And the big premiere week of the Fall Season begins...
Monday, 9/22
Yo Gabba Gabba!; Nickelodeon. 10:30 am CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
The Office's Melora Hardin makes an appearance on the show that makes The Teletubbies look sane.
Trivial Pursuit: America Plays; Syndicated. 1 pm. Series Premiere.
A gameshow where viewers send in video questions.
The Big Bang Theory; CBS. 7 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
One of the best comedies of the past few years returns with the fallout of Leonard and Penny's date. Recommended
Dancing With the Stars; 7 pm CST. 7th Cycle Premiere.
Heroes; NBC. 7 pm & 8 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
A one-hour recap before the two hour premiere of the "Villains" storyarc.
Sounds like the creators realized the mistakes made last year and looking to atone for them this year.
How I Met Your Mother; CBS. 7:30. 4th Season Premiere.
My favorite network comedy the past two years returns with what could be an actual move towards revealing the mother of the title. Plus, let's not forget: Barney may actually have fallen in love with Robin, so expect that to be a major plot point for a while. Highly Recommended
Two and a Half Men; CBS. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Worst Week; CBS. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Bumbling boyfriend Sam Briggs gets into increasingly bad situations while trying to do the right thing. I've heard good things about this show. Sounds like star Kyle Bornheimer is a real find, and he will be the reason this show succeeds if it does. Co-star Kurtwood Smith will keep him on his toes. Everyone's saying this sounds like a Meet the Parents rip-off, but it's actually a remake of a British series of the same name. A show, by the way, I enjoyed quite a bit. And a lot of that had to do with the cast.
I'm going to highly recommend this show. I've got a good feeling about it. I will warn you, though, the British series relied quite a bit on ever-increasing ridiculous situations, but the cast held it all together. This cast needs to prove it can do the same, but I'm willing to bet it will succeed. Give it a try. It looks like it could be a laugh riot.
Boston Legal; ABC. 9 pm. 5th Season Premiere.
Now this is a ridiculous show that's held together by its cast (and great writing). The final (and I believe shortened) season begins tonight. If you've got an open mind for left-leaning characters and can handle silly banter, then I recommend it.
CSI: Miami; CBS. 9 pm. 7th Season Premiere.
H got shot? Dang!
Tuesday, 9/23
NCIS; CBS. 7 pm. 6th Season Premiere.
Opportunity Knocks; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
A new gameshow where knowing your family could earn you big prizes.
The Mentalist; CBS. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Simon Baker stars as a former psychic (he faked it) who now wants to go legit to solve crimes. I've heard decent things (especially about star Simon Baker's performance), but the premise sounds overdone.
Without a Trace; CBS. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
New co-star Steven Weber. I like him, but I doubt I'll start watching because of him.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; NBC. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Wednesday, 9/24
Knight Rider; NBC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
The made-for-TV movie last season was pretty silly, but then, let's be realistic and remind ourselves that the original was even sillier. Could be good for some brainless fun...
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS. 7 pm. 4th Season Premiere.
First CBS doesn't give it anything like the respect it deserves (it's very good), and then they open up a new comedy block and uses this show as its anchor. I just hope what follows doesn't drag it down.
Anyway, like I said, I like this show. It's gotten better every year, and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss can sell the most silly situations. But this year Christine is supposed to work on getting married to Barb to keep her from getting deported.
I like how a show is throwing a same-sex marriage storyline out there now that California legalized it (props to the grown-ups in CA-- let's hope other states come to their senses and give equal rights to everyone), but since this is a marriage of convenience and not a serious one for the characters, I'm not sure if it'll be a good thing this early in the process. I have faith in the show, but it's gonna be a tough storyline. Recommended.
Gary Unmarried; CBS. 7:30. Series Premiere.
Jay Mohr plays a recently divorced dad who tries to date again while juggling the kids and his ex.
I like Mohr, but I don't think a show this standard is going to help his job any. He's more edgy than this thing is bound to be. (Check out Action on DVD if you get the chance-- that's a perfect role for him.) I
'm not excited for this show, but it does co-star Paula Marshall, who is a show-clincher for me (whatever she's in, I watch). I love Paula Marshall.
CSI: NY; CBS. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Lipstick Jungle; NBC. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
Thursday, 9/25
My Name is Earl; NBC. 7:00 & 7:30. 4th Season premiere.
After a few side trips last season, Earl goes back to the original premise: trying to right the wrongs he did in his past.
On Smallville (CW; 7 pm), the guy that will be Doomsday on this show makes his first appearance. I don't want to be a hater-- especially since I haven't followed the show-- but I really don't think that's a good idea. But the creators insist they'll link this guy to the creature that killed Superman in the comics. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt (especially when I read they're working closely with DC Comics), but...
Survivor: Gabon; CBS. 7 pm. 17th Cycle Premiere.
CBS is promoting this installment as the first in HD. Could be a beautiful series...
Ugly Betty; ABC. 7 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
The production of the show moves to New York, so expect a more authentic feel. I believe Henry is out (he got another gig), and I've read another guy could enter Betty's life. Hmmm. Three loves in three seasons. Betty sure can work that ugly...
Grey's Anatomy; ABC. 8 pm. 4th(?) Season Premiere.
Now with a new doctor, played by Rome and Journeyman's Kevin McKidd. I resisted watching this show, but I'll be tuning in for McKidd.
The Office; NBC. 8 pm. 5th Season Premiere.
Michael's still pursuing Amy Ryan's HR Rep (who will be around for at least 6 eps), and Jim misses Pam, who's in art school. And the fallout of Angela and Dwight hooking up after Andy's proposal is supposed to be dealt with.
ER; NBC. 9 pm. 15th Season Premiere.
This is it, people. Last season.
Friday, 9/26
Suite Life on Deck; Disney. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Zack & Cody on a ship.
Saturday, 9/27
Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger; HBO. 8 pm. Special
Rock's fifth HBO special promises to be a great one.
48 Hours Mystery; CBS. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Sunday, 9/28
Amazing Race; CBS. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
The Simpsons; FOX. 7 pm. 20th Season Premiere.
Cold Case; CBS. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Desperate Housewives; ABC. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
The five-year jump shown in last season's finale is very promising. I'm looking forward to seeing these women in different situations.
Dexter; Showtime. 8 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
With new cast member Jimmy Smits. Hopefully, he'll give me someone to care about because I found the first season lacking in that regards.
Family Guy; FOX. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Brothers & Sisters; ABC. 9 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
Californication; Showtime. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
I think the first season finale made a good series finale, but it'll be interesting to see what direction the show goes in since the premise was turned on its head at the end of last season. But, like Dexter, I didn't find much to like about the characters. I understand "edgy", but a show has to be able to hook viewers. The best way to do that is to make at least one character likable-- or at least give the unlikable ones a compelling reason to be that way.
The Unit; CBS. 9 pm. 4th Season Premiere.
