to start what was to be the first of two movies for the day. Since Warren and I didn’t have much for groceries to buy, and nothing else to pick up, we thought two movies would be a fun, relaxing way to spend the day. Because I have been anticipating seeing “Friday the 13th” for a number of weeks now, I was heading in one direction and Warren in the other as we entered the theater. Warren is not a horror movie fan, so didn’t want to endure the blood n’ guts that Jason Voorhees was about to spill onto the screen. He decided on watching “The Pink Panther 2” with Steve Martin, a great comedian and one of my favorite actors.
FRIDAY THE 13TH – 2009: A man in search of his missing sister stumbles across a deadly secret in the woods surrounding Crystal Lake as Texas Chainsaw Massacre redux duo Michael Bay and Marcus Nispel resurrect one of the silver screen’s most feared slashers — machete-wielding, hockey mask-wearing madman Jason Voorhees. The last time Clay heard from his sister, she was headed toward Crystal Lake. There, amidst the creaky old cabins and moss-coated trees, an unstoppable force of evil lies quietly dormant, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Though the police and locals all warn Clay to stay as far away from Crystal Lake as possible, it’s the only lead he has, and he isn’t willing to give up until he finds his sister. Clay isn’t the only one inhabiting these woods either, because a group of thrill-seeking college students have just arrived at Crystal Lake hoping for a wild weekend of fun in the sun. Later, as Clay and one of the recently arrived revelers search for clues, the infamous Jason Voorhees emerges to show them just why the locals have avoided these woods for years. Could it be that Clay’s sister has already met a grim demise at the end of Jason’s razor-sharp machete, or is she still out there somewhere in the woods, waiting for her brother to come to her rescue?
STEVE SAYS…on “Friday the 13th” – As a huge fan of this series, I was really anticipating this movie. It didn’t disappoint, but wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. There were some good kills, solid humor, and even all of the “stereotyped teenagers” that you just wanted to see die on screen; but was missing some additional storyline that I was hoping for. Overall though, it was a really fun horror film but unfortunately not as good as “My Bloody Valentine 3D” for me. My rating is 4 stars out of 5.
THE PINK PANTHER 2: Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) the legendary French Officer of the Law, who single-handedly saved the priceless Pink Panther Diamond, has been working outside the museum where the diamond is on display writing parking tickets for the last 6 months. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (John Cleese) assigned this duty to his bumbling and inept police officer to get him out of his hair. Recently, treasures from around the world have been stolen by the Tornado, and an international dream team of detectives is being assembled to capture him. Chief Inspector Dreyfus is ordered to assign Clouseau to the dream team. As soon as Clouseau joins the team, the Pink Panther Diamond is stolen by the Tornado. Now Clouseau must not only capture the Tornado, but save the diamond again.
WARREN SAYS…on “The Pink Panther 2” – It was funny, and I enjoyed Steve Martin and his performance. I see the movie as a “dumb comedy” where I could just sit back, relax and just laugh. Warren’s rating is a 4 stars out of 5.
Following our “individual” movies, we came together to watch the second movie of the day together. Our choice, “The Wrestler” was actually my personal choice, as I had read about and heard that this was a really great story. It was also Mickey Rourke’s comeback movie for which he won a Best Actor at the Golden Globes a few weeks ago. Mickey Rourke has starred in many films over the years, and had a very successful career until running into some personal issues that caused his career to spiral downward. Some of my personal favorites of Mickey include: Angel Heart, Rumble Fish, 9 1/2 Weeks, Body Heat, Johnny Handsome and Wild Orchid. Unfortunately, not only did Mickey’s career endue a major change, so did his looks (see below a then(s) and now pics). After picking up a quick snack of Nestle Bunch-A-Crunch, we headed into the theater, which was the smallest in the entire complex. A few more people came in following us, about 15 total when all was said and done, and we sat back and started our second journey into Hollywood for the day.
THE WRESTLER: Mickey Rourke is back in his rightful place once again..the lead! In “The Wrestler”, he takes on the persona of retired 1980s-era star professional wrestler yearning for the feeling he once knew while in his prime. The film tells the tale of former larger-than-life wrestler, ‘Randy “The Ram” Robinson’, fighting his way back up the independent wrestling circuit to chase away old ghosts which continue to haunt him. Robinson is driven to settle a score and unfinished business in the dangerous squared ring of glory.
