And then it was the summer movie season ...
While this summer boasts no sure-thing fanboy juggernaut on par with last summer's Iron Man or Dark Knight, there are still the usual bigtime tentpoles that will be vying for your hard-earned dollars. Personally, I can't help but feel that there are some big, big question marks around many of the summer's biggest movies. We already saw the first misfire of the summer with Wolverine -- sure, the movie made bank, but creatively, well, it didn't exactly raise the bar. Star Trek *was* a big unknown, but the onslaught of glowing reviews has pretty much convinced me that it won't disappoint. That said, a movie like Terminator: Salvation could still go either way -- I mean, who isn't salivating at the thought of finally seeing an adult John Connor fighting evil robot armies in the future? But -- McG as a bigtime action director is still a pretty unproven commodity. I remain somewhat optimistic, but still, you never know. Really, the only 100% sure-thing this summer is UP. Pixar can basically do no wrong, and as much as I loved Wall-E, I get the sense that UP might be even better. I love the fact that we know so little about the movie, too. Pixar has earned the right to play coy - I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeve.
On the other hand, I think we've had a very above-average winter and spring at the movies. There were some truly great comedies like Observe and Report, Adventureland, and Fanboys, and some badass action flicks like Taken and, of course, Watchmen. There was even Anvil: The Story of Anvil, which may well end up as the documentary of the year. Usually, it's rare for movies from January to April to end up on my Year-End Best-Of list, but I could definitely see it happening in a couple of cases in '09.
Anyways, let's talk Wolverine ...
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Review:
- Okay, first off, let me reitirate my position on the X-Men movies. I thought Part 1 was okay - it got a lot of the fundamentals right, but never really captured the colorful and over-the-top nature of the comics or cartoons. I never really loved the "realistic" approach that Bryan Singer took, and it was clear that Singer never really got the more comic-bookish elements of the franchise. Halle Berry as Storm was a joke, and some of the other casting was equally bland. The real stroke of genius was the twin casting of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan - the sheer awesomeness of those two helped to elevate the franchise far beyond what it might have been otherwise. Don't get me wrong - Singer had a great eye for updating some of the classic characters and for the interpersonal drama that was part and parcel with the X-Men. But he never really seemed to be having fun with it - all the little things that made the X-Men cool - from the flashy costumes to Wolverine's berzerker rage, seemed cleaned up and toned down. X2 was a big improvement. It kept the great character moments from Part 1 and upped the ante in terms of scope and action. X2 still stands as one of the better superhero movies ever made. Now, X3 gets a ton of crap from fans, but to me it wasn't much different from the previous two movies. In fact, I actually enjoyed the film's focus on action and superheroics. Sure, it was a letdown for those hoping for a faithful adaptation of The Dark Phoenix Saga, but come on, who ever thought that that would happen? So to me, X3 remains one of the most perpetually underrated movies by comic geeks. Not because I think it's the end all be all, but just because I think it's about on-par with the previous two movies, and is in some ways even more entertaining. I guess I preface with this because to me, the argument of which is better: X3 or Wolverine? - is easy to answer - X3 all the way. X3 had several moments that were undeniably cool - Kitty Pryde outrunning the Juggernaut, Logan confronting the Phoenix power even as it tore him to shreds ... Wolverine ... was seriously short on moments of awesomeness.
Focusing back in on WOLVERINE ... To me, I've never been fully happy with Hugh Jackman in the role. I like Jackman as an actor, and he's been excellent in a number of movies. I just think it's too bad that Wolverine had to be played by such a leading-man type actor. I would have liked to see Wolverine as a true badass - a Clint Eastwood or Jack Nicholson type. Someone who's gritty, dirty, ugly - someone who you don't want to mess with. Hugh Jackman is a charismatic and talented actor, but he doesn't really fit that mold.
Still, whatever ... if Wolverine as a movie rocked, I could easily get over any reservations I might have about Jackman. But the fact is, Wolverine is just sort of there. It feels thrown together, with a plot that barely makes sense and a lot of scenes that seem to have been included for a supposed cool-factor and little else. Not only that, but the movie has an inherently uphill battle in that it insists on focusing on Wolverine's origin ... when the whole point of the character is that he is a mysterious lone wolf. Sure, the comics eventually caved and gave Logan a fleshed-out origin, and some of that is adapted in the movie ... but really, it is not a story that needed to be told. Especially given that, here, we get all kinds of self-reflective Wolverine. This isn't Batman, dude. Wolverine isn't a character with a lot of inner turmoil, he's an animalistic ass-kicking machine. But, again, the comics at least gave us a damn good story when Marvel chose to do the origin -- the movie gives us random scenes set in the past that mostly amount to jack squat. We see a young James Howlett (aka Logan) accidentally kill his own father. We see Logan and Victor Creed, his half brother (aka Sabretooth) randomly fight together in every major American war (guess he's not Canadian anymore?), just because, hey, why not?
Later, the movie flashes to Wolverine's time as some kind of special ops recruit for the government-sponsored Team X, a pre-X-Men team of mutants that do all kinds of morally-gray black ops type stuff. On this team is Logan, Victor, Wade Wilson (Deadpool), and a couple of other lesser-known guys with names like Agent Zero. Ryan Reynolds as Wilson is an instant standout - at first, his wise-cracking demeanor and kickass sword-wielding skills seem right out of the comics. It only makes sense then that the character in this form has about 10 minutes of screentime, before becoming a hideous mutant uber-villain who can't speak and inexplicably has the power of EVERY OTHER mutant in the movie, plus ... he can grow giant swords from his hands. Say what now? Hmm, so apparently this movie was written by your third-grade cousin.
In fact, the selection of characters in this movie seems completely random. I mean, hey, you know who'd be call in a Wolverine Origin movie? GAMBIT! Why is Gambit in this movie? What narrative purpose does he serve? I have no idea. He has approximately ONE SCENE of vintage Rajun' Cajun' card-throwin' coolness, but is otherwise pretty much a waste. Yes, I geeked out like everyone else when Gambit hurled some kinetic energy-infused playing cards. But yeah, his character is emblematic of what's wrong with this movie - there's no rhyme or reason behind everything - it's just "let's throw a bunch of randomness at the movie screen and see what sticks." A cameo by Patrick Stewart as Professor X, for example, could have been cool but is ultimately a throwaway. The inclusion of younger versions of iconic X-Men like Cyclops feels like overkill. The Blob? Meh.
And would it have killed them to have Gambit sport his trademark tan trenchcoat? Couldn't have Deadpool donned his awesome red and black mask from the comics? Why use these characters if you take all the fun out of them?
I will give some props though - Jackman does put in a good effort with what he's given to work with. The other real standout though is Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth. Now, keep in mind, Victor Creed here is nothing like his comic book counterpart, and nothing like Tyler Mane's version in the first X-Men movie. So that in and of itself is a bit disappointing. But ... Schreiber gives it a good go, and is clearly having a lot of fun in the role. If nothing else, he's one badass Jew.
But really, Wolverine is kind of a mess. Even the f/x tend to look somewhat haphazardly done at times, with a couple of climactic fight scenes looking very green screen-ish. Visually, the movie has no real consistent look or style - again, just kind of bland. What's more, the tone never really feels right. There are a couple of moments that feel appropriately epic and dark (ie when the adamantium is injected into Wolvie's body - pretty cool), but the movie never really gets as gritty or brutal or intense as it should. By the film's climax, you barely care what's going on or why. We all know that Wolverine is destined to lose his memories of this adventure, for example, and the moment where his mind is wiped should have been dramatic and memorable. Instead, it happens through a very goofy and contrived means (an adamantium bullet to the brain), and the impact of it all never truly hits home. If anything, the movie ends up in a strange place, in which the preceding story is rendered almost inconsequential since it seems to have little effect on what we know will come next. It's one more example of the storytelling here being sort of weak overall. I mean, even the post-credits teaser ain't exactly all that. Iron Man and Hulk had badass bonus scenes, but all we get here is either a.) Deadpool: not dead! or b.) Wolverine - at a bar in Japan! Oooh, Japan, setting of the classic Frank Miller comic book tale. Could be good setup for a sequel, right? Problem is, after this movie, you won't exactly be jonesing for a Part 2 ... the fact is, this movie seems to indicate that there isn't much gas left in the X-Men tank. If anything, I got the urge to pop in the recently-released DVD's of the awesome 90's-era cartoon series and remind myself of the days when Wolverine really did kick some ass, Bub.
My Grade: C+
- Alright, GO CELTICS and psyched for LOST. Snikt!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Gettin' Metal: ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL Review - Plus: 24, Smallville, Simpsons, The Celtics, and MORE
Whoah, it's a frustrating feeling when your actual blog can't keep up with your internal one. I mean, in this day and age, who has time to write down coherant sentances and well thought-out phrases? I mean, god, I could just do the Twitter thing and bring my every waking thought to you in all of their fractured and nonsensical glory. But no my friends, I am a man of words, and I prefer overlong, long-winded ramblings to lowest-common-denominator insta-punditry any day of the week. So, suck it, Ashton Kutcher.
Anyways, um ... so, yeah ... I have a lot to talk about and have gotten WAY behind here. I've got lots of TV to talk about, ANVIL, and of course (SNIKT!) WOLVERINE. Will I fit it all in this very blog post? Let's find out, shall we?
- Before I talk about anything else, how about a big congrats to the BOSTON CELTICS for a huge Game 7 victory on Saturday over the Chicago Bulls. The epic back and forth battle will likely go down as one of the all-time great NBA playoff series, with numerous overtimes, dozens of last-second heroics, and just a great level of intensity and competition from both teams. I give it up to the Bulls - they played well and it was hard to hate them even if they nearly eliminated the C's. All I can say is, what a series.
But, no rest for the weary. Last night the Celtics quickly moved into Round 2 of the playoffs, where they faced off with the up and coming Orlando Magic. It was yet another intense game for Boston, who came back from 28 points down to nearly win the game. There were some real positive signs in the game - Boston got some better-than-expected play from players like Scallebrini and Stephon Marbury, who had some brief flashbacks to the "Starbury" of old. But Ray Allen with only 11 points is not a good thing. Allen has to be a consistent scorer if Boston hopes to win without KG. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how well the C's can contain Dwight "Superman" Howard. The guy is simply a beast. So, last night was a tough loss for the Celtics, but ... I think we could be in for yet another close and exciting series.
And by the way, let me throw in a shout-out to the Houston Rockets, who managed to come in strong in their first game against the Lakers and, basically, whoop some ass. I've got to ask: how can anyone who isn't a die-hard Lakers fan like Kobe Bryant? Sure, you can respect his talent, but the guy is a whiny egomaniac who acts like he is destined for all these great things. All I know is, Jordan never spent a whole game complaining to the refs.
TV STUFF:
- On last night's episode of TWENTY-BY-GOD-FOUR (24): Well, I thought it was a decent episode, but I do think it was kind of filler to pave the way for next week's seemingly more action-packed installment. I mean, it was still an episode that had some particularly choice scenes - Jack's emotional confession of his deadly sickness to Chloe for example was pretty intense. And I also liked the scenes with Jonas Hodges coming to terms with his final fate. But ... I was a bit turned off by the somewhat heavy-handed insertion of racial profiling, etc. into the mix. 24 has already dealt at length with the plight of Arab-Americans in a post-9/11 world, and featured numerous storylines about unfair prejudices against Muslims, etc. Creating a new character here to fill the role of moralizing cleric seemed a bit clunky. What would have been nice instead is if the show took some time to develop Tony's true motivations, which we still don't know. Or how about giving the President a reason to be awake at 4 am other than to field one phone call after another about what the FBI's botched this time. Also, I give this season credit for avoiding the usual cheesy subplots that 24 is known for, but, that said, the whole Olivia thing is getting to that point. Within a couple of hours she decides to arrange for the assassination of Jonah Hodges, then decides she can't go through with it (though it happens anyway), and the point of all of that was, what exactly? I know that I and others tend to give 24's perpetually lame subplots a pass just because they've almost become something of a tradition on the show (and at least when it was Kim and a cougar-trap there was a fun, B-movie quality at work). But you can't help but wonder -- if we just got rid of Olivia completely, and focused more on developing the villains, the President's cabinet, etc -- would anyone be upset? In any case, next week should be sufficiently action-packed and gravitas-filled so that we don't have time to wonder why the heck Aaron Pierce is hanging around the White House as if he never left, with a bullet-wound, no sleep, and presumably no contract. Honestely though ... upon further reflection I feel like part of why this ep frustrated me a bit is that it felt like this *should* have been the ep where we really build up Jack vs. Tony. Right now, I just don't feel as hyped for the epic Sack vs. Soulpatch smackdown as I want to be. I mean, what's up with Tony anyways? Is he just a morally-gray hired gun or is he truly an evil bastard who wants to bring down Jack and America itself? If Tony is going to be a full-fledged badguy, give us a true reason to hate him other than the killing of that Larry dude from the FBI. If it's gonna be Jack vs. Tony with everything on the line, give it the epic buildup it deserves, dammit. Think of it this way -- to me, there had better be a good reason why Tony replaced the friggin' Candyman as our big bad villain. Oh well, at least we got the cheestastically awesome line where the wise Muslim guy tells Jack to forgive himself and Jack is all like "I gave up on that a long time ago." Dammit all.
My Grade: B
- I do want to mention THE SIMPSONS from Sunday. While the episode wasn't perfect, it was surely one of the best of this season to date. It benefitted from a hilarious Homer-Marge subplot that saw Homer move into a bachelor pad, causing he and Marge's relationship to randomly take on the characteristics of a twenty-something fling. Pretty funny stuff, and the main plot with Bart and Lisa attending a swanky new school in "Waverly Hills" had some great comedy as well. A couple of the jokes fell flat (Ellen Page's turn as the tween star Alaska Nebraska, for example), but overall this was a pretty memorable ep.
My Grade: B+
- FAMILY GUY had an above-average episode as well, in my opinion, at least as compared to the past couple of subpar eps. The premise, which saw Brian begin dating Lauren Conrad of The Hills fame, was pulled off pretty well, and there were a couple of pretty good cutaway gags to boot. Family Guy still has a looong way to go if it ever wants to get back to its Season 1 and 2 peak, but at least this one was something of a step in the right direction.
My Grade: B
- As for KING OF THE HILL - a decent episode that had a somewhat odd twist. Basically, it turns out that depite his lack of athletic talent, Bobby looks forward to little league every year, much to Hank's frustration. Hank would rather Bobby not play than embarrass himself out on the field. So when Bobby's new coach turns out to be big on following your dreams and believing in yourself, Hank is made to look like the badguy for being a realist when it comes to Bobby's chances of baseball success. This episode struck me as strange in that Hank, as usual, is proven "right" in that ultimately the overeager coach sets up Bobby for failure in the big game. Hank yanks Bobby off the field at the last minute, sparing him humiliation. In one respect, I give KOTH credit for being one of the only shows that would present a situation like this with this degree of subtlety and wit. On the other hand, it felt like a bit of a cop out in that Hank's actions made for a "happy" ending, when in fact they were kinda awful if you think about it. Hmm ...
