Hammer's Top Ten Must See Science Fiction Movies

I can safely bet that there are more Sci-fi fans out there who appreciate Sci-fi at a whole other level than I do. There are large numbers who dress up as their favorite character and debate who is better : Luke Skywalker or Captain Kirk. What other film genre does that? I can't name one. Well here is my top ten list, and I guarantee I will have many disagreeing with me.

10. District 9 - This 2009 film was directed by Neill Blomkamp and stars South African actor Sharlto Copley. The story is about an alien spaceship that parks over a city in 1982 and hovers over Johannesburg, South Africa. Three months pass by and a team finally enters a ship to find malnourished E.T.s. They are taken from the ship and confined to an area called District 9. This movie decides to call the aliens "prawns" but I think they look like big cockroaches. Being a South African movie, the underlying theme is apartheid. I thoroughly enjoyed the weapons-testing scene. That's one badass railgun. That would be a sweet weapon in a video game.

9. Stargate - The 1994 film, directed by Roland Emmerich, is about a massive stone ring found in Egypt in 1928. Dr. Daniel Jackson, played by James Spader, discovers that the symbols on the Stargate are constellations corresponding with other planets in space. Jackson figured out that entering symbols in a certain order create a wormhole leading to other planets in another galaxy. Col. Jack O'Niell, played by Kurt Russell, leads an expedition through the Stargate to a planet that reminds me of the movie Dune. The explorers meet a group of people who speak an ancient Egyptian dialect. A big spaceship lands on top of the pyramid the explorers landed in and trouble ensues. The explorers meet Ra, who claims to be a god. I don't think this movie was liked by everyone but I found it to be new and refreshing at the time. The movie spawned great t.v. shows like Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. The jury is still out on Stargate Universe.

8. The Matrix - The Wachowski Bros. directed this unique 1999 film starring Keanu Reeves as Thomas Anderson, AKA Neo. Keanu plays a computer programmer who wants to learn the answer to the question "What is the Matrix?" The film shows a future in which reality is perceived by most people as a simulated reality created by sentient machines to pacify and subdue the human population. Body heat and electrical activity from humans are used as an energy source. Neo is drawn into a rebellion against the machines. I heard Will Smith turned down the role of Neo to do Wild Wild West. Big mistake. Big. Huge. (That will be my only Pretty Woman reference. You're welcome, Cherry.) The movie boasted some sweet, groundbreaking visual effects, such as "bullet time," which allows us to view a moment in time in slow motion as the camera orbits the scene in regular time. Unfortunately I've seen this in movies since then and I commonly use the phrase "they stole that from The Matrix."

7. Predator - This 1987 film is a Sci-fi classic. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger who leads a special forces unit into an unknown place in central America to free hostages taken by hostile guerrilla. On the way to the guerrilla stronghold, they find a downed helicopter and several bodies that are skinned. They find out these are the remains of a missing Army special forces team. They go in, kill all the guerrillas, and rescue one hostage named Anna who they take along. While all this is happening, they are unaware that they are being hunted by a 7 foot ET who is the Predator. The predator picks them off one by one using his cloaking capability, shoulder mounted photon gun, and heat seeking vision capability. It all leads to an Arnold vs Predator ending. This film was a simple story at the time and is thoroughly enjoyable. Jesse Ventura has a cool scene where he fires what seems like a million rounds into the jungle using a minigun and hits nothing. We see Arnold use the same gun a few years later in a scene in Terminator 2. All-in-all, Predator is one of those movies when it comes on TV and although you have scene it a thousand times, its always worth watching until then end.

6. Independence Day - this 1996 film starring Will Smith is simply about a hostile alien race coming to earth to destroy human civilization. Roland Emmerich (who directed Stargate - #9 on this list) directed and co-wrote this epic disaster movie with Dean Devlin. So the basic plot of this story is a mothership comes to earth and we try to communicate with it. Jeff Goldblum plays a cable expert who discovers that the transmission being sent is basically a countdown to our total annihilation. So the aliens deploy 36 motherships that are 15 miles wide and destroy just about every major city in the world. Will Smith plays Captain Stephen Hiller, a Marine Corps fighter pilot who is part of the counterattack that fails because the aliens have a impenetrable force field around everything. He is able to shoot down a small alien "glider" without shooting in down - it basically crashes. Without going on and on about the plot, they figure out how to get the force fields to go down and Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum fly in a alien craft to the mothership and upload a computer virus to the mothership (just go with it, I did). This movie was a whole lot of fun with a very simple plot to it. Randy Quaid has a minor role in this movie that is pretty enjoyable too.

5. Jurassic Park - This 1993 Stephen Spielberg film made dinosaurs cool again. It is about a billionaire philanthropist named John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) who created a zoo full of cloned dinosaurs. Hammond needs experts, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Dr. Ian Malcomb (Jeff Goldblum), to sign off on the park to open to the public. So they arrive at the island, learn about how the cloned dinosaurs are made, and take the tour in cars along with Hammond's two grandchildren who for some reason come along. They get stuck on the tour and the power goes out because of a large typhoon off the coast. All the dinosaurs are able to roam free and now humans are at the bottom of the food chain. This movie was really hyped by the studio when it came out. The movie boasted landmark computer graphics and also made the Velociraptor a really cool dinosaur with a wicked toenail. The big bad T-Rex comes into play at the end and ends up saving the day. The best quote of the movie is by Ian Malcomb, "If the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists." Just be sure to ignore the other 2 sequels - yuck.

