Promising Development

This is the best possible birthday present I could get. Not only are we going to get an Arrested Development movie, but we're also getting the Bluths back on TV for a limited run as well!! Here's all the details from EW.com...

Arrested Development may get another lease on life on the small screen: EW has confirmed that the producers of Arrested Development – the critically-acclaimed but short-lived comedy from Mitchell Hurwitz — is in talks with Showtime and Netflix about airing a limited number of original episodes that will update fans on the Bluth clan.

Hurwitz told attendees at the New Yorker Festival Sunday in New York that he wanted to shoot nine to 10 episodes that would air next fall and catch audiences up on the characters’ lives since the series ended in 2006 on Fox. The episodes would be produced by 20th Century Fox TV, which was responsible for the original single camera series that starred Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, and Portia DeRossi.

Hurwitz’ hope is that the limited series would serve as a walk-up to his long-gestating movie. “I have been working on the screenplay for a long time and found that as time went by there was so much more to the story,” he said at the festival, which was also attended by Development stars Bateman, De Rossi, and Cera, as well as David Cross, Will Arnett, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Tony Hale, and Alia Shawkat. Ron Howard, one of the comedy’s producers, even participated via speakerphone. “In fact, where everyone’s been for five years became a big part of the story. So, in working on the screenplay I found that even if I just gave five minutes per character to that backstory, we were halfway through the movie before the characters got together. And that kinda gave birth to this thing we’ve not been pursuing for a while and we’re kinda going public with a little bit. We’re trying to do kind of limited run series into the movie.”

Hurwitz then unveiled his very unconventional plan. “We’re basically hoping to do nine or 10 episodes with almost one character per episode, where like the first episode will just be Buster. We’re kinda picturing it like, um, well the latest joke we have is that, you know, it’s Cambridge, Massachusetts and there’s all these scientists in lab coats and they’re waiting for somebody and Buster comes through the door wearing a lab quote and says `let’s begin,’ and they say, `you don’t get to wear the lab coat, we’re experimenting on you. [garbled] And then we go through his life and we meet the people in his life and maybe he goes to see his therapist who he’s getting a good rate on because it’s Tobias and he’s lost his license. We can do cross overs and things like that. But it’s an unusual style of show I think and we get him to a certain point of peril in his life and then maybe we jump over to like Maeby and she’s living with Cornel West … We’ll do this kind of thing that builds the peril in their lives until they all come together, really, in the first scene of the movie. It requires, and Ron [Howard] has been working on this too, it just requires studios to work together, they don’t normal work together in film and TV. It’s a really ambitious project but it’s also a very simple project in a way because it kind of gives the fans a level of detail for `granularity,’ which is a big word on the East Coast.

“I really have to say, we’ve talked about this, we’re all game, we hated be coy, we’ve been trying to put together this more ambitious idea and I think we’re very close, the script is halfway done and we have to get the film companies on board,” Hurwitz continued. “They’ve always been great to us but you know times are tough and money is tight but I’m very hopeful , there is business left to be done but creatively we have a very specific plan of how it would come out and what we would do and when we would shoot it. Our hope is that, perhaps the series is in the fall.”

Granted, this isn’t the first time that Showtime has emerged as some kind of savior for Arrested Development. Back in 2006, the pay cabler was considering whether to rescue the canceled show but obviously no deal was reached. But this latest development on Development is a horse of a different color — and one that the actors seem to have embraced. The stars in attendance at today’s festival acknowledged that they were keeping their schedules free to make such a series .

RBR: Rio

This computer animated film from last spring is a complete paint-by-numbers effort. Admittedly, the paint used is a dazzlingly array of color. This is a great looking film with vibrant scenery and creatures. For me though, that only goes so far. It's the story here that is a let down. It centers on a domesticated bird (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) who is taken back to Rio in an effort to repopulate his species with the only remaining female bird of his kind (voiced by Anne Hathaway). Along the way, we move through one cliched story point to the next as the movie heavily borrows from better films like The Defiant Ones and Finding Nemo. To pad things out they throw in a handful of musical numbers that are in the moment pleasant but utterly forgettable. This film will probably be best appreciated by small children who will be easily mesmerized by the bright colors and goofy characters but there's nothing much for anyone older to latch onto here and enjoy. Rating: ** 1/2

Flying high

I mentioned in my review of the SNL premiere that there was a very funny skit involving fake screen tests for the movie Top Gun. Well NBC has posted a video of some of the screen takes that didn't get included in what aired on the show. Even the stuff left on the cutting room floor is good. Check it out below.

Fall TV Report Card: (Returning Favorites pt. 4)

The Simpsons: Jack Bauer saves the day once again. Well, Kiefer Sutherland does at least thanks his voice work in the Simpsons' 23rd (!!) season premiere. He voices a new security guard at the Springfield Power Plant who Homer tries to befriend. But this guy has a mysterious past that gets revealed causing Homer to get caught up in some international espionage. This is by no means a classic, but after all this time, this show still finds ways of producing laughs. Credit to the show for throwing in some really absurd comedy here including a bizarre training montage involving Keifer's character and several fictional movie villains, plus a spoof on those animated Taiwanese news report videos. I realize this show will never be what it once was, but like SNL it has become an iconic comedy tradition that can still find ways to make us laugh. Grade: B+ The Cleveland Show: Most people seem to bash this show, but I often find it to be the best of the Seth McFarland trio. Perhaps its because a lot of the jokes on here feel fresher than they do on the other two shows. Their premiere was reflective of that again as Cleveland struggled to figure out who is best friends really are. This includes a guy's camping trip led by of all people Ric Flair (Woooo!). Of course, this naturally turns into a Deliverance parody, but they manage to avoid the cliches and still have a fresh take on that story. The subplot involving Rollo wasn't the best, but he's generally a very funny character so I was happy to see him get the screen time. Grade: B Family Guy: How the mighty have fallen. I have no idea what's going on with this show anymore. Like other recent episodes, this was more morose than funny. You would think a story involving the Griffin's winning the lottery would produce a high number of funny moments, but the writers opted to take a very dark turn involving Peter turning Quagmire and Joe into his servants after lending them some money. I felt unconfortable watching the story unfold. I guess they should have taken a note from Roseanne that winning the lottery on a sitcom is comedy death. Let's hope this show can recover from this lackluster opener. Grade: C American Dad: To show you how odd and complicated the animated process is, this year's opener was a story that was previewed in last year's Entertainment Weekly fall TV preview issue. I know this show didn't produce a full 22 episodes last year, so why this was held off until this year is unclear to me. Anyway it involves Stan buying a hot tub and quickly turns into a Little Shop of Horrors parody. The hot tub is voiced by Cee-Lo Green who also sings a few songs as the hot tub throughout the episode. From a narrative perspective this was a really strong episode, but it was somewhat light on laughs. I'm not sure if I would have aired this as the opener. It probably would have worked better on Halloween weekend. Grade: B

RBR: Paul

While some will recognize Simon Pegg and Nick Frost from cult films like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, this film is likely the one that introduced them to a more mainstream audience thanks to the subject matter and supporting cast members along for the ride. The film is about two nerdy friends who encounter an actual alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) as they travel through the United States visiting famous alien landmarks. They're being chased by government agents, led by Jason Bateman and from there hijinx ensue. One aspect of the film's narrative is that Paul has been on Earth several years and has supposedly influenced some of pop culture's greatest alien stories (we're to believe he gave Spielberg the idea for E.T.). But this film does more than just name drop this other alien films, they often crib ideas from them as well. The end result is a mildly funny but wholly unoriginal film that does nobody any good. Fans of Pegg and Frost will likely find this to be a far inferior movie to their previous collaborations and those seeing these two for the first time will likely question why they are movie stars in the first place. I ended up seeing the 'unrated' version of this film and I found it to still be pretty tame given the work that I've seen everyone involved in this film do before. There are some fun cameos here from the likes of Bill Hader, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, Jeffrey Tambor, and even Blythe Danner, but none of the offer up much more than allowing the audience to say "Hey look, it's so-and-so". For sci-fi geeks, this has enough to make it worthy of a rental, but overall this is a disappointing effort from some talented individuals. Rating: ** 1/2

Ron and Tammys deleted scenes

Fall TV Report Card (Returning favorites pt. 3)

