I notice things. Like this morning, I noticed that some of my apps on the Padster had a blue dot underneath their little square bodies. Upon careful investigation, I discovered that the apps in question had been updated but had yet to be opened. Fascinating, really. I know how y'all like to keep abreast of these things.
Last night, Carley and I re-watched the movie designated by the title The Edge. I have seen it at least a dozen times and I love it. If there ever was a 5 star show, this is it. It stars Alec Baldwin in a role that should have won him an Oscar and Anthony Hopkins as a billionaire. Mr. Hopkins should have shared the above-mentioned award.
In a brief aside, I remember seeing a documentary on the life of one of the great action heroes of the 1940's and 1950's. Several of the guy's friends talked about how he regretted not being able to be a 'real' actor. It seems that, back in the day, folks thought that action flicks were not really art or whatever. It irritates me a bit. This wonderful actor brought so much enjoyment to so many and was made to feel like a hacker. But back to my subject.
Anthony Hopkins plays Charles Morse, a rich guy with a much younger wife named Mickey Morse. Mickey is played by Elle MacPherson. Mickey does modeling for a roguish guy called Bob Green. (Baldwin). The two are having a clandestine affair and Charles has his suspicions about the two. Charles decides to leave his financial empire behind for a few days and go on a photo shoot with Bob, Mickey and their crew to a remote section of Alaska.
Charles is always pouring over a book about survival in the wilderness. This info stands him in good stead when he gets on a plane with Bob to travel to a lake cabin for photos of an Indian. When the plane has a severe bird strike and crashes into a lake, the poop has hit the fan. Bob, Charles and Stephen (Harold Perrineau) survive the crash but have worse problems than blue dots on their apps. They are stranded in the wilds. It is cold, they have no radio and are far from where they were supposed to be. This was made before the era of cell phones, by the way.
They do have about a dozen matches, a pocket knife and a few cheroots. (Cigars). For some reason, the beast of the board room, the billionaire, shines in the woods. The three men complement each other and save each other many times. Unfortunately they lose Stephen early on and the two friendly enemies are left alone, thrown into dependence on one another. Then there is the bear problem. It is a monster, a Kodiak. A bear that has acquired a taste for human flesh, and he is delighted to welcome the men into his parlor. He hopes to give them the scenic tour of his bowels, from the inside.
The cinematography involved in filming the bear-related scenes (Not his bowels, thank goodness) is some of the best movie work I have ever seen. The direction and production of this film is magical. The musical score is likewise top shelf. Some of the one-liners of the movie have been assimilated into our slang and culture. " Am I supposed to have a plan?" Do I look like I have a plan?"
At the author's green retreat, I have seen a bear in the wild. I had one that sniffed around the house at night and left his paw prints on my door. But that bear would not have been even half the size of the monster in this film. Soon it becomes apparent to Bob and Charles that their survival is dependent on their ability to kill the bear because he is stalking them. Not a pleasurable feeling, I assure you. I have been stalked by mountain lions and it will put chills on your neck when you realize it.
If, by some chance, you have missed this flick, by all means check it out. It easily fits into my top twenty films of all time. Of course, all that is a matter of taste. I must say that Alec Baldwin fails to get the praise he deserves. I feel that, given a good role, he is as good as anybody now living.
From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.
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