Fey-ning interest

Check out this awkward video of 30 Rock star Tina Fey from the 90s as she shills for Mutual Savings bank.

Tina Fey Commercial - Mutual Savings Bank @ Yahoo! Video

NMR: The Book of Eli

At this point I've grown a bit weary of all the post-apocalyptic films that Hollywood is offering, but this one is not terrible. In essence it plays more like a Western than an armageddon film. Starring Denzel Washington, as the man tasked with protecting a book and Gary Oldman as the man desperate to get it, these two great actors give strong performances. One of the things I didn't care for though is the disconnect between the film's message and the amount of violence depicted. This is one of the most graphic films that uses the word of God as its crutch. How much you like this film will most likely depend on your feelings on the film's ending. It provides a twist that is both clever and befuddling at the same time. I legitimately did not see it coming, so kudos to them for that. But the more I thought about what happened, the more I felt it made no sense whatsoever. At times, this film is very engaging, but the sum of the parts here doesn't add up to a whole lot. Rating: ***

Dinner theater

Steve Carell has been everywhere lately doing publicity for Dinner For Schmucks and thankfully one of his stops was a visit to the Between Two Ferns set. Check out the profanity-laced and hilarious video between the two costars below.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Steve Carell from Between Two Ferns

NMR: Girl power

Here's a pair of films I recently caught about varying forms of female empowerment.

Whip It: I don't know what was the deal with this film but it took forever for this to arrive from Netflix. I swear they only had one copy of this film for the entire country. And of course, it wasn't worth the wait. Directed by Drew Barrymore, this film about a female roller derby offers no surprises. It hits all of the typical sports cliches, which at times are enjoyable but also nothing new. The film sports a decent cast, which made the film a draw in the first place, but Barrymore lacks skill as a director. The same immature, carefree attitude that she embraces in life is represented here in her work. The one nice thing about this film is seeing Daniel Stern working again - where the hell has he been for the past decade? If you enjoy sports movies, there's enough here to make this a pleasant outing. Rating: ***

The Brave One: This 2008 Jodie Foster thriller misses its mark. It's meant to show a woman's ability to bounce back from a mugging that ended up costing her fiancee's life. As it turns out, this plays more like a female version of Dirty Harry. While seeing thugs getting their comeuppance can be fun, the way it's down here is both ludicrous and too gritty. Foster's acting, as always is solid, but she is let down by the material. I also liked Terrance Howard as a cop who befriends her. If they had been given better subject material, this might have been worth your time, but sadly you should skip this one. Rating: **

Dream deconstruction

Still confused by Inception? Well maybe this infographic will help makes things more clear for you. Or maybe it will just make things more confusing. That's the crazy thing about dreams. For a larger view, just click on the image.

Jhonny Be Gone

Ever since the All-Star Break it seems that the Cleveland Indians have been making some smart moves that have been paying off. They've been bringing up some of their younger talent, playing loose and the result has been more winning. Well now they've gone and made the best move yet - from SI.com:

The banged-up Detroit Tigers acquired third baseman Jhonny Peralta from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday for minor league left-hander Giovanni Soto.

Detroit also received cash considerations in the trade. Peralta will fill-in for Brandon Inge, the Tigers' injured third baseman.

"I was trying to do something to help our ballclub and do something to stay in this," Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said before the game against Tampa Bay. "We think this helps our ballclub with a solid big league player. We've got a lot of young players. Right now it gives us another veteran in our lineup."

Dombrowski said Inge (broken left hand) and second baseman Carlos Guillen (strained right calf) could return in the next two weeks. Outfielder Magglio Ordonez (broken right ankle) is expected to be out six to eight weeks.

Detroit manager Jim Leyland, after the Tigers were beat 7-4 by Tampa Bay, said Inge will start at third when he returns and that Peralta will get playing time at shortstop and DH.

"I think it sends the right message to the team," Leyland said of the trade. "We're going to do something."

The Tigers started Wednesday third in the AL Central, four games behind the Chicago White Sox.

Peralta, who might join the Tigers for Thursday's day game at Tampa Bay, was in the lineup for Cleveland's game against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, but was pulled around 6 p.m. He's batting .246 with seven homers and 43 RBIs in 91 games.

The 28-year-old Peralta is in the final season of a five-year, $13 million contract. He's making $4.6 million this season and the club has a $7 million option for 2011.

"The stark reality was we had come to the decision we were not going to pick up his option for next year," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said.

The 19-year-old Soto has spent the entire season at Class-A West Michigan and will be assigned to Class-A Lake County. He is 6-6 with a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts.

"We're trying to make some moves that maybe help us a little bit. I don't have anything else right now," Dombrowski said.

Infielder Luis Valbuena has been called up from Triple-A Columbus to take Peralta's roster spot.

Shapiro said infielder Jared Goedert, who is batting .304 with 17 homers at Columbus, will be called up this season.

"We wanted to take a look at some of our internal alternatives at third base for next year," Shapiro said.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Peralta, Detroit designated outfielder Wilkin Ramirez for assignment.

All I can say is good riddance to a fat waste of space. I've been begging this organization to drop this bum for years and they've finally heard my pleas. All it took was for the team to hit rock bottom for them to do it. In the meantime, I think this is the start of our move back to greatness. Hey, a man can dream, can't he?

NMR: Green Zone

I'm finally starting to play catch up with all the spring movies that have come out on DVD. This one starred Matt Damon in yet another collaboration with director Paul Greengrass. Unfortunately, this one does not yield as good of a film as their previous efforts together in the Bourne franchise. The biggest problem with this film is that it can't figure out whether it wants to be a realistic depiction of the events that have taken place during this second Gulf War or if it simply wants to be 'Bourne goes to war'. It makes a political stance about the lack of WMDs in Iraq and the error in going to war for insufficient reasons, but yet it doesn't really reference any actual figures involved with the war. What we're left with is a mix of sermonizing and shaky cam action scenes. Having said all that, this is not necessarily a bad film. Damon and Greengrass are both skilled enough at what they do to make this an enjoyable ride. Most will also agree with the message of the film, even if they didn't do a decent job supporting it. There have been a lot of bad movies made about the Iraq war, but this isn't one of them. So while it's somewhat disappointing, it's a better choice than most of the ones out there. Rating: ****

Mind heist

So of course I'm still thinking about Inception and one of the things that I failed to praise in my review was the riveting score by Hans Zimmer that's heard throughout the film. One of the pieces was also used in one of Inception's trailers as well. I'm not the only one to take notice of it apparently as there is a new Internet fad where people are using the music to create trailers for other films/shows. Below are four of my favorites that use the music well and have it sync up nicely with the images used.

MotherChucker

Big news coming out of Comic-Con today regarding the upcoming season of Chuck and specifically the announcement of who will be playing the superspy's mom this fall. Here's EW.com with the report:

The search for Chuck’s mom has officially been terminated, and with good reason: Linda Hamilton has already landed the part!

The erstwhile Sarah Connor will make her first appearance as Zachary Levi’s MIA spy mama Mary Bartowski in Chuck‘s fourth-season premiere on Sept. 20. (Hamilton’s hiring is slated to be announced at Chuck‘s Comic-Con panel this morning.)