Fringe: The best drama you're not watching returned in fine form for their fourth season. While on the surface, things appeared to be normal (the central case was a typically creepy one involving a translucent man attacking people) we all know that something is very wrong with the world that currently exists. The big problem is the absence of Peter Bishop who after operating the machine last season vanished, erasing himself from the memories of all the other characters. This has produced some changes in the Fringe team. Walter has a fear of leaving the lab, Astrid now occasionally goes out into the field and Lincoln Lee has been brought on as a new member. Of course, each of the actors have done a tremendous job conveying their new role, but it still doesn't help us who are desperate to see Peter return. Thankfully we got glimpses of him throughout the episode, suggesting that he'll find a way to return to our world sooner rather than later. And I haven't even touched upon the 'Other World' members who lurked in the background in this first episode. That's how jam-packed this premiere was, nothing new for this terrific show. In just one episode, they've set into motion a number of different storylines that I can't wait to see how they play out. Grade: A- Saturday Night Live: The stalwart sketch comedy returned for another season and opened on a notable moment as host Alec Baldwin broke the hosting record with his 16th (!) effort. Of course, previous record holder Steve Martin couldn't resist showing up to rain on Baldwin's parade. The rest of the episode was a mixed bag as it related to the humor. The cold open involving a Republican primary debate set the foundation of which cast members would be parodying the key political figures for the next year and a skit involving footage of actors auditioning for the film Top Gun highlighted the talented cast's strengths at mimicking a lot of famous people (Bill Hader's Alan Alda impression is scary good). As usual, some skits fell very flat - in particular a one about a couple on a date dealing with one of the dater's obnoxious child didn't do anything for me. The one impressive thing about this opener though was that it relied almost predominantly on original skit ideas. In recent years, the show had become too reliant on its recurring sketches running them into the ground before they had a chance to peak in popularity. Let's hope that's a trend that continues throughout the year. Grade: B+ The Amazing Race: The Emmy-award winning reality show got started in just about the opposite direction as this year's edition of Survivor did. Watching the opening episode, I found myself struggling to care or root for any of the contestant. Even the one team which features a pair of former Survivor winners (Ethan and Jenna) did very little to make me want to see them win another million dollars. Most of the teams felt like they featured stereotypes we had seen too many times before on the Race. Perhaps as the teams move forward my opinions will change. But even if they don't, I can still enjoy all of the gorgeous locations (the first episode saw teams heading to Taipei, Taiwan) that the show travels to as well as the wacky challenges they come up with for the contestants to endure. This may have gotten off to a rocky road, but this show has proven time and again that they always find a way to right the ship. Grade: B-

I'm Leslie Knope deleted scenes

Here are the deleted scenes from the season premiere of Parks and Recreation:

NMR: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

So lo and behold after I just got done saying I probably wouldn't be doing anymore Netflix reviews since I switched to their streaming only package, they go ahead and add a new movie that I wanted to see to their Instant View catalog. The fact that I'm doing this review is probably the most positive thing that's happened to Netflix this week. Anyways, this is the documentary that chronicles Conan's concert tour that he put on during the time between when he was kicked off of The Tonight Show and before he got his current show on TBS. Near the end of the film, Conan remarks that what we're seeing is him in his rawest form and that's pretty accurate. By filming him at the lowest point of his career, we see all the reasons there was such a groundswell of support for him and we also see some of the reasons why his run on NBC ultimately turned into a failure. As a human being, Conan's incessant need to be 'on' often comes out in forms that are hurtful and humiliating to those around him. We see him frequently physically and verbally attacking his friends and staff. It can be a bit shocking, but you also sense that anyone that knows him, like his friends and staff would, know that this just comes with the territory. But we also see how that approach manifests itself into an unyielding effort to please all of his fans. The film goes to great lengths to show how Conan never refuses to meet and interact with the people that consist of 'Team Coco'. His devotion to his fans is impressive, but it's also frustrating as it relates to his comedic efforts of late. Both the content of the shows he did on this tour, as well as what he's doing on his new show seem to be self-indulgent and over-produced. None of it really seems to be for the fans or a natural offshoot of what they would enjoy. At times all of it feels as if we're now just the audience for one big therapy session to help him get through the fact that NBC dumped him. As a documentary, it's an interesting look into this particular time in his life, but also could have been better served by adding some additional commentary from outsider perspectives. Flaws aside, this is definitely worth a look for any Conan fans out there. Rating: ****

What is poor sportsmanship?

Check out the stone cold denial the woman in the middle gives the Jeopardy champ as he tries to shake her hand at the end of a game earlier this week.

Fall TV Report Card (Returning favorites pt. 2)

The Big Bang Theory: The big question for this show would be how they would address the shocking cliffhanger from last season that saw Raj and Penny seemingly have sex after a night of heavy drinking. I was not crazy about that twist so I was glad to see they copped out of it to begin this year by explaining what exactly happened. The rest of this hour premiere was a good collection of hearty laughs from the expanding cast. The show really felt like it was already in mid-season stride, which was nice to see. The addition of the female cast members has really made this a richer show and prevented it from simply becoming the Sheldon show. This may not be the smartest show, despite being about very smart people, but it's one of the most consistent performers and I look forward to another strong season from this merry band of geeks. Grade: A-

Community: After making a promise through song and dance that this show will be 'less weird' this year (yeah right), the rest of the half hour was spent trying to introduce us to a couple of new recurring characters this season - Michael K. Williams (The Wire) as a tough as nails biology teacher and John Goodman as Greendale's vice dean. Both played imposing forces that will likely cause many problems for the study group and dean, respectively. As is often the case, the show veered into some dark territory that didn't exactly provide a lot of laughs but made for an interesting character study. Here's hoping that as the season progresses, we get fewer character study and more group efforts that showcase the widely talented cast that this show has to offer. Grade: B

Parks and Recreation: You cannot imagine how happy I am to see this show return. This premiere picked up right where things left off last season with Leslie dealing with the prospect of running for city coucil and Ron trying to run away from his evil ex-wife Tammy One (played by Patricia Clarkson), not to be confused with his other evil ex-wife Tammy Two. Because we had a lot of story to get through in the episode, this wasn't their funniest effort, but a strong outing nonetheless. Leslie's breakup with Ben was perfect and extremely heartbreaking. The fact that we learned Tammy One works for the IRS is just brilliant (the one agency even more evil than the library). I was also really happy to see that Andy opted to work as Leslie's assistant rather than with Tom at Entertainment 720 since that will likely yield more comedy gold. The stuff with the revealing photos being sent to everyone's phones was a bit silly, but it also showed that the people that run Pawnee as just as creepy as the people they represent. All in all it's great to be back in Pawnee. Grade: A-

The Office: While news had leaked earlier this summer that James Spader had been added to the cast, we also knew that he would not become the regional manager (his Robert California character actually convinced the Sabre CEO to give him her job). The answer came in the premiere and low and behold, Cornell's own, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) was chosen. He's probably the best person for it as he has the acting chops and star quality befit of this bigger role and he doesn't have to abandon the qualities that made him a great character to begin with (unlike if say someone like Jim had become the manager). The other big surprise was learning that both Pam and Angela are pregnant. That will likely yield some interesting comedic situations throughout the season. While Steve Carell's presence was missed at times, I thought the show did as well as it could to move forward without him. This is certainly a whole new show now. I feel that there are enough talented people working on the show to still allow the show to remain funny, but it's likely it'll never reach the greatness that it once had. Grade: B

May the farce be with you

This came out a few days ago, but I've just now had an opportunity to post it. It's a short video featuring a lot of funny people (including SNL's Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone) reenacting some famous scenes from the Star Wars trilogy. Their efforts are also meant to be for a good cause as they are trying to raise awareness for the Stand Up 2 Cancer campaign. If it moves you to help with the cause, great. If it simply makes you laugh, that's cool too.

