What's The Lookout, you say? Well I was just as in the dark as you are now about the film until Richard Roeper (of Ebert and Roeper) put it #3 on his list of best films for 2007. It's an indie crime thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun) as Chris Pratt, a guy who's life became a mess after a car accident left him with a serious head injury. Working as a janitor at a bank in a small Kansas town, he gets manipulated into helping some crooks rob the place, but as usual, nothing goes as planned.
I thought the film was solid, but I'm still in the dark as to what Roeper saw that was so special about it. Most of the characters are well defined (Jeff Bridges does a nice job as Pratt's blind roommate) and the story keeps you involved. But at the end of the day, I saw nothing terribly unique or captivating about the film. I've heard some comparisons to Memento, which is an injustice to that film. I'd more closely compare it to Fargo, which was a solid movie, but nothing that I would go out of my way to rave about. Stil, if you're looking for a crime thriller, this is certainly a good choice. However, if you don't see it, it won't be like you're missing out on some piece of cinematic history. Netflix rating: ****
Friday, February 15, 2008
Summer starts to take shape
Within the past few days, there have been a number of trailers for some of the big summer movies set to come out. Take a gander at them and see what you think:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Happening
Here are links to a couple of redband trailers (aka NSFW) for a pair of films that have some Apatow connections to them:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The Pineapple Express
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Happening
Here are links to a couple of redband trailers (aka NSFW) for a pair of films that have some Apatow connections to them:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The Pineapple Express
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Some additional strike news
I'm sure you've been keeping up with the return status of our beloved TV shows via the list on my blog here, but I wanted to give a little bit more info here on a couple of my favorite shows:
Lost:
Beyond the eight pre-strike episodes that they had completed, the producers plan to make 5 more episodes this season for a total of 13. Had the strike not occurred, we were supposed to have 16 episodes this season. But good news, we are not permanently losing three episodes. The producers will tack on three more episodes to a future season before the show ends. With the five additional episodes that they'll be doing for this season, the producers said that they plan on condensing the storylines that they had planned for their original 16 episode season. This means that the season should end with a proper cliffhanger and not just some random episode. Finally, the producers said that there probably will be a gap between the end of the 8 pre-strike episodes and the beginning of these additional five. These additional episodes will begin airing sometime in April and when that happens, Lost will be moving to 10pm on Thursday to make room for Grey's Anatomy. Normally, I'd groan over that news, but there's going to be other stuff airing at Thursdays at 9, so moving Lost out of that timeslot is fine by me.
The Office:
Speaking of shows airing on Thursdays at 9, The Office will be back with 6 more episodes this season. The first one will be titled "Dinner Party" and involves Michael and Jan inviting some of the other Dunder-Mifflin workers over for a dinner party. This episode was basically written before the strike, but since Steve Carell and some of the other actors refused to film their scenes while the strike was going on, it never got made. Sadly, a Christmas episode was also written before the strike, but the producers have said that they will not make this one as part of Season 4. That's such a shame since their Christmas episodes are always so good. As of right now, The Office is scheduled to return on April 10th. Let the anticipation commence!
Lost:
Beyond the eight pre-strike episodes that they had completed, the producers plan to make 5 more episodes this season for a total of 13. Had the strike not occurred, we were supposed to have 16 episodes this season. But good news, we are not permanently losing three episodes. The producers will tack on three more episodes to a future season before the show ends. With the five additional episodes that they'll be doing for this season, the producers said that they plan on condensing the storylines that they had planned for their original 16 episode season. This means that the season should end with a proper cliffhanger and not just some random episode. Finally, the producers said that there probably will be a gap between the end of the 8 pre-strike episodes and the beginning of these additional five. These additional episodes will begin airing sometime in April and when that happens, Lost will be moving to 10pm on Thursday to make room for Grey's Anatomy. Normally, I'd groan over that news, but there's going to be other stuff airing at Thursdays at 9, so moving Lost out of that timeslot is fine by me.
The Office:
Speaking of shows airing on Thursdays at 9, The Office will be back with 6 more episodes this season. The first one will be titled "Dinner Party" and involves Michael and Jan inviting some of the other Dunder-Mifflin workers over for a dinner party. This episode was basically written before the strike, but since Steve Carell and some of the other actors refused to film their scenes while the strike was going on, it never got made. Sadly, a Christmas episode was also written before the strike, but the producers have said that they will not make this one as part of Season 4. That's such a shame since their Christmas episodes are always so good. As of right now, The Office is scheduled to return on April 10th. Let the anticipation commence!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
NMR: Rescue Dawn
Given how impressed I've been with everything I've seen with Christian Bale in it lately, it was a no-brainer that I would eventually get around to seeing this one. Released on only a small number of screens this past summer, Rescue Dawn tells the story of Dieter Dangler (Bale), a German-American fighter pilot who was shot down and imprisoned in Laos in 1966.
Aside from being a remarkable story, what made this film so impressive is that it plays more like an autobiography more than a film. What I mean by that is that doesn't try to add a bunch of symbolism or meaning behind any of the action. It just provides numerous glimpses into Dangler's attempts to survive and escape. For instance, at one point Dangler starts hallucinating and sees one of his fellow prisoners, who is dead. Instead of making a big deal about it, it's just briefly touched upon to give you a sense of Dangler's mental state at that point.
Of course, Bale gives a stellar performance, but credit also needs to be given to Steve Zahn who is also very good as another one of the prisoners. The film also has a couple of Lost connections as Dr. Marvin Candle has a brief appearance and newcomer Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) has a larger role as yet another prisoner. Aside from the acting, I should also mention that this film is gorgeous and probably would look especially good in HD.
In short, this was just an excellent film and you should note it made it on my top 10 for 2007. It's a shame this too got overlooked this awards season, but as Little Miss Sunshine proved, what I think of films doesn't always jive with what the Academy thinks. Netflix rating: *****
Aside from being a remarkable story, what made this film so impressive is that it plays more like an autobiography more than a film. What I mean by that is that doesn't try to add a bunch of symbolism or meaning behind any of the action. It just provides numerous glimpses into Dangler's attempts to survive and escape. For instance, at one point Dangler starts hallucinating and sees one of his fellow prisoners, who is dead. Instead of making a big deal about it, it's just briefly touched upon to give you a sense of Dangler's mental state at that point.
Of course, Bale gives a stellar performance, but credit also needs to be given to Steve Zahn who is also very good as another one of the prisoners. The film also has a couple of Lost connections as Dr. Marvin Candle has a brief appearance and newcomer Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) has a larger role as yet another prisoner. Aside from the acting, I should also mention that this film is gorgeous and probably would look especially good in HD.
In short, this was just an excellent film and you should note it made it on my top 10 for 2007. It's a shame this too got overlooked this awards season, but as Little Miss Sunshine proved, what I think of films doesn't always jive with what the Academy thinks. Netflix rating: *****
Strike OUT (of here)!!!
From TVGuide.com:
With this good news, I've changed the info on my favorite TV shows' list to show how many episodes we can expect to see from those shows still this season (i.e. before the end of May). In some cases, despite this strike ending, some shows will sadly not be returning until next Fall. Regardless of when they return, I think we can all agree that this announcement is very good news.
The boards for both branches of the Writers Guild of America on Sunday unanimously approved the tentative deal reached on a new contract. The boards are also taking the final decision on liftng the strike to membership in a vote on Tuesday.
In the meantime, showrunners will get going even sooner, heading back to work Monday to get crews set up and production facilities going again, as will writers who have producing duties on their shows. Ballots to ratify the three-year deal are also going out to members, and will be returned within a 10-12 day period.
