Holiday Movie season is upon us and I can't say that I am overly thrilled about any upcoming releases. I did find 11 films that peaked my interest slightly and of course, a few films that I will be avoiding at all costs...
See:
1. Black Swan 12/3- I am not familiar with this story, but I saw the trailer the other day and all I can say to describe it is: WOW. It looks amazing. Darren Aronofsky really outdid himself this time. And Natalie Portman looks sensational. There is a lot of buzz about an award worthy performance and from the trailer alone I can see why. I know Natalie gets a lot of credit for being some outstanding performer - but I have yet to see her prove it (I have enjoyed several of her films - V For Vendetta, Closer & Garden State come to mind, but I can't say her performances were very memorable. I hate to admit it - but her most memorable performance to date is her digital short on SNL in which she raps - hysterical). I love, love, love Mila Kunis - she shows some serious acting chops in the trailer as well. Anyway, the film is about the life of a ballet dancer. The dancer lets ballet consume her entire life (like most people who are passionate about art). Not only is the film about this consumption, but also about letting your own internal demons get the best of you. The film looks raw, emotional and heartbreaking - not to mention creepy.
2. All Good Things 12/3 - I am a huge Ryan Gosling fan ever since his break-out performance in The Believer (an Oscar worthy performance). He can pretty much do no wrong in my book. The film is a thriller based on the true story of a man suspected of killing his wife (played by Kirsten Dunst - who inevitably will be the worst part of the film) and possibly others. Ryan can play a creep pretty well - so I am sure he will ace the part of suspected serial killer. The trailer boasts that the film is about money, power, secrets & lies (all the good stuff) - and it looks pretty intense. I am not sure how they could possibly create a film about an unsolved crime (do they presume that he did do it?).
3. I Love You Phillip Morris 12/3 - How many times has this film been slated to be released? I feel like I heard about this film at least 2 years ago but was constantly delayed or shelved for whatever reason (i.e too controversial). It is about 2 men who fall in love while they are in prison (the 2 men are Jim Carrey & Ewan McGregor). The trailer looks interesting - but I wouldn't say it looks that funny. It is supposed to be a comedy, right? I'm not really sure. It does look like it is taking the whole gay story seriously (it doesn't seem to be mocking them - at least in the trailer) - which if it is true, will be completely groundbreaking. Think about it: A main stream romantic comedy about 2 gay men starring well known actors. It could be one for the history books (film history that is..).
4. The Tempest 12/10 - I am a Shakespeare junkie. The Tempest is one of least favorite of his plays - but that won't stop me from seeing it. I am intrigued that the film is about Prospera (not Prospero) - changing the gender of the main character is a genius move, plus it is not often we see Shakespeare from a woman's perspective (Julie Taymore adapts and directs it).
5. Frankie & Alice 12/10 - Yes, on the surface it looks like another cliched stripper movie - and it could very well turn out that way. However, Halle Berry is getting rave reviews as a stripper with Multiple Personality Disorder. And we all know how much the Academy loves emotionally damaged strippers, prostitutes and drug addicts - so she will likely be nominated. I of course will be intrigued to see why.
6. Rabbit Hole 12/17 - I almost cried watching the trailer - I had no idea what the film was about before watching it so I felt a little blindsided. Losing a child must be the worst pain one can endure. I honestly can't think of anything worse. The film looks at this pain realistically - a couple trying to move past the pain and continue to live. Although it looks sad, it also looks like it has some lighter moments and hopeful ones. I also love Aaron Eckhart - but I am so used to him being a complete sarcastic a**hole - this role will be a nice change of pace for him.
7. Little Fockers 12/22 - I enjoyed Meet the Parents (not as much as other people did - but it was definitely amusing). However, the whole film was successful due to the fact that it showed Robert Deniro as a comedian - funnier than Ben Stiller (an actual comedian). Once the novelty of that wore off - it became less and less funny. Then came Meet the Fockers which was painful to watch. So, I clearly have no logical reason to look forward to this film - yet I do.
8. Biutiful 12/29 - My favorite director - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. I am in love with every one of his films, however all of his films were written by Guillermo Arriaga except this one. So, I am interested to see if he is as incredible without his writing partner (seriously guys...what happened!?). Arriaga's first solo project (The Burning Plain) was a complete disappointment - so I hope Inarritu doesn't fall to the same fate. Biutiful stars Javiar Bardem (good start) as a father of two kids who finds out he has terminal Cancer. It is obviously going to make me cry (as does all of his films). This is probably the film that I am most excited for and will likely not be released in my area...how frustrating!
9. Blue Valentine 12/31 - Another Ryan Gosling film - this one slightly more well known due to its NC-17 rating that it received recently (basically a death sentence for a film). The film is a love story - but it is also supposed to be a gritty, realistic look at marriage between a young couple. Both Ryan and Michelle Williams are being hailed for their performances which is said to be partly improv, which makes things interesting.
10. The Green Hornet 1/14 - O.k - the guy who created such original masterpieces as The Science of Sleep, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind Rewind made a superhero film? I am there. Seriously, Michele Gondry is a creative genius - so his take on the superhero genre is sure to be fantastic. Plus Seth Rogan as a The Green Hornet? How amazing is that going to be?
11. Kaboom 1/28 - If you don't know who Gregg Araki is then please go rent the heartbreaking film Mysterious Skin. I have no idea what Kaboom is about or who is in it - but I have to support this filmmaker for the rest of my life for creating a film that has effected my life the way Mysterious Skin did.
Avoid:
1. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows Pt 1 - So you all know who much I hate Harry Potter right? Serious loathing from my direction. I recently tried to give it another chance - I watched the first 3 films and I still stand by my opinion. The films are dreadful - Daniel Radcliffe is one of the worst young actors ever and the rest of the bunch are disappointing as well. The plot is not suspenseful in the least and the special effects are mind-blowingly awful. I will not torture myself by watching the rest of these films.
2. Burlesque - Christina Aguilera is not an actress. I can tell already by the trailer - she is not a triple threat. I am not sure why people assume because one can sing and dance - they can act as well. This film looks ridiculous and has Showgirls written all over it.
3. The Fighter - I feel like Mark Wahlberg already did this film - called Invincible. Sure it was about Football, but still it was about overcoming the odds in sports. If you just mix Invincible with any of the Rocky films - you have this film. There is literally no point in waisting time watching it - we all already know how it ends...right?
4. The Tourist - Two of the biggest stars in the world in the same film seems like it would be an automatic win. Right? Has everyone seen the trailer? Something went wrong...very, very wrong. The film looks like a complete mess and Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp somehow lack any chemistry. This film is sure to go down as one of the biggest bombs of the year.
5. Country Strong - Love Gwyneth (and can't wait for her appearance on Glee tomorrow). Hate country.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
3 Reasons "Red" Should Have Been a Better Film
I saw "Red" this week with high hopes for a great action comedy, instead it was cheesy and boring with little action or comedy. Here is why it should have been a better film.
1. The cast - I am not usually a big Bruce Willis fan, but I do enjoy him as an action star. I appreciated that he was still cast as an action star (albeit an aging one). The real attraction of the film for me was the 2 female stars - Helen Mirren & Mary Louise Parker. Helen Mirren as a gun toting assassin? Count me in! Come on...that is pure genius casting. I just wish she did a little bit more then carry a big gun. MLP didn't really get much to do except scream a lot and nag a lot (2 female traits that I loathe in films). One can never really go wrong with Morgan Freeman - but again, he wasn't given much to do but remind us of how old he is. It was disappointing that a cast like this wasn't utilized to their full potential. The only 2 people who made the film worth watching were John Malkovich (basically stole the spotlight through out the whole film) and Karl Urban (who is hardly a newcomer in the film industry - but I have honestly never noticed him until now) - he did a great job as the "bad guy/good guy".
2. The potential - The plot is actually sort of original (!!) - it's an action film with old people! Plus, it actually asks the question of what happens to all of these CIA heroes once they retire. How do they go on living a "normal" life after experiencing such an action packed life style. How did this film not kick ass? I guess my biggest complaint would be the writing (besides the creative plot, the dialogue was far from witty) and the directing (the action was almost non-existent, aside from one great fight scene - the rest of the action was just blowing up people).
3. The love story - Why on earth do we need a love story in the midst of an action film? I guess we needed a reason for Bruce's character to save MLP's character, but I think in general her character sucked. It would have been much better if she played a retired agent as well (not because she is old, but maybe she has some sort of injury or paperwork mishap that forces her into retirement? Maybe I should just re-write the film...). The other love story was between Mirren and Brian Cox which was to be a surprise but was extremely predicable and unnecessary.
1. The cast - I am not usually a big Bruce Willis fan, but I do enjoy him as an action star. I appreciated that he was still cast as an action star (albeit an aging one). The real attraction of the film for me was the 2 female stars - Helen Mirren & Mary Louise Parker. Helen Mirren as a gun toting assassin? Count me in! Come on...that is pure genius casting. I just wish she did a little bit more then carry a big gun. MLP didn't really get much to do except scream a lot and nag a lot (2 female traits that I loathe in films). One can never really go wrong with Morgan Freeman - but again, he wasn't given much to do but remind us of how old he is. It was disappointing that a cast like this wasn't utilized to their full potential. The only 2 people who made the film worth watching were John Malkovich (basically stole the spotlight through out the whole film) and Karl Urban (who is hardly a newcomer in the film industry - but I have honestly never noticed him until now) - he did a great job as the "bad guy/good guy".
2. The potential - The plot is actually sort of original (!!) - it's an action film with old people! Plus, it actually asks the question of what happens to all of these CIA heroes once they retire. How do they go on living a "normal" life after experiencing such an action packed life style. How did this film not kick ass? I guess my biggest complaint would be the writing (besides the creative plot, the dialogue was far from witty) and the directing (the action was almost non-existent, aside from one great fight scene - the rest of the action was just blowing up people).
3. The love story - Why on earth do we need a love story in the midst of an action film? I guess we needed a reason for Bruce's character to save MLP's character, but I think in general her character sucked. It would have been much better if she played a retired agent as well (not because she is old, but maybe she has some sort of injury or paperwork mishap that forces her into retirement? Maybe I should just re-write the film...). The other love story was between Mirren and Brian Cox which was to be a surprise but was extremely predicable and unnecessary.
4 Awful Films; 3 Mediocre Ones
Saying that I am disappointed in the films released this year would be an understatement. Last year at this time I already had 9 films on my "Best of List", this year I am struggling to find at least 5 - and the Holiday films don't look very exciting either. Recently I caught up on some films recently released to DVD and I would describe 4 of them as awful, while the other 3 are mediocre at best. Here are my thoughts:
Awful:
1. Splice - **Spoiler Alert** The first thing that I wrote down in my notes as I was watching this film was "she is the mother"(referring to Sarah Polley's character). Guess what! Big shocker! She is the mother! So, my point is that the film is incredibly predictable and unoriginal. The creature is kind of a cool looking “hybrid”- but that is the only cool thing about the film. The plot is that they splice human genetics with animals (apparently several different animals - that is never really explained). Of course, things don't go as planned because as we have learned from every film - you can't mess with human nature. Science and technology = bad things happen. Wouldn't it be groundbreaking to have a film showing Science and technology saving humanity instead of ruining it? I have mostly Darwinist ideals about nature (you know evolution...survival of the fittest..), but I think science & technology are naturally a part of our evolution. They are only going to make us stronger. Anyway....how disturbing is it when he has sex with the creature?! Ew. As Sarah's character says "There are some things you DO NOT DO!". He not only had sex with an animal, it was also young (not sure of the age exactly but it was definitely an "innocent" creature) so he basically committed statutory rape and bestiality at the same time. What a way to give me nightmares. Just when I thought it couldn't get more disturbing - the creature turns into a male (and into a bird? Wouldn't they have noticed that with all of their testing? Are they the dumbest Scientists ever?) and RAPES her. Seriously, I am not making it up. At this point, I write in my notes "pregnant." Guess what? Big shocker! She gets pregnant! I am sure an equally awful sequel is already in the works. Adrien Brody & Sarah Polley are better than this film – being in such a poorly written film makes them actually bad actors. Bad career move.
