The Movie Journal

  Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 10 "Despite Yourself" January 07, 2018 The Mirror Universe! That is what we explore in “Despite Yourself.” This is a great episode that has some shocking jaw-dropping moments and some well-earned comedy. This rendition of the Mirror Universe changes things up for the Discovery crew. Burnham is presumed dead, Lorca a fugitive, and Tilly is an evil queen. Yes, you read that correctly. Tilly as an evil queen earns some laughs considering how Tilly is in the normal world. There are some sad moments that happen. I did not expect Culber to die considering how progressive the show was trying to be. Considering that Culber is an openly gay character on the show, it is slightly disappointing he met his demise so early even if it fit the narrative. That said, I have a feeling that we will not be gone for long. In addition, there are some fine fight scenes and some great character moments. This episode was directed by Jonathan Frakes, who of cou...

  Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 9 "Into the Forest I Go" November 12, 2017 “Into the Forest I Go” is a very satisfying Star Trek: Discovery episode. In line with the previous episodes, there is hardly any room to breathe. I love this energy! We have space battles, the return of Admiral Cornwell from the presumed dead, a battle between Burnham and General Kol (who was not an entirely interesting character), and Stamets making an incredible 133 spore drive jumps. So buckle in and get ready for the ride! I know that people nitpick the series about certain things. Mine would have to be the characterization, or lack thereof, of the Klingons. L’Rell is seemingly the only semi-interesting Klingon because everyone else just grunts, growls, and double crosses one another. So, I guess it is as good as any time for Kol to meet his demise. The battle was thrilling. There is also some closure in terms of Captain Georgiou whom sadly the show seemed to put on the backburner. Tyler...

  Paris, Texas (1984) I truly did not know what to expect with Paris, Texas . It looked like to be some European director’s take on the American western. I am glad I gave Wim Wenders’s film a chance because it is a deeply profound, moving picture about one man’s existence set in a grim, bleak world of loneliness. Anyone who has felt these urges of loneliness can relate to our main character, played superbly by the great American character actor Harry Dean Stanton. Wenders is known for his character studies by delivering thoughtful if flawed characters that embark on some sort of road trip throughout America. This movie felt more at home when compared to the experimental films from the 60’s and 70’s with similar themes. Set in the world where big blockbusters were given prominence, this is fresh breath of air that stays with you for a long, long time. Wenders combined his West German New Age sensibilities with screenwriter Sam Shepard’s (yes, also the actor) raw, bleak take on Ameri...

  Miller's Crossing (1990) To be honest, I did not truly understand or rightfully digest Miller’s Crossing until hours and even days after I watched the film for the very first time. Going into the film, I knew it was a Coen Brothers film and was about gangsters. That’s all I knew. Would it be compared to Goodfellas (which ironically was released the same weekend in 1990) or The Godfather ? The opening scene where the two gang (Irish versus Italian) rivals met actually was an homage to the Francis Ford Coppola classic. In hindsight, I learned what a powerful film this was. It is a Coen Brothers film in every sense. That means sharp, lyrical dialogue, impressive if slightly oddball characters, and a style unique to the Coen Brothers. The cinematography from Barry Sonnenfeld is very impressive. The sequence with Gabriel Byrne and John Turturro in the forest is a sweat-inducing example of how Sonnenfeld shot the film. Being labeled as a gangster film, I was mildly surprised about the...

  Goodfellas (1990)                                                       A great scene! Goodfellas is nothing short of a masterpiece. Martin Scorsese directed many masterpieces over his impressive career, but this is his masterpiece of those masterpieces. It has the honor of being in my top five films of all time. It is a long movie, but you do not feel its length. Scorsese does a genius job keeping the audience hooked with his quick-edit, fast-paced style. By the time the credits roll, you will be in a satisfied state of exhilaration. People compare this film to The Godfather . Not a knock on the aforementioned film, but these are two different styles that tell a story about the mafia. The Godfather is more of a broad, classical-style film while Scorsese creates something more realistic and something that centers on the im...