Blade Runner 1982 Movie Review

Blade Runner 1982 Movie Review

Blade Runner Poster

Harrison Ford (Star Wars Han Solo and Indiana Jones) plays Deckard; a burnt-out detective on a mission to hunt down and eliminate a dangerous group of androids (called Replicants) in a futuristic society that’s rendered in a hauntingly realistic way. I assume you’ve seen this movie by now, so expect spoilers to be found throughout this review. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Whenever I talk to my friends about movies, the question always comes up, what’s your favorite movie? -or at least what’s on your top ten list? Blade Runner has held a top position for many years, along with movies like 2001, Excalibur, Alien and of course Empire Strikes Back and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I can pick many technical reasons for Blade Runner to hold the top position, from the way the special effects hold up decades later, the classic story or even the total believability of the world the characters inhabit.

Creating a story is more than developing characters or building tension to a satisfying climax. Those elements are important, but we cannot overlook the importance of creating a living and breathing universe for the story to evolve in. Mad Max and its sequel The Road Warrior gave us a post-apocalyptic world that would influence countless films and honestly speaking, let many writers off the hook from the responsibility of creating any kind of world to surround their stage. You see the dessert, a few junked cars and you know what happened before the first day of the story. It’s accepted that we’ll all wear rags and sport Mohawk haircuts.

Blade Runner did the same but in the opposite direction. Director Ridley Scott took the Phillip K Dick story and created a technically advanced society that was shiny at the top corporate level and yet dirty and depraved at the bottom. It feels like a proper translation of the 80s and it still feels right 30 years later. It’s real to us because we can imagine ourselves living and operating in that world. It’s real to us because we feel like if we live long enough we will live in that world.

Sci-fi as a genre tends to be crippled by the weight of its gadgets, gimmicks and gizmos. Many writers rely on the tech/hardware to draw us in instead of our human flaws, emotions and inner drives. Most of these heroes did, well, nothing before the first day of filming. Blade Runner has many props- from the flying police car, zeppelin-sized flying billboards to androids that can pass themselves off as human-better than Arnuuld the Terminator. All of this nerd-candy does not take the place of good story-telling and characters that change and evolve as the story progresses.

The music and soundtrack are flawless as Vangelis uses his synth-wizardry to merge the music and sound effects into a wonderful backdrop that never resorts to laser zaps to let us know we’re in the future. The musical score reflects and reacts with each scene perfectly and always matches the on-screen tone.

Romance works in movies when we all want the couple together by the end of the flick. Most movies simply throw them together enough and boom, you assume after all that adventuring, they just have to hook up. Cue the big kiss and roll the credits. Chemistry is easy to create when there is only one hot chick and one hero in the movie. Star Wars was faced with a crisis as fans were split between Luke and Han for Leia. Lucas chickened out and reached way too far and suddenly decided to make Luke and Leia brother and sister ->add another yuck for the kiss in Empire. When Deckard (Ford) meets Rachael, she is stunning and also way above his level of sophistication. When he sees her next, she is vulnerable and he blows it. Later, he reaches out to her and she blows him off. Boy loses girl. BUT! She comes to the rescue and now you can’t imagine them NOT together. The chemistry works for me. I would want Rachael. Hell, I want Sean Young. While all of this is happening, you are not aware that their relationship is developing, no, you are too busy worrying about robots, guns and how this whole mess will get fixed.

Bad guys are important too. Blade Runner uses the tried and true formula of a super-smart boss surrounded by not-so-smart henchmen. Certainly as simple as some of these extra characters are concerned, there are hints of additional history and relationships. If you note that Replicants are given false memories to create a cushion, Leon is carrying pictures of Zhora. Deckard found Zhora’s snake’s skin cell clue in the shower of  Leon’s apartment. What does that tell you about the relationship between Leon and Zhora? And during her show, right before Deckard meets Zhora, you hear the host say “Watch her take the pleasure from the snake.” Which explains why she’s tickled when Deckard questions if she’s even been asked to do anything offensive by the management. Very funny. Rutger Hauer is at his best playing the leader and supremely dangerous Roy Batty. It adds more tension when you believe the bad guy can beat the good guy. He is also given the wonderful privilege of delivering the best lines/monologue in the entire movie.

