I know that this post is primarily for Lost's return, but I figure I'll mention the other new content that was on this week:
House: I have no idea what is going on with the braintrust at FOX. It's great that they saved a few episodes to air now, but why did they hold back this Christmas themed episode. Seeing that made the episode feel off in some ways, but on the other hand now that House has his new team finally picked this episode felt more normal than most of the episodes this season. The patient of the week had some pretty wild stuff going on including bleeding eyes, bones turning to stone and breast cancer behind her knee. But perhaps weirdest of all was her firm stance in always telling her daughter the truth. Of course, that put House on a mission to prove her wrong, which he manages to do. The secret Santa subplot provided us with some great House material. It also allowed for the new team to learn what he's really all about and it gave us our only House/Wilson moments, which are always great. Even though it's brief, I'm glad to have Dr. Crankypants back and will be interested to see what they do for their big post-Super Bowl episode.
Mythbusters: A pair of really cool myths dealt with last night. It's weird that the airplane on a conveyor belt (which was originally intended for the airplane myths show but got left off for some reason) generated so much debate from the online fans when this one was seemingly so easy to answer if you knew anything about physics. Still, seeing them do a large scale test of this was cool. Then you had the cockroachs surviving a nuclear blast myth. It's amazing (and very scary) that they were able to answer this one. But lo and behold, not only are cockroaches able to survive it, it appears several other bugs would as well. Let's hope we never have to see the day where this becomes a reality. Finally, the shaving cream prank one was pretty lame and was clearly added in just so they could ultimately destroy something. It wouldn't be Mythbusters if they didn't destroy some mode of transportation each episode.
Lost: And now the long awaited return!! And what an episode it was. I'm really liking the flash-forwards as they somehow manage to add more mystery to the show instead of giving us all of the answer. Who would have thought that Hurley would be chosen as the focus of the first episode. Doesn't Matthew Fox's contract state that he has to have the flashback/forward to begin and end each season? Back to Hurley though, I loved how we got so many callbacks in his story: the Camaro, Ana Lucia's ex-partner, the mental institution. All good stuff. I'm not sure what to make of what Hurley saw on the island considering it could be the island messing with him or it could just be his delusions. And even though he was only on for a small portion, Ben was just excellent tonight. He had a couple killer lines throughout the episode. Next week, the calvary finally arrives, but to do what? I sure can't wait to find out.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
NMR: Blood Diamond
I had a few people tell me they really enjoyed this and it also received a handful of Oscar nominations, so this was a natural one for me to put on my queue. Overall I enjoyed it, but the critic in me still had some qualms about it.
First, the good; both Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou give stellar performances. Hounsou especially is just fantastic here and you really feel his character's pain throughout the film. I think I actually liked DiCaprio better in The Departed, but I understand why he got the nomination for this film. Jennifer Connelly is fine as the American reporter doing a story on conflict diamonds, but I also felt that the film would have been just as good, if not even better without her character.
I guess my one primary complaint about the film is it's lack of flow. This film wants to be an all-out action film and a political film with a message. While wanting to be both is commendable, Blood Diamond has a difficult time balancing the two. At times, the action comes to a complete halt so we can have a scene where the characters preach the film's message. By trying to balance the two, the sermonizing becomes all the more apparent. It also makes you feel as if you've missed some scenes because one doesn't flow to the next in a logical manner. This is truly a shame too because the action scenes are really amazing in the film. And the message that it's trying to get across is an important one and one that we do not hear a lot about in either film or the news. If only the two aspects could have been blended together better, this would have been an amazing film instead of just a really good film. This movie is good enough to warrant a solid recommendation, but it's also one that I'm not likely to rewatch. Netflix rating: ****
First, the good; both Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou give stellar performances. Hounsou especially is just fantastic here and you really feel his character's pain throughout the film. I think I actually liked DiCaprio better in The Departed, but I understand why he got the nomination for this film. Jennifer Connelly is fine as the American reporter doing a story on conflict diamonds, but I also felt that the film would have been just as good, if not even better without her character.
I guess my one primary complaint about the film is it's lack of flow. This film wants to be an all-out action film and a political film with a message. While wanting to be both is commendable, Blood Diamond has a difficult time balancing the two. At times, the action comes to a complete halt so we can have a scene where the characters preach the film's message. By trying to balance the two, the sermonizing becomes all the more apparent. It also makes you feel as if you've missed some scenes because one doesn't flow to the next in a logical manner. This is truly a shame too because the action scenes are really amazing in the film. And the message that it's trying to get across is an important one and one that we do not hear a lot about in either film or the news. If only the two aspects could have been blended together better, this would have been an amazing film instead of just a really good film. This movie is good enough to warrant a solid recommendation, but it's also one that I'm not likely to rewatch. Netflix rating: ****
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Are you ready to get Lost again?
I just finished rewatching season 3 of Lost and am now super psyched for its return. In preparation for tomorrow's season premiere, here's the final mobisode that was just released. Most of these scenes have been pure filler without revealing anything new. However, the one posted here is very interesting and just adds to the mystery behind life and death and the role it plays on this island. Check it out and enjoy the beginning of Season 4!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Royal Rumble statistics
With the big event this Sunday, I figured I would get everyone in the mood with this awesome video produced by the WWE chronicling all the various statistics that this match has produced in its 20 year anniversary.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Needs a fix
After much anticipation, I finally got a chance to see American Gangster this week at the budget theater. Perhaps I built the film up too much in my mind, however, because I came away feeling slightly disappointed.
It should be said upfront that Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe give excellent performances. Denzel, playing notorious Harlem gangster Frank Lucas, proves once again that he can play good guy or bad guy equally well. And while not his best performance (he was better in his other film from 2007, 3:10 to Yuma) Russell Crowe does a fine job playing "boy scout" cop, Richie Roberts.
And while each give good performances, their stars truly shine in the moments where they share scenes. Unfortunately there are very few of them here. Now I had known going in that these two had didn't have much screen time together, but I didn't realize how little it actually would be. Perhaps it was just more noticeable because the scenes involving them seperatly were at times slow and uninteresting.
The film spends way too much time chronicling their individual lives. I understand the need to provide backstory, but it took too long to even get to the point where Roberts starts to investigate Lucas. And while Lucas rise in the drug and mafia communities is remarkable, the film displays it in a way that we've seen countless times before in other mob films.
I think a lot of the blame here falls on director Ridley Scott and screenwriter Steve Zallian's shoulders. Zallian's script fails to provide enough consistent action or tension to help the film moving and Scott does not provide enough directional style to make the biographical aspects of the film captivating.
As slow as the first portion of the film is, it really sparkles by the time Lucas and Roberts actually intersect. I absolutely love the scene where Roberts meets Lucas outside of the church as 'Amazing Grace' is played. I know the film has been heavily criticized for the liberties it took with Lucas' actual life story. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that that church scene is an example of that, but it doesn't matter because scenes like that show the potential of what this film could have truly been.
The last section of the film deals with Lucas' court case and the subsequent deal he made in helping take down a number of corrupt cops and drug dealers. All of that is really excellent and was disappointed when the credits began to roll a short time later. To me, the focus should have been on this aspect of Lucas' life. Watching the corrupt turn on the corrupt and seeing what possesses someone to suddenly rat out his associates is more interesting than watching someone be a real life Tony Montana.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out two additional superb acting performances in the film. Josh Brolin (who can also be currently seen in Best Picture nominee, No Country for Old Men) does a really good job as a corrupt New York cop who just exudes the essence of an asshole. Also, Ruby Dee is wonderful as Lucas' mother. Clearly, others agree as she was nominated for an Oscar for this role. It was shocking to see, though, how little screentime she has. However, she's so great in every scene that she's in that I still think the nomination is deserved.