2. Chloe - Predictable garbage – I cant believe these actors would stoop so low. How did they get Liam Neeson to agree to this film? Really, I want to know. I am indifferent about Amanda Seyfried. I think she is a decent actress (she holds her own against an extremely talented cast in Big Love and has comedic timing in Mean Girls & Jennifer's Body), but I hardly find her beautiful - besides the huge eyes - I would describe her as plain. The nudity was awkwardly placed and the lesbian storyline was ridiculous – it is a shame that Chloe is portrayed as a crazy, stalker with obvious sexual problems rather than a normal young girl who is questioning her sexuality. Also, I would have appreciated a little more background information on Chloe (she is a prostitute – although we get no background info as to why she is doing this as a profession – the only info we get is that she severely dislikes men and cries while she is in the middle of her "dates" so she obvi isn’t happy in her profession). The plot is that a woman suspects that her husband is cheating on her - so naturally she hires a prostitute to seduce him (which is the most passive aggressive way to confront your suspicions that I can think of). **Spoiler Alert** Is the audience really supposed to believe that Chloe is telling the truth? We never see Chloe and her husband together - we only see her lies about their sexual encounters. How disturbing is it when Chloe had sex with her son? It was an obvious plot point, but it still shocked me that they would actually go that low. Side note - the son was a super cutie (Max Thieriot).
3. MacGruber - There is absolutely no point to see this film other than getting to see Ryan Phillippe looking hot (especially in that white Henley - I adore guys in white). I am concerned that he would debase himself by agreeing to be humiliated in this film. Not funny in the slightest – I didn’t think it would be considering the SNL skits are rarely funny. I watched it with severely low expectations and was still shocked at how bad it was. There were a lot of low points in the film (that weren't funny at all) that I thought o.k it can not possibly get any worse - and then it continually shocks me by getting worse. Surprisingly, there was a plot - it just kept getting lost by unfunny (and often repetitive) jokes. I was embarrassed for all involved.
4. When in Rome - Preposterous. Absolutely ridiculous. The cast was awful. Dax Shepard was skeevy (and not hot), Josh Duhamel can’t act (o.k - slightly hot) and Jon Heder was just plain stupid (and ew.). They all played overly cliched romantic suitors in the most over-acted way possible. I’ve really tried to like Kristen Bell (I even tried to watch Veronica Mars once – but couldn’t get through 1 episode, I am planning to give it another try soon). She was pretty funny in Party Down but it was a pretty small dose of her (and the writing on that series is freakin' fantastic - it would make any actor look good). I just don’t think she can carry a film – especially a stupid, romantic comedy. The film wasn’t funny, charming, romantic or even the least bit interesting.
Mediocre:
1. Iron Man 2 - I watched this about a month ago - and you know what is really sad? I can't remember a thing about it (I honestly can't say that I remember the 1st one too well either - what does this say about the Iron Man as a franchise?). I do remember that I was entertained for most of it - then it starts to drag at the end. It didn't move as fast as it should have. I love the chemistry between Gwyneth Paltrow and RDJ (I can't say the same about the chemistry between RDJ and Scarjo - but really does she have chemistry with anyone but herself?). The machines were awesome, but the fight at the end was tiresome. Sam Rockwell (AKA Owen Wilson's voice double) was a perfect as a slimy, bad guy.
2. Winter's Bone - This film hits a little too close to home for me (growing up very poor with a drug dealing father). We always had lots of dogs around that we couldn’t afford to feed. We did not however, kill and eat our own squirrels (and that was something I didn’t need to see. Thank you very much.). So that being said- I tend to hate these kind of films (white trash dramas) only because they remind me of things that I don’t want to be reminded of. Luckily, I didn’t have younger siblings to take care of - which is the only interesting part of this film for me. Jennifer Lawrence does do a decent job, there is a subtlety in her portrayal of anger and disappointment that is beautiful– I don’t see it as an Academy award worthy performance, but since she sadly has no real competition she will likely get a nomination - maybe even a win. I mostly see it as great writing – the way she is motherly towards her siblings yet cold at the same time. I just think the film's plot was a little tedious and predictable. It wasn't a bad film by any means, but I think the mostly positive reviews caused me to have higher expectations.
3. Get Him to the Greek - It was much funnier than I expected. The casting of this film is what made it watchable. Although, I think Russel Brand is slightly annoying (and looking at him makes me want to shower…he is just so …skeevy. ) - the rest of the cast was hilarious. Puff Daddy (he will always be Puff Daddy to me - get over it.) absolutely killed it - in a good way. He delivered my favorite line from the film ("Do you know how many Air Jordans 6 Black kids wear?") Hilarious. Jonah Hill and Peggy Olsen from Mad Men actually make a cute couple. I credit the casting director for not giving him the Seth Rogen treatment (i.e having a girlfriend that is too hot for him). I love Carla Gallo – from Undeclared (and as a running joke among the Apatow crew to cast her as “the girl” – I.e “Period Blood Girl” in Superbad, “Toe Sucking Girl” in 40 Year old Virgin. She actually has a name in this film which is definitely disappointing…did “microphone vagina girl” get rejected?) Rose Byrne was unexpected casting as Jackie Q - a ridiculous pop star. She was awesome - I guess I never thought of her as a comedic actress. I love the beginning of the film – the making of his video "African Baby". The lyrics are pure genius. As the film progresses it just goes from hilarious to strange and ridiculous. I think it all started when he had to smuggle heroin on to the plane. The plot just goes downhill from there and never recovers from it. What a shame....
Awful:
1. Splice - **Spoiler Alert** The first thing that I wrote down in my notes as I was watching this film was "she is the mother"(referring to Sarah Polley's character). Guess what! Big shocker! She is the mother! So, my point is that the film is incredibly predictable and unoriginal. The creature is kind of a cool looking “hybrid”- but that is the only cool thing about the film. The plot is that they splice human genetics with animals (apparently several different animals - that is never really explained). Of course, things don't go as planned because as we have learned from every film - you can't mess with human nature. Science and technology = bad things happen. Wouldn't it be groundbreaking to have a film showing Science and technology saving humanity instead of ruining it? I have mostly Darwinist ideals about nature (you know evolution...survival of the fittest..), but I think science & technology are naturally a part of our evolution. They are only going to make us stronger. Anyway....how disturbing is it when he has sex with the creature?! Ew. As Sarah's character says "There are some things you DO NOT DO!". He not only had sex with an animal, it was also young (not sure of the age exactly but it was definitely an "innocent" creature) so he basically committed statutory rape and bestiality at the same time. What a way to give me nightmares. Just when I thought it couldn't get more disturbing - the creature turns into a male (and into a bird? Wouldn't they have noticed that with all of their testing? Are they the dumbest Scientists ever?) and RAPES her. Seriously, I am not making it up. At this point, I write in my notes "pregnant." Guess what? Big shocker! She gets pregnant! I am sure an equally awful sequel is already in the works. Adrien Brody & Sarah Polley are better than this film – being in such a poorly written film makes them actually bad actors. Bad career move.
2. Chloe - Predictable garbage – I cant believe these actors would stoop so low. How did they get Liam Neeson to agree to this film? Really, I want to know. I am indifferent about Amanda Seyfried. I think she is a decent actress (she holds her own against an extremely talented cast in Big Love and has comedic timing in Mean Girls & Jennifer's Body), but I hardly find her beautiful - besides the huge eyes - I would describe her as plain. The nudity was awkwardly placed and the lesbian storyline was ridiculous – it is a shame that Chloe is portrayed as a crazy, stalker with obvious sexual problems rather than a normal young girl who is questioning her sexuality. Also, I would have appreciated a little more background information on Chloe (she is a prostitute – although we get no background info as to why she is doing this as a profession – the only info we get is that she severely dislikes men and cries while she is in the middle of her "dates" so she obvi isn’t happy in her profession). The plot is that a woman suspects that her husband is cheating on her - so naturally she hires a prostitute to seduce him (which is the most passive aggressive way to confront your suspicions that I can think of). **Spoiler Alert** Is the audience really supposed to believe that Chloe is telling the truth? We never see Chloe and her husband together - we only see her lies about their sexual encounters. How disturbing is it when Chloe had sex with her son? It was an obvious plot point, but it still shocked me that they would actually go that low. Side note - the son was a super cutie (Max Thieriot).
3. MacGruber - There is absolutely no point to see this film other than getting to see Ryan Phillippe looking hot (especially in that white Henley - I adore guys in white). I am concerned that he would debase himself by agreeing to be humiliated in this film. Not funny in the slightest – I didn’t think it would be considering the SNL skits are rarely funny. I watched it with severely low expectations and was still shocked at how bad it was. There were a lot of low points in the film (that weren't funny at all) that I thought o.k it can not possibly get any worse - and then it continually shocks me by getting worse. Surprisingly, there was a plot - it just kept getting lost by unfunny (and often repetitive) jokes. I was embarrassed for all involved.
4. When in Rome - Preposterous. Absolutely ridiculous. The cast was awful. Dax Shepard was skeevy (and not hot), Josh Duhamel can’t act (o.k - slightly hot) and Jon Heder was just plain stupid (and ew.). They all played overly cliched romantic suitors in the most over-acted way possible. I’ve really tried to like Kristen Bell (I even tried to watch Veronica Mars once – but couldn’t get through 1 episode, I am planning to give it another try soon). She was pretty funny in Party Down but it was a pretty small dose of her (and the writing on that series is freakin' fantastic - it would make any actor look good). I just don’t think she can carry a film – especially a stupid, romantic comedy. The film wasn’t funny, charming, romantic or even the least bit interesting.
Mediocre:
1. Iron Man 2 - I watched this about a month ago - and you know what is really sad? I can't remember a thing about it (I honestly can't say that I remember the 1st one too well either - what does this say about the Iron Man as a franchise?). I do remember that I was entertained for most of it - then it starts to drag at the end. It didn't move as fast as it should have. I love the chemistry between Gwyneth Paltrow and RDJ (I can't say the same about the chemistry between RDJ and Scarjo - but really does she have chemistry with anyone but herself?). The machines were awesome, but the fight at the end was tiresome. Sam Rockwell (AKA Owen Wilson's voice double) was a perfect as a slimy, bad guy.
2. Winter's Bone - This film hits a little too close to home for me (growing up very poor with a drug dealing father). We always had lots of dogs around that we couldn’t afford to feed. We did not however, kill and eat our own squirrels (and that was something I didn’t need to see. Thank you very much.). So that being said- I tend to hate these kind of films (white trash dramas) only because they remind me of things that I don’t want to be reminded of. Luckily, I didn’t have younger siblings to take care of - which is the only interesting part of this film for me. Jennifer Lawrence does do a decent job, there is a subtlety in her portrayal of anger and disappointment that is beautiful– I don’t see it as an Academy award worthy performance, but since she sadly has no real competition she will likely get a nomination - maybe even a win. I mostly see it as great writing – the way she is motherly towards her siblings yet cold at the same time. I just think the film's plot was a little tedious and predictable. It wasn't a bad film by any means, but I think the mostly positive reviews caused me to have higher expectations.
