Tribe Watch '13 (Final Report)

So the Indians season finally came to an end last night after they lost the 1-game Wild Card Playoff to the Tampa Bay Rays. It was a tough loss to watch, but I'm overall still extremely proud of this team for their season and excited for what is to come. Last night was a reflection of what this team currently is - a decent team with a great manager that still has to address some issues before they can be a legitimate contender. As we turn to the offseason, there will be some good dilemmas to deal with. One will be determining if we can re-sign Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, or both. Both guys seemingly got better as the season went on but it seems unlikely that we'll be able to afford both, so the question becomes will be able to keep either here next year. We then will have to look at offering some extensions to players who we will want to lock up for the long term future, like Justin Masterson and Jason Kipnis. There are also some players that I would like to see gone from the team like Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera. These guys do nothing to enhance our team, but hopefully that are seen to still have some talent so that we will be able to trade them. Lastly you have to wonder about Jason Giambi. While the stats do not indicate it, you could potentially argue he was an MVP on this team because of the contributions he made. I don't know whether he's ready to retire or still wants to play. I would like to see him remain with us in some capacity, however.

In general, this was an amazing season that was so entertaining from beginning to end. I love this core group of guys that we have and I truly believe we are moving in the right direction. Last night's loss stings, but that will fade soon enough. The good news is that we are now just four months away from pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training. No matter what the calendar says, I will always say Go Tribe!!

Can you beliebe it?

Leave it to Zach Galifianakis to put that punk Justin Bieber in his place and right to his face new less. Check out the unforgettable new episode of Between Two Ferns down below.

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 25)

Record: 86 - 70

Standing: 2nd in AL Central; current holder of the 2nd Wild Card spot

One week to go. Just six more games. If we can hang on, we will be in the playoffs. We earned this spot after a relatively successful week. While the Tribe only managed to win one against Kansas City, that win was enough to still keep some distance between us and them. Then we did what we needed to do and that was sweep all four games against the American League's worst team, the Houston Astros. That was amazingly our 6th 4-game sweep of the season - a feat that has not been accomplished by any team since 1961. While some of those games were not our finest effort, we managed to get the W nonetheless and that's all that matters. As things stand right now, we hold a 1 game lead over the Texas Rangers for that final wild card spot, while Tampa Bay is one game better than us for the other Wild Card slot. With things that close, we can ill afford any slip ups this week. After having a day off on Monday, the Indians will have to kick it back into high gear with their final series at home, a 2-game set against the Chicago White Sox. We will then finish up on the road as we head to Minnesota for the final four games of the season. Neither team is very good, so let's hope we continue doing what we need to do and that is win these games. It is hard to believe that by this time next week we could be talking playoffs. It doesn't get any more exciting that this, so let's cheer this team into the homestretch. Go Tribe!

Number cruncher

Today marked the season premiere for the The Price is Right's 42nd year on TV. To mark the big day, the show debuted its newest pricing game called Do the Math. Check out its first playing right here:

New Fall TV review: Sleepy Hollow

I did not get a chance to post my review for this one last week after its premiere, but now that I have had a chance to watch the second episode, I feel I can better articulate my thoughts. This is a high concept new drama on FOX that deals with characters from the Washington Irving story being brought into modern day. After decapitating the brute that would become the Headless Horseman, Ichabod Crane suddenly emerges from a cave in 2013 believing he is still in the era of the Revolutionary War. His arrival coincides with a string of murders by someone who seems to have no head. Crane teams up with a local police woman in order to figure out what is going on. The premise offers some intrigue and the pilot does a good job of establishing story elements that will enable the show to work as a continuing series. However as the show settled in for episode 2, it became apparent that this show will fall into a lot of the same traps that so many other shows suffer from. The second episode became a "freak of the week" episode where Crane and the police woman have to hunt down a witch that has been brought back to life while getting a few more clues regarding the overarching mythology of the show. A show like Fringe started out in a similarly, but found a way to rise above the procedural setup to deliver a more richer story with characters that we cared about. I do not see Sleepy Hollow having the same success. The relationship between Crane and the officer have not done much for me and they have not done a suitable job of establishing any other interesting supporting characters. Even if the show's mythology remains well written, I just don't know how invested I am in hearing why the four horseman of the apocalypse have suddenly chosen now to wreck havoc on society. Given that my TV time is not infinite, I can't see myself staying involved in this ghost story. Verdict: Worth watching for a few episodes, but ultimately removed from the DVR lineup

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Director Alexander Payne's last couple movies (The Descendents, Sideways) have been good but simply have not captured my attention the way Election did. His newest film, Nebraska is not only a return to the Midwest but seemingly a return to the level of filmmaking and storytelling that made me a fan of his in the first place. Check out the trailer for yourself below.

New Fall TV review: Brooklyn Nine Nine

As we begin the fall TV season, I'll do my best to review some of the new shows that are debuting in hopes of letting you know whether or not they will be worth your time. First up is a new sitcom on FOX set in the world of a Brooklyn police department. SNL vet Andy Samberg stars as the hotshot detective who loves his job and he's good at it. In fact his sergeant (played by the great Terry Crews) states that the only case he hasn't been able to solve is how to grow up. This rubs his new captain (played by Andre Braugher) the wrong way. Braugher has fun playing the serious boss while also having some fun with the same type of role he's played on police dramas. The show also has a good set of supporting actors including Joe Lo Truglio who knows a thing or two about cop comedies after his stint on Reno: 911. The true find, however, is Chelsea Peretti, whose sarcastic take on her job and her co-workers had me heartily laughing every time she was on screen. Developed by Michael Schur, who also created Parks and Recreation, this show managed to deliver a lot of laughs, which is not always easy in pilot episodes that are so dependent on introductions and exposition. Playing crimes for laughs can also be difficult, but if they continue to be dealing with crimes like the theft of a $6000 ham as they did in the pilot, this show has a definite chance of being very successful. It may only be one episode, but this show already has me arrested. Verdict:Given a season pass on the DVR

Reinforcement troupe

There have been a lot of news coming from 30 Rockafeller these days. Below are links to a couple of stories about what we can expect to see on Saturday Night Live this season. Both stories come from EW.com.

'Saturday Night Live' officially adds six new cast members: Meet them here (Fun fact: One of my best friends is named Kyle Mooney, but sadly it's not the same one who has been added to the cast)

'SNL': Seth Meyers' new 'Weekend Update' co-anchor is ... (I really like Cecily Strong and she may do fine in this role, but I personally think that new hire Beck Bennett (aka the AT&T It's Not Complicated guy) would be a perfect replacement for Seth Meyers).

Time to ketchup on some TV

From Variety:

Popular movie review website Rotten Tomatoes will now also start tracking television shows.

On Tuesday, the site will launch a separate “TV Zone” that includes a Tomatometer based on reviews of a TV show’s seasons, not individual episodes.

Reviews will cover all the new fall scripted series, as well as shows that have aired on primetime over the last four years that received coverage by critics from major media outlets Rotten Tomatoes follows. It will not track reality shows.

For the older shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men,” “we will go back to the beginning,” and include reviews of their earlier seasons, Matt Atchity, editor-in-chief of Rotten Tomatoes, told Variety.

Like with movies, the TV Tomatometer will represent good reviews as “Fresh” with a red tomato, while bad reviews will be designated “Rotten” with a splattered green tomato. Series must receive at least 60% positive ratings to be considered “Fresh.”

“We’re aggregating the reviews the same way we’ve always been,” Atchity said.

The ratings could prove a boost for series as they look to gain viewers across digital platforms — especially through past seasons, the way audiences watching past seasons on Netflix have helped increase ratings for series like “Breaking Bad.”

But Rotten Tomatoes will also have to keep a closer eye on the way TV seasons play out.

A show that started with positive reviews may hit a creative bump and lose audiences, for example, requiring a rating to change over time. Most TV ratings will be based on the first reviews for a series’ season, usually based on the first several episodes. Additional reviews often come out as a season progresses and Rotten Tomatoes will continue to monitor those recaps.

“If reviews go extremely negative then we may change it as the season goes on,” Atchity said. Rotten Tomatoes cited NBC’s “Smash” as an example of that. “People liked it in the beginning then critics seemed to turn on it,” Atchity noted.

“For movie reviews, we don’t often change them as much,” Atchity said. “But we want to accurately reflect what critics have said.”

The TV offering is the first major expansion beyond Rotten Tomatoes’ core movie reviews since the site was launched in 1998.

Timing of the launch, of course, comes as networks ready to launch the seasons of their new and returning fall shows within the coming days and weeks.

Rotten Tomatoes has long wanted to expand into TV, and has spent the past year aggregating TV reviews.

“We thought it was a good time to get into TV because we’re in the golden age of television right now,” Atchity said. “Creatively, television is where it’s at right now.”