It is just a shame to see all of this acting talent go to waste as a result of poor direction. Until the final half hour there are only glimmers of excellence. With each moment, you keep hoping that it will sustain; but alas, they remain only fleeting. I think the acting performance are strong enough and the basic story interesting enough to warrant a recommendation. And while it takes a long time to get there, the payoff in the end is solid. I guess my warning would be that if you do see it, make sure you're in the right mood to do so. Like the Blue Magic cocaine that Frank Lucas deals in the film, the film will give you some highs, but they are only fleeting. Grade: B
It should be said upfront that Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe give excellent performances. Denzel, playing notorious Harlem gangster Frank Lucas, proves once again that he can play good guy or bad guy equally well. And while not his best performance (he was better in his other film from 2007, 3:10 to Yuma) Russell Crowe does a fine job playing "boy scout" cop, Richie Roberts.
And while each give good performances, their stars truly shine in the moments where they share scenes. Unfortunately there are very few of them here. Now I had known going in that these two had didn't have much screen time together, but I didn't realize how little it actually would be. Perhaps it was just more noticeable because the scenes involving them seperatly were at times slow and uninteresting.
The film spends way too much time chronicling their individual lives. I understand the need to provide backstory, but it took too long to even get to the point where Roberts starts to investigate Lucas. And while Lucas rise in the drug and mafia communities is remarkable, the film displays it in a way that we've seen countless times before in other mob films.
I think a lot of the blame here falls on director Ridley Scott and screenwriter Steve Zallian's shoulders. Zallian's script fails to provide enough consistent action or tension to help the film moving and Scott does not provide enough directional style to make the biographical aspects of the film captivating.
As slow as the first portion of the film is, it really sparkles by the time Lucas and Roberts actually intersect. I absolutely love the scene where Roberts meets Lucas outside of the church as 'Amazing Grace' is played. I know the film has been heavily criticized for the liberties it took with Lucas' actual life story. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that that church scene is an example of that, but it doesn't matter because scenes like that show the potential of what this film could have truly been.
The last section of the film deals with Lucas' court case and the subsequent deal he made in helping take down a number of corrupt cops and drug dealers. All of that is really excellent and was disappointed when the credits began to roll a short time later. To me, the focus should have been on this aspect of Lucas' life. Watching the corrupt turn on the corrupt and seeing what possesses someone to suddenly rat out his associates is more interesting than watching someone be a real life Tony Montana.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out two additional superb acting performances in the film. Josh Brolin (who can also be currently seen in Best Picture nominee, No Country for Old Men) does a really good job as a corrupt New York cop who just exudes the essence of an asshole. Also, Ruby Dee is wonderful as Lucas' mother. Clearly, others agree as she was nominated for an Oscar for this role. It was shocking to see, though, how little screentime she has. However, she's so great in every scene that she's in that I still think the nomination is deserved.
It is just a shame to see all of this acting talent go to waste as a result of poor direction. Until the final half hour there are only glimmers of excellence. With each moment, you keep hoping that it will sustain; but alas, they remain only fleeting. I think the acting performance are strong enough and the basic story interesting enough to warrant a recommendation. And while it takes a long time to get there, the payoff in the end is solid. I guess my warning would be that if you do see it, make sure you're in the right mood to do so. Like the Blue Magic cocaine that Frank Lucas deals in the film, the film will give you some highs, but they are only fleeting. Grade: B
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Bond 22 gets a real title!
And it is...
The title doesn't necessarily roll off your tongue as well as some of the previous ones, but I'm extremely intrigued nonetheless. Below is a few more plot points revealed at today's news conference:
The new film sees 007 (Daniel Craig) out for revenge on a mission that takes him to Austria, Italy and South America. Bond girl Camille, played by Ukrainian-born Olga Kurylenko, leads the secret agent to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), member of a mysterious organization and a ruthless businessman, seeking to control huge natural resources.
The plot follows on directly from Casino Royale, as Bond aims to uncover the truth about Vesper, the beauty who betrayed him, and discovers that she had been blackmailed.
"James Bond is after revenge, and Camille is after revenge and they have slightly different goals, but in the end they are going to have to collaborate," Kurylenko said.
At a press conference at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, reporters were shown a minute of footage from the new film, including Bond swinging on a rope after an explosion at an art gallery in Siena, Italy.
Another scene showed him meeting M, played by Dame Judi Dench, outside in the snow.
Kurylenko says she will play a very different Bond girl. She has yet to film any scenes, but is working hard preparing for her role.
"I'm doing weapons training and body flight training for aerial scenes and stunt work for fighting," she said. "My days are so long, and it's very physical. She's a fighter. This girl is going to kick ass. She's on her own mission and she's driven by revenge."
Actress Gemma Arterton plays an MI6 agent in the film and has already shot her love scenes with 007. She said, "I felt like a giggly girl, and I felt so young and inexperienced - but I kissed James Bond!"
The 21-year-old said her Bond role is "not so frolicksome" and her character "fresh and young, not sultry and a femme fatale".
The title doesn't necessarily roll off your tongue as well as some of the previous ones, but I'm extremely intrigued nonetheless. Below is a few more plot points revealed at today's news conference:
The new film sees 007 (Daniel Craig) out for revenge on a mission that takes him to Austria, Italy and South America. Bond girl Camille, played by Ukrainian-born Olga Kurylenko, leads the secret agent to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), member of a mysterious organization and a ruthless businessman, seeking to control huge natural resources.
The plot follows on directly from Casino Royale, as Bond aims to uncover the truth about Vesper, the beauty who betrayed him, and discovers that she had been blackmailed.
"James Bond is after revenge, and Camille is after revenge and they have slightly different goals, but in the end they are going to have to collaborate," Kurylenko said.
At a press conference at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, reporters were shown a minute of footage from the new film, including Bond swinging on a rope after an explosion at an art gallery in Siena, Italy.
Another scene showed him meeting M, played by Dame Judi Dench, outside in the snow.
Kurylenko says she will play a very different Bond girl. She has yet to film any scenes, but is working hard preparing for her role.
"I'm doing weapons training and body flight training for aerial scenes and stunt work for fighting," she said. "My days are so long, and it's very physical. She's a fighter. This girl is going to kick ass. She's on her own mission and she's driven by revenge."
Actress Gemma Arterton plays an MI6 agent in the film and has already shot her love scenes with 007. She said, "I felt like a giggly girl, and I felt so young and inexperienced - but I kissed James Bond!"
The 21-year-old said her Bond role is "not so frolicksome" and her character "fresh and young, not sultry and a femme fatale".
Monday, January 21, 2008
Yippee for the Hippies
The latest installment of the Amazing Race came to an end last night with another pair of hippies winning it all (although this time it was a pair of dating hippies and not two male friends). Just like BJ and Tyler, TK and Rachel were a carefree duo who were fun to watch throughout the race and easily likeable.
What is most interesting however, is that when I blogged about this season of TAR after the first episode, I specifically pointed out the two family teams; one comprised of a father/daughter and the other a grandfather/grandson. At that time, I mentioned how I thought both teams made for good TV, but was worried they would be eliminated quickly just like most of the other teams that are composed of family members. Well, lo and behold, those two teams were the other teams still in it on this final episode. It was remarkable to see the older members on these teams tough it out to the end and in the case of the father/daughter team, see their relationship evolve and improve over the course of the race. It's a shame neither of them ended up winning, but for them to make it as far as they did is a true testament to how good of players they were (although having no strong male duo this season also helped their chances).