 Is Dekard a robot too?

Ridley Scott assured Harrison Ford that he would not be playing an android since Ford thought a robot chasing a robot wouldn’t be interesting to him. In subsequent versions of the movie, deleted scenes (the infamous unicorn running in the forest dream sequence) were added that left that question a mystery and open to debate.

In conclusion, this is my favorite movie because it works for me on every level. It’s a fine story wrapped in the fabric of Science Fiction. I  am not a movie critic; I am simply critiquing a movie.

– Dynamics Plus

Dynamics Plus Chaos Legion album review from Critical Beatdown

I came across this older review and thought I’d archive it on my own blog. Thank you critical Beatdown Magazine!

http://www.myspace.com/criticalbeatdownmagazine/blog/496288265

Dynamics Plus — C.H.A.O.S LEGION 1 & 2

“Enter the World of Dynamics Plus,one quarter of the Lenzmen Crew as he returns with his banging Double Lp “Chaos Legion 1 & 2”, an amazing concept album that follows Dynamics Plus and his soldiers through the battlefields,back to an imaginative time when the Romans Ruled the Globe ..Straight from the depths of The Fallout Shelter comes an Lp that will truely blow your mind and stretch your imagination.The production also handled by Dynamics is like a mixture of Futuristic,Throw-Back electrified,sci-fi madness and is the perfect back drop for Lord Dynamics tales & Crusades as he fights his way through a number of dangerous and deadly operations and robotic missions with only his sword and shield for protection..

Admittingly the Chaos Legion isnt easy listening (Little Wayne fans wont like it) but if like me you appreciate originality and something totally different from the norm then you need to check out this album..This isnt an album put together in a couple of days..This is the sort of project that takes alot of time and thought to create and Dynamics Plus has done a remarkable job..Not only because of the excellent vocals and the fact that he plays the part and voice of many different characters,but also for the fact he is behind the entire production and mastering of the album plus the dope cover artwork..Definatly a man on a mission and a feat not many other artists are capable of…

Some of the battles and duals he and his soldiers goes through on this album sound incredible and would make the perfect soundtrack to a film..Now imagine That.. C.H.A.O.S Legion on the big screen…

On the whole,this is a dope Lp…The type of album that the more you listen to it,the more it grows on you..Theres alot going on in it and you pick up on differnt things each time you put it on which is dope as its stops it from getting boring..That being said though, i dont think its the type of album that will appeal to the wider audience who like the easy listening type of hiphop if you know what i mean,but i dont think thats the audience that Dynamics Plus set out to reach anyway..Those who can expand their mind and do actually have an active imagination will apreciate an album like this as it stands away from the norm

Check it out people and support Independent Hiphop..”

Mr CRF (Critical Beatdown Radio/Posse)..

The album on iTunes

Act of Valor Movie Review

Act of Valor

Act of Valor

An elite SEAL team is tasked with recovering a captured CIA agent. They stumble across intelligence which leads them on an international man-hunt for a terrorist who is plotting strikes within the US.

The movie overall has a tough job of walking the line between being action-packed and realistic. The film uses active/real Navy SEALs, which causes a small hit in the acting department. Lines are delivered like real human beings having a conversation and not with over the top drama like most war movies- even in combat they get on with soldiering and never have that hysterical “Oh no, what do we do now?!” moment. It’s like we are an invited guest overhearing the military briefings and are eavesdropping in on intimate conversations with the team members. This works out well as it builds a sense of intimacy between us; the viewing audience, and the SEALs.

Act of Valor follows many real military protocols and it was nice to hear the proper and more correct use of the phrase ‘Frag-Out’ as opposed to “Fire in the Hole”, which is used in most movies. They took a few liberties by showing the SEALs acting without air support for several of their missions and having this single unit deployed for the entire movie -on missions spanning the globe. I guess we don’t have that many SEALs after all- maybe fitting since they do say “Damn Few”. To explain the limited use of Air Calvary, one officer explained that they did not want another “Blackhawk Down” and so it was boots on the ground for the entire mission. Nice reference.