“We’re always looking for guest stars who will be great in the part, but who also speak to our audience and feel like it comes out of the universe of our show,” says exec producer Josh Schwartz. “If Chuck and Morgan were watching Chuck, they would be excited about Linda coming on board.” Adds fellow EP Chris Fedak: “Chuck was certainly a Terminator fan, and Morgan was a Beauty and the Beast fan.”

But Schwartz is quick to add that Hamilton brings more to the role than just a fanboy-friendly resume. “Obviously her body of work was important to us, but also knowing what this part was and the intensity that we were going to need from someone, Linda was a natural fit. She’ll be [kicking ass] right out of the gate.”

“The mystery surrounding Chuck’s mom is at the heart of the season, and there are going to be some shocking surprises in the first episode,” previews Fedak. “By the end of the episode we are going to turn everything on its head with regard to who she is.”

NMR: Bonus Nolan

Most people probably believe that Christopher Nolan's first film was Memento, but you would be wrong. Turns out he made a small independent film back in 1998 called Following. The story involves a man who has a bizarre habit of randomly following people out of curiosity and his habit ends up turning his life upside down when he meets a small time crook. It is clear very early on that a lot of the themes that are present in all of Nolan's films began here. The story is very unique, but this is the definition of shoe string budget. Shot in black and white, the film doesn't have a great look, but Nolan's certainly does the best with what he has. This is not a film for everyone, but if you're a really big fan of his work, this is worth a watch, if for no other reason than sheer curiosity. The film is currently available for Instant Viewing on Netflix. Rating: ****

Buried treasure

So I saw Inception last Saturday, but I held off on the review in hopes that I would actually get to see the film again. Since that hasn't happened yet, I figured I might as well and do this write up now before it gets too late.

Director Christopher Nolan has quickly gotten the reputation for being one of the most inventive filmmakers of this era, so it's saying something when I tell you that this may be his most creative yet. This mind-trip of a film will stick with you long after you leave the theater. At one point in the film, Cobb (played by Leonardo Dicaprio) says that an idea is the most persistent thing in the world today - once it enters your mind, you can't get rid of it. Well this movie is certainly reflective of that. It will leave you guessing as to what you are seeing on the screen is real or not.

Trying to explain this film is somewhat difficult given that I don't want to give too much away (the less you know going in, the better) and because it's not an easy concept to explain in the first place. The premise though is that Cobb has the ability to enter someone's dream and steal secrets and thoughts that are trapped in that person's subconscious. He, along with his crew, are hired by a Japanese businessman (played wonderfully by Ken Watanabe) to head into the mind of one of his rivals.

Soon things get real crazy as they are able to enter into dreams of dreams and dreams of dreams of dreams. This multi-layered approach requires your full attention, but the viewer is also rewarded. One of the best things about this film is that it works on several different layers. If you're not into the head games so much, you can also enjoy the film for its action as Cobb's team tries to commit this heist. One of the best scenes in the entire film is the anti-gravity fight scene that takes place in a hotel hallway. Wonderfully shot, the scene is enthralling and clever all at once. And you'll appreciate it more when you read how this was done using old school filmmaking instead of using a bunch of CGI.

There's also a romantic subplot interwoven into this film as well. As Cobb tries to pull off his caper, he also is trying to deal with the death of his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard). Her presence has a profound effect on Cobb and how successful he is in doing his job. Just as we've seen in many of Nolan's films, this is ultimately a story about a man, his obsessions and the toll that obsession has on him and everyone around him. We root for him to overcome his demons, even though we realize it may not be possible.

Of course, the part most everyone is already talking about and will be for a while is the film's final shot. I obviously don't want to say what that involves here, but I absolutely love how much fervor and discussion it has generated. To me, I find that to be one of the marks of a great film. When just a simple image can generate such passion and theorizing from audiences, you know you've done a good job. I know I will want to discuss the meaning behind the shot with anyone and everyone that's willing to talk about it with me.

I'm glad to see that this film has already done well at the box office, but if you're still on the fence, let me give you that last shove. Go see this movie! And if you've seen it once, see it again. Like most of Nolan's films, viewers are rewarded with repeat viewings of the film. There are plenty of films that are suitable as passive entertainment, but there are only a few films that can enthrall your eyes and your mind and every other part of your body like Inception does. It's the type of film that most people in Hollywood can only dream of. Grade: A-

Scooby Doo Dis

Apparently, a new version of Scooby Doo debuted on Cartoon Network recently and as Joel McHale of The Soup points out here, they've decided to throw in some social commentary to these new episodes. Take a look.

NMR: Que Cera Cera

Youth in Revolt: This is a bizarre coming-of-age film that couldn't really seem to find the right tone. Part of the problem is that it reportedly had been sitting on the shelves for a while before getting released and the marketing behind it focused on aspects that do not play a large role in the actual film (like Zack Galifianakis' presence). At times the film wants to play like a realistic portrayal of teen angst, and then other times it tries to have a whimsical, fantasy feel too it. While it boasts an impressive cast (besides those mentioned already, Fred Willard, Justin Long, Jean Smart, Ray Liotta, and Steve Buscemi all show up at various points), that actually works against the film. None of it feels very real when all of these big names keep popping in to scenes. The film has a few funny moments to avoid it from being a complete waste, but for the most part this feels like been there, done that (better). Rating: ***

Paper Heart: Released in 2009 this is documentary with fictional elements. It centers around Charlene Yi (Knocked Up) and her quest to not only find out what love is, but find love for herself. Along the way, she meets Michael Cera and they begin a (real?) relationship. The concept sounds interesting, but it doesn't work in its execution. If this is an actual relationship between these two, it's too intimate of a subject for it to be captured on film. And if it's a phony relationship, then why put on the pretense of it being real? The other parts of the film where Yi interviews other strangers and friends about their feelings on love feel too random and disjointed to draw you in. While some may find the central actors appealing, their quirks were too much for me and ruined the film. Rating: **

Boston baked Bens

Here's a pair of trailers featuring Ben Affleck in his native Boston. Both seem to be striving to make a splash come awards season, but I have my doubts as to whether either will actually succeed. Take a look for yourself and see what you think.

How bout them survivors?

Some interesting, and frankly shocking news about who one of the new castaways will be on this upcoming season of Survivor taking place in Nicaragua. From dallasnews.com:

Jimmy Johnson won a college football championship and two Super Bowls. But can he survive in the wilderness?

The former Dallas Cowboys coach will be a contestant on the CBS reality show "Survivor: Nicaragua" this fall, a source close to Johnson told the Dallas Morning News.

The series is being taped in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Filming started at the end of June, according to local reports.

The filming schedule will leave Johnson plenty of room to return in time for the NFL season. Johnson is an analyst for the Fox NFL Sunday studio show.

Johnson, 67, will be one of the oldest contestants to ever appear on “Survivor,” one of his favorite television shows. The Miami Herald reported last year that he was almost a contestant on "Survivor: Gabon" (which aired in 2008), but he failed a physical. He has lost weight since.

Johnson coached the Cowboys from 1989-1993 and won back-to-back Super Bowls. He also coached the University of Miami, Oklahoma State and Miami Dolphins.

"Survivor: Nicaragua" will be broadcast in September on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (a switch from its Thursday time slot in recent years). CBS usually releases a cast list a few weeks before the first episode.