Ron and Christina (the father/daughter) actually had a very good chance of winning this. They led through most of the leg, until the final road block. This challenge was utterly confusing to comprehend for the viewer at home (something about picking out certain items that the racers encountered throughout the race) and it proved to be just as difficult for Christina. They probably had about a half hour lead on the other two teams, yet Rachel was able to figure out the puzzle first and from there the hippies had it made in the shade as they cruised to the finish line well ahead of the other teams.
Overall, this was an enjoyable season. There were a lot of interesting teams that were fun to watch. And the one loathesome team (Nate and Jen, who rivaled Jonathan/Victoria and Freddy/Kendra for most vile dating couple ever on TAR) got their proper comeuppance by being eliminated on the leg right before the finale. No word yet on when the next season will be, but if the strike continues, there's no doubt it will happen sooner rather than later. In the meantime, it's a good thing Lost and Survivor are right around the corner to give me at least something new to watch over the next few months.
What is most interesting however, is that when I blogged about this season of TAR after the first episode, I specifically pointed out the two family teams; one comprised of a father/daughter and the other a grandfather/grandson. At that time, I mentioned how I thought both teams made for good TV, but was worried they would be eliminated quickly just like most of the other teams that are composed of family members. Well, lo and behold, those two teams were the other teams still in it on this final episode. It was remarkable to see the older members on these teams tough it out to the end and in the case of the father/daughter team, see their relationship evolve and improve over the course of the race. It's a shame neither of them ended up winning, but for them to make it as far as they did is a true testament to how good of players they were (although having no strong male duo this season also helped their chances).
Ron and Christina (the father/daughter) actually had a very good chance of winning this. They led through most of the leg, until the final road block. This challenge was utterly confusing to comprehend for the viewer at home (something about picking out certain items that the racers encountered throughout the race) and it proved to be just as difficult for Christina. They probably had about a half hour lead on the other two teams, yet Rachel was able to figure out the puzzle first and from there the hippies had it made in the shade as they cruised to the finish line well ahead of the other teams.
Overall, this was an enjoyable season. There were a lot of interesting teams that were fun to watch. And the one loathesome team (Nate and Jen, who rivaled Jonathan/Victoria and Freddy/Kendra for most vile dating couple ever on TAR) got their proper comeuppance by being eliminated on the leg right before the finale. No word yet on when the next season will be, but if the strike continues, there's no doubt it will happen sooner rather than later. In the meantime, it's a good thing Lost and Survivor are right around the corner to give me at least something new to watch over the next few months.
NMR: The Kingdom
Here was another late summer/early fall entry that got shipped onto DVD before I had a chance to check it out on the big screen. This was one of the many victims of the war film fatigue seen in '07, and sadly this one probably deserved better.
For 3/4ths of the film, this is a strong effort and a somewhat unique look at the complicated relationship between the United States and the Middle East. A terrorist attack takes place in Saudi Arabi and a group of FBI detectives have to deal with a lot of political and bureaucratic red tape while trying to investigate the crime. If it had stuck with that, I would have really enjoyed this film. There's a scene about half way through where the FBI officers (played by Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman) are forced to stay in a gymnasium instead of going out to the crime scene. I would have loved to see more from that and how these proud gov't officials cannot properly do their job.
However, the film kind of goes in the crapper near the end as the reigns are taken off the FBI and it turns into your standard action flick. I've got not problem with seeing good action with plenty of guns and explosions, but it just felt unnecessary here given how the film started out. The end of the film is a complete waste as it tries to provide this jingoistic feel-good moment, while also trying to establish the moral ambiguity of the actions we've just witnessed. The whole film ends up being a case of the director wanting to have his cake and eat it too.
There is likely to be something for everybody here. Some will like the film's political intrigue, while others appreciate the action. But it is unlikely that any viewer will be completely satisfied with the whole product. Since the part that appealed to me took up the majority of the film and because it has strong performances from the primary players, I'll be kind and give this a fairly generous rating. Netflix rating: ****
For 3/4ths of the film, this is a strong effort and a somewhat unique look at the complicated relationship between the United States and the Middle East. A terrorist attack takes place in Saudi Arabi and a group of FBI detectives have to deal with a lot of political and bureaucratic red tape while trying to investigate the crime. If it had stuck with that, I would have really enjoyed this film. There's a scene about half way through where the FBI officers (played by Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman) are forced to stay in a gymnasium instead of going out to the crime scene. I would have loved to see more from that and how these proud gov't officials cannot properly do their job.
However, the film kind of goes in the crapper near the end as the reigns are taken off the FBI and it turns into your standard action flick. I've got not problem with seeing good action with plenty of guns and explosions, but it just felt unnecessary here given how the film started out. The end of the film is a complete waste as it tries to provide this jingoistic feel-good moment, while also trying to establish the moral ambiguity of the actions we've just witnessed. The whole film ends up being a case of the director wanting to have his cake and eat it too.
There is likely to be something for everybody here. Some will like the film's political intrigue, while others appreciate the action. But it is unlikely that any viewer will be completely satisfied with the whole product. Since the part that appealed to me took up the majority of the film and because it has strong performances from the primary players, I'll be kind and give this a fairly generous rating. Netflix rating: ****
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Down goes Bowser, down goes Bowser
I finally got the 120th star today to finish Super Mario Galaxy. I had actually defeated Bowser a few weeks ago, but still needed to get some additional stars to completely beat the game. Defeating Bowser was a piece of cake in comparison to some of these last few stars. Most of the ones I had difficulty with involved getting 100 purple coins at the various levels. When it was just a glorified Easter egg hunt, I had no problem with them, but when it involved getting them in a specific amount of time or ones that involved complicated sequences of jumps, I struggled with them. But after some persistence I finally conquered the game and it's a huge sigh of relief. I don't completely beat many games, so this is a big deal for me.
Although, I say I've completely beaten it, but in reality I haven't. Turns out when you get all 120 stars, it unlocks Luigi and you can now play all of the levels as him to get another 120 stars. I'll do that eventually, but I don't feel the same urgency as I did with Mario. Overall, this was a really fun game and I highly request anyone who has/gets a Wii to definitely play this game.
Although, I say I've completely beaten it, but in reality I haven't. Turns out when you get all 120 stars, it unlocks Luigi and you can now play all of the levels as him to get another 120 stars. I'll do that eventually, but I don't feel the same urgency as I did with Mario. Overall, this was a really fun game and I highly request anyone who has/gets a Wii to definitely play this game.
NMR: The Ten
This was criminally overlooked by many due to its small release last August. If you're unfamiliar with the premise, it is a film comprised of ten comedic short stories each related to one of the ten commandments. Paul Rudd plays a character who has a story of his own that serves as a bridge between the ten stories.
The film's greatest flaw is its inconsistency. Some of the stories are absolutely brilliant and hilarious (like the one about coveting thy neighbor's goods which involves two neighbors competing with each other to see who can own the most CAT scan machines), others sound good on paper but don't play out as well as they do (like the one about thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife that involves a prison inmate yearning for another inmate's bitch), and some just aren't funny at all (like the one for keeping holy the sabbath day that involves a bunch of guys skipping church so that they can hang out together and be naked).
What makes The Ten a lot of fun is the rich cast full of comedic talent that show up throughout the film. Some of the people include Paul Rudd, Winona Rider, Liev Schreiber, Oliver Platt, Famke Jannsen, Jessica Alba, and several cast members from Reno 911.
