Friday, September 10, 2010

Danny Gets Real With THE AMERICAN.



THE AMERICAN Review:

- I don't know if The American fully works as a movie, but at the least, I give it props for its unique approach in telling its story. The movie is methodically paced, short on dialogue, and lean on plot or character details. It feels very European, very 70's-ish, very retro overall. I dug the aesthetic, and loved the movie's stunning scenery and exotic locales. There were moments when I was sucked in, when I found myself getting lost in the lush landscapes and atmospheric storytelling. And yet, the movie never really comes together in any meaningful way. For all of its eye-pleasing cinematography, the movie never truly gives you much to sink your teeth into. Not much actually happens. That could be okay in some instances, but I think The American is set up in such a way that its trying to get us invested in its lead character. We're supposed to wonder about him, to wonder what it must be like to live his life. But the movie's sparse style ultimately backfires. It leaves us feeling empty and unsatisfied. Nonetheless, I'd say The American is worth checking out if only because it is, in many ways, a refreshing alternative to the standard spy movie. The pacing, the look, the feel of the film is going to really surprise people who go in expecting a standard-issue George Clooney action thriller. It's going to turn people off, because make no mistake, this is an art film disguised as a Hollywood blockbuster. For that reason, you've got to respect it at least a little. At the same time, artsy doesn't always automatically equal incredible, and The American is proof that attempting to be abstract and experimental doesn't always pay off as the artist intended.

The American stars Clooney as Jack, a veteran weapons-maker who crafts ultra high-precision firearms for use by trained assassins. We don't know much about Jack - we're not sure if he is or was an assassin himself, but we get the sense that he's been a longtime player in this high stakes and dangerous world, and is ready to get out. Jack had been laying low in Europe with a woman, possibly thinking that he could stay off the grid. Of course, Jack was wrong. Soon enough, his past catches up to him, and he's back in the game, doing one last job for his old employer. Working out of a remote mountain village in Italy, Jack tells the locals that he's a nature photographer on assignment, when in fact he spends his days creating a precision sniper rifle for use in some sort of high profile assassination. When he's not meeting with his client - a femme fatale spy type, he's striking up a reluctant friendship with the chatty local priest, or cavorting with a stunning prostitute who has taken a more-than-professional liking to him. All the while, Jack is becoming increasingly paranoid that he'll be found out by people out to get him. He's contstantly on high alert for anyone who might want to find him and kill him, and he's constantly haunted by the horrors of his life as a professional killer.

Again, the setup for the film is very bare bones. The film drops us into the middle of Jack's life-in-progress and never really takes the time to catch us up on what, exactly, has gotten us to this point in the story. It's an interesting concept - letting us observe this character without a lot of context - seeing him operate and seeing how he thinks, but never having a real grasp of the bigger picture. For parts of the film, this storytelling style works in part because we're able to ignore the particulars of the plot and just immerse ourselves in the visuals. Director Anton Corbijn has long, lingering shots of the European countryside - of hills, forests, and streams, of old villages and snow-covered vistas, of quaint cafes and winding cobblestone streets. The American, ironically enough given the title, does a remarkable job of transporting you to these other places. If nothing else, you'll have a hankering to go backpacking through Europe after seeing this film. By the same token, Corbijn seems to transport us to another time as well. On one hand, the presence of cell phones and other modern tech clearly places this film in the present day. And yet, everything from the cinematic stylings to the hairstyles and fashions indicates a bygone era. The movie screams 70's-era cool - you half-expect a young Elliot Gould to pop up and share a cigarette with Clooney in some out-of-the-way cafe.

So yeah, clearly, the movie has a ton of style and sense of place. In a weird way, it almost reminded me a bit of Let The Right One In - if only because that was another movie with a heavily European aesthetic, whose extremely methodical pace allowed for lingering shots of flora and fauna and other quietly reflective atmospherics. Does the pacing mean that The American gets boring at times? I think so, yeah. Whereas Let The Right One In presented us with an increasingly fascinating and disturbing plotline, The American never gives us any great payoffs to all the slowly-building tension. The plot is thin, and yet a lot of time is spent building up a couple of key mysteries - Who is Jack really working for? Who is their target? And ... Who are the mysterious men after Jack, and why? Maybe there's a way to address these questions without spelling everything out, but the movie doesn't find it. Instead, it stumbles towards its conclusion with an ending that's ultimately pretty frustrating in its ambiguity and pointlessness.

The bottom line is that The American is very nice to look at, filled with exotic locales and beautiful women, and anchored by a strong, commanding performance from George Clooney. While the pacing and ambiguity of the plot can occasionally cause boredom and confusion, for a while at least, these qualities help to create an atmospheric, immersive sort of arthouse storytelling that's a nice change of pace. But, the movie ultimately doesn't have much to it aside from its amazing imagery. The muddy plot and half-formed characters make it hard to care all that much about Jack and his standard "one-last-job" scenario. In fact, there aren't really any truly compelling *ideas* in this one, and that's too bad, because the movie very vaguely hints at some attempts to find deeper meaning or subtext in its imagery and characters, but I think it ends up coming up empty. That means you may leave the film with that feeling of "so ... that was it?". The American is worth a look, though. I give it credit for ditching convention and being (at least aesthetically) original. The fact that this somewhat oddball arthouse movie was the #1 movie in America this past weekend is, in fact, kind of cool.

My Grade: B

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Raise Your Sword for CENTURION - Neil Marshall's latest - reviewed!

CENTURION Review:

- Centurion, like many of Neil Marshall's movies, may be something of an acquired taste. Some might not really dig this one, but for me, it really clicked. I loved the look of the movie, the characters, the action. I loved that it felt like an ancient Rome version of some old EC comic book - a dark, violent, tale of survival and cruel twists of fate. Centurion has over the top violence, larger than life, comic book-like characters, and a Roman empire setting that's somewhere between Gladiator and 300 in terms of historical accuracy vs. stylized fantasy. If you only accept historical fiction in the form of sweeping, epic drama, then this might not be the film for you. Centurion is more that cool little side story on the fringes of a much grander backdrop. It's down n' dirty, bloody, pulpy. In fact, pulp might be the best word for this. It's Roman legion pulp fiction. And if that is your bag, you're bound to like Centurion.

Just to back up for a second, I know some of you are probably wondering what this CENTURION movie is. Well, it's the latest from writer / director Neil Marshall, whose past credits include subterranean horror flick The Descent, and 80's action homage Doomsday. After the promise and acclaim of The Descent, Marshall likely had his pick of high profile projects. But rather than do what's easy, Marshall has chosen to make less commercial genre films that show off a unique sensibility and style. To me, that's made him one of the most interesting guys in movies, but it's also made him something of a divisive figure. I mean, I loved DOOMSDAY, for example. I thought it was a kickass, balls to the wall action movie that felt like the second coming of John Carpenter (and it was, pretty clearly, a tribute to the old Carpenter movies like Escape From New York). Some hated the movie, though, and wrote it off as just another mindless actionfest. Still, a bit of a cult formed around it and a lot of people were excited for Marshall's next movie - Centurion - myself included. For whatever reason though, the movie never got a big US distribution deal, and was relegated to a limited theatrical release - although it's also currently viewable on VOD and digital platforms like XBOX Live and Playstation. In any case, Centurion is another kickass film from Marshall and, once again, I'm left eagerly awaiting whatever he comes up with next.

Centurion takes place in Britain, circa 117 A.D. The Roman army, in its neverending quest to expand the empire, has been having trouble with a particularly savage tribe known as the Pict. When the legendary Ninth Legion - led by the charismatic General Virilus' (played by Dominic West) descends on Pict land, the legion is ambushed and mostly slaughtered. Centurion follows the only seven Roman soldiers to survive the battle. On the run from the unrelenting Pict warriors, the survivors, led by the resourceful Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) must avoid death by sword, by beast, by cold, by starvation, and by treachery. The hunters, as they say, have become the hunted.

Like Doomsday before it, Centurion just seems to press all the right buttons. It's got a simple but effective story, intriguing and iconic characters brought to life by some great actors, and some truly riveting and shocking action scenes. Plus, the sense of tension, of foreboding, is everpresent. It's the kind of dark tale that draws you in and doesn't let go. The grim narration of Quintus frames the story, giving it that extra-pulpy feel. Meanwhile, sweeping shots of the British highlands are intercut with swift, kinetic, and gory action, creating a potent mix of scenic landscapes and bone-crunching violence.

It helps that the cast is more than up to the task of drawing us headlong into this atmospheric world. First and foremost, Michael Fassbender is just plain badass in the lead role of Quintus. He has a quiet intensity that makes his character easy to root for and empathize with. I hadn't had a lot of previous exposure to Fassbender, but he just seems like one of those great, sort of underrated actors who is very believable as a period action hero. Centurion is a showcase for Fassbender's very obvious talent. Dominic West is another standout. He is a lot of fun as the revered general of the Ninth Legion. Again, totally badass and definitely a scene-stealer. The rest of the cast is generally very good to excellent, and I really liked the team dynamic of Quintus band of Roman brothers. We aren't given a ton of information about each soldier, but we know just enough to feel invested in each. That said, the other real breakout star of the film is Olga Kurylenko as Etain, a Pict huntress who is completely consumed with wreaking unholy vengeance on any and all Romans, who long ago, among other horrific deeds, killer her family and slashed her tongue, leaving her mute. Kurylenko doesn't speak in the movie, but her eyes burn with ferocious intensity, and her character, adorned in war paint, is stunning but also pretty damn scary. Etain is just a great, iconic character, and sure to be a fanboy favorite for a long time to come.

Centurion does have a couple of moments that walk the line between over-the-top and just plain hokey, and it takes a while to really build up some good momentum and get the story rolling. The initial jumps between Fassbender and West are a bit confusing at first, as their characters look a bit too similar (in fact, several main character in the movie are similar-looking, making things a bit more hard to follow than they should be). However, once the movie turns its focus to Quintus and his small band of legionaires on the run, it really picks up steam. It's at that point that we get a better sense for what sort of movie it is that we're watching. Although the opening scenes hint at some sort of epic war movie, Centurion is in fact a much smaller-scale parable about a soldier who finds himself without an army, without a country, without a king. This soldier, hunted by unrelenting forces, has nothing let except his will to survive.

I would definitely recommend giving Centurion a look. It's dark, grim, and violent ... it's unquestionably badass as hell. Not for everyone, I get that. But if you're the type that can let yourself be pulled into a pulpy tale with bigger-than-life characters and over-the-top action - and yes, probably some dramatic license with history - then I think you're going to like this one a lot.

