Being stuck in harsh circumstances can either bring out the best or worst in man. And when the setting is the caustic climates and dreary landscape of Alaska, it’s likely to bring out a little of both. Add a hungry pack of wolves to the mix and it’s time for full on survivalism for those being hunted.
Ottway (Liam Neeson) and his buddies get to play with doggies in the snow!
In The Grey, Ottway (Liam Neeson) leads a small group of men who have survived a plane crash through the Alaskan countryside. Unfortunately, it’s not just the elements that the men have to contend with as a pack of wolves begins to terrorize them as soon as the sun sets. Thankfully, Neeson’s character is an expert on wolves, seeing as his job is to use a sniper rifle to pick off any wolves that attempt to attack the oilers he works with.
As the men set up camp and try to figure out how they’re going to survive this ordeal, Ottway quickly takes charge of the group, confidently establishing his leadership skills and survival instincts. The hot-headed challenge of Diaz (Frank Grillo) not only tests the loyalties of the group, but also mirrors a similar power struggle happening between the nearby wolves, which is quickly put to rest when the alpha male bests his challenger. As The Grey progresses, the plights of the men continue to mirror the internal struggles of the wolf pack, setting up an interesting juxtaposition between man and beast.
Aside from its interesting philosophical perspectives, The Grey is a mixed bag of questionable continuity and impressive cinematography and dialogue. On the positive side, the plane crash scene is one of the most intense pieces of cinema ever recorded with its choppy effects and chaotic surrealism. The same can be said of the multiple dream sequences, in which people are whisked from euphoric serenity back to harsh reality with jolting clarity as they are assaulted by snow storms, the crashing plane and ravenous wolves. And after the plane crashes and the survivors regroup, The Grey, in many ways, turns into a horror movie as the monstrous wolves systematically and graphically pick men off one at a time.
But a few things left me with a big question mark over my head. For example, unless I missed something, there is never any mention of trying to use a cell phone to call for help. Granted, all the phones could have been lost or destroyed in the plane crash, and it’s highly likely that no one would have reception in such a desolate area. But one or two lines of dialogue explaining those things would have resolved these issues completely. Also, aren’t airplane liquor bottles typically made of plastic now? If so, why are the ones on this plane made of glass? Maybe I’m being a bit nitpicky, but in a movie that otherwise seems hyper-realistic, these minor flaws become almost as jarring as the circumstances the men are facing.
Liam Neeson’s about to fight a wolf!
The Grey‘s climax is also a bit odd, as the alpha male from each tribe squares off for one final battle. It’s established earlier in the film that Ottway has little motivation to keep on living, so his willingness to stand and fight (and probably die) is no surprise. But even with the post-credit snippet that vaguely shows the result of the conflict, the viewer is left not knowing what the true outcome is.
These minor gripes aside, The Grey is an intense look at how man reacts when faced with the forces of nature. And even though the wolves are given an almost supernatural mystique, the similarities between man and animal reveal a few things about human nature that we don’t often take the time to consider.
I don’t normally like to spoil a movie’s ending, but I’m going to go ahead and tell you that in Man on a Ledge, the guy on the ledge jumps! But in a movie that has as many twists and turns as this one, that’s not really much of a spoiler.
Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) tries to talk Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) down in "Man on a Ledge."
You can’t really blame Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) for wanting to go out like that. Especially when you consider that it wasn’t long ago that he was a respected police officer who now finds himself in prison for supposedly stealing a nearly priceless diamond from the Donald Trump-like David Englander (played with voracious villainy by Ed Harris). Cassidy’s reputation is further tarnished when he uses his father’s funeral as a means of escaping from prison, embarrassing his brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and other friends and family in the process.
Knowing he will eventually be captured, Cassidy has no choice but to check in to a fancy New York City hotel, have room service deliver a hearty last meal and climb out onto the ledge to proclaim his innocence. Having recently dealt with a similar suicide situation, fellow cop Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) is called to the scene to talk him down. It doesn’t take long for her to suspect there’s more to this story than Cassidy (or anyone else) is revealing.