Fall TV report card (New shows pt. 2)

Whitney: Comedienne Whitney Cummings is all over the place these days. Not only is she starring in this new sitcom on NBC on Thursdays, she's also co-created 2 Broke Girls, the new sitcom on CBS that I reviewed earlier this week. While I liked 2 Broke Girls, I'm not as sold on this one. The basic premise is that she has a long-term boyfriend but neither of them want to get married. So instead we just get to peer into their lives and see their, primarily Whitney's, take on relationships. I liked both Whitney and her boyfriend. I found them funny and had good back-and-forth. However, there are two major problems with the show. All of the people around these two are complete stock characters who were not funny and added nothing to the narrative of the show. The other big issue was the laugh track. While I typically prefer shows without a laugh track, I tend to not notice the laugh track in the shows I watch that still has it, like The Big Bang Theory. Here though it was SO noticeable and grating. Even worse is that the actor seemed to be taking even more deliberate pauses between lines in order to give time for the laughs. The opening minutes felt as if I was watching a parody of a sitcom. They are going to need to dial down the audience noise a lot if they expect me to stick around. I did manage to audibly laugh at a handful of the jokes though which gives me hope that the show can improve: Verdict: Week-by-week basis Person of Interest: This has been the show I have most strongly connected to thus far. I was prone to like it already given that J.J. Abrams had a hand in its creation and it brought back Michael Emerson (Lost's Ben Linus) back to the small screen. In this drama, Emerson plays Finch, a mysterious, wealthy man who has the ability to know victims of crimes before they occur. He hires former solidier Reese (played by Jim Cavizel) to prevent these deaths from occuring. Watching the show, it felt very much like watching a modern day Batman. It's a detective show with a focus on vigilantism. The connection to Batman shouldn't be surprising since the show was created by Jonathan Nolan, brother of Christopher Nolan. It's unclear whether this show will take on a 'case of the week' format or if a larger mythology will be developed, but either way I'm in. The show had a fast pace with lots of good action and a few good one-liners, mostly from Emerson. Verdict: Earned a season pass

An amazing Race

Earlier this week, The Price is Right returned for a new season celebrating their 40th year on TV (unbelieveable!).  They chose to commemorate the special occassion in style by doing something they've never done before.  Watch the video below for this instant classic moment.

Fall TV Report Card (Returning favorites part 1)

Survivor: South Pacific - The show had an admittedly down year last year with a weak cast in the fall and then Boston Rob's dominance leading to predictable episodes in the spring.  Thankfully the show seems to show promise once again in their latest effort.  This seems thus far like a strong, likeable cast.  There were very few people that I was wishing would get eliminated quickly.  The returns of Ozzy and Coach should be interesting as well as they aren't the same players as Russell or Rob, so how they'll fare is still a bit unclear.  Speaking of Russell, his nephew is part of this cast and he's one of the few that I'm not crazy about.  He seems creepy, especially around women.  He claims he wants to keep his relationship to Russell a secret, but I highly doubt he'll be able to do that.  Lastly, the redemption island twist is back once again.  I wasn't overly crazy about it for a number of reasons, but I'm willing to see it play out again before completely condemming it.  If it can reward someone worthy while also providing some good gameplay, I'll be happy.  For now, this new season has restored my faith in this stalwart series.  Grade: A-

How I Met Your Mother: The show seems to be taking a renewed interest in Ted's lovelife, even if we aren't really anywhere closer to learning who the titular mother is.  If true, I would say that it's a positive step since I am more interested and invested in that than I am in their fruitless efforts to neuter the Barney character by saddling him with this relationship storyline involving him Robin and Nora.  That is a total snoozefest which unfortunately took up way too much time in the first two episodes that premiered this past Monday.  As for Lily and Marshall, they remain enjoyable and it should be fun seeing them approach parenthood.  The show offers enough laughs to keep me around, but they better make some wise choices with regards to their storylines.  Bringing back Ted's old girlfriend, Victoria the cupcake girl, at the end of the second episode was certainly a move in the right direction.  Grade: B

Be Hoover

Leonardo DiCaprio has a terrific filmography, but no Oscar gold to show for any of those performances.  That may change this year with his portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover in this Clint Eastwood biopic.  Here's your first look at the film...

Fall TV Report Card (New shows pt. 1)

So it's premiere week for television where all of our favorite TV shows return and networks try out their new programs.  While I'm not watching every new show, there are a few that have caught my eye.  With each review, I'll let you know whether or not the show is good enough to gain a 'season pass' on my DVR or not.

New Girl: This actually premieres tonight, but a free preview of the pilot has been available on Time Warner On Demand for a couple of weeks now. This stars quirky Zooey Deschanel as a girl who gets dumped and ends up moving in with three young guys. Most will make the argument that your enjoyment of the show rests on how appealing you find Deschanel. For me, she runs hot and cold. At times, she can be charming and sexy in that nerdy kind of way, but at other times I feel she tries too hard to be zany and it becomes annoying. My bigger issue with the show was the three guys who had zero charisma or appeal. They were combined a big bunch of nothing and I had no interest in seeing her interact with them on a continued basis. I also feel as if the show would have been better served with a small town location rather than the big city where everyone including the extras in the background come off as pompus douchebags. Zooey may have star power but this show does her no favors. Verdict: Deleted from DVR

Up All Night: The pilot for this sitcom aired last Wednesday and has been replayed throughout the week before it settles in to its regular Wednesdays at 8:00pm timeslot on NBC. It stars Will Arnett and Christina Applegate as a couple who have a baby later in their life. The show centers around the upheaval the new addition causes them and their way of life. Maya Rudolph is also part of the cast as an Oprah-like talk show host that Applegate's character works for. The first episode had some legitimate laughs thanks in large part to the three funny actors. My biggest concern is relatability. Being a single guy I question whether I'll enjoy baby and parenting humor on a regular basis. There is definitely a large part of the country that should really enjoy this however. I'm not totally sold, but I'll stick with it for the time being. Verdict: On a week-to-week basis

2 Broke Girls: They are not really breaking new ground either comedically or stylistically with this sitcom about 2 Brooklyn waitresses trying to make ends meat. That said, the two leads, Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, have already shown that they have great rapport. Thus far, they've been able to raise up the quality of the writing through their performances. I'm not sure if this show has legs from a storytelling perspective, but being nestled between How I Met Your Mother and Two and Half Men on CBS' Monday lineup ensures that it'll be given plenty of time to find its voice. Verdict: Receives a season pass

The Playboy Club: It would seem as if all the kerfuffle that religious groups made about this show were either very successful or completely pointless as the first episode bombed in the ratings last night. I gave it a look to see if it was scandalous and/or appealing and it turned out to be neither. The Playboy Club setting turns out to be mere window dressing for a bloated, uninteresting mob story. It was clear that the show was made in an attempt to sponge off the success of another 60's period drama, Mad Men. However, that aspect failed to hook me either. The male chauvinism that was on display was more eye-rolling that poignant and their attempts at addressing other topical issues of the era (racism, closeted homosexuality) fell flat. There was absolutely nothing here that gave me a reason to stay, so if it ends up being the first show cancelled, you won't see me shed a tear. Verdict: Deleted from DVR

Zoo crew

I've never been a huge Cameron Crowe fan and the premise of his new film, We Bought a Zoo, seemed a bit shaky, despite being based on a true story.  But watching this trailer I was sold.  This seems like it has the right combination of talented actors and animals to make this a solid story worth seeing.

NMR: Everything Must Go

This is a somewhat historic review as it is the last movie that I'll watch from Netflix on DVD. Like many Americans, I was not pleased with Netflix's decision to raise their subscription prices. It's a move that clearly seems designed to phase out the hard disc side of their business. For now, I'll remain a streaming customer, but since most of the movies available on their streaming service are older films, I'm not sure how many of them I'll actually bother reviewing on the blog. If they don't improve and update their library, Netflix could be losing me as a customer altogether. So from now on, all of the new movies I rent will come from Redbox. As a result, I'll begin using the code RBR (Redbox Review) in the titles of these reviews.

As for this movie, if you're not familiar with the title, this was a small dramedy that was screened in theaters last May starring Will Ferrell as a man who's losing everything in his life. On the same day he gets fired, he comes home only to learn that his wife has left him and placed all of his possessions on their front lawn. Frustrated and mad, Ferrell decides to simply live on his lawn as a form of protest against everything that's happened to him. Of course, in doing so we see him engage and talk with people who show him a reason to go on and have a happy life. Ferrell, a man mostly known for his comedic roles, does a nice job here pulling off the drama, although I wasn't as sold that he was as big of an alcoholic as the movie claimed he was. I also liked the smaller performances from people like Rebecca Hall, Michael Pena, and Stephen Root. Overall though, I just felt as if there was nothing here. There wasn't a deep enough exploration into either any of the characters nor the story hook about living on the lawn. It's as if we see the whole story from some unseen neighbor living on the street who's watching these events unfold from afar. If you like smaller independent films, you may find this appealing, but I would imagine those who are fans of Ferrell's films like Anchorman or Talladega Nights will likely be bored by this. Rating: *** 1/2

Bird-brained

There's no denying the comedic talent of Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson, but watching this trailer for The Big Year, I was a bit disappointed that the focus of the film seems to be more on their characters personal crises rather than on the birdwatching expedition, which seemed to be rife for comedy of the mundane. Take a look and see if you agree.

Going viral

Now that I've just gotten done washing my hands for the 50th time, I think I'm ready to type up my review of Steven Soderbergh's latest film, Contagion. This is a smart and impressively realistic thriller exploring the possibility of a deadly virus spreading across the globe.

