The Peoples Critic

Movie Review: The Dark Knight

2008-08-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

I listed The Dark Knight #1 on my list of 10 Movies To See This Summer. I predicted it would be the “biggest baddest movie of the summer”. I was wrong! It’s possibly the biggest baddest movie of the year (and it’s only July). I was torn between The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia. I think I made the right choice. The Dark Knight delivers with some good action, plus great acting from the film’s stars.

The Dark Knight begins with a different Gotham than the one we last saw in Batman Begins. The Batman has Gotham’s underworld running scared. He’s also inspired a few copycat Batmans in the process.

The city is soon shaken by the rise of a new criminal named The Joker. With the Joker terrorizing the citizens of Gotham, Batman teams up with lieutenant Gordon and DA Harvey Dent to help bring this madman to justice. Batman has to reach into his dark side to catch the maniac before he tears Gotham apart.

Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Bale is captivating as Bruce Wayne. He breathed new life into the franchise a few years ago. Surprisingly he is very believable as he’s seen exiting the helicopter with three beautiful women. He’s also able to play a darker Batman than we are used to seeing. The great performance from the late Heath Ledger may overshadow the magnificent job Bale did in this film.

When something is new, we are sometimes quick to label it “the best ever” or “all-time greatest” forgetting the work that preceded it. I will say that this Joker may be the best we’ve ever seen. Like most people I was skeptical of this role simply because Jack Nicholson played an unforgettable Joker in Batman
Ledger turned in one of the great performances that I can remember. His role as The Joker may become a benchmark for all movie villains. It wasn’t just the smeared make-up that made him crazy. It was how he constantly licked his lips, that sinister laugh, how he touched his scars, plus the sadistic rational for why he did what he did. I read one review that described him as a “homicidal comedian”. I think that’s pretty accurate.

The other great performance was from Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face. Eckhart plays Gotham’s White Knight, the type of hero that a city really needs. He displayed an approach to fighting crime the straddle the fence between fearless and insanity. You start to see more of the insanity when Dent turns into Two-Face. I get the feeling that he may have a few mental illness. Just a thought. Eckhart’s roughed choir boy look was perfect for both roles.

This movie so likeable because it’s not just a good comic book movie but a good film. At no point did I feel like I was watching a superhero movie. It’s the same formula that made this summer’s other hit Iron Man big at the box office. The latest batch of comic book adaptations have been as much character driven as they have been action packed. You may start to see more A-List actors sign on for these movies in the future.

My suggestion: Movie of the Year! I loved it. You will be glad you waited in line forever to see this film. It doesn’t matter if you are fan of the comics or even a fan of Batman. The Dark Knight is a film that all movie buffs will like. Great story, great characters, and a few laughs sprinkled in as well. If there was one movie to go see this year it would be The Dark Knight. If you can get to the IMAX, I would highly recommend it. I’m already anticipating the next movie.

Why I Hate Superman

2008-07-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

I grew up like most guys my age, loving comic book heroes. One hero I didn't like was Superman. Here are a few reasons why:

1. The Man of Steel is way too easy on these criminals. Some would say he has a strong moral compass; I would call him a punk. Why does Lex Luthor keep getting out of prison over and over again? He should be serving triple life sentences for the stunts he's pulled. I think he wants to feel needed because he doesn't have a home. Not being hard on the criminals may be a way for him to stick around. If it was Batman he would have iced Lex in a back alley somewhere in Metropolis. Way to be a softy Superman.

2. In Superman II he gives up his powers for Lois Lane. This is probably one of the most disturbing turn of events in superhero history. If I remember correctly Lois is in love with Superman. If you give up your powers you are just Clark Kent and no longer Superman. She thinks Clark is a buffoon. Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, but he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. That scene when they fly to the Fortress of Solitude to give up his powers. How did they get back? What kind of hero are you if you are always willing to give up that responsibility? That's like giving up your millions to be with a woman who is only with you because you are a millionaire. You aren't a real hero Superman; you are just using your powers to pick up chicks. I'm done doing your dance. Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu suck!

3. He's an alien. I don't care if you grew up in Smallville. You're from Krypton and we don't want your kind here. Not to mention he mocks us by portraying Clark Kent as an idiot. There is a nice monologue on this in Kill Bill 2. So that's what you think of us Superman? A race of people who always seem to be messing something up. I'll take that as a slap in the face and kindly ask you to leave our planet now.

4. He has a split personality. Call it a secret identity if you want. He obviously struggles with his identity and sense of self (See #9). I could give you the whole "Superman never knew his dad speech" but that would be bailing him out. I think it's hard for him to go from bumbling idiot to hero in 4.5 seconds. We've seen the two personalities mix. He may crush a coffee cup or put a dent in a car as Clark Kent. I don't want to be on that plane that's crashing as Superman morphs back into Clark Kent, fumbling the plane at the last second. I don't trust people who don't know who they are. What if he gets homesick and decides to blow this planet up too? Pick an identity Superman, the world is waiting.

5. He's almost impossible to beat. Super speed, super breath, super strength, he can fly, faster than the speed of sound, the list just goes on. The only thing that can beat him is kryptonite. Cool! Where do I sign up to get one? Oh the planet it comes from no longer exists! What the hell! That's Super-lame. The only shot any of us have at beating him is a rare rock that is probably light years away. Why not just make him God and call it a day. If you ask me it seems like his real weakness is women. If they made a woman out of kryptonite it would be lights out for him.

6. No sense of style. Batman has style, Flash has style, and even Aquaman has some style. Superman is completely boring. He's boring as Clark and even more of a bore as Superman. Not to mention his costume sucks! He rocks tights, cape, and that stupid curl that looks like he spent too much time under the dryer at Gene Juarez. If I was Superman I would wear all kind of different color suits. I'd have the craziest color combinations. There is no reason why he shouldn't look good. I'd throw a Gucci suit in there just to be fashionable. I'd ditch the cape and wear an iced out 'S' on my chest. I think that would be a much better look for him.

Movie Review: Wanted

2008-07-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

Have you ever watched a movie that was so over-the-top you couldn’t believe it. Not like the 1980’s Stallone flick where he arm wrestles for custody of his son. I mean more like insane action sequences, unforgiveable violence, plus language that would make a sailor blush. If you like all of those elements, Wanted may be right up your alley.

Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a account manager who is unhappy working a dead end job, headed towards a dead end in his life. Wesley is approached by Fox (Angelina Jolie) who tells him his father was part of an elite team of Assassins known as The Fraternity.

Wesley is introduced to the leader of the Fraternity, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) who informs him that he’s been recruited to assassinate Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), the man who killed his father . Our hero also meets the other colorful members of The Fraternity played by Common, Marc Warren, and Dato Bakhtadze. Each member providing Wesley training in their own specific field to help prepare him for his showdown with Cross.

At first James McAvoy is hard to believe as a hero, but believable as the guy who hates his life.
As the movie progresses he grows into the hero role. Some of the incredible action sequences help enhance that image. By the end of the film I found him more likeable than I did annoying. It’s easy to cheer for the underdog.

I loved Angelina Jolie in this film. One of the things I like about her is that she has the unique ability to look very attractive yet still pull off that tough girl persona all in the same scene. I never thought I could be attracted to a woman and deathly afraid of her all within 30 seconds. I don’t know whether to be happy for Brad Pitt or scared for him. Who else would you cast in a role as a female assassin? I spent the last five minutes trying to think of someone and I’m drawing a blank.

I watched a commercial for Wanted and my parents decided they were going to see this movie because Morgan Freeman was in it. How could I tell them this wasn’t Driving Miss Daisy with guns? I advised them to let me see it first. They aren’t fond of violence in movies. They would have walked out around the 17 minute mark of this film. Wanted is not for the faint of heart. It is violent with some strong language as well.

My suggestion: If you like action, violence, language, some brief nudity from Angelina Jolie, it is a must see for the summer. It doesn’t have the greatest plot or the coolest storyline. The movie is not without it’s funny moments or great one-liners. The action, fight scenes, and dialogue should keep you entertained for the whole film. There are some original action sequences in the film that will definitely have you buzzing in the theater. I wouldn’t say it’s the best movie I’ve seen this year. Just a nice fun/entertaining movie to see for the summer.

BET Awards 2008

2008-06-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

It’s time for another installment of the BET Awards. I invited my friend C-Ra over and thought it would be a great idea to do a running diary of this year’s show. Here we go………

The always entertaining Usher opens the show with his hit Love in This Club. I’m not a gambling man but I bet he’s lip-synching. If not he’s the only guy I know who can do consecutive back flips without losing his breath. Decent performance. What you would expect from Usher

DL Hughely is hosting this year’s show. His monologue is not that funny. I have no idea why his jokes didn’t hit…..oh wait they weren’t funny.

Wow a new season of Hell Date. Didn’t know the first one ended.

Young Jeezy performs. I like this track. Looks like Kanye forgot his words. I’m sure he’ll blame BET for it after the show is over. BET is real heavy on the censors this year. Way too many bleeps for this performance. I feel like I’m listening to an Emergency Broadcast.

It’s the best athlete performance. Surprisingly there are no white athletes on the list. Kobe Bryant wins the award this year. C-Ra comments that “he basically won best black athlete.”

How did Keisha Cole’s family get on TV? After they went of screen our exchange went something like this:
C-Ra: HA! Have you seen this show?
Me: Nope
C-Ra: Her mom is a TRAIN WRECK!

Keisha Cole and her new teeth perform. Nice voice! She can really sing. WOW! You gotta love the tear-away dress that turns into an all white cat suit. The crowd seems to really love Lil Kim. Looks like prison has done her some good. I assume there was nothing to do but sit-ups. What happened to her face? I think I’m officially scared of her.

Is it me or is Cuba Gooding Jr. higher than these gas prices. I think he has morphed into Rod Tidwell. I’m waiting for him to say, “Show me the money.”

Ne-Yo is suited up for his performance. It reminds of an old MJ routine. Nice set from Ne-Yo. He’s one of the R&B cats that I really enjoy. He always puts on a show.

LL hasn’t aged a bit. The guy is in ridiculous shape to be 65. I keep waiting to look up and he’s going to be old and flabby. Not sure that’s going to happen. Would anyone be surprised if his name popped up in the BALCO investigation?

Alicia Keys performs with a live band. Good set so far. Kicks it up a notch with an SWV cameo. Whoa! Here comes En Vogue! I know my dad is at home saying, “They still got it!!” If she brings out Xscape, I’m going home. I spoke too soon; TLC comes out and performs Waterfalls. Looks like Chili is drinking from the same fountain of youth that LL is. Nice set from Alicia Keys. The best performance of the night by far.

Best Male Hip Hop goes to Kanye West. He had to win something or he was going to spaz out at the after party. Nice gesture for him to bring Wayne on stage. I loved Kanye’s speech. He’s such an underdog and everybody wants to hold him down. Maybe that’s why he wins all those Grammy’s. (I think they’ve showed Lil Wayne about 50 times tonight. I feel like I’m watching a Lil Wayne reality show)

The Hilarious outfit of the night award goes to T-Pain. His “iced out top hat” his taller than me. Why does he look like the black Mad Hatter? I’m not sure I want to take my kids to his circus. Here comes Flo-Rida in a black tank top and jeans. C-Ra says he thinks that’s the only outfit Flo-Rida owns. Maybe he got a bad record deal, who knows. Here comes Rick Ross with no shirt on! He’s the anti LL Cool J. Let me get this right: BET will censor whatever Kanye was saying but they won’t censor Rick Ross and his man boobs? They should have had one of those parental advisory warnings, “What you are about to see is graphic and may disturb viewers under the age of 14.” I starting to think I should have waited to eat. They perform I’m So Hood Remix. Nice appearance from Ludacris. I’m not a huge fan, but not a bad set from T-Pain. They all put on a nice show.

Video of the Year goes to UGK and Outkast for Playas Anthem. It’s actually a very good video. I’m surprised it won. Real emotional speech from Bun B……….. RIP Pimp C

Here comes the Gospel portion of the show. One performance is not even 10%. This Marvin Sapp performance is not going to save you from the lake of fire BET.

Chris Brown puts on a show. I feel like I’m too old to like him. Nice cameo from Ciara gets C-Ra to sit up in his seat. Am I too old to like her too? It’s been a good show. So far the performances have been on point.

I think everyone and there mom has given Lil Wayne a shout out. Are they filming a DVD about his life?

T-Pain’s slow motion walking is comedy. Me and C-Ra joke that he wouldn’t pass a drug test right now. I’d bet my life on it.

Very nice tribute to Al Green. Jill Scott comes on stage and rips it, followed by Anthony Hamilton. That guy sounds just like Al Green. It must be the Apocalypse because Maxwell just hit the stage. I’m going to church immediately after the show is over. I hope he’s somewhere secretly working on an album. Everyone seems to love Al Green’s set. He is still a showman.

Lil Wayne wins his first award of the night. Somehow he managed to bring his whole family on stage.

Another performance at an award show from Rhianna. She looks like she dressed for the future. No dancers and no frills. Nice set from Rhianna as well.

Where has Nelly been? My first guess would be the gym. Cornelius is actually a good performer. I had no idea there was a, “Stepped on my J’s” dance. Ciara shows up again. I think C-ra’s head is going to explode. Yet another good performance. I must be dreaming.

My mom may read this, so no comment on Lauren London. I just think she should have her own TV channel.

Good to see Alicia Keys win. She has a really good album. Nice acceptance speech for her. She dedicated the award to everyone except me.

There have been a ton of shout outs for Obama. I think everyone in attendance is voting for him in November. I wonder if McCain gets that kind of love at the CMA’s.

T-Pain in another hat. Now he’s a mad scientist. Wayne hits the stage to lackluster applause. Maybe people are tired of Lollipop. I’m shocked they let Wayne say “lick me like a lollipop” on TV. I think the censors missed that one. Once A-Milli hit the crowd seems into his performance or it could be the fact that T-Pain tossed his hat. Nice performance from Wayne to end the show.

Good show from the folks over at BET. The award show has come a long way. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Some really good performances on this year show. I almost wish I was there. Looks like a lot people stepped their game up. Hopefully they can come with the same energy next year.

Movie Review: Get Smart

2008-06-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

Recently we’ve seen a lot of old TV show’s remade for the big screen. Unfortunately not all of them have been a success. For every Star Trek there is a S.W.A.T. This summer we’ve already seen Speed Racer crash after one lap around the track. X-Files is slated to take a second crack at the big screen later this summer. Get Smart is a good movie, but not so true to the TV show.

Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is Agent 86, one of CONTROLS best analyst. After CONTROL is attacked by KAOS most of the field agents have been compromised. With little man power to fight Agent 86 is forced out into the field and teams up with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to take down KAOS.

Get Smart was surprisingly funny and full of action. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. Steve Carell was great as Agent 86. Clueless yet smart. His character just seems to be a tad bit socially awkward. Luckily 86 wasn’t a complete dork. He actually does some good fighting in the movie.

Anne Hathaway does a wonderful job as Agent 99. She’s definitely a lot younger looking than Barbra Feldon who was 99 on the TV show. Hathaway added a little more sex appeal to the role and still managed to pull off the fight scenes.

What I enjoyed most about the film was the supporting cast. Dwayne Johnson (looks like he officially dropped “The Rock” from his name) plays Agent 23. He is his usual charismatic self in the film. I’m surprised that he’s turned into a fairly decent actor. I’m going to start a campaign to have him play Bizzaro in the new Superman movie.

Terry Crews and David Koechner play the bullies of CONTROL. They two of them only have a few scenes in the movie, but those scenes have some laugh out loud moments. Crews is great at supporting roles in a comedy.

Masi Oka and Nate Torrence star as the geeks of CONTROL. Both of them seem excited to see Agent 86 out in the field.

My suggestion: Get Smart is a funny movie. Not the funniest movie I’ve seen all year, but worth going to see. The movie is a nice mix of both action and comedy. What I would like to call a nice, clean, family comedy. It’s hard to find comedies that my mom will sit through. This is definitely one of them. If you are going to see Get Smart the TV show, stay home because you aren’t going to get it.

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Marvel has done it again. Early this summer it was the surprise hit Iron Man. The good folks over at Marvel followed up with another installment of The Incredible Hulk. A lot of people, including myself, were skeptical of this film because of the last failed attempt at this franchise. This Incredible Hulk is nothing like what we saw in 2003.

The movie opens as Bruce Banner (Edward Norton)a fugitive on the run who is living in Brazil, hiding from who he is, and trying to find a cure. Banner is quickly spotted by General Ross (William Hurt) and is on the run again. With no cure in sight Banner returns home to find some answers.

This movie reminds me of the old TV show that I loved so much. There are only going to be a few scenes with The Hulk. It was important that whoever played Bruce Banner could carry the film. I’ve been a huge fan of Edward Norton since Primal Fear and American History X. In this film Norton does such a great job of playing someone who does not want to be the Hulk. A man who is not happy with what he’s become and wants to find answers. Because of the Hulk he has to isolate himself from other people. You get the sense that he’s not sure he can control the monster within.

One of the great performances of the movie is Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky. An old soldier who wants who is obsessed with the power the Hulk possesses. His obsession with this power only grows stronger as the movie goes on. Blonsky reminded of the steroid issues in our sports today. A person who is past their prime who will inject themselves with anything for the opportunity to “win”.

My suggestion: Go see the Hulk. I don’t think this movie disappoints at all. If you are a fan of the comic book, it is a must see. I enjoyed every minute of it. Good script, great action and even a few laughs to keep the movie going. I loved what I saw out of this movie and I hope to see more. Not to mention there is a cameo at the end of the movie that had the whole theater buzzing. Can’t wait to see what Marvel does next.

Missing: Have you seen this man?

2008-06-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that I love Eddie Murphy. I grew up watching him on SNL and have enjoyed a lot of his work. I just wonder if that is really Eddie in all of those bad films. If so, he has the strange ability be involved in really great movies (see Coming to America, 48 Hours, Training Places, The Nutty Professor) and really bad ones. Here is a list of some of Eddie’s worst movies:

Beverly Hills Cop 3 (1994)

Axel Foley is on the trail to find who shot his boss. He stumbles upon a counterfeit money ring run out of a theme park called Wonder World.

This is one of those films I refuse to discuss. As a fan of the first to movies, Beverly Hills Cop 3 really upset me. This movie is a lot like Rocky V, if it wasn’t for the IMDB page, people would have no idea those movies were even made. What was he thinking making this movie? Did they pitch it as 48 Hours meets National Lampoon’s Vacation? He may have secretly been forced to make this movie. In this movie I swear he looked about as comfortable as those guys when they realize they are on Dateline’s To Catch a Predator. The poster in front of the roller coaster says enough.

Norbit (2007)

For some reason everyone I know has seen this film. Maybe they were attracted to see Eddie Murphy in a fat suit again. In this film Eddie stars as Norbit, a mild-mannered man who is trapped in a terrible relationship. He meets the girl of his dreams and tries to find ways to be with her.

