And the Words Shall Spew Forth

Move Along

2008-10-01T00:50:00.002-07:00

Hey guess what! I've moved! I switched to a new, more powerful, web host. So if you want to continue to get new content then please update your bookmarks to macbezz.com. Hope to see you there!

Puppet On a String

2008-09-30T12:18:00.003-07:00

Today is the release of Forgetting Sarah Marshall on DVD. I highly encourage anyone to go and check it out. But besides that, I always want to encourage people to check out other singing puppets. Things like the play Avenue Q, the original Muppet Show and of course, Sesame Street. So go on out there and find some singing puppets. They're just awesome.

Lucky Ball & Chain

2008-09-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

A horrible romantic comedy:

What Happens in Vegas:

This film is bad on every level. The plot is completely ridiculous (worse than the whole "the judge sentenced him to be my butler plot" from Seinfeld, and that was supposed to be a joke). The cast is just bad. Everything about it is horribly cliched. And yet it was still a moderately successful film financially. I just don't get it. If someone could explain to me why that happens again and again I'd greatly appreciate it.

The scoring:

Writing:
Cliched. Ridiculous. The characters are flimsy. The dialogue is worse. There were a few moments that made me slightly chuckle, but that was all. 0.4/1

Directing:
The film is on 99 minutes long, but it felt much longer. The pace could have picked up considerably. Some interesting visuals would be a plus too. 0.45/1

Acting:
I'm not a fan of Cameron Diaz or Ashton Kutcher. Which means that I just thought their work in this film was wonderful, not (that right there is a joke that's about on the level of this film, just terrible. I'm ashamed to have even written it). The supporting cast shouldn't have to be associated with this review so they'll remain unmentioned. 0.4/1

Technical:
It looks all bright and flashy in the romantic comedy sort of way. Shooting in New York and Las Vegas never hurts in that department. But there isn't anything too exciting. 0.5/1

History:
Nope. 0.1/1

Entertainment:
It's light and stupid enough that it isn't too painful to watch. And thankfully, you'll pretty much forget it once it's over. But not exactly diverting either. 0.4/1

Misc.:
0.1 for "you know why."

Overall: 2.35/6.8

It's terrible. Avoid it please.

The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth

2008-09-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

The new season of the Simpsons starts up tonight. No matter how long the show goes on, or the inevitable decline in quality that happens, I always enjoy it. Not every episode is a classic, but it's still a consistently good show. So I'll be there watching tonight, just like I have been for years. I recommend it.

Get Back

2008-09-26T22:07:00.002-07:00

I'm back from New Mexico, and should have a post about the trip up within the next little while. But today I'm just too exhausted from the trip. So yeah, back tomorrow.

Love Stinks

2008-09-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

A horrifically unfunny comedy:

The Love Guru:

Wow. This is just a horrible movie. I didn't expect to be very good, but not nearly as bad as it is. Pretty much it's unwatchable. Everything about it is just dumb. I don't know how they thought it was funny when they were making it.

The scoring:

Writing:
It's a whole series of jokes aiming for the lowest common denominator. There isn't any real character stuff, and the jokes aren't really funny at all. The plot is completely ridiculous, even for silly comedy standards. 0.2/1

Directing:
The pacing is decent, if a little inconsistent. The visuals are pretty boring. It's just all over the place. 0.35/1

Acting:
It's one not performances all around. Nothing special to talk about. Jessica Alba does her usual (look hot, but don't act much). Mike Myers is trying to carry the comedy load and failing. No one else is even worth mentioning. 0.35/1

Technical:
There are a couple design moments that are kind of cool, but mostly it isn't great. The effects aren't especially good either. 0.45/1

History:
Other than as a colossol failure, there isn't a bit of value. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
It isn't even in "so bad it's funny territory." I couldn't wait for it to end. And I was at work, so it's not like I had a lot of better options. 0.4/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the voiceover machine. Got a slight chuckle. 0.05 for attempting the Bollywood parody, even if it wasn't good.

Overall: 2.1/6.8

Horrible stuff. Avoid it like the plague. Or like two plagues.

Santa Fe

2008-09-24T08:50:00.001-07:00

I'm going away to New Mexico with Mica for just a short bit. So nothing new today, movie review tomorrow.

Star Wars Songs

2008-09-23T11:33:00.002-07:00

Last night was the season premiere (watch the whole thing online here) of How I Met Your Mother. The Ted/Marshall storyline ended up having a strange intersection with my own life. On the show Ted (Josh Radnor) had recently become engaged to his girlfriend Stella (Sarah Chalke), but had come to realize that he didn't actually know that much about her. Most importantly, he found out that she'd never seen his favorite film of all time, Star Wars. He loves the movie so much that her liking it, or not, takes on a major importance. He doesn't know if he can be with someone that doesn't love Star Wars.

Just yesterday at work I was having a conversation about much this same topic. About whether it's possible to tell what someone is like just from the things they like. If you had a questionairre that talked all about movies, tv, music and books would you be able to tell if someone was compatible with you? Initially, much like Marshall (Jason Segel) and Ted, I was of the opinion that it's hugely important what someone likes. If you can't share the things you love with a person then how much else could you have in common? But over the course of the conversation, I came to realize that it isn't exactly true. How much can you really base on a shared admiration of Star Wars, or anything else? You can't build something lasting on that flimsy of a base. So ulitmately it's really what the person is like, and not what they like that matters. I'm glad that at least Marshall came to agree with me.

Let It Burn

2008-09-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

The latest from the Coen brothers:

Burn After Reading:

I love the Coen brothers' films. Even some of their lesser works (The Ladykillers, Intolerable Cruelty) are still highly enjoyable. Their best stuff (No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski) is just plain fantastic. So I was very excited to see this film, and have to say that I enjoyed it. It's certainly not at the same level as their best work, but is solidly in the middle of the pack. It has some of the same sort of feel as Fargo, but without being quite as good. Burn After Reading is the Coen's version of the espionage thriller, which is just highly amusing.

The scoring:

Writing:
The characters are all fools, but they're interesting fools. The Coens have a knack for creating unique characters that are extremely flawed. The plot is at times confusingly complex. The dialogue is quite good. 0.8/1

Directing:
It's well paced, if a little jarringly structured. The visuals are very interesting. It shows their distinctive style (even though they had a new DP for this film). Solid work. 0.8/1

Acting:
It's an all star cast, that's for sure. George Clooney plays a complete buffoon. Which he's pretty good at. Frances McDormand is in her element. Great. Brad Pitt is a fool. Pure and simple. Which is a nice change of pace from what he's been doing lately. John Malkovich is crazy and intense. As per usual. Tilda Swinton is the ice queen. Which oddly enough she's played before. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but everyone does solidly professional work. 0.8/1

Technical:
It's a fairly low budget comedy that gets the most for it's money. The design is good, but there isn't anything super exciting about it. 0.7/1

History:
Made by one of the most well known writer/director teams, who are coming off a Best Picture win. 0.5/1

Entertainment:
There are laugh out loud moments. But the entire thing is more amusing than hilarious. It'll hold your attention though. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Malkovich's, "You're Mormon! Everyone has a drinking problem compared to you!" 0.1 for all of J.K. Simmons' scenes. They were the funniest parts of the film for me. 0.1 for riding your bike to the blackmailing. 0.1 for the axe.

Overall: 4.75/6.8

Another solid effort from the Coens.

Love Invincible

2008-09-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman. It's a novel that tells the story of a super villain (Dr. Impossible) who's languishing in jail after being foiled in his twelfth attempt at world domination, and the story of a young up and coming cyborg super hero (Fatale) who may just be in over her heard.

It's a fantastically written book. It lets you in on a completely different side of the super powered life. Instead of just seeing the big moments, or the fights the book shows the quieter moments and inner thoughts of the characters. It's like being dropped right down in the middle of a world where super powers actually exist. For a comic book fan like myself, it's completely amazing, but I think that anyone could appreciate the book on a character/story level.

The only problem is that I think it's increasing my identification with the super villains even more. I couldn't really see myself in any of the heroes in the book, but shared a ton with Dr. Impossible. Which probably isn't a good thing, seeing how much frustration he has. Oh well, guess I'm just one step closer to villainy. Better work on my evil laugh.

Pirate Love

2008-09-20T08:17:00.001-07:00

The film that started the recent pirate craze:

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl:

When I first heard that they were making a film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland I was sure that it would be horrible. I mean, there isn't exactly a lot of story in the ride (not that I don't enjoy it, it's still one of my favorites- especially when there are high people wandering around the water- awesome). So I went into it expecting it to just be horrible, but was very pleasantly surprised. I highly enjoyed it. So much so that I went back and saw it two more times in theatres. It never takes itself very seriously, and is just a lot of fun. One of my favorite films of the past decade. Which makes the sequels all the more disappointing.

The scoring:

Writing:
The plot is ridiculous, as is most of the dialogue. The majority of the characters are thinly drawn, but Captain Jack Sparrow has some great depth, and real character moments. There are some highly hilarious jokes too. 0.75/1

Directing:
It's a little slow paced (the film is a bit long at well over two hours). The visuals are all action movie epic. It's solid professional work. 0.75/1

Acting:
Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are both ok, but not doing anything special. Geoffrey Rush is completely over the top, but in a good way. It's Johnny Depp's performance as Jack Sparrow that carries the film. He manages to create a unique, hilarious character out of what could have just been a throwaway part. His Best Actor Oscar nomination was well deserved. 0.85/1

Technical:
It's got some spectacular desgin. The costumes, sets and props are amazing. The visual effects are quite good. It's a very good technical piece. 0.8/1

History:
5 Oscar nominations (lost them all though). Started a huge franchise. Brought Johnny Depp to the mainstream 0.5/1

Entertainment:
Highly entertaining. It's a light hearted fun time that still manages to grab your attention. There are very few films that I've been more entertained by. 0.9/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the arrival at the dock. 0.1 for all the moments that were taken directly from the ride. 0.1 for "I'd die for her. Oh good. No worries then." 0.1 for "Savvy."

Overall: 4.95/6.8

A highly enjoyable flick. If you haven't seen it, then you must.

Queen Anne's Revenge

2008-09-19T22:55:00.002-07:00

Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Do some piratical nonsense or something of that sort. Arrr and avast ye!

Mannish Boy

2008-09-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

A hero's journey that you wouldn't expect:

Tommy Boy:

Back in high school I had a teacher that used Tommy Boy to teach about the concept of the hero's journey (Joseph Campbell monomyth kinda stuff). It fits surprisingly well. Tommy gets his call to adventure, goes out into the world (attempting to sell brake pads), encounters difficulties and returns. Obviously I'm not going to go through the whole thing (cause it'd take forever), but just think about it a little bit and you'll see it. So even though this is kind of a stupid movie, it's still fun and you can think about it at a deeper level if you really want to.

The scoring:

Writing:
There are some good jokes. The dialogue is fair to middling at best. The characters are two dimensional story tools, except for Tommy. It's not exactly great writing, but it's good enough. 0.65/1

Directing:
There's a nice quick pace that keeps the story moving along. It's perfect for a comedy. The visual style isn't anything special at all. It just looks like every other comedy of this type. 0.7/1

Acting:
Chris Farley is playing the same part he always played. The sort of stupid fat man with a heart of gold. It's not original, but he's good at it. And definitely worth a laugh. David Spade does decent work as the straight man to Farley's madness. The supporting cast doesn't really have much to do. 0.7/1

Technical:
There isn't really anything that stands out from a technical standpoint. It's all solid work that you'd never notice. 0.65/1

History:
One of the few Chris Farley films made before his death. A cult hit. 0.45/1

Entertainment:
It's a light and easy comedy that doesn't really stick with you after you watch it, but it's highly enjoyable when you do. With a high degree of rewatchability. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.1 for when he kills his sale. 0.1 for destroying the cars (both toy and real). 0.05 for Rob Lowe at his smarmy best. 0.1 for no wind.

Overall: 4.3/6.8

Not spectacular, but very enjoyable.

You Sound Like Your Sick

2008-09-17T22:42:00.002-07:00

I hate allergies! Arrgh. I feel like I've had a cold for weeks now. It only seems to get worse, and nothing helps. So count me as someone that's ready for it to get cold. Let the pollen spreading evil plants plants freeze.

Mambo Italiano

2008-09-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

A remake of a late 60s action flick:

The Italian Job:

This is quite the entertaining film. It isn't particularly smart, or deep, but it knows how to get your attention. I found it to be highly enjoyable, and very rewatchable. It has a very admirable level of energy, which is sadly something that's often missing from this type of heist movies. And who doesn't love a good car chase with minis?

The scoring:

Writing:
It's fairly well written for what it is. There isn't any real character depth. All of the characters serve the plot instead of the other way around. But it is a pretty fun plot. The dialogue is decent, there's some good jokes. 0.7/1

Directing:
There's an excellent sense of pacing. It actually seems quicker than it's 111 minute running time. Which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. It has a fairly good visual style. 0.7/1

Acting:
There's quite a good cast here. Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron are good in the lead roles. They don't have the most exciting characters, but they ground the film well. Donald Sutherland is quite good as the elder statesman. Jason Statham, Mos Def and Seth Green are great fun in their supporting roles. Edward Norton is very well cast as the traitorous villain. 0.75/1

Technical:
There are some really fun design elements. There's a high standard of technical achievement. Nothing groundbreaking, but very solid, professional work. 0.7/1

History:
Remake of an old film. A sleeper hit. 0.4/1

Entertainment:
Highly entertaining. I don't think about how much I actually enjoy this film until I see it again. Which is pretty much all you can ask for. 0.85/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the mini car chase. Very fun. 0.1 for "the Napster." 0.1 for "a real bad experience."

Overall: 4.4/6.8

It's a fun, entertaining film.

Inches and Falling

2008-09-15T10:17:00.002-07:00

"Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable and we will all at some point in our lives fall; we will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts…that what we have is special. That it can be taken from us and that when it is taken from us we will be tested…we will be tested to our very souls. We will now all be tested. It is these times…it is this pain that allows us to look inside ourselves."

I've come across this quote quite a few times lately. It's from the pilot episode of Friday Night Lights. It's in one of the commerical for the new season (on DirectTv) which is playing in front of some movies in theaters. Plus we watched the pilot at Aubries house last Friday.

The first time I heard it (when originally watching the pilot) it didn't really pop out at me that much, but now that I've heard it a few times it really hits me. It's a powerfully inspirational message. One that seems to be fairly applicable. That's pretty much all I've got to say about that. I just keep encountering it, and felt like sharing.

Betrayal Takes Two

2008-09-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

A decent undercover thriller:

Traitor:

I've always enjoyed the genre of films where somebody goes undercover within some type of criminal organization. In fact, one of my favorite films is like that (The Departed). So I was obviously intrigued by Traitor. I'd have to say that I wasn't disappointed, but it didn't really impress me that much either. It was just kind of average, or maybe slightly above average. Enjoyable, but not anything too special.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue at times gets a bit over the top, but not so far to be cringe worthy. The plot isn't too complex (at least I was able to figure out what was going to happen fairly early on), but is solid. It's well written, but doesn't stand out much from the pack. 0.7/1

Directing:
The pacing at time slows down to a crawl. I think that it could have probably been about 20 minutes shorter and it would have greatly improved. There is a bit of visual schizophrenia going on. It can't decide if it wants to be normal or Paul Greengrass handheld crazy. A bit distracting. 0.65/1

Acting:
Don Cheadle is very good in the lead role. He brings a lot of weight to the story. Guy Pierce was decent as a cop, but his not great Southern accent annoyed me a little. Saïd Taghmaoui (who's pretty much unknown to me) was quite decent as Omar. Neal McDonough was solid. There's an overall high level of acting skill in the film. 0.8/1

Technical:
It had some excellent design elements. The look of the scenes in Yemen was especially impressive. There was some very good location work. Solid technically. 0.7/1

History:
Another in a long line of "war on terror" projects. 0.35/1

Entertainment:
It was interesting, if a bit long. I would say that I was fairly interested throughout, but it didn't completely grab me. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.05 for the all the chess boards. Some of them were quite cool lookin. 0.1 for "every twelve year old in the county has a Kaleshnikov." 0.1 for the story idea coming from Steve Martin. Never would have thought.

Overall: 4.3/6.8

A decent thriller, but nothing special.

Rise Above

2008-09-13T09:51:00.003-07:00

Based on a recommendation from one of the guys on the GeeksOn podcast I recently picked up the graphic novel Ascend. What intrigued me (aside from the recommendation) was that the book sounded very much like an odd dream I had involving an angel.

Ascend tells the story of two brothers (Sebastian and Gabriel) and a sister (Seraphine) who die, ascend, and join the army of angels. This army has been involved in a war with the underworld for an eternity. They're losing the war so Gabriel decides to start killing humans to add them to the ranks of angels. Which is something of a problem, not so much being allowed. This gets the siblings banished back to earth, forced to live among humanity. Which they all do in a different way. It's all very mythos heavy, and kind of confusing at times.

I can't say that it's a great book. The artwork is amazing, with a look that seems like a combination of great painting and Photoshop. I was very impressed with the art, but the story can be a little confusing (and the dialogue painful). Not having any speech bubbles makes things extra hard to follow. So I'd give in a A for the art and a C- for everything else. Makes it a solid read, but not fantastic.

Smartest Bomb

2008-09-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

A less than enjoyable flick:

Smart People:

This film should have been better than it was. It has some decent ideas, but their execution just isn't that great. I find that all of the characters are just plain unlikeable. There wasn't anyone in the film that I found myself wanting to root for. The most likable one of the bunch is Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), who still gets his underage niece drunk and stoned. And everyone else is pretty much a jerk throughout the entire film. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to spend any time with these people. Made the film hard to watch. The complete lack of chemistry between Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker didn't help much either. It isn't a horrible movie, but wasn't that good either.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is decent. The story is simple, but ok. It's the characters that are the real problem. There doesn't seem to be much actual character growth. They start out as jerks and end the same way, with just a little waffling in between. 0.65/1

Directing:
The pacing can at times be ridiculously slow. Some scenes seemed to go on forever when they really didn't need to. The visuals are solid, not spectacular. 0.65/1

Acting:
There are some decent performances here. Dennis Quaid is good, if a bit one note. Ellen Page and Thomas Haden Church do solid work in supporting roles. I've never cared much for Sarah Jessica Parker, but she isn't bad here. 0.75/1

Technical:
It's all solidly designed and shot in that academic drama sort of way. There isn't really anything that sets it apart on this front. 0.65/1

History:
Probably won't have much lasting impact. It'll soon be forgotten. 0.3/1

Entertainment:
I found my attention drifting quite often. It isn't really boring, but there wasn't much that really grabbed me. 0.6/1

Misc.:
0.1 for David Denman. I'm a fan. He is Skip and Roy after all. 0.1 for the book title, You Can't Read. I might actually consider reading something called that.