My Grade: A-

Shana Tovah and Happy Jew Year: A Sermon from Rabbi Baram

Hey everyone. Just want to say Shana Tovah to all my fellow Jews out there celebrating Rosh Hashana. Even though it was a short work week this week thanks to Labor Day and now the High Holy Days, I still felt more than ready to take a break from the usual obligations and stress of the everyday and think a little bit bigger-picture about myself and the world around me. I just got back from a fun and uplifting Rosh Hashana service put on by the Jewish young professionals group Valley Ruach, at Adat Ari El synagogue in Valley Village, CA. At the service, I gave a short speech about Rosh Hashana and how religion, spirituality, and Judaism can still be meaningful and relevant even in these crazy times, in which everywhere you look some nutjob seems to be abusing religion to further some extreme political agenda. To me, that's not what religion should be about, and Rosh Hashana is a reminder of that. So, taking a slight break from my usual movie reviews and pop cultural musings, here's the speech I gave today at services:. Obviously it was meant for a room full of 20 and 30-something Jews, but hopefully it translates.



Sometimes, like everyone else, I get frustrated with religion. All you have to do is read the news and see all of the crazy things being done in the name of religion, and you can’t help but feel a little jaded. Across the world, there are wars fought in the name of religion, acts of terrorism committed in the name of religion, and oppressive regimes who deny basic human rights and equality, all in the name of outdated religious beliefs. Here in America, we live in a country that was founded partly on the concept of religious freedom, including the right to have no religion or belief in God. And yet, we’ve been bombarded of late with people using a very specific view of faith and religion to push their own political agendas.

In Washington, Glenn Beck led a rally aimed at “bringing faith back to America” – and it was another example of the extreme religious right creating an unnecessary and dangerous atmosphere of fear and paranoia in our country. In Florida, we see that same mob mentality at work as church members prepare to burn copies of the Quran, exhibiting recklessness, ignorance, and disrespect. Here in LA, everyone loves to joke about crazy celebrities who somehow subscribe to the beliefs of Scientology - otherwise smart people who have convinced themselves that an alien dictator named Xenu brought billions of his people to earth 75 million years ago.

When you look at all of the abuses of religion that have and still do occur, it can be confusing to say the least. Some might simply dismiss religion as a whole and go the Bill Maher route of stringent atheism.

And yet, when I think of Rosh Hashanah, and what it stands for, well, it’s a great reminder of what makes Judaism in particular so viable and vibrant. To me, at its core, being Jewish is not about having all the answers, but about asking all the questions – and that’s what makes it so unique. I think it’s why so many of us here are able to embrace our Jewishness even as friends of other religious persuasions face serious doubts about their faith. On Rosh Hashanah, the focus is squarely on us and on what we can do to be better as people. How can we be nicer, kinder, more thoughtful, less judgmental? It’s an open-ended question, and not when with a simple or standardized answer. And it’s not just about apologizing for mistakes. It’s not like in the world of pop stardom where you can do something awful, say you’re sorry a few days later, and that’s that. That doesn’t fly on Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah is a time to be introspective, to forget about our daily routine and give serious thought to who we are as people. Day to day, we might be concerned with jobs, money, and other obligations. But Rosh Hashanah is when we think about things from a different perspective. Not just whether we’re happy with our social or professional status, but if we’re satisfied with ourselves as human beings.

And really, that to me is what makes religion, and particularly Judaism, a still-important part of life. It gives us a chance to ask the big questions and to focus on spirituality, mental well-being, and our larger place in the world. At the same time, it’s an active, participatory process. In Judaism, and here on Rosh Hashanah, we find community, tradition, and purpose.

We’re living in a time when religion can seem particularly scary and even harmful. But religion doesn’t have to be about imposing politics on others, or dividing believers from non-believers, or imposing mob rule via brainwashing. Here on Rosh Hashanah, it’s very simple – we take this time to step away from our everyday lives, to be part of a community, to embrace spirituality, to ask the big questions, and to think about how we can better ourselves and the world around us. It’s simple but important – and it’s a concept that we, as Jews, can be very proud of.




Thanks - once again, Shana Tovah!

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

MACHETE don't text! A review of Summer 2010's final action epic!

Well, somehow, it's already September, and already the Fall. The air is getting a bit chillier (even here in sunny LA), the back-to-school season is in fill swing, and the networks are rolling out new TV shows vying for our primetime viewership. Now that I'm in the "real world" - and in LA where its perpetually warm and sunny - the end of summer doesn't have quite the same sting it used to. I don't get that same sickly feeling of looking at the Sunday circulars and seeing "Back to School" ads plastered all over the place. I don't have that sense of desperation to get in one more game of basketball before the snow falls and the driveway ices up. In the world of pop culture though, the seasons still carry a lot of meaning. The end of summer means a temporary respite from the endless stream of whiz-bang blockbuster movies, as studios roll out more serious, Oscar-baiting fare. Usually, by the time September comes around, I'm more than ready for movies that are as heavy on substance as they are on style. Sometimes, when we get summer blockbusters like The Dark Knight or District 9, it feels like there's been a perfect merger of popcorn flick excitement with Oscar-caliber depth. But, after a summer that's had its share of high-concept, low-yield, lower-imagination creative duds, it'll be nice to see new movies from titanic directors like Danny Boyle, Darren Aranofsky, David Fincher, and the Coen Bros this Fall and Winter. That's not to say that this summer was a total flop at the movies. Sure, things started out slow, but at the end of the day Summer 2010 brought us great films like Toy Story 3, Inception, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and The Kids Are Alright. And the summer closed out strong. This labor day weekend, in fact, I saw a couple of kickass action flicks that closed out the summer in brutally awesome fashion. In this post, I'll talk about the first of those two flicks ... MACHETE.


MACHETE Review:

- Machete flat out owns. A hilarious, brutal, badass action movie very squarely in the postmodern Grindhouse style, Machete is a new-wave B-movie that knows exactly what it is and accomplishes exactly what it wants to do: kick ass, take names, and rock your face in for approximately 1.5 hours.

If you saw Grindhouse a few years back, then you were surely shocked and awed by the memorable trailer for the then-nonexistent movie Machete. Danny Trejo as a grizzled, knife-wielding Mexican vigilante? What's not to like? Eventually, word spread that Grindhouse co-director and Machete creator Robert Rodriguez was interested in turning Machete into a full-on feature film. Now, that vision has become a reality, and we finally get to see just what happens when you %&#% with the wrong Mexican.

Machete stars Danny Trejo as a former Federale who, after witnessing his family get violently executed by a sinister gang leader (Steven Seagal), becomes a manual laborer near the American-Mexico border. Caught in the middle of an escalating border dispute between the network of illegal immigrants and the politicians, businessmen, and angry citizens who want them gone, Machete becomes a reluctant hero to the masses and leader of the people's latest revolucion.

The two things that stick out to me most about Machete, in terms of why it works so well, are tone and casting. In terms of tone, Robert Rodriguez and co. absolutely nail the B-movie exploitation vibe that they're going for. I called the movie postmodern, in that the film definitely winks at the audience, and has a lot of moments of very intentional, over-the-top silliness. There's a definite tongue-in-cheek tone to the proceedings, but Rodriguez knows how to craft action and dialogue that's both cartoonishly fun, yet still suitably badass. There are plenty of holy-$#%& moments that will have you smiling throughout. Does Rodriguez sometimes get a little too self-conciously cheesy? Probably - while most of the little B-movie touches work very well, there are a couple bits that are probably a bit too jokey. Overall though, RR finds a pretty good balance between humor and badass drama / action, and leaves you laughing hysterically at Machete's over-the-top antics even as you marvel at just how much ass Danny Trejo and co. manage to kick over the course of the film.

Now, about that casting. The cast in Machete doesn't just sound awesome on paper and in the trailer (where it does sound pretty damn awesome), but each casting decision is pretty much perfect. Rodriguez accomplishes a similar feat to what his buddy, Quentin Tarantino, has done so often. He casts a somewhat motley crew of actors - some stars, some forgotten veterans, some up-and-comers - and puts them in roles that seem perfectly suited for their specific talents. Now, look at something like The Expendables, which was touted as having a dream cast of action movie stars. On paper, it was a pretty cool lineup of action icons. But were any of their characters memorable in the film? Not really, no. In The Expendables, the whole would-be aura of awesome was based on the audience's past history with these actors. "Oh sweet, it's Dolph!" and such. But in Machete, you get those great character moments that have often been a Rodriguez trademark. Danny Trejo finally playing the leading man badass he was always meant to be. Sure, the man is now 66 and craggy like a mountain range, but it's about damn time that the beast was unleashed in a starring action-hero role. Better late than never. Trejo just has that cinematic presence that's been refined by real-life hardship and hard-livin'. The man is legit, and he brought that legitimacy to Machete, and turned it into action movie awesome. Michelle Rodriguez kicks ass as well as an underground revolutionary who runs a Taco truck by day but moonlights as the vigilante She - the leader of The Network - the aforementioned army of migrant Mexicans. Michelle Rodriguez's role here is a perfect example of what Robert Rodriguez does with the casting. We all know Michelle as a woman who likes to play the badass. But I don't know that she's ever really had a role that let her kickass without also being sort of obnoxious and unlikable. RR twists the part just right so that by the end of the film, you can't help but be impressed with Michelle Rodriguez, who looks better, is more likable, and kicks more ass in Machete than she ever has before. Another, more extreme example is Lindsay Lohan. For years now, Lohan's been playing the part of good girl even as her real-life shenanigans made it harder and harder to buy her in the sort of sweet n' innocent roles that made her a star. Well, Robert Rodriguez seems to be saying here "screw it, the Lohan is a crazy, drugged-up hot mess, so let's just go with that." And you know what? - it works. Seeing queen of sleaze Lindsay Lohan embrace her bad-self, playing gun-toting jailbait in a nun's habit? So wrong, and yet so right. I didn't think a movie could make people actually love Lindsay Lohan again, but in Machete, you can't help but root for her. I mean, who better to cast in a sleazy exploitation film than the ultimate example of the former-A-list star-gone-wild? Rounding out the movie's trio of leading ladies is Jessica Alba as a by-the-book immigration officer who slowly comes around to the side of Machete and his revolutionaries. Again, it's exactly the sort of part that Jessica Alba is perfect for. And the best part about a B exploitation movie is that the occasional bit of wooden acting or whatever can simply be written off as part of the fun. Look at Steven Seagal. We all know the guy can't exactly act, and at this stage in his career he definitely no longer looks the part of legit action movie hero (or in this case, villain). But Robert Rodriguez perfectly embraces the inherent cheese-factor of casting Seagal as a Big Bad, going so far as to give him Six Million Dollar Man style sound f/x whenever he unsheathes his trademark sword. Again, it's not just stunt casting, but a satisfying melding of eyebrow-raising casting with memorable characters perfectly matched with the actor.

