Inside The American Mob

Starring: Salvatore Polisi

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Mob documentaries are a dime a dozen and are almost always the same. They feature guys who wrote books about the mafia, talking about Al Capone and John Gotti, until now. Inside The American Mob was a long time in the making and for the first time really does give an accurate history and inside look at organized crime. Two things made this mini-series different from the others, the first being, the people they interviewed. National Geographic sits down with actual detectives, informants, agents, and even current members, who live the mob life. They tell stories that haven't been told before and as it turns out a lot of things we've been told before weren't quite right. The second difference is that this documentary focuses on the timeline, going from the beginning of the five families, all the way up to today. Yes, they talk about Gotti and Donnie Brasco, but they also focus intently on the big names that came in between and weren't as infamous. I have an odd fascination with organized crime and I watch mob documentaries and films fairly often, and I usually don't learn too much or meet people I didn't already know about. Inside The American Mob was completely different, as each of the six episodes introduced me to thing I never would have imagined, told to me by the people who were actually there.  National Geographic set out to film the definitive insiders guide to the mob and they succeeded.

Alex Cross

Starring: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, & Edward Burns

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

As a long time fan of James Patterson's Alex Cross novels, I thought Morgan Freeman was the perfect choice to play Cross, and I loved Kiss The Girls. I was weary of a remake, especially one done by Tyler Perry, but to my surprise he was much better than expected, unfortunately, the film was not. Alex Cross has always been about beating criminals with his mind. The forensic psychologist is best known for his ability to out think rather than over power his opponents, but you'd never know it by watching this film. Alex Cross and his team are called in on a triple homicide, but the suspect had more on his mind then just his targets, and sets his sights on Cross and the team. There is a heavy focus right from the beginning on the bad guy, who we immediately see is Matthew Fox. To me this took all the mystery right out of the story, and instead of being a who done it, the film was about how to catch the bad guy. The writers didn't do that right either, as Alex Cross is blinded by rage and goes out guns blazing to fight and kill the assailant. While this may make for an exciting action film, it's not who or what Alex Cross is all about, and despite all the novels I've read, I felt like I didn't know the characters at all. Tyler Perry stars as Cross and shows that he's more than just a comedian dressed as an old woman. Perry was very intense and likeable, under different circumstances I would have really enjoyed his performance, but again, he wasn't playing the Alex Cross I know. He's paired with Lost's Matthew Fox, who has played the bad guy before. I love Fox as an actor, but he just doesn't have the look or temperament of a killer and wasn't very believable here. Alex Cross is one of my all time favorite characters, and the first time they put him on film, they did it right. The second time, wasn't one of Patterson's better stories, but still very well done. This time, Alex Cross has turned into John McLean, and while some people will love it, to me it just emphasized everything that is wrong with Hollywood today.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Starring: Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Cirroc Lofton, Alexander Siddig, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Terry Farrell, & Michael Dorn

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Star Trek Deep Space Nine is my favorite television show of all time, therefore I am bias in reviewing it. In this case, I will tell you about the show and why I like it, so you can decide for yourself if you want to watch it or not.

Star Trek TV series and novels have always been about exploring new worlds, seeking out new life, and boldly going where no one has gone before. Deep Space Nine was different in that it took place on a space station and showed us a whole new side of Star Trek, that has redefined the franchise. This show wasn't about exploration, but rather the politics of the future and they were able to do things the other shows couldn't. Deep Space Nine re-introduced some old themes, not seen since the original series, and its writers were pioneers of Science Fiction. This series featured everything from time travel to alternate realities, it introduced us to a whole other region of space, the first stable wormhole in the universe, the mysterious section 31, and it even focused on crime, commerce, gambling, and religion, all set in the future, on board a space station. For the first time we got a glimpse into the politics of the Federation, as well as other races, and we even got to witness a full blown war. DS9 was beyond imaginative and shaped Voyager, the final seasons of the Next Generation, and even future films, but what's it all about?

