2/21/11
Wild At Heart
Wild At Heart
Sci-fi fans - 1, Mayor Bing – 0. While Robocop is not the first major film set in Detroit (Beverly Hills Cop holds that distinction), it is probably the most famous depiction of Detroit on the big screen. Coming from upstate New York, we felt that this might be a pretty accurate depiction of the city (of course that changed once I moved here). Despite that, Robocop was one of my favorite movies during that time period. How can you not love an armor-wearing cop? And what about that scene where the guy is melting as he gets hit by a car? And that last scene where Jones gets fired from OCP by the President so Robocop can shoot him? Talk about a tear jerk ending when at the end he replies to being asked his name with just his name, “Murphy”. This is definitely one of the best sci-fi/action films ever though we will try and forget the sequels.
After Bing rejected a request for a Robocop statue, probably because he doesn’t think it will represent a positive image, a group of local artists and fans of the 1987 cult classic exceeded the fund-raising goal of $50,000 to build a larger-than-life sculpture of the crime-fighting cyborg. If you would like to be a part of the process, you too can make a donation at www.detroitneedsrobocop.com as the group plans to continue raising money until the March 29 deadline. While I do agree it might not be exactly in line with the image that Detroit proper wants people to see as they look at Detroit, this is exactly the type of things that would get someone like me to come to the city and check out. That being the same type of person that travels to Detroit to see ICP, or the Movement Festival (or whatever it is calling itself this year), a Kid Rock concert and the like.
I hope this gets made and gets put in an area were people can get to it easily to see and with a small as possible chance of vandalism. I also hope that Dave Bing would come to the unveiling and make a short speech. My hat goes off to the fun people who are making this happen. Maybe you can get the DIA, or someone, to sell mini-Robocop statues to tourists. Long Live Detroit!!!
This Sunday marks the 83rd Annual Academy Awards and I usually put out a Top 10 movies of the year but I still haven’t seen a lot of last year’s top movies so a list is out of the question but I will talk about three films that should be on your radar. Jackie Weaver got the only nod for “Animal Kingdom”, an Australian crime film about a young boy whose mother dies of an overdose and he goes to live with his criminal family and things go downhill for him from there. This film won best film at the Australian equivalent of the Oscars and is a very powerful film for those that love crime dramas. Not to be confused with the live action film, “The Illusionist” is a French animated film (by the same team that did Triplets Of Belleville) which revolves around a struggling illusionist who visits an isolated community in Scotland and meets a young lady who is convinced that he is a real magician. The story is basically a father/daughter relationship story and is very touching in respects to the portrayal of their unique friendship. The documentary “Exit Through The Gift Shop” is one of those it might be real or it might not be. It depends on whether you take street artist Banksy at his word. Whether real or not, it is a fun film to watch as a fan of street art starts to make a documentary about the art form and after meeting the mysterious Banksy, decides to try and be a street artist himself by the name of “Mr Brainwash”. The film does a good job at looking at what is art and what isn’t. Some of the stuff you see looks like crap but sells for thousands of dollars. So is that truly art because of the price? Watch this film and make the decision for yourself. I also think that “Kick-Ass” is the one must see film of the year so if you missed it, get to your library, video store, retail store or Netflix and get a copy.
For those looking for a concert this week, here are my picks for the week:
Tuesday (2/22) – Fishbone @ Magic Bag
Wednesday (2/23)- Motorhead @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Thursday (2/24) - Dropkick Murphys @ Fillmore Theatre
Friday (2/25) - Pistol Day Parade and 60 Second Crush @ Motorcity Soundboard, Atavan (last show) @ Pike Room, funk brother Dennis Coffey @ Majestic Cafe
Saturday (2/26) - CJ Chenier and Red Hot Louisiana Band @ Dream (Ann Arbor), Ke$ha @ Fillmore, Melissa Etheridge and Serena Ryder @ Caesar's Windsor, Plain White T’s w/Parachute @ Clutch Cargos, Super 70’s Soul Jam (featuring Stylistics, the Dramatics, the Manhattans and Harold Melvin's Bluenotes) @ Fox Theatre
Sunday (2/27) - Scissor Sisters @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Have a good weekend.