Patric Verrone commented on the deal agreement, saying, "This is the best deal this guild has bargained for in 30 years."
Verrone also went on to praise the work of the three CEOs who stepped up in the decisive moments of negotiations, including News Corp. chief Peter Chernin, Disney head Robert Iger and CBS' top dog, Leslie Moonves. Until the business chiefs sat down at the bargaining table, Verrone said, "We spent about three months getting nowhere."
In light of the huge support among writers for the deals in members' meetings on both coasts Saturday, it's expected that they'll be in favor to end the strike in Tuesday's vote, and be able to return to work as early as Wednesday. For writers pushed out of contracts in force majeure situations, many will be hired back, but in a case-by-case scenario, in which the status of each show will affect the deals.
As the final logistical steps are taking place, as least most of Hollywood will start getting back into motion. — Anna Dimond
With this good news, I've changed the info on my favorite TV shows' list to show how many episodes we can expect to see from those shows still this season (i.e. before the end of May). In some cases, despite this strike ending, some shows will sadly not be returning until next Fall. Regardless of when they return, I think we can all agree that this announcement is very good news.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
NMR: Little Miss Sunshine
Despite the presence of Steve Carell here, I had some reservations about watching this film. But now with Netflix, I decided to give it a look and sadly my concerns were accurrate. The film is not without its moments. Carell and Alan Arkin both turn in solid performances (I would completely support Arkin's win for Best Supporting Actor if it were not for the fact that his role is so small in the film). There were also a couple of moments that produced laughs; although probably not as many as they were striving for.
The primary problem with the film is that it forces you to watch this dysfunctional family interact in very uncomfortable situations without seeing any significant growth in the characters. I don't buy the bonding that occurs in the film's final scenes. Despite that moment of togetherness, I still get the feeling that these individuals will maintain their negative qualities. Even worse is the fact that these characters aren't terribly original or interesting. Everyone seems to be created out of sitcom cliches (the pathetic father! the moody son!)
Finally, I found the pageant scenes to be confusing. On one hand it seemed to mock the whole young girl pageant scene. But then it had Olive (Abigail Breslin) act just as ridiculous as these other girls, yet the film seems to applaud this as if it's radically different than everyone else. Plus, the fact that no one outside of Olive's grandfather had seen her act before the pageant seemed really contrived.
Fitting of the title, there are small moments of sunshine found here, but overall the film was both too depressing and overly ridiculous for me to like it. Seeing it get a Best Picture nominee really makes me wonder how these films are being chose. Netflix rating: **
The primary problem with the film is that it forces you to watch this dysfunctional family interact in very uncomfortable situations without seeing any significant growth in the characters. I don't buy the bonding that occurs in the film's final scenes. Despite that moment of togetherness, I still get the feeling that these individuals will maintain their negative qualities. Even worse is the fact that these characters aren't terribly original or interesting. Everyone seems to be created out of sitcom cliches (the pathetic father! the moody son!)
Finally, I found the pageant scenes to be confusing. On one hand it seemed to mock the whole young girl pageant scene. But then it had Olive (Abigail Breslin) act just as ridiculous as these other girls, yet the film seems to applaud this as if it's radically different than everyone else. Plus, the fact that no one outside of Olive's grandfather had seen her act before the pageant seemed really contrived.
Fitting of the title, there are small moments of sunshine found here, but overall the film was both too depressing and overly ridiculous for me to like it. Seeing it get a Best Picture nominee really makes me wonder how these films are being chose. Netflix rating: **
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
New look
I'm working with blogs for a class project and I decided to give this page a makeover. I get bored easily with seeing the same website over and over again, so I try to freshen things up every now and then.
Just to have this post have some relevance, I'll announce here that I got the 120 stars with Luigi in Super Mario Galaxy. Doing that unlocked one last level for Mario and Luigi to do. Unfortunately, it's very simple level that used pretty much just to end the storyline. About the only difficult thing about it was finding where the level was. So I have now officially completed everything with the game. As sad as I am to not have anything more to do with it, I was also obsessed with finishing it, so I can't really complain. Now I just have to play the waiting game until another decent title comes out for the Wii.
Just to have this post have some relevance, I'll announce here that I got the 120 stars with Luigi in Super Mario Galaxy. Doing that unlocked one last level for Mario and Luigi to do. Unfortunately, it's very simple level that used pretty much just to end the storyline. About the only difficult thing about it was finding where the level was. So I have now officially completed everything with the game. As sad as I am to not have anything more to do with it, I was also obsessed with finishing it, so I can't really complain. Now I just have to play the waiting game until another decent title comes out for the Wii.
Monday, February 4, 2008
NMR: The Constant Gardener
I continue my Netflix "Tour of Africa", with this little known film from 2005. This is a film that got very little mention and probably would never have hit on my radar had Rachel Weisz not won an Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in this. Since I heard it was a political thriller, I decided to check it out and boy am I glad I did. Ralph Fiennes stars as Justin Quayle, a member of the British High Commission who is currently working in Africa. Weisz plays his wife, who is mysteriously murdered. The film then follows Quayle's quest to find out who killed his wife.
The movie rises above your typical political thriller through it's superb direction by Fernando Meirelles. He does some very creative work both visually and temporally with the story that make it unique and captivating. Weisz' work was definitely worthy of the award and Fiennes is outstanding as well. Watching the transformation of his character as he goes on this investigation is really something. And unlike Blood Diamond, the film never preaches, yet you are very aware of the plight of these Africans throughout the film. The movie is based on a John Le Carre novel. I've never read anything by him, but from what I understand, transfering his work to film is never easy, so I give the writers credit for making such a compelling film. This is not a film that you shut your brain off for, so if you're up for a thought-provoking, well-made film, I highly recommend this one. Netflix rating: *****
The movie rises above your typical political thriller through it's superb direction by Fernando Meirelles. He does some very creative work both visually and temporally with the story that make it unique and captivating. Weisz' work was definitely worthy of the award and Fiennes is outstanding as well. Watching the transformation of his character as he goes on this investigation is really something. And unlike Blood Diamond, the film never preaches, yet you are very aware of the plight of these Africans throughout the film. The movie is based on a John Le Carre novel. I've never read anything by him, but from what I understand, transfering his work to film is never easy, so I give the writers credit for making such a compelling film. This is not a film that you shut your brain off for, so if you're up for a thought-provoking, well-made film, I highly recommend this one. Netflix rating: *****
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Sting operation
With the weekend upon us, I decided to head over to the budget theater and check out Bee Movie. Aside from the Pixar films, I tend not to check out these animated films, since they're more aimed at kids. However, I have always been a fan of Jerry Seinfeld and his sitcom, so his presence here made things a bit more appealing.
Seinfeld voices Barry B. Benson, a bee who is not content with the drone lifestyle. He'd rather be with the "pollen jocks" (those bees who leave the hive and pollenate the flowers). The film's plot takes hold once Barry ventures out with them and makes the shocking discovery that humans are consuming the honey they work so hard to make. He learns this truth after befriending a woman named Vanessa (voiced by Renee Zellweger). Zellweger, I should add gives a fantastic performance here. Then again, any performance where we don't have to see that old catcher's mitt she calls a face will be considered fantastic by me.
Barry's meeting of Vanessa is where things take a turn for the surreal. It takes Vanessa all of about 30 seconds to get over the idea that a bee can talk and then proceeds to hang out with him as if they are the best of friends. Patrick Warburton voices Vanessa's boyfriend, who is incredulous over the fact that she's befriended a bee. He's portrayed in the film as a raving lunatic, but if you ask me, he comes off as the voice of reason.