My Grade: B
- SMALLVILLE last week was a fun and suspenseful episode that finally brought the neverending Davis Bloome storyline to something of a head. The ep left us still bracing for a climactic confrontation between Clark and Davis, but it did put the wheels in motion for a pretty exciting finale. That said, while this was an intense episode, you couldn't help but feel that a clot of the conflict was a bit contrived. In order to keep Clark away from Doomsday, the writers set up Chloe as sympathetic to Davis and even as an accomplice of sorts. Chloe had to make one bone-headed decision after another in order to help out Davis, and you have to wonder what her real motivation would be to cling to the side of a guy who happens to be a deranged monster. Still, Chloe's craziness did set up some good scenes between her and Oliver, who sufficiently chewed her out for her reckless actions. Again, I give Smallville credit for delivering a pretty compelling ongoing storyarc, something the show has rarely been able to do at this level. At the same time, there had damn well better be some payoff coming soon.
My Grade: B+
- For my money, THE OFFICE continues to be on a roll, while 30 ROCK slips a bit each week. The Office has seemingly found a near-perfect blend of absurdist humor and great characterization in recent weeks, mixing in hilarious quotables and sight-gags with some genuinely interesting character development. Michael Scott's solo venture as the head of the Michael Scott Paper Company was handled brilliantly overall, and it also provided a great setup for Michael's eventual return last week to Dunder Mifflin. While not quite as on-the-mark as the previous couple of weeks, Thursday's Office was yet another winner. Meanwhile, 30 Rock is consistently one of the funniest shows on TV, and every episode has 4 or 5 classic lines that are guaranteed to be quoted on Facebook status updates the next morning. BUT ... 30 Rock needs to be careful about trying to be all things to all people. The last several eps have really tried to have more emotional / dramatic storylines that would feel more at home in a traditional sitcom. Where the 30 Rock of old would have completely satirized the old sitcom tropes, the nu-30 Rock more often than not plays things straight. I mean, did we really need a genuine moment between Jack and his mother? To me that's not what the show is about - it's about being a madhouse of crazy characters and random humor. We still get some of that in each ep (thank god for Tracy Morgan, who has never played anything straight in his life), but I still worry that the show is being watered down for the masses.
My Grades:
The Office: A-
30 Rock: B
- Finally, I'm psyched for what might happen on tonight's FRINGE. Last week's ep was good stuff - I am loving the slowly-unravelling mythology of the ZFT, etc., and I love how each week if you read between the linesa bit, you can infer a little more about Walter's true role in all of this. Overall, the show is just really gelling, and managing both to tell interesting and creepy freak-of-the-week stories while also tying them into a much larger framework. Last week's ep, with a spinal-fluid-sucking succubus, was case in point. We got an X-Files style one-in-done mystery but also another piece of the larger puzzle revealed, with the revelation tht Walter Bell has a lot to do with the wave of fringe science-based mayhem that agent Dunham has been investigating. Also, congrats to Fringe on being renewed for Season 2. Considering how much the show has improved in the span of 20-odd episodes, I'm psyched to see where it goes from here.
My Grade: A-
MOVIE REVIEWS ...
ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL Review:
- As the summer movie season begins with a weekly parade of overhyped blockbusters, I would urge anyone looking for something completely different to check out a movie that rocks harder than Stonehenge - ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL. Many are calling the movie a real-life Spinal Tap, and those people would be right. Anvil is an absolutely hilarious documentary that looks at the journey of a past-their-prime metal band known as Anvil. Well, actually, Anvil never really even had a prime - they had a brief moment of glory in the early 80's while on tour with the likes of Bon Jovi and The Scorpions, during which they actually did gain a cult-fan-following. They also proved to be an influence on a number of bands from Metallica to Guns n' Roses, with a faster-paced, proto-speed-metal style that put a heavier, thrashier spin on the usual 80's shenanigans. And yet, despite that, Anvil fizzled out before they ever truly made it big. Lifelong friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and the ironically-named Robb Reiner ended up retreating back to their small Canadian hometown. They took menial jobs and started families. But, all the while, Anvil never quit. They kept playing in small clubs and bars, recruited new members, and put out an amazing 14 albums on a small record label. All the while, Lips and Robb were convinced that Anvil's big moment was yet to come - they dreamt big, and even as they reached their 50's, they kept on reaching for that brass ring and they never stopped believing. They kept on rocking.
It's for this reason that Anvil is both hilarious and yet surprisingly heartfelt. You laugh at Anvil on many occasions, but you also find yourself drawn to Lips' charismatic and well-meaning personality and you really begin rooting for him to see his impossible dream to fruition. This is a true underdog story in that way - you are there with Anvil through the tragedies and triumphs, and you can't help but want to stand up and cheer when it looks like they might actually get their shot.
Again, so much of the movie is driven by the relationship between Lips and Robb. They are in many ways real-life cartoon characters - Lips is nutty and crazy and wears his heart on his sleave, whereas Robb is sullen and brooding and takes himself seriously to the point of absurdity (his gallery of paintings is absolutely hilarious - all I can say is that his art is reflective of his self-serious and somewhat oblivious personality). But the two are a classic odd couple. You laugh along with them as they have the usual rock n' roller arguments, but at the same time, you can't help but admire their brotherly relationship. The two are there for each other through thick and thin. They decided to be rockers as kids, as many kids do, and they never stopped trying for that dream.
The movie works so well in that you do get that juxtaposition of these guys who totally believe they are would-be titans of rock (and hey, maybe they are ...), with the reality that they are a couple of middle-aged Jewish guys who are to some degree stuck in the 80's and milking a fifteen minutes of fame from twenty-five years ago long past its expiration date. But there is a real sincerity to these guys that is contagious. And in an age where all kinds of lame pop acts are billed as the next big thing, you have to wonder: why aren't these guys getting a shot? They did influence the likes of Slash and Lars Ulrich after all. And once you hear their trademark tune, "Metal on Metal," you can't help but feel like, at the least, it deserves to be on every Monsters of Rock collection alongside "We're Not Gonna Take It." Perhaps a song or two on Guitar Hero?
Whatever the case may be, ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL is certainly one of the must-see movies of the year so far. My one issue with it is that the doc can feel a bit contrived at times. When the band treks across LA to visit with the major record labels, for example, you have to wonder a bit how much of this was staged for the cameras. But that aside, there is a genuine passion and likability to the band that this movie completely captures. It can be sad to see these guys living out broken dreams, and at the same time hilarious to see the absurdity of their rock n' roll lifestyles that will not die. But at the same time this is an inspirational story - a real life lesson to keep the dream alive and never stop rockin'. Anvil rocks, dude.
My Grade: A-
- Alright, I'll save WOLVERINE for its own post. Until then, ROCK.
Anyways, um ... so, yeah ... I have a lot to talk about and have gotten WAY behind here. I've got lots of TV to talk about, ANVIL, and of course (SNIKT!) WOLVERINE. Will I fit it all in this very blog post? Let's find out, shall we?
- Before I talk about anything else, how about a big congrats to the BOSTON CELTICS for a huge Game 7 victory on Saturday over the Chicago Bulls. The epic back and forth battle will likely go down as one of the all-time great NBA playoff series, with numerous overtimes, dozens of last-second heroics, and just a great level of intensity and competition from both teams. I give it up to the Bulls - they played well and it was hard to hate them even if they nearly eliminated the C's. All I can say is, what a series.
But, no rest for the weary. Last night the Celtics quickly moved into Round 2 of the playoffs, where they faced off with the up and coming Orlando Magic. It was yet another intense game for Boston, who came back from 28 points down to nearly win the game. There were some real positive signs in the game - Boston got some better-than-expected play from players like Scallebrini and Stephon Marbury, who had some brief flashbacks to the "Starbury" of old. But Ray Allen with only 11 points is not a good thing. Allen has to be a consistent scorer if Boston hopes to win without KG. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how well the C's can contain Dwight "Superman" Howard. The guy is simply a beast. So, last night was a tough loss for the Celtics, but ... I think we could be in for yet another close and exciting series.
And by the way, let me throw in a shout-out to the Houston Rockets, who managed to come in strong in their first game against the Lakers and, basically, whoop some ass. I've got to ask: how can anyone who isn't a die-hard Lakers fan like Kobe Bryant? Sure, you can respect his talent, but the guy is a whiny egomaniac who acts like he is destined for all these great things. All I know is, Jordan never spent a whole game complaining to the refs.
TV STUFF:
- On last night's episode of TWENTY-BY-GOD-FOUR (24): Well, I thought it was a decent episode, but I do think it was kind of filler to pave the way for next week's seemingly more action-packed installment. I mean, it was still an episode that had some particularly choice scenes - Jack's emotional confession of his deadly sickness to Chloe for example was pretty intense. And I also liked the scenes with Jonas Hodges coming to terms with his final fate. But ... I was a bit turned off by the somewhat heavy-handed insertion of racial profiling, etc. into the mix. 24 has already dealt at length with the plight of Arab-Americans in a post-9/11 world, and featured numerous storylines about unfair prejudices against Muslims, etc. Creating a new character here to fill the role of moralizing cleric seemed a bit clunky. What would have been nice instead is if the show took some time to develop Tony's true motivations, which we still don't know. Or how about giving the President a reason to be awake at 4 am other than to field one phone call after another about what the FBI's botched this time. Also, I give this season credit for avoiding the usual cheesy subplots that 24 is known for, but, that said, the whole Olivia thing is getting to that point. Within a couple of hours she decides to arrange for the assassination of Jonah Hodges, then decides she can't go through with it (though it happens anyway), and the point of all of that was, what exactly? I know that I and others tend to give 24's perpetually lame subplots a pass just because they've almost become something of a tradition on the show (and at least when it was Kim and a cougar-trap there was a fun, B-movie quality at work). But you can't help but wonder -- if we just got rid of Olivia completely, and focused more on developing the villains, the President's cabinet, etc -- would anyone be upset? In any case, next week should be sufficiently action-packed and gravitas-filled so that we don't have time to wonder why the heck Aaron Pierce is hanging around the White House as if he never left, with a bullet-wound, no sleep, and presumably no contract. Honestely though ... upon further reflection I feel like part of why this ep frustrated me a bit is that it felt like this *should* have been the ep where we really build up Jack vs. Tony. Right now, I just don't feel as hyped for the epic Sack vs. Soulpatch smackdown as I want to be. I mean, what's up with Tony anyways? Is he just a morally-gray hired gun or is he truly an evil bastard who wants to bring down Jack and America itself? If Tony is going to be a full-fledged badguy, give us a true reason to hate him other than the killing of that Larry dude from the FBI. If it's gonna be Jack vs. Tony with everything on the line, give it the epic buildup it deserves, dammit. Think of it this way -- to me, there had better be a good reason why Tony replaced the friggin' Candyman as our big bad villain. Oh well, at least we got the cheestastically awesome line where the wise Muslim guy tells Jack to forgive himself and Jack is all like "I gave up on that a long time ago." Dammit all.
My Grade: B
- I do want to mention THE SIMPSONS from Sunday. While the episode wasn't perfect, it was surely one of the best of this season to date. It benefitted from a hilarious Homer-Marge subplot that saw Homer move into a bachelor pad, causing he and Marge's relationship to randomly take on the characteristics of a twenty-something fling. Pretty funny stuff, and the main plot with Bart and Lisa attending a swanky new school in "Waverly Hills" had some great comedy as well. A couple of the jokes fell flat (Ellen Page's turn as the tween star Alaska Nebraska, for example), but overall this was a pretty memorable ep.
My Grade: B+
- FAMILY GUY had an above-average episode as well, in my opinion, at least as compared to the past couple of subpar eps. The premise, which saw Brian begin dating Lauren Conrad of The Hills fame, was pulled off pretty well, and there were a couple of pretty good cutaway gags to boot. Family Guy still has a looong way to go if it ever wants to get back to its Season 1 and 2 peak, but at least this one was something of a step in the right direction.
My Grade: B
- As for KING OF THE HILL - a decent episode that had a somewhat odd twist. Basically, it turns out that depite his lack of athletic talent, Bobby looks forward to little league every year, much to Hank's frustration. Hank would rather Bobby not play than embarrass himself out on the field. So when Bobby's new coach turns out to be big on following your dreams and believing in yourself, Hank is made to look like the badguy for being a realist when it comes to Bobby's chances of baseball success. This episode struck me as strange in that Hank, as usual, is proven "right" in that ultimately the overeager coach sets up Bobby for failure in the big game. Hank yanks Bobby off the field at the last minute, sparing him humiliation. In one respect, I give KOTH credit for being one of the only shows that would present a situation like this with this degree of subtlety and wit. On the other hand, it felt like a bit of a cop out in that Hank's actions made for a "happy" ending, when in fact they were kinda awful if you think about it. Hmm ...
My Grade: B
- SMALLVILLE last week was a fun and suspenseful episode that finally brought the neverending Davis Bloome storyline to something of a head. The ep left us still bracing for a climactic confrontation between Clark and Davis, but it did put the wheels in motion for a pretty exciting finale. That said, while this was an intense episode, you couldn't help but feel that a clot of the conflict was a bit contrived. In order to keep Clark away from Doomsday, the writers set up Chloe as sympathetic to Davis and even as an accomplice of sorts. Chloe had to make one bone-headed decision after another in order to help out Davis, and you have to wonder what her real motivation would be to cling to the side of a guy who happens to be a deranged monster. Still, Chloe's craziness did set up some good scenes between her and Oliver, who sufficiently chewed her out for her reckless actions. Again, I give Smallville credit for delivering a pretty compelling ongoing storyarc, something the show has rarely been able to do at this level. At the same time, there had damn well better be some payoff coming soon.
My Grade: B+
- For my money, THE OFFICE continues to be on a roll, while 30 ROCK slips a bit each week. The Office has seemingly found a near-perfect blend of absurdist humor and great characterization in recent weeks, mixing in hilarious quotables and sight-gags with some genuinely interesting character development. Michael Scott's solo venture as the head of the Michael Scott Paper Company was handled brilliantly overall, and it also provided a great setup for Michael's eventual return last week to Dunder Mifflin. While not quite as on-the-mark as the previous couple of weeks, Thursday's Office was yet another winner. Meanwhile, 30 Rock is consistently one of the funniest shows on TV, and every episode has 4 or 5 classic lines that are guaranteed to be quoted on Facebook status updates the next morning. BUT ... 30 Rock needs to be careful about trying to be all things to all people. The last several eps have really tried to have more emotional / dramatic storylines that would feel more at home in a traditional sitcom. Where the 30 Rock of old would have completely satirized the old sitcom tropes, the nu-30 Rock more often than not plays things straight. I mean, did we really need a genuine moment between Jack and his mother? To me that's not what the show is about - it's about being a madhouse of crazy characters and random humor. We still get some of that in each ep (thank god for Tracy Morgan, who has never played anything straight in his life), but I still worry that the show is being watered down for the masses.