Overall: 3.8/6.8

It's just kind of meh. I wish it had been better.

Remember Us

2008-09-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Vindicated

2008-09-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

A second go round from the web head:

Spider-man 2:

Now that all the exposition and origin story stuff was out of the way, the Spider-man franchise got down to telling a real story in this film. It's an amazing piece of work, probably the best superhero film ever made up until this summer. There's some great character development for Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and Harry Osborn (James Franco). But the villain is what really makes this film an improvement over the first. Otto Octavius/Doc. Ock is a complex person with real emotions and motivations that's wonderfully played by Alfred Molina. His addition to the film adds a real weight and depth, elevating it above the normal action film level. It's very good work all around.

The scoring:

Writing:
The characterizations are fairly deep. The dialogue can at times still be a little corny, but it's definitely improved from the first film. The story isn't overly complex, but has enough depth to make it interesting. 0.8/1

Directing:
The pacing is spot on, building up to the climax of the film. There are some interesting visuals. Sam Raimi is really comfortable with the world he's working in at this point. 0.8/1

Acting:
Tobey Maguire hits the drama, action and comedy at all the right times. Kirsten Dunst is better here than she is in either of the other Spider-man films. Which isn't really saying much, but at least it's improvement. James Franco is good, but not great. Alfred Molina does great work as the villain, mostly resisting the urge to go completely over the top. 0.8/1

Technical:
The visual effects are improved from the first film. Everything looks less cartoony this time around. Which is a good thing. The design is still excellent. 0.85/1

History:
One of the highest grossing films ever. The best film in the franchise. 0.65/1

Entertainment:
It's very entertaining, with elements that almost everyone should enjoy. I've watched it many times and it never fails to deliver the entertainment value. 0.9/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Bruce Campbell yet again. He's always a highlight of the Spider-man films. 0.1 for the battle on top of the train. Very cool. 0.1 for the scene with Doc Ock in the hospital. Very reminicent of Raimi's horror films. 0.1 for the opening credits. With Alex Ross artwork! 0.1 for the elevator scene. Uncomfortably hilarious.

Overall: 5.3/6.8

It's a wonderful film, and highly entertaining.

Learn to Crawl

2008-09-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

The film that really kicked off the current wave of comic book flicks:

Spider-man:

When this came out it was the best super hero film I'd ever seen. It respects the source material, portrays interesting characters and still manages to have some good action. This isn't to say that it isn't campy, because it definitely is, but it's well made and a lot of fun. Without someone bringing this level of storytelling and acting to the super hero genre we'd never have gotten to see later films (like the Dark Knight) that are amazing in their own right, and not just as super hero comic adaptations.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue can at times be pretty corny, especially for the Green Goblin, but it's not too bad most of the time. The plot is straighforward, but well thought out. The characters are well developed (well maybe not quite as much for Mary Jane, but that's ok), fully realized people. It deftly presents the orgin story of Spider-man, giving us a look not only into how he became a super hero, but also how he became the person he is. 0.7/1

Directing:

The pacing is a little slow in places, but overall it has a very good sense of pace. Sam Raimi's visual style is always good, he has a real feel for how to shoot action scenes while still being able to go for the comedy. 0.75/1

Acting:
Tobey Maguire does solid work as Peter Parker/Spider-man. He handles both sides of the part admirably. Willem Dafoe (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin) is chewing the scenery, but that's kind of what people hire him for. I'd have liked it to be a little more real, but it's not completely out of place. I'm just not a fan of Kirsten Dunst's acting, she isn't bad, but doesn't bring much to the table. James Franco doesn't have much to do, but he is good with what he does have. It's a solid cast. 0.75/1

Technical:
There are some very good visual effects, they aren't perfect, but still something special. The design is spot on, except for the Green Goblin, I just don't like his look. 0.8/1

History:
It kicked off one of the biggest film franchises ever, and helped to revive the super hero comic film. 0.7/1

Entertainment:
It's a fine, quite entertaining film. I wouldn't say that it's the greatest thing ever, but it held my attention for the entire running time, but some repeat viewings. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.1 for casting J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. It's just inspired. He's perfect for the part. 0.1 for Bruce Campbell. He has to be in all of Raimi's films and I just can't help chuckling when I see him. 0.1 for figuring out how to use the web slinging power. Hilarious. 0.1 for "with great power comes great resposibility," it's the iconic line. 0.05 for the people singing the Spider-man theme song. Funny stuff.

Overall: 4.95/6.8

It's a high quality fun time. I always enjoy it.

Highly Evolved

2008-09-08T11:18:00.002-07:00

I've been looking forward to the release of the computer game Spore for a very long time. They announced it a couple years ago and from the very first screen shot and description I wanted to play it. It was finally released on Sunday and I've been highly enjoying it so far.

Spore is a game where you chart the evolution of a species from the single cell stage up through tribes, civilization, and exploring the galaxy. Every change you make at the smallest level will be reflected as you move along through the stages. It's an amazingly addictive experience. Currently I'm in the midst of the space stage and it's just fantastic.

One of the most interesting features of the game is that it's an, "massively single player online game." In other words, even though you don't have any direct interaction with other players, content that they create (like creatures, vehicles and buildings) is uploaded to the Spore servers and then used to populate other people's games. It's interesting to encounter the things that other people come up with.

It's a highly enjoyable game, and I'd recommend it for anyone. Even a casual gamer should enjoy it.

Some Loud Thunder

2008-09-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

The controversial comedy:

Tropic Thunder:

For a film that's all controversial because it's supposed to be offensive, I sure didn't find much to be offended by. It was just an everyday R rated comedy. Nothing more offensive than that. That's also about how good it was. I'm not a fan of Ben Stiller's work, either as an actor or a director, I just don't find his sense of humor particularly funny. I would say that I liked Tropic Thunder more than any of his other directorial efforts, but that isn't really saying much. It's just a slightly above average comedy.

The scoring:

Writing:
It's hit or miss with the jokes. Some of them really work. Others don't even come close. The characters are mostly completely over the top caricatures of different acting archetypes. There isn't a lot of depth there. The plot is fairly straight forward and completely ridiculous. 0.65/1

Directing:
In the second half of the film things become bogged down in the huge action set pieces instead of focusing on the comedy elements which actually worked. There are some very good visuals, but they aren't always serving the story. 0.65/1

Acting:
Robert Downey Jr. is very good playing a method actor that had his skin color changed to play a part. He makes a very difficult part look easy. Jack Black is decent in his little part as a drug addicted comedian. I didn't care for Stiller much. Too much of his mugging for the camera and shouting like usual. But he was much better than Danny McBride, who I don't think I've ever seen give a performance I enjoyed (not even in the Foot Fist Way, which people seem to love for some reason). Nick Nolte is a lot of fun in his part and Jay Baruchel actually gets to be an action hero towards the end of the film. Crazy. 0.75/1

Technical:
The effects and design are very good. The budget of the film really shows in the action sequences. They look just as good as a real big budget summer action flick. 0.75/1

History:
Stirred up some controversy. A hit film. Might have a little bit of a shelf life. 0.5/1

Entertainment:
There were some wildly entertaining sequences. And I wouldn't say that I ever got bored, but the LPMs (Laughs Per Minute) weren't especially high for a comedy. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.2 for Tom Cruise's and Bill Hader's small parts. They were probably the funny parts in the film. Hilarious stuff. I didn't know Cruise had it in him anymore. 0.1 for the fake trailer for Satan's Alley, that stars Tobey Maguire alongside Downey Jr. It actually made me laugh out loud. 0.1 for The Jeffersons theme song. Who doesn't love the Jeffersons? 0.05 for the bat who ODed.

Overall: 4.45/6.8

It's a decent action comedy with some very funny moments.

Thief You've Taken All That Was Me

2008-09-06T20:49:00.004-07:00

In the mail today I finally got the package for the new camera I ordered a couple weeks ago. The only problem was that when I opened it the camera had been stolen. The bottom of the package had been cut open, the camera torn out of its packaging, and then taped back up. It's extremely frustrating! Like opening a present at Christmas only to find out that it's empty. Arrgh!

Circuit City's customer service says that I should (hopefully) be able to either get a new camera or a refund within the next 3 to 5 business days. So I guess I just have to wait around. Thanks whoever stole it! I appreciate it!

Paperback Writer

2008-09-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

A story about a teacher inspiring her students through writing:

Freedom Writers:

There are a whole slew of inspirational teacher movies. Teacher comes to a rough school, and through unorthodox methods, and against all odds gets her students to care about learning. It's a genre full of conventions and very formulaic. But it also works. Freedom Writers is a great example of the genre. It follows the formula, even being based on a true story. It was touching and well made, I quite enjoyed it.

The scoring:

Writing:
The characters are fairly well developed, even if they are stock characters to an extent. The story structure is a little different. The dialogue is decent if a little over the top. 0.8/1

Directing:
The pacing is a little slow, but not excessively so. The visual style isn't anything new, it pretty much follows the urban drama aesthetic. Solid work, but not great. 0.75/1

Acting:
Hilary Swank does her normally solid work. She's dependably good. The young actors are all decent, but there isn't any real standouts in the bunch. Scott Glenn was grizzled and grumpy, as always. 0.8/1

Technical:
The design is ok. It's just an average film from a technical standpoint. 0.65/1

History:
Based on a true story. That's about it. 0.4/1

Entertainment:
It really grabbed my attention and held on to it for the whole running time. I don't know that it'd hold up for repeated viewings, but still quite good. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the one white kid in the class that is excluded from everything. Complete token kid. 0.1 for visiting the Museum of Tolerance in LA. 0.1 for the soundtrack. Pretty enjoyable.

Overall: 4.4/6.8

A good flick, one of the better ones of the genre.

The Presidents

2008-09-04T23:10:00.002-07:00

I'm a complete geek for U.S. Presidents. Something about them just catches my interest. So this song just plain makes me smile. It's "The Presidents" by Jonathan Coulton. Highly entertaining.

The Hot Gates

2008-09-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

A dumb parody:

Meet the Spartans:

This is a horribly stupid movie. Just ridiculously, painfully bad. I can't believe that it even got made. How I'd describe it is if you took a not particularly funny SNL sketch and stretched it out to feature length running time. Only that'd probably be funnier. The only places where Meet the Spartans almost works is when it is directly parodying 300, but too often it gets bogged down in pop culture references and idiotic "jokes." It already feels dated even less than a year since it was released.

The scoring:

Writing:
The jokes are horrible. The characterizations non existent. The plot is sketchy at best. Just fantastically bad writing. 0.1/1

Directing:
The pacing is all over the place. No consistency at all. There really isn't any visual style to speak of, except when it's aping 300. 0.15/1

Acting:
Terrible work all around. It just goes from bad to worse. Who'd have thought that Kevin Sorbo and Method Man would be the best actors in a movie? Which isn't saying anything good about them, only about how bad everyone else is. 0.2/1

Technical:
There are a few moments of decent design and effects, but mostly it looks like an SNL sketch. Which aren't renowned for their technical brilliance. 0.2/1

History:
Nothing except as a legendarily terrible film. 0.1/1

Entertainment:
It was rather painful to watch. Couldn't even make it through in one sitting. There is little to no entertainment value and what there is, is more like watching a train wreck. 0.2/1

Misc.:
0.1 for painted on abs and such.

Overall: 1.05/6.8

One of the worst things I've ever seen. Avoid it at all costs.

In a World....

2008-09-02T10:54:00.003-07:00

Don Lafontaine passed away yesterday. You may not recognize his name, but you'd certainly recognize his voice. He's voiced thousands of movie trailers and commercials during his career. The film going experience won't be the same without him narrating the upcoming films. It's a sad day and he will be missed.

I'm Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today

2008-09-01T08:57:00.001-07:00

The first film from View Askew:

Clerks:

This is the low tech, low brow workplace comedy. It looks like a film school project, has about the same level of acting, but some wonderful writing. It's completely inappropriate, but hilariously so. The first film from Kevin Smith, it shows all the trademarks of his later work, from the great dialogue to the almost complete lack of visual style. Clerks is only for a select audience, but if you're a part of that audience then you'll really enjoy it. And I count myself among that audience.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is very good. The characters are fairly well rounded, especially Dante (Brian O'Halloran). The plot and story are at times mundane and completely ridiculous. It's a good mix. 0.85/1

Directing:
The visual style is pretty much non existent. The only thing special about it is that the takes are extremely long. No cuts. The pacing is decent. It could be picked up a little. 0.7/1

Acting:
None of the performances are especially good. The entire cast is made up of novice actors, and it kind of shows, especially with the long takes (which are just plain hard to do). O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson are decent as the two leads, but not much more than that. 0.65/1

Technical:
There isn't much technical merit to the film. It's a very low budget film and it looks it. But it really isn't that important to this genre anyway. 0.5/1

History:
It started the career of Kevin Smith, which led to a long line of cult hits. 0.6/1

Entertainment:
I find myself entertained every time I watch it. There are moments where I start to drift away a little bit, but overall, it's quite entertaining. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the Death Star conversation. Great stuff. 0.1 for leave the note on the counter to ask people to make their own change. 0.2 for the first appearance of Jay and Silent Bob. I always enjoy them. 0.1 for all the references that went into the later Askewverse films. You enjoy them more if you've seen them all.

Overall: 4.6/6.8

It's isn't perfect, being an early effort, but is still a lot of fun.

Blood, Sex & Booze

2008-08-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

I recently saw the pilot episode of True Blood, HBO's new vampire series (debuting September 7th) created by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under). I have to say that I'm intrigued after watching the pilot. Its Louisiana setting is different from most shows, the characters are distinct, and there are the seeds of some interesting stories. True Blood uses the vampires to play with ideas of isolation, intolerance and discrimination. This is nothing new, but there seems to be an interesting spin to it. It isn't a perfect show, few pilots are, but I'm interested enough, and have enough confidence in the creative team, to want to see where it's going. Here's the trailer:

Punk Rock Warlord

2008-08-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

A punk music documentary:

Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten:

Exploring the life of one of the seminal figures in the punk movement, The Future is Unwritten, lets us see what led Joe Strummer to be who he was. It takes a musical journey from his early work with the 101'ers to the formation and disintegration of the Clash and his late work with the Mescaleros. The film uses excerpts from Strummer's London Calling radio shows to frame the archival and interview footage. It's an interesting device that often time ties together disperate elements, keeping the film a bit more cohesive. I'd still say that some of the early parts of the film are a bit scattered and hard to follow, but it improved greatly afterward. I'd have to say that it was an interesting and informative film that I quite enjoyed.

The scoring:

Writing:
The structure can at times be a little scattered. Some of the interviews get all kinds of off topic, but it's overall fairly well done. 0.75/1

Directing:
The film is a bit too long, which slows down the pacing in places. I found it got a little bogged down in Strummer's adolescent years. There's an interesting visual style, that has good energy even in the static shots. 0.8/1

Acting:
The interviews are quite good on the whole. I did get a little annoyed that the film didn't indentify any of the people it interviewed. Some were obvious (like Johnny Depp, John Cusack, Martin Scorsese, Steve Buscemi and Bono) but others were more obscure, and I'd like to have known who they were. Good stuff here though. 0.8/1

Technical:
It looks fantastic for a documentary. There's a real sense of style. The archival footage is interesting and sometimes unexpected. I particularly enjoyed the sections where they animated some of Strummer's cartoons. 0.75/1

History:
An attempt to sum of a huge figure in the music world. The film itself didn't make much of an impact, but the subject matter sure did. 0.4/1

Entertainment:
I found myself very entertained. This is my favorite kind of music and I greatly enjoyed hearing about what went into it. But it'd probably be less entertaining for non fans. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.2 for the soundtrack. It's completely fantastic, including alternate takes on some Clash songs, solo work and stuff with the Mescaleros. Plus songs that he played on his radio show. I actually picked up the soundtrack long before seeing the film and it's been in heavy rotation ever since. 0.1 for the animated cartoons. Highly enjoyed them. 0.1 for the clips from South Park and Animal Farm. Nice.

Overall: 4.7/6.8

It's a good flick. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the music.

Politik

2008-08-29T08:50:00.003-07:00

Well the general election season has officially kicked off. Both Barack Obama and John McCain have chosen their running mates, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin (which was completely out of left field, I didn't see it coming at all. Seems to go right after the former Clinton supporters who just want a woman elected.)

Last night me and my sisters got together to watch Barack Obama's acceptance speech from the Democratic National Convention. We ate tacos and watched the speech. I'll have to say that I was fairly impressed. I'm excited to see how the election develops.

Add Some Music To Your Day

2008-08-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

Another Hugh Grant romantic comedy:

Music and Lyrics:

Hugh Grant has made a career of playing the charming English guy in a whole series of romantic comedies. There is very little that makes most of them different from the others, except that they tend to have different female leads. This time it's Drew Barrymore's turn. It's a perfectly fine movie, as far as those things go, but it's hardly original. It plays out just like every other movie of this type. While I love the genre, and don't mind things being a little formulaic, I'd appreciate a little bit of effort. Sadly, it doesn't seem like they put forth much here.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is decent. The characters are pretty much two dimensional. Not exactly a lot of depth in the story either. It's just kind of meh. 0.6/1

Directing:
The film runs a little long. So the pacing slows down almost to a crawl in the middle. If it'd been a little shorter, everything would have had a little more energy. 0.55/1

Acting:
Grant is decent in this kind of role. He always is, it's not like he has to try very hard. I've never been a huge Drew Barrymore fan. She just gets on my nerves a little. The supporting cast is unremarkable. 0.65/1

Technical:
There are some nice design moments, like the 80s music video. But it's pretty much generic New York romantic comedy kind of stuff for everything. 0.5/1

History:
No lasting value. It's the kind of thing you forget right after you watch it. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
It's light and breezy and easy to watch. It doesn't rivet you, but it isn't really boring either. Just kind of average. 0.65/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the Pop music video. It's actually quite amusing. 0.1 for playing Adventureland.

Overall: 3.35/6.8

An average romantic comedy. Nothing to write home about.

The Rouges of Scotland

2008-08-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

The epic about Scottish freedom fighters:

Braveheart:

Everything about this film is epic, from the scope to the performances, to the length. Which is both a good and a bad thing. It means that there are some spectacular sequences, with some amazing visuals, but the film is also long and kind of slow, with a kind of a bombastic attitude. I really enjoyed the film the first time through, but I've found that on repeated viewings I enjoy it less and less. I just don't have the patience for how long it is. It's a beautifully well made film, just not necessarily one of my favorites.