4. Back to the Future - This 1984 flick stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a teenager who is accidentally sent back from 1985 to 1955 in a DeLorean created by Dr. Emmit Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Dr. Brown uses plutonium which he stole from Libyan terrorists to power the "flux capacitor" that generates 1.21 gigawatts needed to power the DeLorean. The car needs to reach a speed of 88 miles per hour in order to go back in time. So the Libyans come in a VW Bus, and end up shooting Dr. Brown and Marty escapes in the DeLorean where he goes back in time to 1955. There he runs into his mother, played by Lea Thompson, and his father George who is bullied by his nemesis named Biff. Marty's mom becomes infactuated with him. He also runs into Dr. Brown and has him help him get back to 1985. Of course Marty has to be sure the timeline is not disrupted with his arrival in 1955, so the story has several twists and turns in it to keep the action going. The movie was a huge success in 1984 grossing $380 million worldwide. There were two sequels made that, in my opinion, did not live up to the first film.

3. Total Recall - This 1990 film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a nobody construction worker named Doug Quaid who wants to someday visit Mars. He decides to visit a company called "Rekall", who can implant false memories of a virtual trip to any location. So he decides to have the trip to Mars and the story of himself being a secret agent named Houser implanted. The Rekall staff are about to implant the memories when they find that he has already had the implantation done. He wakes up and attacks the staff, but is sedated and sent home. When he arrives, he finds that his wife Lori, played by Sharon Stone, and his former friends are out to kill him. Quaid eventually learns that he was doing the dirty work for the Mars administrator named Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox). Cohaagen is out to eliminate the martian rebels on Mars led by an alien named Kuato and Quaid realizes he was on the wrong side. The movie is solid and an entertaining sci-fi film that at the end will make you wonder if the story was real or part of his Rekall memories.

2. Terminator - This 1984 film almost was number 1 on my list. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a cyborg assassin who is sent back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor. The Human Resistance sends back Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor from the Terminator. Reese saves Sarah Connor from the first encounter with the Terminator and explains to her that an artificial intelligence network called Skynet will become self aware in the future and initiate a nuclear proliferation of all humans on the planet. He explains that her son will be the leader of the human resistance against the machines in the future. So they escape several times from the Terminator and eventually end up at a police station, where the Terminator tracks them down and he kills just about every police officer there. Reese and Connor end up escaping to a hotel and end up having sex together (which ends up being John Connor). They eventually have a final showdown with the Terminator where Reese is killed and Connor ends up crushing the Terminator in a hydraulic press. The story ends with Sarah Connor pregnant with her unborn son John. One interesting fact is that Arnold only had 18 lines in the movie which lead to him playing the perfect cyborg. This movie lead to several sequels which are all pretty good and that's rare to say.

1. Star Trek - This 2009 film tops my top 10 list for Science Fiction movies. J.J. Abrams directs this re-boot of a very successful movie franchise. This film is actually Star Trek 11. This film portrays the original characters of the franchise at Starfleet Academy and aboard the USS Enterprise as they combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets to avenge the death of his family. The story was developed by the writers to take place in an alternate reality due to time travel by both Nero and the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy). This was done so the story could free the film and the franchise from established continuity constraints. Spock is trying to stop a supernova that threatens the galaxy and uses "red matter" to create a wormhole to stop the supernova. He is too late and the supernova destroys Nero's home world, Romulus, along with his wife. Nero's ship and the ship Spock was on get stuck in the black hole and come out 129 years in the past. The Federation starship USS Kelvin is investigating a "lightning storm" in space. The Romulan ship Narada emerges from the singularity and attacks the Kelvin which sustains massive damage. The Kelvin's first officer, George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) orders the ship's personnel evacuated via shuttlecraft, including his pregnant wife, Winona (Jennifer Morrison). Kirk sacrifices himself by steering the Kelvin on a collision course with the Romulan ship. Kirk's wife gives birth to their son - Jim Kirk. I can watch this movie anytime it comes on. There is the perfect amount of drama, comedy, and action. I am usually leery of sequels, but I can't wait for this one.

I know some of you will be shocked that not one Star Wars movie made it on the list. Well that's because in my opinion, the films are a bit overrated and not that great. Besides, it's my top 10 list - you don't have to agree with me. That's going do it for this week's list - be sure to check back soon for my next top 10 list.

Paperaxle Reviews "Limitless"

A man wants to improve his intelligence, so he voluntary submits to a scientific experiment, resulting in him becoming a genius, much smarter than anyone else. But the experiment has some side effects, and near the end of the movie the man finds that the experiment is only temporary, and he becomes his old, retarded self again.

That's not the plot synopsis for "Limitless", it's actually from a 1968 movie called "Charly". But the basic plot is the same.

Bradley Cooper (who is not really an actor, just a guy who makes movies) plays Eddie Morra, a down on his luck aspiring book writer, who just can't get motivated enough to finish his book and make something out of his life. And his life is a mess: bills are due, apartment is a mess, girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) is dumping him, and he needs a haircut.

Eddie learns about a drug called NZT, a drug which makes him extremely focused and a super-genius. If humans only use 20% of their brain, this drug increases usage to 100%. Eddie then uses his new-found smarts to elevate himself in the financial world, attracting the attention of Carl Van Loon (played by Robert De Niro) who wants to use him to increase his business holdings. It also attracts assassins who also want the drug.