That said, there are a couple of pretty dynamite performances in this one. Everyone is good, really. But other than Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez, you've got to give a ton of credit to Jeff Fahey as one of the movie's main villains. Fahey, probably best known as intrepid pilot Frank Lapidus on LOST, is stellar here as a corrupt businessman looking to profit from the plight of the beleagured Mexicans. Fahey is charismatic and a lot of fun in this part - I wouldn't be surprised to see him cast in a lot of big films after people see him in Machete. Similarly, Don Johnson (hilariously given an "and introducing ... Don Johnson" intro in the credits) is pretty awesome as a xenophobic police lieutenant who fancies himself a Mexican-killing badass. Another guy who has a boatload of charisma who's well-utilized in the flick. You've also got Cheech Marin in fine form as Machete's man-of-the-cloth brother, Tom Savini (the beady-eyed lunatic who's recognizable from most other Rodriguez movies) as the hilarious 1800-dial-a-hitman named Osiris Amanpour, and, yeah, some guy named Robert De Niro.

I don't know if De Niro quite gains back all of his long-lost mojo in Machete, but he gives it a go. He's entertaining as anti-immigration Senator McLaughlin, although I think he struggles a bit with the pulpy, over-the-top tone of the film. It's definitely a bit surreal to see De Niro mixing it up with Danny Trejo and Lindsay Lohan, and in general, it's just weird seeing the great method actor in this type of film. Nonetheless, it's nice seeing De Niro in a hardcore action movie for a change. He seems to be having a lot of fun with the part.

Meanwhile, there has been some talk about the political content of the film. Some claim to be turned off by the film's pro-immigration political message, and others have panned the movie for glorifying violence and rebellion as a viable response to current political tensions along the border. At the same time, Robert Rodriguez makes the very apt point that Machete is an exploitation movie - the quasi-political plotline is really just there as a loose backdrop to create a fun, kickass movie around. And yet, there is definitely a political component to the movie, and its timeliness only emphasizes that. Personally, I think Machete is just the latest in a long line of B-movies that channel a populist rage into something more fun and over-the-top. It's hard to take anything in the movie too seriously, especially given that the film pokes as much fun at itself - pointing out its own absurdity and that of its heroes - as it does the villainous characters played by Fahey and De Niro. Bottom line though is that this is a crazy action-fantasy. It is, in its own way, a movie for our times, but it's not something to really be taken seriously, either.

All in all, Machete is a blast. This past summer, we've seen a couple of campy films that tried to recapture earlier eras of B-movie glory, but didn't quite hit the mark. The Expendables was nowhere near as fun as it should have been, and was devoid of characters that lived up to the hallowed iconography of its lineup of action stars. Pirahna was halfway there, but in between its glorious, carnage-filled action scenes we had to put up with lots of ABC Family-style teen drama. MACHETE, meanwhile, gets it right. The balance of humor with action is spot-on. The eclectic lineup of actors is well-chosen, and those actors are matched with iconic characters that playfully play off of and/or subvert their already-established personas. Danny Trejo is awesome. Michelle Rodriguez kicks ass in leather and an eyepatch. Lapidus from Lost is one bad mother. Machete is the kind of movie that will have you laughing, clapping, and hollering throughout. It's a crowd-pleaser - an old-fashioned, badass romp that is also well aware of its own absurdity. Machete is, finally, a new-age grindhouse movie done right. And as the credits roll, and as the sweet voiceover guy from that original trailer promises us further adventures of our grizzled antihero (in the form of "Machete Kills" and "Machete Kills Again" ...!), we can only look at our friends and say "dammit all, sign me up."

My Grade: A-


Up next: a review of CENTURION, a wrap-up of the best movies of Summer '10, and a Fall TV Preview. So, yes, keep reading!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Danny's EMMY Preview: aka: "Does Anyone Really Care About the Emmys?"


Man, it's been a long week. After a fun weekend, things kicked into overdrive at work, and I ended up having a couple of consecutive days where I was really burning the candle at both ends. Part of that was due to a presentation skills class that I was enrolled in through work. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I went over to the Universal lot for two all-day sessions that dealt with the ins and outs of giving a great presentation in front of a big group of people. It was definitely an interesting change of pace from the usual workday, and I do think it was a valuable experience, forcing us to think more about how we appear when speaking in front of others. But, it was also super-exhausting. Just sitting in a classroom environment all day, with the added pressure of giving multiple presentations in front of others (during which we were evaluated and videotaped as well), was really draining. Plus, given that there's been lots of craziness at work, I ended up actually going back into the office for a few hours each night *after* finishing up the day's training session. Suffice it to say, for the last 48 hours I've basically been in countdown-to-the-weekend mode.


EMMY AWARDS Thoughts:

- I always say it, but the Emmys as they currently exist are not worth analyzing to any huge degree. Quite simply, they nominees rarely, if ever, truly represent the best TV series in their categories. The Oscars, at least, tend to seek out films that are eclectic, outside-the-mainstream, and independently-produced. The Oscars of course have certain biases, but, at the least, there is a certain sense of legitimacy. With the Emmys, you get the sense that the awards are voted on by casual TV fans who watch whatever is buzzworthy or popular but little else. You also get the sense that series are looked at in terms of overall run as opposed to by a particular season. Does this past season of LOST really deserve to win for Best Drama? Probably not ... but it could win if only to recognize the series as a whole. Sometimes, the omissions are just mind-boggling. How does John Noble get no love for his tour-de-force performance on FRINGE? Where is a single nomination for the year's best new drama, JUSTIFIED? What about one of the funniest comedies I've ever seen, EASTBOUND & DOWN? How about COMMUNITY, which was likely the best Thursday night comedy this year? It's just hard to care about these awards and to consider them legitimate. Sure, there are plenty of deserving nominees in the overall pool, and some of those deserving actors and series will end up walking away with awards. But enough of the nominees are shrug-worthy enough to dilute the whole thing.

On the other hand, I feel like the actual Emmy broadcast could be entertaining this year. I like Jimmy Fallon as host, and I'll be curious to see if they do anything fun with, say, Conan O'Brien. I'm sure there will be a lot of jokes at the expense of Lost's baffling finale, and if there's some sort of bizarro, American Idol duet with Steven Tyler and J-Lo ... well, that could be a can't-miss trainwreck.

- Still, okay, I guess it doesn't hurt to take a look at the nominees. I'm not going to even predict who will win - it seems pointless. I'll just give my own take on who I'd like to see come out on top ...
*NOTE: when I first wrote up this piece, I was somehow oblivious to the fact that a bunch of smaller awards had ALREADY been handed out, including guest-actor trophies and the like. So, I've gone back and updated my list with some additional thoughts on alread-announced winners. Just look for the items marked with a *.

BEST DRAMA: This one is tough. Lost should have won this for Season 4. For Season 6? Not so much. I haven't watched Dexter or Breaking Bad. I want to. Both sound like they had amazing seasons this past year, and my gut tells me that both are highly deserving of this award. That said, True Blood is an interesting choice. It's not conventionally "good," but in it's own way, it's a pretty amazing show - just super campy and over-the-top. It's one of the most addicting, most expertly-serialized scripted shows I've ever seen though. I wouldn't be upset if it won.

BEST COMEDY: This past week, I finished Season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and there's no doubt in my mind it deserves this award. 30 Rock and The Office both had pretty good but uneven seasons. Glee is unique and fun but only sort-of a comedy. Plus it's still finding its groove. Modern Family might have been my pick in other circumstances (and Community should have been nominated), but ... Curb had moments of sheer brilliance this past season - it was classic. This one is, ultimately, a no-brainer.

LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA: Again, this one is tough because my gut tells me that Bryan Cranston and Michael C. Hall are the most deserving, but I haven't seen their shows. I know, I know - I need to asap. So this one is basically a toss-up for me. Matthew Fox was always strong on Lost, but he also was the central figure in many of the series' most annoying and aggravating moments, especially this season. If anyone from Lost deserves an Emmy, it's Henry Ian Cusick, who of course ... isn't even nominated. Also ... Timothy Olyphant, anyone? Raylen was robbed.

LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA: Another toss-up. I don't watch any of the shows on which the nominated actresses star. I've seen a little of Friday Night Lights though, and Connie Britton seems incredibly strong on it, so she's my pick.

LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY: What can I say, it's the year of Curb. Larry David was brilliant as always on Season 7. Yes, he's playing himself, but he's so hilarious that I don't care. Matthew Morrison is the straight man on Glee - he doesn't really do comedy. I don't like him being nominated here (and holy lord, does Danny McBride deserve a spot -- and next year, if Louie CK isn't nominated, it will be a crime). I love Alec Baldwin and Steve Carell, but neither of their characters had their best or most memorable storylines this past year (Carell more so than Baldwin - I wouldn't mind if Alec won, actually). But come on, this one has got to go to Mr. David.

LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY: This is another tough one. Lea Michele is a huge breakout star and the heart and soul of Glee, but again, I kind of object to it being implied that she's the funniest woman on TV by being in this category. Tina Fey is always great. But, this, maybe, should be the year of Amy Poehler. I am torn - I actually think Parks & Rec got funnier when it toned down Amy's character and made her less of a focus. That said, she was still the main character of a show that was probably one of the two or three funniest this past TV season. Toss-up between the two SNL alums, but Amy might be my pick.

SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY: This one is dominated by Modern Family, and deservedly so (sort of - where is anyone from Community or Curb or Parks?). But yeah, MF's cast is superb, and the best among them is Ty Burrell, who is the show's breakout star and who's responsible for a majority of its best gags. I think Ty Burrell basically has to win this one - he owned it on Modern Family this year.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY: Jane Lynch. Jane Lynch. Jane Lynch. One of the funniest people on the planet. Hilarious on Glee. Just give her the Emmy now.

SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA: This set of nominees is pretty annoying, I have to say. Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson are both incredible actors ... but both of their characters peaked in earlier seasons of Lost. I wouldn't be upset if either of them won, but again, where is Henry Ian Cusick, brotha?! John Noble from Fringe?! Walter Goggins from Justified?! No offense to Andre Brauer, but, WTF.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA: No real opinion on this one. I know the women of Mad Men are a talented bunch, but that's yet another show that I haven't had a chance to dive into as of yet.

*GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY: A ton of talented people in this category. I might have to go with Neil Patrick Harris on Glee though, as he really was hilarious in his guest spot, and it proved to be one of the most memorable episodes of the series to date. Also loved Fred Willard on Modern Family, but I've gotta go with NPH.
*And so did Emmy voters - NPH won the award this past week.

*GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA: Gregory Itzin was a lot of fun on 24's final season, and hey, 24 is one of my all-time favorite shows, so he's probably my sentimental favorite. There are, again though, so many actors that come to mind from Justified and Fringe - two shows that were totally passed over. I mean, Peter Weller on Fringe - hello! He kicked ass!
*John Lithgow ended up winning though, and hey, congrats to him. He's the man (seriously, who doesn't like John Lithgow?)

*GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: See, I do support Glee. Kristin Chenoweth was awesome on the show, and if saying that makes me less of a man, then dammit all, call me Shirley. Because, surely, the former co-star of Pushing Daisies deserves some Emmy love. And hey, I like Betty White (I have a soul), but, I don't know, enough already - you know?
*Oh, I know, but not Emmy voters. Ms. White's name on the ballot likely produced an automated reaction of "check!" among Emmy voters who choose to vote like automatons. Look, he episode of SNL was great though (at least as compared to other recent episodes of SNL), so congrats to Ms. White. Maybe next year, she'll get a nomination for her upcoming work on, dare I say it, Community?!

*GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA: No real opinion. I've really liked Elizabeth Mitchell on Lost in the past, but wasn't last season really her swan song? So yeah ... whatever on this one.
*Ann Margaret won for Law & Order: SVU. Cool, goooo NBC.

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES: The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien. Seriously. This needs to win. Those final few weeks were *classic* TV, that will be talked about and written about for years to come. I know, Stewart and Colbert always win, and yes, they always do a great job. But Conan was the man this year. He put on great television in the midst of controversy, and produced some of the most memorable episodes of late-night TV ever aired. Team Coco, baby!

ANIMATED PROGRAM: Um ... what? These are the choices? No love for the last-ever season of King of the Hill (not sure if it was eligible, but still ...)? All I know is, next year had better be all about the returned Futurama.
*And the winner was ... some Disney show I never heard of. Well, at least it wasn't Family Guy ...

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES: Hmm, again ... no Community or Parks really makes this category feel lacking. I will say, I think there were some brilliantly-written moments of The Office this year that make it worthy of a win. Same goes for 30 Rock - the show still had some hugely hilarious scripted moments that kept it in the top-tier of TV comedy.

WRITING FOR A DRAMA: Okay ... I don't know. Mad Men, maybe - again, haven't watched, but I know by reputation that it's among the best-written shows on TV. Lost - aside from a couple of episodes, there was a lot of weaksauce writing this season. Justified has such good dialogue, and Fringe as well ... those are very conspicuous by their absence.

*VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A SERIES: Fringe is seriously not nominated? Really? Fine, I support Caprica by default.
*Apparently "CSI" won this. How ... not exciting?

*SOUND EDITING FOR A SERIES: Wait, Fringe IS nominated in this category! Sweet delicious strawberry death! Fringe should, MUST win here, baby.
*Oh, but wait, it didn't win. Only appropriate. Fringe, you are too good for the Emmys.

WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY PROGRAM: Once again, Team Conan. Conan's got a crack team of amazing writers (they even had their own special on TBS), and they deserve to be recognized for the many amazing sketches and bits that we got on The Tonight Show with Conan.

*MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC: Justified - whoo! - it's nominated! Awesome theme song, always sets the tone perfectly for the show. How does this category even work though? Are only new shows nominated? If so then how are Parks & Rec and Warehouse 13 nominated. Is it shows that have never been nominated before? Regardless, a win for Justified would be highly justified.
*And yet ... NURSE JACKIE WON?! Apparently no Emmy voters watch Justified, and therefore, they can suck it.

*MUSIC COMPOSITION: Okay, here's one where there's no doubt in my mind, LOST deserves to win. Lost had the best scored music of any show of the last several years, and despite other faults, the music in Season 6 was among the series' best. I mean, come on, that scene in the finale with Jack and Not-Locke squaring off on that rocky cliff? With that badass music? I can hum the various Lost themes right now, they are that good.
*Hmm, apparently 24 won this, which is cool - 24 always did have great music.

And there you have it, my EMMY thoughts. What do YOU think? Are you excited for the Emmys? Underwhelmed by the nominees? Still bitter that Lauren Graham was never nominated for Gilmore Girls?


Some other quick TV thoughts:

- LOUIE continues to be brilliant. One of the best comedies in recent years.

- PLANET EARTH on blu-ray, just watching it now for the first time -- holy wow.

- CURB season 7 - I loved the ending - so brilliant. Not the best season of the show overall, but still, so many moments of genius throughout.
- FUTURAMA has been having a really good season. Again, praised be jeebus that this show is back on the air.


Annnnnd ... there you have it. Time for the weekend - enjoy!

Getting My Feet Wet With PIRAHNA 3D ...!


PIRAHNA 3D Review:

- Going into a movie like Pirahna 3D, you have a very basic set of expectations. You want fun, you want carnage, you want laughs, you want scares. And maybe, just maybe, you want an extended scene of Kelly Brook frollicking lustily (and nakedly) with another woman underwater ... in 3D. On all of those counts, Pirahna 3D delivers. It's not a great movie, but it's a fun time at the cinema, no doubt about it. That said, is there some of that "Snakes on a Plane" syndrome at work here? Does the movie want to be self-aware, so-bad-it's good camp, yet only end up as so bad it's ... bad? Sometimes, I do think the movie falls into that trap. But while "Snakes" was, ultimately, just bad, Pirahna has enough inspired moments that I have to give it one (severed) thumb up.

Updating the classic, Roger Corman-produced B-movie for 2010, Pirahna 3D never takes itself too seriously. Now, here's where I sometimes think that modern B-movie auteurs tend to miss the point of the old-school Corman movies. The great thing about those was that, yes, they had humor, but they also had conviction. The movies had huge ambition, and despite some winks at the audience, in their own way, they took themselves very seriously. Classic B-movies tend to walk a very fine line between self-seriousness and self-parody, but they usually lean towards the former. Where Pirahna 3D tends to falter is in the fact that the tone swings pretty wildly throughout the film. There are moments of insane, over-the-top sex and violence that are fairly awesome, but all of the filler stuff isn't as fun - it's teen drama that seems to have been lifted straight out of some bad CW soap. Basically, the overall blandness of the main characters is a real rough spot for the movie. In Pirahna 3D, cheesiness is fine and even welcome, but bland is nearly unforgivable.

Luckily, there is enough craziness in the movie to counterbalance the lame teen-drama stuff. Sure, we may have to suffer through the boring main character and his girl problems, but to counteract that we get moments of CHRISTOPHER LLOYD acting awesomely nutty. We get Ving Rhames as one badass Pirahna-killer. We get Jerry O'Connell as a hilariously sleazy peddler of "Girls Gone Wild"-style videos. And, we get a movie-stealing Elisabeth Shue as our protagonist's still-hot mom who's a local cop that can kick ass and take names. Basically, she makes her emotastic son look like a giant $%#%. Not to get on a soapbox or anything, but some of these teen actors need to learn how to act with the proper B-movie hero tone, where you take everything super-seriously and play it straight no matter how crazy things get ... with just the slightest hint of self-awareness thrown in for good measure. Elisabeth Shue and Ving Rhames get it, and they totally school the youngsters. Adam Scott is also pretty entertaining as a smirky specialist called in to help with the Pirahna problem. On the other hand ... Jessica Szohr from Gossip Girl is running around as if she's still on Gossip Girl (where she plays the show's most annoying character by far). Steven R. McQueen, our lead (and, uh, nice name by the way), might as well be acting as if he's guest-starring on Gossip Girl. And hey, I admit it, I like Gossip Girl. But this is Pirahna 3D, dammit all.

Now, Pirahna 3D has a somewhat slow build-up to get to the really good stuff, but the movie really pays off in the final act, when it erupts into an orgy of aquatic violence and gore. It's cartoonish and oftentimes hilarious, and yes, a lot of fun to watch. Director Alexandre Aja has a lot of fun with all the craziness - getting some truly creative (and oftentimes laugh-out-loud funny) kills on film.

I wish the script had been a little more fun and sharp. Christopher Lloyd's big expository scene hints at the sort of campy goodness that could have been, and it helps that he sells it all like a champ. You also wonder why the movie had to resort to having two small kids as main characters - the whole kids-in-peril part of the movie seems to detract a little from the fun, and takes you out of the film's subversive spirit. It just feels weird to keep cutting to these little kids in the midst of the much more debaucherous storylines involving spring-breakers, sleazy video producers, etc.

In the end though, Pirahna 3D was a fun little movie that ultimately delivered on its promise of over-the-top 3D carnage. It's got killer pirahnas going insane, Christopher Lloyd acting insane, and yes, Kelly Brook in 3D in scenes sure to fog up many a pair of 3D glasses. At times, the movie just feels flat. But when business eventually picks up, there are enough "oh my god!" moments to send you home happy. It's a good time at the theater, no question.

My Grade: B

Monday, August 16, 2010

Danny Chronicles the WEEKEND OF EPICNESS: Weird Al in Concert, OC Fair, and MORE!


What up, everyone? So, I am here to tell the tale of a true weekend of epicness (maybe even epic epicness?). It's been a crazy month or two in general, but this past weekend was particularly insane. In a good way. The craziness began on Thursday evening with a screening of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World on the Universal Studios lot. It continued on Friday evening as me and some fellow hardcore badasses took in a showing of The Expendables. On Saturday, a band of intrepid explorers, in search of strange and unique fried foods and other oddities, journeyed to THE OC FAIR on a quest to eat, see the sights, and to see Weird Al Yankovic (!) in concert. On Sunday, I got the band back together, nWo-style, to head to the Staples Center to see the WWE's summer wrestlefest, Summerslam, live and in person, brother. So, yeah, it was an epic weekend indeed. I've already posted my reviews of Scott Pilgrim (awesome!) and The Expendables (disappointing ...). But, let me talk for a bit about the rest of the mega-weekend-o'-dooooom.