But Rotten Tomatoes’ team had to wait until owner Flixster and parent Warner Bros., which bought the sites in 2011, could free up more resources for the TV service. Until now, WB and Flixster have focused on supporting UltraViolet.

“We really wanted to get in on that conversation and give our users who already are looking at movies a good place to discuss and ingest TV,” Atchity said. “It’s been something we’ve been thinking about for awhile. It’s always a battle to get development resources and make new things happen.”

Rotten Tomatoes would eventually like to see its TV meter also become as ubiquitous as its film ratings have become, showing up on Netflix, Hulu, Comcast, Dish and iTunes.

It also intends to monetize its TV review database and provide links to ways to purchase the shows on disc or digital formats.

It’s already getting the networks’ support, with ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” sponsoring the launch of Rotten Tomatoes’ new TV Tomatometer.

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 24)

Record: 81 - 68

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (5 games behind Detroit; 0.5 games out of the Wild Card)

Now things start to get real interesting. Believe or not, the Indians are in a very good position right now to make the postseason. It hasn't always looked that way, but the cards are aligned right now for them to continue playing baseball in October. Part of the reason is because of what we have been doing. While we only managed to win one out of the three against Kansas City, we swept the four game series against the Chicago White Sox and had our offense come to life in the process. The other reason why we are in a good position is because the teams ahead of us, namely the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays have been really struggling as of late. Those teams, as well as the other teams in the playoff hunt (the Orioles, Yankees, and Royals) will be dealing with much more difficult schedules in the final two weeks of the season. As long as the Indians win the games that they should win, we could be heading to the postseason. Our final true test begins tonight when we start a three game series in Kansas City against the Royals. While we are 3 games ahead of them, we can ill afford to get swept by them and put them right back into this. If we manage to at least take two of three, then we can help ensure that they are taken out of consideration. After the Royals we come home for our final homestand of the regular series and begin a four game set against the Houston Astros. Even though Houston has the worst record in the American League, they are not just going to lie down and let us win, so we will need to keep our edge and make sure we don't falter against weaker competition. While nothing will get settled this week, it is exciting to think about the fact that we could be in possession of one of the wild card spots by the end of next week. Given that this team is right in the thick of the playoff hunt, I hope the city of Cleveland finally comes out and begins to support this team to show them we appreciate their effort. It's a real exciting time to be an Indians fan and I'm going to love every moment of it. Go Tribe!

RBR: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

When people criticize Hollywood for being out of ideas, one of the first pieces of evidence that gets cited is the abundance of television shows that get turned into feature films when they have no business being on the silver screen. The GI Joe franchise, however, seems like it would translate well to the big screen. You have a colorful cast of characters and a relatable story of good and evil. Given the source material that they have to work with, it is baffling how much Hollywood has mismanaged this franchise and turned in now two disappointing entries. What has been apparent in both 2009's Rise of Cobra and the recent sequel Relatiation is the corporate fingerprints that have put a stranglehold on the direction of these films. Things like putting it in 3D and adding The Rock and Bruce Willis to the cast offer nothing to the actual storytelling and are included merely because some studio executives has the misguided belief that this is what audiences want. In the cartoon, all of the Joes had distinct names and corresponding attributes that made them unique. In this latest film, the only way a character stands out is because of who is playing him. Why is Dwayne Johnson called Roadblock? Beats me. They might as well have just called him The Rock because that's what everyone is thinking while seeing him on the screen. The villians are not much better in terms of being distinct. The handling of Cobra Commander is slightly better here than in the first film, but he has to share time on the screen with several other villains so we can never really appreciate any of them. That brings up another issue with the film in that there is too much going on, yet none of it feels like it matters. Half of the film is spent on the rivalry between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and too often I had no idea why I should care or what it had to do with the other plot involving an ambush on the Joes. I will give credit where it is due and say that there are some impressive action scenes sprinkled throughout the film. The ninja fight that takes place on the side of a mountain in particular is very well done. But again, none of it feels like it matters. Never before have I seen an entire major city get destroyed in a film and have it feel as insignificant as it does here. Until this franchise can show a little bit more coherence in its storytelling, I'm going AWOL. Rating: ** 1/2

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 23)

Record: 76 - 66

Standing: Second in AL Central (5.5 games behind Detroit; 2 games out of Wild Card)

Because of the holiday weekend, I never did a Tribe Watch post last week. However, given the way the Indians had played against Atlanta and Detroit, I really wasn't in the mood to talk about baseball. This week definitely saw some improvement. We managed to take two out of three against Baltimore (of course, the only game we lost was the one I attended) and the New York Mets. Taking two out of three against Baltimore was important because we are battling with them for that second Wild Card spot. I really would have liked to sweep the Mets, but could not managed to get a victory today. While it is just one loss, it was a particularly frustrating one because it featured three themes that when present usually equal to a Tribe loss. #1, when Yan Gomes and Ryan Raburn are not in the lineup, our offense is non-existent. #2, if we have men on base in a clutch situation, it always seems as if Asdrubal Cabrera is up to bat and he will inevitably not come through in the clutch. #3, Chris Perez will give up runs when he is in a non-save situation. Hopefully Terry Francona is picking up on these themes as well and will do something to rectify them as we head into the home stretch. Every game now becomes really important if we want to make the postseason. Our schedule is weak which means we can win a lot of these games. However, there are still a lot of teams capable of making the playoffs so we have to be careful not to lose ground to any of them. That push to the postseason continues this week with a three game series at home with the Kansas City Royals and then onto Chicago this week for a 3 game set with the White Sox. Kansas City won't go away, so beating them will be important to quash their hopes of making the playoffs. The White Sox are horrible and its essential that we sweep them, even if it is in Chicago. It's fun to be able to still be talking Indians baseball in September and have it mean sometime. It can also be nerve racking, but that's part of the fun. Let's root this team on to victory (especially since the Browns seem like they will be awful once again this year). Go Tribe!

RBR: Oblivion

If you look at the evolution of the public's perception of the space program, you see how those first few missions had audiences utterly captivating. We were seeing something we had never seen before and that we never thought we would ever see. Over time, those missions became so routine and familiar that we stopped caring. That is basically how I felt as I watched Oblivion, the recent sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise. Cruise plays Jack Harper, one of the few remaining people left on Earth after an attack left the planet inhabitable. He's tasked with fixing the drone machines that scour the planet to eliminate any remaining alien threats. Jack's memory of the attack and his life before it have been wiped clean, yet he keeps having flashes to what he believes is moments from his past life. Things get more complicated when a woman (Olga Kurylenko) he sees in those dreams crashes onto Earth. There's also a secret group of humans, led by Morgan Freeman (between this, Olympus Has Fallen, and Now You See Me, I'm beginning to see this guy in my sleep) who try to assist Jack in understanding the truth about what is going on. I won't give away any of the film's big twists here, but I would imagine that by the description I have already given you, you can draw comparisons to this movie and several other more famous sci-fi films. From a story perspective, this film offers you absolutely nothing new. The movie initially hooks you in because it has a tremendous look. Director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy) has a great knack at creating worlds that have an impressive visual aesthetic. It's fun watching Cruise fly around in unique looking spaceships across a barren Earth that still looks somewhat inviting even if no one can live on it. But once the thrill of the film's look is gone, you are left with an empty story that plods along to its inevitable conclusion. With a decent TV, Oblivion still has some value on home video for its visual effects, but if you're looking for a decent story, you're better off renting one of the dozen classic sci-fi films that tell these tropes much more effectively. Rating: ***

Runner up

Before Ben Affleck becomes billionaire Bruce Wayne, he gets to be a high roller who sucks Justin Timberlake into his world of gambling in the new movie Runner Runner. Here's a look at the film's latest trailer.

RBR: Now You See Me

Portraying magic in the movies can be just as difficult as performing a trick in real life. Both require a lot of misdirection before a final reveal that needs to payoff. In Now You See Me, the crime thriller that came out last May, a group of magicians and illusionists band together to perform tricks that seemingly involve robbing banks. The group, known as the Four Horsemen, consists of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco. After committing their first trick/robbery, they are put under investigation by a cop played by Mark Ruffalo and an Interpol agent played by Melanie Laurent. Also involved is Michael Caine who is producing the Four Horsemen's act and Morgan Freeman as a magician who has built a career out of revealing magicians' secrets to the public. As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts at play here. This enables there to never be a dull moment in the film, but is also prevents us from really getting to know any of the characters all that well. The most development comes from the budding romance between Ruffalo and Laurent, but I found that to be the weakest part of the film. Meanwhile, director Louis Leterrier throws a lot of tricks at you, both of the magical and visual kind, that are meant to, and mostly succeed, at enthralling you. This is a movie that begs you to "look closer" in order to try and figure out. While it does a good job of keeping you guessing, I am not sold that the final reveal works. Yet I found it to be a twist that encourages me to watch the film again rather than get annoyed or disgusted. If you let yourself get sucked in to the magic, you will likely find yourself fully entertained. But if you're the type of person who wants to take the magic out of everything, the film gives you plenty of ammunition to hate it. Personally, I was entertained and would gladly be interested in seeing more adventures from The Four Horsemen in the future. Rating: ****

Space case

In space, no one can hear me scream how excited I am for Gravity, the new thriller starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock set to open Oct. 4. Here's the new trailer to get you even more enticed.