The film begins its focus on Beth Emhoff (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) , a businesswomen on her way home from a trip to Hong Kong, who quickly becomes sick and just as suddenly dies. Doctors, as well as her husband (the always terrific Matt Damon) are at a loss as to how this could have happened. Soon we see other people dying after exhibiting the same conditions and before you know it we have an epidemic on our hands.

From here, the film splinters off into several different storylines connected to this disease. We see people from the Center for Disease Control trying to locate where this virus began in order to identify a cure for it, as well as stopping it from spreading further. We meet a blogger (Jude Law) who initially attempts to break the story on the epidemic and then turns his attention towards attacking the goverment and promoting his own homeopathic remedy to the disease. We also spend more time with Damon as he tirelessly works at making sure his daughter does not get sick (Damon himself is immune to virus).

At times, the multiple storyline approach can be frustrating because some of the stories don't receive the attention they could have had for further development, while other stories could have been eliminated and it wouldn't have dramatically hurt the film. I feel like if there could have been a way to combine Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard's storylines together, that may have been more effective. And yet, I think it was a smart approach to deal with this story in this manner. Like the virus itself the storytelling here continues to spread and grow sometimes in an uncontrollable way. It gives the film an added feeling of chaos that would surely ensue if such an event actually occurred.

One of the best things about this film is Soderbergh's attention to detail. The way he frames his shots makes you acutely aware of the surroundings without being overt about it. Suddenly you're picking up on all of the different ways that you could easily contract germs. Watching the film will cause you to never look at a bowl of bar peanuts or a door knob in the same way. While awareness is an important element of the film, I don't feel like it's intent is to make us all into neurotic germophobes. The film is just as much about people as it is about the virus. We are in a global society today - something that we often take for granted. As a result we are often incorrectly take an microscopic look at things. Having a better understanding of the bigger picture in life can help all of us work better together.

I know there will be some that will be turned off by the subject matter and will refuse to see this film, but I think they are doing themselves a great disservice. This is an excellent film that deftly juggles a lot of characters (played by an all-star cast) and appropriately addresses a touchy subject matter. Credit also to the Soderbergh for being able to find moments of levity to sprinkle throughout the film. Their presence prevent you from being a frazzled bunch of nerves by the end of the film while never causing the subject matter to be taken lightly. I wouldn't blame you for skipping this film in theaters, which are a germ breeding ground, but at some point do yourself a favor and check this out. I guarantee you'll find it infectious. Grade: A-

Never forget - 9/11

So with everyone commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, I thought I would share some of my own personal memories and reflections on the day as well.

Like virtually everyone else, I remember vividly where I was when all of this went down.  I had gone to my first class hearing about the first plane hitting.  At the time I thought it was a random accident.  That morning class happened to be a religion class and we had said a prayer for those people.  I came home from that class only to learn that something much bigger was happening.  The rest of the day then became a blur of disbelief, sadness, confusion, and fear.  Living in my fraternity house at that time, I had friends and roommates who lived in areas directly affected by these attacks.  To say there was a wide range of emotions displayed by these people is an understatement.  I did my best, in whatever small way possible to help everyone come together united in our grief, yet also our patriotism to help get through this terrible tragedy.

Now 10 years later, I'm struck by so many things that have resulted because of those attacks.  It truly changed our country and the world at large forever.  While things like multiple endless wars are difficult to endure, there have been small ways where a horrific incident like this has caused people to change for the better.  At church today, I was moved by the message of forgiveness that was at the center of the sermon.  Of course none of us will ever forget what happened on this day back in 2001, but for us to actually move on and improve things in this world, we have to find ways to forgive others.  Harboring ill will only leads to more hate - something we don't need.  Let's hope we can continue to unite in ways that strengthen our communities, our country and the world as a whole.  That's the only way we'll ever truly win a war against terrorism.

Lastly, I'll post this video from the first live entertainment gathering that occurred after the attacks.  It's the opening moments of WWE Smackdown.  Specifically it's then ring announcer Lillian Garcia's rendition of the National Anthem.  Being the terrific singer that she is, she always does a wonderful version of this song, but on that particularly night her performance was particularly stirring, causing anyone to get goosebumps listening to it.

Pigskin preview

While the Indians continue to mire in mediocrity, now is as good of time as any to begin looking toward football season and what we can expect from the Cleveland Browns this year.  Here's SI.com's Peter King's take on how Colt McCoy and co. will fare.

Ape Fear

As usual, I'm behind the times, but better late than never they say. I had an opportunity to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes a couple weeks ago - a film which has surprised a number of people as it relates to its performance at the box office. Having seen the movie now, I can't say that it's performance has shocked me, but if you would have asked me at the beginning of the summer if I had planned on seeing this, I would have said no.

A large part of what drew me in to see this latest entry in the sci-fi franchise is the visual effects that made these monkeys possible. Using the same people who worked on Avatar, as well as the movements of the underrated Andy Serkis, these creatures come to life on the big screen in impressive fashion. While the focus is on Cesar, the ape who initiates the revolt against the humans, there are several simian characters who get significant screen time. Each of these monkeys is distinct enough for you to know who they are (something that hasn't been said of the Transformers) and the visual effects crew does a nice job of allowing these creatures to be able to express certain emotions without it coming off as being fake or unrealistic.

The other interesting thing about the film that is partially credited to the visual effects team is the way they are able to put these apes into several story archetypes and you instantly recognize what the film is going for. Packed within this film you get a prison story, a family drama, comedy, romance and everything else. Despite being primative beings, I instantly related to what they were experiencing. In many ways, you come to root for the apes success as you watch the film.

This is not to say that there isn't some good acting from the human cast as well. The director smartly brought in a number of terrific character actors who nicely fill out the film. James Franco is the lead as a scientist who is testing the apes in order to develop a new drug aimed at curing Alzheimers. Of course, he has a personal investment in his work since his father (played in an understated manner by John Lithgow) is currently suffering from the disease. Some of the actors in the cast include Freida Pinto, who plays Franco's girlfriend, Tyler Labine as Franco's lab assistant, and the always terrific Brian Cox has a few scenes as the director of an ape sanctuary. I should also mention Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, is more evil here playing a cruel worker at the ape sanctuary than he was in any of the Potter films.

Overall, this is a really solid film, but yet as I watched it there were several things that bothered me. None of them were so severe that made me dislike the film, but so many of them were things that if fixed could have turned this film into something special. One of these things was the attention to detail, or lack there of, when it came to signifying a change over time. The entire film takes place over at least an 8 year span, yet none of the human characters appear different. There is no change of haircuts, wardrobe, or signs of aging in any way. That lack of change frequently takes you out of the moment and causes you to scratch your head in confusion. There are also some pretty blatant moments of editing where a scene would suggest something will happen immediately next, yet that scene never comes. I'm not sure if these quibbles will become more apparent or less apparent upon repeat viewings, but I think they still merit mentioning here. Watching the film, I got the sense that they had shot their budget entirely on making the apes look great, so they had nothing left to put into the rest of the production. Since it appears, based on the film's conclusion and success at the box office, that there will be another Apes film made at some point, I hope they take notice of these small flaws and correct them.

I hate to be so nitpicky about a film that deals with apes taking over the world, but I can't help but dwelling on them. If Joe Moviegoer can pick up on those things, why couldn't anyone who worked on the film? But while they're important to point out, I don't want to dwell on them. I am recommending this film as it serves as some excellent blockbuster entertainment as the summer comes to a close. Even if you've never seen any of the previous Apes films before or feel like you wouldn't enjoy this, I would suggest you reconsider. This is a film that is never slow and offers a number of nice moments. And when it comes to those nitpicks I mentioned, just act like the monkeys in the 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil' statue. Grade: B+

Tree-mendous

From Funny or Die comes a hilarious live action version of Captain Planet, starring Don Cheadle as the eco-avenger. Warning some of the language in it is NSFW.

Tribe Watch (Week 21)

Record: 65-65

Standing: 3rd in AL Central

It was a wretched week performance wise and I really don't feel like talking about it. To put things in perspective to show you how the team has performed lately, the last time the Indians won three games in a row was July 2nd. Technically this should be an easy week playing the A's for four games at home and then a weekend set in Kansas City, but I just don't know what to think about this team anymore. It was nice to see them bring in Thome, who had a nice homecoming, but I'm not sure if his presence is even an bandaid at this point. At this point, we practically have a more impressive lineup on the DL than we do starting each game. It'd be nice if this team looked like they were trying, but it seems like they're closer to packing it in for the year than they are making a playoff push. They've made it tough for me recently, but still I must forge ahead and say Go Tribe!