My Grades:
The Office: A-
30 Rock: B
- Finally, I'm psyched for what might happen on tonight's FRINGE. Last week's ep was good stuff - I am loving the slowly-unravelling mythology of the ZFT, etc., and I love how each week if you read between the linesa bit, you can infer a little more about Walter's true role in all of this. Overall, the show is just really gelling, and managing both to tell interesting and creepy freak-of-the-week stories while also tying them into a much larger framework. Last week's ep, with a spinal-fluid-sucking succubus, was case in point. We got an X-Files style one-in-done mystery but also another piece of the larger puzzle revealed, with the revelation tht Walter Bell has a lot to do with the wave of fringe science-based mayhem that agent Dunham has been investigating. Also, congrats to Fringe on being renewed for Season 2. Considering how much the show has improved in the span of 20-odd episodes, I'm psyched to see where it goes from here.
My Grade: A-
MOVIE REVIEWS ...
ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL Review:
- As the summer movie season begins with a weekly parade of overhyped blockbusters, I would urge anyone looking for something completely different to check out a movie that rocks harder than Stonehenge - ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL. Many are calling the movie a real-life Spinal Tap, and those people would be right. Anvil is an absolutely hilarious documentary that looks at the journey of a past-their-prime metal band known as Anvil. Well, actually, Anvil never really even had a prime - they had a brief moment of glory in the early 80's while on tour with the likes of Bon Jovi and The Scorpions, during which they actually did gain a cult-fan-following. They also proved to be an influence on a number of bands from Metallica to Guns n' Roses, with a faster-paced, proto-speed-metal style that put a heavier, thrashier spin on the usual 80's shenanigans. And yet, despite that, Anvil fizzled out before they ever truly made it big. Lifelong friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and the ironically-named Robb Reiner ended up retreating back to their small Canadian hometown. They took menial jobs and started families. But, all the while, Anvil never quit. They kept playing in small clubs and bars, recruited new members, and put out an amazing 14 albums on a small record label. All the while, Lips and Robb were convinced that Anvil's big moment was yet to come - they dreamt big, and even as they reached their 50's, they kept on reaching for that brass ring and they never stopped believing. They kept on rocking.
It's for this reason that Anvil is both hilarious and yet surprisingly heartfelt. You laugh at Anvil on many occasions, but you also find yourself drawn to Lips' charismatic and well-meaning personality and you really begin rooting for him to see his impossible dream to fruition. This is a true underdog story in that way - you are there with Anvil through the tragedies and triumphs, and you can't help but want to stand up and cheer when it looks like they might actually get their shot.
Again, so much of the movie is driven by the relationship between Lips and Robb. They are in many ways real-life cartoon characters - Lips is nutty and crazy and wears his heart on his sleave, whereas Robb is sullen and brooding and takes himself seriously to the point of absurdity (his gallery of paintings is absolutely hilarious - all I can say is that his art is reflective of his self-serious and somewhat oblivious personality). But the two are a classic odd couple. You laugh along with them as they have the usual rock n' roller arguments, but at the same time, you can't help but admire their brotherly relationship. The two are there for each other through thick and thin. They decided to be rockers as kids, as many kids do, and they never stopped trying for that dream.
The movie works so well in that you do get that juxtaposition of these guys who totally believe they are would-be titans of rock (and hey, maybe they are ...), with the reality that they are a couple of middle-aged Jewish guys who are to some degree stuck in the 80's and milking a fifteen minutes of fame from twenty-five years ago long past its expiration date. But there is a real sincerity to these guys that is contagious. And in an age where all kinds of lame pop acts are billed as the next big thing, you have to wonder: why aren't these guys getting a shot? They did influence the likes of Slash and Lars Ulrich after all. And once you hear their trademark tune, "Metal on Metal," you can't help but feel like, at the least, it deserves to be on every Monsters of Rock collection alongside "We're Not Gonna Take It." Perhaps a song or two on Guitar Hero?
Whatever the case may be, ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL is certainly one of the must-see movies of the year so far. My one issue with it is that the doc can feel a bit contrived at times. When the band treks across LA to visit with the major record labels, for example, you have to wonder a bit how much of this was staged for the cameras. But that aside, there is a genuine passion and likability to the band that this movie completely captures. It can be sad to see these guys living out broken dreams, and at the same time hilarious to see the absurdity of their rock n' roll lifestyles that will not die. But at the same time this is an inspirational story - a real life lesson to keep the dream alive and never stop rockin'. Anvil rocks, dude.
My Grade: A-
- Alright, I'll save WOLVERINE for its own post. Until then, ROCK.
Friday, May 1, 2009
From Friday: a LOST post plus other random musings
NOTE: This post was originally written on Friday. Sorry for the publishing delay.
Wow. What a Celtics game last night, and what an incredible series it's been. I got home from Boston University's Redstone film festival last night eager to fire up the DVR and catch the fourth quarter of the game. Good thing I recorded an extra hour just in case ... as the game went into a remarkable triple overtime, after a series that has already seen multiple overtimes and multiple incredible, dramatic finishes.
Last night's finish was certainly disappointing as a Celtics fan, but still, you can't help but admire the heart that both teams showed throughout the game. It's hard to really hate the Bulls, as the current team is filled with a lot of fun-to-watch, exciting players who keep surprising me what they are capable of.
That said, Ray freaking Allen - wow. What a game and what a series it's been for one of my favorite players. I've always been a fan and a huge admirer of the man's talent, but the kind of bigtime, clutch play that Allen brought to the table in yesterday's game was of the kind that only a selct few - ever - have shown. And I'm thinking of the likes of Jordan, Reggie Miller, etc. Paul Pierce has had some bigtime moments as well, as has Rondo, but ultimately the Celtics are hurting with the lack of KG. Their interior defense has been soft, and guys like Derrick Rose have seemingly been able to get to the basket at will against the C's.
All I know is, it's going to be an epic Game 7 on Saturday. And while, on one hand, it would be fitting to have one more double-OT thriller, I also wouldn't really mind if the Celtics pile it on early and manage to get the decisive win. Let's go Celtics!
- I mentioned earlier that last night I went to BU's Redstone Film Fest event at Hollywood's Arclight theater. It was a fun time - I got to see a couple of interesting student films and also hear a panel on "diversification" in Hollywood, ie how to branch out into different areas, career-wise, and not get pigeonholed into one specific thing. Pretty interesting, and the panelists included people like:
Paul Michael Glaser, who was STARSKY on STARSKY AND HUTCH (!), and then went on the direct such movies as The Running Man (!!), The Cutting Edge (!), and KAZAAM (!!!!!).
Jerry Levine - married to Nina Tassler, top dog at CBS, and an actor/director who once had a supporting role on CHARLES IN CHARGE (!).
Plus, a lot of other cool people, but thought those two deserved a special mention, for obvious reasons.
Anyways, it was cool seeing a bunch of BU friends, a couple of former professors, and meeting a bunch of random alumni for what turned out to be some good networking opportunities. It's funn though, because at this point in my life I feel like I'm out of the whole "oh my god I'm so cool and work in Hollywood" phase that everyone goes through when they first move to LA. But man, with all the posturing and random schmoozing and "so what do YOU do?" conversations that go on at these events, they really do remind you of just how weird "Hollyweird" can be. Which, I guess, is good to be reminded of every so often. But if I hear anyone give an anecdote about life in "this town" or working in "this biz" anytime soon, I may have an urge to punch them.
TV STUFF:
- So how about this week's 100th episode of LOST? Personally, I thought it was a pretty spectacular episode, with a number of classic Lost moments and a sense of intensity and anticipation that made for one of the most edge-of-your-seat episodes in the series' history.
I loved the focus on Daniel Faraday. In the short time that he's been on Lost, Jeremy Davies has quickly become one of the show's most intriguing characters, and Davies brings a unique quality to the table that makes you hang on Faraday's every stammered-out word. Suffice it to say, the reveal of Faraday's tragic and twisted origins made for a stunning, mind-bending tale. There was some very clever time-loop logic at play here, and a surprising amount of information was revealed - particularly about Eloise Hawkings and her unique knowledge of the future and of the island. Of course, the big question is: why would she essentially sacrifice her own son? Is it for the greater good, the sake of the island, or just because she's an evil beyotch? We shall see, we shall see. But in the meantime, I'm sure there will be no shortage of crazy theories. Could Faraday be Jacob? Is Charles Widmore his own grandfather? Say whaaat?
In any case, this was one helluva episode of LOST. Once again, business has picked up.
My Grade: A
- Alright, time is short and I still have a lot to talk about. Check back soon for more.
Wow. What a Celtics game last night, and what an incredible series it's been. I got home from Boston University's Redstone film festival last night eager to fire up the DVR and catch the fourth quarter of the game. Good thing I recorded an extra hour just in case ... as the game went into a remarkable triple overtime, after a series that has already seen multiple overtimes and multiple incredible, dramatic finishes.
Last night's finish was certainly disappointing as a Celtics fan, but still, you can't help but admire the heart that both teams showed throughout the game. It's hard to really hate the Bulls, as the current team is filled with a lot of fun-to-watch, exciting players who keep surprising me what they are capable of.
That said, Ray freaking Allen - wow. What a game and what a series it's been for one of my favorite players. I've always been a fan and a huge admirer of the man's talent, but the kind of bigtime, clutch play that Allen brought to the table in yesterday's game was of the kind that only a selct few - ever - have shown. And I'm thinking of the likes of Jordan, Reggie Miller, etc. Paul Pierce has had some bigtime moments as well, as has Rondo, but ultimately the Celtics are hurting with the lack of KG. Their interior defense has been soft, and guys like Derrick Rose have seemingly been able to get to the basket at will against the C's.
All I know is, it's going to be an epic Game 7 on Saturday. And while, on one hand, it would be fitting to have one more double-OT thriller, I also wouldn't really mind if the Celtics pile it on early and manage to get the decisive win. Let's go Celtics!
- I mentioned earlier that last night I went to BU's Redstone Film Fest event at Hollywood's Arclight theater. It was a fun time - I got to see a couple of interesting student films and also hear a panel on "diversification" in Hollywood, ie how to branch out into different areas, career-wise, and not get pigeonholed into one specific thing. Pretty interesting, and the panelists included people like:
Paul Michael Glaser, who was STARSKY on STARSKY AND HUTCH (!), and then went on the direct such movies as The Running Man (!!), The Cutting Edge (!), and KAZAAM (!!!!!).
Jerry Levine - married to Nina Tassler, top dog at CBS, and an actor/director who once had a supporting role on CHARLES IN CHARGE (!).
Plus, a lot of other cool people, but thought those two deserved a special mention, for obvious reasons.
Anyways, it was cool seeing a bunch of BU friends, a couple of former professors, and meeting a bunch of random alumni for what turned out to be some good networking opportunities. It's funn though, because at this point in my life I feel like I'm out of the whole "oh my god I'm so cool and work in Hollywood" phase that everyone goes through when they first move to LA. But man, with all the posturing and random schmoozing and "so what do YOU do?" conversations that go on at these events, they really do remind you of just how weird "Hollyweird" can be. Which, I guess, is good to be reminded of every so often. But if I hear anyone give an anecdote about life in "this town" or working in "this biz" anytime soon, I may have an urge to punch them.
TV STUFF:
- So how about this week's 100th episode of LOST? Personally, I thought it was a pretty spectacular episode, with a number of classic Lost moments and a sense of intensity and anticipation that made for one of the most edge-of-your-seat episodes in the series' history.
I loved the focus on Daniel Faraday. In the short time that he's been on Lost, Jeremy Davies has quickly become one of the show's most intriguing characters, and Davies brings a unique quality to the table that makes you hang on Faraday's every stammered-out word. Suffice it to say, the reveal of Faraday's tragic and twisted origins made for a stunning, mind-bending tale. There was some very clever time-loop logic at play here, and a surprising amount of information was revealed - particularly about Eloise Hawkings and her unique knowledge of the future and of the island. Of course, the big question is: why would she essentially sacrifice her own son? Is it for the greater good, the sake of the island, or just because she's an evil beyotch? We shall see, we shall see. But in the meantime, I'm sure there will be no shortage of crazy theories. Could Faraday be Jacob? Is Charles Widmore his own grandfather? Say whaaat?
In any case, this was one helluva episode of LOST. Once again, business has picked up.
My Grade: A
- Alright, time is short and I still have a lot to talk about. Check back soon for more.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
"What the Chuck?" - CHUCK's Season (Series?) Finale Thoughts, Plus: 24 and More!
Holy lord, we need MORE CC's, people. Let's talk Monday night TV, stat, because PRESIDENT PALMER AUTHORIZED THIS.
CHUCK Season Finale Thoughts:
- Absolutely awesome. That's all I can say about last night's epic Chuck finale. A near-perfect episode, last night's Chuck had a little bit of everything, and all I can really say is: wow, now THAT was an episode.
Every story beat was hit to perfection, and the episode, like Chuck, seemed to wear its heart on its sleeve. There was romance, action, heroism, villainy, and an absolutely glorious montage set to Jeffster's rendition of Mr. Roboto. About that sequence: Best. Montage. Ever. I mean, wow, never has Mr. Roboto been so spectacularly wrong and yet so amazingly right.
The ep was a perfect storm in which Chuck's three disparate worlds collided - his life as the Intersect, his home life, and his life as a humble agent of Buy More. But everyone had their moment in the sun - Chuck and Morgan had some classic moments of fanboy friendship, Jeff and Lester had the aforementioned montage to end all montages, Bryce Larkin returned for one final mission, and Scott Bakula whupped ass with his sweet arm-computer thingie like it was 1988 all over again. Chevy Chase continued to be awesomely evil as Roarke as well - I mean, kudos to Chevy, man. It was great to see that one of my all-time favorite comedic actors can still go. And thank you in general to CHUCK for continuing to feature one great guest star after another.
I also can't say enough about Adam Baldwin as Casey. The character has walked a tightrope between being a lovable badass and a genuinely dangerous operative / adversary, but the show has done a great job of pitting him against Chuck enough times that, when he does finally stay true to his friendship with the Chuckster and swoops in to save the day, it's a great, stand-up-and-cheer moment. I mean come on, Casey and his howling commandos parachuting into Ellie's wedding for the last-minute save? Now that's awesome.
Finally, the action-packed ending sequence just had a great, "holy crap, where is this all going?" sense of urgency to it, and even though I suspected that it might end with Chuck re-absorbing the Intersect plus some spiffy new powers to boot, it was still a pretty cool way to end things. It was a cool, dramatic ending, and yet between Casey's "What the Chuck?" crack and Chuck's geeky "I know kung-fu" episode-ending quip, there was that trademark sense of humor at play throughout.