2013 Fall Movie Preview (December)

AMERICAN HUSTLE (December 13)
Plot: A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock the States, "American Hustle" tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that�s as dangerous as it is enchanting. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down. Like David O. Russell's previous films, "American Hustle" defies genre, hinging on raw emotion, and life and death stakes.

Quick thoughts: Every year there always seems to be one film that I do not identify on my yearly preview that I end up being really excited for when I then do my fall movie preview. This is easily that film this year. Director David O. Russell has basically merged the casts of his past two films, thrown them into the 1970s and let the good times roll. Given how well his past two films have done come awards season, I would expect more of the same for this thriller.


SAVING MR. BANKS (December 13)
Plot: Two-time Academy Award��winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar�-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney's "Saving Mr. Banks," inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney's classic "Mary Poppins" made it to the screen.

Quick thoughts: By the time this film comes out, we will already have a pretty good idea of whether or not we can expect Tom Hanks to be competing with himself for a Best Actor nomination. If I had to guess, I'll bet his work in Captain Phillips is better. That certainly does not diminish my anticipation for this film which looks like it could be the most charming movie of the year. Even if this film does not do much during the awards season, I believe it will still do big business with families during the holiday season.


THE MONUMENTS MEN (December 18)
Plot: Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, "The Monuments Men" is an action-thriller focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys � seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 � possibly hope to succeed?�But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind's greatest achievements.

Quick thoughts: I marked this in my top 5 most anticipated for 2013 and seeing the trailer for this a few weeks ago has not diminished my expectations for it in the least. The term 'all-star cast' is reserved for movies like that. If it can successfully blend the high stakes of adventure of Ocean's Eleven with the gritty realism that comes with covering World War II, this will be one hell of a movie.


ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (December 20)
Plot: With the 70's behind him, San Diego's top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." Also back for more are Ron's co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) - All of whom won't make it easy to stay classy, while taking the nation's first 24-hour news channel by storm.

Quick thoughts: This is the movie that I am most nervously anxious for. On one hand, the first Anchorman movie is one of my all time favorite comedies and I would hate to have the franchise tarnished in any way with a disappointing follow-up, but these characters are too great not to have had them make a return. Let's just hope this turns out to be the best Christmas present ever and not the equivalent of milk on a hot day in San Diego.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Out of the Furnace (December 6)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 13)
Foxcatcher (December 20)
Jack Ryan (December 25)

Back with Black

And now from the department of things that make you feel really old, the cast of School of Rock recently reunited in honor of the film's 10th anniversary. A photo of (almost) the entire cast, plus a story about the reunion from EW.com can be seen below.

“Now raise your goblet of rock. It’s a toast to those who rock!” Last night the Austin Film Society hosted a 10th anniversary screening of Richard Linklater’s hard-rocking crowd pleaser School of Rock. Mr. Schneee S.’s whole class came to party, from now heavy weight Nickelodeon star Miranda Cosgrove to Robert Tsai (“You’re a fat loser and you have body odor”) to the back-up singers (Maryam Hassan, Caitlin Hale, Aleisha Allen). Jack Black held court during the terrifically freewheeling Q&A after the screening. When a fan asked him for a song, Black broke into an extended verse of “Legend of the Rent” complete with caterwauling and high kicks.

Ten years later and all the kids turned out alright. Many had graduated from college. Some wanted back in the business. Cosgrove, the biggest star of all the kids, said that she’s seen The Rolling Stones in concert ten times. Joey Gaydos Jr. (who played the guitarist Zack) and Kevin Clark (who played the drummer Freddie) are both in bands, living in Detroit and Chicago respectively. Robert Tsai, who played the supremely lovable nerd Lawrence, and who recently graduated from Dartmouth, got the biggest applause of the whole night. (The sweet and shy 22-year-old appears to have ditched out on the above reunion photo.) He was also the only person up there on stage in full suit and tie. At the end of the evening, under much pressure to recreate the improvised handshake he shared with Lawrence in the film, Black and Tsai pulled it off and enjoyed a charmingly awkward embrace.

Black says he and screenwriter Mike White still kick around talk of a sequel. “Never say never,” says Black. “It’s tough for me because it’s the best movie I’ve ever done. You get sensitive about the thing. But yeah it’s possible.”

2013 Fall Movie Preview (November)

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (November 8)
Plot: Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's "Thor" and "Marvel's The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Quick thoughts: Iron Man 3 proved that there can be life after The Avengers, although that movie had the benefit of having the awesome Robert Downey Jr. Still, I think a lot of people are going to be very interested to see the latest adventures in Asgard, especially if it means more Loki. This should serve as a nice alternative to the mostly sophisticated fare that will around in the fall.


THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (November 15)
Plot: Based on Jordan Belfort's best-selling memoir "The Wolf of Wall Street," which chronicles Belfort's dramatic rise and fall on Wall Street, along with his hard-partying lifestyle and tumultuous personal life, which included drug and alcohol addiction.

Quick thoughts: How does a cross between Goodfellas and Wall Street sound? By itself that would be a winning combo. When you combine that with the fact that this is being directed by Martin Scorsese and has an all-star cast featuring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, and Jonah Hill, you've got a film that has crazy high expectations. Maybe this is the one that finally earns Leo his Oscar.


DELIVERY MAN (November 22)
Plot: From DreamWorks Pictures comes "Delivery Man," the story of affable underachiever David Wozniak, whose mundane life is turned upside down when he finds out that he fathered 533 children through sperm donations he made twenty years earlier. In debt to the mob, rejected by his pregnant girlfriend, things couldn't look worse for David when he is hit with a lawsuit from 142 of the 533 twenty-somethings who want to know the identity of the donor. As David struggles to decide whether or not he should reveal his true identity, he embarks on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but the father he could become as well.

Quick thoughts: The most recent trailer suggests that this will be more of a dramedy than a zany comedy, despite its premise. I'm ok with that as long as the story is good. The fact that the studio pushed this back from its original October release date suggests they have some confidence that this will be a real winner with families during the Thanksgiving holiday.


OLDBOY (November 27)
Plot: "Oldboy" is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.

Quick thoughts: If you are not familiar, this is an adaptation of a cult Japanese film that was released about a decade ago. I have not seen the original, but I will admit that the film's high concept certainly has me intrigued. Spike Lee is often hit or miss with me, but I am hoping that because he's working with proven material here, he'll be able to deliver something that will be equally satisfying.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Dallas Buyers Club (November 1)
Last Vegas (November 1)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22)
Nebraska (November 22)

Rocket powered

We've got even more Marvel casting news today. This time from Comingsoon.net

Following rumors late last week, Marvel has officially confirmed a new addition to the cast of James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy: Bradley Cooper is set to voice Rocket Raccoon!

"Rocket has been genetically and mechanically altered," Marvel Studios' President Kevin Feige said of the character in a recent interview. "He's an experiment from one part of the galaxy."

Cooper, recently nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Silver Linings Playbook, joins Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Vin Diesel and Gregg Henry in the sci-fi adventure, set to hit theaters August 1, 2014.

2013 Fall Movie Preview (October)

GRAVITY (October 4)
Plot: Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone--tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

Quick thoughts: It's hard to believe that this film's released was delayed by nearly a year. However, unlike so many movies who get delayed, this should still be a quality movie. The trailers showcase what looks to be an intense thriller that is also beautifully shot. A lot of people have been eagerly awaiting Cuaron's follow-up to Children of Men and I don't think they'll be disappointed.


RUNNER RUNNER (October 4)
Plot: Princeton grad student Richie (Justin Timberlake), believing he's been swindled, travels to Costa Rica to confront online gambling tycoon Ivan Block (Ben Affleck). Richie is seduced by Block's promise of immense wealth, until he learns the disturbing truth about his benefactor. When the FBI tries to coerce Richie to help bring down Block, Richie faces his biggest gamble ever: attempting to outmaneuver the two forces closing in on him.

Quick thoughts: I highly doubt that this movie will help get Ben Affleck back-to-back Best Picture Oscars, but what it may lack in gravitas I am hoping it makes up for in just good old fashioned entertainment. Timberlake is a rising star who should be able to hold his own here. While the gambling story has been told before, it is one that I still find interesting when it is done well.


CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (October 11)
Plot: Columbia Pictures' action-thriller "Captain Phillips" stars two-time Oscar� winner Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The film is directed by Oscar� nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray and based upon the book, "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea," by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.

