RBR: Wanderlust

The thought of a gang of old, out of shape nudists running is not going to appeal to a lot of people, which is probably why more people didn't see Wanderlust when it came out this past winter. That's a shame because amid the skin and flab lies a pretty funny movie. Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston play George and Linda, a Manhattan couple who flee the city after hitting financial hard times. They end up (after a disasterous visit with George's brother, played hilariously by Ken Marino) staying at a hippie commune called Elysium. There they encounter several odd characters who enjoy life without a care in the world. The cast includes a whole host of funny people including Alan Alda, Justin Theroux, Malin Ackerman, Kathryn Hahn, Joe Lo Truglio, and bunch of others who typically show up in director David Wain's films (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models). Virtually everyone in the cast produces at least one laugh out loud line and most usually have many. Where the film suffers a bit is in its story. There's very little resemebling a plot here. Marital strife and land deals are sorta addressed, but really that all takes a backseat and this is meant to be a showcase for these talented actors to let their freak flag fly and find the humor in it. Not all of the jokes work here, but the ones that did made me laugh very hard. If you appreciate the type of humor that Wain offers, you'll really enjoy this movie. Rating: ****

Bond countdown: You Only Live Twice (1967)

RBR: Jeff Who Lives at Home

In the opening moments of the film, Jeff (Jason Segal) tells the audience how much he loves the movie Signs and how amazing it is that it's filled with these seemingly random events that all come together with a purpose in the end. This is one of those 'sledgehammer of plot' moves that I can't stand. With such a scene, I now know I'll be sitting for the next hour and a half watching these characters do random things only for all of them to add up to something in the film's climax. And yet, I still couldn't help but enjoy this movie for the most part, primarily because of the winning performances by the film's leads. Jeff is a 30-something guy who still lives in his mom's basement and has no real goals or ambitions. Segal isn't really breaking new ground with this character, but he knows exactly how to play it to make us still like him. Ed Helms plays Jeff's brother and he's married Judy Greer. Their relationship problems drive the film's story and again their talents get you invested in how things will play out for them. Jeff's mom is played by Susan Sarandon. She has an odd subplot involving a secret admirer. Frankly if it had been anyone other than Sarandon in the role, I probably would have suggested that they eliminate that part of the film entirely, but it was nice to see her in a film like this. There's nothing new or fresh offered here, but because of the talents of these great actors, I found myself wanting to hang out with them and see what they were going to do next. I also was moved by the way they had everything come together in the end even if I hated the fact that they told me it would happen in the beginning. If you're looking for a smaller film and you like these actors, there are a lot worse films you could choose to watch instead. Rating: *** 1/2

Jack and thrill

Jack Reacher is a popular character in a series of books by author Lee Child. Upon hearing that the series was receiving a film adaptation, I decided to start reading the books. I've finished the first two and while I can't say it's my favorite series of books, they are good reads, particularly for the summertime. Reacher is a former military policeman who now just travels around the country and always seems to find himself in the thick of someone else's problems. The character has a lot in common with 24's Jack Bauer with his sense of patriotism and violent tendencies. For the film adaptation, Tom Cruise has actually been cast as Jack Reacher. This has angered a lot of fans of the franchise as they feel Cruise does not resemble Reacher in any way. While I would agree with their assessment, I won't care too much so long as the film is good. We'll have to wait until December though to make that determination. In the meantime, you can get your first glimpse as to what we can expect with the recently released trailer, which I'll post below.

RBR: Safe House

Familiarity breeds contempt as the old saying goes. In Safe House, there's a lot of familiarity to the story. While I would not go as far as saying that I have contempt for the film, I am disappointed, they couldn't do more here or at least create a more intelligent script. The story centers around Tobin Frost (played by Denzel Washington), a former CIA agent who is now believed to be a traitor to the United States. After remaining off the grid for nearly a decade, he shows up at a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa where a wet behind the ears agent (Ryan Reynolds) is tasked with keeping him alive while everyone else seems to want him dead. Once again, I fail to see the appeal of Reynolds as an actor. Though this is far from his worst performance, he still comes off as unconvincing in this role as a novice agent. On the other hand, Washington manages to rise above the mediocre material and deliver antoher compelling performance. I would have liked for there to have been more engaging dialogue between Washington and Reynolds' characters, but the film opts to pad its run time with several chase sequences and gun fights instead. I also felt that there was information pertaining to several characters' motivations that should have been revealed sooner. I get trying to build some suspense, but in this case it prevented me from becoming more interested in the outcome of the people in the film. Safe House is a perfectly serviceable action thriller, but it had the potential to be so much more. Washington is the only real stand out here, so if you're a fan of his, I'd definitely recommend you check it out. Rating: *** 1/2

Bond countdown: Thunderball (1965)

I'm hoping these will begin getting posted with more regularity again. Here's my take on Thunderball from 1965.

Tribe Watch (All Star Break)

Record: 44-41

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (3 games back)

The Indians appeared to be finishing up the first half of the season strong only for things to go awry on the last day. First the good news...the Indians managed to take two out of three from the Angels and then were poised to win the series against Tampa Bay until they coughed up a big lead on Sunday and ended up having to settle for a split. Still, the last three series of this first half featured the Indians playing some of their best baseball. We'll need to continue playing like that if we want to remain in the race for the AL Central title. Speaking of which, despite our improved effort we were unable to make up any ground in the standings as those damn White Sox had been nearly unbeatable for the past couple of weeks. Let's hope to God that they suffer a setback in the second half of the season. But they certainly won't be our only concern because don't look now, but the Tigers are only a half game behind us and 3.5 games back of first place. At this point, it definitely looks like a three team race, but who will take it is anybody's guess.

Looking ahead, there will certainly be some interesting storylines that will play out. One will be what, if any moves, will this team make before the trade deadline. Given our standing, we are certainly in a place to be buyers, but will our cheap owner actually cough up any money to get someone that can significantly help this team down the stretch. Another question is what we can expect from two wild cards who are currently missing in action - Grady Sizermore and the man formerly known as Fausto Carmona. Both could return this season but it remains unclear how much they can really help us if they do return. Lastly, will be if we can get consistent play from our current players. We've seen everyone on this team produce, but so far it's been spotty. We need to find a way to have everyone clicking at the same time and if we do, I like our chances. It should definitely be a fun second half and I'm excited to see it play out. Things get underway this Friday when the Indians head out onto the road and play a weekend series in Toronto. Enjoy the All Star break and Go Tribe!

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am

Apparently at the big fireworks show in San Diego, they shot their entire wad prematurely. Check it out below:

Trouble bruin

Seth McFarland is nothing if not a multitasker. Most know him for being the creative force behind three of FOX's wildly popular Sunday animated shows (Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show). He's also been known to dabble in music, releasing an album recently of him crooning like Sinatra. In his latest effort, Ted, he's the writer and director, as well as provides the voice of the titular talking teddy bear. With his first foray into film, McFarland proves he's can successfully bring his brand of comedy to the big screen.

The film is about a boy named John Bennett, who after struggling to make real friends, wishes that his stuffed teddy bear could come to life. Lo and behold, his wish comes true and the two become best friends all the way into adulthood (Mark Wahlberg plays the adult John). The pair become quite the duo of raunch and debauchery as they drink, smoke weed, and curse up a storm (and curse at a storm even, given their fear of thunder). All of this comes at the dismay of John's longtime girlfriend (played by Mila Kunis), who would like to see him settle into adulthood.

With a film like this, you come for the premise and stay for the jokes. In the case of this film, the humor is a mixed bag. What was remarkable though was that as I sat in a crowded theater, there were really no jokes that fall flat. McFarland's humor is a scattershot attack on everything, which resulted in every joke earning laughs, but not from everyone in the crowd. I for one really enjoyed a running gag about Tom Skeritt, that few other people seemed to appreciate, yet there were other jokes that earned big laughs from other viewers while I saw the punchline coming a mile away. I can't guarantee you'll laugh at everything here, but you're bound to find at least a few jokes that tickle your funny bone.

Of course this wouldn't be a Seth McFarland production if he didn't bring along a number of the people who have worked with him on his tv shows. Alex Borstein, Patrick Warburton, Patrick Stewart, and a whole host of others (plus Kunis) all contribute to the hilarity in some form or another. In addition, there are several other familiar faces new to the McFarland universe including Joel McHale and Giovanni Ribisi, plus some other surprise cameos that I won't spoil here.

But for as much as I laughed, there are still some weaknesses. For one, as much as I like Wahlberg and Kunis individually I didn't find them to have particularly strong chemistry and they just didn't have an overall good fit. More importantly, the film struggles from a narrative perspective. The central theme of growing up and choosing love over friendship doesn't feel particularly fresh and has been done better by other films. You also have the ADD nature to McFarland's storytelling that is problematic in his TV shows as well. Thrown into this film are subplots involving Kunis' lecherous boss (McHale) and a stranger (Ribisi) obsessed with having Ted be a toy for his son. Each of these serve as a distraction rather than an enhancement for the central plot. Lastly, while I respect McFarland for wanting to have this truly be his film, I did not think much of his work as a director. The film has somewhat of a cheap look to it and it could have come off so much better in more capable hands.

