Die Hard (1988)

November is a strange time for a movie viewer.  Halloween has passed, so it doesn't feel quite right to watch horror films.  On the other hand, it's a little to early to watch the traditional Christmas films.  What I like to do during this time is watch movies that are set during Christmas, but don't have a direct connection to the holiday season.  For me, no movie better exemplifies this idea than Die Hard.
In Die Hard, we are introduced to John McClane (Bruce Willis).  John is a hard working NYPD cop, and is visiting Los Angeles to see his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who has signed on with the Nakatomi Corporation.  The night John arrives, Nakatomi is holding their Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza, their new (and partially unfinished) office building.  Before John can have a proper discussion and reconcile with his wife, Nakatomi Plaza is taken over by a group of German terrorists led by the cold and calculating Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).  Interestingly, this isn't a typical hostage situation.  Gruber and his team are really after the valuable contents of Nakatomi's vault.  When he's left separated from the hostages, John McClane does his best to stop the terrorists while the LAPD sits on their thumbs and media crews scramble to get the story.  McClane does have a little help from the outside in the form of beat cop Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), the only cop who believes John isn't a threat.  Unlike many other action films, Die Hard is smartly written, and has its share of insightful dramatic dialogue in between the explosive action (and there's certainly plenty of it!).  This is an important reason why it's such a memorable movie, and why John McClane is such a memorable character.
Die Hard was such a popular movie that it spawned multiple sequels, and is still very well liked today.  So, what is it that sets John McClane apart from so many other action heroes?  It's that he's an average person like you or me.  John McClane isn't a crack shot like Rambo, and doesn't have any superhuman abilities like the Terminator.  Even though he has an extraordinary amount of confidence, he's just as terrified of the situation as any of the hostages involved.  He can't fire a machine gun expertly, he gets injured often, and he has to do all of this without shoes!  Bruce Willis uses these elements to create a brilliantly memorable hero.  Every heroic feat John McClane achieves feels that much more dramatic and exciting for the simple fact that he is like one of us.
As good as Bruce Willis is, he would be nothing without a great villain to play against.  Thankfully, Alan Rickman brings exactly the menace required to portray Hans Gruber.  From the moment he is on screen, Hans Gruber has a commanding presence.  Even before we know his motives, we know Gruber means business, and will never take no for an answer.  Gruber is a man who wants control, and as John McClane begins to alter the situation, he begins to lose control over his own reactions.  Alan Rickman plays out these tightly wound emotions beautifully.  We get a real sense of Gruber's frustration and boiling anger underneath his cool exterior.
Is Die Hard a good movie?  Absolutely.
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?  It's entirely up to you!  

Doctor Strange (2016)

The latest in Marvel's ever-expanding film universe, Doctor Strange explores the magical side of the Marvel universe.  Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a gifted surgeon, but has an attitude on par with someone like Dr. Gregory House.  His only concern is maintaining his own renown in medicine and keeping up with his lavish lifestyle.  After his hands are badly damaged in a car accident, Strange is forced to search for alternatives to medicine to cure his ailment.  This search leads him to Nepal, where he learn the secrets of magic and mysticism under a mysterious woman known as The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).  Meanwhile, Keacilius (Mads Mikkelsen), a former student of The Ancient One, has discovered forbidden knowledge and is acting on it in the most dangerous way.  Together with his teachers, and some clever manipulation of time and space, Doctor Strange must fight the forces of chaos in order to protect the Earth from the destructive entity known as Dormammu.
For comics fans and newcomers alike, Doctor Strange is a great entry in the Marvel filmography.  The story follows the fairly traditional path of classic Samurai films, with a bit of the fantastic added to the mix.  The plot may feel familiar to some, but it's so well done, only the most jaded of movie fans will feel bored by it.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays Doctor Strange very well.  Over the course of the film, we see him change from arrogant to angry, and finally to a man in command and control of himself.  His personal transformation is believable, and it's what drives this film forward.  In particular, his scenes with Rachel McAdams (as love interest Christine Palmer) illustrate this change of character fully.  During the scenes of Strange's training, Tilda Swinton also has some good moments as the wise master figure.
This film has a lot of very cleverly done visuals.  The 3D effects are particularly well executed, with many kaleidoscopic transformations of ordinary settings.  I'm not certain how well these effects translate to non-3D, but they were impressive in the format I saw them in.  One of the things I appreciated most as a comics fan was the film's depiction of Dormammu and his chaotic dimension.  They are shown in an abstract way, yet the evil they represent is made very clear.
Doctor Strange is a breath of fresh air for the Marvel movies, showing the audience something a little different than the usual super-science or simple fist-fighting heroes.  It will be interesting to see how Doctor Strange will fit into a team setting, although one of the post-credits scenes hints at a possible ally.  If you're a fan of the comics, or just bored with traditional superhero films, Doctor Strange is a great way to see a new side of the superhero genre.

