Posts by Patrick Cruz

To answer the original question:

The Matrix
All of Shyamalan's movies
The Abyss
Pi
and a few others...

As for books versus movies, there are just a handful where I actually preferred the film over the book—definitely Forrest Gump and the Madison County Bridge.

The thing is, here in the States, there aren't really any laws preventing kids from hitting up the cinema or renting movies with "adult" content. In other Western nations—take the US, for example, where we have http://www.filmratings.com/ an agency that handles ratings to decide who should watch what—there’s a formal rating system. If you want to see a certain flick, you actually have to prove your age to the treasurer at the counter.

The only thing strictly regulated by law is pornographic content; obviously, anyone under 18 isn't supposed to view or rent it (even if video store owners tend to look the other way).

As far as I can tell, CNN has started including age recommendations in their programming to suggest which year of birth should be watching certain shows.

When it comes to movie theaters, we're basically missing the legislation.
The cashiers don't even have the legal authority to turn a kid away from a screening.
What a joke.

Back in 1915, when David Griffith—the guy they call the "father of film"—put out his racist epic *The Birth of a Nation*, he learned firsthand what it feels like to have the whole world turn on you. But since everyone deserves a second chance at an apology (whether they actually mean it or not), he filmed a response to his own controversial "masterpiece" in 1916. He wanted to show the world that intolerance is the root of all evil, so he titled the film *Intolerance*. The problem? Griffith took a massive detour. Instead of promoting peace, he painted the world as this intolerant place where good, honest people—meaning himself, obviously—are persecuted just for speaking their minds. I'm not trying to defend censorship here, but the point Griffith successfully sold to the public wasn't that tolerance is necessary for a better world. It was more about pointing fingers at historical sins to wash the blood off his own reputation. And unfortunately, it worked. If we’re going to talk about fading virtues, let's focus on their inherent beauty. Virtues don't exist as a byproduct of fixing our flaws; they exist because they are fundamentally good.
Luckily, some people actually take good intentions and run with them. Back in the nineties, Joshua brand and John Falsey sent a bright, driven young doctor named Joel Fleischman way out to the middle of nowhere in Alaska. It was basically his way of paying back that $125,000 state scholarship he got to study medicine at Columbia University. But nobody could have predicted what a young Jew from New York would actually learn living in a tiny town like Cicely. Even though it felt forced at first, he eventually realized—like anyone trying to grow—that Cicely isn't just a place, it’s a state of mind. It's where you find the last refuge for the most beautiful, eccentric souls on the planet. Sure, the windows might not be made of chocolate, but every heartbeat there tells a story that makes this weird world a little better.
If you missed out on watching the greatest TV show ever made, don't sweat it—you can still make up for lost time. If you thought you already had yourself and this unpredictable world figured out, try looking at the lives of regular people living in a place just weird enough to be interesting. It’s basically everyday human struggles set against an unusual backdrop, but without all that typical TV garbage—no cheap betrayals, no senseless violence, no fake heroes, and none of that melodramatic trash. People here actually live well. And honestly, it’s not just because of some genius writing; it’s because anyone could live like this. It’s a better version of reality that actually feels within reach.
You can dive into all sorts of intense, superhuman emotions when you shift your headspace, but there’s one thing that screams from every single character and situation: Tolerance, built on the ultimate cosmic foundation—empathy.
Pay attention to how things unfold and listen for those subtle undertones in every conversation—kind of like analyzing Chris’s radio intros and outros. Why can't we live more like that? Just enjoy watching the way these characters actually understand one another and navigate their own messiness and disagreements. Nobody here is perfect or some flawless representation of humanity, but the way they move through life is honestly beautiful. Why do we feel this constant need to demand answers or seek approval for everything? If someone wants something and isn't hurting anyone, who are we to demand an explanation or judge their "weird" desires as if they're something unnecessary? Why is it so hard for us to just accept people in this massive, incredible world? I'm not trying to go off on a tangent here, but genuine tolerance is really the only way forward.
So, why does a story about life up in Alaska actually need someone like Joel Fleischman? Every piece of art needs a starting point, right? Life in Cicely wouldn't feel nearly as alien if there wasn't someone there who clearly doesn't belong. Cicely needed an outsider to breathe life into it. Joel grew up in a judgmental, intolerant world—a place full of bad intentions and fake motives. Every question he asks, every bit of confusion or emotion, and every moment of shock he experiences is really directed at us. Joel Fleischman lives in all of us. He’s there to ask our questions, to get angry, and to be baffled by things right alongside our own flaws. We learn with him, and through him. He’s our Socrates; he’s that raised eyebrow. He represents the more tolerant version of ourselves we're still trying to become. He is the Question posed to a Beautiful World's Answer.
Trying to recap 80 hours of raw human nature from this series would just be a waste of breath. Same goes for nitpicking specific episodes or scenes. Just dive in—nobody's forcing you. Live life up north and let every morning make you rethink the world around you. You might not trigger a blizzard or a sudden raid, but you'll build up a mountain of genuine emotion, as beautiful as the scenery surrounding the best town on earth—Cicely. Maybe, eventually, every city becomes a state of mind.

