Snowden (2016)

Here it is, post number 1500 at the Ringmaster's Realm. As I said in yesterday’s post, I put a lot of thought into what movie I would review and decided on Snowden from Oliver Stone. To me, this was a very important story that must be told, and there is no one better than Stone to deliver the goods. No matter where you stand on Edward Snowden, he is a hero and should not be subjected to the hatred and ridicule he has faced. In fact, no whistleblower should be treated in this manner and if the United States government was not so corrupt, did not have so much to hide, and did not treat whistleblowers like criminals, this ordeal may not have ever happened. This is a perfect example and a powerful look at the Military Industrial Complex and the globalist community (led by the United States Government) that wants to enslave not only America, but also all of humanity.

Plot/ The illegal NSA surveillance techniques are leaked to the public by one of the agency's employees, Edward Snowden, in the form of thousands of classified documents distributed to the press.

Any time I sit down to watch a movie by Oliver Stone, I am excited about what minuscule detail will be brought out for the entire world to see. That was especially the case with Snowden. No matter what your political ideology is, the truths revealed by Edward Snowden opened the door for a more transparent society and again proved that you cannot trust the government. This is a great movie about a man that should be viewed as an American hero. Stone again delivers with his great eye for a story, and also proves he is not afraid to say things within his films that a great many people believe, but do not have a platform to speak from. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is outstanding as Snowden, and should be in line for recognition during award season. The rest of the cast is also top-notch and their performances are solid. The storyline and script is well developed, the cinematography and editing are tremendous, and the amount of information provided to the viewer is powerful. It was an easy watch and a movie that kept me glued to the screen. The only real negative with the movie is the fact that everything felt a bit compressed for the runtime. Yes, there will be viewers that discount the authenticity and will blindly believe that the surveillance infrastructure is fiction, but for them I would say wake up. Since the inception of the Patriot Act, no one has been free, and this story again proves that what many believe are conspiracies and indeed truths. In the end, Snowden is a powerful movie that should rank up there near the top of the Stone portfolio. It is a movie that must be seen full of information that should be embraced. Find it and watch it!

Greystone Park (2012)

 

 

After taking a night off dealing with some type of 24 hour bug (maybe the chemtrail poisoning I witnessed), I decided to jump back into the swing of things with a found footage flick from Director Sean Stone, son of famed Director Oliver Stone. The movie I found was Greystone Park from 2012.

 

 

Plot/ In October 2009, the filmmakers went into an abandoned psychiatric hospital to explore the haunted institution, famous for its radical treatment of patients with mental illness. Electroshock, insulin therapy, and lobotomies were commonplace. Once inside, the filmmakers quickly discovered that they were not alone; this story is based on their experiences.

 

 

I am honestly starting to feel like the found footage movement has run its course, and that there needs to be a break from them for a while. I am sure it is not just me, as I believe they all are starting to run together. This one falls somewhere in the middle of the gambit of those that have come out over the past decade. Sure, it is not perfect, with uneven acting, some poor visuals, and a miserably rushed ending, but there were some decent moments especially early on. There is some atmosphere and tension, there were some psychological elements and there are some interesting effects that take place within the confines of some of the scenes. In the end, it was not the worst movie of this genre I have watched. Would I recommend it?  I guess that would depend on the day, but even then, that recommendation would be only to fans of this genre.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

 

 

After Dark Watchers, I was able to finish the research on my latest HAARP related piece, the one that draws a line from weather manipulation to martial law. Crazy, right? In preparation for publishing that, and waiting on one of my confidants to get back to me, I decided on something with some violence. My decision was the 1994 Oliver Stone entry Natural Born Killers.

 

 

Plot/ Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.

 

 

Let me start by saying, when I first watched this, it was not my favorite flick. However, all that changed now that I have aged and finally gave it another chance. Sure, it is a surreal and implausible venture into the depths of darkness, but damn, it is one Hell of a ride. Yes, there is violence, maybe too much, but that is no different from the slasher genre, except for the mainstream ties. The performances are solid, the cinematography and visuals awesome and there is a strong marriage of story and pacing. Is it a perfect movie? No, it is not. However, it is one of the best movies of the 1990s and one that should be seen.