VALKYRIE (WOLKUERE)

I just saw a very good film "Valkyrie", I will attempt to put into words my take on the film. I will do this in three parts, first as a history buff, then as an officer and finally as a German (Asi, Sylvia indulge me).

As a student of history the movie gets an 'A-'. Grudgingly I pass out the minus to the film makers for the use of British Spitfire planes as Hitler's fighter escort. What does this say about the sentiment of film-makers in Hollywood who are quite certain that most Americans will not notice or care about this. In the opening scene our hero is attacked by a British Hurricane. Clearly they knew that if the same plane had been used to attack our hero and then to escort him, some would have been turned off by the film, still they were sure that no one would notice or care. Just another example of how we are loosing touch with our past. The rest of the film is a masterpiece. I do have one question, though: Why did it take so long to make this film?

My second part, I give it an 'A'. A must-see for all who would lead. As an officer I see in this movie the true test of character that there can be, to be decisive in the pursuit of an objective and to accept the consequences of those actions. This is the truth of heroic films even if ... well I won't spoil the end, however, if you know your history, then you already know how this story ends.

And for part three, I also give it an 'A', though I fear it is a late one. As a German I ask the same question again: Why did it take so long for this film to be made, and why was it made in the US not in Germany? The men in this film showed that there was a very large movement in Germany for a very long time, to end the rule of Hitler. I suppose the good German was something Hollywood was unwilling to show us. The Nazi is still the best loved enemy. Although now Islamic terrorist are moving to the front, they are still not as popular as the "Nazi". Why, we even have the word 'nazi' in our popular language to mean someone who is exact to the point of ridiculousness. I see this film as final absolution and a collective moving-on; finally the War is truly over.

Overall I give the film an 'A'. Well done! So what if Tom Cruse believes in Scientology - he still makes good characters come to life.

IRON MAN

I do now think that Robert Downy Jr is an Actor and not just a spoiled child. I went and saw his new movie "IRON MAN" and was very impressed. The film is one of the better ones I have seen this year, the acting was good by all the actors and the story was just enough to make you want more and set up the sequels in such a way as to give nothing way. However the surprise of the film was the main character himself Robert Downy Jr who has seemingly risen from the ashes of his past and been reborn as the Actor he once was. If I as the most ardent critic of the acting world and the Movie industry can give this prodigal son a second chance, I'm sure the rest of America will embrace him as the new comeback. In his new role as Bad boy made good let us hope that he does not disappoint. I look forward to seeing how he copes with his renewed success.

"We all deserve a second chance, yet what we do with it us up to us". Hal Schyberg (04 May '08)

Riding the Tin Dragon

I shuffle onto the Tin Dragon,

We are all mad for doing this,

We few, we crazy, we excited few,

“Sit down” yells the load master pressing the button that

Closes the back of our tin host, and seals us into our fate.

Rise and climb into the black velvet sky my Tin Dragon

"10 MINUTES" I yell into the void

It is echoed back at me by mad and exhilarated voices in the dark.

"GET READY" I yell again just to see if anyone is really there.

This time there is no echo.

Level out oh, tin bird of the night, and though your wings do not flap you still fly true.

"STAND UP" now I'm sure that only I can hear my voice.

The darkness stirs and like stars appearing in the sky one by one I see the glow

Of wild excited eyes.

"HOOK UP" I want to see the void come to life and with this command it does,

I am master of the darkness.

I move to the Dragon’s tail and look to my escape, I clear the doorway and prepare to let the darkness loose into the velvet cloak of night.

Now I stand in the portal to another world the void to my back to my front the rushing wind and the earth a half-mile below. I look to the night and the tin wing of my Dragon host and am... at peace. My fear has left me with the rushing wind. I am one with the adventure.

A hard tap on my shoulder jerks me out of my trance and I am once more face to face with the wild eyes of madness. A single boney digit is thrust into my face and I nod in agreement.

"ONE MINUTE" I tell really only to myself, though the resulting echo is discomforting

Again I look to the door where I'm most happy and long to enter it again, yet another tap pulls me back into the Dragon. I nod in agreement.

"30 SECONDS" Now I can see that the void has come to full life and the eyes full of madness are now brighter than ever. Their glow now illuminating their faces and the painted joker smile is on all of them.

 "STAND BY" the first madman steps into my portal and awaits my releasing command.

My tin Dragon tells me it’s time for us to depart until we meet again.

"GO" I command the joker of the void to embrace the night, as the Tin Dragon expels them one by one. Once they are all gone I look to Tin Dragon once more a pray a silent prayer that I can be inside her once more, and then I fall into the night.

The air is sweet and cool and surrounds me like a familiar lover, cradling me in her arms and rocks me gently until I land back into the hard reality.

The Dis-Order of the Phoenix

I will start by saying that, though this will make me unpopular and perhaps the butt of scorn, I am a very big fan of the Harry Potter book series. I was truly introduced to them with the first film (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). The acting was "B" level at best, yet the characters and the universe they lived in was made very clear. I was instantly in love and wanted more.

Well, there comes a time in all relationships when someone has to stand up and say this is not the best that it could have been. I was willing to accept the new Dumbledore and even remind myself of the real Dumbledore from the books. Yet I can not accept the new Harry Potter film.

The new Harry Potter film The Order of the Phoenix is a bare minimum yarn based on a book. As a fan of the series I want the director fired and replaced with someone who cares about the contents of the story over the contents of their pocketbook. The film can not be seen by anyone who does not know the story. This is not the first film to make reading the book a prerequisite for enjoyment but it is (in my opinion) the worst. The story jumps around so disjointed that, had I not read the book, I would be lost at sea on a dark night with no moon to guide me. The addition of the new characters such as Tonks are closed over and one questions why they were even put into the film. Luna Lovegood (the best of the new characters) was certainly not given enough time to develop and add anything to the story. Consequently she appears as a nut-job girl with a thing for Harry, clearly this is not who she is. Why Hagrid is off with the giants was also a mystery, and why did he bring his half-brother home??? I know why because I read the book, yet the film never covers this or Hagrid's mother. Neville is less of  an anchor than in past films but still manages to be utterly useless in the film. De doesn't even provide comic relief as he has done so brilliantly in past films. Dumbledore was as expected uninspiring and unbelievable and still managed to be disappointing. His final battle with Voldemort makes him look afraid of the Dark Lord, not the other way around.

This film was not a total disappointment, though. Dumbledore aside, this was some of the best acting in all of the past films. Harry was far more believable and so was Hermione. Ron has really come into his own in this film and he is truly a worth thespian. Gary Oldman was wonderful as Sirius Black. I still morn his loss to the series. As the old saying goes "All the powerhouse acting in the world could not save the appalling storyline". This film does a grave injustice to the Fans as well as the Harry Potter Universe.

Truly, if I were to make this book into a film I would make it into two films. The fist film leaving off right around the time Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic are in the Headmaster's chambers. The second film would be the fight at the Ministry.