3. Get Him to the Greek - It was much funnier than I expected. The casting of this film is what made it watchable. Although, I think Russel Brand is slightly annoying (and looking at him makes me want to shower…he is just so …skeevy. ) - the rest of the cast was hilarious. Puff Daddy (he will always be Puff Daddy to me - get over it.) absolutely killed it - in a good way. He delivered my favorite line from the film ("Do you know how many Air Jordans 6 Black kids wear?") Hilarious. Jonah Hill and Peggy Olsen from Mad Men actually make a cute couple. I credit the casting director for not giving him the Seth Rogen treatment (i.e having a girlfriend that is too hot for him). I love Carla Gallo – from Undeclared (and as a running joke among the Apatow crew to cast her as “the girl” – I.e “Period Blood Girl” in Superbad, “Toe Sucking Girl” in 40 Year old Virgin. She actually has a name in this film which is definitely disappointing…did “microphone vagina girl” get rejected?) Rose Byrne was unexpected casting as Jackie Q - a ridiculous pop star. She was awesome - I guess I never thought of her as a comedic actress. I love the beginning of the film – the making of his video "African Baby". The lyrics are pure genius. As the film progresses it just goes from hilarious to strange and ridiculous. I think it all started when he had to smuggle heroin on to the plane. The plot just goes downhill from there and never recovers from it. What a shame....
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thoughts On The Past 3 Episodes of "Glee"
I love writing about my favorite show - "Glee". Here are my thoughts on the past 3 episodes...
1. Duets -
The obvious homoeroticism. So – Kurt digs the new guy, which worries Finn because Kurt comes on a little strong (like stalker strong). The scene with Sam in the locker room in a towel – presumably nothing underneath - then slowly becoming less naked while Finn tries to talk him out of doing a duet with Kurt was supposed to be ironic right? The absurdity of the situation made me laugh out loud (it’s ok for Finn to watch Sam get dressed because Finn is straight, but for Sam to sing with a gay guy now that would be social suicide). If the intent was in fact irony, it is pure genius. I do appreciate that Finn still stuck up for what he said to Kurt last season (while acknowledging that he used a negative, hurtful word – he still rightfully felt uncomfortable with Kurt’s unwanted advances). I love that Burt Hummel is always the voice of reason and I am glad they circled back to what occurred last season. Now we can move on.
The obvious bi-curiousness. No, I am not referring to the scissoring that was apparently done by Brittany and Santana off-screen. I am talking about the fact that Brittany (poor naive Brittany) actually seems to have feelings for Santana – as can be seen by her choice for a duet song Melissa Etheridge’s "Come to my Window"….hilarious. She genuinely seems jealous that Santana would choose Mercedes to sing a duet with – or maybe I am reading more in to their BFF relationship than is intended. I’m not saying that Brittany is a lesbian but I think that her sexuality is a definitely a grey area – which is another genius move by the Glee creators.
The highlights. Lots of little stuff - Finn's response to Puck being in Juvie ("We need his voice. And his bad boy stage presence"). I love Mike Chang!!! He actually had a scene with lines and everything. And a song! (which ultimately was a mistake – he can not sing…). Santana calling Mercedes “Wheesy”. The gangs love for Breadstix – an Olive Garden type restaurant, which ultimately is pretty sad but a reminder of how they live in “middle America” where the Olive Garden is seen as a fancy restaurant (I apologize if I seem like a snob – but the Olive Garden is fake Italian food with an over-abundance of cheese added to every dish – if this is your idea of Italian food then you need to get outside of the bubble you live in). Santana using the term “vocal masturbation”.
The Lowlights. The songs (all BORING! – For real – "Don’t Go Breaking my Heart"?? The only song that was enjoyable was the Mercedes/Santana duet and that is only because of Santana’s ass shaking…and the way Mike and Sam check her out – but that was quickly ruined by Mr. Shue’s pervy laugh). Finn and Rachel need to be a little less attached at the hip (although I loved their fist bump! Super adorable). Artie & Brittany – I am not a fan of that relationship. I actually don’t like Artie (and I love that I don’t like him – they definitely don’t cater to the fact that he is in a wheelchair therefore we should all feel bad for him) – he is usually an ass (although...boy can move – one of my top 10 favorite Glee performances is "The Safety Dance"). Why should Brittany treat him any different than the other boy toys she’s used just because he is disabled?
2. Rocky Horror Glee Show –
The theme. I am not the biggest Rocky Horror fan – but I was excited to see this episode. I even brushed up on my Rocky knowledge by watching it conveniently on my Netflix instant a few weeks before – just to ensure that I was prepared. While I understand the negative reactions to the episode – I for one highly enjoyed it. I think the series has a nice balance of “small” episodes like Duets and huge theme episodes like this one. If you ignore the fact that it’s sort of a “throw away” episode (i.e it doesn’t push the plot forward at all) and just watch it for what it is – an amazingly entertaining hour of t.v, I guarantee you will end up smiling more than once during the hour. I think the episode’s biggest flaw is that it didn’t make the story accessible to it’s audience – to assume that everyone has seen this film that was released in the 70’s, considering that most of Glee’s audience wasn’t even born then is just plain ignorant. I think it would have served the episode better to give some sort of background to the film – a few sentences explaining the plot- otherwise a great deal of the audience is left just as confused as Finn (not in that cool Inception kind of way…).
The objectification of men. Finally!!! It is actually an interesting and completely realistic topic for Glee to handle. From the beginning of the episode we see Finn getting a tad uncomfortable (i.e jealous- which I totally predicted from the Audition episode) when Sam is picked to play Rocky (which in case you didn’t know – is supposed to be a perfect “creature” hand made by Dr. Frankenfurter). Sam seems perfectly comfortable gloating that it will be “ab-ulous”. Of course, as the episode progresses we see that he isn’t as confident as he pretends and instead he is rather obsessive about his looks – in order to get his “perfect” body he barely eats anything and has a ridiculous exercise regimen that makes me feel sad for him (and anyone that does this to themselves). I am sort of wishing for this to progress into something bigger (like an episode where they confront him about his obvious Body Dismorphic Disorder). Meanwhile Finn isn’t exactly happy with his body but learns the all important message that “being confident is sexy”. The obvious upside to this episode is that we get to see some hot guys with barely any clothing, the downside is that it is sort of ridiculous to have someone as hot as Cory Monteith described as having a “hot mess” under his shirt. And comparing him to the “Pillsbury dough boy” – he clearly has defined abs he is just a larger guy in general (which not to be crude – in theory would describe …other areas…ahem.). I don’t think having two equally hot guys feeling down about their bodies sends the right message to guys – but hey that message is shoved in my face consistently (as proven by Rachel when she says her body isn’t like Santana or Brittany – um because it’s better? I don’t get it – all three of them have pretty much the same body type…skinny) – so, I guess it kind of kicks ass to have this negative message sent to the other gender. On a side-note – what happened to Finn’s “tighty whitey’s”? Total false advertising.
The highlights. The music. I never really got in to the music of the original film before but suddenly found myself switching between “Toucha Toucha Touch Me” and “The Time Warp” for a whole week (seriously annoying). I even bought "The Time Warp" on itunes - which is the first time I have purchased a Glee cast song. I think this episode features Cory’s best singing yet (his dancing…still needs some work but is totally endearing). Plus, I usually am not a Quinn fan (her voice is the weakest of the group) but she did quite a good job and I actually think she would have made a better Janet than Rachel did. Can Uncle Jesse become a series regular? Loove him...and love how Santana is mentally undressing him in every scene. Becky’s Halloween costume was genius as was her actually becoming a mini Sue. She had my favorite quote of the episode - “Give me some chocolate or I will cut you”.
The low lights. Last season I completely rooted for Will and Emma (although I do love his wife…), but Will has been completely annoying and absurd this season – Emma can do better (and yes, Uncle Jesse is soooo much better). And what was with Rachel’s facial expressions – the cross eyed awkwardness? I don’t remember Susan Surandon doing that in Rocky Horror. As much as I enjoy Mercedes and her amazing voice it would have been groundbreaking(for this type of series) to have a guy play Frankenfurter (as intended) – but I can imagine the backlash that would have followed. Puck would have been perfect. I didn’t miss him in the last episode – but I totally felt his absence in this one – especially with all of the shirtless action.
3. Never Been Kissed –
Kurt. Oh Kurt, how do you continuously embody the most heartbreaking, irresistible, sarcastically witty and endearing character on television? You’re facial expressions alone can reduce me to tears within seconds. This episode we get to see Kurt finally succumbing to the bullying he endures on a daily basis. It is obviously a “timely” plot line but it also felt relevant to the story of Glee. From the very first episode we see Kurt getting thrown in a dumpster. It was inevitable that all of the hate would start to get to him. I love that they show the reality of most high school faculty reactions to bullying (which is the clear problem in our society). Described by the new kid, Blaine, as the “Hey, if you’re gay – your life is just going to be miserable – nothing we can do about it attitude”. We, as a society, are sympathetic but do we have zero tolerance? No. Unfortunately we don’t - something we all need to contemplate. I also am delighted that Kurt “refuses to be the victim”. Instead, he chooses to fight back instead of transferring to another school (like Blaine did – he let the bullies win and regrets it). I have to ask – did anyone not see that kiss coming? I think it was pretty predictable that Karovsky is a self-hating, closeted gay. However, I am excited to see how they handle that in future episodes.
Puck & Artie. I am loving their new bromance! Although I find Artie incredibly irritating and Puck was a little over the top with his attitude this episode – I think in the future they will bring out the best in each other. Pucks outburst about how no one cares about him was surprisingly moving and true – did any of his Glee-mates go visit him? (And on another note has Finn fully forgiven him for sleeping with Quinn? They kind of dropped that whole story all together. I would appreciate some closure). The only problem I had with this plot was the idea that treating a girl badly will make her like you. That isn’t exactly a great message to send to high school boys.
The highlights. I like that this episode was very plot heavy (something that has been missing this season), yet I only have 2 highlights…Finn (although severely underused and getting way too skinny!!) still made me smile the most with his conversation with Sam in the beginning. How did we find the only 2 girls in high school that won’t put out? And I love that they brought back him thinking about almost killing the mail man – I die every time. (p.s – who had tubs in high school? I honestly have never heard of such a thing). The second is Sue’s confetti canyons and her describing Sam as a “Macaulay Culkin stunt double.”
The lowlights. Oh there are sooo many (overall, this is one of my least favorite episodes). First of all – the disappearance of Rachel (both in weight and plot). Dear Lea Michele – you are absolutely beautiful. Don’t succumb to the pressures of Hollywood! Please stop losing weight – you’re face is sinking it and it is aging you. Anyway, where is Rachel? She hasn’t had a major plot line this whole season. Her character is fantastic and hilarious…I miss her! Also, I think there is a huge missed opportunity with her dads and Kurt. Kurt is not the only gay in the village (Little Britain reference. Anyone?) – I know Rachels dads are obvi older, but likely wiser. I am sure they would have good advice for our dear Kurt. Second, the music was booooring. I enjoyed Puck and Artie singing One Love. And how Puck bullied people in to giving them money, but it is not a performance that I will remember. The girl mash-up was awkward and they were not very good at pulling off being bad ass rocker chicks. The boys mash-up was better…but nothing spectacular (I loved last years boys vs. girls mash-ups…). I didn’t mind the all boys school's rendition of Teenage Dream - I really liked that they did an A Capella version, however the song is dreadful. The biggest disappointment of all was the whole Coach Beiste story line. Dumbest plot ever…and why would Will tell her what was going on after he specifically said “Coach Beiste can never know about this”? Just plain ridiculous.