Little Britain USA; HBO. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
This BBC show jumps the pond to try its humor on America. I have heard the first ep is weak, but it's supposed to get better in the 2nd ep, so hold on. I watched the show some when it was on BBC America, and I found it amusing-- but not enough to keep watching. Hopefully this will be more my cup of tea.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Various Thoughts
Just a little stream-of-consciousness thing tonight...
Dan was the first Big Brother winner I backed since the first episode. I'm pumped. He's tied with Dr Will (the Season 2 version, not the All-Stars version) as my favorite reality contestant. Congrats, Dan. You seem like the type of guy I could drink a few beers with and just laugh my ass off.
75 minutes until the season premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I am so stoked for this show. The commercial mash-up I posted last weekend just reminded me how dang funny that show is. "Whaddup, bitches" is still my favorite line of the past few years.
Do Not Disturb will probably be the first show I "cut" this season. Jesus Christ-- what a turd that show is. And it's too bad because it's got some hot chicks on it...
Speaking of hot chicks, I had not one, but two blasts from the past in the last few days.
First, I checked out the upcoming Starz series Crash page I posted last weekend, and I see my first "big boy" crush is in it. I first saw Clare Carey on the TV series Coach, back in the day, and I fell hard. Just gorgeous-- and cute as Hell. I read her bio for the show, and I see how much I missed. She's had guest parts on lots of shows-- even some I watch-- and I didn't even know. It was depressing to realize I missed so much of her work, but that just means I'll have to do some syndicated TV searching to check out those appearances.
I knew I was going to watch Crash eventually, but now I'll be watching it as it airs as opposed to putting it on DVD for later.
And then, a day later, I'm watching the much-improved Prison Break and I see another actress I was gaga over: Stacy Haiduk, who I first saw on the Superboy series. I couldn't follow that show very well (small-market syndication back in the '80s was brutal to try to follow), but it looks as if her resume is gigantic as well if imdb.com is any indication.
Too cool to see both of them in just a few days.
Sorry if I offended anyone with my political post. I just hate the Two Party system. I think it should be abolished. And voting for a third party is completely okay-- don't let the Big Two tell you otherwise. Trust me, they need your vote more than McCain or Obama do.
Had another great week in Fantasy Football last week. But instead of just winning like I did two weeks ago, I f-bombing slaughtered my opponents last week. Not bad for a guy who barely watches football games. I have been watching them a little more, but that's because it gives me a chance to watch High Def (my DVR is too full to watch much in HD; it's limited to Weeds, Entourage, and Prison Break right now).
Speaking of Weeds-- holy crap, what a finale. I watched that scene with Doug and a noose, and I'm thinkin' they cannot have this guy kill himself -- just to see him use it to choke himself while he masturbates. Fantastic out from left field mind-screw there. Dang!
And I so didn't see the end "revelation" coming. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. What a bombshell. I'm actually looking forward to the next season-- and I have a long, long wait.
Watched the first episode of Sons of Anarchy. Meh. I'll keep watching, but it had better give me a reason to tune in. I get the bad-assery going on, but viewers need someone sympathetic to "root for" on these shows, and the guy they gave us is more pathetic than sympathetic. Katey Sagal is very good in it; I may stick around just to see her work if I lose interest.
I checked out most of the first season of the new Dr. Who, and I found it to be pretty good. It looks like it's Britain's version of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Good episodes built around morality tales. I really like Christopher Ecceleston's Doctor character. Humor, confidence, and intelligence all tempered with his wonderment at the human species. I just love the thought behind his excitement for the little things in life being brushed off by the human characters, and he has to stop them and remind them how cool it all is.
And while I enjoyed Billie Piper on Secret Diaries of a Call Girl, I now know why fans just looove this woman. Her Rose character is perfect for the series. A good choice as the human of the show that sometimes has to counterbalance the Doctor's pragmatism. And she's gorgeous; who wouldn't fall in love with her? And the episode where she saw her dad before he was killed was absolutely heartbreaking. Fantastic story-- and amazing work by Ms. Piper.
Check out Dr. Who. I got mine from the library. BBC America airs it as well, but I think they're at the David Tennant Doctor right now. I'm sure he's good too, but I just haven't gotten there yet. I have to finish the first season and work on the Battlestar Galactica second season, which I just checked out.
Finally, speaking of libraries: use yours. It's amazing what you'll find there, and it's the sole reason I can watch 100 DVDs a year and not pay a cent to do it.
And here's what's cool: you can belong to different libraries. I just got my card from the Oshkosh area (which has a kick-ass Graphic Novel section), and now I can get material from over a 100 mile radius. Practically every Eastern Wisconsin library from Michigan to Milwaukee is at my fingertips. I do almost all my searching online, and I just let the material come to my local area library. It's nuts, people. It's there, it's (usually) free, and it's crazy-easy.
Dan was the first Big Brother winner I backed since the first episode. I'm pumped. He's tied with Dr Will (the Season 2 version, not the All-Stars version) as my favorite reality contestant. Congrats, Dan. You seem like the type of guy I could drink a few beers with and just laugh my ass off.
75 minutes until the season premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I am so stoked for this show. The commercial mash-up I posted last weekend just reminded me how dang funny that show is. "Whaddup, bitches" is still my favorite line of the past few years.
Do Not Disturb will probably be the first show I "cut" this season. Jesus Christ-- what a turd that show is. And it's too bad because it's got some hot chicks on it...
Speaking of hot chicks, I had not one, but two blasts from the past in the last few days.
First, I checked out the upcoming Starz series Crash page I posted last weekend, and I see my first "big boy" crush is in it. I first saw Clare Carey on the TV series Coach, back in the day, and I fell hard. Just gorgeous-- and cute as Hell. I read her bio for the show, and I see how much I missed. She's had guest parts on lots of shows-- even some I watch-- and I didn't even know. It was depressing to realize I missed so much of her work, but that just means I'll have to do some syndicated TV searching to check out those appearances.
I knew I was going to watch Crash eventually, but now I'll be watching it as it airs as opposed to putting it on DVD for later.
And then, a day later, I'm watching the much-improved Prison Break and I see another actress I was gaga over: Stacy Haiduk, who I first saw on the Superboy series. I couldn't follow that show very well (small-market syndication back in the '80s was brutal to try to follow), but it looks as if her resume is gigantic as well if imdb.com is any indication.
Too cool to see both of them in just a few days.
Sorry if I offended anyone with my political post. I just hate the Two Party system. I think it should be abolished. And voting for a third party is completely okay-- don't let the Big Two tell you otherwise. Trust me, they need your vote more than McCain or Obama do.
Had another great week in Fantasy Football last week. But instead of just winning like I did two weeks ago, I f-bombing slaughtered my opponents last week. Not bad for a guy who barely watches football games. I have been watching them a little more, but that's because it gives me a chance to watch High Def (my DVR is too full to watch much in HD; it's limited to Weeds, Entourage, and Prison Break right now).
