Da Dominion: Home of DOMINIONCAST!

When I write about a movie with nerdy appeal, like The Transporter or Kevin Smith’s latest, it’s done wearing the metaphoric cloak of a geek that likes movies. Other times when I write about just good or bad movies, it’s done donning the cap of movie geek - a cinephile that’s foaming about some new celluloid submission. The immediate question one may ask is: How many articles of role clothing do I own and wear? Lounging in my boxer shorts of casual nonchalance, I’m not sure of the exact number.

In previewing the newest Clint Eastwood drama Gran Torino, I wear the cap of cinephile. If you thought this was about the racing game Gran Turismo, I’m sorry but I haven’t played that yet. Patronize our sponsors and I’ll be sure to get it, or send me a copy and I’ll review it - pinky swear. Until then, I’ll point out that a 1972 Ford Gran Torino is the prize possession of Eastwood’s protagonist Walt Kowalski - the most grizzled old racist and embittered Polock war vet you may ever grow to admire.

I’ve long held that Eastwood can’t make a bad movie and this one fulfills my claim yet again. It’s like the Karate Kid in reverse actually. Old white man teaches misfit Asian nerd how to be an American man - complete with racial epithets for friends and ballsy bravado. The remarkable thing is the distance he covers from his start as gook hating Korean War veteran that just wants to be left the hell alone.

Tao is played sufficiently by newcomer Bee Vang (first I’ve ever seen him, but he could be the Haley Osment of his native land, Fresno, California). The young fellow has problems with a neighborhood gang ran by his cousin - a chigger, like a wigger but Chinese. Actually they’re Mung, but Eastwood just calls the slopes the whole movie so fuck if I’m going to make a distinction. He doesn’t come to Eastwood to learn boxing of course, these dudes got guns - not to mention Clint’s penchant for euthanizing injured young athletes. He tries to steal the car to impress the thugs but ends up getting caught, dishonoring his family and getting called a pussy for the entire movie while doing chores to atone.

I like most their relationship that grows in a very realistic way. There’s no grandfather/grandson sappiness, but lots of insults and posturing that are a welcome relief from the apparent feminization of dudes in media. He becomes a neighborhood hero for his take no shit from anyone grit, but still wants to remain a solitary figure in his declining years. There is a conservative amount of ass kickage, but it’s satisfying when it occurs in defense of his young buddy Tao - and not buddy in a Brokeback way. We learn that Kowalski is moved by his execution of a young Korean prisoner and is making amends for a burden he’s carried for forty years. In the end, his efforts to protect Tao lead to his dramatic redemption, which one could see coming but is nonetheless moving.

What Unforgiven was to the typical western, Gran Torino is to the Death Wish series.

I’ve always been a genre purist. It seems to me that when you mash up two different settings it’s a cop-out for not being able to do one right by itself. If you’re good a making breakfast, but a new lady friend asks you to make her dinner and you make her an egg and cheese loaf. A nice cheese omelet formed into an artery-choking vomit-like brick of greasy yellow. Better hope you’ve got some other charm to fall back on - dexterously dazzling cunnilinguistics.

It can be done well. I’ve spoken on how Buffy didn’t appeal me in the past - kitsch dark occult, NAH - but do love Firefly, Joss Whedon’s Western Sci-Fi mix redemption. Another example is Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novel series - actually I‘ve only finished listening to the debut novel Storm Front but if the writing holds through out the series it‘ll be gravy. Not egg gravy. The story inspired a single season series on Sci-Fi Channel, but in the tragic tradition of Farscape, it too was canceled before its prime. Wasn’t a great showing with its Mulder and Scully love tension between Harry Dresden and his cop contact Murphy, but it did magic a bit differently than normal.

Butcher did a lot upfront to soothe my suspicions. Many setting leave me wondering why magic has to be underground. Why doesn’t science absorb it? Methane is flammable, shit can produce methane, and therefore bat guano could maybe produce the twenty-foot radius fireball of fantasy lore. It would take a lot of bats on a prune diet, but you can work with that as an author. Many don’t because it seems to take a bit of work and talent, which they don‘t have or choose to showcase. Geeks like sexy sexy detail, duh!

Butcher shows why this can’t be in his world. Magic operates by a symbolic science, although it’s used the same way as the forensic sciences on CSI - but far less cheesy. The forces are often fueled by dark energies - not the “dark” as in extra creepy but the kind that requires demonic orgies, hatred and lightning storms to power. If it became mainstream the world would be hell given this cheap form of energy. White Council that enforces laws to protect our civilization although it isn’t a part of it checks the potential for power abuse. There’s a practical reason why it shouldn’t become more popular - although they’re not uber secretive about it. Main protagonist Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden advertises in the Yellow Pages and is on police retainer.

Dresden’s tale is a gritty film noir detective story that simply adds credible magic. He broke as fuck - would you hire a wizard? Instead of paying crackhead informants, he’ll pump a faerie for information - no homo. He lives an old fashion life not from some hokey style but because dealing with magic ruins machinery. Yet, he still packs a revolver since it’s a simple mechanism and guns are fuck’in handy. There laws of magic like those of physics, which are too numerous to exposition dump, but Harry, our hero and first person narrator, has no problem explaining them in simple terms as they come up without sounding like lecture.

I could very well be disappointed later on the series, but so far so magically delicious.