It's funny, too, because if CHUCK does come back for a Season 3, this stands as one hell of a cliffhanger. If this is it for the show though, it's almost an equally perfect ending. How can a blatant "to be continued" cliffhanger serve as a fitting ending, you ask? Well, in that sense it's more of a metaphorical "to be continued," a statement that Chuck's life is now turning a corner, and that while this chapter of his life may be over, a new one is about to begin. Cheesy? A bit, but you couldn't help but notice how closely this ep paralleled the series pilot - from Bryce's daring escape to Sarah taking out some rogues with a well-placed knife-fling. I loved all the symetry, and it did make you feel that Chuck, and the show, had come full circle.
And now here we are, at the brink of potential cancellation. I'll hold off on delivering a eulogy for the show, as I am semi-optimistic that it could return. But if this is the end, I do think that the show went out with one hell of a bang, and a fitting and satisfying ending to boot. Still, I can't help but think that CHUCK is more popular than the ratings indicate. It's one of the few shows on network TV that seems legitimately geared towards Gen Y, the same people who do the majority of their TV watching via DVR, Hulu, and DVD. But that's what made Chuck instantly stand out to me when I first read the pilot script back in 2006. It felt like Y: The Last Man meets Alias meets The OC. Unlike most network TV shows, it felt like it was written by people who weren't too far removed from the central characters in age or sensibilities. It just plain felt like a cool show. And you know what? It will be a real shame if Chuck finds itself replaced by yet another cop or lawyer show. Or God forbid, mindless reality crap. Let's hear it for what is an increasingly rare breed: fun, original concepts in television.
And let's hear it for Chuck. Domo Origato, Mr. Roboto.
My Grade: A
24 Thoughts:
- Okay, last night's 24 was one of those episodes that got crazy to the point where I was half-expecting Jack to wake up in some kind of VR chamber surrounded by his dead wife, Tony, Bill, Chloe, etc and realize that he's been the subject of some crazy miltary psych experiment for the last five years. I mean, wow, an enraged / slowly-going-insane Jack shouting out the name of President Palmer as if this were Season 2? Crazy-awesome.
Last night's ep had a ton of kickass 24 moments. Jack's face-to-face with Jonas Hodges, for one, was flat-out filled with gravitas, and seeing the sheer intensity on display as Kiefer and Voight engaged in verbal sparring was pretty awesome. We also got the return of CHLOE, who left her husband Morris and son for a midnight rendezevous with Jack and team. The return of the old CTU computer displays within the halls of the FBI was a nice little slice of nostalgia. Now they just need to rewire the phones so that they have the classic CTU "doop-doop-DEE-doop" ring.
Meanwhile, Evil Tony continues to be perhaps the show's most intiguing character. We still don't quite no what his deal is, but you can't help but sorta root for the guy even if he's gone rogue. But, that brings me to one of the episode's potential missteps - that being the badguys' master plan. Right now, you've got to admit that the schemes of this secret cabal of private military corp peeps don't make a whole lot of sense. I mean, okay, so their original plan was to secretly stage a terrorist attack, and then taking advantage of the ensuing chaos to build their own power base within the US government. But now, Starkwood has basically been exposed - you'd think that that would kind of put a damper on the whole plan. And yet, the PMC'ers still think that when the $%^# hits the fan, the government will be running to them with open arms. You'd think that the government might be *slightly* weary of turning power over to the PMC's after one of their number just tried to deploy bio-weapons on US soil. Hmmm ...
Otherwise, my only other complaint is the whole Olivia sideplot is, as usual, pretty lame. I mean, at 3 am in the midst of national crisis she has the determinaiton to enact some crazy scheme to presumably frame someone for Jonas Hodges' murder? Even worse, that someone could be AARON BY-GOD PIERCE? Aaron deserves better than this, brother.
But ... the couple of groan-inducing moments in this ep were easily overshadowed by the numerous moments of awesome. Everything with Jack ruled it, and we got the usual great performances from Kiefer, Cherry Jones, Carlos Bernard, Jon Voight, et al, with enough gravitas to keep me pumped for next week's ep.
My Grade: B+
FOX SUNDAY NIGHT Thoughts:
- First off, KING OF THE HILL. While this episode wasn't necessarilly a classic, it was a nice epilogue to Cotton's story, with Hank tasked with carrying out his deceased father's last will and testament. It was funny and heart-warming in that unique KOTH way. And what kills me is that this show STILL gets no respect from FOX, being relegated to a terrible 7:30 pm timeslot over the last couple of weeks. And now, with the poor performance of Sit Down, Shut Up, FOX's longtime utility player is being called back up to the big leagues.
My Grade: B+
- THE SIMPSONS had a pretty solid ep, with Homer, in a rare showing of commitment, devoting himself to bettering Bart and Lisa's lives by helping Bart with his school projects and helping Lisa to become more popular. The results were actually pretty funny, especially Homer's psychological techniques for making Lisa cool. Not a ton of huge laughs, but not a bad little episode either.
My Grade: B+
- Finally, FAMILY GUY had decent at best, mediocre at worst episode that had some promise in that it actually tried to present a solid Chris plotline, but seemed unable to focus on anything in particular, getting far too sidetracked with the Stewie-on-steroids B-plot and the usual assortment of cutaways that now seem more forced than funny. I mean, I hate when Family Guy just becomes a series of cutaways with the actual plot serving as the filler. That's not how the show used to be, and it's just lame - especially when 3/4 of the cuts are not even especially funny. Still, there were a couple pretty good jokes in the mix, especially a roided-up Stewie repeatedly cutting off Brian as he tried to get by - a classic FG joke that went on so long that it went from sorta funny to really funny to hilarious. Mostly though, this was a pretty unmemorable ep.
My Grade: C+
- Now, I've only seen the pilot of SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, but after viewing it I can barely stomach the thought of watching Episode 2. I have to ask - what happened here? You've got Mitchell Hurvitz, the creator of Arrested Development. You've got an all-star voice cast that includes AD alums Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. But none of that can make up for the fact that the show was just not funny in the slightest. The timing, the jokes, the plotting - all of it was just off the mark. Even worse, the characters all felt completely flat and many of them were just downright irritating. There were little moments where the rapid-fire dialogue showed shades of the old AD wit, but just as the show would get your hopes up, it'd dash them with a flat punchline or an annoying character moment. I guess there is a *slight* chance that the show could turn things around given the talent on-hand, but given the poor reception it received, I don't know if many would be willing to stick it out and give it that chance.
My Grade: D
- Okay - I'm out for now. Next post will be the long awaited review of ANVIL.
CHUCK Season Finale Thoughts:
- Absolutely awesome. That's all I can say about last night's epic Chuck finale. A near-perfect episode, last night's Chuck had a little bit of everything, and all I can really say is: wow, now THAT was an episode.
Every story beat was hit to perfection, and the episode, like Chuck, seemed to wear its heart on its sleeve. There was romance, action, heroism, villainy, and an absolutely glorious montage set to Jeffster's rendition of Mr. Roboto. About that sequence: Best. Montage. Ever. I mean, wow, never has Mr. Roboto been so spectacularly wrong and yet so amazingly right.
The ep was a perfect storm in which Chuck's three disparate worlds collided - his life as the Intersect, his home life, and his life as a humble agent of Buy More. But everyone had their moment in the sun - Chuck and Morgan had some classic moments of fanboy friendship, Jeff and Lester had the aforementioned montage to end all montages, Bryce Larkin returned for one final mission, and Scott Bakula whupped ass with his sweet arm-computer thingie like it was 1988 all over again. Chevy Chase continued to be awesomely evil as Roarke as well - I mean, kudos to Chevy, man. It was great to see that one of my all-time favorite comedic actors can still go. And thank you in general to CHUCK for continuing to feature one great guest star after another.
I also can't say enough about Adam Baldwin as Casey. The character has walked a tightrope between being a lovable badass and a genuinely dangerous operative / adversary, but the show has done a great job of pitting him against Chuck enough times that, when he does finally stay true to his friendship with the Chuckster and swoops in to save the day, it's a great, stand-up-and-cheer moment. I mean come on, Casey and his howling commandos parachuting into Ellie's wedding for the last-minute save? Now that's awesome.
Finally, the action-packed ending sequence just had a great, "holy crap, where is this all going?" sense of urgency to it, and even though I suspected that it might end with Chuck re-absorbing the Intersect plus some spiffy new powers to boot, it was still a pretty cool way to end things. It was a cool, dramatic ending, and yet between Casey's "What the Chuck?" crack and Chuck's geeky "I know kung-fu" episode-ending quip, there was that trademark sense of humor at play throughout.
It's funny, too, because if CHUCK does come back for a Season 3, this stands as one hell of a cliffhanger. If this is it for the show though, it's almost an equally perfect ending. How can a blatant "to be continued" cliffhanger serve as a fitting ending, you ask? Well, in that sense it's more of a metaphorical "to be continued," a statement that Chuck's life is now turning a corner, and that while this chapter of his life may be over, a new one is about to begin. Cheesy? A bit, but you couldn't help but notice how closely this ep paralleled the series pilot - from Bryce's daring escape to Sarah taking out some rogues with a well-placed knife-fling. I loved all the symetry, and it did make you feel that Chuck, and the show, had come full circle.
And now here we are, at the brink of potential cancellation. I'll hold off on delivering a eulogy for the show, as I am semi-optimistic that it could return. But if this is the end, I do think that the show went out with one hell of a bang, and a fitting and satisfying ending to boot. Still, I can't help but think that CHUCK is more popular than the ratings indicate. It's one of the few shows on network TV that seems legitimately geared towards Gen Y, the same people who do the majority of their TV watching via DVR, Hulu, and DVD. But that's what made Chuck instantly stand out to me when I first read the pilot script back in 2006. It felt like Y: The Last Man meets Alias meets The OC. Unlike most network TV shows, it felt like it was written by people who weren't too far removed from the central characters in age or sensibilities. It just plain felt like a cool show. And you know what? It will be a real shame if Chuck finds itself replaced by yet another cop or lawyer show. Or God forbid, mindless reality crap. Let's hear it for what is an increasingly rare breed: fun, original concepts in television.
And let's hear it for Chuck. Domo Origato, Mr. Roboto.
My Grade: A
24 Thoughts:
- Okay, last night's 24 was one of those episodes that got crazy to the point where I was half-expecting Jack to wake up in some kind of VR chamber surrounded by his dead wife, Tony, Bill, Chloe, etc and realize that he's been the subject of some crazy miltary psych experiment for the last five years. I mean, wow, an enraged / slowly-going-insane Jack shouting out the name of President Palmer as if this were Season 2? Crazy-awesome.
Last night's ep had a ton of kickass 24 moments. Jack's face-to-face with Jonas Hodges, for one, was flat-out filled with gravitas, and seeing the sheer intensity on display as Kiefer and Voight engaged in verbal sparring was pretty awesome. We also got the return of CHLOE, who left her husband Morris and son for a midnight rendezevous with Jack and team. The return of the old CTU computer displays within the halls of the FBI was a nice little slice of nostalgia. Now they just need to rewire the phones so that they have the classic CTU "doop-doop-DEE-doop" ring.
Meanwhile, Evil Tony continues to be perhaps the show's most intiguing character. We still don't quite no what his deal is, but you can't help but sorta root for the guy even if he's gone rogue. But, that brings me to one of the episode's potential missteps - that being the badguys' master plan. Right now, you've got to admit that the schemes of this secret cabal of private military corp peeps don't make a whole lot of sense. I mean, okay, so their original plan was to secretly stage a terrorist attack, and then taking advantage of the ensuing chaos to build their own power base within the US government. But now, Starkwood has basically been exposed - you'd think that that would kind of put a damper on the whole plan. And yet, the PMC'ers still think that when the $%^# hits the fan, the government will be running to them with open arms. You'd think that the government might be *slightly* weary of turning power over to the PMC's after one of their number just tried to deploy bio-weapons on US soil. Hmmm ...
Otherwise, my only other complaint is the whole Olivia sideplot is, as usual, pretty lame. I mean, at 3 am in the midst of national crisis she has the determinaiton to enact some crazy scheme to presumably frame someone for Jonas Hodges' murder? Even worse, that someone could be AARON BY-GOD PIERCE? Aaron deserves better than this, brother.
But ... the couple of groan-inducing moments in this ep were easily overshadowed by the numerous moments of awesome. Everything with Jack ruled it, and we got the usual great performances from Kiefer, Cherry Jones, Carlos Bernard, Jon Voight, et al, with enough gravitas to keep me pumped for next week's ep.
My Grade: B+
FOX SUNDAY NIGHT Thoughts:
- First off, KING OF THE HILL. While this episode wasn't necessarilly a classic, it was a nice epilogue to Cotton's story, with Hank tasked with carrying out his deceased father's last will and testament. It was funny and heart-warming in that unique KOTH way. And what kills me is that this show STILL gets no respect from FOX, being relegated to a terrible 7:30 pm timeslot over the last couple of weeks. And now, with the poor performance of Sit Down, Shut Up, FOX's longtime utility player is being called back up to the big leagues.
My Grade: B+
- THE SIMPSONS had a pretty solid ep, with Homer, in a rare showing of commitment, devoting himself to bettering Bart and Lisa's lives by helping Bart with his school projects and helping Lisa to become more popular. The results were actually pretty funny, especially Homer's psychological techniques for making Lisa cool. Not a ton of huge laughs, but not a bad little episode either.
My Grade: B+
- Finally, FAMILY GUY had decent at best, mediocre at worst episode that had some promise in that it actually tried to present a solid Chris plotline, but seemed unable to focus on anything in particular, getting far too sidetracked with the Stewie-on-steroids B-plot and the usual assortment of cutaways that now seem more forced than funny. I mean, I hate when Family Guy just becomes a series of cutaways with the actual plot serving as the filler. That's not how the show used to be, and it's just lame - especially when 3/4 of the cuts are not even especially funny. Still, there were a couple pretty good jokes in the mix, especially a roided-up Stewie repeatedly cutting off Brian as he tried to get by - a classic FG joke that went on so long that it went from sorta funny to really funny to hilarious. Mostly though, this was a pretty unmemorable ep.
My Grade: C+
- Now, I've only seen the pilot of SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, but after viewing it I can barely stomach the thought of watching Episode 2. I have to ask - what happened here? You've got Mitchell Hurvitz, the creator of Arrested Development. You've got an all-star voice cast that includes AD alums Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. But none of that can make up for the fact that the show was just not funny in the slightest. The timing, the jokes, the plotting - all of it was just off the mark. Even worse, the characters all felt completely flat and many of them were just downright irritating. There were little moments where the rapid-fire dialogue showed shades of the old AD wit, but just as the show would get your hopes up, it'd dash them with a flat punchline or an annoying character moment. I guess there is a *slight* chance that the show could turn things around given the talent on-hand, but given the poor reception it received, I don't know if many would be willing to stick it out and give it that chance.