But as Eddie's NZT supply dwindles down, he finds the pill has some dangerous side effects, requiring him to keep taking the drug. If he runs out of NZT, he'll die. There is one scene in the movie (which many of you will find disturbing) where Eddie has run out of NZT, and he faces an assassin who has taken the last pill. Eddie does what he has to in order to "recharge" himself, which causes many people to look away from the screen. It's my favorite scene in the movie.

At 105 minutes, the movie moves rather quickly, with some interesting cinematography and some great twists and turns that keep the story moving.

I highly recommend this movie, which opens on March 18th, and give it four Percosets and a Alka Seltzer.

Paperaxle Reviews "The Lincoln Lawyer"

For several years now, I've been harboring a secret. It's one I never cared to admit, and to date, there is no 12-step program or a rehab center to help me cope with this problem.

I do not like Matthew McConaughey.

His very name sounds like a cat coughing up a hairball, and when you pronounce it out loud, it is as grating as fingernails on a chalkboard. When he appears in a comedy, he is about as entertaining as the ridges on a potato chip. Did you even realize he was in the movie "Tropic Thunder"? I didn't either, and when I watched it again recently, I noticed he slows the comedic pace of the movie like a cow on train tracks.

But he has made a couple of good movies. In "A Time to Kill", McC plays lawyer Jake Brigance, and did a great job with the role. If McC could only play lawyers, he would be on a star level with the Tom Toms (Hanks and Cruise), and I'd be able to at least tolerate his presence on the screen. And he can play a good football coach, like the character Jack Lengyel in "We Are Marshall". But just two great movies over a nearly 20 year period isn't a good batting average.

So it was with some hesitance that I saw "The Lincoln Lawyer". I had read the book a year or so ago, and the plot didn't stick with me very long, kinda like the taste of Wrigley's Spearmint gum. I gave it a chance, like I did with the other two McC movies mentioned in the last paragraph, and was pleasantly rewarded with 119 enjoyable minutes of a good movie.

McC plays Mickey Haller, a Los Angeles lawyer who works out of the back of a Lincoln Town Car. Haller mainly defends the downtrodden drug dealers and the like, but one day Louis Roulet (played by Ryan Phillippe) walks into his life. Roulet is a Beverly Hills playboy, and the son of a wealthy real estate executive, and Haller sees this as his chance to make the big time. Unfortunately, Roulet is accused of rape and the attempted murder of a woman he meets in a bar, and Haller agrees to defend him. Along the way, we realize that things are not as they seem, and the movie quickly moves away from a "whodunit" to a "howdunit", especially when Haller's best friend and investigator, Frank Levin (played by William H. Macy) is murdered and Roulet is the chief suspect. But Roulet is at home with an ankle tracer, and cannot possibly be a suspect... can he?

One false note though. Not sure why Marisa Tomei, as Haller's ex-wife, is in the movie. She does a great job in the role, but it really doesn't contribute anything to the story.

Some good surprises, and some interesting twists and turns, make this a better than average legal thriller. If McC wants to follow up this movie with a sequel (author Michael Connelly wrote three more books in the Mickey Haller series), I'd have no hesitation about seeing another one.

I'm almost tempted to start admitting that I am getting to like McC, but I'll wait until I see what he does next, even if it's only another commercial telling us "Beef. It's what's for dinner."

Giving this one three Cadillacs and a Subaru. Starts March 18th.

Hammer's Book Review of "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10"

After finishing this book, I truly appreciate what our men and women in uniform do everyday for all of us. We all hear and see stories in the news or in documentaries like Restrepo that show us American servicemen and women and their experiences in Afghanistan. Well, after reading "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10," we need more stories like this one.

First of all, the title is a mouthful - that’s for sure. This narritive was written by Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, a member of SEAL team 10. The story begins by the author describing his childhood and preparing to join the SEALS when he becomes old enough. He then describes his experience going through Hellweek and BUDS training and finally becoming a Navy SEAL. I enjoyed this part of the book, but a lot of it I had already seen on many Navy SEAL documentaries on the Miltary Channel. So after getting through that, he begins his story by shifting the reader from his SEAL training to being deployed in Afghanistan. The story will take place in the Hindu Kush mountains of the Kunar Province. He is about to go on a mission named Operation Red Wing (God I hate the Red Wings – sorry Detroit) with the rest of SEAL Team 10. The other members are Lt. Michael P. Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, and Sonar Technician 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson.

The objective of Operation Red Wing was to be inserted somewhere in the Hindu Kush mountains and hike several kilometers to a village where a known associate of Osama Bin Laden was taking residence. Their mission was to get in without being compromised in any way.

One night while they were traveling to the village, they are spotted by three Afghani shepherds who are tending their flock (sounds biblical). One of the shepherds is a young boy. The team members discuss their mission parameter that they were not to be spotted by anyone. Being in a Taliban stronghold area, there is a debate among the SEALs on what to do with the 3 shepherds and their Rules of Engagement in this situation. They all were in agreement that the shepherds knew they were American soldiers. They decide to let them go and the SEALs continue on their mission. A short time later, the four members of SEAL team 10 are surrounded by 100 plus Taliban soldiers who know they are there.