The scoring:

Writing:
The plot is fairly simple with a straightforward structure. The dialogue is good, but not great. The major characters (particularly William Wallace) are well developed, but some of the supporting characters get the short end of the stick. Pretty good. 0.8/1

Directing:
Mel Gibson has a great visual style. It's traditional, but interesting. The pacing is mostly pretty good, but the middle tends to drag and become somewhat repetitive. 0.85/1

Acting:
Gibson is very good as William Wallace. The rest of the cast is very solid, without a lot of other standout roles. It's undoubtedly Gibson's film to carry in the acting department, and he does a fine job. 0.75/1

Technical:
The design is outstanding in every aspect, the costumes are outstanding as are the sets and prop work. The cinematography is amazing and the sound work (and music) are very good. 0.85/1

History:
Won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. 0.75/1

Entertainment:
It's too long to be super entertaining. There are sequences that are almost boring. But overall, it holds your interest and keeps you fairly entertained. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for "they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!" It's become an iconic quote. 0.1 for throwing the guy out the window. 0.1 for the rock throwing contest.

Overall: 5.05/6.8

It's something that's worth seeing once, if you've got a bit of time on your hands.

Forget Me Nots

2008-08-26T08:55:00.003-07:00

Yeah, about that whole school thing, nevermind. I won't actually be in class this semester. The Spanish department through their scheduling made that something that isn't going to happen. So it'll be next semester.

Act Naturally

2008-08-25T08:15:00.001-07:00

A film based around the most improbable sequel ever:

Hamlet 2:

This isn't a perfect film. It's wildly inconsistent, there's little to no character development, and some of the jokes just don't land. But there are also some laugh out loud funny moments. The story of high school drama teacher writing a horrible play, that just happens to be about a time traveling Hamlet, with musical numbers just doesn't sound good at all, but I ended up quite enjoying myself.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is at times just awful. The characters are two dimensional (or less sometimes). The plot is convoluted and ridiculous. But there are some great jokes. 0.75/1

Directing:
The pacing is inconsistent. The visual style is at times very good, but mostly it's just average. Nothing spectacular here. 0.7/1

Acting:
Steve Coogan (Dana) is decent, but not great. Catherine Keener and David Arquette don't have much to do in their supporting roles. The young actors are hit or miss. I'd say that Joseph Julian Soria (Octavio) is the best of the bunch. Amy Poehler was fun as an ACLU attorney. Elisabeth Shue was weird, but funny, as a version of herself. 0.75/1

Technical:
The staging of the musical numbers at the end was quite good. The design is decent, if not too special. Everything else is just normal. 0.65/1

History:
Won't have much of a lasting impact. Created a buzz at Sundance this year. 0.35/1

Entertainment:
I was pretty well entertained for the entire film. There were actual moments where I laughed out loud. Lots of fun. 0.85/1

Misc.:
0.1 for "Rock Me Sexy Jesus." Maybe not the most appropriate song ever, but hilarious, and oddly touching. 0.1 for the light sword wire fight. 0.1 for the idea of time machine Hamlet.

Overall: 4.35/6.8

It isn't great, but I had a good time.

School Street

2008-08-24T11:05:00.002-07:00

I'm starting back to school to finish my last class tomorrow (Spanish- exciting). Posts may be a little more sporadic for a while until I get used to the new schedule. So this is all you get for today.

I've Been Waiting for You

2008-08-23T08:15:00.001-07:00

Another teen comedy that's completely ridiculous:

Can't Hardly Wait:

There are a lot of genre convetions that go along with the teen romantic comedy. Things like that there will be at some point a gigantic party, or that the geek will finally be seen as a cool guy, or especially that the guy always gets the girl. This film doesn't rise above any of these genre conventions. You'll get pretty much get what you expect going in. Not to say that it isn't an enjoyable experience, just that it isn't the most original thing in the world. It was somewhat refreshing to see such a large cast, but not enough to make this film really stand out from the pack.

The scoring:

Writing:
The characters are all one dimensional stereotypes. The dialogue can at times be pretty awful. There are some good jokes and a few touching moments, but that's about it. Without the last scene in the train station I think I would like it a lot more writing wise. 0.65/1

Directing:
The pacing is good, if a little inconsistent. The visuals are very late nineties teen comedy style. Not a bad job, but nothing special either. 0.65/1

Acting:
There is a deep cast of familiar faces, only most of them aren't in leading roles. Jennifer Love Hewitt (Amanda) is not so great, Ethan Embry (Preston) is decent, Seth Green (Kenny) is dumb but kind of funny, Lauren Ambrose (Denise) is just ok. The rest of the major parts are forgettable. But in the smaller parts there are some people who went on to great careers among them; Sean Patrick Thomas, Freddy Rodriguez, Donald Faison, Jaime Pressly, Selma Blair, Jenna Elfman, and Melissa Joan Hart. It's like a game of spot the familiar face in the background. 0.7/1

Technical:
Standard teen romantic comedy stuff. Not particularly exciting. 0.5/1

History:
Other than as a starting point for people's careers, not much. 0.35/1

Entertainment:
It's light and easy to watch. But it certainly won't stick with you. Basically it's like cotton candy, enjoyable and forgettable. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Jason Segel as Watermelon Guy. 0.1 for the guy stealing stuff. There doesn't seem to be any purpose to him, but I enjoy his randomness. 0.05 for Amber Benson as Stoned Girl, her part got cut from the movie, so she has no lines, but it was still funny to see her.

Overall: 3.8/6.8

It's a pretty normal teen comedy, but still enjoyable.

Start the Apocalypse

2008-08-22T06:59:00.002-07:00

As I was reading the newest DMZ trade paperback, The Hidden War, (which is very good, but different from the rest of them in that it expands the world in short stories) I realized how much of a fascination with post disaster/post apocalyptic stories I have. There's just something about the complete breakdown of a civilization that sucks me right in. From the desolated, war torn New York of DMZ to the ashy wasteland of The Road, there's a quality, a desperation, to the stories that brings a reality to the characters that just isn't there in the everyday. What will people do to survive? What relationships will they form, or break? What type of civilization will rise out of the ruins?

What makes these stories strike home even more is that they actually do happen. Disasters destroy local areas, civilizations like Rome crumbled, are conquered, or are devastated by disease. Yet there are always survivors left behind trying to make something new. There's a grain of hope within all the hopelessness. Children of Men has it's new birth that just might be a harbinger of things to come. Jericho has the people of the town, rebuilding a new America. Battlestar Galactica has the journey to Earth. Even something as dark and bleak as 28 Days Later has hope for a cure. Maybe it's this hope that makes the genre attractive.

But I think when it really comes down to it the thing that really gets me interested is seeing the staying power of humanity. How we always survive, even if we have to remake everything. It's an admirable trait that can sometimes have horrifying consequences. And it somehow adds up to the genre that includes many of my favorite things. What are some of your favorite post apocalyptic tales?

The Wrong Company

2008-08-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

A dumb comedy written by Seth Rogen:

Drillbit Taylor:

This film plays like a dumber, cleaner, much less funny prequel to Superbad. Even down to having the one fat, loud mouth kid, one skinny tall dork, and a third geeky kid that really wants to be cool. Which is a shame, because I love Superbad. This had the potential to be much better than it was. Instead it devolved into a series of horrible jokes and witless sight gags. I think that there were a few times that I chuckled a little bit, but that's about it.

The scoring:

Writing:
There is very little real comedy in the writing. It aims low, at the easiest, most cliched jokes possible, and yet still doesn't manage to land many of them. The characters are so one dimensional that they don't connect on any real level with me. 0.4/1

Directing:
The pacing is kind of slow. It feels like the film is dragging out a half hour worth of material to fit a close to two hour running time. The visuals are just normal stuff. 0.5/1

Acting:
None of the kids in the film are particularly likable, or good. I can't say that the adults are really any better. It's a fairly poor effort all around. Owen Wilson looks like he realizes how bad this is, and is just coasting by. 0.5/1

Technical:
It's all normal teen comedy stuff. I can't say that anything really stood out. It could have been a teen TV show for all that I could see. 0.5/1

History:
A dud from the Apatow comedy factory. I guess they can't all be successes. 0.3/1

Entertainment:
There is the odd joke or situation here or there that are mildly amusing. Other than that you'll find your mind wandering quite a bit I'd imagine. 0.5/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the Adam Baldwin cameo. Actually kind of funny, plus he's a BDH. 0.1 for "He's fat, he's a dork, and I'm awesome." A somewhat funny line. Surprising.

Overall: 2.9/6.8

It's just plain bad. Avoid it.

The Walking Dead

2008-08-20T02:09:00.000-07:00

Sadly I missed this when it happened, but it was still pretty funny.

Express Yourself

2008-08-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

The new film from the guys behind Superbad:

Pineapple Express:

There is no great, deep, hidden meaning in Pineapple Express, it's just a dumb stoner/bromance/action flick. Which isn't really a problem for me. It isn't really striving for greatness, just to be fun. It mostly succeeds in it's goal, the film is quite funny. Not up to the level of Superbad (apparently the writers are planning a crossover sequel to both films though) but that'd really be hard to top. I enjoyed myself at the film, it won't stick with me for very long, but I'll probably watch it again at some point.

The scoring:

Writing:
There is actually some decent character writing here. The two leads are well developed and even some of the small, supporting roles have interesting character traits that make them more well rounded, like Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan), that just wants to go home and eat with his wife. The dialogue is decent, the jokes are pretty good. The only thing that didn't really work for me was the storyline with Dale's (Seth Rogen) high school girlfriend. It isn't great and doesn't really fit with the rest of the film. 0.8/1

Directing:
David Gordon Green is making a huge transition here, from tiny indie dramas to big action comedy. He does a pretty good job. The action scenes are good, but not great. The pacing is good, and he has an interesting visual style. Very solid work. 0.75/1

Acting:
Rogen is solid, if starting to become a bit over exposed, in this type of film. James Franco (Saul)is wonderful as a slacker drug dealer. I've always thought that this is the kind of role he's the best at (more like Daniel from Freaks and Geeks). The supporting cast is quite good, with fine work all around. My personal favorites have to be Corrigan and Craig Robinson as the hit men sent after Dale and Saul. 0.8/1

Technical:
It has some excellent design details, nothing flashy, but very good. There are some quite good action/comedy set pieces. Otherwise it's a pretty normal comedy. 0.7/1

History:
Part of the Apatow comedy factory. That's about it. 0.4/1

Entertainment:
I was highly entertained for the entire running time. It was pretty dang hilarious. It definitely earns it's R rating with drug use and language, so if that bothers you then be forewarned. 0.85/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Bill Hader's small part at the beginning. One of the funniest parts of the movie. "I feel like a pat of butter...melting over a big ol' pile of flapjacks." 0.1 for the rancor joke. Star Wars hilarity, always a good sign. 0.1 for "you threw up in my printer." Why does Saul have a printer? 0.1 for BFFF. Figure it out. 0.1 for "killing a unicorn."

Overall: 4.8/6.8

It's pretty dang funny, not great, but worth seeing.

Dead Quote Olympics

2008-08-18T11:58:00.004-07:00

So is it weird if I don't care that much about the Olympics? It seems that everyone I know can't get enough of them, but I can't make it through more than a few minutes of watching. While things like swimming and track are cool and everything, I'm just not very entertained by them. I made it through half of one basketball game, but even that wasn't that great since the US team won by like thirty (now if they were showing some of the non US games it'd be better). Maybe I'm just weird though.

Death Valley Queen

2008-08-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

A dumb teen romantic comedy revenge flick:

John Tucker Must Die:

Everything about this film is at bad sitcom level. From the writing, to the acting, to the staging. It's like someone was writing a script for a CW network show, couldn't sell it and just turned it into a movie. It's just ridiculous. This isn't to say that it isn't entertaining. It has it's moments, but you pretty much have to turn your brain off going in.

The scoring:

Writing:
The basic story is probably the worst part of the film. It's leaps and bounds more ridiculous than most romantic comedy plots. Just horrible. The dialogue and characterizations aren't much better. Just poorly written. 0.4/1

Directing:
The pacing is decently quick. It's one of the film's saving graces. With much more of a running time it might not be watchable. The visuals are standard. 0.55/1

Acting:
The cast are all attractive, and fairly likable. But not much with the acting, at least not here. Everyone in the cast seems to be mailing it in a little. 0.5/1

Technical:
Generic teen comedy stuff. I can't think of anything here that really sets it apart. 0.5/1

History:
Not a bit. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
It's light and fluffy. Like cotton candy, and just about as filling too. 0.65/1

Misc.:
0.1 for "Skip." Cute. 0.1 for the brother. He's actually decent at times.

Overall: 2.9/6.8

It's pretty bad. Even for this genre.

Misplaced Memories

2008-08-16T08:03:00.001-07:00

My sisters have done this, and I don't have anything better to post today so I'm just copying them:

As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If you're playing the game, too, I'll leave a comment on your blog. Thanks!

Wayward Soldier

2008-08-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

An Iraq war film:

Stop-Loss:

After a few (ok, five) years of the war in Iraq we're starting to see a bunch of films that deal with the effects of the war, both at home and abroad. This film addresses the way a group of soldiers adjust to coming home from the war. They're all a mess to some degreee. SSgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) finds out that instead of getting out of the army, he's been stop-lossed and will be returning to Iraq for another tour. Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has such a hard time dealing with the things he saw that he becomes violent, and separates from his wife. Sgt. Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum) can't get out of the mindset of being on the front lines, and digs himself in, preparing for an attack. They're all broken men. There's a lot of potential for character development, and political commentary in the film, but it doesn't really deliver. It's decent work, but not great.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is pretty bad. The plot is completely over the top ridiculous. It has very little grasp on reality. There are a few nice character moments, but they are few and far between. 0.6/1

Directing:
The film is very uneven. The pacing should be tighter in some places, and looser in others. The visual style is good, if not groundbreaking. 0.6/1

Acting:
Everyone is belting it out to the cheap seats. There is no subtlety here. The performances are very, very broad, almost to an operatic level. The three lead characters do decent work, but toning it down a little would be nice. 0.65/1

Technical:
The design is top notch. The action scenes are well done, if a little bit generic. It's a solid little movie on the technical front. 0.7/1

History:
Part of a growing set of Iraq war films. A product of its times. 0.45/1

Entertainment:
I was quite entertained at the beginning of the film, but slowly lost interest as time went along. It's never boring, but not the most entertaining thing ever. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the home movie type look that some of the Iraq stuff has. 0.1 for drunken rednecks with guns. Always a good idea.

Overall: 3.9/6.8

Not horrible, but I expected more.

The Beast and Dragon, Adored

2008-08-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up Naomi Novik's new Temeraire book, A Victory of Eagles, and have been highly enjoying it. The Temeraire series is an alternate history/fantasy story about the Napoleonic wars, only with dragons. The books are told from the point of view of a dragon (Temeraire) and a captain (Will Laurence) serving in Britain's Royal Air Corps. It's right up my alley, combining two things that I enjoy (history and fantasy). The series has been described as Patrick O'Brian (Master and Commander) meets Jane Austen, with a detour through Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern). I highly recommend the series.

Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?

2008-08-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

A documentary about my favorite band:

End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones:

I love the Ramones. There's nothing like them (though many have tried). If I only had to choose one band as my favorite, it'd have to be them. Their music is just plain fun. Loud, fast and simple. What's better than that?

So I was understandably excited for to watch a documentary that went more into detail about the band. To find out more of the true story of the changing lineup: Joey(vocals) and Johnny (guitar) always, Dee Dee (bass) mostly. Then Tommy, Marky, Richie, Elvis, and finally Marky again on drums. And C.J. in on bass at the end. All kinds of interesting stories with this band.

The scoring:

Writing:
They ask interesting and insightful questions of the interview subjects. There's an interesting, coherent structure. 0.8/1

Directing:
It's well paced. Maybe getting a little bogged down in certain subjects for too long. The visual style is simple, but energetic. 0.75/1

Acting:
All of the interview subjects are entertaining, interesting people. The members of the band, other people in the punk scene, and everyone else. 0.8/1

Technical:
It's all a fairly low tech business, documentary making. This isn't any different. It's solid, but not fantastic. 0.65/1

History:
It documents the story of one of the most influential musical groups of all time. The film itself doesn't have a ton of historical value, but the subject matter does. 0.6/1

Entertainment:
I was enthralled with it. But I'm a huge fan. It would still be interesting, but probably not to the same level. 0.85/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Dee Dee Ramone's rap album. Very hilarious. 0.2 for the music. The whole flick was full of it, and it was fantastic. 0.1 for some of the old footage. Amazing to see.

Overall: 4.85/6.8

It was a solid documentary in general, and a fabulous one for the fans.

Steal the Show

2008-08-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Top 50 TV Shows in 10 Genres (Part 2)-

Multi-Camera Sitcoms-
1- Seinfeld
I don't think there's any other TV show that can measure up to Seinfeld for the impact that it had on the public consciousness. It's added many phrases to the lexicon, like "not that there's anything wrong with that," and "yada, yada, yada." The characters and their relationships to each other hardly change over the course of the series, but it doesn't matter. It has a very high degree of rewatchability. It's almost impossible to have not seen an episode or two of the show. Wonderfully written and acted, it's had an enduring life in reruns. Episodes like, "The Soup Nazi," "The Parking Garage," and "The Chicken Roaster" have become classics.

2- The Cosby Show
The classic family sitcom. The Cosby Show focused on the Huxtable family, dealing with the sorts of issues that normal American families face. These issues would grow and change as the children grew up, moved out and started their own families. I remember watching this show as a child, and enjoying it even then. Bill Cosby brought a lot of his distinctive comedy style to the show, infusing it with a sense of humor, and an educational bent. "Theo's Holiday" is undoubtedly my favorite episode, but there are many other great ones.

3- Sports Night
This was Aaron Sorkin's attempt at the sitcom. Sports Night is often more serious than other half hour "comedies," but still has a dry, realistic sense of humor. It didn't have a very long run (only two seasons), never gaining the type of audience it needed to be a hit. This wasn't due to the quality of the show though. It had some brilliant writing and acting, and an amazing look for a multi-camera show. This should have been something that lasted longer, and been a massive hit, but it just didn't happen. The "Pilot" is a fantastic episode. Try it out and give the show a chance now.

