Prince Caspian (2008)

I enjoyed this. I thought it was well-made and fun. A great family film. I can’t remember much from the book so I’ll give no opinion whether or not it keeps the story intact. Of course the book is better but what else is new.

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

This was better than I thought it would be. Bruce Willis is still very cool. Having it set during the Fourth of July weekend was a great idea but it was quickly forgotten and it was not used at all. Kevin Smith and the airplane at the end almost ruined it for me.

Transformers (2007)

Hearing Peter Cullen’s voice at the open brought back my childhood in a rush of nostalgia. Then I spent the next 45 minutes bored of my mind. Things picked up a little from there with a cool car chase and some other action. The story and the plot made no sense but I figured that going in so I wasn’t taken by surprise. The climax was a huge let down and again it made no sense.

Shooter (2007)

Antoine Fuqua is talented, so I decided to check this out. It is well made and sports a great cast. It also has some great action. I was into it until the girl is being raped and tortured while we are stuck in an action scene miles away. And it was totally clear that the main character wasn’t going to be able to do anything about nor did he even seem to care. So in this state of mind the end of the film seemed to be absurd and senseless.

The Medallion (2003)

Certainly not Jackie Chan’s finest film. The story was thin and the action wasn’t too exciting. It was hit and miss fun, but mostly silly.

Earthquake ‘08

Not only have we had a flood this year we’ve also had more earthquakes than I can ever remember. In April I felt the one that happened in Illinois. But on Monday we had one with the epicenter less than two miles away. Perhaps the end is near.

Ezra Crane Update

It’s done! After three years of work it is finally done. Check out the main site: www.ezracrane.com.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

I loved 28 Days Later so I thought this movie would be a let down. Wrong! It was awesome. It gives the first one a run for its money and is one of the best sequels ever. Just like the first one is was great human drama wrapped in a genre package. I want more!

Lifeboat (1944)

This is a very fascinating film. It takes place entirely in a single life boat. Hitchcock worked his magic and made it quite compelling. It is a classic that you rarely hear anything about.

A Great Road Warrior Still

Ezra Crane Update

We are almost done! Check out the latest news here.

Tremors IV: The Legends Begins (2004)

Okay, I saw the first one something like a million years ago and I think I’ve only caught bits of 2 and 3. So why did I grab this one off the library shelf? It’s a creature feature and a Western! Why wouldn’t I want to watch it! Everything was too clean for a Western but it was fun.

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

I’m so tired of CIA plots I can’t really judge the film fairly. Slick images. Great cast. The shooting style is more refined than the second which is nice to see. In fact, I liked this better than the second one.

Ezra Crane Update

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The Proposition (2005)

This is a bloody, nonsensical Australian western. Great cast and great scenery, though. The pacing and shooting style make it feel longer than it is.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I found to be funny, entertaining and thought provoking. It’s stirring up a lot of controversy right now and I really don’t understand why. It is not in favor of Intelligent Design. The film’s main theme is against the suppression of ideas. The evolutionists are saying that it uses philosophical ideas espoused by non-scientists to trash scientific evolution. Yet non-scientist evolutionists are using philosophical arguments as well as personal attacks to discredit anyone who even mentions ID. And meanwhile they forget to advance any science to support evolution. Great stuff all around.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

I heard this movie was really bad so I put off seeing it. I shouldn’t have because I found it enjoyable. The pacing was great. The effects were passable. The jump scenes were well done. The location was cool. And most of all it was fun to watch. What’s not to like?

The Prestige (2006)

I found this film to be quite engaging. It sports a great cast and fine directing, writing and editing. An enjoyable AND well made film. Quite a rarity these days.

A Sound of Thunder (2005)

This is the type of movie that really frustrates me. It could have been so good yet it was so bad. Actually, it wasn’t that bad it just wasn’t very good. A mediocre movie is worse than a bad one because usually it is fun to watch a bad one. And in my book if a movie is fun to watch it’s a good movie even if it’s bad. So what I am trying to say is that A Sound of Thunder wasn’t much fun to watch. But it could have been. It’s based on an imaginative story by Ray Bradbury. The effects are passable. The cast is anchored by Ben Kingsley. Yet most of the action takes place by coincidence and the plot doesn’t drive the story at all.

This Wasted Land has moved!

This Wasted Land has moved to: www.thiswastedland.blogspot.com. Part 2 should be up soon.

War-Gods of the Deep (1965)

The sets and the cinematography are great as they are in most AIP films. The concept for the story is very creative and imaginative. The pacing is slow and the story is thin, but it’s always a treat to watch Vincent Price act. When did actors stop having voices?

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

The animation is great and some parts really draw the viewer in. But I must admit I didn’t care for the story too much. Still it was a fascinating film.

Solaris (2002)

I thought this film was engaging and well crafted. That said I have no idea what it’s supposed to mean or if it means anything. Like all “true” or “hard” science fiction it is incomprehensible. I’ve only seen clips of the original, but it’s on the list.