Quick thoughts: Director Paul Greengrass has shown he knows how to do action with his work on the Bourne movies and he has also shown skill at being able to depict real life events like he did in United 93. The fact that he has Tom Hanks in the titular role here only adds to my anticipation for the film. While I know the basic story, I've tried to avoid reading about a lot of the smaller details so as to enjoy this film that much more when it comes out.


JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA (October 25)
Plot: 86-year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companions, his 8-year-old Grandson Billy in "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa." This October, the signature Jackass character Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) and Billy (Jackson Nicholl) will take movie audiences along for the most insane hidden camera road trip ever captured on camera. Along the way, Irving will introduce the young and impressionable Billy to people, places and situations that give new meaning to the term childrearing. The duo will encounter male strippers, disgruntled child beauty pageant contestants (and their equally disgruntled mothers), funeral home mourners, biker bar patrons and a whole lot of unsuspecting citizens. Real people in unreal situations, making for one really messed up comedy.

Quick thoughts: I have to give Knoxville credit for finding a way to freshen up the Jackass. I have to admit laughing very hard at a lot of the scenes in the trailer for this film. This seems to be going for the Borat approach with a Jackass mentality, which likely means it will be a big hit, especially with younger audiences.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
A.C.O.D. (October 4)
12 Years a Slave (October 18)
The Fifth Estate (October 18)
The Counselor (October 25)

Bad robot

We've got some cool Avengers 2 casting news today, courtesy of EW.com:

Avengers: Age of Ultron has its psycho robot.

James Spader has signed on to play the villain in writer-director Joss Whedon’s upcoming superhero sequel, Marvel announced today.

The film is set to open May 1, 2015.

Marvel’s announcement didn’t specify whether the three-time Emmy winner Spader (Boston Legal, The Practice) will perform motion-capture to play the mechanical being (as Mark Ruffalo does for his scenes as The Hulk), or simply provide the character’s voice.

Smart money says Spader’s commitment won’t be too intense. He’s starring in the NBC series The Blacklist this Fall, as an ex-government fugitive now helping the FBI track down the world’s most wanted criminals. That probably won’t give him a lot of time to go galavanting in a robot suit.

Whedon recently told EW’s James Hibberd about his plans for the character, an artificial intelligence with a heavy-duty god-complex, overwhelmed with rage toward his creators and longing to overtake the planet with his own spawn.

Think of him as a droid with one hell of a set of daddy issues. “As a character I love [Ultron],” Whedon says, “because he’s so pissed off.”

“I knew right away what I wanted to do with him,” Whedon added. “He’s always trying to destroy the Avengers, goddamn it, he’s got a bee in his bonnet. He’s not a happy guy, which means he’s an interesting guy. He’s got pain. And the way that manifests is not going to be standard robot stuff. So we’ll take away some of those powers because at some point everybody becomes magic, and I already have someone [a new character, Scarlet Witch] who’s a witch.”

In Marvel comics lore, Ultron is the creation of scientist Hank Pym, a.k.a. Ant-Man, a hero who has a suit that allows him to shrink to tiny proportions and a transmitter that can manipulate insects to do his bidding. Pym is a genius R&D guy, and Ultron is one of his greatest creations. But since the machine is designed to be self-aware and self-teaching, it quickly develops a narcissistic quirk in its programing that sends it off the rails into murder and mayhem.

Ultron begins rebuilding himself into more and more powerful iterations and seeks to create artificial life on his own in a twisted desire to become a parent — especially important since he feels betrayed by his own builder, Pym, when he doesn’t support his programming’s new murderous bent.

But Ant-Man, a film being co-written and directed by The World’s End filmmaker Edgar Wright, won’t be out until after the Avengers sequel. So there is a question about whether Ultron’s origin story will be changed, or if Pym will show up a little early. (Whedon has told Annalee Newitz of io9.com that he won’t.)

In footage shown at Comic-Con in July to announce the title and reveal Ultron as the new villain, it begins with a close-up of what appears to be Iron Man’s mask. We hear various lines from the assorted Avengers that were spoken in previous Marvel movies. As they bicker, the Iron Man helmet revolves and is pulverized by an unseen force.

At the end, we see the title reveal — and Iron Man’s mask has become Ultron’s grinning, fang-like metallic skull.

That has led to a lot of speculation that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, no slouch in the Research & Development field for new technology, may be rewritten as the creator of Ultron, whose mission is to eradicate organic life from Earth and replace it with his own mechanical offspring.

Right now, we can only guess. But one thing is for certain — this pairing of ’80s Brat Packers Downey Jr. and Spader is the most unlikely Less Than Zero reunion anyone could have imagined.

Maybe Ultron just wants Stark to give him his 50K?

UPDATE: Even Whedon has gotten in on the action, tweeting this out to his followers…

All these old Spader & Spader/Downey references and NO LOVE FOR “TUFF TURF”?!?!?! Step up your game, people! #madthrilledbtw

2013 Fall Movie Preview (September)

I know this is a little later than when I normally do this, but I'll be looking at the major movies coming out for the remainder of this year over the next few days. There looks to be some good stuff, so let's get right to it.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 (September 27)
Plot: "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" picks up where Sony Pictures Animation's mouth-watering comedy left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention -- a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes. But Flint soon learns that his invention survived and is now creating food-animals - "foodimals!" Flint and his friends embark on a dangerously delicious mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheespiders and other foodimals to save the world again!

Quick thoughts: I'll admit that I was only lukewarm on the first Cloudy movie, but the story is based on a clever idea. When the first trailer came out a few months ago, I legitimately laughed at some of the clever word play and 'foodimals' that they came up with. The kids will not doubt eat this one up, but let's hope that this sequel serves up a bit more for the adults as well.


DON JON (September 27)
Plot: Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to "pull" a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn't compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she's determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Quick thoughts: I'll admit the film's plot doesn't scream mainstream audience, but the fact the Gordon-Levitt wrote and directed this film has me intrigued. He has been able to show a good amount of range on-screen, now we'll see if he has the same success behind the camera as well. The film has already played at some film festivals and has earned good buzz so this may become an unlikely success.


HELL BABY (September 6)
Plot: Rob Corddry ("Children's Hospital," "Hot Tub Time Machine") and Leslie Bibb ("Iron Man") star in "Hell Baby," a horror comedy about an expectant couple forced to enlist the help of the Vatican's elite exorcism team after they move into a haunted fixer-upper in New Orleans. The hilariously zany feature directing debut of writing-acting duo Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon ("Night at The Museum," "Reno 911!: Miami"), "Hell Baby" also stars Keegan Michael Key ("Key and Peele," "Due Date"), Michael Ian Black ("This Is 40"), Riki Lindhome ("Million Dollar Baby"), Rob Huebel ("Children's Hospital," "The Descendants") and Paul Scheer ("The League").

Quick thoughts: We have already seen the horror genre played for laughs several times this year, but I'm hoping the talent behind this film is enough to have it rise above those other mediocre efforts. Lennon and Garant have proven with Reno 911 that they now how to mine comedy out of more serious material. Just like with Cloudy, I found myself laughing a lot at the trailer, so I'm hopeful that translates well when seeing the full length film.


RUSH (September 20)
Plot: Two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind," "Frost/Nixon"), teams once again with fellow two-time Academy Award nominee, writer Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon," "The Queen"), on "Rush," a spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The epic action-drama stars Chris Hemsworth ("The Avengers") as the charismatic Englishman James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl ("Inglourious Basterds") as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the Grand Prix racetrack epitomized the contrast between these two extraordinary characters, a distinction reflected in their private lives.