If you're a religious person, you'll probably feel dirty for enjoying it. And if you're not a religious person, you won't feel guilty, but you may not appreciate the humor as much. While not a perfect film, there is enough humor to be found to make this a good rental. Netflix rating: ****
The film's greatest flaw is its inconsistency. Some of the stories are absolutely brilliant and hilarious (like the one about coveting thy neighbor's goods which involves two neighbors competing with each other to see who can own the most CAT scan machines), others sound good on paper but don't play out as well as they do (like the one about thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife that involves a prison inmate yearning for another inmate's bitch), and some just aren't funny at all (like the one for keeping holy the sabbath day that involves a bunch of guys skipping church so that they can hang out together and be naked).
What makes The Ten a lot of fun is the rich cast full of comedic talent that show up throughout the film. Some of the people include Paul Rudd, Winona Rider, Liev Schreiber, Oliver Platt, Famke Jannsen, Jessica Alba, and several cast members from Reno 911.
If you're a religious person, you'll probably feel dirty for enjoying it. And if you're not a religious person, you won't feel guilty, but you may not appreciate the humor as much. While not a perfect film, there is enough humor to be found to make this a good rental. Netflix rating: ****
Random hilarity
Ahhh, this takes me back to some of the great stories my high school history teacher would tell us....ummmm...I mean, drinking is bad; nobody should ever do it.
Friday, January 18, 2008
NMR: Hot Rod
This one left the budget theaters too quickly in the fall before I could catch it and now that I have seen it on DVD, I can see why it didn't last too long. The premise definitely had potential; young guy (played by SNL's Andy Samberg) has aspirations of being a daredevil, but is terrible at it. Unfortunately, they opted to go with the "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" mentality with its comedy. There are certainly some amusing aspects of the film, but the crap far outweighs the gold.
The plot involved Samberg's character going for one grand stunt in order to raise enough money to pay for an operation his stepfather needs. The setup is pretty familiar and I couldn't tell if they wanted that to be a legitimate plot or if they were trying to parody other "inspirational" film. It doesn't really matter since the film fails to do either scenario justice. There were also too many WTF scenes where the film diverts into these tangents that are just bizarre and unfunny. It seemed as if they were trying to go something along the lines of the street fight scene in Anchorman, but it just didn't work here.
Samberg may have potential to be a big movie star, but all this film did was reiterate that he belongs in sketch comedy for the time being. The film plays like a hodgepodge collection of SNL skits and has about the same success rate when it comes to funny material. It wasn't the worst film I saw from 2007, but I don't intend on watching it again. Netflix rating: **
The plot involved Samberg's character going for one grand stunt in order to raise enough money to pay for an operation his stepfather needs. The setup is pretty familiar and I couldn't tell if they wanted that to be a legitimate plot or if they were trying to parody other "inspirational" film. It doesn't really matter since the film fails to do either scenario justice. There were also too many WTF scenes where the film diverts into these tangents that are just bizarre and unfunny. It seemed as if they were trying to go something along the lines of the street fight scene in Anchorman, but it just didn't work here.
Samberg may have potential to be a big movie star, but all this film did was reiterate that he belongs in sketch comedy for the time being. The film plays like a hodgepodge collection of SNL skits and has about the same success rate when it comes to funny material. It wasn't the worst film I saw from 2007, but I don't intend on watching it again. Netflix rating: **
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Hump Day Humor
Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then, right? Well I decided to post a couple of vidoes from two of my favorite comedians right now, Dimitri Martin and Zach Galifianakis. Both are really hilarious and if you're a Netflix subscriber, both have DVDs available for you to rent, which I recommend. Enjoy!
NMR: Super Size Me
This was a completely engrossing (emphasis on gross, at times) look at the obesity problem in America. This is an issue that has been and continues to be ignored by too many people. Director and star Morgan Spurlock sums it up nicely when one of the people he interviews says that it's come to be acceptable to say to a smoker, "Hey put out that cigarette, you're going to kill yourself", so when will it become acceptable to say, "Hey put down that french fry, you're going to kill yourself". As I watched Spurlock put himself through a 30-day McDiet, there were several times where I felt so sad for the guy and just wanted him to stop eating, and this is coming from someone who enjoys McDonalds.
I had some minor complaints with the film, namely with Spurlock's filmmaking skills. First, he needed to narrate more throughout the film. There were a couple of times where he was travelling to cities for untold reasons. There was also scenes that he filmed Jared from Subway giving a speech to kids, but then he doesn't actually speak to Jared himself. And the people he did speak too sounded like some of the most ignorant rubes found in this country. It would have been nice to get some balance from the ordinary people he talked to on the streets.
These are minor issues and shouldn't take away from the film's core message. And I should point out that he does have some nice touches to his filmmaking style. I really liked the pop art paintings involving McDonalds characters that he used to introduce each "chapter" of the film. And anyone who uses "Rock and Roll McDonalds" by Wesley Willis in their film instantly wins my admiration.
I can't guarantee I'll permanently change my diet after seeing this, but everytime I consider heading to the Golden Arches, I'll definitely be thinking of this film. Netflix rating: *****
I had some minor complaints with the film, namely with Spurlock's filmmaking skills. First, he needed to narrate more throughout the film. There were a couple of times where he was travelling to cities for untold reasons. There was also scenes that he filmed Jared from Subway giving a speech to kids, but then he doesn't actually speak to Jared himself. And the people he did speak too sounded like some of the most ignorant rubes found in this country. It would have been nice to get some balance from the ordinary people he talked to on the streets.
These are minor issues and shouldn't take away from the film's core message. And I should point out that he does have some nice touches to his filmmaking style. I really liked the pop art paintings involving McDonalds characters that he used to introduce each "chapter" of the film. And anyone who uses "Rock and Roll McDonalds" by Wesley Willis in their film instantly wins my admiration.
I can't guarantee I'll permanently change my diet after seeing this, but everytime I consider heading to the Golden Arches, I'll definitely be thinking of this film. Netflix rating: *****
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Claus for concern
Since it's the middle of January, I was really in the mood for a Christmas movie. Actually, I wasn't, but since Fred Claus eluded me before the holiday season, I figured I better check it out now since it's not likely to be around much longer at the budget theater.
Based on the previews, this one certainly had promise. It had a strong cast (perhaps too strong for this film) and a unique premise; examining the left in the shadows brother of Santa Claus. Given these variables, I was surprised to see it only do moderately well at the box office. It certainly wasn't the smash hit that Elf was (a film that I find vastly overrated). With no other major Christmas films released this past season, it puzzled me why this didn't do better; that is until I saw it myself.
The film's primary problem is that it failed to find an appropriate voice. It can't decide if it wants to be a kids movie or adult fare. It also can't determine if it wants to be a true Christmas film or just use that context to tell a more universal story of family and relationships. The end result is a hodgepodge of content that aims to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one.
The main character of Fred Claus (played by Vince Vaughn) has plot points involving his brother Santa, his mother, his on-again off-again girlfriend, and an orphan that he's befriended. Each of them could have worked on their own as the main plot of the movie, but since they're all included, none of them get the proper time devoted to them. On top of all that, you also have a subplot involving an elf pining over one of Santa's female assistants and Kevin Spacey as an efficiency expert trying to shut down Santa's workshop. Needless to say, the writer of the film needed to ask Santa for some Ritalin this Christmas.
Vince Vaughn is his typical self in this movie providing plenty of rapid-fire lines full of hilarity. Despite being the guy I've come to enjoy in so many other films, this one doesn't hold up. I think Vaughn is at his best when he has someone of equal comedic talent to work off of him. In his better films, he has guys like Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller to play off of. No offense to Paul Giammati, who is a fine actor, but he can't match wits with Vaughn like those other guys do. The same held true for Vaughn in the awful, The Break-Up, where the best he had to work with was Jennifer Aniston.
