Another Modern Moron Movie Review

Greed and violence awaken the warrior within the legendary Santa Clause; thus, a new tale of the jolly soul is birthed. 

Spawned to the masses on December 2, "Violent Night" weaves brutality and comedy with bizarre originality.

A very wealthy and dysfunctional family in Connecticut has their Christmas eve party disrupted by a large number of heavily armed and skilled thieves who have no qualms when it comes to murder, even if it's a young girl who still believes in Saint Nicholas.

Pat Casey and Josh Miller co-wrote this future classic and many questions are resolved on the many mysteries of Santa, especially how he's able to get through a chimney. 

Santa simple wants to deliver his presents on December 24, but when he encounters nefarious men eager to kill an entire family for $300.0 million in cash, Saint Nick cannot abandon the young girl. 

David Harbour did a great job playing the part of a hard boozing Clause, and Leah Brady, as Trudy, set the tone for combating evil when she booby trapped the attic, resulting in comedic violence. 

John Leguizamo as a baleful Scrooge engages in a bombastic fight with Santa, and the end result of their combat ends with extreme uniqueness. 

Four stars for "Violent Night." 

Mark Izzy Schurr     
 

Mariah Carey, Another Modern Moron Review

Sensationalized swagger from Mariah Carey on Tuesday night was a CBS special I'll watch every year during the holidaze, simply because I liked it.

Yes, there are songs from this concert I'll never listen to again, but for a musical genre I've abandoned, I'll never get tired of hearing seven tunes from "Mariah Carey Merry Christmas to All." 

The tunes were all Christmas sounds, including some Mariah Carey originals. Her musical presentation is a peripheral of variety, Carey said, and I agree. 

Carey doing the finale "All I Want for Christmas is You."

She's beautiful and rich, and despised for it by some. As if it's her fault 1994s, "All I Want for Christmas is You," she co-wrote with Walter Afanasieff has topped every chart list.

Carey surrounded by the Rockettes

The duet Carey sang with her young daughter Monroe, "Away in a Manger" blew me away. Monroe, like her mother has a fantastic singing voice. 

Carey and her daughter Monroe singing "Away in a Manger."

The songs "Christmas Wrapping" and "Oh Santa" were played back to back and it was a great combo featuring Monroe and other children including Carey's son, Moroccan.  

Pictured above is Monroe (center) with two other children during the song "Christmas Wrapping." 

The two tap dancers, Chole Arnold and Maud Arnold showcased their skills on the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and Drew Barrymore did a great job introducing the shows final song, her 1994 gem, "All I Want for Christmas is You." 

A video clip of Carey from "Christmas Wrapping" and her live preforming "Miss you Most (At Christmas Time") 

Carey is a star for a reason, and this live show, "Mariah Carey Merry Christmas to All!" will rock my socks off every year during the holidays. Four and a half stars easy for this musical extravaganza. 

Mark Izzy Schurr 

Peace of Mind

Child abuse, wars, famine, poverty, the Proud Boys, QAnon, Trumpism and light beer are all schemes and dreams spawned from the Devil himself.

At long last, I no longer want to belong in this world of insanity. I prefer love over hate, smiles over stone-cold glares. Reciprocated smiles are as rare truth in politics. Shout out to the select few who consistently display friendliness and shame on myself for getting caught up in the emotionless and uninviting attitude most others emit. 

Hail Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning and harbinger of art, language and science. Without Sarswati, the written word would always be dull, hence, no Silver Surfer comics and all other books and movies to seize our imaginations.

I cannot draw or paint, but my penchant for photography and the written word are my links to creativity and serenity. The time for self-pity officially ends now. It's literally been years since I've thought of suicide, and four years of sobriety is awesome. 

Thanks haters, because of you fools, I'll never kill myself. I refuse to personally bring you happiness.

Mark Izzy Schurr  

 

Demensional Veils

To pierce and navigate through the ripples of reality while riding the waves of tranquility and serenity. (Bodega Bay, April 2019 via Schurr Shot) 

The spherical sensation of the cosmos has lured me into the edge of the unknown. The stabbing sensation of imagination has seized my senses. A colossal kiss from the cosmos has reduced the devil to a mere mischief maker seeping into many minds. Meteor showers from ancient worlds have purged inner demons. 