"Survivor" throws contestants into the wilderness with little or no supplies and food. Contestants face physical and mental challenges and are voted out by their tribe members. The last remaining contestant after 39 days earns the title of Sole Survivor and wins $1 million.

Social gathering

The teaser came out a few weeks ago and now here is the first full trailer for the upcoming film on Facebook's founders called The Social Network. The subject seems a little too recent to be made into a film, but this still intrigues me nonetheless.

NMR: Genre du jour - 80s comedies

Here's a trio of films that are shockingly now over 20 years old (That makes me feel old).

Bachelor Party: I know this is supposed to be only of the classic 80s comedies, but I did not enjoy this at all. I found most of the characters to be unlikeable and annoying. And I didn't get the humor in most of the pranks they pulled. The only bright spot was seeing that Tom Hanks was clearly a star in the making. He's the only thing tolerable in this film. It's interesting to note that I did not care for this or the classic 70s comedy, Animal House. Yet, I love more modern ones like Old School, American Pie, Wedding Crashers, and The Hangover. I wonder if there is something about needing to be young in the era the film was made in order to appreciate this genre or if these more recent films are actually better than these supposed classics. Rating: **

The Dream Team: A wasted opportunity here. The premise offered a lot of promise - a doctor takes four of his mental patients to a baseball game, but ends up getting attacked, leaving the patients to fend for themselves in New York City. Instead of really trying to have fun with this notion of nutcases loose in a major city, the plot resorts to tired cliches involving corrupt cops and silly chases. Instead of depicting true mental illness, the four patients (played by Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle, and Stephen Furst) just come off as mildly annoying. This is pretty standard fare. Rating: ***

Parenthood: Finally, we get a winner. This is a wonderful film showcasing a variety of familial situations. On paper, the characters seem like they'll be cliches, but the wonderful cast makes them fully realized and true. Credit to Ron Howard who is able to balance the large cast and give each of them significant time to allow their story arcs play out. While I doubt this will encourage me to see the new NBC drama based on the film, I can now see why they would want to develop it into a series. Of the three, this is the one I'd recommend you check out if you've never done so before. Rating: ****

An appetite for change

I know I'm a few days behind on this, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post this hilarious video from this past week's ESPY awards featuring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd spoofing the Lebron James 'Decision' special.

*cue losing horns

It appears The Price is Right has lost its voice. The news below comes from Buzzerblog and pretty much expresses the same sentiment that I feel regarding this unfortunate news.

Sadly, news was confirmed today that Rich Fields is no longer the announcer for the long running CBS daytime game show The Price is Right, hosted by Drew Carey. Rumors about this have been swirling for around two months now. Rich has been the announcer of the show since 2004, taking over for the deceased Rod Roddy. I wish Rich the best. He’s a great friend to the site and unbelievably nice.

On-camera auditions will take place the first few weeks of the new season of Price which begins in September. New tapings start next week and hopefully we’ll hear back. And just before the deluge of questions come on: I truly have no idea what happened. I’m usually in the loop for this stuff, but I’m stumped on this one.

One more request, also. The show’s not going to suddenly self destruct so I’d really like to kindly ask people to not do the usual Price thing where something changes and there’s a witch hunt against Drew and doom being spouted left and right. Be supportive and wish Rich your best. He reads and your messages are welcome.

I know these rumors have been around for a while. I have a rule that I won’t post rumors about people like this. It’s just without taste to post rumors about someone’s career. It’s confirmed now, and I hope to see Rich somewhere else soon.

Reynolds' wrap

Here's your first look, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, at Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern, which comes out in theaters next summer.

Save the Date

Check out the first trailer for Todd Phillips' (The Hangover) latest comedy, Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zack Galifianakis.

Hulk clash!

Looks like Bruce Banner is getting another facelift for the upcoming Avengers movie. From comingsoon.net:

Edward Norton will not be reprising his role as Dr. Bruce Banner, reports HitFix, who say that Marvel Studios plan to cast a new actor in the part.

The report theorizes that a deal could not be made, despite Edward Norton wanting to join the ensemble cast that will include Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Chris Evans as Captain America.

Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige confirmed the report with the following statement he sent to the site:

"We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks."

Marvel Studios is planning a May 4, 2012 release for The Avengers.

NMR: Defiance

If you're unfamiliar with the title, this was the WWII film released a few years ago starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schrieber. It's clear watching the film that they had high expectations for this to compete during the awards seasons, but it's so far away from being an award-worthy film, it's not even funny. The film hits every single cliche from the war genre and each one feels more false than the previous one. Despite some quality actors trying to turn in good performances, nothing around them works. This is based on a true story, but everything you see on screen feels like a manufacture of the Hollywood machine. It's a shame seeing talented actors wasted like this, but they are and everything can go ahead and skip this one. No history lesson will be learned here. Rating: **

Stephen v. Steven

In case you missed, you can check out below the awesome highlights of Steve Carell's recent visit to The Colbert Report with his old Daily Show chum, Stephen Colbert.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Carell Corral
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Steve Carell
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Emmy please!

So today the Emmy nominations were announced. You can read the full list here. Here are some quick thoughts I have based on the list...

- Overall, I would have to say that this was one of the least offensive list of nominations in quite a few years. Particularly on the drama side of things I felt almost all of the categories had worthy nominees, even if there were some omissions.
- The comedy side of the nominations was a little less appealling. I still don't get the appeal of either Glee or Modern Family, but I'm not blind so I fully expected to see them get as many nominations as they did.
- Happy to see Amy Poehler get a nom for Parks and Recreation, but sad that it failed to get any other major nominations. Where's the love for Ron Swanson?
- Disappointed that John Noble (Walter Bishop on Fringe) didn't get a nomination, but when you look at the other nominees in his category, it's hard to pick someone there who didn't deserve one. With Lost now done, hopefully that will open up some room for him to get a nomination next year.
- Speaking of Lost, it was nice to see them get plenty of recognition on their way out. On top of Ben and Locke getting noms in the supporting category, Matthew Fox picked up his first nomination in the lead acting category.
- Shocked that Survivor did not get a nomination for best reality show for it's Heroes vs. Villians season. How it didn't get chosen over Project Runway or Dancing With the Stars is baffling.
- As usual there was the usual Emmy darlings that had no business getting nominations; I'm talking about picks like Tony Shaloub for Monk and Jon Cryer for Two and Half Men.
- And in some small sense of vindication, Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show got a nomination for Best Comedy/Variety Program and Leno's did not. The Emmy's air on NBC this year, so it should be interesting to see what happens when Conan comes back to his old network for one night. You can watch that and all the other festivities when the Emmys air on August 29th.

Come on!

I got hopeful that this was a real trailer for the Arrested Development movie, but apparently I made a huge mistake. Instead, this fan-made trailer is cut so as to make the movie seem like it would be an action thriller instead of a comedy. Nicely done, but I so wish it would have been the real thing.

NMR: The Wolfman

This oft delayed film turned out to be not as bad as I feared. While it covers a lot of familiar territory (let's face it this isn't an original idea), I give director Joe Johnson for giving this film a great look. The way he depicts foggy old England creates an eerie atmosphere that is perfect for this film. Benecio Del Toro is fine as the Wolfman and Anthony Hopkins hams it up as Del Toro's father in a way that only he can do. Emily Blunt is beautiful as always, however I didn't necessarily buy the romance they try to create between her and Del Toro. As for the action, for every scene that's done effectively, there's another scene that comes off very cheesy. In the end, this will probably only be appreciated by those who enjoy films from this genre. Rating: ***

Happy 4th!

