I Kan't Spell

 early Mel Gibson dynasty - Australian - like really Australian - semi post apocalyptic world with another righteous serious yet immature main character in mad max - 

Word play with it:

Corruption 

Greed

Sadness - deep sadness 

Sunset / sunrise 

Human scum 

Influential and aspiring cinema (lots of modern characters - especially villains - look exactly like these guys… down to the facial hair - sick boy from Trainspotting as an example)

Lots of good shots from below on the street that are super sexy - I don’t know how they’re sexy but lots of butt shots and chest and really full light around white and orange yellow and red 

They also light according to character - duality - darkness - and innocence 

The male eye makeup budget in this set was high - real high 

The homo erotic tones of the psychotic are really really gripping and smart. The road gang psychos are either hypersexed machismo - or calculated homosexual killers. Very very well done. The vapid response to societal norms is smartly executed through these villain themes. 

The music budget or talent is lacking obviously - bassoons - bad guy music - tv music - perry mason stuff 

but the sound is great and probably even better in the theaters - the dogs - the car, the tires are loud but they're heavy and hearty - not shrill and pitched.

A lot of nods to clockwork orange with the gangs behavior as well - against ultra aggressive or feminine and calm… Like Alex vs Dim. 

The “ultra violence” is very horror movie nod which really removes this movie from any one genre to be honest. Its not easy rider - it’s not clockwork orange - and it’s not the warriors and it’s not night of the living dead - but it is a piece of all those.. Miller did a great job paying homage and tipping a cap but also adding to the legends of those movies by almost continuing their work. He slots in his own stall with mad max while pushing it further somehow. I don’t know how specifically but in this movie is a discovery apart from those others. I’m gonna try to find it - maybe it’s the cars. Or the road gang psychosis (but warriors and Cwo had those in their groups). Maybe it’s the normalization of this future society with people being normal but criminal zombie happening all around them. The childlike psychotic is really good  - I am definitely going to rewatch this whole series. 

This is like going to a restaurant and discovering a food you never get a chance to eat but had it once or something similar and it’s so exciting to go down the rabbit hole with it. Mad Max is definitely that. 

This movie inspired - blade runner, gangs of New York, seven, saw, so much… this is a cornerstone movie of cinema in my opinion. Sadly I think the genre died shortly after but the influence lived on in our fringe culture best directors worlds. 

It was inspired by:  clockwork orange, night of the living dead, two lane blacktop, Ben hur, the warriors, French connection, Texas chainsaw massacre, and even easy rider and Star Wars a little (bar scene where a woman sings). But also the image of a man and his dog was  first here - and the dog is a blue healer - the so called smartest dog in the world.

It even does a good job of making Australia so contrary beautiful to the characters - and australian people dutiful and peaceful. 

Another hat tip to the post apocalyptic world being similar to our own - but with psycho zombies in it now - the saved - the transcendent - that know nothing matters. But then… they do show fear when they kill their own 

Mel Gibsons acting is ya know - whatever - he has a moment or two but obviously still very green or poorly directed or corny on purpose - sometimes it’s hard to tell in these movies. Finding out what’s tongue in cheek campy and what’s just bad or underdeveloped - I’m not cool enough or smart enough yet to figure that out every time. His monologue on his dead friend is terrrrrrrrible. This makes him more movie star than actor but… it ain’t bad bad. 

Rating 8.3/10 - this movie gets a lot of hate but it’s so terribly corny in it’s universe and genra that inspired a generation of film makers) think of all the influence this move had / from escape from New York , to heavy metal fashion, to saw and everything David fincher has ever done. Tarentino took a lot from this movie too - especially the bathroom scuzzy conversation scenes. For those reasons alone I’ll overlook how goddamn Australian movie this is and give it - solid rating.

 I was thankful today to spend the day with my children.

 Peak McQueen - and James Coburn who I always thought was lame - along with Charlie Bronson once again playing an Indian. Let’s see what we have here -

The music is perfect out of the gate making the POW nazi camp much more upbeat and interesting than let’s say the normal nazi camp might be *need to actually research whether nazis were this professional with their pows. —- not too much detail from a quick search but I’ll be following up on this for the Geneva convention aspect. 

