Looking Bloody at the Half

We’ve reached the halfway mark on TRUE BLOOD, but I’m all the way to erection town right now. Maybe it was Bill’s open wounds and the chance he might die or the fear of Tara’s monster arms, but I’m super excited right now. Six episodes in and I could watch the next six without blinking.
Here’s a quick synopsis of where we are now: Bill is near death (but will probably feast on Sookie and put her in a coma); Sookie is being eaten by a vampire that hates her (and probably Bill, see previous remark); Eric has abandoned the Queen and is working for the Mississippi King (although this is probably a long con, which ends with him getting vengeance on the King, who killed his dad); Terry is moving in with Arlene (and his inner demons are coming too!); Arlene isn’t a natural redhead (probably); Jessica is working at Merlottes (and feasting on patrons); Hoyt is dating midgets (and has probably developed other odd sex fetishes); Jason wants to be a cop, but is mostly interested in banging this strange lady (who is probably a magical creature); Andy is still wearing his cast (and that’s not counting the one on his cock, whatever that means); Tara tried to kill Franklin (and probably failed), but was hilarious in the aftermath (to the point where I almost liked her); Alcie looks great naked and seems poised to rescue Sookie (but I still can’t understand why he likes trailer trash lady); Sam is trying to save his brother (who appears to be the property of Michael Vick); and Lafayette is failing to bang Jesus (not that Jesus, unless you’re thinking of the Spanish one, of which there are many).
SO there it is in a nutshell. This season has been a little spread out, with way too much whining from Sookie, but there are many hidden gems in the show. I say hidden because the vast nature of the show’s stories makes it hard to appreciate what you’re seeing.
These diamonds in the rough include Eric’s role as a schemer. It appears that he is just going along for the ride or overtly making plans, but everything is below the surface. He’s at a simmer right now and has the potential to explode soon. On the comedic front I’ve enjoyed much of Jason’s antics as the new comic relief for the show. This is in addition to Andy and Terry, who are amazing pinch hitters off the bench.
I think this season has been a boon to Arlene, who has benefited from expanded exposure and the interplay with Jessica.
Unfortunately Jessica and Hoyt have been terribly mismanaged this season. Their love affair was cut right while it was beginning to blossom, and now the show is getting too cutesy with their devices to keep them apart. If Bill and Sookie keep coming back for each other it seems like Hoyt and Jessica should get second or third chances. Regarding Jessica, though, I was disappointed that her relationship with Pam didn’t get a chance to really flourish. Although I guess the magister holding Pam captive could be part of the reason for their distance.
A major disappointment is the failure of Sam's story to develop. It looked mildly promising when Tommy's dad appeared possessed and there might be an interesting back story, but it appears that all we have there is a bunch of dependent nuts who can't quit the people who cause them the most pain.
The breakout performance of the season has been Denis O’Hare as Russell Edington, the King of Mississippi. He plays this diabolical villain with all the pomp and panache of a drag queen, yet retains an understated air of evilness and power. Every sentence that escapes his lips is dripped in a warm sing song quality that puts you to sleep when you know in your bones he is death. He is in many ways the worst of Eric, as he has cultivated a distance from his humanity so that it only manifests itself in his attempts to retain domestic bliss. Even with the dire consequences he presents, he still is hilarious as the gay king (who will probably be thwarted by Eric).
I’m also in love with Evan Rachel Wood as the Queen. She has made this character her own, in a way that has been interesting and compelling. The other newbie standout has been James Frain as Franklin Mott, the Vampire detective. He is a whole bunch of crazy, which has been a pleasure to follow.
Alcide (Joe Manganiello) is still an unknown variable. He is hot, but that only gets you so far in my book. Yeah, he has great facial hair, but that doesn’t carry you past the goal line. Especially considering his devotion to the nutjob doesn’t make any sense and is a little bit annoying. With six episodes to go, I’m really looking for him to make some giant moves.
TRUE BLOOD is one of the smartest shows on television right now. It is what I imagine I’d be writing, which is essentially an inside joke for all the people smart enough to get it. (Editor’s note: Wow, does everyone else hate him as much I do right now? What a snob. Except he has nothing to feel special about. No one is actually reading this. It’s more just sad that I have to edit this. FML.) The show’s jokes are simple gags that are probably just writer room fodder that they throw in because they’re daring anyone else to beat their leftovers. The action itself is calculated and deliberate, in a fashion that mimics MAD MEN, except it is 457 seasons of that show trapped in one and the cocktail parties are blood filled sex orgies. Seriously, though, the narrative of TRUE BLOOD is like the most confusing map ever conceived and it is drawn out in a way that evokes every heightened emotion a fan can muster.
At its root the show is about sensationalism. Pushing boundaries for the sake of ridiculousness, with the whimsies of a twisted mind being granted the freedom to run wild. In its most complicated form, TRUE BLOOD is a high minded critique of a culture built on false narratives and a closed eye to reality. For me, though, it is enjoyed with friends (Alex and Whitney) and without any sense of propriety as I go along for this guilt trip.
“I don’t know what you done to me, but I know this much is true, I wanna do bad things with you. I wanna do really bad thing with you.”
P.S. There are Werewolves now.