Not sure how this movie missed the mark. There are a lot of talented people casted for this movie. For some reason they just couldn’t pull it together. I can see producers sitting around the table and saying, “I got it! Let’s put Eddie Murphy in a fat suit again.” This could easily be Eddie Murphy’s worst movie. The buzz around Oscar time was that this performance may cost him his Academy Award. It’s kind of ironic that one of the funniest comedians we’ve ever had is nominated for an Oscar, but loses because he has a terrible comedy come out the same year. Sounds like the plot for Eddie’s next crappy movie.

Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

Murphy stars at Maximillian, a vampire who goes to Brooklyn to find a half vampire daughter.

Let’s see this movie is not funny, not scary, and barely entertaining. I didn’t want to see a 90’s version of Blacula. This movie is great if somehow you enjoy bad vampire movies. Vampire in Brooklyn is one of those movies that is so bad, you have to watch it. Eddie did show he could be good at playing a villain. Kudos to Eddie for trying something new, it’s just too bad I’ll never get those 2 hours of my life back.

The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

The O.J Simpson You-Should-Quit-While-You’re-Ahead award goes to Pluto Nash. Murphy stars as nightclub owner Pluto Nash who, despite pressure from the mob, is trying to keep his club open in space.

Why did I see this movie? Two reasons: Rosario Dawson. Not even her beautiful smile could save this film. Mobsters in space? Really? It’s no wonder this movie was highly unsuccessful. What is surprising is that the films budget was estimated at $100 million (yes Dr. Evil $100 million) with a marketing cost of $20 million. According to Wikipedia as of 2008 this is the sixth-largest financial loss of any film ever made. I would hate to have my name attached to that project. I’m almost certain somebody lost their job behind this movie. I was recently roasted ay my birthday party. One of my good friends who lives out of town sent in a list of things she remembers about me. #10 on the list: Taking me to see Pluto Nash. This movie still haunts me today.

Holy Man (1998)

Eddie plays a man who is in search of enlightenment. During his journey he decides to help a man save his job.

Why make this movie? Was Murphy close to being an insurance salesman so he desperately needed money? I swear he spent 90% of the movie smiling like a crazed mental patient. I’ll stick by my theory that he signed on thinking Holy Man was a movie where he would be playing Jesus. At the last minute they change the script, but he had a legal obligation to make this movie. There is no other logical explanation for him to be attached to this film.

Showtime (2002)

You would think that Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy would be a sure hit. Not so much. When you look this movie up on IMDB one of the keywords is “Box Office Flop”. In Showtime, Murphy stars as Officer Sellars. After botching an investigation and shooting a camera the LAPD decided to let this reality TV show follow Sellars and Mitch (DeNiro) around filming what life is like for the LAPD.

Not only is the concept of this film utterly ridiculous, there is zero chemistry between the two stars. Eddie Murphy looked like he was being held hostage, and DeNiro had about as much joy on his face as Hilary Clinton did when she congratulated Barack. I know it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to work with legendary actor Robert DeNiro but maybe Eddie should have thought twice about this buddy cop movie. At least we still have 48 Hrs.

Dr. Dolitte 2 (2001)

Murphy returns at Dr. John Dolittle. This time he’s playing matchmaker for a Circus Bear.

Do you realize he spent all day working with animals, and talking to himself? There has to be footage somewhere of him sitting in his trailer depressed. What gives me a headache about this movie is that it was completely unnecessary. He played the worst movie doctor since Dr. Giggles. I hope a lot of kids loved this movie because I know a lot of people who didn’t.

Bowfinger (1999)

Eddie plays Kit and Jiff Ramsey. A struggling producer makes a movie for Kit. When he’s unable to cast Kit in the film, he cast his not so cool brother Jiff so he can secretly film the movie without Kit’s knowledge.

The movie never gets funny. It’s incredibly painful to watch. Mentioning this movie to Eddie may result in a fight. I saw this movie in Canada and it was beyond terrible. I remember thinking, “Maybe Canada gets different versions of movies. These Canadians are funny! There is no way Eddie Murphy would make this movie in America.” I almost asked for my toonies back. When I returned to the states I realized what I saw was the American version of Bowfinger. If I was Eddie I would use some of that Shrek money to buy the rights to Bowfinger and quickly destroy every existing copy. It only makes sense.

Movie Review: Sex and the City

2008-06-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

There is good news and bad news for all male moviegoers.

The good news? There is less than two months until The Dark Knight opens in theaters.

The bad news? It looks like we will be hearing about Sex and the City until then.

The movie starts right where the show left off, following the lives of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) around New York City.

The movie picks up pace rather quickly as Big (Christopher Noth) and Carrie are set to be married. This would be the perfect ending for everyone’s favorite couple. Of course there is some drama that surrounds their pending nuptials. What would Sex and the City be without its drama? Miranda and Steve (David Eigenberg) have a few issues to work out, as well as Samantha dealing with her life adjustment and boyfriend Smith (Jason Lewis).

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the show. I watched the first 2-3 seasons religiously, but found myself bored soon after that. With that said, the movie was surprisingly entertaining and well written. Some of the really tense moments in the film really pull you in and allow you to feel for the characters involved. The funny moments are well placed so you won’t feel like you are watching some serious drama.

Kristin Davis was great as Charlotte. She helped keep the movie light and fun for those of us who were not going to cry our eyes out. Jennifer Hudson plays Louise, Carrie’s assistant, adding some humor and a fresh face to the cast. Louise seems fit right in.

In the tradition of the show, there are some good scenes with the four women discussing their views on relationships. As a man I find these scenes very interesting. Do women really talk like that?

One of the glaring questions I had was, for the male characters in the movie: Where are their guy friends? I know the show doesn’t revolve around the men, but I didn’t see any groomsmen with Big. When I brought this up to my female friends they say “we’ll that’s just how he is” or “he’s always been a loner.” What successful guy has no male friends? The only guy I can think of is Michael Jackson. That’s really not good company for Big to be in.

I wonder if an Entourage movie would be just as entertaining.

My suggestion: If you are a fan of the show, you’d be a fool not to watch this movie. It’s a must see for all Sex and the City fans. Without giving away too much of the movie, I’d compare it to the Lakers making it through the playoffs and then I decide not to watch the NBA Finals. It’s entertaining and has a lot of good points in the movie. There is some nudity and some sex in the movie. If you are offended by that I’d wait for the edited version on TNT. The movie may spark some good conversation. I had a discussion with Ms. LA last night about different points in the movie. She was surprised we agreed on a major point in the movie. I’m not surprised at all; she’s a believer in love. I think most people will enjoy this movie. The film will at least provide you with some fun conversation with your friends at happy hour.

Exclusive Clip: The Fist Foot Way

2008-05-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Is this film box office competition for Sex In The City?

The Fist Foot Way is a comedy about a martial arts instructor whose life collapses after he finds out his wife is having an affair. This sends the our hero Simmons on a journey to find himself by battling undefeated champ Chuck “The Truck” Wallace. This clip is funny enough to make me go see it. In theaters May 30th.

Hollywood's Best Bet

2008-05-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep-The Gambler, Kenny Rogers

With a lack of originality in much of Hollywood’s stories, there has been a major push towards reality television. What’s ironic is that the best original story Hollywood could have come up with is a reality for the NBA.

A gambling addict turned NBA ref fixes over 100 games. Just when we think it is a dead issue he blows the lid off the story by saying that other officials, coaches, and players were involved.
What studio is going to pass on that script? Think The Departed meets Hoosiers or Donnie Brasco meets White Shadow.

The 42 year old veteran referee plead guilty last summer to felony charges that involved taking cash payoffs and betting on games he officiated. He faces up to 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

The story sounds straight forward enough. Here a few points that may make this a more interesting story and possible epic movie:

Tim Donaghy was not caught by NBA Security. He was overheard by the FBI on a mob wire tap, who then contacted the NBA.

During the time period he refereed 139 regular season games and 8 playoff games.

With the investigation still ongoing NBA Commissioner David Stern says at a press conference that he was a “rouge referee” and it was an “isolated instance”.

The NBA has not released a list of games Donaghy refereed from 2005-2007.

Sports gambling expert R. J. Bell tracked every game Donaghy worked from 2003-2007. He discovered that “during the two seasons investigated by the NBA the teams scored more points than expected by Vegas sports books 57% of the time. The odds of such a discrepancy are 1 in 1,000.”

Tim Donaghy told investigators that relationships among officials, coaches, and players “affected the outcome of the games”

Donaghy told investigators about the gambling activities of other NBA officials and about a referee that passed “confidential” information to an unidentified coach.

Donaghy’s attorney suggested that the NBA might have “pressured” the attorney’s office “into shutting down this prosecution to avoid the disclosure of information unrelated to Tim’s conduct.”

NBA referee Bob Delany is a former undercover state trooper with the New Jersey State Police task force on organized crime.

When Bob Delany was asked what illegal activities he participated in Delany said, “stolen property, loan sharking, gambling, purchasing of guns.”

Did he just say gambling? I wonder if Delany and Donaghy worked any games together. What if we found out they were in cahoots? What if David Stern was highly involved along with Lebron James and Steve Nash.

(Opening scene)
Donaghy: (in his car talking on the phone) Okay, Okay. I know I’m in the hole, but I’ll make up for it tonight. I’ll be sure not to make it look too obvious
Voice on the other end of the phone: The boss does not like to be disappointed.
(Kenny Rogers, The Gambler plays as a slow montage of NBA referee Tim Donaghy getting dressed for the game, walking on the court, half court handshake with NBA players. The camera surveys a crowd of cheering fans. One fan is still sitting in his seat with his eyes fixed on Donaghy. He’s there to protect his investment)

The NBA is Fantastic!

Who would play Obama in a movie?

2008-05-19T12:35:00.001-07:00

One of the first things I saw this morning during my usual whats-happening-in-the-world-today search(that consist of Concreteloop, CNN, The PI, ESPN, and Allhiphop) was the Obama rally in Portland Oregon this weekend. Obama reportedly drew around 75,000 show up to his rally at Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon. It is one of the largest crowds ever for a Presidential campaign. I’m a little frustrated that there is not a lot of national coverage for this. When was the last time you’ve seen any political figure have that many people come see them speak? I can’t think of anyone. Those are early 80’s Michael Jackson numbers.

I made an attempt to attend his rally in Seattle at Key Arena. I left work early and still wasn’t even close to getting in.

I wonder who would play Obama in a movie? Will Smith? My money would go towards Terrance Howard or Harry J. Lennix. You’ve seen him in Stomp The Yard, Ray, Barbershop 2, and Resurrecting The Champ. He should start working on his Obama impersonation right now.

Trailer: Bigger, Stronger, Faster*

2008-05-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is a documentary directed by Christopher Bell that discusses the use of steroids in the United States. Steroid use has been a hot topic for years in our sports culture. It’s amazing how much steroid use can have an effect on the sports we watch every day. This documentary looks to address America’s obsession with body image as well as the notion that you should win at all cost. In the past year we’ve had the Mitchell Report, Marion Jones steroid scandal, not to mention the wrestlers who’ve died before the age of 40. Bigger, Stronger, Faster* was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival. Hopefully it’ll be a hit once it opens nationwide on May 30th

Movie Review: Made of Honor

2008-05-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Patrick Dempsey really fits the mold for “male lead in a romantic comedy”. The success of Grey’s Anatomy in addition to the McDreamy nickname is allowing him to take the crown from the likes of Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant. His look is good for about three or four more of these movies.

Patrick Dempsey plays Tom, a rich womanizer, who has a ton of women and seemingly a ton of rules about dating them too. Tom is best friends with Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) and has been since college. While Hannah is off in Scotland for work, Tom realizes that he has strong feelings for her. After Hannah returns they meet up for dinner where Tom is introduced to Colin, Hannah’s fiancé.

Hannah proceeds to ask Tom if he would be her maid of honor. He agrees to be her maid of honor in an effort to thwart the wedding and confess his love to Hannah.

Made of Honor is a predictable romantic comedy that does not offer anything new to the audience. What guy is really going to be a maid of honor? That’s just a little too ridiculous for me. The movie is so predictable to the point I was able to tell my friend how it ended and what Tom was going to say. Maybe I watch too many movies. Maybe it’s just that predictable.

The movie is not without its entertaining moments.

Michelle Monaghan is fantastic in the movie. I enjoyed her last year in The Heartbreak Kid and Gone Baby Gone. I think she’s a very beautiful actress, but they made her look very plain for this movie.

The scenes with Tom and his buddies, played by Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne where have you been), Chris Messina, and Richmond Arquette help hold the movie together. Some of those conversations are conversations that men have from time-to-time. Each one of them has a different view on life, relationships, and marriage. It was good to see that dynamic in this movie. There is also a hysterical basketball scene with Tom and Colin that is definitely worth watching.

One of my favorite actors Sydney Pollack plays Thomas Sr. who ads some more laughter to the film. I wish he had a little more camera time.

My suggestion: I’m not too high on this movie because I feel like I’ve seen it before. If you happen to enjoy romantic comedies, you can go see it OR you can rent My Best Friend’s Wedding, Love Actually, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and sort of mix and match those movies. Kind of like putting together a Lego set, but only you would be building a chick flick. For those who enjoy this genre they will be pleased with this film. You’ll like it, but not love it.

Movie Review: Iron Man

2008-05-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

This summer has officially started off with a bang. I listed Iron Man #2 on my movies to see this summer. The only concern I had about this movie was Robert Downey Jr. I wondered if he could pull of Tony Stark. Would he be Bale in Batman Begins or Ben Affleck in Daredevil? Not only does he pull it off, Downey looks like he’s having fun doing it.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, a billionaire weapons maker who is as rich as Bruce Wayne combined with the intelligence of Peter Parker. Stark is kidnapped and mortally wounded on a trip through Afghanistan. His only escape is constructing a metal suit to fight his way out.

After escaping Starks devotes his life to fighting the very people who use his weapons for evil. He uses the prototype metal man suit he made to engineer a sleeker version, giving us Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr gives us one of the better super hero performances. It’s easy to hold a moviegoers attention in the Iron Man suit. The special effects, gadgets, eye-popping special effects, or even the cool colors can sell themselves. The scenes where he’s not wearing the suit is where we need to see the actor shine. Downey does a masterful job with his witty performance as Tony Stark. He’s so believable as a billionaire/playboy/egomaniac that I’m not even sure if he’s acting.

Terrance Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges round out the supporting cast in the film. All accomplished actors who did a really good job. Whoever casted for this film did a wonderful job of getting actors who could hold up the scenes that didn’t have explosions or cool Iron suits in them. I didn’t find myself bored, staring at my watch waiting for another action sequence.

One of the villains in the movie is Raza played by Faran Tahir. Raza did not have a lot of lines in the movie, but his presence seemed necessary. I look forward to seeing him in some more movies.

My suggestion: Iron Man is a fun ride for everyone. One of the better comic book adaptations that’s been made over the years. Jon Favreau did a magnificent job constructing this film, and including some of the nuances of the comic book. The storyline is good, the action is great, not to mention the script is funny and keeps you engaged for the whole film. The action reminds me of mornings sitting up ignoring my chores, reading comic book after comic book. I would have never imagined we would see those same comic book heroes on such a big stage. Next up, The Hulk!

Top 10 Movie Villains

2008-05-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

In no particular order

1. Agent Smith - Matrix Trilogy (Hugo Weaving): One of the coolest villains we've had over the past few years. I loved how he would fix his suit during a fight scene. Don't think he's a great movie villain? What the movie again, you'll see how everyone is completely terrified of him.
Villainous Moment: When the agents have Morpheus captured, Smith gives his speech and says, "I can taste your stink and every time I do, I feel that I've somehow been infected by it."

2. Dr. Hannibal Lecter – Silence of the Lambs (Anthony Hopkins): Creepy is not the word to describe him. I'm not sure if there is even one word that sums up this character. Was what he said scary, or how he said it. You start to kind of like him because he's helping Clarice solve the murders………….then you see him kill someone and you say, "Oh that's they have that mask on his face."
Villainous Moment: Killing the guard then escaping from the cell pretending to be the mangled guard by putting the dead guard's skin on his face. Great costume!

3. Bishop – Juice (Tupac Shakur): One of the first movies of its genre has one of the best characters in it. This guy was crazy! He robbed a store, shot his best friend, showed up at his friend's funerals to pay his respects, intimidated his other friends, shot Radamen, told everyone Q was responsible, and shot Steels. Did I mention he was only high school? One of my favorite scenes is Bishops confrontation with Q at school. He closes his locker and Bishop is standing right there. Q once again calls Bishop crazy. The exchange ends with Bishop saying, "You remember that (expletive). I'm the one you need to be looking out for……..potna!
Villainous Moment: Bishop is trying to kill Q (the only witness left) as Q tries to get away, they both cram into an elevator. What does Bishop do? Pull out his gun and shoot in a crowded elevator.

4. Commodus – Gladiator (Joaquin Phoenix): I remember hating this character as I watched the movie, after the movie, and when I told people about the movie. He was like a spoiled brat. That kid who would take his ball and go home, only his ball happened to be all of Rome. There was also that awkwardness with him and his sister. Sort of creepy if you ask me.
Villainous Moment: The sequence when he kills Marcus Aurelius after he tells him that Maximus will be the leader of Rome, then proceeds to tell everyone that his father passed in his sleep, calls Maximums a trader and has his family killed. All that in the first half hour.

5. Anton Chigurh – No Country for Old Men (Javier Bardem): This Oscar Award winning performance was good. I like to see villains win more Oscars. I know I'm not the only one who felt like something bad was going to happen every time Anton showed up on screen. You never knew what was really driving him, just that he would shoot anything/anybody in his way.
Villainous Moment: He shot a ton of people in the film, but the scene that got me was the old man at the gas station. I knew that if he didn't get the coin flip right, he was a dead man. The scary part was that the old man had no idea.

6. Hedra "Hedy" Carlson – Single White Female (Jennifer Jason Leigh): I have a friend, who has a friend, who sort of reminds us of this character. This is a clear example of when friendships go bad. I always seem to reference this character when a female friend has some stalker friend issues. People can point to this movie and say, "That's why I don't have friends". They'd have a very good point.
Villainous Moment: The scene at the hair salon when she walks down the steps with the exact hairstyle as Allison is out of control. It's both funny and scary……….sort of how clowns for some people. It would be wrong not to mention the scene where she sleeps with the boyfriend pretending to be Allison.

7. Han – Enter The Dragon (Kien Shih): I loved this character as a kid. I remember my uncle having these movie posters in his room. Han always looked mad in the film. To me he is the underrated villain. He had a handicap (one of his hands was missing) that he turned into a weapon with detachable hands. My favorite being the bear claw he used to fight Lee in the final scene. Han was able to host a martial arts tournament to the death, and have slaves underground on the same island. He gets points for multi-tasking his evil plans.
Villainous Moment: Killing Williams with one hand after he thought he was out of his room past curfew. Who gives a grown man a curfew? That's bull Mr. Han Man!

