Category: Only Cool Movies

Center for Biological Diversity Raleigh Meetup

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I created a Raleigh-based meetup group for the Center’s Ignite Change action network. I’m excited to keep it going! (even though the first meeting was a bust because I cluelessly scheduled it to start at the exact moment that the Superbowl started! Doh.)

Here are some teasers for what’s to come. Tropic cascade is a fairly recent famous exciting biological observation showing that apex predators have complex positive effects on the layers of flora and fauna under them. Most famous is the example of the effect of wolves re-introduced to Yellowstone. Here is the link, followed by the TED talk of the guy who basically narrated it before it was brilliantly captured with Yellowstone footage. And more and more real-world amazingness. Fight for it!!

9.0 People Places Things

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Jemaine you crafty bastard.  Best movie ending ever.

The subject of divorce has a lot of good material to mine.  New relationships that follow, as well.  Life changes from idyllic idealism, “which is never sustainable” (–Will), to something more wise, gracious and tolerant, tempered with caution, a better knowledge of self, and, hopefully, direct honesty.  I’m happy I’m finding my way, and so lucky to be with you baby.  <3

9.0 Leon: The Professional

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LeonAndMatilda

Where to start… you thought you liked Kick Ass?  Ha, child’s play compared to this… You thought you liked Lucy?  Bah, faggedaboutit… don’t miss this earlier groundbreaker that deals with death and pain and Gary Oldman and mobsters and their quiet moments and Natalie’s first killer performance and… Matilda’s passion for life, like that of many tweens, is inspiring. I was listening to Bjork’s Debut earlier, another amazing example of unbridled passion and obsession, and when Luc included nearly the entirety of “Venus as a Boy” in the movie, I had a moment. :-)

9.0 Jabberwocky

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How can there be a Terry Gilliam-directed movie starring Michael Palin that I have never even heard of??!  Good Lord!  Stephen tuned me in and we thoroughly enjoyed this massive indulgent romp through a middle age equally beleaguered by a huge monster and the beginnings of a free market economy.  Classic!

Jabberwocky

9.5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy

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GuardiansOfTheGalaxy

Those rock solid hugely fun Marvel superhero blockbusters keep coming.  I loved that CA had a serious and important motivational element.  Guardians of the Galaxy was epic too – huge fan of Chris Pratt – Marvel just keeps delivering!  These are just AWESOME fun!

I like that the blockbuster action movies have moved away from the stupid so-fast-you-can’t-tell-what-happened style of action – there are some seriously – SERIOUSLY – beautiful superhuman stunts for which I don’t want to miss a single movement.  Strange to work so hard to write properly (no dangling prepositions) about superhero movies with short curt dialog.  But even that is being so well done these days.  Hollywood is getting their action movies right.  :-)

WInterSoldier

9.5 The Grand Budapest Hotel

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TheGrandBudapestHotel

Magnificently exhilarating, grandly fantastical and exquisitely precise!  I have not enjoyed a ride like this since I cannot say when.

Also recently viewed:

Stranger Than Fiction – sweet as gold with the best supporting cast ever

Better Living Through Chemistry – Sam Rockwell will always be my inspiration, this continues the tradition

The Book Thief – beautiful poetic tension

The Ref – old skool comedy from some fabulous old friends

 

8.5 Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

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Aint_Them_Bodies_Saints

A sweet slow tender story with genuine “unassuming, introspective acting” (nicked from IMDB’s profile of Keith Carradine, son of acting legend John Carradine, brother of “Kung Fu” Dave and Robert, father of Martha Plimpton) by Carradine, Ben Foster, Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, who always seems to leave an impression…