Enjoy your holiday everyone! Be safe and don't do anything stupid like this guy.

NMR: Genre du jour - 90s sci-fi

I don't know what it is about Dayton, but ever since I've moved back, my Netflix service has been lacking. I don't get new releases immediately like I used to when I was in NC. As a result, I've been catching up on a lot of older movies that I never had a chance to see when they were first released. Today, it's a pair of science fiction films from the 90s.

Stargate: It's a wonder how there have been multiple, successful spin-offs television shows given how underwhelming I thought this movie was. Everything pretty much felt phoned in here. They started off with an interesting concept (finding a portal that can send you through time to different universes) and then did nothing with it. I felt like I could predict how everything would play out well before it happened. This movie seemed to just borrow ideas from other, more successful sci-fi films and try to pass them off as fresh. I would imagine most of the visual effects look good for the day, but now they come off looking bad as well. A definite disappointment here. Though I've never seen an episode of the spin-off shows, it sounds like everyone would be better to just watch them instead. Rating: **

Demolition Man: Starring Sly Stallone and Wesley Snipes, this is one loud, noisy sci-fi/action picture. On one hand, I'd like to credit them for some inventiveness in the way they depict the future as this utopian, pacifist place, but I found the execution of this idea to be irritating after a few minutes. There are also some subtle jabs at 90s culture in the film, but sadly those feel dated now. Once you strip that away, you're left with the action sequences between Stallone and Snipes which were run-of-the-mill and unengaging. I wish I could have liked this film better, but time has not aged it well. Rating: **

Starry Knight

If there's one theme that we can take away from this summer's crop of films, it's that everyone seems to want to play it safe and revert back to their regular old roles. There's the 80s nostalgia films, the endless sequels, multiple movies involving computer generated animals talking, and even Russell Crowe reverted back to historical action pieces. So it should come as no surprise to see Tom Cruise jump on the bandwagon by doing once again what brought him to the dance - playing the macho action hero. From Top Gun to the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise has spent nearly 30 years succeeding at wowing audiences.

In his latest, Knight and Day, Cruise once again comes out guns ablazing with a whole lot of stuff blowing up around him. For a long time, I never understood Cruise's appeal. I always had an odd disconnect with his films where I would typically love the story but absolutely loathe his character. Here, I was pleasantly surprised by the likability of his Roy Miller character; a man who's intentions are unclear throughout most of the film. Is he a spy for the government, a traitor, or someone just mentally unstable?

Cameron Diaz, who plays June Havens, asks herself these same questions as she unwittingly globetrots around the world with him trying to avoid danger. While there are many points in the film where it seems unlikely that she would continue to just go along with everything that's happening, Diaz has a winning chemistry with Cruise, so you're happy to see her play a happy (albeit sometimes drugged) camper.

Your enjoyment of the film will likely hinge on whether you buy into their relationship. The plot is barebones and used to basically loosely connect the multitude of action sequences in the film. If you care, Cruise is trying to protect the first perpetual motion battery from falling into the wrong hands. Never once did I really care what happened to the battery, but I found myself consistently entertained by the various perilous situations it led to for the two leads as they try to keep it safe.

Director James Mangold, who also did 3:10 to Yuma, keeps the film moving along nicely. Just as he did in his western, he knows how to set up a decent action piece and then just let his actors do the rest.

Perhaps a weak summer movie season this year has allowed me to see this film as being better than what it is, but I'm not going to let that bother me. This is pure escapism, which is perfectly acceptable in my book for a summer movie. It doesn't strive to be anything more than to keep you entertained for two hours. While this material could have suffered with weaker talent on screen (as proven by Killers), Cruise and Diaz still have enough star power to make this an enjoyable romp. Cruise, in particular, seems to be having fun playing a slightly askewed version of past characters. He doesn't take himself as serious here and accepts the preposterous nature of the events unfolding. It's just a shame that it took for everyone else to stop taking him seriously for him to stop himself. That aside, this is fun time at the movies and a better option than most of the dreck that's being offered in theaters right now (Yeah, that's right I'm looking directly at you Twilight!) Grade: B

Holy shot!

There are no words to describe this. Just enjoy!

NMR: Splice and dice

Since I saw Splice a few weeks ago, I decided to check out a couple more films featuring its stars, Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley; both of which were available for instant view on Netflix.

The Jacket: I remember when I first saw the advertisements for this back in '05 that I was really intriqued and thought it could be a decent thriller and yet somehow I never got around to seeing it. Sadly, I probably was better off skipping it as this is a major disappointment. The film squanders it's potential and comes off very hokey. It's never made clear whether Brody is actually time-travelling or just hallucinating when he's in the jacket. Keira Knightley is also horribly miscast here and gives a poor performance. Her relationship with Brody never comes off as believable. The only interesting thing here is an early appearance by Daniel Craig. However, it took me almost the entire movie before I even realized it was him. Rating: **

Go: Sarah Polley is part of a large ensemble from this 2000 film that has fun with its narrative. Instead of telling a linear story, it tells the same story three times from three different perspectives. When a film does something like this, it lives and dies by its gimmick. Luckily this one holds up nicely and doesn't really leave any gaps or continuity errors that I could pick up on. The film also features a wide array of actors who were relative unknowns then, but have gone on to more successful careers. I also liked a lot of the sly humor that's sprinkled throughout the film. My biggest complaint about the film is that the context with which the film takes place in is heavily rooted in sex and drugs. A large rave is a central location for the movie. While I'm no prude, I didn't really appreciate it here and felt it was part of a culture that I'm not really associated with. Given that it is a rave that most of the characters attend, the film already feels dated too. Big points for its inventiveness, minus points for its crass culture, which results in a rating of ***.

In for a Harry ride

You're probably sick of trailer posts by now, but this is one I couldn't pass up. Here's the first official trailer for both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Will The Office soon be Scott free?

From eonline.com:

If you happen to see Steve Carell in the next few days, knock him over the head, will ya? Out of love? 'Cause clearly his brain has gotten all jumbly.

One of TV's best comedic actors of all time has just confirmed to us that he is indeed leaving The Office this May—argh!—and get this, seems to think no one will care...

E! News hit the red carpet for Steve's new movie Despicable Me last night, and Steve made it clear he was not joking when he told BBC Radio he would leave The Office after the coming 2010-2011 season.

"I just think it's time," Steve told our Kristina Guerrero. "I want to fulfill my contract. When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go."

But according to Steve, The Office could go on without him. "It doesn't certainly mean the end of the show. I think it's just a dynamic change to the show, which could be a good thing, actually. Add some new life and some new energy...I see it as a positive in general for the show."

A positive that Michael Scott could be leaving Dunder Mifflin for good? Anyone else having a problem seeing that? Still, Steve, doused in Eau to Humility, had this to say about the attention he's receiving for his exit: "I didn't see it as a huge thing and I certainly didn't anticipate any sort of hubbub over it. I'm just not going to extend my contract, but I didn't see it as a huge deal. And the show is great, and the ensemble is so strong, and the writers are great, so it's just one part of that ensemble drifting off. They've incorporated so many new characters and so many new, great storylines that I have no doubt it'll continue as strong if not stronger than ever."