Speaking of Weeds-- holy crap, what a finale. I watched that scene with Doug and a noose, and I'm thinkin' they cannot have this guy kill himself -- just to see him use it to choke himself while he masturbates. Fantastic out from left field mind-screw there. Dang!
And I so didn't see the end "revelation" coming. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. What a bombshell. I'm actually looking forward to the next season-- and I have a long, long wait.
Watched the first episode of Sons of Anarchy. Meh. I'll keep watching, but it had better give me a reason to tune in. I get the bad-assery going on, but viewers need someone sympathetic to "root for" on these shows, and the guy they gave us is more pathetic than sympathetic. Katey Sagal is very good in it; I may stick around just to see her work if I lose interest.
I checked out most of the first season of the new Dr. Who, and I found it to be pretty good. It looks like it's Britain's version of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Good episodes built around morality tales. I really like Christopher Ecceleston's Doctor character. Humor, confidence, and intelligence all tempered with his wonderment at the human species. I just love the thought behind his excitement for the little things in life being brushed off by the human characters, and he has to stop them and remind them how cool it all is.
And while I enjoyed Billie Piper on Secret Diaries of a Call Girl, I now know why fans just looove this woman. Her Rose character is perfect for the series. A good choice as the human of the show that sometimes has to counterbalance the Doctor's pragmatism. And she's gorgeous; who wouldn't fall in love with her? And the episode where she saw her dad before he was killed was absolutely heartbreaking. Fantastic story-- and amazing work by Ms. Piper.
Check out Dr. Who. I got mine from the library. BBC America airs it as well, but I think they're at the David Tennant Doctor right now. I'm sure he's good too, but I just haven't gotten there yet. I have to finish the first season and work on the Battlestar Galactica second season, which I just checked out.
Finally, speaking of libraries: use yours. It's amazing what you'll find there, and it's the sole reason I can watch 100 DVDs a year and not pay a cent to do it.
And here's what's cool: you can belong to different libraries. I just got my card from the Oshkosh area (which has a kick-ass Graphic Novel section), and now I can get material from over a 100 mile radius. Practically every Eastern Wisconsin library from Michigan to Milwaukee is at my fingertips. I do almost all my searching online, and I just let the material come to my local area library. It's nuts, people. It's there, it's (usually) free, and it's crazy-easy.
Why Not This Guy?
If you're like me, you're already sick of the Presidential Election.
The damn primaries started too early and took too long. Now we've got the same-old going with the WTF candidate on the Right and the Second Coming going with the same old on the Left.
And they're arguing about stupid shit like lipstick on a pig comments. (I mean-- SERIOUSLY-- do they think we're that f-bombing stupid? SERIOUSLY????)
The last two elections have been ones I've seriously gone against the grain on. The Big Two did not get my vote in any election where there was a third (or more) candidate. So yeah, Nader got my vote, and no Nader didn't cost Gore the election mainly because Bush should never in a million years have gotten that close to actually becoming President (hmmm-- maybe we are that stupid).
Anyway, this link was sent to me by a friend, and I gotta say: I think I can support this concept.
Get rid of the politicians who are owned by the lobbyists and all the people they've gotten favors from.
Vote for this guy.
http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=370743&altf=Ufbnfdl&altl=
The damn primaries started too early and took too long. Now we've got the same-old going with the WTF candidate on the Right and the Second Coming going with the same old on the Left.
And they're arguing about stupid shit like lipstick on a pig comments. (I mean-- SERIOUSLY-- do they think we're that f-bombing stupid? SERIOUSLY????)
The last two elections have been ones I've seriously gone against the grain on. The Big Two did not get my vote in any election where there was a third (or more) candidate. So yeah, Nader got my vote, and no Nader didn't cost Gore the election mainly because Bush should never in a million years have gotten that close to actually becoming President (hmmm-- maybe we are that stupid).
Anyway, this link was sent to me by a friend, and I gotta say: I think I can support this concept.
Get rid of the politicians who are owned by the lobbyists and all the people they've gotten favors from.
Vote for this guy.
http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=370743&altf=Ufbnfdl&altl=
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
2008 Q2 Films/DVDs: A's
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford-- A very dreary, slowly unwinding look at Robert Ford and the relationship he had with Jesse James before he killed him. It’s also a secondary look at the price of fame in America, first for James, and later for Ford. Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck were both pretty damn incredible. A-
Into the Wild— Based on a true story, a young man who has everything gives it all up to travel cross-country to be by himself in the Alaskan wilderness. Most of us can relate to wanting to get away from it all, but director Sean Penn reminds us that by this man fulfilling his dream, he also destroyed the dreams of his parents and sister as well as left heartbreak in his wake with all the people he came across in his journey. This extremely charismatic, learned, and giving man could not accept love from anyone, and once they got close, he ran away to the next leg on his journey. Once he got on his own in Alaska, he realized, too late, that what makes us human is need for companionship. The acting and directing were all fantastic, but I have to point out Hal Holbrook’s absolutely amazing work in the 20-odd minutes of screen time he had. Extremely powerful and moving, and ultimately heartbreaking. A-
Laurel and Hardy Digitally Remastered: “Sons of the Desert”, “The Music Box”,
“Another Fine Mess”, “Busy Bodies”, “County Hospital”
Absolutely brilliant. I loved these guys as a kid, and I still love them as an adult (BTW: my kids just love them, too). L&H’s half-hour “shorts” were masterpieces that still hold up well. If you’re looking for something fun with very good acting and directing (considering these were made when the medium was still in its infancy), you don’t need to go any further than these two. There is genius all over these shorts, and it’s a tragedy that something like this could never really fly in today’s media. A-
Wall-E—film. It’s almost ridiculous how the Pixar crew can make a film a year that is different than anything else and be as consistently good as it always is. This is no exception. This time, they spent a good 30 minutes following this character without any dialogue. And then, the last half of the movie became a movie with a (very important) message, yet it didn’t talk down to the audience. The message blended right into the plot and the characters. These guys know how to make movies. It’s not my favorite Pixar film, but it’s impossible to say it isn’t way above average when compared to anything else out there. A-
In the Shadow of the Moon— The story of the Apollo space program as told by the men who were in it. These former astronauts are all well into their sixties, but they all have a youth about them that was just fascinating to behold. They also are well aware of the part they played in American culture and human history, but they have a wonderful humor about it all. Just listening to these men tell their stories (with fantastic visuals from footage of the time) was exciting. We take for granted that people can go into space, but it really should be remembered that each and every mission is filled with peril—and these men were the first ones to do it. Take 90 minutes for yourself to experience it with them because you won’t regret it. The word “hero” has been overused of late, but these men are true heroes. A (I wish there was a higher grade I could give).