8. Annie Wilkes – Misery (Kathy Bates): Underneath all the nasty stuff, she's just an obsessed fan who wants to see one of her favorite characters brought back to life. That's not so bad right? That's how I felt when they killed off Stringer Bell on The Wire. Except for the fact that she goes overboard in proving her point. A simple letter to the editor might have been sufficient.
Villainous Moment: The scene where she hobbles Paul so that he can't escape. What happened to handcuffs? It is one thing to show her swing the hammer, but it's another thing to show his ankles collapse like they did. I still can't watch that scene.

9. The Terminator – Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) – One of the main reasons I'm against cybernetic technology is this movie. He shows no emotion through the whole movie. He wasn't even upset when he couldn't get to his target. He just kept going and going like an evil Energizer Bunny. The Terminator is definition of a one-man wrecking crew. One of the most relentless bad guys we've had in cinema.
Villainous Moment: The famous line "I'll be back." I like how people say that phrase all the time. I wonder if they know that in the context of the movie, he was talking to a police officer. When he came "back" he shot everyone in the police station. That was in the day of cinema where everything bad seemed to happen in California, now it's New York. Good times for the Govenator.

10. Alonzo – Training Day (Denzel Washington): My mom LOVES Denzel. My mom also hates this movie and refuses to watch it. She even despises the fact that he won an Oscar for his performance. This movie came out right after Remember the Titans. For some reason I kept waiting for Alonzo to do something good. To the delight of movie fans everywhere, it never happened. The more I watch the movie, the more I realize how cold blooded he was. The fact that they mention he had a family at the end always cracks me up.
Villainous Moment: I wasn't sure he was a bad guy UNTIL he left Detective Hoyt in that house for dead. I remember thinking, "He's going to come back and get him." He also tells Hoyt "To be a truly effective, a good narcotics agent must know and love narcotic. In fact, a good narcotics agent should have narcotics in his blood."

Forgettig Sarah Marshall

2008-04-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Summer movie season officially starts in May (at least that’s what I’m told). Audiences are in for a treat with the new comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I love how funny/ironic relationships can be. The same things that can make you laugh hysterically can drive you crazy the next minute. It was great to see some of that on film.

In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Peter (Jason Segel) breaks up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah (Kristen Bell). After being a mess for weeks, he decides to take a vacation to Hawaii and stay at an exclusive resort. The only problem is that Sarah is staying at the resort too with her new boyfriend, rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand).

The premise for the movie alone is pretty funny. I ranked this movie #6 on my list of movies to see this summer. After watching it, I should have ranked it a little higher………definitely ahead of Semi-Pro.

Jason Segel does a great job as Peter. He’s very believable as the guy who dated a girl who was out of his league, then has to come to grips with them not being together. I really could have done without the frontal male nudity. They should have warning signs that pop up on the screen so you know to cover your eyes. He was able to carry the movie and not to mention the fact that I’ve been singing that Dracula song since Friday night.

No comedy is complete without beautiful co-stars. Mila Kunis was great in the film as Rachel. I’ll go on record as saying I didn’t know she was that cute. This role should bump her up a few notches on Maxim’s Hot 100 list for next year. She’ll be the “it” girl that all the guys will be buzzing about after the movie. There is something attractive about someone who can really play the sweet innocent girl or the really bad I-think-you-may-be-a-psycho girl. Maybe psycho is the new sexy. Kristen Bell was last seen in Heroes strike shortened season. Bell was able to pull of her role as Sarah Marshall. She was surprisingly funny in her CSI like TV show.

The supporting cast which includes Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, and Jack McBrayer did a good job filling in for some of the movies funnier moments. The surprise comedy comes from Russell Brand who plays Sarah’s new boyfriend, Aldous. Some of the one-liners he delivers are gut busting. You mix that with his accent and you get a great sleazy Euro pop star boyfriend. The kind of guy that most men love to hate. He may easily win the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain

My suggestion: It’s one of the first “must see” movies of the year. If you don’t like dirty jokes or as my friend would say raunchy comedy, don’t see this movie. It reminded me why I love comedy so much. It’s a hilarious look at one of the most uncomfortable situations, seeing your recent ex with a new love. They make light of the situation, but this film will definitely have you thinking of what you might do in that situations. This is a great comedy and I hope more people go to see it.

Glow In The Dark Tour

2008-04-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Glow In The Dark tour was amazing. Seattle was the first stop on the tour, and I was able to rock with everybody.

Lupe Fiasco opened the show. If you’ve ever seen him live, you know he’s high energy. He was able to get the crowd hyped. Lupe did Hip Hop You Saved Me that was a crowd pleaser. Matthew Santos and his mohawk joined Lupe to perform Fighters and Superstar. I like Lupe. I wanted to hear more of some of his mixtape music.

N.E.R.D’s performance was crazy. They came out to a new song that was amazing. Its official, the ladies still love Skateboard P. They did some original N.E.R.D songs from their first album In Search Of. One of my favorite sets of the night was when they performed Rock Star. I don’t know if it was the live band or the fact that everybody new the words to the song. I think that’s the point where I started to lose my voice. I’m looking forward do their new album. Pharrell came out after their performance and addressed the crowd. He apologized for losing his voice due to the smoke machine. He said he heard there was a five year old in the crowd and wanted to apologize for using profanity around the kids. I thought that was a good gesture Skateboard P loves the kids!

Even though I don’t own a single Rhianna record, and she’s not on my iPod, her show was good. She had all these crazy colors, dancers, lighting. The crowd seemed really into it. It was an easy transition for the ladies who went from screaming for P to screaming for Rhianna. I feel like I heard Umbrella a zillion times due to radio and TV. Ri-Ri ripped it live. I think we all secretly sing the song when we are alone so it was cool to sing it out loud and guilt free as a 29 year old man.

Kanye stole the show (of course). He was on stage for close to two hours. I couldn’t believe it. He had a whole spaceship theme. I won’t ruin it for any of your readers but he has a lot of visual effects. I was reminded why he was one of my favorite performers. He was insane! He performed for what seemed like forever. How he had all that energy, I don’t know. He really put his all into the show. It was so visually stunning that you didn’t want to take your eyes off the stage. Kanye had everything from smoke to flames, fog, dolls. There weren’t a whole lot of frills to his show. Just Kanye and a microphone. He spit with so much venom. My favorite performance of his was “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” that hit hard. His new version of Hey Mama was good too. The crowed was screaming! It looked like he got a little emotional at one point the crowd cheered even louder. You can say Ye is big headed or egotistical, but he knows how to put on a show. We need more performers like that.

If the show is coming to your town GO CHECK IT OUT. I promise it will be worth every penny. It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been too. I would have felt dumb if I didn’t go. All the acts were high energy. I didn’t sit down for 4 hours. I’d go see the concert again if it came back to town. People are in for a treat and they don’t even know it.

Not So Romantic Comedies

2008-04-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

SPOILER ALERT!!!!
If you haven't seen any of these movies, I will be giving away some plot details (as if they aren't already predictable). I apologize in advance

I went to see Juno with one of my female friends and they showed a trailer for Definitely, Maybe. My friend leans over to me and says, "Awww that looks cute". I was thinking that movie is about a guy telling his daughter about his past relationships. How appropriate is that? Who in the world would want to watch that?

The sad truth was that a lot of women would watch that movie and movies just like it.

It reminded me of a girl I dated who must have uttered the phrase, "Just like in Love Actually…… (fill in her irrational comparison)" at least a hundred times. Not only that, but she quoted the movie like a preacher would quote bible verses during a sermon.

I think she believed what she was watching was real. I had to remind her that Love Actually is not a documentary. Sadly, after surveying friends and co-workers I realized that the young woman was not alone. Brace yourself fellas, because most women see these movies the same way no matter age, race, class, or even their level of education.

After subjecting myself to hours of "romantic comedies" I realized that most of these movies weren't romantic, most of them were unrealistic, and unapologetically sappy. They were so unrealistic to the point where I felt I was watching the Sci-Fi Channel only all the movies involved earth and people falling in love.

Wow! That was quick

A common theme in these movies seems to be how fast these couples fall in love. How To Lose a Guy in 10 days basically gives it away in the title. After spending 8 days not being themselves the two suddenly fall prey to Cupid's arrow? I find that hard to believe. Has this ever happend? Dishonesty is exactly how I want to start off my next relationship.

Anyone who has ever been in love, or at least thought they were, knows how insane the premise for that movie is.
Fools Rush In may hold the Guinness record for falling in love after 24 hours with a three month gap in between. I wish I could find love that fast! It's like fast food relationships. We all know how healthy fast food is.

That's Soooooooooo Inappropriate

Some of the relationships in these films are wildly inappropriate. Somehow women seem to be okay with relationships in these movies that any rational/normal person would be completely against in real life. Don't believe me?

One of my sister's favorite movies is While You Were Sleeping. The movie is about a subway worker who is obsessed with a stranger. Before she can fall for him, he falls into a coma. His family then mistakes her for his fiancée. Instead of telling the truth, she goes right along with the story. To top it all off, she falls for his brother. How is that okay?

If I read this story on CNN it would be a scandal, and I think most women I know would would be outraged. In this movie you are made to feel for Sandra Bullock's character. She's just a woman looking for love…………..not a liar.

The most draw dropping example is my favorite movie of all time Love Actually. One of the stories the movie depicts is a man who's madly in love with a woman that is recently married. What's the problem? It's his best friend who she is married too. Once she realizes how he feels, he shows up at her door with cue cards (how cute) professing his love to her. Did I mention that it's his best friend's wife? After the cue card stunt, he walks away with this accomplished look on his face, and she chases him down and kisses him. IT'S HIS BEST FRIENDS WIFE!

Maybe that was too soon?

The promiscuity in these movies is off the charts. What's not even on the charts are how damaging it really is.

In the opening scene of How to Lose, one of the characters is complaining that this guy is not calling her back. She mentions that she slept with the guy after two days. After discussing the issue with her friends they come to the conclusion that she calls him too much. Ummmm maybe you shouldn't have slept with someone who doesn't know your last name. I'm not a gambling man, but I would bet that may be why he's not calling you.

Last time I checked, women don't like other women who sleep around. I hear it all the time with my friends, at work, at the gym. If I told my friends I was dating that girl my female friends would give me the "I don't know about her" speech. My female friends also love that movie. Go figure

When Pigs Fly

There are moments in a lot of these films where I say, "Yeah right!"

Fools Rush In is one of moments for me. It's a wonderful story about a man who's on business from New York to Vegas. On this trip he has a one-night stand. He doesn't hear from the girl for three months and finds out she's pregnant. He decides to step up to the responsibility and propose? Maybe he skipped a few steps. I think that's ridiculous

Pretty Woman falls in the category. She's a prostitute (yes she is) and you want her to find love. How ridiculous is that they should do a Pretty Woman II: I Thought You Were Going to Quit.

How To Lose lost me early in the film. The wonderful scene where they are at the Knicks game. It's the NBA Finals and she asks him to get her a drink with 1:00 left in the game. Not only did he go once, but he went it TWICE. He eventually misses the end of the game. I still refuse to acknowledge that scene. As a sports fan you don't know how painful that was to watch. I know some die hard Knick fans. There would have definately been a homicide at MSG that day.

Now I really don't dislike these movies. I think they serve a purpose in film, an even greater purpose for young women. It is good to know that people want the finer things in life like love, happiness, romance. I think both men and women essentially want the same things. I just need women to realize how out of control these movies can be. Women should not be allowed to reference them in arguments, discussions, or use them as measuring sticks for their lives/relationships. When you get down and out (as we all do), don't sulk on your couch eating ice cream thinking, "When is a guy going to come me off my feet". It happens................just not like you see in the movies.

On second thought, the next time I'm in an argument I'm going to make my point saying, "Noooooo because in Batman Begins…"

Trailer: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-03-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who can't wait to see this movie? Its ranked #5 on my movies to see this summer. When it's all said it done it could end up being #2. The big elephant in the room is that some believe Han Solo is a little too old to be searching for lost treasure. According to this trailer, he'll be just fine. Here to hoping Shia, Dr. Richard Kimble, and Cate Blanchett can pull it off.

The Hammer

2008-03-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Is it me or does The Hammer sounds like an old 1970's TV show. One of those shows where the lead character is a tough-as-nails detective who's known for roughing up the bad guys. The type of guy who doesn't care about the rules, his only concern is justice……………..STREET JUSTICE.

So when I heard that they were making a film I was shocked to hear it was about boxing; not the action drama that I've scripted in my head.

The Hammer stars Adam Carolla as 40 year old Jerry Ferro. The former amateur boxer who is now a construction worker/ boxing instructor at a local gym. With life now getting the best of Jerry, he decides to take an opportunity at the Olympic tryouts and return to competitive boxing.

Two words to describe this movie: original and funny………… a lot funnier than I expected. (that's more than two words I know)

Adam Carolla is Adam Carolla in this film. If you listen to his radio show or have seen him on Jimmy Kimmel Live, you know what to expect from him. Carolla likes to rant and rave about random observations. Carolla will say, "Do you know what bothers me? What bothers me is…….". I swear the man could go on for hours on one topic alone. That happens to be part of what makes Carolla funny. His character in the film is the same way. Not only does it work well, it works very well.

The movie also has a nice love story involving Jerry and one of his boxing students Lindsay (Heather Juregensen). If you need to convince a woman to see it, here is your angle. There is enough "romance" in the movie that it will keep her interested plus she won't drag you to see 27 Dresses for making her watch this movie.

There is also a funny comedic performance from Oswaldo Castillo as Oswald. Harold House Moore plays Robert Brown, a light heavyweight competing with Jerry for that elusive Olympic spot. Moore does a great job as the young, hot shot, up-and-coming boxer.

My suggestion: Go see The Hammer! If you like Adam Carolla you will like this movie. It's a nice original story that's also funny, and entertaining. It's going to be one of those movies that people will re-watch on cable. Well worth the $9.75 I paid to see it.

10 Reasons I Love Lauren London

2008-03-19T12:55:00.001-07:00

Reasons I love Lauren Nicole London

10. She's pretty cute. I don't know if you saw ATL, This Christmas but yeah she's good in those movies.

9. She's the new "it" girl. Beyonce is getting old and Rhianna hasn't caught fire yet. Ms. London is the real deal

8. She's light skin. Maybe it's some post slavery stuff that I'll need counseling for but I love the light skinned girls. Easily the worlds baddest 5'2 light skin girl.

7. Her KING magazine cover and article. That really put her on the map and up'd her sexy

6. Her smile/dimples. You can't fake those. You can augment whatever you want but those dimples are natural. Almost heart stopping

5. She's very likeable. Seems like that girl next door you could party all night with or take to church with mom. If my mom didn't like her.................sorry mom but I'll miss not having you at my wedding.

4. Did you see Rip The Runway? She's a natural with the microphone. Very engaging. I feel like she's talking to my soul. My souls has since written her a four page letter.

3. Her short cameo on Entourage. Somehow she was Turtle's love interest.That was like how they stuck Lisa with Screech on Saved By The Bell.With that said she stole a few scene with that signature smile. It may be the first time I ever wanted to be named Turtle.

2. Her eyes. It's like Medusa in Clash Of The Titans, only instead of dying you fall in love. If you don't believe me go to Google image and see if you don't fall in love for about 2 seconds.

1. Although she's a star she seems "dateable". I feel like if I have a hit move that's going to be made and I bump into her in LA that we could wrap and I could put the charm on her, go to breafast, watch a movie, go to dinner, and watch the sunset on Sunset. I'm frantically writing my script right now

Horton Hears A Who!

2008-03-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

As a kid I don’t remember too much about my early childhood. Maybe all the TV I’ve watched has started to replace my memories with TV theme songs. Somehow I never seem to forget those. If they could turn the periodic table of elements into one of those catchy 80’s theme song, I would be the greatest scientist in the world.

One thing I do remember was having Dr. Suess' books. A ton of Dr. Suess’ books. Did I really I have ever single one? I should check with my mom to verify if any of this is true. Either way I had remember having these books and Cat In The Hat bookends that kept them on top of my dresser. Needless to say I was excited to see Cat In The Hat and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch I enjoyed but Cat In That Hat…………..not so much.

Why do I see kids movies at my age? I’m still not sure yet. I think it’s because they can do so much more with animation. They are able to make the characters more entertaining and the movie more visually stunning. Look at the way animation was used for huge hits like Sin City and 300. It doesn’t work for every movie because I’d rather drink bleach than watch Renaissance again.

Dr. Suess’ newest book turned kids movie is Horton Hears A Who. The movie starts Jim Carey as the voice of Horton the loveable Elephant who finds a world of people living on a speck of dust. He comes in contact with the Mayor of Whoville (Steve Carrell) and realizes he has to find a safe place for the tiny speck to live. Horton sets off to find a stable home and saving Whoville.

Horton’s neighbors refuse to believe anything can live on a speck. The most notorious of them is Kangaroo (Carol Burnett).

I was very surprised how much I enjoyed the movie. It was funny, heart-warming, and even had a “after school special” point to it at the end. The voices for the movie are casted very well. For some reasons the Who’s always remind me of Planet of The Apes.

One of the movies comedic highlights comes from Vlad (Will Artnet) an evil vulture. Vlad steals a few funny scenes with his ridiculous antics and even more ridiculous accent. Morton (Seth Rogen) is funny as Horton’s paranoid friend.

My suggestion: See Horton! It is a great family movie that continues the tradition of animated movies that both kids and adults can enjoy. I know kids can’t wait for the DVD release. Like any kids movie it will be annoying to the parents who are tortured into watching it every day for two months.

Incredible Hulk Trailer!!!!

2008-03-14T12:56:00.001-07:00

The Incredible Hulk has returned in 2008. The trailer looks good. This movie may be better than the pu-pu platter that came out in 2003. No disrespect to Eric Bana ,but I like Edward Norton in this role. This version should be good. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters June 13

Reason # 47 I Love YouTube

2008-03-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe this actually aired on TV.