Constantine (2005)

I finally got around to seeing this. The demon/angel mythology was confused and nonsensical. But on the whole it was made better than most of recent comic book adaptations. Not a bad movie.

This Wasted Land - Part 1

These are the post-apocalyptic adventures of a man who calls himself Red Feather. The title, This Wasted Land, is an allusion to the opening narration of The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2).

I ask your pardon for the many grammatical errors. Keep in mind that it is a first draft. I plan to post in small chunks, so it is not a chore to read. This is an experiment so, no promises on how often I will update. Comments are welcomed and appreciated.

By the way, all written material published here is copyrighted. For information about web reprints or any other rights do not hesitate to contact me. Enjoy.


This Wasted Land - Part 1

The rusted frame of the VW bug had not moved in years until the ‘73 Camaro clipped it and sent it spinning off the hot pavement. Red Feather tightened his grip on the wheel and checked his rearview.

Three motorcycles screamed after him. The riders were all sporting a red devil horn symbol on their leathers.

Red Feather looked back to the road and tromped the accelerator. The engine roared. The car quickened and so did the beating of his heart.

The motorcycle crazies opened their throttles and gained on the sports car. Red Feather glanced at his side mirror. The lead rider was just pulling along side. He cut the wheel. The Camaro slammed into the cycle. Sparks flew. The bike and rider somersaulted down the ruined road. Red Feather allowed himself a thin smile.

The other bikers were right behind him. One drew a crossbow. Red Feather’s smile was gone. His eyes flicked to the speedometer. The needle shook between 125 and 130. One false move at this speed and it would be all over. His eyes searched the road then darted up to the rearview.

He braced himself.

The bolt smashed through the back window and lodged in the dashboard. Glass fragments bounced around the interior. Red Feather let up the gas pedal. The engine slowed.

The biker with the crossbow did not see the bumper of the sports car touch his front wheel. But he felt the result. He lost control of his bike and tumbled to the pavement.

Red Feather slammed the pedal to the floor. The old engine responded with a deafening roar.

Two crazies down, one to go.

Red Feather’s eyes searched the road. The cracked pavement was eaten up as fast as he could take it in. One false move and...

He saw the hulk of an abandoned vehicle rise up before him. He nudged the wheel. The Camaro slipped past the wreck with only an inch to spare.

The biker was not as lucky.

The motorcycle jammed into the wreck. A shower of debris hurled into the air and littered the roadway. The rider shot like a stone out of a catapult. He struck the old road and came to rest in a contorted mess.

The tires of the Camaro spouted blue smoke. Red Feather slowed to a stop. His hands hurt. They shook a bit, too. He looked back at the carnage. At least he didn’t have to waste a bullet on one of those freaks.

Red Feather leaned against the sports car. A small campfire crackled nearby. The motorcycles had yielded a few precious gallons of gas. He wished there had been more.

He fiercely cut a leather jacket. He set his knife down and looked at a scrap of leather. The devil horn symbol stared back. He threw it into the fire and watched it burn. He shook the jacket. It would be good for patches.

Suddenly, he dropped the jacket and gazed at the darkening horizon. Only a single lonely star dared to show its face. He sighed. Just another day in this wasted land.

Doomsday (2008)

This movie was cool. I wish more time had been spent on the cultures inside walled off Scotland and less on government conspiracy. A great PA-like movie, though. A must see for genre fans.

Ezra Crane Update

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The Flood Of '08

Why does everyone hate Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome?

Okay, maybe everyone doesn’t hate it. But, it sure seems like most people do. Let’s look at some common complaints:

It’s not as good The Road Warrior. Well, duh. What movie is better than The Road Warrior?

Goofy comic relief. Yeah, so the filmmakers decided to throw in a few cheap laughs. At least it wasn’t as bad a The Phantom Menace.

It messes with the Gyro Captian’s story from The Road Warrior. This use to bother me a lot. But, movies in the trilogy aren’t really connected together that well. Nowadays I view them more as stand alone stories about the same character.

Two words: Tina Turner. Certainly not the best casting job ever, but it could have been worse. For instance... hmmm... maybe... Jane Fonda. Or an animatronic Ellen DeGeneres like the one at Disney World that tells you about dinosaurs.

The Waiting Ones slow the movie down. True, yet they represent a compelling picture of PA life rarely if ever seen in cinema. They capture my imagination quite well. Also, children repeating everything you say in unison has always creeped me out ever since the original “Star Trek” episode Miri. “No more blah, blah, blah!”

If you haven’t guessed I’m kind of fond of the movie myself. I think most of the scorn comes from people not knowing what type of movie they are watching. Mad Max was a hardcore revenge story. The Road Warrior was a mythic samurai/western with tons of action. While, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a contemplative parable about technology, nature, history, memory and the desire to return home. If you know that going in it is more likely you can appreciate the film.