Category Archives: reviews

A Review: Neurotypical: The Movie

Neurotypical: The Movie, directed by, Adam Larsen, was being shown in Brooklyn, New York on Friday night where I had the privilege of watching a film, which pieced together the mystery of human life, exploring Neurodiversity. The documentary tells the tales of a broad spectrum of people with different minds and differences exploring the vast details of an ordinary person’s life.

The movie deepens our thoughts about Neurodiversity incorporating our mood to listen and really understand every one. The documentary teaches us to help each other with support to be successful and live their life they way they are. Nothing in the world is more interesting than to see the differences every one has and can give to society. It is a reason why the documentary inspires every one to work together cooperatively.

However, the film stresses it does feel good to receive a diagnosis, but we are all still human needing connection and positive feelings about who we are. The movie teaches people, no one should feel the need for approval of their diagnosis because they have a syndrome. Furthermore teaching us, people with diagnoses always need to seek approval from society, but without a diagnosis, society does not have to approve who we are.

One Autistic man Adam Larsen interviewed said how Autistic people are vulnerable to being abused because they are not normal. However, the film also stresses, every one is vulnerable to fear and fear leads to much violence. It also teaches how every one needs to stay calm respecting any one and not being afraid of other people who are different than they are.

Another Autistic man describes the childhood game ‘Tag’. Tag may seem like a simple game for children to play, but it is also very telling when a child is left out not being tagged as ‘IT’. The director, Mr. Larsen deepens every one’s thoughts on loneliness and how to connect other people to just about any one knowing every one has something to give to someone else. When listening to the Q and A with Mr. Larsen, he told every one he also had a difference while growing up which inspired him to make a film like this.

Mr. Larsen broadened the movie as much as possible to show every one how much different people are, even on the Autism Spectrum, even though it is not just people on the Autism Spectrum you are watching on screen. When you view a person with differences as having a disease, you are narrowing your mind thinking people need to be so-called ‘normal’, but the film examines the reason why normal or Neurotypical is fiction. People need support. It is our human nature to feel supported by each other.

We need to teach each other to move forward. The documentary teaches how every one is given their own civil rights to live their life. Notwithstanding the war on gaining civil rights is not on individual people, but a service to protect every one’s rights to live their life however they choose to live productively. The movie, Neurotypical strengthened how I put it in my tee shirt, ‘we are who we ‘Aut’ to be’!

As one of the people interviewed in the documentary put it lightly ‘Reality is us, all of us’. Another thing, which inspired me while seeing the film, was the obsession to do the best we can and believe we can do it without the illusion that we can’t. The movie added, if a child is not a burden with differences like Autistic, people embrace that more, but this is just an illusion. We were identified with labels channeling through rationalities rather than emotions. “Neurotypical” intuitively tells us there once was a time we were in the age of defective and the age of genetics has brought us back to thinking about what is defective. Eugenics is not right as the documentary wants to explore opportunities people have to feel inspired to do something and/or support each other. It is an inspiring film and I hope the film branches out for all to watch, learn, and feel inspired to help every one to succeed.

The movie Neurotypical by Adam Larsen hopefully helps society change the conversation to support Neurodiversity.

For more information about this film by director Adam Larsen, please visit Neuro-typical!!

posting more soon,

OUT, J

A Review of the ‘Green Hornet’

I just saw the Green Hornet yesterday in IMAX 3D and it was very entertaining and funny. It stars Seth Rogan, Jay Chou as are super heros. Cameron Diaz plays the mastermind who does not realize she works for super heros.  Its a remake of the early radio, TV, Film, and comic book series. It seems to be an inspiring story for many people which is why it has been redone so many times. In the beginning, young Britt Reid is shown with his father who is angry at him for always trying to play the hero. The father is seen ripping the head off of his favorite hero’s toy.  The boy is very upset and begins to cry. When they show him all grown up, Britt Reid rebels against his father who he misunderstands.  It is not until he becomes the Green Hornet with Kao (Jay Chou) that he discovers who is father really was and why his father always was tough on him.  The movie impacts the lives of all the characters trying to fight crime without the police.  The Green Hornet (Seth Rogan) realizes his father was a good man who was taken advantage of by a District Attorney, who made deals with the criminals.  Its an epic battle which persists to fight the drug lord, Bloody Chenowith from taking over the city of Los Angles.  The Green Hornet and Kao develop a trusting brotherhood after a few arguments which temporarily tears them a part.  The story does not give too much depth in to the plot, but has some pretty good thrilling scenes.  If you want to see a movie just for the action and crime fighting and trying to find yourself, this movie is for you.  I am not saying you will find yourself after seeing this movie, but may be it can inspire a child to someday want to become a police officer fighting crime similar to the Green Hornet.

posting again soon,

OUT, J

My thoughts on the new movie “Adam” by Fox Searchlight

I  went to opening night at the Angelika film center in New York City for the  movie “Adam”  which was directed by  Max Mayer.  The character Adam in the picture was played by the actor Hugh Dancy.   As I watched the movie there were parts that brought me to tears  and  other times made me laugh.  The tears I shed were scenes in the movie that were painful reminders of the everyday problems I face in my life.   The laughter came from the times I knew the behaviors,  Adam,  was displacing were similar to my own.   It made me realize how very inappropriate I must look to other people.  Yet, the laughter made me cry.  It made me become  aware of my odd behaviors I have because of my having Asperger Syndrome.   The movie showed Adam experiencing his life a different way from the typical.

When Adam meets his first love Beth (Rose Byrne), his  sensory issues and lack of romantic skills showed instantly with his Asperger Syndrome.  Throughout the movie, Adam  learned step by step how to be with a woman, handle his sensory issues, and improve his communication.  Adam also learned a lot from his father’s friend Harlan (Frankie Faison) who gave Adam a realistic sense of every day life skills.