Once the action started, I could not put the book down. I am not going to give too much away, but the title will give you a hint of what happens. The story is full of American heroism, humanity, perserverance, and heartbreak. Some people may find that cheesy, but I’m a proud American and I respect what these guys do and the sacrifices they make. On a side note, Universal Pictures and Peter “Aki” Berg (The Kingdom) are teaming up to make a movie about this story with filming beginning later this year and a 2013 release date. In the meantime, I highly recommend reading this book. You can pick it up on sale at a Borders closing near you, or pick it up at Amazon.com.

Hammer and Cherry Review "Take Me Home Tonight"

This movie was written by Jackie and Jeff Fligo (of That 70's Show) and directed by Michael Dowse (never heard of him).

It's 1988 and recent college graduate Matt (Topher Grace), his twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris), and Matt's high school friend Barry (Dan Fogler) are at a crossroads between college and the real world. Matt is trying to figure out what to do with his life while still pining over his dream girl Tori (Teresa Palmer).
Matt is a recent MIT grad who, despite his parents' wishes, took a job at Suncoast Video (did anyone ever really shop there?). One day while working the counter, Tori walks in and Matt turns into a blubbering idiot. In an effort to impress the heavenly Tori, Matt quickly changes out of his Suncoast flair and pretends to hold a job at the esteemed Goldman Sachs. Of course there's a big Labor Day party that night that everyone from high school is going to be at. Can Matt keep up the act and still land the girl he's wanted since high school?

We walked into this movie expecting the standard 80's nostalgic comedy like Hot Tub Time Machine or The Wedding Singer, and we weren't disappointed. There is the cliche 80's neon colors, high bangs, popped up collar, and dance moves. One original moment in the movie that we especially liked was the "ball drop" (think "the Atlasphere" from American Gladiators).

The "ball drop" is unique but the overall story was very formula with standard all-night long plot twists, a pretty funny dance off, drug references, a car crash, and an awkward sex scene. And don't forget the standard goofy, overweight best friend (which could have been played by a younger Jack Black, but Dan Fogler does just fine) who serves as the comic relief.

Here's what we liked and didn't care for:
Cherry's dislikes - the actors (except Teresa Palmer) are way too old to be playing 22-year-olds & the song "Take Me Home Tonight" was not even in the movie
Cherry's likes - it was nice seeing Topher Grace play the smart yet conflicted man-boy & Chris Pratt does a great job playing preppy, not-so-bright, rich jock Kyle
Hammer's dislikes - the movie ended up being a little too formula - does he get the girl? Gee, I wonder - & guys, there isn't as much nudity in this one as you think for a rated R movie. The MPAA probably gave it the R for the drug scenes.
Hammer's likes - the movie boasts a terrific 80's soundtrack & Teresa Palmer has moved up on my To Do list (Honorable Mention goes to Angie Everhart)

All in all, we both agree that this movie is a fun 80's nostalgic flick but don't rush to the theater to see it. We spent our money to see this in the theater, but you don't need to. Just wait for it on Netflix or catch it on a premium cable channel.

Until next time, Hammer and Cherry

Paperaxle Reviews "Battle: LA"

Take "Star Wars" out on the freeway and smash it into "Independence Day". The resulting mess would be something along the lines of "Battle Los Angeles".

Sledge is not gonna love this one.
Filmed entirely in "shakycam", a group of Marines, led by "Two Face" Aaron Eckhart, in the middle of an alien invasion of Los Angeles, tries to rescue a half dozen group of survivors from a abandoned police station to a military outpost, where they can all be safely evacuated from the city before the entire city is nuked. But because the aliens, using water for fuel, have overrun and destroyed the city, this is gonna be difficult.

It's a good thing this wasn't also filmed in 3-D, because with the earthquake feeling you get from watching this movie, the puke would have flown. And that's not good.

This movie offers nothing new but the same old cliched plotlines. Soon to be retired Marine is dragged back for one last mission? Check. Same Marine who lost the respect for his men, because he failed to save the lives of the members of his last platoon, so he has to prove himself? Check. Runs across the only person who knows where the mothership is, yet nobody believes her? Check. Platoon, by itself, saves Los Angeles by destroying the mothership with only one missile? Check.

I don't want to say this movie is that awful, it's really not, but you shouldn't waste several dollars seeing something you've already seen. There are some good action sequences, and outstanding acting from Eckhart, but overall this movie warrants either a rental or an HBO watch at best.

This movie is rated PG-13 and runs 116 minutes. I'd show you the trailer for this one, but it won't change your mind about seeing it one way or the other.

Paperaxle Reviews "Paul"

You take two guys from England, have them write a “love letter” to the science fiction movies of Steven Spielberg, and the result is “Paul”, one of the funniest and imaginative movies I’ve seen in quite a while.

This movie, written by Simon Pegg (who you may remember as “Scotty” from the last Star Trek movie) and Nick Frost, deals with two English science fiction writers (actually one writes and the other illustrates) who come to America on a road trip that takes them from the San Diego ComicCon to Devil’s Tower, Wyoming (the famous icon which Richard Dreyfuss recreates in the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” with mashed potatoes) with an alien named Paul, who is on the run from the Men in Black.

Paul has crash landed on Earth in the 1950’s, and is being held captive by the government, and has been using Paul for everything from curing disease to helping Steven Spielberg dream up the idea for “Indiana Jones” (and yes, Spielberg does play a cameo in the movie!). Sledge is even going to like the “Blues Brothers” homage that appears in the movie, using the famous line “I’m on a mission from God!” (“Tell Him you failed!” says the Man in Black, played by Jason Bateman.)