4- Friends
This show wasn't always great, by the end of it's run it'd kind of worn down, but when it was good, it was brilliant. It was a romantic comedy in the truest sense of the word. Everything was about the core group's relationships. This gave it a soapish element that made it so you can go back and watch some of the episodes again and again. Friends had a staggering collection of guest stars, it seemed that every week a huge star would be on, but the show was at it's best when just focusing on the six core characters. Some of the best episodes have to include, "The One Where Ross Finds Out," "The One With the Blackout," and "The One with Chandler in a Box."

5- NewsRadio
This is a show that completely plays to my absurdest side. NewsRadio would pick up and drop storylines for no apparent reason, introduce gags just to mess with the network, have the odd fantasy episode that didn't fit with anything else, and just in general be off the wall. On the surface it just seems like an average workplace sitcom, but there was just a general randomness under the surface that really brought out the humor. Blessed with good writing and a great cast, the show still didn't ever become a mainstream hit. "Security Door," is the classic of all episodes, but there are many other ones that are great, including a sci-fi episode and a Titanic one. (The first three seasons are all on Hulu for free).

Science Fiction-
1- Battlestar Galactica (2004)
There is something special about this show. It manages to take the ridiculous, campy premise of the original Battlestar Galactica and turn it into a real human drama. It creates complex characters, weaving them into a rich mythology and storyline. Ronald D. Moore, a veteran of sci-fi, having worked on a couple incarnations of Star Trek created a dark, bleak version of the future that yet somehow still feels hopeful. The cast is amazing, the writing is excellent. This is the best show on TV right now. I know I've said it all before, but I absolutely mean it. Nothing can beat the tension of the show's first post mini-series episode, "33." I'm enthralled by the story arc that begins season three on New Caprica, starting with "Occupation," and ending with the two part "Exodus."

2- Star Trek
There have now been five incarnations of Star Trek on TV, (The Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise) of varying levels of quality, but it can't be denied that it's had a huge impact on the cultural landscape. I think that most everyone is familiar to some degree with concepts introduced in the series, things like the transporter, warp drive and Klingons. I'd have to say that my favorite of the series is Deep Space Nine, it's a darker show, with more character and story arcs, but at least the first three series have a lot to like about them. My favorite episodes from each of them are, "The City on the Edge of Forever,"(TOS), "The Best of Both Worlds," (TNG), and "Far Beyond the Stars." (DS9

3- The Twilight Zone
I haven't seen all of the episodes of the original, but what I've seen has been excellent. The Twilight Zone was able to introduce a lot of sci-fi concepts in its stand alone, anthology format. Every week may not have been a classic, but the odds are that you would at least get to see something interesting. There have been several attempts to revive the series, but none of them quite measured up to the original.

4- Babylon 5
The first season of Babylon 5 was actually pretty bad, but it laid the groundwork for an amazing 5 season long story arc. This show is what introduced the ultra-long arc to the genre. It has an amazingly rich world, backed by a deep mythology. The effects may seem cheesy now, but at the time it was the first TV show to use completely digital effects. It's impossible to separate the episodes and pick out a favorite, since they are all tied so closely together, but if I had to, then I'd say the "War Without End" two parter.

5- The 4400
This show deftly balances stand alone episodes with a continuing storyline that builds toward a final goal. The 4400 is all about a group of 4400 people that have been abducted and returned, some years after their original disappearance, and some with powers. It hits some of the same notes that the X-men do, themes of intolerance and isolation. It was a great show that was canceled before it could reveal all of its secrets, but the journey it did take the characters on was amazing. "Fifty-Fifty" is one of the most interesting episodes, but if you're going to watch the show start at the beginning with the "Pilot."

Single Camera Comedies-
1- Arrested Development
I don't think the people behind Arrested Development cared at all if people understood it at all. Which, in my opinion, is a very good thing. The show is riddled with references to past episodes, inside jokes, and obscure references. I once tried to explain a storyline to Krista, taking about 15 minutes, and she still had no idea what was happening. It's definitely a show that you have to pay attention to, because they don't stop and linger on jokes, it just blows right past them. Probably the best comedy I've ever seen, but it was always doomed to fail. "Out on a Limb" and "Hand to God" are my favorite episodes of the series, but if you don't start from the beginning you won't get it.

2- Curb Your Enthusiasm
Based on Larry David's post Seinfeld life, Curb Your Enthusiasm is a completely hilarious show. The show is mostly improvised, and shot pretty much like a documentary. It's a very specific sense of humor, not everyone will think that it's quite as hilarious as I do. Give the first episode, "The Pants Tent," a try and find out just how funny it can be.

3- The Office
Though I love the British version of the show, I'm limiting this list to American shows, so this post is only about the US version. The Office is shot as if it were a documentary filming at a paper company. It uses all the techniques of actual documentary, including directly addressing the camera. The characters are fairly hilarious, especially the supporting cast. The writing has been very good, though of somewhat declining quality. "Traveling Salesman," "Office Olympics," and "Business School" are some of my favorites.

4- Scrubs
This show can be at times both touching and hilarious. It's also very random, working in fantasies and flashbacks into everyday life. It makes me laugh almost every time I sit down to watch it. It has a different tone from any other show that I've ever seen. The characters are extremely silly, but in a good way. "My Way Home," "My Half Acre," and the musical episode, "My Musical" are among my favorites.

5- 30 Rock
This show was a little slow getting started, but over time it's really grown on me. 30 Rock goes behind the scenes of an SNL type show. It's created a deep cast of unusual and hilarious characters. Tina Fey's writing and acting are very good and Alec Baldwin is just plain funny. I'm as excited for this to come back on the air as I am for anything else. "The Rural Juror" and "Sandwich Day" are some great episodes.

The Talkie/Hosty Types-
1- The Daily Show with John Stewart
I'm something of a political junkie, so The Daily Show is right up my alley. It pokes fun at serious situations, as well as pointing out the absurdity of it all. There is consistently fantastic writing, and their segments are wonderful. Many of the performers on the show have gone on to bigger things (Steve Carell, Steven Colbert), but they seem to have the ability to replace them without missing a beat. A top notch, highly enjoyable show.

2- Saturday Night Live
Over its long history, Saturday Night Live has been up and down, but has delivered many a classic comedy bit, along with some iconic performers. Recently it's been in something of a downswing, but there is the potential for some seriously great stuff (especially from the digital shorts guys). It's been a part of the American TV landscape for a long time, and will continue to make people laugh for years to come.

3- The Colbert Report
Stephen Colbert took the character he'd created for The Daily Show and spun it off into a new show parodying the political talking head show. He's extremly commited to the character of a hard line right wing Republican. I always laugh at this show, the bombastic, ridiculous behavior on the show is endlessly amusing. And who doesn't love it when he decides to mess with Wikipedia?

4- Late Night with Conan O'Brien
This is the only late night talk show that I actually watch. It has a completely off the wall sense of humor, and isn't afraid to make fun of people. It may not be as good as it once was (and Conan will soon be going to The Tonight Show anyway), but still most every night there is something worth laughing at. I always laughed at the "In the Year 2000" segments, especially since they kept doing it after the year 2000.

5- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
I love travel shows, and I love food shows. So this is the perfect combo for me. It has the food, and the travel, all hosted by chef and author Anthony Bourdain. His sarcastic personality and sense of humor are something that I really enjoy. It isn't a normal kind of travel show, they don't go to the big tourist attractions, but that makes it even more enjoyable. Honestly any show that can reference Hunter S. Thompson, The Ramones and eat some awesome French food has to be a winner for me.

You Might Die, but That's Ok-
1- The Wire
There is a depth of character and story to The Wire that really isn't ever seen on television. It's the crime show, realized to its full potential. Everything feels like it could actually be taking place in Baltimore right at this very moment. If you aren't paying attention, then you will definitely miss something. Important events may even take place off screen, and only be referred to in conversation. We are a part of the characters, and don't expand much beyond that. Once you start watching this show, it's very hard to stop. I don't want to pick out a favorite episode, because they're all a part of one large story, you have to watch it all.

2- The Sopranos
I still haven't seen the entire series of The Sopranos, but what I have seen has been amazing. The writing and the acting is so good that it makes you root for Tony Soprano, even though he's really a fairly dispicable human being. The characters have complex layers that are slowly revealed over time. It is a gangster drama, but it's also more than that. It's just a great human drama. One of my favorite early episodes is, "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti."

3- Rome
The two seasons of Rome have a scope that is never seen on television. It tells the story of the end of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Caesars in spectacular fashion. Only instead of the main characters being the Roman elite, they're two soldiers (Pullo and Vorenus), that serve in Caesar's legion. The sets and costuming are amazing, the battle scenes are gigantic. None of which came cheaply. Ultimately the cost of the series became too much for HBO, and it canceled it. The action and the drama of the series are amazing, and it's an addiction for the history geek in me. "The Spoils" is by far one of my favorite episodes.

4- Dexter
A dark show about a serial killer that kills other serial killers, Dexter is not for everyone. It has wonderfully rich writing that explores its characters, and an odd sense of humor that manages to find the funny even in horrible situations. You will undoubtedly find yourself rooting for Dexter to succeed, even as he does horrible things. It's only a great show that can really make you empathize with a monster like Dexter. The first season finale, "Born Free" is an amazing piece of television.

5- Alias
A spy drama from J.J. Abrams, Alias is a ridiculously complex show that has some fun action and character work. It couldn't sustain a high level of quality for its entire running time, eventually being dragged down by its own mythology, but it was always a lot of fun. At times this was the best action/suspense show on television. The first few seasons in particular are excellent. "The Telling," that ends the second season, is especially good.

So there you have it, my top 50 TV show in 10 genres. Hopefully you enjoyed the list. I'd really like to know what some of your favorites are.

Let's Sew Our Pants Together

2008-08-11T07:35:00.001-07:00

The follow-up to the hit teen film:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2:

This is the rare sequel that I think lives up to, or even surpasses the original. The main characters have all grown up some, graduated from high school and gone their separate ways. The film is able to deftly weave their four stories together, balancing them, yet still keeping the pacing decent. I didn't particularly care for the Bridget (Blake Lively) storyline, it wasn't great, but the other three were quite good. I was particularly drawn to Carmen's (America Ferrera) story of a summer spent at a theater workshop in Vermont. It had the perfect mix of drama and comedy, with a lot of character growth and some great acting. I definitely enjoyed this film.

The scoring:

Writing:
It isn't the greatest writing in the world, but it's good. The dialogue is decent. The plot can be a little ridiculous, but it's much less dependent on the pants this time around. The characters are well written. Good work. 0.8/1

Directing:
In her first feature film, Sanaa Hamri is able to weave together the four stories with skill, keeping the pacing up and building tension. It's good work on that front. The visuals aren't anything special, but an overall solid directing job. 0.75/1

Acting:
The four leads are all good actresses and very comfortable in these roles. I'd single out
America Ferrera as the best of the bunch, but Alexis Bledel (Lena), Amber Tamblyn (Tibby) and Blake Lively all do very good work. The new additions to the cast are all solid in supporting roles. It's a well acted film all around. 0.85/1

Technical:
There isn't anything too spectacular about the technical aspects of the film. It's well designed, with the costuming, particularly for the play, being especially good. The location work adds a nice touch to the look of the film. 0.65/1

History:
Continuation of a film franchise based on well known books. 0.4/1

Entertainment:
It grabbed my interest for the entire running time. It was at times hilarious and at others heartbreaking. An improvement over the first in this respect. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.1 for compliments in Shakespearean English. 0.1 for the video store. 0.1 for the stuff in Greece. 0.1 for the audition.

Overall: 4.65/6.8

It's a very solid film. Probably not the greatest thing you'll ever see, but definitely worth seeing.

Idiot Box

2008-08-10T09:47:00.002-07:00

A little while ago I made my list of the top ten films in ten genres. When I was doing it, someone suggested that I make one for TV too. Only this time it'll be slightly different. The list is in two parts, it'll only be five in each genre, and I'm making up what the genres are. This list is understandably skewed more towards current shows, seeing as how those are the ones I've seen more of. It's more a list of favorite shows, instead of best shows.

The Top 50 TV shows in 10 genres (Part 1)-

Animated-
1- South Park
It's very juvenile, and has low tech, pretty much horrible animation. But it's also wildly funny, and has some great characters. My favorite episodes are probably, "Make Love, Not Warcraft," about the boys becoming obsessed with World of Warcraft and the "Imaginationland" story arc, about them fighting terrorists in the land of imagination.

2- The Simpsons
The longest running sitcom, and animated series of all time. It has hundreds of very funny characters and shows. The quality isn't what it once was, but it's still very good most of the time. My favorite episodes are the yearly Treehouse of Horror shows, and "Simpson Tide," which features the appearance of Zombie Lenin.

3- Robot Chicken
There is no show more geeky than this. They take action figures and use stop motion to animate them. Hilarious stuff. Check out their Star Wars episode, and "The Deep End," which features comics characters in a Real World parody, a great Kill Bill spot, and Two Kirks, a Khan and a pizza place.

4- Futurama
A man from the 21st century is cryogenicly frozen and and revived in the 31st century. Pretty dang funny. Like all of the best sci-fi, it makes a wonderful commentary on the present by showing us the future. From the people who created the Simpsons. Check out "Jurassic Bark." to see the show at it's most fun and absurd.

5- The Animaniacs
An after school type kids animated show. It's completely off the wall, with tons of little sketches and short stories featuring a large cast of characters. Not all of them were great, but I particularly enjoyed Pinky and the Brain and the Goodfeathers.

Brilliant, But Canceled-
1- Freaks and Geeks
I've already waxed eloquent(ish) on the show here. But suffice it to say this was a fantastic show, with fantastic writing, and a wonderful cast. In less than a full season it managed to pack in a ton of great episodes. It packs an emotional punch. I love most of the episodes, but some of the best are, "Beers and Weirs," that features an unorthodox keg party, and "Discos and Dragons," that ends the series with a lot of heart and style.

2- Firefly
By the time this show was canceled it was just finding its stride. Obviously a hard sell to viewers, being a science fiction western, it's managed to find a huge audience after cancellation. So much so that it spawned a film that continued the series. It's dramatic, funny, action packed and exciting. There's a great ensemble cast, and the trademark Joss Whedon great dialogue. My favorite episodes are, "Out of Gas," that gives us pieces of the characters back stories, and "Objects in Space," a somewhat experimental episode that ended the series.

3- Kitchen Confidential
It's great fun. One of the funniest shows I've ever seen. It's a shame that Fox canceled it so quickly (they actually canceled every show on this part of the list, except Freaks and Geeks). The cast is great, the writing is good and it's very refreshing to see something set in the kitchen of a restaurant. Some of the funniest episodes are, "French Fight," that involves a rivalry with another restaurant, and "Teddy Takes Off," where the kitchen's seafood expert leaves for another job.

4- Wonderfalls
The premise of this show is kind of weird. It's about an over educated, under employed Gen-Y slacker (Jaye) who suddenly finds that inanimate objects shaped like animals talk to her, telling her things to do. But beneath this crazy premise there's a heartfelt, funny romantic comedy. It shares a tone with other Bryan Fuller created series, Dead Like Me, and Pushing Daisies, it may only appeal to a select audience, but it's definitely in my wheelhouse. The show may have been doomed from the beginning, being executive produced by Tim Minear, who has had four shows canceled after less than a season by Fox (Firefly, The Inside, and Drive are the other three). Besides the pilot, "Wax Lion," my favorite episode of the series has to be "Safety Canary."

5- Undeclared
Out of the cancellation of Freaks and Geeks we got this college sitcom. Judd Apatow took a lot of the crew with him when he created this show. Seth Rogen is only regular cast member to make the transition (he was also a writer on the show), but several other cast members made appearances. It's very different in tone, being a half hour comedy instead of an hour dramedy, but I find it to be highly enjoyable. The highlight of the series for me is, "Addicts," which guest stars Will Ferrell in a crazy role.

Fantasy Genre Benders-
1- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This has got to be my favorite show ever. It mixes comedy, drama, action and horror to make an exciting whole. Sometimes the effects and basic plots can be silly ("Inca Mummy Girl" anyone?) but the writing is always fabulous. There's a deep acting ensemble of fine actors, most of whom manage to create a deep, nuanced character that grows over the course of the show. I can't recommend it enough. I think that if anyone gave it a chance (watch at least into the second season, that's where it's really great) they'd really like it. It's hard to narrow the best episodes down but these have to be at the top; "Hush," where the entire town of Sunnydale loses their ability to speak so there's almost no dialogue, "The Body," which deals with the death of a major character in the most realistic and heart wrenching way possible, and "Once More, With Feeling," a musical episode that advances the story with some great songs

2- Lost
Drama and mystery combine together in this sci-fi show about castaways on a island. It's mythology can sometimes be overly complex, asking more questions than it has answers for, but it's also an amazing character drama with an intriguing mystery. It has an interesting time bending structure that flashes forward and back in time. Parts of the third season weren't great, but it's really picked back up again. By far my favorite episodes of the show have to be; "Walkabout," that reveals details about Locke's past, and "The 23rd Psalm," that gives an idea of Mr. Eko's origin story.

3- Angel
This is the rare spin-off that lives up to the original. Taking the characters of Angel and Cordelia out of Sunnydale (and Buffy) and dropping them into LA, where they had to grow up. It's darker in tone, and more grown up than Buffy, but manages to maintain a similar level of quality. It isn't always perfect, but is very entertaining. It's hard to pick out individual episodes since it's such an arc heavy show but a couple of the best are; "Waiting in the Wings," a dramatic romance all wrapped around the ballet and "Smile Time," where Angel is turned into a puppet.

4- Dead Like Me
Another Bryan Fuller creation, this has a darkly whimsical tone. It tells the story of a young woman, who after being killed by a toilet seat falling from space, becomes a reaper, taking the souls of those about to die. The quality started to suffer after Fuller was forced out during the first season, but it was still a good show. It only lasted two seasons, but managed to cram a lot of goodness in during that time frame. My favorite episode is, "A Cook," where Rube is a short order cook at Der Waffle House and George finds herself a dog.

5- Pushing Daisies
Yet another Bryan Fuller creation, this show has a quirkiness and sense of whimsy that is very rarely seen on TV. Focusing on a pie chef that can bring the dead back to life with a touch, there's something special about it In only one short season it has already been very impressive. In it's nine episode run it managed to give us some great characters and a slew of fun and funny situations. It started of very strong with it's, "Pie-lette," which is the perfect point to jump into the series now before the second season starts.

Girly Type Shows That I'm Probably Not Supposed To Like, But Do-
1- Veronica Mars
This show always felt like the natural successor to Buffy, it's about a smart, tough and sassy teenage girl that at times is in over her head. But it's more than just a similar show. It stands on it's own with great character development, interesting stories and a unique tone. There is a more realistic portrayal of social and economic class differences on this show than on any other of it's kind. The show ended before it's time, with many a story left to tell. The first ("Pilot") and last ("Leave it to Beaver") episodes of the first season are amazing, introducing and wrapping up the Lily Kane murder mystery arc.