Iron Man—film. I wrote a quickie review here. I haven’t really changed my thinking, and it seems as if critics and the public agree: this was a very good action movie that was well planned out, well acted, and reminded us that a “comic book movie” does not have to be shlocky. A
Into the Wild— Based on a true story, a young man who has everything gives it all up to travel cross-country to be by himself in the Alaskan wilderness. Most of us can relate to wanting to get away from it all, but director Sean Penn reminds us that by this man fulfilling his dream, he also destroyed the dreams of his parents and sister as well as left heartbreak in his wake with all the people he came across in his journey. This extremely charismatic, learned, and giving man could not accept love from anyone, and once they got close, he ran away to the next leg on his journey. Once he got on his own in Alaska, he realized, too late, that what makes us human is need for companionship. The acting and directing were all fantastic, but I have to point out Hal Holbrook’s absolutely amazing work in the 20-odd minutes of screen time he had. Extremely powerful and moving, and ultimately heartbreaking. A-
Laurel and Hardy Digitally Remastered: “Sons of the Desert”, “The Music Box”,
“Another Fine Mess”, “Busy Bodies”, “County Hospital”
Absolutely brilliant. I loved these guys as a kid, and I still love them as an adult (BTW: my kids just love them, too). L&H’s half-hour “shorts” were masterpieces that still hold up well. If you’re looking for something fun with very good acting and directing (considering these were made when the medium was still in its infancy), you don’t need to go any further than these two. There is genius all over these shorts, and it’s a tragedy that something like this could never really fly in today’s media. A-
Wall-E—film. It’s almost ridiculous how the Pixar crew can make a film a year that is different than anything else and be as consistently good as it always is. This is no exception. This time, they spent a good 30 minutes following this character without any dialogue. And then, the last half of the movie became a movie with a (very important) message, yet it didn’t talk down to the audience. The message blended right into the plot and the characters. These guys know how to make movies. It’s not my favorite Pixar film, but it’s impossible to say it isn’t way above average when compared to anything else out there. A-
In the Shadow of the Moon— The story of the Apollo space program as told by the men who were in it. These former astronauts are all well into their sixties, but they all have a youth about them that was just fascinating to behold. They also are well aware of the part they played in American culture and human history, but they have a wonderful humor about it all. Just listening to these men tell their stories (with fantastic visuals from footage of the time) was exciting. We take for granted that people can go into space, but it really should be remembered that each and every mission is filled with peril—and these men were the first ones to do it. Take 90 minutes for yourself to experience it with them because you won’t regret it. The word “hero” has been overused of late, but these men are true heroes. A (I wish there was a higher grade I could give).
Iron Man—film. I wrote a quickie review here. I haven’t really changed my thinking, and it seems as if critics and the public agree: this was a very good action movie that was well planned out, well acted, and reminded us that a “comic book movie” does not have to be shlocky. A
Monday, September 15, 2008
2008 Q2 Films/DVDs: B's
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself— An interesting look at how things can be perceived and influenced by the media. Good script, acting, directing; especially considering this was a made-for-TV (HBO) movie. B-
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly-- I just wasn’t as moved by this movie as I should have been. It’s not to say the performances and directing weren’t good; I just had issues with who everyone was and how they fit into things and how stretched out some of the scenes were. But the story is amazing: a man becomes nearly completely paralyzed and only has control over his left eyelid, and with the help of an assistant, he writes his autobiography. B-
Enchanted—I thought the movie was cute, and the performances were good. There were plenty of “Easter eggs” for those who have seen most of the Disney fairy tale films over the years. I’d give it a solid “decent enough”. B-
Hitman—Typical action/chase movie about an organization trying to stop a “monster” it created, with double-crossings, a hot chick in tow, and lots of cool action sequences. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t a Bourne movie either. A bald, emotionless Timothy Olyphant can still be an effective actor, but I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this dude needs a cool kick-ass role comparable to his role in Deadwood. I’m not trying to pigeonhole the guy because I see he’s got lots of talents beyond that one character, but the characters he’s been playing since Deadwood haven’t been good enough for him. B-
Horton Hears a Who—film. A bit bloated, but it followed the book pretty well. Above-average voice acting (although I still wish some of these big releases would let veteran voice actors do more work). B-
King Corn—TV. I‘m not sure how it all started, but two friends find out that the carbon in their hair is almost ¾ parts corn-based. How did that happen? They decide to rent an acre of corn field in Iowa, so they can track the journey of corn from beginning to end. It wasn’t very exciting, but it was interesting. It’s amazing to think that nearly everything we eat and drink has corn in it (mostly in the form of fructose corn syrup used as a sweetener). And one farmer had the line that summed up nearly all the corn production in America (paraphrased here): “Every year we grow more corn than ever before, and every year we grow less edible corn than ever before.” Most those cornfields you see in person or on TV are actually designed for use as an additive in food or meal for livestock (which has greatly shortened the lifespan of said livestock). When you want your mind opened a little, take 90 minutes and watch this movie. I can’t say it changed my life at all, but it sure is good fodder for conversation. B-
The Kite Runner— I’m not sure what to make of this movie. It was good, but it left me a little flat. It started out well, focusing on two boys (great acting, BTW) who were “from different worlds”; one was the son of a wealthy man, the other was the son of that man’s servant. The servant boy was extremely loyal, but when he got into trouble, the wealthy son didn’t help his friend. They got separated, and, years later, the wealthy son had the opportunity to atone for his sin, and the second half of the movie follows his journey. I should have been more moved by the story, but the second half was so rushed, I never felt that the wealthy son had sacrificed enough to make up for abandoning his friend. B-
Phone Booth— A short, tense thriller that was unique and interesting to me, but the ending left me a bit flat. Good performances by the actors, and the directing kept things frenetic, though. B-
Sweeney Todd-- I don’t “get” musicals. I also had a tough time understanding this one (thank God for DVD subtitles). It looked beautiful, as can be expected from Tim Burton, and the acting of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and the others was very well done. The story just left me a bit flat. B-
Atonement— An interesting “experiment”. Take the conventions of a love story set in the early 20th Century, and then tweak it a little. It shone a light on the follies of youth as well as the differences between classes. The end was depressing, but it showed the power of fiction. Can one change the story if one takes it into her own hands? B
Beowulf— The oldest story in the Western World is updated for modern audiences—and it’s done pretty well. I haven’t read the original (or any translations), so I don’t know how faithful it is to the source material, but as an action movie, it was pretty sound. It hit a number of beats of a typical action film, and the motion capture animation was one of the better products I’ve seen. B