1. Duets -
The obvious homoeroticism. So – Kurt digs the new guy, which worries Finn because Kurt comes on a little strong (like stalker strong). The scene with Sam in the locker room in a towel – presumably nothing underneath - then slowly becoming less naked while Finn tries to talk him out of doing a duet with Kurt was supposed to be ironic right? The absurdity of the situation made me laugh out loud (it’s ok for Finn to watch Sam get dressed because Finn is straight, but for Sam to sing with a gay guy now that would be social suicide). If the intent was in fact irony, it is pure genius. I do appreciate that Finn still stuck up for what he said to Kurt last season (while acknowledging that he used a negative, hurtful word – he still rightfully felt uncomfortable with Kurt’s unwanted advances). I love that Burt Hummel is always the voice of reason and I am glad they circled back to what occurred last season. Now we can move on.
The obvious bi-curiousness. No, I am not referring to the scissoring that was apparently done by Brittany and Santana off-screen. I am talking about the fact that Brittany (poor naive Brittany) actually seems to have feelings for Santana – as can be seen by her choice for a duet song Melissa Etheridge’s "Come to my Window"….hilarious. She genuinely seems jealous that Santana would choose Mercedes to sing a duet with – or maybe I am reading more in to their BFF relationship than is intended. I’m not saying that Brittany is a lesbian but I think that her sexuality is a definitely a grey area – which is another genius move by the Glee creators.
The highlights. Lots of little stuff - Finn's response to Puck being in Juvie ("We need his voice. And his bad boy stage presence"). I love Mike Chang!!! He actually had a scene with lines and everything. And a song! (which ultimately was a mistake – he can not sing…). Santana calling Mercedes “Wheesy”. The gangs love for Breadstix – an Olive Garden type restaurant, which ultimately is pretty sad but a reminder of how they live in “middle America” where the Olive Garden is seen as a fancy restaurant (I apologize if I seem like a snob – but the Olive Garden is fake Italian food with an over-abundance of cheese added to every dish – if this is your idea of Italian food then you need to get outside of the bubble you live in). Santana using the term “vocal masturbation”.
The Lowlights. The songs (all BORING! – For real – "Don’t Go Breaking my Heart"?? The only song that was enjoyable was the Mercedes/Santana duet and that is only because of Santana’s ass shaking…and the way Mike and Sam check her out – but that was quickly ruined by Mr. Shue’s pervy laugh). Finn and Rachel need to be a little less attached at the hip (although I loved their fist bump! Super adorable). Artie & Brittany – I am not a fan of that relationship. I actually don’t like Artie (and I love that I don’t like him – they definitely don’t cater to the fact that he is in a wheelchair therefore we should all feel bad for him) – he is usually an ass (although...boy can move – one of my top 10 favorite Glee performances is "The Safety Dance"). Why should Brittany treat him any different than the other boy toys she’s used just because he is disabled?
2. Rocky Horror Glee Show –
The theme. I am not the biggest Rocky Horror fan – but I was excited to see this episode. I even brushed up on my Rocky knowledge by watching it conveniently on my Netflix instant a few weeks before – just to ensure that I was prepared. While I understand the negative reactions to the episode – I for one highly enjoyed it. I think the series has a nice balance of “small” episodes like Duets and huge theme episodes like this one. If you ignore the fact that it’s sort of a “throw away” episode (i.e it doesn’t push the plot forward at all) and just watch it for what it is – an amazingly entertaining hour of t.v, I guarantee you will end up smiling more than once during the hour. I think the episode’s biggest flaw is that it didn’t make the story accessible to it’s audience – to assume that everyone has seen this film that was released in the 70’s, considering that most of Glee’s audience wasn’t even born then is just plain ignorant. I think it would have served the episode better to give some sort of background to the film – a few sentences explaining the plot- otherwise a great deal of the audience is left just as confused as Finn (not in that cool Inception kind of way…).
The objectification of men. Finally!!! It is actually an interesting and completely realistic topic for Glee to handle. From the beginning of the episode we see Finn getting a tad uncomfortable (i.e jealous- which I totally predicted from the Audition episode) when Sam is picked to play Rocky (which in case you didn’t know – is supposed to be a perfect “creature” hand made by Dr. Frankenfurter). Sam seems perfectly comfortable gloating that it will be “ab-ulous”. Of course, as the episode progresses we see that he isn’t as confident as he pretends and instead he is rather obsessive about his looks – in order to get his “perfect” body he barely eats anything and has a ridiculous exercise regimen that makes me feel sad for him (and anyone that does this to themselves). I am sort of wishing for this to progress into something bigger (like an episode where they confront him about his obvious Body Dismorphic Disorder). Meanwhile Finn isn’t exactly happy with his body but learns the all important message that “being confident is sexy”. The obvious upside to this episode is that we get to see some hot guys with barely any clothing, the downside is that it is sort of ridiculous to have someone as hot as Cory Monteith described as having a “hot mess” under his shirt. And comparing him to the “Pillsbury dough boy” – he clearly has defined abs he is just a larger guy in general (which not to be crude – in theory would describe …other areas…ahem.). I don’t think having two equally hot guys feeling down about their bodies sends the right message to guys – but hey that message is shoved in my face consistently (as proven by Rachel when she says her body isn’t like Santana or Brittany – um because it’s better? I don’t get it – all three of them have pretty much the same body type…skinny) – so, I guess it kind of kicks ass to have this negative message sent to the other gender. On a side-note – what happened to Finn’s “tighty whitey’s”? Total false advertising.
The highlights. The music. I never really got in to the music of the original film before but suddenly found myself switching between “Toucha Toucha Touch Me” and “The Time Warp” for a whole week (seriously annoying). I even bought "The Time Warp" on itunes - which is the first time I have purchased a Glee cast song. I think this episode features Cory’s best singing yet (his dancing…still needs some work but is totally endearing). Plus, I usually am not a Quinn fan (her voice is the weakest of the group) but she did quite a good job and I actually think she would have made a better Janet than Rachel did. Can Uncle Jesse become a series regular? Loove him...and love how Santana is mentally undressing him in every scene. Becky’s Halloween costume was genius as was her actually becoming a mini Sue. She had my favorite quote of the episode - “Give me some chocolate or I will cut you”.
The low lights. Last season I completely rooted for Will and Emma (although I do love his wife…), but Will has been completely annoying and absurd this season – Emma can do better (and yes, Uncle Jesse is soooo much better). And what was with Rachel’s facial expressions – the cross eyed awkwardness? I don’t remember Susan Surandon doing that in Rocky Horror. As much as I enjoy Mercedes and her amazing voice it would have been groundbreaking(for this type of series) to have a guy play Frankenfurter (as intended) – but I can imagine the backlash that would have followed. Puck would have been perfect. I didn’t miss him in the last episode – but I totally felt his absence in this one – especially with all of the shirtless action.
3. Never Been Kissed –
Kurt. Oh Kurt, how do you continuously embody the most heartbreaking, irresistible, sarcastically witty and endearing character on television? You’re facial expressions alone can reduce me to tears within seconds. This episode we get to see Kurt finally succumbing to the bullying he endures on a daily basis. It is obviously a “timely” plot line but it also felt relevant to the story of Glee. From the very first episode we see Kurt getting thrown in a dumpster. It was inevitable that all of the hate would start to get to him. I love that they show the reality of most high school faculty reactions to bullying (which is the clear problem in our society). Described by the new kid, Blaine, as the “Hey, if you’re gay – your life is just going to be miserable – nothing we can do about it attitude”. We, as a society, are sympathetic but do we have zero tolerance? No. Unfortunately we don’t - something we all need to contemplate. I also am delighted that Kurt “refuses to be the victim”. Instead, he chooses to fight back instead of transferring to another school (like Blaine did – he let the bullies win and regrets it). I have to ask – did anyone not see that kiss coming? I think it was pretty predictable that Karovsky is a self-hating, closeted gay. However, I am excited to see how they handle that in future episodes.
Puck & Artie. I am loving their new bromance! Although I find Artie incredibly irritating and Puck was a little over the top with his attitude this episode – I think in the future they will bring out the best in each other. Pucks outburst about how no one cares about him was surprisingly moving and true – did any of his Glee-mates go visit him? (And on another note has Finn fully forgiven him for sleeping with Quinn? They kind of dropped that whole story all together. I would appreciate some closure). The only problem I had with this plot was the idea that treating a girl badly will make her like you. That isn’t exactly a great message to send to high school boys.
The highlights. I like that this episode was very plot heavy (something that has been missing this season), yet I only have 2 highlights…Finn (although severely underused and getting way too skinny!!) still made me smile the most with his conversation with Sam in the beginning. How did we find the only 2 girls in high school that won’t put out? And I love that they brought back him thinking about almost killing the mail man – I die every time. (p.s – who had tubs in high school? I honestly have never heard of such a thing). The second is Sue’s confetti canyons and her describing Sam as a “Macaulay Culkin stunt double.”
The lowlights. Oh there are sooo many (overall, this is one of my least favorite episodes). First of all – the disappearance of Rachel (both in weight and plot). Dear Lea Michele – you are absolutely beautiful. Don’t succumb to the pressures of Hollywood! Please stop losing weight – you’re face is sinking it and it is aging you. Anyway, where is Rachel? She hasn’t had a major plot line this whole season. Her character is fantastic and hilarious…I miss her! Also, I think there is a huge missed opportunity with her dads and Kurt. Kurt is not the only gay in the village (Little Britain reference. Anyone?) – I know Rachels dads are obvi older, but likely wiser. I am sure they would have good advice for our dear Kurt. Second, the music was booooring. I enjoyed Puck and Artie singing One Love. And how Puck bullied people in to giving them money, but it is not a performance that I will remember. The girl mash-up was awkward and they were not very good at pulling off being bad ass rocker chicks. The boys mash-up was better…but nothing spectacular (I loved last years boys vs. girls mash-ups…). I didn’t mind the all boys school's rendition of Teenage Dream - I really liked that they did an A Capella version, however the song is dreadful. The biggest disappointment of all was the whole Coach Beiste story line. Dumbest plot ever…and why would Will tell her what was going on after he specifically said “Coach Beiste can never know about this”? Just plain ridiculous.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Catching up on 2008 - 4 DVD's I Recently Watched
I am always playing catch up with films that I missed watching in the theaters. Here are a few from 2008 that I finally watched.
1. The Vicious Kind - This was one of those indie films that I kept my eye out for - hoping it would land in the one independent theater in my area, but alas it never did. I finally watched it on my instant Netflix. I was intrigued by the casting of this film - I have never seen Adam Scott in a dramatic role and have never seen Brittany Snow in a "mature" role. They both nailed their parts perfectly (plus it features the always perfect JK Simmons). The story is interesting from the start - it is about Caleb (Scott) who has obvious f***ed up feelings towards women (they are all whores) and his steps towards reconciling those feelings. He becomes infatuated with his brothers girlfriend (Snow) while warning his brother that she will inevitably break his heart. It doesn't help that the girlfriend strikes an amazing resemblance to Calebs ex (who I assume cheated on him and is the reason for his hatred of women). Another reason for his hatred of women is that he believes that his mother cheated on his father and then abandoned him (by dying of Cancer). I absolutely love that the main character is completely unlikeable and complicated (and contradictory - he treats women like garbage but then defends a random woman who is being disrespected by 2 strange men). I love that he believes that the only way to protect his brother is by hurting him. Finally, I love that his theory inevitably rings true - the girlfriend cheats on her boyfriend with Caleb (the same night she takes her boyfriends virginity) - what a whore!! Overall, I enjoyed this film - it had a great simple plot, the acting was subtle and dramatic - plus it didn't try to teach any sort of lesson (other than the simple message that "life is messy").
2. Nothing Like the Holidays - At first glance, this film seems like another family oriented holiday film - yawn. But, I remember seeing the trailer - and being really excited for it. First of all, you don't see many Hispanic families represented in films. Second, I love Jay Hernandez (ever since 2001's Crazy/Beautiful). Third, the rest of the cast is fantastic (and what a huge cast that is!). The film wasn't really anything special or memorable. I love seeing a "real" family - only because my family dynamic is rather small, however - I think they tried to tell too many stories at once - and none of them were at all interesting (and mostly predictable).
