CMT - Scarface (1983)‏

I think we can all recognize, the typical villain. They sneer, and laugh maniacally. They plan world domination, and of course, they twist their long moustaches. The bad guys have to have those long, dark moustaches; it's a cultural thing. Just like "beady-little eyes" and "furrowed brows", the bro'stache is inherently evil.

For "Scooby-Doo Mysteries" or "Pinky and The Brain", those kinds of criminals are fun. Admittedly though, antagonists have a lot more going for them, and good bad guys make for great entertainment. Personally, I think that fiction is the world's best teacher, but only when it isn't ham-fisted, and obviously pushing morals onto us. It's been said, that art imitates life. So by getting a closer look at art, we get a closer look at life, and criminal psychology can be a very enlightening part of it.

Classic Movie Trailers: Scarface (1983)

There are a number of reasons, why certain people spend most of their lives incarcerated. It's easy to imagine, that the most aggressive and impulsive of us, would be in and out of jail. In the heat of the moment, if you act first before thinking things through, a lack of restraint inevitably leads to physical restraints. Undoubtedly though, there are those of us that act, while fully aware of the possible consequences.

That leaves a few possibilities. It could be, that the type of person we're considering, simply doesn't fear jail. They could live, or have grown up in such a dangerous environment, that prison is less of a deterrent, or even the safer alternative. In some neighborhoods, bullets are an all too constant threat, and death could literally be around the corner.

It must also be said, that career criminals choose to accept the dangers, because of limited options. In a world where income inequality is an inescapable reality, the allure of fortune and a greater quality of life, is worth it to some of us. First-time offenders may believe that they're special, and that getting caught isn't a real possibility. In fact, people may be motivated by a combination, of all of the factors listed above.

There is one mindset at least, that is still worth mentioning. Returning to nurture, or the environment where we learn and grow, it's certain that many people adopt a moral code, that is not in agreement with the legal one. Good and bad, and right and wrong, are still present in those of us that are mentally healthy; however, the definitions we have vary, significantly. Who's in the right, and who's in the wrong, is always a matter of perspective.

Trailer Here

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CMT - Reservoir Dogs‏

Racism still exists today, and that's definitely without question. What is questionable though, is whether or not the bigots actually believe what they're saying. Of course there are some real idiots out there, but I'm willing to bet, that the majority of people that use hate-speech, and recite racist jokes, give no credibility to those ideas whatsoever. If they're guilty of anything, they're guilty of indifference towards the troubles of others.

Classic Movie Trailers: Reservoir Dogs (1992)

I find that many people disregard issues, that don't affect them. Why would a young white man care, about the struggles that are faced by African-Americans? Why would he care about a woman earning seventy-five cents, for every dollar he gets? Those things don't affect his life much, if at all.

He's concerned about his bills, and his car breaking down, and his beer money, and his personal life. Whether or not gays can legally marry, makes no difference to him at all. So when that email comes around, with those jokes in it, he laughs and forwards it along and why not? It's funny.

If those people have a problem with it, it's their problem. If she don't like her pay, she can quit. Latinos can get stopped and harassed, and asked for documentation until the cows come home. What does that matter?

These are the guys that tell racist and anti-semitic jokes. These are the guys that use the N-word liberally amongst themselves, and who's to say otherwise? It's a free country. They can do what they want.

Plenty of people hate, and deride being "PC". Political correctness sickens, and angers a lot of people. They don't care, and they don't want to act like they care. So they tell other people to "man-up", or "get a life", and they'll verbally attack anything, that shows any sort of sensitivity or social consciousness.

They don't realize the privileges they have. When they get promoted, they're not thinking about why, and who else got passed over. Why would they? All they know is, they don't have enough for that bike they want, and their girlfriend just dumped them last week.

They know full well, that there are millions of intelligent black people everywhere. There's famous musicians, athletes and politicians; one of them even got elected, twice! And all of those blacks make more than most whites, so screw those people. There are advantages to be used, and if they can get that black boy, or that jew, or that immigrant away from that woman they want, they'll say or do whatever it takes.

You see, it's all about "me", and that eventually turns into "us" versus "them". It's not a "white thing", or even a guy thing. Women get together all the time, to scoff at those with less and criticize others, and what's behind that is the same lack of empathy. There's an inability or unwillingness, to care for others that are dissimilar, and it's evident throughout mankind.

What I like about "Reservoir Dogs" is it's honesty. In other films, people are way too politically correct; this is what people are really like. I do recognize however, that there are tons of people that do care. There are guys that will fetch you a doctor and fight to save your life, despite their outward callousness; I'll give you that. Even so, there are just as many or more, that'll simply leave you to bleed.

"And I'm very sad about that, but some fellas are lucky and some ain't".