I Like It Mad

HELP! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Specifically, I need Don Draper to rescue me from the doldrums of summer television. Ask and 1964 will deliver, with the fourth season of MAD MEN.
In the latest incarnation of MAD MEN we’re following our sexist alcoholics through the trials and tribulations of their fight as an upstart ad agency. The show embodies the changing atmosphere of the time, particularly concerning style, that was marked by the British invasion of the Beatles.
The workplace environment at the newly minted “Sterling Cooper Draper (British Guy)” reflects the latest fads and style with office décor and the dress of the hipsters, Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) and some art guy (I couldn’t find out who he was, but he looks exactly like the male lead in SYNDEY WHITE. Yeah, I’ve seen that movie multiple times…).
It is especially interesting to note the evolution of Peggy, who is the modern woman. Her fight for equality may not be completely over, but she has won the war and the few men who don’t know it yet will find out soon. She acts and looks like the female coed of the late 60s, as if she should be preaching about the women’s liberation movement and then going to a kegger. She’s cool, she’s sophisticated and sexually aware. Although Peggy wouldn’t go to a women’s liberation meeting, she would just seize the day and let the other ladies wake up to reality. (I’m writing about you, Joan.) A lot of this power stems from the way Don courted her when forming his new agency, which suggested how important she was and probably solidified her confidence.
Peggy’s unofficial other-half, Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), has found his own place as the mover and shaker at SCDP (I think the P stands for Pryce). Campbell is now essentially head of accounts, with the other account men existing solely as names on the door. He’s still as annoying as ever, but he has sort of settled down into a somewhat likeable character. At SCDP his future is essentially whatever he can make of it, whereas as at the old place he was stuck behind Ken Cosgrove. All of this explains his drive and desire, which are limitless because his potential is limitless. Ok, that’s not completely true, because his insufferableness will eventually sabotage him.
It’s too bad for Pete that he could never be Roger Sterling (John Slattery). Slattery takes over the character of Sterling with a new direction, so far as he appears concerned with the trip now. He is working to expand their agency with a passion previously only reserved for drinking and screwing. Granted, he is mostly the classic Roger, who is more concerned with Don’s social life than his work life, even though he is the boss.
Most importantly, though, Roger delivers the best line of the night. When critiquing Don for not giving a reporter enough facts, he says the reporter was forced to make certain “assumptions.” That whole speech brought down the crowd at the Lombardo household, err, apartment, with my mom and I laughing, as my dad shushed us.
In case you’re wondering about the rest of the staff, here is a quick rundown: Joan is basically the head administrator, with some heretofore unseen responsibilities that probably represent more duties than at her old post. We’ll probably see how her dick of a husband feels about all this work, as hopefully we’ll get to watch him walk out on him and hopefully into the arms of Wilt Chamberlin. Seriously, who from the show should she settle for? I think that’s the real problem, which is that any guy would be her settling.
Kinsey, Kenny and the weird foreign duo appear to have not made the cut. Last we saw Pete was chosen over Ken and Peggy over Kinsey, but hopefully they’ll get to join the team in some capacity. Although team isn’t exactly right, they’re form of a family in this latest installment (I’ll get to that).
Henry Crane (Rich Sommer) did make the cut in his capacity as TV guy. I don’t remember exactly how it all went down, but I think he was bullied into joining the SCDP. His first appearance this season was very amusing, as he returned from a trip to California with a quality sun burn on his forehead. His most interesting development, though, was his role in a meeting where a client jumped ship. He wasn’t just a scared member of the family, but more like an aging son whose opinion is now respected and counted.
So about this family dynamic, I really feel like what we have at the office is a family. This is especially evident in the case of Don, who doesn’t really have a family since his wife started banging Henry and winning mother of the year awards. Now Don is defined by his work, more than he was when he had a wife to consider or kids to ignore.
