Hush

The United States has a fascination with serial killers. We believe in many myths presented to us by the media. Serial Killers are a small portion of our society. Any given year, there are only 25-50 active serial killers and they account for less than 1 percent of the 15000 homicides a year. Generally, they are not the psychopaths we see in the movies. The live within our community and often blend in with their peers. This makes them hard the catch and elusive to the police.

There is a movie that explores a serial killer that is very good. Hush is a movie that has a unique concept. What if the serial killer stumbles upon a victim by accident that could provide for them a unique experience compared to previous kills? In this case, the victim has lost her hearing and survives in an environment for the hearing impaired. Thus lies the conundrum. Can a serial killer adapt to a world new and unfamiliar to them? Will this new thrill be sufficient enough to satisfy their appetite for power and control?

This movie is a great thriller that examines the unique world all to familiar to our culture. And it was directed with such authenticity. The acting is superb. Because we enter the world of silence, this movie has very little dialog. Unbeknownst to the viewer, you enter that world without realizing you have transformed universes. And at times, the world on the non-hearing can provide a haunting environment for the hearing. You feel the vulnerabilities as the plot develops. You also can experience a transformation of weakness to strength, which I feel is the most compelling part of the story.

The movie's mood is dark. It provides for that edge of your seat feeling that thriller/horror movies rarely capture any more. Pop outs are more the norm compared to being on edge from suspense. You forget how important foreshadowing is until you watch this movie. A great concept for a thriller and I highly recommend it for cerebral cinema viewers.

Author's note: Hush is available on Netflix

Concussion

Concussion is a powerful movie on many fronts. I would recommend it for cerebral cinema for a couple of reasons. The movie is a great example of profits versus people. It also serves as a reminder that professional sports is putting demands on the human body that are extremely dangerous and hidden from the fans. And finally, watch Will Smith's performance and learn why African Americans protested the Oscars. His performance was truly worthy of a nomination.

From an educational point of view, the movie recreates the carnage caused by concussions in football. The story leaves little doubt about the medical problems that exist in the NFL. The powerful part of this story is the impact exposing a story can have on a person's life. Whistleblowers generally are attacked and misaligned by powerful forces. Honesty and transparency can be difficult when money is involved. During the time of the concussion connection to football, the NFL clearly wanted the information suppressed. The NFL is a billion dollar industry and concussions are a threat to the bottom line.

Concussion offers an honest glimpse into power structures and how they work in the United States. The systems of justice, clearly can be impacted by money. Corporate lawyers know how to deal with liabilities that impact the bottom line of the corporations they work for. Clearly, it is an uphill battle to fight for the truth and transparency.  Justice can have a blind eye, and Concussion is a great example how professional sports can be unjust.

Only The Dead See The End Of War

The Iraq War was a disaster. A poor foreign policy decision. The United States destabilized a region that had a ripple effect that we should never forget the consequences of our actions.

There are many very good documentaries on the war. In fact, I have reviewed one many years ago about the corporatizing of the war. Recently, I found a documentary that will serve for years as an archive how the war fell apart. The documentary, Only The Dead See The End Of War is a carnal, raw view of the war's progression into chaos.

An Iraqi Time's Magazine correspondent documented the unravelling of systems that led to chaos. I literally watched in aw as a nation of hope quickly transferred into a sectarian mess. We lacked the resources and competency to keep the nation from falling into chaos. Mission Accomplished was an embarrassment as President Bush declared the war a success.

I also could not help but judge our current President for his actions. We had a responsibility to restore order, and we abandoned the country again in 2009. While this was not a part of the movie, you can make a correlation that our leaving did leave a vacuum for ISIS. We had to have known this was a possibility, considering the well documented actions of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He literally provided a blue print for ISIS to exists and prosper if the nation were to be plunged into chaos again.

This documentary is not for the faint of heart. Even with some digital protections, the movie provides a rare insight into what our veterans of the war went through from 2003-2007. While the media did cover the problems, we were protected from the raw videos you see in this documentary. If we saw these images, instead of the sanitized 30 sec clips given to us every night, I actually think we would have stayed to help keep Iraq stable. I think our government felt like we would have done the opposite.

Generations will look back at the historical archives such as this documentary, and not look very kindly on our decision to invade Iraq. We see the consequences all around us today. Every action, has a reaction, and we made a serious foreign policy mistake by invading Iraq. One last thing about this movie, the courage displayed by this journalist makes this documentary special. I am pretty confident most journalists would not have travelled the roads this journalist did to bring us the most authentic accounting of the unravelling of Iraq.

11.22.63

Netflix opened the door for independent movie and series a few years ago. Since inception, similar services such as HULU have produced series and movies. One that just finished up on HULU that was exceptional was 11.22.63. Based on the Stephen King novel, the series stars James Franco. This is probably one of Franco's best efforts since Planet of the Apes.

The series is based on parallel time travel. As in previous reviews, I have stated that a parallel universe has infinite possibilities for story telling. This series is a great example of the possibilities. If fact, this is the first series to reach to the level of the Twilight Zone. King cleverly tackles so many nuances, that you almost have to watch the series more than once.

Many things make 11.22.63 a great series. The authenticity of time travel is brilliant. I have studied the Kennedy Assassination, and see many original clips and pictures. JJ Adams and Stephen King create a portal in time. I literally felt like I was in Dallas in 1963.

Without spoiling the series for you, I will share that the Kennedy assassination is brilliantly woven into the story line. The last episode is an emotional cliffhanger. You are never quite sure how the series is going to end throughout the first 7 episodes. Franco, and the entire cast are part of the success of the series keeping us uncertain. They manage to give you the impression they do not know how their actions will impact history.

Plot twists abound in this series. Well written and directed, with a few adjustments from the book. From start to finish, the acting and writing is outstanding. The ending in itself,
 is truly thought provoking. I highly recommend 11.22.63.