"All our great Presidents were leaders of thought at times when certain historic ideas in the life of the nation had to be clarified." -Franklin D. Roosevelt, September 11, 1932

15 May 2006

Poseidon: Tremendous Ride, Missed Opportunity

When I first heard back in early 2004 that Wolfgang Petersen was planning a remake of "The Poseidon Adventure" I was stoked. The 1972 film, starring Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters, holds a special place on my personal favorites list because it was the very first film my parents took me to see (at the local drive-in, no less). I was 6 years-old and what a flick! Imagine, at that age, watching a ship the size of the Queen Mary get struck by a rouge wave and turn upside down. It was amazing stuff!

But while that film was considered a spectacle in its day (it was the top grossing film of 1973), the visuals have become dated and the performances are now labeled, fairly or unfairly, campy. Still, the Irwin Allen classic has become a guilty pleasure for loyal fans. Over the last several years many of those fans (myself included) have thought that, in the right hands, "The Poseidon Adventure" would benefit from a remake.

And in Mr. Petersen the producers found the perfect filmmaker. How could Warner Bros go wrong with the brilliant, visionary director of the claustrophobic classic "Das Boot" and the brilliant "The Perfect Storm?" Combine the best elements of those two films with the classic tour-de-force survival story originally told by Paul Gallico in his 1969 novel and a new movie could become a critical and box office success.

So with much anticipation I headed to see "Poseidon" this past weekend. The long awaited remake is a tremendous spectacle that will keep you on the edge of your seat for almost the entire length of the movie.

The story is well known to just about everybody. During New Years Eve celebrations aboard the S.S. Poseidon, a monster rogue wave comes out of nowhere, slams into the luxury liner, capsizing her and leaving a few survivors, led by Josh Lucas and Kurt Russell, to try and find an escape from the upside down water trap.

Petersen begins the film with one of the most stunning opening shots in the history of film: A 3-minute wrap-around of the grand luxury liner as she sails the Atlantic. What makes this scene so amazing is the fact that the ship doesn’t really exist. The Poseidon is completely computer generated, yet when you see her up on that screen you can only be in awe. She is majestic and stately - and puts a certain James Cameron luxury liner to shame.

We are then introduced to the main characters at a quick clip. Mark Protosevich’s screenplay doesn’t draw them very well, if at all. We learn very little about our travelers, and that misguided calculation bothers me. But, I’ll speak to that in a moment. Because just as I was starting to let the lack of characterization bother me, the mighty Greek God of the Sea lashes out at our New Years revelers and spins their world upside down in a heart-pounding capsize sequence that bests the original’s by a mile.

From there it’s non-stop, edge-of-your-seat, hair-raising action as our rag tag group of survivors fight their way up the dying ship to find an escape, battling water and obstacles and more water along the way. Petersen’s brilliant direction (assisted by Klaus Badelt’s nerve-racking score) on three scenes in particular will have you climbing the walls.

The first involves a scene in which Richard Dreyfuss’ character is faced with one of the most gut-wrenching decisions a human being would ever have to make. I could feel the audience collectively asking themselves "God! What would I do?" The second involves the group’s ascent through an air vent. The claustrophobia in this scene is so intense if you’re not climbing the walls then you need to have your head examined. The third involves a mother (played by Jacinda Barrett) and her son (Jimmy Bennett) and the rising waters. Mothers will be ready to pull their hair out during this segment.

All of the action sequences are well done, but those three, spaced through out the movie, will leave you feeling exhausted...in a good way...as if it the cost of the ticket was money well spent.

As with most well done disaster movies it’s the action sequences and special effects that save "Poseidon." I recommend the movie highly and think that on my list of "popcorn flicks" this will join the original near the top. That is thanks in large part to Petersen, his computer and design crews, and a cast that did the best they could with the script they got.

And it is that script where I find my sole disappointment. Why Warner Bros moved ahead with such a lackluster screenplay puzzles me. This had the chance to be a classic sea tale. Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t expecting "Moby Dick," but Paul Gallico’s "The Poseidon Adventure" is the consummate story of survival at sea. It is deep in character study; human nature complete with all of its flaws. It is dark and psychological and leaves the reader breathless.