Angie (Génesis Rodríguez) wears a really tight black body suit. I think she's also trying to break into a vault or something.
As Cassidy’s story unravels (along with the nerves of pretty much everyone else involved), some strange occurrences begin to develop across the street – in Englander’s headquarters. There we find Joey and his beautiful girlfriend Angie (Génesis Rodríguez, who looks like one of those incredibly hot women from Telemundo soap operas because she is one of those incredibly hot women from Telemundo soap operas) clumsily attempting to pull off a Mission: Impossible-like heist without the secret agent expertise.
As the pieces fall into place, we begin to see that Cassidy may actually be innocent, while Englander is as despicable as they come despite a public perception that portrays him as a businessman who has weathered the storm of a tough economy. And just as Cassidy and Englander are not who we first think they are, Joey and Angie’s elaborate scheme is also not motivated purely by the desire to obtain a piece of Englander’s wealth. But pretty much nothing is as it appears to be in Man on a Ledge, which gradually becomes more apparent as police, news reporters (even an uber-Caucasian reporter played by Kyra Sedgwick has the comically ethnic name Suzie Morales) and anyone close to Cassidy get closer and closer to the truth of what’s actually at hand.
So by the time Cassidy finally takes the plunge, the result is not as morbid as you (or the ever-growing group of curious onlookers) might expect. And once the proverbial smoke clears, we see that Cassidy’s prison break plot was even more thoroughly planned than it first seems, with yet another huge twist before the credits role.
Man on a Ledge. Directed by Asger Leth. Starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Génesis Rodríguez and Ed Harris. Rated PG-13. www.manonaledge.com.
Rodney Mack is likely best remembered by wrestling fans for his White Boy Challenges of the early 2000s, where, under the managerial guidance of Theodore Long, he gave many Caucasian members of the Raw roster opportunities to last five minutes in the ring with him. Though he was a dominant force for most of his WWE career, he was only there for a few years before returning to to the independent circuit. Trained by the Junkyard Dog, Mack has continued to be a tenacious competitor mostly in Mid-South promotions, showing many competitors (not just white guys) why he is often called the Badd Dogg. Alongside his wife Jazz (who has held many titles, including the WWE Women’s Championship), Mack also runs Downsouth Championship Wrestling, one of the Mid-South’s biggest promotions. This week Mack returns to action in Universal Championship Wrestling, an Atlanta-based promotion featuring many former World Championship Wrestling and WWE talents such as Buff Bagwell, Luke Gallows and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. As he prepares for three big UCW shows this weekeend at Hiram High School, the North Atlanta Trade Center and the Inspiring Kids Academy, Mack talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about his recent achievements and his role in UCW.
You’ll be part of three UCW shows this weekend. Have you worked with UCW before?
I’ve worked with UCW in the past and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s one of the few companies that I still choose to work for out there for the simple fact that it’s old school, man. It’s kind of like Mid-South [Wrestling] in the way that it’s not all about glamor and glitz. It’s just old school, old fashioned wrestling and that’s why I’ve been part of it.
Do you know yet who you will be facing at each of this week’s shows?
No. I don’t really know. But it really doesn’t matter because I train seven days a week. The only time I don’t train is when I’m actually at an event. So it doesn’t matter. I’ll be ready for anybody.
UCW has monthly shows scheduled throughout the Atlanta area for 2012. Do you plan on continuing to work for the promotion and becoming a regular member of the UCW roster?
Yes. I was working with UCW regularly at one time, but they slowed up for a while. But I am officially on the roster.
There are several titles in UCW. Is there a certain title you plan on pursuing or do you have any other particular goals in this promotion?