The Partridge family feel sets up like this: Don is the dad and Roger is the wife. The Brit is their cousin, son of the uncle they respect, Cooper. Pete is the Brit’s boy and Peggy is Don’s daughter, which is why he holds her to such a high standards. Joan is the adopted cousin twice removed, which makes it ok for anyone to bang her. The artsy guy is Peggy’s friend who hangs around is part of the family by default.
Considering the convenient way all of this came together it feels like I would be remiss to not make such corny connections. The final product is starkly different than the old agency and the old show.
One of the main changes revolves around the fact that it feels like they’re actually working. The drinking and the smoking is more of a set piece now, and not the only action. It’s almost as if they actually have a reason to drinking, because they’re doing all this work.
For some reason all of this bothered me at first. I felt like it wasn’t being true to the original show, but I realized that the failing was in my part. The show is about Mad Men in the 1960s and this isn’t a static concept. I was clinging to the past in a way that is impossible for a show that takes place in such a turbulent time. So there will be changes, and while people of Sal’s ilk are still left to wander the parks, many others are being implemented and causing noticeable differences.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest difference is the restructuring of Don’s life. He is divorced and living in an apartment, while his ex-wife is remarried to Henry and living in their old home.
The picture we see of Betty and Henry is pretty messed up. Betty is either taking her anger out on her kids or is merely continuing the slow progression of terrible parenting that has marked her tenure during the show. It was nice to hear a character voice the audience’s feelings that Betty is a bad mom. The ice queen appears to be warming to her title in her mannerisms and now manifests her chilly demeanor in her clothes.
Stylistically Betty seems very conservative, with a tendency to reflect the more proper role she is playing as the wife of an elder politico. I can’t articulate the point better than to say, the show feels like it got it right. The evil mother acts and dresses like the prototypical evil step-mom.
Season four of Mad Men seems poised to be a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions, and not just for the slow moving show that is. The success of the agency relies on an ambitious gambit that we’ll follow throughout the season. Additionally, we have the quixotic quirks of Betty’s home life, which includes a rapidly aging Bobby, a husband who can only get it up when the sex is mischievous and a daughter who will most likely need therapy and probably embrace the counter culture movement.
The premier episode set the stakes for what is to come and helped us understand where we are. I’m super excited, and not just because I’m confident that Vietnam will go well this time around. I’m excited because we get to see our characters in new positions that will test them in new ways and allow us as viewers to experience them in new ways.
There is, though, the possibility that the show has jumped the shark. (Editor’s Note: Shut your mouth!) I’m reluctant to say it, but the new show could represent the kind of gimmick that is the product of a desperate show that has run out of ideas. I don’t believe this is the case, but I do think it is a possibility.
Let me close with a reaffirmation of my devotion to MAD MEN. I really enjoyed this first episode last night. At the same time as I’m following the latest episodes I’m watching the show from the beginning with the Ventre clan. Not everyone needs to replicate my cultish fandom, but I would recommend you hop on the train from the beginning. I would even say you might be able to jump on the bandwagon now, because the latest version could represent a fresh start for people a little late to the party. But seriously, bring a lot of liquor and cigarettes. And oh yeah, get ready for it rough, because that's how Don likes it in the sack now....

Park Your Butts With These Trailers

I'm probably too harsh of a movie critic. It is possible that my hesitation to fully embrace certain films keeps me from appreciating them the same way other people do.
The same would not be said about my adoration for trailers. I love watching movie trailers, especially new ones in the theater. There is nothing like the excitement generated by the best two minutes of a 100 minute film thrown up on the big screen. At this point the movie hasn't disappointed me and it has all the potential in the world.
Here are some movie trailers I'm excited about...