Quick thoughts: I can't say that I typically go for a lot of racing movies, but this one has a pedigree behind it that helps it stand out from those others. I typically am very impressive with Ron Howard's films and I'll be interested to see what he brings to the table when it comes to filming the racing scenes. It seems like someone from the Hemsworth family is in every film that comes out these days, but there's no denying that Chris has good charisma and should do well in this daredevil playboy role. If this film meets its potential, it could be a major player come awards season


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Riddick (September 6)
Insidious Chapter 2 (September 13)
A Single Shot (September 20)
Prisoners (September 20)

RBR: Olympus Has Fallen

When I saw White House Down a couple of months ago, I did not have the luxury of comparing it to the other "Die Hard in the White House" movie that came out this year, Olympus Has Fallen. Now that this one, which stars Gerard Butler in the "John McClane" role, is out for rent I can see that both films share similarities beyond their set-up. Both films are also flawed. Where WHD decided to take a lighter approach to the terrorist plot, Olympus is far more somber. The death count is higher and the kills are more graphic in this one. There are also some problems with the film playing fast and loose with the timeline of event. Compressing the time of events would not be so bad if it was not for the fact that they chose to constantly put a clock up telling us what time it was. You sit there wondering what everyone has been doing for the past two hours when they jump ahead, yet nothing seems to have happened since the previous scene. Plot holes and shoddy filmmaking can be ignored if a film is entertaining, but this movie treats everything so seriously that it's difficult to enjoy any of it. Even Morgan Freeman, who plays the Speaker of the House and eventually takes over as President, seems weary playing his role. While White House Down is no cinematic classic, it at least had the sense to have some fun with its ludicrous plot. This one may boast a higher number of celebrities in its cast, but that's no reason to opt for this dreary disappointment. Rating: **

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 21)

Record: 71 - 59

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (6 games behind Detroit); 1.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot

The Tribe did what they needed to do this week, which was beat up on lesser teams. They pulled off a sweep of the Angels in Anaheim and then took two out of three at home from the Minnesota Twins. Most of the wins were not overly flashy or impressive, but all that matters is putting another notch in the W column. We have now already surpassed the team's win total from last year and we still have over a month of baseball to go. It is so nice to be continuing this column this far into the season and have the team being playing meaningful games at this point. Speaking of meaningful games, the Indians have an important 9-game stretch coming up starting on Tuesday. It begins with going on to the road for series against the Braves in Atlanta and our final series of the regular season against the Tigers in Detroit. Both of those teams are almost certainly going to the playoffs this year, so it would be nice to be competitive against them. At this point, we do not want to risk falling too far out of playoff contention, so every win matters. The good news is that a lot of our guys are starting to heat up offensively. If we can get each of them hot at the same time, this can be a very dangerous team. Even as the temptation to shift your focus to football emerges, let's continue to root on this team and have them actually play baseball all the way into October! Go Tribe!

RBR: Oz The Great and Powerful

I can't claim to be any huge devotee to The Wizard of Oz like others can. The Judy Garland original doesn't do a whole lot for me, but I can at least credit for creating movie magic. Through pure ingenuity and filmmaking, the audience feels as if they have been transported to a magical land just as much as Dorothy does. That ability is one of the reasons why it continues to find new fans constantly. I don't believe anyone will be looking as fondly to this prequel, which stars James Franco as the man who would become a wizard. We begin in Kansas where Franco plays Oscar, a Kansas magician who makes a living out of fooling people, especially women who take a shining to him. When one of his cons catching up with him, Oscar tries to flee in a hot air balloon, only to get caught up in a tornado that sends him to Oz. Though the screen pops with bright colors upon arriving in this magical land, everything feels as phony as Oscar's magic act. The computer graphics used to create Oz do it no justice, creating a distance from the audience. Instead of getting caught up in this world, you are preoccupied with watching Franco try to do a bunch of green screen acting. Some actors can pull it off, but Franco isn't one of them. Along the way, we get introduced to a number of character, both new and old, including three witches - Theodora (Mila Kunis) Elenora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams) - one of whom becomes quite "wicked" before the movie concludes. None of these characters are particularly interesting. For most of the film, I just sat waiting just to see how they would connect this with the Garland film. The third act is decent as we see the wizard finally use his magic to its fullest capability. Somewhere buried in this movie is a decent origin story, but it is not expertly explored here. This had the potential to be a new classic but ends up being another soulless adventure that tries to get by on pure visual gimmickry. The curtain gets pulled back for audiences before they even have a chance to be amazed. Rating: ** 1/2

Family feud

With the new fall TV season quickly approaching comes the announcement of a new Survivor. The big twist for this next installment, dubbed 'Blood vs. Water', is that returning players will be squaring off against a tribe of their family members. For more on what you can expect this season and who will be a part of the cast, here's the story from EW.com:

Jeff Probst already announced on Entertainment Weekly Radio that the next season of Survivor — subtitled Blood vs. Water — would feature returning Survivor contestants playing with (or, rather, against) their loved ones. Then, yesterday we revealed that one of those pairs would be Survivor: One World’s Kat Edorsson and her boyfriend, Big Brother season 12 winner Hayden Moss. Now the rest of the cast can be officially unveiled. And that cast will be playing in the most twist-heavy Survivor season ever.

Among the cast of Survivor: Blood vs. Water —which filmed this past May and June in the Philippines — will be a contestant from the group that started it all, as season 1 player Gervase Peterson returns to compete along with his niece Marissa. He will be joined by three million dollar winners — Tina Wesson from The Australian Outback (who will be playing with daughter Katie), Aras Baskauskas from Panama (with brother Vytas), and Rupert Boneham, who has never won in his three previous outings but did collect a million dollars as the winner of a special fan voted prize given away during the All-Stars season. He will be joined by his wife Laura.

In a surprise, the new cast also features three players from One World — which is generally considered one of the weakest Survivor seasons ever. Joining Kat will be Monica Culpepper (and husband Brad) and the controversial Colton Cumbie (and fiancé Caleb). Rounding out the cast are threepeaters Tyson Apostol (with girlfriend Rachel) and the former Candice Woodcock (now Candice Cody, with husband John), as well as Laura Morett from Samoa (with daughter Ciera).

Survivor host Jeff Probst gives credit for the loved ones concept to Survivor casting director Lynne Spillman. “It’s something she brought up for years,” Probst told EW.com. “But this year she pitched it and she said, ‘I think I can pull it off. I think I’ve found the right amount of couples.’ And once we started talking about it and talking about who would play, it went from something we thought about doing next year to something we were going to do this season. It was one of those moments were I left and went ‘Oh, everything’s different.’” As if having returning players playing against their loved ones was not a big enough twist, there are several other smaller changes, some of which could dramatically alter the way the game is played. Here they are:

* For the first time ever, the game will not be 39 days long, but rather 39-and-a-half days, as the couples will begin the game the night prior to day one with a new twist titled “Day Zero.” The 10 pairs will be sent out at sunset to 10 different locations to live by themselves for the night. They will then all meet up to be officially welcomed by host Jeff Probst and start the game the next morning. “The whole idea was to try and get them thinking and maybe believing that they would play as a pair,” says Probst.

* Just minutes after congregating, the returning players and their loved ones will be split into two different tribes, with the returning players making up the yellow Galang tribe and the newbies comprising the red Tadhana tribe. “Suddenly your partner becomes your adversary, your competition,” says Probst. “And that was the whole premise of Blood Vs. Water. How is that going to play out in a game where only one person can win?”

* First impressions can be key in the game like Survivor, and that will prove true here as just moments after meeting each other, each team will vote one member off their tribe. They will later be informed that these people have not been voted out of the game, but rather will be sent to Redemption Island, which makes its return after having been absent for the past three seasons. There they will battle to stay alive and reenter the game at a later point.

* Confused yet? Well, it gets even more confusing! Jeff Probst will then immediately offer each of the loved ones of the two people voted off the opportunity to trade places with them, meaning that if, say, returning player Tina is voted out of her tribe at the start, her daughter Katie can opt to take her place at Redemption Island instead, and Tina would then join the tribe of newbies.

* As mentioned, Redemption Island is back. Anyone voted out will be sent there and will then compete in a three person duel. The last place finisher in each contest is out of the game for good, while the top two remain. However, if someone’s loved one is still in the game they can take their loved one’s place before a duel. (So if, say, Monica is at Redemption Island but her husband Brad thinks he would do better at a duel involving strength, he can swap places with her, electing to do the duel while she takes his place on his tribe. They could then swap again at the next duel if it is a contest better suited to her strengths.) “That puts blood and water to the test,” says Probst. “And we’re gonna do it at every duel. So the first time early in the game, somebody may say ‘It’s just too early.” But as those duels increase and they get closer to what they think might be a merge, their strategy is going to start to change.”

* That’s not all when it comes to Redemption Island. The person who finishes first in each duel will also get to give a clue to the location of a hidden immunity idol to any person from either tribe that they choose. “There’s all these things you can do,” says Probst. “Because for a moment, even though you’re on the outest, furthest part of the game, you have a little bit of power.”

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 20)

Record: 66 - 58

Standing: Second in AL Central (7 games behind Detroit)

Well anything the Tribe did this past week would have been an improvement over the week before so I guess we should be positive, but I sure would like to see this team playing better than they are right now. After dropping the opening game to Minnesota, they managed to take the next two and the series, which is what they should do against lesser opponents. After heading out west, however, the Indians could only manage to win one game against the A's. Oakland is a decent team, so there's no shame to losing two games to them in their place, but it is just frustrating because they currently sit ahead of us in the Wild Card standings, so it would be have been helpful to gain some ground on them. Right now it seems like our focus should be on earning one of the wild card slots as Detroit shows no signs of relinquishing first place before the end of the year. Our efforts to procure a playoff spot begin this week as we finish up our west coast road trip with a three game set against the Anaheim Angels. Then we finally head back home to take on the Minnesota Twins in a weekend series. Neither of those teams are making the playoffs this year, so we need to rack up a lot of wins against them. Despite our recent struggles, it is still great to be playing meaningful baseball this late into the season. As the Indians try to make that late season push, I'll be there with them each step of the way rooting them on. Go Tribe!