Unfortunately none of that transferred over in the 1972 film. When I read that Wolfgang Petersen would be at the helm of this new version I had high hopes that the dramatic human stories told in the Gallico novel would finally be told on the big screen. But it doesn't happen.

Roger Ebert opined that he felt Petersen’s heart wasn’t in this film. I don’t think that was it. To me it almost seems like Warner Bros wanted "Poseidon" in the can sooner rather than later and were willing to sacrifice a strong story in order to get the film on screens by May 12. As a result the film is awkwardly edited at times – as if there had been a script there, but that it was jettisoned and then a half-assed editing job done to plug the holes. It makes me wonder whether they purposefully threw away a potentially triumphant story for yet another piece of popcorn fluff.

At this point it doesn’t really matter, because the film is popcorn fluff. Mind you, it is well done, exciting, and thrilling popcorn fluff and I highly suggest you head to the theatre and give it a look. But, I just can’t help but wonder "what if?" I’m afraid we’ll never know, because it is highly doubtful that this story will be told again.

"Poseidon" is rated PG-13 and playing in wide release.

Reckless

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
It's the reckelessness at the top of our government, not the press's exposure of it, that has truly aided the enemy, put American lives at risk and potentially sabotoged national security.
-Frank Rich, in his Sunday New York Times column, addressing the ever-continuing Nixonian ways of the Bush administration.

13 May 2006

Poseidon's Opening Weekend

Wolfgang Petersen's "Poseidon," a re-telling of Paul Gallico's classic novel "The Poseidon Adventure" opened yesterday to mixed reviews.

On the good side:

Detroit Free-Press ("Petersen takes all the elements and polishes them to a shine...")

Rolling Stone ("This remake whups the original's ass.")

Entertainment Weekly ("A tour-de-force!")

On the bad:

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

and, the Newark Star-Leger.

I have been looking forward to this film since it was announced back in the spring of 2004. As a huge fan of Gallico's novel - and of the classic 1972 film version - I was interested to see what a director of Wolfgang Petersen's stature would bring to the story.

Overall, I am pretty impressed. My full review tomorrow.

George Walker Nixon

He's entered Nixon territory: His approval number now stands at 29%.

And more Americans prefer former President Clinton over Mr. Bush on every major issue:

On the economy, 63% to 26%
On solving the problems of ordinary Americans, 62% to 25%
On foreign affairs, 56% to 32%
On taxes, 51% to 35%
On handling natural disasters, 51% to 30%
On national security, 46% to 42%
On honesty, 46% to 41%

That last one has to sting the Republicans. Their guy is driving America off a jagged edged cliff and it seems the GOP-controlled Congress is unwilling to stop him.

Elliott Yamin

Ok, I am not an "American Idol" fanatic (nor am I fanatic of any of the reality TV shows in general), but I have been tuning in to the singing contest for the last few weeks. And I must say...Elliott Yamin...that boy can sing!

My fascination with his voice started a few weeks ago when he performed Donny Hathaway's "A Song To You" (chills!) and was cemented even more this past week when he did Elvis Presley's "I Can Dream" and "Trouble" (far and away the best performances of the night). Yamin was born to sing R&B. His voice is full-bodied, soulful, and passionate.

Whatever happens in the competition, Elliott should have no problem getting a recording contract. As a matter of fact it might be better if he lost "American Idol" so that he wouldn't be tied to what I can only assume is the really bad contract deal the winners enter into.

Really, I'm serious. Have we heard anything from Fantasia or Reuben Studdard lately? No. Bo Bice, one of last season's non-winners, is riding high with his current album; and Kelly Clarkson started getting mega-big only after her deal with "Idol" producers expired.

So I guess what I'm saying is Elliott Yamin should lose. It seems to me the "American Idol" title is almost like winning a Supporting Actress Oscar. You bask in the glory and the spotlight for a few days but then, before you know it, your career is on the skids.

05 May 2006

14 Year-Old Killed by Iraqi Police for Being Gay

George W. Bush's brand of "freedom" is indeed on the march in Iraq.