Asperger Syndrome is a hard thing for any body to have and the movie “Adam” showed this very well.  It also made me realize about relationships especially on the romantic level.  Some people with Asperger Syndrome are very bad at romantic relationships.   Adam was  very bad with romance and communication and  needed to learn about all types of relationships.  The character’s interest with space consumed him with every conversation he had in the movie.  The impression I got was the special interest should not constitute the whole conversation.  The movie also stressed how Neurotypicals and Aspie/Auties can learn from each other.  It should make every one aware about the interactions they have with people and the impressions they make on any body they meet.

I was always told first impressions count and to maintain a good impression.  Adam impressed his first love and as time passed, Adam had a hard time maintaining the impression he first gave.  It gave me the impression we must realize the subtle things required in a romantic relationship and especially in maintaining a general friendship.  Adam found himself by seeking happiness at the end of the movie even after a lot of devastation in his life.  His previous learning experiences during the movie proved himself to move forward with his new knowledge.  Aspies/Auties learn at slower paces, but eventually succeed.  The touching lesson is when it is time to move on, we have to just live our life to the fullest.

The film  shows  none of the special effects most of the other films do.   Instead it relied on the actors performing at  their very best.  It also had great cinematography presenting each scene with emotion.  The music for the film was very moving and served to help tell the story very well.  It gave a good feeling about how far a film can reach without special effects and teaches every one about life.  This is the way a film used to be.

At the end of the movie, Max Mayer and Hugh Dancy were there to answer any questions.  The movie brings great power storytelling by Max Mayer and I really admire his creative techniques. The cast especially Hugh Dancy really impressed me with their classic movie. If any body knows some one with Asperger Syndrome/Autism you should see this movie to learn more about how to teach us and learn from us as well.  I hope many people go and see this film because it deserves all the rewards it can get.

(By the way,  my own fantasy fiction character I am writing about on this website called Light Year Man will be in action once again. I am writing about it still.   It is Science Fiction.  One phrase; Move forward)

Posting again soon enough the bits of the story I am writing about and many more.

OUT, J


The Dark Knight Review

The Batman. The Joker. The new movie, The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan reviewed by Jason Ross.

I saw this movie two nights ago. I saw the movie with four other people in the city where nine other people were supposed to show up, but didn’t.  The nine people felt a midnight show was too late to watch and movie so they backed out.  I went no matter what.  I feel like I practically live in the city and only come back to Rockland to sleep because I live and work outside of Rockland. Anyway, I saw this movie and felt as if the movie was the best Batman movie ever made.  It was even better as a midnight showing.

I felt on the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next. There were feelings of emotional horror since from the beginning the Joker started in. The movie didn’t reveal anything more about the Joker instead it went into his crazy world. A world where the Joker wanted no rules and the movie revealed how crazy people can get by bringing a Gotham city down to its core trying to make it crumble.  The Joker was played by the late Heath Ledger who made the audience feel scared by the Joker’s threatening actions. Batman who was played by Christian Bale played our hero.

Throughout the movie the Joker (the late Heath Ledger) tries to convince Batman to reveal himself in order for the homicides to stop. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt) who is a prosecutor for Gotham city and works with his fiancee, Rachel Dawe (Maggie Gyllenhaal).  They both try to bring justice to the crimes of the city eventually Harvey Dent admits to be Batman to convince the Joker to stop. This does not convince the Joker.  The Joker manipulates and twists the world of Batman to think that all heroes eventually become the villain themselves. Before Harvey Dent transforms himself into Two-Face, the Joker sneaks into the hospital room where Harvey Dent was recovering from face trauma.  After the meeting with the Joker, he transforms into evil and becomes Two-Face. The Joker who uses only knives and explosives to kill Gotham citizens; Two-Face uses a handgun for his own sense of evil identity.

Two-Face goes after all the people who led to the death of his fiancée Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). His anger kills many Gotham citizens. Eventually Batman and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) gets the better of Two-Face tragically.

The Joker influences every character in this movie and even the audience watching. He influences the characters especially Batman to show the audience not all good remains good. The audience is influenced since they start feeling scared and angry at the Joker. The late Heath Ledger did a great job portraying the Joker. Even though we don’t know how the Joker became so evil terrorizing Gotham citizens, we get a feel for what he means.

Feeling influenced to do things is a part of life and the main theme in this movie is to stay strong and true to yourself without letting anybody convince you to change who you are. The movie also shows people everybody can be influenced even your heroes in life. You should find strength within yourself, not to find it in other people. The Joker reminds me of individuals who seek out to demonize others.

I highly recommend this movie to anybody to see. In any case by watching this film you could figure out who is the Dark Knight. It is a great sense of comic fiction brought to life. I would even go see it again in IMAX!

take it easy,

out, J

Narnia Prince Caspian Movie

what is better than a movie that is about fantasy.  Anway, if you hadn’t read the books about Narnia, you’ll probably have a hard time understanding the movies as well.

Prince Caspian is a movie that i saw two weeks ago.  It is very good and tells the story of how when the four brothers and sisters of adam and eve come back to Narnia, it is a complete difference to when they left.  Narnia is no longer Narnia.  Humans had invaded and conquered Narnia.  Aslan was no where to be found, and Narnia was renamed while the creatures and trees and other plants of Narnia went dormant for years.

Prince Caspian is the ever eminent figure that will help Narnia be Narnia once again with the help of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.

It is a story about survival and also a story about growing up to be an adult because Peter and Susan grow up finally to be on their own especially when Aslan comes back at some point in the movie.

It is very spiritual and for those people that want to see something inspiring and spiritual you should go see this movie.

It can’t change anyone to be better, but it can inspire you to want to change.

out, J