Semi-Pro

2008-03-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

I listed Will Ferrell's new movie Semi-Pro #4 on my list of movies to see this summer. Is it too late to change my list? Semi-Pro was funny…just not the type of funny we expect from Ferrell. The movie stars Ferrell as Jackie Moon, owner/coach/player/promoter of the struggling ABA team The Flint Michigan Tropics. With the league going bankrupt, the owners decided that the top four teams should merge with the NBA. In order to keep his team Moon not only has to win games, but have least 2,000 fans in attendance for every home game. To be honest, I like Ferrel, I like him a lot. I loved Blades Of Glory, and Talladega Nights; this sports movie just wasn't in the same league as the other films. Although I was disappointed, the movie was not without its share of funny moments. Semi-Pro opens with Jackie Moon's mega hit "Love Me Sexy" (I'm still trying to find the ringtone) The song just reminds me of one of those sleazy 1970's one hit wonders with lewd lyrics that are almost as bad as the album covers. Will Arnett is hilarious as Lou Redwood, ex-player/Tropics announcer. He has some pretty funny one-liners in the film that kept me laughing. I'm a huge critic of rappers turned actors. Andre Benjamin does a good job as Clarence 'Coffee' Black, the only Tropic with any real basketball talent. It makes me wonder if he will ever go back to making albums. Matt Walsh is priceless as Father Pat the Ref. His, "maybe your mom's not in heaven", joke still has me laughing. My biggest problem with the movie: Not consistent enough. It reminds me of a girl I dated once who was so hot and cold it drove me crazy. We would have these great dates and I wouldn't hear from her the next day. I was frustrated because I couldn't get a consistent feel for the relationship. That's exactly how this movie felt. You would have funny moments that were followed by dry spells. It was hard to get a consistent laugh. Since I listed it at #4 I wish I could have had a few more laughs.Semi-Pro has a lot of ABA references. If you aren't familiar with the ABA and how things were in the late 70's, a lot of the jokes don't make as much sense. I should thank my dad for all of those old stories about Dr. J. Thanks Dad!Since this movie is rated R they can't show a lot of what makes this movie funny on TV. This movie may have been better as a PG-13. When will people realize that PG-13 is where it's at. I know that the R rating is necessary for some films, but Semi-Pro that could have been just as funny if not funnier as a PG-13. My suggestion: If you are a fan of Ferrell you may want to go see the movie. If not, you can easily wait for the DVD. What's crazy is that the funniest part of my two hours at the theater was the trailer for Ferrell's next movie Step Brothers with Talladega Nights co-star John C. Reilly. That's the sort of comedy I can't wait to see.

My new Avatar

2008-03-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

I went to doppleme.com and created a new me. Check out my new look:

Ten 10 List

2008-02-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of movies slated to come out between now and the end of the summer. History tells us that not all of them will be good. Advertisements and trailers will label them the “Best Movie of The Summer”. This will only hold true for a few. I thought it would be a good idea to give a list of movies that I’m looking forward to seeing. Here’s my Top 10

10. Baby Mama (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear) – A single business woman decides to have a child on her own. She soon realizes that she is unable to have children, leaving her with quite a delimit. Still determined, she finds a surrogate mother. Everything is going according to plan until the surrogate shows up at her house with no place to live.

Tina Fey has been doing a wonderful job with 30 Rock. Hopefully she can snowball that success into a hit movie. Amy Poehler and Tina were great together on the SNL’s Weekend Update. The plot seems funny enough, well at least enough to make my #10 on my list. April 25

9. Be Kind Rewind (Jack Black, Mos Def) – After a man becomes magnetized, he erases all the tapes at his friend’s video store. To keep the stores most loyal customer happy, they decide to remake all of the films in the store.

Why hasn’t this been done already? I can see producers sitting around thinking, “why hadn’t I thought of that?” I saw the trailer a few months ago and laughed out loud at some of the scenes. I think this movie will surprise a lot of people. With all the remakes set to come out, an original idea like this is bound to be a hit. February 22

8. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Ron Pearlman, Selma Blair, David Hyde Pierce) – Hellboy is back! After a truce between humans and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, earth is flooded with all sorts of creatures bent on having hell on earth. It’s up to Hellboy to send these creatures back to where they belong.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first Hellboy. I refused to see it but when I finally watched it, I enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to this sequel. It’ll be more crazy creatures, special effects and comedy from Hellboy. July 11

7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes, Peter Dinklage, Anna Popplewell) – The children find themselves back in Narnia only to realize that a year to them is 1,300 years in Narnia. To their surprise things have changes and Narnia is now being ruled by evil King Miraz.

I read these books as a child and loved them. I thought The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe was excellent. They can pull it off again with Prince Caspian. It will be a great family movie. Every summer needs one of those. May 16

6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Paul Rudd, Kristen Bell, Jason Segel) –A man breaks up with his TV star girlfriend and heads to Hawaii for a much needed vacation. When he arrives he realizes that his ex is vacationing at the same resort with her new boyfriend.

The Knocked Up guys are back! Judd Apatow is on a roll with these movies. This movie should be one of the summer’s best and definitely one of the funniest. Anyone who has ever run into an ex at the movies or at a restaurant knows that feeling. It’ll be an easy story to tell. Funny cast plus a funny script equals funny movie. April 18

5. Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (Harrison Ford, Shia Labeouf, Cate Blanchett) – Fourth installment of the Indiana Jones series.

The studios have been very good about not giving away any information on this film. This movie is one of the most anticipated films of the summer. I’m hoping they can restore some of the nostalgia from the first three Indiana Jones moves. Harrison Ford should be able to deliver. This has to be his last one…………….right? May 22

4. Semi–Pro (Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre “3000” Benjamin) – The owner/player/coach of a struggling ABA basketball franchise competes to have the team merge with the NBA. The team must do the impossible, win games.

If you’ve seen the Super Bowl ad or even the new Old Spice ads with Tropics star Jackie Moon, you know this movie is going to be a riot. Ferrell is up to his old antics again in this sports comedy. When I heard that his character has a #1 hit song called “Love Me Sexy” I was sold on the movie. Feb 29

3. Hancock (Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron) – A misguided superhero destroys the city in an attempt to save lives. This hardened superhero doesn’t seem to care what the public thinks of him. One day he saves the life of an executive and realizes he may actually have a soft side.

Will Smith is always puts out great films in the summer. Not to mention that Smith and Sci-Fi go together like The Iron Shiek and the Camel Clutch I can’t think of the last bad movie that Smith has done. Maybe it really is the Willenium. Hancock should be full of action and well worth the price of admission. July 2

2. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr., Terrance Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow) – After surviving a kidnapping, billionaire Tony Stark builds a high tech suit of armor. With the suit on Stark becomes Iron Man. He uses his abilities to protect the world from danger.

I wasn’t sold on this movie at first. I thought it was going to be more like Daredevil than like X-Men. That was until I recently watched Dinner For Five on IFC. Iron Man director Jon Favreau discussed having quality actors/actresses in the movie. He wanted the non-action sequences to hold up making this more than just a 100 million action sequence. That was all I needed to hear. Now let’s hope Robert Downy Jr. can pull it off. May 2

1. Batman (Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger) – Batman has teamed up with Lt. Gordon and Harvy Dent to help rid Gotham of crime. Things seem to go south as a new criminal known as the Joker starts his reign of terror on Gotham. It will take everything Batman has to beat him.

I’ve been waiting for this one since the credits started rolling on Batman Begins. The first one was done so well, not to mention all of the great dialogue and action the film had. Rumor has it that the late Heath Ledger did a great job as the Joker. If you’ve seen the 7 minute seen at the IMAX, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Look for Batman to be the biggest, baddest movie of the summer. July 18

A True Hollywood Story

2008-02-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

About two years ago I found myself rushing home after work to watch Oprah. Now I’m not a huge fan of The Mighty O, but that day her guest was comedian Dave Chappelle. At this point in Dave’s career he was coming off two very successful seasons of Chappelle Show. His DVD sales were the number one TV show DVD’s of all time, not to mention he just inked a $50 million dollar deal with Comedy Central. It sounded like Dave was living the life all comedians wanted. While filming the third season of his hit show, Dave abruptly left the United States for South Africa. This

The Oprah interview would be the first time that we would hear from Chappelle about why he left his highly successful show. His appearance on Oprah would earn the interview “do not delete” status on my TiVo.

Queen O begins the interview asking Chappelle what most viewers wanted to know, “Why did you walk away from $50 million dollars?” Chappelle replied, “I wasn’t walking away from the money. I was walking away from the circumstances that came with it. I’ve been in show business since I was 14 and it was completely out of my frame of reference what would happen when you break through to the next plateau. I’ve seen the stories and heard the stories. Mariah Carey signs $100 million dollar deal and three months later she goes crazy or Martin breaks through and is found waving a gun on Hollywood blvd screaming.”

He went on to say numerous times in his interview that the environment was “extremely stressful”. If we rewind back to 2004, during a stand-up Chappelle reportedly told a crowd that the show was “ruining his life”. Let me get this right. You have a number one show, number one selling DVD, a $50 million dollar deal in place, and you feel like your life is ruined. Something has to be missing. I decided to do a little research of my own to see what is about Hollywood that is making people crazy.

Martin Lawrence
1996 – After the success of his TV show Martin, Lawrence was starring in A Thin Line Between Love And Hate. He reportedly began having violent outburst on the set and taking drugs. His strange behavior continued after he was seen brandishing a pistol and screaming , “they are trying to kill me” at tourist on Hollywood’s Ventura Boulevard.

Mariah Carey
2001- Carey signs a reported $80 million contract with Virgin Records. A few months later it is reported that she suffered a physical and emotional breakdown. Carey also left very personal messages on her website saying that she was overworked and was ending her relationship with boyfriend Luis Miguel. Carey would later show up on MTV’s TRL in a bath robe handing out popsicles and began what would later be described as a “striptease”. By the end of that month she was checked into a hospital.

2002- Carey is bought out of her contract for $28 million. She would later go on to say that her time at Virgin Records was a “total stress fest”.

You may be wondering why this sounds familiar. That’s because we’ve seen it happen more and more in recent years. Former teen queens Brittney Spears and Lindsay Lohan have taken a turn or the worst. Their stories are so similar that it’s almost scary. Teen stars trying to change their image and be taken seriously, spiral out of control with bizarre behavior, and eventually end up in rehab.

Brittney Spears

2002- Spears very public relationship with fellow pop star Justin Timberlake ends after four years. Timberlake releases his hit song “Cry Me A River”. Most people speculate the song was about Spears being unfaithful since video featured an actress resembling Spears.

2004 – Spears marries childhood friend Jason Alexander at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas. The marriage ended in annulment three days later. Six month later she announces her engagement to Kevin Federline after dating for three months. The two would be married later on in the year.

2006- Spears appears on The Late Show with David Letterman and announces her second pregnancy. She also conducts an interview for Dateline to discuss rumors of a divorce and motherhood. She stated in the interview, “I see a bunch of photographers and I’m scared”. Spears would later file for divorce from Federline, citing irreconcilable differences. According to reports, the divorce caught Federline by surprise.

2007- Spears checks into a drug rehab facility. She is released the next day and is seen shaving her head bald. A few days later she checks into another rehab facility. This erratic behavior continues as she checks in and out of rehab centers. Her antics came to a peak as she was filmed attacking a paparazzi vehicle with an umbrella.

2008- Forbe’s Magazine reports that Brittney Spears has a net worth of $100 million. Police were called to her home after she refused to relinquish custody of her children. Spears was hospitalized after she appeared to be “under the influence”. She was held on involuntary psychiatric hold at UCLA Medical Center.

Lindsay Lohan

2004- Lohan is in three widely publicized car accidents. She suffered minor injuries and was not sued for a any damages related to the accidents

2006 – Lohan tells Allure magazine, “I hate it when people call me a teen queen”. She hoped to be taking seriously as an actress after the success of teen movies Mean Girls and Parent Trap.

2007- Forbes issues a list of Young Hollywood Stars, ranking Lohan #3 at $6 million a year. Lohan would later check herself into the Wonderland Center. She makes the statement that she, “made a proactive decision to take care of my personal health”. A few months later Lohan is in another accident. Police found a “usable” amount of cocaine in her vehicle. She would be arrested for a DUI and later check herself into Promises Treatment Center. In July of 2007, police found Lohan having an argument with a young woman in a parking lot. Lohan refused to take breathalyzer but failed the other sobriety test. While conducting a search police found cocaine in her pocket. She would be booked on felony charges of possession of cocaine and transportation of narcotic.

These stories are all too familiar in today’s Hollywood scene. Recently Eva Mendes checked herself into rehab for “substance abuse”. She admitted needing a drink before filming love scenes for her films Trust The Man, and We Own The Night.

Grey’s Anatomy star Justin Chambers checked himself into a Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA to “get help for a pre-existing sleeping disorder”. He was found reportedly clutching a red bull and stomping on a box of donuts. I have sleep problems too, but I’ve never went Savion Glover on a box of Krispy Kremes.

So what’s making these stars self destruct? Is it the stress? Is it the people around them? Is it the us, the fans? These stars have personal problems like the rest of us. The difference is that their issues are magnified because of who they are. They Lohan’s of the world have to deal with their issues privately and at the same time watch them play out publicly. If you take something as simple as a relationship. If you’ve ever been in a relationship you know how hard it is to maintain them. You couple that with speculations of your boyfriend/girlfriend cheating on the set of their new movie or rumors that your substance abuse is the real reason you aren’t married yet. I don’t know anyone who likes to feel like they are under a microscope.

In Chappelles interview with Oprah he also said, “When you are a person that generates a stream of income, people have a vested interest in controlling you”. Why would anyone want to see someone go through an ordeal like that? If you think about it we’ve seen other stars rebound from bad press. From Robert Downey Jr’s drug issues, Dru Berrymore’s troubled past, to Hugh Grant and his women “issues”. Like the old saying goes, “The only bad press is no press”. My friend pointed out that a Hollywood star may stand to gain from a stint in rehab. I think he’s right! Maybe five years from now we’ll be reading Lindsay Lohan: From Car Accidents to Academy Awards. It’s the American Dream! Fallen star picks him/herself back up and has a successful career. I smell a E! True Hollywood Story coming on.

I think the biggest issue is us, the public/people/fans. We buy all of this crazy behavior and we buy by the boatload..There is a room in my office that is full of People, US Weekly, and In Touch magazines. When you flip through them you get the feeling they build these stars up just to tear them down. It’s as if subconsciously we have some equation in our head that says: tragedy = a good news story. I couldn’t believe that everyone wanted to read about Owen Wilson’s attempt at suicide. It wasn’t as if they were concerned for him, people just wanted to read how crazy he was. Don’t believe me? Websites like TMZ, Concreteloop, and Bossip are becoming increasingly more popular . As long as I can remember there have been tabloid magazines when I check out at the grocery store. Somebody has been buying those magazines because they don’t pay for themselves. The fact that most of these publications are weekly is the most ridiculous part. These writers have to come up with material every week for a 160 page magazine. I wonder what sort of pressure they are under.

We put a lot of pressure on our stars. They know that they are one YouTube clip away from ending their career. Nobody cared to YouTube me falling at the gym the other day. That same clip of Beyonce gets 1,000 views in less than an hour (we’ll at least until her “people” snatch if off the internet). Now we have every cell phone being made with a camera in it. There is really no place for them to hide. Poor Tom Brady couldn’t even bring his girlfriend flowers in peace.

I don’t know if there is an answer to why this is happening. There are a lot of factors to consider and a ton of information to go through. Maybe they are just regular people like you and me, with the same stresses, frustrations, and struggles that we all deal with. Maybe the only real difference is them being household names or having all of their trials play out in weekly gossip magazines and on Entertainment Tonight.

Hopefully things can change for the better. I would hate to see Chris Brown on the cover of People with the headline: Chris Brown – The Real Story of his fall from fame. My niece loves Chris Brown. It would break her 10 year old heart. Let’s pray things change before that happens.

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

2008-02-12T12:25:00.001-08:00

Last week I was home sick watching some movies on cable. What else am I suppose to do with my sick day? So as I’m scrolling through channels and I land on
Blue Streak starring Martin Lawrence and Luke Wilson. The movie also has a small role with a comedian by the name of Dave Chappelle. I realized that I forgot how funny Martin’s movies used to be. There are some real laugh-out-loud moments in that movie. This is film had a okay plot, but Martin’s antics carried the film turning this okay action/comedy into a decent movie.

This weekend I ventured out of my home to see Martin’s latest movie Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. Martin stars as Roscoe Jenkins, a talk show host who is going home for his parents 50th wedding anniversary. He’s bringing ex survivor contestant/fiancée Bianca (Joy Bryant) along for the trip.

Most of the film revolves around Roscoe’s relationship with his father Papa Jenkins (James Earl Jones) and his competition with cousin Clyde (Cedric The Entertainer) for the love of Lucinda (Nicole Ari Parker).

Most of the film just seemed dry. Some of the subplots are underdeveloped and leave you uninterested. There was a lot of physical humor, but if you aren’t into that you may want to sit this one out. I’m not a big fan of physical comedy. It doesn’t take much to make a face like I just smelled something nasty. It was the same old bits from the early 80’s. I just wasn’t amused. As funny as the comedians in the film are, Martin, Mike Epps, Mo’Nique, and Cedric The Entertainer, it felt like they were on a leash and couldn’t really be funny. I’ve seen them all be good in other movies so I wonder where all that funny went

The bright spot of the movie had to be Mike Epps as Roscoe’s cousin Reggie. Some of his one-liners were hilarious and he stole a few scene with just his facial expressions. The movie would have been much better if it had more that comedic freedom. You do get to see a glimpse of that freedom from the other comedians as closing credits roll. That by far was the funniest part of the movie and half of the theater had already left. The funniest moment of the night did not come from the a scene in the movie or the girl with the haircut from Mad Max that I saw at Applebee’s later that night. About halfway through the movie a baby starts crying and a man yells from across the theater, “Oh no! You got to take that out in the hallway”. Reason #184 I love going to the movies.

My suggestion: I’d wait to see it. It’s extremely predictable and doesn’t showcase anything that we haven’t already seen. This could have been a really clean family comedy or a really raunchy R rated comedy. Welcome Home seems to be stuck somewhere in between. With no real identity, this movie doesn’t flow well an may leave you wanting more or just wanting to leave.

My Double-Feature Failure

2008-02-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had a weekend double-feature. Disappointment starring Jessica Alba and Disappointing Remake starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig (I always wanted two first names. I think it would make me sound cooler). Okay so maybe that’s not what the movies were called, but the titles seem to really fit.

My first major disappointment came early Saturday afternoon. I convinced myself to see The Eye starring Jessica Alba and a few other folks who could easily be replaced. This film is a remake of the Hong Kong hit “Jian Gui”. In the movie Alba plays Sydney Wells, a blind violinist who has been without sight since the age of five. She undergoes an eye transplant that restores her vision and also allows her to see supernatural things. Of course nobody believes her. It was as if people thought “You mean to tell me you’ve been blind all these years and NOW you are suddenly and expert on what you see.” That line would have added some much needed comedy to this movie.

The low point of the film comes when Sydney goes to her psychiatrist Dr. Paul Faulkner played horribly by Allessandro Nivola. She says “I need to find out who’s eyes these are” and he replies “I can’t. I could lose my license.” Not only did I see this line coming from a mile away. It was at that exact point when my stomach started to hurt. I realized this movie wasn’t going to be any good, and there is an 85% chance it’s going to end with me throwing my $4.00 Cherry Coke at the screen.

The high point of the movie has to be Jessica Alba. Not because she’s the movies “eye candy” but she actually does a decent job as a lead in this film. I do worry about her career. She’s dropped two bricks with The Eye and Good Luck Chuck. Hopefully she can rebound from this debacle.

It was almost like the producers didn’t care about the movie. I could see them saying in post-production meetings, “It has Jessica Alba! Guys 15-30 will go see it. We’ll make a ton of money”. Sadly, not even her beautiful looks could save this sinking ship.

