Mirkwood Reflections

I FINALLY got to watch Speed Racer tonight. If you've been reading here for any length of time, you'll probably remember that for some odd reason, the Speed Racer trailer really caught my eye. I watched it repeatedly and had every intention of viewing the film in the theatres. Why? Do I remember the Speed Racer cartoon? Only a little . Am I a racing fan? Not in the least. Am I a preteen boy? Um, never have been . Then why would this movie entice me? I never have been quite sure. Maybe it has something to do with the directors - the Wachowski brothers, who also directed The Matri x , which you may know to be one of my favorite movies of all time. But now I know. It definitely has its faults, but there is plenty positive about Speed Racer and I really wish I had been brave enough to ignore the bad reviews and go see it when it came out - on the big screen, as it was intended. First, what is there to pick on? Well, if you wanted to, you could pick it all apart. But couldn...

A young college graduate gives away most of his possessions and heads off... Into the Wild. Intriguing premise for a story! And yet, based on a true story. I read an article or condensed version of this book a while ago and when I saw the movie previews, I definitely put it on my must-see list. Emile Hirsch plays a very convincing Christopher McCandless, the honor student who longs for a more honest and itinerant lifestyle. His parents, played by Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt, don't know about his exodus at first, and when they find out, they don't understand it. McCandless renames himself Alexander Supertramp and spends two years hitchhiking and working his way across the US and Canada, always keeping his final destination of Alaska at the front of his thoughts and words. Gorgeous scenery abounds in the film. McCandless visits some very beautiful places and meets many interesting people. He keeps a journal, which figures prominently in the story. An actress playing his ...