Not necessarily. In every company that I’ve worked for, I’ve always put being the champion on the top of my list. In each and every promotion I’ve worked for, that’s just how I am. I want to be the best and that’s just how it is. Honestly, I really think I have the experience and the knowledge to go out there and represent the company in a respectful way. I can hold my own and dominate the other guys. I have a lot of confidence in who I am and I think I can really represent UCW as its champion.
Are you and Jazz still doing well?
Yes, we are. We train together every day. We have a set of twins that’s three years old and they actually train to wrestle with us every day, too.
Wow! They’re getting an early start. Does Jazz still wrestle actively as well?
Yes they are. And yes, she’s still very active. Matter of fact, we’re both honestly in the best shape of our lives right now.
No. If I went back to a bigger promotion, it would be WWE. But I’m not really looking for that. I’m having a blast and I’m accomplishing what I’ve always wanted to accomplish in the business, and that’s being as successful as I can possibly be. I still study every day and I’m still getting better every day. So if I went back to WWE, that would be great. But TNA doesn’t really interest me.
What other promotions to you wrestle for on a regular basis?
Well, I work for Downsouth Championship Wrestling, which is my own promotion. I also work for NWA Battlezone in Mississippi, Oldskool Wrestling down in New Orleans and NWA Wildkat, which is out of Slidell, Louisiana. Those are the main ones I work for. And, of course, UCW.
Do you hold titles in any of those promotions at the moment?
Yes. I am the current NWA Mississippi Champion, the DCW Champion and I’m the number one contender for the Oldskool Heavyweight Championship.
Who are some of the other talents on your roster in Downsouth?
Oh, there’s a lot of guys. I have Kevin Douglas, who once was a student of mine, out of Dallas, Texas. I have Chaos from Lafayette, Sweet Daddy Jones out of Mississippi, Jazz, of course, and Angelina Rush out of Missouri. We’ve got quite a troupe from various states.
Wrestling with Pop Culture has free tickets to all three of this week’s UCW shows. Just comment below with how many tickets you’d like for each show (up to six per person per show) and we’ll email you with details on how to get your tickets.
Channing Tatum's usually the one kicking ass. But in "Haywire," it's Gina Carano who does all the ass kicking. Photo by Claudette Barius
From the opening scenes of the mysterious Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) entering a rural New York diner with subtle battle wounds on her face, Carano is a captivating presence in her first starring role. For those not familiar with Carano, she’s not only a badass mixed martial arts fighter, but she was also known as Crush on the most recent incarnation of American Gladiators (hosted by wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and also featuring Total Nonstop Action Wrestling‘s Matt Morgan).
As a spy-for-hire globetrotting from a Barcelona mission to a hastily planned Dublin duty, Carano’s athletic background clearly prepared her for the many fight scenes that dominate Haywire from its onset, through its flashbacks all the way to it’s current-day climax. But Carano also proves to be a charismatic actress, holding her own alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton and Michael Douglas.
With Haywire, Soderbergh’s cinematography is fast-paced, yet fluid, and is complemented by the spy film score of longtime collaborator David Holmes, giving the film a retro James Bond feel. And in many ways Kane is like a female Bond, with Carano giving the character depth that is simultaneously sexy, sophisticated and strong.
When she's not kicking ass, Gina Carano likes to jump across rooftops and stuff. Photo by Claudette Barius
As she begins to realize things are not going according to plan (or more importantly, that there may be an entirely different plan at play), Carano portrays Kane with confidence, charm and the inventiveness of a survivor. Plus, watching her chase bad guys and evade capture Run Lola Runstyle through European streets and rooftops, put people into submission holds (with her legs) or showcase her abilities to drive really fast (sometimes backwards), outwit her would-be assassins and generally kick everyone’s ass (while making it look easy) is, for some odd reason, really entertaining. But as she goes about exacting revenge on those who have betrayed her, Kane proves that she’s able to think on her feet just as well as she can kick with them.
Haywire. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton and Michael Douglas. Rated R. www.haywiremovie.com.
