CMT - Deep Impact (1998)

According to our scientific knowledge, we reside within an ever expanding universe. That universe dwarfs the numerous planets and the Earth, our home, dwarfs us all. We live on piles of dirt, separated by small pools of water. On that dirt you can see tiny little specs, which are the microscopic creatures that we call the human race.

I've never had to survive a serious earthquake. I've never been in front of a tsunami and felt that chilling fear. Still, through reports and photographs, I'm able to see the scale of natural disasters. Those kinds of events are large enough, to remind us about how small we really are.

From our perspective however, things are measured in feet, meters, grams and pounds. Skyscrapers are impressively tall and roads stretch farther than we can see. All of our structures and machines, give an illusion of permanence that is just that. When a single life or multiple lives are lost, life as we know it continues, but what happens when it does not?

Classic Movie Trailers - Deep Impact (1998)

Imagine that you are on this planet before the end of the dinosaurs, over 60 million years ago. I suppose that the expanses were breathtakingly vast, and that the vegetation and forests were too dense to penetrate. Animals were as tall as a three story home and with a sudden spot of panic, they could devastate the area. What ultimately ruined the landscape though wasn't foot; it was stone.

There was no meaning behind the rock's assault. There was no argument, conflict or cruel sentence that was passed. Even so, the aftereffects were certainly heartless. Dormant volcanoes erupted, the seas rose, the climate became uninhabitable and almost all life perished.

It's something hard to imagine today. Most of our concerns involve self, family and society. We don't give much thought to the possibility, that it could all be washed away. When that moment does come however, the denial won't last long.

Ultimately, fear will override any doubts. Towards the end, I suppose that we will learn a great deal about ourselves personally, while others will reveal themselves in surprising ways. I think that depression, hopelessness and anxiety would bring out the worst in us, but while that turmoil is in effect, we would also see some of our best. "Deep Impact" as a film, focuses on how good we can be.

There is courage and generosity within us. There is love, forgiveness and acceptance. There is also a heroism, that can only be seen when things are dire. When there is a crisis, like the earthquake in India or the tragedy at the Twin Towers, something awakens in us, that we didn't know was asleep and hiding.

I often emphasize humanity's failings. I've pointed at our faults and our shortcomings, with harsher tones than most. To criticize myself however, I haven't said something important. The only thing keeping us from being much better, is the fact that our situation isn't much worse.

We do think more about ourselves and our loved ones and we are dismissive about things, when we shouldn't be. Given that however, we are those selfish creatures in better times. It takes great evil to inspire a greater good. Perhaps in the end it evens out.

Currently, we are not at risk of extinction. There is no great peril looming, that would bring us all together. While we are apart however, we can realize the scope of our problems. There will be tough times for us financially and socially, but whatever happens, just know that it isn't the end of the world.

I can't tell you how much time we have left, but I can say that our time is limited. Life begets death and prosperity leads to ruin; in other words, nothing lasts forever. These structures of steel and stone will rust and crumble. The plant life under the roads will burst through, to reach the sun. Humanity's reign on Earth may be long and it may have a billion years left, but it can never be and could never be everlasting.

Trailer Here.

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CMT - The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

Of the films I've seen in 2015, this one has made me think the most. During the final moments before the end, it provoked me with something I hadn't considered before. Insightful stories about humankind, are very good at pointing out our flaws. Even so. this is the first film of its kind to make me seriously consider, if free will is the root of all evil.

Classic Movie Trailers - The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

I'd like to share with you, the scariest thing about people. Human beings can tell themselves to believe anything. You can put conflicting information in front our faces and fetch definitive evidence, but it will have no effect on our decisions. If we so desire, we can disregard all of the facts, no matter how strong. The truth is ultimately whatever we want it to be.

We can justify doing just about anything. If we want to steal we will do so, and then we'll cook up some excuse, as to why it isn't wrong. We can treat others how we want, for any reason that we like, and that reason doesn't even have to make any sense. If we started a group, to take donations from poor seniors and give them to wealthy businessmen, it would be legal, defamed, decried and very popular.

We surround ourselves with others that agree, shun those that do not and ignore any consequences. Those qualities are harmless sometimes, but they are devastating and destructive when they are not. If we kept to our own social groups, that would mitigate some of the problems. Unfortunately, interaction leads to discrimination, inhumane behavior and even war.