NMR: Take Me Home Tonight

This movie feels very dated and it has nothing to do with the fact that it's set in the 1980s (although the fact that it sat on the shelf for quite a while before actually getting released into theaters last spring may have something to do with it). The story centers around a Labor Day party set during the 80s. The focal point is on Matt Franklin (Topher Grace), an MIT grad who is now wasting his life as a clerk at Suncoast Video. He's hoping this party gives him the opportunity to meet up with the girl he had a huge crush on in high school, Tori Frederking (played by Theresa Palmer). A lot of the story and jokes feel as if this was a poor Superbad sequel. You've got sexual frustration, a big party, and a fat, loudmouth sidekick who thinks he's funnier than he really is (the unfunny Dan Fogler). There are some nice momemts sprinkled in like the scenes involving real life couple Anna Faris and Chris Pratt (Andy from Parks and Recreation). I also liked the chemistry between Grace and Palmer, even if their storyline is overly cliched. Overall though, it just felt like this film had borrowed ideas and themes from other better films and did nothing but poorly emulate them. Everyone in the cast (with the exception of Fogler) deserves better than what they got in this film. Rating: ** 1/2

Fall Movie Preview (December)

CARNAGE (December 16)
Plot: Set in contemporary Brooklyn, New York, "Carnage" centers on two pairs of parents one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park, who meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos.

Quick thoughts: The story may be simplistic, but that's because of it being adapted from the stage. What it lacks it setting, is more than made up for in the acting talent. With four supremely talented actors working off of each other in a very dark comedic story, I'll be very interested to see if director Roman Polanski can successfully turn this into an engaging film.


SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (December 16)
Plot: When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder, a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction, all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.

Quick thoughts: I absolutely loved the first venture into this franchise by Downey and co. so I am immediately on board for a second go-round. The fact that this one will feature Holmes' greatest nemesis, Professor Moriarty, only sweeteneds the deals. Let's just hope than unlike some of this year's sequels, this one is able to still feel fresh on its own.


THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (December 21)
Plot: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is the first film in Columbia Pictures' three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson's literary blockbuster "The Millennium Trilogy." Directed by David Fincher and starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, the film is based on the first novel in the trilogy, which altogether have sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and become a worldwide phenomenon. The screenplay is by Steven Zaillian.

Quick thoughts: I'll be honest - I haven't read these books and I really don't know too much about what the plot involves. Having said that, the fact that it stars Daniel Craig and is being directed by David Fincher, who has made some of my favorite films in the past five years is enough of an incentive for me to at least give this (anticipated) trilogy a look.


MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (December 21)
Plot: The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

Quick thoughts: Unlike so many people, I really enjoyed the third entry in this franchise. And while J.J. Abrams isn't directing this one, he's still worked on it and left the director's chair in good hands with Brad Bird (who directed The Incredibles). In amongst all of the films vying for an Oscar, this will serve as a nice entertainment diversion come the Christmas season.


WE BOUGHT A ZOO (December 23)
Plot: "We Bought a Zoo," a memoir by Benjamin Mee, tells the true account of how the author and his family used their life savings to buy a dilapidated zoo, replete with 200 exotic animals facing destruction, in the English countryside. Mee, along with his children, had to balance caring for his wife, who was dying of brain cancer, with dealing with escaped tigers, raising endangered animals, working with an eclectic skeleton crew and readying the zoo for a reopening.

Quick thoughts: In the past, I've never really been a big fan of director Cameron Crowe's work, but they've been undeniably successful, especially come awards season. This one intrigues me mainly because of a solid cast (Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson) and a story that is true and hasn't been done a thousand times before. I have a feeling this will be infinitely better than The Zookeeper.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST:
The Sitter (December 9)
Young Adult (December 9)
The Iron Lady (December 16)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (December 23)

Filling the void

We're still a few weeks away from the start of new programming on network TV, so this little teaser will have to suffice in the meantime. But my title works on a second level, because we'll see here that our favorite female FBI agent, Olivia Dunham, seems to be struggling with the mysterious loss of Peter Bishop. I know we're all anxious to get answers as to where he went. To hopefully get answers tune in to Fringe starting September 23rd on FOX.

Fall Movie Preview (November)

PUSS IN BOOTS (November 4)
Plot: Way before he ever met Shrek, the legendary Puss In Boots goes on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs. It's the adventure of nine lifetimes!

Quick thoughts: This could go one of two ways. Either it'll continue to water down the original Shrek formula or it could provide a fresh start that's needed to rejuvinate some of these characters. The fact that they've added Zack Galifianakis to the voice cast certainly couldn't hurt.


J. EDGAR (November 11)
Plot: "J. Edgar" explores the public and private life of one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century. As the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover (DiCaprio) was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

Quick thoughts: For so long, Oscar gold has eluded Leonardo DiCaprio despite a string of strong performances. That may end this year as he's playing the lead in this biopic of the former head of the FBI. Adding to his chances are the fact that the film is being directed Clint Eastwood who knows a thing or two about capturing the gold statue.


TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY (November 18)
Plot: The feature adaptation of John Le Carre's seminal cold war best-seller. Set in the aftermath of the cold war, the thriller tells the tale of a spy-hunt within the highest echelons of the British Secret Intelligence Service.

Quick thoughts: This is the type of pot-boiler spy films that I really enjoy. Tons of intrigue and suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Gary Oldman is always terrific in supporting roles like playing Sirius Black in Harry Potter or Commissioner Gordon in the recent Batman films, so I'm excited to see him take on a more leading role this time out. This film should provide an excellent alternative for adults from the rest of the garbage that is being released that weekend.


THE DESCENDANTS (November 23)
Plot: From Alexander Payne, the creator of the Oscar-winning "Sideways", set in Hawaii, "The Descendants" is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.

Quick thoughts: Director Alexander Payne always seems to create great films that find that right balance of drama and comedy. His film, Election, remains one of my favorites to this day. So seeing him team up with George Clooney definitely has aroused my curiosity. I doubt many people will rush out to see this when it gets released around Thanksgiving, but if it manages to earn buzz come awards season more and more people will likely flock to this film.


THE MUPPETS (November 23)
Plot: On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways.

Quick thoughts: I know I've plugged this new film a lot with all the viral videos they've made for it, but hopefully you also share my enthusiasm for seeing Kermit and the gang back on the big screen. Unlike their last venture onto the big screen, Muppets in Space, I have high hopes for this given the care and passion that Jason Segal has expressed for doing this film right. If you've seen what he does with puppets in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, then you know that this franchise is in very good hands. Look for this to be a big hit during the holiday season.

OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (November 4)
Tower Heist (November 4)
Jack and Jill (November 11)
The Artist (November 23)

NMR: Limitless

Apparently, the title of the film isn't exactly true since its limits get exposed by failing to come up with a satisfactory conclusion to the film's intriguing premise. The movie stars Bradley Cooper as a struggling writter who runs into an ex-brother-in-law who offers him a mysterious drug that allows him to unlock the full potential of his brain power. The drug works and soon he's not only able to write books, but conquer the world of high finance. All of this works and instantly hooks you. However, once he's on top the film devolves into a standard drug movie with corruption, violence, and lies. Robert De Niro plays a financial bigwig who tries to do business with Cooper's character. Like the film's plot, his character is interesting but not fleshed out enough and thus ultimately disappointing. I also felt the director tried a little too hard with the visual imagery he included, particularly during the scenes where anyone is using the drug. For a rental, this is a worth a recommendation as the film feels fresh for at least the first half. The second isn't terrible, just disappointing because of the failure to do more with the set-up. Rating: *** 1/2

Fall Movie Preview (October)

THE IDES OF MARCH (October 7)
Plot: "The Ides of March" takes place during the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, when an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Ryan Gosling) finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate's shot at the presidency.

Quick thoughts: I'm not sure if there is a film this fall that has a better pedigree than this one. I would expect this to be a major player come awards season. This is one of the films I'm most looking forward to seeing. And if you're concerned about the film being too political, from what I hear, it's more about morality and self evaluation than it is about promoting one party over the other.


THE BIG YEAR (October 14)
Plot: Based on Mark Obmascik's 1998 book "The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession," the film is about three men who try to outdo each other in a bird-watching competition to spot the rarest birds in North America. The rivalry is an allegory for the challenges each faces in his own life.