THE OC FAIR and "WEIRD" AL YANKOVIC:

- Last year, I went to the OC Fair for the first time ever (back when it was known as The OC Superfair - no longer "super" I guess?), and had a really fun time. Going to the fair, I really felt like I'd been transported to another world. It's like a slice of Redneck County, USA in Southern California, and it is quite a place to visit. And this year's show was just as crazy and over-the-top as I remembered from last summer. Everywhere you look, there are ostentatious food stands, each one seemingly trying to outdo the others in terms of the sheer ridiculousness of the food being offered. Anything that can be deep fried ... is. There's Krispy Kreme chicken sandwiches, fried Twinkies, fried Reeses, fried Klondike bars, fried dough, fried butter (yep!), and everything in between. There's pizza, pizza on a stick, ice cream, ice cream in a cone, funnel cake, frog's legs, chocolate-covered bacon, chocolate-covered everything, sno-cones, shaved ice, and frozen lemonade. There's smoked turkey legs, pork butts, grilled chicken, charbroiled chicken, and fried chicken. Burgers, hot dogs, french fries, cheese fries, ranch fries, and apple fries. No food is too crazy-sounding (hello, Chocolate Charlies and Zuchini Weenies). No food too heart-attack-inducing (hello "Heart Attack Cafe"). No promotion of said foods too shameless, either - the bright facades and bold declarations of the various food stands are half the fun. It really is amazing to just walk around and see it all, and yes, perhaps sample a local delicacy or two. It's madness.

Meanwhile, there are all sorts of other random oddities and attractions to check out at the fair. Last year's highlight, Al's Brain, was back again this year. It's a hilarious 3D movie created by and starring Weird Al himself, and it's a real comedy gem. I'm not sure if there's any way for those who can't make the fair to check it out online or something, but I highly recommend seeking it out if you're a fan of Al (and who isn't?). It's a very funny and surprisingly very educational look at the way the human brain works, and it's packed with hilarious bits, and even has cameos from the likes of Fabio, Thomas Lennon, Patton Oswalt, and Paul McCartney! And it's in "eye-popping 3D." Sweeet. What else is at the Fair? Well ... an ice-museum, elephants, horses, other random livestock (including Hercules the Giant Horse, who's so freakishly big that he costs and extra dollar to see!), pig-races (yep!) acrobats, a giant market known appropriately enough as the Parade of Products, rides (most of them looking like something out of an amusement park from a 70's horror movie), carnival games, and more. Like I said, other than the nerd-friendly presence of Weird Al, it really does feel like you've just arrived at some random, super-sized Deep South county fair. You know, one of those "wouldn't want to live there, but super fun to visit" things. But man, what a place to visit.

In any case, it was a lot of fun just wandering the fair grounds, eating random semi-incredible / semi-gross foods, enjoying some quality people-watching, etc. Me, my brother, the G-Man, and Kyle O. drove down to the OC from Burbank, and then KC (fellow former Conan intern, current San Diego resident) met up with us. Good times indeed.

- But, of course, the main event of the trip was the WEIRD AL concert that punctuated the evening. The concert, the second of two back-to-back shows performed at the OC fairgrounds, at the nearby Pacific Ampitheater, was a rocking, hilarious, and most definitely epic show. I mean, I had heard that Al always puts on one heck of a show, but I came away from this one somewhat blown away by the guy. By the end of the show, I felt like we had just witnessed a comedy legend at the peak of his powers. Weird? Maybe. Awesome? Yes!

It was also just a really cool show in that the crowd was so diverse. There were a ton of kids and families there, which made the concert a lot of fun. I loved seeing ten and eleven year old kids going crazy for Al or maybe even discovering him for the first time. There were old-school fans, twenty-somethings, and teens. There were those of us who could recite the dialogue of UHF in tune with the clips that played between songs, and those who knew the lyrics of White & Nerdy by heart. Plus, all the kids there just gave me an added appreciation for just how funny Weird Al has always been able to be while remaining firmly in the PG realm of humor. I mean, honestly, how many other comedians can claim that? Al's humor is just flat-out genius at times, but never crosses certain lines. How much great comedy is out there that kids and adults can enjoy equally?

Also amazing is just how enduring Weird Al's career has been. It's pretty crazy and a little surreal to see him sing tunes from a catalog that dates back to the late 70's. This was especially true during songs like "Fat" and "Smells Like Nirvana." Michael Jackson and Kurt Cobain may no longer be with us, but, damn, there in front of me was Weird Al, still kickin' it, and performing parodies that were almost as much a part of a given pop-cultural era as the actual songs that inspired them. One thing about Weird Al though - he never rests on his laurels. The show contained plenty of new material alongside the classics. Sure, we got Fat, Dare to be Stupid, Beverly Hillbillies, Smells Like Nirvana, and Amish Paradise. But we also got White & Nerdy, Trapped in the Drive-Through, You're Pitiful, Canadian Idiot, Skipper Dan (a funny tune about a tour guide on Disney's Jungle Cruise ride), and CNR (a White Stripes parody all about TV icon Charles Nelson Reilly!). The show even opened with one of Al's trademark polka medleys, which included samples of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry.

Another unique thing about the concert was that Al does extensive costume changes between songs, so the short breaks between the music are an opportunity to sit back and partake in a mini Weird Al film festival of sorts, as clips from AL TV play, along with other random Weird Al TV appearances from throughout the years, plus talk-show appearances, voiceover work, bits from cult-classic comedy UHF, and more. Plus, Al seems to have carefully collected and assembled literally every clip of every time he's ever been mentioned on TV - from Johnny Carson to Family Guy. Just about all of the clips shown though - especially the Al TV faux-interview bits (where Al fake-interviews the likes of Eminen, Celine Dion, and Jessica Simpson) were legitimately hilarious though. So basically, the pauses between songs were almost as fun as the songs themselves.

The breaks also mean that Al can go all-out when performing his songs. He dons the classic fat-suit for Fat, Amish getup for Amish Paradise, a Devo suit for Dare to Be Stupid, grunge gear for Smells Like Nirvana, a Jungle Cruise tour guide outfit for Skipper Dan, and a hilarious pink pimp-suit for his song all about cheesy pick-up lines, Wanna Be Ur Lovr. The capper came during the uber-epic encore, in which Al and his band came onstage in full Jedi garb, flanked by an army of Storm Troopers and Darth Vader himself. Jedi Al then proceeded to pull a fast one on the crowd - instead of launching into "The Saga Begins," he randomly burst into the cheesy, one-line song "Everyone Has Cell Phones." Eventually, he got down to business though - he performed "The Saga Begins" (the Star Wars-inspired take on American Pie) as the crowd sang along in unison (My, my, this here Anakin guy - someday later he'll be Vader now he's just a small fry."). Al followed that with a rockin' redition of Yoda (his classic parody of The Kinks' Lola), and sent the crowd home happy.

Al really went all-out to put on an awesome show. He covered a ton of songs too, even performing abbreviated versions of hits like eBay, Bedrock Anthem, Ode to a Superhero, Gump, and Eat It in a parody medley. The crowd, young and old, was loving it, and Al was jumping around, dancing in the crowd, and having fun - I don't think the guy has lost a step. And his band is super-impressive to boot - the fact that they can effortlessly transition from Green Day to Coolio to Michael Jackson is pretty impressive.

All in all, it was definitely one of the most fun concerts I've seen, and definitely the funniest. Weird Al is quite simply the man. You've got to love the fact that he's still out there, still making kids and adults alike laugh and get into different musical styles. You've got to applaud the guy for basically being as funny and sharp as ever. A great night of comedy from an icon of funny - I can only conclude that Weird Al is a national freaking treasure, and that he deserves a monument or Nobel Prize or something. And if you dont' agree, well, all I can say is ... "yoooooou soooooooo stuuuupid!!!!!!!!" (sorry, had to get a UHF quote in there ...).

- The weekend of epicness didn't stop there though ... on Sunday, me, my brother, and the G-Man headed down to downtown (downtown LA that is) to attend WWE's SUMMERSLAM, live, up close, and personal. We had great, dead-center seats, so we were right there, ringside, for all the action. We saw the likes of Rey Mysterio, Kane, Chris Jericho, Edge, John Cena, and The Undertaker mix it up in a number of epic battles. We even saw the legendary Bret "The Hitman" Hart wrestle, a sight that made those of us in the crowd of a certain age nostalgic for old-school wrasslin', for the days when The Hitman was known around the world as the consummate champion and as the "excellence of execution." In short, it was a really fun event, and yes, a fitting end to the weekend.

And now it's back to the grind. It's already been a pretty intense week at work, but I've also been somewhat energized, still riding the high from the weekend of Scott Pilgrim, Sylvester Stallone, Weird Al, and The Hitman. Now, it's on to the next adventure ...

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Going Over-The-Top With THE EXPENDABLES - Stallone's All-Star Action Flick ... Reviewed!


THE EXPENDABLES Review:

- At some point in time, the underlying idea of THE EXPENDABLES was a near-magical thing. As more and more details about the movie came to light, fans of old-school action films couldn't help but dream about a movie that promised to be the ultimate badass action flick, with an all-star cast of larger-than-life icons. This could be the movie that would bring back the kind of gritty, rough n' tumble cinema that has become all too rare in this age of less-than-inspiring big screen heroes. This was the movie that would kick our collective asses seven ways to Sunday and leave us begging for more. There was plenty of reason to buy into the hype: after a rough patch in the cinematic wilderness, Sylvester Stallone seemed to have found his mojo again. Rocky Balboa was a triumph. Rambo was old-school action at its finest, and badass to its core. Just the idea of Stallone and Jason Statham co-starring in a balls-to-the-wall action film seemed to have nearly unlimited potential.

But, as time passed, the cracks in the master plan began to show. The concept of an all-star dream cast of action icons never *quite* came to fruition as many had hoped. Sure - Stallone, Statham, Li, and Rourke (and, okay, Dolph ... sort of) are all legit A-list action heroes. But Steve Austin? One of the best performers ever in the WWE, sure, but not exactly a movie star. Terry Crews? Incredibly charismatic and funny, but his best work has been on a TV sitcom. Eric Roberts? Great as a go-to supporting player, and always willing to ham it up as a villain. But as your Big Bad? And Randy Couture? The guy is legit tough as nails - a flat-out scary dude. But as an actor? Has he done anything that's shown he's anywhere near as legit as an actor as he is an MMA fighter? Here's the thing - I think we all wanted to buy into the hype and convince ourselves that Stallone DID in fact assemble an all-star lineup of action icons. That was, after all, the movie's main marketing hook. And seeing all of those names together is enough to get the ol' adrenaline pumping, no doubt. But do all of those names thrown into a cinematic soup make for a great film? That was my biggest question going into the movie. I didn't want to overthink this one. I wanted to just sit back in the theater after a long week and watch some hardcore action. But - in order to have great action, you need great CHARACTERS. You need a great REASON for the action to take place. You need stakes. You need motivation. You need emotional involvment. When you look back at the great action films - Predator, Conan the Barbarian, Robocop, Escape From New York, Terminator 2 - they all started with a great premise, followed through with larger-than-life, memorable characters, and then delivered on dialogue, attitude, and epic story beats that got your blood flowing. Hell, Stallone is the star he is because of two of the all-time great CHARACTERS of cinema - Rocky Balboa and John Rambo. And part of the reason why the latest entries in those franchises worked so well was because they focused so much on character. THE EXPENDABLES has fun moments. It has a couple of badass and brutal action scenes. But considering all of the big-name talent involved, it's surprisingly bland and forgettable. There was no moment organic to the film that made me want to smile and cheer.

