Monday, May 30, 2011
NMR: Little Fockers
I talked last week about how unnecessary of a film the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film felt, but that goes double for this third entry in the Fockers franchise. It was clear watching this that the people behind these films have nothing left to say. This movie, if you can even really call it that, is a hodgepodge of random ideas, none of which are particularly fresh. Part of the disjointed feel that this film has is due to the cast. While they can be credited for bringing back all of the primary cast members from the previous films, it was clear that not everyone was available at the same time. As a result, the movie goes from one scene to the next with whoever was available leaving no internal consistency to the story. Given that the film is called Little Fockers, you would think the primary focus would be on the new kids, but they are more of a sideshow here. Instead, we revisit played out storylines like Jack's (Robert DeNiro) intimacy problems and Kevin's (Owen Wilson) inability to get over Pam. If the film had been a simple retread, it would have been unfortunate but understandable. But this movie also tries to shoehorn new characters like Jessica Alba's Andi, who may be one of the most unrealistic characters in a film in a long time. No one in real life behaves the way she does in this film. What had been so appealing about the first film was the way it rooted its comedy in uncomfortable realism. The laughs here, of which there are few, are anything but realistic. I really wanted this to be good, but there's just nothing here to warrant a recommendation. Rating: ** 1/2
Tribe Watch (Week 9)
Record: 31-19
Standing: First in AL Central
This has certainly been the roughest week thus far in the season for the Tribe. Managing only one win against both Boston and Tampa was less than encouraging considering either one of those teams could be playoff contenders. Right now the offense seems to be in a funk. With the exception of Asdrubal Cabrera, no one seems to be hitting with any consistency at the moment. It's good that Grady has returned to the lineup, but thus far he's struggled like everyone else to get on base. The good news amongst our recent struggles is that virtually everyone else in our division continues to play just as poorly, if not worse. Looking ahead to this week, the Indians continue their road trip by heading up to the Great White North to take on the Toronto Blue Jays for three games. Then it's back home for a four game set against the Texas Rangers. Both teams have good offenses, so even if our pitching is good, we can't rely solely on it. Let's get those bats going and I'll be there every step of the way to see what happened. Go Tribe!
Standing: First in AL Central
This has certainly been the roughest week thus far in the season for the Tribe. Managing only one win against both Boston and Tampa was less than encouraging considering either one of those teams could be playoff contenders. Right now the offense seems to be in a funk. With the exception of Asdrubal Cabrera, no one seems to be hitting with any consistency at the moment. It's good that Grady has returned to the lineup, but thus far he's struggled like everyone else to get on base. The good news amongst our recent struggles is that virtually everyone else in our division continues to play just as poorly, if not worse. Looking ahead to this week, the Indians continue their road trip by heading up to the Great White North to take on the Toronto Blue Jays for three games. Then it's back home for a four game set against the Texas Rangers. Both teams have good offenses, so even if our pitching is good, we can't rely solely on it. Let's get those bats going and I'll be there every step of the way to see what happened. Go Tribe!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Gal(ifianakis) pal
Just in time for The Hangover Part II, Zack is back with another installment of Between Two Ferns with special guest Will Ferrell.
Caribbean cruise control
Like many others, I opted to set sail once again with Captain Jack Sparrow last weekend for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment in the popular franchise. For me and this series of films, it's been a long, strange journey. When the first film came out, I initially scoffed at the idea of a pirate film. That is, until I actually saw it and was instantly won over by the film's fun nature and Johnny Depp's engaging performance as Captain Jack. With the second and third films, my anticipation led to fatigue as I saw Disney become greedy and over-ambitious as they tried to stretch a confounding narrative over the course of two films.
That leads us to this new film that I came into with some trepidation. On one hand, this was an opportunity, ala Ocean's 13, to be a make-good for the previous ill-received two films. However, this entry was being made without two of the previous films' primary leads. Neither Keira Knightly nor Orlando Bloom are seen or even mentioned in this outing. The end result here is a middling affair that isn't as bad as it could have been, nor does it offer much hope that this franchise has much left in the way of sealegs.
This time out, Capt. Jack is on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth. He's not alone though. The English, led by Barbosa (once again played by Geoffrey Rush) and the Spanish are searching for it. And so is Blackbeard (played by Ian McShane) and his daughter (Penelope Cruz), who also happens to be a former loved of Sparrow's. With so many parties involved its inevitable that there will be plenty of swashbuckling and swordfights between them, and sometime amongst them, along the way. If it all feels like familiar territory, you're not wrong. The film is set up in such a way that you sit patiently waiting until they all arrive at the fountain since you know that nothing of significance will occur until then. In fact the film does sag in the middle as it takes longer than you would like for them to actually arrive at the desired location.
While the action offers nothing new, I did appreciate the addition of Penelope Cruz. While she doesn't really have to try to exude sexiness, she still gives it her all here and the scenes that she shares with Depp offer up the film's few special moments. The same can't be said for the rest of the characters. I like Rush's Barbosa, but he doesn't bring anything new this time to his portrayal of Barbosa. As usual, his character continues to play all sides preventing anyone from knowing his true intentions. As for McShane, he's disappointing as Blackbeard. He never seems to find the right level of menace to make him an engaging villain. Worse of all though is a ham-handed subplot involving a hunky missionary and a mermaid. Their sole purpose in the film appears to help fill the void left by Bloom and Knightly's absence, but they add nothing to the movie. You could excise their entire subplot and have the film be just as entertaining.
Of course, all of these characters take a backseat throughout the film to Jack Sparrow, which probably isn't a good thing. With Depp's original performance of the character, the appeal came from the fact that the character was such a wildcard. Full of energy, with just the right amount of crazy. As the character became more of the central figure of this franchise, that mystique has been stripped. I'd imagine a similar problem would occur if they had made a Star Wars film that featured Han Solo, but didn't have Luke and Leia. By now, we know exactly how Capt. Jack will handle each situation. Depp still appears to be having fun playing the character, but I'm not sure the same can be said for the audience watching it.
Though the franchise may appear a bit weathered, a post-credits scene would lead you to believe that they're leaving the door open for the possibility of another entry. My suggestion would be to stop now before this franchise sinks to the depths of Davy Jones' locker. With the way things stand now, they don't go out on a high note, but they don't completely embarass themselves either. On Stranger Tides can be fun at times, but on the whole feels redundant and unnecessary. You'll have wished that the franchise had found the fountain of youth, because their routine is getting old fast. Grade: B-
That leads us to this new film that I came into with some trepidation. On one hand, this was an opportunity, ala Ocean's 13, to be a make-good for the previous ill-received two films. However, this entry was being made without two of the previous films' primary leads. Neither Keira Knightly nor Orlando Bloom are seen or even mentioned in this outing. The end result here is a middling affair that isn't as bad as it could have been, nor does it offer much hope that this franchise has much left in the way of sealegs.