Years have passed since the heyday of “The Ram.“ The splendor, fame, fortune and applause have all faded away. Only the man behind the façade remains. Randy Robinson’s personal life is clouded with hard luck, personal demons, and the troubles of his past and present. Not all his battles are contained in the ring. Subsequent to being evicted from his trailer, he finds himself lost, despondent and living in a van. The relationship between Randy and ‘Stephanie’ (Evan Rachel Wood), his disgruntled, estranged 22 year-old daughter and recovering alcoholic daughter, is damaged and broken.
Trying to build a new life, he takes a job at a deli, moves in with aging stripper ‘Cassidy’ (Marisa Tomei) and attempts to develop a relationship with her and her son. ‘Cassidy’, also known by real name ‘Pam’ has great difficulty becoming physically and romantically involved after hours. Although battling issues of her own, she encourages Robinson to reconnect and bond with his daughter.
After a heart attack in the midst of a hardcore match, on his successful and impressive comeback trail, the wrestling legend is firmly warned by a physician to make drastic changes. If Robinson wants to continue to live much longer, he must abandon smoking, cocaine and wrestling. But when the prospect of a grudge rematch in an ultimate showdown with his former arch nemesis, ‘The Ayatollah’, (Ernest ‘The Cat’ Miller) presents itself, Randy is far too tempted to refuse. He accepts the challenge. The aging former wrestler returns to the ring for one final shot glory even if it means risking his life.
STEVE SAYS…on “The Wrestler” – a truly great film, although as sad as it may be in my eyes. It shows how as a performer, one day you are on top of the world, and the next you have nothing but your image and a handful of fans. This movie also saddened me and made me think of how one day you are young and full of life with the whole world ahead of you; and next you are older, maybe more broken down in some ways with a large part of your life is behind you – how short life truly is! I really enjoyed the film, and feel that Mickey Rourke and his comeback to mainstream was a win! My rating is 4 ½ stars out of 5. WARREN SAYS – now, I have to be honest – I’m not as crazy about movies like this one, as Steve is. I’m not into movies where you see a lot of “bare breasted women” so many parts of the movie were a “turn off” for me. I will say that the lead actor…Mickey Rourke, did do a pretty good job of acting in the movie – and the movie truly shows how the public life and private life of a wrestler are really not all that glamorous. When you’re popular – everybody loves you, but when your unpopular – nobody loves you. Warren rates this movie 3 ½ stars out of 5.
After the second movie, it was off to eat our lunch/supper at Old Chicago in downtown Duluth, where we split an order of French Fries and each had a Calzone – Warren choosing the Chicago Seven, while my pick was the Spinach Artichoke Chicken. The meal was very good overall, but I was wishing afterwards that I would have chosen the Meat Me Calzone – after all meat is the only way to go! ☺ Following our meal, we headed home and crashed for the remainder of the evening. It was a full day, but one that we got to kick back, relax and enjoy.
As for my DVD Pick of the Week, this past week’s pick was one that I had ordered a couple of weeks ago from DVD Empire and was just released this week. “My Name Is Bruce” was my choice for this week, and along with the DVD that I ordered, I also received an autographed mini poster from the star of the film, Bruce Campbell. This was a cool free giveaway to those who ordered through the HorrorHound website, and had pre-ordered the DVD. The poster is very cool, just like the cover art below with a beautiful handwritten and signed note from Mr. Campbell in silver permanent marker. I love the poster, and will be looking for a frame for it next weekend.
Here’s a look at the storyline of my pick of the week…
MY NAME IS BRUCE: Something evil is stirring in the small mining town of Gold Lick, and it’s not happy. Guan-di, the Chinese protector of the dead with a strange affinity for bean curd, has been awakened by reckless teenagers, and now his bloody crusade to wipe out the town’s entire population can only be stopped by one man – Bruce Campbell (the guy who starred in all three Evil Dead movies and Bubba Ho-tep), B-move star and deadbeat ex-husband extraordinaire, who’s recruited to be their unwitting savior. Thinking the whole scenario’s a publicity prank, Bruce is distracted from his mission by a hot mom and fan boys aplenty– but when our hero has to face off against a dark force more fearsome than a Hollywood agent, the laughs and screams start flying!
Well, that’s about all from this end of the world. It’s cold out today, but has been sunny a majority of the day. Warren and I did take a short ride to the grocery store a short time ago, and even took a quick tour of the town as we sometimes do. Not too many people out today, and not much happening around town – a quiet day in the neighborhood.
Until I see you again, take care and don’t forget to drop me a line and let me know what you are up to, and watching on the silver screen. We will talk to you again soon, hopefully in a couple of days.
Steve