During her professional wrestling career, the woman best known as Madusa helped legitimize women’s wrestling in the American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling. She held the Women’s Championship in pretty much every organization she worked for and was the first and only woman to ever hold the WCW Cruiserweight Championship (just one of many firsts for the woman also known as Alundra Blayze). Having put her wrestling career behind her, Madusa is now a successful Monster Jam truck driver (driving the Madusa truck, of course), having won the World Finals Championship in both freestyle and racing. As she readies for this Saturday’s Monster Jam event at the Georgia Dome, Madusa spoke with Georgia Wrestling History‘s Georgia Wrestling Now on Jan. 9. Here are the highlights from the interview, conducted by Wrestling with Pop Culture, Nemesis, Matt Hankins and Harold Jay Taylor.
You’ve been driving monster trucks for several years now. Did you go directly from wrestling to monster trucks?
I had my first show [of the year] last weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma and just slapped the snot out of the boys. I love it. Altogether I’ve been driving about 10-12 years. But we only drive three months a year, so actually only maybe two-and-a-half, three years. I’ve won two championships and it has not come easy, I’ll tell you that.
I was still wrestling when I went into monster trucks. Monster Jam approached me because they wanted a cross promotion and wanted a name to get more little girls in seats and that’s exactly what they’ve accomplished.
Do you make more money driving trucks than you did in wrestling?
Oh, hell no. I made more money in wrestling. However, I’ve been frugal and smart and have other businesses and things going on. So I can enjoy what I do and I’ve been blessed. Monster trucks are sort of how wrestling was 20 years ago, so I think it’s going to take another ten years or so before the pay is the same. I remember the days when I had to drive 300 miles and I made five bucks. But you’ve got to love what you do. If you don’t love what you do it will show. Little boys have dreams of being in the spot I’m in and I just fell into it. I had never been to a monster truck show, never really seen one and never could really give a hoot, so I’m lucky.
When you first started driving a monster truck there were several other wrestling-themed trucks. None of those are around these days, but you’re still here. Why do you think you’ve outlasted the other wrestling trucks? Are you just that damn good?
Yes, I am that damn good. However, they had a contract with WCW for some of the names in WCW. I was the only talent that actually drove their own truck. Goldberg, NWO and all of them, they licensed their names over to Monster Jam. None of them drove their trucks. Goldberg’s quote was, “There’s no way in hell I’m getting in that truck. You are crazy, girl.” I’m an adrenaline junkie. I love it and it was a great marriage. It was perfect. And for 10, 12 years I’ve just been jamming it, kicking it to the top, winning two championships.
It has not been easy being a woman in a man’s world – not just once, but twice – and have to prove yourself from the bottom up all over again. When I finally did win a championship, that’s when I earned the guys’ respect.
How many female monster truck drivers are there?
There’s not enough. I think there are about five of us now. Being the First Lady of Monster Jam and opening the doors for others, it’s a great feeling to see the change and possibilities. We have some great female drivers, so it just feels so good to see them rising through the ranks. I hope one of them gets a championship here soon because it would be good to have another woman on board to feel this great feeling. When I won the championship, I won it in racing. It was against Dennis Anderson [and] Grave Digger, so when you have man against woman, student against teacher, Ford against Chevy and icon against icon, I almost couldn’t breathe! When I’m sitting at that starting line and that light is red, waiting to turn green to go, I was as calm as could be right then and there. The only thing I could think of is, “Oh my gosh! This is like ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney, and I’m gonna kick his ass.” And I did. It was awesome and it was the best feeling ever.
Have you ever thought of branching out into other types of racing?
Honey, if I was 20 years younger I probably would. I’ve always been a motorhead. I’ve been riding Harleys for over 20 years and dirt bikes and four wheelers and I love to hunt. I’m a girlie girl inside at times and I love to put on makeup and jump in the high heels. In my earlier years I was always ahead of my time. From wrestling to boxing to going to Japan to whatever, it just feels so good to have been able to pave a lot of avenues for what it is today. I really wish I would have thought of NASCAR 20 years ago or so. I would’ve been good.