This time out, Capt. Jack is on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth. He's not alone though. The English, led by Barbosa (once again played by Geoffrey Rush) and the Spanish are searching for it. And so is Blackbeard (played by Ian McShane) and his daughter (Penelope Cruz), who also happens to be a former loved of Sparrow's. With so many parties involved its inevitable that there will be plenty of swashbuckling and swordfights between them, and sometime amongst them, along the way. If it all feels like familiar territory, you're not wrong. The film is set up in such a way that you sit patiently waiting until they all arrive at the fountain since you know that nothing of significance will occur until then. In fact the film does sag in the middle as it takes longer than you would like for them to actually arrive at the desired location.
While the action offers nothing new, I did appreciate the addition of Penelope Cruz. While she doesn't really have to try to exude sexiness, she still gives it her all here and the scenes that she shares with Depp offer up the film's few special moments. The same can't be said for the rest of the characters. I like Rush's Barbosa, but he doesn't bring anything new this time to his portrayal of Barbosa. As usual, his character continues to play all sides preventing anyone from knowing his true intentions. As for McShane, he's disappointing as Blackbeard. He never seems to find the right level of menace to make him an engaging villain. Worse of all though is a ham-handed subplot involving a hunky missionary and a mermaid. Their sole purpose in the film appears to help fill the void left by Bloom and Knightly's absence, but they add nothing to the movie. You could excise their entire subplot and have the film be just as entertaining.
Of course, all of these characters take a backseat throughout the film to Jack Sparrow, which probably isn't a good thing. With Depp's original performance of the character, the appeal came from the fact that the character was such a wildcard. Full of energy, with just the right amount of crazy. As the character became more of the central figure of this franchise, that mystique has been stripped. I'd imagine a similar problem would occur if they had made a Star Wars film that featured Han Solo, but didn't have Luke and Leia. By now, we know exactly how Capt. Jack will handle each situation. Depp still appears to be having fun playing the character, but I'm not sure the same can be said for the audience watching it.
Though the franchise may appear a bit weathered, a post-credits scene would lead you to believe that they're leaving the door open for the possibility of another entry. My suggestion would be to stop now before this franchise sinks to the depths of Davy Jones' locker. With the way things stand now, they don't go out on a high note, but they don't completely embarass themselves either. On Stranger Tides can be fun at times, but on the whole feels redundant and unnecessary. You'll have wished that the franchise had found the fountain of youth, because their routine is getting old fast. Grade: B-
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Puppet master
I'm sure most of you have seen this already, but if not, check out how a trailer can go from awful to awesome in a matter of seconds.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
NMR: Tangled
Even though this isn't in my wheelhouse of films I typically watch, I'm, in general, a sucker for animated films, so I gave it a look. This modern telling of Rapunzel comes from Disney and their fingerprints are all over it. You have cute animal sidekicks. You have a princess. You have a female villain. You have big musical numbers. It's all there, yet its still missing some of its magic. For some reason, the Disney formula, which worked for so many years dating back to Snow White lost something once they transitioned to computer animation. None of it feels fresh anymore. Other studios like Pixar have surpassed them at being able to tell compelling stories with engaging characters. In many ways, Tangled feels like a used car that has a fresh coat of paint on it. My comments may seem a bit harsh and I certainly don't want them to sound that way. In many ways I was entertained by the film. The musical numbers are solid and there are a few decent characters. I just wish Disney could have been a bit more innovative. Younger children who have not seen a lot of the original Disney animated features will likely love this, but older audiences are better off just sticking with the originals. Rating: *** 1/2
Ghost Crichton
News on a new Michael Crichton novel coming out this fall, despite passing away back in 2008. From Dayton Daily News:
A new, posthumous story of science gone wrong is coming in November from the late Michael Crichton, with help by Richard Preston.
Crichton, author of such blockbusters as "Jurassic Park" and "The Andromeda Strain" died in 2008 and had written one-third of "Micro," a thriller about a biotech company in Hawaii and the graduate students who end up stranded and endangered in a rain forest. Preston, known for his best-selling nonfiction work about the Ebola virus, "The Hot Zone," used Crichton's outline, reference materials and notes to finish the book.
Publisher HarperCollins announced Sunday that "Micro" would be "a high concept thriller in the vein of 'Jurassic Park.'" In a statement released by HarperCollins, Preston said he was immediately captivated by Crichton's manuscript.
"Michael was writing at the top of his game, with a grand sense of adventure, into an eerie world that seems almost beyond imagining," Preston said. "For me, it was an irresistible challenge to finish the novel, and I was driven by a desire to honor the work and imagination of one of our time's most visionary and creative authors."
"Michael was exhilarated by his concept for this novel," Crichton's agent, Lynn Nesbit, said in a statement. "He felt he was breaking new ground by introducing his readers to a fascinating, almost unimaginable landscape with real scientific underpinnings."
Crichton is one of many authors whose publishing output has continued after his death. David Foster Wallace's "The Pale King," a novel assembled from notes the author left behind after his suicide in 2008, came out last month. The "Wheel of Time" fantasy series by Robert Jordan, who died in 2007, is being completed by Brandon Sanderson. Crichton's "Pirate Latitudes," a novel he had finished before his death, was released in 2009.
Tribe Watch (Week 8)
Record: 29-15
Standing: First in AL Central
This was certainly a week that featured a lot of highs and low. On the high side, we swept both the Royals and Reds. The Royals series featured a lot of offense, but doing that against the Royals has been commonplace for a while now. Sweeping the Reds was huge because they are a playoff contender too. The first two games were close ones that showed the Indians 'never-say-die' attitude. Today's game was an awesome blowout that put a great exclamation point on this series. As for the lows, we looked absolutely awful losing both games of the two-game series against Chicago. Normally I wouldn't get too worked up over losing two games, but I absolutely loathe the White Sox and hate whenever we lose to them. But for now, they've at the bottom of the division, so I'll try not to worry about them too much. The other low came from the mounting injuries the team has suffered. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and rookie pitcher Alex White all went on the DL. Thus far they haven't been too critical since the offense has remained hot and Mitch Talbot is expected to come off the DL to replace White. All in all, I'd say this was a positive week. We're now at the quarter point of the season and things continue to look good. We have no signs of this being a fluke or hot start and we also hold the biggest lead within our division (up on Detroit by 7.5 games currently). Let's hope that continues to hold. But things won't get any easier this week as the resurgent Boston Red Sox come into town tomorrow for a three game series and then we head down to the ugliest stadium in the major leagues, Tropicana Field, to play the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays. As usual, I'll be watching and I hope all of you will too. Go Tribe!
