The MacGuffin

It is a rare ability for a film to both rely on a sense of nostalgia and simultaneously introduce something new that is its own. Drive, a neo-noir thriller from director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising), is a perfect example of one of those rare films. The story follows an enigmatic man who drives stunt cars for films by day, and moonlights as a getaway driver at night. The driver, who has no name, meets his neighbor and her son one day and establishes a relationship that leads him into a web of betrayal and violence.

Spencer and Ed look at Ron Perlman’s career in advance of Conan the Barbarian, discuss Jessica Alba for Spy Kids 4 and give their DVD picks of the week.

Someone once said that movies are like an addiction, and the only way to cure it is to watch more movies. Wiser words couldn’t have been said. In my never-ending pursuit of watching all things worthwhile, I’ve come across stories and characters that have taken me from the mean streets of Manhattan to the nostalgic, dreamlike world of an Italy long since passed. The toughest thing about loving all kinds of movies (and I mean all kinds), is trying to keep up with what is out there. I want to see everything, from the great silent films of the past to the latest blockbuster release, and all that’s in between. I guess the thing that I can be happy about is that there will never be a shortage of great films from around the world—there will always something to see, a gem just waiting to be discovered.

While sitting through the duration of Season of the Witch (2011), I couldn’t help but look at actor Nicolas Cage with curiosity and fascination. This is an actor that has had the most peculiar of careers. One thing is for sure: he is a very courageous and unapologetic actor. He is unafraid to take a character to the most extreme levels; he does not have time to worry about being subtle. The result is a career that has gone from great high points, even winning an Oscar, to very terrible low points, in films that aren’t even considered B pictures, more like C or D pictures. What is it that compels Cage to take roles in movies that are well below his caliber? What is it that attracts him to a project that you can tell is bad from a mile away?

There’s a machine that changes men into mutants and it’s buried under the earth and its secret is protected by a secret cult. It’s been around since the medieval times, but has lasted through the year 2707, when four corporations rule the world.