Do you feel it in the air? The times, they-are-a-changin'. This weekend ushers in a month of pure craziness, and it should be an exciting few weeks.
While business is picking up at work, with the start of the new fall season and a ton of New Media-related news of late (Apple's I-TV, Microsoft's Zune, etc), I'm leaving it all behind come Wednesday when I jet home to CT for a few days of family, food, relaxing, and a hefty dose of hardcore praying, for the holiday of Rosh Hashana. I come back to LA just in time for TOM PETTY next Tuesday, and soon after that it's my 24th birthday. In the meantime, I'm plugging away on my writing, trying to finish up this freakin' driving school, getting excited for the new fall TV premieres, doing a lot of reading, hopefully getting in some basketball, and making time for a few others' b-day celebrations to boot. And then, before you know it it's October, which means one of the most fun times of year in Halloween. This year we actually have a Friday the 13th in October, so something crazy has to happen then, before we attempt to reproduce last year's Page-O-Ween spectacular, and yeah, a trip to the Scary Farm may be in order as well. For many, summer is the time to kick back and have fun ... and I had a good summer, but it was also one where I started a new job (as did many of my friends), and had a lot to think about. So my prediction: Fall 2006 is going to be HUGE!
Okay, so before we plow head-first into the fall, let's look back on the summer that was. Well, at least as it relates to the Summer Movie season.
The Summer of 2006, as a whole, I would have to call underwhelming when it comes to film. While we closed out the Spring with some truly excellent movies, from Thank You For smoking to United 93, this summer saw only a handful of movies that I would categorize as "great." And looking back at LAST summer, we had some positively impactful genre movies like Batman Begins and Star Wars. This summer, the biggest franchise there is, Superman, ultimately proved to be a creative and box office disappointment, and I think that even those who initially praised it have to admit that once the hype died down, it's not a movie that will be looked back on with the same reverence or enthusiasm as Batman Begins, Spiderman, or even the original Richard Donner Superman. Still, I think some of the fan and critical backlash on some of this summer's big movies was misplaced. X-Men 3 was an excellent way to close out the trilogy, and delivered on the superheroics and over the top action that the first two lacked. And of course, Pirates 2 won over MOST of us, but still has some detractors who seemed to be expecting it to be The Last of the Mohicans or something. Oddly, Nacho 2 received a somewhat lukewarm reception, maybe due to burnout with quirky comedies ... but I still found it to be one of the summer's most enjoyable comedies - overall, a better movie than the funny but formulaic Talladega Nights. Kevin Smith really won me over with a return to form in Clerks II - sure, it retread familiar territory, but it was vintage Smith that reminded me why I liked his stuff in the first place. There's a ton of talk about Tom Cruise and MI:3 - but let's forget about Cruise and look at the actual movie ... the fact is that the franchise itself was never that strong to begin with, especially after a very uneven sequel in MI:2. To expect Cruise's starpower to carry an already flailing action series was a bit absurd. Still, MI:3 was a very solid action flick that was a nice way to kick off the summer movie season, despite few people begging for this movie to be made in the first place. Similarly, Crank was a great way to close out the summer - a hilarious balls-to-the-wall action movie that reveled in its absurdity. On the other hand, while I enjoyed Snakes on a Plane, there is only so much praise I can give to a bad movie, even if its self-mocking absurdity is part of the isn't-it-ironic joke. Like I said, Talladega Nights was the best Will Ferell vehicle since Anchorman, though it didn't quite live up to that movie's hilarity. In the quirky and eccentric category, indie fave Terry Zwigoff produced a ver yinteresting but kind of perplexing movie in Art School Confidential, while the ever-prolific Woody Allen had an odd but underrated old-school caper in Scoop. Very few saw Mike Judge's Idiocracy, and even fewer came away knowing exactly what to think of it, but somewhere just below the surface of this studio-shelved rarity was the next Office Space waiting to burst out. Meanwhile, fans of the 80's show were diappointed in Miami Vice, but viewed solely as an action movie dripping with shadowy atmosphere and directorial prowess, I thought it was pretty damn good. Until a few weeks ago, I would have told you that, by far, the best movie of the summer was Pixar's Cars, which to me was perhaps my favorite Pixar movie to date, with an amazingly evocative look at nostalgia and progress and the American Dream - not things you expect to find in a Disney animated movie, but then again, Pixar has always defied expectations. However, as soon as I saw Little Miss Sunshine, I knew that I had seen the best movie of the summer - a triumphant, hilarious, thought-provoking movie that is one for the ages. If you have not yet seen it, check it out - it really is an amazing movie. Still, looking at this list, and comparing it to last year's ... well, last year I was able to comprise a Top 10 Summer Movie list made up entirely of A-level movies. As this year's list goes on, we start to get into a slightly lower tier - still good movies, but not quite that same level as last year, where everything from Batman to Hustle and Flow and even down to Sky High (dammit all) was in the A-range for me. Anyways ...
The Top 10 Movies of Summer 2006:
1.) Little Miss Sunshine - Again, an amazing, hilarious movie that had the entire audience cheering.
2.) Cars - Another superlative effort from Pixar, with standard-setting animation and a script that worked on multiple levels.
3.) Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest - All you could ask for in a big summer movie - tons of fun, plenty of humor, an interesting mythology, imaginative f/x, and great action.
4.) Clerks II - A return to the View Askewniverse that was as funny as I'd hoped, with more heart than I expected.
5.) Nacho Libre - A worthy follow-up to Napoleon Dynamite from Jared Hess, this one had a ton of memorable scenes and the most inherently funny premise in a while.
6.) X-Men 3: The Last Stand - While fanboys whined about it not being a proper adaptation of the Phoenix Saga, this was a damn good superhero movie that I went into with low expecations and came out of having been thoroughly entertained.
7.) Miami Vice - Another one that seemed to inspire mixed reactions, I thought that Michael Mann's latest was suitably kickass, dripping with style and atmosphere - a directorial clinic.
8.) MI:3 / Crank - Two action movies, two different styles, but both ultimately delivered a nice adrenaline rush. From the polished, JJ Abrams-directed MI:3 to the gritty craziness of Crank, both accomplish what they se out to do with a sense of fun and style.
9.) Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - While it had its faults, this was a very funny movie with a number of quotable lines, helped by some great supporting performances.
10.) Scoop / Art School Confidential - Two oddball comedies that both flew a bit below the radar. One was a return to the comedic caper film for Woody Allen after a serious turn with Match Point, and one was cartoonist Terry Zwigoff's spiritual follow-up to the cult fave Ghost World. Scoop got laughs while having Woody's trademark neurotic ponderings, and Art School mixed humor with psychology to mock the journey of an artist.
Alright, so there's my summer movie wrap-up. Agree? Disagree? Let me hear it, I dare ya'.
Other Stuff:
- I have yet to sink my teeth into it, but I couldn't wait to purchase the new graphic novel from Brian K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina), currently one of my favorite writers. Vaughn's latest, The Pride of Baghdad, promises to be something special. It's a sprawling epic based on the real life story of a group of lions who escaped an Iraqi zoo during the initial Allied bombing campaign at the start of the Iraq war. Yep, the main characters here are LIONS. Beautifully illustrated, this one is getting a lot of press and stellar reviews, so I can't wait to dig in.
- Where the $%&! is Ricky Gervais' EXTRAS on DVD?
- Alright, i'm out - have a good weekend and remember - unlike LonelyGirl15, I always KEEP IT REAL.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
"You Like Money Too?" - UPDATED - Idiocracy, Crank, Chili Peppers, and MORE
Well I'm back for Round 2 on the ol' blog, as I wanted to talk about some other stuff after I took a moment to reflect on the more serious news that came out of this weekend. If you haven't already, check out my previous post and you'll see what I'm referring to.
But, just a few more words on the Crocodile Hunter ... last night as I was going to sleep I noticed that Animal Planet was showing a biographical episode of Steve Irwin's show, and I sat, watching - just totally saddened that this guy was no longer with us. Seeing his young kids, his wife, his friends - all with nothing but the highest praise for the man, is just tragic now in retrospect. There was even a segment where Steve was asked how he'd like to be remembered. I believe the words he used were passionate and enthusiastic. I don't think he'll have any problem with that - and those words only scratch the surface of the life of a real-life adventurer.
Anyways, I had a good weekend, and the extra day off was great. The problem with these long weekends though is that the extra day off creates all this pressure, in a way. It's like, okay, how am I going to use this day off? Catch up on reading? Enjoy the outdoors? Get some writing done? Watch some DVD's? See friends I haven't seen in a while? So yeah it's like you have one day to fit in every little thing you've been trying to find time to do for the last year, and if you're like me you end up spending half the day trying to decide how best to spend your day (and also a good portion of it sleeping ...).
For me September is just nuts, and I feel like I am really going to have to start getting on the ball and planning my next few weeks out or else things will not come together like I want. Here are some things I have on my agenda for September.
a.) go home to CT for the High Holidays (how long? what airline?)
b.) celebrate my birthday in LA (where? when? who?)
c.) finish my online driving school by October 6th (again? when? whyyyy?)
d.) Tom Petty concert on the 26th - have to plan this out
e.) get writing done
f.) continue to excercise more
g.) work on career goals
Anyways, this weekend was not exactly a paragon of productivity for me. I did get a few necessary things done, and some personal things I'd been meaning to do, but like I said, one extra day is not really a lot to work with. But all this thinking about being productive led me to wonder -- why don't other people have these same issues? Well, they probably:
a.) live with or in close proximity to their parents
b.) have no career goals that require extracurricular work (ie writing)
c.) have minimal religious / cultural obligations / guilt
d.) consume various substances which temporarily offset the need for regular sleep patterns
e.) have no real hobbies, time-consuming pet projects, or commitment to reading / watching TV or movies on a regular basis
So those are my crazy ponderances for today. Man, attempting to live the dream is a lot of work.
UPDATED:
Wow, I posted this without even mentioning the highlight of my weekend - seeing the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS live, in concert!
For the curious (aka all six of you), the concert was great. As I mentioned previously, I've gotten a little weary of how similar-sounding the recent crop of Chili Peppers songs have been, but the band mixed it up with recent hits as well as many of the modern-day classics. Curiously, they played almost nothing from any of their mid to late 90's catalog - nothing at all from One Hot Minute, for example. In any case, the Chili Peppers put on a great, energetic show, as was to be expected. What I didn't quite expect was the sheer ridiculousness of the man called Flea. I mean, wow - ths guy can freakin' shred! Listening to the average, radio-friendly RHCP song, you don't quite realize the true level of mastery that Flea has over his guitar, but it really is amazing - after seeing the man play for two non-stop hours of jumping around like a man possessed and whaling on his axe like a true musical prodigy, I am ready and willing to declare Flea one of if not THE best guitarist of his generation. Flea made this show, and while at first it seemed odd for the band to close with an extended guitar solo by Flea and their bassist, the closing number truly was a sight to behold, with some of the most rocking guitar playing I have ever witnessed, up there with Joe Perry of Aerosmith's aptitude. I also appreciated that each song was extended beyond what we are used to hearing to allow ample time for guitar solos and displays of musical prowess from Flea, who, again, really stole this show. As a whole, the band was great, but I found myself exponentially more captivated by the more hard-rocking songs that really showed off the band's full ability. Our seats, in the upper left of the Forum, were high up but put us in direct sightline of Flea and his insane playing, so it was all good. While the area where the conert was held - the ghetto-fabulous locale known as Inglewood, was mired by horrendous traffic and general sketchiness, the Forum itself proved an excellent venue, and the Chili Peppers brought the funk like only they can. Due to the aforementioned traffic from hell, we missed part of opening act Mars Volta. Volta seemed pretty cool to me - a grittier version of Rush with a funky edge, but their sound seemed a little bit off and they never really built up much momentum during their set, never really involving the crowd. But it was a great time overall, and the Chili Peppers, as I said, put on an energetic, fun show made all the more memorable thanks to the guitar hero known as Flea. Next - bring on Tom Petty and the Strokes!!!
So, what else?
Saw a pair of movies this weekend that I'd like to make mention of:
IDIOCRACY Review:
Okay - this was not a perfect movie, not the next Office Space, and not Mike Judge's best work. But how much of that was due to it being inherently flawed, and how much was due to studio interference, rushd production schedules, lack of budget, and just a lot of tampering -- sadly, we may never know. But this movie is good enough and funny enough and novel enough that I would easily encourage any fan of Mike Judge, nay, any fan of good comedy, to rush out and see it while you can, IF you can. I say if because I don't think I've EVER heard of a movie being released with this kind of treatment. No advertising, no marketing, no PR. I'm not even sure if the title "Idiocracy" is even official or just a placeholder. In any case, it is, like other bits of Mike Judge's work, a comedy that gets its laughs from numerous instances of moronic behavior, unbelivable acts of stupidity, and good old fashioned dirty jokes. But like Beavis and Butthead, there is clearly an intelligence and wry social commentary behind a lot of what you see on screen. In fact, with its commercial parodies, imbecilic main characters, and theme of stupidity, this is Judge's most Beavis and Butthead-like work since that show went off the air.