2- Gilmore Girls
A smart witty show about a mother and daughter, that works on both comedic and dramatic levels. Both of the leads give terrific performances. The dialogue is very good and extremely fast. The number of pop culture references alone are amazing, and broad (including appearances from both Madeline Albright and Paul Anka). The Life and Death Brigade episode ("You Jump, I Jump, Jack"), a crazy Thanksgiving ("A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving") and the dance marathon ("They Shoot Gilmores Don't They?") are all fantastic.

3- How I Met Your Mother
This is a pretty normal multi camera sitcom. Only told as if a Father (voice of Bob Saget) was telling his kids how he met their mother. It has some clever writing, but really it's the cast that make this show. Josh Radnor (Ted) and Cobie Smulders (Robin) are fairly good as the romantic leads, but the supporting cast of Alyson Hannigan (Lily), Jason Segel (Marshall) and especially Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) give the show it's real charm. "Pilot" and "Slap Bet" are some of best episodes.

4- My So Called Life
This is very much a teen drama. Everything is kind of overdramatic, but the characters feel true to life, and the acting is good. You actually get to see a wider range of teen characters here than you will on most other shows. I'm particularly impressed by the parents on this show. They're fully developed, real people instead of the caricatures that you usually see on teen dramas. The show was very short lived, but there were some great episodes, including; "Life of Brian," and "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities."

5- Felicity
The first show from J.J. Abrams (he also did Lost and Alias), this was a pretty straight college dramadey. The first couple of seasons brought some terrific writing to the genre. It did tend to go off the rails a bit at the end (with things like time travel Felicity), but it was still a very good show. The cast is full of capable dramatic and comedic actors (among them Keri Russell and Scott Foley), and it has a lot of heart. "Thanksgiving" is probably my favorite episode.

Hour Long Dramas-
1- The West Wing
Even if you hate the politics of this show, and they are very liberal (a plus for me), you should still be able to appreciate how good it is. Aaron Sorkin's writing is amazing, the characters are interesting, and the acting is incredible. The first four seasons of this show are among the best of anything. The show suffered after the departure of Sorkin, but still managed to be very good, picking up especially during the seventh season's election. Look at "Two Cathedrals," and "Celestial Navigation," for some great examples of The West Wing at it's best.

2- Mad Men
Having only just started it's second season, Mad Men has already shown that it's an amazing show. It portrays the lives of people associated with an advertising agency in the 1960s. It's very period accurate, giving us a glimpse into the way things were at the time. The writing is very nuanced, and the performances are understated and subtle. Sometimes it can be hard to watch (what with the casual racism and sexism, not to mention the smoking), but it's a fantastic show. I think that "Shoot," and "Nixon Vs. Kennedy," are the best examples of how good the series can be, giving us a real look at some of the characters.

3- Friday Night Lights
The realistic portrayal of the lives surrounding the high school football team in a small Texas town, Friday Night Lights can at times be a completely brilliant show. It has a great, different visual style, amazing location shooting and very good writing. The cast, of mostly young actors, is quite good. It's a very dramatic show, but mixes in moments of comedy that help to break the tension. It probably won't be around for much longer. The "Pilot" is where everything starts and is the perfect episode to see what the show is all about.

4- Monk
There are plenty of comedy elements in Monk, but at heart it's really a character drama about a man coping with loss. There isn't a lot of plot carryover from episode to episode, but the characters have developed over the course of the show to become complex, fully realized people. Tony Shalhoub's portrayal of Adrian Monk carries the show. It's been on for a long time, and is easy to pick up since they're stand alone episodes. "Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike," is a great example of the show.

5- Twin Peaks
This is an unabashedly weird show, as anything made by David Lynch is bound to be. It has a surreal tone in the most mundane looking of settings, the small town of Twin Peaks. There are elements of drama, comedy and horror all wrapped in a juicy mystery. This show was probably ahead of it's time, and was definitely a forerunner of things like Veronica Mars. It didn't last long, only two seasons (and a prequel film, but that wasn't so great), but managed to make a huge cultural impact. I can't recommend trying to jump in anywhere except the "Pilot," otherwise you'd be completely lost.

That's it for Part 1, I'll be back Tuesday with Part 2. What are some of your favorite shows?

Where Are You Now?

2008-08-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been playing around with Twitter. It's fairly entertaining. I've installed a widget over to the right that should be interacting with it (hopefully). It isn't all great and everything, but certainly a good way to waste time.

Mojo

2008-08-08T08:07:00.001-07:00

The film adaptation that led to the great TV show:

Friday Night Lights:

This is a unique and very good football movie. It brings a documentary style look to the genre, along with some character development away from the field. It doesn't go that deeply into the characters (otherwise it'd be way too long), but manages to give insight into their characters in just a limited amount of screen time. It may play a little fast and loose from the real events chronicled in the book (like making them lose in the championship game instead of the semis), but it still feels like a gripping portrayal of west Texas football.

The scoring:

Writing:
There are some good moments that develop the characters in short amounts of time. The dialogue is pretty good. The plot is simplistic, but effective. 0.75/1

Directing:
The visual style brought to this project (and later to the TV series) give it a unique look, and an energy that really makes things interesting. The pacing is pretty good, just a little slow. This is Peter Berg's best work as a director. 0.8/1

Acting:
Billy Bob Thornton is billed as the star of the piece, and he's definitely the big name of the bunch, but it's more of an ensemble piece. Thornton is quite good as Coach Gaines. The young cast that makes up the team does solid work, led by Derek Luke (Boobie), Lucas Black (Mike Winchell), Garrett Hedlund (Billingsley), Jay Hernandez (Chavez) and Lee Thompson Young (Waterbug). Tim McGraw is decent in his small part. It's a good cast. 0.75/1

Technical:
Some outstanding location work. Good period design for the late 80s. Solid work all around. 0.7/1

History:
Adapted from a great book. Spawned an even better TV show. 0.4/1

Entertainment:
It's hard not to get wrapped up into the characters and their quest to win the state championship. It's not the most entertaining thing in the world, but it's pretty good. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for mojo. Good football cheer. 0.1 for Connie Britton and Brad Leland who went on to play similar parts in the TV version. 0.05 for Christian Kane in an almost unrecognizable small part. It took me a minute to figure out who it was.

Overall: 4.4/6.8

It's a very solid film. Well worth seeing. Especially if you like the TV series (that means you Aubrie).

Sister, Do You Know My Name?

2008-08-07T08:36:00.001-07:00

Four best friends separate for the summer:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants:

This is, frankly, a better movie than it should be. The premise is just plain ridiculous. I mean, a pair of pants that fits four different girls? It's just a little silly. But behind the silliness there's a real story with real characters. It isn't perfect, but it's certainly better than a lot of the crap that's aimed at the teen girl demographic. Plus it has a great cast, and some fun location shooting.

The scoring:

Writing:
The plot is fairly simple, with a fairly interesting four separate storyline structure. The dialogue is pretty average. The four main characters are fairly well developed, and have a little bit of depth. 0.75/1

Directing:
The pacing is good, if a little slow. The visual style is traditional, but solid. It's an overall solid, professional job from one of my favorite TV directors Ken Kwapis. 0.7/1

Acting:
The four lead actors are all fairly well known, and generally pretty decent. There are very good performances from Alexis Bledel (Lena) and America Ferrera (Carmen). Amber Tamblyn (Tibby) is solidly good. Blake Lively (Bridget) is definitely the weak link of the bunch. She isn't great (and this movie earned her the moniker from my sisters of, "the slutty one from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"). The supporting cast is fairly unremarkable, but I always enjoy Bradley Whitford. 0.75/1

Technical:
There are some amazing locations, particularly in Greece. Other than that, the design and technical elements are solidly unspectacular. 0.65/1

History:
It's the start of a franchise based on beloved books. Not much else. 0.35/1

Entertainment:
It's a little slow, but still manages to hold my interest for multiple viewings. It's entertaining, but not riveting. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for falling in the ocean. 0.1 for the tennis game. 0.1 for blue hair.

Overall: 4.25/6.8

It's a decent little flick. Probably better than you think it'll be.

Road of the Righteous

2008-08-06T07:05:00.001-07:00

I recently finished Cormac McCarthy's 2006 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Road. It's a tale of a father and son traveling through a post apocalyptic world, hoping somehow to find a way to survive. It's a beautifully well written book. The imagery is intense and vivid. It's also probably the most heartbreakingly bleak book that I've ever read. The horrors brought down upon this little family both by their environment and the rest of humanity are just chilling. Not only do they have to fight off the cold and starvation, but they have to cope with others that are willing to take more extreme measures to survive. It's very difficult to read. But within that dark, horrifying shell there is a tender, real, human relationship between the father and the son. They aren't necessarily the most vocal people in the world, but you can feel the bond between them. They are each other's entire world. I wouldn't recommend this book for everyone (and I doubt that I'll ever read it again), but if you think that you can handle it (and it is very graphic in it's depictions of some gruesome things, including cannibalism) then I would recommend it as a wonderfully written, deeply emotional book. Give it a try (and if someone could explain the last paragraph to me, that'd be great).

War?

2008-08-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

A fun story about a Congressman and the CIA:

Charlie Wilson's War:

This is a drama with the soul of a comedy, so unsurprisingly it works best when it's trying to be a comedy. The film tells the story of Texas Representative Charlie Wilson and his efforts to aid the mujaheddin in their war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. It's a surprisingly light and fun story. I expected it to be much more serious than it was. It isn't a perfect film, but I'd have to say that I quite enjoyed it.

The scoring:

Writing:
Aaron Sorkin is a fine writer, albeit a little heavy handed at times. His dialogue is always quite good, and this film doesn't disappoint on that front. The characters are all well developed. Not bad work. 0.75/1

Directing:
The pacing is quite good. The film moves along at a quick pace. There are only a few times where a scene drags a bit (mostly the scenes involving Julia Roberts). The visual style isn't flashy, but still good. Mike Nichols delivers solid work. 0.8/1

Acting:
Tom Hanks gives another good, workmanlike performance. He's consistently good. Julia Roberts is completely over the top, and nearly kills the scenes she's in. But the best performance of the film comes from Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He creates a unique, interesting character out of his supporting role. Excellent. Amy Adams is good in her supporting part. 0.75/1

Technical:
The period design is quite good, as are the few visual effects. It's good work. 0.7/1

History:
It tells the story of an overlooked chapter in American history. Got a few awards nominations. 0.6/1

Entertainment:
It was light and funny enough that it made it easy to watch. The end gets a little bit preachy, but it's still a solidly entertaining film. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for bugging the scotch. One of the best scenes in the film. 0.1 for "me and three other guys." 0.1 for ordering whiskey in Pakistan.

Overall: 4.65/6.8

A good film, well worth seeing.

Reanimated

2008-08-04T07:12:00.002-07:00

About four years ago there was talk of a Buffy animated series. They went so far as to make a pilot presentation, and start writing scripts. But it never came to be. This week the short little presentation leaked out on YouTube. It's fairly decent, kind of capturing the feel of season one of the show. Not perfect, but I'd probably have still watched it.

Steppin' to the Bad Side

2008-08-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Another in a long line of hip hop dance flicks:

Step Up 2: The Streets:

This film is like if you took West Side Story, stripped away the great acting and singing, amped up the dancing and set it all to a hip hop beat. Which is about as good as you'd expect it to be. In other words, not so great. I'll agree that the dancing is pretty spectacular, but the rest of the film isn't special at all. So unless you're a big fan of the dancing (and I know there's people like that out there) I can't really recommend it.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is pretty much atrocious. It feels like everyone is talking in inspirational speeches sometimes. The plot is simple and straightforward, nothing we haven't seen before. Not the best writing in the world. 0.5/1

Directing:
The film is a little bit too long. It could move a little quicker in the middle. The visual style is a little bit too music video frenetic. It really takes you out of the story sometimes. 0.5/1

Acting:
None of the actors are really great. Some of them are pretty awful. But there are some that are quite likeable (Adam Sevani- Moose first among them). But they're all excellent dancers. They may not be triple threats, but they've at least got one thing down. 0.55/1

Technical:
The design work is pretty good. It has a nice look about it. The choreography is very good. 0.55/1

History:
No lasting impact whatsoever that I can see. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
It's a mindless spectacle, but there are definitely some entertaining moments. Some of the dance routines will definitely hold your attention. But not for the entire running time. 0.6/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Moose's dance number on the stairs. It was just fun. 0.1 for the opening sequence on the train.

Overall: 3.1/6.8

It's pretty dumb, but it has a few moments.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

2008-08-02T07:02:00.001-07:00

The Fortune (Part 4):

I don't know why I even wanted to believe that stupid fortune in the first place. It was that kind of shit that got me into this situation in the first place. If I'd just maintained my own healthy sense of cynicism, over this type of subject. I imagine that we'd all be happier. Or maybe not all of us, but at least me (sorry reader, you're on your own).

See the thing is, I got myself a strange fortune that seemed oddly appropriate once before. I believed it like it was the gospel truth. I guess not exactly like that, me not being much of a gospel truth follower myself, but you get the gist. I based my whole life plan around the idea that what the fortune said would come true. Only it wasn't so much to come to pass.

What the fortune said was this, "True love stories never have endings." It's a quote from Richard Bach. Yes, I did look it up. This hit me exactly at the time when I thought I was at an ending. An ending of what I assumed was a story of true love. There was nothing I wanted to hear more than that it might not be over.

So I seized upon that small sliver of hope offered by the scrap of paper. I stopped trying to move on and began to sit and wait. Sitting at home, hoping that she'd call. That she'd change her mind. I stopped living and started waiting. It became my entire life. I couldn't commit to doing anything. I had to be prepared to drop everything and go to her when she was ready.

You know, people say that waiting for something is hard. Myself, being somewhat of an expert on the subject, know that it's actually pretty easy. The only trick to it is to find things to occupy yourself, without doing anything that can't be dropped in an instant. Go for the quick fix. Life becomes sort of a blur of little things. If you have ADD you probably won't last for very long. It's all about being able to take up an entire afternoon trying to throw a sock into that hamper across the room. Or only taking baths instead of showers, because then you can still answer the phone if it rings.

And that's where I was. I applied all of my energies (and let's face it, they're considerable) to doing nothing. The hours and days and weeks seemed to fly by, until it was this morning, months later and nothings changed. I'm still waiting for the phone to ring.

I'm home, back from the trip out to get provisions. It's just as I left it. Which is to say, a disaster. Nothing to see here. Do you hear that? Does that sound like ringing? Maybe I better go check..

Outsmarted

2008-08-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

The action comedy based on a 60s TV show:

Get Smart:

Even though the title has the word smart in it, this is not even close to being a smart movie. I wasn't exactly expecting it to be high brow, genius, stuff (it was based on a dumb show after all) but would have like it to be better than this. There were some funny jokes, and a couple good action sequences, but it just wasn't very good.

The scoring:

Writing:
This is the biggest weakness. The dialogue is bad. All of the humor is situational or physically based, instead of coming out of the characters. Not only is the plot ridiculous (which was expected), but it isn't all that cohesive. Weak. 0.5/1

Directing:
A little bit quicker pace would have made things more tolerable. Things moved just a bit too slowly. Certain scenes just seemed to take forever. The visuals aren't anything special. 0.6/1

Acting:
The cast is very likeable. Steve Carell is perfectly cast as Maxwell Smart. Anne Hathaway is a charming and generally good actress. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson could have been excellent. Even the supporting cast (Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Terry Crews, Masi Oka, etc.) and cameos (Bill Murray, James Caan, Patrick Warburton) were good choices on the whole. There just wasn't much for them to work with. 0.65/1

Technical:
The design and effects are pretty good. Certainly better than the old TV ones. It isn't outstanding work on this front, but solid. 0.65/1

History:
Adaptation of a Mel Brook's TV series. 0.3/1

Entertainment:
It was actually fairly entertaining. As long as you don't think too hard about it, it's fairly enjoyable. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.1 for using the old shoe phone. 0.1 for stuck in the tree. 0.1 for the gadgets.

Overall: 3.7/6.8

It's not great, but it's decent mindless entertainment.

Holding Out For a Hero

2008-07-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

Recently I decided to pick up the first couple trade paperbacks in Ed Brubaker's Captain America run (Winter Soldier: Vol 1 & Vol 2). Captain America was the hero in the very first comic I ever read, a free comic given to me at my doctor's office the day he told me I had asthma (Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster). Yes, it's a comic where Cap battles allergens and a monster that gives people asthma. It's very corny, but also pretty cool to a kid that could be pretty scared. I mean if Steve Rogers (Cap's alter ego) had asthma, then what's wrong with it? Plus there's cool battles and stuff.

So I've always had a squishy spot in my heart for Captain America. He's not always been the most complex of heroes. He's always does the right thing. No matter what. Even if it will hurt him in the end. He's just a plain noble hero type, and a good role model. But not necessarily the most interesting.

I'll have to say that this run of the comics is very different. There is a character and relationship complexity to the world. People act like people. They fight and bicker. Things don't always work out. It's a much darker and harsher world that this version of Steve Rogers lives in. I've been very impressed. The series delves into his back story, letting the reader see sides of Cap that they've never seen before. He gets to face off against his classic nemisis, Red Skull, as well as a new threat, Winter Soldier. I can't wait to keep reading (Luckily this series ran a couple years ago so I don't have to wait to catch up). It's made me remember the enjoyment I used to get from the character as a kid.

The Ol' Beggers Bush

2008-07-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

One man's quest:

My Date With Drew:

This is a low budget documentary about a man (Brian Herzlinger) who's had a crush on Drew Barrymore his entire life and decides to take a month to try and get one date with her. He reaches out to everyone he knows, he crashes a preimere, and he's sets up a website, all to accomplish his goal. It's a fairly enjoyable experience, if not a great film. There are some truly hilarious moments, and other places where it drags, so overall, just kind of meh.

The scoring:

Writing:
The portions of this film that are written are very corny. With not the best dialogue in the world. The story idea is cute, if a little gimmicky. 0.6/1

Directing:
The pacing is very uneven. Sometimes things move at a breakneck speed, other times it's horribly slow. The visual style is pretty much non exsistent. 0.5/1

Acting:
Everyone in the film seems to be playing slightly exaggerated versions of themselves. They all come off fairly well, but not exactly the most real documentary I've ever seen on this front. 0.65/1

Technical:
Not any at all really. It's low rent, and looks it. 0.3/1

History:
A brief blip on the cultural radar, soon to be forgotten. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
It's a fairly entertaining film, if you don't expect too much from it. The story is kind of sweet, and Brian is a fairly likeable guy. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.1 for fake staff passes. 0.1 for trailer voice guy.