Seth (Green Hornet) Rogen does the voice for Paul, and he does a wonderful job with the role. Other featured cast members include Sigourney Weaver and Jeffrey Tambor.

For those of you who grew up loving the early movies of Steven Spielberg, you’ll love this movie.

It’s not getting a lot of publicity, and I would have missed it if Sledge hadn’t clued me in.

Fun starts on March 18^th, until then, here’s the “redband” trailer. Please show your ID that you’re over 17, in order to watch it:

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/paul/red-band-trailer

Due to drug references and crude humor and language, this 104 minute movie is, of course, rated R.

Cherry's Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Book Review: Millennium Series Book One – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Prior to his death in 2004, Swedish journalist and writer Stieg Larsson wrote manuscripts for what would later become the Millennium Series and make his name known across continents, oceans – you name it. Everyone has seen the brightly-colored books with funny titles on bestseller’s lists and sitting on bookstore shelves. This is a review of the first in the series. Here are my thoughts on “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

The book takes place in various Swedish towns, most of which I’ve never heard, and honestly, aren’t important. The characters are, however, so let me introduce them.

Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist who publishes a popular Swedish magazine titled Millennium. After writing of some pretty damaging stuff and refusing to name his sources, Mikael loses a libel case and is sentenced to several months in prison. In order to help Millennium Magazine save face, Mikael steps down from the magazine. At the same time, he takes an interesting and lucrative job writing freelance for Henrik Vanger, a wealthy, elderly man who seeks answers to a family mystery.

Lisbeth Salander is a gifted, law-breaking computer hacker/private investigator who can find information on anyone. Henrik Vanger hires Lisbeth to scour Mikael’s past and eventually the investigator and the investigatee meet. Lisbeth’s talents are immeasurable and she is someone you want on your side – if she would give you the time of day. She’s a damaged woman, scorned and physically harmed by men her whole life. Let’s just say, don’t cross her or you will regret it. The revenge she has on her legal guardian is haunting – I love it!

Another of my favorite characters is Harriet Vanger, the “mystery” Mikael and Lisbeth are trying to solve. Harriet is Henrik’s niece who went missing from the family estate over 40 years ago. Her absence never sat well with Henrik and he is sure Harriet was murdered by someone in the family. He is determined to find her murderer before his death, which may be coming soon. Mikael and Lisbeth better hurry!

The first 100 pages are BORING and I was tempted to stop reading on multiple occasions. For some reason, I kept going. Good thing because things get interesting beginning with page 101.

Lisbeth and Mikael meet the vast Vanger family and begin writing their list of suspects. Mikael and Lisbeth pore through years of photographs, newspaper clippings, journals, and records, searching for any clues. During the investigation, Mikael and Lisbeth begin receiving death threats. Obviously they are making the guilty party very nervous. At one point Mikael is taken hostage by a crazed Vanger and is tortured mercilessly in a torture chamber used to abuse and kill hundreds of people before him. The setting and serial killer Larsson painted are gruesome and oh so perfect.

I don’t want to give away what really happened to Harriet because, believe me, it’s worth waiting for. In addition to developing suspense around solving Harriet’s murder, Larsson ends the book with a not-so-happy ending. I was happy because we don’t need more Full House “life is wonderful” endings, do we?

So here’s the deal: pick up this book and give it a whirl. Push through the first 100 pages. Once you reach that point, you won’t be able to put the book down.

Happy readings ~ Cherry

Hammer's Top 10 Must See “Terrorist Takeover” Movies

I have seen a lot of movies over the years and I am definitely qualified to let you know which movies are good and which ones just plain stink. Today is the first of many Top 10 movies lists so I am going to start this one with one of my favorite movie genres - "Terrorist Take Over Movies". These are some of the best movies out there...when they are done well. I also took into account that there has to be a really cool bad guy or group. So let's get started.

Remember, these are my Top 10, not yours.

10. Toy Soldiers. This 1991 film stars Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Louis Gossett, Jr., and my favorite Marine Corps Drill Instructor, R. Lee Ermey. This story is about a group of Colombian terrorists who take over a private all-male boarding school. One of the boys' father is a Federal Judge presiding over a trial with a drug lord named Enrique Cali. Enrique's son Luis Cali invades the school and takes it over so he can have a bargaining chip to have his father released. Most of the students are rejects or were kicked out of other schools, but they all put their minds together to help disrupt the terrorists while the authorities remain helpless. I won't give away the ending, but the scenes with the boys in tighty whities should have been cut out. Boxers boys! Come on! This movie is a great "Saturday afternoon" action flick.

9. The Final Option. This 1982 British movie (also named Who Dares, Wins) stars Lewis Collins, Judy Davis, and Richard Widmark. Judy Davis leads a militant group of anti-nuclear protesters who are planning some act of terrorism. The British government recruits SAS (Special Air Service) Officer Peter Skellen (Lewis Collins) to infiltrate the group and find out what's going on. Judy Davis's group takes over the American Embassy and Peter Skellen is stuck with them going in where he is not trusted. There are several plot twists that get this movie to the showdown. The SAS teams come in to rescue the hostages. The cinematography is awesome for 1982 where the camera puts you in the action wearing an SAS soldier gas mask mowing down terrorists. I have to mention you have to check out the porno music soundtrack - it's hilarious! This one is on Netflix - check it out.