Interview-- A very interesting film about celebrity that was adapted from a foreign film (this time directed by Steve Buscemi). Buscemi plays a former war correspondent who is assigned to interview a young actress (Sienna Miller) best known for being in bad movies (think of what someone like Lindsey Lohan would be in five years—assuming she doesn’t grow up). They get along like oil and water, but something happens that brings them back together, and they start peeling back the layers of who they are underneath the exteriors they’ve built for themselves. The acting and the story were very powerful. What doesn’t give this a better grade is toward the end of the movie, the “peeling back” is partly true and partly false, and it was difficult to determine what was and what wasn’t real. It didn’t kill the movie for me, but I think it hurt its effectiveness because it was otherwise a very powerful look at public perception. B
Kung Fu Panda—film. I have issues with animated movies that rely heavily on the talents of actors usually seen on screen (as opposed to professional voice actors), but Jack Black owned this role. Sure, someone else could have been Po’s voice, but Black was Po. The same can be said for Ian McShane, whose growlly voice was perfect as the Tiger (sorry, can’t access his character name right now). The animation was beautiful, and the story was typical (“everyone has a hero inside him”), yet varied enough to keep things interesting. B
30 Days of Night-- I’m not a horror movie fan, but I am a comic fan, so I had to check this out. Scary. It took the abstract art of the comic and made a pretty good film. I even understood the (stripped-down) story of the film better than I did the comic. It’s a great concept (vampires invade an Alaskan town that experiences 30 straight days of no sun due to its location), and it’s amazing no one else thought of it until the comic came out a few years ago. Check out the DVD extras; they’re pretty cool. B+
Appleseed Ex Machina— I’m not an anime fan, and I don’t know any of the backstory of these characters, but I was absolutely amazed with the visuals of this movie. It was one of the most beautifully colored and rendered movies I’ve ever seen. And since John Woo played a part in its creation, you can also be assured the action scenes were top-notch. I recommend watching this on a big screen TV with Surround Sound and just let yourself be blown away by it. B+
August Rush-- A movie that should have bored me, but it took a different approach to tell a well-worn story about a boy looking for his parents. The acting was great by Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, John Rhys Meyers, and Robin Williams (who played a very unsettling, charismatic, scumbag). There were scarier moments (probably because I was expecting something “really bad” to happen due to previous stories I’ve encountered), but it ended up being pretty tame; tame enough for most grade school kids to watch. It also had a great “magic” about it that revolved around music. I had seen it all before, but it’s done really well here. B+
The Contender— I didn’t know what to expect from this film, so it was a nice surprise to have it end up to be a political thriller. And even though there were “big surprises” at the end that were a bit larger than life, Jeff Bridges’ president gave a kick-ass speech at the end that could never have happened in the real world—but was sure fun to watch in a movie. The performances were great, and the plot seemed very true to life. B+
Gone Baby Gone— Another film that would be great to show in a group because it raises very good questions about “right” and “wrong” and what makes a heroic act (something good on the surface or something that may only look good after years). This is Ben Affleck’s first turn as a director, and he did an fantastic job coaxing excellent performances from his actors (most notably, his brother Casey, who was amazing) and also brought the movie a very real, gritty Boston (his hometown). I should know a movie like this will have twists and turns, but I was surprised by them. The movie drew me in from the first minute and I was along for the ride. B+
No Country for Old Men-- A dark chase movie. Great acting all around, and the directing was fantastic. The end was a bit nebulous for me, but then again, I can’t expect everything to be tied up in a bow for our entertainment. B+
There Will Be Blood-- A great acted/directed movie that could have used a bit more storytelling. There was more than once where I thought “Now how did they get here?” Also, the very bad blood between Plainview and the Reverend seemed to come from almost nowhere. They never got along, but there was serious hatred in the back half of the movie that didn’t seem justified from what we saw previously. But, as I said, it’s extremely well done, and Daniel Day Lewis was unbelievable in it. And the “I drink your milkshake” scene… wow. B+
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly-- I just wasn’t as moved by this movie as I should have been. It’s not to say the performances and directing weren’t good; I just had issues with who everyone was and how they fit into things and how stretched out some of the scenes were. But the story is amazing: a man becomes nearly completely paralyzed and only has control over his left eyelid, and with the help of an assistant, he writes his autobiography. B-
Enchanted—I thought the movie was cute, and the performances were good. There were plenty of “Easter eggs” for those who have seen most of the Disney fairy tale films over the years. I’d give it a solid “decent enough”. B-
Hitman—Typical action/chase movie about an organization trying to stop a “monster” it created, with double-crossings, a hot chick in tow, and lots of cool action sequences. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t a Bourne movie either. A bald, emotionless Timothy Olyphant can still be an effective actor, but I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this dude needs a cool kick-ass role comparable to his role in Deadwood. I’m not trying to pigeonhole the guy because I see he’s got lots of talents beyond that one character, but the characters he’s been playing since Deadwood haven’t been good enough for him. B-
Horton Hears a Who—film. A bit bloated, but it followed the book pretty well. Above-average voice acting (although I still wish some of these big releases would let veteran voice actors do more work). B-
King Corn—TV. I‘m not sure how it all started, but two friends find out that the carbon in their hair is almost ¾ parts corn-based. How did that happen? They decide to rent an acre of corn field in Iowa, so they can track the journey of corn from beginning to end. It wasn’t very exciting, but it was interesting. It’s amazing to think that nearly everything we eat and drink has corn in it (mostly in the form of fructose corn syrup used as a sweetener). And one farmer had the line that summed up nearly all the corn production in America (paraphrased here): “Every year we grow more corn than ever before, and every year we grow less edible corn than ever before.” Most those cornfields you see in person or on TV are actually designed for use as an additive in food or meal for livestock (which has greatly shortened the lifespan of said livestock). When you want your mind opened a little, take 90 minutes and watch this movie. I can’t say it changed my life at all, but it sure is good fodder for conversation. B-
The Kite Runner— I’m not sure what to make of this movie. It was good, but it left me a little flat. It started out well, focusing on two boys (great acting, BTW) who were “from different worlds”; one was the son of a wealthy man, the other was the son of that man’s servant. The servant boy was extremely loyal, but when he got into trouble, the wealthy son didn’t help his friend. They got separated, and, years later, the wealthy son had the opportunity to atone for his sin, and the second half of the movie follows his journey. I should have been more moved by the story, but the second half was so rushed, I never felt that the wealthy son had sacrificed enough to make up for abandoning his friend. B-