It's always hardest on the adults

Check out this trailer for A.C.O.D. (which stand for Adult Child of Divorce), the latest indie dramedy that features one hell of a talented and funny cast.

Class act

When Neill Blomkamp's directorial debut came out in 2009, it felt like a bit of fresh air within the sci-fi genre. Finally we had a movie that gave audiences something more than your normal creature feature. With his follow-up effort, Elysium, Blomkamp has once again attempted to blend a social class allegory with science fiction.

Elysium refers to a large space station that hovers over Earth and houses the wealthiest, most elite people while everyone else remains on Earth, which has turned into one big third world country. Elysium's inhabitants not only live a posh lifestyle, they have access to the most advanced technologies, including machines that can cure you of any disease you have. Making sure that those perks remain used by only the privileged is the head of Homeland Security, Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster). She stops at no cost to keep Elysium pure, even if it means shooting down ships filled with people trying to sneak into their paradise.

On Earth, things are particularly are particularly grim for Max (Matt Damon). Raised in an orphanage, Max grew up running afoul of the law several times while bouncing from one dead end job to the next. While working at a robotics factory, Max is involved in a machine malfunction that leads to him receiving a lethal dose of radiation. With only five days left to live, Max sets out on a mission to get to Elysium so that he can cure himself.

The set-up for the movie offers tremendous promise. It offers a tantalizing future that is rooted in current day issues of immigration and class warfare. Damon, as always, is terrific in this role as you can sense the weariness his character has for his lifestyle even before he's given a death sentence. The film also has a lot of fan establishing this futuristic Earth that is run by robotic cops and a few corporate leaders who only periodically stay on Earth to make sure their businesses are still functioning properly.

The back half of the film cannot quite live up to the promise established in the beginning unfortunately. Max's quest to make it to Elysium is filled primarily with a lot of noisy action. In order to get on a ship headed to Elysium, Max aligns himself with Julio, a well-connected criminal who wants Max to get him some important information that could take down Elysium and its people. To help him with this mission, Julio fits Max with a robotic exoskeleton that makes him look like a beta version of Robocop. Standing in Max's way is Secretary Rhodes' hired gun, Agent Kruger. Kruger is a rogue thug played by a nearly unrecognizable Sharlto Copley.

Kruger and Max go toe-to-toe on a couple of occasions as the movie progresses. I will admit that Blomkamp's filming of the scenes is impressive. He has a true visual flare for shooting action sequences that feel fresh and engaging. It's just a shame that the scene did nothing for me on an intellectual level. I kept wishing that those scenes would have been balanced out with more scenes of political discourse regarding Elysium's policies. With that said, a little of Foster's Secretary Rhodes goes a long way in this film. Foster is an Oscar winner and has delivered several great performances, but I have no clue what she was going for her as she takes on a baffling accent that is borderline laughable. Any potential for political intrigue is undercut by her performance.

At a time when so many films play it safe or give us the same old story, I respect Blomkamp for providing us with something that feels different. I just wish he would have had the guts to see it all the way through instead of relying on sheer action at the back end of the picture. While the movie may have some flaws, I'm certainly recommending it because I want to see films that takes risks like this get rewarded with viewers. Blomkamp may thumb his nose at the 1 percenters, but with Elysium, he is quickly proving that he belongs in an elite class of directors. Grade: B+

Getting hammered

Some people have been having some fun with the new Thor trailer that came out last week. First up we have Conan reprising a bit where he shows us why he doesn't think Chris Hemsworth is the right guy to be playing Thor.



Then someone thought it would be a good idea to smash up the new trailer with the world of Arrested Development. You can check out that end result, called 'Thorested Developement' below.

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 19)

Record: 63 - 56

Standing: Third in AL Central (7 games behind Detroit)

Even yesterday's come from behind win against the Angels wasn't enough to buoy my spirits after a completely dismal week. Frankly I don't even want to talk about it. We can only hope this 10 day road trip that features the Tribe going against Minnesota, Oakland, and Anaheim puts them back on the right track (although tonight's loss to Minnesota certainly isn't a good sign). I gotta keep rooting for my team, but it's awfully tough to feel good about their postseason chances these days. Let's hope I'm singing a much different and happier tune next week. Until then, go Tribe!

Danny Ocean goes to war

Sorry for the glut of trailers this week, but they've been all good ones. Here's one for The Monuments Men, a movie that was in my Top 5 Most Anticipated for this year. The film stars George Clooney, (who also directs it), Matt Damon, Bill Murray, and John Goodman. Check it out below.

Missed the Mark

From Indians.com

CLEVELAND -- The Indians brought Mark Reynolds in over the offseason to provide the kind of right-handed power the team had lacked in recent years. For one month, the all-or-nothing slugger lived up to expectations.

Reynolds' three-month tailspin since an amazing April led to Thursday's decision by Cleveland to designate the first baseman for assignment. The Indians have promoted reliever Preston Guilmet from Triple-A Columbus to give the bullpen an extra arm for the time being.

"He's a guy that carried us the first month of the season," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "And then from that point to here, it's been pretty rough. It was getting harder and harder to find at-bats so he could get hot, because I think we all felt like he had a streak in him."

Reynolds is now in a 10-day waiting period, during which he is likely to be either traded or released by the Indians. Other teams will have an opportunity to also claim Reynolds off waivers, which could lead to a trade or Cleveland could simply let him go.

Francona noted that Reynolds did not request to be moved, but indicated that the struggling slugger is not interested in accepting a Minor League assignment.

"He expressed that he did not want to go to Triple-A and play baseball," Francona said. "So we do know that. Now, it's 10 minutes after a game, but that's what he told us [Wednesday] night."

Through 99 games with Cleveland, which signed him over the winter to a one-year contract with a base salary of $6 million, Reynolds hit .215 with a .307 on-base percentage, .373 slugging percentage, 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and 123 strikeouts. He opened the season as the Tribe's primary designated hitter, but he also helped out at first and third base.

Reynolds provided a powerful bat for Cleveland's lineup through May 6, when his batting average stood at .300. Over the first 28 games, he launched 10 home runs, collected 27 RBIs and posted a 1.026 OPS.

In the clubhouse, Reynolds was dubbed "Mega Mark" by his teammates for the tape-measure shots he was belting for the Tribe.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, Reynolds went as cold as he started hot.

"We knew when we got him that he wasn't a .300 hitter," Francona said. "He was hitting .300 and basically hitting everything in sight. And [explaining his slump] is probably not as easy as one sentence. The pitches he was hitting in April, he was either fouling, or sometimes you get one pitch in an at-bat, and he'd miss it or foul it and strike out.

"Earlier in the season, he was getting it, he was hitting it and he was doing a lot of damage."

Over the past 71 games dating back to May 7, Reynolds has posted the lowest batting average (.179) among qualified Major League players in that time period. His .532 OPS in that span rates as the second-lowest mark among big league hitters.

That three-month slump included just five home runs and 21 RBIs to go along with 96 strikeouts.

In parts of seven seasons in the Majors -- spent between stints with the D-backs, Orioles and Indians -- Reynolds has hit .233 with 196 home runs and 549 RBI in 952 games. Across the 2008-11 campaigns, he hit .231 with an average of 35 home runs, 92 RBI and 208 strikeouts per season.

While trying to balance keeping the Indians in the American League Central race with getting Reynolds going again at the plate, Francona had reduced the slugger's playing time in recent weeks. Surprising bench contributor Ryan Raburn -- who signed a two-year contract extension on Wednesday -- has garnered more time in the starting lineup.

"With Raburn swinging the bat the way he is, and [Mike] Aviles playing really well," Francona said, "it was becoming harder to get him to where he was going to be able to get hot. And then we needed a pitcher [due to Wednesday's 14-inning game].

"And I think it was becoming harder for Mark to handle not playing. It was just time to do what we did."

Guilmet offers some bullpen insurance for the Indians, who cycled through an assortment of arms in a extra-inning loss to the Tigers on Wednesday night. The 25-year-old right-hander, who appeared in one game for the Indians earlier this season, has posted a 1.95 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings for Triple-A Columbus this season.

For the time being, Francona noted that the Indians might proceed with an eight-man bullpen, which is something the club has done in multiple stretches throughout this season. The positional versatility of players such as Raburn, Aviles, Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana has made it easier to play short-handed on the bench.

"You always have to be cognizant of the fact that, if there's any injury somewhere, all of a sudden you're looking for that bat," Francona said. "But you have to make decisions. Obviously, going into [Thursday], from where we sit, we think we're a better team with an eight-man bullpen."

Justin Masterson, who is a leader on the mound and off the field for the Indians, does not believe the move to part ways with Reynolds will negatively affect the clubhouse.