THE SOCIAL NETWORK: THis movie is about the founder of Facebook, Mark Z-something. It stars the kid from ADVENTURELAND, which means I will overtly hate on him while really being uber jealous of him. THe movie has a feel of Shakespeare in a modern setting, akin to O or CRUEL INTENTIONS.
The bonus is a musician turned actor turned musician turned SNL guest in some role. See if you can spot him. I'm super excited about his inclusion in the movie.


RED: So the idea for the movie isn't totally original, but it has never been done with actors of this caliber. Essentially you've got Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and Jon Malkovich as former CIA agents who for some reason are brought back into the action way past their prime. Actually, the show CHUCK did something similar with Fred Willard as an old spy that was pretty funny. THe major selling points about this movie for me are Helen firing guns and Malkovich doing the off the wall comedic rants he perfected in BURN AFTER READING.
This movie looks like fun, and has the kind of mass appeal cast to be a major hit. I'm really excited. The title means Retired Extremely Dangerous (I think).



DUE DATE: Todd Phillips (Old School, Starsky and Hutch, The Hangover) has a pretty good track record with movies. Throw in Downey Jr. and Galifianakis and this is a sure fire hit. If it feels too much like THE HANGOVER then you should be happy, since that movie was funny. This trailer is over the top and ridiculous. I'm excited.


THE TOWN: If you liked HEAT then i've got a movie for you. This film marks the directorial return of Ben Afflek, but more importantly signifies another jump to the big screen for Jon Hamm! THe movie looks pretty cool, even if Jeremy Renner feels like his old B-level self and Rebecca Hall appears to be as annoying as ever.
See if you can spot the trashy Gossip Girl star slumming it for this Bastan roll. Honestly, though, this looks exactly like HEAT. My sophomore year roommate will be so excited, if and only if he can ignore his distaste for Ben. (I just assume he hates him.)

This Is Not a Dream: Or is it????