So after my disappointing morning I decided to watch The Invasion. Here’s the back-story: I love Invasion of the Body Snatchers. So what if it’s film as old as I am, it is still one of my all-time favorite movies. Mostly because I thought they ended the movie perfect. It really shook me up as a kid. I was afraid to go to sleep. I didn’t want any plants in my room under any circumstances. Seeing that I loved the original, like Kidman and have grown to like Daniel Craig, how could this movie suck? It’s easy. How about we butcher the original, give it some crappy updates and totally disrespect the original film by changing the ending. That should about do it.

The movie opens with a shuttle crash landing on its way back to earth. People in the DC area begin getting sick. The films main character Carroll Bennell (Nicole Kidman), a psychiatrist who discovers that people around her aren’t just getting sick, they are changing. She teams up with boyfriend/doctor Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig). The two of them attempt to save the world, and her son who is trapped with her alien ex husband.

For the remainder of the film Carroll and her boyfriend try to rescue her son as well as get to the “safe zone”. The problem is, with the exception of a few scenes, it just wasn’t entertaining. It was dry for most of the film. As I sat on my couch bored out of my mind, I thought I would still have the great ending as my payoff. That was until I realized during the anti-climatic climax that they had to change the ending. I would have much rather watched the original again.

My suggestion: Both films were pretty bad. I would recommend these movies if you’ve already cleaned your house, re-laced all of your shoes, mowed the lawn, washed the dishes, called all of your out-of-state friends or relatives, and there is absolutely nothing on TV. Maybe I’m being a little rough because I watched both of these Snorefest back-to-back. Save your time and money while you still can. I’m definitely going to be wary about seeing the next remake. Hollywood is running out of ideas so I’m sure that will be sometime next month.

There Will Be Blood

2008-01-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

There are plenty of things that I love about sports. One of the great things is that there are plenty of sports analogies to use when describing something. I usually only use them to help emphasis a point or get under someone’s skin.

When discussing There Will Be Blood with my co-worker, I was torn. Before I had a chance to see it I had everyone telling me how great the movie was. After watching it I wasn’t sure if it was a really good movie or just an okay movie with great acting. Often times, like sports, the line is blurred. The movie reminded me of one of the Chicago Bulls teams from the 90’s. Were they a really good team or just an okay team with a few great players. They really only needed a few people to play great and they had chance to win every night. With a few good players, There Will Be Blood has a chance to win big on Oscar night.

The film begins almost like a silent film. There is very little said in the first 15-20 minutes. The films first real dialogue is Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis who would be Michael Jordan) sort of giving the plot of the movie. He introduces himself as an “oil man” and H.W. Plainview (Dillon Freasier who would be John Paxson or Steve Kerr) as his son and business partner. He had to be about 8-10 years old which made that funny to me for some reason. He's the most serious 8 years old I've ever scene.

One night Plainview is paid a visit by a young man who tells him of a town that has oil coming out of the ground. He says that companies are buying up land all around it, but that town is where the oil is. Daniel and son H.W set off to this town to see if it is true or not. The bulk of the film takes place in a small town as Plainview and his colleagues extract oil, and with their shrewd business practices, try to scam the townspeople out of their money. Not that exciting of a plot right? That’s like not having a great team and then some how you land MJ and Pippen.

Daniel-Day Lewis delivers and MJ like performance in the film. He is very believable as Daniel Plainview. I left the film thinking that he was Plainview, a rude oil man who even go as far to say that he didn’t like people and found most of them to be ignorant. The character was so driven that he sacrificed his family, friends, often didn’t like or know the people he worked with. He had a focus kind of like Michael Jordan in some ways.

The other amazing performances comes from Paul Dano (who would be Scottie Pippen) who plays a young evangelical preacher, Eli Sunday. Eli is focused on getting some of the oil money for his family and his church. Dano is one of the great surprises of the movie. I think his performance may go overlooked because of the magnificent job that Daniel Day Lewis does in the film. We know Lewis is great because we’ve seen him in Gangs Of New York, and Last Of The Mohicans. I can’t recall seeing Dano in anything. I was shocked when I looked at the Academy Award nominations this week, and did not see his name on there for Best Supporting Actor. Much like Jordan and Pippen, the two of them together were phenomenal, and by far the best scenes in the movie.

So back to my analogy. The plot is so-so and the rest of the supporting cast is okay, but don’t really do anything to help carry the film. Much like those Bulls teams, two to three major players carry the film (The last 30-45 minutes are incredible). The very last scene is like a 2-on-1 fast break with Lewis and Dano. I’m not quite sure where the line is blurred. Is it really that good of a story? We all know that the actors can make or break a film. We know this is true for most films, but I think it stands to be even more true for There Will Be Blood. I’m not sure if you replace those actors what kind of film you have left. If you replace MJ and Scottie, what sort of team would you have left?

My suggestion: Great performances in this movie. I don’t care if it’s the movie that’s great or the acting. This is one of those must-see-movies of the year and the year just started. It may at some point be overhyped and shoved down our throats as the Academy Awards approach. Try not to let that discourage you. People got tired of hearing about how good the Bulls were, but you have to admit they were a good team.

Cloverfield

2008-01-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

Last night I took the opportunity to round up a bunch of friends and go see the first big movie of 2008, Cloverfield. I remember seeing the trailer when I went to see Transformers thinking that the movie looked great, but somehow what/who the monster was would leak out by January. I’m glad I was wrong. Somehow they were able to keep this movie monster hush. I heard everything from them not showing the monster to the monster being some mutated version of Teddy Ruxpin. This mystery allowed for the Internet buzz to build as people speculated what the monster was or wasn’t. Still the movie had to be more than just Godzilla 2008. Not to mention we had a King Kong remake a few years ago and who wants to see that again. Cloverfield needed some substance if it was going to be a hit.

Cloverfield is shot entirely in first person point-of-view. You will either love how different it is or hate how different it is. Most people seemed to like it. I didn’t see anyone puking in the corner of the theater from motion sickness.

The movie starts as Rob (Michael Stahl-David) is leaving for Japan to start a new job as Vice President. His friends decided to throw him a party and decide to have people make video confessions to Rob so he can look at them when he’s in Japan (the reason for having the camera around). With the camera rolling we meet the other characters in the film, Beth (Odette Yustman), Jessica (Lily Ford), Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), Jason (Mike Vogel), and the narrator/camera man Hud (T.J Miller).

Once everyone is partying, there is a loud boom outside. Everyone rushes to the TV to see what happened assuming it’s another terrorist attack. The report says that there was a capsized ship by the Statue Of Liberty. All the partygoers rush to the roof to see if they can get a glimpse of whatever is happening. Suddenly there is a loud explosion and everyone rushes to the streets and that’s when the real mayhem ensues.

Why is the camera still rolling? This is their attempt to record whatever it is that’s happening to New York City. I guess I can buy that. I’m sure there would really be some idiot that would want to get that footage.

So this film needed more than a monster to keep people interested, and it is found in the relationship between Rob and Beth. Rob is in love with Beth and she calls saying that she’s trapped in her apartment. Now Rob feels compelled to save her and is willing to risk his life. Saving her means staying in NYC while this monster is destroying everything in sight. The other friends join along to help and Hud gets it all captured on film.

I think about my date life, and if I would be willing to risk my life. Not so sure about that. The phone conversation would go something like this.

Girl: Help! I’m stuck in my apartment
Me: Oh no! Are you okay?
Girl: No I can’t move
Me; Dang! Are you serious?That sucks. Is there anybody there to help you?
Girl: No! I'm hurt bad.
(Thinking the monster is right by her apartment)
Me: I’ll call 9-1-1.I love you but I gotta go now there is a monster running around eating people.

Of course some of the stuff in the movie was extremely unbelievable, but I got over it very quickly. I’ve never been in the middle of a monster attack so I’m not sure how things would really work out. I just remember thinking that more people should be dead by now. One of my concerns was that they were not going to show the monster. They do show the monster and more. A lot like The Mist, during some scenes you will just see parts of the monster and not the whole thing. Don’t worry there are plenty of chances to see the beast, and it doesn’t disappoint. I’m still not quite sure what it is.

My favorite character (Other than Jessica) was Hud. He was the comic relief in the film. He said and did some pretty inappropriate things and he reminded me a lot of people I know. You would definitely need someone there to lighten the mood in the middle of an attack. I wouldn’t want everyone around me freaking out.

My suggestion: Great start to 2008. I really enjoyed the flick and would recommend it. It’s something new and something different. A breathe of fresh air for Monster movies and for Hollywood as a whole. I’m glad J.J Abrams thinks outside of the box. I hope to see more of the same in the future. The movie may leave you with the “What if this happened in my city” question. Hopefully you’ll do what I would do and that’s leave.

Blogging on the go!

2008-01-11T13:01:00.001-08:00

Trying out my mobile blog. Now I can blog on the road!

politickin radio

2008-01-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let all you readers know that I will be on politickin radio Thursday 1/10/08. We will be discussing “Is Hollywood Bankrupt”, the strike, television and some other movie news. You can check the interview out at politickinradio.com. Be sure to check out Ambra and Andre’s podcast ever y Thursday and you can even listen to some of the old ones. Thanks for your support

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

2008-01-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

Against my better judgment I went to see National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets. Why? One of my friends was in town for the holidays and we always see movies. It was late and I wanted to see something fun, nothing stale and nothing too emotionally heavy. I must admit that I did enjoy the first movie so there was some appeal with the sequel.

This movie experience did not get off to a good start. As always I’m at the movies early and the previews were terrible. There wasn’t one movie there that I liked. Not one! How is that possible? So after sitting through some gut wrenching trailers Disney decides to show this 5 minute Goofy movie about how to get your home theater installed or something stupid like that. It was a complete waste of time. Not only was it not funny, but it was sooooooooooo long and boring. Who’s idea was that? They need to be fired.

National Treasure 2 picks up where the last movie left off. Now Benjamin Gates (Nicholas Cage) is out to prove his family was not involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. They talk about this assignation as a great American tragedy. Not so sure I agree. Maybe if the Gates family had something to do with JFK or Martin Luther King I would believe this eagerness to clear his name.

Anyways in a quest to clear the Gates family name gates brings along Riley (Justin Bartha),
Abigail (Dian Kruger), his father Patrick Gates (Jon Voight), and this time momma gates is coming along for the ride (Helen Mirren).

I find the storyline to be utterly ridiculous in the movie. First, Kidnapping the President? Ooooooooooookay. Why haven’t you been shot again? Second, how does Abigail still have a high level security job within our government? For arguments sake let’s say you do have a soft spot for blondes, but wouldn’t you do a little C.Y.A and keep a real watchful eye on her. I’d have an intern whose sole job would be to make sure she didn’t do anything crazy.

I thought the first movie was unbelievable but it still tied things together well. The sequel doesn’t do as good of a job keeping the story interesting and some parts of it seem all over the place and even less believable.

I never really understood the Wilkinson character. They never did a good job of establishing the reason for having him around and why he was so obsessed with finding this Lost City of Gold.

The bright spot of the movie was Gates sidekick Riley. He added some comedy to the movie and help make some of the most boring parts bearable. The comedic timing was pretty good and I laughed out loud a few times. Still not enough to save this movie.

My suggestion: This is the reason people hate sequels. For every Terminator 2 there is a Book Of Secrets. Wait for the DVD or the Showtime Movie Premier. Hopefully you won’t have to sit through that Goofy movie.

Juno

2007-12-26T15:01:00.001-08:00

When I first heard about the movie Juno for some reason I thought it was about that small town in Alaska. Why would I want to see a movie about that? Alaska is cold and boring like the last 3 minutes of Sopranos.

Turns out that Juno is a movie about a young woman who gets pregnant in high school and decides to put her child up for adoption. She meets this great adoptive couple early on in her pregnancy and that adds to some more complications in her young life. Like Juno says in the movie, “I’ve been dealing with things way beyond my maturity level.”

The film is a common tale of youth and pregnancy. Juno is played by Ellen Page who was great in Hard Candy and had a minor role in X-Men 3 as Kitty Pride. She delivers in this movie too as a confused teenager. She also has some of the movies laugh-out-loud moments with her witty one-liners. When discussing with the adoptive parents their options she says, “You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.”

The adoptive mother Vanessa is played by Jennifer Garner of Alias fame. I’m not usually a big fan of her work (I’m still bitter about seeing Daredevil), but she’s even good in this movie. She plays that mom who is unable to bear children. She wants a child so bad and the movie shows the effects on her marriage. Her husband Mark is played by Jason Bateman (He seems to be landing a lot of roles these days). Mark is classic as an old musician who never saw his Rock N’ Roll dreams come true so now composes cheesy tunes for commercials. The relationship between him and Juno is very awkward to watch in the movie. Some of the scenes with just the two of them had a weird feeling to them. I left feeling like he was sort of attracted to his high school kid even though he was older and married.

The supporting characters in the movie are hilarious. Juno’s father Mac MacGuff (J.K Simmons) and boyfriend Bleeker (Michael Cera) are great and add a lot of depth to the characters they play. Bleeker is her nerdy boyfriend who is obsessed with orange tic-tacs. The kid seems to be lost most of the film but that’s what you like about the character. He gets a girl pregnant and she decides to give it up for adoption with no real conversation about it. Her father Mac is a dad who’s dealing with his daughter being pregnant at 16. I couldn’t even imagine what that would be like. The film takes a very light approach on the subject. Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) makes a nice cameo in the beginning of the movie and has some pretty funny lines in the film.

Juno is a look at how people deal with those situations. What was different about this movie was when they added the comedy to level of the seriousness of the subject matter. There are some very tense/real moments in the film and instead of taking a serious turn, the movie makes light of it with the comedy. It allows you to still get the message but not leave the film feeling heavy. I left Gone Baby Gone feeling like I had been in an emotional battle royal.

My suggestion: See Juno. Great movie that’s full of laughs and also has a nice message too it. Not too preachy and not too funny. It’s a good mix.

I Am Legend

2007-12-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I watched the 1971 movie Omega Man based on Richard Mathesons 1954 book I Am Legend. The movie starred Charlton Heston as Dr. Robert Neville, who was the last man on earth. He was busy working on a cure for an experimental vaccine that has killed most of the world’s population. The people who haven’t died have formed a group/cult called The Family and are lead by Matthias. He leads the group to try and kill Dr. Neville. In tradition of the post civil rights era, these infected want Neville dead because he is not like them and represents the way things used to be before the virus. The infected people looked liked Druids-Klansmen with hoods on protecting them from sunlight. Their skin looked like they had been playing in powdered doughnuts all day, and eyes as red as cranberries. Scary for 1971, not so much in 2007.

Reason # 167 I love seeing movies at the IMAX: I went to our local IMAX at the Seattle Center to see I Am Legend for the 2nd time. Why would I see it twice? IMAX is showing 7 minutes of The Dark Knight the second installment of the new Batman series. The preview is well worth the long lines and $10.75. The Joker looks great and the action sequences just as amazing. Okay back to the movie.

This re-make stars one of my favorites Will Smith. Smith stars as Dr. Neville and is trying to find a cure after most of the world is killed off by the Krippen virus. A virus that was created to help cure cancer. Neville spends his days roaming the streets of New York with his dog Sam systematical checking buildings, leaving a radio message, and working on a cure for the virus. At night he prepares himself to fight off those infected or “dark seekers”.

I thought the movie was great. Here’s why: In the 1971 you saw Dr. Neville as a hero who was here to save the earth and spent the past 3 years working on a cure. No real contact with anyone and was still very much a regular man. I’m not sure in 2007 we would buy that. We know way too much about how the human brain works. Legend shows the affect that 3 years of near isolation can do to a person. The fact that he was working on a cure when the virus broke and all of these people have died. His character carries a lot of that guilt and the film does a great job of showing that.

Since I’ve seen the movie twice I was able to see a few more things. What’s alarming are some of the signs that are posted around the city and in the homes of people. Signs like “WARNING: Infected dogs can come out at night” and “Stay in the light”. Also inside some of the homes have people stockpiling prescription drugs and water. You could tell they were preparing to leave. The thought of people preparing for disaster is almost as bad as the disaster itself.

The dark seekers were alarming. I’m not sure if it was the howling or the how they looked almost transparent and you could almost see their insides. Like most recent movies, these creatures were fast and strong. The age of the slow zombie/vampire/flesh eating human is dead. Of course like the Legend movies in the past, these creatures are sensitive to light. I always tell my friends that if you start eating peoples flesh you are no longer my friend and if I turn into one of those things, kill me because I would definitely kill you. (I do love my friends…………really I do)

There was also what I would like to call a “God piece” in the movie. I think in crisis people will either turn from God or turn to God looking for answers.

Our own World Health Organization always talking about an emerging global pandemic that may or may not infect humans causing serious illness and death. This movie may not be too far from the truth. I doubt we have dark seekers or a group called The Family, but we’ve already seen cholera, influenza, and the Spanish flu can do. We don’t need as strong as the Krippen virus.

My suggestion: Rent Omega Man, and definitely go see I Am Legend. If you can see it at the IMAX I would recommend doing that. The Batman bonus is worth it, but a regular movie theater will do. It’s a good movie and I think won’t be appreciated until years later. I’m just glad they finally got the story right.

Gone Baby Gone

2007-12-04T12:37:00.001-08:00

Growing up in Northern California in the 80’s, it seemed like kidnapping was very popular. I think back and it feels like kids were getting stolen every week. I know that was never the case, but I remember having to have a “buddy” to walk home from school with, don’t talk to strangers, and being a latch-key kid. I even remember a kid at my elementary was almost abducted one day after school. I know I’m going to be overprotective when I have kids.

Gone Baby Gone is a film about missing girl that the whole city is trying to find. The story starts as private investigator Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and his girlfriend/partner Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) are asked by the family of the missing girl to help find her. The more questions the ask, the more questions seem to arise. The case of the missing girl starts to affect them personally more than it does professionally.

The couple is helped by gritty detective Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) who tries to help them piece together the puzzle and bring the little girl home.

This movie was unexpectedly good. I went in thinking it was going to be a bore fest or another “who done it” that shows it’s poker hand way too early and I’d be spending the last hour of the movie praying it doesn’t end that way. Michelle Monaghan is great in the movie as the apathetic partner who wants to help find the girl. She’s secretly moving up on my personal Hot 25 list. She was great in Heartbreak Kid and in Gone Baby Gone. I think it’s the light freckles. I’m not sure really, but she’s solidified her spot. Amy Ryan is great as the drug addicted mom Helene McCready. A few years ago I would volunteer for this homeless teen feed at one our local YMCA’s. She reminded me of a lot of the moms that I would see come in and out of there.

It was great to see Michael K Williams aka Omar on The Wire make a cameo in the movie. The Wire is by far my favorite show on TV and I’m always excited when I see one of the stars in something else.

Casey Affleck does a really good job in the film as well. I wasn’t sure if he could be the star of the movie, but he handles it well. He was most famous for his roles in the Oceans movies. I thought he was definitely headed down the same path as Tito Jackson, Frank Stallone, Omar Gooding, Haylie Duff, and my all-time favorite Don Swayze.

My Suggestion: This film is a great look at what is right or wrong , and if there is any gray area or if the line you cross is ever blurred. I loved the ending. It leaves you with a “what would you do” debate with strong points for either side to be made.

