"TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY" (1991) Photo Gallery

Below are photos from the 1991 sequel called "TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY". Directed by James Cameron, the movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong: 


"TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY" (1991) Photo Gallery

"HANCOCK" (2008) Review

"HANCOCK" (2008) Review

When I first learned about the premise for "HANCOCK" - a superhero leading the life of a drunken bum – it struck me as rather original. I still feel that it is one of the original movie premises I have ever come across. 

"John Hancock" is a powerful amnesiac who uses his super abilities to occasionally help the citizens of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, not only does his help tend to come off as heavy-handed and reluctant, but also damaging to public property. In short, his actions and drunken, yet sardonic attitude also pisses off a lot of people. This all changes when Hancock ends up saving the life of a Public Relations spokesperson named Ray Embrey. Because of this, the grateful PR man offers to help Hancock clean up his public image. Although Ray ends up achieving his goal, trouble arises when Hancock finds himself growing attracted to Ray’s wife, Mary. And she finds herself forced to reveal a big secret about both Hancock . . . and herself.

I must admit that I found the first half of "HANCOCK" rather interesting. It seemed like a rare treat to witness the metamorphosis of a drunken, yet powerful asshole into a competent and less reluctant Good Samaritan/superhero. Unfortunately, once Mary revealed the truth about herself and Hancock, the movie veered into entirely new direction. What started out as the development of a genuine superhero who might be interested in a friend’s wife, ended up as a semi-tragic tale of two immortals forced to remain apart in order to maintain their powers. Frankly, I found this whole, new scenario a load of nonsense. Even worse, it sounded like a contrived reason to keep the two immortal lovers, permanently apart.

In a way, I can understand why screenwriters Vince Gilligan and Vincent Ngo prevented Hancock and Mary to end the movie with a lovers’ embrace. Such a conclusion would have obviously broken Ray Embrey’s heart. And I must say that Jason Bateman’s portrayal of the idealistic PR spokesperson struck me as very enduring. It would seem slightly depressing if the movie had ended with his character as a loser. In fact, I would go further and say that the main strength "HANCOCK" centered around its cast. British actor Eddie Marsan made a captivating bank robber with a penchant for bombs and revenge against Hancock. Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron did a wonderful job in portraying the enigmatic Mary Embrey, who is not only torn between two men, but by a secret she has been harboring for years. But it was really Will Smith in the title role, who really impressed me. Portraying a character as complex as John Hancock must have been quite a challenge. But Smith lived up to the challenge by capturing every nuance of the character without resorting to over-the-top acting, as he was inclined to do during his early years as an actor. Without him, Bateman and Theron, the movie could have easily fallen apart.

I wish I could say that "HANCOCK" had been one of the better movies from the summer of 2008. It certainly possessed one of the most original movie premises I have ever come across. But despite stellar performances by the cast and Peter Berg’s competent direction, "HANCOCK" ended up being nearly undone by a script that was plagued by a contrived plot twist. Thankfully, the movie was not a complete loss. It could have been worse. A lot worse.

Top Five Favorite "LOST" Season One (2004-2005) Episodes

Below is a list of my top five favorite episodes from Season One of "LOST" (2004-2010). The series was created by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof; and produced by the latter and Carlton Cuse. 


TOP FIVE FAVORITE "LOST" SEASON ONE (2004-2005) Episodes



1. (1.23-1.25) "Exodus" - This season finale served as a transition in the series' narrative, as an expedition sets out to find dynamite to open the hatch recently discovered by castaway John Locke. And the raft planned by Michael Dawson finally leaves the island with him, his son Walt, Jin Kwon and James "Sawyer" Ford, resulting in unexpected circumstances.





2. (1.17) ". . . In Translation" - This episode featured Jin Kwon's backstory in flashbacks and the further disintegration of his marriage, when he discovers that his wife Sun had learned English behind his back.





3. (1.04) "Walkabout" - While Locke and a few others set on a hunting expedition to find boar for the other castaways, his flashbacks reveal his reason for being in Australia.





4. (1.11) "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues" - Jack Shephard leads an expedition to find two castaways that had been kidnapped in the previous episode. The episode's flashbacks reveal the events that led to Jack being responsible for his father's dismissal from the hospital they worked at.





5. (1.19) "Deus Ex Machina" - In their search for a means to open a hatch they had found, Locke and Boone Carlyle find a Nigerian small plane. And their discovery leads to tragic circumstances. In the flashbacks, Locke meets his parents for the first time, who prove to be major disappointments.

"BLANCHE FURY" (1948) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "BLANCHE FURY", the 1948 adaptation of Joseph Shearing's (aka Marjorie Bowen) 1939 novel. Directed by Marc Allégret, the movie starred Valerie Hobson and Stewart Granger: 


"BLANCHE FURY" (1948) Photo Gallery