You’re good, but you’re also a character that people want to go see. It seems like drag racing and other sports could use someone like that.
Madusa isn’t just a name or a character any more; it’s a brand. It has taken many years to do that, but it’s a brand. But talking about top people? Oh, honey. You look at them Force girls. I wish I could be one of them. One of the Force girls said, “I dig that Madusa chick in her monster truck.” Well, little does she know I dig her and her racing. She’s got a great push, a great name and some great talent, so she’ll be able to go a long way in her sport and carry it along for other women.
Which do you think is more physically dangerous, wrestling or driving a monster truck?
I get hurt more in this truck than I did in wrestling. After 18 years of pro wrestling, broken bones, blown knees and whatnot, you can imagine what 10,000 pounds of g-force in mid air will do to your body. You’ve got to take precautions either way. But anything is dangerous. Walking out of the house is dangerous. You’ve just got to think smart and be smart. They take 100% safety precautions in any arena they’re at, so it is what it is.
You’ll always be remembered in wrestling for taking the WWF Women’s Championship to WCW and throwing it in a garbage can on Monday Nitro. You obviously accomplished a lot in wrestling aside from that, but if there’s anything you’d like to be remembered for in wrestling what would it be?
I was under contract and I was told to do that by Eric Bischoff or “there’s the door.” But there’s a lot of things to be memorable for. Opening the doors for the new Divas division, opening the doors for women to be who they are today, changing up women’s wrestling, making it legit wrestling, bringing Japanese wrestling into women’s wrestling. Do we actually throw in winning championships? I don’t know. You tell me.
Do you keep up with what’s currently going on in wrestling?
I don’t make a point to watch it. If it’s on TV and I’m surfing and see it, I will [watch it]. Lately I’ve been catching Beth Phoenix on there and I thought, “Dang. It’s about time we got some girls on there that can kinda wrestle, look good, have some knowledge. Every time she wrestles someone, she’s the one that’s carrying the opponent. And she has to always set herself back to make the other person look good. You know what that reminds me of? It reminds me of when I was there and it pisses me off. I feel like they’re stiffling her a little bit because [they] don’t have somebody of her caliber. So what do you do? There’s other girls coming up the ranks that are starting to be as good as her, but she’s untouchable right now in WWE.
You still have the title belt you took to Monday Nitro and you recently issued an opportunity to Beth Phoenix to challenge you for it. Do you think you have a chance of that happening?
Well, let’s get something straight. If you’re referring to the YouTube video I posted a few days ago, I was merely talking about my merchandise and the questions I’m being asked. So I was just answering a question. That is not throwing it out there and saying, “I want to come back.” What happened is that video went viral, so I was like, “Why is my merchandise so crazy? Wow, great. More T-shirts sold. That’s awesome.”
With its final DVD release of 2011, WWE celebrates some of its greatest moments of the year with WWE Best Pay-Per-View Matches 2011. While the three-disc set obviously rehashes matches also found on previous WWE pay-per-view DVD releases, most people don’t buy every DVD and filtering out the less memorable moments is a great way to reflect on one of WWE’s most interesting years in recent memory.
Hosted by WWE commentator Scott Stanford (who provides brief reminders of what led up to some of the matches), Best Pay-Per-View Matches begins with Edge‘s World Heavyweight Championship defense against Dolph Ziggler at the Royal Rumble in January, as well as his subsequent successful defense the following month inside the Elimination Chamber.
Next up is the year’s biggest pay-per-view, WrestleMania XXVII. In addition to including the no holds barred match between the Undertaker and Triple H (an obvious choice), it also features the match between Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes, a good (and somewhat surprising) choice considering that it was overshadowed by much of the other WrestleMania hoopla.