The story begins on a planet called Bajor, where a strong, deeply religious people have just won a war against the barbaric Cardassians. After nearly 50 years of occupation, Bajor has rid itself of the Cardassians and invited Star Fleet in to help protect them. Together the Bajorans and Star Fleet take control of the old Terok Nor Space Station and re-name it Deep Space Nine. It's intended purpose was to serve and protect Bajor, but that all changed with the discovery of the universes first stable wormhole. The wormhole is a gateway to a whole other quadrant of space and means endless possibilities and dangers. To Star Fleet, the wormhole represents commerce and scientific research, but the Bajorans view it as the home of their Gods, the Celestial Temple.

As the story continues, all kinds of people show up at the station, with the intention of exploring and trading with this new region of space. As for the Bajorans, they worry that all the traffic will bring more invaders, but come to see the stations Star Fleet Commander, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks),  as their emissary, and they put their fate in his hands.

In season 3, a threat unlike any other is detected in the new quadrant. A planetary alliance similar to Star Fleet is discovered, but this new group, the Dominion, is militaristic, xenophobic, and eventually enter into the war of all wars with the Federation.

The reasons I loved this show were many, including the elements of Science Fiction never before used in Star Trek, the amazing new technology and special effects, but perhaps more than anything it was how we get to know the characters on the station intimately, in a way that's never been done before. The more you watch this show, the more you understand them, their cultures, and their situations. As lame as it may sound, I really felt like I was a resident on the station who was included in everything that was happening.

The show has been off the air for 16 years now, but it's not over. DS9 didn't continue into movies, but in books, and believe it or not, it's still going. The first novel takes place days after the series finale and they are still coming. The books are just as good and have so many surprises that I could write about them for days.

Deep Space Nine was everything I ever wanted in a series or franchise and it has shaped how I view Science Fiction, and even shaped the way I write my short stories. This show has been a major part of me for a very long time and I hope that by telling all of you about it, you can experience all the excitement and mystery that I have.

Hellboy

Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, & Rupert Evans

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Much like the Punisher, Hellboy was created for the older comic book fans. The character was designed to be an anti-hero, less refined than Batman or Superman, someone who would hate being labeled a superhero. While the comics weren't as popular as others, the film gave life to the franchise and created a cult following. The story is meant to introduce us to the character of Hellboy, a cat loving, cigar smoking, red guy, with a bad attitude, who secretly works for the government protecting The United States from paranormal threats. Everyone knows by now that I hate superheroes, so the idea of the anti-hero really appealed to me. I could have easily become one of the cult followers and fallen for Hellboy, the way all the comic-con kids did, if it wasn't for the uncertain direction of the film. Guillermo Del Toro struggled back and fourth with whether or not this film should be geared for kids or adults, and went the PG-13 route. It worked in terms of getting a larger audience, but it also took away from the original intent of the character. Throughout the film we keep hearing about how tough and dangerous Hellboy is, but he's really wasn't that much of a bad ass. If Hellboy is so unlike any hero, why is he working for government instead of breaking the law, and why is it that he doesn't utter a single curse word? The character was far too toned down for my liking, but the flip-side to that was how nasty and creepy some of the bad guys were. Broom is one of the best comic villains I've ever seen and given his Nazi background, he most certainly was not intended for kids. Overall, I enjoyed parts of the film, I loved Ron Perlman, and as with any film by Guillermo Del Toro, the special effects were amazing. However, the lack of direction makes the film somewhat unfulfilling and anti-climatic. Hopefully that will all change when I get up to Hellboy II.

Good People (2014)

Starring: James Franco, Kate Hudson, & Tom Wilkinson

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I saw this movie 4 years ago when it was called Ca$h, but that was a comedy and this was a thriller, still it's amazing just how similar the two films are. Good People and Ca$h are so much alike, that I don't know how the producers of this film didn't get sued! Good People takes place in London and focuses on another young couple down on their luck. They're about to lose everything when their downstairs tenet dies and they find a bag of cash in the ceiling. Much like the couple in Ca$h, they face the dilemma of keeping the money or turning it into the police. Of course they have to keep the money for there to be a film, but shortly after, the rightful owners show up and want their cash, leaving the couple on the run. James Franco and Kate Hudson play the young couple and to my surprise, despite their very different styles, they had great chemistry, but that's really all this film had. It's very hard to review a film that is so similar to another, because I find myself unimpressed by the second film and wonder, if I hadn't seen the first, would I have enjoyed the second? As far as thrillers go, it wasn't much different or better than you'd expect it to be, despite the big names in the cast. Ultimately, Good People isn't a bad film, but I preferred the story in a more comedic form with Sean Bean playing a foul mouthed, wise cracking gangster. If you're a fan of any of the cast members, you should see this film, because it definitely wasn't boring, but it really wasn't anything special.

Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!

Starring: Josh Duhamel, Kate Bosworth, & Topher Grace

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

I'm not one for romantic comedies, but I was a huge fan of That 70s show, and wanted to see if Topher Grace's movie roles were really worth leaving the show for, and needless to say, I was unimpressed. The film centers around three friends working in the grocery store of a small town. They are big movie fans and the girls love Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel), the hottest new star in Hollywood. Hamilton has the looks, but his reputation isn't so good. To fix this, his people come up with the idea of a contest, where the winner get a date with Hamilton and hence the name of the film. Josh Duhamel stars and really shouldn't do comedy. He may have been terrific in the show Las Vegas, but he just isn't believable in a comedic role. As for Topher Grace, he plays this whiny, love struck, jealous friend of Kate Bosworth, and he wasn't really that funny either. Win A Date With Tad Hamilton seemed like someones attempt at making a Woody Allen film and ultimately they failed. This film just tries too hard and gets to a point where it isn't funny. It lacks all the subtle, intelligent humor of a Woody Allen film, not to mention the plot is kind of cheesy. There is a lot to look at in this movie for both men and women, but beyond that, it's really not worth your time.

Surface (TV Series)

Starring: Lake Bell, Jay Ferguson, Carter Jenkins, Leighton Meester, Ian Anthony Dale, Louanne Cooper, Eddie Hassell, Ric Reitz, & Bobby Coleman

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Long before creating The Event, the Pate brothers had another show on network TV, Surface. The premise of the show was different and I think people really would have gotten into it if not for the way the show was presented.

All over the world, people are suddenly seeing sea monsters. The United States Government tries to cover it up, passing the creatures off as a hoax, but that's not good enough for marine biologist, Laura Daughtry (Lake Bell), who is almost killed by one on a deep sea expedition. Together with a scuba expert, who lost his brother, they investigate these creatures, and try to prove just how real they are. At the same time, a young boy in suburban North Carolina has discovered a baby sea monster and has decided to train it and keep it as a pet, leading to some pretty funny and outrageous moments.

The way this show was presented was really strange and problematic. For 12 episodes, the series just runs around in circles, with the group trying to prove the existence of the mysterious creatures, the government trying to cover up the creatures existence, and this young boy who has decided to keep one as a pet. It isn't until episode 13 where things finally start to take shape. It takes 13 episodes before we even learn about the vast conspiracy behind the whole thing and that's when things really get interesting. 

The sea creatures and special effects were cool, but I'd imagine that most people got bored with it after a few episodes, the way I did. Why not bring in this mysterious group and conspiracy sooner and add a little intrigue to the show? If they had, maybe people would have seen Surface as something more than a badly scripted show, hiding behind it's special effects.

Lake Bell, an actress I've never really liked, stars as the marine biologist, and was beyond fantastic. This could have easily been a career defining role for her, had the show lasted. Bell is paired with former child star, Jay Ferguson, who I would have been fine with if not for his awful and completely annoying New Orleans accent. Finally, the cast is rounded out by young Carter Jenkins, a kid who has made somewhat of a name for himself. After the excitement of the sea creatures and special effects wore off, it was Jenkins antics with little nimrod that kept the show watchable. Jenkins was terrific and if it wasn't for this angle of the show, I probably wouldn't have even made it to 13 episodes.

Surface was a show with potential, but the writers waited far to long to release their bombshells and conspiracies, leading to an audience that tuned out after a couple of episodes. Thankfully, the Pate brothers learned from their mistakes and came back with The Event, a terrific show that gained a cult following. While The Event didn't make the cut either, it was certainly much more enjoyable than Surface ever was.