A basic plot outline for thos not in the know: Luke Wilson is a statistically average guy who gets frozen in an army experiment, along with a prostitute played by Maya Rudolph. The two wake 500 years in the future, where humanity has devolved to the point where garbage flows on the streets, people can barely read, and Luke Wilson - in a kind of reverse A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - finds himself improbably the smartest man on earth.
What we end up with though, is a movie that would probably have been better suited to some kind of animated, short-form series a ala Beavis and Butthead. It has some hilarious ideas, some gut-bustingly funny characters, and some pretty biting satire, unafraid of who or what it is offending (a possible reason for the movie getting shelved?). In an age where movies are being increasingly proliferated with advertising, it's unbelievably refreshing to see a movie mercilessly mock corporate America - from Starbucks (classic), to Fuddruckers, Costco, Carl's Jr, and most notably FOX News. I love it - I can't remember the last time a movie so freely bit the hand that feeds.
Also, as I mentioned, some of the characters are great. A crazy, over-the-top pro-wrestler as President of the United States? Hilarious, and, scarily, not that far-fetched. His cabinet of braindead idiots is great as well, as is Dax Shepard as a scene-stealing nimrod who befriends Luke Wilson. Dax plays the guy as being seriously, seriously braindead - and the results are usually pretty hilarious. Rudolph is okay as the prostitute who comes along for the ride, but her character seems kind of pointless and isn't given much good material. Luke Wilson, as per usual, is great as the happy-go-lucky everyman (not too far removed from Fry in Futurama), but again, isn't given all that much to work with in terms of establishing his character. He is, literally, an average Joe.
So like I was saying, this movie feels very uneven, and the heavy-handed narration is occasionally funny but mostly just odd - and reeks of a last-minute fix in order to hastily connect many of the scenes. The plot seems to jump all over the place, and keeps veering back and forth between its various plotlines and characters, with little focus or purpose. By the end of the movie, the plot has lost a ton of momentum and everything starts to feel contrived and half-hazardly done. But despite it's somewhat hit and miss nature, there are a ton of laughs, instantly quotable lines, and pretty dead-on bits of satire to be found here. This is a movie that should have been cleaned up, more tightly edited, and promoted like hell by FOX as the next movie from the creator of Office Space. It is more than deserving of that.
So while it's far from perfect, I would still urge you to check out Idiocracy if it's playing near you. It is the work of one of the funniest creative minds out there, Mike Judge, and his comedic sharpness shines through despite a production that was obviously plagued with a lot of turmoil and studio interferance. I'm very curious to hear the full story on what happened here, but for now I'm glad I saw this one while I had the chance.
And by the way: kudos to Idiocracy for finally making the Fuddruckers-related joke we've all wanted to but never did.
My Grade: B
And so after seeing Idiocracy, my friends and I decided to make it a double feature. Next up was ...
CRANK Review:
A perfect midnight movie, Crank was, in a way, everything that Snakes On A Plane wanted to be. Crank was badass, funny, self-mocking, completely over-the-top, action-packed, and a true B-movie that manages to be really friggin' entertaining.
I've been a fan of Jason Statham for a while now, and he once again carries this movie like few other action stars could. Statham plays the part of Chev Chelios (what a classic action hero name, so cheesy!), a guy who's been poisoned by a rival crime-boss with a "Beijing Coctail," a serum that will kill him the minute he fails to keep up his body's level of adrenaline. As Dwight Yoakum intones to Chevy: "You stop, you die."
And with that we are given a perfect setup for a nonstop rollercoaster ride. Shot in a style that evokes a combination of Danny Boyle and Grand Theft Auto, Crank is a pretty visceral race from star to finish. But what really makes it unique is the completely crazy, politically-incorrect to-the-core sense of humor that this movie has. As he gets in a fight with a bunch of African-American gang members, Statham bellows "Who wants some whote meat?!?!" When he meets up with his dimwitted girlfriend, played to great comedic effect by Amy Smart, Chevy instantly has to put up with all of the classic "dumb-blonde" stereotypes. Smart is oblivious to just baout everthing going on, but when Statham decides to, um, have his way with her in the middle of a crowded public aquare to keep up his adrenaline - oh man, pure hilarity ensues.
I've gotta say - Crank has some of the craziest scenes, conceptually, that I've ever seen in an action movie. But the whole thing has that new-wave, hyper-reality, mind-bending thing going on, so it all somehow works.
You won't gain any new insights into life or anything from this movie - it's not going to win any Oscars (at least I don't think ...), but damn, it sure is one hell of a ride. Crank is a fittingly kickass, no-holds-barred, just completely over-the-top action movie that has a sick, twisted sense of humor to boot.
My Grade: B+
Okay, that about sums up this weekend at the movies. What else?
- PRISON BREAK last night had a lot of fun moments, but overall it felt pretty rushed compared to last week's tightly-plotted installment. A few moments had me confused (how important was the backpack? How did it get stolen? What was going on with Dr. Tancredi - why wasn't she on trial?), and the continuity seemed to be played fairly fast and loose (they didn't even bother to attempt an explanation for how Michael and Lincoln escaped the car explosion, what was up with that Shales guy?). I also disliked them going back to the idea that Michael has an entire escape plan mapped out within his tattoos - I wish they'd just drop that and focus more on his ability to think on the fly - I mean they are now adding new tattoos on a weekly basis? Still, a lot of great scenes from Bellick, Fernando, etc, and some good action and intensity. But they ahven't sold me yet on some of the plot points, both big and small, that are becoming a factor in the new season. My Grade: B
COMICS Round-Up:
Just a quick note on the world of comics -- this past week was a great one to be a Superman fan. In their superlative series All-Star Superman, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quietly turned in yet another five-star issue. This one, focusing on a bumbling Clark Kent as he interviews an imprisoned Lex Luthor, was just an amazingly illustrated, brilliantly penned self-contained story. Amazing - each new issue of All-Star continues to rank as an instant classic. Meanwhile, on Action Comics, Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza, and artist Pete Woods continue a serial that is pretty much a classic -"reestablish why Superman is the greatest of all heroes" tales, in which an intergalactic auction house bgins collecting metahumans to sell them on the alien version of E-Bay. The tale is fun science fiction, classic superheorics, and vintage Superman all in one - Busiek continues to show how well he grasps Superman with each new issue he writes. Good readin'. All-Star Superman: A, Action Comics: A -
Alright - I'm out for now. In honor of the departed Croc Hunter I say a hearty "CRIKEY!" to all and again, I hope that we can all look at tragedy like this and feel lucky for what we have. Have a good week, everyone - remember, it's a short one!
But, just a few more words on the Crocodile Hunter ... last night as I was going to sleep I noticed that Animal Planet was showing a biographical episode of Steve Irwin's show, and I sat, watching - just totally saddened that this guy was no longer with us. Seeing his young kids, his wife, his friends - all with nothing but the highest praise for the man, is just tragic now in retrospect. There was even a segment where Steve was asked how he'd like to be remembered. I believe the words he used were passionate and enthusiastic. I don't think he'll have any problem with that - and those words only scratch the surface of the life of a real-life adventurer.
Anyways, I had a good weekend, and the extra day off was great. The problem with these long weekends though is that the extra day off creates all this pressure, in a way. It's like, okay, how am I going to use this day off? Catch up on reading? Enjoy the outdoors? Get some writing done? Watch some DVD's? See friends I haven't seen in a while? So yeah it's like you have one day to fit in every little thing you've been trying to find time to do for the last year, and if you're like me you end up spending half the day trying to decide how best to spend your day (and also a good portion of it sleeping ...).
For me September is just nuts, and I feel like I am really going to have to start getting on the ball and planning my next few weeks out or else things will not come together like I want. Here are some things I have on my agenda for September.
a.) go home to CT for the High Holidays (how long? what airline?)
b.) celebrate my birthday in LA (where? when? who?)
c.) finish my online driving school by October 6th (again? when? whyyyy?)
d.) Tom Petty concert on the 26th - have to plan this out
e.) get writing done
f.) continue to excercise more
g.) work on career goals
Anyways, this weekend was not exactly a paragon of productivity for me. I did get a few necessary things done, and some personal things I'd been meaning to do, but like I said, one extra day is not really a lot to work with. But all this thinking about being productive led me to wonder -- why don't other people have these same issues? Well, they probably:
a.) live with or in close proximity to their parents
b.) have no career goals that require extracurricular work (ie writing)
c.) have minimal religious / cultural obligations / guilt
d.) consume various substances which temporarily offset the need for regular sleep patterns
e.) have no real hobbies, time-consuming pet projects, or commitment to reading / watching TV or movies on a regular basis
So those are my crazy ponderances for today. Man, attempting to live the dream is a lot of work.
UPDATED:
Wow, I posted this without even mentioning the highlight of my weekend - seeing the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS live, in concert!
For the curious (aka all six of you), the concert was great. As I mentioned previously, I've gotten a little weary of how similar-sounding the recent crop of Chili Peppers songs have been, but the band mixed it up with recent hits as well as many of the modern-day classics. Curiously, they played almost nothing from any of their mid to late 90's catalog - nothing at all from One Hot Minute, for example. In any case, the Chili Peppers put on a great, energetic show, as was to be expected. What I didn't quite expect was the sheer ridiculousness of the man called Flea. I mean, wow - ths guy can freakin' shred! Listening to the average, radio-friendly RHCP song, you don't quite realize the true level of mastery that Flea has over his guitar, but it really is amazing - after seeing the man play for two non-stop hours of jumping around like a man possessed and whaling on his axe like a true musical prodigy, I am ready and willing to declare Flea one of if not THE best guitarist of his generation. Flea made this show, and while at first it seemed odd for the band to close with an extended guitar solo by Flea and their bassist, the closing number truly was a sight to behold, with some of the most rocking guitar playing I have ever witnessed, up there with Joe Perry of Aerosmith's aptitude. I also appreciated that each song was extended beyond what we are used to hearing to allow ample time for guitar solos and displays of musical prowess from Flea, who, again, really stole this show. As a whole, the band was great, but I found myself exponentially more captivated by the more hard-rocking songs that really showed off the band's full ability. Our seats, in the upper left of the Forum, were high up but put us in direct sightline of Flea and his insane playing, so it was all good. While the area where the conert was held - the ghetto-fabulous locale known as Inglewood, was mired by horrendous traffic and general sketchiness, the Forum itself proved an excellent venue, and the Chili Peppers brought the funk like only they can. Due to the aforementioned traffic from hell, we missed part of opening act Mars Volta. Volta seemed pretty cool to me - a grittier version of Rush with a funky edge, but their sound seemed a little bit off and they never really built up much momentum during their set, never really involving the crowd. But it was a great time overall, and the Chili Peppers, as I said, put on an energetic, fun show made all the more memorable thanks to the guitar hero known as Flea. Next - bring on Tom Petty and the Strokes!!!
So, what else?
Saw a pair of movies this weekend that I'd like to make mention of:
IDIOCRACY Review:
Okay - this was not a perfect movie, not the next Office Space, and not Mike Judge's best work. But how much of that was due to it being inherently flawed, and how much was due to studio interference, rushd production schedules, lack of budget, and just a lot of tampering -- sadly, we may never know. But this movie is good enough and funny enough and novel enough that I would easily encourage any fan of Mike Judge, nay, any fan of good comedy, to rush out and see it while you can, IF you can. I say if because I don't think I've EVER heard of a movie being released with this kind of treatment. No advertising, no marketing, no PR. I'm not even sure if the title "Idiocracy" is even official or just a placeholder. In any case, it is, like other bits of Mike Judge's work, a comedy that gets its laughs from numerous instances of moronic behavior, unbelivable acts of stupidity, and good old fashioned dirty jokes. But like Beavis and Butthead, there is clearly an intelligence and wry social commentary behind a lot of what you see on screen. In fact, with its commercial parodies, imbecilic main characters, and theme of stupidity, this is Judge's most Beavis and Butthead-like work since that show went off the air.
A basic plot outline for thos not in the know: Luke Wilson is a statistically average guy who gets frozen in an army experiment, along with a prostitute played by Maya Rudolph. The two wake 500 years in the future, where humanity has devolved to the point where garbage flows on the streets, people can barely read, and Luke Wilson - in a kind of reverse A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - finds himself improbably the smartest man on earth.
What we end up with though, is a movie that would probably have been better suited to some kind of animated, short-form series a ala Beavis and Butthead. It has some hilarious ideas, some gut-bustingly funny characters, and some pretty biting satire, unafraid of who or what it is offending (a possible reason for the movie getting shelved?). In an age where movies are being increasingly proliferated with advertising, it's unbelievably refreshing to see a movie mercilessly mock corporate America - from Starbucks (classic), to Fuddruckers, Costco, Carl's Jr, and most notably FOX News. I love it - I can't remember the last time a movie so freely bit the hand that feeds.
