imdb-38-277996

I just finished installing a home theater. In particular I have an projector that casts a 13 foot wide image (older 720 model). Many friends have been over to see the installation and Across the Universe is the perfect movie to demo both the audio and video. Everyone loves the Beatles and the creativity of the visuals is exceptional. Instead of just watching a song or two, everyone winds up hanging for far longer then planned to watch song after song. It did take a few weeks before I finally found the time to actually watch the movie from start to finish, and it was surprisingly good. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that the move never seemed to have gotten the recognition that it deserves. I think only one person who came over had seen or heard of the movie!! Okay, okay the plots can be thin at points, but that is not what the movie is about, its basically a series of exceptional movie videos strung together with weak plot. Put your expectation in the right place and you will not be disappointed. If you are straight the movie is a 9 of 10, if you are under the influence it is a 15. Spread the work, this movie deserves much more recognition.

My wife and I saw Deep Gold over the weekend at the Crest Theater in LA. Being an independent film, you never know what to expect. We were particularly intrigued to learn that it was both an action film as well as a 3D film. (Perhaps the first independent 3D feature film ever made.) Both action and 3D are very ambitious attributes for they typically exceed the independent film budget. The script had some unexpected twists and turns that kept the story going. To be fair, it also had some minor flaws, but overall who cares when the screen is filled with attractive women and stunning views. Personally I think I would have enjoyed the movie more if it were not in 3D, but that is personal preference. Some of the actors were better then others, but overall way better then the average independent film. Michael Gleissner, who also wrote and directed the film, made a surprisingly good villain. The soundtrack was exceptional, plenty of action scenes, solid plot, and beautiful footage. Deep Gold easily exceeded our expectations, and unlike almost every major studio feature films today, Deep Gold never dragged and we were never bored. In summary, Deep Gold is a perfect film for a mindless weekend escape.