 The Video Game Connection

Many other reviews are calling this movie an Army Recruitment commercial. I didn’t see that at all. I felt a sense of pride for our armed forces and took a second look at the kinds of sacrifices our men and women are asked to make as part of their service. Top Gun was the kind of movie that made you want to fly a jet by the end. Hell, they started putting recruitment booths outside the theaters when that movie hit full momentum. Act of Valor made me want to play a game like Call of Duty or anything where I get to rush buildings and shoot terrorists. They even placed the camera at the top of the barrel like a first-person shooter in many of the action sequences. So I’m already saying I’m surprised this movie doesn’t tie in to a video game. Seems like an obvious opportunity.

 Extra Points Awarded for avoiding these clichés …

1) One dimensional Characters. Each member of the Seal team was somewhat similar to each other and were all normal men. This eliminates broad character extremes like ‘The Angry/Gung-ho Soldier’, ‘The Jokester’, and ‘The Coward’. The Stern/Stoic Captain, ‘The Sensitive Journal Keeper’, ‘The A-hole (who always lives), The Goodie (who dies) and ‘The Psycho’.

2) The leader or captain who cares more about the men than the mission. *Probably not the guy you’d put in charge of a mission where saving his soldiers would mean the death of many more, usually including his men eventually.

3) The General or commander who cares more about the mission than the soldiers, even when his disregard for their lives actually jeopardizes the mission.

4) One super soldier killing an incredible amount of enemies- especially if he’s about to die and also Act of Valor avoided weapons with unlimited ammo.

5) Jar-head soldiers who only care about killing and getting laid. For once, it’s not the girl back home; it’s the wife and children back home. That adds a whole new dimension to what’s being sacrificed by simply being active- way beyond just living and dying on a mission.

6) Cursing to be ‘realistic’. There are professionals who have respect and a high regard for all the other branches so there was no slight to the other branches and the language was relatively clean.

 The Atmosphere

The soundtrack and sound effects are a highlight in this movie. I saw Drive by Nicolas Winding Refn starring Ryan Gosling and felt like the movie grabbed my stomach and wouldn’t let it go until the end. I had a similar feeling with Act of Valor due to its near-perfect pacing and tense and suspenseful atmosphere. Side note: That great rap song used in the trailer does not appear in the movie (unless it’s tacked on at the end of the credits) nor does it seem to be on the soundtrack. And from what I understand the soundtrack is comprised of country music. Surprising- since the instrumental music and incidental tones in the movie were epic and orchestral in nature.

Politics is a small issue in Act of Valor. The burden of the bad guy falls on two characters. A smuggler names Christo and the old-school Jihad terrorist, Abu Shabal. The Russian Christo is given a bit of humanity by showing that he has some sensibility and sensitivity. The main terrorist Shabal is pretty much an animal for all intents and purposes and we never find out why or how he got to be that way (do you really care? Didn’t think so). If you have strong feelings either way about US overseas policy, you know whether or not you should be seeing this film. Aside from that, it’s not the job of any SEAL to figure out just how evil or justified the bad guy is. For most movies, you can put a names and faces on the enemy soldiers to let us know that war is bad and there are real people on the other end of those guns. Terrorists will not get any such treatment so do not include that as poor character development as a criticism of Act of Valor.

Overall, I enjoyed Act of valor and would recommend it to anyone who wants to a solid action movie that’s heavy on the realism. If you want to see a more dramatic focus on the individual then I recommend The Hurt Locker. If you want to see more of a documentary, I suggest Restrepo. I am not a movie critic; I am simply reviewing a movie.

Dynamics Plus E.P. drops: Lauryn and other Songs from the Lost Files

Lauryn and other Songs from the Lost Files

Dynamics Plus releases a song from the Lost Files. “Lauryn” was archived after the A.D. Plus masters were lost in a drive failure.

I sit next to the window that overlooks the parking lot. I watch her come to work every morning. I see her sometimes in the hallway.