3. Lakeview Terrace - Patrick Wilson became a favorite actor of mine with his work in the Angels in America mini-series (one of the best mini-series on tv. ever.). However, Samuel L. Jackson usually over-acts and plays the same bad-ass character (plus I can't see him without picturing him on the witness stand yelling out "Yes they deserve to die! I hope they burn in Hell." - greatest quote ever). The film was directed by Neil Labute - which is the only feature of the film that peaked my interest. As a Drama studies major - I am familiar with Labute more as a playwright than film maker (although he has turned some of his plays into films). He mostly deals with darker side of human nature - and while his plays usually fall short in plot, the characters are sure to be complicated. This is exactly what happens with this film - the plot is ridiculous and quite stupid, however - it speaks a lot about human nature, stereo-typing, racism and interracial relationships. Plus it is another film featuring Jay Hernandez (what a nice coincidence..).
4. Incendiary - I admit that Michelle Williams has grown on me (I absolutely hated her as Jen Lindley on Dawson's Creek - she was the weakest link on that show), but now I see her as a decent actress (and a pretty down to earth person - she could have used her relationship with the late Heath Ledger to her advantage but instead kept mum and prioritized protected their daughter instead. I have a huge amount of respect for that alone). That being said - I do not like her in this film. Her British accent is embarrassing - plus the fact that she just oozes "all American girl" - she is just plain awkward trying to fit in as part of London's working class. So, the films big "lesson" is: Bad things happen when you cheat on your husband. In her case, things went particularly awful (her husband and child were both killed in a terrorist attack at a Football game as she was in the middle of adultery - I can't say it could possibly get any worse than that). The irony of the film is shoved in your face (her husband is a bomb diffuser and is killed by a bomb). The plot is predictable (her husbands co-worker tries to get with her after the tragedy and *spoiler alert* he knew there was a terrorist threat at the game). The only interesting part of the film is her downward spiral of craziness that turns into delusional seclusion. It asks the question - how does one possibly survive such a tragedy (and is it even worth surviving)? The answer is a resounding NO - that is until we realize that she is pregnant. The writers obviously knew that there is no way to give this woman a reason to not kill herself without introducing a "new beginning" of sorts. I can't say that I liked this film, but it kept me interested and kept my emotions stirring.
1. The Vicious Kind - This was one of those indie films that I kept my eye out for - hoping it would land in the one independent theater in my area, but alas it never did. I finally watched it on my instant Netflix. I was intrigued by the casting of this film - I have never seen Adam Scott in a dramatic role and have never seen Brittany Snow in a "mature" role. They both nailed their parts perfectly (plus it features the always perfect JK Simmons). The story is interesting from the start - it is about Caleb (Scott) who has obvious f***ed up feelings towards women (they are all whores) and his steps towards reconciling those feelings. He becomes infatuated with his brothers girlfriend (Snow) while warning his brother that she will inevitably break his heart. It doesn't help that the girlfriend strikes an amazing resemblance to Calebs ex (who I assume cheated on him and is the reason for his hatred of women). Another reason for his hatred of women is that he believes that his mother cheated on his father and then abandoned him (by dying of Cancer). I absolutely love that the main character is completely unlikeable and complicated (and contradictory - he treats women like garbage but then defends a random woman who is being disrespected by 2 strange men). I love that he believes that the only way to protect his brother is by hurting him. Finally, I love that his theory inevitably rings true - the girlfriend cheats on her boyfriend with Caleb (the same night she takes her boyfriends virginity) - what a whore!! Overall, I enjoyed this film - it had a great simple plot, the acting was subtle and dramatic - plus it didn't try to teach any sort of lesson (other than the simple message that "life is messy").
2. Nothing Like the Holidays - At first glance, this film seems like another family oriented holiday film - yawn. But, I remember seeing the trailer - and being really excited for it. First of all, you don't see many Hispanic families represented in films. Second, I love Jay Hernandez (ever since 2001's Crazy/Beautiful). Third, the rest of the cast is fantastic (and what a huge cast that is!). The film wasn't really anything special or memorable. I love seeing a "real" family - only because my family dynamic is rather small, however - I think they tried to tell too many stories at once - and none of them were at all interesting (and mostly predictable).
3. Lakeview Terrace - Patrick Wilson became a favorite actor of mine with his work in the Angels in America mini-series (one of the best mini-series on tv. ever.). However, Samuel L. Jackson usually over-acts and plays the same bad-ass character (plus I can't see him without picturing him on the witness stand yelling out "Yes they deserve to die! I hope they burn in Hell." - greatest quote ever). The film was directed by Neil Labute - which is the only feature of the film that peaked my interest. As a Drama studies major - I am familiar with Labute more as a playwright than film maker (although he has turned some of his plays into films). He mostly deals with darker side of human nature - and while his plays usually fall short in plot, the characters are sure to be complicated. This is exactly what happens with this film - the plot is ridiculous and quite stupid, however - it speaks a lot about human nature, stereo-typing, racism and interracial relationships. Plus it is another film featuring Jay Hernandez (what a nice coincidence..).
4. Incendiary - I admit that Michelle Williams has grown on me (I absolutely hated her as Jen Lindley on Dawson's Creek - she was the weakest link on that show), but now I see her as a decent actress (and a pretty down to earth person - she could have used her relationship with the late Heath Ledger to her advantage but instead kept mum and prioritized protected their daughter instead. I have a huge amount of respect for that alone). That being said - I do not like her in this film. Her British accent is embarrassing - plus the fact that she just oozes "all American girl" - she is just plain awkward trying to fit in as part of London's working class. So, the films big "lesson" is: Bad things happen when you cheat on your husband. In her case, things went particularly awful (her husband and child were both killed in a terrorist attack at a Football game as she was in the middle of adultery - I can't say it could possibly get any worse than that). The irony of the film is shoved in your face (her husband is a bomb diffuser and is killed by a bomb). The plot is predictable (her husbands co-worker tries to get with her after the tragedy and *spoiler alert* he knew there was a terrorist threat at the game). The only interesting part of the film is her downward spiral of craziness that turns into delusional seclusion. It asks the question - how does one possibly survive such a tragedy (and is it even worth surviving)? The answer is a resounding NO - that is until we realize that she is pregnant. The writers obviously knew that there is no way to give this woman a reason to not kill herself without introducing a "new beginning" of sorts. I can't say that I liked this film, but it kept me interested and kept my emotions stirring.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Oh the controversy! 3 thoughts on the GQ/"Glee" hoopla.
I just wanted to share my thoughts on the controversy that is surrounding the "Glee" photo shoot with GQ magazine - since it doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.
1. The blame: Let me start off by saying who is to blame for this disaster...and it is not the actors involved. The GQ photo shoot was a vehicle to promote Glee – the accompanying article is about being “inside the Glee phenomenon”. Glee is a hit show – but it’s not a number 1 show due to the fact that it is consistently missing a huge demographic -“the straight male”. This was an intentional photo shoot to entice “the straight male” to watch the show. Someone who works for FOX set up this "Glee Gone Wild" shoot. The actors are obligated (by a contract) to promote the show however the network deems necessary. The intent was controversy (hello- the photographer alone is controversial enough) and they succeeded. The backlash of these photos should be taken out on the appropriate person because the actors were just doing their job. I think that the actual person responsible should take ownership instead of letting the actors take the blame – poor Dianna Agron sort of apologized on her blog writing that the photos “weren’t my favorite idea…but I did not walk away”. Dianna seems visibly uncomfortable in these pictures - which aren't nearly as suggestive as her co-star Lea's - so her admission seems honest and likely. However, the fact is that if she did walk away she would be in serious hot water and of course none of the actors can claim that the network forced them to do it because again…hot water. So for the people creating petitions to get Lea fired – you are being ridiculous. Judging her morals based on some raunchy pictures is even more ridiculous.
The pictures: Dianna’s explanation of the pictures is that they were asked to play heightened (i.e sexier) versions of their characters. I get it. The cover photo is exactly that. Finn (Cory Monteith) caught in between the 2 girls that he loves – and being Finn if he had the chance he would totally grab both of their asses and grin from ear to ear. Quinn (Dianna Agron) continues to exude a natural sexiness in a totally angelic way, while Rachel (Lea Michele) if asked to be sexy would go completely overboard by opening her mouth awkwardly (because she doesn’t know how to be sexy). The photographs inside continue this theme – Finn playing the drums, Quinn with her cheerleader pompoms and Rachel overacting with a lollipop (which is a sexual way of showing her “innocence”). In case you’re not familiar with the show - Rachel is the girl who dressed like Sandy from Grease because she thought it was sexy – to which Finn told her she looked like “a sad clown…hooker”. Sadly, this is what she looks like in these photos as well – but something about them screams “Rachel” to me. She wouldn’t know the difference between “raunchy” sexy and “classy” sexy. Overall, the photos are exactly what they were going for and they aren’t that bad – they just aren’t very creative either. The only picture that I would call “controversial” is the one with “Rachel” spread eagle on a locker room bench – and not because she has the expression of a blow up doll but because when you first glimpse at the picture it looks like the bench is practically penetrating her (something that the photographer obviously could see but she probably didn’t realize when posing).
The controversy: I am still in shock that these photos are still being discussed, because I have seen so much worse. There are a few different reasons why people seem to be up in arms about these photos – the biggest one is from the PTC who claim that the photos “border on pedophilia” which is the most absurd claim they have ever had. The actors are beyond old enough to pose for such pictures. I understand that they are portraying high school students and that the photo shoot takes place in a high school – but this is certainly not the first time the sexy school girl idea has been used (nor the last) and the girls are not even nude – they look like they are wearing the Victoria’s Secret “pink” line (which is geared for teenagers). For the record, your teens have seen worse than these photo’s – go online and type Lea Michele in to Google and I guarantee you a dozen or so websites will give you pictures of a topless Lea from her Broadway appearance in Spring Awakening. Now type Heather Morris (who plays Brittany on the show) – again topless photos. When are parents going to learn that it is not up to the media to teach children how to behave? The media is full of violence, pornographic images, drugs etc – this is not going to go away, it will only inevitably get worse. It is called PARENTING. Another “controversy” is represented by Katie Couric who claims the pictures to be inappropriate because “they are very adult photos of young women who perform on a family show”. Since when is Glee a family show? It is rated for teenagers over the age of 14 – It is certainly no Full House. Yes, I think it is aimed at teenagers but I am sure these teenagers aren’t watching the show with the family gathered around. Another controversial claim is that Cory, Lea and Dianna are supposed to be role models for our youth – a claim which I agree with (it comes with the job of being in the public eye), but again this isn’t their doing. It is not like Lea went out on her own and posed for Playboy (although she has every right too – but it would also give us the right to judge her for it- negatively and/or positively). The only interesting take on the whole controversy was from an article on NPR.com which dismissed the pedophilia claims but instead judged the photos on it's portrayal of young women. The article discussed how the pictures show the women “pawing” at the man making them submissive (and dumb?), which I can sort of get behind that claim (only because Cory is layered in clothing – which is severely disappointing in my opinion…). However, if the photos were flipped and the 2 girls were dominating the male in the photograph it would be seen as controversial as well…no?