Quick thoughts: Just the notion of a movie about bird-watching startting Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson has me already laughing, so I can only imagine what the final product will be like. If that trio wasn't strong enough you also have people like Jim Parsons, Rashida Jones, and Kevin Pollack mixed in the fray to amp the funny quotient even more. The only thing that concerns me is that we haven't seen a trailer yet for the film. Without that, I can't know for sure whether this will be comedy gold or simply a movie for the birds.


MARGIN CALL (October 21)
Plot: Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, "Margin Call" is a thriller entangling the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. When entry-level analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster. Expanding the parameters of genre, "Margin Call" is a riveting examination of the human components of a subject too often relegated to partisan issues of black and white.

Quick thoughts: I mentioned in the September preview yesterday when discussing Contagion that audiences may not be too keen to watch a movie about a deadly virus. That may go double for this film which focuses on the 2008 financial meltdown. While I can sympathize with not wanting to pay to relive that, I can't ignore the terrific cast of actor they have compiled for this film, who each seem to be giving stellar performances based on the trailer. That alone is enough to pique my interest.


PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (October 21)
Plot: The third film is being envisioned as an origin story set in the 1980s that will follow a new family.

Quick thoughts: The first film I didn't care for, although some of that could have had to do with the fact that it was overhyped and I saw it on a weekday morning. I decided to keep an open mind and watched the second one. I thought it was better, but still not overly scary. At this point though, they've got me interested in the story they've established with these characters so I'm hoping that this origin story provides us with some answers as to why these things are happening. This will likely be the best bet for anyone looking for some scares come Halloween time.


IN TIME (October 28)
Plot: "In Time" presents a world where time has become the ultimate currency. You stop aging at 25, but there's a catch: you're genetically-engineered to live only one more year, unless you can buy your way out of it. The rich "earn" decades at a time (remaining at age 25), becoming essentially immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day. When a man from the wrong side of the tracks is falsely accused of murder, he is forced to go on the run with a beautiful hostage. Living minute to minute, the duo's love becomes a powerful tool in their war against the system.

Quick thoughts: The premise of the film immediately hooked me and it's the type of high concept film that I wish Hollywood would do more of. I was disappointed that the trailer seemingly gave away the entire film. Let's hope that just like with Dream House, there's more than meets the eye. The success of this film will likely determine whether or not Justin Timberlake actually has a future as a leading man in Hollywood.

OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Real Steel (October 7)
The Rum Diary (October 28)

Welcome Thome

Twins deal Jim Thome back to Indians

I'll have more to say about this at the end of the week in my Tribe Watch report. But for now, I'll just say that it's nice that Thome gets to come back home and (hopefully) finish out his career where it began. With that said, you'd be kidding yourself if you actually believe that this move in anyway helps the team or allows them a shot at getting back into this AL Central race. In other words, it's a shrewd PR move, but not one that helps the future of this franchise.

More than OK

Check out the always innovative OK Go performing The Muppet Show theme along with cameos from all of our puppet pals.

Fall Movie Preview (September)

As the temperature begins to cool off and everyone heads back to school, movie fans turn their attention to the most 'prestige' films that will be coming out in the next few months. I was having difficulty ranking the ones I'm looking forward to, so instead, I'm just going to focus on the most interesting films coming out month by month.

A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ORGY (September 2)
Plot: Jason Sudeikis is Eric, a thirtysomething party animal famous among his close circle of friends for his lavish summer theme parties at his father's swanky Hamptons pad. But when members of the crew start settling down, and Eric's dad announces plans to sell the beach house, Eric decides it's time for one last bash to go out with a proverbial bang--a good old-fashioned orgy. The only obstacles to overcome are actually convincing each of his reluctant friends to join in on the bacchanal, and an inconveniently blossoming romance with the real estate agent threatening to sell the house out from under him before the main event can even take place.

Quick thoughts I'm sure there's a lot of you who may need a break from the R-rated comedy after having a glut of them this summer, but if you've got room for one more, then this seems like it might be right up your alley. Based on the trailer I posted last week, there seems to be enough solid laughs to make this worth a look. Plus, Jason Sudekis has been solid in his other films this year and this time it appears he's surrounding himself with a solid cast of other funny people. While the subject matter may seem a bit taboo, I'd like to think this will focus more on the comedy than the tawdry.


CONTAGION (September 9th)
Plot: "Contagion" follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.

Quick Thoughts: The idea of a non-terrorist virus spreading throughout the globe may be a little too real for people to enjoy this thriller. However, it's hard to ignore this impressive cast of actors coupled with an excellent director. I'd have to be sick in order to miss this one.


MONEYBALL (September 23)
Plot: Based on a true story, "Moneyball" is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's and the guy who assembles the team, who has an epiphany: all of baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) in an unlikely partnership, recruiting bargain players that the scouts call flawed, but all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games.

Quick Thoughts: With the Cleveland Indians imploding, it appears this is the only fall baseball I have to look forward to. While I still don't understand it completely, the system that Billy Beane created to scout players is pretty impressive and I'm anxious to see how they depict it on the big screen.


50/50 (September 30)
Plot: The dram'edy is a funny, touching, and original story of friendship, love, and survival, in no particular order. Joseph Gordon-Levitt toplines opposite Seth Rogen as the twenty-something who's been diagnosed with cancer and decides to use humor in helping fight against the disease.

Quick thoughts: While the title refers to the chances the title character has of surviving his cancer, it's also the odds I'll give this film of being really good. On one hand, you have Seth Rogen who has turned from hilarious to grating in most of his recent films. But then you have Joseph Gordon Levitt, who's really starting to come into his own as an actor. Making light of cancer is a difficult task, but the previews I've seen thus far make me think this has a chance of doing it right.


DREAM HOUSE (September 30)
Plot: Some say that all houses have memories. For one man, his home is the place he would kill to forget. Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts star in "Dream House," a suspense thriller about a family that unknowingly moves into a home where several grisly murders were committed...only to find themselves the killer's next target.

Quick thoughts: The plot seems familiar and the first trailer for the film seems to give away the big twist, which would be major marks against seeing this. Yet, I can't shake the feeling that this still might be good, especially if you're looking for a few good scares. The director recently came out to say that the twist revealed in the trailer is not the final twist, so here's hoping this still has a chance to surprise us all.

OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST:
- Apollo 18 (September 2)
- Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star (September 9)

Quarreling Quartet

Here's a trailer for Carnage, based on a play titled Gods of Carnage. The film centers around a pair of parents who agree to meet after their sons were in a fight. With such a low concept premise, you need strong performances to drive the narrative and based on this first look, it seems like we have that.

NMR: The Conspirator

This legal drama unfortunately came and went from theaters this past spring with very little fanfare. Set during the time of the Civil War, the story is based around the court case of Mary Surratt, who was accused of conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. James McAvoy plays the conflicted lawyer assigned to defend her. McAvoy does a terrific job conveying this character's dilemma of offering her a fair trial and seeing the people responsible for this heinous act punished. The film features a host of other terrific actors including Robin Wright (playing the accused woman), Tom Wilkinson, Danny Huston, and Kevin Kline. I loved all of the courtroom scenes and actually wish there would have been more. However, the film also spends time having McAvoy investigate his client's background, where we learn that things are not completely what they seem. You can easily see some parallels between this court case and current events involving men being held at Guantanamo Bay. Sometimes the desire to see anyone punished for crimes blinds us from actually serving justice. I can't say that this movie is for everyone, but if the subject matter interests you at all, I'd highly recommend you give this one a look. Director Robert Redford does an impressive job of making the film feel authentic while also making it relevant for today's audiences. Rating: ****

Pac Men

It's that time of year again to unveil a whole new cast of Survivor as the show prepares for its 23rd installment, Survivor: South Pacific. This time, there will be 16 new contestants (pictured below) along with two returning castaways. The returning members won't officially be announced until Wednesday, but it has long been leaked online that they are Ozzy and Coach. One notable new contestant is 19 year old Brandon Hantz, who is the nephew of Russell Hantz, who had competed in three out of the last four seasons. Will he be just as evil and scheming as his uncle or will he play against type? From the rest of the group we have a lingerie football player, a mortician, a medical marijuana dispenser, and a former Miss Washington. For full information on the cast, as well as some news to changes being made with both the immunity idol and redemption island, you can check out Entertainment Weekly's coverage here. Survivor: South Pacific begins Sept. 14th.