Also, as I mentioned, some of the characters are great. A crazy, over-the-top pro-wrestler as President of the United States? Hilarious, and, scarily, not that far-fetched. His cabinet of braindead idiots is great as well, as is Dax Shepard as a scene-stealing nimrod who befriends Luke Wilson. Dax plays the guy as being seriously, seriously braindead - and the results are usually pretty hilarious. Rudolph is okay as the prostitute who comes along for the ride, but her character seems kind of pointless and isn't given much good material. Luke Wilson, as per usual, is great as the happy-go-lucky everyman (not too far removed from Fry in Futurama), but again, isn't given all that much to work with in terms of establishing his character. He is, literally, an average Joe.
So like I was saying, this movie feels very uneven, and the heavy-handed narration is occasionally funny but mostly just odd - and reeks of a last-minute fix in order to hastily connect many of the scenes. The plot seems to jump all over the place, and keeps veering back and forth between its various plotlines and characters, with little focus or purpose. By the end of the movie, the plot has lost a ton of momentum and everything starts to feel contrived and half-hazardly done. But despite it's somewhat hit and miss nature, there are a ton of laughs, instantly quotable lines, and pretty dead-on bits of satire to be found here. This is a movie that should have been cleaned up, more tightly edited, and promoted like hell by FOX as the next movie from the creator of Office Space. It is more than deserving of that.
So while it's far from perfect, I would still urge you to check out Idiocracy if it's playing near you. It is the work of one of the funniest creative minds out there, Mike Judge, and his comedic sharpness shines through despite a production that was obviously plagued with a lot of turmoil and studio interferance. I'm very curious to hear the full story on what happened here, but for now I'm glad I saw this one while I had the chance.
And by the way: kudos to Idiocracy for finally making the Fuddruckers-related joke we've all wanted to but never did.
My Grade: B
And so after seeing Idiocracy, my friends and I decided to make it a double feature. Next up was ...
CRANK Review:
A perfect midnight movie, Crank was, in a way, everything that Snakes On A Plane wanted to be. Crank was badass, funny, self-mocking, completely over-the-top, action-packed, and a true B-movie that manages to be really friggin' entertaining.
I've been a fan of Jason Statham for a while now, and he once again carries this movie like few other action stars could. Statham plays the part of Chev Chelios (what a classic action hero name, so cheesy!), a guy who's been poisoned by a rival crime-boss with a "Beijing Coctail," a serum that will kill him the minute he fails to keep up his body's level of adrenaline. As Dwight Yoakum intones to Chevy: "You stop, you die."
And with that we are given a perfect setup for a nonstop rollercoaster ride. Shot in a style that evokes a combination of Danny Boyle and Grand Theft Auto, Crank is a pretty visceral race from star to finish. But what really makes it unique is the completely crazy, politically-incorrect to-the-core sense of humor that this movie has. As he gets in a fight with a bunch of African-American gang members, Statham bellows "Who wants some whote meat?!?!" When he meets up with his dimwitted girlfriend, played to great comedic effect by Amy Smart, Chevy instantly has to put up with all of the classic "dumb-blonde" stereotypes. Smart is oblivious to just baout everthing going on, but when Statham decides to, um, have his way with her in the middle of a crowded public aquare to keep up his adrenaline - oh man, pure hilarity ensues.
I've gotta say - Crank has some of the craziest scenes, conceptually, that I've ever seen in an action movie. But the whole thing has that new-wave, hyper-reality, mind-bending thing going on, so it all somehow works.
You won't gain any new insights into life or anything from this movie - it's not going to win any Oscars (at least I don't think ...), but damn, it sure is one hell of a ride. Crank is a fittingly kickass, no-holds-barred, just completely over-the-top action movie that has a sick, twisted sense of humor to boot.
My Grade: B+
Okay, that about sums up this weekend at the movies. What else?
- PRISON BREAK last night had a lot of fun moments, but overall it felt pretty rushed compared to last week's tightly-plotted installment. A few moments had me confused (how important was the backpack? How did it get stolen? What was going on with Dr. Tancredi - why wasn't she on trial?), and the continuity seemed to be played fairly fast and loose (they didn't even bother to attempt an explanation for how Michael and Lincoln escaped the car explosion, what was up with that Shales guy?). I also disliked them going back to the idea that Michael has an entire escape plan mapped out within his tattoos - I wish they'd just drop that and focus more on his ability to think on the fly - I mean they are now adding new tattoos on a weekly basis? Still, a lot of great scenes from Bellick, Fernando, etc, and some good action and intensity. But they ahven't sold me yet on some of the plot points, both big and small, that are becoming a factor in the new season. My Grade: B
COMICS Round-Up:
Just a quick note on the world of comics -- this past week was a great one to be a Superman fan. In their superlative series All-Star Superman, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quietly turned in yet another five-star issue. This one, focusing on a bumbling Clark Kent as he interviews an imprisoned Lex Luthor, was just an amazingly illustrated, brilliantly penned self-contained story. Amazing - each new issue of All-Star continues to rank as an instant classic. Meanwhile, on Action Comics, Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza, and artist Pete Woods continue a serial that is pretty much a classic -"reestablish why Superman is the greatest of all heroes" tales, in which an intergalactic auction house bgins collecting metahumans to sell them on the alien version of E-Bay. The tale is fun science fiction, classic superheorics, and vintage Superman all in one - Busiek continues to show how well he grasps Superman with each new issue he writes. Good readin'. All-Star Superman: A, Action Comics: A -
Alright - I'm out for now. In honor of the departed Croc Hunter I say a hearty "CRIKEY!" to all and again, I hope that we can all look at tragedy like this and feel lucky for what we have. Have a good week, everyone - remember, it's a short one!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Quick Emmy Awards Wrap-Up - aka (once again), All Hail Conan!
Well, the show is over and it was mostly pretty predictable (see my previous, pre-show post for all my preambling predictions).
I called Kiefer and 24 winning, and I'm glad they did -- the show with the most gravitas clearly won. Howver, super-producer Brian Grazer and his Edward-Scissorhands-esque haircut, standing beside the show's producers as they accepted the award for best drama - well, that did kinda detract from the overall gravitas, just a tad.
Other predictable picks included the obligatory Will and Grace / West Wing farewell awards - suffice to say that both Megan Mulally and Alan Alda are talented and I congratulate them - and I'll even be a team player and say -- go NBC-U! Office for best comedy, Mariska Hargitay best dramatic actress for SVU, and hey, Julia Louis Dreyfuss breaks the Seinfeld curse, reminding us of our glory days in the Must See TV era. But NBC really did do a great job of building up the hype for Heroes, Studio 60, 30 Rock, Kidnapped, 20 Good Years, et al - I think that all this preseason hype may actually lead to some decent ratings spikes for us as well. My personal picks? Studio 60 is a must-watch for fans of good TV, 30 Rock is Tracy Morgan at his best and Alec Baldwin bringing the funny, and 20 Good Years may have lightning in a bottle with the combo of Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow.
Yes, the 'Cock was out in full force tonight, going all-out in promoting our shows. But the star was Conan O'Brien, who was a little wobbly at first but quickly settled into his role as host and pretty much knocked it out of the park, from the hilarious opening montage (COnan encountering House was particularly hilarious, as was Rainn Wilson's reaction to Conan dropping from the ceiling into the set of The Office) to the classic Bob Newhart-in-an-airtight-tube gag, Conan was a great ambassador for NBC and yet still classically self-deprecating and unafraid to mock NBC, going so far as to do an all-out, Simpsons-style song and dance number bemoaning the state of the 'net that would have made Lyle Lanley proud.
Upsets? Well, I predicted lack of award-age for Arrested Development and Malcolm in the Middle, so no big surprises there. I was pretty shocked to see Monk's Tony Shaloub win out over Steve Carell, but, continuing with my unusual amount of NBC cheerleading, it's another one for NBC-UNI! Seriously, Carell did a great job on the Office and I felt he should have won that one.
But just to show I'm not all ra-ra NBC, I give a solid jeer to the Peacock for advertising the new season of the Office as if it were the new season of Melrose Place. Come on, The Office should NOT, of all things, be about soap-opera romance. Advertise the comedy, emphasize the COMEDY, and let the rest of the show follow organically.
Props to all the awards for John Stewart as well, but especially props to Stewart and Colbert for their awesome bit as presenters - their little exchange before the Reality award was simply CLASSIC. Colbert is a True American -- that is all.
Also, as a true TV geek I always look forward to the noms for best variety / talk writing, as the writers always do some hilarious stuff for the intros. As always, my pals (haha not really but I'd like to think so) at LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN kicked ass with their hilarious India-tech-support bit. Those guys are geniouses.
Was surprised, however, that My Name is Earl took home the prize for Best Comedy Writing. I mean, come on ... Earl is kinda funny but Arrested Development has some of the smartest EVER comedy-writing on TV, on a level inhabited by the likes of Seinfeld and The Simpsons. The Office can be up there as well, so I'm surprised both lost out in favor of Earl.
And the Sopranos' writing award only emphasizes the fact that at some point I really need to catch up on that show. Alas, I've been HBO-less for all of my life, and have only seen a few meager episodes of the show.
One more upset in that both Itzin and Smart came up short for their supporting roles on 24. Well, seeing President Palmer up on stage made me realize - if Dennis Haysbert never got a trophy for his kickass role on 24, can anyone? And notice CURTIS taking center stage as the 24 Best Drama award was accepted by cast and crew ... could this indicate that CTU's designated ass-kicker is ready, willing, and able to step up this coming season and walk into an Almeda-like role? Hmm ... still, long live Tony!
Whoah, Gillian Anderson sighting! Oh Scully, where art though (in some obscure TV miniseries, apparently - but I guess it was really good?)? I guess the Emmy nom got the too-good-for network-TV thespian to descend from her flat in London. Now make the second X-Files movie already!
Man, on a serious note, that Dick Clark tribute was almost unbearable to watch - there was something just amazingly sad about seeing a guy who is known for always looking so young get on stage, suddenly looking every bit the part of a guy who had just been through major health complications. It really was jarring to think about how it must feel to go through something like that when your entire career is made on being telegenic. I hope the best for Dick Clark - as was shown in the tribute video he truly has been a remarkably influential force in television.
Similarly moving tribute to Aaron Spelling, and it was a kick to see the original Charlie's Angels on stage, even if it is always odd to see aging starlets looking so plasticy and gaudy (well two out of three at least, right? am i right?) rather than taking a cue from the likes of a Hellen Mirren and acting and looking their age.
All of it was a reminder that showbiz is an inustry filled with odd, eccentric, and exceedingly crazy people. We pay tribute to the greats, but at the same time, seeing the Spelling family, knowing all of the tabloid drama and scandal they've been through, it just kind of shatters the whole delicate illusion of "stardust," as was mentioned in the tribute. We WANT so much to cheer for people like Spelling, and Dick Clark, and even people like Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen, and yet all you read about is their scandal and depravity. It's just kind of sad and depressing that an industry where people are so admired by the public is filled with so many people unworthy of that admiration.
But anyways, let's talk about some of the good, smart, awesome people in entertainment. Conan, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, the cast of The Office, and all of us little people who are out there trying to live the dream.
Overall, good show - great job and lots of quality comedy from Conan, although in a show like this you can't help but have your share of lame banter (aka all of it not written by the performers like Tina Fey and John Stewart), nutty acceptance speeches (Blythe, anyone?), tons of awards for PBS miniseries and random TV movies that no one really cares about, and odd production errors (Conan getting cut off as he introduced the Sheens).
Next year, maybe Veronica Mars will get some love.
Or, maybe BARRY MANILOW will simply continue his improbable winning streak. Is there anything the man CAN'T do?
I called Kiefer and 24 winning, and I'm glad they did -- the show with the most gravitas clearly won. Howver, super-producer Brian Grazer and his Edward-Scissorhands-esque haircut, standing beside the show's producers as they accepted the award for best drama - well, that did kinda detract from the overall gravitas, just a tad.
Other predictable picks included the obligatory Will and Grace / West Wing farewell awards - suffice to say that both Megan Mulally and Alan Alda are talented and I congratulate them - and I'll even be a team player and say -- go NBC-U! Office for best comedy, Mariska Hargitay best dramatic actress for SVU, and hey, Julia Louis Dreyfuss breaks the Seinfeld curse, reminding us of our glory days in the Must See TV era. But NBC really did do a great job of building up the hype for Heroes, Studio 60, 30 Rock, Kidnapped, 20 Good Years, et al - I think that all this preseason hype may actually lead to some decent ratings spikes for us as well. My personal picks? Studio 60 is a must-watch for fans of good TV, 30 Rock is Tracy Morgan at his best and Alec Baldwin bringing the funny, and 20 Good Years may have lightning in a bottle with the combo of Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow.