Some days she looks okay and other days she looks very sad. When her car was in the shop, her boyfriend started driving her to work. We all found out why she was so sad and realized that she only pretends to have okay days. Her name is Lauryn and I think about her a lot.

Click the arrow to download this song.

Here follows the journal I kept at work.

Journal Entry week of 08.15.11

7:10 Worked out today. Resolution so far so good.

9:30 Yes! I found out that miss L is working in my department Her cubie is across from mine. I’ll be sure to avoid staring and being that creepy guy at the office. Oh wait, I already am. LOLZZZZZ

11:40 just asked to borrow my stapler. Her voice is crazy. I think I’m in love.

1:00 Jaysun is such a fukn clown. Mutha-fukkka stay in yo damn lane.

Thirsty ass. MUHHHHAAA she gave me a look after he left. Priceless.

4:45 “Dear She Goes” She has a sexy walk.

7:45 Skipped workout. Sore as hell-probably best.

10:20 today I’m on the phone and she leans over my shoulder and grabs my stapler. She smells good too. Lollololol.

12:00 the man makes a move. Snagged a stapler at lunch. I bought a stapler at Staples. Lolz. Watch this.

1:00 I’m in. I gave her the tiniest stapler they had and she’s like “Thanks, doesn’t do a whole lot of stapling” I said it’s so you have to keep coming over and borrowing mine. Aww shiY she has a cute laugh too. We gonna get married. Have hella kids.

7:00 Lifted.

9:30 Not in today. Damn. I had the ring and everything. Lolz

08.29.12

7:30 I’m the fukn animal.

10:10 Said her car broke down and G-stale is like where you live? She said she cool. Got a ride. Cuz you know I’ll drive her home.

5:10 WTF she got a man????!!!!!!!! Big black Brock fkn Leznar shows up to sccop her. WTF WTF.

7:30 Lost me mojo. Feel like crapola

10:45 Gail says she been had a man. Wtf they fight all the time. Then she’s like ‘you like ryn?’ and laughs. BYYYTCH!

12:00 back in the game baby. She stays in for lunch. I stay in saying I got a lot of work to do and we kick it. I’ma  fukin genius.

7:30 I’m BEASTIN.

10:30 Countdown to lunch. Lolz.

1:00 she brought me a yogurt. LOVE. G-wale just has to come over. Starts talking food. (Well, what did you expect? Lolz)

6:10 last note. Played myself. L is still there when I leave waiting so does the a-hole turn the car around and ask her if she needs a ride? No. worlds biggest LOSER. Next time.

Week of 9 -12

7:30 Sunday run no lift today.

9:00 She looks like crap today.

5:00 Avoided me all day.

7:00 Sore sore sore

Hump day forreeallll. Gail suggests lunch on Friday at her favorite mex spot. The taco trio. Friday countdown begins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 no lift

12:15 Un-fukn-beleevable. Dude shows up and takes her to lunch.

Week of 9-19

Monday Blues. No lift.

10:30 Says she forgot her lunch. Says no, her boyfriend would flip. I says old–ass Tony Atlas? She cracks up and says her dad used to watch wrestling and she knows who that is and that her boyfriend isn’t that old. I started killing his country overalls. I said didn’t he get knocked out in Friday? Awwww SHIZZZLE. I made her eyes water. The CHAMPION!

12:30 I’m a smart dude. I brought Chiplote back and she had some.

5:30 Says he’s late sometimes, it’s no big deal. I would nevr be like that.

7:30 Lifted.

11:30 Jojo arguing about nutrition and diet. SMDH

2:30 She’s texting like a beast. Hell yeah, hitting the phone mad hard. I told her typing in all caps is yelling. I said do that since the other person doesn’t know how hard you tapping in the letters. She smiled, and later she sent me an email with lol in it. First non-work related email. Woo-hoo. might send her the one of a kitty playing with a ball of yarn. Or anything with a  puppy in it. Lolz.

9:30 OW WO OWWW G-fail drove her home yesterday. Peep the science. That’s HER car he’s driving. Ohh and the n don’t be coming to her job tp pick her up on time. Big-ass clown crashed his whip. Probably those tightass shirts he wearing, could turn the wheel all the way. Chicks is unbeeeeeleeeeivable.