In the end though, most people are not coming for cinematography and in-depth plot development, so the film's weakness are not likely to keep people away from seeing this film. What you get here is basically an extra long episode of Family Guy with no restraints as to what can be said or shown. For most, and that includes myself, that's certainly enough. If the previews don't make it clear enough, this film definitely earns all of its R-rated, so leave your morals at the door when you watch this movie. McFarland lets the fur fly here and the result is a bear-y funny movie. Grade: B

Tribe Watch (Week 12)

Record: 40-38

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (1.5 games back)

I was almost ready to write this team off for this season after they got swept by the Yankees earlier this week. All facets of our game looked bad, but in particular the offense was non-existent. However, as if often the case in baseball, things turn quickly. The Indians managed to recover by taking 3 out of 4 against the Orioles and had solid hitting in each of the four games. On the roster front, it was another good news/bad news situation. On the positive side, it appears Travis Hafner will rejoin the team on Monday, which could provide a boost to the offense. However, during the Baltimore series young third baseman, Lonnie Chisenhall was hit by a pitch that broke a bone in his arm. After having surgery the report is that he'll be out 10-12 weeks, which pretty much means he won't return this season. Though the Indians are still in second place, they could put themselves in a good position heading into the All Star Break if they manage to play well this week. They return home to play a couple of tough opponents. First up will be the Anaheim Angels. We were fortunate enough to play well against them earlier this season when they were struggling. It'll be interesting to see how we fare against them now that they have had a resurgence. We'll then finish off the first half of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays. They have been bitten by the injury bug all season long, yet have still managed to play well so we can't let our guard down against them. And of course, the trade deadline is still looming, so it should be interesting to see what, if any, changes are made to the roster in the coming days. All of it makes for some exciting baseball that should be fun to watch. Go Tribe!

Twit Nick

Curious about what's going on in the lives of today's young female celebrities but don't want to join Twitter? That's no problem no thanks to Nick Offerman, who will gladly share with us what they're tweeting while he does some woodworking. Courtesy of Conan

RBR: This Means War

This is another sad example of when bad movies happen to good actors. I love Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine and Tom Hardy are both rising stars, yet being in this film did not of them any service. The ridiculous set up involves Pine and Hardy playing CIA agents who are also friends and also just happen to be dating the same girl (Witherspoon). They decide to use all of their available spy tactics in order to be the one that ultimately wins the girl. Their efforts are stalkerish and mean, yet are meant to be played for laughs. Meanwhile, Witherspoon's character doesn't come off well either as she's never upfront to either guy about seeing someone's else. We also have to trudge through several unfunny scenes involving her receiving advice from Chelsea Handler, who's stiff delivery grates on you quickly. About the only funny line in the film comes from Chris Pine who confuses Handler for an old man (How is that there's only a one year age difference between Handler and Witherspoon?) The implausibility of the story may have been tolerated more had it not been coupled with the poor direction of McG. Action scenes are edited at a dizzying pace and every shot in the film apparently required a bright light to be shone in the background. I'm not there will be many people tempted into seeing this because of its cast, but do yourself a favor and skip it. Rating: **

Scariott Hotel

Here's a trailer for the upcoming animated film Hotel Transylvania featuring the voice work of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Selena Gomez.

RBR: 21 Jump Street

The last thing we needed was yet another movie made based off of a TV show, but at least 21 Jump Street has the courtesy of acknowledging this fact and having some fun with it. There is plenty to like here as Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have fun playing cops who go undercover as high school students in order to bust a drug ring. A lot of that comes from them going against their original roles in high school (Tatum hangs with the nerds, while Hill buddies up with the cool kids). Even though the film yields some decent laughs, I also grew frustrated with the fact that the film felt that it was more clever than it really was. Several jokes are included that try to mock cop movie cliches, but most of them have either been done before or just didn't work in their execution. There's a running gag about expected explosions that never really pays off. I did appreciate the fact that they rounded out the cast with several funny people who helped give the film a bit more credibility. Nick Offerman, Rob Riggle, Ice Cube and Ellie Kemper all briefly show up and do their best to milk the most out of their screentime. I'm sure those in high school particularly found this film funny, but as I get further away from that period of my life, I find it more difficult to relate to what they appreciate. This is far from a perfect film, but I do give them an A for effort. Given the poor execution though, it's actual rating is much lower. Rating: *** 1/2

Bond Countdown: Goldfinger (1964)

RBR: The Grey

Speaking of Liam Neeson, he pops up in this thriller from earlier this year to again prove himself to be the most unlikely action hero perhaps in the history of film. I mean, who seriously predicted this would be the go-to guy for the bad-ass in action flicks? And yet, once more we see him as the best thing in an otherwise mediocre film. The setup here is that he along with six oil workers survive a plane crash in Alaska and then must work together to find rescue before being killed by omnipresent wolves. Director Joe Carnahan does a nice job with each scene featuring the wolves making them suitably terrifying with a few surprising scares that you don't necessarily anticipate. What doesn't work though is the inevitablilty of the plot as we see these survivors get picked off one by one until we arrive at the expected showdown. The film also decides to adopt a philosophical preachiness to the narrative which I didn't find to be needed and/or effective. Still, Neeson gives another strong performance and the atmospheric feel of the film sucks you in, causing you to fear for your own life at times. This is a mixed bag that earns a mild recommendation from me. Rating: *** 1/2

Taken for another ride

The man with a particular set of skills is back and ready to kick more ass. Here's your first look at the trailer for Taken 2

Tribe Watch (Week 11)

Record: 37-34

Standing: Second in AL Central (0.5 games back)

After getting swept the week prior in Cincinnati, the Indians gained a measure of revenge this past week by sweeping the Reds in Cleveland. That proved to be the high point for the week as we not only had won 3 games in a row, but also climbed back up into first place. Sadly, things went downhill from there as they lost the last two out of a three game series against the Houston Astros and fell back into second place. The Houston series was particularly frustrating as the bats went dormant once again against a less than stellar pitching rotatation. In addition, we saw a recurring problem from both Jeanmar Gomez and Derek Lowe. Both pitchers pitched well early on, but got hit bad as they went through the lineup the second and third time. Given that Lowe's a veteran, we can hope that he'll be able to recover from this. As for Gomez, it seems as if he needs to be either sent back to the minors or converted into a long man in the bullpen. In other disappointing news, it was announced yesterday that the longtime Boston Red Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis had been traded to the Chicago White Sox. While I do not necessarily think the Indians needed to get him, the absolute LAST place I wanted him to wind up was in Chicago. If he provides them with any sort of offensive productivity, it could be really harmful to our chances at competing with them for the AL Central title. Despite that, we shouldn't dwell on the negative. Remaining positive will be key as the Indians continue their 10-game road trip with visits to New York for a three game series against the Yankees and then a four game series beginning on Thursday in Baltimore against the Orioles. Those two teams currently sit in first and second place respectively in the AL East. We cannot afford to lose much ground heading into the midway point of the season, so this could be a make it or break it week for the tribe. Now that the NBA season is over and the people of Cleveland can stop dwelling on Lebron, our focus should be on the Indians and rooting them on to victory. Go Tribe!

Party Monsters

Here's your first look at the prequel to Monsters Inc., which looks at the lives of Mike and Sully back in their college days. Called Monsters University, the trailer is barely a minute long and I already like the film better than Cars 2

Pyr gathering

I know I've discussed this possibility before, but it finally now seems like a revival of The $25,000 Pyramid is going to happen. Here's the latest news on the reboot, courtesy of Buzzerblog.

It’s been an exciting few days for game show fans. First we had the announcement that Mike Richards would be the host of GSN’s revival of the classic game show The Pyramid. The reports are saying the look of the show retains a classic, familiar feeling so many of you will be happy about that. Now we’ve got some information on the new pilot. I think you’re all going to be very excited for the show.

The game is played like the old version. Two teams compete in two games per show. You have seven clues to convey within 30 seconds. The main difference is how money is handled. Whenever you go to the titular Pyramid you play for a base of $10,000. In the main game if you score a perfect 7-out-of-7 you earn a $500 bonus plus you play for $5,000 more on the Pyramid. So one perfect round means you win $500 and have a chance at $15,000. Two perfect rounds is $1,000 and a chance at $20,000. A perfect game means you win $1,500 and play for $25,000. Of course no perfect rounds mean you play for the base $10,000. There are no bonus categories such as Mystery 7 or 7-11. If you can’t beat the Pyramid you get money for each box you do beat. In order, from left to right, the first row is worth $100, $200, and $300; the second row is $400 and $500; the top box is $750.

So that’s what we have. It looks like, wisely, they are going with the retro looking set. The reception to Mike Richards has been positive also. We’ll have more later but we just wanted to be sure that you knew the details before we head out for the rest of the weekend. Feeling good about this? I know I am. I admit I had some major fears after how GSN handled the recent revival of Lingo. However, this looks to be exceptional and with Michael Davies and Embassy Row in charge that really shouldn’t be a shock. We hope to see it soon.