Yes, the 'Cock was out in full force tonight, going all-out in promoting our shows. But the star was Conan O'Brien, who was a little wobbly at first but quickly settled into his role as host and pretty much knocked it out of the park, from the hilarious opening montage (COnan encountering House was particularly hilarious, as was Rainn Wilson's reaction to Conan dropping from the ceiling into the set of The Office) to the classic Bob Newhart-in-an-airtight-tube gag, Conan was a great ambassador for NBC and yet still classically self-deprecating and unafraid to mock NBC, going so far as to do an all-out, Simpsons-style song and dance number bemoaning the state of the 'net that would have made Lyle Lanley proud.
Upsets? Well, I predicted lack of award-age for Arrested Development and Malcolm in the Middle, so no big surprises there. I was pretty shocked to see Monk's Tony Shaloub win out over Steve Carell, but, continuing with my unusual amount of NBC cheerleading, it's another one for NBC-UNI! Seriously, Carell did a great job on the Office and I felt he should have won that one.
But just to show I'm not all ra-ra NBC, I give a solid jeer to the Peacock for advertising the new season of the Office as if it were the new season of Melrose Place. Come on, The Office should NOT, of all things, be about soap-opera romance. Advertise the comedy, emphasize the COMEDY, and let the rest of the show follow organically.
Props to all the awards for John Stewart as well, but especially props to Stewart and Colbert for their awesome bit as presenters - their little exchange before the Reality award was simply CLASSIC. Colbert is a True American -- that is all.
Also, as a true TV geek I always look forward to the noms for best variety / talk writing, as the writers always do some hilarious stuff for the intros. As always, my pals (haha not really but I'd like to think so) at LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN kicked ass with their hilarious India-tech-support bit. Those guys are geniouses.
Was surprised, however, that My Name is Earl took home the prize for Best Comedy Writing. I mean, come on ... Earl is kinda funny but Arrested Development has some of the smartest EVER comedy-writing on TV, on a level inhabited by the likes of Seinfeld and The Simpsons. The Office can be up there as well, so I'm surprised both lost out in favor of Earl.
And the Sopranos' writing award only emphasizes the fact that at some point I really need to catch up on that show. Alas, I've been HBO-less for all of my life, and have only seen a few meager episodes of the show.
One more upset in that both Itzin and Smart came up short for their supporting roles on 24. Well, seeing President Palmer up on stage made me realize - if Dennis Haysbert never got a trophy for his kickass role on 24, can anyone? And notice CURTIS taking center stage as the 24 Best Drama award was accepted by cast and crew ... could this indicate that CTU's designated ass-kicker is ready, willing, and able to step up this coming season and walk into an Almeda-like role? Hmm ... still, long live Tony!
Whoah, Gillian Anderson sighting! Oh Scully, where art though (in some obscure TV miniseries, apparently - but I guess it was really good?)? I guess the Emmy nom got the too-good-for network-TV thespian to descend from her flat in London. Now make the second X-Files movie already!
Man, on a serious note, that Dick Clark tribute was almost unbearable to watch - there was something just amazingly sad about seeing a guy who is known for always looking so young get on stage, suddenly looking every bit the part of a guy who had just been through major health complications. It really was jarring to think about how it must feel to go through something like that when your entire career is made on being telegenic. I hope the best for Dick Clark - as was shown in the tribute video he truly has been a remarkably influential force in television.
Similarly moving tribute to Aaron Spelling, and it was a kick to see the original Charlie's Angels on stage, even if it is always odd to see aging starlets looking so plasticy and gaudy (well two out of three at least, right? am i right?) rather than taking a cue from the likes of a Hellen Mirren and acting and looking their age.
All of it was a reminder that showbiz is an inustry filled with odd, eccentric, and exceedingly crazy people. We pay tribute to the greats, but at the same time, seeing the Spelling family, knowing all of the tabloid drama and scandal they've been through, it just kind of shatters the whole delicate illusion of "stardust," as was mentioned in the tribute. We WANT so much to cheer for people like Spelling, and Dick Clark, and even people like Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen, and yet all you read about is their scandal and depravity. It's just kind of sad and depressing that an industry where people are so admired by the public is filled with so many people unworthy of that admiration.
But anyways, let's talk about some of the good, smart, awesome people in entertainment. Conan, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, the cast of The Office, and all of us little people who are out there trying to live the dream.
Overall, good show - great job and lots of quality comedy from Conan, although in a show like this you can't help but have your share of lame banter (aka all of it not written by the performers like Tina Fey and John Stewart), nutty acceptance speeches (Blythe, anyone?), tons of awards for PBS miniseries and random TV movies that no one really cares about, and odd production errors (Conan getting cut off as he introduced the Sheens).
Next year, maybe Veronica Mars will get some love.
Or, maybe BARRY MANILOW will simply continue his improbable winning streak. Is there anything the man CAN'T do?
The Emmys - aka, all hail Conan
Okay so this one is a little late, I know.
But even though most of you probably won't read this until after the show, I felt the need to plug this year's Emmy's because:
a.) they are on NBC
b.) they are hosted by my man Conan O'Brien, who I have it on good authority is planning some very funny stuff for the show
and, on a more personal note:
c.) 24, aka the best drama on TV, actually stands to win some awards this year!
Still, though, let's face it - the Emmy nominations pretty much blow. The whole voting process was changed this year, and that change seemed to amount to jack squat. We have actresses nominated for 11-second guest-star spots, yet some of the very best work on TV remains totally ignored. OF all the leading ladies in TV-land, did any completely carry a top-tier show on their backs like Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars or Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls? Veronica Mars, especially, just pisses me off in its lack of recognition. GIlmore Girls, as good as it is, it's best years are probably behind it (still, it's supporting cast is amazing and was as good if not better than ever this past year! Where is the love?). VM is a show that out of the gate two years ago was firing on all cylinders, and this past season everyone upped their game to deliver the best drama on TV not named 24. So: WTF?!?!
A few other obvious snubs: Only Will Arnett of Arrested Development is nominated? No Jason Bateman? Jeffrey Tambor? David Cross? Come on!
What about Rainn Wilson for The Office? Bar none, Dwight was the biggest source of laughter on the show this year, and was the true breakout character.
Those gripes are just a few of my own personal pet peeves, but looking up and down the list this year there's a mixture of been there done that and odd randomness. I mean, so much of these awards are just pure hype. Look at 24 - it's been deserving of this level of recognition for YEARS now - but only now are any of the supporting players actually recognized. Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin were great, yes, but it's just odd to me that they get nominated in Year 5 to the exclusion of all of the great supporting actors who have appeared on the show prior.
And once again, let me add: screw the Lost defenders claiming that that show deserved a Best Drama nom - Season 2 of Lost did not live up to Season 1's promise, and more often than not, the show disappointed rather than delivered this past year. That's not to say that Season 3 won't be great (those mysterious EW ads already have me hyped), and I really hope the show gets back on track ... but Season 2 of Lost was not in 24's league this season.
One other comment -- no, The Simpsons as a whole did not have a good season, and definitely not a great season. But it DID deliver a few gems, including the best episode in YEARS, penned by Ricky Gervais. So I see no problem with perhaps the greatest TV show of all time bringing home an Emmy at the expense of South Park, a show which is 80% hype and only about 20% humor. Yes, it's a blast to tune into South Park and see insta-commentary on the latest celebrity scandal or whatever, but the show rarely has any real intelligence behind it, and the humor is never that sharp from a writing standpoint. In this day and age, plenty of animated shows are praised the crazier and more random they get, but crazy and random doesn't always mean good. So instead of talking baou South Park was robbed just because it had the balls to directly reference easy targets like Tom Cruise, let's talk about how the real best animated show on TV was snubbed once again -- King of the Hill!
And about the Emmy show itself -- I am really hoping that Conan goes all out and makes his mark tonight. I realize the Emmy's are not exactly an ideal showcase for one's comedic talents, but I hope that Conan can go out there and convince the doubters of mainstream America that he is the man when it comes to late night. I know that there are many, especially older people, out there who don't really get Conan per se, but I really believe that Conan's humor has just the right amount of classical comedy and heart to be mainstream, even if he can be really out there, and maybe too intelligent for some weaned on Jay Leno's Middle-American king-of-the-obvious-brand of humor.
So yeah, Conan kicks ass, so watch the Emmys tonight and show some support!
Now, my picks:
NOTE: Honestly I don't care who WILL win, per se, because the Emmys have no real history of honoring who is most deserving. As for what to expect, well, I expect a bunch of recently-ended shows like West Wing and Will and Grace to clean up, though likely personal faves that recently called it quits, like Malcolm in the Middle and Arrested Development, will get snubbed. I DO think that this is finally the year that 24 will clean up, for whatever reason, so Jack Bauer may FINALLY get his due. I don't care about reality TV, as pretty much every reality show is sleazy crap in my opinion, so whatever.
But anyways, here are some picks of nominees who I DO actually care about and would like to see get an award:
Lead Actor in a Comedy:
Steve Carell for the Office.
The only other guy nominated who I'd consider is the always-hilarious Larry David, but Season 2 of The Office was a true break out season of TV. It had it's ups and downs, but The Office put together a streak of classic episodes that was the best comedy on TV for a while there. Carell deserves it, and I think he'll get it, too.
Chance of Winning: Excellent
Lead Acress in a Comedy:
Jane Kaczmarek for Malcolm in the Middle
I'm probably the only person on the planet who doesn't work for the show that is actively rooting for this choice, but any true Malcolm fan knows that Lois is one of the absolute most horrifying, most cringe-inducing, and best TV moms of all time. I think of Malcolm's great series finale, where Lois reveals to Malcolm her "plans" for his future, in a speech that embodied all the cynical humor, blue-collar tragedy, and pure hilarity that Malcolm was about. I know, I know, people ask "That show was still on?" It was, and this past season one of the best comedies of all time in Malcolm ended, and went out on a high note to boot.
Chance of Winning: Terrible
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Bryan Cranston for Malcolm in the Middle
Again, like I've said many times on this blog, Cranston was the heart and soul of Malcolm and one of the out and out funniest characters on TV in Hal. I of course am also a HUGE fan of Will Arnett as Gob on Arrested Development, but I'd love to see Cranston get some recognition for his years of hilarity on Malcolm in the Middle.
Chances of Winning: Terrible
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
None of the great actresses from ARRESTED were nominated? Okay then, don't care.
Comedy Series:
Arrested Development
As good as The Office was at times this year, Arrested was just awesome - years from now it will be looked back on as one of the funniest, most underrated shows ever made. The last 4 eps of Arrested were plain and simple some of the best television I've ever seen. While the Office got mired in soapy romance plotlines as the season progressed, becoming more and more sitcom-y, Arrested stayed true to itself and became even more obscure, witty, and offbeat as it went on. Long live ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.
Chances of Winning: Medium - has a shot but I think The Office will take it.
Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Kiefer Sutherland for 24
Do I really need an explanation here? Kiefer has made Jack Bauer the most fun character to watch on TV over the last 5 years. He has created a true action hero for the ages. Give him his freakin' due already.
Chances of Winning: Excellent, though you never know, as the West Wing sympathy vote may come into play.
Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
No Kristen Bell? No Lauren Graham? Screw you, Emmys. I guess I'll root for Geena Davis or something.
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Gregory Itzin for 24
You know, too bad nobody from the pretty kickass Prisonbreak was nominated for this category - where's the love for Abruzi and T-Bag? But of the choices we've got, Itzin was one of the great 24 villains this season, and did some damn fine acting as the Nixon-esque Prez on 24.
Chances of Winning: Pretty darn good, though again I feel like I shouldn't count out the West Wing.
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Jean Smart for 24:
While Smart did an excellent job as the first lady on 24, I have to say - she is getting a little bit overhyped by the press, and in fact I would probably count her as one of the weaker elements, overall, of this season. Still, I could care less about the other nominees, and there's no question Smart had some ultra-intense scenes on 24 that render her worthy of recognition.
Chances of Winning: Excellent
Best Drama Series:
24
What more can I say? I'm no bandwagoner - I've been a 24 fan since Day 1 (literally), and this has been my absolute favorite show on television since the X-Files went off the air. 24 is a thrill-ride every week that is more intense, more satisfying, and yes, more packed with gravitas than just about any other feature film in the same genre. This show should have won Best Drama in SEASON ONE, which is still the best, but hey, Season 5 was a consistently amazing seaon as well that deserves its props. Sure, many of my other fav shows were snubbed, but it will be nice to see 24 finally get its moment in the sun.
Chances of Winning: Count on it ... and screw the West Wing if it wins.
Reality Series:
No Beauty and the Geek? Don't care. Since it's our big seller on I-Tunes I'll root for Project Runway.
Okay, that's it for now - be back soon with reactions, and a lot more.
If nothing else, watch for Conan.