"We've still got a lot of good guys," Masterson said. "I wouldn't say it's a huge distraction, really, for anybody. But, some may let it creep in more than others. In the end, everyone knows that if you just go out and perform and do your stuff, hopefully that takes care of it.

"It may not work out here at some point in time. But, it may work somewhere else."

Feeling froggy

After their successful comeback a couple of years ago, Kermit and the gang are heading back to the big screen and bringing a whole new crop of famous faces along with them. Here's your first look at Muppets Most Wanted set to come out next spring.

RBR: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

As I've mentioned on here before, I'm a sucker when it comes to movies about magic. When you couple that subject matter with a talented cast that features the likes of Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Alan Arkin, and Jim Carrey, it should equal great success. It's too bad that the people behind The Incredible Burt Wonderstone seem to have no clue what to do with the interesting subject matter or its great actors. This comedy attempts to tell a story about a modern day magician. There are several ways you could take the story - you could do a riff on Sigfried and Roy and the odd nature of their working relationship, you could address how those "Magicians' Secrets Revealed" show have spoiled the fun of magic for a lot of people, you could deal with the rivalry between renegade street magic and more traditional magic. This film touches upon each of those storylines but never delves into any of them deeply enough or in any compelling fashion. Storyline issues aside, the root of the film's problem is their decision to make Carell's character such an insufferable boor. As Wonderstone he's initially portrayed in flashbacks as a sympathetic nerd who uses magic to escape the pains in his life. Once the film moves into present day, we're given no indication as to why he's become so obnoxious to everyone around him. This makes it difficult for us to have any interest in seeing him succeed when his career begins to suffer. The final blow comes during the film's final climatic scenes which reveal Wonderstone's grand illusion. It's not only disappointing to learn how the trick is done, its disturbing to see how unmagical it truly is. Frankly, the only magic trick I want to see now is for someone to make my memory of this movie disappear. Rating: **

Dark matter

With The Wolverine still fresh in theaters, we already begin to shift gears and get ready for the next Marvel entry. Here's the newest trailer for Thor: The Dark World

Inner Office workings

Audiences said goodbye to The Office this past May and now that it's over we're starting to get a look at what might have been. Here's an interesting video that will be included in the DVD/Blu-Ray of the final season that shows some famous actors originally auditions for the roles of Michael, Jim, Pam and the rest of the Dunder Mifflin crew. Watching it, it seems as if they made the right choices to go with the people that they did, but it's still funny to think of how different the show would have been had say Seth Rogen gotten the role of Dwight.

Do the Hustle

The last time Christian Bale was in a film by director David O. Russell, he was in quite the emaciated state playing a drug addict in The Fighter. Now that he's re-teamed with him, he's living life like a fat cat in the 70s. To see Bale and the rest of this all star cast which includes Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence check out the trailer for American Hustle posted below.

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 18)

Record: 62 - 49

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (3 games behind Detroit)

As I type, the Indians are in the middle of the first of four HUGE games against division rival, the Detroit Tigers. But before we talk about that series, let's discuss how we got here since this is my first opportunity to discuss the Tribe since before the All Star Break. The Indians had me worried when they got off to a shaky start to begin the second half of the season. Unimpressive outings against Minnesota and Seattle had me concerned that we were in line for yet another second half collapse. Since, then however, the team has played much better. They looked red hot during a homestand that saw the team sweep both the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox series was particularly fun since it involved a couple of walk-off wins (one of which I had the good fortune of seeing in person). This past weekend the team went down to Miami and managed to take two out of three from a Marlins team that is better than what their record suggest thanks to a good crop of young pitchers. All in all, the team is finding ways to win even when they aren't playing their best. The frustrating thing about this recent run is that the Tigers, currently in first in the AL Central, and the Royals, currently third, have played just as well so there really has been no change to the standings. The one positive about our recent good play is that we have managed to move up into sole possession of the second wild card spot. If the season were to end today, we would be in the playoffs. All of that brings us to the start of this series with Detroit. It is a four game series that could shake up the division depending on how many games we win. This is the last time the Tigers will be playing in Cleveland this season so we'll want to have as good of a showing as possible. After Detroit leaves, the Angels come into town for a weekend series. Anaheim had high hopes coming into the season but have struggled all year. Still they are not a team to take lightly and we'll need to avoid having any sort of hangover effect after the Detroit series. This a VERY big week for the Indians and I hope everyone comes out to support this team. Win or lose I'm going to be loving every minute of it. Go Tribe!

RBR: Side Effects

It feels like it's been forever since I actually saw this film, but I'm just now getting around to putting up my review. Let's see how well I can remember my thoughts on it. Rooney Mara stars as Emily, a young woman who is struggling after the recent release of her husband (Channing Tatum) who was doing prison time for insider trading. Emily begins seeing a therapist (Jude Law) who prescribes a new drug to help her deal with her issues. A side effect of the drug is that it causes her to sleepwalk. During one of her sleepwalking episodes she unknowingly stabs her husband with a knife, killing him. From there the film takes several twists and turns as it is unclear as to who truly is responsible for this death. Directed by Steven Soderbergh in what is apparently his last film, Side Effects begins very compelling. Soderbergh creates a great sense of mystery and suspense. The social commentary on the over-reliance on prescription medication also feels fresh and compelling. The film somewhat comes off the rails in the second half with a few too many twists that make it confusing as to some of the characters' motives for their actions and how they benefitted from them. By the film's end you're left unsure as to whether or not the right people got their comeuppance or not. Still, the film is mostly enjoyable thanks to Soderbergh style, which will be missed if he makes his retirement stick. Fans of thrillers would be well off if they made an effort to check this film out. It's an easy prescription for me to fill.

Bad to the brittle bone

The Jackass crew have developed a new movie called Bad Grandpa. You'll notice this one has a more clear narrative than their previous films, which were extended versions of their TV show. Here's your first look at Johnny Knoxville playing Irving Zisman as he creates havoc across the country while toting around his "grandson".

Bourne to run

From EW.com:

The legacy of Jason Bourne will continue… but likely without Jason Bourne.

Universal has hired screenwriter Anthony Peckham (Sherlock Holmes) to pen the next chapter in the Bourne franchise, which will remain focused on Jeremy Renner’s drug-enhanced super-soldier, Aaron Cross. (Deadline initially reported the news.) Renner took the reins from Matt Damon after the original Bourne trilogy concluded with 2007′s Bourne Ultimatum. Last year’s Bourne Legacy, which pitted Cross against Edward Norton’s shady government handler, was a modest hit, grossing $276 million worldwide. Though that didn’t equal Damon’s output in Ultimatum ($443 million), it was more than the original 2002 franchise-starter.

Producer Frank Marshall has frequently mentioned his wish to unite Damon and Renner in a Bourne film, but it remains unclear how the politics would work. (Damon has repeatedly insisted he won’t do another Bourne without director Paul Greengrass, and he doesn’t have the best relationship with Legacy director Tony Gilroy.) There’s some hope, since Peckham wrote the script for Invictus, which earned Damon an Oscar nomination, and the new Bourne installment — The Bourne Infinity? The Bourne Ubiquity? — didn’t immediately announce a director… Stay tuned.

Home sweet home

You may have noticed that my blog has been a bit dead for the past two weeks. The reason being is that I've been busy dealing with a few personal matters. First, my sister got married a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception and I couldn't be happier for her and her new husband.

After that, I moved back to northeast Ohio. Even with my humble belongings, the move was still quite the undertaking. But now I am back home where all of my family is and I couldn't be happier. This truly feels like a new start for me!

Hopefully now I can get back into the swing of things and provide all of you with a steady dose of good content. Thanks for putting up with my delay. We can now resume with our normal programming!

Tribe Watch '13 (All Star Break)

Record: 51 - 44

Standing: Second in AL Central (1.5 games behind Detroit)

Over the weekend, the Indians TV announcers mentioned how manager Terry Francona spoke with the team and promoted the idea of finishing strong to close out the first half of the season. It appears that the Tribe took those words to heart as they took two out of three from Toronto and then swept the Kansas City Royals. Now as the team takes off for a few days before transitioning into the second half, we can examine where they currently stand. I think the best way to define my feelings is cautiously optimistic. The Indians have a better record than they did at this point last year and are relatively healthy. The weak schedule in the second half also works in their favor. But before we can pencil this team into a postseason slot, there are a few things that should be addressed. First of all, while our overall record is good, we have played terribly against Detroit, Boston, and New York. Two of those three teams are in first place in their respective divisions. For this team to be seen as legitimate contenders, we need to play better against good teams. There's also a couple players who need to do more offensively. Mark Reynolds in particular has been trending downward when it comes to hitting. We need him to play better to shore up our lineup. And of course, we could always use more pitching. The starters, which not great, have performed admirably and should be improved when Zach McAllister returns. The bullpen. however, seems like it could use some additions. Hopefully as the trade deadline nears some moves can be made to address these issues. For now, let's enjoy the time off and get ready to come out fighting come Friday when we begin a weekend series with the Twins in Minnesota. I'm looking forward to wild and fun second half. Go Tribe!