If you can look past this bizarre plot development, what you have is a beautiful film that has some very funny moments. At this point, we really shouldn't be surprised by the precision and style that these animated films can display, but I still can't help but be amazed with the detail they can create in these movies. They are able to make vast cityscapes and the tiny hairs on a tennis ball look equally impressive. The animation here truly rivals anything seen in the Pixar films.
I mentioned that the film also has some funny moments, which is obviously should given that it's a cartoon and features Jerry Seinfeld. To me, the best stuff involved their humorous takes on the bee lifestyle. From the Willy Wonka-esque factory where the honey is made to Bee Larry King, they get the most mileage out all bee-related humor. The jokes made at the human's expense are more hit and miss. It's hard to say whether this is because Seinfeld is a little out of touch with humorous observations about humanity or whether I was still trying to wrap my head around this bizarro world where humans normally interact with insects.
There are several celebrity cameos strewn throughout the movie. Some are fun like Ray Liotta who plays himself and is a Paul Newman-like pitchman for a brand of honey. Others, like Matthew Broderick playing Barry's best friend are frustrating as I sat through the whole movie realizing that I recognized the voice but couldn't tell who it was. As fun as these celebrity cameos are, they can also be somewhat annoying. In this film more than any other recent animated film, I thought it was really noticeable that the voice actors had all done their parts seperately. As a result, it was difficult to gain a sense of connection between the characters.
There is a lot to enjoy here, but I have a feeling that there will be aspects that all audiences find annoying. For someone like me, I mentioned having a difficult time grasping with the odd bee-human interactions. I just felt like that needed to be developed more before jumping right in and making it seem normal. I wouldn't be surprised if other adults share this confusion. For kids, there is a lot of adult humor that is likely to fly right over their heads, which is probably why this film didn't have the success that most Pixar films do.
Bee Movie is equal parts bee-dazzling and bee-fuddling (and here I thought I could get through the whole review without any bee puns). In general, there is plenty enough here for an enjoyable film. If you are not resistant to the computer animated genre, you'll likely find the film appealing enough. It may not provide the solid laughs that were found on some of those classic episodes of Seinfeld, but it's an entertaining little diversion nontheless. Grade: B
Seinfeld voices Barry B. Benson, a bee who is not content with the drone lifestyle. He'd rather be with the "pollen jocks" (those bees who leave the hive and pollenate the flowers). The film's plot takes hold once Barry ventures out with them and makes the shocking discovery that humans are consuming the honey they work so hard to make. He learns this truth after befriending a woman named Vanessa (voiced by Renee Zellweger). Zellweger, I should add gives a fantastic performance here. Then again, any performance where we don't have to see that old catcher's mitt she calls a face will be considered fantastic by me.
Barry's meeting of Vanessa is where things take a turn for the surreal. It takes Vanessa all of about 30 seconds to get over the idea that a bee can talk and then proceeds to hang out with him as if they are the best of friends. Patrick Warburton voices Vanessa's boyfriend, who is incredulous over the fact that she's befriended a bee. He's portrayed in the film as a raving lunatic, but if you ask me, he comes off as the voice of reason.
If you can look past this bizarre plot development, what you have is a beautiful film that has some very funny moments. At this point, we really shouldn't be surprised by the precision and style that these animated films can display, but I still can't help but be amazed with the detail they can create in these movies. They are able to make vast cityscapes and the tiny hairs on a tennis ball look equally impressive. The animation here truly rivals anything seen in the Pixar films.
I mentioned that the film also has some funny moments, which is obviously should given that it's a cartoon and features Jerry Seinfeld. To me, the best stuff involved their humorous takes on the bee lifestyle. From the Willy Wonka-esque factory where the honey is made to Bee Larry King, they get the most mileage out all bee-related humor. The jokes made at the human's expense are more hit and miss. It's hard to say whether this is because Seinfeld is a little out of touch with humorous observations about humanity or whether I was still trying to wrap my head around this bizarro world where humans normally interact with insects.
There are several celebrity cameos strewn throughout the movie. Some are fun like Ray Liotta who plays himself and is a Paul Newman-like pitchman for a brand of honey. Others, like Matthew Broderick playing Barry's best friend are frustrating as I sat through the whole movie realizing that I recognized the voice but couldn't tell who it was. As fun as these celebrity cameos are, they can also be somewhat annoying. In this film more than any other recent animated film, I thought it was really noticeable that the voice actors had all done their parts seperately. As a result, it was difficult to gain a sense of connection between the characters.
There is a lot to enjoy here, but I have a feeling that there will be aspects that all audiences find annoying. For someone like me, I mentioned having a difficult time grasping with the odd bee-human interactions. I just felt like that needed to be developed more before jumping right in and making it seem normal. I wouldn't be surprised if other adults share this confusion. For kids, there is a lot of adult humor that is likely to fly right over their heads, which is probably why this film didn't have the success that most Pixar films do.
Bee Movie is equal parts bee-dazzling and bee-fuddling (and here I thought I could get through the whole review without any bee puns). In general, there is plenty enough here for an enjoyable film. If you are not resistant to the computer animated genre, you'll likely find the film appealing enough. It may not provide the solid laughs that were found on some of those classic episodes of Seinfeld, but it's an entertaining little diversion nontheless. Grade: B
The joys of live TV
I saw this clip on The Soup and was in stitches afterwards. Please to enjoy this video of a local TV reporter's story on bird infestation...
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Finally! Some TV to talk about
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.
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.
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
Monday, December 31, 2007
Oh thank heaven, it's the end of 2007
Sorry for the lack of posts this month. Here's hoping for more time to post stuff in 2008. Then again, with my dissertation looming, I'm not sure if that will happen. But that's why we celebrate the new year, to establish unrealistic goals for ourselves.
Anyway, here's hoping everyone has a great 2008! Happy New Year!!
Browns bummer
The magical year in Cleveland sports came to an unfortunate end yesterday as the Browns missed out on the playoffs thanks to the Titans defeating the Colts. Granted it's the Browns' fault for not winning last week, but it still hurts to have to watch another team determine your team's fate. This is pretty much the definition of a bittersweet season as the Browns far exceeded everyone's expectations and we should be happy with that, but you hate being the only double digit winning team not to make the playoffs.
Now as we head into the offseason, the team faces a lot of big questions; namely what to do at the quarterback position. If they can resign Derek Anderson, it seems like he should remain the starter. Then again, his performance in that important game against Cincinnati makes me wonder if he's got what it takes to win the big one.
Even though the Browns won't make the playoffs, I can take solace in the fact that spring training is only a month and half away. Seeing the Tribe in Florida will eliminate those winter blahs right away.
Now as we head into the offseason, the team faces a lot of big questions; namely what to do at the quarterback position. If they can resign Derek Anderson, it seems like he should remain the starter. Then again, his performance in that important game against Cincinnati makes me wonder if he's got what it takes to win the big one.
Even though the Browns won't make the playoffs, I can take solace in the fact that spring training is only a month and half away. Seeing the Tribe in Florida will eliminate those winter blahs right away.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
All That's Gold Isn't New Again
With a free afternoon, I went with my sister to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I saw the first film in theaters and enjoyed it, while my sister only saw it for the first time a few weeks ago on TV. Interestingly enough, we both left this movie with a similar opinion; the film is pretty comparable to the original, but that isn't necessarily a glowing review.
What worked in the first one, remains in Book of Secrets. Namely, the escapism the film provides in proposing wild ideas of treasure and conspiracies and then letting the heroes struggle with bad guys to prove it's true. Nicholas Cage, once again playing Ben Gates, works as the treasure hunter who always has the answer to the puzzles that have been unsolved for centuries. Justin Bartha, as Gates' sidekick, Riley, once again provides most of the decent one liners.