Michael Clayton

2007-11-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

George Clooney is on a short list of actors who I’ll see in most movies. I start to believe that he is that character (maybe not Batman) and you get sucked into the movie. I loved him in Syriana, Oceans 11, Out Of Sight and From Dusk Till Dawn.

I had to see Michael Clayton! I thought there was way too much hype. The first article I read about the movie was all about the Oscar Clooney was going to get for this role. That’s always a red flag for me. Some of these movies that are nominated for Academy Awards are sometimes good movies, but not fun to watch. Clayton was an exception.

This films starts Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) strips off his clothes in a deposition. Clayton (George Clooney) is sent in by the firm to clean up the mess and help hold his friend together. Edens has spent the six years defending a $3 billion lawsuit against a new agrochemical company U North. After being convinced that his friend has just been off his meds. Clayton starts to realize that maybe he’s not really crazy at all. Maybe some of the gibberish that was coming out of his mouth actually meant something.

Tom Wilkinson is great as the crazed man who’s come to his senses. He plays the crazy role so well. Everything from buying large amounts of French bread to his obsession with a children’s book and making the connections with the case.
Clooney is amazing as well. His character has so many layers. You see his frustrations with the firm, his family life, his relationship with his son, even his gambling problem. As the movie moves forward, you begin to see how the corruption gets to him. There is a sense of realism too it. He reminded me of myself in some ways. A company man who’s doing his job and trying to get his stuff together. Trying to have a healthy balance between his family and finances and work. That’s most people in America who struggle with striving to be “well off” and having to manage that with the relationships they have.

My suggestion: Check out Michael Clayton. Not a “feel good” movie, but is a mature movie (no not like that) and is a harsh look at corporations and how they may work. It’s what one of my co-workers would call a “shot of reality”.

Stephen King's - The Mist

2007-11-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

I’ve always wonder if me and some of my co-workers looked outside and zombies ran the streets, or Jigsaw had us trapped in some where house, or even if we decided to have our retreat at Camp Crystal Lake, how would people react? Would we all ban together? Would I jump in front of a machete for a stranger? Maybe I’d trip someone as we were being chased by Zombies. That could easily buy us 5-10 minutes.

That’s what I liked about the Mist. It answered a lot of those questions for me. I don’t feel like I ever really seen that played out in a movie. Most movies start like that but at some point people have seen enough madness that it brings them together. Saw II sort of scratched the surface in the “finding a needle in the haystack” scene. I laughed out loud thinking, “I could really see someone doing that”.

The Mist starts as there is a storm rolls into town. The next morning the towns people are at the store getting supplies just in case the storm gets worse. As the mist rolls into to town the people soon realize the seemingly harmless mist is actually deadly. They are barricade themselves in the store. David Drayton (Thomas Jane) sees some unworldly things in the loading dock. Now his mission is to keep whatever is out there from coming in, protect his son, and figure out what exactly what is causing this mist.

The movie is about the monsters inside the store as well as the monsters outside. One of the monsters is Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) who goes on and on about this being the end of the world and man having to pay for its sins. As the movie goes on she starts to look more and more like a prophet or “God’s vessel” and less like a crazy woman. Brent Norton (Andre Braugher) is a non believer. He thinks the mist is what it is and the locals are trying to pull a fast one on him. He and others decide to leave the safety of the store and brave the mist. Not a good idea.

The movie is good. It deals with the nature of man (or woman). We are all raised different and have different believes, responsibilities, world views. All of that comes out in a crisis situation. So you think you have 8 really good friends? Trap you all in a house and tell you that death is outside waiting to get in and you have to figure a way out. Who snaps? Who is going to be the Ms. Carmody of the group? Who decides to “sacrifice” someone for the greater good of the group? Who says I’ll give my life so the rest can live? Hopefully I’ll never have to answer any of these questions.

My suggestion: Go see the movie! It’s good and will possible give you the creeps. There aren’t too many good scary movies, but this delivers some good thrills.

My grade: 3.3 – Okay grades in a mediocre class. Your classmates need to step it up

No Country For Old Men

2007-11-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

I watch a ton of movies and have grown fond of the Coen Brothers work. Raising Arizona is one of my favorite movies. You could imagine my delight when I heard they were writing/directing No Country For Old Men. I’ve never read the books. Books are only good for burning (really I love to read), but everyone said the book was amazing. I knew I was going to see it no matter what the reviews said. I was reading one of my favorite sports writers Bill Simmons of ESPN’s weekly football column and his said “if somebody has a good explanation for the last 25 minutes of that movie, I'd love to hear it. Everyone at my theater applauded when it was over, like something special had just happened. Meanwhile, I was sitting there going, "Wait, it's over? What the hell just happened?" That’s exactly how I felt.

The movie starts as hunter Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon the aftermath of a deadly shootout and 2 million dollars in cash. Like most people he takes the money and makes plans to leave town. Moss knows that whoever lost this money will be looking for it very shortly, but what he doesn’t know is that he’s being tracked by killer/psychopath named Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Tommy Lee Jones lays Sheriff Ed Tom Bell who is trying to track the killer and find Moss to help keep him safe. The movie picks up quickly and is a very tense atmosphere for the first 100 of the 122 minutes this movie runs.

This is one of those films that is very character driven. You feel for Moss’ character. He’s like most of us. What would you do if you found $2,000,000? Most people would keep it and leave town just as fast as they found the money. Moss is a regular guy that has an idea that’s he’s gotten into some trouble but really has no idea the type of people he’s mixed up with. The movie sparked an interesting conversation with me and my roommate. He says he’d keep it and head out of town. I said I’d plead ignorance or turn the money in. I feel he’d always be looking over his shoulder wondering if whoever lost the money was coming to collect. He says I’d always be wondering, “What if I just kept the money?” I think we are both right.

What really helps propel this movie is the villain Chigurh. From the first time you see him on screen, he creeps you out and every time they show him you know something bad is going to happen. It wasn’t just his haircut and odd facial expressions. Or even his strange way he engaged in conversations that made you feel like it made sense to him and nobody else. Maybe it was the fact that he killed people with an air pressure can and filled his victims head with air. It could have been the sick sense of honor that he displays. A little bizarre but definitely made you fear the guy if you didn’t already. He is easily one of my favorite movie villains. He was everything you want out of a villain. Chigurh was smart, sick, fearless, and didn’t seem to care who got in his way.

The movie hits its climax and I’m sitting in my seat thinking “Oh this is going to be goooooooooooooood” that’s about the same time the movie took an unexpected/unnecessary turn for the worst. I was looking around the theater thinking maybe I leaped like the guy from Journeyman into another movie. There has to be a worst feeling than that in life, but it has to rank pretty high. Somewhere between having a blind date with a real blind person and realizing you sent a Valentine’s Day card for Keesha in an envelope addressed to Jamie (that pain never goes away). I’d like compare it to having a date with Beyonce and then she invites you back to her place. You think it’s “go-time” and you get to her house and Jay-Z is there relaxing on the couch. It just didn’t end like you hoped it would. Kind of hard to tell your friends you had a great time without mentioning the disappointment at the end. That’s how I feel about No Country. Could have ended great if the Coen Brothers didn’t have Jay-Z on the couch for the last 25 minutes.

My suggestion: Go see it if you want to. The first 100 minutes are very good and it really gets you hooked into the story. I wouldn’t be mad if you saw it but when you see a hotel pool for the first time this is your sign to quickly get up and leave. When Beyonce invites me back to her place I’ll say, “No I think I’ll just call it a night” and always wonder what might have been. Maybe that’s the same logic that would have me give the money back.

My grade: 3.0 – You did great on your homework, but failed the final miserably. Better luck next time.

American Gangster

2007-11-14T14:29:00.001-08:00

I love watching movies that are “based on a true story”. I’ve always viewed those stories as 3 parts truth and 1 part “Hollywood”. I know that my life would have some exciting ups and downs to it, but my usual day-to-day activities would probably bore you to death. I couldn’t imagine people watching my life unfold on a big screen as I toggle through my fantasy football team or look for new cologne at Macy’s. American Gangster is based on the life of Frank Lucas. Driver turned kingpin who ruled the streets of Harlem for years. Thankfully his life wasn’t as mundane as mine so it made for a much better motion picture.

American Gangster starts as crime boss Bumpy Johnson passes away and Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) vows to get the money back that people owed Bumpy. At a lost to find ways to make money, Lucas comes up with the idea of getting heroin straight from Vietnam and bypassing the middleman. He outsmarts the competition and because the main supplier to the inner-city drug scene in New York City. Lucas becomes a major figure and draws the attention of New Jersey policeman Ritchie Roberts (Russell Crowe).

The movie does a great job of showing multiple sides of the drug game. You are able to see how the lifestyle affected his wife and his family. The supporting characters did a great job (Cuba Gooding Jr. as Nicky Barnes especially), but Crowe and Denzel basically ran a two man game for the entire film. Both actors are so far beyond talented that it makes the movie work.

After watching the movie I had a ton of questions so I went to my own person history expert, my dad. I asked him how someone was able to make so much money in the 1960’s.

Dad Fact #1
He said that a lot of the soldiers from Vietnam were coming home drug addicted. Some picked up habits while serving overseas and others received morphine to help with the pain of lost appendages, but were not adequately shown how to kick the drug. This means you had a ton of junkies with money coming home from the war.

Dad fact #2
My dad concludes that Vietnam had the best weed and “everyone knew it” He had a friend in the military who would take whole duffle bags full of weed off the plan and nobody ever checked him. Seems crazy, but I guess a lot of that stuff really happened.

Since the American Gangster opened there have been interviews with Bumpy Johnson’s family, officer Ritchie Roberts, Nicky Barnes and even Frank Lucas. There are conflicting reports as to what actually happened and what details were left out or added. What we do know is an amazing story about a man who made choices in life. Life is about the choices you make and he chose to sell drugs. I wonder how different his life would be if he decided to do something else.

My Suggestion: I there was one movie out to see this fall it would be American Gangster. It’s informative, sad, intriguing, cool, and will definitely start a few conversations.

My Grade: 3.5 – Great job. We’ll done, but not sure if you showed enough work.

My Obsession with Scrooge McDuck

2007-11-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

As a kid I watched a ton of cartoons. By a lot I mean a lot! I may have watched more T.V than legally possible. The more I watched the more the characters started to stick with me. I loved Optimus Prime and his leadership, the courage of He-Man, how cool Heathcliff was even though he lived in a dump, and the wittiness of Bugs Bunny. None of these characters struck a chord with me as much as Scrooge McDuck.

Uncle Scrooge a Scottish born duck who is known for his love of money. His American grand -nephews Hewy, Dewey, and Louie never seemed to fully understand Scrooge and his obsession with money. He was rich beyond his means. They even had a robot in the home that would help around the house. Scrooge was portrayed a businessman who was very successful and was always looking at a way not to spend his riches. He worked his way up from the bottom and was all about hard work and earning every penny.

Scrooge resided in the town of Duckburg. Duckburg is a small town and not very rich. Scrooge had so many companies there that he kept the town running and continued to make more money and more money. He made so much money that he kept it in his “Money Bin” which sat on a big hill for everyone in Duckburg to see. It was like a slap in the face to all the residence. No wonder the Beagle Boys, a family of ex-cons, wanted his fortune. Every time they left their low-income home they had to look up and see the money bin knowing that Scrooge was probably in there swimming around in his fortune.

How did Uncle Scrooge obtain his fortune? According to “Voodoo Hoodoo” published in 1949, Scrooge used an army of “cutthroats” to get the tribe to abandon their lands in order to establish a diamond-mining colony. Foola Zoola an African sorcerer and chief of Voodoo cursed Scrooge. That may be why Uncle Scrooge was always obsessed with money. He seemed possessed when he would hear about a diamond or sunken treasure and dollar signs would pop up in his eyes. It was like he couldn’t control. Scrooge was always being led somewhere to find some lost gold. It wasn’t as if they had to pull his leg. He was always easily persuaded. The thought of more riches would lure him in. Now it’s all starting to make sense.

I wondered for years why that character always resonated with me. It’s because Scrooge McDuck is most Americans today. Just think about it. He was all about himself. He would risk his nephews lives, Mrs. Beakley, Launchpad, Gyro, Doofus, it didn’t matter. If he thought there was money involved he would travel any and everywhere and take any risk.

All he cared about was his money. You remember seeing more scenes with him swimming in his money than you do with his grand-nephews. Everyone in Duckburg knew that his biggest fear was being broke and back in the poor house. He was so concerned with things that didn’t really matter in life. After ruthlessly taking over an African country he became wealthy and his life mission was trying to maintain that wealth.

Why was he never married? All this time and he could never settle down with anyone? He was too obsessed with his career. What woman would want to come second to a man’s money? She’d never win. I think all these women knew that and it was hard for him to give it up.

His most prize possession? His number one dime. The first dime he ever earned. There was something mystical about it. He earned it signing shoes in Scotland. It was an American dime and not worth any money. Scrooge kept it as a reminder to never be fooled again. I never realized Scrooge has such a hardened heart.

There is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us. People always stress college for education. How often do we stress that we need to be educated. We are taught to go to college so we can go out and get a job and make money. It’s about earning potential and not about what you are passionate about. I’ll be the first to admit that once you start making money, it’s hard to give up that lifestyle. Most of us struggle with that, much like Uncle Scrooge and his quest to always make money. How else could he keep his private plane, or robot maid or lavish top hats and nice suits. How else can you pay for your new car, condo, wedding and still take trips to Vegas.

If Scrooge was around today he’d be on MTV Cribs with a Lamborghini and some “stunna shades” showing off his mansion and all his new gadgets with his bad nephews running around. He’d be a CEO of a major company donating to presidential campaigns that are helping pass laws to keep his businesses flourishing with little concern about the poor people in his town and the wages they make, as long as McDuck Industries kept making money.

He’d be that unmarried man/woman who was so career driven that they never settled down. Always about making that extra money. Like a friend told me the other day. Scrooge was always concerned about the end result and not invested in the process. You have to be invested in your relationships. Scrooge was invested in his money. It made him a wealthy man, but a lonely man.

As yourself, how much Scrooge McDuck do I have in me. I asked myself and I have more than I would like to admit. Still I strive to have a little less Scrooge and a little more of me.

The Heartbreak Kid

2007-10-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Wrestlers usually have pretty lame attire and look goofy but what makes them stand out is the name. Names like Andre the Giant, Ultimate Warrior, Ravishing Rick Rude, The Undertaker, and The Road Warriors. One of my friends swears the best professional wrestler of all time is Shawn Michaels The Heartbreak Kid. He will not allow you to say anything negative about HBK in his home or you will quickly see the door. I may not have to liked him but I had to admit that his name was great. It can go both ways he can be the guy who never gets a break with the ladies or the guy who never gives the ladies a break.

With the Farrlley brothers adaptation to the 1972 movie set to hit theaters, I wasn’t sure which Heartbreak Kid was going to show up.

HBK opens with Eddie Cantrow (Stiller) a 40 year old single man set to spend his Valentine’s day alone at his ex-fiancés wedding. After sitting through the ceremony he meets the girls of his dreams. Soon after they are married and plan a trip to Mexico. As quickly as they get married Eddie realizes that he may have been in way over his head. At the resort he meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan) and falls instantly in love. Now he’s faced with the dilemma of getting rid of his wife and spending time with his new love.

I would love to recommend this movie to my mom, but I know she wouldn’t get past the first few minutes. There is a lot of crude, rude humor. Those happen to be some of the funniest scenes in the movies. None of which they are able to show on a the trailer for the movie. If you are easily offended, this movie is not for you.
This movie has some of the most ridiculous love scenes I’ve ever seen. It’s not just the physical humor but some of the lines that are delivered are priceless. I was laughing after the movie.

Some scene stealers include Carlos Mencia as Uncle Tito. I’m not even a fan of Carlos Mencia. I actually think he’s not very funny, but he’s great in this film. Malin Akerman as Lila the good girl gone crazy. She does a great job as her story unravels and Eddie finds out more and more about her past. Jerry Stiller as Doc has a very small role, but all of his scenes are funny. He even reminds me of my dad. My dad is constantly trying to pimp me out to young women. We had a conversation one day that went like this

Dad: Hey son how are you?
Me: I’m good, just watching tv (girl laughing in the background)
Dad: Is that a girl?
Me: Yeah that’s my friend, she’s over here hanging out
Dad: (rushing off the phone) I’ll let you go. Take care of business son!

Hopefully once I’m married those phone calls will stop

My suggestion: Other than Superbad it’s the funniest movie I’ve seen all year. I laughed more at this than I did at Pirates (yes I’m still mad). I’m off to see this movie again this week. You will definitely leave this movie with a few more slang words that you didn’t have before.

My grade: 3.7 – You can get a good grade just by making the teacher laugh. What a skill!

3:10 To Yuma

2007-10-01T12:58:00.001-07:00

I heard a few months ago that Gladiator (Crowe) and Batman (Bale) were starring in a western together called 3:10 To Yuma. They are both two of my favorite actors right now. If I heard they were starring in a film, even if it sounded bad, I might say “Hmmm It could be worth seeing.” For some reason that title sounded familiar.

I went home that night and searched my TiVo and found it on my Westerns Channel. One of the million channels that I pay $89 for every month. That brings me to my rant for the week. Why don’t cable companies let you choose what channels you watch and they can charge you. It can be a base rate for 25 channels and you can pay extra for the pay channels like Showtime and HBO. If you want 25-50 channels you can pay more for that. I think that’s a great idea. I would have half of the channels that I have now. Now if you don’t have cable or satellite you can’t get any channel. Why aren’t more people upset about this?

Anyway I watched the 1957 original Yuma and it was really good, surprisingly good. My roommate said that if the remake was anything close to the original it would be a hit. You know what, he was right.

Yuma picks up with struggling farmer Dan Evans (Bale) crosses paths with notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe). Desperate for money Evans agrees to help transport Wade to the town of Contention and put him on the 3:10 to Yuma Prison where he will be hanged (hence the name of the movie).

They really sell the fact that Wade is a ruthless killer. As you watch the movie you realize that Wade isn’t the only one to be worried about. His outfit is on the way to bust their leader out before he’s put on that train. They are lead by his second in command Charlie Prince (Ben Foster. I almost didn’t recognize him but he played Angel in X-Men 3). Prince is a reckless gunslinger who will shoot anything in sight. He’s a very colorful and one of the more memorable characters in Yuma. So much that in my Fantasy Football League a friend changed his team name to Charlie Prince, and another friend is determined to start a bike club called “The Outfit”.

There are some differences between the original and the updated version of the story. Most notably the ending of the movie, but it still has the same feel to it. Some of the scenes are taken straight from the 1957 version and are done well. This version has way more gunfights and is a lot more graphic, but never gets off track. The characters remain the same and even the characters they added fit in very well. They did a great job adapting this film. You figure it’s been 50 years so something has to change. Showing a struggling farmer in 1957 is different than in 2007. This movie showed how it affected his family and the relationship with his wife and kids.

