Friday afternoons have become movie day for my wife and I in recent months. I have been in deep anticipation for quite some time for the premiere today of 'John Carter'. Meanwhile, my wife and her best bud Glenda wanted to see the highly touted, critically acclaimed, 'The Artist'. The plan was lunch at the Cheescake Factory then off to the movies. What a quandary. I would rather be tortured for 2 hours by Jack Bauer than sit through 'The Artist'.... But, in this wonderful era of the multiplex, I was able to find a showing of both films starting at about the same time and ending about the same time. Perfect! Kar and Glenda go see the silent film with the barking dog and I see a potentially great SyFy epic. 'John Carter' was fantastic!
I love it when a movie exceeds even my lofty expectations. I purposely selected the 2D version. This recent 3D craze is overblown and overrated. What a great choice. The film was shot on location in southern Utah with some great scenes filmed at Lake Powell. 'John Carter' is based on a work of pulp fiction penned by the Godfather of SyFy, Edgar Rice Burroughs. His 1917 book was entitled 'Princess of Mars' and was book 1 of 11 in his Barsoom (Mars) series. Burroughs' imagination inspired many other writers and filmmakers. Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights fame
plays John Carter, a confederate officer who lost his family in Josey Wales fashion. While prospecting in Arizona after the war he discovers a sacred cave with a major vein of gold. After a series of miraculous events he finds himself transported to Mars and lands in the middle of a civil war of sorts there. He, of course, becomes a hero and gets the girl. If you love Star Wars, Star Trek, Westerns, lots of action, a great story, and a beautiful girl, then you'll love this movie! Taylor Kitsch is now officially a movie star. Burroughs really knew how to spin a tale. His Tarzan series of novels are some of my favorite books of all time. Not bad for a pencil sharpener salesman who decided to become a writer. Present day Tarzana, CA in named after the ranch he bought back in 1919. 'John Carter of Mars' is a must see, even if you are not a SyFy nut. It will NOT disappoint.......Oh, what about 'The Artist'? Kar and Glenda said it was the stupidest, most boring movie they had ever seen in their lives! They were so burned that they had wasted 2 hours on it, that they could hardly even talk about it. No big shocker to me. It just cracks me up that such a film, that nobody saw, and didn't collect any box office could reap so many Oscars. I guess it's a testament to the Weinstein brothers who are masters at marketing their films to the Academy. Oh well, 'John Carter' probably won't garner any Oscars, but it has already provided more entertainment than 'The Artist' ever will.........Thank you ERB.
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