Color me gullible, but that sure doesn't sound like the usual bargaining ploy to me. So file this one under Dammit! 'Cause Steve Carell sure seems dead serious he plans to leave The Office.

Anyone else not agree with Steve that this is no big thang? Can you see the show living on without him?

Like

Yet another trailer for you to enjoy. This time it's David Fincher's (Zodiac, Seven) latest. It's a biopic about the founders of Facebook. It doesn't sound like it would translate well into a whole movie, but if anyone's capable of doing it, it would be Fincher.

Handle With Care

You'll forgive me if I begin to gush during this review for Toy Story 3; I have a tendency to do so when I see films that are this good. It should come as no surprise that Pixar has once again delivered an amazing product. While I may not have appreciated all of their recent films equally, I have always been impressed with the care that is put into each film. Whether it's the heart-breaking tenderness of Up, the poignant themes of WALL-E, or the visual majesty of Ratatouille, each Pixar films finds new ways to dazzle the eye and move your heart.

This time around, we once again see growth; both figuratively and literally. Near the beginning of the film we learn that Andy, child owner of Woody the cowboy and Buzz Lightyear, has now grown up and is ready to head off to college. This is not only a major moment in Andy's life, but for his toys as well. They now face a change of scenery as well either leaving with Andy for college, being sent to the attic or gasp possibly being thrown out. Dealing with this change becomes a major focal point of the film and is handled well. It doesn't seem silly at all for the audience to be invested in the fates of these toys. Having two previous great films before it, we know the bond that exists between Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang with Andy. Both the characters and the viewers quickly realize that it's difficult to let go even when its necessary to move on.

The film also shows growth in the sheer size of its cast. Along with all of our favorite toys from the past two films, we meet an entire new crop of playthings when the gang gets sent to Sunnyside Day Care Center. There they meet Lotso-Huggin' Bear (voiced by Ned Beatty), who is the de facto leader of all the toys there. We also meet some other interesting characters including a deformed baby doll, a sassy octopus, and a Ken doll (voiced by Michael Keaton in a terrific performance). As we begin to get to know these new characters, we learn that they aren't as cheerful as they appear. The movie soon turns into a prison break caper that is a lot of fun, thanks primarily to its ability to take a plot mostly seen in adult thrillers and have it work so seemlessly in this children's movie.

Despite the large voice cast, I was pleased to see that it did not result in any one character getting the shaft. All of the terrific voice actors have the opportunity to contribute to the story and provide some great one-liners. Everyone seems to be having a great time returning to these characters, which doesn't surprise me in the least. And while it can be a thankless role, I definitely want to point out Tom Hanks' performance as Woody, which remains the emotional core of the film. He finds the perfect way to blend youthful exuberance with touching pathos as he interacts with everyone and organizes the plan to reunite them with Andy.

I mentioned the sentimentality of the film a couple of times now, which is one aspect that is getting brought up in national news. Many adults are finding themselves becoming emotional during the film, particularly in the film's closing moments. I too will admit to getting a little misty as I watched these toys progress to the next chapter in their lives. We learn that while individuals may grow up, there will always be a love for toys whether you're 8 or 88. While they may just be hunks of plastic or fabric, they have the ability to unlock our imagination and let us reclaim that youthful spirit. Thankfully, this film has been able to do the same thing.

One thing I want to point out is that I saw this film in standard 2D and loved it. While I can't personally attest to it, I have read other reviews, which said they felt that the 3D version really didn't add anything to the experience. It's up to you how you want to view it, but it seems you may want to just save yourself the few extra dollars and see it on a normal screen.

In hindsight, it would have been easy for the Pixar people to return to this franchise simply for the money grab. Instead, they maintained their level of quality and maturity and developed a worthy close to this franchise. I'll need some successive views to determine if this one is the best of the three, but I can say for certainty right now that it is as good as the first two entries. If you have seen and enjoyed their first two outings, I strongly encourage you to seek this one out as well. And if you've already seen it, consider going a second time. From what I've read, there are several easter eggs sprinkled throughout the film referencing Pixar films of the past and future (you can seen an image of a new character for the upcoming Cars 2 on a poster in Andy's bedroom). No matter what age you are, you're never too old for toys and you won't be too old for Toy Story. This is once again another masterpiece from our friends at Pixar. Grade: A

Seeing Red

The trailers keep rolling in. This time it is for a comic book adaptation starring a bunch of wise old veteran actors that could be a lot of fun.

NMR: Edge of Darkness

This was touted as Mel Gibson's return to acting since he last starred in Signs back in 2002 and I would imagine most people were disappointed with it. While it's a perfectly fine revenge thriller, there's nothing really special here. The title is particularly misleading I feel, since Gibson's character never really comes close to hitting the 'edge of darkness' in his quest to find his daughter's killer. I was expecting more Jack Bauer levels of anger and torture as he sought revenge, but they weren't forthcoming here. Instead, we get another shady Blackwater-esque government-funded organization as the villain and Gibson dutifully hits all the right beats in obtaining justice. I liked Martin Campbell's (Casino Royale) direction here as he made the film more lively, rather than another one of these washed-out, murky, film noir wannabes. I also appreciated Ray Winstone's performance as a man hired to help cover-up the incident. Edge of Darkness is an enjoyable enough 2 hours making it all right for rental, just don't expect an instant classic. Rating: ***

What the Fock?

Here's your first look at the latest Meet the Parents sequel, Little Fockers, due out this Christmas.

It Blinded Me With Science

A few weeks ago, I actually saw the film Splice. It's not a movie I would typically see, but I had a friend who was excited about it and I decided to be a good friend and tag along. Since this is already quickly vanishing from theaters, I figured I better hurry up and do a review for this.

Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley star as a couple of scientists (and lovers), who, in response to their funding being cut, decide to attempt to develop a creature that has a Heinz 57 mix of DNA, including some from humans. Their experiment leads to the creation of Dren (that's 'nerd' backwards) an awkward creature that the couple decides to secretly tend after since they can't make their discovery public. The commercials for this film mislead you to believe it is a standard creature feature where the experiment would begin terrorizing everything in sight until it can finally be killed.

Instead, the film becomes a psychological exploration into the two lead characters and how their history has an impact on the way they attempt to domesticate this creature. As we learn more about these two, we begin to see Dren as more human than either one of them. This results in seeing both lead characters display some odd and, at times, uncomfortable actions and interactions with Dren. All of this may not appeal to mass audiences, but it certainly is thought-provoking. So much so, that I was actually appreciating the film for its unconventional approach to familiar material.

Unfortunately, things go awry in the film's final act where the film seemingly works itself into a corner that it can't escape. As Dren grows, it develops new abilities and the film begins to take on more of that creature feature film. With only a few human characters introduced throughout the film, the impact of Dren's terror is obvious and uninteresting. The film then takes a really wild turn with its final twist that comes off as hokey and insulting rather than the poignancy that they were hoping for. This last part of the movie really ruins what had been a solid thriller.