RBR: Chronicle

Whenever you read a biography of a superhero, two of the common dossier categories listed are the character's strengths and weaknesses. Watching Chronicle, it became apparent that this film about high school kids who develop super powers has its own well-defined strengths and weaknesses. The biggest detraction is its use of the 'found footage' storytelling device. Instead of enhancing the story like it does when used in the Paranormal Activity franchise, Chronicle feels stifled by this form of narrative. Scenes necessary for the story suffer from the lack of plausibility behind why they would be filmed by the characters in the first place. I also had problems at times empathizing with the drama of high school students, but that's more my issue than the film's. As for the film's strengths, it's premise is the primary draw. Though we've seen plenty of movies featuring superheroes and comic book characters, this still feels fresh. There is an authenticity to the way they portray what would happen if teenagers were able to obtain super powers. I also really loved the film's climatic scenes between two characters with these powers. They pull no punches going at each other and the end result is one of the most satisfying superhuman battles ever filmed. If a show like Heroes had been able to pull off scenes like the one in this low-budget film, it may have still been on the air. Going back to the film's premise, though, that is really the key to whether or not you'll seek this out. If you find it intriguing, then I definitely would recommend you give this watch. If there's no interest in seeing these kids fly and move object with a flick of their wrist, then you can skip this and not miss much. Rating: *** 3/4

Tribe Watch (Week 10)

Record: 33-32

Standing: Second in AL Central (1.5 games back)

This has been a pretty dismal week for the Tribe as the only managed to get one victory. The week began with a rough time in Cincinnati as the Reds swept us. Then we returned home and only got one win against the Pirates. Once again, pitching problems plagued this time. Both Cincinnati and Pittsburg seemed to hit off our pitchers at will. While our hitters could be doing more, this team will live and die by our pitching, so they need to start getting their act together if we have any hopes of contending. If there's a silver lining after such a pathetic performance, it's that the White Sox played just as poorly and thus we did not really lose any ground in the standings. We can't expect that to always happen, so we need to start winning again. We'll get a chance for some revenge against the Reds this week as they come to Cleveland for a three game set. Then we head back out onto the road this weekend for a set against the Houston Astros, a team that isn't very good. Capitalizing on weaker competition will be important. Plus it'll give us an opportunity to do some advanced scouting since Houston will become a part of the American League next year. As interleague play wraps up, I'll be watching to see if we can end this stretch of games on a positive note. Go Tribe!

Bond countdown: From Russia With Love (1963)

Tribe Watch (Week 9)

Record: 32-27

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (0.5 games back)

While far from a great week, there was definitely an improved effort from this team in comparison to how they had played the week before. The Indians managed to score two series victories, taking two of out three from both the Tigers and the Cardinals. Both of those teams, while struggling, are solid opponents so it was nice to come away with wins against both of them. Most notably the pitching was much better this week. Ubaldo Jimenez had two quality starts in a row, which is positve to see. Sadly, the guy who probably had the best pitching performance, Justin Masterson, came away with a loss on Saturday due to the Tribe getting shut out for the first time this season. Of course, I would love to see the Indians continue to improve on offense. Now that we're in the middle of interleague play, it means we'll be playing several games without the luxury of a DH, so each of our positional players need to pick up the slack when it comes to the bat. Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis (who hit the game-winning 3 run home run today) have been great at the plate, but guys like Carlos Santana really need to start having more quality at-bats so that we're not constantly leaving guys on base. Speaking of interleague play, it continues to roll on this week as the Indians will head to Cincinnati to play their cross-state rivals the Reds for 3 games. Then it's finally back home to take on the Pittsburg Pirates in a three game set. Teams that do well during interleague play typically find their way into the post-season, so let's hope the Indians can continue their winnings ways against these National League teams. Go Tribe!

Wreck in effect

A big week of trailers continues with the first look at Disney's latest animated effort, the video game themed Wreck-it Ralph. Check it out below.

Creation story

Much ado has been made about Ridley Scott's latest film Prometheus as to whether or not it is a prequel to the beloved Alien franchise. Whether it be fans of the original series or those just curious about the mystery surrounding this new movie, this has become one of the most anticipated films of the year. Of course, with that anticipation comes the possibility of disappointment if it fails to live up to expectations. Thankfully, this film manages to satisfy those expectations, even if it doesn't fully address everything that some may have wanted the film to do.

Prometheus is about a pair of scientists who believe they have discovered the beings responsible for the creation of the human race and set off on a space voyage along with a crew of several other travelers to the moon that they believe these beings are on. Of course, like most sci-fi space explorations they get more than they bargained for once they begin exploring this distant land.

One of the early signs that there is a connection between this film and the Alien series is the presence of an android on this space flight. David (played by Michael Fassbender) is perhaps the most compelling character in the film. He's not only integral to the interactions the humans have with the beings they encounter, but he also posits some of the film's most compelling questions. At times, David's motives are a bit unclear. The fact that he's a robot, and thus possesses no human emotions, only complicates matters. At times this can be frustrating. But ultimately, I think what it does is spurs healthy debate amongst those who enjoy and want to discuss this movie in great detail.

David's motives are not the only aspect of this film that is left unanswered. The film addresses but does not give clear answers to some major philosophical questions including 'where did we come from' and 'is our fate entirely in our control?'. It should come as no surprise that one of the film's co-writers is Damon Lindelof, who wrote for the TV series, Lost The Lost DNA is felt heavily throughout the film as it not only deals with those eternal debates but only tackles things like daddy issues and infertility.

Again, if you have someone who is willing to engage you on these topics after seeing the film, they make for a rich cinematic experience, but I would also imagine that there will be plenty out there who find their addition to the film's narrative unnecessary. Some people are simply looking for a film that features gooey creatures bursting out of people's chests and scaring the bejeebus out of audiences. Thankfully, the film offers plenty of that in here as well. Let there be no doubt at this point, that this IS an Alien prequel both in story and in spirit. There are plenty of frightful moments in this film that leave many of the human characters in great peril. Without giving too much away, one of the film's best scenes involves Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) attempting surgery on herself in an awesomely squemish sequence. After all these years, Scott still knows how to craft a good creature feature.

While it's hard to overlook it when we're talking about film featuring tons of slimy aliens, there is several noteworthy acting performances as well. As noted above, Fassbender is great as David as he continues to deliver one fine performance after another. Charlize Theron as the corporate-minded executive who oversees the Prometheus flight gives a nice, steely performance. I also really liked Idris Elba, who has a number of great lines as the hard-edged captain of the ship.

In the end, Prometheus may have been a bit too ambitious trying to tackle larger issues than were necessary for a series like this. But it's hard for me to fault them for that. A little mythology never hurt anyone and we could use more film that inspire discussion rather than the mindless dreck that only appeals to those who like to see things go BOOM. The film, with its impressive visual look, really attacks you from all senses and leaves you satisfied. And just like the evil creatures who haunt our protagonists here, once you get a taste, it'll leave you wanting more. Grade: B+

Double your pleasure

There was actually some notable happenings over the past week's worth of episodes on The Price is Right. On Monday, there was the first "perfect show" (all 6 pricing games won) of the season. Although some debate the verity of the perfect show label since one of the games 'won' was someone getting 'only' $10,000 on Plinko when they could have won $50,000. Then on Wednesday, we saw perhaps the contestant of the year in Henry, an 85 year old who tripped on stage and lost a tooth, yet kept a great attitude throughout. You can watch his appearance here. On Thursday, a contestant gave Drew a Brook Jacoby baseball card, which probably doesn't mean a lot to most of you, but does to me since he was my favorite Cleveland Indians baseball player growing up. The week was then capped off with the debut of a brand new pricing game, called Double Cross. You can watch its debut playing down below.

RBR: The Woman in Black

Credit Daniel Radcliffe for trying to work on another film as quickly as he could after the Harry Potter franchise in order to sustain an acting career in a post-wizard world. It's just a shame that he couldn't have attached himself to a better film. There's no sense of magic found here, in more ways than one. This period horror film slogs along at a glacial pace that tested my patience. Unlike The Others, a film that used its setting to add to the mystery and scares of this story, The Woman in Black merely includes it as a way to mask the fact that this is a very pedestrian ghost story. Director James Watkins fails to effectively film the film's key scary moments. Scenes that should send chills down your spine barely even register a notice here. Meanwhile, the answers to the mysterious happenings come too late in the film and by that point, you simply don't care. I hope Radcliffe, who does the best with what he's given here, can continue to have success in Hollywood, but if that is to happen, he'll need to find more inspired material than this. Rating: * 1/2

The plane truth

We got more trailers coming at ya. This time it's a preview for the first live-action film directed by Robert Zemeckis in over a decade. Flight is the fictional tale of a heroic effort of a pilot (Denzel Washington) to avoid a tragic plane crash that gets marred by the discovery that the pilot had been drinking prior to the flight and may have caused the accident in the first place.

