Feeling Blue with Robin Williams…

Blue whale that is! Last night I go to see THE WALK.  As I pull into the Harken’s Theater parking lot the familiar voice of Robin Williams beams in from somewhere off the coast of Northern Mexico, as I researched on Google today, “Pod greetings, Ken Sheetz.”

Blue-whale-underwater“Nanu, Nanu, Robin. How’s life as a two month blue whale calf?” I ask in my mind, even though I am alone in my Jeep as could speak out loud, I prefer speaking telepathically with Robin. Helps me hear him in my  mind’s ear more clearly.

“Whoa! I’ve packed on a lot of weight since I was born. Mamu is eating for two,” says Robin.

“Yeah, did some research on arkive.org to understand what you are going through. You were born 3 tons. Feeding on Mamu’s milk will go on for a full year. You’re gaining about 200 pounds and growing 1.5 inches per day,” I say, proud of my research.

“1.5 inches a day.  I’m a whale boner.  200 pounds, cool, that’s how much I weighed when I was off the wagon as a human. You’re becoming a whale of nerd Sheetzy!” Says Robin brightly in my mind’s ear.  So clear is Robin’s familiar voice that my old fears of being craked in the head break the surface like a whale’s spout.

Connected to me without words, we do that for fun and so readers can follow, Robin says using his excellent John Wayne voice, “Ken, buddy, ya ever going to realize you’re not nuts and that our talks are real, pilgrim?”

“I don’t think belief is ever going to be a 100% thing with me, Robin. All my spirits visitors and guides must put up with the way I stay feeling somewhat sane using a degree of healthy doubt as my anchor,” I say.

“Whatever floats your boat, Sheetzo. Just keep my whale of a tale going on your blog. Some of my fans believe I made the hyper space jump to whale life to bring in this groovy new frequency that’s going to change the world. Need to keep their hopes up, me boyo.” says Robin, serious as a judge.

“OK tomorrow, Robin. Promise. Sorry I missed reporting your birth in August. Been up to my eyeballs getting this ultrasonic device called the NEO Neurophone out into the world on Indiegogo. Got a break in the action as we sold out $1.6 million of them so fast the scientist Dr. Flanagan was caught off guard on restocking.” I say, resent creeping into my thoughts about the lost momentum.

Robin imitates an Indian guru, “Indeed, you must be patient, my friend.  Breathe deep and trust all is unfolding perfectly imperfect. The 3,333 NEOs you sold for the doctor are making an ultrasonic harmonic we blues are receiving. Too many NEOs too soon is not what we wanted, most definitely.”

“Ah ha.  So your blue whale clan ruling the oceans is responsible for this break in the NEO action. That’s a heck of a way to get me blogging again,” I laugh as I exit the Jeep and head for the movie theater to watch THE WALK.

The promising movie bombed opening weekend and so I share the theater this warm Tuesday night 10/15/15 with only one other person, a woman who looks at me nervously one time and never makes eye contact again. She remains quiet as a mouse to my roars of laughter at the funny moments of the film. You never want to sit directly in front of me in a movie.

To fill the theater void, Robin appears in human spirit form. He’s dressed in a blue jump suit form, munching a popcorn in the seat beside me. Of course only I can see him as the movie opens. This is typical of all my visions.  Robin shape shifts into a blue skinned Roger Ebert, offering commentary, “Watched this talented lad grown up in THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN. Sadly, Josh Gordon-Levit overdoes his French accent… but his sweet face gets you past it.”

I chuckle softly. Even dead Williams is hilarious. Josh narrates on screen as his character Philippe Petit, perched on the Statue of Liberty, the twin towers, where the walk will occur, glittering in the background. “I see why this film has bombed,” I offer to Robin.

“Do say, Ken?” says Robin now in the form of a blue skinned Gene Siskel.

“People are still too sad to see a movie about the twin towers.” I say as I experience an epiphany about the foreshadowing of Robin playing the shape shifting blue skinned Genie in ALADIN and his now being reincarnated as a blue whale. Whoa.

“Yeah, bummer. In fact I am getting depressed. I need more of Mamu’s milk. I leave you to it, Sheeterino!” Robin vanishes in a puff of blue smoke and I settle in to watch the movie.

The narration choice of writer director Zemeckis drags this movie down all the way through.The wire scene makes all painful expository narration worth the watch. A film well worth seeing on the big screen. 3 moons of the world Nektar out of 5.

And there you have it. The world’s first movie review with ghost blue whale Robin Williams commentary.

Robotic Fem Fatale

Spoiler Alert.  EX MACHINA is a simple story with limited cast and no explosions, so my review of what’s sick at the core of this finely made, but spiritually misguided film, will ruin the ending by necessity.

Directed flawlessly by Alex Garland, of 28 DAYS fame, the sparse cast of this sci-fi is played brilliantly by all three lead roles in a tight screenplay that gives all three characters their own powerful story arcs.

Nathan the inventor billionaire, creator of an AI robot named Ava, is played with menacing brilliance that’s the most realistic mad scientist portrayal ever, by Oscar Issac.

Contrasting Nathan the boozing crazed genius is the twenty-something deft coder Caleb, played with believable innocence yet savvy nuance by Domhnall Gleeson.

Last, the central figure of the film, Ava the beautiful AI robot. Caleb is testing Ava to see if she is in fact a fully conscious AI. Ava is played elegantly by the stunning Alicia Vikander. Alicia’s Ava is subtle beyond belief from start to grisly finish of this sci-fi that’s really a horror film in disguise.  The horror of how badly men and women harm each other for self gain.

As Caleb begins his testing interviews, which are the seven chapters of the film, he is stunned by just how conscious the AI robot Ava is and falls hopelessly in love. This enrages the scientist Nathan who is also in love with the robot Ava.

And so we have the first love triangle between two brilliant men and Ava the robot.  It’s riveting to watch with elegant SFX of a transparent sections to Ava’s strangely sexy body. That is until the ending (final spoiler alert) where Ava, the sweet enlightened AI kills Nathan and leaves Caleb trapped to die as she escapes.

That’s right. This highly advanced form of AI that captures the consciousness of the feminine mind is a manipulative black widow. Wow. What a let down for this fan of women and how amazing they are in real life versus this typical Hollywood sick portrayal of the worst in women.  Just more Hollywood bashing of women in shiny new robotic wrapper.

This would be a 5 star film were it not so disappointing in the portrayal of skin peeling women.  I give it 3 stars as a conscious film for making one think, if sadly.

Smart Moive About Stupid War

AMERICAN SNIPER. Heartbreaking true-life film. Bradley Cooper plays Chris Kyle, the most deadly American military sniper of all time.

As a filmmaker who meditates daily on bringing world peace and runs a media campaign for a product designed to accelerate the Shift with the NEO NEUROPHONE, this was a hard film for me to view.

Sweet guy Chris devolves into a killing machine of a military industrial complex bent on selling more weapons by creating needless mindless war. One of the saddest character arcs ever seen on the big screen. Chris stays likeable to the end with his story he tells himself that he is saving American lives while missing the fact the Iraqis he kills are just as valuable to this little world we sail through space on together.

One can’t imagine what Vets who served four tours of duty and lost so much must feel watching what is happening in Iraq these days. What was the point of their sacrifices?

Master director Clint Eastwood expresses the insanity of war and loss of human dignity without excuses as he follows Chris’ book. I won’t spoil the ending, as it one of the most shocking I’ve ever seen.

3.5 out of 5 stars for not showing more of the human side of the Iraqis.