Phone Booth— A short, tense thriller that was unique and interesting to me, but the ending left me a bit flat. Good performances by the actors, and the directing kept things frenetic, though. B-
Sweeney Todd-- I don’t “get” musicals. I also had a tough time understanding this one (thank God for DVD subtitles). It looked beautiful, as can be expected from Tim Burton, and the acting of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and the others was very well done. The story just left me a bit flat. B-
Atonement— An interesting “experiment”. Take the conventions of a love story set in the early 20th Century, and then tweak it a little. It shone a light on the follies of youth as well as the differences between classes. The end was depressing, but it showed the power of fiction. Can one change the story if one takes it into her own hands? B
Beowulf— The oldest story in the Western World is updated for modern audiences—and it’s done pretty well. I haven’t read the original (or any translations), so I don’t know how faithful it is to the source material, but as an action movie, it was pretty sound. It hit a number of beats of a typical action film, and the motion capture animation was one of the better products I’ve seen. B
Interview-- A very interesting film about celebrity that was adapted from a foreign film (this time directed by Steve Buscemi). Buscemi plays a former war correspondent who is assigned to interview a young actress (Sienna Miller) best known for being in bad movies (think of what someone like Lindsey Lohan would be in five years—assuming she doesn’t grow up). They get along like oil and water, but something happens that brings them back together, and they start peeling back the layers of who they are underneath the exteriors they’ve built for themselves. The acting and the story were very powerful. What doesn’t give this a better grade is toward the end of the movie, the “peeling back” is partly true and partly false, and it was difficult to determine what was and what wasn’t real. It didn’t kill the movie for me, but I think it hurt its effectiveness because it was otherwise a very powerful look at public perception. B
Kung Fu Panda—film. I have issues with animated movies that rely heavily on the talents of actors usually seen on screen (as opposed to professional voice actors), but Jack Black owned this role. Sure, someone else could have been Po’s voice, but Black was Po. The same can be said for Ian McShane, whose growlly voice was perfect as the Tiger (sorry, can’t access his character name right now). The animation was beautiful, and the story was typical (“everyone has a hero inside him”), yet varied enough to keep things interesting. B
30 Days of Night-- I’m not a horror movie fan, but I am a comic fan, so I had to check this out. Scary. It took the abstract art of the comic and made a pretty good film. I even understood the (stripped-down) story of the film better than I did the comic. It’s a great concept (vampires invade an Alaskan town that experiences 30 straight days of no sun due to its location), and it’s amazing no one else thought of it until the comic came out a few years ago. Check out the DVD extras; they’re pretty cool. B+
Appleseed Ex Machina— I’m not an anime fan, and I don’t know any of the backstory of these characters, but I was absolutely amazed with the visuals of this movie. It was one of the most beautifully colored and rendered movies I’ve ever seen. And since John Woo played a part in its creation, you can also be assured the action scenes were top-notch. I recommend watching this on a big screen TV with Surround Sound and just let yourself be blown away by it. B+
August Rush-- A movie that should have bored me, but it took a different approach to tell a well-worn story about a boy looking for his parents. The acting was great by Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, John Rhys Meyers, and Robin Williams (who played a very unsettling, charismatic, scumbag). There were scarier moments (probably because I was expecting something “really bad” to happen due to previous stories I’ve encountered), but it ended up being pretty tame; tame enough for most grade school kids to watch. It also had a great “magic” about it that revolved around music. I had seen it all before, but it’s done really well here. B+
The Contender— I didn’t know what to expect from this film, so it was a nice surprise to have it end up to be a political thriller. And even though there were “big surprises” at the end that were a bit larger than life, Jeff Bridges’ president gave a kick-ass speech at the end that could never have happened in the real world—but was sure fun to watch in a movie. The performances were great, and the plot seemed very true to life. B+
Gone Baby Gone— Another film that would be great to show in a group because it raises very good questions about “right” and “wrong” and what makes a heroic act (something good on the surface or something that may only look good after years). This is Ben Affleck’s first turn as a director, and he did an fantastic job coaxing excellent performances from his actors (most notably, his brother Casey, who was amazing) and also brought the movie a very real, gritty Boston (his hometown). I should know a movie like this will have twists and turns, but I was surprised by them. The movie drew me in from the first minute and I was along for the ride. B+
No Country for Old Men-- A dark chase movie. Great acting all around, and the directing was fantastic. The end was a bit nebulous for me, but then again, I can’t expect everything to be tied up in a bow for our entertainment. B+
There Will Be Blood-- A great acted/directed movie that could have used a bit more storytelling. There was more than once where I thought “Now how did they get here?” Also, the very bad blood between Plainview and the Reverend seemed to come from almost nowhere. They never got along, but there was serious hatred in the back half of the movie that didn’t seem justified from what we saw previously. But, as I said, it’s extremely well done, and Daniel Day Lewis was unbelievable in it. And the “I drink your milkshake” scene… wow. B+
Sunday, September 14, 2008
2008 Q2 Films/DVDs: C's, D's, and F's
Yeah, yeah-- I'm way late on giving the list of (and grades) on what I watched in April, May, and June. Give me a break. I had a busy summer, and I'm now in the midst of the Fantasy Football season (I'm 1-0 in both leagues on my quest to repeat in one and three-peat in the other).
Anyway, the rules are the same: these are just very short things that popped in my head to write about these films or DVDs. Also, I am not a professional. If I got paid to write, I'd be a professional-- and I don't get paid to do this. I go with my gut. There are more than one film I rated a little low because it just didn't do for me what the pros said they did for them. Also, I tend to grade movies I see in the theatres a little higher than I would on DVD (maybe half a grade). I don't intentionally do it, but the theatre brings a lot to a film, in my opinion that can't be replicated on a TV.
These are my grades. Repeat: my grades. I tried to be consistent, which is to say, if I graded one movie a B, and another one an A, then I enjoyed/was impressed by the A more than the B.
And the basic thought behind a grade is:
F: Utter crap. Do not waste your time.
D: Pretty bad. May have one funny scene or an especially good acting performance among the rest of the garbage.
C: Average. Not bad, not special.
B: Pretty good. Worth watching.
A: Very good. Highly recommended.
And, as I've said before: I tend to watch more good movies than bad. If a DVD gets a great review in any number of magazines/newspapers, I'll probably end up watching it. Why I say that: I'm trying to show I'm not skewing the grades; I just tend to watch better movies.
Titles are given. I saw them on DVD unless otherwise noted (film=theatre; TV=premium channel; uncut).