RBR: Man on a Ledge

The subtitle for this review should be 'when good premises go bad'. This is one of those films that you best leave your thinking cap off because if you try to think about anything that is going on here, you'll just give yourself a headache. The setup is this - a man (Sam Worthington) wrongfully accussed of stealing a diamond escapes prison and then attempts suicide by jumping off a hotel in New York. This is no ordinary jump, though. It's all a big diversion as the accused man's brother attempts to clear his name. The cast is rounded out by a number of likeable actors including Elizabeth Banks, Anthony Mackie, Ed Burns, Jamie Bell, Titus Welliver, and Kyra Sedgwick. Sadly, each of them is either underwritten as a character or gives a laughable performance thanks to the weak script. Not even Ed Harris can do much playing the slimly rich guy who framed the man on a ledge. The story moves along at a nice pace but nothing really works as the story is filled with contrivances and plot holes. Like the suicide attempt itself, the film serves only as a mere diversion. The audience is left watching, waiting for something exciting to happen but gets disappointed when nothing pans out as you would have liked. Rating: ** 1/2

Unchained melody

Check out the first trailer for Quentin Tarantino's latest, Django Unchained, which is set to hit theaters this Christmas.

Tribe Watch (Week 8)

Record: 28-25

Standing: Second in AL Central

The Indians' performance this week did nothing to really motivate me to do this write up, but here I am anyways. This week the Tribe saw themselves fall out of first place, partially because those nasty Chicago White Sox are red hot and partially because we only managed to win two out of six games against Kansas City and Minnesota - a pair of divisional opponents that we need to beat. While our offense continues to struggle due to some key injuries, the bigger issue was the pitching. A staff that looked dominant against the Tigers has really faltered the past three series. If we want any chance of competing in this division, both our starters and middle relievers need to step up their game. We have another off day tomorrow and then head out onto the road for a lengthy trip. It will begin on Tuesday with a stint in Detroit. This weekend interleague play will resume as we square off against the Cardinals. At this point we can't afford to lose any more ground in the standings so we'll need to play competitive against this pair of decent teams. June has not been a good month in recent history for the Tribe, so let's change that up this year. Since the Indians won't be playing many home games this month, everyone needs to do their part in rooting on this team from their living room. Hopefully if we send good vibes their way, they can regain their winning ways. Go Tribe!

Bond countdown: Dr. No (1962)

We're about 22 weeks away from the newest James Bond film, Skyfall, so I've decided to once again look back at the past Bond films leading up to the new one. I wanted to do something different this time so that you wouldn't feel like I was simply doing a repost of my past thoughts. So I've decided to use Voicethread, which allows you to create audio commentary to images. Simply press play on the presentation below and you'll hear my thoughts on anything and everything that I found to be notable on that particular Bond film. Since this is my first outing using Voicethread in this particular manner, my commentary may sound a little rough, but I'm hoping that I'll improve as I get more comfortable sharing my thoughts in this manner. Certainly I would love to hear anyone and everyone's thoughts on both the films and my opinions on them, so sound off in the comments below. And without further ado, here's my take on the first Bond film, Dr. No

RBR: Haywire

MMA fighter Gina Carano makes her screen debut in this spy thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh. Carano does need to do much in the way of acting here, but shows enough screen presence to suggest that she may have a future in Hollywood. Her cage fighting experience, however, is put to good use here as she has several impressive scenes where she is handily beating up men twice her size. While Carano may not have much experience in front of the camera, Soderbergh certainly has plenty behind it and his style is felt throughout the entire film. His trademark touches work both in the film's favor and to its detriment. The film is very stylish with its beautiful shot locations and omnipresent soundtrack. As far as the film's plot, the minimalist approach taken her is a bit disappointing. Don't expect much in terms of freshness when it comes to this story about a spy who's been burned by their own organization. This is Jason Bourne lite in more ways than one. If you're a person who favors style over substance, you should really enjoy this film. For those who like a little bit more meat on the bones when it comes to story, then you may be left feeling hungry. I like the film's look and its cast (Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Bill Paxton all show up in small roles) but I would have prefered a bit stronger narrative connecting all of Carano's asskickings together. Rating: *** 1/2

Don't Treadstone on me

I've been on the fence about extending the Bourne franchise without Matt Damon, but this latest trailer for The Bourne Legacy has me completely sold. From the looks of things they've found a way of successfully integrating the existing storyline while also creating something unique as well. They appear to have enough actors from the previous films couples with some excellent new additions to make this a must see come this August. Have a look for yourself.

Tribe Watch (Week 7)

Record: 26-21

Standing: First in AL Central

This week shows you how difficult it can be to a baseball fan. The Indians begin the week on top of the world by sweeping our rivals, the Detroit Tigers in close, exciting, and competitive games. The fact that the sweep culminated in beating Justin Verlander, who may be the best pitcher in baseball today was about as awesome it gets. And then we get to the weekend where everything that could go wrong, did. Frankly I could use one of those Men in Black neuralizers to forget it even existed. We ended up getting swept by those classless, vile (and many other words I can't use here) Chicago White Sox. Our pitching looked pathetic in all three games. To show you the disparity between the two series, our pitching staff gave up 6 runs total against Detroit and 31 to Chicago. And what's even more troubling is the number of Indians who are now currently hurt. Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner, Jack Hanahan, and Lou Marson are just some of the names who had to sit out games because of injuries. Let's keep our fingers crossed that most of the injuries are minor and they can return to the lineup sooner rather than later. Otherwise, we may be seeing a complete repeat of next year. The Indians first opportunity to erase the nightmare of this weekend comes tomorrow when they begin a three game set against the Royals. We'll then wrap up the week with a series against Minnesota this weekend. Both of these teams are bringing up the rear of the AL Central, so let's hope they remain our whipping boys and we can start extending our lead in the AL Central again. If we can get back to the way we played against Detroit, it should be a fun season. If we continue to play like we did against Chicago, well...let's not even think about that. Go Tribe!

RBR: Contraband

If you're like me, you probably had the same reaction upon seeing the ads for Contraband last January - how many times are we going to do the 'reformed criminal goes back for one last score' story? And while it's true that this film treads on familiar territory, it also does so in a competent and entertaining way. This particular story focuses on Mark Wahlberg playing a skilled smuggler who has gone clean but gets called back in for a final job after his pathetic brother-in-law finds himself in debt to a sleazy, hyperkinetic drug dealer (played naturally by Giovanni Ribisi). The entire cast is solid here as there is also Ben Foster playing Wahlberg's friend, Kate Beckinsale as Wahlberg's wife, and the always enjoyable J.K. Simmons as the boat captain who thinks he's a step ahead of Wahlberg but is typically two steps behind. The film does a nice job of keeping the action moving and providing enough twists in the story to avoid becoming overly critical. If I had a complaint it's that I feel they played it safe and went with an Ocean's 11 style ending where everything not only works out, but works out very well for the good guys and lousy for the bad guys. There were opportunities in this story for them to take some more chances with the film's outcome, but they opted not to pull the trigger. So while it failed to become something special, it can still be considered quality entertainment. If you had skipped this last winter because it was too cold to go to the movies, rectify this situation now and give it a chance as a rental Rental: ****

60% of the time, a sequel works every time

The Channel 4 News Team is back baby! Check out both the American and international versions of the teaser trailer for the sequel to Anchorman

RBR: Contenders and pretenders

There had been a handful of films that came out at the end of last year, now on DVD, that I had, for various reasons, been putting off renting. Now that some of the early 2012 films are starting to be available to rent, I wanted to take care of them asap. I had a movie weekend and decided to lump all of the reviews together in this one post.

The Descendants Director Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt) always seems to choose products that feature central characters at their very lowest point in life. His latest dramedy is no different as it centers around Matt King (played by George Clooney) struggling with a wife who is near death after a boating accident while also trying to finalize a land deal in Hawaii to could potentially earn his family a lot of money. On top of that he also struggling with being a parent to his two difficult daughters. Like in most of Payne's films, I found the journey we take with the film's central character to be compelling. While not his strongest performance, Clooney does fine work here as he attempts to take on one of his least glamourous roles to date. On the other hand, the two daughters grated on me and I struggled to empathize with the situation they were going through. Furthermore, we're never really given any suitable justification as to why King has such a strained relationship with them. Given how hands-on he is with everything that goes on in the movie, he doesn't strike you as they absentee-father type. I also wish the film had been infused with a bit more humor. It's not that the film is completely downbeat, but in comparison to some of Payne's films, I felt this one lacked the wry sense of humor that is typically infused into his movies. I certainly would not call this my favorite of Payne's films - the terrific Election still holds that distinction for me. This is a good film that kept me engaged throughout. I can easily see why it garnered the number of Oscar nominations that it did. While I wouldn't go so far as to say it's as enjoyable as a Hawaiian vacation, I do feel you'll enjoy watching this one if you give it a rental. Rating: **** 1/2