But even though most of you probably won't read this until after the show, I felt the need to plug this year's Emmy's because:
a.) they are on NBC
b.) they are hosted by my man Conan O'Brien, who I have it on good authority is planning some very funny stuff for the show
and, on a more personal note:
c.) 24, aka the best drama on TV, actually stands to win some awards this year!
Still, though, let's face it - the Emmy nominations pretty much blow. The whole voting process was changed this year, and that change seemed to amount to jack squat. We have actresses nominated for 11-second guest-star spots, yet some of the very best work on TV remains totally ignored. OF all the leading ladies in TV-land, did any completely carry a top-tier show on their backs like Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars or Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls? Veronica Mars, especially, just pisses me off in its lack of recognition. GIlmore Girls, as good as it is, it's best years are probably behind it (still, it's supporting cast is amazing and was as good if not better than ever this past year! Where is the love?). VM is a show that out of the gate two years ago was firing on all cylinders, and this past season everyone upped their game to deliver the best drama on TV not named 24. So: WTF?!?!
A few other obvious snubs: Only Will Arnett of Arrested Development is nominated? No Jason Bateman? Jeffrey Tambor? David Cross? Come on!
What about Rainn Wilson for The Office? Bar none, Dwight was the biggest source of laughter on the show this year, and was the true breakout character.
Those gripes are just a few of my own personal pet peeves, but looking up and down the list this year there's a mixture of been there done that and odd randomness. I mean, so much of these awards are just pure hype. Look at 24 - it's been deserving of this level of recognition for YEARS now - but only now are any of the supporting players actually recognized. Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin were great, yes, but it's just odd to me that they get nominated in Year 5 to the exclusion of all of the great supporting actors who have appeared on the show prior.
And once again, let me add: screw the Lost defenders claiming that that show deserved a Best Drama nom - Season 2 of Lost did not live up to Season 1's promise, and more often than not, the show disappointed rather than delivered this past year. That's not to say that Season 3 won't be great (those mysterious EW ads already have me hyped), and I really hope the show gets back on track ... but Season 2 of Lost was not in 24's league this season.
One other comment -- no, The Simpsons as a whole did not have a good season, and definitely not a great season. But it DID deliver a few gems, including the best episode in YEARS, penned by Ricky Gervais. So I see no problem with perhaps the greatest TV show of all time bringing home an Emmy at the expense of South Park, a show which is 80% hype and only about 20% humor. Yes, it's a blast to tune into South Park and see insta-commentary on the latest celebrity scandal or whatever, but the show rarely has any real intelligence behind it, and the humor is never that sharp from a writing standpoint. In this day and age, plenty of animated shows are praised the crazier and more random they get, but crazy and random doesn't always mean good. So instead of talking baou South Park was robbed just because it had the balls to directly reference easy targets like Tom Cruise, let's talk about how the real best animated show on TV was snubbed once again -- King of the Hill!
And about the Emmy show itself -- I am really hoping that Conan goes all out and makes his mark tonight. I realize the Emmy's are not exactly an ideal showcase for one's comedic talents, but I hope that Conan can go out there and convince the doubters of mainstream America that he is the man when it comes to late night. I know that there are many, especially older people, out there who don't really get Conan per se, but I really believe that Conan's humor has just the right amount of classical comedy and heart to be mainstream, even if he can be really out there, and maybe too intelligent for some weaned on Jay Leno's Middle-American king-of-the-obvious-brand of humor.
So yeah, Conan kicks ass, so watch the Emmys tonight and show some support!
Now, my picks:
NOTE: Honestly I don't care who WILL win, per se, because the Emmys have no real history of honoring who is most deserving. As for what to expect, well, I expect a bunch of recently-ended shows like West Wing and Will and Grace to clean up, though likely personal faves that recently called it quits, like Malcolm in the Middle and Arrested Development, will get snubbed. I DO think that this is finally the year that 24 will clean up, for whatever reason, so Jack Bauer may FINALLY get his due. I don't care about reality TV, as pretty much every reality show is sleazy crap in my opinion, so whatever.
But anyways, here are some picks of nominees who I DO actually care about and would like to see get an award:
Lead Actor in a Comedy:
Steve Carell for the Office.
The only other guy nominated who I'd consider is the always-hilarious Larry David, but Season 2 of The Office was a true break out season of TV. It had it's ups and downs, but The Office put together a streak of classic episodes that was the best comedy on TV for a while there. Carell deserves it, and I think he'll get it, too.
Chance of Winning: Excellent
Lead Acress in a Comedy:
Jane Kaczmarek for Malcolm in the Middle
I'm probably the only person on the planet who doesn't work for the show that is actively rooting for this choice, but any true Malcolm fan knows that Lois is one of the absolute most horrifying, most cringe-inducing, and best TV moms of all time. I think of Malcolm's great series finale, where Lois reveals to Malcolm her "plans" for his future, in a speech that embodied all the cynical humor, blue-collar tragedy, and pure hilarity that Malcolm was about. I know, I know, people ask "That show was still on?" It was, and this past season one of the best comedies of all time in Malcolm ended, and went out on a high note to boot.
Chance of Winning: Terrible
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Bryan Cranston for Malcolm in the Middle
Again, like I've said many times on this blog, Cranston was the heart and soul of Malcolm and one of the out and out funniest characters on TV in Hal. I of course am also a HUGE fan of Will Arnett as Gob on Arrested Development, but I'd love to see Cranston get some recognition for his years of hilarity on Malcolm in the Middle.
Chances of Winning: Terrible
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
None of the great actresses from ARRESTED were nominated? Okay then, don't care.
Comedy Series:
Arrested Development
As good as The Office was at times this year, Arrested was just awesome - years from now it will be looked back on as one of the funniest, most underrated shows ever made. The last 4 eps of Arrested were plain and simple some of the best television I've ever seen. While the Office got mired in soapy romance plotlines as the season progressed, becoming more and more sitcom-y, Arrested stayed true to itself and became even more obscure, witty, and offbeat as it went on. Long live ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.
Chances of Winning: Medium - has a shot but I think The Office will take it.
Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Kiefer Sutherland for 24
Do I really need an explanation here? Kiefer has made Jack Bauer the most fun character to watch on TV over the last 5 years. He has created a true action hero for the ages. Give him his freakin' due already.
Chances of Winning: Excellent, though you never know, as the West Wing sympathy vote may come into play.
Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
No Kristen Bell? No Lauren Graham? Screw you, Emmys. I guess I'll root for Geena Davis or something.
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Gregory Itzin for 24
You know, too bad nobody from the pretty kickass Prisonbreak was nominated for this category - where's the love for Abruzi and T-Bag? But of the choices we've got, Itzin was one of the great 24 villains this season, and did some damn fine acting as the Nixon-esque Prez on 24.
Chances of Winning: Pretty darn good, though again I feel like I shouldn't count out the West Wing.
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Jean Smart for 24:
While Smart did an excellent job as the first lady on 24, I have to say - she is getting a little bit overhyped by the press, and in fact I would probably count her as one of the weaker elements, overall, of this season. Still, I could care less about the other nominees, and there's no question Smart had some ultra-intense scenes on 24 that render her worthy of recognition.
Chances of Winning: Excellent
Best Drama Series:
24
What more can I say? I'm no bandwagoner - I've been a 24 fan since Day 1 (literally), and this has been my absolute favorite show on television since the X-Files went off the air. 24 is a thrill-ride every week that is more intense, more satisfying, and yes, more packed with gravitas than just about any other feature film in the same genre. This show should have won Best Drama in SEASON ONE, which is still the best, but hey, Season 5 was a consistently amazing seaon as well that deserves its props. Sure, many of my other fav shows were snubbed, but it will be nice to see 24 finally get its moment in the sun.
Chances of Winning: Count on it ... and screw the West Wing if it wins.
Reality Series:
No Beauty and the Geek? Don't care. Since it's our big seller on I-Tunes I'll root for Project Runway.
Okay, that's it for now - be back soon with reactions, and a lot more.
If nothing else, watch for Conan.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
"I was born of the Hebrew persuasion, but I converted to narcissism." SCOOP Review, Prison Break, and MORE
Okay, okay - a lot to talk about. So strap in and get comfortable.
First of all, some TV Stuff:
PRISONBREAK:
- Very good season premiere, but as of now nothing spectacular. Monday's episode was very cool, but felt a little too much like a direct continuation of last season's season-ending escape. But, I think a lot of promising plotlines were set up for the season, most of all the introduction of the always-excellent William Fichtner as an FBI Agent who looks to be an intellectual match for Michael Scofield. T-Bag as always was awesomely over the top, and was a real scene stealer in every segment he appeared in ("I AIN'T nobody!" = DAAAAAAAAMN!), and, I can't wait to see what happens when he finally catches up with the other escapees.
SPOILERS
I actually like that they offed Veronica, as her character was getting stale, and it reinforces the notion that the inmates are truly on their own, with no one to help them on the outside. But it also begs the question - where do they go from here? On one hand it's exciting that I literally have no clue where this season is headed. On the other hand, it worries me that things still seem very directionless. Are they still going to focus on the warden and the other jail personnel even though the inmates have fled the coop? Is the whole season going to be about the search for Curly's Gold? And are they actually going to keep all of these guys together, even though by all logic they should split up and go their separate ways? Hmmm ...
I'm very curious to see what happens next, but I've yet to be convinced that this season will live up to season 1. Here's hoping the intensity gets turned up a notch in the weeks to come.
My Grade: B+
WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO:
I just have to quickly point out that this show needs to be commended. It seems to be completely staged, is totally cheesy, and just downright absurd, but it has won me over with its sheer earnestness and fun. Last night I caught the previous week's ep on SciFi, and man, when a guy who's seen it all like Stan Lee gets choked up over having to off the latest contestant, well, it truly puts a tear in yer eye. There seriously is something wonderful about seeing a reality show - normally the domain of sleaze, excess, and vulgarity - governed by the old-school, superheroic rules of Stan The Man, where such basic misdeeds as littering, jay-walking, and all forms of duplicity are frowned upon and grounds for dismissal. Imagine - a reality show that encourages people to be BETTER human beings! As wacky as this show is, I highly respect it on this premise alone. Count me as a True Believer.
THE SIMPSONS - SEASON 8 on DVD:
Finally, I've got to comment on this amazing season of comedy television recently made available on DVD. For me, this represents the best ever comedy on television. While other previous seasons of The Simpsons are often highlighted by others as the best ever, this one was for me when I really began to notice the writing, the craft, the genious that went into the creation of these episodes. This season originally aired in 1996-97, my freshman year of high school. Not exactly the best year of my life, but those dreary Mondays were always highlighted by the question on the lips of every geeky guy in school: did you see the Simpsons last night? In the halls of high school, the dining hall, the classrooms - that week's episode was reviewed, analyzed, and quoted to death. And right at this time when kids begin to identify with certain things as a form of self-expression, well, the Simpsons was IT. Every Sunday I sat down to watch the coolest, most amazing, most ingenious thing there was. And I think if it wasn't for those Simpsons episodes, the idea that I myself wanted to work in TV never would have materialized. Now, watching these episodes, it's clear that Season 8 was a turning point - the show was getting crazier, more random, more experimental - a style that would inspire shows like Family Guy's sensibilities, and lead to the current house style that the Simpsons still employs. But while newer seasons are often hurt by their realiance on randomness and abusurdity to drive the humor, Season 8 of the show thrived by pushing the stylistic envelope. Mr. Sparkle, Frank Grimes, The Lovematic Grandpa, Sherry Bobbins, Hank Scorpio - all absolutely classic moments from the season. So if you haven't checked it out, or need a primer on The Simpsons and how it influenced current television and a generation of comedy afficianados, get Season 8 now - it may be the funniest TV ever made.
Now, on to movies ...
SCOOP Review:
Well, this was certainly a fascinating movie to watch.
First, there's the movie itself - like some old 1950's farce unearthed and infused with some vintage Woody Allen schtick, this movie is decidedly old-school. Scoop is plenty entertaining, but a lot of things about it just seem off. Unlike, say, Anything Else, where Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci fit in fairly seamlessly with Woody's somewhat antiquated worldview, Scarlett Johanson and Hugh Jackman stick out like sore thumbs in what might as well be a period piece, despite being set in modern London. Well, more so Scarlett. Hugh Jackman is a natural at playing an upper-crust British playboy who may or may not be a murderer, but Scarlett Johanson in this movie ... all I can say is: odd.
Sure, eventually we warm up to Scarlett as Sandra - a stammering Brooklyn girl and ambitious journalism student on vacation in London. But wow, let's step back for a minute here and take a look at this:
This has to be a first for Woody - here, Woody Allen essentially plays his usual Woody Allen role, though adjusted to the fact that Woody is now in senior citizen territory, he plays a surrogate father / mentor figure here to Scarlett ... who plays --- a hopelessly attractive, female version of Woody Allen! Okay ... for a director who often deals with the theme of psychoanalysis, this setup is just begging to be psychoanalyzed. And for this reason, while the movie itself is pretty good, the movie, when looked at as direct line into the psyche of Woody Allen, is just fascinating.