7:00 weak cardio. Feel like crap.

12:00 Came home. Half day. I’m officially sick. Said she would bring me soup later. Got an email with a soup e-card. She is an ill chick.

Week of 9-26

Sick day.

7:30 skipped. Still recovering- going in.

9:00 not in. hasn’t been in. Gail said she thought we ran off together. I wish.

7:00 Weak but better. The champion is recovering.

9:30 she got shades like a rockstar. She said Out late last night.

2:00 OMG she got a black eye. G-bail gets 10 points for peeping it.

Here’s the thing. Y THAF chicks date losers? I mean realy. It there like a hot chick-ahole magnet? WTF/ boyfriend fail. She’s mad quiet at work so what could be the problem. What problem could there be? I’m going tos end her a txt right now. You.Can. Do. Better.

She replies, thank you but please fall back. Fall back? That’s it. Yous about to fall down. Allright cool. I sent ‘okay. Willing to talk whenever you need’.

Fujin Gfail is like girls like bad boys. No girls like getting cracked in the head. Unbeeeeleeevab;;;;e/

4:30 all the choicks are at the window. Gail is calling me over. BRB

5:00 missed it. The black hulk = bulk was yelling at my wife. G-stale was like “You should go down there and get your asskicked.” I told her have another twinkie.

Week of 10-10

6:00 beastin. Can’t sleep.

9:00 Thought she was out the game for a minute. Lolz. she got a little itsy-bitsy split lip. I don’t even care. My mans said it best. They don’t wanta  good dude. Even if she was with you she’d be cheating on you with a  dude like that. F-it.

5:00 Prince harming is here. Gail is like you can still catcha  ride home with me. Wish I had thought of that. JERK. She said Don’t judge cause you don’t know what it’s like. They roasted her after she left. BYTces aint shiz.

7:30 Back is screwed. Nothing doing.

9:15 Oh snap, she got the Jackie-o shades on.

2:00 OHHH POPWWW. POW. We had the illest moment today. We’re in the kitchen and she’s ignoring me so I ignore her. She grabs my arm and whispers “You were right, I do”. WHAT>>>>>!!! OHHHHHH CHAMPION!!!!!

Nah nah nah na, hey hey hey good bye! Said she’s going to text me over the weekend and she might need a ride or two next week. THE CHAMPION>

3:300 can’t type straight. Man, my brain is blown. This is what’s up.

4:30 Chicks at the window being nosy. Hol up.

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You can purchase this release here.  My music is also on iTunes

Thank you for checking out my music.

-Dynamics Plus

Robotica Movie I Soundtrack: This Far Past the Frontier

Robotica The Thousand Years War Movie I

Dynamics Plus releases the Battlestrux Robotica Movie I Soundtrack. This album contains all the songs and ambient music used in the first animated movie. The aliens have returned to finish off the robot servants, humanity has left behind. This is the Thousand Years War.

You can find the movie at http://www.youtube.com/DynamicaMusic and more about the music at http://www.TheDynamicUniverse.com

 

Track Listing

1. Welcome Aboard

2. Sonic Floor Drop [Rewind and Re-capsule]

3. Kingdom Come [Movie 1 Main Theme]

4. Larynx Tone [Intro Speech Redux]

5. Pulse Wave Disengage [De-Warp Ambience]

6. De-warp interlude

7. Dust Bowl

8. Dust to Dust

9. Meltdown [The Energy Spike]

10. Wind Krush

11. Meditations [Repetitive Resonance]

12. Emergency [The Aliens are Back]

13. I leave in the Fall

14. Somber Event

15. Planet Thumper

16. Cirrus Gate [Closing Theme]

=================================

The movie has been around for a while and a few heads kept asking about the music so I decided to release it as  separate soundtrack.

 

The Blog Post has all the movies as a direct embed from Youtube.

https://dynamicsplus.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/robotica-a-still-frame-animated-series-based-in-the-battlestrux-universe/

Thanks for checking me stuff!