J. Edgar This was originally thought to be a strong Oscar contender until a series of bad reviews sunk its chances. While I won't go as negative as some with regards to film, it does warrant some of the criticism it received. For me, the biggest problem with this film was its purpose. In detailing the life story of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Clint Eastwood does not shy away from a lot of Hoover's flaws. His vanity, paranoia, cross-dressing, and possible homosexual lifestyle are all front and center in this depiction. And yet I question why. What is gained by smearing someone who also did a lot of good for this country in establishing the FBI? I felt the film was needlessly exploitative and I took no joy in seeing the salacious side of Hoover's life be such an integral part of this film. I would have much rather seen more of the forensic sciences that Hoover and his crew perfected in order to solve several notorious crimes. Aside from the film's purpose, this simply is not a quality film on par with some of Eastwood's other films. He only managed to get a distant performance from the usually strong DiCaprio. And perhaps most glaring of all is the awful makeup that is on display when the film is set in Hoover's last years. I know aging someone isn't easy, but I'd like to think most major films could do a better job than what was achieved here. This is disappointing all around and probably is not worth your time. Rating: **

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Many people were shocked when this garnered a best picture nomination even though less than half of the nation's critics gave it a favorable review. Watching the film, I could understand why it managed to earn a nom while also seeing the same flaws that most critics did. After losing his father on 9/11, young Oscar Schnell discovers a key in his father's room and sets out on a quest (prior to his death his father loved creating mysteries for him to solve) to learn what the key belongs to. Of course, this quest is more than just finding a lock that fits the key. It's about coping with death, embracing life, and coming together in support of one another. Given that the film centers around the events and aftermath of 9/11, the film is shamelessly manipulative in playing with the audience's emotions. However, I did not necessarily have a problem with that. It exists in order to do just that. My bigger problem comes from the focus being on the boy. While there are allusions made, it's unclear as to whether Oscar is suffering from a learning disability (like Asperger's) or if he's just eccentric. Regardless, the character and the young actor's portrayal of the boy make it difficult for the audience to enjoy going on this journey with him. He doesn't yield the sympathy that the character should. Instead, we sit there wanting to know the answers ourselves, but don't exactly care whether or not the boy gets them. While there are some problems with the child acting, the film does feature several good adult performances including Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock in limited roles and Max Von Sydow doing some great work as a mute who may be the young boy's grandfather. The subject matter is not for everyone, but if you have an interest in it, I think you'll be glad with you did. Just make sure to have the Kleenex box nearby. Rating: *** 1/2

War Horse I struggle with how exactly to review this film. From a technical standpoint, it is near excellent. The camera work, cinematography, the score, and all other facets of the film are just great. They prove once again why Spielberg is in a class by himself. And yet I found myself extemely bored by the entire story. I just could not get myself interested in seeing early 20th century history being told from the perspective of a horse. In fact, in doing so, I actually felt like they trivialized a lot of the major events that they depicted in this film. While a horse may be a majestic animal, it does not make for a compelling character. To make matters worse, with a run time of two and half hours, the film felt endless. The production value is too good for me to give the film a truly terrible grade and yet I can't in good conscience actually recommend it to anyone either. If you truly love horses, I suppose you may get some value out of the film Or if you're looking to get into the film business on the opposite side of the camera, you may find value in looking at quality of the production, but that's about it. Everyone else is better off taking a trip to the glue factory instead. Rating:***

Sky falling, expectations rising

I can't believe this day is finally here. The first teaser trailer for the latest James Bond film, Skyfall just hit the web hours ago. Watch it below. I know I'll probably be watching it another 3 million times between now and when the film actually comes out this November.

Tribe Watch (Week 6)

Record: 23-18

Standing: First in AL Central

Closer Chris Perez gained some press yesterday by chastising the Cleveland fans for not supporting this team more and he has a point. Despite a loss today, this team won 5 out of 7 games this week and remain in first place by three games. However, I'm not going to be too hard on the fans since the Indians do having a losing record at home (we've been tremendous on the road for some reason) and I still don't think the team has played as well as it could be playing. The frustrating thing is that we're not seeing multiple guys get hot at the same time. It seems like one person each game has a breakout performance while everyone else struggles. If we can be more consistent, who knows how far this team can go. As happy as I am with their success this week, I know that this upcoming week is going to be a major swing week. We get an off day tomorrow and then play the two teams right behind us in the standings - a three game set against Detroit at home and then a 3 game series in Chicago against the White Sox. If we play well this week, we could give ourselves some real distance in the standings heading into June. If we struggle, we could easily see ourselves out of first place by next Sunday. For now though, let's listen to Chris Perez and support this team. Let's show them that this truly is Believe-land and that we love our Indians. Go Tribe!

2012 Fall Television Schedule Announcement (CBS)

This will wrap up the fall TV posts. I won't bother with the CW's lineup since I don't watch anything on that network and hardly anyone else does either. But if you're dying to see what they have in store, you can check it out at this link.

2012 CBS Fall Lineup

CBS has sat atop the ratings throne for several years now and the moves they made for the fall suggest they don't plan on losing that crown anytime soon. They cancelled the few deadweight shows that they had (adios CSI: Miami) and kept most of their hits in their same timeslots. The biggest change was moving Two and Half Men to Thursday nights and pairing it with The Big Bang Theory. Given that Men is getting a bit long in the tooth, it's a shrew decision to not rely it as the Monday anchor and instead have it along side the very popular Bang. That will no doubt further solidify CBS's hold on Thursday night programming. While I gave up on 2 Broke Girls, it's clear the CBS has enough confidence in it to make it the new anchor on Monday nights. Given how successful CBS has been, they really don't have too many new shows coming out. Of the ones that did make the fall lineup, the most intriguing one for me is Elementary - a modern day take on Sherlock Holmes with a female (Lucy Liu) in the Watson role. It'll take some time for me to wrap my head around the gender switch, but otherwise it looks like it could be another solid procedural for CBS.

How to build a better mouse game

Here's the trailer for the sequel to the Epic Mickey video game due out later this year. The first game was inventive, but not perfect, so here's hoping they improve upon the unique game in this second effort.

2012 Fall Television Schedule Announcement (ABC)

Moving on down the dial (or up depending on where you live I suppose), we come to ABC's fall schedule.

2012 ABC Fall Lineup

This past year, there wasn't one regular primetime show that I watched on this network. For whatever reason, the shows they create don't seem to cater to me. That may, and I stress may change next year as based on the trailers for their new shows, there are a few that seem like they may have potential. The best of the bunch is Last Resort, a submarine drama that involves a U.S. nuclear sub being attacked by its own country and the ensuing cover-up. I don't know if it has the legs to be a decent series, but I'm intriguing by the premise alone. This may be the show that finally helps fill the void left by Lost. Speaking of which, John Locke aka Terry O'Quinn will be back on ABC in a new show called 666 Park Avenue. From the look of its trailer, I can't tell if this will be a cool, supernatural thriller or a campy mess. As for ABC's returning lineup, almost everything that got renewed is staying in its current timeslot, which should make fans of those shows happy. The biggest move came from them shuttling Revenge over to Sunday nights to fill Desperate Housewives' old slot, which seems like a sensible move, even if it means Revenge will be facing some stiffer competition.

Fern Baby Fern

I neglected to post this last week after it aired on TV, but in case you missed it, here was the special 30 minute version of Zack Galiafianakis' web series Between Two Ferns featuring guests Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, and Sir Richard Branson.

2012 Fall Television Schedule Announcement (FOX)

I know I'm a little behind on these, so shoot me.

2012 FOX Fall Lineup

Fox decided to play it safe and boring this year apparently. There most dramatic changes, like moving Glee to Thursday night don't particularly affect me. I'm thankful that they renewed Fringe so that it can get a proper sendoff. It's also nice to see that there's no shakeups to the Animation Domination lineup. Although given how most of those series are starting to get long in the tooth, perhaps some fresh blood would have been nice. Their bigger concern though will definitely be the block they have devoted to The X Factor/American Idol for fall/spring. X Factor did not become a breakout hit like most expected it would be and Idol's ratings dominance is beginning to fade. If either or both of those shows go down the tubes, FOX will be left with a lot of timeslots to fill up in a hurry. What will be most interesting to see is how their Tuesday comedy block will fare. I never got the appeal of New Girl, but it's clearly going to be responsible for serving as the anchor to that night of sitcoms. As for FOX's new shows, watching the trailers the only ones that had moderate appeal to me were both shows (The Following and The Goodwin Games) that won't be premiering until midseason. So unless the Indians make the playoffs, it looks like I won't be watching too much on FOX in the fall.

Win Lose or Draw director's cut

Here's an extended version of the fantastic season finale of Parks and Recreation

2012 Fall Television Schedule Announcements (NBC)

I could post all of the news here if I wanted the post to take up the entire length of the blog, so I'll instead make it easy for you guys and direct you to all of the information in the link below from Comingsoon.net:

2012 NBC Fall Lineup

I'll instead spend this space giving my thoughts on NBC's moves. Of all the major networks, I probably watch the most shows on NBC, yet for the past several years they have languished near the bottom of the ratings. I commend them for saving some of the shows that they did, despite less than stellar ratings. Namely keeping Community and Parks and Recreation Parks was given a full season pickup and remains on Thursdays, while Community gets a 13-episode order and gets shunted to Fridays. The Friday move is fine, but I question why they paired it up with Whitney. Those two shows seemingly have nothing in common other than they were both lucky to get renewals. In fact, that was a trend throughout most of NBC's schedule. They slotted several sitcoms, but I thought some of their pairings were odd. For instance, I felt they should have paired Up All Night, which focuses on being young parents with the new sitcom Guys With Kids, which also deals with parenthood. Meanwhile the show that they did pair it up with, Animal Kingdom seems better suited with the single-camera, laugh track free comedies on Thursday nights.