My Grade: D
- Okay - I'm out for now. Next post will be the long awaited review of ANVIL.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Can You Be Awesome For Me? Huge TV Roundup: CHUCK, PRISON BREAK, 24, SMALLVILLE, FRINGE, THE OFFICE, 30 ROCK, and MORE!
Alright, people. I'm back, after an insanely busy week that kept me from writing on the best darn blog in the biz. Whenever I get backlogged like this it's always a sort of domino effect - I just keep accumulating things I want to write about and the task of actually getting it all down on paper (so to speak), gets ever more daunting with each passing day. In any case, I will do my best to sum up some of the TV-related stuff I've been wanting to talk about, and will hopefully get to other topics throughout the week ... so buckle in, baby, we're off.
TV STUFF:
- Let me start by urging everyone to watch tonight's season finale of CHUCK. I know I haven't been good about consistently reviewing the show, but the fact is: Chuck is one of the funniest, most fun, and most entertaining shows on TV. I'll talk more about it after tonight's episode, but I do want to mention that the last few episodes of the show have been absolutely (Captain) awesome. CHUCK has always excelled at great stunt casting, but the recent additions of Scott Bakula as Chuck's estranged dad and Chevy Chase as a software mogul / evil agent have been totally inspired. Bakula is perfect as Chuck's dad, aka Orion - a mysterious mastermind tech genious. And welcome back, Chevy Chase! Chase has been a lot of fun as a wise-cracking villain. Meanwhile, the show has gotten away from formulaic standalone episodes and really gone full-speed-ahead with its ongoing storyarc. A ton of huge developments have occurred in the last few eps - from Chuck and Sarah finally sealing the deal (well, almost) as a couple, to Captain Awesome, Chuck's future brother-in-law, learning about Chuck's secret CIA-status. And in a climactic showdown with badguy supergroup Fulcrum, Chuck foils their plans and in the process has the supercomputer Intersect removed from his mind. All that, plus the usual hilarious antics at the Buy More superstore. Tony Hale (aka Buster from Arrested Development) has really been finding his groove of late, and the rest of the lovable losers that populate the store rarely fail to bring the funny. I admit, I've been back and forth on CHUCK at times, but the last couple of episodes have really put it over the edge for me - this is a show that 100% deserves to be watched and enjoyed and to come back for a well-deserved third season! Can't wait for tonight's finale.
- Okay, let me talk about a show that is definitely ending in a mere matter of weeks, that show being PRISON BREAK. It's so crazy - in the weeks leading up to its Fall Finale, PB was absolutely kicking ass, bringing a heaping helping of gravitas to Monday nights prior to 24's eventual return in January. But when PB finally came back for its final run last Friday, the show seemed out of gas. There were already signs of this in the Fall, when after an episode that seemed like a pseudo-series finale, the show just ... kept going, introducing Michael Scofield's mother as a new Big Bad. Now, part of the problem here lies with FOX's scheduling. Last Friday, they threw us right back into the middle of a fairly complicated storyline with little to no recap to get us back up to speed. It was just - bam! - Prison Break is back, hope you remember all of the plotlines from December, enjoy! Nice job, FOX, way to show some love for your show or its fanbase. That said, the first episode back from break definitely felt kind of "blah." I expected the show to come back with a huge bang, and instead there was definitely a lack of urgency to the storytelling. It was that feeling of "geez, they STILL don't have Scylla?" And of "remind me again why T-Bag and Self are still in the mix here? And isn't Lincoln acting a bit too buddy-buddy with a couple of guys who have repeatedly tried to kill him? Anyways, the whole Michael's mother thing is a bit on the lame side. For a series that's known for its amazing villains, having Michael and Lincoln's mom turn up as a conniving ex-Company operative seems more than a little generic / cliche. A couple of potentially cool moments (the General getting blowed up real good) were overshadowed by a lot of non-action. Suffice it to say, it was great to have PB back last week, but I had to admit it was a somewhat underwhelming return. Now, this past Friday's episode was definitely a step in the right direction. The pace was quicker, the tension greater, and the dialogue snappier. T-Bag finally stopped acting like a good soldier, Mahone was allowed to be badass, and Michael had a couple of vintage Scofield moments. Sure, the whole pregnancy angle just seems unnecessary, but this week's ep reminded me of one of the key elements to Prison Break's success: breakneck pacing that doesn't let up. The fact that we know the end is near was kind of reassuring in that we know that these storylines are not going to be dragged out for too much longer. We're racing towards the endgame, and that in and of itself is exciting. My hope though is that the Company storyline is wrapped up ASAP. Let the final ep or two really tighten the focus on Michael and his personal journey. Let's get one final Scofield vs. T-Bag showdown. So, yeah, despite some of my criticisms, it's good to have PB back and I'm happy to be on board for one last run.
- Meanwhile, 24 has been firing on all cylinders of late, and I can't wait to see how tonight's episode plays out. Last week's 24 provided all kinds of action, drama, and emotional highs and lows. I'm still somewhat in denial that Tony is all-out EVIL, but at the same time I am eagerly awaiting the inevitable Jack vs. Tony battle to the death. Now, one thing that does make me weary: on almost every season of 24, we get the reveal that, guess what, there is some huge evil conspiracy at work behind the scenes, and that the guy who we thought was our uber-villain is in fact just one cog in the secret-cabal wheel. We are now getting that again this season, and every time, it *sounds* awesome at the outset. The problem is, 24 has almost never delivered any true payoff on all these conspiracy plotlines. We had the President Logan / Blue Tooth Mafia conspiracy, the one with the guy from Saw / Operations from La Femme Nikita, and now this one, in which Starkwood was apparently just a bit player. So 24, my plea to you is: STOP HINTING AT THESE HUGE EVIL CONSPIRACIES IF YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FOLLOW-UP! I mean, how many competing conspiricies are there in the world of 24? Most high-level government employees are probably involved in at least two of 'em at any given time. So that is my biggest hope for the rest of the 24 season - stop teasing us with these huge uber-villains only to drop the ball!
- Another show that has been absolutely on top of its game of late is THE OFFICE. I haven't talked a ton about the show, but for my money The Office has, over the last couple of months, regained its crown as the funniest show on TV. The last several eps, in which Michael has gone off to form a competing paper company to Dunder Mifflin (appropriately enough, The Michael Scott Paper Company), have been nothing short of brilliant. The reaction at DM to a new, sterner boss has been great. As has Pam's defection to Michael's new company. Ryan's return has been great as well, and Dwight's torn loyalties have resulted in too many hilarious moments to list. But at the center of it all is Steve Carell's increasingly awesome performance as Michael Scott - a man who, really, doesn't care about business, but just wants respect and love from his coworkers, who are essentially his surrogate family. It's heavy and sometimes dark subject matter for a comedy to go to, but The Office has dared to go very, very dark in order to mine its humor. The Office is definitely THE must-see comedy as of now.
- But what about 30 ROCK, you ask? Don't get me wrong, 30 Rock is still pretty hilarious week in and week out. It's just that it seems like the show has reigned itself in to some degree, and that's disappointing. Where last year the show seemed to really embrace its own random sense of humor, this year the show seems more sitcom-y than ever. That means that all of the awesomely nonsensical Tracy Morgan lines get buried underneath the plotlines about Liz and Jack's respective love lives. It means that the focus is increasingly on Liz at the expense of the great cast of supporting characters (where art though, Hornberger?). So again, I still love 30 Rock, and I'm happy that its ratings have been up. But I do wish it would forget about trying to appease the soccer moms and just be off-the-wall insane like the old days.
- One more show I've been wanting to talk about, and that's FRINGE. Back in the Fall, I thought this was a solid show, but never would have guessed how quickly it'd jump into my upper echelon of must-see TV. Fringe, of late, has just been kicking ass. The overarching plotline, involving mysterious corporations, alternate dimensions, and strange psychic beings, might be the most intriguing mythology currently on TV. At the same time, the characters have really grown on me. Olivia in particular has evolved from kind of a blank slate into one of the best leading characters on television. And what can I really say about the epic awesomeness of Jon Noble as Walter Bishop? The guy is delivering A+ performances week in and week out, and is far and away the show's MVP player. The one trouble spot is probably still with Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop. Peter has definitely gotten more likable of late, but at times he still comes off as whiny and annoying. After all the times his father has been proven right with his oddball theories, you'd think that Peter would stop questioning him at every turn. That said, there is a nice chemistry developing between the lead players, and as mentioned the overarching storylines are really getting good. Fringe is easily one of THE top shows on the tube right now.
- I did catch this past week's SMALLVILLE and it was yet another *pretty good* episode that had a couple of really fun moments mixed in with a lot of groan-inducing scenes. I think looking at the overall trajectory of Smallville, one of the most obvious big-picture problems is just how slowly the show inches forward each episode and, subsequently, each season. I mean, it's amazing that this Davis Bloome / Doomsday storyline has been going on now for an ENTIRE season, and we've yet to even see Clark land a punch on his adversary-in-waiting. Same goes for this while Red-Blue-Blur thing. I mean, it is just more frustrating with each episode. Because we *know* the logical payoff to this is Clark becoming Superman, but we also know that that will most likely never happen as long as the show is called "Smallville." So it's basically a holding pattern where every single week we are teased with the prospect of Clark evolving into Superman, and yet we leave in frustration knowing that the show is not prepared to go all the way. Again, this past week's episode had some fun Lois and Clark moments, and Lois donning a superhero outfit as "Stilleto" actually played out a lot better than it had any right to. Still, the show seems to be grasping at straws to find new ways to inch Clark closer to full-fledged superhero-dom without actually pulling the trigger. Assuming it comes back next season, I really don't know where they can go from here. All I can think of is to have a season of Clark travelling the world and having random adventures, with the occasional Lois or Jimmy guest-spot. That would be cool ... but the current path is going to completely wear out its welcome if it goes on for much longer.
- Finally, I've got to give a shout-out to GOSSIP GIRL. Last week's Passover seder-centric episode was an amusing romp, and the show overall continues to be one of the most flat-out entertaining series out there. It's tempting to call it a guilty pleasure, but when a show has writing that's as sharp and clever as this (see: The OC), it's hard not to give it its props. Not entirely inconceivable.
- And oh yeah ... no LOST this past week, but this Wednesday the show is back with a huge milestone episode. *Very* interested to see what happens there.
- One more note: my DVR screwed up my FOX Sunday night recordings, so I have yet to see any of last night's episodes. But I do want to talk about the giant letdown that is SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and also about the long-running goodness that is KING OF THE HILL, which aired its 250th episode last night. Dang! So stay tuned for my thoughts, coming soon.
- Okay, whew, that's all for now. I do have a huge movie review to get to soon, for an awesome movie by the name of ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL. So stay tuned for that, and lots more, including thoughts on Sit Down and Shut Up, as well as NBA Playoffs talk. Until then, Happy Monday, and watch CHUCK!
TV STUFF:
- Let me start by urging everyone to watch tonight's season finale of CHUCK. I know I haven't been good about consistently reviewing the show, but the fact is: Chuck is one of the funniest, most fun, and most entertaining shows on TV. I'll talk more about it after tonight's episode, but I do want to mention that the last few episodes of the show have been absolutely (Captain) awesome. CHUCK has always excelled at great stunt casting, but the recent additions of Scott Bakula as Chuck's estranged dad and Chevy Chase as a software mogul / evil agent have been totally inspired. Bakula is perfect as Chuck's dad, aka Orion - a mysterious mastermind tech genious. And welcome back, Chevy Chase! Chase has been a lot of fun as a wise-cracking villain. Meanwhile, the show has gotten away from formulaic standalone episodes and really gone full-speed-ahead with its ongoing storyarc. A ton of huge developments have occurred in the last few eps - from Chuck and Sarah finally sealing the deal (well, almost) as a couple, to Captain Awesome, Chuck's future brother-in-law, learning about Chuck's secret CIA-status. And in a climactic showdown with badguy supergroup Fulcrum, Chuck foils their plans and in the process has the supercomputer Intersect removed from his mind. All that, plus the usual hilarious antics at the Buy More superstore. Tony Hale (aka Buster from Arrested Development) has really been finding his groove of late, and the rest of the lovable losers that populate the store rarely fail to bring the funny. I admit, I've been back and forth on CHUCK at times, but the last couple of episodes have really put it over the edge for me - this is a show that 100% deserves to be watched and enjoyed and to come back for a well-deserved third season! Can't wait for tonight's finale.
- Okay, let me talk about a show that is definitely ending in a mere matter of weeks, that show being PRISON BREAK. It's so crazy - in the weeks leading up to its Fall Finale, PB was absolutely kicking ass, bringing a heaping helping of gravitas to Monday nights prior to 24's eventual return in January. But when PB finally came back for its final run last Friday, the show seemed out of gas. There were already signs of this in the Fall, when after an episode that seemed like a pseudo-series finale, the show just ... kept going, introducing Michael Scofield's mother as a new Big Bad. Now, part of the problem here lies with FOX's scheduling. Last Friday, they threw us right back into the middle of a fairly complicated storyline with little to no recap to get us back up to speed. It was just - bam! - Prison Break is back, hope you remember all of the plotlines from December, enjoy! Nice job, FOX, way to show some love for your show or its fanbase. That said, the first episode back from break definitely felt kind of "blah." I expected the show to come back with a huge bang, and instead there was definitely a lack of urgency to the storytelling. It was that feeling of "geez, they STILL don't have Scylla?" And of "remind me again why T-Bag and Self are still in the mix here? And isn't Lincoln acting a bit too buddy-buddy with a couple of guys who have repeatedly tried to kill him? Anyways, the whole Michael's mother thing is a bit on the lame side. For a series that's known for its amazing villains, having Michael and Lincoln's mom turn up as a conniving ex-Company operative seems more than a little generic / cliche. A couple of potentially cool moments (the General getting blowed up real good) were overshadowed by a lot of non-action. Suffice it to say, it was great to have PB back last week, but I had to admit it was a somewhat underwhelming return. Now, this past Friday's episode was definitely a step in the right direction. The pace was quicker, the tension greater, and the dialogue snappier. T-Bag finally stopped acting like a good soldier, Mahone was allowed to be badass, and Michael had a couple of vintage Scofield moments. Sure, the whole pregnancy angle just seems unnecessary, but this week's ep reminded me of one of the key elements to Prison Break's success: breakneck pacing that doesn't let up. The fact that we know the end is near was kind of reassuring in that we know that these storylines are not going to be dragged out for too much longer. We're racing towards the endgame, and that in and of itself is exciting. My hope though is that the Company storyline is wrapped up ASAP. Let the final ep or two really tighten the focus on Michael and his personal journey. Let's get one final Scofield vs. T-Bag showdown. So, yeah, despite some of my criticisms, it's good to have PB back and I'm happy to be on board for one last run.