1. The blame: Let me start off by saying who is to blame for this disaster...and it is not the actors involved. The GQ photo shoot was a vehicle to promote Glee – the accompanying article is about being “inside the Glee phenomenon”. Glee is a hit show – but it’s not a number 1 show due to the fact that it is consistently missing a huge demographic -“the straight male”. This was an intentional photo shoot to entice “the straight male” to watch the show. Someone who works for FOX set up this "Glee Gone Wild" shoot. The actors are obligated (by a contract) to promote the show however the network deems necessary. The intent was controversy (hello- the photographer alone is controversial enough) and they succeeded. The backlash of these photos should be taken out on the appropriate person because the actors were just doing their job. I think that the actual person responsible should take ownership instead of letting the actors take the blame – poor Dianna Agron sort of apologized on her blog writing that the photos “weren’t my favorite idea…but I did not walk away”. Dianna seems visibly uncomfortable in these pictures - which aren't nearly as suggestive as her co-star Lea's - so her admission seems honest and likely. However, the fact is that if she did walk away she would be in serious hot water and of course none of the actors can claim that the network forced them to do it because again…hot water. So for the people creating petitions to get Lea fired – you are being ridiculous. Judging her morals based on some raunchy pictures is even more ridiculous.
The pictures: Dianna’s explanation of the pictures is that they were asked to play heightened (i.e sexier) versions of their characters. I get it. The cover photo is exactly that. Finn (Cory Monteith) caught in between the 2 girls that he loves – and being Finn if he had the chance he would totally grab both of their asses and grin from ear to ear. Quinn (Dianna Agron) continues to exude a natural sexiness in a totally angelic way, while Rachel (Lea Michele) if asked to be sexy would go completely overboard by opening her mouth awkwardly (because she doesn’t know how to be sexy). The photographs inside continue this theme – Finn playing the drums, Quinn with her cheerleader pompoms and Rachel overacting with a lollipop (which is a sexual way of showing her “innocence”). In case you’re not familiar with the show - Rachel is the girl who dressed like Sandy from Grease because she thought it was sexy – to which Finn told her she looked like “a sad clown…hooker”. Sadly, this is what she looks like in these photos as well – but something about them screams “Rachel” to me. She wouldn’t know the difference between “raunchy” sexy and “classy” sexy. Overall, the photos are exactly what they were going for and they aren’t that bad – they just aren’t very creative either. The only picture that I would call “controversial” is the one with “Rachel” spread eagle on a locker room bench – and not because she has the expression of a blow up doll but because when you first glimpse at the picture it looks like the bench is practically penetrating her (something that the photographer obviously could see but she probably didn’t realize when posing).
The controversy: I am still in shock that these photos are still being discussed, because I have seen so much worse. There are a few different reasons why people seem to be up in arms about these photos – the biggest one is from the PTC who claim that the photos “border on pedophilia” which is the most absurd claim they have ever had. The actors are beyond old enough to pose for such pictures. I understand that they are portraying high school students and that the photo shoot takes place in a high school – but this is certainly not the first time the sexy school girl idea has been used (nor the last) and the girls are not even nude – they look like they are wearing the Victoria’s Secret “pink” line (which is geared for teenagers). For the record, your teens have seen worse than these photo’s – go online and type Lea Michele in to Google and I guarantee you a dozen or so websites will give you pictures of a topless Lea from her Broadway appearance in Spring Awakening. Now type Heather Morris (who plays Brittany on the show) – again topless photos. When are parents going to learn that it is not up to the media to teach children how to behave? The media is full of violence, pornographic images, drugs etc – this is not going to go away, it will only inevitably get worse. It is called PARENTING. Another “controversy” is represented by Katie Couric who claims the pictures to be inappropriate because “they are very adult photos of young women who perform on a family show”. Since when is Glee a family show? It is rated for teenagers over the age of 14 – It is certainly no Full House. Yes, I think it is aimed at teenagers but I am sure these teenagers aren’t watching the show with the family gathered around. Another controversial claim is that Cory, Lea and Dianna are supposed to be role models for our youth – a claim which I agree with (it comes with the job of being in the public eye), but again this isn’t their doing. It is not like Lea went out on her own and posed for Playboy (although she has every right too – but it would also give us the right to judge her for it- negatively and/or positively). The only interesting take on the whole controversy was from an article on NPR.com which dismissed the pedophilia claims but instead judged the photos on it's portrayal of young women. The article discussed how the pictures show the women “pawing” at the man making them submissive (and dumb?), which I can sort of get behind that claim (only because Cory is layered in clothing – which is severely disappointing in my opinion…). However, if the photos were flipped and the 2 girls were dominating the male in the photograph it would be seen as controversial as well…no?
Friday, October 8, 2010
My Thoughts On 14 New Fall Shows
Here are my thoughts on the new shows that I have been watching this season (a record 14 new shows!!). Most are pretty disappointing (as can be seen by the ratings), but a few shows have some potential - unless they get cancelled first...
1. Undercovers - This was the show that had the most potential for me this season. It was the next JJ Abrams creation - and I usually fall head over heals for anything he touches. Plus it is a spy series (like Alias) which is like a dream come true. I was really surprised by the premiere because it was so bland - there was absolutely nothing bold, creative, innovative or inspiring about it. It didn't feel like a JJ show at all. I am happy to see a show on prime time that features 2 African Americans as the main characters, but that is not enough to keep me invested. The second episode was worse - I almost fell asleep. I can only promise to watch 2 more episodes before it is deleted from my DVR. JJ - you better bring it.
2. Detroit 187 - I am satisfied with this show so far. It reminds me of Southland a little bit - in that it is a grittier cop show and it features a "rookie" cop (this whole "rookie" plot device seems to be a bit overused this season). I am a fan of Michael Imperioli, I am glad that he is moving past his Sopranos character. I also really liked how the premiere ended - with the rookie getting shot and then the wife calling. It made me want to watch the next episode (which is kinda the point of the whole premiere episode thing...). So, after a few episodes I would describe the show as mediocre - but I think it will get really good once it finds it finds it's niche and continues it's steady character development.
3. Outsourced - Let me start by saying that I don't think the show is offensive - maybe it is but in the way that comedy is supposed to be offensive. The show does a good job at making fun of everyone (with Americans taking most of the punches). The only thing that I find odd is that they don't speak Hindi (they all speak English - I am aware that English is an official language of India - but I think having all of the Indian characters speak English all the time is slightly offensive, but also completely fixable). That being said - I also don't think the show is funny. Not yet anyway. I like the main American character, I appreciate that it is socially conscious and relevant to current world issues. Yes, Americans are materialist and waste money on dumb novelty items instead of spending it on useful things. Let us make fun of them! Just start making it actually funny please.
4. Chase - I'm not sure why I ever watched this show to begin with - I guess because it featured a strong female lead. I watched the first episode and was appalled. The strong female lead turned out to be a really awful actress who's voice (and accent) is painful to listen to. Plus it takes place in Texas - so it is severely conservative. I watched 1/2 of the second episode but decided not to torture myself anymore. I am guessing that it will be cancelled within a few episodes.
5. No Ordinary Family - This show definitely is riding on the heels of Heroes. I guess it is a good thing that I was a super huge fan of Heroes - at least the first season. It is simple yet witty, plus it has a fantastic cast - including The Commish (Michael Chiklis - I know he is known now from The Shield but I've never seen it) and of course, the lovely Julie Benz. The best part of it all was Autumn Reeser! Taylor Townsend from The O.C! The plot is great - and I felt an emotional connection to the family within the first few minutes. I even started to tear up when they were in the plane crash (the one that gives them their extraordinary powers). Definitely has the most potential of all the new shows.
6. Raising Hope - I am not a fan of the whole White trash humor thing - I hated My Name is Earl for this reason (this show is written by the same person). I didn't have great expectations for this show - and I think I was right. The problem is that the critics are loving it - which utterly confuses me. It was already picked up for a full season!? So I keep watching it - I figure that I must be missing something right? I hope it gets better.
7. Running Wilde - The next show on the chopping block and rightly so. It is severely unfunny. I can't really understand why - when you have such talented comedians like David Cross and Will Arnett...so I guess we should blame the writing? I am pretty sure the show will be cancelled soon so I haven't really invested my time in getting to know the characters. It feels like it has a little Dharma & Greg opposites attract story-line, which isn't all that interesting.
8. Blue Bloods - I might have discovered the one and only CBS show that I enjoy. I had no interest in it - knowing only that it is a new cop show that stars Tom Selleck. Then I happened to catch a commercial for it and spotted a very interesting cast. Bridget Moynahan - who is one of the most beautiful women in the world and a very talented actress, Will Estes - JJ from American Dreams and Donnie Wahlberg - Hello! I've only watched the first episode so far - it was decent but it will without a doubt get better. The ending to the episode definitely caught my attention - with the whole mystery surrounding his brothers death. I loved how The Soup made fun of the first minute of the series - it was extremely funny how they set up the show so that you would know who everyone was, what they do for a living and how they are related to each other in the first minute of the show. Hopefully, the writing will become a little less obvious and a little more intelligent. I have high hopes for the series as a whole.
9. Better With You - I absolutely hated the beginning - it was painfully unfunny. It was set up to show the different stages of relationship and of course followed the cliche that the longer that you are married the less you communicate (and the less you have sex). Then something strange happened in the middle of the episode where Ben is giving Casey pointers on meeting the parents - it became quite funny. Plus, who doesn't love Debra Jo Rupp? The second episode was also consistently funny - I would totally live in that firehouse. I wouldn't say it's this year's Modern Family or anything - but at least it is a new comedy that I actually laughed out loud to.
10. My Generation - I guess it is pointless in even writing about this show, considering it is already cancelled - before I even had a chance to blink. It was worthy of cancellation - I just wish I didn't like the cast so much (The kid from Cloverfield, the weird kid from Wedding Crashers, and Jaime King). I feel like it could have gotten better....maybe? I don't know how far they really could have gone with such a ridiculous premise and the worst cliche's and stereotypes in the history of television. It kind of reminded me of October Road - only I liked October Road (it was mediocre writing, but the talent was there). Oh well.
11. The Whole Truth - Very predictable law show - nothing new or exciting. I like the concept that they show the actual truth behind the case, but I don't think that is a new concept - I have definitely seen it before (not sure where). I think that Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow have a great chemistry together and their dialogue is sarcastically witty, but they lack the support from other characters - all of whom are bland. The actual cases need to be a little more intriguing as well - so far I haven't cared about the outcome at all (and I haven't been surprised when the "truth" is revealed).
12. The Event - ok...so I have no idea why this show is being compared to Lost. I guess because it has a little mystery to it? That is about the only similarity. So far there has been zero character development from anyone except Sean Walker (played fantastically by Jason Ritter - who I wish just stayed on Parenthood - I loved his relationship/chemistry with Lauren Graham). There are so many other great actors on the show that are not being utilized. The show is a government conspiracy about a non-human race that exists on Earth. There have been some nice twists (like having the girlfriend's father flying the plane) but for the most part - things have been a little predictable (like when all of the corpses come back to life). I plan to keep watching, so that I guess is a good thing.
13. Nikita - This is the biggest Alias rip-off yet. I guess in theory - the Nikita character came before my dear Sidney Bristow, but I have never seen it before so to me it feels like an Alias rip-off. But the similarities are not just with the character either - the way the show is set up with her trying to "take down" an evil government agency called "division" after they murdered her fiance - they even have an eerily similar voice over explaining her story in the beginning of each episode. Anyway, that being said - ever since Alias ended there has been a giant hole in my tv loving heart. I am trying to convince myself that this show may fill the void (slightly). I am glad to see Shane West, of course you know how much I love Melinda Clark and I am even happy to see Xander Berkely (from 24). I am predicting Lindsy Forsenca will be a star. She is stunning, interesting, emotional and inquisitive - much less vapid than the usual CW starlet. I loved the twist of her character working with Nikita - that was a nice surprise.