As previously mentioned, this film has a pretty strong cast including Kevin Spacey, Paul Giammati, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks, Ludacris, and John Michael Higgins. Each do an admirable job with the role they have, but given the film's content, I was wondering what many of them were doing here. They must have wanted an extra paycheck in case this strike goes on for too long, because most of them should be in better pictures than this.
The film certainly has its moments. As mentioned before, Vaughn is always good for a handful of laughs based on his delivery alone. I also enjoyed the subplot involving John Michael Higgins playing the head elf (which involved some weird visual effects) pining over Elizabeth Banks' charcter. It's never explained why a normal human being is working at the North Pole with Santa and his elves, but since in meant seeing her in skimpy santa outfits, I didn't really care. There is also a funny scene where Fred attends a Siblings Anonymous meeting that involves some good cameos of famous "in the shadows" brothers.
If this had been a non-holiday film, I may have reviewed it a bit more harshly. But since it's a Christmas movie, I see it as being tolerable enough to be watched/enjoyed once a year. This one will not go down in the annals of classic Christmas films, but when it comes time for it to show up on some basic cable channel, I'll probably stop and watch it again. For those reading this, there's probably no need to seek this out at the moment. If you're a sucker for holiday movies however, you may want to rent it come next Christmas. It's the film equivalent of receiving a sweater; It's not as bad as a lump of coal, but certainly not the most appealing gift you could get either. Grade: C+
Based on the previews, this one certainly had promise. It had a strong cast (perhaps too strong for this film) and a unique premise; examining the left in the shadows brother of Santa Claus. Given these variables, I was surprised to see it only do moderately well at the box office. It certainly wasn't the smash hit that Elf was (a film that I find vastly overrated). With no other major Christmas films released this past season, it puzzled me why this didn't do better; that is until I saw it myself.
The film's primary problem is that it failed to find an appropriate voice. It can't decide if it wants to be a kids movie or adult fare. It also can't determine if it wants to be a true Christmas film or just use that context to tell a more universal story of family and relationships. The end result is a hodgepodge of content that aims to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one.
The main character of Fred Claus (played by Vince Vaughn) has plot points involving his brother Santa, his mother, his on-again off-again girlfriend, and an orphan that he's befriended. Each of them could have worked on their own as the main plot of the movie, but since they're all included, none of them get the proper time devoted to them. On top of all that, you also have a subplot involving an elf pining over one of Santa's female assistants and Kevin Spacey as an efficiency expert trying to shut down Santa's workshop. Needless to say, the writer of the film needed to ask Santa for some Ritalin this Christmas.
Vince Vaughn is his typical self in this movie providing plenty of rapid-fire lines full of hilarity. Despite being the guy I've come to enjoy in so many other films, this one doesn't hold up. I think Vaughn is at his best when he has someone of equal comedic talent to work off of him. In his better films, he has guys like Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller to play off of. No offense to Paul Giammati, who is a fine actor, but he can't match wits with Vaughn like those other guys do. The same held true for Vaughn in the awful, The Break-Up, where the best he had to work with was Jennifer Aniston.
As previously mentioned, this film has a pretty strong cast including Kevin Spacey, Paul Giammati, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks, Ludacris, and John Michael Higgins. Each do an admirable job with the role they have, but given the film's content, I was wondering what many of them were doing here. They must have wanted an extra paycheck in case this strike goes on for too long, because most of them should be in better pictures than this.
The film certainly has its moments. As mentioned before, Vaughn is always good for a handful of laughs based on his delivery alone. I also enjoyed the subplot involving John Michael Higgins playing the head elf (which involved some weird visual effects) pining over Elizabeth Banks' charcter. It's never explained why a normal human being is working at the North Pole with Santa and his elves, but since in meant seeing her in skimpy santa outfits, I didn't really care. There is also a funny scene where Fred attends a Siblings Anonymous meeting that involves some good cameos of famous "in the shadows" brothers.
If this had been a non-holiday film, I may have reviewed it a bit more harshly. But since it's a Christmas movie, I see it as being tolerable enough to be watched/enjoyed once a year. This one will not go down in the annals of classic Christmas films, but when it comes time for it to show up on some basic cable channel, I'll probably stop and watch it again. For those reading this, there's probably no need to seek this out at the moment. If you're a sucker for holiday movies however, you may want to rent it come next Christmas. It's the film equivalent of receiving a sweater; It's not as bad as a lump of coal, but certainly not the most appealing gift you could get either. Grade: C+
Sunday, January 13, 2008
NMR: Fight Club
I've been a big fan of David Fincher's work, most recently with his superb Zodiac (which now has a 2 disc deluxe edition available on DVD). So I was surprised to realize that one of his earlier films, Fight Club had eluded me until now. This movie starts off real strong. Edward Norton's insomniac narrator quickly draws you in as you try to figure out what this guy's deal is. Early on, there are also some neat meta-references to the filmmaking industry (like including subliminal images and then talking about it as well). It was these small touches which really gave the film character and made it real creative.
Sadly, the inspiration found in the first third of the film vanishes for the sake of gratuitous violence in the later parts of the film. As the fight clubs grow in number and popularity, the film begins to lose focus and really drags on for me. I was already tapping out before the climax of the film.
Now I will confess that I already knew the film's major twist before watching it. However, being spoiled about it did not really affect my opinion of the film. By the time the twist is revealed I wouldn't have cared because I was too worn out by all the film's gruesome scenes.
I've read a handful of reviews and heard a few different interpretations on what the film's message is. I'm not sure if any of them are right, because I feel the film fails to do a good job of making any coherent message. For this film, Fincher got too caught up in all the blood and gore to make sure the film's narrative was apparent. I'm glad to see that he's grown as a director and scaled back on the gross-out factor. For it's brief moments of inspiration, I'll give it a mild recommendation, but really this one went downhill fast. Netflix rating: ***
Sadly, the inspiration found in the first third of the film vanishes for the sake of gratuitous violence in the later parts of the film. As the fight clubs grow in number and popularity, the film begins to lose focus and really drags on for me. I was already tapping out before the climax of the film.
Now I will confess that I already knew the film's major twist before watching it. However, being spoiled about it did not really affect my opinion of the film. By the time the twist is revealed I wouldn't have cared because I was too worn out by all the film's gruesome scenes.
I've read a handful of reviews and heard a few different interpretations on what the film's message is. I'm not sure if any of them are right, because I feel the film fails to do a good job of making any coherent message. For this film, Fincher got too caught up in all the blood and gore to make sure the film's narrative was apparent. I'm glad to see that he's grown as a director and scaled back on the gross-out factor. For it's brief moments of inspiration, I'll give it a mild recommendation, but really this one went downhill fast. Netflix rating: ***
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Some Cleveland sports developments
Today marked the end of an era as the Indians will no longer be playing in Jacobs Field. Instead, they'll now be playing in the newly named, Progressive Field.
I can't tell you how much it pains me to see another sports venue get stamped with a corporate name. It's just so wrong on so many levels. That building will always be "The Jake" to me. But as much as I hate the change, as long as the Tribe plays well, it won't matter too much what name is on the outside of the stadium.
In other news, the Browns fired their defensive coordinator today. It may seem odd that a 10 win team would fire a coordinator, but considering that the Browns were still one of the worst teams defensively, I say it's justified. Let's hope that they bring someone decent in who can maximize the talent that we have. We can also hope that with all that cap money that the Browns have that we can maybe get someone to help out that defense here in the offseason.