There is one truly awesome scene in the film, and that's the glorious meeting of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis towards the beginning of the movie. It's a very brief scene, but the sheer novelty and badass-factor of seeing these three legends together on film makes this sequence a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. The writing in this scene feels like Stallone just cutting loose and having fun, and you wish that the rest of the script had that same sort of sharpness and sense of humor. It also doesn't hurt that the Governator can still deliver a one-line with the best of 'em.

But, especially given that the movie does have a couple of really fun moments like the one above, it's a shame that so much of the film's script is completely lifeless and, at times, just plain stupid. It's a very schizofrenic movie, to be honest. There's a scene where Mickey Rourke - the only guy in the film who seemed to have his acting shoes on - delivers a pretty damn cool monologue that almsot feels like it's from a different movie - one that actually has some character and soul. But it's weird - the monologue, about the emotional price Rourke has payed for living the life of a mercenary, almost comes off as unintentionally funny because it's this epic speech in the middle of a movie that has to that point mostly been filled with go-nowhere dialogue and do-nothing characters. It's like Stallone was sitting Rourke down to do this scene as some sort of random acting clinic for the other guys in the film. Rourke nails it, but he so outclasses everyone else in the movie in a two minute span that the effect is almost comical.

Meanwhile, the movie's plot is pretty ridiculous, but not good-ridiculous in a way that would actually help a movie like this to be kickass. Like I said above, an action movie doesn't need an ultra-sophisticated plot - I didn't go into The Expendables expecting Inception or anything. But, again, give us a REASON to root for these characters - something, anything. Instead, we get a bunch of mercs on a mission to take out a CIA guy gone rogue in some godforsaken third-world republic. Okay, decent enough start, right? You figure the movie will be all about how this band of brothers is chewed up and spit out, about how they learn to find something to fight for and take on a cause rather than just a paycheck. Well, that's sort of what happens, but it unfolds in the limpest, most weaksauce manner possible. The whole plot boils down to Stallone deciding to take his team back to this hellhole of an island-nation and seemingly kill everyone in it and blow the whole place to hell, all so that Stallone can "save" this one girl who he met for about 5 minutes during his initial mission. Trust me, it makes even less sense in the context of the actual movie. More than anything else though, you just want those huge, larger-than-life, widescreen moments in a movie like this. You want the equivalent of Arnold staring down the predator, of Rambo rising from the ashes to wreak unholy vengeance, of Robocop confronting Dick Jones, or Snake Plissken telling everyone who gets it wrong to "call me Snake." You need those iconic characters, those classic moments, that memorable dialogue. The Expendables just feels ... empty ... in that regard.

To the movie's credit, it definitely has a couple of genuinely kickass action scenes that are just plain entertaining. The sewer scene that I first saw at Comic-Con remained ultra-intense and hardcore upon second viewing, as did the scene where Jason Statham swoops in to wreak havoc on some unsavory locals via some heavy-duty airborne ballistics. Some of the over-the-top carnage on hand is downright crazy, and it's during these shock-value moments that the movie is at its best and most jaw-dropping. There's also a pretty amusing scene in which Statham beats some sense into some thugs who've been messing with his girl, which includes the movie's best and funniest one-liner. There's a fun confrontation between Dolph Lundgren and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin where you can practically hear Good Ol' JR screaming "bah gawd!" in the background. And Eric Roberts is always entertaining to watch - he's so effortlessly slimy and smarmy, like some sleazy uncle you're glad you don't have to see very often.

That said, one thing that bugged me about this film is that it never quite felt like a classic Stallone movie. What I loved about Rocky Balboa was that it went back to the original Rocky and had that more intimate feel, that slower pace, that emphasis on character. Same goes for Rambo - it really felt like old-school filmmaking. It was bloody and brutal, but the overall rhythm of the movie was very classical ... a throwback. Not so with The Expendables. Stallone seems to want to make a Jason Statham movie and not a Stallone movie. The cuts are quick and jumpy during the action, and it more often than not detracts from the film. When you have so many great action vets on hand, why go this route? Why make it so that we can barely even make out the moves performed by martial arts master Jet Li? Really, there've only been a couple of directors who have truly been able to make the shaky-cam style of action 100% work for them. I don't know why Stallone felt the need to adopt this style in a movie that is, in so many other ways, decidedly old-school. It makes sense in some scenes, but other times the action just starts to feel impossible to follow and completely devoid of rhyme or reason. By the tail-end of the movie's breakneck climax, you really have no idea what's being blown up or why.

Maybe the biggest disappointment of the movie is Stallone himself. I love Stallone as an actor - he's such a great personality. I also give him all the credit in the world for doing what many thought impossible and giving both Rocky and Rambo each one last blaze of glory worthy of their cinematic legacies. So it makes it especially disappointing to see Stallone go from playing Rocky and Rambo - two all-time classic characters - to just playing ... some guy. According to IMDB, Stallone plays "Barney Ross" in The Expendables, but you likely wouldn't know that from watching the film. His character is just sort of there. We never care much about him. He just goes through the motions, and that is a shame. So, yeah, "Barney Ross" won't be taking his place in the Stallone cannon alongside Rocky Balboa or John Rambo anytime soon.

Despite a lot of pretty glaring flaws, The Expendables still manages to be a pretty entertaining and enjoyable movie, especially if you're an action junkie who's likely to get a kick out of seeing this all-star squadron of badasses team-up and try to out-badass each other (the Stallone-Willis-Schwarzenneger scene alone might just be worth the price of admission, for novelty value alone). That's the fun of the movie, but those big names on the marquee only go so far. You need something, some sort of glue, some sort of reason for existing, to hold the movie together and actually get you, the viewer, invested. As it stands, The Expendables never lives up to the potential of the fanboy dream movie we all had hoped for. Maybe a Part 2 could deliver. Maybe. But Stallone is going to have to go back to the drawing board if he wants to create a new franchise on par with the movies that made him a star. The Expendables shouldn't have been this clunky and forgetable.

My Grade: B-

Friday, August 13, 2010

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is Full of Epic Win!


SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD Review:
- The memories of old-school videogames are forever burned into the very center of my brain. Don't get me wrong, I still love gaming, but I doubt I'll ever 100% recapture those blissful days of youth perched in front of the TV, playing Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter II, and Final Fantasy. The iconic 8 and 16-bit sound effects carry instant weight for me the moment I hear them. I can instantly identify the sound of Mario powering up via mushroom, the sound of Megaman jumping into the air, the sound of your mechanical arm swinging towards the heavens in Bionic Commando. And the music ... as much as TV theme songs were etched into the collective memories of one generation, so too were those legendary videogame soundtracks part of our pop-cultural cannon. If you're anything like me, you can hum the Mario Bros. theme (the 1-1 theme and of course the 1-2 "underground sewer" theme). You have the background music of at least one level from Megaman 2 in your head, or from Street Fighter II, or from Castlevania. Hearing the Final Fantasy theme might even give you a chill. It used to be that after hours of playing a game, it would work itself into the inner sanctums of my head. I'd have fever-dreams about the game. The line between reality and virtual reality would becomes ever so slightly blurred on a routine basis. I don't think I'm alone in this. I think there's a whole generation out there that grew up on this stuff, that saw the world through the filter of videogames. And yet, we've lived in a world so dominated by the remnants of Baby Boomer culture that it's STILL rare to find a big-budget movie that seems relevant to us specifically, that seems by, and for, the Nintendo Generation.

And man, that's why SCOTT PILGRIM just feels like a total adrenaline rush. It's one of the first-ever movies to fully translate the videogame aesthetic to the screen. But it's not just the aesthetic - it's the hero's journey as seen through games and pop-culture translated into real-life, and that's why Scott Pilgrim is much more than just a collection of references and visual homages. Sure, that's part of it. But to me, the genius of the film is that out of all that cultural jumble, it manages to find a greater Truth. It looks at life through the prism of pop-culture and somehow turns a series of videogame-style battles into a classic, epic quest of self-discovery. It realizes that all of these games are, in their own way, metaphors for our daily battles. Growing up on games taught us to never accept defeat, to look for ways to win through skill and perseverance, to learn from failure so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Scott Pilgrim takes place in a super-heightened reality, and yet there's an authenticity to it that much more "realistic" movies often lack. Part of that authenticity is that a lot of us can likely relate to Scott Pilgrim's warpzone worldview. Who among us hasn't occasionally viewed life-as-pop-art? We all take inspiration from pop-culture, and that's the magic of the relationship between people and art (sorry Roger Ebert, videogames are art). Scott Pilgrim is, in its own way, a pretty brilliant look at how one person, and by extension, all of us, transpose ourselves into movies, comics, TV shows, games, etc. on a daily basis -- how we see ourselves as characters in our own epic stories.

At the same time, Scott Pilgrim is just ridiculously fun and energetic. It's a nonstop rock n' roll spectacle, overflowing with visual imagination and humor. Edgar Wright nailed it, and created a movie right up there with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz in terms of innovative, genre-breaking action-comedy. In fact, Scott Pilgrim is his best film yet. SCOTT PILGRIM is like no other movie you've seen before. It has its own aesthetic, its own visual style, its own storytelling techniques, it's own sense of humor. Want something new? Want something that taps into your childhood and explodes onto the screen in a flash of visual and sonic fury? See SCOTT PILGRIM. Sure, some people (lame people) just won't get it. Some people (even lamer people) won't even give the movie a chance. Don't be one of those people. It doesn't mean you have to have grown up on videogames or comic books. It just means you have to be open-minded. You have to have imagination. You have to be with it. You have to go with it. Accept that the movie is over-the-top and hyper-real. Dig the aesthetic. Root for Scott to defeat the Seven Evil Exes. Try it, like it, it's good.