8. Red Dawn. This 1984 film stars Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey, and C. Thomas Howell. This movie doesn't necessarily have terrorists in it, but I'll put Cuba and the Soviet Union in there because I can. The movie begins in Calumet, Colorado where the United States is invaded by Cuban and Soviet forces. A band of teenagers and Swayze escape up to the woods where they learn how to shoot and become good at guerrilla warfare. WOLVERINES! There is great action throughout the movie and Powers Boothe has a short, but good role in this one. This is a great Cold War movie, and when its on TV, I always watch it to the end.

7. Executive Decision. This 1996 film stars Kurt Russell, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Steven Segal (for a minute) and Oliver Platt. I like this one a lot. It's about a Boeing 747 that gets hijacked en route from Greece to Washington D.C. Terrorists, led by Naki Hassan (David Suchet), take over the plane and threaten to detonate a bomb and release stolen nerve gas over Washington D.C. if some terrorist named El Sayed Jaffa is not released. Kurt Russell is a D.C. think tank PhD. who gets to go with a US Army Special Forces team on a Stealth Fighter to sneak on the plane. I guess he is the only one who can point out the terrorists to the Special Forces guys. The way they all get on the plane is a little thin, maybe anorexic, but it's cool nonetheless. Check this one out, you will enjoy it.

6. Die Hard 2. This 1990 film is a great sequel to the first Die Hard. This stars Bruce Willis as John McClane who is at Washington Dulles International Airport waiting to pick up his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) who is flying in on Christmas Eve from Los Angeles. He spots some shady characters and then the fun begins. Dennis Franz is great as the airport police chief and we even see Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald Veljohnson) in one scene. The terrorists, who are all Ex-US Army Special Forces, take over all incoming flights where they are awaiting the arrival of one flight in particular, carrying Ramon Esperanza, a drug lord and dictator of Val Verde. It's up to John "yippe-ki-yay" McClane to kill all the terrorists and save the day.

5, Under Siege. This is my favorite Steven Segal movie by far. This one stars 2 great bad guys, played by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. I can't leave out Erika Eleniak and her pop out of the cake scene - yum-o! The battleship Missouri is on her last leg home to be retired and a party is held on board the ship for the Captain's birthday. The ship's XO Commander Krill (Gary Busey) arranges for ex-CIA agent William Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones) and his terrorists to get on board posing as a band and Playboy Playmate Jordan Tate (Erika Eleniak) is the "entertainment". Steven Segal plays Casey Ryback and is the captain's personal cook. He used to be a Navy SEAL, but got busted down to cook. The terrorists take over the ship and it's up to the cook to save the day. OH MAMA!

4. Air Force One. This 1997 film stars Harrison Ford as President James Marshall and Gary Oldman as Egor Korshunov. The movie begins and US Delta Force and Russian Spetznaz commandos capture a genocidal dictator named Ivan Radek. A few weeks pass and the President, with his family, visits Moscow aboard Air Force One. While departing, they were unaware that six terrorist loyal to Radek have boarded the plane posing as a Russian news crew. They take over the plane and the action begins. Harrison Ford plays a bad-ass president and kicks some butt. The only problem I have with the film is that they spent zero dollars on the CGI. I was bummed out when William H. Macy gets killed.

3. True Lies. This 1994 film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Arnold, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bill Paxton as navel lint, and Tia Carrere. Arnold plays Harry Tasker, a counter-terrorist operative who leads a double life. His wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and their daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) think he is a boring computer salesman. Albert Gibson (Tom Arnold) assists on the covert missions with Harry. Tom Arnold steals the show - he is hilarious. So the terrorist organization known at "The Crimson Jihad" smuggles some nukes into the United States through an antique dealer Juno Skinner (Tia Carrere). So Helen, bored with her husband, has an "affair" with a used car salesman named Simon (Bill Paxton) who pretends he is a secret agent. Some comedy ensues and Jamie Lee Curtis looks pretty hot in a strip tease scene she does in her undies. The action ramps up and is pretty entertaining. I would have to say this is one of James Cameron's best action flicks to date.

2. The Rock. This is a GREAT film starring Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery, and Ed Harris. Nicholas Cage plays FBI Chemical Specialist Stanley Goodspeed. A group of rogue Force Recon Marines led by Brigadier General Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) breaks into a Naval armory and steals several VX warhead rockets. The rogue Marines take over Alcatraz and take hostage of 81 tourists and threaten to launch the rockets into San Francisco if reparations are not paid to Recon Marines who died under General Hummel's command while on secret and illegal missions around the world. So Goodspeed is sent to San Francisco since he is a expert on disarming the VX . They also get the help of convict John Mason (Sean Connery) who is a former MI6 and SAS officer who escaped from Alcatraz. So Goodspeed, Mason, and some Navy Seals led by Michael Biehn go in and try to break into The Rock. I have to say that this is one of Michael Bay's best films, although he uses his slow motion sequences to over dramatize everything. This is a must see.

1. Die Hard. In my humble opinion, this is the epitome of the best "Terrorist Takeover" movie ever made. In this 1988 film, relative unknown actor Bruce Willis stars as NYPD Detective John McClane who has just flown to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to be with his estranged wife Holly Gennero (Bonnie Bedelia). He is taken by limo to Nakitomi Plaza, where his wife's company Christmas party is being held. The party is interrupted by 13 international terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) who portray themselves to police as terrorists with extremist goals. We learn that is not the case. Alan Rickman plays one of the best bad guys of all time. The movie is non-stop action with twists and turns. I remember when I first saw the movie, I had to catch my breath at the end. What a great flick!