- Meanwhile, 24 has been firing on all cylinders of late, and I can't wait to see how tonight's episode plays out. Last week's 24 provided all kinds of action, drama, and emotional highs and lows. I'm still somewhat in denial that Tony is all-out EVIL, but at the same time I am eagerly awaiting the inevitable Jack vs. Tony battle to the death. Now, one thing that does make me weary: on almost every season of 24, we get the reveal that, guess what, there is some huge evil conspiracy at work behind the scenes, and that the guy who we thought was our uber-villain is in fact just one cog in the secret-cabal wheel. We are now getting that again this season, and every time, it *sounds* awesome at the outset. The problem is, 24 has almost never delivered any true payoff on all these conspiracy plotlines. We had the President Logan / Blue Tooth Mafia conspiracy, the one with the guy from Saw / Operations from La Femme Nikita, and now this one, in which Starkwood was apparently just a bit player. So 24, my plea to you is: STOP HINTING AT THESE HUGE EVIL CONSPIRACIES IF YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FOLLOW-UP! I mean, how many competing conspiricies are there in the world of 24? Most high-level government employees are probably involved in at least two of 'em at any given time. So that is my biggest hope for the rest of the 24 season - stop teasing us with these huge uber-villains only to drop the ball!
- Another show that has been absolutely on top of its game of late is THE OFFICE. I haven't talked a ton about the show, but for my money The Office has, over the last couple of months, regained its crown as the funniest show on TV. The last several eps, in which Michael has gone off to form a competing paper company to Dunder Mifflin (appropriately enough, The Michael Scott Paper Company), have been nothing short of brilliant. The reaction at DM to a new, sterner boss has been great. As has Pam's defection to Michael's new company. Ryan's return has been great as well, and Dwight's torn loyalties have resulted in too many hilarious moments to list. But at the center of it all is Steve Carell's increasingly awesome performance as Michael Scott - a man who, really, doesn't care about business, but just wants respect and love from his coworkers, who are essentially his surrogate family. It's heavy and sometimes dark subject matter for a comedy to go to, but The Office has dared to go very, very dark in order to mine its humor. The Office is definitely THE must-see comedy as of now.
- But what about 30 ROCK, you ask? Don't get me wrong, 30 Rock is still pretty hilarious week in and week out. It's just that it seems like the show has reigned itself in to some degree, and that's disappointing. Where last year the show seemed to really embrace its own random sense of humor, this year the show seems more sitcom-y than ever. That means that all of the awesomely nonsensical Tracy Morgan lines get buried underneath the plotlines about Liz and Jack's respective love lives. It means that the focus is increasingly on Liz at the expense of the great cast of supporting characters (where art though, Hornberger?). So again, I still love 30 Rock, and I'm happy that its ratings have been up. But I do wish it would forget about trying to appease the soccer moms and just be off-the-wall insane like the old days.
- One more show I've been wanting to talk about, and that's FRINGE. Back in the Fall, I thought this was a solid show, but never would have guessed how quickly it'd jump into my upper echelon of must-see TV. Fringe, of late, has just been kicking ass. The overarching plotline, involving mysterious corporations, alternate dimensions, and strange psychic beings, might be the most intriguing mythology currently on TV. At the same time, the characters have really grown on me. Olivia in particular has evolved from kind of a blank slate into one of the best leading characters on television. And what can I really say about the epic awesomeness of Jon Noble as Walter Bishop? The guy is delivering A+ performances week in and week out, and is far and away the show's MVP player. The one trouble spot is probably still with Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop. Peter has definitely gotten more likable of late, but at times he still comes off as whiny and annoying. After all the times his father has been proven right with his oddball theories, you'd think that Peter would stop questioning him at every turn. That said, there is a nice chemistry developing between the lead players, and as mentioned the overarching storylines are really getting good. Fringe is easily one of THE top shows on the tube right now.
- I did catch this past week's SMALLVILLE and it was yet another *pretty good* episode that had a couple of really fun moments mixed in with a lot of groan-inducing scenes. I think looking at the overall trajectory of Smallville, one of the most obvious big-picture problems is just how slowly the show inches forward each episode and, subsequently, each season. I mean, it's amazing that this Davis Bloome / Doomsday storyline has been going on now for an ENTIRE season, and we've yet to even see Clark land a punch on his adversary-in-waiting. Same goes for this while Red-Blue-Blur thing. I mean, it is just more frustrating with each episode. Because we *know* the logical payoff to this is Clark becoming Superman, but we also know that that will most likely never happen as long as the show is called "Smallville." So it's basically a holding pattern where every single week we are teased with the prospect of Clark evolving into Superman, and yet we leave in frustration knowing that the show is not prepared to go all the way. Again, this past week's episode had some fun Lois and Clark moments, and Lois donning a superhero outfit as "Stilleto" actually played out a lot better than it had any right to. Still, the show seems to be grasping at straws to find new ways to inch Clark closer to full-fledged superhero-dom without actually pulling the trigger. Assuming it comes back next season, I really don't know where they can go from here. All I can think of is to have a season of Clark travelling the world and having random adventures, with the occasional Lois or Jimmy guest-spot. That would be cool ... but the current path is going to completely wear out its welcome if it goes on for much longer.
- Finally, I've got to give a shout-out to GOSSIP GIRL. Last week's Passover seder-centric episode was an amusing romp, and the show overall continues to be one of the most flat-out entertaining series out there. It's tempting to call it a guilty pleasure, but when a show has writing that's as sharp and clever as this (see: The OC), it's hard not to give it its props. Not entirely inconceivable.
- And oh yeah ... no LOST this past week, but this Wednesday the show is back with a huge milestone episode. *Very* interested to see what happens there.
- One more note: my DVR screwed up my FOX Sunday night recordings, so I have yet to see any of last night's episodes. But I do want to talk about the giant letdown that is SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and also about the long-running goodness that is KING OF THE HILL, which aired its 250th episode last night. Dang! So stay tuned for my thoughts, coming soon.
- Okay, whew, that's all for now. I do have a huge movie review to get to soon, for an awesome movie by the name of ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL. So stay tuned for that, and lots more, including thoughts on Sit Down and Shut Up, as well as NBA Playoffs talk. Until then, Happy Monday, and watch CHUCK!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Gettin' CRANKED: Movie Review Double-Shot: CRANK and OBSERVE AND REPORT
Hey everyone - I'm back from the weekend and slogging through this blistering Monday. It's HOT here in LA, and by hot I mean yesterday and today have seen temperatures skyrocket past the 90 degree mark. Yep, it's sweltering here in beautiful downtown Burbank.
Anyways, the crazy heat makes this Monday feel even more sluggish than usual. But I was lucky to have a fun weekend, which included a nice Shabbat dinner on Friday, tons of NBA playoff basketball, and a showing of CRANK 2 on Sunday evening.
With that in mind, I've been pretty bad lately about getting movie reviews up in a timely fashion, so I'm just going to jump right into it. Especially given that the first movie I want to talk about, Observe and Report, is to me already one of the most underrated movies of the year. Reviews have been quite polarizing, and I realize that there are a number of factors going against the film. From a marketing perspective, it was clearly a challenge to convey that this movie was world's away from Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It was also tough, I think, to message that this wasn't just another Seth Rogen movie. Director Jody Hill is slowly but surely establishing his own brand of comedy, but he's not a big enough name yet to really market. In a year or two though, you can bet that Hill's name will carry real marketing value ... right now though, only so many people know of THE FOOT FIST WAY or EASTBOUND & DOWN. In any case, those were some of the challenges the movie faced just in terms of getting people to come see it. In terms of critical and popular reception, the fact is, Observe and Report is a polarizing movie. When I saw it in CT with my brother last weekend, both of us were laughing nonstop throughout the film. I was shocked when I spoke with others who felt lukewarm towards the movie. I guess it may be an acquired taste to some degree, but, as I'll talk about in my review, to me, it's an absolute must-see movie, one of the year's best to date.
OBSERVE AND REPORT Review:
- When I reviewed Jody Hill's debut film last summer - the underground comedy hit THE FOOT FIST WAY - I talked about how, while the movie had its flaws, you could see nearly unlimited potential showing through the cracks. Even if I had mixed feelings about Jody Hill's debut effort, I also couldn't wait to see what he did next. You could tell that with a bit more maturity and refinement, it was inevitable that Hill was one or two movies away from producing something truly great.
Well, that didn't take long.
Because Observe and Report is a genuinely amazing movie. Not only is it gut-bustingly hilarious, but it tackles characters and themes far darker and more complex than the average comedy dares to approach. Going into the film, audiences will no doubt have preconceptions that the movie conforms to a particular style of humor. Please, throw all that out of the window prior to viewing. This isn't a Judd Apatow-style comedy. This isn't a "typical" Seth Rogen movie. Instead, Observe and Report is dark, twisted, and even disturbing at times. It casts Rogen as a mentally unstable mall cop who has fantasies of being a hero. When a pervert plagues Rogen's mall, Rogen sees it as his personal calling to thwart the villain. In doing so, he seeks to win the affections of a trampy makeup-counter clerk (Anna Faris), and also to one-up a local detective (Ray Liotta) who is investigating the case.
Part of what makes this movie so sublime are the hilarious performances by the stellar cast. First and foremost, Seth Rogen turns in what may be a career-best role as Ronnie the mall-cop. Sure, Rogen is funny, but he isn't simply playing a typical Rogen-esque role. Instead, he channels the likes of DeNiro in Taxi Driver and Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love, playing a character whose sanity you really have to question. I know those are lofty comparisons, but Observe and Report does actually cover some similar territory. In fact, Ronnie is a lot like a Travis Bickle or a Holden Caufield, skeptical of phonies and utterly convinced of his own inherent nobility. What differentiates Ronnie from other comedic leading men is that Jody Hill really pushes the character pretty far ... he isn't just the typical man-child with overinflated ego - this guy has serious, serious issues. Give Rogen credit for fully committing to that kind of out-there character - he could have played things much safer, but instead, he really makes Ronnie into a memorable nutball for the ages.
Getting back to the rest of the cast, everyone else seems to follow Rogen's lead in terms of 100% committing to their characters, many of whom, like Ronnie, appear at first to be somewhat stock comedy characters, only to then go down dark and unexpected roads. Anna Faris seems at first to be the typical blonde bimbo character. But Faris plays the character to hilarious effect, and again, you will be shocked and amazed with just how far down the rabbit hole the script takes her. Same goes for Ray Liotta - he kind of plays to type as a hard-nosed, no-BS detective, but half the fun is seeing his rivalry with Ronnie descend into increasingly disturbing territory. One more example of how far this movie is willing to go - Michael Pena as Ronnie's dorky friend Dennis. At first Dennis appears to be the token goofball sidekick, complete with over-the-top accent. Soon enough though, Dennis is revealed as being a much darker character than originally anticipated. The transition is both laugh-out-loud funny but also jarring - yet another reminder that this really is a unique movie for the depths its willing to go to.
There are almost too many other great little moments and cameos to mention. Danny McBride is friggin' hilarious in a cameo as a gang leader. Patton Oswalt does some great stuff as an asshole fast-food manager. Twins John and Matt Yuen, playing John and Matt Yuan, are absolutely classic. They might be to Jody Hill what Jay and Silent Bob are to Kevin Smith. Aziz Ansari is responsible for some of the movie's funniest moments, including an expletive-laced faceoff with Seth Rogen that is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Celia Weston is great as Ronnie's alcoholic Mom. Meanwhile, Colette Wolf almost steals the movie as a put-upon mall-worker who takes a liking to Ronnie - she gives the movie a lot of its heart. And there is heart here. For all of its darkness, I was surprised at how much you end up rooting for these oddball characters - there are a number of scenes that produce real stand-up-and-cheer kinds of moments.
It's hard to describe why exactly this movie succeeds in all the places where The Foot Fist Way faltered. I think the great cast is part of the equation, certainly, but it's also just that Jody Hill seems to have finally struck the perfect balance between comedy and drama. Take out the jokes and you have a pretty compelling movie in its own right. Take out the depth and drama and you have a funny movie in and of itself. But combine both together, and you have something that easily transcends the typical dumbed-down Hollywood comedy. This does indeed feel like a singular cinematic vision, and it's a movie that isn't conforming to any particular conventions or expectations. It's hilarious, thought-provoking, dramatic, and disturbing all at the same time. And it's a shame that this movie wasn't a smash hit, but trust me, it has cult classic written all over it. This is one of the best movies of 2009 so far.
My Grade: A
CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE Review:
- Freaking insane. After seeing the first CRANK flick I suspected that the guys behind the movie might have been under the influence of various mind-altering substances whilst making their film. After seeing CRANK 2, I am not asking whether or not these dudes were on drugs while making the movie, I'm simply asking what kinds and how much. Crank 2 is OFF-THE-CHAIN RIDICULOUS. It's like Grand Theft Auto meets 24 meets Jackie Chan meets David Lynch. Yes, that's right.
I mean, let me put it this way: during one of Crank 2's climactic fight scenes, Jason Statham as Chev Chelios is in the midst of a bare-knuckle brawl with his arch nemesis amidst a rundown power grid. For no discernible reason, a minute or so into the fight, the image shifts, and suddenly Chelios and his opponent are giant-sized dudes fighting in a miniature cityscape, old-school monster-movie-style, wearing latex masks bearing their own likenesses. WTF?!?!
The crazy thing is this: by the point in the movie when this happens, we've seen so much crazy $#%& that you barely bat an eyelash and just go with it. It's almost too much. Whereas Crank 1 was over-the-top but still somewhat beholden to the laws of reality, Crank 2 apparently takes place in an alternate universe which is sort of like ours except everyone's gone bat$#%& insane and the laws of physics don't and never have existed.
Crank 2 is a movie where, while watching, my jaw was literally hanging agape for almost the entire movie. I alternatively was laughing, cringing, or just in shock at some of the things I was witnessing. There are moments of brilliant hilarity coupled with moments that are just plain wrong.
One thing cannot be argued though: Jason Statham is awesome. He bobs and weaves through this movie like an uncaged animal, and he delivers his lines with just the right amount of dripping disdain for all human life. He is one perpetually pissed-off dude, and that makes for moments both badass and hilarious. Statham is totally game for everything this movie throws at him. So is Amy Smart for that matter. I mean, holy lord. Give her a medal of honor for the things she puts herself through in this movie. Everyone else in the movie similarly brings their B-movie best. But give Statham all the credit in the world - he totally gets how to walk the line in these movies, and manages to be both badass and in on the joke.
Again, it's a fine line. Sometimes I was loving the sheer craziness of this movie, and sometimes you have to wonder if a certain line of decency has indeed been crossed.
That said, Crank 2 is an insanely good time, emphasis on *insane*. The movie is nonstop energy, balls to the wall action, and subversive and perverse humor all rolled into one. And like I said, it's friggin' off-it's-rocker, delving into the sublimely surreal on more than one occasion, to the point where you're not sure if you've just been transported into some crazy alternaverse that is powered solely by the laws of videogame logic. In any case, you'd be ready to put in another quarter if necessary. Crank 2 is Crank 1 on acid. Yikes.