Standing: First in AL Central
This was certainly a week that featured a lot of highs and low. On the high side, we swept both the Royals and Reds. The Royals series featured a lot of offense, but doing that against the Royals has been commonplace for a while now. Sweeping the Reds was huge because they are a playoff contender too. The first two games were close ones that showed the Indians 'never-say-die' attitude. Today's game was an awesome blowout that put a great exclamation point on this series. As for the lows, we looked absolutely awful losing both games of the two-game series against Chicago. Normally I wouldn't get too worked up over losing two games, but I absolutely loathe the White Sox and hate whenever we lose to them. But for now, they've at the bottom of the division, so I'll try not to worry about them too much. The other low came from the mounting injuries the team has suffered. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and rookie pitcher Alex White all went on the DL. Thus far they haven't been too critical since the offense has remained hot and Mitch Talbot is expected to come off the DL to replace White. All in all, I'd say this was a positive week. We're now at the quarter point of the season and things continue to look good. We have no signs of this being a fluke or hot start and we also hold the biggest lead within our division (up on Detroit by 7.5 games currently). Let's hope that continues to hold. But things won't get any easier this week as the resurgent Boston Red Sox come into town tomorrow for a three game series and then we head down to the ugliest stadium in the major leagues, Tropicana Field, to play the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays. As usual, I'll be watching and I hope all of you will too. Go Tribe!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Bane of our existence
Courtesy of a new viral campaign which began on TheDarkKnightRises.com, here is the exclusive first look at Tom Hardy (Inception) as Bane in Christopher Nolan's third Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, which is set to be released next summer. I'm already more excited about that film than I am about anything coming out this summer.
RIP Macho Man
I don't write a whole lot about wrestling on here, but this was too big of a story to ignore. Earlier today, it was announced that Randy "Macho Man" Savage had passed away from an apparent heart attack while he was driving with his wife. He was only 57. This news comes as a shock to so many wrestling fans who idolized him for so many years. Without question, he was one of the best. He had a tremendous mix of both charisma and atheletic ability. Anyone who was or is a wrestling fan can immediately tell you their favorite match of his, but you'll likely get a different answer from each person you ask. He had memorable feuds with all the greats from Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Ultimate Warrior, Ricky Steamboat, Jake "the Snake" Roberts and numerous others. He made it look so effortless to get you sucked into his matches, whether it was through his manic pre-match promos or the way he displayed his vicious side or show his vulnerability by selling his opponents attack. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Macho Man when I was 12. It was the first pro wrestler I had ever met in person and he seemed larger than life. Truly a moment I'll never forget. I really wish that the he and the WWE had been able to get past their differences, whatever they were, in order for him to have been inducted in their Hall of Fame while he was still with us. Now, though, he'll likely automatically be in next year's class. It's a shame it had to take this happening for him to get that recognition. But while the WWE may have been petty, fans certainly have not. You'll likely see an outpouring of positive sentiments and fond memories being shared over the next few days and they come to the realization that yet another great pro wrestler has left us. I'll do the same here as I've embedded one of my favorite moments of his - the reunion with Miss Elizabeth (sadly, also deceased) from Wrestlemania VII. The way things played out there didn't just create a great moment in wrestling history, it created a great moment in television history. The emotion surrounding their on-screen reconciliation was something you could have found in any great TV drama. As we mourn the loss of this great star, feel free to share your own memories. Randy, you will be missed. Ooohhh Yeahhh!
Meta cheese
I'm sure you're sick of the TV talk for a while, so let's get back into some good ol' movie reviews. A few weeks ago, I caught Scream 4, the latest in the popular horror movie franchise. When the first Scream came out in 1997 it generated a lot of interest because it attempted to say something about the horror genre and turn some of the genre's conventions on its ear. As the franchise went on, the films became even more meta as we saw them do a film in a film that depicted the events of the first film.
However, it's now been 10 years since the last Scream and a lot of has happened in the horror genre in that time. We've seen the prominance of the torture porn genre with franchises like Saw and Hostel. More recently, there's been the trend of the documentary style filmmaking for horror films, seen in movies like Paranormal Activity. Yet, Scream 4 arrives as if the franchise has been in a bubble of sorts. The characters have aged and the technology has been updated, but it's efforts on making commentary on the horror genre seem a bit antiquated. Writer Kevin Williamson seems more intent on mocking teen culture rather than horror films.
In Scream 4, Sydney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell) returns to her hometown of Woodsboro to do a book signing for her autobiography and wouldn't you know it, Ghostface decides to show up at the same time murdering people around town. Of course, Sydney is once again joined by the other surviving cast members of the previous films, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, as Gail Weathers and local cop Dewey, respectively. But along with our trio is a whole host of fresh young blood including Emma Roberts, who plays Sydney's cousin Jill and Hayden Panitierre as her friend. The amount of screen time the young actors get is problematic though. Fans of the franchise will want more of a focus on the core trio, but the studio clearly felt the need to include these teens in order to appeal to a wider, newer audience.
I think what bothered me most wasn't the screen time that they received, especially since most of them are just there to be fodder for Ghostface. Rather it was the film's decision to devote so much of the story and commentary on the teen lifestyle as a way to justify their prescence that frustrated me. Without giving too much away, this problem is connected with who they chose to be the film's killer. For me, one of the greatest appeals of this franchise is that it's been as much about being a whodunnit as it has been about the killings. And this time around, the choice for the killer was a letdown. I felt the choice should have been based on one of two things. Either let the killer have not only a strong connection to Sydney, but a deep reason to hate her or they should have chosen a character who's motives would have been more strongly connected with a larger social commentary. There's a point early in the film where someone mentions tough economic times. It would have been completely plausible to have the killer be someone who in their twisted mind was attempting to boost Woodsboro's economy because the Ghostface killings always generate a larger interest in the town.
So when the killer is revealed and it's a letdown, the rest of the film doesn't look as good either. Most of the action leading up to the reveal is redunant from any of the chase scenes we saw in the first three films. If you're going to pull this franchise out of the mothballs then you better have a good reason to do so. Sadly, I didn't see that here. Yes, there are definitely some funny moments and clever lines sprinkled throughout. The opening sequence in particular is the height of meta commentary with several fake-out moments. However, for as funny and clever as the dialogue is at times, none of it felt needed or enlightening. And instead of feeling timeless, this just felt like an unnecessary rehash.