Regal to open - and ya know… oddly too nice. Like Home Alone nice.

I like the premise of the movie that these dudes got captured on purpose to break out of camps and pester nazis. 

Costume designer is weak sauce on this - everything looks brand new. 

McQueen is never happy and never angry - he’s always melancholy like cool hand luke or the hustler - his archetype is so likable. 

This opening sequence is pretty lame - very bridge over River Kwai without the edge to it - this much have been a blockbuster nonsense film - this is like oceans eleven. I chose poorly here - I’m gonna ride it out once again because if mcqueen and Bronson but - man - this is goofy lame. 

The amount of homoeroticsm is absurdly high - mostly because of the British and soft ass James garner 

Rating 7/10 - I need to get harsher on my ratings - but this is like Kelly’s heroes lame - it’s fine - but there’s no drama 

 Steve McQueen saves the movie w his stoic kindness 

A nice contradiction between cultures and Steve McQueen as the go between is pretty dead on. 

Lamas and cultural exception and commune living - mixed with fairness seen through a conservative biblical eye - no racism but hates evil. Eye for an eye but New Testament. 

Music is poor - it echoes early romance music from 20 years prior - maybe that’s on purpose but it missed the mark for me.

Shots are ok - nothing noticeable for me - maybe some aerial stuff that at the time would have been hard to do. Action shots w McQueen are good for the time period w no backdrops or anything. McQueen on the a train shot was ballsy.

3 chase scenes was too much for a movie w such depth and promise. The chase scenes are what ruin the movie for me - I think the characters have depth and the story has intrigue - but man - 15 minute chase scenes w no dialogue. I would imagine that’s what McQueen and company had to give away to get the film made. Otherwise it’s a deep think snore that feels like a tv show with its repetitive scenes and linear plot line. 

Buzz Kulik directed it and it looks like he wasn’t able to break from his common format of tv movie - even the credits feel like a tv movie. 

Overall - McQueen is great as this character - he may be one of the best lovable tough guys ever - at 8/10 *see who created that archetype 

Movie - 6.5/10 out of pity because this is a true story - you could tell the writers gave it real heart at some point and then some ass clown wanted to make bullitt 2 - and f that guy. 

Bonus - this was mcqueens last film. He died pretty young of cancer. I should read more about him - he seems very interesting and I love his “cameo” in once upon in time in Hollywood - Daniel Craig playing him was solid. 

 Thankful for more Everyday.  Ella goes riding today - see my mom - see old friends - watch lacrosse - keep working and moving 

 Today I am thankful for health. I woke up this morning feeling 100x better than yesterday - although the fever and ache ahs subsided the cough remains. But the cough does not limit my ability to be in the now of life. I plan to attack today with vigor and ability. And I get to see Jedd for a bit. 

 Today I am thankful for Piper the most. What a wonderful opportunity a child is for anyone - a chance to hold and teach. She takes to all things shown to her like a fish to water. Take more time with her - teach her and love her. 

 Today I’m thankful for decorating the tree with my lids - getting my car fixed up - seeing my mom - and taking Alice for a long walk. Simple. 

 I’m not thankful for much.

I’m warm and can take care of my six daughter. 

Other than that I’m failing. Tomorrow will be better - I just need to cut people out of my efforts. 

 I’m thankful for Ella today. She’s signing a solo tonight in her recital. She works harder than she lets on and has deep sense of compassion and love. She’s a wonderful daughter. 

 Bright but not contemplative 

 Heading to the ravens game today w ella and piper. Went for my first ever morning run with wells. He ran on his toes and spit a lot - but he had a great attitude. I’m glad proud of us today. 

 Thankful for friends that never forgot what there was. I’m thankful to know the difference between love and like and infatuation and I’m thankful that I did good work yesterday. Today will be a great day full of more the same. I am thankful for hope and pain to let you know that you matter somewhere.