From Christian‘s ascension to main event status in his ladder match victory over Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules to Mark Henry‘s dominant victory over Randy Orton at Night of Champions for the same title, this DVD definitely features some of the biggest matches of the year. And you can’t talk about WWE pay-per-view matches from 2011 without mentioning CM Punk‘s victory over John Cena at Money in the Bank (after which he departed the company through the audience with the WWE Championship) or Mark Henry and the Big Show‘s World Heavyweight Championship match at Vengeance that resulted in the ring collapsing.
Though this collection definitely features some of WWE’s most exciting moments from 2011, it does feel a little lacking simply because it was released too early to include any matches from Survivor Series or TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (which ended up being one of the best overall pay-per-views of the year despite mostly low expectations). And considering how easily this exclusion could have been remedied (either by releasing the set a month or so later or by following the its own pattern set last year with Best Pay-Per-View Matches 2009-2010), it’s a little unfair to call this collection the best of the year without including anything from two major pay-per-views.
Minor complaints aside, it is interesting to note that Edge, who was forced to retire in April due to a back injury, is featured here just as many times as John Cena, who was actively in the WWE title picture for most of the year. And other names such as Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and Mark Henry pop up just as many as or more than Cena. Also, in retrospect it seems that the World Heavyweight Championship made for more great matches this year than the WWE Championship with six World title matches being included alongside only two WWE title matches.
These facts, as well as the collection of matches itself, are indicative of the changes that have occurred in WWE in 2011. For the most part these changes have created some of the best wrestling matches and a level of excitement that hasn’t existed since the Attitude Era and the Monday Night Wars. Hopefully what was successful at WWE pay-per-views in 2011 will continue to take the company in different directions, resulting in another interesting year in 2012.
Just days after the release of his lighthearted animated feature The Adventures of Tintin, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg releases the more dramatic adventure War Horse on Christmas day. While Tintin (based on a long-running comic series by Belgian artist Hergé) is like a cross between Indiana Jonesand Pirates of the Caribbean, representing Spielberg’s childlike fantastical side, War Horse (based on a children’s book by Michael Morpurgo) reflects the director’s more dramatic tendencies without losing the fun that comes with the suspension of disbelief.
Joey charges into battle as part of the British cavalry in "War Horse."
Set during the first World War, War Horse is the story or Joey, an unruly horse that appears to be untamable until he forms a bond and friendship with a young man named Albert (Jeremy Irvine). With Albert’s family on the verge of losing their farm, Albert miraculously trains Joey to plow the fields for turnip planting. But once British soldiers come to town looking for horses for the cavalry, Albert’s destitute family has no choice but to sell Joey to the army for whatever they can get.
From there Joey encounters another stubborn horse who becomes his companion in his upcoming adventures across European countrysides, forests and battlefields. Though he comes to be known by different names to different people, Joey unwittingly becomes a pivotal part of the lives of almost every person he encounters. From German siblings deserting their fellow soldiers to a French farmer and his spunky granddaughter to soldiers from opposing sides of the battle meeting in no man’s land to help untangle the horse from barbed wire, Joey tends to have a way of inspiring magnificent (and sometimes fleeting) moments of joy.
Joey gallops into his next adventure in "War Horse."
While Spielberg has long enjoyed showing us otherwise ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, the use of an animal protagonist is something new for the director. While Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan told the story of how one soldier’s fate affected many other lives, War Horse is able to tell multiple stories that intersect based on Joey’s whims and circumstances. Though the astonishing coincidences and fortunate serendipity that seem to follow Joey through his many adventures border on Michael Bay-like absurdity, Spielberg gives the story and its characters (including the horse) enough dimension to make you care about their fate, and never portrays anything that is completely out of the realm of possibility.
With some occasional Gone with the Wind-like visual splendor and the fanfare of John Williams’ score, War Horse is definitely a feel-good holiday flick. But as he has done before, Spielberg bucks that formula just enough to make War Horse more than just a sappy tale of triumph over tragedy.
War Horse. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan and David Thewlis. Rated PG-13. www.warhorsemovie.com.