Mascots (2016)

Christopher Guest's Mascots premiered at TIFF earlier this year, but is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.  This time around, Guest takes takes aim at the subculture of mascot performers, with the action focused around the annual 'Golden Fluffy' competition for excellence in the mascot field.  For those unfamiliar with the Christopher Guest style, the film takes the form of satirical documentary (or 'mockumentary', as it's commonly known), following the various characters through their journey in the competition.  If the film can be said to have a main character, it would be Owen Golly, Jr. (Tom Bennet), a British soccer mascot who is desperately trying to get out of the shadow of his father, who used to perform the same character.  In addition, we are introduced to people like Cindi Babineaux (Parker Posey), a woman who takes what can only be described as a unique approach to being a mascot.  Various others round out the cast, but the story, such as it is, focuses mainly on these two.
As mentioned above, this film is more a series of amusing, semi-improvised events than a true story of any kind.  In a purely comedy driven sense, this works well, but those expecting more in the way of story may be disappointed.  That being said, the cast works well with what they're given.  Past Christopher Guest veterans Euguene Levy and Hank Azaria are sadly not included in this outing, although many others (Bob Balaban, Jane Lynch, Chris O'Dowd) are present, mixing with newcomers such as Zach Woods (formerly Gabe on The Office) and Sarah Baker.  For me, these two provided many of the laughs as a dysfunctional couple who both work as mascots, resulting in a disastrous performance at the competition.  Strangely, some of the most amusing things about this film are purely incidental, throw-away moments.  Things like fully dressed mascots working out the logistics of using the bathroom, or outlandish looking characters playing cards to pass the time.
Not every joke or character in Mascots is perfect, but it's a very enjoyable, funny movie.  I don't feel it quite reaches the heights of Best In Show or This Is Spinal Tap, but it's certainly worth a watch, especially for Christopher Guest fans.

Read This! - Letter 44 (Vol. 1)

Read This! is made possible by The Gauntlet Comics and Games

Published by Oni Press, Letter 44 is tells the intriguing story of President Stephen Blades.  Shortly after his inauguration, he finds a mysterious letter in the Oval Office.  The letter, written by the previous president, tells Blades about a secret government space mission.  This mission has had next to no contact with Earth for the past several years.  While Blades goes about taking the steps to contact and learn more about the team of soldiers and scientists, the crew of the Clarke has more immediate things to deal with.  The discovery of a gigantic alien vessel complicates things, as does the pregnancy of a key member of the team.  Meanwhile, certain groups are aiming to keep the president in the dark about what's going on, and are taking drastic measures to make sure the public doesn't know.
Charles Soule (current writer of Daredevil) does a great job with this story.  It's well balanced between the space exploration and the political cloak-and-dagger tale.  Soule has a knack for tension and keeping the reader guessing.  As a reader, you're never quite certain you have everything figured out.  When you feel as though you have a handle on the situation, something completely unexpected will happen, leaving you to puzzle over how these new events fit into the bigger picture.  The art style of Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque fits quite well with the story.  Each character design is distinctive, so it's always clear who's who, which is very important with the sizable cast Alburquerque has to work with.  As well, his attention to facial expression helps to humanize the characters.  The art of the space scenes is especially well done, and communicates the feeling of zero gravity better than any space comic I've read in a while.
If you or someone you know is into science fiction and/or political thrillers, this is exactly the book you're looking for.  There are a few other volumes in this series as well, so now's a great time to get that Christmas present for the comics fan on your list!  The Gauntlet Comics and Games has got what you need.  Tell them Dave sent you!