I can't tell you how much it pains me to see another sports venue get stamped with a corporate name. It's just so wrong on so many levels. That building will always be "The Jake" to me. But as much as I hate the change, as long as the Tribe plays well, it won't matter too much what name is on the outside of the stadium.
In other news, the Browns fired their defensive coordinator today. It may seem odd that a 10 win team would fire a coordinator, but considering that the Browns were still one of the worst teams defensively, I say it's justified. Let's hope that they bring someone decent in who can maximize the talent that we have. We can also hope that with all that cap money that the Browns have that we can maybe get someone to help out that defense here in the offseason.
NMR: No End in Sight
As I was waiting for my next disc to arrive, I watched this through Netflix's online service. I had heard high praise for this documentary after it had been released this past summer, so I thought, given that we're in the thick of primary season, I would check this out. If you're not familiar with the film, it goes into great detail the reasons why the Iraq war has become such a disaster.
The arguments made by the filmmaker are very compelling. Watching it, you feel as if you're listening to a prosecutor make his arguments in a case against the Bush administration. This strategy, while sound and at times sobering, did not make for the most watchable film. As I heard how things unfolded, I shook my head in disbelief, yet after a while I wanted there to be something more. I'm not saying that I was looking for the Michael Moore approach of trying to infuse pop culture references into a serious subject, but there needed to be something here to make the film more engrossing. Listening to how those in charge made one mistake after another wears the audience down.
By the end of the film you want some kind of closure to all of this, but it never comes. Perhaps I should have expected it with a title like No End in Sight. However, after finished watching it, I felt like saying, 'so what?'. Nothing about the film is very revealing, if you follow the news on a daily basis. All this does is simplify the past four years into a 90 minute capsule. If you like hearing what idiots the Bush admistration are, go ahead and check this out, otherwise, just go read a newspaper. Netflix rating: ***
The arguments made by the filmmaker are very compelling. Watching it, you feel as if you're listening to a prosecutor make his arguments in a case against the Bush administration. This strategy, while sound and at times sobering, did not make for the most watchable film. As I heard how things unfolded, I shook my head in disbelief, yet after a while I wanted there to be something more. I'm not saying that I was looking for the Michael Moore approach of trying to infuse pop culture references into a serious subject, but there needed to be something here to make the film more engrossing. Listening to how those in charge made one mistake after another wears the audience down.
By the end of the film you want some kind of closure to all of this, but it never comes. Perhaps I should have expected it with a title like No End in Sight. However, after finished watching it, I felt like saying, 'so what?'. Nothing about the film is very revealing, if you follow the news on a daily basis. All this does is simplify the past four years into a 90 minute capsule. If you like hearing what idiots the Bush admistration are, go ahead and check this out, otherwise, just go read a newspaper. Netflix rating: ***
Update on 'Bond 22'
This news is a few days old, but I still wanted to post it anyways. As filming begins for the new James Bond film (still doesn't have a title yet), we're getting word of some of the new cast members. Returning from Casino Royale is of course, Daniel Craig and Judy Dench as M. Also the Felix Lighter and Mathis characters will be back as well played by the same actors.
In addition to the returning members, we have two Bond girls, played by relative unknowns:
Gemma Arterton
Olga Kurylenko
The primary villain for the film has also been cast and will be played by Mathieu Amalric, who is currently in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and was also in Munich.
As soon as the title for this film is released, I'll be sure to post it up on here.
In addition to the returning members, we have two Bond girls, played by relative unknowns:
Gemma Arterton
Olga Kurylenko
The primary villain for the film has also been cast and will be played by Mathieu Amalric, who is currently in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and was also in Munich.
As soon as the title for this film is released, I'll be sure to post it up on here.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Strike Watch
Here are some recent news and notes about television that are strike related.
- Of course, the biggest news is that the Golden Globes show has been cancelled. As of right now, here's what NBC plans to air. At 8pm, a news special highlighting the performances of the nominees. At 9pm, a special press conference will air where the winners of the Golden Globes will be announced. At 10pm, an Access Hollywood like show covering all of the celebrities at parties. Apparently, the WGA won't let them go to the actual awards show, but has no problem with them still having parties.
On one hand, this idea is somewhat appealing because I get tired of the bloated awards shows filled with humorless banter, frivolous video packages, tiresome speeches, and annoying musical numbers. However, the actions of the WGA to prove a point in this strike has become equally annoying. It's clear that whenever this gets resolved no one is going to come out of it a winner, so lets just end this thing right now.
- In order to fill some airtime, CBS has officially announced that it will air the first season of Showtime's critically acclaimed series, Dexter. Episodes will air on Sundays starting on Feb. 17. No word on how long the episodes will be given how much CBS will likely have to edit out to make the show appropriate for network television. Looks like I won't have to Netflix that one after all.
- Starting Feb. 28, Reaper will be moving to Thursday nights at 9. That's bad news for fans of this show and Lost since they'll now be airing head to head. However, Reaper doesn't have too many new episodes left, so it shouldn't be a problem for very long.
- On Jan. 24, which is a Thursday, NBC will air two new episodes of Chuck. One will air at 8pm and the other at 10pm. With so few precious episodes of our shows left, I have no idea why they are burning two of them on one night, but that's the TV biz for ya.
- And if you're interested to see how the late night talk show hosts are coping with being back without their writers, check out this hilarious video from a recent Conan O'Brien:
- Of course, the biggest news is that the Golden Globes show has been cancelled. As of right now, here's what NBC plans to air. At 8pm, a news special highlighting the performances of the nominees. At 9pm, a special press conference will air where the winners of the Golden Globes will be announced. At 10pm, an Access Hollywood like show covering all of the celebrities at parties. Apparently, the WGA won't let them go to the actual awards show, but has no problem with them still having parties.
On one hand, this idea is somewhat appealing because I get tired of the bloated awards shows filled with humorless banter, frivolous video packages, tiresome speeches, and annoying musical numbers. However, the actions of the WGA to prove a point in this strike has become equally annoying. It's clear that whenever this gets resolved no one is going to come out of it a winner, so lets just end this thing right now.
- In order to fill some airtime, CBS has officially announced that it will air the first season of Showtime's critically acclaimed series, Dexter. Episodes will air on Sundays starting on Feb. 17. No word on how long the episodes will be given how much CBS will likely have to edit out to make the show appropriate for network television. Looks like I won't have to Netflix that one after all.
- Starting Feb. 28, Reaper will be moving to Thursday nights at 9. That's bad news for fans of this show and Lost since they'll now be airing head to head. However, Reaper doesn't have too many new episodes left, so it shouldn't be a problem for very long.
- On Jan. 24, which is a Thursday, NBC will air two new episodes of Chuck. One will air at 8pm and the other at 10pm. With so few precious episodes of our shows left, I have no idea why they are burning two of them on one night, but that's the TV biz for ya.
- And if you're interested to see how the late night talk show hosts are coping with being back without their writers, check out this hilarious video from a recent Conan O'Brien:
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Netflix Mini Review (NMR): Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Thanks to my brother, I got a Netflix subscription for Christmas. My queue is all loaded up and I'll be watching a lot of movies over the next few months that for one reason or another slipped through the cracks when they first came out. These will be shorter reviews than I typically do for first run movies because if they were as long as those, I'd never get any work done. So without further ado is the first review for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
I had a real difficult time getting into this one. Partially because I was tired and partially because the narrative is really hard to follow. Now I'm not some dim-bulb who finds Back to the Future complex, so for me to say the movie was hard to follow, you know that this is one involved movie. However, I'm glad I stuck with it, because once you really grasp what's going on, it is a fun ride. Seeing Jim Carrey at war with his own mind is fun and really unique. For most of the film, I had no clue how this was going to get resolved. The film is also filled with a great supporting cast including Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, and Mark Ruffalo (who I usually don't care for). I must say, though, that I thought the best performance came from Kate Winslet. I haven't seen too much else from her to compare this to her other films, but I thought she was superb in this. I found her completely engaging and understood why Jim Carrey's character would be attracted to her, yet also find having a relationship with her difficult.