My Grade: B+
- Alright, I'll have some TV reviews and more coming up soon. Until then, get cranked, yo'.
Anyways, the crazy heat makes this Monday feel even more sluggish than usual. But I was lucky to have a fun weekend, which included a nice Shabbat dinner on Friday, tons of NBA playoff basketball, and a showing of CRANK 2 on Sunday evening.
With that in mind, I've been pretty bad lately about getting movie reviews up in a timely fashion, so I'm just going to jump right into it. Especially given that the first movie I want to talk about, Observe and Report, is to me already one of the most underrated movies of the year. Reviews have been quite polarizing, and I realize that there are a number of factors going against the film. From a marketing perspective, it was clearly a challenge to convey that this movie was world's away from Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It was also tough, I think, to message that this wasn't just another Seth Rogen movie. Director Jody Hill is slowly but surely establishing his own brand of comedy, but he's not a big enough name yet to really market. In a year or two though, you can bet that Hill's name will carry real marketing value ... right now though, only so many people know of THE FOOT FIST WAY or EASTBOUND & DOWN. In any case, those were some of the challenges the movie faced just in terms of getting people to come see it. In terms of critical and popular reception, the fact is, Observe and Report is a polarizing movie. When I saw it in CT with my brother last weekend, both of us were laughing nonstop throughout the film. I was shocked when I spoke with others who felt lukewarm towards the movie. I guess it may be an acquired taste to some degree, but, as I'll talk about in my review, to me, it's an absolute must-see movie, one of the year's best to date.
OBSERVE AND REPORT Review:
- When I reviewed Jody Hill's debut film last summer - the underground comedy hit THE FOOT FIST WAY - I talked about how, while the movie had its flaws, you could see nearly unlimited potential showing through the cracks. Even if I had mixed feelings about Jody Hill's debut effort, I also couldn't wait to see what he did next. You could tell that with a bit more maturity and refinement, it was inevitable that Hill was one or two movies away from producing something truly great.
Well, that didn't take long.
Because Observe and Report is a genuinely amazing movie. Not only is it gut-bustingly hilarious, but it tackles characters and themes far darker and more complex than the average comedy dares to approach. Going into the film, audiences will no doubt have preconceptions that the movie conforms to a particular style of humor. Please, throw all that out of the window prior to viewing. This isn't a Judd Apatow-style comedy. This isn't a "typical" Seth Rogen movie. Instead, Observe and Report is dark, twisted, and even disturbing at times. It casts Rogen as a mentally unstable mall cop who has fantasies of being a hero. When a pervert plagues Rogen's mall, Rogen sees it as his personal calling to thwart the villain. In doing so, he seeks to win the affections of a trampy makeup-counter clerk (Anna Faris), and also to one-up a local detective (Ray Liotta) who is investigating the case.
Part of what makes this movie so sublime are the hilarious performances by the stellar cast. First and foremost, Seth Rogen turns in what may be a career-best role as Ronnie the mall-cop. Sure, Rogen is funny, but he isn't simply playing a typical Rogen-esque role. Instead, he channels the likes of DeNiro in Taxi Driver and Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love, playing a character whose sanity you really have to question. I know those are lofty comparisons, but Observe and Report does actually cover some similar territory. In fact, Ronnie is a lot like a Travis Bickle or a Holden Caufield, skeptical of phonies and utterly convinced of his own inherent nobility. What differentiates Ronnie from other comedic leading men is that Jody Hill really pushes the character pretty far ... he isn't just the typical man-child with overinflated ego - this guy has serious, serious issues. Give Rogen credit for fully committing to that kind of out-there character - he could have played things much safer, but instead, he really makes Ronnie into a memorable nutball for the ages.
Getting back to the rest of the cast, everyone else seems to follow Rogen's lead in terms of 100% committing to their characters, many of whom, like Ronnie, appear at first to be somewhat stock comedy characters, only to then go down dark and unexpected roads. Anna Faris seems at first to be the typical blonde bimbo character. But Faris plays the character to hilarious effect, and again, you will be shocked and amazed with just how far down the rabbit hole the script takes her. Same goes for Ray Liotta - he kind of plays to type as a hard-nosed, no-BS detective, but half the fun is seeing his rivalry with Ronnie descend into increasingly disturbing territory. One more example of how far this movie is willing to go - Michael Pena as Ronnie's dorky friend Dennis. At first Dennis appears to be the token goofball sidekick, complete with over-the-top accent. Soon enough though, Dennis is revealed as being a much darker character than originally anticipated. The transition is both laugh-out-loud funny but also jarring - yet another reminder that this really is a unique movie for the depths its willing to go to.
There are almost too many other great little moments and cameos to mention. Danny McBride is friggin' hilarious in a cameo as a gang leader. Patton Oswalt does some great stuff as an asshole fast-food manager. Twins John and Matt Yuen, playing John and Matt Yuan, are absolutely classic. They might be to Jody Hill what Jay and Silent Bob are to Kevin Smith. Aziz Ansari is responsible for some of the movie's funniest moments, including an expletive-laced faceoff with Seth Rogen that is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Celia Weston is great as Ronnie's alcoholic Mom. Meanwhile, Colette Wolf almost steals the movie as a put-upon mall-worker who takes a liking to Ronnie - she gives the movie a lot of its heart. And there is heart here. For all of its darkness, I was surprised at how much you end up rooting for these oddball characters - there are a number of scenes that produce real stand-up-and-cheer kinds of moments.
It's hard to describe why exactly this movie succeeds in all the places where The Foot Fist Way faltered. I think the great cast is part of the equation, certainly, but it's also just that Jody Hill seems to have finally struck the perfect balance between comedy and drama. Take out the jokes and you have a pretty compelling movie in its own right. Take out the depth and drama and you have a funny movie in and of itself. But combine both together, and you have something that easily transcends the typical dumbed-down Hollywood comedy. This does indeed feel like a singular cinematic vision, and it's a movie that isn't conforming to any particular conventions or expectations. It's hilarious, thought-provoking, dramatic, and disturbing all at the same time. And it's a shame that this movie wasn't a smash hit, but trust me, it has cult classic written all over it. This is one of the best movies of 2009 so far.
My Grade: A
CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE Review:
- Freaking insane. After seeing the first CRANK flick I suspected that the guys behind the movie might have been under the influence of various mind-altering substances whilst making their film. After seeing CRANK 2, I am not asking whether or not these dudes were on drugs while making the movie, I'm simply asking what kinds and how much. Crank 2 is OFF-THE-CHAIN RIDICULOUS. It's like Grand Theft Auto meets 24 meets Jackie Chan meets David Lynch. Yes, that's right.
I mean, let me put it this way: during one of Crank 2's climactic fight scenes, Jason Statham as Chev Chelios is in the midst of a bare-knuckle brawl with his arch nemesis amidst a rundown power grid. For no discernible reason, a minute or so into the fight, the image shifts, and suddenly Chelios and his opponent are giant-sized dudes fighting in a miniature cityscape, old-school monster-movie-style, wearing latex masks bearing their own likenesses. WTF?!?!
The crazy thing is this: by the point in the movie when this happens, we've seen so much crazy $#%& that you barely bat an eyelash and just go with it. It's almost too much. Whereas Crank 1 was over-the-top but still somewhat beholden to the laws of reality, Crank 2 apparently takes place in an alternate universe which is sort of like ours except everyone's gone bat$#%& insane and the laws of physics don't and never have existed.
Crank 2 is a movie where, while watching, my jaw was literally hanging agape for almost the entire movie. I alternatively was laughing, cringing, or just in shock at some of the things I was witnessing. There are moments of brilliant hilarity coupled with moments that are just plain wrong.
One thing cannot be argued though: Jason Statham is awesome. He bobs and weaves through this movie like an uncaged animal, and he delivers his lines with just the right amount of dripping disdain for all human life. He is one perpetually pissed-off dude, and that makes for moments both badass and hilarious. Statham is totally game for everything this movie throws at him. So is Amy Smart for that matter. I mean, holy lord. Give her a medal of honor for the things she puts herself through in this movie. Everyone else in the movie similarly brings their B-movie best. But give Statham all the credit in the world - he totally gets how to walk the line in these movies, and manages to be both badass and in on the joke.
Again, it's a fine line. Sometimes I was loving the sheer craziness of this movie, and sometimes you have to wonder if a certain line of decency has indeed been crossed.
That said, Crank 2 is an insanely good time, emphasis on *insane*. The movie is nonstop energy, balls to the wall action, and subversive and perverse humor all rolled into one. And like I said, it's friggin' off-it's-rocker, delving into the sublimely surreal on more than one occasion, to the point where you're not sure if you've just been transported into some crazy alternaverse that is powered solely by the laws of videogame logic. In any case, you'd be ready to put in another quarter if necessary. Crank 2 is Crank 1 on acid. Yikes.
My Grade: B+
- Alright, I'll have some TV reviews and more coming up soon. Until then, get cranked, yo'.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Adventures in Blogging: ADVENTURELAND Review + April Foolishness, The Simpsons, and MORE!
Back from a jam-packed weekend, with lots to talk about. On Friday, I was lucky enough to attend the KROQ April Foolishness show at the Gibson Ampitheater at Universal Citywalk - featuring an insane line-up of top-shelf comedians. Saturday, I journeyed down to Culver City to celebrate the birthday of one of my Birthright Israel peeps, Ron D., and had a really fun night. Sunday, I took in a showing of ADVENTURELAND, which I will review right here, in this very post. And tomorrow, I'm blowing this popsicle stand and flying to Bloomfield by-god Connecticut for a couple days of family funtime and Passover seder-ing. That's right, I'm going East Coast from Tuesday to Sunday.
Back to the KROQ April Foolishness show for a minute - wow, what an epic night of comedy! The lineup was simply off the chain. Let me recap:
- The show started off with a montage of KROQ comedy clips featured on the Kevin and Bean morning radio show, as well as special shout-outs and pre-packaged sketches from the likes of Bob Saget, Tenacious D, Joel McHale, and more. Good stuff.
- JIMMY KIMMEL did a quasi talk-show segment, talking wiht Kevin and Bean and recalling his days as a sports guy for their show. We also got a surprise appearance from ADAM CAROLLA, doing one of his old characters from his own time as a K&B contributor.
- The first official standup act of the night was RAY ROMANO. I've never been a huge fan of his, but I must admit that Romano had some good material, even if his go-to topics of fatherhood and married life may not have been the best fit for the audience at the show. Still, not bad at all.
- The Office's CRAIG ROBINSON was up next and tore the house down, doing a set that saw the audience singing along with Robinson as he performed a random medley of hilarious tunes on his keyboard. Robinson's manic delivery and hilarious facial expressions were awesome, and he had the theater rocking.
- One of my favorites from the good ol' days of Saturday Night Live, KEVIN NEALON, was up next, and he started off a bit shaky. But ... Nealon ended with an absolutely classic bit that may be, in retrospect, my favorite material from the show. Suffice it to say, Nealon's story about reviewing porn movies for Playboy magazine was comedic gold.
- SARAH SILVERMAN took the stage and her set was vintage Sarah Silverman - that unique blend of sweet and innocent with foul-mouthed and filthy that has been her stock and trade. There was some really great material here, although the most memorable moments of Sarah's set came when she called out a heckler in the crowd, looking visibly irritated, and reminding everyone that she is probably the last person you want to annoy. In any case, Silverman had some great bits and it was awesome seeing her live and in person.
- The last time I saw him in person, he was hosting the Saturn Awards ... so this was actually my second time seeing JEFF ROSS do live comedy. The Roastmaster was in rare form, firing off jokes one after another, and even bringing Craig Robinson back out to play piano as Ross recited a couple of poems (yes, poems - but with a Jeff Ross twist, of course).
- It took me a while to warm up to him, but eventually JOE ROGAN won me over with his over the top, animated style and hilarious anecdotes. His extended bit about how tigers are dangerous monsters that we should live in fear of was funny as hell, and he had the crowd roaring in laughter.
- Finally, PATTON OSWALT closed out the show with a pretty decent set. I recognized a bunch of the jokes from Oswalt's most recent talk-show appearances, but he still had a couple of great lines. Plus, you've got to give props to the sheer geekiness of Oswalt - who else could so nonchalantly work in jokes referencing Snake Plissken and Blade Runner into his routine?
- Overall, like I said, it was an epic night of comedy, and it was awesome to see so many big-name comedians at a single show. Many if not all of the featured performers could have headlined their own sold-out show, so it was an undeniable treat to see them all at one time, in one place.
TV STUFF:
- Speaking of comedy, last night's episode of THE SIMPSONS was pretty interesting. One one level, this one had the makings of a great episode - it was very character-centric ep, featured Moe the bartender in a central role, and felt pretty old-school in terms of style and structure. The storyline, featuring Moe's foray into online dating leading to a newfound romance with a "little person" had a lot of potential. Ultimately though, while the set-up had a ton of promise, the resolution was far too jarring. You couldn't help but root for Moe despite his tendency to screw up, but as much as it seemed inevitable that he would eventually drop the ball, it all happened pretty suddenly. Similarly, the Homer-Maggie subplot was just kind of there and didn't have a ton of great jokes. If the humor had been really clicking here, then the resolution of the storyline wouldn't have been quite as important. But since this episode really invited you to focus in on the plot, its flaws were all the more visible. That said, I wouldn't mind if more Simpsons episodes were this character-focused - I'd rather have a decent ep with a great storyline than a trainwreck-style episode that's random and all over the place. And you know what, I really liked the final scene, so I will bump up my grade a notch.
My Grade: B+
- So it turns out I am really glad I stuck with TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, especially given that this coming Fridays' ep may be its last. Luckily, it seems that the show is intent on going out with a bang, as the last few eps have really cranked things up a notch. For one thing, this past Friday saw one of the most sudden and out-of-nowhere character deaths I've ever seen on a primetime drama. Derek's cold-blooded death at the hands of a hostile Terminator was shocking to say the least. Beyond that, the episode finally saw a convergence of John, Sarah, and Cameron with Ellison, John Henry, and Weaver, and set things up nicely for a potentially explosive finale. The biggest reveal the show has up its sleave is likely the revelation of Weaver's true agenda, so I'm excited to see how that plays out. I also really liked that this ep finally painted John Connor as a hero - seeing him save Savannah was a cheer-worthy moment, because it's one of the few times we've seen John step up and do more than just brood. In any case, this penultimate episode had high drama, great action, and the promise of big plot twists still to come. Man - what took them so long?
