Deep Impact, 1998

Deep Impact, 1998
Director: Mimi Leder
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood


Stage: Home theatre, late TV selection

Deep Impact in short: A teenage astronomer and his teacher discover an object amongst the stars at night. Little do they know that it's a comet on a direct collision course for earth. After the teacher dies in a car crash trying to report his findings the President announces the comet's existence. He also states that there is no need to panic, because NASA is going to send astronauts on the space mission, Messiah. Their mission is to destroy the comet before it gets too close to the earth. When Messiah backfires, the President announces that special caves will have to be built, and the government will have to have a lottery-of-fate to randomly select 800,000 ordinary American citizens to go along with 200,000 scientists, soldiers, and other officials. These 1,000,000 people will be set aside to save the population from extinction when the comet hits.

Preps: Hm, isn't this one of the "The earth will be destroyed unless" clones? I am not sure.


Reality: Yep, I am right. I remember now, when the plot comes thru the first scenes. I have seen this one before. It's a special genre, if it would exist for real, several very notorious movies would fit into this. Because they all describe the same thing, fear of all fears. This time not in shape of alien, but in shape of a comet (meteor), usually found by one weird scientist, then making all the world upside down. The first and maybe the one with most lovely actors, in this sense, would be Armageddon, surprisingly enough made in the same year. Who copied from who, remains the question. Because Deep Impact is virtually very similar to Armageddon or vice versa. But doesn't have the famous cast as the Armageddon has. Nevertheless, Deep Impact in comparison, holds a few plus points - for instance: the stories before the comet appears and the parallel stories about relationships, that go very deep (in comparison with Willis's ship). Surprise from viewer's perspective, and refreshing, anyway. In some deep imagination I would guess that most of the viewers just are anxious to see the impact or the rescue mission itself and the vaporization. They don't really care what the relationships between people in this story are. Just the mere wolfy observation of the impact would be enough. And can drive powerful enough.
In this case, you are dragged into various relationships and traumas the people going on the mission (or reporting about it) are having from the past. And the way some of it is resolved up to a point. Tea Leoni seems to have the last quote here, but I would rather not spend any money on trying to make journalist profession not a voulter one. It is such and any time spent on persuasing audience it isn't so, is a long gone investment. Beside the point, we are talking about extinction and therefore it doesn't fit into yellow journalism anyway. Why bring up the honour and pride (or commitment to the public must know dogma)?

In any case, case closed at the end of the day, humankind solved, heroes (again US and Russian - how predictable :( No extra adventure or fun here.


My personal rating: 4,0 (some entertainment and a good start. Also like the side part of the movie, when you wipe the impact out :)

Deep Impact on IMDB

Falling Down, 1993

Falling Down, 1993
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall


Stage: Home theatre. Selection every now and then. I just adore this movie

Falling Down in short: William (D-FENS) just wants to get home to see his daughter on her birthday. Unfortunately, nothing seems to be going right for him. First there's the traffic jam, then the unhelpful Korean shopkeeper who "doesn't give change". D-FENS begins to crack and starts to fight back against the every day "injustices" he encounters on his journey home.

Preps: This is absolutely a masterpiece of Joel Schumacher, seeing the perspective of a native american, giving all around him a lesson. I want to see this in the same way I need to see Kill Bill every now or then, or Pulp Fiction, or the Matrix. So no preps whatsoever, I am more than ready every time!


Reality: As said, from the start to finish, a masterpiece. The walking sculpture of black humour, sarcasm and things that don't make sense to most humans but don't have the guts to say it in front. Michael Douglas has one of his best casts here and I cannot stop laughing or admiring the point he's making. Let it be by the Korean guy at his store, or in the Whammy Burger, let it be on the hill with the latino guys or later on at the phone booth. The scenes that are shown, while this guy is trying to come home to his kid's birthday (at some point you realize he is a fanatic and got divorced a while ago, having a kid and a restriction order), however, the facts you realize about this man get you tho think about how calm he really is :) and how slow he's taking his anger out of his pockets.

The side story about a retiring cop / Duvall, here just seems something inbetween to calm your laughing centres and get ready for the next scene. Each time Douglas appears on the screen, you get a fresh dose of clean, ironic humour and it is just pouring in my veins more and more. I am sure you will love this movie and the true irony it posesses.

By the way, D-Fence is the licence number on Douglas's car! And for this reason from the middle of the movie he gets this nick by all the people chasing him.


One of my favourites is definitely at the Whammy Burger. It's one of the most hilarious scenes I have ever seen. However, the first one before that is when he hits the pine with a korean guy, not giving him the change he wanted:

Mr. Lee: Take the money.
Bill Foster: You think I'm a thief? Oh, you see, I'm not the thief. I'm not the one charging 85 cents for a *stinking* soda! You're the thief. I'm just standing up for my rights as a consumer.



My personal rate: 9,5 (absolutely brilliant in terms of black humour and sarcasm. Everyone that's into it like me will surely adopt and adore this piece. One of my favourites - I see it from time to time - the Whammy burger scene with "the customer is always right" attitude)

Falling Down on IMDB

The Road, 2009

The Road, 2009
Director: John Hillcoat
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, Guy Pierce



The Road in short: A post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his son trying to survive by any means possible.

Preps: None in perticular. I came up to this movie as one of suggested ones from my friends, and since it's Viggo Mortensen acting I don't have any serious objections seeing it (I just adored the man in LOTR as Aragorn). Also Duvall gives me hope that this could be good. Duvall is especially good at drama genre, it brings the best out of his performance.

Stage: Home cinema


Reality: The viewer is thrown into a broken world (or let's just narrow this to the noble USA, because you don't see the world actually). Without any knowledge what happened you need to follow a man with his son, drowning in desire to get to the east coast where the sea is (no idea whatsoever, what is so cool on the east anyway, the director doesn't let us in in this big secret.

All the refugees come from somewhere, there are some villains running around. I don't get where they get the food, anything to survive. In a whole there is this big lack I need to fill in - what the hell happened and what is the purpose of this wonderous trip.

Apart from some good scenes of torn houses or buildings, some fine jumps in time (where you see the mother of the child as she ran away) and a good dilemma, when is the point where you say it's not worth it and just shoot yourself and your child, because nothing good is ahead.. well, maybe this is why you would see it and in some fantasy even enjoy it.

But don't bother.. I think it's a waste of time :) Aragorn should just stay in LOTR and be proud of his act there :)



In which world do such movies get nominations? This one was nominated for BAFTA, some best actor awards, best scenography, best young actor,.. hmmm. I wonder what kind of potion they drank before nominating this. Or giving it the award, which is one step further from nomination.


My personal rating: 3 (barely stayed and watched it till the end. I hope you do better :) and not watch it at all)


p.s. IMDB peak: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/