Trailer-Here

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CMT - Desperado

There is a haunting precedent, hanging over the running time of every action film. In the greater majority of them, the hero is going to survive until the end. I'm sure this is a shock, to those of you reading this, but let's talk about that fact. The most important questions to ask are, how much can they get away with while adhering to this precedent and how can they keep it entertaining?

Classic Movie Trailers: Desperado (1995)

So here's a familiar scenario: a lone man faces off, against multiple gunmen. Hammers are cocked back, shotguns are racked and bullets start flying, in every direction. At the end of the scene, our hero walks away unscathed, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. It's a familiar conceit, used thousands if not millions of times.

How do you keep it interesting? I've rolled my eyes at the end of plenty of those sequences, but sometimes I don't think of it as much. That may be because of tolerance, for the common nonsense that perpetuates the genre. Though when I do find, that I'm painfully aware of the strings behind the curtain, it's often due to the fact, that the action is pushed to ludicrous levels.

I've seen a man ride a motorcycle off of a roof, and onto the ground, with barely a change in stride. I've seen another motorcycle rode off a cliff, and into a plane's cargo hold, so that the hero could grab the controls and fly the thing over a mountain. I maintain, that if you're laughing at the end of such a stunt, the filmmaker's made a mistake. There's amusement to be had at those things, for certain, but suspense is the target being missed here.

One solution, is to avoid those scenes completely. With imagination, and problem solving, it's possible for a hero to take out a large group, or escape in a plausible way. When this happens in film, take note of it. No scenes of this nature come to mind.

There's also another way around the problem. If you make the action as outlandish as possible, you may be able to dazzle the audience with footwork. That is to say, that we'll be so focused on the spectacle, and so eager to watch the craziness unfold, we'll forget that the whole thing is preposterous. "Desperado" does a good job, at this.

The film does make a mistake however, by cutting a key action scene off short. If you're going to do the genre, you simply have to deliver all of it. If you're lucky, you'll be able to convince everyone, of the hero's superiority. If you're not, hopefully the action's so intense they don't mind. Should all else fail though, there's one more thing to do; take a risk, buck the trend, and kill him off.

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CMT - Predator

I've had the benefit, of seeing some of the best, and the worst behavior that human beings are capable of. Instances of kindness and charity, fill me awe and appreciation. Ignorance, intolerance, undue aggression and hypocrisy boils my blood, and evokes my disgust. People sicken me; and I say that as both a philanthropist, and an unrepentant misanthrope.

I don't think there's one charge I could bring against the human race, that anyone could successfully defend. Among all of our flaws, one thing is paramount; we all think we're something special, don't we? There's an undeniable arrogance, that pervades everything we do, from the extinction of animals, to the erection of power plants and the building of roads. We shape the world to our liking; we force the globe to cope with unreasonable demands, and we consume, and consume, until there is nothing left to leech.

We even hunt for sport, and that's if you call murder, from fifty yards "hunting". Enthusiasts will defend the hobby, but I'd ask them all to acknowledge, that what was done for survival, is now little more than a game. It is all too easy for us; our weaponry has tamed the great beast, and laid him low. Don't you wonder what it would be like, if someone or some thing, was able to tame us, as well?

Classic Movie Trailers:  Predator (1987)

Before you proclaim the tenacity of the human spirit, before you assume that our so-called "advanced weaponry", and military tactics, would prevail against any threat, please remember how young we are. The dinosaur's rein on earth, lasted one hundred and thirty-five million years. One hundred thousand years ago, we had just begun fighting with the Neanderthal. Man's dominion has been relatively brief, and it endures precariously.

We war amongst ourselves, for the most trivial of reasons. We allow millions to starve, so that very few, can live luxuriously. We not only fail to punish treason, we reward it, and we vote to give the perpetrators more authority. Meanwhile, while we bicker amongst ourselves, we slowly poison the earth that feeds us; then we look at the evidence, and say it isn't true.

I'm not convinced. I don't think we have the intelligence, to rule this world for that much longer, let alone the might. Is our subjugation, by another life form, really so hard to believe? Certainly we're smart, when compared to the flora and fauna around us, but given that we're aware of other galaxies, we're incapable of reaching the knowledge they're hiding.

We don't know what's out there. We don't know much of anything. Our concept, of genius level intellect, is a manifestation of our greatest hubris; we are dumb apes. We are pups, with destructive toys, and we think we're safe and secure. I wouldn't trust a man-made weapon against a rhino, forget about an alien.

There is no such thing as permanent, and that's something you should realize. The human race will end; the only question is how. One answer, is obviously plague. Nuclear war, may play a part as well. It is possible however, that we will meet another life form that is simply, unquestionably, better than us.

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