My suggestion: The best movie of the fall so far. Great remake and a fun story to tell. It’s one of those stories you’d hear as a kid. Bale and Crowe both deliver in this film. I think I may go see it again.

My Grade: 3.3 – Way to start off the Fall. A few tweaks here and there and you may have gotten an A.

You're Up Mr. West

2007-09-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d blog about the latest in hip-hop news. Kanye v. 50 Cent. Who’s going to sell more records.

I think the rivalry is good. It's been good for our sports. Look at Red Sox/Yankees, Bulls/Pistons of the early 90's, and the Colts/Patriots. Each year they would have to step it up a little because they knew the other team was going to bring their 'A' game. The lack of real competition has made for some lackluster music these past few years. Look at the 60's. My dad sang in a group called "The Raggedy Roaches". He tells me that the competition was so intense that everybody had to be good or else you didn't stand a chance. I think that's why we have such timeless music come out of that era. There weren't all these media oultets so everyone was battling for the same spots. I would love to see that now.

I’m a huge fan of Kanye and knew his album would do well. He’s projected to have sold an upwards of 957,000 units his first week. Fifty comes in second with roughly 691,000.

In comparison, fellow rapper/producer Swizz beats only sold 45,000 his first week and was heard on a local radio station complaining about his numbers. That’s gotta sting. You have two singles released, two videos, you are on a major label and you can’t move records. It’s not like the bootleggers have it. There is no buzz on the street “ You got that Swizz Beats?” People don’t even seem to care.

It’s a rough game out there. There have always been grumbles about record companies purchasing records to boost sales for the first week. I’m sure everything seems okay when it comes out and then when your mid week numbers come out and you aren’t doing so hot you start thinking about your promotion, advertising, videos, what single you released first. It’s got to drive any person crazy.

We all saw Kanye spazz out back stage at the VMA’s. I think he’s under that stress and he’s also very passionate about what his music.

Fifty is also very competitive as well and has had big releases for his first two albums.

This idea that Fifty would retire was nonsense. What are you going to do if you don’t rap? The only reason rappers retire is so that they can come back. It’s just like those boy bands that “break up” and then get back together for a reunion album and reunion tour. The Backstreet Boys just got back together. Why? Who cares? Not this guy.

I don’t want to see Fifty Dates for Fifty Cent on VH1 two years from now. I don’t want to see Fifty in some straight to DVD movies where he plays a cop or an ex con or a rapper who’s mixed up with the wrong crowd. Whenever I see an interview with Fifty I walk away feeling like he’s a really intelligent guy. I’m sure he’ll get involved in more than just rapping. You can’t have too much idle time on your hands. Look what’s it’s doing to OJ (sorry Juice).

I hope we see more friendly competition from our music artist. Maybe we’ll start to see better performances at these awards shows and get better albums out of some of these artist.

Balls Of Fury: "I'm going to Disneyland"

2007-08-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

I use to see sneak previews all of the time. It felt like I was going every week. Somehow I got too busy working out, taking boxing lessons, or just sitting at home doing nothing, that I forgot how much fun they are. You can say, “I saw movie x and it was pretty good”. When they say, “Is that out already?” you can say, “No! It’s not out yet” with a smile on your face, leaving them a little puzzled as to how you saw the movie. Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a sneak preview of the new comedy Balls Of Fury.

BOF is a tale about an ex ping-pong champion Randy Daytona (Dan Folger) who is brought out of retirement by FBI Agent Rodriquez (George Lopez) to catch a dangerous criminal, Mr. Feng (Christopher Walken).

After being out of the game for so long Daytona is trained by a blind man Master Wong (James Hong) and his niece Maggie (Maggie Q). They both put Daytona through grueling training to get him ready for Feng’s tournament. Maggie Q is the “eye candy” for the movie. She’s definitely going to be bumped up on next year’s Maxims Hot 100 after her roles Live Free or Die Hard and BOF.

This movie has so many comical references to Enter The Dragon. The group travels to Feng’s island compound which is very reminiscence of Mr. Han’s compound in Enter the Dragon. Even down the scene in ETD where all the fighters are practicing, there is a scene just like it in BOF put instead of martial arts, it’s ping pong.

BOF has some great characters Mr. Wong is funny and there is a lot of subtle jokes they use about him being blind. Him not facing people while he’s talking, and asking “What just happened? What am I missing?”

Daytona’s nemesis is German Karl Wolfschtagg (Reno 911’s Thomas Lennon). He beat Daytona back in the ’88 Olympics and has showed up at Feng’s tournament to win it all. Karl is extremely sarcastic, rude and hilarious all at the same time.

Walken is great as Feng. He has great timing with his jokes in the movie, not to mention all the ridiculous outfits and sunglasses he randomly shows up in. I can’t tell if he’s a alien or a vampire. The first time I can remember seeing Christopher Walken was when I was a kid in that movie The Dead Zone. He was pretty creepy in that. Who knew that 24 years later I’d be laughing at him in comedies.

My Suggestion: BOF is a great comedy. May not be the funniest movie I’ve seen all year, but worth the matinee price for a good laugh. If not for the great ping pong scenes, see it for Christopher Walken and his futuristic vampire outfits.

My grade: 3.0- Not the best student, but it pays to show a little effort when nobody else is.

W-A-R is B-A-D

2007-08-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

All summer I’ve sworn that Pirates Caribbean 3 was by far the worst movie I’ve seen. That was until Saturday afternoon when I went to go see Jet Li and Jason Statham star in War. I got together with three of my good friends and I must say we were all very excited to see this movie. None of us really had high expectations. We wanted to see an “ok” plot, some good action, a few laughs , and a big finish. Let’s just say we got none of the things on our wish list.

Statham plays Crawford an FBI agent who’s a complete bad (you know what) that works in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He knows martial arts and speaks fluent Chinese. One day Crawford’s partner Tom (Terry Chen) and his wife and daughter are killed by Rouge (Jet Li). Fast forward to 3 years later and Crawford is obsessed with the case and is divorced from his wife because of it. He’s spent the last few years trying to find Rouge, who for some reason changes his face every six months.

We all know what happens next. Rouge shows up again and Crawford is on the case. This time Rouge is starting a war between two crime families, the Triads and Yakuza. The two families feud with Rouge and Crawford’s battle caught somewhere in the middle.

The only reason I had a problem with this film was because it could have been a B+ film, and somehow it ended up being a C- (and that may be generous). The fight scenes with Jet Li and the cool cars saved the film, and now make it a rental.

Some of the movies funnier moments come from Wick (Mathew St. Patrick) who is an FBI agent. Now it’s not anything that his character does in the film, but how horrible his acting was. I’m sure if you look him up on IMDB you’ll see he has a nice body of work. War was definitely not one of his best performances. The guy looks like Barry Bonds and Theo from the Cosby show had a kid. I’m still wondering how he got that part in this movie.

The plot stunk! There was a twist at the end that really made no sense at all, and the ending was terrible. I was hoping to see this great fight scene between Jet Li and Jason Statham, and that didn’t happen. I thought I’d get some good action and that didn’t happen either. I’m not sure what direction this movie was going. It seemed to be all over the place at times. The crime bosses didn’t seem bad enough. You always need a good villain and the villains in this film were a little too happy. They gave us no real reason to cheer for Crawford as he chases Rouge all over town. I found myself cheering for Rouge more than anything.

My suggestion: Don’t see it. Rent it if you REALLY love Jet Li or have a taste for bad movies. Me and my friends were very disappointed. We discussed the movie and tried to salvage what we could. Ultimately we all decided it was one of the worst movies of the summer.

My grade- 2.2: You failed your final. Now you have to face the music at home. Maybe you should stay at your friends house until your parents cool off.

High School High

2007-08-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

I loved my time in High School. I attended a ton of schools from grades K thru 12th grade, 12 total to be exact. My remaining three years being spent at Garfield High School. Some of the craziest, funniest, wildest years of my young life. With that said I really enjoy high school movies. I think they are a riot. Sometimes I look at characters and feel like that’s me on screen, but most of the time I think it allows writers, directors or whoever else is working on the film to relive their high school days.

Superbad is a film about two high school friends Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) living their last two weeks of high school. When their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) gets a fake ID (under the name McLovin) they are asked to bring alcohol to the party where the girls of their dreams are. Seth’s plan is to get drunk and lose his virginity to Jules (Emma Stone). Evan just wants to tell his dream girl Becca (Martha MacIsaac) how he feels.

With most plans you make in high school, things quickly get out of hand. McLovin is punched in a robbery at the liquor store. Now with no money and no liquor Seth and Evan scramble to find ways to get alcohol or they have no chance of hooking up with the girls of their dreams.

Fogell aka McLovin is one of the funniest characters in the movie. He’s this nerd who I don’t think realizes he’s not really all that cool. He talks like a wannnabe gangster and makes this scratching sound with his voice. McLovin spends most of the movie with two incompetent police officers Slater (Bill Hader) and Michaels (Seth Rogen). These two cops run around town not doing their jobs and playing light sabers with thier flashlights. To protect and to serve is the last thing on their minds.

Seth spends most of the movie sounding like he’s going to lose his mind over not hooking up with Jules. He blast Fogell with insult after insult. Sometimes it out of frustration and others because he considers Fogell not to be the coolest guy on the planet. A lot of Seth’s scenes provide some the movies vulgar and hilarious moments.

Although this movie is a riot to watch, and almost non-stop humor from beginning to end, there are some good points to the movie. You get to see how two friends deal with going off to different schools, underage drinking, high school parties, trying to have enough guts to tell a girl how they feel, and just trying to fit in. The movie is great because it tackles those issues and never misses a beat.

My Suggestion: May be the funniest movie of the year. This movie is not kids or anyone who’s offended easily. It’s really one of those R rated, vulgar, offensive, high school movies. Although it’s a tale as old as time, the movie seems pretty fresh. Maybe it’s the string of PG-13 comedy that has been out the past few years. In the film they try some new gags and new bits in the film that I’m sure some new movies will try and copy. You’ll be seeing a ton of kids using the name McLovin. It’s already the name of my Fantasy Football team. “What’s up Gangstas?”

My Grade: 3.7 – Keep this up and you’ll get into any party you want to all year long.

3 The Hard Way

2007-08-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have a personal rule about the third installment of movies and that’s the John Starks Rule. John Starks was a great 3 point shooter for the New York Knicks in the 90’s. Starks was some fans favorite Knick and some others most hated player because of how streaky he was. When he was on he was ON (wipe him down), but when he wasn’t he really wasn’t. That’s how I feel about third installments for movies. Sometimes the third a movie can work well. Movies like Die Hard with a Vengeance, Mission Impossible 3, Return of the Jedi, The Return of the King, and most recently Oceans 13 and Spiderman 3. Most of the time these movies are not so good. The only problem is that the list for movies that don’t work is much, much longer. Some of the worst ones I can remember are Back to the Future 3, Beverly Hills Cop 3, The Matrix Revolutions, Blade Trinity, Scream 3, The Godfather 3, Fast and The Furious Tokyo Drift, and most recently Pirates of the Caribbean at Worlds End (Yes I’m still mad about it)

The only way the Starks Rule works is that people have to buy in to the first two movies. Starks was a great player and has been involved in some of the NBA’s greatest moments. He would score 35 one night and the next night this same guy would shoot you out the game. That’s how those movies are. The first movie has to be good and the sequel has to be at least tolerable but you don’t have to love it. It has to pull you in enough so that when the third movie is as entertaining as watching old people shuffle board, you feel like you’ve been wronged in some way. You give the guy at the ticket booth a look like, “You knew this movie sucked and you let me buy a ticket anyway. Why didn’t you warn me?”

Rush Hour 3 had the potential to land on either side. I went in wanting the movie to be entertaining enough that I didn’t feel like I was robbed without a gun or any use of force but not enough so that Bret Ratner would be sitting at home this spring writing a script that involved Lee and Carter going to Australia and fighting Aborigine Triads steroid smugglers.

Rush Hour picks up where it left off. Carter (Chris Tucker) is a uniform cop directing traffic. (After all this guys done he’s directing traffic? How’s this possible?) Lee (Jackie Chan) is protecting Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma) as he is about to expose a secret of one of the world’s most dangerous gangs. Han is shot as he delivers his speech and his daughter Soo Yung’s (Jingchu Zhang) life is in danger as well. Carter and Lee set off to find who is responsible. This search leads them to Paris.

The two are joined by Genevieve (Noemie Lenoir) and their cab driver George (Yvan Attal) who provides some funny dialogue. The movie starts off funny and continues to be funny all the way through. A few of their bits work and some of them seem really forced, but I did laugh out loud a few times. A lot of the humor seems to be Chris Tucker just being Chris Tucker and how comfortable he seems on screen with Jackie and how well they work together.

I always felt that the first two were good action movies that were funny. I felt that this movie was a funny movie with some okay action. None of the fight scenes made me say “ohhhhhhhhh”. The movie was missing something.

The plot itself was crazy and didn’t really make sense at all. The ending was pretty terrible. I thought my 10 year old niece wrote it. The crazy thing is I was laughing so much that I didn’t realize it until the end of the movie.

My Suggestion: This movie reminds me of the good John Starks. Go see it. I know I may have made it sound like Ernest Goes to Jail meets Shanghi Surprise but it is worth seeing. The comedy alone is worth the trip. It’s no Spiderman 3 or Return of the Jedi but definitely not Blade Trinity or that Pirate nonsense.

My Grade: 3.0 – You only passed because you were funny in class all year long. Great job!

I spy you…...spying me!

2007-08-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I wasn’t really ever a fan of Matt Damon. It wasn’t until I watched the Departed and I hated him through the whole movie. The only other Damon movies I can stand are the Bourne movies.

I really liked the first movie a lot. When I went to see Bourne Supremecy I was on a “date” I’m with all of my friends and they know how much I wanted to see this movie. She gets up and leaves about 20 minutes into the movie. She’s gone for about 5-10 minutes and so since she’s technically my date I get up to go check on her. I find her outside the theater sitting down on a bench and she’s crying talking about how sick she was and she couldn’t watch it. The camera jerked around too much. So being the nice guy I am I sat outside with her for the remainder of the movie. Since it didn’t really workout between us I feel like an idiot, but at the time I felt I did the right thing. If I’m on a date now I’ll give her a roll of quarters and she’ll play video games until I’m done.

This new Bourne is a one of those summer movies that comes up late. It reminds me of a politician who’ll throw his name out there late just to steal some votes.

The movie starts with some action as we see Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) still on the hunt for his true identity, battling bad guys as his amnesia at the same time. At the same time local newspaper reporter has been following Bourne’s story and wants to find out more about Treadstone and the people involved. The government has started a new group of young assasins codenamed Blackbriar. These guys are like Jason Bourne but younger and have cooler gadgets to use.

Bourne has help in this movie from Nicky (Julie Stiles. Who I swear is Alicia Silverstone 2007. I hope she can get it together and land some bigger roles) and Pamela Landy (Joan Allen who I loved in Face/Off)

The movie is full of action but there are some dry points. I’m not sure if it’s because I saw a 9:50 movie on a Friday night after a long week or the food coma I slipped into after Johnny Rockets or if those scenes were really that dry. When I think about it, I really liked the movie. There was nothing spectacular about it other than some cool fight scenes and you get to see Bourne tear people apart with the newest edition of US Weekly. I would love to see how the people at Treadstone teach that in fighting class.

My suggestion: Go see it if you’ve enjoyed the other two movies. It’s worth the $9.75 I spent and it was really a good movie to see with a group of guys. It’s a great way to end a run of good Summer movies.

My Grade: 3.0 – Way to go! Not fantastic but at least you can hold your head up when you tell people what your GPA is.

Convict Radio

2007-08-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

There are few actors who seem to have roles in movies that I like. Don Cheadle happens to be one of them. I know if I see a trailer and it looks a little suspect and at the very end it says “Starring Don Cheadle” I’ll say “Hmmm doesn’t look half bad” The first time I can remember seeing him was on Hanging With Mr. Cooper. If I think about it, the first time I really saw him was when he played Rocket in the movie Colors. From then on it just seemed like a string of movies that I enjoyed Rosewood, Out Of Sight, Family Man, Traffic, Swordfish, Oceans 11., The Assassination Of Richard Nixon, Crash, Hotel Rwanda and now Talk to Me. This has to be one of the best movies I’ve seen this summer. Anything is better than Pirates of the Caribbean (yes I’m still bitter)

Talk To Me is based on the life of Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene (Don Cheadle) who was an ex-con turned radio personality in the D.C area. The movie follows Petey as he leaves prison and lands a job as the morning DJ at WOL-AM. Petey is given the job by Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who is in search for new talent to compete with a rival radio station.

During the film you see how Petey spoke to the people, for the people. It reminds me of one of my friend EJ landed job on ESPN to talk about sports. I could see him being completely bias to the Yankees, Lakers, and Barry Bonds. He would completely ignore Hockey, Soccer and Tennis. Petey’s story reminded me of sort of voice that’s missing today. He was a voice on the airways who wasn’t concerned about ratings, sponsors, or the FCC. He just wanted to “tell it like it is”. He wanted to talk about race the way people talked behind closed doors. He wanted to bring up topics that were on people’s hearts and were just too afraid to discuss. People didn’t just tune in to hear the great soul music he would play, but to hear what Petey had to say. 9 times out of 10 they felt the same way.

You don’t just see Petey as this great libertarian, you also get a chance to see his faults and how that had influence on his life. The same traps that our celebrities run into today. Alcohol, women, more alcohol, and more women.

One of the great storylines of the movie was Petey’s relationship with Dewey. Two men with different ways of doing things, but the same heart for the people. The movie does a great job of depicting their relationship as Petey goes from convict to radio icon.

This movie also has a wonderful, humorous performance from Taraji P Henson as Vernell, Petey’s girlfriend. Her hilarious outburst and even more hilarious choice of clothes really give the movie that extra laugh to help you swallow some of the seriousness in the film.

Talk To Me is a great film. Although it doesn’t fit with the rest of the Summer Blockbusters we’ve seen, it’s well worth the price of admission. It’s better than most movies I’ve seen this summer. I’m hoping this movie inspires some people to speak up and speak out like Petey did.

My suggestion: Go see it. If not for Don Cheadles performance at least for Petey’s story and for some of the movies funny moments.

My Grade: 3.5 – Keep it up. Maybe your parents will buy you a new car…………..or at least say they will to keep you working hard in school.

Roll Out!!!!

2007-07-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Did I really wait a lifetime for this or, am I just imagining things. . It was finally here, a live action Transformers. I knew it would look good since Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are involved. I sat through weeks of my friend leaving me mean messages like “Hey did you hear what happened? They are pulling Transformers out of the theaters because something is wrong with the movie. Sorry.” If any of that would have been true I’m not sure I wouldn’t be blogging from jail right now. My only question was about the plot and the actors in the film. If those two elements could be good I was guaranteed to be watching the movie of the summer.