I'm giving Scream 4 a mild recommendation because the quality of the film isn't that different than any of the other previous entries. If you enjoyed the first three films, you're likely going to appreciate another go round involving these familiar characters. I just wish they had made an effort to freshen things up a bit more. This feels in many ways like it could have come out in 2001, not 2011. With the violence and scares being amped up with today's modern horror films, this franchise is going to have to scream a little bit louder in order to get some recognition. Grade: B-
However, it's now been 10 years since the last Scream and a lot of has happened in the horror genre in that time. We've seen the prominance of the torture porn genre with franchises like Saw and Hostel. More recently, there's been the trend of the documentary style filmmaking for horror films, seen in movies like Paranormal Activity. Yet, Scream 4 arrives as if the franchise has been in a bubble of sorts. The characters have aged and the technology has been updated, but it's efforts on making commentary on the horror genre seem a bit antiquated. Writer Kevin Williamson seems more intent on mocking teen culture rather than horror films.
In Scream 4, Sydney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell) returns to her hometown of Woodsboro to do a book signing for her autobiography and wouldn't you know it, Ghostface decides to show up at the same time murdering people around town. Of course, Sydney is once again joined by the other surviving cast members of the previous films, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, as Gail Weathers and local cop Dewey, respectively. But along with our trio is a whole host of fresh young blood including Emma Roberts, who plays Sydney's cousin Jill and Hayden Panitierre as her friend. The amount of screen time the young actors get is problematic though. Fans of the franchise will want more of a focus on the core trio, but the studio clearly felt the need to include these teens in order to appeal to a wider, newer audience.
I think what bothered me most wasn't the screen time that they received, especially since most of them are just there to be fodder for Ghostface. Rather it was the film's decision to devote so much of the story and commentary on the teen lifestyle as a way to justify their prescence that frustrated me. Without giving too much away, this problem is connected with who they chose to be the film's killer. For me, one of the greatest appeals of this franchise is that it's been as much about being a whodunnit as it has been about the killings. And this time around, the choice for the killer was a letdown. I felt the choice should have been based on one of two things. Either let the killer have not only a strong connection to Sydney, but a deep reason to hate her or they should have chosen a character who's motives would have been more strongly connected with a larger social commentary. There's a point early in the film where someone mentions tough economic times. It would have been completely plausible to have the killer be someone who in their twisted mind was attempting to boost Woodsboro's economy because the Ghostface killings always generate a larger interest in the town.
So when the killer is revealed and it's a letdown, the rest of the film doesn't look as good either. Most of the action leading up to the reveal is redunant from any of the chase scenes we saw in the first three films. If you're going to pull this franchise out of the mothballs then you better have a good reason to do so. Sadly, I didn't see that here. Yes, there are definitely some funny moments and clever lines sprinkled throughout. The opening sequence in particular is the height of meta commentary with several fake-out moments. However, for as funny and clever as the dialogue is at times, none of it felt needed or enlightening. And instead of feeling timeless, this just felt like an unnecessary rehash.
I'm giving Scream 4 a mild recommendation because the quality of the film isn't that different than any of the other previous entries. If you enjoyed the first three films, you're likely going to appreciate another go round involving these familiar characters. I just wish they had made an effort to freshen things up a bit more. This feels in many ways like it could have come out in 2001, not 2011. With the violence and scares being amped up with today's modern horror films, this franchise is going to have to scream a little bit louder in order to get some recognition. Grade: B-
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Fall TV Schedules (CW)
And we wrap up the week with the announcement of the CW's fall schedule.
MONDAY
8 pm Gossip Girl (New Time)
9 pm Hart of Dixie (New Series)
TUESDAY
8 pm 90210 (New Night)
9 pm Ringer (New Series)
WEDNESDAY
8 pm H8R (New Series)
9 pm America’s Next Top Model
THURSDAY
8 pm The Vampire Diaries
9 pm The Secret Circle (New Series)
FRIDAY
8 pm Nikita (New Night)
9 pm Supernatural
Blah. From my perspective, nothing to see here. Same teen-skewing junk that they put out every year.
MONDAY
8 pm Gossip Girl (New Time)
9 pm Hart of Dixie (New Series)
TUESDAY
8 pm 90210 (New Night)
9 pm Ringer (New Series)
WEDNESDAY
8 pm H8R (New Series)
9 pm America’s Next Top Model
THURSDAY
8 pm The Vampire Diaries
9 pm The Secret Circle (New Series)
FRIDAY
8 pm Nikita (New Night)
9 pm Supernatural
Blah. From my perspective, nothing to see here. Same teen-skewing junk that they put out every year.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Fall TV Schedules (CBS)
Next up on the fall schedule announcement is CBS (All new shows are denoted in all CAPS).
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30-9:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS
9:00-9:30 PM Two and a Half Men
9:30-10:00 PM Mike & Molly
10:00-11:00 PM Hawaii Five-0
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00-11:00 PM UNFORGETTABLE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Survivor: South Pacific
9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM The Big Bang Theory
8:30-9:00 PM HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN
9:00-10:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST
10:00-11:00 PM The Mentalist
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM A GIFTED MAN
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM Blue Bloods
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM Rules of Engagement
8:30-9:00 PM Comedytime Saturday
9:00-10:00 PM Crimetime Saturday
10:00-11:00 PM 48 Hours Mystery
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 PM The Amazing Race
9:00-10:00 PM The Good Wife
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: Miami
Leave it to CBS to finally bring some intrigue to these fall TV announcements. Once again, they've gone and made some major changes to the timeslots of their existing hit shows. The original CSI gets bumped to Wednesdays at 10. Given its waning ratings, the move isn't totally surprising, but it still has to hurt for those involved with that show. For CBS to make that move, they must have felt like they had something solid to replace it with. On the surface it appears they do. A new show called Person of Interest that stars Michael Emerson (Ben from Lost) as an eccentric billionaire who helps solve crimes with Jim Caveziel. Color me intrigued. The other moves CBS made don't have a great impact on me, but are still noteworthy. Breakout hit The Good Wife moves from Tuesdays to Sundays. And then CBS attempts to air new programming on Saturdays by having Rules of Engagement air there. When you're #1, you're able to make these riskier moves. This isn't the first time they've done these experiments, but unlike their counterparts, everyone move they make seems to be the right one. I have no doubt the same will hold true again this year.