Overall: 3.15/6.8

It's not a great film, maybe not even a good film, but it has it's charms.

Fever Dreams

2008-07-29T08:28:00.001-07:00

I've been back from San Francisco now for a couple days, but I managed to catch myself some sort of nasty illness there. It made me have a high fever for almost two days. While in this feverish condition I had a very odd dream. It was extremely strange and very detailed.

I was lying on the floor of a dimly lit chamber. It was very large and appeared to be carved out of some kind of natural cave formation. The floor I was lying on had an inch or so of water on it. Yet I don't remember being wet, or particularly bothered by this. A few feet over to my left there was some sort of stone alter or table. I don't know exactly what it was, only that it was 7 or so feet long, flat and made of stone.

Lying on top of the table was a man. He wasn't particularly remarkable. In fact he seemed to be almost too normal. He was unconscious. Farther to my left, standing next to the table was an older woman (the closest image I could come up with for her was this). She was dressed plainly, in simple grey clothing. For some reason I knew that she was a nun. It wasn't like she had on a nun's habit or anything, I just knew. Strangest yet of all, hovering at the foot of the table, (which would be the farthest side away from me, I was closer to the man's head on the table) was an angel. Now this wasn't your bright, happy, shiny type of angel. It was a frankly frightening looking type of angel. Something more akin to how the archangels Azrael or Samael (who just happen to be angels of death) are portrayed. Not entirely human. I wasn't frightened, but it still made me uncomfortable.

None of them seemed to be aware of my presence. Or if they were, they completely ignored it. The nun and the angel were quietly conversing, but I just couldn't make out the words. When, suddenly the nun touched the man on his arm. He suddenly sprang to life. Only it wasn't really him moving, it was something inside of him. It was as if something was trying to break its way out of his body. I could see him stretching and twisting, without changing his position on the table. His skin seemed to stretch and take on a new form. For flashes of an instant I could see a double image of the man, and of another, more terrifying presence. It was a demon of some kind. Entirely not human. Barely even humanoid.

As he struggled with escaping his prison, flames on his arms slowly began to spring to life. They were a soft orange glow and first, growing bigger and bigger, until they engulfed the entire body. All I could see was a struggling figure inside the flames. The nun and angel were obviously very perturbed. They began to speak in more and more agitated tones. This was obviously not a good thing. If they were worried, I probably should be too. Yet I didn't try to speak, or to move. I'm not even sure that I wanted to. Or that it was possible if I did.

Just as things seemed to reach a fever pitch the flames began to turn an eerie green color. It was completely unnatural and obviously supernatural. At this point I began to understand what the nun and angel were talking about, not the words, but the meaning. They had given up. There wasn't any more hope. It was the end. They both closed their eyes and accepted their fates.

The burning man burst in an explosion of green flame that filled the entire room. It was just reaching me and beginning to engulf me....When I woke up.

It was probably just the fever, and the lack of consistent sleep, but it made for quite the chilling start to the morning.

Go The Distance

2008-07-28T08:12:00.002-07:00

The classic Greek hero is animated:

Hercules:

This isn't a classic Disney film. It's pretty good, but doesn't measure up to some of their other work. While it's entertaining, it has too many pop cultural references to have much staying power. It already feels a bit dated after only a little over a decade. But I think the real problem with the film is the music. It only has one song that I'd consider very good ("Go the Distance"), and these types of films really come down to the musical numbers. So it's just pretty good, instead of great.

The scoring:

Writing:
The characters are very simple. They're more children's moviesque than many Disney films. The dialogue is pretty dang corny. The plot is fairly ridiculous. 0.65/1

Directing:
The pacing is ok. Things move along fairly well, with just a bit of drag in the middle. The visual storytelling is a little too contemporary and flashy. 0.6/1

Acting:
Most of the voice cast is fairly bland. They don't really bring much to the table. The only ones I'd single out are James Woods (Hades), Rip Torn (Zeus) and Danny DeVito (Phil). They're all playing it completely over the top, but seem to be having a good time, and have actual personality. 0.65/1

Technical:
The animation is decent, but not fantastic. Nothing really sets it apart from other animated films of the era. 0.65/1

History:
An animated Disney film. That's about it. 0.3/1

Entertainment:
It's entertaining as light popcorn fluff, but it doesn't really stay with you at all. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the song, "Go the Distance." I enjoy that one. 0.1 for the design of Hades. A great look.

Overall: 3.75/6.8

A decent flick, just not great.

Nuclear Wessels

2008-07-26T09:42:00.001-07:00

The funniest Star Trek film:

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home:

Most of the time Star Trek isn't so much with the funny. But in this film they try pretty hard to land some jokes. Some of them succeed, but not all of them. There's also a pretty heavy environmental message, but it's still a lot of fun. For some reason, the Enterprise crew interacting with 1980s San Francisco just makes me smile. It's not deep, or especially complex, but still worth watching.

The scoring:

Writing:
The characters are already well established by this point, so there are a lot of inside jokes and call backs. The plot has a very heavy environmental message. The dialogue is Star Trek ridiculous. 0.6/1

Directing:
The film is a little too long and slow. Things almost grind to a halt in the middle. The visual style fits well with the two proceeding films in the series. Leonard Nimoy does solid work directing here. 0.65/1

Acting:
All of the regular cast has their parts down by this point. The main three (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForrest Kelley) do good work here. The supporting cast isn't bad either. Catherine Hicks isn't great, but is an ok addition to the cast. 0.65/1

Technical:
The visual effects are pretty low tech by current standards, but were ok for the time. The design is good. 0.7/1

History:
Possibly the most well liked of the Star Trek films. A huge, classic franchise. 0.55/1

Entertainment:
On a pure entertainment level this film is very successful. It holds your interest for most of the running time. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the introduction of the Enterprise-A. 0.1 for doing a little too much LDS back in the 60s. 0.1 for shooting in and around San Francisco. 0.1 for the Sulu/Excelsior hint.

Overall: 4.3/6.8

It's a fun movie, if not a great one.

What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful)

2008-07-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

A cute little princess movie:

The Princess Diaries:

This isn't a particularly deep movie. It's characters an story are all pretty simple. We just get to see the story of a girl (Mia) who transforms from the awkward teen that she was into a princess. It has an inspirational message about being who you are, but I can't say that it's anything special. It certainly isn't bad though. Just an average flick.

The scoring:

Writing:
The plot and characterizations are kind of flimsy. The dialogue isn't great. But it has it's cute moments, and a few good jokes. 0.6/1

Directing:
The pacing is fairly good. It gets a little slow and repetitive in the middle, but it could be a lot worse. Garry Marshall's visual style is pretty standard romantic comedy stuff. 0.6/1

Acting:
Anne Hathaway is likable and fairly decent in the lead role. Julie Andrews is always great, and this is no exception. She just adds class to the proceedings. Hector Elizondo is fun in his small part. The rest of the supporting cast (Mandy Moore, Sandrah Oh, Heather Matarazzo and Patrick Flueger among them) are hamming it up, but it's not too horrible. 0.65/1

Technical:
It's just pretty generic teen romantic comedy stuff. With some beautiful location work in and around San Francisco. 0.6/1

History:
It launched the career of Anne Hathaway. And featured a legend (Julie Andrews). 0.4/1

Entertainment:
It's pretty mindless, but fun. If you don't expect too much of it, then you won't be disappointed. Not bad. 0.65/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Fat Louie. 0.1 for the school. It's just plain an awesome looking school.

Overall: 3.7/6.8

Nothing special, but a fun time nonetheless.

Happy Accident

2008-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

A fairly ho hum romantic comedy:

Serendipity:

John Cusack has made other films just like this. Romantic comedies, that while they're likable enough, don't exactly bring a lot to the table. They're just light entertainment, with very little character development. While that isn't always a bad thing (I do enjoy a good romantic comedy after all), this isn't something that could hold my interest. The only things that set it apart are the long period of time that elapses between when they first meet, and when they get together and the portions of the film that are set in San Francisco. Nothing special here.

The scoring:

Writing:
Flimsy characters, a ludicrous premise and fairly bad dialogue don't ever add up to great writing. It's not horrible, but not good either. Just mediocre. 0.55/1

Directing:
The pacing is fairly quick (as it should be for a 90 minute film). It can be a little uneven in the middle, but that's not too bad. The visuals aren't particularly interesting. 0.6/1

Acting:
Cusack can play this kind of part in his sleep. He barely has to try. Kate Beckinsale is decent, but not great, as his love interest. The supporting cast (Molly Shannon, Eugene Levy, John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan) are just kind of ok. Jeremy Piven is the best of the bunch. 0.65/1

Technical:
Some of the location work is quite good. Everything else is just like every other romantic comedy. 0.55/1

History:
No lasting impact at all. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
It's light and breezy. Easy to watch. But not exactly riveting. And it doesn't stick with you at all. Fluff, pure and simple. 0.65/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the title. I do enjoy the word. 0.1 for the actual coffee shop.

Overall: 3.4/6.8

It's nothing but average.

San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)

2008-07-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'll be out of town for the weekend. Just some fun out in San Francisco. So over the weekend I have a few movie reviews of films that are at least somewhat related to the city. See y'all next Sunday.

Ugly

2008-07-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

A really dumb movie:

Coyote Ugly:

I think that the makers of this film knew that it was kind of dumb. Really it's just an excuse to have a bunch of hot girls dance around to pop music on top of a bar. There isn't much else going on. And if that's all they were shooting for, then they succeeded. I can't say that I see much else here.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is pretty much terrible. Yeah, definitely terrible. The characters are all stock cliches. A completely ridiculous plot. Just not good at all. And to think that they threw out almost all of Kevin Smith's work on the script (he only got one line in). Amazing. 0.4/1

Directing:
It's actually fairly well paced. A little slow in places, but it moves along fairly well. The visuals are nothing to write home about, but it could have been worse in this area. 0.6/1

Acting:
Not a good performance in the bunch. Piper Perabo is undeniably attractive, but not much of an actor. Adam Garcia is pretty much the male equivalent. The rest of the girls at the bar are around the same level. John Goodman is probably the best actor in the film, and he's just cashing a check. 0.4/1

Technical:
There really isn't much to the film on a technical level. It's just sort of standard fare. Nothing to set it apart. 0.5/1

History:
Other than as a failure, not a bit. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
There are moments of so bad it's good entertainment. Plus the hot girls dancing on the bar. But that doesn't exactly hold you over for the entire running time. 0.5/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the Johnny Knoxville cameo. Blink and you'll miss it. 0.1 for the comic collecting.

Overall: 2.8/6.8

It's pretty horrible. But I guess it could be completely mindless fun.

I'm Super

2008-07-21T09:40:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago one of my co-workers set me up on a blind date with her sister. Everything seemed to go well. No awkward lulls in the conversation or anything, so the next day at work I asked my co-worker what her sister thought. What she said was this, "She thought you were really, really nice and everything, but she said that you've got to be gay." (Let me put in the obligatory, Not that there's anything wrong with that.) I'm somewhat of an expert in being rejected. It tends to happen virtually all of the time. But it's never happened exactly this way before. What exactly does this mean? Do I need to be meaner or something? It doesn't really bother me that much to have someone think that I'm gay, but it does bother me that I can't really tell why. So that's a conundrum.

Why So Serious?

2008-07-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

The best Batman film ever made:

The Dark Knight:

I really liked Batman Begins, but this is far and away a better film. We get to see even more of Batman's character. This is a challenge on a personal ethical level. It's an internal as well as an external threat. All of which is personified in the character of the Joker. Who, in my opinion, is the best of Batman's rogue's gallery. He's malevolent, funny, insane and horrifying. The perfect villain. It's a great film. Stands up there with the greatest of the super hero films, holding its own with legitimate crime thrillers.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue can still get pretty bad at times, but there are also places where it's quite good. The characterizations are spot on. I particularly appreciated that they never tried to explain the Joker. He's just who he is. How he got there isn't important. Well done. 0.8/1

Directing:
The film is quite long, possibly even a little bit too long. But the pacing is still pretty good. The action sequences are very well directed. They have a lot of energy, and you can actually tell what's going on. Good. 0.8/1

Acting:
Christian Bale does very solid work as Bruce Wayne/Baman. He can play the dramatic stuff just as well as the action. The veterans from the last film (Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman) all do very good work. Aaron Eckhart was an inspired casting choice, he's perfect for the role of Harvey Dent. Amazing stuff. Maggie Gyllenhaal is decent taking over the role of Rachel Dawes. Heath Ledger delivers the best performance in the film as the Joker. He hits all the right notes. It's a breathtaking performance, and will almost certainly get an Oscar nomination. 0.9/1

Technical:
It's a visually spetacular film, especially when seen in the IMAX format. The design is terrific. The makeup effects on both the Joker and Two face are pretty amazing. Great stunt work. 0.85/1

History:
The last film from Heath Ledger. One of the best super hero films ever. Possibly some awards. 0.7/1

Entertainment:
The only thing that takes away anything from my complete enjoyment of the film was the length. It was quite long, but still very, very entertaining. 0.9/1

Misc.:
0.1 for how the Joker always tells different versions of how he got his scars. A nice through line. 0.1 for the nurse's outfit. 0.1 for the Hong Kong sequence. 0.1 for the Chicago shooting. It really showed off the city. 0.1 for bringing back the Scarecrow in a cameo. It really helped connect the films. 0.1 for the introduction of the Joker.

Overall: 5.55/6.8

It's an amazing film. One that you absolutely must see.

Dirty Sexy Knights in Gotham

2008-07-19T17:05:00.003-07:00

The character of Batman first really connected with me in Frank Miller's work. His books (The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, and Batman: Year One) portray Batman as a dark, complex, human being that is always making mistakes and walking the line between right and wrong. It's very rewarding story telling. And I feel that it's been very influential in the Christopher Nolan Batman films. Instead of the often campy, ridiculous Batman, we get one that's not necessarily the best person. He trys and fails all the time. He's a hero, but not a saint. I can't recommend these books enough. If you like Batman at all, you have to read them.

Red Bats With Teeth

2008-07-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sort of like how last weekend was Hellboy weekend, this weekend is Batman weekend. So you'll get three Batman related posts, ending with a review of the new film, The Dark Knight. Hope you enjoy it.

Batdance

2008-07-18T10:35:00.001-07:00

The Batman story gets rebooted:

Batman Begins:

This is the way Batman should have been from the very beginning. A dark, serious take on the character is exactly what the franchise needed. Too much camp had crept into the films. This is more to the heart of the character. Instead of just being about gadgets and explosions and fighting bad guys, it's about Bruce Wayne's struggle with his parent's death, and how far he's willing to go to fight evil. It's pretty much a revenge story. Which is perfect.

The scoring:

Writing:
The character of Bruce Wayne is very well developed. This is a true origin story that gives you glimpses into his inner psyche. The dialogue is decent. The first half of the story makes perfect sense, but it seems to get a little more ridiculous from there. Overall good work though. 0.7/1

Directing:
The film is slow, but you hardly notice because Christopher Nolan (I'm a big fan of his work) is able to build tension through the pacing. The visual style is different, and exciting. 0.8/1

Acting:
Christian Bale is by far the best incarnation of Batman. He brings a weight to the role that it never had before. Very good work from him. The supporting cast is outstanding. Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Rutger Hauer and Tom Wilkinson really make their parts pop. Katie Holmes is good as the female lead. Great cast. 0.8/1

Technical:
The design is spot on. As are the visual effects. It's a pretty utilitarian look, which really adds to the sense of realism that the film is going for. 0.85/1

History:
A huge film that restarted one of the classic film franchises. One of the most well known comic characters. 0.6/1

Entertainment:
It's gripping and very entertaining. It holds up to multiple viewings. High marks for entertainment value. 0.85/1

Misc.:
0.1 for using Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Shadows. Gives the audience a taste of a new Batman villain. 0.1 for the fight in the huge group of ninjas. Very cool. 0.1 for the new Batmobile. 0.1 for the look of Gotham. It's dark and dirty, which is perfect. 0.1 for leaving everything to Alfred.

Overall: 5.1/6.8

A great film. Go out and see it. May be the best super hero film ever made.

On the Rise

2008-07-17T09:08:00.002-07:00

In watching Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog (Part 2 is up today, go watch it!) I've realized something. Even though in most stories you're supposed to identify with the hero, I much more often find myself drawn to the villain. They're just somehow more human, more me. They fall victim to their weaknesses. Are defined by them. Instead of being the perfect paragon of human virtue, they're the avatar of human weakness. Which is much closer to what I am. I don't have the strength and confidence of someone like Captain Hammer (or the arrogance, or the cheesiness) but I do have the self doubt of Dr. Horrible, or his snarkiness.

Even the heroes that I can identify with seem to have these same characteristics. Hellboy generally does the right thing, but he also gets jealous, possessive, and argumentative. Spike, from the Buffyverse, was an evil, evil man that only changed because of a woman. But he's always been just a failed romantic. A horrible, selfish man that always falls victim to his impulses, and a terrible poet. Batman didn't really become interesting until I read The Dark Knight Returns and could see him give into his vigilante side. They're all defined, not by their strengths, which are numerous, but by their weaknesses.

I think this is much how I define myself. I can't see anything that'd be a good point. Only the things like the paranoia, the tendency to give up and the social ineptitude. I'm sure that there are plenty of good points in there somewhere, but they don't mean much.

So maybe I should come up with some sort of crazy costume, and a ridiculous plan to take over the world (possibly involving bluetooth earpieces and pigeons- it's just an idea, not like I've starting working on it- what do you mean you can see that?- just ignore that, it's nothing!). The only thing I'll need is some sort of wicked name. So if you have any ideas for my evil reign of evil villainitude, I'd appreciate the feedback.

Mr. Roboto

2008-07-16T08:58:00.003-07:00

The new Pixar film:

Wall-E:

This is, by far, the least child friendly of the Pixar films. It has long stretches that are completely free of dialogue, and the pacing is much slower. It has more in common with Ratatouille than anything else. Which is a good thing. It's some of the best work that they've ever done. It's pure visual storytelling. Dialogue isn't needed. The characters are as well developed and clear as any other film. The emotions are real and evident. It's a great film.