Tribe Watch (Week 20)

Record: 62-61

Standing: Second in AL Central

The Indians were victims of a Motor City Massacre this weekend. After finally exercising some demons in Chicago by taking two out of three from the White Sox, we went into Detroit and got steamrolled. Neither the offense nor the starting pitching looked strong. Tomlin continues to give up too many home runs, Huff had an off days and Jimenez got rocked for 8 runs in four innings of work today. The bats finally started to come to life today and nearly overcame a seven run deficit, only to fall short thanks to some poor base coaching in the ninth. We currently sit four and half games in back of Detroit right now. Mathematically, we are not out of it by a long shot, especially considering how many games we still have left against teams in our division. With that said, I'm beginning to think now that this team just doesn't have the right combination of killer instinct and talent to push them past the Tigers and win the division. It always seems like there's at least one core area of the team that's faltering. And of top of that, the injuries continue to mount up. Rookie Jason Kipnis, who had provided a real offensive boost to the team went on the 15-day DL and Travis Hafner, once again, left in the middle of the game hobbling with some sort of foot or leg injury. While doubt may be creeping into my mind about this team, I certainly hope that they are able to remain confident. It'll be of the utmost importance to do so heading into this week. We head home for a long home game stretch against three teams with poor records. We'll begin with a four game series against the Mariners, which includes a double-header and then move onto a weekend set with the Royals. Winning ball clubs are the ones who are able to beat up on weaker competition, so we need to win most of these games in order to stay competitve. If we can, then all we can hope for is for Detroit and Chicago to lose some games and we'll be right back in it. We'll see where things stand next week. Until then, Go Tribe!

Blasting Cap

If you're having a sense of comic book fatigure, you're not alone. This summer has been filled with superheroes debuting on the big screen, eager to tell the origin of their story. The latest of which is Captain America: The First Avenger. Set during World War II, we see how Steve Rogers from a scrawny nothing into the red, white, and blue hero we know today. The story of this transformation though is one that doesn't quite have the same dramatic heft to it as some of his fellow Avenger heroes.

Early on, we learn that Rogers (plays by Chris Evans) is eager to fight in the war but is deemed on multiple occasions to be physically unfit for battle. Enter Dr. Abraham Erskine, played by the wonderful Stanley Tucci, who recruits him to be the first guinea pig for a serum aimed to create super soldiers. He, along with Howard Stark (the father of Tony Stark aka Iron Man) are successful at turning Steve into the chiseled specimen they wanted. However, the key to why Steve was chosen in the first place is not for the dramatic visual transformation, but that he had the integrity that would be prevent him from abusing his newly acquire physical attributes.

This moral code which is established in the first half of the movie gets somewhat abandoned in the second half of the film when the focus turns, like it does in each of these movies, towards the showdown against the big villain. In this case, that's Red Skull, (Hugo Weaving), a Nazi soldier, who after obtaining a mystical, powerful cube, aims to establish world domination for himself. What he plans to do if he succeeds is never really established, though. Red Skull is a visually impressive character, but not as menacing of a villain as I would have liked. He just comes off as more crazy than evil.

The film boasts an impressive cast, although not all of the actors give equal performances. Tommy Lee Jones, playing a crusty colonel, is reliable as always to throw in one-liners and look tough. I also liked Toby Jones, who played Red Skull's right-hand man, Dr. Zola. On the other hand, Hayley Atwell, who plays Peggy Carter, a potential love interest for Cap, is nice to look at but has a dull as dishwater personality and fails to create any sort of chemisty in her performance. Likewise, the actor who plays Cap's best friend, 'Bucky' Barnes doesn't do much to establish that relationship, despite the significance it supposedly has in the story.

All of the key players needed for one of these origin stories are here but that merely makes the film competent, not fresh. For every archetype that should be included in a comic book movie, there has been a film that has come out before Captain America and offered the same thing in a more interesting manner. You feel like you're watching the film out of duty rather than enjoyment. The payoff doesn't come until we get Cap together with the rest of the Avengers team, which won't happen until next year.

It's hard to say whether or not the character would have been appreciated and understood in the Avengers movie had this film not first come out. That judgment won't be made until then, but for now, it seems like this movie did not have to be made. About the only interesting story element that felt novel here is the idea of our country using the newly created Captain America more as a propaganda tool rather than a fighting soldier. That could have provided some interesting commentary, but of course you can make social commentary in 3D, so that aspect gets abandoned in favor of scenes involving fights on trains and tanks getting blown up.

There's nothing to actively hate about this film, but it's timing is poor. In a summer filled with comic book movies, this one failed to find a way to stand out from the pack. Instead of feeling like there was an appreciation for this character and a desire to tell his story, the movie evokes a sense that this was merely a cog in the machine necessary to make the eventual Avengers movie possible. That sort of corporate greed is disheartening, but it's also what all of the captains of America today seem to represent. Grade: B-

Good old times

If you're not burned out by all the R-rated comedies this summer, then might I suggest you take a look at this new film coming out Labor Day weekend called A Good Old Fashioned Orgy starring Jason Sudekis and whole host of other funny people. Please note, this is the Red Band trailer and thus is Not Safe For Work. View at your own discretion.

NMR: Arthur

It's difficult for me to write a review for this film because it gave me nothing really to work with. It's neither great nor terrible. Ultimately, it's a wholly unnecessary remake that was done in order to combine a popular comedian with a known franchise. While I was not particularly fond of the Dudley Moore original, there was nothing I saw here that provided justification as to why this story needed to be told again. The highlights of the film come from seeing Arthur (Russell Brand) enjoy and abuse the excesses of his wealth. Things like dressing up as Batman and driving in a replica Batmobile or waging in a bidding war with himself at an auction house for old suits of Abraham Lincoln provide at the very least a smile on your face. However, there's nothing really enjoyable about the love triangle storyline that becomes the focal point of them. Both Jennifer Garner and Nick Nolte, who plays her father give unlikable performances. And Greta Gerwig, the woman who Arthur truly falls in love with, has no screen presence or charm. Brand actually has more chemistry with Helen Mirren who plays his nanny Hobson. She, like John Gielgud in the original, is always reliable for a quick quip in an attempt to keep Arthur in line. It's hard to say whether a recommendation is waranted for this film. It neither pays homage nor ruins the name of the original. On its own, it provides a few mild laughs, but nothing more. This is a low risk, low return film. Rating: ***

Get me a knife and fork now!

More food-based Ron Swanson fan art. This is a thing of beauty and needs to be sold in stores immediately.

Tribe Watch (Week 19)

Record: 60 - 57

Standing: 2nd in AL Central

It's been a fairly positive week for the Tribe. After a tough road trip against two divisional leaders, they came back home and responded well against a couple of key AL Central opponents. We took two out of three from Detroit, including a wild game that saw us win it in 14 innings on a walk-off hit by pitch. The only game we lost was against Justin Verlander and there's no shame in losing to him. We then defeated Minnesota twice before having the last game of that series get rained out on Sunday. The rainout was doubly frustrating as it killed some momentum we were building and it means we're going to be playing a lot of games in a short amount of time since that will not be the only double header we have between now and the end of the season. This week the team deals with another difficult set of divisional opponents - this time on the road. We begin tonight in Chicago, who is breathing down our neck. I really want to sweep them so that we create some separation between us and also insure that there's no chance of them potentially winning this division. Then it's off to Detroit to once again play the Tigers. Any time you play divisional opponents, you have the opportunity to make a lot of movement in the standings, forward or backward. For our sake, let's hope it's all forward movement this week. And as we continue to watch those standings, I know we'll all be cheering on our team, Go Tribe!

Fuhrer furor

I was going to post my thoughts on last night's Summerslam PPV, but, oddly enough, I believe Hitler sums up my reaction pretty well (with the exception of the part about watching the show with some guy named Benito).