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30-9:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS
9:00-9:30 PM Two and a Half Men
9:30-10:00 PM Mike & Molly
10:00-11:00 PM Hawaii Five-0
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00-11:00 PM UNFORGETTABLE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Survivor: South Pacific
9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM The Big Bang Theory
8:30-9:00 PM HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN
9:00-10:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST
10:00-11:00 PM The Mentalist
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM A GIFTED MAN
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM Blue Bloods
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM Rules of Engagement
8:30-9:00 PM Comedytime Saturday
9:00-10:00 PM Crimetime Saturday
10:00-11:00 PM 48 Hours Mystery
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 PM The Amazing Race
9:00-10:00 PM The Good Wife
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: Miami
Leave it to CBS to finally bring some intrigue to these fall TV announcements. Once again, they've gone and made some major changes to the timeslots of their existing hit shows. The original CSI gets bumped to Wednesdays at 10. Given its waning ratings, the move isn't totally surprising, but it still has to hurt for those involved with that show. For CBS to make that move, they must have felt like they had something solid to replace it with. On the surface it appears they do. A new show called Person of Interest that stars Michael Emerson (Ben from Lost) as an eccentric billionaire who helps solve crimes with Jim Caveziel. Color me intrigued. The other moves CBS made don't have a great impact on me, but are still noteworthy. Breakout hit The Good Wife moves from Tuesdays to Sundays. And then CBS attempts to air new programming on Saturdays by having Rules of Engagement air there. When you're #1, you're able to make these riskier moves. This isn't the first time they've done these experiments, but unlike their counterparts, everyone move they make seems to be the right one. I have no doubt the same will hold true again this year.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
New ABC shows
Here's your first look at what ABC has new in store for fall.
These shows won't debut until midseason:
These shows won't debut until midseason:
Fall TV Schedules (ABC)
Today's ABC's turn to unveil their lineup for the fall (New shows denoted in all CAPS).
MONDAY:
8:00 - 10:00 Dancing with the Stars
10:00 - 11:00 Castle
TUESDAY:
8:00 - 8:30 LAST MAN STANDING
8:30 - 9:00 MAN UP
9:00 - 10:00 Dancing with the Stars the Results Show
10:00 - 11:00 Body Of Proof
WEDNESDAY:
8:00 - 8:30 The Middle
8:30 - 9:00 SUBURGATORY
9:00 - 9:30 Modern Family
9:30 - 10:00 Happy Endings
10:00 - 11:00 REVENGE
THURSDAY:
8:00 - 9:00 CHARLIE'S ANGELS
9:00 - 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 - 11:00 Private Practice
FRIDAY:
8:00 - 9:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 - 10:00 Shark Tank
10:00 - 11:00 20/20
SATURDAY:
8:00 - 11:00 Saturday Night College Football
SUNDAY:
7:00 - 8:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos
8:00 - 9:00 ONCE UPON A TIME
9:00 - 10:00 Desperate Housewives
10:00 - 11:00 PAN AM
So right now there is nothing that I watch on ABC and I'm not sure if that will change come this fall either. Certainly I'll have to take a look at the trailers for their new shows, but most of them seem to cater to the same demographic as their existing shows - women. There isn't too much of a shakeup in their scheduling, so I'm sure ABC will maintain a status quo with regards to their ratings. Thus far, they seem to have taken the fewest amount of risks with their schedule.
MONDAY:
8:00 - 10:00 Dancing with the Stars
10:00 - 11:00 Castle
TUESDAY:
8:00 - 8:30 LAST MAN STANDING
8:30 - 9:00 MAN UP
9:00 - 10:00 Dancing with the Stars the Results Show
10:00 - 11:00 Body Of Proof
WEDNESDAY:
8:00 - 8:30 The Middle
8:30 - 9:00 SUBURGATORY
9:00 - 9:30 Modern Family
9:30 - 10:00 Happy Endings
10:00 - 11:00 REVENGE
THURSDAY:
8:00 - 9:00 CHARLIE'S ANGELS
9:00 - 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 - 11:00 Private Practice
FRIDAY:
8:00 - 9:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 - 10:00 Shark Tank
10:00 - 11:00 20/20
SATURDAY:
8:00 - 11:00 Saturday Night College Football
SUNDAY:
7:00 - 8:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos
8:00 - 9:00 ONCE UPON A TIME
9:00 - 10:00 Desperate Housewives
10:00 - 11:00 PAN AM
So right now there is nothing that I watch on ABC and I'm not sure if that will change come this fall either. Certainly I'll have to take a look at the trailers for their new shows, but most of them seem to cater to the same demographic as their existing shows - women. There isn't too much of a shakeup in their scheduling, so I'm sure ABC will maintain a status quo with regards to their ratings. Thus far, they seem to have taken the fewest amount of risks with their schedule.
New FOX shows
Here are the trailers for the shows that will debut this fall on FOX.
The following trailers are for shows that won't debut until midseason.
The following trailers are for shows that won't debut until midseason.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Fall TV Schedules (FOX)
FOX is up next. Here's what they plan on airing this fall (New shows are denoted in all CAPS)...
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM TERRA NOVA
9:00-10:00 PM House
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Glee
9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL
9:30-10:00 PM Raising Hope
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM THE X FACTOR PERFORMANCE SHOW
9:30-10:00 PM I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE X FACTOR RESULTS SHOW
9:00-10:00 PM Bones
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Kitchen Nightmares
9:00-10:00 PM Fringe
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM Cops
8:30-9:00 PM Cops
9:00-10:00 PM Encores/America’S Most Wanted (specials)
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM The OT (NFL post-game)
7:30-8:00 PM The Cleveland Show
8:00-8:30 PM The Simpsons
8:30-9:00 PM ALLEN GREGORY
9:00-9:30 PM Family Guy
9:30-10:00 PM American Dad
As far as returning shows, almost everything is status quo, so nothing to worry about there. Where the intrigue lies is with Fox's new shows. Terra Nova has the possibility to be the next Lost or a very expensive failure. Meanwhile, we'll see how much of a draw Simon Cowell really is as he totes out another talent competition in American Idol's slot. And then on Sunday's they'll do their best to try and launch a successful animated program that isn't The Simpsons or something from the mind of Seth McFarland. From my perspective, those are some big question marks, but we'll get the answers to them in just a few short months.
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM TERRA NOVA
9:00-10:00 PM House
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Glee
9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL
9:30-10:00 PM Raising Hope
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM THE X FACTOR PERFORMANCE SHOW
9:30-10:00 PM I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE X FACTOR RESULTS SHOW
9:00-10:00 PM Bones
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Kitchen Nightmares
9:00-10:00 PM Fringe
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM Cops
8:30-9:00 PM Cops
9:00-10:00 PM Encores/America’S Most Wanted (specials)
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM The OT (NFL post-game)
7:30-8:00 PM The Cleveland Show
8:00-8:30 PM The Simpsons
8:30-9:00 PM ALLEN GREGORY
9:00-9:30 PM Family Guy
9:30-10:00 PM American Dad
As far as returning shows, almost everything is status quo, so nothing to worry about there. Where the intrigue lies is with Fox's new shows. Terra Nova has the possibility to be the next Lost or a very expensive failure. Meanwhile, we'll see how much of a draw Simon Cowell really is as he totes out another talent competition in American Idol's slot. And then on Sunday's they'll do their best to try and launch a successful animated program that isn't The Simpsons or something from the mind of Seth McFarland. From my perspective, those are some big question marks, but we'll get the answers to them in just a few short months.