And on a sidenote, that's what's great about a movie like this that is the sole vision of a single creative mind - unlike a big studio film, this really is a look, in it's own weird way, at the man behind the camera (and on it, in this case).
But back to Scarlett ... I mean, is there any woman in the world who looks like Scarlett Johanson yet is a nebbishy Jewish girl who speaks in a Woody-Allen-esque stammer? I mean, I guess it's like when that one James Bond movie asked us to buy Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist or something, but still ...
I guess though, that part of the joke of this movie's premise is that behind this stammering, innocent girl lies a promiscuous sexpot in disguse -- is this Woody's commentary on women - that all the rich pretty-boys a la Jackman in this movie (who are, in reality, murderers!) are able to turn these outwardly nice Jewish girls into swooning sex objects? Like I said, fascinating. This movie can be read all kinds of ways. We see Woody Allen as a guy probably lusting after Scarlett (which he apparently is in real life), but due to his age he's reduced to playing a father-figure role even as he meets an impossibly beautiful young woman, who inexplicably shares his exact personality and mannerisms! The woman of course falls for the rich playboy who is secretly a murderer - the very guy she set out to expose to the world as a murderer (the classic girl falling for the badboys they condemn thing). And, finally, and quite humorously, Woody Allen's character is -- SPOILERS -- killed~! as he tries to make a heroic attempt to save Scarlett from her would-be killer.
So yeah, while the plot, essentially revisiting the same basic premise of Match Point, is oddly dated-seeming and quirky, with its random supernatural elements (the ghost of Ian McShane as a slain journalist is the one who tips off Scarlett to the case), Scoop is most interesting just as a meta-character study of Woody Allen at this advanced stage of his career.
But as for that - the whole complaint of been there, done that, when it comes to Allen's movies, I don't see what the big problem is. I still got plenty of laughs from the classic Woody-isms - the Jewish humor, the fish-out-of-water jokes, the high-art meets Borscht-Belt comedy. The man may not be as fresh and sharp a humorist as he once was, but he still carries a certain intelligence and culturally-educated slant in his writing that you don't see from many other filmmakers.
To be sure, this is an odd movie. The sheer spectacle of seeing the same Scarlett Johanson who played an action hero in The Island and a sullen, rebel teen in Ghost World, in full-on, young-female-version-of-Woody Allen-mode is simultaneously jarring, perplexing, entertaining, and hard to take your eyes off of. The supernatural / whimsical elements of the film are both strange and yet very amusing at times. And the vintage Woody Allen humor can be both tedious and refreshing, depending on the joke.
Overall though, I would definitely recommend checking out Scoop. It's an immensely interesting movie to watch, even if some of its flaws and oddities are glaringly obvious. But compared to what else is out there, Scoop is a refreshing dose of something different, even if different in this case is comfortingly familiar.
My Grade: B+
Alright - more later. Leave a comment and check back soon.
First of all, some TV Stuff:
PRISONBREAK:
- Very good season premiere, but as of now nothing spectacular. Monday's episode was very cool, but felt a little too much like a direct continuation of last season's season-ending escape. But, I think a lot of promising plotlines were set up for the season, most of all the introduction of the always-excellent William Fichtner as an FBI Agent who looks to be an intellectual match for Michael Scofield. T-Bag as always was awesomely over the top, and was a real scene stealer in every segment he appeared in ("I AIN'T nobody!" = DAAAAAAAAMN!), and, I can't wait to see what happens when he finally catches up with the other escapees.
SPOILERS
I actually like that they offed Veronica, as her character was getting stale, and it reinforces the notion that the inmates are truly on their own, with no one to help them on the outside. But it also begs the question - where do they go from here? On one hand it's exciting that I literally have no clue where this season is headed. On the other hand, it worries me that things still seem very directionless. Are they still going to focus on the warden and the other jail personnel even though the inmates have fled the coop? Is the whole season going to be about the search for Curly's Gold? And are they actually going to keep all of these guys together, even though by all logic they should split up and go their separate ways? Hmmm ...
I'm very curious to see what happens next, but I've yet to be convinced that this season will live up to season 1. Here's hoping the intensity gets turned up a notch in the weeks to come.
My Grade: B+
WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO:
I just have to quickly point out that this show needs to be commended. It seems to be completely staged, is totally cheesy, and just downright absurd, but it has won me over with its sheer earnestness and fun. Last night I caught the previous week's ep on SciFi, and man, when a guy who's seen it all like Stan Lee gets choked up over having to off the latest contestant, well, it truly puts a tear in yer eye. There seriously is something wonderful about seeing a reality show - normally the domain of sleaze, excess, and vulgarity - governed by the old-school, superheroic rules of Stan The Man, where such basic misdeeds as littering, jay-walking, and all forms of duplicity are frowned upon and grounds for dismissal. Imagine - a reality show that encourages people to be BETTER human beings! As wacky as this show is, I highly respect it on this premise alone. Count me as a True Believer.
THE SIMPSONS - SEASON 8 on DVD:
Finally, I've got to comment on this amazing season of comedy television recently made available on DVD. For me, this represents the best ever comedy on television. While other previous seasons of The Simpsons are often highlighted by others as the best ever, this one was for me when I really began to notice the writing, the craft, the genious that went into the creation of these episodes. This season originally aired in 1996-97, my freshman year of high school. Not exactly the best year of my life, but those dreary Mondays were always highlighted by the question on the lips of every geeky guy in school: did you see the Simpsons last night? In the halls of high school, the dining hall, the classrooms - that week's episode was reviewed, analyzed, and quoted to death. And right at this time when kids begin to identify with certain things as a form of self-expression, well, the Simpsons was IT. Every Sunday I sat down to watch the coolest, most amazing, most ingenious thing there was. And I think if it wasn't for those Simpsons episodes, the idea that I myself wanted to work in TV never would have materialized. Now, watching these episodes, it's clear that Season 8 was a turning point - the show was getting crazier, more random, more experimental - a style that would inspire shows like Family Guy's sensibilities, and lead to the current house style that the Simpsons still employs. But while newer seasons are often hurt by their realiance on randomness and abusurdity to drive the humor, Season 8 of the show thrived by pushing the stylistic envelope. Mr. Sparkle, Frank Grimes, The Lovematic Grandpa, Sherry Bobbins, Hank Scorpio - all absolutely classic moments from the season. So if you haven't checked it out, or need a primer on The Simpsons and how it influenced current television and a generation of comedy afficianados, get Season 8 now - it may be the funniest TV ever made.
Now, on to movies ...
SCOOP Review:
Well, this was certainly a fascinating movie to watch.
First, there's the movie itself - like some old 1950's farce unearthed and infused with some vintage Woody Allen schtick, this movie is decidedly old-school. Scoop is plenty entertaining, but a lot of things about it just seem off. Unlike, say, Anything Else, where Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci fit in fairly seamlessly with Woody's somewhat antiquated worldview, Scarlett Johanson and Hugh Jackman stick out like sore thumbs in what might as well be a period piece, despite being set in modern London. Well, more so Scarlett. Hugh Jackman is a natural at playing an upper-crust British playboy who may or may not be a murderer, but Scarlett Johanson in this movie ... all I can say is: odd.
Sure, eventually we warm up to Scarlett as Sandra - a stammering Brooklyn girl and ambitious journalism student on vacation in London. But wow, let's step back for a minute here and take a look at this:
This has to be a first for Woody - here, Woody Allen essentially plays his usual Woody Allen role, though adjusted to the fact that Woody is now in senior citizen territory, he plays a surrogate father / mentor figure here to Scarlett ... who plays --- a hopelessly attractive, female version of Woody Allen! Okay ... for a director who often deals with the theme of psychoanalysis, this setup is just begging to be psychoanalyzed. And for this reason, while the movie itself is pretty good, the movie, when looked at as direct line into the psyche of Woody Allen, is just fascinating.
And on a sidenote, that's what's great about a movie like this that is the sole vision of a single creative mind - unlike a big studio film, this really is a look, in it's own weird way, at the man behind the camera (and on it, in this case).
But back to Scarlett ... I mean, is there any woman in the world who looks like Scarlett Johanson yet is a nebbishy Jewish girl who speaks in a Woody-Allen-esque stammer? I mean, I guess it's like when that one James Bond movie asked us to buy Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist or something, but still ...
I guess though, that part of the joke of this movie's premise is that behind this stammering, innocent girl lies a promiscuous sexpot in disguse -- is this Woody's commentary on women - that all the rich pretty-boys a la Jackman in this movie (who are, in reality, murderers!) are able to turn these outwardly nice Jewish girls into swooning sex objects? Like I said, fascinating. This movie can be read all kinds of ways. We see Woody Allen as a guy probably lusting after Scarlett (which he apparently is in real life), but due to his age he's reduced to playing a father-figure role even as he meets an impossibly beautiful young woman, who inexplicably shares his exact personality and mannerisms! The woman of course falls for the rich playboy who is secretly a murderer - the very guy she set out to expose to the world as a murderer (the classic girl falling for the badboys they condemn thing). And, finally, and quite humorously, Woody Allen's character is -- SPOILERS -- killed~! as he tries to make a heroic attempt to save Scarlett from her would-be killer.
So yeah, while the plot, essentially revisiting the same basic premise of Match Point, is oddly dated-seeming and quirky, with its random supernatural elements (the ghost of Ian McShane as a slain journalist is the one who tips off Scarlett to the case), Scoop is most interesting just as a meta-character study of Woody Allen at this advanced stage of his career.
But as for that - the whole complaint of been there, done that, when it comes to Allen's movies, I don't see what the big problem is. I still got plenty of laughs from the classic Woody-isms - the Jewish humor, the fish-out-of-water jokes, the high-art meets Borscht-Belt comedy. The man may not be as fresh and sharp a humorist as he once was, but he still carries a certain intelligence and culturally-educated slant in his writing that you don't see from many other filmmakers.
To be sure, this is an odd movie. The sheer spectacle of seeing the same Scarlett Johanson who played an action hero in The Island and a sullen, rebel teen in Ghost World, in full-on, young-female-version-of-Woody Allen-mode is simultaneously jarring, perplexing, entertaining, and hard to take your eyes off of. The supernatural / whimsical elements of the film are both strange and yet very amusing at times. And the vintage Woody Allen humor can be both tedious and refreshing, depending on the joke.
Overall though, I would definitely recommend checking out Scoop. It's an immensely interesting movie to watch, even if some of its flaws and oddities are glaringly obvious. But compared to what else is out there, Scoop is a refreshing dose of something different, even if different in this case is comfortingly familiar.
My Grade: B+
Alright - more later. Leave a comment and check back soon.
Monday, August 21, 2006
"Snakes! Snakes? Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaakessss!" Snakes on a Plane Review and MORE
Alright, I'm back from the all-too-brief respite of the weekend and ready to lay it down for ya.
I'll start by tackling the subject on the lips of everyone in showbiz right now - Snakes on a Plane -- why did it bomb?
I think there has got to be a realization that a movie primarily fueled by internet buzz is good for about 8 to 16 million at the box office - at this point, no more. See exhibit A: Clerks II. See exhibit B: Snakes on a Plane.
The thing with these movies is that they appeal to a relatively small audience, albeit one that happens to be very vocal. Also, sadly in some cases, I think the blame lies partly on us - Generation Y. Sadly, I don't know if we are where the money is, at least not yet. We are the generation most dripping with ironic appreciation of bad movies - I don't know if anyone over the age of 35 not named Quentin Tarantino quite gets why the whole Snakes on a Plane thing was ever that funny in the first place - and yet as of now we are a generation that is low on time, strapped for cash, and more apt to go on the internet and JOKE about Snakes on a Plane than actually pay 10 bucks to see it in a theater.
Can Gen Y be a moneymaker for a major movie studio? Honestly, I don't know. Remember, we are the generation that went to college with broadband internet right in the prime of the Napster boom. I remember many a college night huddled around someone's desktop watching a bootlegged copy of Boondock Saints or whatever that someone ripped off of the intra-college network. Most of us are in crappy entry level jobs with no real opportunity yet to put our unprecedentedly expensive college educations to use. We were the ones who grew up with an ironic appreciation for the awesomely bad movies of Jean Claude Van Damme, Hulk Hogan, and the like, and then watched as guys like Quentin Tarantino took the B-movie genre and turned it into blissfully self-aware pop art. We were the ones who went to see Snakes on a Plane on Friday and Saturday night ... and sadly, we're not good for that much in the way of bank, at least not yet.
And it doesn't look good for the future of Snakes, either. Most people realize that the only way to see this movie is to see it in a crowded theater, for optimum reaction and participation from the peanut gallery. If only a handful of Snake devotees turned out on opening weekend - (as I alluded to above, my Friday night showing was mostly filled with irony-saavy Gen Y-ers and a few younger teenagers), then what hope do the stragglers have to get the optimal Snakes experience in a theater this coming weekend or the weekend after?