Since we're dealing with a sequel, that means the addition of new cast members. Dame Helen Mirren (who must have accidentally stumbled onto the set of this Bruckheimer film) is along this time as Gates' mother. Her scenes with Ben's dad (played by Jon Voigt) are a lot of fun and provide some freshness to the film.
I mention freshness because this film delivers a lot more of the same. In essence, the film is a simple "find clue, decipher clue, get chased, repeat" formula. Sadly, this time around there was more of a focus on the chase aspect, which left less time to decipher clues. While in the original, the main characters actually struggled at times to understand the clues, in this one the answers came a little too quickly. Considering that the treasure they were seeking was supposedly so grand (it ends up paling in comparison to the one they found in the first film), the clues used to conceal its location didn't seen that difficult.
The fact that this sequel breeds a strong sense of familiarity wouldn't be that bad if not for the few things that they opted to do differently. Given that the plot was the same basic idea, they tried to flesh out the main characters more. For instance, we learn at the beginning of the film that Ben and girlfriend Abigail (Diane Kruger) are having relationship issues. Their bickering and eventual reunion are an unnecessary diversion in the film. They also include a few scenes to imply that Riley is unhappy with his sidekick status. These add nothing to the film and only slow things down. People come to see these films because they like a good treasure hunt, not because they have any emotional investment into what happens to these particular characters. In fact, with all due respect to Diane Kruger, the National Treasure franchise may have been better off taking an approach like the Bond films or Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels where the focus is on the action and the hot girls are interchangeable.
Since they seemed concerned with developing characters, I would have liked for them to do more with Ed Harris', who plays the film's antagonist. The film never takes the time to have us understand his motivations. If it's to simply find the treasure, why does he involve the Gates family? If it's to ruin the Gates' family name, then why give Ben such a great opportunity to discover the truth? The underdevelopment of Harris' character is connected with the films flaw of properly explaining the connection between the Lincoln assaination and a hidden Native American city of gold.
The flaws of the film, great as they may be, as easily to overlook, however, because the film remains a fun ride. Seeing Ben and company globetrotting while trying to uncover secrets of our nation's past makes for an entertaining couple of hours. The film does not bring anything new to the table, but then again, not all movies should. This is an easy must-see for those who enjoyed the first film. And for those that haven't, this is still probably your best bet for decent popcorn fare at the cinema right now. Enjoy going on another treasure hunt, just don't be surprised if the map looks awfully familiar. Grade: B-
What worked in the first one, remains in Book of Secrets. Namely, the escapism the film provides in proposing wild ideas of treasure and conspiracies and then letting the heroes struggle with bad guys to prove it's true. Nicholas Cage, once again playing Ben Gates, works as the treasure hunter who always has the answer to the puzzles that have been unsolved for centuries. Justin Bartha, as Gates' sidekick, Riley, once again provides most of the decent one liners.
Since we're dealing with a sequel, that means the addition of new cast members. Dame Helen Mirren (who must have accidentally stumbled onto the set of this Bruckheimer film) is along this time as Gates' mother. Her scenes with Ben's dad (played by Jon Voigt) are a lot of fun and provide some freshness to the film.
I mention freshness because this film delivers a lot more of the same. In essence, the film is a simple "find clue, decipher clue, get chased, repeat" formula. Sadly, this time around there was more of a focus on the chase aspect, which left less time to decipher clues. While in the original, the main characters actually struggled at times to understand the clues, in this one the answers came a little too quickly. Considering that the treasure they were seeking was supposedly so grand (it ends up paling in comparison to the one they found in the first film), the clues used to conceal its location didn't seen that difficult.
The fact that this sequel breeds a strong sense of familiarity wouldn't be that bad if not for the few things that they opted to do differently. Given that the plot was the same basic idea, they tried to flesh out the main characters more. For instance, we learn at the beginning of the film that Ben and girlfriend Abigail (Diane Kruger) are having relationship issues. Their bickering and eventual reunion are an unnecessary diversion in the film. They also include a few scenes to imply that Riley is unhappy with his sidekick status. These add nothing to the film and only slow things down. People come to see these films because they like a good treasure hunt, not because they have any emotional investment into what happens to these particular characters. In fact, with all due respect to Diane Kruger, the National Treasure franchise may have been better off taking an approach like the Bond films or Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels where the focus is on the action and the hot girls are interchangeable.
Since they seemed concerned with developing characters, I would have liked for them to do more with Ed Harris', who plays the film's antagonist. The film never takes the time to have us understand his motivations. If it's to simply find the treasure, why does he involve the Gates family? If it's to ruin the Gates' family name, then why give Ben such a great opportunity to discover the truth? The underdevelopment of Harris' character is connected with the films flaw of properly explaining the connection between the Lincoln assaination and a hidden Native American city of gold.
The flaws of the film, great as they may be, as easily to overlook, however, because the film remains a fun ride. Seeing Ben and company globetrotting while trying to uncover secrets of our nation's past makes for an entertaining couple of hours. The film does not bring anything new to the table, but then again, not all movies should. This is an easy must-see for those who enjoyed the first film. And for those that haven't, this is still probably your best bet for decent popcorn fare at the cinema right now. Enjoy going on another treasure hunt, just don't be surprised if the map looks awfully familiar. Grade: B-
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Merry Christmas
I probably won't be on my computer over the next few days, so I just wanted to send warm holiday wishes to all of my readers out there. I hope Santa is kind to all of you. If you in the Ohio area, I look forward to getting a chance to seeing you over this holiday break. And if I don't, I hope you get a chance to enjoy the time off.
As for me, I got my Christmas present early this year as I just receivied notice that one of my papers has been accepted at the Kern Conference on Visual Rhetoric. The conference will be in Rochester, NY next April. I submitted this paper individually instead of as a panel, so its acceptance is even a greater honor. You don't understand how pumped I am over that news.
Anyways, enjoy the holidays and be safe!!
As for me, I got my Christmas present early this year as I just receivied notice that one of my papers has been accepted at the Kern Conference on Visual Rhetoric. The conference will be in Rochester, NY next April. I submitted this paper individually instead of as a panel, so its acceptance is even a greater honor. You don't understand how pumped I am over that news.
Anyways, enjoy the holidays and be safe!!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
This week in frivolous lawsuits...
Case #1: Woman sues The Price is Right - Apparently, the car this woman won on TPIR in 2004 turned out to be a lemon. Why she is suing the game show when it's the dealer's responsibiilty to give her a new car is beyond me.
Case #2: Couple claims Heroes ripped them off - Apparently, this husband and wife team claim that they came up with the whole 'artist who can paint the future' concept. Don't worry though, the judge has already thrown this case out.
Case #3: Bodybuilder slaps Conan O'Brien with lawsuit - Apparently, a former Mr. Olympia competitor is upset because of a joke Conan did where he used the bodybuilder's image in a a fake Christmas card depicting Clay Aiken saying "All I want this year is a White Christmas...and a black bodybuilder". If I was the bodybuilder, I would have been thrilled Conan didn't make any meathead or small testicle jokes.
So which is lawsuit is the most ridiculous???
Case #2: Couple claims Heroes ripped them off - Apparently, this husband and wife team claim that they came up with the whole 'artist who can paint the future' concept. Don't worry though, the judge has already thrown this case out.
Case #3: Bodybuilder slaps Conan O'Brien with lawsuit - Apparently, a former Mr. Olympia competitor is upset because of a joke Conan did where he used the bodybuilder's image in a a fake Christmas card depicting Clay Aiken saying "All I want this year is a White Christmas...and a black bodybuilder". If I was the bodybuilder, I would have been thrilled Conan didn't make any meathead or small testicle jokes.
