John's Blog

Thanks to Something Awful for another great Photoshop contest, bringing us Before and After Movies, like this take on No Country For Old Men.

It finally made the way to the top of my Netflix queue, so as soon as I go it I eagerly popped the DVD in the machine and watched. I never really paid that much attention to its' subject matter, but noticing the critical acclaim it was receiving I put it on the list and figured I'd be surprised when I got it. And WOW, what a surprise it was! Part western, part crime thriller, part horror flick, it pretty much has something for everybody, as long as you don't have a problem with horrific violence and creepy serial killers. A powerful movie that literarily had me on the edge of my seat all the way until the end.

The ending, however did leave me with a bit of a "WTF?" moment, simultaneously disappointing me in the "draw" between the forces of good and evil, as well as making me think that the movie adaptation denied us of much of the texture and context of the Sheriff Bell character. Now, I've just got to go and read the book!

Another interesting thing about the movie was the appearance of "THAT GUY" who seemingly pops up in almost every dramatic series these days. His name is Garret Dillahunt, and his resume is impressive, not that I've got a man-crush or anything. Most of us first noticed him in Deadwood, where they killed off his 1st season character, then he returned as the evil Francis Wolcott. Since then, he's appeared in CSI, L&O, The 4400, ER, Numb3rs, John from Cincinnati, Damages, Life, and The Sarah Connor Chronicles, where he's the Terminator Cromartie. Since so many of his roles have a dark or evil veneer, it was an interesting choice to cast him as one of the good guys.

For those who haven't seen it yet, you can get a preview via this No Country for Old Men Trailer. A little less dark and dramatic is this Sock Puppet Show Version of No Country for Old Men:

Tags: pop-culture, movies, videos, you tube, pointless rambling, humor