With all that being said, this isn't exactly Titanic in the budget department, so I'm sure when all is said and done (and the inevitable DVD's are sold by the bucketload), SOAP will emerge as profitable for the studio. But here's a little hint for the future: A low budget cult classic is given its status by the FANS, not by studio-created, prerelease hype.
And on that note, on to the much anticipated ...
SNAKES ON A PLANE Review:
And they said irony was dead.
Well, "they" were clearly wrong, as for months now, the internet has been buzzing about how great Snakes on a Plane was going to be, based largely on how entertainingly bad it appeared to be.
But some movies are so "bad" that they are great - campy classics, often ones we took in as kids, that somehow struck a certain chord that made them more than just a bad movie, but a sentimental favorite. This week, for example, The Wizard came out on DVD. By no means a "great" movie, but for many of us, when were seven or eight, it was the Best Thing Ever. Hence, the nostalgia tinged lense we watch it through makes it great in its own weird, Power Glove-sporting way.
And then, there are the "great" B movies. Movies like Army of Darkness and Evil Dead, like some of the blaxploitation and martial arts movies from the 70's. Movies that had low budgets and a large degree of campiness, but in their own way had a huge spark of imagination and a unique sense of style and self-aware humor - an undeniable coolness factor. Even though an uninformed observer might see these movies and dub them bad, those in the know recognized their innate awesomeness.
It is in this tradition that Snakes on a Plane tries to land - a movie that takes all the trappings of the worst late-night TV movies and says "look, we are not pretending to be a polished, big-budget epic when we're not - we're taking the inhernet cheesiness of the concept and running with it - we're f'n Snakes on a Plane."
But here's the thing - a bad movie is a bad movie. And make no mistake - in it's original incarnation, Snakes was clearly one craptacular flick, about on the level of Mansquito. Just because audiences of a certain generation have been cultivated to enjoy a bad movie almost as much as a good movie - by laughing AT it and enjoying it ironically, this doesn't make it good.
I mean, look, I thought the Island was a complete trainwreck, but I had a great time at the theater mocking it's crappiness with my friends. Does that somehow make it a good movie? Hells no.
So now, here's the kicker - the Snakes producers got wind that their endearingly titled C-grade horror movie was becoming an internet sensation, largely due to the sheer audacity of calling it Snakes on a Plane (again, bringing to mind those terrible late-night Sci Fi movies). So due to a fluke of the pre-production title being leaked to the public, the producers were left with a dilmena: a growing internet fanbase was sitting around getting hyped up about a movie that they assumed would be a self-aware horror-comedy - a balls to the wall, crazy-ass flick that pitted Samuel Jackson in full-on badass mode against a plane full of killer Snakes.
But what was the reality here? This was by no means a lovingly-crafted piece of genre-reinventing pop art that the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, or Sam Raimi might have created.
Nope, it was just a really crappy movie, with bad CGI, a phoning-it-in Sam Jackson, and of all things a PG-13 rating. Not good, not good at all.
So, then what happened? The suits got wise to the fact that the fanbase had a much different expectation for this film than what the reality of it actually was. In response, a bunch of reshoots are done, more sex and violence is added, and the whole movie is painted over with a winking gloss that says "yeah, see, we ARE in on the joke, we WANT you to laugh."
So yeah, the whole state of this movie is pretty much summed up by the fact that its best, trademark line was thought up by random internet bloggers rather than the actual writers of the movie. In the ultimate example of internet populism meets corporate America, the few, the outspoken, the irony-lovin', Snakes-cheering, Sam Jackson-worshipping fanboys got the movie that THEY envisioned.
Well, sort of.
That's the crazy thing about this movie -- it is like a crazy mishmash of moments that are genuinely, unintentionally bad with other moments that are genuinely, intentionally bad. And the weird thing is I'm not sure which parts were funnier.
Because in the end, the movie mostly lived up to my expectations - it was a blast to see in a packed theater, full of rowdy fans eager to see Samuel L Jackson lay the smackdown on some snakes.
But had this movie been made, from the START, with a smart, hip, self-aware mindset - had it had someone at the helm like a Sam Raimi who really gets horror-comedy and really could infuse a movie like this with legitimate creativity and vision - well, then it could have really been something - a true B-movie cult classic.
As it stands now, it is a bad movie trying a little too hard to be an enjoyably bad movie. Oh, sure, it was pretty enjoyable, but take away the rowdy crowd and the fun of all the prerelease buzz, and what are you left with? A poorly-shot, badly-written thriller with mostly mediocre performances and a few great one-liners.
And let's set one thing straight - yes, this is a movie that invites audience participation, and in my view you can't beat a great live audience to heighten the fun of, well, just about anything. But come on - if Deep Blue Sea had been called "Super Intelligent Sharks Attack!" and benefitted from the same amount of internet buzz, that movie would have had as good of an audience reaction and been even better, since it actually had some cool action sequences, a fun cast, and some plot creativity - and hey, it even had a badass Samuel L Jackson.
So yeah, I hope that all of you who can't help but smile at the very IDEA of a movie called Snakes on a Plane headed to the biggest multiplex around this weekend with a few friends, kicked back, and cheered everytime Sam Jackson did something badass. I hope you laughed at the sheer awfulness of Keenan Thompson, smiled ironic smiles of mockery at the carboard characters, and had a small spasm of glee as the screen morphed into green-tinged "snake-vision." And I hope you applauded and cheered as Jackson dutifully uttered the movie's now-famous catchphrase, and that that glorious, expletive-filled sentance was all you hoped it would be and more. I know I got a kick out of it, and yeah, I had a great time as the theater watching Snakes on a by-god Plane. Probably most of all, it was because this film invited the audience to be a part of it - to cheer, to boo, to clap, to yell out random obnoxious comments. Unlike most crappy movies, where you have to sit there in silence and take it, this one wore its crappiness like a badge of honor -- a heavily-market-researched, corporately-manufactured badge of honor, but a badge of honor nonetheless. And I respect that. I think. Kind of.
But let's not kid ourselves - this was a bad movie that mostly kicked ass because we were so, so ready for it to. As cool as it is to see a movie transform itself mid-production to better represent what the fans wanted, it still makes you wonder -- has it really come to this? Do the fans now have to take it upon themselves to add all the best parts to a movie? Snakes on a Plane, if nothing else, establishes an amazing (though not necessarily succesful, with this weekend's box office-returns) new precedent for Hollywood marketing - just don't get tricked into thinking that this is anything more than what it really is - a movie that's occasionally fun to laugh with, but mostly just fun to laugh at.
Still, you gotta love a python squeezing a guy till he drops, venomous serpents dropping in on a couple aiming to join the mile high club, and a rap star who learns an important lesson about how to keep it real, even in the midst of being trapped in a plane whilst being attacked by an army of rabid snakes. Dammit all, I think my grade just went up one notch.
My Grade: B -
- Alright, what else?
- How about tonight's RETURN of last season's best new TV show: PRISONBREAK.
Like Snakes on a Plane, in a way, Prisonbreak is completely over the top and implausible, but fun as all hell. Great characters, 24-like intensity, and an overall sense of overriding badassness makes tonight's Season 2 premiere a must-watch.
I have to say though, I'm almost kinda sad that the Fall TV Season is beginning ... as much as I am a TV junkie, and work in TV, I hate the amount of time that TV can take up during my week. As comforting as it is to have, say, a new episode of Prisonbreak to look forward to on a Monday night after a long day's work, it is also nice to come home and have the night be an open book, so to speak.
And that's about all I have for now -- stay tuned tommorow for a major blog-related announcement ...
And how about it: Can I get some mother$#%# comments on this mother%$&% blog?
I'll start by tackling the subject on the lips of everyone in showbiz right now - Snakes on a Plane -- why did it bomb?
I think there has got to be a realization that a movie primarily fueled by internet buzz is good for about 8 to 16 million at the box office - at this point, no more. See exhibit A: Clerks II. See exhibit B: Snakes on a Plane.
The thing with these movies is that they appeal to a relatively small audience, albeit one that happens to be very vocal. Also, sadly in some cases, I think the blame lies partly on us - Generation Y. Sadly, I don't know if we are where the money is, at least not yet. We are the generation most dripping with ironic appreciation of bad movies - I don't know if anyone over the age of 35 not named Quentin Tarantino quite gets why the whole Snakes on a Plane thing was ever that funny in the first place - and yet as of now we are a generation that is low on time, strapped for cash, and more apt to go on the internet and JOKE about Snakes on a Plane than actually pay 10 bucks to see it in a theater.
Can Gen Y be a moneymaker for a major movie studio? Honestly, I don't know. Remember, we are the generation that went to college with broadband internet right in the prime of the Napster boom. I remember many a college night huddled around someone's desktop watching a bootlegged copy of Boondock Saints or whatever that someone ripped off of the intra-college network. Most of us are in crappy entry level jobs with no real opportunity yet to put our unprecedentedly expensive college educations to use. We were the ones who grew up with an ironic appreciation for the awesomely bad movies of Jean Claude Van Damme, Hulk Hogan, and the like, and then watched as guys like Quentin Tarantino took the B-movie genre and turned it into blissfully self-aware pop art. We were the ones who went to see Snakes on a Plane on Friday and Saturday night ... and sadly, we're not good for that much in the way of bank, at least not yet.
And it doesn't look good for the future of Snakes, either. Most people realize that the only way to see this movie is to see it in a crowded theater, for optimum reaction and participation from the peanut gallery. If only a handful of Snake devotees turned out on opening weekend - (as I alluded to above, my Friday night showing was mostly filled with irony-saavy Gen Y-ers and a few younger teenagers), then what hope do the stragglers have to get the optimal Snakes experience in a theater this coming weekend or the weekend after?
With all that being said, this isn't exactly Titanic in the budget department, so I'm sure when all is said and done (and the inevitable DVD's are sold by the bucketload), SOAP will emerge as profitable for the studio. But here's a little hint for the future: A low budget cult classic is given its status by the FANS, not by studio-created, prerelease hype.
And on that note, on to the much anticipated ...
SNAKES ON A PLANE Review:
And they said irony was dead.
Well, "they" were clearly wrong, as for months now, the internet has been buzzing about how great Snakes on a Plane was going to be, based largely on how entertainingly bad it appeared to be.
But some movies are so "bad" that they are great - campy classics, often ones we took in as kids, that somehow struck a certain chord that made them more than just a bad movie, but a sentimental favorite. This week, for example, The Wizard came out on DVD. By no means a "great" movie, but for many of us, when were seven or eight, it was the Best Thing Ever. Hence, the nostalgia tinged lense we watch it through makes it great in its own weird, Power Glove-sporting way.
And then, there are the "great" B movies. Movies like Army of Darkness and Evil Dead, like some of the blaxploitation and martial arts movies from the 70's. Movies that had low budgets and a large degree of campiness, but in their own way had a huge spark of imagination and a unique sense of style and self-aware humor - an undeniable coolness factor. Even though an uninformed observer might see these movies and dub them bad, those in the know recognized their innate awesomeness.
It is in this tradition that Snakes on a Plane tries to land - a movie that takes all the trappings of the worst late-night TV movies and says "look, we are not pretending to be a polished, big-budget epic when we're not - we're taking the inhernet cheesiness of the concept and running with it - we're f'n Snakes on a Plane."
But here's the thing - a bad movie is a bad movie. And make no mistake - in it's original incarnation, Snakes was clearly one craptacular flick, about on the level of Mansquito. Just because audiences of a certain generation have been cultivated to enjoy a bad movie almost as much as a good movie - by laughing AT it and enjoying it ironically, this doesn't make it good.
I mean, look, I thought the Island was a complete trainwreck, but I had a great time at the theater mocking it's crappiness with my friends. Does that somehow make it a good movie? Hells no.
So now, here's the kicker - the Snakes producers got wind that their endearingly titled C-grade horror movie was becoming an internet sensation, largely due to the sheer audacity of calling it Snakes on a Plane (again, bringing to mind those terrible late-night Sci Fi movies). So due to a fluke of the pre-production title being leaked to the public, the producers were left with a dilmena: a growing internet fanbase was sitting around getting hyped up about a movie that they assumed would be a self-aware horror-comedy - a balls to the wall, crazy-ass flick that pitted Samuel Jackson in full-on badass mode against a plane full of killer Snakes.
But what was the reality here? This was by no means a lovingly-crafted piece of genre-reinventing pop art that the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, or Sam Raimi might have created.
Nope, it was just a really crappy movie, with bad CGI, a phoning-it-in Sam Jackson, and of all things a PG-13 rating. Not good, not good at all.
So, then what happened? The suits got wise to the fact that the fanbase had a much different expectation for this film than what the reality of it actually was. In response, a bunch of reshoots are done, more sex and violence is added, and the whole movie is painted over with a winking gloss that says "yeah, see, we ARE in on the joke, we WANT you to laugh."