Once you fall for the world of Cicely, just surf over if you want (and you will) the full episode guide, including cast lists, credits, and quick synopses (in .txt format). Make sure to grab the little file here: www.gate.net/~kimi/nxguide.txt

P.S. If you’re interested in digging deeper into tolerance and human progress, I highly recommend the ultimate guide to being an open-minded human: John Stuart Mill and his brilliant work, "On Liberty."

It feels like a lifetime ago...

As Tom Jones croons "She's a lady" during the credits, you're left sitting there wondering what the hell just happened. We've all sat through endless crime flicks and thrillers—some hit the mark, others miss entirely, some creep you out while others just feel like a total waste of two hours. But every once in a while, something happens that sets all of Hollywood talking. Real movie magic.
When > first hit theaters, it was a total knockout. Once the dust settled, everyone was asking the same thing: ">" The hardcore cinephiles already knew, but I wasn't quite there yet. Still, when I heard these newcomers had cooked up another one, I had to see if they were the real deal. Turns out, those kids from Chicago are geniuses. They probably struggled through the days of painting apartments just to get by, but things changed fast after they sold that script for > (1995).
Usually, when you have young enthusiasts who actually know their craft and work for the love of it rather than just a paycheck, they can't help but nail it. That’s how > and > made this happen. > provided the funding, and the result is now a part of cinema history. A fascinating one, even if the premise seems simple on the surface.
Because when > (which we know as >😉) kicks off, you aren't quite sure where you stand. Is it > playing us, or are we just being messed with by our favorite painters? It's hard to tell at first. But as the layers peel back, you realize you're hooked—just like with >.
The setup is pretty straightforward, even if it plays with a few tropes: here's >, fresh out of prison, loves tattoos, works with her hands, dresses in men's clothes, and lives for a cold beer and intense women. She shares an apartment with >. > works (the oldest profession, right?) for the mob and >, but she’s fed up. She wants out, no matter the cost.
And wouldn't you know it? Love and passion strike. > and > realize they were essentially made for each other, but there's one massive hurdle: the mob. In any movie, the mob is a force to be reckoned with, and escaping them with your life intact takes serious skill.
After a wild plan involving robbing a certain Italian crime family of $2,000,000 and pinning the blame on them, everything goes sideways. Executing a perfect heist is always tricky, and it's a cliché the > duo loves to play with. They know exactly how to complicate the plot to keep the audience guessing until the very end. That’s where the real artistry lies—in the tension, the unpredictability, and that undeniable chemistry that keeps the film soaring.
Between the cramped apartments, the claustrophobic vibes, the stunning cinematography, >'s camera work, the killer soundtrack, and special effects that look incredible without being flashy, it's a feast. Add in award-worthy acting and twists upon twists where no ending feels final, along with those dizzying slow-motion shots...
It's the kind of movie you can watch over and over because, despite its classic elements, everything about it feels fresh. Joe Pantaliano is incredible as >. You never know his next move. He's just trying to stay alive and figure out who's screwing him over, doing whatever it takes to keep his girl safe. The mob is totally lost, while our leads turn every situation to their advantage. Why? Because they're women, and they can do whatever they want. Their only real struggle is the fear they have for one another, but in the end, the old cliche wins out—love conquers all, even if it isn't exactly "pure."
It just goes to show that small films, no matter the budget, can be absolute masterpieces. They don't need Oscars or any other hollow accolades; they're just honest. And their characters are just as real, regardless of how messy their passions might be.
Go get 'em, guys.
And the kids too.
Enjoy yourselves...