The film's overall premise is too strange for me to give a general recommendation, even if the climax had been stronger. However, it does provide a number of watercooler moments that make it a film worth talking about afterwards if you're one who is inclined to see it. Since the film basically bombed in theaters, if you have any interest in seeing it, wait for it to come out on DVD. However, most people can skip this odd film experiment that went horribly wrong. Grade: B-

What to see from E3 on Wii

Last week's E3 convention had its share of big news regarding the video game industry. While many may be talking about the Microsoft Kinect or Playstation Move, I was more interested in what Nintendo had to announce for their system. Below are trailers for two of their more interesting titles.

First is Wii Party, which is a mixed blessing. On one hand it finally brings a new party game to the system, but sadly it's not with Mario characters, but rather your Miis. In addition, it doesn't appear to have online capability, which is what this genre of games is sorely needing. Still, it's hard to mess up a party game, and if the gameplay is solid, I'll most likely be picking it up. Check it out below:


Then the big news was the announcement of a brand new Goldeneye game for the Wii. As the trailer below indicates, Goldeneye 64 is one of the greatest shooter games ever, particularly for multiplayer. I never really had much of a chance to play the 64 version, but being the Bond fanatic that I am, I am especially excited to pick up this version. And unlike Wii Party, this will have online capability, which has everyone chomping at the bit to get their hands on this. The video below offers you a sneak peek at what you can expect.

This post is brought to you by....Christ I can't find it. To hell with it.

News hit today that there is discussion about reviving the Major League franchise. Given how terrible the Indians have become again, I'd say it's about time. Here's the story from Comingsoon.net:

David S. Ward, writer/director of Major League, tells Moviehole: "We're actually talking about doing one right now. I've written, what I see, as 'Major League 3.' We're putting that together as we speak - in fact, next week I'm off to talk to James Robinson at Morgan Creek about it.

"It's 20 years later, and Wild Thing comes out of retirement to work with this 19-year-old player," Ward added. "We've actually got three new characters in the new film. And if the new film is popular, they could carry the franchise on."

Though Ward hopes to get Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen and even, Wesley Snipes back for Major League 3, he's so far only spoken to Charlie Sheen about it.

"He's excited to do it if and when it happens," said Ward. "But he can't shoot it this year, because he's back doing 'Two and a Half Men,' but we could potentially shoot it next year - in his hiatus from the show."

Stiller silliness

I'm not sure how I missed this when it was first released back last March, but here's the latest installment of Zack Galifianakis' awesome series Between Two Ferns, with special guest Ben Stiller.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Ben Stiller from Between Two Ferns

NMR: The Road

I initially had high hopes for this film when I first learned about it. However, my anticipation for it waned with every delayed release to the point. Even with my low expectations, this one still managed to underwhelm me. On a positive note, the cinematography depicting a post-apocalyptic world is impressive. Nothing else really works here. The story doesn't feel orignial and also feels underdeveloped. This is most likely due to it being an adapatation of a popular novel (by author Cormac McCarthy). There were many points where I felt the book most likely developed the characters better to make you care about them. Here, I never felt a vested interest in whether the man (played by Viggo Mortensen) and his son survived their perilous situation. Perhaps worst of all is the film's attempt to bludgeon its themes over our head. We didn't need multiple scenes involving the son asking his father if they were still the 'good guys' to tell us that armageddon causes people to develop shades of grey personalities. This really deserves only about two and half stars, but since Netflix doesn't offer that option, I'll be kind and say Rating: ***

I smell a rat

So The Price is Right unveiled a new pricing game today called Rat Race. I think it's unique while borrowing strong elements from past games. You can see the debut playing of it below and if you're interested in seeing what into making this game, you can check out this video on priceisright.com

Can't myth moments

Tonight Mythbusters ran a 2-hour special celebrating their 25 Best Busted Myths. If you didn't catch the show, here's the list along with the episode in which the myth aired:

25. Can a 1967 Chevy take off with JATO rockets? (Jet-Assisted Chevy, 1st myth ever)
24. Can a tree be cut down using a machine gun? (Viewer's Special 2)
23. Can a bullet fired straight up in the air kill someone on the way back down? (Bullets Fired Up)
22. Can a JATO rocket launch a car through the air? (Special Supersized Myths)
21. Can an unamplified human voice shatter a wine glass? (Breaking Glass)
20. Did the Confederates really build a lethal steam-powered machine gun? (Confederate Steam Gun)
19. No myth, just a montage of the crazy costumes the crew has worn over the years
18. How can someone escape from a sinking car? (Sinking Car)
17. Can a sonic shock wave shatter glass? (Curving Bullets)
16. Do bulls in a china shop really cause complete destruction? (Red Rag to a Bull)
15. Is it possible for pants to spontaneously explode? (Exploding Pants)
14. Will duct tape plug holes in the bottom of boats and can you create a working sail-boat out of it? (Duct Tape Hour)
13. Can an airplane toilet create enough suction to cause a person to become stuck on it? (Biscuit Bazooka)
12. Theories that the Apollo moon landing was faked are tested (NASA Moon Landing)
11. Will a pack of sharks ignore a person who is playing dead? (Shark Week Special)
10. Can you ignite your own flatus? (Never before seen on air, but done as part of the Franklin's Kite episode)
9. Is it possible to water ski behind a rowing eight? (Break Step Bridge)
8. What caused the Hindenburg to explode? (Hindenburg Mystery)
7. No myth, just a montage of the crew's favorite one-liners
6. Was it possible to survive an escape from Alcatraz? (Alcatraz Escape)
5. Will a car dropped from 4,000 feet fall faster than a speeding car? (Demolition Derby)
4. No myth, just a montage of all the accidents/injuries the crew has suffered over the years
3. Two revisted myths tied: Is the compact conundrum of a two-truck head-on collision a myth? (Demolition Derby) and Can a rocket powered snow plow split a car in two? (Myth Evolution)
2. Can a lead balloon fly? (Lead Balloon)
1. Can hardened cement be removed from a cement truck using explosives? (Salsa Escape)

No surprise what came in at number one. I'll also note that while these myths were singled out, they mentioned many more myths along the way. Some of the omissions that I would have liked to see mentioned include Pop Rocks and Soda and the Phone Book friction myth. I know everyone has their favorites though, so please share your own below.

Crowd control

Man, the wave has nothing on what these Korean soccer fans can do. I may hate soccer, but even I have to admit this is pretty darn cool.

NMR: A Serious Man

Boy did I struggle with this one. In recent years I've gained an appreciate for the Coen brothers' films after enjoying both Burn After Reading and No Country For Old Men. However, this one was a different case. A lot of the same themes (dark humor, the random nature of life, idiotic people) all remain here and the film is expertly made, its subject matter was just too narrow for me to appreciate it. Centered around a Jewish man and the struggles he endures in both his personal and professional life, I just found myself unable to relate to the character or the context. If, however, you can relate to their culture and you have an appreciation for the Coens' work, then you'll probably really enjoy this. This is a total skip for everyone else though. Rating: **

Lost in space

For those of you who were unsatisfied by the way Lost ended, maybe this video, a smash-up of Lost and Star Wars, will suit you better.