Well that's my top 10 and I had a great time sharing them with you all. Please feel free to drop a comment to agree, disagree, or maybe let others know of movies not mentioned on the list.

Later! - Hammer.

Paperaxle Reviews "Mars Needs Moms"

In a unique 520-day experiment to simulate a mission to Mars, a six-man international team of researchers completed the first leg of the journey last month. The team of male volunteers, which also includes two more Russians and a Frenchman, went into isolation last June as part of the Mars-500 experiment to gauge the physical and psychological effects of a long-term mission. Before they rejoin life on Earth, their handlers will subject them to the claustrophobia, stress and fatigue that real spacefarers experience. A similar isolation trial at the institute 11 years ago broke down when a Canadian volunteer said a male colleague tried to forcibly kiss her. Two other team members came to blows.

Mars doesn't need this. Mars Needs Moms.

Apparently Disney, the studio that produced such classic science-fiction classics such as Wall-E and The Cat From Outer Space, thinks so.

Thanks be to coyotecat, I was able to attend a preview of this movie over the weekend, and although I wasn't expecting an awful lot from it (it still staggers me how Toy Story 3 was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar!), I must admit I was pleasantly surprised.

The plot is simple enough: Late one night, Milo (a 9-year old boy with the voice of Seth Green) witnesses the kidnapping of his mom (played by Joan Cusack) by Martians, stows away on the spaceship taking his mother to the red planet, and together with Gribble (Dan Fogler), an Earthman trapped on Mars, and who's mother was kidnapped 25 years earlier, set out to rescue Milo's mom. (See, there are no moms on Mars, only "NannyBots", and to program a NannyBot to raise Martian children, you need the life essence of an Earth mother. You know, I bet I just made that more complicated than it really needed to be...)

The story is based on the book by Berkeley Breathed (he of the late "Bloom County" and "Opus" newspaper comic strips), and the screenplay by the movie's director, Simon Wells (who previously directed the movie The Time Machine and is actually the great-grandson of H. G. Wells!) and Wendy Wells, adds much to the story, yet retains the humor and warmth of the book.

This movie cries out to be seen in Disney 3D and in IMAX, and I thought the effects were much better than Disney's last science-fiction effort, Tron: Legacy. The animation also far surpasses earlier Robert Zemeckis efforts such as The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol.

And a special bonus at the end of this 88 minute movie: the "performance capture" techniques used in the making of this movie makes it worth staying through the credits. The actors have literally acted out the entire movie and their movements were digitally animated. I thought it was an interesting look at how this movie was made.

The fun begins March 11th. Until then, watch the trailer here:

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/marsneedsmoms/?cmp=dmov_dpic_mnm_url_Extl#home

Sledge Hammer: The Adjustment Bureau by Universal Pictures

Welcome to the inaugural entry of Sledge Hammer Reviews. The goal of this blog is to provide anyone who’s listening with our unique take on recent movies. Assuming we can convince the rest of our team members to contribute something, we plan to add reviews on fiction/nonfiction books and other interesting minutia.

Right now, there are two puckheads in the room discussing this movie: yours truly, “Sledge”, and my old hockey line mate, “Hammer” (6’5” defenseman who’s idea of a good time is rammin’ trash-talking punks into the boards, face first.) We’re not English majors, nor Harvard wannabes - just a couple of beer-swizzling guys from the dry Arizona desert who love movies.

Before we start, let’s get one thing straight. Hammer and I don’t see G rated movies or animated flicks - sorry James (I've run out of original ideas) Cameron - since there’s virtually no chance of naked females or gratuitous violence in it. Oh, and James... have you seen Dances With Wolves?

Let’s get started...

March 7, 2011:
Movie: The Adjustment Bureau by Universal Pictures, starring Matt (kill me quick) Damon and the delicious, cleavage-exposing Emily Blunt. Written and directed by George (I need a new last name) Nolfi, adapted from a story called the Adjustment Team by Phillip (someone please buy my short story) Dick.

Story Outline: Failed Senate-candidate David Norris meats a stunning ballet dancer Elise Sellas in the hotel's men's room minutes before he's scheduled to give his concession speech. Elise challenges his moral fiber and begins to lure him into her seductive world. However, their budding love affair is soon interrupted by a group of clandestine men who wield their considerable powers to keep them apart. To avoid having his memory wiped by the Adjustment Bureau, David chooses never to see her again. But can he stay away? Deep down he knows they were meant to be together.

Sledge: So Hammer, any initial impressions about this surreal flick?

Hammer: At least this movie wasn’t directed by Paul (I’ve had too many Red Bulls) Greengrass, ‘cuz I forgot to bring my Dramamine along today.

Sledge: No shaky camera – refreshing to say the least. Any more of that cheap film-making trick and I’m going to go postal on someone. But that’s me. Whatever happened to well-planned action sequences and fight scenes that don't rely on cheesy parlor tricks?

Hammer: Good question. Hollywood's gotten lazy and they think none of us have noticed. We should be watching the story unfold, not watching the camera bounce around. It's such a distraction. 

Sledge: Back on topic... What's your take on the movie's story premise?