But let's back up for a second, shall we, and recap our story for the unitiated. Adapted from the series of graphic novels by writer/artist Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World is the highly-stylized story of the title character's fight to win the heart of the new love of his life, the enigmatic Ramona Flowers. Ramona has recently moved to Scott's hometown of Toronto from New York, and, with her punk-rock style and multi-colored hair, quickly captures the attention of hopeless romantic Scott. Sure, Scott Pilgrim (a twenty-something) is already involved with seventeen-year-old innocent schoolgirl Knives Chau, but Scott quickly falls for Ramona, leaving naive Knives for the new girl in town. And Ramona's got some baggage (she's also got a giant battle-hammer straight out of Soul Caliber, but that's another story). Turns out that the girl's been around the block. In fact, little Ramona has seven evil-exes (not just ex-boyfriends - there's one ex-girlfriend from Ramona's bi-curious years) who have ganged up to destroy any guy who would dare date her (Ramona may have been bi-curious, but the exes are bi-furious!). Now, Scott isn't exactly Sly Stallone here. He's a dreamer, a musician, a romantic. But if he wants Ramona, he's going to have to fight for her. And therein lies the central quest at the heart of the movie - Scott has to man up, reach for that proverbial power-up, and kick some ass in the name of love.

The cast of SCOTT PILGRIM really nails it, and everyone seems to completely get the unique, slightly-left-of-reality tone that Edgar Wright is going for. I know, a lot of people like to just dismiss Michael Cera, for whatever reason. I get it, he plays pretty similar characters in a lot of his films. But people - what do you *want* him to do? If you need a scrawny, geeky, sort of quirky lead you go with Cera - not just because he looks the part, but because the guy has a ton of talent as well as pitch-perfect comic timing. We've known that since the Arrested Development days. That said, Scott Pilgrim is a much different character than Cera's played before. He's fairly self-confident and in some ways self-assured - his problem is more just that his head is in the clouds and he doesn't quite know what he wants out of life. But this movie is about Scott's journey, and the place he ends up by the film's end is a different one from where he started. It's a lot of fun to see Cera as Pilgrim get that added drive and determination, to see him man up and kick ass and take ownership of his life. Knock him if you want, but this is a great performance from Cera.

There are so many other standouts in the film. Ellen Wong makes a huge impression as Knives Chau, and steals every scene she's in. Knives is perhaps the movie's most fun character, and her transformation from sweet schoolgirl to badass, leather-clad asskicker is a joy to behold. You will geek out for Knives, that's a promise. Kieran Culkan has some of the movie's funniest lines as Scott's roommate, Wallace Wells. The relationship between the two is great - supportive yet antagonistic - and there are some classic dialogue exchanges between them. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is perfectly cast as Ramona. She's the kind of girl who has a past but may just be ready to move beyond it. She's sort of dark, sort of brooding, but you want to root for her to see the light and smile a little more. When she pulls out that giant hammer and fights her evil-ex-gf to save Scott, it's an awesome moment. You get why she just might be worth fighting for. Meanwhile, the Seven Evil Exes are all hilarious and a ton of fun. From Matthew Patel and his demon hipster Bollywood dance troupe to Lucas Lee and his army of stunt doubles. Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, Jason Schwartzman - they all rock, and all seem perfectly cast as bizarro subversions of the types of role that each actor tends to be known for. Evans is the cocky action-hero-as-asshole. Routh is the preachy, too-perfect uber-Vegan who's now in a band with (and dating) Scott's scornful ex, Envy Adams. Mae Whitman is the rage-filled woman scorned, and she totally owns the part. And then there's Jason Schwartzman - hilarious as Gideon Gordon Graves (aka The G-Man), the sinister-hipster leader of the League of Evil Exes, lurking in the shadows as Scott's final boss battle.

It's funny, because as I was racking my brain trying to think of any flaws with Scott Pilgrim, I briefly wondered if the movie suffered from "adaptation syndrome," in which a lot of minor characters from the source material are included in the film, but become more clutter than anything else. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I loved how complete of a world the movie creates, filled to the brim with colorful characters who are so instantly interesting that you wouldn't mind seeing them in a movie all their own. I'm thinking in particular of the members of Scott's only-okay band, Sex Bob-Omb (Mario Bros. reference alert!) - Kim Pine, Stephen Stills, and Young Neil (gotta love those names). Each member has enough personality that Sex Bob-Ombs' battle of the bands storyline - and their clash with the Envy Adams-fronted Clash at Demonhead (extra points for their name being an awesome obscure Nintendo reference!) is almost a movie in and of itself. Anna Kendrick is also excellent as Scott's sister, Stacey - the voice of reason in Scott's dream-world of power-meters and one-ups. Aubrey Plaza is super-funny as acerbic scenester Julie Powers. Like I said, it's an incredibly talented cast that helps to create this whole entire world for Scott Pilgrim to inhabit. It's quirky, and it's fun, and it feels like a place you just might want to visit again.

The number one star of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World though? Edgar Wright and his team. The visual energy of the movie, the look, the humor, the pacing, the vision - Wright deserves a ton of credit for creating something wholly unique and wholly awesome. From the overall, comic book-like editing of the film to the great little touches (vintage videogame sound/fx, 60's Batman-style action balloons, comic book "secret origins" of the Evil Exes) that give the movie its sensory-overload aesthetic. This movie is absoluely packed with fanboy-friendly moments big and small that kept me giddily smiling throughout. Plus. the action is also just flat-out awesome. Rarely has a movie captured the visceral, frenzied feeling of playing videogames - or the mental reward of defeating them - with such acute accuracy. The movie often plays like a videogame meets rock video. In many ways, you could almost compare the magical realism, the pacing, and the music-heavy nature of the film to a musical. I should mention though that the music in the movie is a ton of fun - the songs are integrated into the action in funny and unique ways, and the songs from the movie's bands are catchy yet rough-sounding, like what you'd actually expect from an amateur battle of the bands.

Still, Wright makes sure to give Scott Pilgrim a hefty emotional core. Again, all of the little visual shout-outs and dialogue references add up to create this portrait of life-as-pop-culture and vice versa. We all go on the same sort of journey as Scott in our own way. But the movie challenges us to be the hero in our own story, to step up and "get a life." Hey, to me, any movie that can use the "Continue?" countdown screen from old arcade games as a giant metaphor for life is possessing of a certain degree of genius. Scott Pilgrim is smart, it's funny, it's a nostalgia trip, and it's not quite like any other movie you've seen. There's action, romance, humor, and heart. So, yeah, it's pretty much the bomb. Okay, the bob-omb. Seriously though, this is one of those films that may end up being divisive, but for my part, I can't recommend it enough. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World delivers a cinematic K-O.

My Grade: A

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Bustin' Heads With THE OTHER GUYS.


THE OTHER GUYS Review:


- I had high hopes that The Other Guys might be awesome and hilarious. Even though the trailers never really wowed me, this was a movie from the team that brought us the comedy classic Anchorman and the almost-as-funny Talladega Nights and Step Brothers. If The Other Guys was in the same league as those films, it would be a surefire success. After seeing the movie, though, I declare The Other Guys to be a funny film, but also a very uneven one. Maybe its merits will be more evident as time goes by (afterall, it took me a while and multiple viewings to 100% come around to Anchorman), but my first impression after seeing the movie is that The Other Guys has its moments, but overall feels too slapped-together to really be called a home-run. This one just doesn't have the same mojo going for it as previous Will Ferrell and Adam McKay collaborations, although it definitely has enough inspired bits to be worth a watch.


The Other Guys tries to insert McKay and Ferrell's trademark over-the-top humor into the classic buddy-cop movie formula. Will Ferrell plays Allan Gamble, a mild-mannered NYPD policeman who spends all of his time at the safety of his desk rather than on the mean streets. Mark Wahlberg is his partner, Terry Hoitz, a hot-tempered guy who was a rising star on the force until he accidentally shot Yankees star Derek Jeter, and got thrown into a semi-permanent doghouse. Gamble, Heitz, and just about every other cop in the city are forever in the shadow of New York's resident supercops - played by two larger-than-life badasses in "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson. However, when these two superstars get sidelined due to a chase gone awry, there's a sudden opportunity for some new blood to step up and prove their mettle. Hoitz sees this as his big shot to get back to the bigtime. Gamble, content to stay out of trouble, has no desire to go off with his partner and get mixed up in anything dangerous. But soon enough, Hoitz and Gamble stumble into something big - a major case of corporate scandal-in-the-making - and find themselves pursued by trained killers, kidnapped by corrupt businessmen, and on thin ice with their harried captain (played by Michael Keaton, looking like Timothy Stack, who gets in some hilarious bits).


It's a fun setup, and I like that the movie mixes some genuine cop movie action and intrigue with the comedy. I've always liked comedies like Fletch that mixed the funny stuff with a legit-seeming plot and real-feeling danger, so I was intrigued that director McKay seemed to be taking a slightly less absurdist approach than in his previous outings. The beginning of the movie is particularly well-done, as we transition from what is almost a movie-within-a-movie - The Rock and Samuel L. Jackson busting heads in typical action-flick fashion - to the semi-pathetic 'other guys" on the force who live in their shadow. The initial pairing of Ferrell and Wahlberg seems to have a lot of promise, too. Ferrell as the yuppie-ish softie, and Wahlberg as the hothead with a chip on his shoulder. That alone could have made for a fun buddy cop comedy.


But where The Other Guys eventually falters is in the fact that it can't seem to leave well enough alone and keep things simple. The movie introduces all sorts of random, recurring gags that just never seem to go anywhere. Case in point ... we start getting this whole other backstory about how Ferrell's character has a secret past as a tough, take-no-prisoners pimp - a whole other persona that he's kept bottled up inside. It's a funny idea, but I don't know if there's any real payoff to it. There's a whole other running gag revolving around the fact that the nerdy Will Ferrell is married to the smoking Eva Mendez, and yet he keeps insisting that she's not all that attractive or special. The joke goes all over the place from there. At first the gag is that Ferrell doesn't realize how hot and amazing his wife (Eva Mendez - very game and funny) is. Then there's a whole thing about how Ferrell oddly attracts gorgeous women that should be way out of his league. And the joke keeps spiralling, until by the end of the movie we're not really sure what the joke actually is. There are a lot of running jokes in the film in that vein, that just seem to go nowhere. Like, I chuckled the first time Michael Keaton was oblivious to the fact that he'd just made an overt TLC reference. I smiled the second time it happened. By the third time, the joke was run into the ground sans any real punchline - and there are a lot of similarly go-nowhere gags throughout the movie that continually hint at funny plot reveals that never actually come to fruition. Similarly, a lot of plot threads feel pretty haphazardly dealt-with. The romantic subplot involving Wahlberg and his sad-eyed love-interest, for example, basically just feels like a time-filler, and we never really care about it in the least.