Now imagine a race of similar beings, who decided long ago that self-policing is inadequate. In order to keep the peace and enjoy better lives, they collectively decided to give up their freedoms. They even went about the business of creating their own slavers. They proceeded with full knowledge, that any contrary efforts would lead to their deaths.

It's a powerful, profound and chilling scenario. I can't even comprehend the proposal of such a thing, let alone the consent to it. We have often dreamed of meeting a more advanced species, but how many have written about a race with no faith in itself? The concept is very concerning, because it makes me question the trust we place in ourselves.

Is the freedom to disagree, destroy and deny everything worth it, as long as we're free to do so? If an otherworldly race says no to that question, are they an advanced people? Your answers to those queries might truly disturb you, if you are subsequently asked to place humans on the same scale. Can we honestly say we're better than them?

If not, what if we're worse?

Trailer Here.

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Watch "The Day The Earth Stood Still" on Netflix!  

CMT - Chinatown (1974)

As we go about our daily lives, we make numerous assumptions regarding people and their relationships. For example, if a man is walking with someone that could be his daughter, we assume that's the case. If a woman is in a car with children, we take it for granted that she is their mother. We might also walk past a couple, thinking about an arrangement that isn't there and misinterpreting the appearance of normalcy.

Classic Movie Trailers - Chinatown (1974)

I often wonder if "The Jerry Springer Show" is scripted. With the multitude of crazy, scandalous and hard to believe affairs, I question the authenticity of it all. Is that stuff really going on? Is that really his grandmother? Are so many people really that clueless, about the father of a child?

I don't want to give the impression of naivety. I'm sure that these things are a part of life, I just can't say how prominent they are. If we could see behind the veil of everyone's public face, would we be shocked at some behavior, or would we be forced to change how we think? Perhaps if we took every celebrity headline, true or false, and multiplied them to cover the world population, we might learn the truth.

Personally, I'm not one to read the gossip rags. I see them there in the racks by every checkout line, but I never give them more than a passing glance. What famous people do and who they do it with, is business I don't care to know, but avoiding it all is impossible. Maybe shows like "Jerry", "Maury" and "Judge Judy", tell us that celebrities are simply a fraction of humanity, lit up in a spotlight. If everyone was under such scrutiny, imagine what we'd learn about ourselves.

I'm the kind of guy that asks only the relevant questions. People tell you the information they want you to know, so I don't pry any further. Beyond the facades however, are complications I'd rather avoid. A detective, on the other hand, lives his life in that sea of details.

He finds out about those "kissing cousins". He knows about every taboo fetish, every secret rendezvous and every closet skeleton. If it's relevant to his case, he might travel to another state, just to verify employment and personal history. With enough years on the job, gathering data from numerous places, I imagine that there wouldn't be much left to surprise him.

After encountering every type of obsession, perversion and delinquency, at some point he has to find something criminal. Danger is a real possibility, while searching for the truth and when it does rear its ugly head, there might not be any backup. The wonderful thing about films like this, is that we get to be a private eye, from the safety of an armchair.

Unfortunately, "Chinatown" was a film and not a television series. It didn't continue to dive into depravity, immorality and everything in-between. With more time, we might have gained a better understanding of people. Maybe we could have looked at so-called normalcy, with the knowledge needed in order to redefine it.

Trailer Here

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CMT - Nightbreed: The Director's Cut

"Nightbreed" has something in common with "Avatar", and with "X-men" before that. All of those movies want you to sympathize with their characters, despite the fact that those characters aren't human. As the stories progress, you may find that you are rooting against your own kind, and greeting familiar faces with suspicion. Sometimes the devil you don't know, seems like the better choice.

Classic Movie Trailers - "Nightbreed" Director's Cut (1990)

A lot of people can relate to those that don't fit in. Even if you've been popular and social your entire life, there's a good chance you've walked into a place that made you feel unwelcome. There's also a good chance, that you have niche interests that bind you to other people, even if those people are far away. The rest of the world may not understand you, but when you go online you can be where you belong and have the chance to express yourself, to those that will listen.

It's those kinds of emotions that this movie tries to tap into. Granted, it's not the same as being a hippy, in the days when that was frowned upon. It also isn't comparable to being an emo teen, but there is a similar chord. In every case, there's an outside group that makes it harder for you to be yourself, when all you want to do is just that.