So yeah, the whole state of this movie is pretty much summed up by the fact that its best, trademark line was thought up by random internet bloggers rather than the actual writers of the movie. In the ultimate example of internet populism meets corporate America, the few, the outspoken, the irony-lovin', Snakes-cheering, Sam Jackson-worshipping fanboys got the movie that THEY envisioned.
Well, sort of.
That's the crazy thing about this movie -- it is like a crazy mishmash of moments that are genuinely, unintentionally bad with other moments that are genuinely, intentionally bad. And the weird thing is I'm not sure which parts were funnier.
Because in the end, the movie mostly lived up to my expectations - it was a blast to see in a packed theater, full of rowdy fans eager to see Samuel L Jackson lay the smackdown on some snakes.
But had this movie been made, from the START, with a smart, hip, self-aware mindset - had it had someone at the helm like a Sam Raimi who really gets horror-comedy and really could infuse a movie like this with legitimate creativity and vision - well, then it could have really been something - a true B-movie cult classic.
As it stands now, it is a bad movie trying a little too hard to be an enjoyably bad movie. Oh, sure, it was pretty enjoyable, but take away the rowdy crowd and the fun of all the prerelease buzz, and what are you left with? A poorly-shot, badly-written thriller with mostly mediocre performances and a few great one-liners.
And let's set one thing straight - yes, this is a movie that invites audience participation, and in my view you can't beat a great live audience to heighten the fun of, well, just about anything. But come on - if Deep Blue Sea had been called "Super Intelligent Sharks Attack!" and benefitted from the same amount of internet buzz, that movie would have had as good of an audience reaction and been even better, since it actually had some cool action sequences, a fun cast, and some plot creativity - and hey, it even had a badass Samuel L Jackson.
So yeah, I hope that all of you who can't help but smile at the very IDEA of a movie called Snakes on a Plane headed to the biggest multiplex around this weekend with a few friends, kicked back, and cheered everytime Sam Jackson did something badass. I hope you laughed at the sheer awfulness of Keenan Thompson, smiled ironic smiles of mockery at the carboard characters, and had a small spasm of glee as the screen morphed into green-tinged "snake-vision." And I hope you applauded and cheered as Jackson dutifully uttered the movie's now-famous catchphrase, and that that glorious, expletive-filled sentance was all you hoped it would be and more. I know I got a kick out of it, and yeah, I had a great time as the theater watching Snakes on a by-god Plane. Probably most of all, it was because this film invited the audience to be a part of it - to cheer, to boo, to clap, to yell out random obnoxious comments. Unlike most crappy movies, where you have to sit there in silence and take it, this one wore its crappiness like a badge of honor -- a heavily-market-researched, corporately-manufactured badge of honor, but a badge of honor nonetheless. And I respect that. I think. Kind of.
But let's not kid ourselves - this was a bad movie that mostly kicked ass because we were so, so ready for it to. As cool as it is to see a movie transform itself mid-production to better represent what the fans wanted, it still makes you wonder -- has it really come to this? Do the fans now have to take it upon themselves to add all the best parts to a movie? Snakes on a Plane, if nothing else, establishes an amazing (though not necessarily succesful, with this weekend's box office-returns) new precedent for Hollywood marketing - just don't get tricked into thinking that this is anything more than what it really is - a movie that's occasionally fun to laugh with, but mostly just fun to laugh at.
Still, you gotta love a python squeezing a guy till he drops, venomous serpents dropping in on a couple aiming to join the mile high club, and a rap star who learns an important lesson about how to keep it real, even in the midst of being trapped in a plane whilst being attacked by an army of rabid snakes. Dammit all, I think my grade just went up one notch.
My Grade: B -
- Alright, what else?
- How about tonight's RETURN of last season's best new TV show: PRISONBREAK.
Like Snakes on a Plane, in a way, Prisonbreak is completely over the top and implausible, but fun as all hell. Great characters, 24-like intensity, and an overall sense of overriding badassness makes tonight's Season 2 premiere a must-watch.
I have to say though, I'm almost kinda sad that the Fall TV Season is beginning ... as much as I am a TV junkie, and work in TV, I hate the amount of time that TV can take up during my week. As comforting as it is to have, say, a new episode of Prisonbreak to look forward to on a Monday night after a long day's work, it is also nice to come home and have the night be an open book, so to speak.
And that's about all I have for now -- stay tuned tommorow for a major blog-related announcement ...
And how about it: Can I get some mother$#%# comments on this mother%$&% blog?
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
"Ask Me About My Weiner!"
Oh man, that line never gets old ...
Saw Accepted last night at a free Universal screening, will get to that review in a minute ... first off though, some other assorted stuff ...
- Ryan Philipe as Harvey Dent in Dark Knight? I don't believe this is 100% confirmed yet, but I have to say I don't know about this one. Philipe is definitely a talented actor, but as far as I know he still has that kind of boyish look and prep-school voice ... not exactly what I picture in Harvey Dent. I gotta side with the internet geeks on this one for now and say that someone like Liev Schrieber or Guy Pierce would have been ideal. Also, I hope they don't overload this movie with too many villains. I don't really see any point when you already have the best villain of all ... the Joker. Harley Quinn in a minor role though ... that I wouldn't object to.
- Speaking of superheroes, I've gotta say that Who Wants to be a Superhero is one heck of a fun show. I've been working with it on I-Tunes, and while the premise is pretty absurd, the show is so earnest and innocent compared to other trashy reality shows that it just has this really addictive, eminently watchable vibe. Stan Lee is perfectly old-school in his role as superhero guru / MC. Take it with a grain of salt, but don't be surprised if it hooks you in.
ACCEPTED Review:
Okay, so this movie has a number of prety funny moments. But those moments are buried within the unsightly framework of a movie mired in cliched mediocrity. For every line that makes you giggle (yes, including the insta-classic "Ask me about my weiner!" line ...), there is a character, a scene, or a moment that is directly lifted from some other, better movie. And most of all, the premise is totally mishandled - what could have been a funny idea - a bunch of college rejects form their own school and pass it off as a legitimate university - is played way too straight.
This premise begs for an absurdist approach ala Wet Hot American Summer. Instead, we get the obligatory scene where our protaganist stands before a board of accreditidation and gives a big speech where he expounds about the merits of his fake college, inciting his students (all of whom, of course, are in attendance) to give a standing ovation. And guess what - wonder of wonders - his speech is so damn moving that the crusty old board members have a change of heart and allow the school to go on! No big spoilers here folks - this movie is by-the-numbers every step of the way, right down to the preppy fratboy villains, the Dean of a rival school with a stick up his ass, and the girl stuck with the wrong guy who breaks up with said guy after he cheats on her and is then won over by our witty, charming, fast-talking main character.
You've seen this same framework in ... oh, I don't know - The Breakfast Club, Old School, American Pie, Animal House, Feris Bueller, Camp Nowhere, and, um, just about every other teen / college / misfit adolescent movie ever made.
Here, though, even the paint-by-numbers stuff just feels kinda off. For example, the movie has a really strong anti-education message that to me was really off-putting. Sure, it's always funny to see Lewis Black (here as a bitter ex-professor) go off on his usual, quiveringly pissed-off, fight-the-man diatribes. But Black's usual stuff is mixed in with this message of "Hey kids, college sucks. You learn a bunch of useless crap when what you should really be learning about is how to slack off and waste time." It'd be funny if this idea was played solely for laughs, but the movie starts to get really preachy in its own weird way and doesn't let up. The capper has to be the big, aforementioned "big speech scene," where Justin Long, as our hero, B, goes on, and on, and on, about why his fabricated college (South Harmon Institute of Technology -- aka S.H.I.T. -- get it? get it?) is actually deserving of being accredited. Again, it would be pretty funny if the course list, including things like "Rocking Out" and "Math-terbation" was just there to be funny, but we're actually supposed to be agreeing with B and saying "yeah, this guy has a point." It's not even like, say, Billy Madison, where Adam Sandler's climactic speech at the end is a satire of other big movie speeches, or in Not Another Teen movie, which also mocked said big speeches (as well as all the other conventions of teen movies ...). Too many elements of Accepted are not played up as absurd or whatever, instead there are way too many sitcom-y moments that would feel more at home on Saved By the Bell: The College Years, than on a big screen, college-comedy.
Still, there is plenty to like here. The side characters in particular have a ton of funny little moments, where the true potential of what this movie COULD have been is glimpsed. There is a lot of comedic talent here in the supporting actors, and its too bad that that talent isn't fully embraced.
So all in all, it's a decently funny movie, but one that's built on a dumb premise that isn't taken to the absurd extremes needed to make it work.
My Grade: C
Alright, I'm out. It's been a crazy day, and I. Am. Outta Heeeeeeeeeeere.
Saw Accepted last night at a free Universal screening, will get to that review in a minute ... first off though, some other assorted stuff ...
- Ryan Philipe as Harvey Dent in Dark Knight? I don't believe this is 100% confirmed yet, but I have to say I don't know about this one. Philipe is definitely a talented actor, but as far as I know he still has that kind of boyish look and prep-school voice ... not exactly what I picture in Harvey Dent. I gotta side with the internet geeks on this one for now and say that someone like Liev Schrieber or Guy Pierce would have been ideal. Also, I hope they don't overload this movie with too many villains. I don't really see any point when you already have the best villain of all ... the Joker. Harley Quinn in a minor role though ... that I wouldn't object to.
- Speaking of superheroes, I've gotta say that Who Wants to be a Superhero is one heck of a fun show. I've been working with it on I-Tunes, and while the premise is pretty absurd, the show is so earnest and innocent compared to other trashy reality shows that it just has this really addictive, eminently watchable vibe. Stan Lee is perfectly old-school in his role as superhero guru / MC. Take it with a grain of salt, but don't be surprised if it hooks you in.
ACCEPTED Review:
Okay, so this movie has a number of prety funny moments. But those moments are buried within the unsightly framework of a movie mired in cliched mediocrity. For every line that makes you giggle (yes, including the insta-classic "Ask me about my weiner!" line ...), there is a character, a scene, or a moment that is directly lifted from some other, better movie. And most of all, the premise is totally mishandled - what could have been a funny idea - a bunch of college rejects form their own school and pass it off as a legitimate university - is played way too straight.
This premise begs for an absurdist approach ala Wet Hot American Summer. Instead, we get the obligatory scene where our protaganist stands before a board of accreditidation and gives a big speech where he expounds about the merits of his fake college, inciting his students (all of whom, of course, are in attendance) to give a standing ovation. And guess what - wonder of wonders - his speech is so damn moving that the crusty old board members have a change of heart and allow the school to go on! No big spoilers here folks - this movie is by-the-numbers every step of the way, right down to the preppy fratboy villains, the Dean of a rival school with a stick up his ass, and the girl stuck with the wrong guy who breaks up with said guy after he cheats on her and is then won over by our witty, charming, fast-talking main character.
You've seen this same framework in ... oh, I don't know - The Breakfast Club, Old School, American Pie, Animal House, Feris Bueller, Camp Nowhere, and, um, just about every other teen / college / misfit adolescent movie ever made.
Here, though, even the paint-by-numbers stuff just feels kinda off. For example, the movie has a really strong anti-education message that to me was really off-putting. Sure, it's always funny to see Lewis Black (here as a bitter ex-professor) go off on his usual, quiveringly pissed-off, fight-the-man diatribes. But Black's usual stuff is mixed in with this message of "Hey kids, college sucks. You learn a bunch of useless crap when what you should really be learning about is how to slack off and waste time." It'd be funny if this idea was played solely for laughs, but the movie starts to get really preachy in its own weird way and doesn't let up. The capper has to be the big, aforementioned "big speech scene," where Justin Long, as our hero, B, goes on, and on, and on, about why his fabricated college (South Harmon Institute of Technology -- aka S.H.I.T. -- get it? get it?) is actually deserving of being accredited. Again, it would be pretty funny if the course list, including things like "Rocking Out" and "Math-terbation" was just there to be funny, but we're actually supposed to be agreeing with B and saying "yeah, this guy has a point." It's not even like, say, Billy Madison, where Adam Sandler's climactic speech at the end is a satire of other big movie speeches, or in Not Another Teen movie, which also mocked said big speeches (as well as all the other conventions of teen movies ...). Too many elements of Accepted are not played up as absurd or whatever, instead there are way too many sitcom-y moments that would feel more at home on Saved By the Bell: The College Years, than on a big screen, college-comedy.
Still, there is plenty to like here. The side characters in particular have a ton of funny little moments, where the true potential of what this movie COULD have been is glimpsed. There is a lot of comedic talent here in the supporting actors, and its too bad that that talent isn't fully embraced.
So all in all, it's a decently funny movie, but one that's built on a dumb premise that isn't taken to the absurd extremes needed to make it work.
My Grade: C
Alright, I'm out. It's been a crazy day, and I. Am. Outta Heeeeeeeeeeere.
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