So which is lawsuit is the most ridiculous???
Friday, December 14, 2007
A whole lotta noise
After a disasterous week, school-wise (which still isn't over unfortunately) I needed to take a break, so I caught a late show at the budget theater and saw Shoot 'Em Up. In one way, it was probably an excellent movie at this point, because the film was anything but cerebral.
I knew going in that the drawing point of this movie was the unapologetic shootout scenes. And for the most part, they delivered. This movie is chock full of ridiculous gunplay and violence. On top of that, they are all done in a highly stylized manner that is not seen in most films. As impressive as they are, they can only take the movie so far. Anybody can sit in their basement thinking up unique ways to shoot at people while defying the laws of physics. But if you have nothing to hold those scenes together with, then they are wasted. In the case of this movie, what connects those action scenes together is a bunch of eye-rolling coincidences that are supposed to be considered plot points.
If you don't know at this point, the "premise" of the film is that Clive Owen plays a mysterious man, named Mr. Smith, who happens to run into a pregnant woman who is being hunted by hitman. The woman is killed, but not before giving birth to a boy, who Clive Owen decides he must protect while taking out the mother's killers. The rest of the movie then is a bunch of *surprise* shoot em up scenes between Smith and the bad guys. Oh yeah, and he finds Monica Bellucci, playing a hooker, along the way and has her help him watch the baby.
The reason why the bad guys - led by Paul Giamatti, doing his best to ham it up - want the baby dead is utterly preposterous, but I suppose it doesn't matter in a movie like this. Although it really should considering that we're watching Smith go to these extreme lengths to save it.
I'm not surprised that this movie did poorly at the box office. I cannot imagine any woman who would want to see this movie. They would all be horrified at all of the scenes in which the baby is in harm's way while Smith and the bad guys shoot it out. You would think that you would get desensitized to it after a while, but with the way they continue to amp up the violence throughout the movie that each scene is just as jarring as the first.
This movie reminded me in a lot of ways to another violently graphic film this year, Smokin' Aces. Both films gave off the appearance that they had a unique story surrounded by even more unique violence. But in each case, they were more content with firing off their weapons then having anything to say. Unlike the wounds of the victims of this movies, the story remains skin deep.
If you're in the mood for blood lust, this movie will easily satisfy your appetite. For anyone looking for a more fulfilling experience, you're better off looking elsewhere. Shoot Em Up is nothing more than a showcase for boys and their toys. Consider this one a major disappointment. Grade: C-
I knew going in that the drawing point of this movie was the unapologetic shootout scenes. And for the most part, they delivered. This movie is chock full of ridiculous gunplay and violence. On top of that, they are all done in a highly stylized manner that is not seen in most films. As impressive as they are, they can only take the movie so far. Anybody can sit in their basement thinking up unique ways to shoot at people while defying the laws of physics. But if you have nothing to hold those scenes together with, then they are wasted. In the case of this movie, what connects those action scenes together is a bunch of eye-rolling coincidences that are supposed to be considered plot points.
If you don't know at this point, the "premise" of the film is that Clive Owen plays a mysterious man, named Mr. Smith, who happens to run into a pregnant woman who is being hunted by hitman. The woman is killed, but not before giving birth to a boy, who Clive Owen decides he must protect while taking out the mother's killers. The rest of the movie then is a bunch of *surprise* shoot em up scenes between Smith and the bad guys. Oh yeah, and he finds Monica Bellucci, playing a hooker, along the way and has her help him watch the baby.
The reason why the bad guys - led by Paul Giamatti, doing his best to ham it up - want the baby dead is utterly preposterous, but I suppose it doesn't matter in a movie like this. Although it really should considering that we're watching Smith go to these extreme lengths to save it.
I'm not surprised that this movie did poorly at the box office. I cannot imagine any woman who would want to see this movie. They would all be horrified at all of the scenes in which the baby is in harm's way while Smith and the bad guys shoot it out. You would think that you would get desensitized to it after a while, but with the way they continue to amp up the violence throughout the movie that each scene is just as jarring as the first.
This movie reminded me in a lot of ways to another violently graphic film this year, Smokin' Aces. Both films gave off the appearance that they had a unique story surrounded by even more unique violence. But in each case, they were more content with firing off their weapons then having anything to say. Unlike the wounds of the victims of this movies, the story remains skin deep.
If you're in the mood for blood lust, this movie will easily satisfy your appetite. For anyone looking for a more fulfilling experience, you're better off looking elsewhere. Shoot Em Up is nothing more than a showcase for boys and their toys. Consider this one a major disappointment. Grade: C-
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Lost Season 4 trailer
If I didn't have these damn papers to write, I would spend time breaking down each scene frame by frame. But since I have to be a "good student", I'll leave that up to the rest of you.
Enjoy!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Will Ferrell is a basketball player
Here's the trailer for Will's latest comedy, Semi-Pro:
The trailer had its moments and I'm likely to go see it, but after watching it, I couldn't help but be reminded of this clip from South Park:
The trailer had its moments and I'm likely to go see it, but after watching it, I couldn't help but be reminded of this clip from South Park:
Thursday, December 6, 2007
And we're off...
The Oscar race is officially underway, although some would argue it began the moment Ellen DeGeneres said good night at last year's show. Anyways, the reason why the most consider the race to have begun now is because the first credible year end awards were released. Just for comparison sake, four of last year's five Best Picture nominees were listed as one of the top films by this organization. Here are the individual awards they gave, along with their list of top films...
Best Film: No Country for Old Men
Best Actor: George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Best Actress: Julie Christie (Away From Her)
Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)
Best Director: Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd)
They also listed ten other top films from 2007. Here they are in alphabetical order:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Atonement, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bucket List, Into the Wild, Juno, The Kite Runner, Lars and the Real Girl, Michael Clayton, and Sweeney Todd.
Best Film: No Country for Old Men
Best Actor: George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Best Actress: Julie Christie (Away From Her)
Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)
Best Director: Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd)
They also listed ten other top films from 2007. Here they are in alphabetical order:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Atonement, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bucket List, Into the Wild, Juno, The Kite Runner, Lars and the Real Girl, Michael Clayton, and Sweeney Todd.
Monday, December 3, 2007
First look: Pineapple Express
Here's a four-minute sneak peek at the new action comedy film, Pineapple Express, which is due out next August. I've never been big on films that deal heavily with drugs, but anytime you've got Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow involved in some capacity, I'm at least moderately interested.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
New Joker pic
I'm so glad this movie is not going to be affected by the writers strike. 8 months and counting...
Monday, November 26, 2007
Lost without Lost??
If you've been struggling these past six months without any new episodes of Lost and can't bare the thought of waiting another 3 (or more depending on how the strike plays out), there may be a little hope for you. The show is currently releasing webisodes on a weekly basis. These are short movies which give a little bit more info on our favorite castaways. These aren't deleted scenes from old episodes, but rather new content which is meant to fill in some holes about these characters. There are currently two up, one involving a Jack flashback and the other related to Hurley. They aren't much, but I guess they are better than nothing. I believe new ones will be posted every Monday. You can view them here: Lost webisodes
Oh, the Yumanity!
With Thanksgiving now behind us, it means crunch time for me once again with school. Knowing I won't have much free time over the next few weeks and seeing that 3:10 to Yuma was out at the budget theater right now, I made sure to squeeze in a viewing tonight. And it's a good thing I did because this thing delivered.