Lost Wars: Because Adding Jedis Can Fix Anything -- powered by Cracked.com

Wahoo Wrap-Up (Week 9)

Record: 21-34, Last in the AL Central

So things seem to have hit rock bottom this week. We were beat soundly in our recent series with the Yankees and the Tigers, showing just how far away we are from competing against the American League's top teams. Of course, one of those games was the "imperfect game" which was the epitome of pathetic offense. If that wasn't bad enough, news then came that Grady Sizemore's surgery will keep him out for the rest of the season. Thankfully when things looked bleakest, along came the Chicago White Sox which seems to the cure for what ails us. We took the first two of the series against them and should have won today had the bullpen not blown it. It's pretty sad though that more than a third of our wins have come against the White Sox. If only we could play them all season long. Instead, this week we have a four game against the nasty Boston Red Sox and then officially open up interleague play with the Washington Nationals. There's a possiblity we may even see last year's #1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg in that series and if he's as good as many people think, we may be on the wrong end of another perfect game. Still though, I gotta remain loyal to my team and I gotta say, Go Tribe!

Hallow victory

So here's a nice two for one...a pair of previews for the upcoming final Harry Potter film(s). The first is an unoffical trailer that I somehow missed when it hit the net late last year. The second debuted tonight on MTV's Movie Awards show. Both seem to adequately show the epic nature that the book had. Time will tell whether it's able to successfully finish off the series.

NMR: Daybreakers

Clearly anyone that knows me knows that I want nothing to do with the stupid vampire craze that has disturbingly swept the nation. However, when I had seen the previews for this film earlier this year, the concept of this blood-sucker film was so unique, that I couldn't help but be intrigued. The premise here is that the majority of the population has become vampires and they're quickly running out of human blood to keep themselves alive. Some are hunting down the remaining humans, while Ethan Hawke joins up with Willem Dafoe to try and find a cure. The film presents a lot of clever allegories for real-life issues; dependency on oil, immigration, scientific ethics, and military power just to name a few. I found all of them to be very thought provoking and made it seem that this film would be something special. Unfortunately the second half of the film devolves into a gore-fest instead of following through on its themes. It's a shame the film decided to take that route. It cheapens the film for those, like me, who wanted something provoking and the violence comes too late in the film to appease the people that wants to see an all-out blood fest throughout. Still I think it has enough to make it worthy of a rental. While it does not completely suck, I wish it would have had a little bit more bit. Grade: B

Second helping

Here's the second trailer for the new comedy, Dinner For Schmucks, starring Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd that opens next month.

Avenger? I barely know her!

Here's a couple of images of concept art for the two Marvel superhero movies coming out next summer. Both Thor and Captain America will be part of the Avenger initiative that was mentioned in the Iron Man films.

Pilgrim's pride

Here's the newest trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I'm liking this more and more with each new footage I see. BTW, bonus points go for having Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza in this film.

The clock strikes out for 24

Lost is not the only show I'm mourning this spring. I've also had to say goodbye to the CTU gang over at 24. Over the past eight seasons, the Fox drama has provided tremendous action and was unique for its real-time storytelling. Perhaps most of all it has given us one of the most iconic characters in television history - Jack Bauer. While the show had its eye-rolling moments and came under controversy for its views on torture, it was remain of the most intense shows ever on network television.

As the show came to a close, I wish it had been able to do under better terms. While not the worst season (that honor goes to a dreadful season 6), it was at best uneven. The central storyline just never had the sense of urgency which hampered the action. This season also features some of the recurring characters doing things that went against their character. Worst of all for me was seeing them kill off the Renee Walker character. I'm not an overly sentimental person that needed to see Jack finish the show with the love of his life. I simply wanted to see her live because she not only loved him, but because she was just as badass as he was when it came to taking down the bad guys. The lone bright spot for the season was seeing the return of Gregory Itzin as former President Logan. His manipulations of others is downright Shakespearean at times, so it was fun to see him play off of the other characters once again.

The final hours of the show were not as dramatic as they could be. But they also did leave a lot of doors open, which is good since there is still plans to make a feature film involving these characters at some point. Flawed as it was, I stuck with this show until the end and I'm glad for it. Oddly enough, I actually was late to the game in becoming a fan and have never seen the first season. Thankfully it's now available on Netflix's instant view, so I plan on watching that at some point over the summer. Just as I was thankful to the Lost producers, I am equally grateful of the people behind 24 for giving us such a thrilling show that will be remembered for the rest of time.

Happy Memorial Day!

In honor of today's holiday, here is the Muppets own, Sam the Eagle to sing us a nice patriotic song (or not).

Lost but never forgotten

I've now had a week to contemplate the finale of Lost, so I guess it's time I weigh in on the conclusion and what it meant to the show overall. Like so many people, I'm left with mixed feelings about the finale. On one hand, I was completely moved by the events that unfolded. Seeing familiar faces and so many wonderful reunions was truly touching. Oddly enough, I think I was most moved by the final scene between Locke (Terry O'Quinn) and Ben (Michael Emerson). These two performers gave us one final great scene together and it was great to see Locke forgive him after all the two of them had been through together. The final revelation that the sideways world had been some sort of purgatory was poignant and fitting given everything that has gone down the past 6 seasons. I liked how the final scene of them sitting in the church as Christian opened the doors to reveal a big light was eerily reminiscent of them sitting in the plane as a big light shone behind them as the back of the plane was ripped apart. The whole thing was very emotional and left me drained by the time it was over.

Having said that, the nerd in me screams with rage that more answers to the show's mythology were never given. Now I'm not one of these people that needed to have answers to every piece of the show's minutae (I really don't care how or why there was a Dharma food drop years after their experiments were over). However, there were some critical things that were abandoned that I felt needed better resolution. Tops on that list was Charles Widmore and everything surrounding him. We never got a suitable answer as to why he was kicked off the island. We didn't discover why he so desperately wanted to get back. And I'm still unclear as to what exactly he wanted to use Desmond for. For too long in the series, it appeared that things were building to a Ben/Widmore showdown and instead that showdown turned into Jacob/the Man in Black. While that showdown had potential, I never felt it lived up to it. The characters were properly introduced too late in the game and it required us to buy into more science fiction than reality. Given the way the show ended, I wonder why they felt the need to have that element of science fiction or the unexplained. If life on the island was reality, why not root it completely in reality and have every mysterious thing explained with a logical answer.

As I look at my critique though, I find myself having an internal war with my man of faith and my man of science. I believe this is truly what the show wanted to accomplish. It's been clear that the show has always favored the man of faith and wanted its viewers to embrace that side of themselves as well. Those that can, probably really enjoyed the finale and those that can't are left feeling very frustrated. Whatever my issues are with how things wrapped up, I look forward to at some point in the near future rewatching the series from the start to see how much of it I can enjoy and appreciate from a new perspective. I also anticipate the final season's DVD set coming out sometime in August, which promises to fill in some gaps that couldn't be accomplished during the show's run. Also, if you end up getting the entire series box set, I read that there will be a 12-14 minute video featuring Hurley and Ben's time on the island running the show. That sounds can't miss. Since I already own all of the sets, I may not be able to get it, so I hope it eventually pops up on YouTube somewhere.

I know I have plenty of Lost fans that read this site, so please share with me your thoughts and opinions on the show. I'm very curious to see what everyone else thought. And to the creators of the show, I'd like to thank them for six very entertaining years of TV. I know there will be a definite void in my TV schedule next year without it around. And so as we bid Aloha to Lost, I say to all of you, Namaste!