I’m joined by Rib, Aaron and lovely Lira for a discussion of the action flick genre. Defining what makes a good action movie with time examples. Comparing directorial styles and admitting to classics we’ve yet to see. Rib hasn’t seen Star Wars … really … forgiveness is work. We conclude with a discussion of the big action flick of the week The Quantum of Solace and seek to discover who the second best Bond is.

Dominon Cast 16 download (67 mins, 61MB)span>

Music from the Autour d’Around by Oursvince

Sponsored by Steard’s Ginger Beer and Miller Genuine Draft, Aaron takes a Stand, Lira the Dream, Job gone & Hustle’in, Rib got Daytime TV.

The Training Day comprimise
Action is Drama, with guns, boobs, explosions and death
Strong Heroines
The Manly Movie type
The Everyday Hero
Pose Fu fights Rapid Fu
Birth of a Genre: The Last Dragon?
Hong Kong Classics
Bond’s Bonafides
Generations of James

Like Batman being remade from zero, so too is 007, and thankfully so. Brosnan may well be my favorite non-Connery Bond but his snarky Remington Steele style no longer fit’s these times of economic recessions and salient global threats - as opposed to diamond smuggling, nuclear Russian satellites and Grace Jones sex. An old franchise can only benefit from a fresh perspective and while Casino Royale brought that to Bond’s franchise, Quantum of Solace is nice continuation on this learning how to be an international badass amidst a Truly messed up world. It’s time for a fresh start.

Ironically, the beginning credits sequence of QS was my least favorite in a long time. “Another way to Die” was sung by Alicia Keys - whose voice doesn’t sound right singing rock - and Jack White whom to many can’t really sing despite being a good writer. Yet, White’s title and lyrics don’t really seem to go with the movies themes that much. Another way to die: shot, stabbed, drowned in oil, or making out with a giant dude with metal teeth; confirmed, there are a lot of ways to die in a Bond flick - the fuck else is new?

Chris Cornell’s “You know my Name” was perfect for Casino Royale - describing and animating the world of kill or be killed a new double 0 agent runs and guns through like a house of cards while killing poorly detailed goons along the way. My favorite of all the credit sequences being Cheryl Crow’s “Tomorrow never Dies”, which I’ll pop in the DVD just to hear and repeat several times. Still, points to Quantum’s opening for brining back the tastefully shadowed naked chicks.

Some have found the new Daniel Craig Jimmy B a bit too moody and perhaps even feminized. They may have a point since the super macho philanderous smirking killer Bond of the past being made into a determined man that’s still able to feel the job’s cost in terms of his own humanity is indeed feminine by comparison - the way a Walther PPK is girly compared to a Smith and Wessun 500. Notice though that the PPK will still kill you. It‘s not like James is keeping a tear-stained journal of his grievous sins and calling back the exotic chicks he shakes and stirs. Actually, he‘s more into the serious relationship - until the chick betrays your love for a world class asshole then dies from her own plotting and you‘ve got to make a second movie to come to terms with it (see Casino Royale).

Ok, he’s not keeping a diary, but his martini’s are being diluted with British tears - just don’t show me, please. He’s still learning how to seduce innocent women and inadvertently get them killed for the love of his big seven (one down so far in Solace).

The vicariously entertaining playboy of yester year is mostly gone. Bond is simply more realistic now, less dashing and more out cold. Villains are not inexplicably rich crackpots with crazy super devices of world destruction/domination. They’re businessmen taking advantage of culturally relevant catch phrases to seize power globally under the guise of helping the planet. I haven’t seen a fancy gadget in two movies now, and nor do I really miss them since we are in the Jack Bauer high skill needs little hardware paradigm of foreign policy. If Roger Moore would be tasked with hunting down Bin Lade, Craig’s Bond would be going after the head of Haliburton and maybe even a certain villainous Vice President of a former British colony - and I’m not talking about former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada A. Anne McLellan either, I said former colony.

Despite all this post-modernization, we still have enough good old-fashioned action in the Quantum of Solace. I think there’s a chase scene involving every mode of travel except skateboard and Chocobo - there was this Emu ranch scene … nah, I wish. The fight choreography was directed with the Jason Bourne style of Rapid fu and scenery was well implemented in the tension of the scenes. Fights on narrow Italian mountain roads, boat chases through high traffic ports, scaffolding duels - moody or not this is the most athletic stunt saturated Bond we’ve seen in a while. Also, like any great action movie the talky dialogue parts are sharp with enough gravitas to give weight to the central conflicts, therefore raising the stakes for the action.

See Quantum of Solace even if you have to trek across a desert to view it in a burning hotel.

Alien - the juxtaposition of that which is “normal” with the abnormal. Specifically those beings originating from far stars and filling our movies and TV with coolness. Listen as Hunin, Omari, Heaven, your Dominus - and sometimes Rib - wax geeky on those creatures not of this world.

All statments and specualtion made about whether real life celebrites are alien - or just gay - are intended as satirical humor and nothing more. Suck it litigants!

Dominion Cast 13 download (67 mins, 61MB)

Music from Walk’in on Neptune by ADC Level
Rib’s Siesta of Interest
What’s an Alien: Little Wayne, Michael Jackson, Sam Casssel
Cal-el the alien?
Da Borg
Lucas the Great Integrationist
Tracker Paul
Taken with Taken
Suck-Fi Channel
4400
2000-yawn
The Human Perspective of Spielberg
Big mouth, Little mouth