Sean Hannity Is a Dick

He told a caller to his radio show that a vote for Hillary Clinton would be a vote for Hezbollah and Hamas.

Actually, "Dick" is being too kind.

The Fascist Agenda of the Republican Party

SusanG over at DailyKos found this disturbing blurb buried within the body of a Christian Science Monitor news piece:
GOP leaders are gearing up to bring a number of issues on the Christian conservative agenda to the floor of the House and Senate in the next few weeks, including gay marriage, broadcast decency, the 10 Commandments Act, a cloning ban, and laws protecting "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
A misguided, poorly planned, poorly executed war in Iraq has killed thousands of America's finest; gas prices are soaring for the wrong reasons (filling the bank accounts of oil company executives); and the "roaring economy" is being built on the back of a massive deficit that, when the chickens come home to roost, is going to break the backs of our children.

And the Fascist wing of the Republican-led Congress chooses to deal with gay marriage and the ten commandments?

God help us.

03 May 2006

High Crimes & Misdemeanors

Quote of the Day:
...this President's many "high crimes and misdemeanors" pose such a threat to basic freedoms, and to the system of checks and balances, that not to impeach would be irresponsible.
-Dave Lindorff and Barbara Olshansky, today in a Philadelphia Inquirer op/ed column.

Lindor and Olshansky, coauthors of "The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office," go on to list several examples of serious offenses on which the House of Representatives could file articles of impeachment.

But without a doubt, the ones with the best chance of sticking and removing this dangerous man from the White House would be the 750 acts passed by Congress (some of which were signed into law by this President) that have been willfully ignored by Mr. Bush.

I recently watched a Barney Frank documentary, filmed during the Clinton impeachment fiasco, in which Rep. Henry Hyde (Fascist-IL) continually mentioned "the rule of law." Well, George W. Bush has purposefully ignored 750 laws. If ever there was a case for impeachment and removal from office, this is it.

Some say if the Democrats regain control of the House in the November elections they would be over-reaching if they went for impeachment. I think otherwise. In the end, it would be seen as the move that saved this country from an incompetent president at a time when we need strong, intelligent, competent leadership.

02 May 2006

Cameron's Bicycle Folly

In an attempt to win over some liberal and environmental voters, David Cameron, the leader of Britain's Conservative Party, has been riding his bicycle to the British House of Commons in Westminster from his home in Notting Hill...

With his official car in tow.

Incompetence of the Highest Order

Yesterday on Hardball (MSNBC), reporter David Shuster had the following juicy tidbit regarding the Valerie Plame affair:
Intelligence sources say Valerie Wilson [Plame] was part of an operation three years ago tracking the proliferation of nuclear weapons material into Iran. And the sources allege that when Mrs. Wilson's cover was blown, the administration's ability to track Iran's nuclear ambitions was damaged as well.
So, to sell the public their war of choice (over the real war against Islamo-Fascism) the Bush administration broke the law by revealing the name of a CIA agent who was working on what promises to be the most important issue in the Middle East - and, by extension, the war against terrorism - forcing her to retreat from that highly senstive work.

That political calculation is solid proof of incompetence of the highest order in this White House.

At the very least one has to wonder why Karl Rove still has a job?

Poor Pissy George


Apparently ol' Georgie Bush is a little P.O.'d over comments made by Stephen Colbert at the recent White House Correpondents Dinner (you can see Colbert's brilliant roast here).

Colbert put his brass cajones on full display by fearlessly going after the President (who was sitting less than 10 feet away) with a public scolding wrapped in hilarious satire. If you ask me it was the sort of slap down this Prez'dint needed.

But faster than you can say "My Pet Goat," a top White House aide was denouncing Colbert's remarks. "Colbert crossed the line...[the President was] ready to blow," the aide said.

Well! Poor pissy George! If we had a dollar for every line he has crossed we'd be able to wipe out the national debt.

Life In Flux

Sorry for the tremendous gap between posts. The last few months have been pretty stressful. There is a lot going on right now and my life is in a state of flux. Big changes coming in June. More on that later.

But, for today I'm home because the stress was taking a toll. So I'll blog a little. That usually helps.