14. Hellcats - A show about cheerleaders - I have no idea what exactly peaked my interest. I guess I liked Bring it on, so I figured this might be a fun show. It is obviously cheesy and unnecessarily dramatic but I kind of like that when it is done well (like the new 90210). I am indifferent on Ashley Tisdale - I think she is a bit of an over-actor. I think I am too old to know who the other girl (Aly Michalka) is because apparently she is some big pop star among the tweens. I did read that her sister is Hunter Parrish's girlfriend (soo jealous). Anyway, I don't mind her as an actress but her character is a little troublesome - she is no Eliza Dushku and wearing black doesn't give you an edge. So the show was a little contrived and predictable - I was ready to give up on it but then I spotted Gale Howard! Now I have to keep watching - plus I sort of like watching the cheer leading routines - they are pretty awesome.
1. Undercovers - This was the show that had the most potential for me this season. It was the next JJ Abrams creation - and I usually fall head over heals for anything he touches. Plus it is a spy series (like Alias) which is like a dream come true. I was really surprised by the premiere because it was so bland - there was absolutely nothing bold, creative, innovative or inspiring about it. It didn't feel like a JJ show at all. I am happy to see a show on prime time that features 2 African Americans as the main characters, but that is not enough to keep me invested. The second episode was worse - I almost fell asleep. I can only promise to watch 2 more episodes before it is deleted from my DVR. JJ - you better bring it.
2. Detroit 187 - I am satisfied with this show so far. It reminds me of Southland a little bit - in that it is a grittier cop show and it features a "rookie" cop (this whole "rookie" plot device seems to be a bit overused this season). I am a fan of Michael Imperioli, I am glad that he is moving past his Sopranos character. I also really liked how the premiere ended - with the rookie getting shot and then the wife calling. It made me want to watch the next episode (which is kinda the point of the whole premiere episode thing...). So, after a few episodes I would describe the show as mediocre - but I think it will get really good once it finds it finds it's niche and continues it's steady character development.
3. Outsourced - Let me start by saying that I don't think the show is offensive - maybe it is but in the way that comedy is supposed to be offensive. The show does a good job at making fun of everyone (with Americans taking most of the punches). The only thing that I find odd is that they don't speak Hindi (they all speak English - I am aware that English is an official language of India - but I think having all of the Indian characters speak English all the time is slightly offensive, but also completely fixable). That being said - I also don't think the show is funny. Not yet anyway. I like the main American character, I appreciate that it is socially conscious and relevant to current world issues. Yes, Americans are materialist and waste money on dumb novelty items instead of spending it on useful things. Let us make fun of them! Just start making it actually funny please.
4. Chase - I'm not sure why I ever watched this show to begin with - I guess because it featured a strong female lead. I watched the first episode and was appalled. The strong female lead turned out to be a really awful actress who's voice (and accent) is painful to listen to. Plus it takes place in Texas - so it is severely conservative. I watched 1/2 of the second episode but decided not to torture myself anymore. I am guessing that it will be cancelled within a few episodes.
5. No Ordinary Family - This show definitely is riding on the heels of Heroes. I guess it is a good thing that I was a super huge fan of Heroes - at least the first season. It is simple yet witty, plus it has a fantastic cast - including The Commish (Michael Chiklis - I know he is known now from The Shield but I've never seen it) and of course, the lovely Julie Benz. The best part of it all was Autumn Reeser! Taylor Townsend from The O.C! The plot is great - and I felt an emotional connection to the family within the first few minutes. I even started to tear up when they were in the plane crash (the one that gives them their extraordinary powers). Definitely has the most potential of all the new shows.
6. Raising Hope - I am not a fan of the whole White trash humor thing - I hated My Name is Earl for this reason (this show is written by the same person). I didn't have great expectations for this show - and I think I was right. The problem is that the critics are loving it - which utterly confuses me. It was already picked up for a full season!? So I keep watching it - I figure that I must be missing something right? I hope it gets better.
7. Running Wilde - The next show on the chopping block and rightly so. It is severely unfunny. I can't really understand why - when you have such talented comedians like David Cross and Will Arnett...so I guess we should blame the writing? I am pretty sure the show will be cancelled soon so I haven't really invested my time in getting to know the characters. It feels like it has a little Dharma & Greg opposites attract story-line, which isn't all that interesting.
8. Blue Bloods - I might have discovered the one and only CBS show that I enjoy. I had no interest in it - knowing only that it is a new cop show that stars Tom Selleck. Then I happened to catch a commercial for it and spotted a very interesting cast. Bridget Moynahan - who is one of the most beautiful women in the world and a very talented actress, Will Estes - JJ from American Dreams and Donnie Wahlberg - Hello! I've only watched the first episode so far - it was decent but it will without a doubt get better. The ending to the episode definitely caught my attention - with the whole mystery surrounding his brothers death. I loved how The Soup made fun of the first minute of the series - it was extremely funny how they set up the show so that you would know who everyone was, what they do for a living and how they are related to each other in the first minute of the show. Hopefully, the writing will become a little less obvious and a little more intelligent. I have high hopes for the series as a whole.
9. Better With You - I absolutely hated the beginning - it was painfully unfunny. It was set up to show the different stages of relationship and of course followed the cliche that the longer that you are married the less you communicate (and the less you have sex). Then something strange happened in the middle of the episode where Ben is giving Casey pointers on meeting the parents - it became quite funny. Plus, who doesn't love Debra Jo Rupp? The second episode was also consistently funny - I would totally live in that firehouse. I wouldn't say it's this year's Modern Family or anything - but at least it is a new comedy that I actually laughed out loud to.
10. My Generation - I guess it is pointless in even writing about this show, considering it is already cancelled - before I even had a chance to blink. It was worthy of cancellation - I just wish I didn't like the cast so much (The kid from Cloverfield, the weird kid from Wedding Crashers, and Jaime King). I feel like it could have gotten better....maybe? I don't know how far they really could have gone with such a ridiculous premise and the worst cliche's and stereotypes in the history of television. It kind of reminded me of October Road - only I liked October Road (it was mediocre writing, but the talent was there). Oh well.
11. The Whole Truth - Very predictable law show - nothing new or exciting. I like the concept that they show the actual truth behind the case, but I don't think that is a new concept - I have definitely seen it before (not sure where). I think that Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow have a great chemistry together and their dialogue is sarcastically witty, but they lack the support from other characters - all of whom are bland. The actual cases need to be a little more intriguing as well - so far I haven't cared about the outcome at all (and I haven't been surprised when the "truth" is revealed).
12. The Event - ok...so I have no idea why this show is being compared to Lost. I guess because it has a little mystery to it? That is about the only similarity. So far there has been zero character development from anyone except Sean Walker (played fantastically by Jason Ritter - who I wish just stayed on Parenthood - I loved his relationship/chemistry with Lauren Graham). There are so many other great actors on the show that are not being utilized. The show is a government conspiracy about a non-human race that exists on Earth. There have been some nice twists (like having the girlfriend's father flying the plane) but for the most part - things have been a little predictable (like when all of the corpses come back to life). I plan to keep watching, so that I guess is a good thing.
13. Nikita - This is the biggest Alias rip-off yet. I guess in theory - the Nikita character came before my dear Sidney Bristow, but I have never seen it before so to me it feels like an Alias rip-off. But the similarities are not just with the character either - the way the show is set up with her trying to "take down" an evil government agency called "division" after they murdered her fiance - they even have an eerily similar voice over explaining her story in the beginning of each episode. Anyway, that being said - ever since Alias ended there has been a giant hole in my tv loving heart. I am trying to convince myself that this show may fill the void (slightly). I am glad to see Shane West, of course you know how much I love Melinda Clark and I am even happy to see Xander Berkely (from 24). I am predicting Lindsy Forsenca will be a star. She is stunning, interesting, emotional and inquisitive - much less vapid than the usual CW starlet. I loved the twist of her character working with Nikita - that was a nice surprise.
14. Hellcats - A show about cheerleaders - I have no idea what exactly peaked my interest. I guess I liked Bring it on, so I figured this might be a fun show. It is obviously cheesy and unnecessarily dramatic but I kind of like that when it is done well (like the new 90210). I am indifferent on Ashley Tisdale - I think she is a bit of an over-actor. I think I am too old to know who the other girl (Aly Michalka) is because apparently she is some big pop star among the tweens. I did read that her sister is Hunter Parrish's girlfriend (soo jealous). Anyway, I don't mind her as an actress but her character is a little troublesome - she is no Eliza Dushku and wearing black doesn't give you an edge. So the show was a little contrived and predictable - I was ready to give up on it but then I spotted Gale Howard! Now I have to keep watching - plus I sort of like watching the cheer leading routines - they are pretty awesome.
4 Reasons I Hated "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" - not including the title of the film...
So I expected that "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" would be slightly over my head - knowing nothing about the stock market and not remembering the first film at all had me a little worried. However, I didn't expect the film to be the most boring film that I have ever seen. Ever. Here is why I hated it.
1. It wasn't intelligent - It should have gone over my head. Again - I could not tell you the difference between a stock, bond, hedge fund etc. It should have taken me a lot of energy to follow the story. But it didn't. It was dumbed down for a wide (and apparently dumb) audience.
2. It wasn't suspenseful - The plot was ridiculously predictable. Were we ever supposed to believe that Gordon Gekko was not going to screw everyone? There was literally no point at all. There was a lot of talking and a lot of people trying to portray intensity, but not pulling it off. I wouldn't say it was a bad film - I would just say that it was incredibly slow and tedious.
3. To walk out or not - This is what I pondered after the first hour. I checked the time (which I practically never do when I am watching a film - I am usually too invested in the story to get distracted by real world things - like time) and only an hour had past - I thought to myself, is it really necessary for me to sit in this theater for another an hour at least? I wiggled in my chair uncomfortably for another 1/2 hour and looked again. It seriously felt like torture.
4. Shia and company - Shia is a pretty decent young actor - but he has something bigger than acting talent. He has on screen charisma. This special and rare talent was completely ignored and stripped away to create ultimately a character that you have no sympathy for nor do you care about his relationship with his emotionally unstable girlfriend - I am not sure if she was supposed to be a complete nut job or not. She was practically crying in ever scene she appeared in and seemed to blame her whole unfulfilled existence on her "daddy issues". I think she needs to spend some time institutionalized. I think Michael Douglas did a decent job - nothing spectacular. The part that I hated the most was the appearance of Charlie Sheen. I don't know how I missed the fact that he had a cameo - because I usually try my best to avoid supporting a guy who admittedly beat his wife (as should the rest of America - seriously this guy is the highest paid television actor, his show is the number one comedy on television and he plead GUILTY to practically killing his wife. What does this say about us as a nation?). It was my breaking point for me to completely hate this film.
1. It wasn't intelligent - It should have gone over my head. Again - I could not tell you the difference between a stock, bond, hedge fund etc. It should have taken me a lot of energy to follow the story. But it didn't. It was dumbed down for a wide (and apparently dumb) audience.
2. It wasn't suspenseful - The plot was ridiculously predictable. Were we ever supposed to believe that Gordon Gekko was not going to screw everyone? There was literally no point at all. There was a lot of talking and a lot of people trying to portray intensity, but not pulling it off. I wouldn't say it was a bad film - I would just say that it was incredibly slow and tedious.
3. To walk out or not - This is what I pondered after the first hour. I checked the time (which I practically never do when I am watching a film - I am usually too invested in the story to get distracted by real world things - like time) and only an hour had past - I thought to myself, is it really necessary for me to sit in this theater for another an hour at least? I wiggled in my chair uncomfortably for another 1/2 hour and looked again. It seriously felt like torture.