On the drama side of things, the only new show that caught my eye was Revolution, a drama dealing with people living on Earth 15 years after a blackout hit the entire planet. While the premise was intriguing, I feel like we've seen this type of 'event' drama over and over again ever since the success of Lost and none of them have been successful. I've become jaded, but I feel like this one may suffer the same fate: sizable audience for its premiere that vanishes in the subsequent weeks when impatient fans get frustrated when the show doesn't give them answers to the central mythology quickly enough.

Finally, with their reality slate, the biggest news is that NBC's one new hit The Voice will already be returning in the fall. I personally don't watch the show, but I don't blame NBC for wanting to schedule another season so soon given that it's about the only thing in their schedule that consistantly pulls in viewers. Let's just hope that they don't create an overkill backlash like they've done with some of their other hits like Deal or No Deal. If it can remain a hit, hopefully viewers will be willing to stick around and watch some of their other shows as well.

Our Gang

Fall is shaping up to be as strong as the summer movie slate seems to be. After previewing Argo here earlier this week, here's the first trailer for The Gangster Squad featuring an all-star cast and directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland)

Tribe Watch (Week 5)

Record: 18-16

Standing: First in AL Central

It was a week that kept looking like it was going to turn out better than it actually did. We began with a great sweep of a doubleheader against Chicago on Monday and then proceeded to lose the next two games to them. Then we started our series against the Red Sox by beating them up, only to see us lose the next three games to them. Up until this week most of the losses we've had, were close, competitive games. This week, however, we had games where all parts of our team faltered. Pitching and clutch hitting need to improve. In terms of roster moves, that too produced a mixed bag. Starter Josh Tomlin went on the DL with a sore wrist, but we finally got rid of some dead weight in the bullpen by designating Dan Wheeler for assignment. Looking ahead to this week, we begin with a short series in Minnesota against a Twins team that has just been awful so far this year. They may just be the perfect team to face to help us get our confidence back and in a good groove. It's then back home to place the Mariners, which is another team that is not very good. Finally we head into the weekend to begin interleague play against (ugh) Ozzie Guillen and the new look Miami Marlins. Here's hoping this will be a good rebound week so that we can maintain our hold on first place in the division. And as always, I'll be there watching each game and rooting my team on. Go Tribe!

Taken hostage

Ben Affleck has turned himself into quite the director it seems based on this first trailer for Argo, a film based around a true story involving a rescue effort to save Americans taken hostage by the Iranians in the 1970s.

The Sum of All Cheers

With The Avengers blowing out box office records left and right, it may be a little pointless to do a review for the film now. But given that I haven't done a full movie review in a long time and the fact that everyone still wants to talk about this movie, I don't think anyone will mind.

There were certainly a lot of high expectations going into this film. You have the rabid fans of the comics, eager to see this super team on the big screen. But you also have all of the movie fans who have sat through several individual comic book movies that primarily served to set up this film. The good news is that despite those high expectations and the task of juggling such a large cast of characters, this film is a success
Credit to director Joss Whedon for taking on such a difficult task. He has shown though that he was more than capable of the job. He does a great job of not only giving each of the main characters sufficient screen time, but gives them individual opportunities to shine. Whedon's presence is also felt throughout the film as he peppers the script with several humorous one-liners and moments that are a trademark of his work. Despite a story that deals with the possible destruction of our planet, he finds plenty of chances to keep the feel of the film light and fun.

I will say that while this movie is a pure blockbuster thrill ride, it's not a perfect film. In many ways the creation of this film mirrors the path The Avengers take themselves to come together. The first half of the film feels a bit disjointed. Like the titular team, it consists of several individually great scenes that don't really build on each other. I began to get anxious waiting for something to happen and it felt like the plot was treading water - something I did not expect given how much time was spent with character development in the heroes' individual films.

However, things finally start to gel once we move into the final battle featuring the Avengers taking on Loki (brother of Thor) and the evil alien race that is set on destroying Earth in hopes of obtaining the Tesseract, the cosmic cube containing immense energy. This final act is just pure geek heaven as you watch each of these superheroes that you have come to love and enjoy team up and kick ass in a collective effort. Finally, we get the payoff that we've all waiting for and it delivers in spades.

Yes, this movie is all about being a team, but I would be remiss if I did not take time to point some indivually great performances in the film. Of course, Robert Downey Jr. is once again terrific as the brilliant, pompous, and sarcastic Tony Stark/Iron Man. He manages to be a star without upstaging anybody else in the movie, which is no easy feat. However, the true MVP of this film may be Mark Ruffalo, who steps in to play the Hulk/Bruce Banner. In the past, Marvel has failed at trying to find someone to play the green giant, but they finally got it right here. Ruffalo gives a nuanced performance as Banner and Whedon and co. do the rest in making the Hulk the awesome, destructive force that fans want him to be. Some of the best moments in The Avengers come from watching "Hulk Smash".

Again, no one is waiting on my recommendation to see this film, but I heartily endorse it nonetheless. This is what the summer movie season is all about. This film manages to blend humor and action seemlessly and create a movie that anyone can enjoy, despite the fact that it features a guy in a metal suit, a giant green monster, and the God of Thunder. So if you're the one guy on this planet who hasn't seen it yet, go out and do so. And for the rest of you, check it out again and catch the things you may have missed (especially the two post-credit scenes - one which happens after the main credits and the other which comes after all of the credits. Each are interesting in their own unique way). Just as the Avengers assemble here united in a common goal, we too can put aside our differences and unite in support of such an enjoyable film. Grade: B+

Political dogfight

Leslie Knope and the folks at Parks and Recreation aren't the only ones involved in comedic political campaigns. Later this summer, Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis will be squaring off in the political comedy, The Campaign. Here's your first look at the film via two fake political ads.

RBR: Hop

I'm sure when it was originally pitched, Hop sounded like a great idea. You take the winning formula of films like The Santa Clause and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and you apply them to the underutilized genre of Easter films. It's a sound strategy in theory, but this film fails in every possible way. This is a dumb, poorly conceived, unfunny film that makes me feel sorry for all who were involved. The plot involves the Easter Bunnny's son, E.B., uninterested in taking over the family business, leaves his home on Easter Island and ventures to the U. S. in hopes of being a famous drummer. On his journey, he meets Fred O'Hare (these Easter puns doing anything for you yet?), who also is a slacker in need of direction. Together they encounter several plot holes, lame jokes, and annoying characters before eventually learning a weak lesson in responsibility. Clearly the film is aimed at children, but if this is what passes for serviceable entertainment for young ones, our future society will be in severe trouble. The only thing notable about this film is that it now gives us the Easter equivalent to the lump of coal in the stocking at Christmas time. Parents can threaten bad kids that they'll find a copy of this film in their Easter basket if they don't behave. In case it wasn't clear, skip this one at all costs. Rating: *

Bus Tour Producer's Cut

Here's another episode of Parks and Recreation to receive the supersize treatment. Enjoy this week's episode with three minutes worth of new content.

Tribe Watch (Week 4)

Record: 15 - 11

Standing: First in AL Central

A very positive and successful week for the Tribe. It was a week that I was fearful of given our opponents, but the Indians managed to take 2 out of three from both the White Sox and the Rangers. Our pitching was strong, particularly the bullpen, and our offense came up with some timely hitting. Beating Chicago was important to give ourselves some distance from them in the standings and playing well against Texas may have been an even bigger deal as it gives us the confidence that we can play against them if we were to meet up in the playoffs. This week also saw the debut of Johnny Damon, who still needs to shake some rust off but managed to already contribute a few hits. Right now though the man of the hour is Jason Kipnis who is got an impressive hitting streak going on and came up with a big home run in today's win. We'll need these young guys to really produce if we want to be competitive throughout this season. While the Tribe can be pleased with their performance against Texas, they can't take it easy as they'll have another tough week beginning with another series against Chicago (this one is at home, but included a doubleheader on Monday) and then heading to Boston to play the Red Sox this upcoming weekend. While neither team has played particularly well yet this season, both of those teams can give the Indians problems so we'll need to stay aggressive and make sure we keep on winning. It's fun time to be an Indians fan. Go Tribe!

Excitement Rises

I should have posted this sooner, but I held off watching this latest trailer for The Dark Knight Rises until I could see it in theaters. Since I got to see it with The Avengers yesterday (review forthcoming), I can now put it up here. If you haven't seen it yet, give it a look below.

