2012 Viewing Journal #4

"The Ides of March"

Politics are so adult. So dramatic. As is George Clooney's new flick. And for a while, it moves along wonderfully, giving us an insider's look at Governor Clooney's campaign through Ohio during a tense Democratic primary race. We see backstabbing and moral righteousness and dingy campaign headquarters... and then... ugh, we see plot. We see conflict. And we see it all in cliched movie conflict spades. It's a shame, too, because the movie is pretty great until they introduce a central plot point that ends up driving the rest of the narrative. I'd still recommend it, just by qualifying that it's not as smart as you may think it be.

"Hostel Part III"

The title is classy, 'Godfather'-like. No vulgar "3" or silly subtitle preceded by a colon. The movie is less so; it's predicable, obvious, and worst of all, tame. There isn't a single moment that induces a cringe, a wince or is worth a damn. The setting is lame (Las Vegas), the characters lamer (bachelor party yahoos) and the kills, the only thing for which anyone would watch a 'Hostel movie, lamest of all. It actually makes me yearn for series originator Eli Roth, who I think is a douche, but clearly a 'Hostel'-film-writer/director with a better sense of humor, vision and depravity.

"Game of Thrones"

I'm halfway finished with the second book in the series and, though I'm only five episodes in its television incarnation, it's clear that HBO knows what the hell they're doing with this property. I'm really trying to figure out a way to maintain a steady intake of 'Game of Thrones' in both book and show form. If I read slow enough, watch seldom enough, I think I may make it.