4. Shia and company - Shia is a pretty decent young actor - but he has something bigger than acting talent. He has on screen charisma. This special and rare talent was completely ignored and stripped away to create ultimately a character that you have no sympathy for nor do you care about his relationship with his emotionally unstable girlfriend - I am not sure if she was supposed to be a complete nut job or not. She was practically crying in ever scene she appeared in and seemed to blame her whole unfulfilled existence on her "daddy issues". I think she needs to spend some time institutionalized. I think Michael Douglas did a decent job - nothing spectacular. The part that I hated the most was the appearance of Charlie Sheen. I don't know how I missed the fact that he had a cameo - because I usually try my best to avoid supporting a guy who admittedly beat his wife (as should the rest of America - seriously this guy is the highest paid television actor, his show is the number one comedy on television and he plead GUILTY to practically killing his wife. What does this say about us as a nation?). It was my breaking point for me to completely hate this film.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The First 3 Episodes of "Glee".
1. Audition -
- Finn - I don't quite know when it happened...but I am totally in love with Finn Hudson. He is now my favorite character (I think it happened at the end of last season with Theatricality), but looking back - I enjoy that he is the character that has the most potential to grow. He started out as a "blank slate" type character, but now he is complicated and a very realistic teenage boy. In this episode he still uses the wrong words (like "controllist") and still is incredibly awkward (and tall...and hot) - his try-out for The Cheerios was one of the greatest things I've ever seen. But then he shows how much he has grown by his profound statement that "being gay isn't a handicap" - well incredibly profound for him anyway. I am looking forward to more growth for this character.
- The new kids - I am really liking the Sam character - at first I assumed (as did everyone) that he would eventually be Kurt's new love interest, but as the episode progressed - I realized that he would be more of a competition for Finn. He has an amazing voice (his version of Billionaire actually made me like the song), he has that whole sexy yet innocent appearance (and an uncanny resemblance to Justin from Queer As Folk) and he took Finn's position on the football team. How will Finn react - so far he thinks he's awesome...but I see envy and jealousy in his future. I am satisfied with Sunshine - although her character fell flat, her voice is one of the few that can compete with Lea Michele. Coach Beiste ("it's French") is a perfect addition to the faculty - her and Sue butting heads is sure to be monumental.
- The other highlights - Their performance of New York was perfect.... "The other Asian" (a.k.a Mike Chang) finally has a role in the show besides showing off his smooth moves.... Rachel speaking louder because she assumes Sunshine doesn't speak English...
- Brittany - Brittany's body is INSANE. Her dancing is RIDICULOUS. Her singing is...um not so great. I'm thinking she should stick to back-up dancer who spews out the greatest one liners of the show.
- Britney - I appreciate that Glee wanted to dedicate an episode to the great Britney Spears, but it didn't turn out as organic as the previous themed episodes. Having everyone drugged up and hallucinating that they are in a Britney Spears video was just a little...easy. I enjoy the performances more when they relate to the story (like the way Stronger did). Also, I could have done without the Britney cameos....the girl can't act - let's stop pretending like she can.
- The low lights - Overall, I'm not a huge of this episode -but even the worst Glee episode is better than 90% of what is on television. There were some disappointing aspects to this episode - Finn and Rachel were terrible. Rachel comparing her dressing like a sexualized adolescent to Finn wanting to be back on the football team was unbearable - and for her to ask him to give up on something he loves for her is unforgivable. I understand she is controlling, but supposedly she is the one that "knows" Finn the best - she should understand his needs. And speaking of Rachel - Hit Me Baby One More Time is perhaps a great pop song, but coming from the powerful voice of Lea Michele - it was almost hard to listen to. That song is beneath her talent. The pervy kid with the "Jewish cloud hair" was also unnecessarily disgusting and not funny.
- Finn - Proving my above statement, Finn shines in this episode. I love the beginning sequence when he discovers the "Grilled Cheesus" and suddenly finds God. He uses his new found discovery to "pray" which is really just him wishing for things....like winning a football game, then getting to touch Rachel's boob. He is completely self-absorbed (like a real 16 year old male) - well not completely, he does want to win the game because it would "mean so much to Artie"...I'm not sure I buy that. Then when Kurt's father has a heart attack - he still chooses to use his "power" for selfish reasons. This is a powerful statement about religion in my opinion - does Finn really believe in a higher power? or does he just like the distraction? Because if he really believed that he had this direct line to God - he would surely use this to save his surrogate father. Towards the end when Emma confirms to Finn (what he already subconsciously knew) that this special power was just in fact a string of coincidences he is torn apart. His performance of Losing My Religion was perfectly angsty for the occasion ( I've read a lot of negative things about his version of this song - that I do not agree with. I realize that Finn doesn't have the greatest voice - which HELLO this is part of the show - that he isn't a trained vocalist, he sort of just fell into the Glee Club and realized he enjoys it. However, I enjoy most of his solos - I think the creators do a good job at picking songs that fit his voice and personality).
- Atheism - So, we learn that Kurt and Sue are both Atheists. Kurt - a proud and out gay teenager who wouldn't be welcomed in most religions anyway and Sue - a woman who is constantly bringing others down due to a life full of disappointments. I appreciate that the show provides this as a viable option with regards to religion - but it just didn't quite sit well in my stomach. I am an Atheist - not because I prayed to God as a child and was ignored and not because most religions look down on women. I am an Atheist - not because I don't believe in anything. It's quite the opposite really. I have FAITH. I have faith in humanity, faith in science, faith in love, faith in the power of equality, faith in justice - I could go on but I think you get my point. I think as a whole Atheists are a positive thinking group - counting on the fact that humans are inherently good and moral, but realistic enough to know that that isn't always 100% true. Also, as an Atheist I would never preach to someone that what they believe is not true or inferior to my beliefs - I celebrate the differences in the human race. I wouldn't want to be a part of a world where everyone thinks and believes in the same thing - we would never learn or grow (and we would not survive). Glee deserves a standing O for embracing such a polarizing topic - I just wish I wasn't represented as the voice of dissent.
- The Reactions - I love the scene where Finn has an announcement (queue Puck "Oh my God - he's coming out.) - that he wants the Glee club to dedicate songs to Jesus. The reactions he received were priceless. From Kurt preaching that the church doesn't recognize gays, women or science to Puck stating that "I am a total Jew for Jesus. He's my number one Heb" to Rachel's look of horror to Brittany announcing that whenever she prays she "falls asleep". It was a perfectly scripted scene.
- What could have been - As much as I liked the episode, I can't help but think that they missed out on a big story - Finn. To be more precise - Finn's mother. There was only one very short scene where his mother is in the hospital (and I don't even think she had a line) and one scene that shows Finn upset about Burt (but actually he was only upset that he had to hear it from other people). Don't get me wrong - I understand that the episode was about Kurt and his relationship with his dad. I burst into tears when he sang I Wanna Hold Your Hand - with the flashback of the tea party - seriously I was bawling. I just think it would have been emotional to see Finn's mother react to news that another man she loves is on the brink of death. I also think they would have pulled Finn out of school along with Kurt - and I am pretty sure Kurt would not go back to school while his father was in critical condition.
- Other highlights - oh there are so many....Finn's 1st prayer (Dear Grilled Cheesus, First of all you're super delicious...)...Brittany comparing herself to Miley....Sue calling Santana "Jugs the Clown"...Sue's moment with her sister at the end...Rachel and Finn awkwardly making out (oh and Finn's reaction to Rachel's revelation that she will be ready to have intercourse when she is 25)...Rachel singing Papa Can You Hear Me?. Truly a beautiful episode.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
3 DVD's You Shouldn't Waste Your Time Watching
1. Killers - Seriously, how does a film like this get made? The plot (if that's what you want to call it) was absolutely ridiculous - and the ending that somehow tried to recover from the implausible story just made it worse. If you're going to create a plot that doesn't make sense at least give it a 100%, don't wimp out. The acting was horrifying. Ashton Kutcher is sadly, laughable. I feel bad for him - I like him as a celebrity. He seems genuinely funny, charming and has a good business sense (yes, I am ignoring that horrid modeling show that was canceled after 1 episode last year). So what should Ashton do? I have no idea - but I can say definitively: He should quit acting (in films at least). He has absolutely zero chemistry with Katherine Heigl. This isn't necessarily their fault - there are many obstacles. The writing is a huge obstacle (they bond over "not puking in public" - how romantic?). The second obstacle is that the plot moves too quickly for the audience to relate to them as a couple. The third obstacle is that Katherine plays a very unlikeable woman. She is vapid and self-absorbed - claiming herself to be uncool for vacationing with her parents, then bragging about how her daddy will buy her an expensive dress (and then proceeds to rip the dress). Why would we ever root for this girl to be happy?
2. Repo Men - Let me for a second tell you how much I love Jude Law, as I don't think I have written about him yet. I am a huge fan - I fell in love with him in Music From Another Room - a film that I am sure no one has ever even heard of. Then again in eXistenZ - again no one has ever heard of it. I was so happy that he finally "made it" with his performance in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Then came 2004 - when he over-extended himself and appeared in 6 films (including one of my favorites - I Heart Huckabees) and became "over-rated" (never my opinion). He is also incredibly sexy - even with the receding hairline. I was excited for this film, not only for Jude - but also for the other actors (Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker and Alice Braga) and the plot, which seemed interesting. So, it's about organ transplants (artificial organs) and the industry that is behind these transplants. Basically, if you cant afford your payments on you new organs - then they will be repossessed (in a very gory way). I guess it is supposed to have some social commentary behind it but it didn't really have anything interesting to say. It was boring and meaningless. It tried to be funny at times - but wasn't. It tried to be suspenseful at times - but was predictable instead. Then the ending was insane - it didn't even try to make sense. *spoiler alert* Why on earth would you almost kill your best friend just so you can keep working together? What if he died? It was twisted and not in the fantastic sort of way. However, Jude was still sexy - so it's not a complete failure.
Cop Out - There is not much to write about this film. The only reason I saw this film is because a co-worker of mine was an extra in it (sadly, I could not find her anywhere in the film), but she insisted that it was funny. The only reason I sort of believed her is because Adam Brody is in it. He is fantastically funny - just not in this film. Tracey Morgan is always painful as is Seann William Scott (who hasn't been funny since Dude, Where's My Car). The film was predictable, irritating and pointless. And they should have kept the original title: A Couple of Dicks. At least it would have had a funny title.
2. Repo Men - Let me for a second tell you how much I love Jude Law, as I don't think I have written about him yet. I am a huge fan - I fell in love with him in Music From Another Room - a film that I am sure no one has ever even heard of. Then again in eXistenZ - again no one has ever heard of it. I was so happy that he finally "made it" with his performance in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Then came 2004 - when he over-extended himself and appeared in 6 films (including one of my favorites - I Heart Huckabees) and became "over-rated" (never my opinion). He is also incredibly sexy - even with the receding hairline. I was excited for this film, not only for Jude - but also for the other actors (Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker and Alice Braga) and the plot, which seemed interesting. So, it's about organ transplants (artificial organs) and the industry that is behind these transplants. Basically, if you cant afford your payments on you new organs - then they will be repossessed (in a very gory way). I guess it is supposed to have some social commentary behind it but it didn't really have anything interesting to say. It was boring and meaningless. It tried to be funny at times - but wasn't. It tried to be suspenseful at times - but was predictable instead. Then the ending was insane - it didn't even try to make sense. *spoiler alert* Why on earth would you almost kill your best friend just so you can keep working together? What if he died? It was twisted and not in the fantastic sort of way. However, Jude was still sexy - so it's not a complete failure.
Cop Out - There is not much to write about this film. The only reason I saw this film is because a co-worker of mine was an extra in it (sadly, I could not find her anywhere in the film), but she insisted that it was funny. The only reason I sort of believed her is because Adam Brody is in it. He is fantastically funny - just not in this film. Tracey Morgan is always painful as is Seann William Scott (who hasn't been funny since Dude, Where's My Car). The film was predictable, irritating and pointless. And they should have kept the original title: A Couple of Dicks. At least it would have had a funny title.
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