RBR: We Bought a Zoo

To watch and enjoy this film, you have to know what you're in for. We Bought a Zoo makes no bones about its sentimentality. It's a film aimed to tug at your heart strings and does a good job of doing so. Loosely based on a true story, the film centers around a single father, named Benjamin Mee (played by Matt Damon), who decides to move him and his kids to a house that doubles as an actual zoo. Along the way, Mee learns how to relate to both the animals and his kids. It helps that he's a got pretty zookeeper (Scarlett Johanson) there to help him out. A lot of the credit goes to Damon who continues to turn in one fine performance after another. He expertly gets across the varied emotions that Mee goes through during the film without ever coming off as corny or pathetic. The animals serve as a nice backdrop, but this is really a story about people. Director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) once again finds a pair of talented kid actors who do a nice job as Mee's children. A film like this should have a wider audience, but our cynical times just won't allow it, which is a shame. I know this movie will not be for everyone, but if you want a nice, wholesome film that can be watched and enjoyed by the entire family, you could do a lot worse than this movie. Rating: ****

The Debate director's cut

Here's an extended version of last week's new Parks and Recreation episode.

Tribe Watch (Week 3)

Record: 11 - 9

Standing: First in AL Central

While far from perfect, I'd have to say that this was a net positive week. While we only managed to go 3-3 on this homestand, things could have been a whole lot worse. The offense still continues to scuffle, but we kept finding ways to score runs. More importantly, almost every started had a good outing this week, which meant we were competitive in every game even if we ultimately lost it. There were two key factors working against our offense this week. The weather in Cleveland was miserable so there weren't a lot of balls flying off the bats. And we were without Shin Soo Choo, who was dealing with a hamstring issue. Both of those problems will hopefully be eliminated this week and this team can start producing more runs. Perhaps more important of all is that fact that while we only played .500 ball, we managed to move into first place thanks to the struggles of the Detroit and Chicago. Speaking of those nasty White Sox, we begin a three game set with them on Tuesday, followed by a trip right back home to face off against the Rangers next week. This likely won't be an easy week since stupid Chicago always plays us tough and the Rangers looks to be heads and tails above everyone else in the American League. We'll need all facets of our game playing at top quality if we want to stay atop the AL Central. I likely won't have any nails by the time the week is over, but that's ok because I love watching my Indians. Go Tribe!

Age is but a number

I wasn't expecting this so soon (given the films that will be coming out sooner that we don't have trailers for yet), but here's your first look at Judd Apatow's next directorial effort, his quasi-sequel to Knocked Up, This is Forty

RBR: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I actually saw this film several weeks ago but held off doing my review because I had hoped to watch it again before writing my critique of it. Now I'm not sure when or if I'll see it again, so before it completely evaporates from my memory, I figured I better take care of it now. This is one of those dense films that rewards patient moviegoers who enjoy paying close attention to what they are watching. Based off of a John LeCarre novel, the film focuses on an ex-British spy named George Smiley (Gary Oldman) who's tasked with trying to find a mole. Set during the Cold War, paranoia runs high as anyone and everyone is a likely suspect. From a narrative perspective, this is not an easy film to follow. It plays loose with its timeline and it takes you a long trying to figure out who each character is. Those who aren't willing to put in the effort will likely get frustrated with this film quickly. But if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded with several good performances by the cast. The film also creates an effective moody tone that enables a lot of the scenes to crackle with tension and thrills. Still the inaccessible nature of the film makes it tough for me to completely love the film. If you want a challenge, I would recommend you give this film a try, but this is not a movie for everyone. Right now I feel that this film falls just short of my top ten list, although I may be open to reconsideration if I get a chance to rewatch it again at some point. Rating: ****

Making a good first Depression

Check out the preview for Lawless, a Depression-era drama set to come out this summer. It's an effective trailer for a film that has an impressive cast, even if Shia LeBeouf feels woefully out of place here amongst the rest of the talented actors. This may serve as some effective adult counter-programming among the rest of the blockbusters aimed at younger audiences.

Give me all the bacon and eggs you have

From CNN.com

Beer lovers, rejoice. Whiskey drinkers, celebrate. Pork fat fans, this is your moment. All the things you thought were unhealthy can actually help you lose a ton of weight.

Well, not exactly. This isn’t an ad in the back pages of a sketchy magazine. All these things are still not good for you when you eat and drink them in large quantities. And don’t stop eating your blueberries and strawberries if you want to boost your brainpower.

Still, there’s some surprising good health news for anyone who wants to wash down their lard-topped popcorn with a beer and a shot of whiskey.

Beer: The Problem-Solver Question: Who’s better at solving brainteasers, men who are sober or men who have drunk two pints of beer? According to research from the University of Illinois, the drinkers are the winners. (That sound you hear is every guy I know cracking open a beer right now in self-righteous satisfaction.) Not only did the drinkers solve 40 percent more problems than the nondrinkers, they solved their problems faster: 12 seconds compared to the nondrinking 15.5 seconds.

Pork Fat: The Bad Cholesterol Fighter "Pork fat is not only useful, but it is also good for us," says my new hero, Jennifer McLagan. She’s the author of the James Beard Award–winning "Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient". To back up her claim, McLagan's book includes a chart showing that 45 percent of pork fat is monounsaturated, which can help raise your HDL, or good cholesterol, and also can help lower your LDL, or bad cholesterol.

She also extols the benefits of frying in lard, because food absorbs less fat than if you fry it in oil. Lagan piles on the good news, arguing that "Diets low in fat, it turns out, leave people hungry, depressed and prone to weight gain and illness." To ensure readers' happiness, she includes recipes in "Fat", including one for euphoria-inducing bacon fat mayonnaise.

Whiskey: The Good Cholesterol Booster If you’re looking for other celebratory ways to increase your good cholesterol levels and potentially decrease your risk of a stroke, grab a bottle of your favorite booze. And then drink in moderation. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies suggest that if you consume one alcoholic drink per day if you're a woman, or two drinks a day if you're a guy, you can increase your HDL cholesterol levels and also potentially decrease your risk of a stroke. But, cautions the Mayo Clinic, "If you don't drink alcohol, don't start just to try raising your HDL levels."

Popcorn: The Antioxidant Hero You don’t need me to tell you that popcorn is popular with the high fiber crowd. Here’s more good news for anyone who’s trying to justify their next big bucket of (nonbuttered, non-oversalted) popcorn: New research from the University of Scranton suggests that a serving of popcorn is higher in antioxidants than some fruits and vegetables. Those antioxidants, known as polyphenols, are associated with helping to prevent cancer. They’re concentrated in popcorn’s husk, which is something to consider the next time it gets stuck in your teeth and you consider spitting it out.

Live Ammo deleted scenes

Back from the Fringe of extinction

Fringe fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief today as the show has been picked up for a fifth and final season. This means that the show will continue on and also be allowed to get a proper sendoff. For more on the renewal, here's the story from EW.com.

Fringe lives!

Fox has renewed the fan favorite for a fifth and final season.

As we’ve been predicting for a few weeks, Fox has ordered 13 concluding episodes of Fringe despite the show’s ratings being super modest on Friday nights. Though producers were optimistic about a pickup, they reportedly shot two endings of the upcoming fourth season finale just in case a deal didn’t come through.

Fringe averaged a mere 4 million viewers and a 1.6 rating in the adult demo, including DVR. Compare that to a first-year show that Fox cancelled — Terra Nova — which averaged 10.1 million viewers and a 3.6 adult demo rating. Likewise another Fox first-year series, Alcatraz, which like Fringe is also produced by J.J. Abrams, performed better than the Friday night show, yet is considered unlikely to receive a second year.

The key was studio Warner Bros. offering a good deal to Fox on the remaining episodes, while Terra Nova was a very costly special-effects-stuffed project. It just goes to show that renewals and cancellations are all about the numbers … but not necessarily all about the number of people who watch the show.

Want some quotes? We got quotes:

“Fringe is a remarkably creative series that has set the bar as one of television’s most imaginative dramas,” said Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly. “Bringing it back for a final 13 allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve. The amazing work the producers, writers and the incredibly talented cast and crew have delivered the last four seasons has literally been out of this world. Although the end is bittersweet, it’s going to be a very exciting final chapter.”

“We are thrilled and beyond grateful that Fox – and our fans – have made the impossible possible: Fringe will continue into a fifth season that will allow the series to conclude in a wild and thrilling way,” said co-creator and executive producer J.J. Abrams. “All of us at Bad Robot are forever indebted to our viewers and the amazingly supportive Fox network for allowing the adventures of Fringe Division to not only continue, but to resolve in a way that perfectly fits the show.”

“This pickup means the world (both of them) to us, because we love sharing these stories with our enthusiastic fans,” added Fringe showrunners and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. “On behalf of the cast and crew, we applaud our fans and Fox for allowing us to imagine the impossibilities together for so long. Season Five is going to be a conclusive thrill ride for all of us.”

Loco Coco

Thanks to The Big Bang Theory reruns as its lead-in, Conan has seen improved ratings on TBS the past few months. Whether buoyed by those numbers or just finally finding its creative groove, I've felt the show has consistently improved recently and has provided some great comedy moments. Here are just a pair from the past week that I particularly enjoyed.

