Mike Goes To Movies

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Kubrick's 2001 is a masterpiece that lives behind a locked door. To access it, one must open themselves up to the journey, the mystery, and the purpose of the challenging film. Especially by the nature of today's increasingly inattentive and unfocused, the incomparable potential of 2001 may be lost or missed by some viewers. However, for those that are willing to embrace Kubrick's unparalleled sci-fi vision, there is currently no other - and may never be another - like 2001: A Space Odyssey. The behind-the-scenes of 2001 is almost as interesting as the film itself - but I will not deep-dive into that here. What I will briefly mention is that Kubrick teamed up with sci-fi writer, Arthur C. Clarke, to help develop the story. Remarkably, while Kubrick was filming his movie, Clarke was simultaneously writing a novel that was also based on the story he and Kubrick came up with. The intersections and divergences between the two still remain a p...

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Fact: Mad Max: Fury Road is the zenith of the modern day action film.  For a while the prospect of a Mad Max sequel - a whopping thirty years after 1985's Thunderdome - did not sit well with fans. The famous role was going to be recast, and writer/director, George Miller,  really had not had a major success since the original Mad Max films (other than the Happy Feet movies... yes, he really did make those). All of these points lead to more than a little trepidation about rebooting the cult classic series. How wrong we all were... Unlike action of yesteryears, today's action is high-octane: filled with fast action and fast-cutting. While this style has often been criticized for it's lack of continuity, choreography and grace, when utilized well - as in the recent Mad Max - it becomes an exhilarating and unrelenting adrenaline rush. Secondly, Mad Max uses CGI in the best way possible, which is for enhancement. It is almost impossible t...