Awake-- I want to like Hayden Christensen. I really do. But he makes it hard with acting here as wooden as it was in Attack of the Clones. There was a great scene where his mind is screaming when he’s being operated on (the premise of the film is this guy undergoes a heart transplant and is awake during it all because the anesthesia didn’t knock him out; it just paralyzed him), but other than that, the rest of the film was weak. And to make the film even more lame, there is a conspiracy to kill him during the transplant, which led to a number of twists and turns that got more and more far-fetched as the film drug on. D-
Balls of Fury-- A silly, not very good movie-- but I knew that going in. This is brain candy. It did offer some great cameos, though; particularly Thomas Lennon’s German ping pong champion. D+
Deepwater—TV. Being a Lucas Black fan, I wanted to check this out. Considering I ran across it on one of the movie channels and hadn’t heard about it before then, I didn’t have high hopes. It was weird. Black’s character steals a car to get out of a fight and ends up in this town run by a hotel owner. He meets up with a maid, and they agree to take the owner’s money and get out of town. But everything isn’t what it appears. D+
The Darjeeling Limited— I don’t understand “arty” movies. I can see the appeal for directors and actors and can often see the benefit for viewers, but some have me wondering “what is the purpose of this?” about 45 minutes in. This was one of those movies. Good acting, nice lines, mildly humorous, but at the 45 minute mark, I almost stopped it. Then the hour mark came, and something happened that actually brought quite a bit to the movie and pulled it all together. But it was a long wait. C-
Baby Mama—film. Tina Fey is the greatest thing since sliced bread if you’ve read any critic’s pieces about her, her show, or this movie. I like Fey a lot, but this movie was standard fare all the way. I’m woefully inadequate when it comes to “predicting” plots; I like to just watch the movie/show or read the book and be brought along for the ride. But I saw the ending coming a mile away. It’s not to say the movie wasn’t funny or anything; it was just a standard B-type comedy. Nothing you can’t see in a hundred other films in any given year. C
Before the Devil Knows you’re Dead-- Another well-crafted movie that left me cold. Two brothers decide to get some easy money—by knocking off their parents’ jewelry store. Things don’t go as planned. C
Incredible Hulk—film. Another attempt at getting this franchise right, and another near-miss. Ed Norton tried, but I wasn’t buying him as Bruce Banner. I really didn’t buy Liv Tyler as Betty Ross (I thought she was too soft). The guy I “bought” the most was the guy who didn’t seem to fit in: Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination. Now he was great. I also have some issues with some character choices: why couldn’t the Hulk be green? Why did he have to be this dull grey/green thing? And why did the Abomination have to not look like the guy from the comics? I’m not one of those fanboy haters, but I did not find the movie version an improvement at all over the comic version. At least ti didn’t have stupid Hulk dogs this time. Nice try; but try harder next time (and there will be a next time, I’m sure). C
Lars and the Real Girl-- Lars is a quiet guy, who lives in a quiet town, and everyone wants him to meet a girl in the hopes that he’ll be more sociable. Instead of meeting one, he designs and buys one. He picked the “type” of woman he wanted, and bought a high-end sex doll. Then he treated her like a real person; he talked to her, set her up with a room at his brother’s house (she couldn’t stay with Lars because they weren’t married), and even brought her to church. And everyone played along because they all loved Lars. It wasn’t a bad movie—in fact the acting was above average—but it was just pointless. It was one of those well-written, well acted, well directed “slice of life” movies that doesn’t have a conflict or a resolution. C
Sex and the City—film. I watched the toned-down series on TBS, but I didn’t fall in love with the show like everyone else in the world seemed to. But I did enjoy it, and I was happy my wife was able to get excited for a movie like I get to be a few times a year. The movie felt long, as it covered material that probably would have made a decent sixth season of the series. Half-way through, I thought, This can’t be how this will turn out; these characters aren’t that stupid, but the movie was able to rectify the conflicts it began, and the movie ended by telling a complete story. But the thing is: there was no need for this movie. It ended with everyone in the same boat they were in at the end of the series. C
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story-- A ridiculous parody of the musical biopic. There wasn’t anything spectacular about it. The funniest moments for me were the ones where John C. Reilly was trying to pass himself off as the teenaged Dewey Cox. It’s a decent enough movie to kill some time with, but nothing must-see. C
Cloverfield-- I don’t know what to make of this. I’m not a monster movie aficionado, so maybe I wasn’t the target audience. It was done well considering it was meant to look cheap (everything is through the lens of a handheld video camera operated by one of the main characters). I thought the monster looked goofy (when we could actually see it), and I guess since it was supposed to resemble true life, we can’t really expect an answer to “where did it come from/what does it want?” But it would have been nice. The story just kinda started and then just kinda stopped. But it did stay true to what it was trying to capture (one small group of people’s experience with a monster), so I guess it succeeded that way. C+
Death at a Funeral— I was hoping to like this more than I did. Take a small, silly British movie with bizarre characters and increasingly bizarre situations, and I should be all over it like I am for BBC America shows like Worst Week of My Life. But this film just seemed like it was trying too hard, and it, ultimately, wasn’t as funny as I hoped. C+
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—film. I’m not gonna say Harrison Ford is too old. I’m not gonna say George Lucas didn’t come up with a good concept. And I’m not gonna say Steven Spielberg didn’t do his job. But I will say this didn’t feel like an Indiana Jones movie. Something was “off”. I don’t know if it was the setting, the sci fi elements, or what, but it didn’t feel right. It also didn’t help when the nuclear bomb went off. I know Indy doesn’t live in the real world, but come on… It still had great action, though; so there is something worth watching. C+
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium— This film tried to be too many different things. It was a fairy tale of sorts, but it had its dark moments that took me out of the fantastical elements. It was a coming of age story that came a little too easily. It was a “learn to believe in magic” story that was tidied up too quickly. Dustin Hoffman was a little too much, Natalie Portman was a little too little, Jason Bateman worked well in a character that wasn’t fleshed out enough, and Zach Mills was perfect as the hat collector. The film certainly wasn’t bad, just disjointed. And it didn’t live up to what it could have given premise and the actors. C+
My Kid Could Paint That-- A young preschool girl becomes an art sensation when her abstract paintings sell for tens of thousands of dollars. That creates a frenzy because it’s abstract art; an art type that a good chunk of the population believes is bunk to begin with, and now a little girl is creating works that stack up against some of the abstract greats. And then people begin questioning if she was doing the paintings herself, or if she had help from her artist father. There was a lot going on in this movie, and it was interesting to see the fragility of the art world, but nothing really got “solved”. The movie just ended. It was all you expect, but I wanted more. C+
Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic—TV. Sometimes I like Silverman, and sometimes I don’t. This film was a mix of her standup and some skits and pieces in between bits. Some were funny, some weren’t. If you’ve watched her Comedy Central show, you know what to expect. C+
Anyway, the rules are the same: these are just very short things that popped in my head to write about these films or DVDs. Also, I am not a professional. If I got paid to write, I'd be a professional-- and I don't get paid to do this. I go with my gut. There are more than one film I rated a little low because it just didn't do for me what the pros said they did for them. Also, I tend to grade movies I see in the theatres a little higher than I would on DVD (maybe half a grade). I don't intentionally do it, but the theatre brings a lot to a film, in my opinion that can't be replicated on a TV.
These are my grades. Repeat: my grades. I tried to be consistent, which is to say, if I graded one movie a B, and another one an A, then I enjoyed/was impressed by the A more than the B.
And the basic thought behind a grade is:
F: Utter crap. Do not waste your time.
D: Pretty bad. May have one funny scene or an especially good acting performance among the rest of the garbage.
C: Average. Not bad, not special.
B: Pretty good. Worth watching.
A: Very good. Highly recommended.
And, as I've said before: I tend to watch more good movies than bad. If a DVD gets a great review in any number of magazines/newspapers, I'll probably end up watching it. Why I say that: I'm trying to show I'm not skewing the grades; I just tend to watch better movies.
Titles are given. I saw them on DVD unless otherwise noted (film=theatre; TV=premium channel; uncut).