There are some really funny, if not random scenes though. Everything with The Rock and Samuel L. in the beginning is fairly golden, and their unexpectedly abrupt exit from the movie is pretty classic. The bits where Farrell morphs into his pimp persona, "Gator," are uniformly hilarious (which is why it's too bad it isn't played up more). Wahlberg in general is really funny - his monotone, pissed-off delivery makes almost all of his lines amusing. More so than any other movie he's been in, this one feels like Wahlberg essentially playing the Andy Samberg caricature of Mark Whalberg from SNL, and it's pretty funny. You expect him to bust out "say hello to your mother for me" at any moment (and he comes close). The movie also has a whole host of reliably funny comics in supporting roles. In addition to Ferrell, Wahlberg, Eva Mendez, and Keaton, there are a lot of familiar faces from films like Anchorman and TV shows like The Office and Parks & Recreation. The movie almost seems to raid the NBC Thursday Night comedy lineup for a lot of its bit players, but that's cool - there's a lot of talented comedians in the film who make the most of their relatively short screentime (including a certain Ms. S. Chase of West Hartford, CT, who gets in a great scene with Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson!). The only guy who feels a bit wasted is Steve Coogan as the movie's big bad, shady mogul David Ershon. Coogan is saddled with a ton of plot exposition that just seems extraneous in a movie like this. Honestly, by the end of the movie I barely had a clue what Ershon's scheme was or how exactly Farrell and Wahlberg put a stop to it. Coogan is a hilarious guy, so I thought it was too bad he didn't have many truly memorable comedic moments (although, a gag where he keeps buying off Farell and Wahlberg by giving them choice tickets to Broadway shows and Knicks games is pretty inspired). All in all, I'll give credit where it's due - the movie really benefits from a great, very comedically capable cast, who oftentimes help elevate the material with their timing and talent.


The Other Guys is one of those movies that sometimes feels more like a collection of funny little jokes and bits of dialogue than a real, cohesive comedy. Whereas Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers felt like complete, fully-realized comedic visions, this one is much more scattershot - torn between funny, absurdist bits of humor, and the need for the more conventional plotlines and character development that are typical of a buddy-cop movie. Anchorman worked so well precisely because it had a very particular, over-the-top comedic voice.The Other Guys doesn't have that same consistency in tone or humor. But, like I said, it has its moments.


My Grade: B




Monday, August 09, 2010

Bracing For Impact: Random Rants, TV Thoughts, Movie Ramblings, MORE!

Well, it's been a while since I just wrote a blog post without any particular motive or agenda. No big movies or concerts to review, nothing too earth-shattering to talk about. And yet, it's been a really busy couple of weeks, and the past few days have been no exception. Some random things that have been going on:

- Last Tuesday, I attended a taping of THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO as part of a digital partner day at work. It was my first time at the show in a while, but even though the studio was different (in fact, Jay's new studio is the one where Elllen used to tape when I was a Page), everything felt pretty familiar (including the jokes). Still, despite some rather warmed-over humor, it was a really fun show. BETTY WHITE was the main guest, and she was in fine form, with a lot of great quips, witty as always. Sam Trammel from True Blood was also on, which led to some hilarious interplay between he and Betty White. When a clip was shown of Sam (as Sam Merlotte) on True Blood shape-shifting from a dog into a (naked) man, Betty White, without missing a beat, exclaimed "boy would I like a dog that could do that!" Classic. Finally, the musical guests for the show were THE BLACK CROWES, who were pretty rockin' with their very classic-rock-ish new tune. Good stuff. And yes, fellow former NBC Pages, Jay STILL did the Ashley Simpson lip-synching joke before the show, which was lame and outdated circa 2005.

- My friend Mimi from BU was / is in town via New Jersey and Japan! I hung out with Mimi last week after not having seen her since college, so it was great catching up.

- On Friday, I saw a bunch of my friends from Birthright Israel in Redondo Beach, where Sabrina A. hosted a most-excellent Shabbat dinner party.

- My brother moved this weekend to a new apartment nearby to his old one in Burbank. Still, a big move!

- Tomorrow is primary day in many states, including CT. My dad is running for reelection for his seat as a State Rep., so it will be a big day! Make sure you go out and vote!

- This coming weekend is going to be epic! My plans so far include: seeing a SCOTT PILGRIM screening on Thurday, hitting up THE EXPENDABLES on Friday, going to the OC FAIR and seeing WEIRD AL in concert on Saturday, and then gettin' ready to rumble at SUMMERSLAM at the Staples Center on Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Indeed, it shall be one for the books.


TV STUFF:

- It's been a while since I talked TV, but this has actually been a pretty good summer for quality comedy, so I'd be remiss if I stayed silent. As I always say, I try not to watch a lot of first-run TV during the summer. Instead, it's a time to catch up on old TV-on-DVD, movies, games, comics, etc. Plus, the last several weeks I've been so busy in general that I haven't had much time for anything. That said, there are two summer TV series I've been faithfully DVR'ing and watching, those being FUTURAMA and LOUIE.

- FUTURAMA reached its high point since returning from cancellation two weeks ago, when it aired the first truly classic episode of its latest run: "The Late Philip J. Fry". This time-spanning epic was a throwback to the best episodes from throughout the series' run -- combining a great sci-fi concept with some real heart and emotion, and, of course, a ton of awesome jokes and gags. This was a flat-out 'A' episode, right up there with the series' best. It made this past Thursday's ep, "That Darn Katz!" slightly disappointing in comparison. The plot, about a race of alien cats involved in a plot to halt the earth's rotation, was amusing if not overly awesome. A decent ep, but not up to last week's standards. Still, it's still amazing and kickass to have Futurama back on TV with new episodes. While the episode quality has been up and down, we've seen that the show is still able to churn out a classic. And, honestly, the overall quality has been very good to excellent. I have a feeling that come the end of the year, Futurama will once again have a place on my list of the year's best TV.

- Meanwhile, LOUIE on FX has been really exciting to watch develop. It's one of those shows that just feels so fresh and unique that, even when it's not 100% clicking with its humor, it's still a real pleasure to watch. At first, I wasn't sure if it made sense to so heavily feature Louie CK's standup, but it's been the standup segments that have been some of the show's biggest standouts. I also enjoy the show's mix of random humor with some pretty pointed social and political commentary. I don't think the show is really political, per se, but at the same time, there's a sense of authenticity to it that is pretty raw. You really feel like you are seeing Louie CK fully exposed for all to see. And that honesty often leads to absolutely hilarious, if not awkward and fairly dark humor. This past week's episode, in which Louie gets paid a visit from his horrible mother, was a good example. It's funny, because on paper Louie deals in a lot of standard sitcom tropes, but the execution, often feeling more like a series of short films than a normal TV comedy, is what makes this more than just standard, watered-down comedy fare. This is Louie CK putting himself and his comedy, unfiltered, up on screen, and it's a total contrast to most other comedies on the air. This is one of the best new comedies we've seen on TV in a long time.

- So what else have I been watching? Well, after finishing season 2 of TRUE BLOOD on Blu-Ray, I've been digging into Season 7 of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. So far, it's sidesplittingly hilarious. Amazing. Larry David is a genius. I've also been trying to finish up THE MIGHTY BOOSH, which I kind of stalled on for a while but am now back into again. I still have DVD's lying around of Twin Peaks, Rome, and Planet Earth that need to be watched. And, one perk of working in Digital Distribution? Early access to Hulu Plus on my PS3. On that service, there are complete runs of such series as Buffy, Firefly, and Spaced. Yeah ... so much to do, so little time.


- As far as movies go, the last week or two has seen an influx of smaller indie movies hit that I'm somewhat curious about. Interested in checking out Middle Men, Get Low, Lebanon, and a couple of other smaller movies that have just been released. And, I still need to see The Other Guys, which I'm very excited to see, especially seeing as how it's from the team that brought us Anchorman and Talladega Nights. Now, this coming weekend is going to be very interesting at the box office ...

A few months ago, everyone seemed to think that The Expendables was going to bomb. Here's a random theory on this ... I think that a lot of older critics and writers and media watchers fall victim to "old people time." When you live on old people time, all of pop-culture that happened after a certain point tends to blur together. It's like talking to an eighty-year-old man about rock n' roll. Unless that man was uniquely attuned to pop-culture in his later years, anything after The Beatles is probably the same to him. He wouldn't know the progression of rock from the sixties on. He wouldn't know hair metal from grunge from new wave. If you showed that eighty year old man an old Poison music video, he'd probably say something about that "newfangled rock n' roll music," not realizing that he was watching something already twenty-five years old.

I guess that relates back to something like The Expendables in that the pundits who take the long view, but aren't fans themselves ... well, they aren't attuned to the subtle shifts in fandom. They react to the zeitgeist rather than be a part of it. If you live by old person time, then you probably aren't all that interested in a new Stallone action movie. Afterall, to you, he never left - he's just doing the same thing he's been doing all this time. But if you are a movie fan, an action movie fan, then the recent Stallone renaissance has been a welcome respite from the endless parade of lame-ass wannabe action vehicles that emphasize slick CGI and pretty-boy leading men over the gritty, take-no-prisoners style of action that Stallone and Schwarzenneger made cool back in the day. For every action movie starring a Paul Walker or yeah, a Matt Damon, I think the appetite for old-school, larger than life action heroes has only grown exponentially. But us 80's kids that grew up with Stallone and Arnold alongside He-Man and Sgt. Slaughter have demanded a return to hardcore, balls-to-the-wall action, and Stallone has listened. In return, we want to make his movie a hit. Without being too overanalytical, I think it's sometimes hard for media watchers to see the makings of a true trend. Rocky and Rambo were the warm-ups, the momentum-builders. Now here's when Stallone steamrolls the box office.

By the same token, you have to wonder about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. At Comic-Con, the cool kids were all about Scott Pilgrim. And with good reason - the movie is a love letter to Gen Y, an ode to growing up in the Nintendo generation. But how much monetary power does our generation actually wield? Can a movie aimed at Gen Y geeks succeed? I think Scott Pilgrim's appeal may surprise people. Teens will see it. Guys and girls will see it. Older folks? Probably not. Most likely not. But hey, haven't we had enough movies that celebrate Woodstock or The Beatles or whatever? Isn't it time for a movie that's wrapped in the aesthetic of Super Mario Bros. and Street Fighter? I say yes! To that end, support Scott Pilgrim this weekend. See it and see The Expendables. Look, let's be honest here. The Expendables is probably going to be fun as hell, but Scott Pilgrim is likely going to be the better movie. This IS Edgar Wright we're talking about - Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, anyone? To quote the review of the movie up now on film fansite Chud: "This is a great movie from a great filmmaker. And people turn into coins when defeated. If that's not a winning combination I don't know what is." Here's the good thing though - two very cool movies are out this weekend. My point being: if Eat, Pray, Love is #1 at the box office, it will be an epic fail of epic proportions.

Okay, guess this eventually turned into a movie post afterall. So, before things get out of hand ... I'm outta here. Until next time ...