I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a complete nerd, but the storyline is simple. Autobots and Decepticons lived peacefully on the same planet until the Decepticon leader Megatron wanted to take over and went after a cube called the Allspark. The Allspark was lost in space and ended up on Earth. The Autobots need to get the Allspark before Megatron gets his hands on it and destroys all human life on earth. Caught in the middle are Sam Witwicky (Shia Le Bouf) and Mikaela (Megan Fox). Sam has something that both the Autobots and the Decpeticons need to find the Allspark.

The plot is believable, and not too cheesy. The characters are good, and not too corny. Some good performances by Tyrese, Jon Voight, Anthony Anderson, and Josh Duhamel. We all know the real stars of the movie are. The Transformers!!! Prototype cars and CGI Robots. Is it possible for Optimus Prime to show up at the Oscars? Maybe he can roll on stage and take out Rosie O’Donnell. How much would you pay to see that? I’m up to $750 and I don’t feel ripped off yet.

The Autobots are include Bumblebee, Jazz, Ratchett and Ironhide and last but not least Optimus Prime. I always thought Jazz was the “black” Autobot. In my head it makes perfect sense. When I watched the cartoon he would always rhyme and he had sunglasses for eyes. He falls right in line with Franklin( from Peanuts), Hong Kong Phooey, and Destro from GI Joe. It didn’t help that I found out Eddie Winslow from Family Matters provides the voice.

The Decpeticons are lead by Megatron, Barricade, Destroyer, Bonecrusher, and Starscream. Megartron is especially evil in the movie, which was great. It was a lot like the 80’s cartoon in that aspect. They even threw in some lines from the animated movie.

The fight sequences were so big and elaborate, but I never felt lost like I couldn’t tell what was going on. I was 10 years old again. I was cheering and applauding Optimus Prime and I really wanted to see them get the best of the Decepticons. I loved the fact that they didn’t show all of the cool scenes on the trailer. There were still plenty of scenes where I could hear the whole crowd “ooooooh” and “ahhhhhh”. You couldn’t tell me it wasn’t real…………..well at least for those 2 ½ hours. After the movie to see all the smiles on my friends faces, I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt like they had a trip back to my childhood.

I haven’t enjoyed a movie with this much hype in a long time. It was well worth the wait. I lived up to my expectations and that’s saying something because my standards can be high at times. (yes I admitted it)

My Suggestion: Do you want to be the last person on earth who hasn’t seen this movie? I didn’t think so.

My Grade – 3.7: You didn’t get a 4.0 because you didn’t want your parents sticking you in a gifted school away from all of your friends.

Animated Classic

2007-07-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

The first time I watched Transformers I was blown away. This was a time before all the CGI and life-like animation that we are accustomed to seeing these days with The Incredibles or the Shrek franchise. This was 1986, and more than 20 years ago. I remember my mom not wanting me to see the movie and I remember my uncle Brian who had to be 15 or 16 at the time really excited about it, almost too excited.

It’s hands down one of my favorite movies. The first time I saw it I remember when they stormed the Autobot base and it looked as if these Autobots were being killed. You saw smoke coming out of their eyes. It looked as if the Autobots were doomed and then came Optimus Prime. I love my dad so don’t get me wrong, but I’m sure if you asked me in 1986 who I would rather have as a dad……..I would have easily changed my last name to Prime. I’m sure the old man would have understood. Anyways as I remember, Prime comes flying in and you hear the guitar riffs, “You got the touch (guitar riff) You got the Power……Yeah” They come in and start whooping up on the Decepticons. It’s funny because the fight scenes were way more violent than what I saw on tv. I should have been warned. This is probably why my mother didn’t want me to watch.

As the two sides fight, Optimus Prime is hurt and he’s hurt bad. There is that scene where he’s laying on the table surrounded by other Autobots. He opens his chest and reveals the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. He hands it to Ultramagnus (dumb idea) and then it happens, Optimus Prime dies. It was so dramatic. He was this colorful truck and all the sudden he turns dark gray and his eyes are black. I'm not sure what a dead cartoon character looks like, but I assume that's it. A very defining moment of my life at 8 years old. I couldn’t believe it. I actually cried. I was horrified! Up to this point none of my heroes had died. GI Joe was still alive, He-Man was still getting the best of Skeletor, and Voltorn always seemed to pull out of any situation. Why Optimus? Was it to expose Ultramagnus as a fake leader? That’s like Jerry Seinfeld leaving the cast of Seinfeld and expecting the show to go on for two more seasons with George as the main character. It just wouldn’t work. At my old job we asked the roundtable question “Who’s your favorite Transformer” he replied “Ultramagnus” It really got a good laugh out of most of us at the table because of how horrible of a character he was.

The first movie was a big shock for me as a child. I pray this new movie doesn’t leave me in such emotional turmoil as the first one did. Maybe because I’m 20 years older I’ll handle it differently or maybe not.

I can’t wait until the Voltron movie next year.

'Yippee-ki-yay'

2007-06-29T11:16:00.001-07:00

Live Free Or Die Hard

In the 80’s and 90’s we had action movie franchises. Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop, Rambo, Indiana Jones, and my personal favorite Die Hard. I can’t believe it’s been over 10 years. I can’t believe how many times I’ve seen the original Die Hard. It was one of the first action movies I really felt drawn too. What would I have done if I was in the Nakatomi Plaza that night? Thank God For John McClane.

Bruce Willis is back as All-American tough guy John McClane. The movies picks almost 20 years after McClane has rescued us from Hans that dreadful night in Los Angeles. Now the FBI database is hacked and John is sent to retrieve a hacker. When McClane arrives to pick up the kid he realizes he’s not the only one looking for him. Now John is on a mission to protect this kid and figure out why people are out to kill this harmless hacker.

This movie takes a new angle with hi-tech terror. This films bad guy is Thomas Gabriel (who’s constantly called by his full name through the movie) played by one of my favorite actors Timothy Olyphant. He’s believable as the cyber geek who’s hell bent on proving his point. He’s like that nerdy math tutor who’ll do anything to prove his point about hyperbolic geometry and will lecture you for hours about it, except in this film he’s proving a point about national security and putting everyone’s lives at risk, but I think you get the point. He’s also pretty cruel and equally funny at times. He’s almost likeable until you realize, “Wait a minute! He’s killing people”

Matt Farrell (Justin Long) is the hacker caught in the middle of this national disaster. He also provides some of the movies funny moments. As usual McClane provides classic one-liners as well as this hysterical laugh. It’s one of those, I can’t believe this is happening to me/ maybe I’m losing my mind laughs. He also seems to enjoy killing these people. He contiues to warn Gabriel that he's going to kill him as if he knows how something that the rest of us don't. Clerk’s Kevin Smith plays Warlock, another hacker in the film. His character alone is funny. He’s this hacker who ranks high on the FBI’s list but he lives at home with his mom. I think there is more truth in that than I want to believe.

You get the feeling in the movie that McClane is one of the last heroes we have left. When the country needs him, nobody can stop him. He even fights Gabriel’s girlfriend Mai (Maggie Q) and does not go easy on her. My pick for MTV Movie Awards – Best Fight next year. We are all in need of a hero these days and I think that’s why I was drawn to this movie.

Live Free Or Die Hard is a throwback to the old action movies. One of the best action movies I’ve seen in a while. Decent plot, good villain, and some pretty unbelievable action sequences. It’s a formula that worked for the first three Die Hard installments and does not disappoint this time around. Who would have thought a PG-13 action movie could be this good? Thank God for John McClane.

My Suggestion: Go see it! Especially if you’ve seen the first 3 or even watch the heavily edited versions on USA or TNT.

My Grade – 3.5: Great Job! You’re pretty consistent. Let’s hope you make the Dean’s List.

Black Entertainment?

2007-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year where there is absolutely nothing on TV, so BET decides to air its annual BET Awards. With very limited options I felt almost compelled to watch.

The show wasn’t a complete borefest. It did have its moments. A nice performance by Ne-Yo. He brought out Fabolus as well to perform his hit song “You Make Me Better”. Ne-Yo is way too Michael Jackson some times. I wonder if Jacko gets a percentage of Ne-Yo’s checks every time he does a live show. I always see this guy with the hat and all white or all black. I keep waiting for the beat from Smooth Criminal to start playing. Robin Thicke also put on a good show. Beyonce was Beyonce as usual. Is it me or does she seems to always win? If she’s breathing and even rumored to be at the show, she’s guaranteed an award. They’re going to give her a Lifetime Achievement Award for Most Awards Won next year. What was funny/sad about her performance was that Destiny Childs member Michelle was her back up dancer? How’s that possible? How does she not even get her own little solo two-step? That’s like me running a company with my friend, the company dissolves, I start my own company, and now my friend is my secretary. She was dancing so hard too. I felt bad for the girl. The show also featured a tribute to Diana Ross and James Brown. I felt like they were just thrown together. Would they do that for the Beatles? If I was Stevie Wonder I’d tell them that if that’s how they are going to honor me, I don’t want it.

Some of the low points of the show were really low. Some very weak performances from T.I (who I like) 50 Cent, a shouting match between Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Holliday. Why was Jennifer Hudson up for so many awards anyway? She sang on a soundtrack, and doesn’t even have an album out. She’s getting all this love for singing ONE SONG. My theory: It’s Oprah! Before Dreamgirls was released Oprah said that Ms. Hudson sang that song better than anyone else. Somehow we’ve all bought into what Mighty O is telling us. I wish Oprah would say something about me. If Monday she said she loved my reviews I’d have a movie deal, book deal, and a few wedding proposals by Friday. The power of O.

There are a few things I would change about the show:

The Host – Why must we see Monique again? It was a replay of when she hosted two years ago. Sure Damon Wayans hosting was a sign that the world is coming to an end, but that’s no reason to bring back Monique. Is Samuel L Jackson busy? What’s Jamie Foxx doing these days? Dial him up next year.

The Presenters: Having celebrities’ present videos of fans to present the nominees. Easily the worst idea I’ve ever seen at an Award Show followed by reading the winners off a sidekick at the Source Awards. I went to a graduation this year and they had a speaker come out and introduce the person introducing the key note speaker. What? Why do we have a middle man? Some of the videos were funny but most of them were not.

Akon – The less he’s on TV the better

Speeches – Why have a speech? It’s an award show. It was funny to see Al Shartpon giving his 2 cents AGAIN. He’s gotta be up to about $500 now. On a side note I saw Lil Wayne and Nelly talking about how all Rap isn’t bad and I thought that was cool, but WHY WERE THEY READING OFF THE TELEPROMTER? If that’s what you do, you can’t say why it’s a good thing? It was like they didn’t even believe what they were reading. I was waiting for one of them to burst out laughing. Was I the only one annoyed by this?

Shameless Plugs – Enough with this. I know your album is coming out so stop saying it every time you win an award. It was comedy to see T.I. apologize for allegedly punching someone in the face at a brunch for the awards show the day before. At the end of the apology he plugged his album? C’mon T.I. you’re better than that.

Don’t get me wrong I love that BET has a show where they can showcase all that is to love about Black Entertainment but at some point they’ve got to step it up. A few tweaks here and there and they’ll have a quality show. Maybe they can have 50 random fans come down next year and each takes a turn hosting the show. That’ll get viewers

Children are our future

2007-06-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Children Of Men

Whitney Houston once sang "I believe that children are our future ". What if we lived in a world without children? What if we had no future? Children Of Men is a dark look at a future that none of us want to see.

The movie opens in London and the year is 2027. The city is mourning the death of the world's youngest person who happens to be 18 years old. The film follows Theo (Clive Owen) who is an ex activist/alcoholic as he assist Julian (Julian Moore) in leading the world's first pregnant woman in 18 years to safety. A fictional or non fictional group called The Human Project. As the movie moves on Theo starts to realize that everyone has their own agenda about what they want to do with the baby.

This is one of those movies you watch and ask yourself "Why didn 't I see this sooner." It's really a hard movie to sell because of the subject matter. The movie is dark at points and none of the characters seem to truly be happy. Men reminds me of one of those funny mirrors you see at a circus. It' s reflects what it sees but distorted in a distorted way. The movie was a reflection of what happens in our society today from the burning of the livestock to the immigrants being treated like anim als. Although this is not a "feel good " movie, it is thought provoking and will make you think about the future of our nations.

My suggestion: See the movie now. This may be a late hit among movie lovers or one of those films that's shown in film school.

My grade: 3.33 – Your parents are happy and may even let you take that weekend trip with your friends.

Pirates Blunder

2007-06-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Pirates Of The Caribbean – At Worlds End

Branded as one of this summer’s blockbusters and for some a “sure hit” At Worlds End does not deliver. The film was 167 minutes of slapstick comedy, cheap gags, double-crosses (too many to keep track), and a weak love story between Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). The plot seemed to be all over the place. After the film a friend called and asked me what the movie was about. I felt like I needed a flow chart to explain what was happening.

The best part about the over 2 ½ hours I spent in my squirming in my seat was the Transformers trailer that showed.(If I would have known that’s as good as was going to feel, I would have left. Encore movie channel had a Jaws marathon on) Unlike its predecessors, The Curse Of The Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest, At Worlds End replaces elaborate sword fighting scenes with witty one-liners from Jack Sparrow and big budget ship explosions and characters who’s problems never seem to get resolved. The most irritating scene of the movie is in the middle of a huge sword fight Elizabeth and Will decided to get married. I had no problem with that…….except that they actually recited vows to one another as Captain Barbossa played the role of the Minster. All three fought off bad guys while going through the ceremony. At points the lovely couple would be thrown into one another just long enough to gaze into each other’s eyes and say their vows.

The movie wasn’t a total waste. Bill Nighy does an excellent job as Davy Jones. He really brought a lot of life to that character that we didn’t see in the previous movie. I just wish we had more of him in the film.

My suggestion: If you feel you REALLY need to see it, I would rent, Netflix or borrow from some die hard Pirates fan who won’t admit the movie stunk. If you miss this last (hopefully) installment don’t feel bad. I’m going to pretend I never saw it.

My grade: 2.0 – Enough to get you on the basketball team, but your parents are going to be upset when you get home.

Knocked Up

2007-06-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

Knocked Up

Still depressed about the $9.75 I spent to see Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: Waste Your Money On This . I realized I could have done a lot with that $9.75. I could have had lunch at Specialty's Bakery, food and drinks at happy hour, bought a health and fitness magazine I' ll never read (but looks really cool on my table) or even some new Star Wars stamps ! People are tired of hearing me complain about how much I couldn' t stand the movie. I really needed to see something good. I needed something positive to talk about. My choice this weekend was the comedy Knocked Up. Writer/Director Judd Apatow gives us is a fresh look at dating, relationships, marriage and pregnancy. Just not necessarily in that order.
Alison (Katherine Heigl) is out on the town after receiving a promotion and meets Ben (Seth Rogen). The two of them get drunk, have a one night stand, and 8 weeks later she realizes she' s pregnant. The film follows as both characters navigate through their lives as things start to change around this unplanned pregnancy.

Not only is this movie funny, I felt like Knocked Up is a very real movie with real characters and real dialogue. This is hard to find in cinema these days. Even with the raunchy jokes and foul language, the movie never feel off track. The conversations seemed to be plucked from real life and placed on film. From the awkward post one-night stand conversation, advice Ben and Alison receive from their friends and family, to the many discussions/arguments that you witness during the movie. It gives you that weird "maybe I shouldn' t be listening to this conversation " feeling. If you' ve ever walked in on your friend arguing with their spouse you know what I mean. I saw the movie with my friend and his wife. It all seemed so real to me, but then again I' m single. When I told them my feelings on the dialogue they agreed. I glanced over at them a few times during the film to catch a reaction and I could see them talking laughing as if they could relate.

One of the added bonuses of the film is Alison's sister Debbie (Leslie Mann) and her dissolving marriage with Pete (Paul Rudd). The two of them go back in forth in the film. It 's like they both can' t stand each other but are still really in love and just trying to figure things out. The parents-to-be look at them as maybe a glimpse into their not so happy future. Some of the films funniest moments come from Ben's roommates (Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel and Martin Starr) who argue fight like brothers. Also funny are two very short scenes with one of Alison's coworkers (Kristin Wiig) who makes very subtle but rude comments about Alison during a meeting with her boss.

Knocked Up is not a film about romance or a geek gets he girl tale. Don 't let the trailer for this film fool you. It 's a smart comedy and a real look at how this generation views relationships. You see how the characters grow throughout the film. There are some really good life lessons disguised as in slacker jokes and gross humor.

My Suggestion: Go see the film. You can A) get lost and laugh at all the jokes and take a timeout from life or B) Have a discussion about relationships and responsibility. I know you may think I 'm crazy for saying that, but see the film and then we'll see who 's crazy!

My Grade: 3.5 - The only reason you didn't get a 4.0 is to not show up your friends.

Not So Fantastic Sequel

2007-06-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

Fantastic 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer

This summer’s movie theme should be, “The Summer Of The Sequels.” I can think of 8 off the top of my head. They market these movies like it’s new material. It’s not! It’s just a remix of a film I watched 2 years ago. I know how I feel about a movie when I respond to questions my friends ask. Here is the actual exchange between me and my friend after the movie:

Friend: How was the movie?
Me: I bought tickets for Transformers

When the first thing out of my mouth is how I bought advanced tickets for another movie 10 days away, not good sign. Some would say it’s a bad sign. You be the judge. Our newest comic sequel , Fantastic 4 , fits the bill with familiar faces, likeable characters, new villains, and the same old story.

The movie opens with the media craze surrounding the wedding of Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue Storm (Jessica Alba). The movie quickly picks up pace as there are sightings of a silver “comet” like figure on US spy satellites, along with these massive holes in the ground. The Four quickly piece together the what is going on. There have been planets with the strange matter activity and were being destroyed 8 days after the first Silver Surfer sighting. In order to fix things quickly team up with Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon) in hopes of finding the surfer and saving the world.

The movie has on ok premise, but seems to be stale at times. In Spiderman 3 if you took away all the special effects and cheesy dialogue, there was some sort of substance left in the movie. Fantastic 4 lacked that. Not that it was a bad movie, but that it could have been a better movie. One thing that bothers me the most was that the villains weren’t villainous enough. Dr. Doom sort of shows up, does a few bad things, and then leaves. You never got the feeling that they were really in any sort of danger. The relationship between the Surfer and Glactus was talked about but it would have been great to open the movie with a little back-story. I just didn’t feel connected if you know what I mean.

The comic relief of the movie was Johnny Storm (Chris Evans). He has some pretty good one-liners in the film that kept you laughing. Somehow they went away from that in the second half of the movie. The special effects were also very good. The scene where Galactus is eating earth is amazing. As you’ve see in the trailer the Surfer just looks cool, and thanks to Laurence Fishburne he also sounds cool. The first thing my friend said to me after the movie was “I would like to have seen more of the Surfer.” I couldn’t agree more.

My Suggestion: - See it if you need to. I wouldn’t wait in line to see it. There are at least 5 more sequels to come this summer so your $9.75 can wait for Rush Hour 3.

My Grade: 2.0 – Maybe you should study harder, but nobody else is so why should you.