Dynamic Duo
Courtesy of the most recent Saturday Night Live, check out The Ambiguously Gay Duo come to life, as portrayed by Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon (with awesome cameos by Stephen Colbert and Steve Carrell).
Fall TV Schedules (NBC)
It's a big week for television viewers as the major broadcast networks unveil their new fall schedules. NBC got things started yesterday with the announcement of their slate. Here's their schedule (New shows are denoted in all CAPS):
MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Sing-Off”
10-11 p.m. – “THE PLAYBOY CLUB”
TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”
WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “UP ALL NIGHT”
8:30-9 p.m. – “FREE AGENTS”
9-10 p.m. — “Harry’s Law”
10-11 p.m. — “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. — “Parks and Recreation”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “WHITNEY”
10-11 p.m. – “PRIME SUSPECT”
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. – “GRIMM”
10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
SATURDAY
Encore programming
SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”
This obviously will change if there's no football because of the lockout, but I doubt that will happen. Aside from that, the interesting things of note is Chuck moving to Fridays. They were only given a 13 episode order (instead of the usual 22) and NBC has said that this will be their final season, so placing it on Friday isn't that surprising. Parks and Recreation moves back to 8:30 and hopefully can sustain viewers. 30 Rock won't be back until mid-season due to Tina Fey's pregnancy. Wednesdays are probably their biggest gamble as they try to have sitcoms succeed on a night besides Thursdays. As for their new shows, I haven't had a chance to really investigate them yet, but it's clear some of them will need to be breakout hits if NBC hopes to regain prominance. I'll post trailers for the new shows later so that you can judge them for yourself.
MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Sing-Off”
10-11 p.m. – “THE PLAYBOY CLUB”
TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”
WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “UP ALL NIGHT”
8:30-9 p.m. – “FREE AGENTS”
9-10 p.m. — “Harry’s Law”
10-11 p.m. — “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. — “Parks and Recreation”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “WHITNEY”
10-11 p.m. – “PRIME SUSPECT”
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. – “GRIMM”
10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
SATURDAY
Encore programming
SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”
This obviously will change if there's no football because of the lockout, but I doubt that will happen. Aside from that, the interesting things of note is Chuck moving to Fridays. They were only given a 13 episode order (instead of the usual 22) and NBC has said that this will be their final season, so placing it on Friday isn't that surprising. Parks and Recreation moves back to 8:30 and hopefully can sustain viewers. 30 Rock won't be back until mid-season due to Tina Fey's pregnancy. Wednesdays are probably their biggest gamble as they try to have sitcoms succeed on a night besides Thursdays. As for their new shows, I haven't had a chance to really investigate them yet, but it's clear some of them will need to be breakout hits if NBC hopes to regain prominance. I'll post trailers for the new shows later so that you can judge them for yourself.
Tribe Watch (Week 7)
Record: 24-13
Standing: First in the AL Central
Not a whole lot to talk about this week given the off day last Monday and the fact that the last two games have been rained out. Those rain outs are a real shame too considering that series against Seattle could have been a real good opportunity to get our bats going again after they laid dormant for most of the Tampa Bay series. We were fortunate to get the first win off of them, but then their stellar pitching shut us down for the second and third game. The first game against Seattle was tremendous as Hafner's home run provided the Indians with yet another walk-off win. It really seems like the magic is back at Jacobs Field (still don't like calling it by it's new name). It's a shame though that we'll be spending this upcoming week back out on the road. We have a pair of two game series to start the week against Kansas City and Chicago. We should play well against both, but we don't want to take anything for granted since wins against divisional rivals are important. Then we'll begin a weekend series at home with the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have played us tough in recent years and they're currently a contender, so it should be a good test to see how we handle playing against a decent team. Since I live in Dayton, I really hope we do well so that I can listen to the Reds fans complain and cry. Win or lose though, it's always fun to be an Indians fan!
Standing: First in the AL Central
Not a whole lot to talk about this week given the off day last Monday and the fact that the last two games have been rained out. Those rain outs are a real shame too considering that series against Seattle could have been a real good opportunity to get our bats going again after they laid dormant for most of the Tampa Bay series. We were fortunate to get the first win off of them, but then their stellar pitching shut us down for the second and third game. The first game against Seattle was tremendous as Hafner's home run provided the Indians with yet another walk-off win. It really seems like the magic is back at Jacobs Field (still don't like calling it by it's new name). It's a shame though that we'll be spending this upcoming week back out on the road. We have a pair of two game series to start the week against Kansas City and Chicago. We should play well against both, but we don't want to take anything for granted since wins against divisional rivals are important. Then we'll begin a weekend series at home with the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have played us tough in recent years and they're currently a contender, so it should be a good test to see how we handle playing against a decent team. Since I live in Dayton, I really hope we do well so that I can listen to the Reds fans complain and cry. Win or lose though, it's always fun to be an Indians fan!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Killer job
I think I may have missed the boat leaving this off my top 30 for 2011 list, especially considering how many of the films I've put on there that have turned out to be duds.
NMR: Hereafter
What a somber, dreary wreck this is. I expected a lot more from another collaboration between director Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon. The film, which has three different storylines that eventually intersect, attempts to look at what possibly happens after we die. The first problem comes from the fact that the film takes a half hour to establish each of the storylines - something that was established within 2 minutes in the film's trailer. It then spends the next hour+ spinning its wheels and maintaining this melancholy mood that almost made you want to kill yourself just so you could get the truth on the hereafter quicker. The film briefly sparked my interest as the storylines began to merge, but it didn't last long. Given the talent involved in this project, it should have been way better and more engaging. Instead, we get a rare lifeless performance and Damon and Eastwood putting all his usual directorial touches on material that didn't deserve it. This one is a definite skip. Rating: **
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Steel reserve
I can't quite get a beat on this film. At best, we could be in store for some awesome robot mayhem to help fill the void after Transformers leaves the theaters or at worst, this could basically be Over the Top for the 21st century.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Hammer Time
Despite the big box office for Fast Five last weekend, it was this weekend that the summer movie season officially began and like it has for quite a few years now, it started with a comic book movie. This time around, it's Thor, the god of thunder who gets a chance to shine on the big screen. Thor may not be as well known as say, Batman or Spiderman, but still has a rich mythology that gets properly introduced in this film.