NMR: Rango

This is such an odd film that I'm having difficulty identifying my feelings towards it. I think ultimately I admire the film more than I enjoyed it. This animated feature about a lizard (voiced by Johnny Depp) who's trying to find himself creates some interesting ideas, but I'm not sure if all of them work. Advertised as a kid's film, I'm questioning whether or not kids will actually enjoy it. The creatures that make up the cast aren't very cute or nice to look at. There's also several scenes that seem like they would come from the mind of Hunter S. Thompson. They're so bizarre and trippy, that they will downright confuse most younger audiences. The film also features homages to spaghetti westerns - another touch that's likely lost of kids. While I can appreciate those efforts more, I'm not sure if I was really seeking an animated Western that delves into the ideas of a existentialism. Still, the movie is absolutely gorgeous looking with wonderful colors and textures. I also think Depp gives a great three-dimensional performance voicing the title character. So while the film is technically sound, from a narrative standpoint it's searching for an identity as much as its main character. I don't see young kids enjoying this and I'd only recommend it for adults who enjoy the style or genre of film I've attempted to describe here. Rating: ***

Tribe Watch (Week 18)

Record: 56 - 56

Standing: Second in AL Central

So what to make out of a week that saw us go 3-4 against the AL East and West divisional leaders? Well you could be positive and say that we were competitive in both series and saw our offense show some signs of improvement. There will naturally be those who take a more pessimistic perspective and say that we could have and should have won more considering each of the four losses came in the final at-bat for the other team. It was disappointing to say the least to see our bullpen, which had been very strong to this point, give away victories. I think the thing that we need to take away from this series is that it didn't appear as if this team is playing like it's in a pennant race. I wanted to see both more passion and more consideration in the moves and play calling. I believe this team has the talent to win the division, but they're going to have to show they want it. They will get the biggest chance to prove that this week as there is a season-defining series against the Detroit Tigers beginning tonight. If we sweep the series, it puts us right back in the thick of things. If we win 1 or 2, that just puts more pressure on us to make sure we sweep Minnesota who comes in to play us this weekend. If we get swept, I'd hate to say it, but I think we can write off this team's chances at winning the division. I hope that this team is up to the challenge and I also hope that the city of Cleveland comes out to support this team and show them that we want October baseball. I can't be up in Cleveland, but you know I'll be rooting for them just as hard from the comfort of my own home this week. Go Tribe!

The Cult of Personality

So I've held off blogging about the whole CM Punk angle that's happening right now in the WWE for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is because I've been burned before getting prematurely excited about angles that start off buzzworthy and fizzle out quickly. But the very fact that this angle has gotten some mainstream attention tells me that if nothing else the WWE has all the more pressure on them to have this payoff positively. So far, things have been good.

If you've been out of the loop, here's a quick recap:
- About a month ago when CM Punk received a title shot, he announced that his contact ended the night of his title shot and that when he defeated John Cena for the title, he planned on leaving the company with the belt.
-Then as a lame duck employee, he went on several awesome work/shoot rants about the terrible people that ran the company and the poor way they treated their employees.

- Panicked over the fact that someone might leave his company with the title (ala Bret Hart back in '97), Vince McMahon puts pressure on John Cena to win the match by telling him that if he doesn't Vince will fire him.
- This created all sorts of buzz for the Money in the Bank PPV. Was Punk really leaving and they'd simply job him out? Would Punk win but then in a swerve not leave? Would they try to recreate the Montreal screwjob to prevent Punk from leaving with the title. The fact that the match was taking place in CM Punk's hometown of Chicago, just added to the aura of this match.

- So what happened? Well believe it or not, Punk won (relatively cleanly) and seemingly left the company.
- This put the company in a bit of a tailspin. Vince tried to pretend like Punk never existed, he set up a tournament to crown a new WWE champion and prepared to fire John Cena. However, on the night after the PPV, Triple H returned to announce that the board of directors had decided that Vince was not capable of handling the day-to-day duties of running the WWE anymore and put Triple H in charge.
- With The Game now running the show, a match was made between John Cena and Rey Mysterio, who had won the WWE title in the tournament to determine who was going to be the champion. To the surprise of no one Cena won and became WWE Champ once again, only to be visited at the end of the show by none other that CM Punk, who came out to his new, awesome theme music.



So that's where we stand right now. It's believe that Punk has resigned with the company, but a lot of it remains unclear from a real life perspective. Some feel he's back for good, while others believed that he's working on a brief extension and will be done in another month or so. In the meantime, it appears that Punk and Cena will square off in a couple of weeks at Summerslam to determine the 'true' WWE champion. If Punk gets jobbed out in that match and leaves, it will be a dark end to this awesome angle. If he's planning on sticking around, there's the potential for him to finally pick up that anti-hero superstar role that's been vacant ever since Stone Cold Steve Austin left. For now, they've done a good job of hooking me back in, but it's only with cautious optimism at this point.

Tribe Watch (Week 17)

Record: 53 - 52

Standing: Second in AL Central

Let's of course get to the big news of the week which was the trades the team was able to pull off before the deadline. I already talked about the Fukudome deal earlier this week, so I won't expand on that. We also traded Orlando Cabrera to San Francisco for a minor league outfielder who's currently injured. Cabrera was doing absolutely nothing but hitting ground ball out when he was playing for us and when his playing time got cut, he started to whine, so I'm glad to see him go. Even if the guy we got for him doesn't pan out, it'll be a relief just to have unloaded OCab. Of course, the big move was the trade with the Rockies where we were able to get Ubaldo Jimenez. For the first part of last season Jimenez was absolutely unstoppable on the mound and seemed like a lock for the Cy Young award. However, since the midway point of last year, he's scuffled a bit, but has shown signs that he was re-emerging as that preeminent pitcher. No doubt, at his best, this guy can be the future ace of this club. Some are concerned about this deal because in order to get him, we had to give up four prospect, two of which were our highly touted first round draft picks of the past two years. This is always a risk, but it's one that I'm hoping pays off. Overall, I'm conflicted by these moves. I really like that our front office tried to be proactive and not be content with what they had. However, it seems like they missed the boat at trying to secure our greatest need, which is a right-handed power hitter. Our offense is absolutely scuffling right now and needs some kind of spark. I'll assume they feel the guys who are currently injured like Choo and Sizemore will still be able to come back and produce in time for the home stretch of the season. I sure hope so or otherwise these trades will have been for naught.

As for the performance on the field, the less said the better. As I just mentioned, our offense is really anemic at this point and we cannot score any runs. The only two wins we got this week came in walkoff fashion and we were really only able to get those because our pitching had been able to keep us in the game. This was a definite missed opportunity to get some wins, especially against weaker opponents like the Royals. This upcoming week could get real ugly. We have a huge 7 game road trip against Boston (for 4 games) and Texas (for 3). Those are two of the three divisional leaders and a pair of teams that have really good offenses. If we can't score any runs, we could easily see ourselves quickly falling down the ranks in the division. But despite this uphill climb, we've got to put our best foot forward and hope for the best, all the while saying Go Tribe!

NBC newbies

Over the past week, there's been a lot of casting news with a lot of big names announced as joining the casts of some of my favorite NBC shows for next season. Here are some of the familiar faces you can expect to see come this fall...

Parks and Recreation: One of the biggest questions that came out of last season's finale was who was going to play Tammy 1, the other ex-Mrs. Ron Swanson. Fans knew that the woman had to be terrifying if just the mention of her name scared both Ron and the evil Tammy 2 (Megan Mullaly). Well this wicked woman will be played by none other than Patricia Clarkson. Some of you may recognize Clarkson from recent films like Easy A or perhaps from playing Andy Samberg's mom in the Motherlovin' digital short on SNL. Clarkson was not someone I thought of when fantasy picking the role, but she's definitely a terrific actress and I think she'll do a great job at being absolutely terrifying to anyone who's in her presence.

Community: It appears the staff at Greendale Community College will continue to grow as this sitcom enters its third season. First we learned that Michael K. Williams, who played Omar on The Wire, will play a biology teacher for a multi-episode stint. Then it was announced that John Goodman had been hired to play a vice dean (and someone who will butt heads with Dean Pelton, no bout). And if those two announcements were good enough, a third bit of casting news came out that Martin Starr is also being brought on to play a political science instructor. While Starr was recently seen in the Starz' series, Party Down, I came to appreciate his immense comedic talents this summer watching the cult favorite series, Freaks and Geeks, for the first time. This guy is truly an underappreciated comic actor and I can't wait to see what he brings to table acting with Joel McHale and company.

Chuck: As this show prepares for its final season, it looks like they intend to go out with a bang. During Comic-con, word got out that Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill would be joining the cast playing this year's big villain. Then earlier this week, news broke that Craig Kilborn had also been hired to play a villainous role to go against our favorite spy team. Most people haven't seen Kilborn in a long time, but I think they'll quickly remember that this guy can play smarmy so well, that he'll easily adapt to this villainous role. Finally, we'll also see some love on the show when The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss comes aboard to be a romantic foil for Casey. With that trio, it appears this show is attempting to reach Nerd-vana.

Spoilspots

I'm posting two trailers here because they are both for films that I have interest in seeing, but both also give away too many plot details. So while I want to plug the movies, I also want to give you advance notice. If you seemingly don't want the movie ruined for you, avoid watching these trailers. But if you don't mind being spoiled or if you just want to save yourself some money and basically see the whole movie right now, by all means go ahead and check out these videos.

In Time, a sci-fi thriller starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried


Dream House, a supernatural thriller starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz