iTunes Delivers Another Great .99 Cent Movie Rental With "Ex Machina"

For me, one of the best things about iTunes isn't the free single of the week, because let's face it, much of the music being produced these days isn't that good.  Free or not.  My musical tastes are so erratic that finding something new that I might like is a complete challenge.  Thankfully, iTunes generally delivers unique films for .99 cents every Tuesday.

I neglected to review the brilliant Love and Mercy, I wasn't going to make the same mistake with the creepy and equally disturbing modern take on Frankenstein called Ex Machina.  Prior to renting the film, I'd never heard of it.  Until mid-2015, I was living in an isolated region where we would only get the most popular movies playing the area's theaters.  This is why iTunes is so important, at least for films and especially smaller independent or art house releases.   It's also worth noting that Ex Machina is director Alex Garland's directing debut and the end results seem far more suited for someone who has been calling the shots for years.



Ex Machina's beginning scenes reminded me in a way of the beginning of The Matrix.  Like Keanu Reeves' Neo, Domhnall Gleeson's Caleb Smith is a loner.  He works for a large company where he's a programmer and in the first few minutes of the movie, he wins a contest where the prize is to spend a week at the residence of his elusive boss, Nathan Bateman, played disturbingly by Oscar Isaac.  Both Neo and Smith weren't sure what they were in for but the difference between the two is that in Ex Machina the story is told at a somewhat slower pace and that allows for all sorts of weird and creepy things to unfold keeping the viewer guessing because even when you think you know, you really don't.

(Domhnall Gleeson "Caleb Smith", Alicia Vikander "Ava", Oscar Isaac "Nathan Bateman")

Aside from the initial opening scene in the office where Smith wins the contest where his co-workers congratulate him and the helicopter pilot who transports him to the beautiful area where Bateman's complex is, the film focuses on Gleeson's Smith, Bateman, Ava played by the alluring Alicia Vikander and the silent Kyoko brilliantly played by Sonoya Mizuno.

Caleb is dropped off literally in the middle of nowhere and once the helicopter leaves and flies off into the sky, he realizes this trip may not be all that it's cracked up to be.  He makes his way to Bateman's impressive compound and even though there's no one really there except for Caleb, Bateman, Kyoko and Ava, there's enough security set in place to protect a president or more appropriately, a dictator.  Caleb is even given a key card upon arrival, automatically by a computer of course, to allow him to enter the house and some of the rooms inside, including his bedroom.  Bateman was a programming prodigy and he's had a very interestingly modern yet weird compound.    Caleb has some initial claustrophobic feelings as it's explained to him his room is underground and there are no windows, just a television, but the only program he can watch is the live feed of Ava in her room of glass windows.

(Ava and Caleb during one of the Turing test scenes)

Upon the initial meeting between Ava and Caleb, Bateman explains that he built her and that she's A.I. (artificial intelligence) but that she can think, she can reason and she can ask questions.   Caleb learns that Bateman's motives for holding the contest wasn't to simply meet one of his employees, but it's for Caleb to administer Ava a Turing test.  In the most general terms, Caleb must monitor how Ava thinks, feels and reasons.  At one point he is under the impression that she likes him.  Ava has even been able to manipulate the electrical system in the compound to her advantage, even being able to knock out the Big Brother-esque security camera system throughout for a few moments of time.  This little bit of trickery enables her to get Caleb to truly trust her.    Even though she's a machine, she wears familiar human clothes when she's speaking to Caleb and the loner that he is, starts to fall for her forgetting she was created by a maniac who believes he has god-like qualities.   Caleb's downfall begins when he starts to trust and believe Ava over her excessively and intense creator Bateman.  Bateman is also a drunk which lends itself to the plot but without giving too much away, he catches on to the plan these two have hatched.

(Bateman explaining how he created Ava)

Through all of this Kyoko remains silent as she cannot speak but Mizuno plays her in such a way that words aren't needed.  She's a prisoner and her eyes say everything that words could convey, possibly even more.  At one point, Caleb realize Kyoko is also A.I. as well essentially a slave to Bateman's whim.  Her situation is certainly tragic and the private moment shared between Caleb and Kyoko is sad and creepy as it is revealing the true character of Bateman.  He's an insane genius living in isolation for his own good and the good of society.

(Kyoko and Ava communicating)

The ending was set to be rather predictable, but instead of following the typical formula that would leave the viewer disappointed, you feel two things:  satisfaction that Ava's wish is fulfilled and frustration because Caleb isn't as lucky.

I watched intently throughout and was completely engrossed in this film.  Interestingly filming involved zero special effects, they were all added in post production, so that means there was no green screen and no Gollum-like characters on the screen at any time.  Everything was shot as live action and scenes with Ava were shot twice, with Vikander and without.  This enabled the filmmakers to place her into scenes as the backgrounds and setting were essential to the story.  This technique is certainly something that made you feel as if she was really an operating machine with human features.  Good decision for all involved.

(Ava with Kyoko in the background)

Ex Machina was garnered many accolades and it's easy to see why.  In many ways it's reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Altered States or even Alien as far as character development coupled with the sense of isolation is concerned.  It's disturbing, creepy and one fine motion picture.  They even used over 1,000 particular light bulbs to avoid stereotypical sci-fi florescent lighting.  Special mention needs to be made of the score and soundtrack as the music used and composed for the film was perfect.

Ex Machina (2015) is available now on digital and Blu-Ray platforms.

Writer and Director:  Alex Garland
Starring:  Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno

Highly recommended:

5 vegan donuts out 5

Sometimes, You Know When It's Time to Say Goodbye

Here I sit on my birthday and while I have spent part of the day reflecting on my past years and thinking about whatever future I have left.  Most of this day and the past few weeks have been spent worrying about one of my two dogs.  Why worrying?  Well, Jazmin is 14 years old in human years, but almost 100 in canine years.  I've enjoyed having her in my life and I hope she feels the same way.

Jazmin or Jazmine or even Jasmine was named by my ex-wife as she was her dog first but before, during and after the sham of a marriage, the dog and I really bonded with each other.  I never would've thought I'd enjoy having a Samoyed (or American Eskimo), but never say never.  Jazmin will always be remembered for doing a few tricks, barking, grubbing food, enjoying rides in the car, getting sprayed with the hose, swimming and her favorite pastime, chasing squirrels!  One time in western Massachusetts, I really  thought she had successfully grabbed a squirrel, but thankfully she hadn't.  Playing "chase the squirrel" is one thing but killing said squirrel was not acceptable whatsoever.

Jazmin

Jazmin was from Los Angeles, that's where I first met her, she was living with my ex-wife's first husband and his family.  Yes, I know, I should've known but at the time I wasn't that bright.  I don't know if I'm any brighter now, but I'd like to think I am but that's another story. 

After thinking about having a dog in the house, I decided Jazmin should come live with us in North Hollywood because she would have more attention even though some days we would be gone for hours working.  Initially Jazmin was unsure of me and living in a new place, but she got acclimated to me and my house.  I learned that Jazmin really liked to chase squirrels and me for that matter, she liked chewing on my ankles when she would attack my feet and shins, she'd like to play wrestle and fight me.  It was hilarious and she'd get really crazy, it was awesome!   She hasn't been able to really do any of that or her up on her hind legs trick where she would twirl around a couple of times in order to get a treat.  I was impressed that she was able to do that.  I taught her to sit with the signing command but not much else.  She hadn't really been trained to do much, but she was exceptionally house trained!   This was definitely a blessing on some long work days.  

Nikki RIP, Cody, Jazmin

Jazmin was quite a character and since she was a snow dog, living in Los Angeles probably wasn't her favorite thing, so when she discovered snow for the first time, she went crazy!  She loved it!  Many days she wouldn't come back inside after I let her out.  She loved chasing the squirrels in the snow and I think the squirrels enjoyed it to to some extent.  When I kept bird feeders along the fence, the squirrels treated it as their own personal Las Vegas buffet.  She would wait patiently, shaking her whole body and when it came time to chase after them, she was like a bat out of hell!  It was hilarious.

Once the marriage was over (thankfully) and the ex-wife finally moved out, Jazmin stayed behind along with Cody the Mini-Pin.  Cody was technically her dog too, but she couldn't have dogs where she moved to and I was certainly not going to let them leave without a fight.  Needless to say, there wasn't a fight and the dogs stayed with me.  

Cody and Jazmin

After suffering at a job that made me miserable for far too long, I decided it was time to leave western Massachusetts for the final time.  I'd reached a creative plateau that really wasn't hard to reach quite honestly and instead of getting frustrated, I had an opportunity to move west and I jumped at it.

Even though Jazmin was a snow dog and Cody could generally leave it rather than take it, I think the move was good for both of them.  I had noticed Jazmin had gotten somewhat older but she really didn't show signs of truly aging until she reached 12 or even 13.  The last few months of her life were really tough for her.  When she stood, sometimes her back legs would shake and she would walk slower.  The pep in her step had started to leave as we were coming up on 7 months of being back in Los Angeles.  When January came around, her eyesight really started to deteriorate and she couldn't maneuver as she once was able to.  Her appetite started to become non-existant, which was certainly unusual for her.  She loved to eat what I was eating and even up until a week before she crossed the Rainbow Bridge, she was barking at me while I was trying to eat.  

Jazmin

Suddenly, it all stopped.

Within days she had stopped eating, her appetite was gone, I had to force her to eat as best I could without being forceful, she couldn't get up to go outside to relieve herself and towards the end, I would have to carry her out and let her walk as much as she could in order to go.  On her last two days of being with me, she hadn't been able to stand and I had to hold her up so she could go.  She was only drinking at this point and not eating.  When she tried to shake herself as she always did, she lost her balance and fell.  Her poor body had all but given up on her.  

Jazmin, Nikki and Cody appear in the "I'd Rather Be With My Dog" music video by Doug Ratner & the Watchmen

I called the vet but even though they told me she might be able to overcome how she was feeling with medication, I couldn't do it.  Jazmin didn't deserve to exist just because I wanted her to.  Nature and her body were telling me something that Jazmin really couldn't.  Her time on this earth was just about done and she wanted to sleep.  I got in touch with my ex-wife and told her the situation and at almost 14 years, Jazmin had a wonderful time, living on both coasts, traveling the USA twice and just enjoying herself as a spoiled dog.

Taking the final "family selfie" in the veterinarian's office wasn't easy to do, but neither was watching Jazmin wonder why she couldn't walk or stand.  Cody and I accompanied her to the vet's and as tough as this was for me, the staff were wonderful.  The vet even hugged me twice and kissed Jazmin as he handled things with such professionalism and compassion it was very admirable.  

She is loved and she is missed every day.

                                                      (me, Cody, Jazmin saying goodbye)                     

Jazmin

Jazmin

Jazmin

Jazmin

Jazmin and Cody getting ready to move across country

Patti Smith Band Performs "Horses" in Los Angeles Jan. 9, 2016 (live review)

                         

Wow.

A simple and yet powerful 3 letter review of living legend Patti Smith and her band performing Horses,  in its entirety, as part of that album's 40th anniversary tour would appropriately be, "wow".  End of review.  If you missed this evening's sold out show or don't have tickets for the tour's final night, you're probably out of luck.

                                       

Upon exiting the Metro, I turned the corner and saw this marquee, which I've seen many times, but tonight, it looked different.  It looked almost magical.  Portions of the sold-out crowd wrapped around the front of the iconic Wiltern giving those passing by the impression that there must be a pretty important performance taking place inside and they would be absolutely correct.

Patti Smith and Her Band or the Patti Smith Band or the Patti Smith Group had no opening act and at this point in time, who could really do an opening slot justice?  Patti wisely chose to perform a set that tipped the 2 hour scale and it was completely breathtaking.

There are many reasons as to why Patti Smith has remained an influential and vibrant force in the arts and tonight's performance was on point pretty much on every level.  As the band took to the stage and picked up their instruments, Smith recited a spoken-word introduction to Horses and then the sold-out audience was treated to fantastic rendition of one of her best known songs, "Gloria" followed by "Redondo Beach", "Birdland" and "Free Money".  As the band finished the final notes of "Free Money", Patti picked up a copy of Horses she had with her on stage and in a lighthearted moment said "back in my day, we would take the needle off the record, turn it over and put the needle back on the groove and continue listening."  The audience showed their appreciation applauding loudly and laughing.  There's no question that Patti has been an influence on countless artists and musicians throughout her lifetime including Nirvana, The Smiths, PJ Harvey, Garbage, Sleater-Kinney, R.E.M., U2 and the list goes on.  Morrissey's live rendition of "Redondo Beach" is quite a testament to Smith's brilliance as a songwriter.

After a very short pause, the band began performing "Kimberly" followed by "Break It Up" (written by Smith and Tom Verlaine of Television about Jim Morrison), where Patti encouraged everyone to sing the title loudly when called upon and they certainly did.  As she finished the next song, "Land" she took a few moments to explain the final track of the Horses album, "Elegie".  Patti said she originally wrote the song with then-frequent collaborator, the late Allen Lanier of Blue Oyster Cult about her idols who were no longer alive at the time, such as Jimi Hendrix.  Interestingly Lanier also performed on The Clash track "Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad" as well as having worked with the late Jim Carroll.  This was probably the most emotional and personal part of the evening as Patti dedicated the song to everyone in the audience who have lost loved ones, friends and even pets.



Smith then recited a list of her friends who had passed away over the years towards the end of the song including the four original members of the Ramones, Kurt Cobain, Joe Strummer, Janis Joplin, Fred "Sonic" Smith, co-writer Lanier, Robert Quine, Jim Carroll, Lou Reed and her dearest friend artist (and Horses cover photographer) Robert Mapplethorpe.  If there was ever a  moment that you could certainly connect with a legendary artist such as Patti Smith in a room of about 2,000 people, this was the moment.  It was powerful and certainly a wonderful way to close out the first portion of the evening, which was the end of the Horses album.

Patti Smith's incredible backing band included long-time collaborator and Patti Smith Group guitarist, the equally legendary Lenny Kaye, Patti Smith Group drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, bassist and pianist Tony Shanahan who's been performing with Patti since the mid-90s and guitarist and bassist Jack Petruzzelli.

The evening wouldn't be complete without special guests and those included Patti's children Jackson, who provided additional guitars throughout the night and daughter Jesse on piano during songs towards the end of the set.  Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers who has performed with Smith in the past, was on stage for some of the post-Horses songs and his signature bass playing is something to witness especially in this sort of environment when he's moonlighting away from the rest of the Chili Peppers.

Together this band of talented musicians backed Smith on such notable songs as "Dancing Barefoot", The Who's "My Generation", "Because the Night" and "People Have the Power"  from her 1988 then comeback album Dream of Life.    During the evening's final song, Patti grabbed a guitar and created some wondrous noise that would make the members of Sonic Youth stand up and worship the stage.  She was wailing on the guitar as she purposely broke strings and really made the audience take note that while she's not getting any younger, she's certainly not getting any mellower either.






Patti thanked many of those in attendance for believing in her including influential producer Jimmy Iovine.  She gave a nod to Elvis Presley, who's birthday it was as she told a funny story of him saying he made a career out of curling his lip and then after some crowd insistence, she also gave a nod to birthday boy David Bowie.

Few albums are worthy of "full album shows" because they can seem gimmicky and almost unnecessary, but an album such as Horses truly captures an era and a time that will sadly never exist ever again.  Even though this was being performed in Los Angeles as part of the anniversary tour, closing your eyes while Patti was singing almost transported you back to New York City in the early 1970s.  It was quite an experience.

Tonight's performance felt like a love letter from Patti Smith to her fans, her band and to those no longer with us.  Smith is a survivor and to witness a performance such as this after reading her brilliant book about the life she shared with Robert Mapplethorpe, Just Kids,  was something that couldn't have been missed.

Tonight's event kicked off my roughly 33rd year of attending concerts and shows that weren't of the classical nature and if it is in the fact the last show I ever attend, what a wild and fun ride it's been.

Here's one last clip celebrating this era and it sums up an incredible lifetime of experiences:  the late Lou Reed, the late Jim Carroll, the late Robert Quine along with a talented band performing Carroll's best know song.