The movie is a winner and that is thanks in large part to the terrific acting by its two primary leads. We've known for quite some time that Russell Crowe is talented and he gives another fine performance as the murderous Ben Wade. Opposite him in Christian Bale, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors of all time. The last few films he's done have been outstanding with him doing a great job playing very different characters. Here, he's the down-on-his-luck, Dan Evans who's doing his best to provide a good living for his family.
We also get some strong performances from the supporting cast. Peter Fonda does a nice job as an aging bounty hunter. Ben Foster is all sorts of creepy and slimy as Ben's second in command. And I really enjoyed Alan Tudyk as the doctor. This is a guy who most won't recognize, but has had solid performances recently in Knocked Up, Arrested Development, Dodgeball, and voicing Sonny in I Robot.
Going back to Bale and Crowe, though, the film works because it does a wonderful job of establishing the relationship between their two characters. As they travel together to put Ben on the prison train heading toward Yuma we see how they are two sides of the same coin. Ben is a villain with a side of humanity while Dan is a hero with hints of a dark side. We learn more about each of them throught their interactions with the other.
I'm not sure what it is about westerns that brings out these themes so nicely, but they do. The ideas behind what is good or bad, black or white, are emphasized when they are placed in such a shades of grey world like the old West. We see, this fall especially, how modern political dramas attempt to achieve the same thing but failing to do so. Perhaps its because the ideas surrounding those themes are more simple in the Western genre. Or maybe its because when it comes to modern political thrillers everyone is afraid to step on somebody's toes that those themes become muddied.
While this genre works at getting these themes across, the one flaw I found in the film is associated with the genre. I personally did not feel the director did enough to give this film the look of an old western. Everything had too much of a Hollywood feel for me and at times it took me out of the film. Thankfully everytime I started thinking about it, I was drawn back in by the performances of the actors.
The film is based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, who, along with Stephen King and Philip K. Dick, is becoming one of Hollywood's go-to guys for source material when making films. It's also a remake of a 1957 film, starring Glen Ford. Based on what I know, this version seems pretty faithful to the original. One aspect that does remain the same is the ending, which I'm sure will be debated by all who see this film. Without giving anything away, I will say that the ending doesn't confuse me, but I have no doubt that others won't get it. I think because the ending isn't conventional the director could have done more with the final scenes. The finish is a little too succinct for the action it involves. There is certainly plenty of evidence throughout the film to explain why it ends in that manner, but it's not necessarily spelled out for the audience. For this reason, you're going to have a lot of people who may not care for the ending.
While there may be room for improvement on how things wrap up, it did not ruin the film for me. This is a really good film and I would have no qualms if it or the actors were nominated in the upcoming awards season. I'm not typically a Western fan, but if the films in this genre continue to be as good as this one, I may become a convert. When this one makes it out onto DVD (which probably won't happen until after the holidays), make an effort and check this one out. Grade: A-
The movie is a winner and that is thanks in large part to the terrific acting by its two primary leads. We've known for quite some time that Russell Crowe is talented and he gives another fine performance as the murderous Ben Wade. Opposite him in Christian Bale, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors of all time. The last few films he's done have been outstanding with him doing a great job playing very different characters. Here, he's the down-on-his-luck, Dan Evans who's doing his best to provide a good living for his family.
We also get some strong performances from the supporting cast. Peter Fonda does a nice job as an aging bounty hunter. Ben Foster is all sorts of creepy and slimy as Ben's second in command. And I really enjoyed Alan Tudyk as the doctor. This is a guy who most won't recognize, but has had solid performances recently in Knocked Up, Arrested Development, Dodgeball, and voicing Sonny in I Robot.
Going back to Bale and Crowe, though, the film works because it does a wonderful job of establishing the relationship between their two characters. As they travel together to put Ben on the prison train heading toward Yuma we see how they are two sides of the same coin. Ben is a villain with a side of humanity while Dan is a hero with hints of a dark side. We learn more about each of them throught their interactions with the other.
I'm not sure what it is about westerns that brings out these themes so nicely, but they do. The ideas behind what is good or bad, black or white, are emphasized when they are placed in such a shades of grey world like the old West. We see, this fall especially, how modern political dramas attempt to achieve the same thing but failing to do so. Perhaps its because the ideas surrounding those themes are more simple in the Western genre. Or maybe its because when it comes to modern political thrillers everyone is afraid to step on somebody's toes that those themes become muddied.
While this genre works at getting these themes across, the one flaw I found in the film is associated with the genre. I personally did not feel the director did enough to give this film the look of an old western. Everything had too much of a Hollywood feel for me and at times it took me out of the film. Thankfully everytime I started thinking about it, I was drawn back in by the performances of the actors.
The film is based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, who, along with Stephen King and Philip K. Dick, is becoming one of Hollywood's go-to guys for source material when making films. It's also a remake of a 1957 film, starring Glen Ford. Based on what I know, this version seems pretty faithful to the original. One aspect that does remain the same is the ending, which I'm sure will be debated by all who see this film. Without giving anything away, I will say that the ending doesn't confuse me, but I have no doubt that others won't get it. I think because the ending isn't conventional the director could have done more with the final scenes. The finish is a little too succinct for the action it involves. There is certainly plenty of evidence throughout the film to explain why it ends in that manner, but it's not necessarily spelled out for the audience. For this reason, you're going to have a lot of people who may not care for the ending.
While there may be room for improvement on how things wrap up, it did not ruin the film for me. This is a really good film and I would have no qualms if it or the actors were nominated in the upcoming awards season. I'm not typically a Western fan, but if the films in this genre continue to be as good as this one, I may become a convert. When this one makes it out onto DVD (which probably won't happen until after the holidays), make an effort and check this one out. Grade: A-
Monday, November 19, 2007
Who Ya Gonna Call??
New Ghostbusters Video Game
The timing is a bit odd, but yes, there is going to be a Ghostbusters game coming out on all platforms next fall and will include voice work from all of the original cast.
Clearly, I was sold on the game based on the fact that I loved the movies and it sounds like they're committed to make this to be almost like Ghostbusters 3. But, being a Wii owner, I see a lot of added potential with this game using the unique gaming features of Nintendo's system; namely using the Wiimote and nunchuk as the proton pack and trap.
Unfortunately, we have to wait until Fall 2008 until we can have a chance to tangle with Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
The timing is a bit odd, but yes, there is going to be a Ghostbusters game coming out on all platforms next fall and will include voice work from all of the original cast.
Clearly, I was sold on the game based on the fact that I loved the movies and it sounds like they're committed to make this to be almost like Ghostbusters 3. But, being a Wii owner, I see a lot of added potential with this game using the unique gaming features of Nintendo's system; namely using the Wiimote and nunchuk as the proton pack and trap.
Unfortunately, we have to wait until Fall 2008 until we can have a chance to tangle with Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
TV Week in Review
Amazing Race: High(Low?)lights of the week included Donald stripping to his undies to pole vault in the mud and Ronald's brutal browbeating of his daughter throughout the leg, culminating in his telling her that she always disappoints him. I said that I would like to see a family team last long, but given their performances this past week, I don't see that happening again. As usual, the unique teams (goths, hippies, etc) are more interesting and likeable than the dating couples, yet most of the couples finished near the top of the pack this week. But have no fear, each of them is one girlfriend meltdown away from getting Philiminated.
Chuck: Leave it to some good ol' truth serum to get some stories moving forward. Of course, the most interesting tidbit actually came from a lie; we learned Sarah really does have feelings for Chuck. And it comes at a time when Chuck has decided to move past her and try things out with sandwich maker Lou (played nicely by Rachel Bilson). Once again, I see Chuck having more chemistry with anyone but Sarah, but I don't think the Chuck/Lou pairing will last. Next week promises some big surprises and I have a feeling I know what they are, but I'll wait and see if I'm right.