The scoring:

Writing:
This is usually the strong suit of the Pixar films. This is no exception. The plot is clear and concise. The characters are well developed. 0.85/1

Directing:
Telling a story without words is a great challenge. Andrew Stanton pulled it off masterfully here. The pacing is very good. Visually, the film tells the story in a simple elegant fashion. 0.9/1

Acting:
There isn't a ton of voice work here. At least not the normal human voice work. What little there was to be said was very expressive in only a few words. Very good work all around, including Ben Burtt (Wall-E), Elissa Knight (Eve), Jeff Garlin (Captain), Sigourney Weaver (Ship's Computer) and more. 0.75/1

Technical:
The design and computer animation are very, very good. Nobody does this kind of thing as well as the people at Pixar. Amazing work. 0.85/1

History:
Will get some awards nominations. Probably win an Oscar for Best Animated Film. Part of the Pixar line of films. 0.7/1

Entertainment:
I found it to be pretty thoroughly engrossing. But for a kid, it may be a little to long. 0.85/1

Misc:
0.1 for using the MacInTalk to make the voice of Auto. He's very HAL-like. 0.1 for the Fred Willard cameos. They were actually pretty funny. 0.1 for John Ratzenberger appearing yet again.

Overall: 5.2/6.8

It's an excellent film. One of the best of the year. Go see it!

There's a Doctor

2008-07-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Today the first part of Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog goes live. I highly encourage everyone to go over to www.drhorrible.com to check it out. It will only be up until Thursday, when Part 2 will go live. So act fast. Cause honestly, who doesn't love a good internet supervillain musical? I know that I sure do.

Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud

2008-07-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

A beautiful, heartbreaking journey:

Into the Wild:

This is a beautifully lyrical film. The visuals, and style of story telling wrap you up to take you away on a journey with "Alexander Supertramp." It's hard not to get lost in the story. Even if the main character isn't always the most likable of characters. Through all his good choices and bad, through the happy times and the hard times we're right there with him. It makes me curious to see what the book the film is based on is like. A very good film, but one that can be somewhat hard to watch.

The scoring:

Writing:
Alexander Supertramp/Chris McCandless is a very well developed character. The supporting characters seem to be equally as deep even in the small parts they have (with the possible exception of his parents. They're a little over the top for my taste). The plot is laid out in an interesting manner. The dialogue is decent, and at times a little better than that. 0.8/1

Directing:
The pace is slow, maybe just a little bit too slow. It could be a slightly shorter film and just as good in my opinion. The visuals are amazing. They lyrically illustrate the journey of the film. By far, Sean Penn's best work as a director. 0.8/1

Acting:
Emile Hirsch is amazing in this film. He's in virtually every scene, and holds his own with very good, veteran actors (Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and more). It's hard to watch Hirsch at the end of the film, he's so into the role (including losing 40 pounds for it). Hal Holbrook is fantastic as Ron Franz. The overall level of acting in this film is very high. 0.9/1

Technical:
All shot on location. Good period design. Beautifully shot. Great soundtrack. 0.7/1

History:
Lots of awards nominations. Including two Oscars. 0.55/1

Entertainment:
It isn't always fun to watch, but it's always riveting. It holds your attention for a good long time. 0.85/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Slab City 0.1 for the grizzly bear. 0.1 for trying to get some I.D.

Overall: 4.9/6.8

A very good film. Definitely see it.

Beautiful Freak

2008-07-13T08:15:00.003-07:00

Hellboy is back:

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army:

This is where Guillermo del Toro got to pull out all the stops and show us his version of the Hellboy universe. This film's bigger budget led to much better effects and design, while still having a humorous, action packed, touching story. There was real depth added to the characters and setting. The Liz/Hellboy relationship was explored, Abe Sabpien came much more to the forefront. We got to see more of the paranormal world that they live and work in. It's a lot of fun, and I hope that we get to see more.

The scoring:

Writing:
More depth and humor than the first. The characters and their relationships mean more to the story this time around. The story itself is fairly simple and easy to follow. The subtraction of Meyers let the other characters shine more. Overall, well written. 0.85/1

Directing:
Very well paced. It moves quickly through the story. Great energy to the story telling. The visual style is pretty spectacular. 0.85/1

Acting:
Ron Perlman is once again fantastic in the role. Selma Blair is much better in this film than the last one. She is actually pretty good. Doug Jones takes over the voice work for Abe, with excellent results. Jeffrey Tambor reprises his role as Manning. Always good. Seth MacFarlane's voice work is a welcome addition to the cast. Luke Goss is very menacing as Prince Nuada. 0.8/1

Technical:
The creature design is outrageously amazing. Some of the most unique and spectacular stuff I've ever seen. The visual effects were very good. This is a technically brilliant film. 0.9/1

History:
Very well known director. Classic character. Sequel to a cult classic. 0.45/1

Entertainment:
Very, very entertaining. It keeps your attention for the entire running time. I was pretty much enthralled. 0.9/1

Misc.:
0.1 for using the song "Beautiful Freak." 0.1 for the Abe/Hellboy sing along with beer. Hilarious. 0.1 for the Angel of Death. Freakish. 0.1 for the troll market.

Overall: 5.15/6.8

An excellent film, better than the first. Go see it now!

Picture Perfect Wannabe

2008-07-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

So by now, I'd imagine that everyone pretty much knows about the Hellboy live action films, as well as the comics. But there are also a couple of very good animated films out there, Hellboy: Sword of Storms, and Hellboy: Blood & Iron. They have a very different look from both the comics and the film. Not really a realistic look, but more of an exaggerated, cartoony style. Which is different, but still quite good. The cast from the film reprise their roles in these animated films. It gives it a nice continuity. The films are just a good time, with some fun characters. If you enjoy Hellboy, then I highly recommend them.

Hellnation

2008-07-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend, to coincide with the release of Hellboy 2, it'll be a all Hellboy content weekend. So hopefully you enjoy.

Red Right Hand

2008-07-11T08:08:00.001-07:00

The dark comic adaptation from Guillermo del Toro:

Hellboy:

A demon summoned by Nazis who's then raised by a human and trained to fight the paranormal for the government? It sounds like a crazy idea. It probably is. But it's also an awesome idea. That's wonderfully executed in the film based on the comic book series. It's dark, action packed, humorous, and just plain fun. Not a perfect film to be sure, but I still highly recommend it.

The scoring:

Writing:
The characters have long backstories that have been developed in the comics which are only hinted at here. It'd be nice to have just a little more character depth. The dialogue is great in places (particularly for Hellboy and Abe Sapien) but on the whole it's pretty average on that front. The story itself probably brings Agent Meyers into the forefront a little too much. Hellboy should be a little more of a presence. 0.8/1

Directing:
It's pretty well paced, perhaps a little bit slow. It doesn't really drag, but it doesn't have a ton of energy for the entire running time. The visuals are excellent. 0.8/1

Acting:
Ron Perlman is perfectly cast in the title role. It's like he was born to play the part. The supporting cast is mostly very good, especially Jeffrey Tambor (Tom Manning) and David Hyde Pierce/Doug Jones (voice/body of Abe). I didn't particularly care for Rupert Evans's performance as Meyers. 0.8/1

Technical:
The visual effects are very good. Especially for a film with a mid sized budget. The design is very good, as is usual for a Guillermo del Toro film. 0.8/1

History:
Adaptation of a classic comic character. Well known director. 0.45/1

Entertainment:
This type of film is completely in my wheel house. So I found it engrossing from beginning to end. Even my mother enjoyed it, so that tells you the kind of range it has. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the death of Adolf Hitler in 1958. 0.1 for the opening sequence in Scotland. Very cool. 0.1 for the B.P.R.D. 0.1 for using the Nick Cave song, "Red Right Hand." Perfect for the character with the, "Right Hand of Doom." 0.1 for hanging out with the kid on the roof. 0.1 for lighting a cigar with his own finger.

Overall: 5.05/6.8

It's a ton of fun. I highly recommend it.

Don't Sell Me Short

2008-07-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Today on NBC.com, the first of the Office webisodes for the summer will start streaming. I enjoyed the last set of these that they did. They should be good, or at least a little bit of Office filler until the season starts.

Drunken Lullabies

2008-07-09T08:53:00.001-07:00

The new Will Smith superhero flick:

Hancock:

This film has a lot of unrealized potential. The first half has some interesting ideas, and character development. But after about 40 minutes those ideas are wrapped up and a standard kind of superhero action adventure film. I would much rather have seen an entire film about the flawed, alcoholic, hero that Hancock was at first. It was interesting, with moments of real emotion. But that's not what we got.

The scoring:

Writing:
The dialogue is decent, but not great. Half a good story, half a dumb story. Hancock makes for a somewhat interesting character. I didn't need to hear about his back story though. 0.6/1

Directing:
The first half has a comic pacing. The second has more of an action/adventure feel. The visual style is decent. 0.6/1

Acting:
Will Smith is always good in this type of film. He does pretty good work here. Jason Bateman is solid. Charlize Theron, not so much. I can't say that I was a fan of her performance. Not the greatest supporting cast either. 0.65/1

Technical:
Pretty good effects and design. Nothing special for a big summer blockbuster though. 0.7/1

History:
Not really any to speak of. Will probably make a lot of money. 0.3/1

Entertainment:
I started to lose interest about halfway through. Which I guess could be worse. But not the most riveting thing ever. 0.6/1

Misc.:
0.1 for shooting off the glasses. 0.1 for the YouTube stuff.

Overall: 3.65/6.8

Not so great. Pretty mediocre, verging on bad.

All the Small Things

2008-07-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

My dad's doctor recently decided to put him on a diet to help control his diabetes. He went onto the South Beach diet. I agreed to go on it too, to make it easier for him (and cause, frankly I could stand to be healthier too). It isn't too bad, though there are moments of weakness where I'd like to eat something that I'm not allowed to (mostly when I'm cooking food at work that there isn't a chance I could eat). It seems to be working fairly well. I've lost 15 pounds in the first week. So we'll see how that goes.

The Other Way

2008-07-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

A completely over the top period piece:

The Other Boleyn Girl:

I never really had much hope for this film. Just looking at the trailer made it look completely uninteresting. But seeing as I had nothing better to do at work, I gave it a shot. I can't say that I was wrong in my intial impressions. It's completely ham handed and over done. The well done period setting isn't able to make up for the lack of good writing. The cast (who are mostly decent actors) don't even come close to rising above the material. They wallow in it. Which doesn't make for much of a film.

The scoring:

Writing:
I think that this is the weakness of the film. The dialogue is just plain horrible (and I'm talking Bill Walton extended horrible there), and ridiculous. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic. I found myself rooting for Henry VIII to just get with the executing already. Which isn't the way I should have been feeling. 0.4/1

Directing:
The film is too long and slow. It's trying to be a period epic, when really it's just a trashy romance. Which makes for a problem with the pacing. Too slow. The visuals are a touch over done for my taste, but that's just nitpicking. 0.5/1

Acting:
Every person in the cast is belting it out to the cheap seats. Scarlett Johansson (Mary) is all over the place. Natalie Portman (Anne) doesn't come off nearly as charming as she's supposed to. Plus her accent....not so great. Eric Bana (Henry VIII) just seems like a villain. Jim Sturgess probably fairs the best, and he's just decent. Subpar efforts from good actors. 0.5/1

Technical:
The costumes and overall design are wonderful. Everything is pretty spectacularly beautiful. And equally as well lit. This is the film's strongsuit. 0.7/1

History:
Can't say that there's much. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
I found myself bored quite often during the running time. It just wasn't particularly exciting. Which is a pity. 0.45/1

Misc.:
0.1 for chopping off the heads.

Overall: 2.85/6.8

It's pretty dang bad. That is all.

O Fortuna

2008-07-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Fortune Part 3:

Well now that I've fulfilled my sausage needs for the foreseeable future I can get back to a day chock a block with excitement. Which basically means just sitting around the house waiting for something to happen. Which to tell you the truth, rarely does.

I wasn't always like this you know. Once upon a great long time ago I was your average Joe sorta guy instead of the great example of dudosity (duditude? dudacity? dudation? I don't know the word exactly. Just whatever a distillation of the Dude would be.) standing before you. I had a normal job. Ambitions. Expectations. An occasional shave and a haircut. Basically all the trappings of normality.

Only thing is, I didn't exactly deal well with them. You could say I didn't handle the stress very well. Or that the anxieties of life started to weigh me down. I just like to think that I chose a different path. One that's just a tich bit more relaxed, laid back and chill. One where you don't have to get up until you damn well please, and where if you want to go out it just a bathrobe and slippers it's perfectly acceptable.

Freedom. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The American dream of doing as little as possible. And I'm living it. No one to hold me down. No one to answer to. It's quite the life. But you know what.... I'm inner monologuing here. It's a bit much. Let's get back to the story then:

I had my tasty, tasty sausage (seriously, best sausage ever) and was wandering toward the front of the store. What do I want to eat with this here meat product? Let me do a quick mental check of the fridge contents at home....ketchup....hot sauce....mustard....sour milk....possibly some sort of adult type beverage (remember kids, I'm a stupid, stupid loser, you don't want to grow up to be like me- but for the adults....it's all good).....anything else? I don't think so. It's kind of sad. I should probably get some sort of vegetable to go in there. Or at least good mil- WAIT! Whats that? CHEEZ WHIZ! The perfect side dish. Now I'm set.

Sausage and whiz in hand, I finally make my way to the checkout. Three lanes open. Nobody at any of them. But I still choose the express lane. I do only have two items after all, well under the fifteen item limit.

"Will this be all for you today sir?"
"Yep. I think so."
"Then your total is 6.73."
"Ok."

At this point the checker becomes somewhat exasperated with me. I imagine it had something to do with me paying for my stuff with one crinkled dollar bill, nine quarters, twelve dimes, eighteen nickels, and a hundred and thirty eight pennies. I'm not exactly rolling in the dough, so I have to pay with what I've got. She should have known that was going to happen when she saw me come up to the front with a sack full of change. It's all legal tender isn't it?

"Break open your piggy bank?"
"Something like that."
"Well thanks. I appreciate it."
"I try."

At which point she just clams up and hands me a receipt. I thank her, but get no response. Not even a, "Thanks, come again." or a "Thanks for shopping with us." Where has customer service in this country gone? I'm always right aren't I? I am the customer.

Back to normality now. No more crazy shopping adventures.

I Wanted Everything

2008-07-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

A stylish action flick:

Wanted:

This is a big, loud, dumb action movie. But I actually had a lot of fun watching it. It doesn't have even a passing familiarity with reality, the characters aren't close to being deep, and some things don't even come close to making since. But it does have an energy to it and it just plain looks amazing. It feels like a comic book brought to life. Which is more or less what it is (though it deviates wildly from the source material).

The scoring:

Writing:
The plot is convoluted and at times somewhat incomphrehensible. The characters are flimsy. The dialogue is at times great, and at others horrible. 0.6/1

Directing:
It has a brisk pace that really energizes the film. The visual style can be a little too over the top flashy at times, but is a lot of fun. 0.75/1

Acting:
James McAvoy is pretty good as the normal guy turned assasin. Morgan Freeman is mailing this one in for the paycheck. But he's never horrible. Angelina Jolie is decent, but this isn't exactly a challenge. The supporting cast is decent. 0.7/1

Technical:
The effects look pretty amazing. It's not groundbreaking stuff, but very well done. The design is fairly normal action movie stuff. 0.75/1

History:
Not a bit really. 0.2/1

Entertainment:
It held my interest for almost the entire running time. But it's definitely something where you have to check your brain at the door. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for "recovery." 0.1 for mice bombs. 0.1 for riding on top of the train.

Overall: 4.05/6.8

It's a fun movie, not great, but worth seeing as a mindless popcorn flick.

'Merican

2008-07-04T13:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Independence Day

Don't Panic

2008-07-03T09:22:00.001-07:00

The adaptation of the classic sci-fi book:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:

I've always loved Douglas Adam's book (which was based on his radio series of the same name), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. So I was excited when they were adapting it into a feature film. Hopefully it'd have the same sense of whimsy that the book and the BBC TV version had, with better visuals. I'd have to say that I was just a little bit disappointed. While it was still a good film, it wasn't quite up to the standard set by the book. It still had some of the same Monty Pythonesque British humor, it hadn't completely captured the tone of the book.

The scoring:

Writing:
Much of the best writing is lifted directly from the book. There are exact lines and sequences that are exactly the same. The main characters are fairly interesting and well developed. The dialogue is decent. The plot makes no sense. 0.75/1

Directing:
The pacing and tone are a little all over the place. Makes things a bit jumpy. Decent visual work and blocking. 0.65/1

Acting:
I personally found the casting to be fairly refreshing (if a bit on the American side). Martin Freeman is near on perfect as Arthur Dent. But I must admit that I'm a fan of him anyway. Mos Def (Ford Prefect), Zooey Deschanel (Trillian) are fairly good. They bring a unique spin to their parts. Mos Def is my personal favorite bit of casting. Sam Rockwell is a bit over the top as Zaphod. Alan Rickman is just kick ass as the voice of Marvin. There's a slew of great actors in small parts including, John Malkovich, Bill Nighy, Helen Mirren ane Stephen Fry. Good acting work. 0.75/1

Technical:
The effects are very good. They have the whimsical look that the film needed. The design is also quite good. 0.75/1

History:
Adaptation of a sci-fi classic. Not much else. 0.5/1

Entertainment:
It's weird, but hilarious. I know that there were several laugh out loud moments. Kept me entertained for multiple viewings. 0.75/1

Misc.:
0.1 for not thinking. 0.1 for the point of view gun. 0.1 for yarn ship. 0.1 for the Darwin costume. 0.1 for what happens to the missiles.

Overall: 4.65/6.8

It's a fun flick. Very funny. But the book is much better.

The Space Nazi's Attack!

2008-07-02T15:10:00.003-07:00

The team behind the film Star Wreck are coming out with their latest venture. A film about the Nazis, who after fleeing to the dark side of the moon in 1945, are returning to conquer earth in 2018. It sounds like a crazy idea, but a fun one. It's called Iron Sky. Watch the teaser above. (Oh, and they're Finnish, so the film will probably be in Finnish).

High School Girl

2008-07-01T08:56:00.003-07:00

The classic high school dramedy:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High:

I've always thought this film, while pretty good, doesn't live up to its status as a classic. There are some amazing moments, and a few great characters (i.e. Spicoli), but that it's a fairly average film. Kind of funny, sort of dramatic, but far from perfect.