Hammer: Wonderfully done. Not a rehash of every government/corporate conspiracy movie ever made. It's uniquely different from anything I’ve seen. It kept me interested from start to finish. Good pace.

Sledge: I thought I had the “real story” pegged, which is usually the case, but they surprised me and didn’t take the easy way out. Well done, George. Let us know when you write something else. We'll be sure to see it.

Hammer: When I left the theatre, I still felt engrossed in this story, wondering if reality had shifted while I was absent for that two hours - much like I did when I walked out of the theatre after the Matrix, part 1. What was your favorite part of the movie, Sledge?

Sledge: That’s a tough one. There were many. I enjoyed Emily Blunt’s opening scene with the unveiling of her men’s room cleavage, which was different and unexpected. Got to love a chick who can get her freak on in the men’s room. Too bad they stole some of Fringe’s thunder with the frat boys running around with the derby’s, looking like Mulder rejects, controlling fate. But that's a minor complaint.

Hammer: The smooth transitions between the various locations (connected by hidden doorways) was remarkable and made New York city seem a lot less revolting. Those who see this film will know what I mean - nice effect. Those of you who hate Sci-Fi, stay home and watch The King’s Speech on DVD, ‘cuz you ain’t gonna’ get it.

Sledge: More of Emily’s leg cleavage on the bus would have been nice, too. But all in all, no wasted scenes or useless action. Just the right touch of everything. Emily can even dance a little, which makes her an easy choice for Black Swan, part II. Her and Natalie in bed together might be enough of a reason for me to go see it.

Hammer: I second that. One thing that I hadn’t seen before was Matt Damon walking into his new job, failing to notice that everyone was frozen in time. That was cool.

Sledge: Reminds me of my days working for the man and putting up with all the Sleepless in Seattle types. Everyone wandering around their jobs like mindless drones on a Borg ship. What a great scene.

Hammer: I kept wondering who the “Chairman” was, thinking it was Mr. Trump, and his gravity-defying hair, but I don’t want to spoil it for everyone, so I’ll leave it up to our readers to figure it out on their own.

Sledge: What about the ending?

Hammer: Not what I thought it was going to be, thank goodness (attn. lazy writers, please pay attention to this movie – no fricken shortcuts). A little neat and tidy, but it did the job. 

Sledge: Normally, I would sit here and rip a movie and its scene writing apart, but not this time. Unlike Green Zone, which was like having my eyeballs carved out with an old corkscrew, Matt hit this one on the head. The love scene with Emily was too short and showed nothing, but hey, that’s me. I enjoy more jiggle factor when it comes to love scenes. I'm a caveman who needs stimulation. Hammer, any final thoughts before we get to the Trailer Previews from today?

Hammer: Good movie with a story that hasn’t been done to death. Well worth the cost of the gas and popcorn. Would see it again, definitely. 

To watch the video trailer, click here:  http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810119644/trailer

TRAILER TRASH:

(our first impressions of the movie trailers seen today)

Sledge: First up was Water for Elephants. SNOOZE. Seen it before. However, Reece (legally yummy) Witherspoon looked extra delicious in some of the clips. She’s moved up on my to-do list, that’s for sure. But the story, come on - elephants? What’s next? Giraffes wearing meat ponchos? I’ll pass on this one, especially since Robert (I still suck even as a vampire) Pattinson is playing opposite of a real actor. Who's the casting director, some sixteen-year-old hormonal chick?

Hammer: Thank goodness Source Code filled the screen next, starring Jake (I wish I were Christopher Walken) Gyllenhall. Dumb title, but the clips looked interesting. Reminds me of Goundhog Day meets Deja Vu. I’ll see it.

Sledge: I'm with you. Apparently, Jake keeps restarting time by going back eight seconds before the train disaster, all in the name of trying to plug Michelle (I’m too hot for my pants) Monaghan. I can’t blame the guy. I’d cross the fabric of time and space for her, too.

Hammer: Next up, was Paul, starring Simon (Scotty) Pegg and Nick (who am I) Frost. I already have my tickets ordered for this one.

Sledge: Me, too - I’m first in line opening day. Just the type of twisted Sci-Fi I love. Alien Paul reminds me of an old neighbor of mine: short, gray, and never wore pants. I just hope we didn’t see the whole movie in the trailer. It looks hysterical.

Hammer: Following Paul, was Transformers eleven or whatever. It appears Michael (super slow mo) Bay has sold out, all in the name of cash. Even worse, Steven (I’m past my expiration date) Spielberg has lent his name to yet another yawner. What happened to their love of the work? NO MORE – please! Enough of the robots that talk like some dude on the juice. Had to suffer through the second Transformers, and now this? Let’s move on, already.

Sledge: Last but not least, Limitless starring Robert (I’m not going to do another Fockers movie) De Niro and Bradley (I’m finally over my hangover) Cooper.

Hammer: It seems like this movie is about some broke writer (like that’s a surprise) who takes a smart pill and takes on the world (not the strongest premise). Looks interesting, but an entire movie about a smart writer? Seems a little far-fetched, don’t you think, Sledge?

Sledge: I’ll go see it, hoping for a nice topless scene or two with Abbie (I’m sexier than a headliner stripper) Cornish. What a total package – I could just sit there in the theater with her face on pause the whole time. Good enough for me.

That’s it for this week. Feel free to leave your own comments.