An awesome acceptance of clarity has infused a sense of purpose. Unknown and unseen forces weave into human perception. 

Mark Izzy Schurr 

 

 

Modern Moron Movie Reviews

Hurling into the void without the slightest inclination of who or what is out there, only to find Emperor Ming the Merciless with the power and desire to pulverize the entire Earth. 

Pictured is Dale Arden, Melody Anderson and Flash Gordon, Sam J. Jones leaving the planet Earth on Dr. Hans Zarkov rocket ship. Zarkov, also aboard the rocket, arrives at the kingdom of Ming. Minutes upon their arrival, Ming chose's Dale Arden to be his next concubine, the public execution of Flash Gordon and literally reprogramming the mind of Dr. Zarkov.

Encased in glass for all to see, the death dust of Ming kills Flash Gordon, and the tomb of Flash is completed. Lucky for Flash, Princess Auru, Ming's daughter wants a ravenous rendezvous with Flash on Sithera, her secret pleasure moon.      

Immediately upon resurrection, Flash Gordon awakens to Princess Auru, Ming's daughter, fantastically portrayed by Ornella Muti. Her voice always puts me in a coherent daze. Amazing casting!  

Princess Auru persuaded the executioner to bring Flash back to life with a special injection. Auru tells Flash she brought him back to life with a magic kiss because she likes him.  

"Flash Gordon" is funny and romantic without being sappy. Lust without lunacy.   

Princess Auru and Prince Barron from the planet Mongo have a bizarre lasting love affair. The tale of Flash Gordon began in the early 1930s, if not sooner. This 1980s version follows the basic story-line from the originals with its modern twists.   

Princess Auru trying to convince her father, Emperor Ming, Max Von Sydow, to allow Flash Gordon to live. 

The special effects were nothing near its predecessors, "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back," and didn't need to be, it's a comedy with pleasant punches of drama now and again.  

Screen play writer, Lorenzo Semple jr. weaved the timeless tales of love and lust and good versus evil with clever dialog and a believable story amidst sheer fantasy. 

The people of Mongo must team up with their enemies, the flying warriors from the planet Ardentia in order to combat the mighty Ming. Flash Gordon, aka quarter back, New York Jets uses his pro football skills to unite enemies to combat Ming.  

Released more than four decades ago, "Flash Gordon" remains as fresh and funny as it did in 1980. Four stars easy for this flick.  

Mark Izzy Schurr 

  

 

Lady Night

 

Seeking myself in the darkness, where infinity and oblivion journey into the core of my imagination. 

Adorable gods in the image of Sarswati fuel my fascination for the written word. Cloaked in lady nights dark embrace, I traverse the depths of inner space. The spherical sensation of the cosmos has lured me into a state of savvy ignorance.

Schurr Shot of the moon, Wednesday night. 

Teetering on the edge of the unknown and absorbed in the stabbing sensation of wisdom. 

Mark Izzy Schurr 

      

Deviously Dark, "The Black Phone."

A paranormal parade into savage reality and sheer fantasy displays itself nefariously well in the "Black Phone."  

The graphic violence in this flick is minimal, aside from an axe to the head. The above picture is an actual still from this horror gem, and yes, shot in eight or 16mm. Only very brief segments laden throughout the film appear this way. The rest of the film is shot extremely clear, and the terror was mostly cerebral.  

A child who sees the torture of other children in her dreams becomes a true asset to the police in her brothers kidnapping. The children were the focal actors throughout the film, even more so than Ethan Hawk. 

Mason Thames, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Tristan Pravong and Madeleine McGraw, pictured, held their own and brought the story to life.

Ethan Hawk epitomizes evil too well in some scenes, and that's why he's Hawk. a real icon in the world of actors.

Thames is Finny, the last child kidnapped in a small town, and the spirts of other murdered middle-schoolers come to his aide via the black phone, or do they? 

I simply liked "The Black Phone," it was dark and disturbing, yet conveyed cleverly to the masses. 

Mark Izzy Schurr