Awake-- I want to like Hayden Christensen. I really do. But he makes it hard with acting here as wooden as it was in Attack of the Clones. There was a great scene where his mind is screaming when he’s being operated on (the premise of the film is this guy undergoes a heart transplant and is awake during it all because the anesthesia didn’t knock him out; it just paralyzed him), but other than that, the rest of the film was weak. And to make the film even more lame, there is a conspiracy to kill him during the transplant, which led to a number of twists and turns that got more and more far-fetched as the film drug on. D-
Balls of Fury-- A silly, not very good movie-- but I knew that going in. This is brain candy. It did offer some great cameos, though; particularly Thomas Lennon’s German ping pong champion. D+
Deepwater—TV. Being a Lucas Black fan, I wanted to check this out. Considering I ran across it on one of the movie channels and hadn’t heard about it before then, I didn’t have high hopes. It was weird. Black’s character steals a car to get out of a fight and ends up in this town run by a hotel owner. He meets up with a maid, and they agree to take the owner’s money and get out of town. But everything isn’t what it appears. D+
The Darjeeling Limited— I don’t understand “arty” movies. I can see the appeal for directors and actors and can often see the benefit for viewers, but some have me wondering “what is the purpose of this?” about 45 minutes in. This was one of those movies. Good acting, nice lines, mildly humorous, but at the 45 minute mark, I almost stopped it. Then the hour mark came, and something happened that actually brought quite a bit to the movie and pulled it all together. But it was a long wait. C-
Baby Mama—film. Tina Fey is the greatest thing since sliced bread if you’ve read any critic’s pieces about her, her show, or this movie. I like Fey a lot, but this movie was standard fare all the way. I’m woefully inadequate when it comes to “predicting” plots; I like to just watch the movie/show or read the book and be brought along for the ride. But I saw the ending coming a mile away. It’s not to say the movie wasn’t funny or anything; it was just a standard B-type comedy. Nothing you can’t see in a hundred other films in any given year. C
Before the Devil Knows you’re Dead-- Another well-crafted movie that left me cold. Two brothers decide to get some easy money—by knocking off their parents’ jewelry store. Things don’t go as planned. C
Incredible Hulk—film. Another attempt at getting this franchise right, and another near-miss. Ed Norton tried, but I wasn’t buying him as Bruce Banner. I really didn’t buy Liv Tyler as Betty Ross (I thought she was too soft). The guy I “bought” the most was the guy who didn’t seem to fit in: Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination. Now he was great. I also have some issues with some character choices: why couldn’t the Hulk be green? Why did he have to be this dull grey/green thing? And why did the Abomination have to not look like the guy from the comics? I’m not one of those fanboy haters, but I did not find the movie version an improvement at all over the comic version. At least ti didn’t have stupid Hulk dogs this time. Nice try; but try harder next time (and there will be a next time, I’m sure). C
Lars and the Real Girl-- Lars is a quiet guy, who lives in a quiet town, and everyone wants him to meet a girl in the hopes that he’ll be more sociable. Instead of meeting one, he designs and buys one. He picked the “type” of woman he wanted, and bought a high-end sex doll. Then he treated her like a real person; he talked to her, set her up with a room at his brother’s house (she couldn’t stay with Lars because they weren’t married), and even brought her to church. And everyone played along because they all loved Lars. It wasn’t a bad movie—in fact the acting was above average—but it was just pointless. It was one of those well-written, well acted, well directed “slice of life” movies that doesn’t have a conflict or a resolution. C
Sex and the City—film. I watched the toned-down series on TBS, but I didn’t fall in love with the show like everyone else in the world seemed to. But I did enjoy it, and I was happy my wife was able to get excited for a movie like I get to be a few times a year. The movie felt long, as it covered material that probably would have made a decent sixth season of the series. Half-way through, I thought, This can’t be how this will turn out; these characters aren’t that stupid, but the movie was able to rectify the conflicts it began, and the movie ended by telling a complete story. But the thing is: there was no need for this movie. It ended with everyone in the same boat they were in at the end of the series. C
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story-- A ridiculous parody of the musical biopic. There wasn’t anything spectacular about it. The funniest moments for me were the ones where John C. Reilly was trying to pass himself off as the teenaged Dewey Cox. It’s a decent enough movie to kill some time with, but nothing must-see. C
Cloverfield-- I don’t know what to make of this. I’m not a monster movie aficionado, so maybe I wasn’t the target audience. It was done well considering it was meant to look cheap (everything is through the lens of a handheld video camera operated by one of the main characters). I thought the monster looked goofy (when we could actually see it), and I guess since it was supposed to resemble true life, we can’t really expect an answer to “where did it come from/what does it want?” But it would have been nice. The story just kinda started and then just kinda stopped. But it did stay true to what it was trying to capture (one small group of people’s experience with a monster), so I guess it succeeded that way. C+
Death at a Funeral— I was hoping to like this more than I did. Take a small, silly British movie with bizarre characters and increasingly bizarre situations, and I should be all over it like I am for BBC America shows like Worst Week of My Life. But this film just seemed like it was trying too hard, and it, ultimately, wasn’t as funny as I hoped. C+
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—film. I’m not gonna say Harrison Ford is too old. I’m not gonna say George Lucas didn’t come up with a good concept. And I’m not gonna say Steven Spielberg didn’t do his job. But I will say this didn’t feel like an Indiana Jones movie. Something was “off”. I don’t know if it was the setting, the sci fi elements, or what, but it didn’t feel right. It also didn’t help when the nuclear bomb went off. I know Indy doesn’t live in the real world, but come on… It still had great action, though; so there is something worth watching. C+
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium— This film tried to be too many different things. It was a fairy tale of sorts, but it had its dark moments that took me out of the fantastical elements. It was a coming of age story that came a little too easily. It was a “learn to believe in magic” story that was tidied up too quickly. Dustin Hoffman was a little too much, Natalie Portman was a little too little, Jason Bateman worked well in a character that wasn’t fleshed out enough, and Zach Mills was perfect as the hat collector. The film certainly wasn’t bad, just disjointed. And it didn’t live up to what it could have given premise and the actors. C+
My Kid Could Paint That-- A young preschool girl becomes an art sensation when her abstract paintings sell for tens of thousands of dollars. That creates a frenzy because it’s abstract art; an art type that a good chunk of the population believes is bunk to begin with, and now a little girl is creating works that stack up against some of the abstract greats. And then people begin questioning if she was doing the paintings herself, or if she had help from her artist father. There was a lot going on in this movie, and it was interesting to see the fragility of the art world, but nothing really got “solved”. The movie just ended. It was all you expect, but I wanted more. C+
Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic—TV. Sometimes I like Silverman, and sometimes I don’t. This film was a mix of her standup and some skits and pieces in between bits. Some were funny, some weren’t. If you’ve watched her Comedy Central show, you know what to expect. C+
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