So with the right plot and adequate acting, we are able to relate to beings that have little in common with us. Whether or not "Nightbreed" was successful in doing that for you, is part of your own personal experience. I find it interesting to note however, that unlike other persecuted groups, the monsters here don't have much of a solid identity. They have attributes of vampires and shape-shifters and devils, but they really haven't carved out a place of their own.

Let's consider vampires for moment. Like them, some of the Nightbreed can be destroyed by the sun. Others in the group, have the ability to turn into mist and that's something that Dracula is famous for. Still, the monsters here have no craving, or need for blood. That fact may make them more sympathetic characters, but it leaves them with no attributes to tie them together.

They all look and act very different. Killing them is no easy task, as there is no sure method that will deal with all of them. In fact, if they did not reside in the same area and identify themselves under one name, there is nothing to say they are related at all. They are not human but what are they, exactly?

Maybe if I could answer that question, this movie would have led to a franchise, like Hellraiser did. It could have possibly expanded on its theme, and presented more of its ideas. Unfortunately, the ideas that it does show aren't clearly defined. I don't think it's possible to fully identify with a group, if even they don't know what they are.

Trailer Here.

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CMT - Serpico (1973)

In my opinion, most people are inherently self interested. Everything that doesn't involve personal gains are secondary concerns, if they're concerns at all. Doing the job correctly and honorably is a virtue that is lost, on workers in it for a paycheck. It's especially unfortunate, when those workers are supposed to "protect and serve".

Classic Movie Trailers - Serpico (1973)

I imagine that it starts very small. At first, it may just be an issue of a few routine patrols that are skipped. Maybe an officer on duty is flirting with a waitress on a regular basis. With a situation like that, his partner and the other cops know about the activity, but I doubt that such a thing is often reported. Even if someone does bring it to the attention of the supervisor, it's a safe bet that it would be ignored.

If you take a look at it from the manager's perspective, you might agree that from one point of view, you have to choose your battles. People aren't receptive to being constantly checked and corrected, and over-supervision leads to ruffled feathers and greater dissent. Unfortunately, the problem with letting too many things slide is that ultimately, people will get bolder. So if it was a few missed tours in the beginning, maybe later it's a suspect, that is treated unfairly.

Maybe the guy is a real scumbag though. Maybe he hurt children or raped someone. Whatever the perpetrator is accused of, it would be something serious enough to counter any sympathy he would have gotten, from the other officers. Later, when it's generally known that a cop can be heavy-handed, without fear of reproach, maybe the guy that's abused isn't a serious offender. Maybe the arresting officer, just doesn't like the accused.

It's true that the dislike could be racially motivated. It might also be related to the prisoner's perceived religion, or nationality. To be honest though, it doesn't have to be something so complicated. Maybe the cop in question just doesn't like his face.

What you may have in that situation, is a social group that has learned to keep quiet. Many have told their superiors, and then realized that nothing was done about it. Others want to speak up as well, but they're afraid of being judged by their peers. Eventually, they all succumb to the pressure and instead of just staying silent, they decide to join in.

Now you have an environment, which encourages people to test the boundaries. Let's say a large sum of money is confiscated as evidence, and with that opportunity, a cop decides to take some for himself. After his suspicions are confirmed, he continues the practice. When others get wind of it, a number of them will begin to follow suit.

The problems can go on for such a long time, and involve so many people, that dealing with the mess can be logistically difficult. Furthermore, it may be extremely embarrassing for anyone working in that vicinity, whether or not they have anything to do with the corruption. When money is involved, it could even be dangerous, to try and turn the tide. If that is indeed the case, the only hope for change is that which is forced upon the group from an outside source; that source could be an Internal Affairs office, an elected official, or the press.

What's bitterly ironic and tragic about such a scene, is that when people are punished and forced to correct themselves, they get angry at the parties that make them finally do it. They don't feel bad about themselves. They don't question their own actions or inaction, and hang their heads in shame. The men in charge get more jaded about the scandal, than what caused it in the first place.

So if you ever get the chance to blow the whistle on wrongdoing, I would suggest putting yourself first in every decision. No one will clap for you, or award you with anything; no one will recognize your heroism and few will respect you. Do what you feel is right, but remove yourself from harm's way. People want to get away with what they're doing, and the others around them don't want to have to deal with it.

https://youtu.be/nBJQ1pK372Q

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See "Serpico" on Netflix!