Heroes: See my nagging Heroes questions post to get my thoughts on yet another uneven effort from this show.
How I Met Your Mother: The whole idea behind not seeing the flaws in a friend/lover until someone points them out to you was done perfectly and as Homer Simpson says, "It's funny, cuz it's true". As nice as this episode was, next week is the one I'm waiting for as the slap countdown finally hits zero. Barney beware!
Aliens in America: A stronger effort than the past few weeks if for no other reason than Justin and Raja were fighting this week. I think the value in this show will to have these two outcasts bond with each other in a world "against them" rather than making this The Odd Couple: The High School Years. The direction the show takes them over the next few episodes may be what determines whether I stick with this show or not.
House: I hate repeating myself, but the same gripes I've had about this show this season remained this week. The show still has its strong points, namely its great one-liners (usually from House) and gross out ailments, but the structure under which they're currently being provided is not one that I'm enjoying.
Reaper: Many interesting little things came out of this week's episode: Loved the Gladys subplot and her messing with Sock's dreams. We got to see the Devil's nastier side this week with his leaving Sam the bill for dinner and having the cop's last arrest be his own. The "Get Out of Hell Free" card is also very intriguing, but you can bet Sam won't use it for himself. The likely recepients right now would be Sam's dad or Andi. If it's the latter, lets hope she won't turn it down like she did Sam's birthday gift. BTW, loved the slap fight between Sam and Andi's now ex-boyfriend/douchebag.
Back to You It finally struck me this week how similar this show is set up to Murphy Brown. While both shows have similar characters, there is a key difference between them; MB was a sitcom that had its characters deal with topical issues of the day, while Back to You simply involves their characters in cliched sitcom plots. Take for instance this week's episode which involved the gang trying to get a raccoon out of Kelly's attic. Let the hilarity ensue! If this show has aspirations of keeping the standard sitcom alive, it needs to take things to another level.
Mythbusters: I might as well include this too since it was a new episode this week. I liked the idea of the supersized myths, but was a little underwhelmed by the choices they made for the myths to supersize. Both the shark and waterski myths were pretty anticlimatic (and shouldn't Jaime and Adam have done the waterski one since they did the original). However, I really enjoyed the jet cab one. The results weren't surprising but the visuals were awesome to watch. Finally, there was the jet car myth. I always found the original jet car myth to be boring, but since it was their first, I know this show loves it. It was a shame to see their efforts and not the myth busted on this one. I was not expected the car to blow up like that. Given what happened, I have no doubt that they'll try that one again in the future. I'm curious how recently that one was done though considering Scottie was involved with it. If it was new, I'm not sure why they brought her back for help on it.
Survivor: It's a good thing this week's show didn't air next week or else I probably would have thrown up my Thanksgiving dinner watching Courtney and Frosti canoodling. Thankfully that little showmance had the kibosh put on it when they booted Frosti off this week. There were other annoyances on this week's show like the fact that Phei-Gee's immunity win was seen coming a mile away. Between her "I haven't won anything" speech and Erik's "As long as Phei-Gee's doesn't win immunity, I'll be fine" line, you knew exactly what was coming. The one cool thing about this episode was Probst keeping the castaways at tribal council for an unknown twist. But be forewarned, it won't come this week as they're airing a clip show this week instead.
C.S.I.: So this was the big farewell Sara episode and I have to say I was left relatively unmoved. I get the idea of the job becoming too much for her to take, but I didn't buy that this was the case that would do her in. Maybe part of the problem was that I somehow missed the earlier episode that involved the potential suspect. Disappointment aside, I doubt that this will have too much of a negative impact on the show. There's still cases to be solved and the rest of the crew is intact to deal with them just fine. I would worry that too much time would be spent with Gil being depressed about Sara's leaving, but this is Grissom we're talking about and he doesn't show emotion. They actually will have a new episode this week and it looks to be a fun episode involving the lab tech people playing a mystery game.
My Name is Earl: Hooray Joy had the baby. Now let's get Earl out of the clink and have the show return to normal. And when that happens, hopefully they'll be able to find some way to keep Craig T. Nelson's warden around in some capacity.
30 Rock: The show certainly had plenty of laugh out loud moments, but I'm a little uneasy whenever they try and bring political themes into the show. This show so unapologetically leans to the left that it becomes a bit annoying. It ends up coming off more preachy than funny. Despite this I still enjoyed plenty about this week's show including Northax, Liz's new neighbors trying out for the Amazing Race, and Tracy's crude Cyrano de Bergeac routine.
The Office: It was tough to truly enjoying this one given that it is the last new one for the foreseeable future and because of its more dramatic tone. What I did appreciate was Steve Carell's terrific performance in this episode. You could really empathize with the situation he was being put in. The very fact that he managed to seemingly keep both his girlfriend and his job at the end of it all is impressive. The funniest sequence of the episode though once again involved Michael's use of "That's what she said". The court reporter's deadpan repeating of the dialogue just added to the hilarity. As for the pingpong subplot, it was just all right. I think I would have liked it better had it had a better payoff. Instead, it sort of limped to a finish with Pam and Kelly pathetically settling their issues on the table. Although, having the episode end with Dwight and Mose's epic ping pong battle was awesome.
Is this post long enough yet? :)
Chuck: Leave it to some good ol' truth serum to get some stories moving forward. Of course, the most interesting tidbit actually came from a lie; we learned Sarah really does have feelings for Chuck. And it comes at a time when Chuck has decided to move past her and try things out with sandwich maker Lou (played nicely by Rachel Bilson). Once again, I see Chuck having more chemistry with anyone but Sarah, but I don't think the Chuck/Lou pairing will last. Next week promises some big surprises and I have a feeling I know what they are, but I'll wait and see if I'm right.
Heroes: See my nagging Heroes questions post to get my thoughts on yet another uneven effort from this show.
How I Met Your Mother: The whole idea behind not seeing the flaws in a friend/lover until someone points them out to you was done perfectly and as Homer Simpson says, "It's funny, cuz it's true". As nice as this episode was, next week is the one I'm waiting for as the slap countdown finally hits zero. Barney beware!
Aliens in America: A stronger effort than the past few weeks if for no other reason than Justin and Raja were fighting this week. I think the value in this show will to have these two outcasts bond with each other in a world "against them" rather than making this The Odd Couple: The High School Years. The direction the show takes them over the next few episodes may be what determines whether I stick with this show or not.
House: I hate repeating myself, but the same gripes I've had about this show this season remained this week. The show still has its strong points, namely its great one-liners (usually from House) and gross out ailments, but the structure under which they're currently being provided is not one that I'm enjoying.
Reaper: Many interesting little things came out of this week's episode: Loved the Gladys subplot and her messing with Sock's dreams. We got to see the Devil's nastier side this week with his leaving Sam the bill for dinner and having the cop's last arrest be his own. The "Get Out of Hell Free" card is also very intriguing, but you can bet Sam won't use it for himself. The likely recepients right now would be Sam's dad or Andi. If it's the latter, lets hope she won't turn it down like she did Sam's birthday gift. BTW, loved the slap fight between Sam and Andi's now ex-boyfriend/douchebag.
Back to You It finally struck me this week how similar this show is set up to Murphy Brown. While both shows have similar characters, there is a key difference between them; MB was a sitcom that had its characters deal with topical issues of the day, while Back to You simply involves their characters in cliched sitcom plots. Take for instance this week's episode which involved the gang trying to get a raccoon out of Kelly's attic. Let the hilarity ensue! If this show has aspirations of keeping the standard sitcom alive, it needs to take things to another level.