My Grade: A-
- Meanwhile, Thursday's SMALLVILLE was a fun installment that was a key chapter in the ongoing Davis Bloome / Doomsday storyline. And yet, in usual Smallville fashion, what could have been a really great episode gets weighed down by a large dose of cheesy melodrama. One thing that's always been pretty lame about Smallville is how the writers use shortcuts to create miscommunication and ambiguity in the characters' dialogue. I mean, Tess Mercer - she clearly knows at this point that Clark is the "Traveller", but through hamfisted dialogue the issue was danced around to no end. Otherwise, the Davis Bloom stuff was handled pretty well, but I was disappointed in the episode's non-ending. At this point, geez, just have Davis be the rampaging monster Doomsday already. Having him return to Chloe at episode's end seems to just keep his storyline in a perpetual state of limbo, a state that Smallville is all-too familiar with. The fact is, not every villain has to be a full-fledged supporting character. Having Davis around all the time makes the wait for the knock-down, drag-out smackdown with Clark that we all want to see seem like an eternity. Still, when all was said and done this was a well-done episode. As a self contained ep of Smallville, it was solid. But you have to wonder when the ultimate payoff to all of these neverending storylines will finally come.
My Grade: B
Okay, time for a movie review ...
ADVENTURELAND Review:
- This is not Superbad. Unlike director Greg Mottola's previous effort, Adventureland is much more in the vein of coming-of-age classics like Fast Times At Ridgemont Hight. It's down to earth, authentic, and has a surprising amount of dramatic heft to go along with the comedy. The characters are not just cartoons, but instead are surprisingly well-rounded. The script is smart and understated, and the direction really takes advantage of the 1980's setting to evoke a sense of nostalgia. It's a shame that Adventureland didn't perform better at the box office this past weekend, because it really is one of the best teen movies to come along in some time, and that's saying something given the many strong entries in the genre over the last few years. But the fact is, this story of a recent college grade spending his summer working at a crappy amusement park in Pittsburgh is both a tribute to the teen movies of old and a fairly unique entry in the genre.
Again, while Adventureland has some huge laughs, they are all earned thanks to great characterization. For the most part, this isn't an over-the-top, goofball comedy - think the sensibilities of Freaks & Geeks transposed to life after high school. To that end, it's funny to see so much talent associated with the "Apatow Gang" come full circle and go back to that subtler, more contemplative storytelling style.
The wall-to-wall strength of the cast really helps to pull of Motolla's vision. Jesse Eisenberg is excellent in the lead role - a slightly less geeky version of Michael Cera, Eisenberg really captures the uncertainty and weirdness of life immediately after college. And by the way, I really like the fact that this movie, while it is a coming-of-age story and one that kind of comes in the tradition of teen movies, deals with characters who are in their early twenties. For some reason, movies seem to gloss over this period and give the impression that once you're out of high school you're suddenly an uber-confident, drama-free adult (until you're in your mid-thirties, when you become a goofy man-child ...). It was almost weird seeing a twenty-something character having to deal with things like disapproving parents, but then I thought about my own life and realized that, holy crap, I was watching the most authentic post-college movie I've seen.
Back to the cast though, Eisenberg is good, but he is surrounded by a great ensemble. Say what you will about Twilight, but Kristen Stewart is undoubtedly the real deal. Her emotions and issues in Adventureland are so tangible and real-seeming that at times it can be almost hard to watch. Stewart is quickly becoming the go-to actress to play the quintissential damaged-goods-dream-girl. Suffice it to say, she's great in Adventureland, and you have to admire the fact that her character is painted with such shades of grey, and yet you really root for her.
It's so great to see Martin Starr kick ass in this movie - his best role since Freaks & Geeks. Playing a slightly older and more hipster version of Bill, Starr is all heart here and is a great counterpoint to Eisenberg's character. Whereas Eisenberg is falling in love and having this transformative moment, for Starr, it's just more of the same old crap. You don't see that a lot in movies, and here, it's sad, funny, and refreshing. On the oppossite end of the spectrum are Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig from SNL, who provide a lot of the film's biggest comedic moments. Hader in particular is awesome as the 'stache-sportin' owner of the Adventureland theme park. Ryan Reynolds is also good as the slightly older and slightly mythical park mechanic. Then again, the movie is all about looking behind the facade and really getting into these characters, so he is not quite what he seems.
The fact is though, the movie does a great job of recreating the whole summer-job vibe. As someone who spent five years as a camp counsellor, I couldn't help but smile in recognition at certain scenes in the movie.
If there's anything that I'd hold against Adventureland it's that, sometimes, the movie wallows a bit too much in its own emo-ness. But it's a tribute to the writing and cast that, like I said, the authenticity results in numerous awkward moments that feel so real and personal that they are almost hard to watch. Shades of Freaks & Geeks, for sure. But overall I really liked the vibe of this movie, from the great 80's tunes (including YET ANOTHER shout-out to Rush!) to the finely-honed mix of drama and comedy, I really got caught up in the characters and story.
So go check out Adventureland - it is certainly not the typical teen comedy - it feels personal, authentic, and it's a movie that has a lot of unexpected depth behind its humor.
My Grade: A-
Random Note: Saw JANET JACKSON at work today - she was in a meeting in the conference room that is right next to my desk!
Random Note: 24 had better kick some ass tonight.
Random Note: Cya.
Back to the KROQ April Foolishness show for a minute - wow, what an epic night of comedy! The lineup was simply off the chain. Let me recap:
- The show started off with a montage of KROQ comedy clips featured on the Kevin and Bean morning radio show, as well as special shout-outs and pre-packaged sketches from the likes of Bob Saget, Tenacious D, Joel McHale, and more. Good stuff.
- JIMMY KIMMEL did a quasi talk-show segment, talking wiht Kevin and Bean and recalling his days as a sports guy for their show. We also got a surprise appearance from ADAM CAROLLA, doing one of his old characters from his own time as a K&B contributor.
- The first official standup act of the night was RAY ROMANO. I've never been a huge fan of his, but I must admit that Romano had some good material, even if his go-to topics of fatherhood and married life may not have been the best fit for the audience at the show. Still, not bad at all.
- The Office's CRAIG ROBINSON was up next and tore the house down, doing a set that saw the audience singing along with Robinson as he performed a random medley of hilarious tunes on his keyboard. Robinson's manic delivery and hilarious facial expressions were awesome, and he had the theater rocking.
- One of my favorites from the good ol' days of Saturday Night Live, KEVIN NEALON, was up next, and he started off a bit shaky. But ... Nealon ended with an absolutely classic bit that may be, in retrospect, my favorite material from the show. Suffice it to say, Nealon's story about reviewing porn movies for Playboy magazine was comedic gold.
- SARAH SILVERMAN took the stage and her set was vintage Sarah Silverman - that unique blend of sweet and innocent with foul-mouthed and filthy that has been her stock and trade. There was some really great material here, although the most memorable moments of Sarah's set came when she called out a heckler in the crowd, looking visibly irritated, and reminding everyone that she is probably the last person you want to annoy. In any case, Silverman had some great bits and it was awesome seeing her live and in person.
- The last time I saw him in person, he was hosting the Saturn Awards ... so this was actually my second time seeing JEFF ROSS do live comedy. The Roastmaster was in rare form, firing off jokes one after another, and even bringing Craig Robinson back out to play piano as Ross recited a couple of poems (yes, poems - but with a Jeff Ross twist, of course).
- It took me a while to warm up to him, but eventually JOE ROGAN won me over with his over the top, animated style and hilarious anecdotes. His extended bit about how tigers are dangerous monsters that we should live in fear of was funny as hell, and he had the crowd roaring in laughter.
- Finally, PATTON OSWALT closed out the show with a pretty decent set. I recognized a bunch of the jokes from Oswalt's most recent talk-show appearances, but he still had a couple of great lines. Plus, you've got to give props to the sheer geekiness of Oswalt - who else could so nonchalantly work in jokes referencing Snake Plissken and Blade Runner into his routine?
- Overall, like I said, it was an epic night of comedy, and it was awesome to see so many big-name comedians at a single show. Many if not all of the featured performers could have headlined their own sold-out show, so it was an undeniable treat to see them all at one time, in one place.
TV STUFF:
- Speaking of comedy, last night's episode of THE SIMPSONS was pretty interesting. One one level, this one had the makings of a great episode - it was very character-centric ep, featured Moe the bartender in a central role, and felt pretty old-school in terms of style and structure. The storyline, featuring Moe's foray into online dating leading to a newfound romance with a "little person" had a lot of potential. Ultimately though, while the set-up had a ton of promise, the resolution was far too jarring. You couldn't help but root for Moe despite his tendency to screw up, but as much as it seemed inevitable that he would eventually drop the ball, it all happened pretty suddenly. Similarly, the Homer-Maggie subplot was just kind of there and didn't have a ton of great jokes. If the humor had been really clicking here, then the resolution of the storyline wouldn't have been quite as important. But since this episode really invited you to focus in on the plot, its flaws were all the more visible. That said, I wouldn't mind if more Simpsons episodes were this character-focused - I'd rather have a decent ep with a great storyline than a trainwreck-style episode that's random and all over the place. And you know what, I really liked the final scene, so I will bump up my grade a notch.
My Grade: B+
- So it turns out I am really glad I stuck with TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, especially given that this coming Fridays' ep may be its last. Luckily, it seems that the show is intent on going out with a bang, as the last few eps have really cranked things up a notch. For one thing, this past Friday saw one of the most sudden and out-of-nowhere character deaths I've ever seen on a primetime drama. Derek's cold-blooded death at the hands of a hostile Terminator was shocking to say the least. Beyond that, the episode finally saw a convergence of John, Sarah, and Cameron with Ellison, John Henry, and Weaver, and set things up nicely for a potentially explosive finale. The biggest reveal the show has up its sleave is likely the revelation of Weaver's true agenda, so I'm excited to see how that plays out. I also really liked that this ep finally painted John Connor as a hero - seeing him save Savannah was a cheer-worthy moment, because it's one of the few times we've seen John step up and do more than just brood. In any case, this penultimate episode had high drama, great action, and the promise of big plot twists still to come. Man - what took them so long?
My Grade: A-
- Meanwhile, Thursday's SMALLVILLE was a fun installment that was a key chapter in the ongoing Davis Bloome / Doomsday storyline. And yet, in usual Smallville fashion, what could have been a really great episode gets weighed down by a large dose of cheesy melodrama. One thing that's always been pretty lame about Smallville is how the writers use shortcuts to create miscommunication and ambiguity in the characters' dialogue. I mean, Tess Mercer - she clearly knows at this point that Clark is the "Traveller", but through hamfisted dialogue the issue was danced around to no end. Otherwise, the Davis Bloom stuff was handled pretty well, but I was disappointed in the episode's non-ending. At this point, geez, just have Davis be the rampaging monster Doomsday already. Having him return to Chloe at episode's end seems to just keep his storyline in a perpetual state of limbo, a state that Smallville is all-too familiar with. The fact is, not every villain has to be a full-fledged supporting character. Having Davis around all the time makes the wait for the knock-down, drag-out smackdown with Clark that we all want to see seem like an eternity. Still, when all was said and done this was a well-done episode. As a self contained ep of Smallville, it was solid. But you have to wonder when the ultimate payoff to all of these neverending storylines will finally come.
My Grade: B
Okay, time for a movie review ...
ADVENTURELAND Review:
- This is not Superbad. Unlike director Greg Mottola's previous effort, Adventureland is much more in the vein of coming-of-age classics like Fast Times At Ridgemont Hight. It's down to earth, authentic, and has a surprising amount of dramatic heft to go along with the comedy. The characters are not just cartoons, but instead are surprisingly well-rounded. The script is smart and understated, and the direction really takes advantage of the 1980's setting to evoke a sense of nostalgia. It's a shame that Adventureland didn't perform better at the box office this past weekend, because it really is one of the best teen movies to come along in some time, and that's saying something given the many strong entries in the genre over the last few years. But the fact is, this story of a recent college grade spending his summer working at a crappy amusement park in Pittsburgh is both a tribute to the teen movies of old and a fairly unique entry in the genre.
Again, while Adventureland has some huge laughs, they are all earned thanks to great characterization. For the most part, this isn't an over-the-top, goofball comedy - think the sensibilities of Freaks & Geeks transposed to life after high school. To that end, it's funny to see so much talent associated with the "Apatow Gang" come full circle and go back to that subtler, more contemplative storytelling style.
The wall-to-wall strength of the cast really helps to pull of Motolla's vision. Jesse Eisenberg is excellent in the lead role - a slightly less geeky version of Michael Cera, Eisenberg really captures the uncertainty and weirdness of life immediately after college. And by the way, I really like the fact that this movie, while it is a coming-of-age story and one that kind of comes in the tradition of teen movies, deals with characters who are in their early twenties. For some reason, movies seem to gloss over this period and give the impression that once you're out of high school you're suddenly an uber-confident, drama-free adult (until you're in your mid-thirties, when you become a goofy man-child ...). It was almost weird seeing a twenty-something character having to deal with things like disapproving parents, but then I thought about my own life and realized that, holy crap, I was watching the most authentic post-college movie I've seen.
Back to the cast though, Eisenberg is good, but he is surrounded by a great ensemble. Say what you will about Twilight, but Kristen Stewart is undoubtedly the real deal. Her emotions and issues in Adventureland are so tangible and real-seeming that at times it can be almost hard to watch. Stewart is quickly becoming the go-to actress to play the quintissential damaged-goods-dream-girl. Suffice it to say, she's great in Adventureland, and you have to admire the fact that her character is painted with such shades of grey, and yet you really root for her.
It's so great to see Martin Starr kick ass in this movie - his best role since Freaks & Geeks. Playing a slightly older and more hipster version of Bill, Starr is all heart here and is a great counterpoint to Eisenberg's character. Whereas Eisenberg is falling in love and having this transformative moment, for Starr, it's just more of the same old crap. You don't see that a lot in movies, and here, it's sad, funny, and refreshing. On the oppossite end of the spectrum are Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig from SNL, who provide a lot of the film's biggest comedic moments. Hader in particular is awesome as the 'stache-sportin' owner of the Adventureland theme park. Ryan Reynolds is also good as the slightly older and slightly mythical park mechanic. Then again, the movie is all about looking behind the facade and really getting into these characters, so he is not quite what he seems.
The fact is though, the movie does a great job of recreating the whole summer-job vibe. As someone who spent five years as a camp counsellor, I couldn't help but smile in recognition at certain scenes in the movie.
If there's anything that I'd hold against Adventureland it's that, sometimes, the movie wallows a bit too much in its own emo-ness. But it's a tribute to the writing and cast that, like I said, the authenticity results in numerous awkward moments that feel so real and personal that they are almost hard to watch. Shades of Freaks & Geeks, for sure. But overall I really liked the vibe of this movie, from the great 80's tunes (including YET ANOTHER shout-out to Rush!) to the finely-honed mix of drama and comedy, I really got caught up in the characters and story.
So go check out Adventureland - it is certainly not the typical teen comedy - it feels personal, authentic, and it's a movie that has a lot of unexpected depth behind its humor.
My Grade: A-
Random Note: Saw JANET JACKSON at work today - she was in a meeting in the conference room that is right next to my desk!
Random Note: 24 had better kick some ass tonight.
Random Note: Cya.
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