NMR: 48 Hours

I caught this last night on Netflix's Instant Viewing and I have to say I wasn't impressed. I know this is supposed to be a classic 80s movie and one of the ones that jump started Eddie Murphy's film career, but I found it to be too gritty and depressing. The racially charged dialogue heard throughout the film was no doubt meant to be provocative, but I just found it to be crass and unnecessary. It just seemed so unprofessional that these two characters would take the time to have a lengthy fistfight when their attention needed to be on catching the criminal. I think a big problem with the film for me is that I have once again been spoiled by seeing parodies and knock-offs before the original material. In this case, I've seen and enjoyed films like Lethal Weapon and National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 before, so nothing in this film seemed fresh, even if it did happen first. I won't begrudge anyone that does enjoy this movie, but I'm not likely to watch it again. Rating: **

Wahoo Wrap-Up (Week 8)

Record: 18-29, Last in the AL Central

Things seem to be going from bad to worse with this team. On top of losing games on a frequent basis, we're losing key players left and right. First it was a freak accident that caused Asdrubal Cabrera to break a bone in his arm and be out 6-8 week. Then we learned this weekend that Grady will need surgery on his leg and will also be out about 6 weeks. Oddly, the scariest looking moment for an Indian though was the line drive that pitcher David Huff took off of his head. Surprisingly, the CT scan was negative and he says he's feeling fine, although it's not clear when exactly he'll return to the mound.

We've been trying to stay afloat with an inferior team, but now it looks like it's starting to catch up to us. We've sunk to the basement of the division and things don't like they'll be getting any better anytime soon. After finishing up our four game series with the Yankees tomorrow, we stay out on the road against Detroit and Chicago. I don't hold much hope, however, if we can somehow play well against those two divisional opponents we could make some movement back up the standings. I know things look bleak, but my devotion will never waver. As always, Go Tribe!

Boys and the Hood

So this review is long overdue as I actually saw Robin Hood during it's opening week. Despite this being the umpteenth iteration of this classic story, I have quite a bit to say about this film, so let's hope I still remember it all in this review.

I think the one thing that needs to be stressed about this film is its central story. If you thought this would be another version of seeing Robin stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, you would be dead wrong. This film is actually a prequel of sorts, establishing how he became the outlaw that we all know him to be today. This backstory that director Ridley Scott gives us unfortunately isn't that interesting. It really doesn't even revolve around Robin. Instead, it's a story of England's war with the French and Robin just happens to be in the middle of it. It almost seemed as I watched this film that Scott just wanted to do another historical war film, but the studio didn't find that interesting enough so he decided to shoehorn Robin Hood into the story to make it more appealing.

This time around, the classic archer is played by Russell Crowe. Crowe has teamed up with Scott in the past with big success. This time around, Scott would have been better off not relying on his old friends. As great of an actor as Crowe is, he doesn't really add much to this storied character. He doesn't give him enough energy or charisma, which causes you to wonder why anyone would bother following this guy. There are a couple of moments in the film when Crowe is giving a speech to a crowd of people and I wondered why anyone was listing. Had I been there, I would have asked, "And you are again?"

Despite that void of character, Robin Hood does of course have his followers. Sadly, because this is a prequel, they are barely given more than token acknowledgments. We see who Little John and Friar Tuck are but that's about it. Throughout the film they're either dutifully following Robin or getting drunk when he's away. At least we can see why they were considered 'merry'. Perhaps more frustrating than their lack of development is seeing quality actors thrown into the film for meaningless roles. Actors like Max Von Sydow and William Hurt show up at various points, but again fail to add the expected prestige to the movie. Hurt's presence is particularly bizarre since his character doesn't have a major impact on the flow of the story. It sadly seemed like these guys simply came in for a paycheck and have the studio use their names in the credits to give the film some added prestige.

The only other actor besides Crowe who is given something of substance is Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian. Even though she has a larger role, the script wastes her talents as well. If she's not involved in some laughable romantic comedy scenes with Crowe, then she's trying to do the female empowerment thing by getting involved in the fight scenes with the men. Neither situation feels authentic. Instead, they've molded the character to fit into today's Hollywood archetypes. If you didn't know any better, you'd swear they were trying to spin the character off into her own action adventure franchise.

While nothing about this picture feels like a real Robin Hood movie, everything about it does feel like a Ridley Scott picture. You've got a lot of fighting sequences that are edited at a frenetic pace. Although I will say that I found them to be more enjoyable here than in a lot of his other sword and sandal movies. I'm not sure why that is, but maybe it's because there were so many problems with the non-fighting scenes here that the fights just looked better by comparison. The film also has another Scott standby; themes of power and the corruption of government. Here, we see King John in over his head as king of England and use bullying tactics as a way to mask his ineptitude. Watching this performance though, you can't help but feel that King John is nothing more than a watered down version of Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus from Gladiator. Really, the whole movie feels like a tepid sampling of many of Scott's previous better films.

While Robin Hood never matches up to expectations, it never bores you either. The film moves along with a mix of action and light comedy that will likely keep most entertained. However, you will also sit and wonder what could have been. It seems like a lot of key pieces are there, but nobody felt like putting the effort in to make it something special. While Robin never missed the target, this Robin Hood definitely misses its mark. Grade: C+

Pyramid power

I haven't mentioned it on here yet, but about a month ago I started inexplicably getting the Game Show Network again through my cable system. Since it's return, I've been enjoying a lot of the old show, but one in particular has been the $25,000 and $100,000 Pyramid. I don't know how long I'll keep getting GSN, so I was happy to hear news that CBS is considering bringing back a daytime version of the Pyramid. Even better news is that they are finalizing the deal to have Andy Richter host it. While it may seem like an odd choice initially, I think it's a pretty good one. Andy has always seemed like a genuinely nice fellow and I think he would be invested in seeing all of the contestant succeed on the show. On top of that, Andy is pretty intelligent and well versed in game shows. He's had success on numerous occassions on Celebrity Jeopardy. Don't believe me? Well take a look for yourself. Below are two videos, one of Andy doing a piece on the old Conan show preparing for his first appearance and the second video is of him doing well during his 2009 appearance.

NMR: The Private Eyes

When I was a kid, my family and I would spend every Sunday afternoon watching old Disney/family movies. Every week we would scour our local video stores to find one we had never seen before. I fully believed we had seen everything in existence, so it came as quite as a surprise to see on Netflix this 1980 comedy starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway as bumbling detectives. Surely had we ever seen this film on the shelves at the video store we would have rented it. While The Private Eyes is very similar to other Knotts/Conway pairings (like The Apple Dumpling Gang), some of their appeal is lost on me now as an adult. As a kid, they were a fun romp, now some of the comedy just seems dumb. I was surprised though that the film didn't feature more slapstick. Instead, most of the comedy comes from Knotts and Conway being real stupid, yet somehow still solving the case. The film plays like an extended episode of Inspector Gadget only without all the cool gadgets. If you have an appreciation for these type of films, you'll probably find enough amusement in this outing. Otherwise, there's no bother in checking this out. Rating: ***

Need some Recreation?

Who doesn't! Since NBC doesn't seem to be releasing any deleted scenes for The Office season finale, I figured I would take this time to once again plug Parks and Recreation. Below you can enjoy the special producer's cut version of their season finale.