I will say that I was slightly disappointed in the ending though. Not so much for the events that took place, but for what I ulimately got out of the film. For as creative as this film is, it ends up being another film about a couple who needs to communicate better to realize they belong together. They are not breaking any grounds with that idea. I would have liked if they had more to say about the power of the mind or perhaps even about fate. These ideas certainly are touched upon in the film, but aren't fully realized. Maybe with successive viewings I could find those ideas to be stronger, but for now I found them to be lacking. Whether I'm looking for deeper meaning or not, I think this one deserves repeated viewing just so I can go back and understand better what was going on throughout the movie. Unfortunately, because I want to maximize the number of movies I see through Netflix, a repeat viewing of this will have to wait for another day. Netflix rating: ****
I had a real difficult time getting into this one. Partially because I was tired and partially because the narrative is really hard to follow. Now I'm not some dim-bulb who finds Back to the Future complex, so for me to say the movie was hard to follow, you know that this is one involved movie. However, I'm glad I stuck with it, because once you really grasp what's going on, it is a fun ride. Seeing Jim Carrey at war with his own mind is fun and really unique. For most of the film, I had no clue how this was going to get resolved. The film is also filled with a great supporting cast including Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, and Mark Ruffalo (who I usually don't care for). I must say, though, that I thought the best performance came from Kate Winslet. I haven't seen too much else from her to compare this to her other films, but I thought she was superb in this. I found her completely engaging and understood why Jim Carrey's character would be attracted to her, yet also find having a relationship with her difficult.
I will say that I was slightly disappointed in the ending though. Not so much for the events that took place, but for what I ulimately got out of the film. For as creative as this film is, it ends up being another film about a couple who needs to communicate better to realize they belong together. They are not breaking any grounds with that idea. I would have liked if they had more to say about the power of the mind or perhaps even about fate. These ideas certainly are touched upon in the film, but aren't fully realized. Maybe with successive viewings I could find those ideas to be stronger, but for now I found them to be lacking. Whether I'm looking for deeper meaning or not, I think this one deserves repeated viewing just so I can go back and understand better what was going on throughout the movie. Unfortunately, because I want to maximize the number of movies I see through Netflix, a repeat viewing of this will have to wait for another day. Netflix rating: ****
Monday, January 7, 2008
Gladiators ready? Nope!
So I caught the premiere of the new American Gladiators and was less than encouraged by what I saw. Clearly, the powers that be brought the show back figuring that there were plenty of fans of the original version, yet they abandonded many of the show's aspects that made it enjoyable. First of all, they got rid of the memorable theme music. Bad move right away. They've also virtually done away with the commentating during the events. Hosts Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali only do cheesy pre and postmatch interviews. There is some lame voice over guy who speaks during the action, but his lines consist of bad puns rather than any sort of insightful commentary. Finally, I know it was unlikely but I missed referee Larry Thompson. Interestingly enough, however, I believe the new referee is the guy who played the referee in the Dodgeball movie.
There are also several other new additions which are unwelcome. Most glaring is the excessive time spent on the contestants' personal lives. I don't care if they're a single mother of three or a down on his luck firefighter. The only thing that matters is how well they do in the competition. Their efforts in the games should tell a sufficient story about them. Another annoying thing is the egregious use of instant replay. I don't need to see someone fall from the joust podium five different ways. Between these and the endless amount of pointless interviews, the show feels very bloated. They could easily cut away most of that and have time for another event (they only participate in four before the eliminator right now).
The new version did have a few positives however. The new crop of gladiators seems decent and I like how they've done more to make them distinctive (ie a gladiator with frizzy hair and a beard called Wolf) rather than just "Meathead Gladiator #1" or "Lesbian Gladiator #2). They also added a few new games which all seem decent and sufficiently difficult. I even enjoyed how they added songs in defeat like "Another One Bites the Dust", although I think it should be reserved only for when the gladiator is defeated. Finally, I'll say that the eliminator is badass. It's much longer than any previous version and is a true test of endurance. My only complaint about it is that it is so long and difficult that the time penalty given to the second place contestant heading into the eliminator is rendered moot. As seen a couple of times last night, even a big head start, like 15 seconds, can easily be made up. With this being the case, it makes the contests before the eliminator somewhat pointless.
Given that this was the initial episode, hopefully some changes can and will be made. However, based on what I saw last night, this new version will be on a short leash with me. If no significant changes are made, I may just go back to the 90s version on ESPN Classic.
There are also several other new additions which are unwelcome. Most glaring is the excessive time spent on the contestants' personal lives. I don't care if they're a single mother of three or a down on his luck firefighter. The only thing that matters is how well they do in the competition. Their efforts in the games should tell a sufficient story about them. Another annoying thing is the egregious use of instant replay. I don't need to see someone fall from the joust podium five different ways. Between these and the endless amount of pointless interviews, the show feels very bloated. They could easily cut away most of that and have time for another event (they only participate in four before the eliminator right now).
The new version did have a few positives however. The new crop of gladiators seems decent and I like how they've done more to make them distinctive (ie a gladiator with frizzy hair and a beard called Wolf) rather than just "Meathead Gladiator #1" or "Lesbian Gladiator #2). They also added a few new games which all seem decent and sufficiently difficult. I even enjoyed how they added songs in defeat like "Another One Bites the Dust", although I think it should be reserved only for when the gladiator is defeated. Finally, I'll say that the eliminator is badass. It's much longer than any previous version and is a true test of endurance. My only complaint about it is that it is so long and difficult that the time penalty given to the second place contestant heading into the eliminator is rendered moot. As seen a couple of times last night, even a big head start, like 15 seconds, can easily be made up. With this being the case, it makes the contests before the eliminator somewhat pointless.
Given that this was the initial episode, hopefully some changes can and will be made. However, based on what I saw last night, this new version will be on a short leash with me. If no significant changes are made, I may just go back to the 90s version on ESPN Classic.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
"Favorites" for Survivor:Micronesia announced
An interesting group of 10 alumni have been chosen for the upcoming fans vs. favorites edition of Survivor. Here they are and the original season they were on:
Johnny Fairplay - Pearl Islands
Eliza Orlins - Vanuatu
Ami Cusack - Vanuatu
Cirie Fields - Panama
Ozzy Lusth - Cook Islands
Jonathan Penner - Cook Islands
Parvati Shallow - Cook Islands
Yau Man Chan - Fiji
Amanda Kimmel - China
James Clement - China
I'm not sure if these are the most worthy people to be chosen or ones that the 'fans' will take pleasure in defeating. However, there are some potentially good redemption stories amongst these all stars. Both James and Amanda could have easily won this past season, but blew it; so it will be interesting to see if they correct their mistakes this time. Yau Man's trusting nature screwed him in Fiji, so we'll see how he changes his game. Ozzy is likely to remain a strong challenge player, but will that be enough to have him win. And then there's wild card Fairplay. Certainly everyone will be keen to his cheating ways, so it should be interesting to see how he'll try to pull the wool over their eyes again. I certainly would have loved to see people from the Palau (like Tom or Ian) or Guatemala (like Judd, Rafe or Danni) rather than the annoying women of Vanuatu, but I know that at least in one case (Tom from Palau) that they were invited, but turned it down.