Mythbusters: I might as well include this too since it was a new episode this week. I liked the idea of the supersized myths, but was a little underwhelmed by the choices they made for the myths to supersize. Both the shark and waterski myths were pretty anticlimatic (and shouldn't Jaime and Adam have done the waterski one since they did the original). However, I really enjoyed the jet cab one. The results weren't surprising but the visuals were awesome to watch. Finally, there was the jet car myth. I always found the original jet car myth to be boring, but since it was their first, I know this show loves it. It was a shame to see their efforts and not the myth busted on this one. I was not expected the car to blow up like that. Given what happened, I have no doubt that they'll try that one again in the future. I'm curious how recently that one was done though considering Scottie was involved with it. If it was new, I'm not sure why they brought her back for help on it.
Survivor: It's a good thing this week's show didn't air next week or else I probably would have thrown up my Thanksgiving dinner watching Courtney and Frosti canoodling. Thankfully that little showmance had the kibosh put on it when they booted Frosti off this week. There were other annoyances on this week's show like the fact that Phei-Gee's immunity win was seen coming a mile away. Between her "I haven't won anything" speech and Erik's "As long as Phei-Gee's doesn't win immunity, I'll be fine" line, you knew exactly what was coming. The one cool thing about this episode was Probst keeping the castaways at tribal council for an unknown twist. But be forewarned, it won't come this week as they're airing a clip show this week instead.
C.S.I.: So this was the big farewell Sara episode and I have to say I was left relatively unmoved. I get the idea of the job becoming too much for her to take, but I didn't buy that this was the case that would do her in. Maybe part of the problem was that I somehow missed the earlier episode that involved the potential suspect. Disappointment aside, I doubt that this will have too much of a negative impact on the show. There's still cases to be solved and the rest of the crew is intact to deal with them just fine. I would worry that too much time would be spent with Gil being depressed about Sara's leaving, but this is Grissom we're talking about and he doesn't show emotion. They actually will have a new episode this week and it looks to be a fun episode involving the lab tech people playing a mystery game.
My Name is Earl: Hooray Joy had the baby. Now let's get Earl out of the clink and have the show return to normal. And when that happens, hopefully they'll be able to find some way to keep Craig T. Nelson's warden around in some capacity.
30 Rock: The show certainly had plenty of laugh out loud moments, but I'm a little uneasy whenever they try and bring political themes into the show. This show so unapologetically leans to the left that it becomes a bit annoying. It ends up coming off more preachy than funny. Despite this I still enjoyed plenty about this week's show including Northax, Liz's new neighbors trying out for the Amazing Race, and Tracy's crude Cyrano de Bergeac routine.
The Office: It was tough to truly enjoying this one given that it is the last new one for the foreseeable future and because of its more dramatic tone. What I did appreciate was Steve Carell's terrific performance in this episode. You could really empathize with the situation he was being put in. The very fact that he managed to seemingly keep both his girlfriend and his job at the end of it all is impressive. The funniest sequence of the episode though once again involved Michael's use of "That's what she said". The court reporter's deadpan repeating of the dialogue just added to the hilarity. As for the pingpong subplot, it was just all right. I think I would have liked it better had it had a better payoff. Instead, it sort of limped to a finish with Pam and Kelly pathetically settling their issues on the table. Although, having the episode end with Dwight and Mose's epic ping pong battle was awesome.
Is this post long enough yet? :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Nagging Heroes questions
So after last night's middling flashback episode, it seemed more questions than answers were producers. To wit, here's a list of things, of varying importance, that are still bugging me:
- How was Nathan able to grow that Grizzy Adams beard in just three weeks?
- We saw that container Peter was trapped in was empty in New York, so where did those iPods go?
- The commercial last week told us that we would learn what happened to Sylar, so what gives?
- How did HRG and Mohinder hook up in the first place to try and take down the company?
- So much happened to Parkman in those four months, yet not one word about him last night?
- Are the writers incapble of telling us ANYTHING different about the Wonderless Twins?
- For someone as powerful as Adam, didn't it seem like he should have been in a more secure cell, especially considering how easy he and Peter broke out?
- So, DL could react to a split second punch, but not the gun shot?
- Didn't it seem that Bob took over control of The Company awfully fast, considering Thompson would have only been killed by HRG a few hours earlier?
- Finally, would things have been better off had they just started the season with this episode?
- How was Nathan able to grow that Grizzy Adams beard in just three weeks?
- We saw that container Peter was trapped in was empty in New York, so where did those iPods go?
- The commercial last week told us that we would learn what happened to Sylar, so what gives?
- How did HRG and Mohinder hook up in the first place to try and take down the company?
- So much happened to Parkman in those four months, yet not one word about him last night?
- Are the writers incapble of telling us ANYTHING different about the Wonderless Twins?
- For someone as powerful as Adam, didn't it seem like he should have been in a more secure cell, especially considering how easy he and Peter broke out?
- So, DL could react to a split second punch, but not the gun shot?
- Didn't it seem that Bob took over control of The Company awfully fast, considering Thompson would have only been killed by HRG a few hours earlier?
- Finally, would things have been better off had they just started the season with this episode?
C.C. wins Cy Young
Sabathia captures pitching award
It's wonderful to see C.C. get recognized for the great season that he had. This, on top of Grady winning the Gold Glove last week are good signs that the national media is finally willing to give us the national recognition that we deserve. Now if only we could turn these great performances into a World Series victory. Is it time for Spring Training yet?
It's wonderful to see C.C. get recognized for the great season that he had. This, on top of Grady winning the Gold Glove last week are good signs that the national media is finally willing to give us the national recognition that we deserve. Now if only we could turn these great performances into a World Series victory. Is it time for Spring Training yet?
It's time to come clean
Controversial Tell-All Book Reveals Wrestling Fans Are Fake
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I guess I always knew I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever. I just never expected it to come out this way.
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I guess I always knew I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever. I just never expected it to come out this way.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Disappointing football weekend
Both my Browns and the Buckeyes let me down this week. First, you had OSU ruin their chance for another crack at the National Championship by getting upset by Illinois on Saturday. Then the Browns go up early on the hated Steelers today and then fail to close things out. As tough as each of those losses were, in some regard, I'm not overly surprised by either outcome. While the Bucks were #1, it was more a situation of them falling into that spot rather than earning it. And with the way top teams have been upset this year, it was almost bound to happen to them as well. As for the Browns, they just played an overall better team, as much as I hate to admit it.
Despite these loses, there is still some positive things to look forward to. OSU plays Michigan next week, which is always a HUGE game and the Big Ten title will be on the line in it. A win against the Wolverines and the Buckeyes will be playing in the Rose Bowl, which isn't too shabby. The Browns also have some things to remain positive about. First off, they played the Steelers much more competitively today than in Week 1 and it's always good to see marked improvement. Second, they have a pretty soft schedule for the rest of the season, which means they still have a very good shot at the playoffs, which would be a great accomplishment for this team.
So I guess the moral of the story is stay positive and hopefully someday something good will come to the state of Ohio.
Despite these loses, there is still some positive things to look forward to. OSU plays Michigan next week, which is always a HUGE game and the Big Ten title will be on the line in it. A win against the Wolverines and the Buckeyes will be playing in the Rose Bowl, which isn't too shabby. The Browns also have some things to remain positive about. First off, they played the Steelers much more competitively today than in Week 1 and it's always good to see marked improvement. Second, they have a pretty soft schedule for the rest of the season, which means they still have a very good shot at the playoffs, which would be a great accomplishment for this team.
So I guess the moral of the story is stay positive and hopefully someday something good will come to the state of Ohio.
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