RBR: A Good Day to Die Hard

I don't write as many reviews for this blog that I do because it's a job or some responsibility, I enjoy it. It's enjoyable because I love movies. Even when a film is bad, there can usually be something enjoyable that can be derived from its awfulness. So when I say that watching the latest entry in the Die Hard was one of the most unpleasant experiences I had watching a film, you can know that it's not being said out of hyperbole. Frankly, this movie does not even feel as if belongs in the same universe as the previous John McClane films. This seems to be a failure at all levels of recognizing what made the franchise enjoyable in the first place. One such trademark was classic villains. Actors like Alan Rickman and Jeremy Irons brought energy to their characters and made for great foils against Bruce Willis. In this film, the story is so convoluted that it is unclear who exactly is the primary antagonist. It just seems that every character in this universe has some level of evil to them, leaving McClane no choice but to shoot at anything that moves. This, then weakens the McClane character. One of his best features is the way he disrupts the villain's master plan. Here, neither he nor the audience, have a clue or a care as to who should be stopped or why. The fact that the film is set in Russia (McClane is visiting to try to save his son, who is on trial for murder) also proves to be a mistake. It's one thing for McClane to be a one man wrecking crew in his own country for the sake of saving it. Doing such wreckless acts of violence elsewhere comes off as mean and irresponsible. I could also criticize the cartoonish level that the violence takes on in the film, remarking that no human being could live through half the things that McClane does, but that's actually been a part of the series since the start. What I can complain though is the fake nature in which these over-the-top scenes are filmed. With the earlier films, directors had to be creative to make you believe he could survive those stunts. But with the excess use of CGI in this film, the audience gets completely taken out of the moment because none of it looks real or believable. Overall, there is such a pure lack of fun in this film. Even McClane's signature line (which was thankfully back to its R-rated completeness) is done in a lazy, throwaway manner. This fifth entry would suggest that the franchise has been tapped out of its creativity and usefulness, but I certainly hope that they make another film just so that the character can go out on a better note than this. If this is the end, then it's going out on a sad day to die hard. Rating: **

Stay for the Poppins

Apparently, getting Mary Poppins to the silver screen was anything but Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Here's the first trailer for Saving Mr. Banks, the story of Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and his attempts to convince author PL Travers (Emma Thompson) to turn her book into a movie.

Forging a new Bond

Big news regarding the next installment in the James Bond franchise...

From comingsoon.net:

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, EON Productions; Gary Barber, Chairman & CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Michael Lynton, CEO, Sony Entertainment, Inc, and Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that Daniel Craig will once again return as the legendary British secret agent in the 24th James Bond film and Sam Mendes will also return to direct the screenplay written by John Logan. The film is set for release in UK theaters on October 23, 2015 and in US theaters on November 6, 2015 (currently the same date as Ant-Man and Peanuts).

Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, took in $1.1 billion worldwide and set a new mark as the highest-grossing film of all time in the UK; it was the best-selling Bond film on DVD/Blu-ray and was the most critically acclaimed film in the history of the longest-running film franchise.

Commenting on the announcement, Wilson and Broccoli said, "Following the extraordinary success of 'Skyfall,' we're really excited to be working once again with Daniel Craig, Sam Mendes and John Logan.

"I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honour all my theatre commitments, the producers have made it possible for me to direct 'Bond 24.' I very much look forward to taking up the reins again, and to working with Daniel Craig, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for a second time, said Mendes.

Barber added, We are thrilled to reunite the extraordinary talents of director Sam Mendes with our star Daniel Craig for the next great Bond adventure. He added, "As evidenced by the phenomenal success of our last collaboration with EON Productions and Sony, the incredible legacy of this 51-year-old franchise continues to amaze."

Lynton and Pascal said, "It's a privilege to work on the Bond films. EON, John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with an extraordinary follow up to 'Skyfall' and we, along with our partners at MGM, can't wait to share this new chapter with audiences all over the world."

Delivering the news bit by bit

Of course, we all cannot wait until Anchorman 2 arrives in theaters later this year. In the meantime, why not look back at the first movie from a unique perspective. Someone has recreated the film by turning the cast into 8 bit characters. It's pretty funny and it'll have you reciting your favorite lines all over again.

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 14)

Record: 46 - 42

Standing: Second in AL Central (2.5 games behind Detroit)

It looked like the Indians were going to continue their winning ways after that impressive four game sweep of the White Sox the weekend before. The Tribe managed to win the first game of the series against the Kansas City Royals, but then dropped the last two to end their long road trip on a bit of a down note. Upon returning home, it appeared as if the team had some jet lag and they went on to lose the first two games against the Tigers. Things would have been very bleak had the Indians not managed to pull off a victory yesterday. With that win, the team still now has a chance at earning a split with Detroit if they manage to win tonight. One of the key issues during the losing streak this past week was poor pitching. In some cases it was the starters not having good outings. When they did have a good start, then it seemed to be the bullpen that struggled. Even though we won yesterday, the bullpen still blew a 5-run lead before the Indians managed to come back and win it for good. Clearly, our staff has to step up their game if they want to remain competitive in the division. But it's also time to start thinking about who we can possibly get in a trade to help shore up this staff. As we hit the halfway point in the season, it's time for us to make the moves needed in order to make sure we play postseason baseball. Speaking of the halfway point, this is the final week of the season before the All Star Break. After tonight's game with Detroit, we have a pair of three game series at home with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals. The Jays have been steadily improving since getting off to a horrendous start, so it would be nice if we could cool them off again. Plus, we need to start playing better against teams from the AL East. As for the Royals, we've played them very well thus far this season, so let's hope we can keep that up. We certainly don't want them to gain any ground on us and believe they still have a chance in the division. It certainly would be nice to head into the break being in first place, so let's cheer on this team and make it happen. Go Tribe!

Father time

The teaser was released a few weeks ago and now here's your first full look at Delivery Man, the new dramedy starring Vince Vaughn as a man who has unknowingly fathered over 500 kids.

Buddy Sis-tem

Paul Feig may not be a household name, but chances are you've enjoyed one of his comedy projects. He's created critically acclaimed shows (Freaks & Geeks), directed well known sitcoms (The Office) and even found himself in front of the camera as well (playing biology teacher Mr. Poole on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Feig finally garnered some mainstream success when he directed Bridesmaids, a film that attempted to show that the R-rated comedy is not just a man's territory. In his latest effort, The Heat, Feig once again shows that the ladies can be just as foul as any guy around.

The Heat stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as polar opposite cops who are forced together to bring down a major drug dealer. Bullock is the straight-laced workaholic cop while McCarthy is a foul-mouthed loner cop who just wants to clean up her town. Both of these two have played these type of characters before so they know what to do in order to yield laughs out of the archetype, but I did wonder throughout the film if it would have been better for them to try and play the opposite role instead. My guess is that I would have given the film more credit, but the laughs probably wouldn't have been as frequent.

The buddy cop genre has certainly been around for a while and has always yielded mixed results. For every Lethal Weapon there's an I Spy. Credit to Feig who recognizes that he's mining familiar territory and yet still finds a way to make it work. He knows what tropes to play for parody and which to keep straight in order to make the story still feel like it has consequences. A lot of this is done through the scenes that give us a glimpse into the family of McCarthy's character. The interactions she has with her Bostonian clan produce some of the biggest laughs, as well as a few serious moments.

The one drawback to the film is an issue that plagued Bridesmaids as well. There were too many scenes that forced the agenda that women can be crass as well. To me funny is funny, regardless of who's telling the joke. I get no greater satisfaction seeing McCarthy curse up a blue storm than I would Will Ferrell or any other male comedian. I understand the need to show this off since so few women have actually tried to be raunchy, but I hope this becomes less frequent. Let's the jokes be organic to the story rather than be included simply to try and prove a point.

The good news for The Heat is that for as many forced jokes, there's at least twice as many well earned laughs. Bullock and McCarthy have a good chemistry together to the point where I would actually be interested in seeing them team up again, whether it was for a sequel reuniting these characters or in a completely separate project. The film is also buoyed by the presence of several other funny people in smaller roles including Tony Hale, Jane Curtin, Marlon Wayans, and SNL's Taran Killam. Each of these actors know how to get a laugh out of the character they are playing instead of us just laughing at the mere presence of them showing up in the movie.

The interesting thing about this movie is that I'm not quite sure how it will play with me when I attempt to rewatch it a few years from now. Some comedies like The Other Guys have aged well, while others simply don't produce the same number of laughs when you know what's coming. All I can say is that on my first viewing I laughed a lot more than I expected. The Heat creates another successful entry into the familiar buddy cop genre thanks to the deft directing of Paul Feig and the strong chemistry of its two female leads. Grade: B+