Tribe Watch (Week 2)

Record: 8-6 Standing: 3rd in AL Central Despite ending on a loss today, the Indians first road trip of the season turned out to be pretty successful as they managed to go 7-2 after taking two out of three from both Oakland and Seattle. While the season is still young, there's already some trends that have been developing, both positive and negative. In the past week, with the exception of Tomlin going toe-to-toe with Seattle's Felix Hernandez, our starting pitching was not great, but typically did enough to keep the Indians in the ball game. Certainly though their performances could be better to give the offense some breathing room. Most importantly is getting Justin Masterson on track. In his past few starts, he's begun the game strong but falls apart typically when seeing batters for the second turn. If he's to be our ace, we need him to remain in the game longer and be dominant in doing so. Offensively, while the Tribe was not as mighty as they were against Kansas City, there was a lot of timely hitting, which I love to see. We frequently got some clutch hits when we needed them. And for the most part the effort is being distributed evenly. There are a couple of weak spots (most notably Casey Kotchman), but they haven't been too detrimental thus far. The good news is that we were able to produce offensively this past week without Asdrubal Cabrera, who was gone on the bereavement list. He'll be back in the lineup when the Indians play again on Tuesday. Tuesday will start a six-game homestand where the Indians will once again play the Royals followed by a weekend series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. We already stuck it to KC once this year, so let's hope we can do it again and the Angels, a team many figured would be a World Series contender, have been scuffling thus far to begin the season, so we might be facing them at an opportune time. Even if the Indians come home to some cold weather (as is forecasted) let's hope they continue to remain red hot. Go Tribe!

Hairy situation

Speaking of Arrested Development, two of its leads, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, are producing and star in Morgan Spurlock's latest documentary, Mansome, which looks at what makes a man. Here's your first look at the trailer for the film.

Further Development

Fans of Arrested Development got some big news this week regarding the upcoming 4th(!) season that will air on Netflix. For more details on what we can expect and when we can expect it, here's a report from Vulture.com:

Doubters to the left: The Arrested Development reunion took another step toward reality on Tuesday when creator Mitch Hurwitz and several members of the cast appeared onstage together at a Netflix-sponsored event in Las Vegas (video now available here). Speaking on the floor of the National Association of Broadcasters convention, Netflix chief Ted Sarandos confirmed that all ten episodes of Arrested's long-awaited fourth season will premiere together on a single day sometime next year. Hurwitz also confirmed that production is set to begin this summer, but he also dropped a new nugget of information about what form the Arrested revival will take.

Originally, Hurwitz's plan had been to make the revival like an anthology, with each episode telling a somewhat self-contained story about a specific character. "That is now kind of evolving into becoming more like the old show again," Hurwitz told a packed house of conventioneers, who politely applauded the introduction of other Netflix offerings (such as David Fincher and Kevin Spacey's House of Cards), but exploded at the mention of Arrested and the arrival of cast members Will Arnett, David Cross, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter. The reason for the change: Hurwitz sees a chance to tweak the show's format to take advantage of the fact that the full ten-episode season will debut at once, rather than over two-and-a-half months. "There's something exciting about trying to break the form again," he said.

While Hurwitz didn't elaborate on just how he'll do this, he indicated it might be related to the way the writers deliver red herrings and other surprises to viewers (think back to season one, when Jason Bateman's girlfriend turned out to not be blind). "There's going to be some mystery sprinkled throughout this [but] instead of watching one a week and try to get ahead of it, the hope is [fans] will watch them all together and then go back and look for clues and connections," Hurwitz explained. "We'd also like to use the technology to provide additional material, where you might be able to access another part of the story." As for the fact that any big end-of-season twists will likely be floating around the interwebs within a few hours of the show's Netflix debut, Hurwitz doesn't seem too concerned, noting that movies (such as The Cabin in the Woods) have successfully battled a similar situation. Plus, he said, "It's comedy. The twists really aren't as important as the characters."

Hurwitz and the cast made no mention onstage of the rumored Arrested Development movie that's been expected to follow the TV revival. He did, however, say he'd very much be open to a season five or six on Netflix. "We would love this to be the first first of many visits," Hurwitz said. He also confirmed that Showtime, currently run by former Arrested exec producer David Nevins, had been in serious talks to acquire the show, but that ultimately Netflix offered a more interesting business model, as well as a base of already-loyal Arrested viewers. "The show's audience has grown over the last six years because of [viewers streaming it]," Hurwitz said. "It's been like putting jokes in a bottle and then having them come back years later to say, 'Ha ha.'"

A few other random notes from Tuesday's Netflix and Arrested session:

• Bob Loblaw will return. "We will bring him back," Hurwitz told Vulture when we asked a question from the studio audience. (Per Netflix's insistence, Hurwitz wasn't doing one-on-one chats). "It's kind of a one-joke thing. But if you guys don't mind bringing it back, we'll give it to you." (For the record, the audience reacted with strong applause to the idea of a Loblaw appearance in season four).

• Hurwitz mildly embarrassed Shawkat by reminding her that Cera was her first-ever kiss. "I've kissed a lot of people since then," Shawkat jokingly shot back.

Tribe Watch (Week 1)

Record: 4 - 4

Standing: 3rd in the AL Central

I didn't do a Tribe Watch post last Sunday for a couple of reasons...I was busy prepping for my dissertation defense and they were only 3 games into the season, so there wasn't much to discuss yet. Now 8 games into the season we can begin to pick apart this team's performance and the end result is a mixed bag which is indicative in their .500 record. The first four games things looked pretty bad. We begun the season with two long extra inning games that ended in defeat. No matter how good of a team you are, those type of games will sting. After picking up our first win last Sunday, we continued to look flat in our two losses against the nasty Chicago White Sox. I thought the loss of guys like Ozzie Guillen and Mark Buerhle would soften my stance against them, but it hasn't. I still hate that team with a passion. In those first two series our pitching was pretty good, especially the starters, but our offense looked completely anemic. It really made me think we were in for a long season. That turned around though this weekend with our visit to Kansas City. The Indians' offense exploded and put up the most runs in a three game series since 2000! Seeing the Tribe hit like they did against the Royals has buoyed my spirits some, but I'm going to need to see a larger sample size before I'm convinced. The Tribe will get that opportunity to see if the offense can stay red hot starting on Tuesday. After an off day tomorrow, the Indians will begin a six game West Coast trip that will see us play the Mariners and then Oakland. Both of those teams are playing around .500 ball as well, so these should be competitive matchups. When it comes to baseball, the phrase 'hope springs eternal' is certainly true. It's exciting time for baseball fans and my hope remains high for now as I continue to root on my Indians and see if this year can finally be their year.

Thrown for a Looper

This made my most anticipated films of 2012 list and now here's our first chance to get a good look at what we can expect in this twisty, time-travelling sci-fi film. Check out the trailer for Looper starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis.

The doctor is in!

So as I indicated earlier this week, I had big news and I can now officially announce that I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation and can now officially be known as Dr. Gutschmidt. It is a surreal feeling to say the least. This has taken me a long time and I am so proud, yet relieved that it is over. For all of my readers that personally know me, thanks so much for the support and motivation throughout this whole experience. And perhaps the better news for those of you that follow this blog regularly, this should mean more frequent posting from here on out as my schedule should significantly lighten for the time begin. Once my dissertation is error free and published, I'd be happy to share a copy with anyone interested in reading it. If you weren't aware, my study was on the usage of Facebook as a learning management system in higher education. I won't go so far as to say it's revolutionary, but I do believe it's an interesting read if you're into that subject. Anyways, I don't talk about myself too much on here and I don't want that to change now, but this was one opportunity I couldn't stay quiet on. Thanks for letting me share.

Big things coming...

There's a lot of noteworthy stuff going on right now (baseball is starting, summer movies approaching, tv seasons ending, Brock is back, etc.) but unfortunately I've got some other things happening right now that are preventing me from updating more. I don't want to go into detail on them just yet so as not to jinx them, but if all goes well it could be very good news. When I'm ready to tell more, I will. In the meantime, there might not be much action on the blog for the next few days. Just be patient and I'll be back as soon as I can.

YES! YES! YES! YES!

As if The Rock defeating John Cena cleanly at Wrestlemania wasn't amazing enough, this was sheer awesomeness.

Going for the gold(finger)

From EW.com

Bond’s latest assignment: Kick-start the 2012 London Olympics. According the The Sun, Queen Elizabeth II personally invited actor Daniel Craig (who stars in the upcoming James Bond installment Skyfall) and Danny Boyle (the artistic director of this summer’s Olympic games), to Buckingham Palace to film a 007 mini-movie in honor of the games.

“The Arrival,” which was filmed thanks to unprecedented access to Her Majesty’s private rooms, will be viewed by billions of people around the world during the opening ceremony on July 27. The mini-movie will show, among other things, Bond learning his charge and jumping on a helicopter bound for the East London Olympic stadium where ceremony takes place. In a thrilling denouement, Craig-as-Bond will reportedly parachute into the stadium that night.

It’s all part of a major wave of British patriotism in a year that celebrates the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and Bond’s 50th anniversary on film. A royal spokesperson issued this statement: “Buckingham Palace is involved in a number of filming projects during this special Jubilee year and we would not go into details of any particular project until nearer the time of transmission.”

If nothing else, James Bond’s next transmission to the U.S. will come Nov. 9 when the franchise’s 22nd installment Skyfall hits theaters.

Total remake

Here's the first trailer for Total Recall, a remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi action film.