Given the lesser name recognition, Thor certainly had an uphill battle. First there's the issue of non-fans. With most comic book heroes, unless they are really well known, the director has to find a way of staying true to the character's history, while also making the film accessible to people who are not as familiar with him. Thor's story is more problematic given that it deals with two worlds. A lot of Thor's story involves his battle and interactions in his home world of Asgard. But since Thor will eventually join forces with other human heroes like Iron Man and Captain America, the film must also find a way to have him come to Earth and begin to establish relationships with characters there. Finding the right balance on both of those issues is not easy. The fact the film was being directed by Kenneth Branagh, a man not known for making these type of films just added to the likelihood of failure.
But I'm happy to report that Thor manages to overcome those obstacles and deliver a mostly entertaining film. A large part of this is thanks to a winning performance by Chris Hemsworth in the leading role. Hemsworth (last seen as Kirk's father in the Star Trek reboot) is not just some himbo that has the right look. In battle, he comes off looking mightly, but he's also adept with the lighter, humorous scenes. Those scenes typically come during his interactions with a group of scientists who find him in New Mexico after Thor's father, Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins) banished him to Earth. Hemsworth's plays particuarly well with Natalie Portman, one of the scientists who not surprisingly finds herself smitten with the Norse god. The two have a nice chemsitry together and I would have liked for there to have been more scenes between them as their pairing felt a bit rushed.
The rushed nature is due to the fact that half of the film takes place is Asgard, Thor's home world. It is there that we're introduced to a whole host of characters, including Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), Thor's brother who resents the power and favor Thor has earned. These scenes will likely confuse a lot of non-fans, but Branagh does his best on drawing from his Shakespearian roots to makes the themes played out in these scenes to be as relatable as possible. Credit also to the director for avoiding the cheesiness that can often coincide with scenes involving rainbow bridges, gatekeepers, and frost giants.
While I enjoyed Thor, I also couldn't help still feeling frustrated. This is yet another film heavy on exposition and light on action. While there are certainly some decent battle scenes, including a brief but effective sequence involving an entity known as The Destroyer, there really isn't an engaging conflict to sink your teeth into. Similar to the first two Iron Man films, the concept of defeating a bad guy is secondary to having characters go through a trial to discover themselves. And to think, we've got to endure this again with Captain America later this summer. And it may not even get better once next summer's Avengers movie happens because most of that will likely be spent on having the heroes learning how to work with each other. Internal conflict is fine, but at some point, I just want to see good and evil duke it out in a blaze of glory. That's why The Dark Knight remains the apex of these films because it put the conflict between Batman and the Joker in center stage.
Those who were already fans of Thor from the comics will be very pleased with this film. From all that I've read and personally know about the character, those involved with the film have done a nice job of staying true to the character and making him come to life. For outsiders, there is certainly enough here, particularly the scenes on here for you to enjoy and be able to watch the film without feeling lost. Everyone needs to realize though that this is ultimately still another piece in a larger puzzle. If you can accept the lack of payoff here and the teases of bigger things to come, then you'll be in for a fun time at the multiplex. Thor isn't quite a god amongst comic book movies, but director Kenneth Branagh makes a heroic effort to have this film be as enjoyable as it is. Grade: B
Given the lesser name recognition, Thor certainly had an uphill battle. First there's the issue of non-fans. With most comic book heroes, unless they are really well known, the director has to find a way of staying true to the character's history, while also making the film accessible to people who are not as familiar with him. Thor's story is more problematic given that it deals with two worlds. A lot of Thor's story involves his battle and interactions in his home world of Asgard. But since Thor will eventually join forces with other human heroes like Iron Man and Captain America, the film must also find a way to have him come to Earth and begin to establish relationships with characters there. Finding the right balance on both of those issues is not easy. The fact the film was being directed by Kenneth Branagh, a man not known for making these type of films just added to the likelihood of failure.
But I'm happy to report that Thor manages to overcome those obstacles and deliver a mostly entertaining film. A large part of this is thanks to a winning performance by Chris Hemsworth in the leading role. Hemsworth (last seen as Kirk's father in the Star Trek reboot) is not just some himbo that has the right look. In battle, he comes off looking mightly, but he's also adept with the lighter, humorous scenes. Those scenes typically come during his interactions with a group of scientists who find him in New Mexico after Thor's father, Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins) banished him to Earth. Hemsworth's plays particuarly well with Natalie Portman, one of the scientists who not surprisingly finds herself smitten with the Norse god. The two have a nice chemsitry together and I would have liked for there to have been more scenes between them as their pairing felt a bit rushed.
The rushed nature is due to the fact that half of the film takes place is Asgard, Thor's home world. It is there that we're introduced to a whole host of characters, including Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), Thor's brother who resents the power and favor Thor has earned. These scenes will likely confuse a lot of non-fans, but Branagh does his best on drawing from his Shakespearian roots to makes the themes played out in these scenes to be as relatable as possible. Credit also to the director for avoiding the cheesiness that can often coincide with scenes involving rainbow bridges, gatekeepers, and frost giants.
While I enjoyed Thor, I also couldn't help still feeling frustrated. This is yet another film heavy on exposition and light on action. While there are certainly some decent battle scenes, including a brief but effective sequence involving an entity known as The Destroyer, there really isn't an engaging conflict to sink your teeth into. Similar to the first two Iron Man films, the concept of defeating a bad guy is secondary to having characters go through a trial to discover themselves. And to think, we've got to endure this again with Captain America later this summer. And it may not even get better once next summer's Avengers movie happens because most of that will likely be spent on having the heroes learning how to work with each other. Internal conflict is fine, but at some point, I just want to see good and evil duke it out in a blaze of glory. That's why The Dark Knight remains the apex of these films because it put the conflict between Batman and the Joker in center stage.
Those who were already fans of Thor from the comics will be very pleased with this film. From all that I've read and personally know about the character, those involved with the film have done a nice job of staying true to the character and making him come to life. For outsiders, there is certainly enough here, particularly the scenes on here for you to enjoy and be able to watch the film without feeling lost. Everyone needs to realize though that this is ultimately still another piece in a larger puzzle. If you can accept the lack of payoff here and the teases of bigger things to come, then you'll be in for a fun time at the multiplex. Thor isn't quite a god amongst comic book movies, but director Kenneth Branagh makes a heroic effort to have this film be as enjoyable as it is. Grade: B
Tribe Watch (Week 6)
Record: 22-11
Standing: First in the AL Central
I'm more upset with the team than I should be right now and that's because of a tough luck loss we had today. The Angels managed to get all the little bounces going their way and some tactical errors on our end led to a frustrating defeat. But on the positive side, we managed to go .500 on the road trip, which is exactly what I wanted us to do when I previewed this West Coast trip last week. The Indians faced some tough pitching this past week and we're in every game. I like how this team isn't giving up in games, which makes them exciting until the very end. And after an off day tomorrow, the Indians come back home to play and see if they can continue to build on their 13-game win streak at Progressive Field. It should be interesting as they'll be taking on a couple of teams who have been surging as of late - the Tampa Bay Rays and the Seattle Mariners. We've proven we can play well against Seattle already, but Tampa is more of a mystery. We'll be facing more tough starting pitching from them, but we've played well against them in the past, so hopefully that continues again here. Maybe if we do well, we can finally get some national recognition for our success. Then again, maybe it's better if we don't have the national spotlight on us. No need to put an unnecessary target on our backs. Whatever happens, you know I'll continue watching. Go Tribe!!
Standing: First in the AL Central
I'm more upset with the team than I should be right now and that's because of a tough luck loss we had today. The Angels managed to get all the little bounces going their way and some tactical errors on our end led to a frustrating defeat. But on the positive side, we managed to go .500 on the road trip, which is exactly what I wanted us to do when I previewed this West Coast trip last week. The Indians faced some tough pitching this past week and we're in every game. I like how this team isn't giving up in games, which makes them exciting until the very end. And after an off day tomorrow, the Indians come back home to play and see if they can continue to build on their 13-game win streak at Progressive Field. It should be interesting as they'll be taking on a couple of teams who have been surging as of late - the Tampa Bay Rays and the Seattle Mariners. We've proven we can play well against Seattle already, but Tampa is more of a mystery. We'll be facing more tough starting pitching from them, but we've played well against them in the past, so hopefully that continues again here. Maybe if we do well, we can finally get some national recognition for our success. Then again, maybe it's better if we don't have the national spotlight on us. No need to put an unnecessary target on our backs. Whatever happens, you know I'll continue watching. Go Tribe!!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Sein language
I've got no real reason to post this other than it's hilarious and I hadn't seen it in a long time. It's segment from Conan's old show involving people auditioning to replace Seinfeld. I can't tell you how many times my friends and I repeated the phrase "What's the deal with corn nuts?" after we saw this.
NMR: The Green Hornet
For everything that this movie does right, it does twice as many things wrong. Based on an old radio superhero, this modern telling of The Green Hornet, could have been so much better than what it was. There are a lot of likable actors in the cast including a star-making turn for Jay Chou, as the Hornet's sidekick Kato, Christoph Waltz hamming it up as the villainous Chudnofsky, Tom Wilkinson as the Hornet's late father, and even James Franco shows up in a fun cameo as a drug dealer. But all of the good they bring to the film is undone by Seth Rogen as the titular Hornet. He is beyond unlikable in this film. His sophmoric antics and unappealing attitude towards those around him make you wish that the movie was about Kato and not him. Rogen can be funny, but he was not only miscast here, but since he co-wrote the film he also didn't do a decent enough job making the character work. Visually, the film is also a mixed bag. Thanks to the ingenuity of Kato, the Hornet is equipped with several cool gadgets and a suped out car known as the Black Beauty. All of them are interesting and offer interesting takes on similar movie gadgets. However, director Michel Gondry goes overboard on the special effects to the point where they actually detract from the film instead of add to it. In particular, the scenes depicting Kato analyzing how to attack bad guys before he actually does is unnecessarily elaborate and technical. The way Guy Ritchie did this in Sherlock Holmes was much more effective. The Green Hornet character is interesting and worthy of a film adaptation. However, despite some appealing aspects in this film, the bad simply outweigh the good here to merit this film a recommendation. Those who opt to give it a view will likely feel stung. Rating: ** 1/2
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
NMR: The Dilemma
I actually saw this in theaters back in January, but never got around to doing a review then, so I figured I would just do one now to mark its release on DVD/Blu-Ray. Given that it stars Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, this thing is seriously devoid of laughs. Instead of letting these guys be their natural, funny selves director Ron Howard explores some dark issues relating to fidelity and addiction. With a film like Parenthood, Howard was able to yield laughs out of the relatable events that the characters were involved in. Here, he's stuck in this limbo between realism and broad comedy and it never finds the right tone. For instance, amongst the scenes we see Vaughn struggling with finding a way to tell his friend that his wife (played by Winona Ryder) is cheating on him, we have these unnaturally bawdy scenes involving Queen Latifah. The most frustrating thing of all for me was that most of the dramatic tension could have easily been resolved had the characters just actually taken the time to talk with each other. By now you should know how much that irks a communication major. It's a cheap and lazy ploy to keep the story going. The likeable leads (which also include the engaging and sexy Jennifer Connelly) are able to keep the film from being utterly terrible, but they all deserve better material than what they are working with here. There's no dilemma here, you can take a pass on this movie. Rating: ** 1/2
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
With all the big news happening lately, let's not let this momentous occurence be ignored. Last night, the Beardocalypse took place as Will Ferrell got rid of Conan O'Brien's beard. I know a lot are upset by this, but frankly I never dug it so I'm glad it's gone. Check out all the hilarity that happened before the noteworthy shave.
Tribe Watch (Week 5)
Record: 19-8
Standing: First in AL Central
Ask and ye shall deliver. In my post last week I mentioned that we had two big series against divisional rivals that we needed to do well in and boy did we ever. Sweeping both series, the Indians are on a huge roll right now breaking or trying all sorts of records. The way we won each of the three games against the Tigers in comeback fashion was not only amazing to watch, but also critical in helping this team build character and become a legitimate playoff threat. But having a great April means nothing if you can't play well in the other months. So now as we head into April, we can only hope that Tribe will be able to keep up their winning ways. They get a different test of sorts this week as they head, once again, back out west for a road trip that features series against both Oakland and the Anaheim Angels. The supposed blueprint for a playoff team is having a winning record at home and play .500 on the road. So if we can accomplish that and split these series, I'll be perfectly happy for that. I only hope that I can stay up long enough each night in order to see that happen. Given the way they are playing, I think I'll find a way.
Standing: First in AL Central
Ask and ye shall deliver. In my post last week I mentioned that we had two big series against divisional rivals that we needed to do well in and boy did we ever. Sweeping both series, the Indians are on a huge roll right now breaking or trying all sorts of records. The way we won each of the three games against the Tigers in comeback fashion was not only amazing to watch, but also critical in helping this team build character and become a legitimate playoff threat. But having a great April means nothing if you can't play well in the other months. So now as we head into April, we can only hope that Tribe will be able to keep up their winning ways. They get a different test of sorts this week as they head, once again, back out west for a road trip that features series against both Oakland and the Anaheim Angels. The supposed blueprint for a playoff team is having a winning record at home and play .500 on the road. So if we can accomplish that and split these series, I'll be perfectly happy for that. I only hope that I can stay up long enough each night in order to see that happen. Given the way they are playing, I think I'll find a way.
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