Despite what we may think of the choices, I have no doubt it'll still be a very entertaining season. We can all watch it unfold when Survivor returns on Feb. 7.
Johnny Fairplay - Pearl Islands
Eliza Orlins - Vanuatu
Ami Cusack - Vanuatu
Cirie Fields - Panama
Ozzy Lusth - Cook Islands
Jonathan Penner - Cook Islands
Parvati Shallow - Cook Islands
Yau Man Chan - Fiji
Amanda Kimmel - China
James Clement - China
I'm not sure if these are the most worthy people to be chosen or ones that the 'fans' will take pleasure in defeating. However, there are some potentially good redemption stories amongst these all stars. Both James and Amanda could have easily won this past season, but blew it; so it will be interesting to see if they correct their mistakes this time. Yau Man's trusting nature screwed him in Fiji, so we'll see how he changes his game. Ozzy is likely to remain a strong challenge player, but will that be enough to have him win. And then there's wild card Fairplay. Certainly everyone will be keen to his cheating ways, so it should be interesting to see how he'll try to pull the wool over their eyes again. I certainly would have loved to see people from the Palau (like Tom or Ian) or Guatemala (like Judd, Rafe or Danni) rather than the annoying women of Vanuatu, but I know that at least in one case (Tom from Palau) that they were invited, but turned it down.
Despite what we may think of the choices, I have no doubt it'll still be a very entertaining season. We can all watch it unfold when Survivor returns on Feb. 7.
Good, but not quite Legend...wait for it...ary
Got to squeeze in one more movie before I begin my way back down to Raleigh and saw I Am Legend.
Whether fair or not, I have a tendency to compare new films with ones I have previously seen. The first one that came to mind when watching this was Cast Away. Like Tom Hanks in that film, Will Smith gives a tour de force performance by himself here. It's not easy to play off nothing but inanimate objects, but Smith does it nicely. It's hard to believe the "Fresh Prince" would ever be considered a legitimate actor, but over the past few years he's really exhibited some excellent acting chops. The film does a great job of displaying his isolation and you really feel the anguish he's in as a result of this situation.
Another film that I was reminded of was War of the Worlds. This was mostly because of the few flashback scenes that showed people trying to leave the infected area of New York. What I noticed in the comparison between the two films was that this one in just a few scenes did a better job of showing mass panic related to a worldwide catastrophe. This film succeeded in showing the pain everyone was in as a result of the situation, while WotW was primarily another egostroke picture for Tom Cruise.
But the film that I think is most comparable to this one was Signs. What's interesting is that they took two different approaches to the same idea. In Signs the goal seemed to be to bludgeoning us over with theme and making sure we understood the main character's motivations. The creatures in that film were secondary. On the other hand, I felt that I Am Legend spent too much time with its Dark Seeker creatures. At times, the film came dangerously close to being a simple, cheesy horror flick.
While I have not read Matheson's short story that the film was based on, but my instinct says that it was a bit more complex and cerebral than the film made it out to be. There are some obvious themes of science vs. faith touched upon in the film, yet they are not given the adequate time to make them feel worthwhile. It seems to me that if you're content with being a simple thriller than they shouldn't even bother with those ideas to begin with. Ideally, though I'd like to see a film that would find a good balance between I Am Legend and Signs.
There are several aspects of the film that I liked, but also felt they could have used expansion. For instance, I would have loved to see more of Robert Neville's life in isolation. The scenes we got were very poignant and deserved more time. I also believed that more flashback scenes would have been helpful. Seeing more about how the virus developed and how those involved with it dealt with it, would have provided more impact to the film's final scenes.
Without giving too much away, when Neville begins to question whether there are other survivors or not, we're not given enough to understand why Neville holds such beliefs. It is these motivations which ultimately lead to Neville's major heroic act, yet it does not pack the emotional punch that it deserves because of that lack of a backstory.
Since the film decides to focus more on the monsters than character development, it should be credited for delivering some legitimate scares. There are several scenes which literally made me jump in my seat. Just thinking about living in a world like that gives me chills. And I don't think I'll ever listen to Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds' the same way again. The bottom line here is that if you are looking for a good thriller, than this is a really good film to go check out.
In the end, the film is quality entertainment, but it may not be exactly what you expect. I believe based on the sufficient thrills and chills and the exceptional performance by Will Smith, I can give this an easy recommendation. I expect that when I'm looking for decent popcorn fare, I won't have a problem watching this again. If I desire something that require me to think more, however, I may opt for something else. Grade: B
Whether fair or not, I have a tendency to compare new films with ones I have previously seen. The first one that came to mind when watching this was Cast Away. Like Tom Hanks in that film, Will Smith gives a tour de force performance by himself here. It's not easy to play off nothing but inanimate objects, but Smith does it nicely. It's hard to believe the "Fresh Prince" would ever be considered a legitimate actor, but over the past few years he's really exhibited some excellent acting chops. The film does a great job of displaying his isolation and you really feel the anguish he's in as a result of this situation.
Another film that I was reminded of was War of the Worlds. This was mostly because of the few flashback scenes that showed people trying to leave the infected area of New York. What I noticed in the comparison between the two films was that this one in just a few scenes did a better job of showing mass panic related to a worldwide catastrophe. This film succeeded in showing the pain everyone was in as a result of the situation, while WotW was primarily another egostroke picture for Tom Cruise.
But the film that I think is most comparable to this one was Signs. What's interesting is that they took two different approaches to the same idea. In Signs the goal seemed to be to bludgeoning us over with theme and making sure we understood the main character's motivations. The creatures in that film were secondary. On the other hand, I felt that I Am Legend spent too much time with its Dark Seeker creatures. At times, the film came dangerously close to being a simple, cheesy horror flick.
While I have not read Matheson's short story that the film was based on, but my instinct says that it was a bit more complex and cerebral than the film made it out to be. There are some obvious themes of science vs. faith touched upon in the film, yet they are not given the adequate time to make them feel worthwhile. It seems to me that if you're content with being a simple thriller than they shouldn't even bother with those ideas to begin with. Ideally, though I'd like to see a film that would find a good balance between I Am Legend and Signs.
There are several aspects of the film that I liked, but also felt they could have used expansion. For instance, I would have loved to see more of Robert Neville's life in isolation. The scenes we got were very poignant and deserved more time. I also believed that more flashback scenes would have been helpful. Seeing more about how the virus developed and how those involved with it dealt with it, would have provided more impact to the film's final scenes.
Without giving too much away, when Neville begins to question whether there are other survivors or not, we're not given enough to understand why Neville holds such beliefs. It is these motivations which ultimately lead to Neville's major heroic act, yet it does not pack the emotional punch that it deserves because of that lack of a backstory.
Since the film decides to focus more on the monsters than character development, it should be credited for delivering some legitimate scares. There are several scenes which literally made me jump in my seat. Just thinking about living in a world like that gives me chills. And I don't think I'll ever listen to Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds' the same way again. The bottom line here is that if you are looking for a good thriller, than this is a really good film to go check out.
In the end, the film is quality entertainment, but it may not be exactly what you expect. I believe based on the sufficient thrills and chills and the exceptional performance by Will Smith, I can give this an easy recommendation. I expect that when I'm looking for decent popcorn fare, I won't have a problem watching this again. If I desire something that require me to think more, however, I may opt for something else. Grade: B
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