The scoring:

Writing:
There is a little bit of depth to the characters, but not too much more than their stock high school types (like the geek, the cool guy, the tender one, the surfer/stoner, etc.). The dialogue is pretty good, as it should be, since it's written by Cameron Crowe. Ok. 0.7/1

Directing:
There are places where the pacing is too slow. It doesn't have much energy. The visual style is fairly standard comedy stuff from the 80s. Nothing too exciting. 0.65/1

Acting:
There's a fairly decent cast. Sean Penn is very good as Jeff Spicoli. It's very different from most of his other roles, and still one of his best. The rest of the young cast is fairly good (Jennifer Jason Leigh(Stacy), Judge Reinhold(Brad), Robert Romanus(Mike), Brian Backer(Mark) and Phoebe Cates(Linda)). I love Ray Walston as Mr. Hand. He's just plain hilarious. Overall good work on the acting front. 0.75/1

Technical:
This isn't exactly an area where the film excells. It doesn't do anything spectacular. The design is fairly good. 0.6/1

History:
Considered a classic. Started a lot of careers in Hollywood. 0.5/1

Entertainment:
The slow pacing makes the film suffer entertainment wise. There are places where it's riveting, but it's too slow getting there. 0.7/1

Misc.:
0.1 for Forest Whitaker, Nicholas Cage (as Nicholas Coppola), and Anthony Edwards in tiny parts. Everyone has to start somewhere. 0.1 for Mr. Hand going to Spicoli's house. 0.1 for no shoes, no shirt, no dice.

Overall: 4.2/6.8

A pretty good flick, but kind of overrated.

As Ugly As I Seem

2008-06-30T08:29:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading Uglies, the first book in Scott Westerfeld's trilogy of the same name. It's about a society where when children reach sixteen years old they are all given cosmetic surgery to make them into "pretties." These pretties have no responsibilities except to have fun all the time, and to look pretty. It's an interesting book which addresses some interesting issues. If you're in to YA novels or sci fi at all then I highly recommend. Or even if you're not I still recommend it.

It's Not Easy Being Green

2008-06-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Marvel's reboot of the Hulk franchise:

The Incredible Hulk:

I had very low expectations for this film. The last Hulk film was just terrible. I actually fell asleep in the theater while I was watching this. But I'd heard enough positive word of mouth for this version that I was willing to give it a chance. It was night and day difference. Marvel taking over the production of films based on it's comic book characters is really showing. Between this and Iron Man they're 2 for 2. Interesting character work, great action and respectful of the source material to boot. All with nifty little tie ins to other Marvel properties. Now I'm excited for the Avengers movie.

The scoring:

Writing:
I'd never have expected this from Zak Penn. Most of his previous work has been pretty bad (Fantastic Four, X-Men 3) but he seems to be Marvel's golden boy (he's also writing Captain America and The Avengers). Hopefully everything else is up to this standard at least. The character of Bruce Banner gets some interesting development (perhaps credited to Edward Norton, who did rewrites on the script but was denied a credit) and the story is fairly interesting if simple. 0.7/1

Directing:
Well paced, with great action. Louis Leterrier seems to have a flair for directing action sequences (the best parts of Transporter 2, which he also directed). Interesting visually. Pretty well done. 0.75/1

Acting:
Edward Norton is very good as Bruce Banner. He brings a different approach to the part, makes it his own. I quite enjoyed his work. Liv Tyler is ok, but not great, as Betty Ross. Tim Roth does admirable work in a chewing the scenery part as Emil Blonsky/The Abomination. William Hurt and Tim Blake Nelson are ok in thankless supporting roles. 0.75/1

Technical:
There are some truly spectacular effects in this film. The fight sequences really show them off. The look of the Hulk has great improved. 0.8/1

History:
The reboot of a classic character. Laying the groundwork for the Avengers. 0.4/1

Entertainment:
It was gripping for most of it's running time. It peters out a little towards the end, but still a very entertaining film. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the Brazil rooftop chase. Lots of fun there. 0.1 for all the Marvel tie ins (i.e. the S.H.I.E.L.D. mentions, the Tony Stark scene at the end). 0.1 for the transformations. Looked much better than before. 0.1 for Lou Ferrigno. He's made a career of Hulk related appearences.

Overall: 4.6/6.8

A very solid film. See it.

Section 10 (A Long Day)

2008-06-28T07:33:00.002-07:00

The AFI recently released a list of the top 10 best films in 10 different genres. After complaining to my mother about some of their choice she said that I should come up with my own. So I did. Only I didn't really think I should choose ten Westerns and Courtroom Dramas. So I only choose 5 of each and then added the Horror Genre. I limited myself to things I've seen, so it tends to skew a little more towards recent films than their list did.

Animation-
1- Toy Story
This is an incredible film. It changed the future of animation, is hilarious and touching.
2- The Lion King
My favorite of the modern Disney animated films. It balances comedy and drama very well.
3- Bambi
Just plain heartbreaking. The death of Bambi's mom just kills me.
4- The Little Mermaid
The most fun of all the modern Disney flicks. Great music.
5- The Incredibles
This film has a surprising hard edge. There's actual menace and death here.
6- Beauty and the Beast
Spectacular, with great music and art. The best love story on this list.
7- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The classic that started it all. Holds up surprisingly well. Great filmmaking.
8- The Iron Giant
There's more heart in this film than almost anything. I nearly tear up watching it.
9- The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton's crazy imagination let loose stop motion style. With songs.
10- South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
This one is definitely not for kids. But is still pretty hilarious, with a funny soundtrack.

Romantic Comedies-
1- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This is one of my favorite films ever. What I think a romantic comedy should really be.
2- The Philadelphia Story
Carey Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart. What more do you need to say.
3- Sabrina (Original)
The remake is pretty good too. But the original is far better. It has Humphrey Bogart after all.
4- Annie Hall
By far Woody Allen's best film. It's funny, and romantic, and touching. Genius work.
5- Chasing Amy
I think I like this film much more than most people. But it actually makes me laugh and cry.
6- Some Like it Hot
Hilariously funny. It could be classified in other genres too, but I like it more here.
7- Garden State
It might be stretching to call this a comedy, but it is funny and the love story is very sweet.
8- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
This is a very new film, but I think it's a classic. It's hilarious, and heartbreaking. It's hits me hard.
9- While You Were Sleeping
Very quotable, and fun. More comedy than romance, but that's how I generally like it.
10- Sleepless in Seattle
It's sometimes too sweet for it's own good, but it's just good.

Western-
1- High Noon
It's just tense and thrilling. You stay on the edge of your seat the entire time.
2- The Searchers
It's deep and complex. The characters are strong and so are the performances.
3- Unforgiven
It's dark and bleak. All about revenge. It's an amazing piece of film making.
4- Shane
All about the western hero. It's a great flick. And the scene at the end is amazing.
5- Once Upon a Time in the West
I don't know if this should count since it was technically made in Italy. But it's amazing.

Sports-
1- Raging Bull
This is all about the character. Instead of just being about the sport, it's just the character.
2- Rocky
It's an inspiring story. Very inspiring. If you haven't seen it you won't see the end coming.
3- Field of Dreams
James Earl Jones. Fenway Park. Going off into the corn. What more do I need to say?
4- Hoop Dreams
An amazing documentary about some high school basketball players who dream of going pro.
5- When We Were Kings
A documentary about the Ali-Foreman fight in Zaire. The Rumble in the Jungle. Great stuff.
6- Hoosiers
An unbelieveable story about little Hickory High's basketball time. It makes me want to cheer.
7- Caddyshack
"Cinderella story. A former greenskeeper about to become Masters champion....it's in the hole! It's in the hole!"
8- The Natural
Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs. The baseball player that comes out of nowhere to be something.
9- Million Dollar Baby
A tragedy. A heartbreaker. A fine Clint Eastwood sports film.
10- Jerry Maguire
This is probably closer to a romantic comedy. And a pretty good one.

Mystery-
1- Rear Window
On a list heavy with Hitchcock (oh, the double entendre there), this is my favorite of his films. Suspensful and gripping.
2- Vertigo
It grabs you from the very beginning and envelops you into the mystery. Amazing.
3- Memento
It's unusual structure makes the mystery. Without it, it'd just be a straight drama. It's a unique piece of film making.
4- North by Northwest
A long pursuit, and some great writing makes this one of Hitchcock's greatest works.
5- Chinatown
It has an amazing performance from Jack Nicholson. A modern noir classic.
6- The Usual Suspects
It builds toward the end, with the reveal making the entire film work. Who is Keyzer Soze?
7- The Maltese Falcon
A classic noir mystery. Starring one of my personal favorites, Humphrey Bogart.
8- Dial M for Murder
Many times a film is described as a cat and mouse game. This film is what they want it to be.
9- The Big Lebowski
The only comedy on the mystery list. It gives us the story of a slacker (The Dude) trying to get restitution for his rug. The Dude abides.
10- Blue Velvet
David Lynch's films are always bizarre, but usually interesting. This is no exception. Dennis Hopper is frightening in this.

Fantasy-
1- The Wizard of Oz
I don't know how you could top this. The classic of classics. It gave us so much
that's become a part of the culture. Who doesn't like the Wizard of Oz?
2- King Kong
The original. A masterpiece. It's certainly dated, but is still an amazing accomplishment. And quite entertaining.
3- The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
The scope of the film is amazing. The effects and production design. It's an amazing experience. The best of the trilogy.
4- The Princess Bride
One of the most quotable movies ever made. Hilarious and touching. Just a lot of fun.
5- Brazil
It's such a weird, futuristic world. Not easy to watch the first time. But it rewards repeated viewings.
6- It’s a Wonderful Life
It's a sappy classic. But very well made. With a great performance from Jimmy Stewart.
7- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The geek movie above all geek movies. It's a right of passage. Hilarious. So what if I fudged and put a British film here? It had to be included.
8- Groundhog Day
I think people forget how good this is. It's been on cable too much. But there's an amazing premise that's executed beautifully.
9- Edward Scissorhands
It's a strange film. But one that's completely touching on a character level.
10- Brigadoon
I love musicals. This is one of my favorites. It's sappy and over the top, but very well done.

Sci-Fi-
1- Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope
It changed film making forever. Plus it's a great story that captivates the imagination.
2- Blade Runner
This is a far smarter vision of the future. Different from anything that came before. The first time I saw it I was blown away.
3- The Day the Earth Stood Still
A sci-fi classic. It's a simple story, but amazingly well written, with great characters.
4- Children of Men
Of all films in recent years, this is the best of the sci-fi pack. It's brilliant on almost every level. I think it's been criminally overlooked.
5- Alien
It's more of a horror film in tone, but the setting is pure sci-fi. It's frightening, and the design is incredible. In space no one can hear you scream.
6- A Clockwork Orange
A disturbing vision of the future. I think this is where Kubrick was truly at his best. I don't think I want to live in his future.
7- The Matrix
Amazing effects. A fun story. Two horrendous sequels that we pretend never happened.
8- E.T. the Extra Terrestrial
It's a sweet little film about an alien that want's to go home. But one that's extremely influential.
9- Terminator 2: Judgement Day
It's an action thrill ride with some of the most groundbreaking effects ever.
10- 2001: A Space Odyssey
This is a beautiful, technically brilliant film. It's like art work to look at. But out of everthing on this list it's the film that I connect the least with.

Gangster-
1- The Godfather
It's the classic among classics. So many great performances and moments that it'd be impossible to list them all.
2- Goodfellas
The best Scorsese film. Amazingly didn't win the Best Picture Oscar. Great story, great cast.
3- Pulp Fiction
Tarantino's best film. Sort of like if you followed the mobsters around for their entire days, instead of just the work bits.
4- The Godfather Part II
The rare sequel that lives up to the original. Some even think that it's better. "I know it was you Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"
5- Touch of Evil
One of Orson Welles's later films. It has an amazing look, and an interesting story.
6- Mean Streets
Scorsese's first great film. I think it's very underrated. It has great characters and a good story, all on a smaller scale.
7- Bonnie and Clyde
A very violent film, with a different tone than anything else on this list.
8- Little Caeasar
A great, classic gangster film. The acting is big. The characters are big. The story is big.
9- The Departed
The Hong Kong film it's based on may be better, but this is still great. More about the police than anything else here.
10- A History of Violence
This is a story about what happens when you get out of the mob. Viggo Mortenson is great in this film.

Courtroom Drama-
1- Twelve Angry Men
This is the greatest film about the jury system ever made. Henry Fonda is a revelation.
2- To Kill a Mockingbird
This film is just as good as the book that it's based on. Which is completely classic.
3- Judgement at Nuremburg
It's a courtroom drama all wrapped into the end of World War 2. A great film, with a super young Willaim Shatner.
4- Kramer vs. Kramer
It's a terrific drama, with some great acting. All on a very personal level.
5- The Insider
This is the courtroom drama where the things that happen outside the courtroom are more important.

Epic-
1- Schindler’s List An amazingly heartbreaking film. I've only ever been able to get through it once.
2- Lawrence of Arabia
Beautiful. The scope of this film is breathtaking. I'd love to see it on the big screen some time.
3- Saving Private Ryan
The D-Day sequence is mind numbingly well done. And a jarring experience.
4- Gone With the Wind
They don't make films on this scale anymore. The "cast of thousands" thing isn't an exaggeration.
5- The Ten Commandments
I've always loved this film. The effects were state of the art at the time.
6- Spartacus
"I am Spartacus!" The story of slaves rebelling against Rome. A true classic.
7- Ben-Hur
Nothing is quite as spectacular as the chariot race in this film.
8- All Quiet on the Western Front
It really gives you a glimpse at what trench warfare in WWI must have been like.
9- Apocalypse Now
Coppola almost bankrupted himself making this film. It paid off in a big way.
10- Gladiator
It isn't a perfect film, but it has an epic look and a scope to the story.

Horror-
1- Jaws
A huge blockbuster. It will really make you scared of the water.
2- The Shining
Extremely terrifying. It slowly builds until you are just completely horrified.
3- Psycho
You're tense and uneasy the entire running time of the film. Very suspenseful.
4- The Exorcist
I'd imagine if you've never seen it, that it'll scare you pretty bad. The sequels not so much.
5- Shaun of the Dead
Hilariously funny play on the conventions of the zombie film genre.
6- Rosemary's Baby
It's funnier than you think it will be. But also quite scary.
7- Halloween
>A very low budget horror flick. That's still kinda scary. And spawned a million imitators.
8- 28 Days Later
Scariest zombies ever. The scenes in the empty London are very creepy.
9- Evil Dead II
A classic horror comedy. It's just plain good stuff. Plus it stars Bruce Campbell.
10- Scream
It jumpstarted the horror genre in the modern era. It's very aware of the genre conventions and comments on them.

So there's my list. It's not perfect (just being my opinion after all). But there are some great films on there.

A Few Words From the Bride

2008-06-27T13:36:00.003-07:00

The continuation:

Kill Bill Vol. 2:

This film takes the martial arts elements of the first Kill Bill film and combines them with some western elements. It's a kung fu western more or less. It's a slower, more character driven film. The action elements aren't as much in the foreground, but are still there. It's really more about how The Bride (Uma Thurman) became the The Bride and about her relationship with Bill (David Carradine). It's a satisfying ending to the story, but somewhat less fun than the first film.

The scoring:

Writing:
Tarantino's dialogue is just as good as the first half. Still with an interesting structure. The character development in this part lets you see new facets of the characters. Very well written. 0.9/1

Directing:
The visual style is still interesting, but more calm and traditional. The pacing is good, if a little bit slow. Good work. 0.85/1

Acting:
There's a lot more interesting acting done in this half of the film. Thurman shows herself more than capable of playing the quiet moments as well as the action bits. David Carradine is amazing as Bill. Daryl Hannah (Elle Driver) and Michael Madsen (Bud) are very good in their supporting roles. Gordon Liu (Pai Mei in this film and Johnny Mo in Vol 1) is having a lot of fun. 0.9/1

Technical:
Beautifully shot and designed again. It runs the gambit from classic kung fu look to a spaghetti western look. Good stuff. Excellent stunt work. 0.8/1

History:
Acclaimed director. Huge acheivement. Some awards. 0.5/1

Entertainment:
It's gripping, but a little bit slow. It grabs you, but in more a slow seduction, than a powerful grasp. 0.8/1

Misc.:
0.1 for shooting with rock salt. Cool. 0.1 for breaking out of the grave. 0.1 for the training with Pai Mei. One of my favorite sequences.

Overall: 5.05/6.8

A great film, and a great completion of the story.

My Hero

2008-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

The teaser for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is up online now. It looks mighty, mighty shiny. Enjoy now please.

Battle Without Honor or Humanity

2008-06-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

The fourth film from Quentin Tarantino:

Kill Bill: Vol. 1:

This is where Tarantino riffs on martial arts and revenge films. And it's a mighty entertaining riff too. It isn't an especially complex story. The Bride (Uma Thurman) gets wrong, gets mad and gets revenge. But the way the story is told is fairly interesting. The chronology is jumbled, events are out of order. But everything still seems to make perfect sense, and build towards the final fight of the film, and lead right into the second part. Good stuff.

The scoring:

Writing:
Tarantino has gift for dialogue. He delievers here. The characters are fairly interesting, if not fully developed in Vol. 1. The second volume has more character developement. Oren Ishii (Lucy Liu) is probably the character that we know the most about. The structure is interesting without being confusing. Well written. 0.85/1

Directing:
The pacing is quick. Things move along quickly. Taratino has an interesting visual style, even if it does ape other films of the genre. 0.85/1

Acting:
Uma Thurman is pretty much amazing as The Bride. She has an amazing physicality that she brings to the part. The supporting cast is also quite good. Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox (Vernita Green), and Sonny Chiba (Hattori Hanzo) are my personal favorites from the first part. Good work all around though. 0.85/1

Technical:
It's beautifully shot, mimicking the look of the 60s and 70s martial arts flicks. The design is amazing. And the anime sequence is pretty dang good too. 0.8/1

History:
By an acclaimed director. A huge achievement in making both parts. 0.55/1

Entertainment:
It's a gripping action film. Something that will hold your attention for it's entire running time. Not for the squemish though. It's extremely violent after all. 0.85/1

Misc.:
0.1 for the Crazy 88. They're just strange and yet funny. 0.1 for "Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" I love that song. Just a good soundtrack in general. 0.1 for the look of the fight in Tokoyo. 0.1 for "Old Klingon Proverb" title card. Ha.

Overall: 5.15/6.8

A good, entertaing film. See it if you haven't. And Vol. 2 too.

Makin' Monsters For My Friends

2008-06-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago I bought the game Arkham Horror. I'd heard that it was a fantastic game, and it looked really fun. But I've never managed to convince anyone to play it with me. Something about it being pretty complex and taking a few hours to play. So I was very grateful when my brother in law, Corey, and his family asked to borrow it from me. And invited me along too. I'll have to say that I loved it. A great game. Hopefully I get people to play it with me again.