(Editor’s Note: This blog post is technically littered with “spoilers.” But we ask you, can they really be spoilers if the writer has no idea what he is talking about?)
As the director of DARK KNIGHT, Christopher Nolan has a free pass from me for the next twenty movies he makes. Fortunately for me, though, Nolan isn’t resting on his laurels and comes out swinging with INCEPTION.
INCEPTION is a combination heist film and sci-fi mind bender. It feels like a melting pot for OCEAN’S ELEVEN, THE MATRIX and MEMENTO. We’ll break it down in that order…
Ok, Leo Dicaprio is no George Clooney in terms of charisma, but he can assemble a team and he does look good in a suit. INCEPTION is not nearly as much fun as the gang of eleven, who never matched the same dire consequences of our dream thieves. Those cats were having fun in Las Vegas, while our protagonist can’t even enter the country legally.
The similarities revolve around the layered plan and the posse atmosphere. The former is too complicated for my brain to replicate, as it dives deep into sub-sub-subconscious territory in a squirrely way that alluded me even after the credits had begun rolling. As for the posse atmosphere, INCEPTION does a good job assembling a gang we can root for.
In the Andy Garcia, circa OCEAN’S THIRTEEN, role, we have Samurai Ken. He has the possible savior for Leo, although he offers salvation at a price, which is one last big job. He’s along for the ride, although his journey is abridged early on by a possibly life threatening gun-shot wound.
Bringing the funny is Tom Hardy, as a forger and all around odd job guy who is a foil to Leo’s dark personality. I’m not sure which OCEAN’s character he represents, but he definitely embodies the light hearted fun that Cheadle, Damon and Pitt brought to that team. For my money I think this guy saves the movie. He offers a contrasting tone that if absent would have generated a different movie, which would have suffered from taking itself too seriously.
The disappointing role is given to Ellen Page. As the Brad Pitt-esque confidant and filling the vagina requirement carried by Julia Roberts in the ELEVEN, Page falls flat. I think her problem is the product of a bad role. Nolan has never done a good job with female characters, except for Carrie Anne Moss in Memento, with the different Rachels in the Batman movies representing his most dramatic failures (annoying and useless). Juno doesn’t fail to live up to the part, but it does feel like we’re relying too heavily on a girl that hasn’t mastered contraception.
I felt let down by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s role. While my man crush on him is probably unhealthy, it is not without merit. Levitt is a scene stealer and a versatile actor, which is why it wasn’t enough to merely have him playing the stiff #2 to Leo’s #1. He ends up carrying off the role with such ease, that even his climactic fight scene in a hotel that defies gravity doesn’t pack that much of a punch.
It was nice, though, to see him continue his evolution as an actor with another step outside his original comfort zone.
Our villain isn’t really a villain, which is kind of disappointing because in this aspect the movie is more like THE STING and my analogy is slightly strained. Regardless, it appears that Nolan has an infatuation with Cillian Murphy, who has made the jump Gotham City to Dream World, USA. Murphy is fine as the confused heir to a fortune that our heroes want manipulate. He’s actually slightly more than good, as he adapts radically shifting characters through his consciousnesses.
Let’s get to the MATRIX, which exists in terms of the film’s trippiness and never quit villain. The trippineess is easy to explain: The movie is about people who invade your consciousness and steal your dreams. But are those dreams real or is your life real? Who is to say what is real? Maybe there are degrees of realities? This movie isn’t as complicated as the MATRIX, but it still offers a wild ride on par with anything the Grisswalds ever did.
As far as the villain part executed to perfection by Hugo Weaving as Mr. Smith, we now get the evil styling of Marion Cotillard as Mal. She is Leo’s dead wife, who plagues his dreams and therefore represents an unwieldy threat to the team’s mission. She attacks with the same relentless fervor of Mr. Smith, but with ten times the sexiness and two times the creepiness.
Finally, the MEMENTO elements present themselves in the creative story telling devices and complicated story, which is ultimately the product of a troubled past.
I wouldn’t say I loved this movie, since it relied too heavily on the gimmicks of the world it created. “Oh look, we can defy physics!” Yeah, it was cool, but the troubled history of Leo’s character had some of the same failings of his work in SHUTTER ISLAND. I just didn’t care and it dragged on way too much.
Additionally, there wasn’t nearly enough Michael Caine in the movie for me.
I feel like everyone could have used a butler, which is why he should have been in every scene.
I don’t think it is a detriment to the movie that I didn’t grasp everything even in the end. INCEPTION didn’t require a ton of brain power, which I liked, but I felt the lack of clear resolution (and I’m not talking about the spinning top) is a failing of the movie. It is ok if there are still questions, but there needs to be a framework for the viewer to reason some of them out. The foundation I was left with was shaky and unreliable.
On the whole I could have used more OCEAN’s ELEVEN and less of the conflicted past. The movie is at its best when all the gears of the film are turning, like when the van is crashing off the bridge and Levitt is moving along the ceiling. Unfortunately these scenes are outweighed by dragging scenes with Marion and Leo, which ended up detracting from an intense finale that would have been more powerful if I wasn’t already tired of the dynamic.
This movie definitely warrants seeing, unless you’re my mom’s dad, who demanded and received a refund for the movie. It may not require immediate repeat viewing, but I could see myself going back to the well in ten or 20 years.
Finally, I don’t think this movie is as good as some have ranted and I also don’t think it is as bad as my grandfather thought it was. For me it exists in a happy medium of comparative goodness. But then again, maybe I just think that because I’m dreaming and this movie is a product of my limited subconsciouness.

Twilight Saga: Threeway Anyone???

Normally I wait to devour the twilight offerings on DVD, when I can mock them in the company of my friend Alex. For the third installment of the Twilight series I dived into the pandemonium and saw the movie in theaters a week after it had been released.
(Editor's Note: There were no more than 14 people in the theater.)What ensued was a dark romp filled with lust, laughs and a leery lover jealous of the romantic intentions of a horny werewolf. Did any of that make sense? No. Well, you can only imagine my confusion while watching this runaway freight train of a movie.
ECLIPSE picks up after the crescendo of the previous film, with Bella (Kristen Stewart) set on becoming a vampire and Ed (Cedric Diggory) reluctantly promising to accede to her wishes. He doesn't want her to give up her soul, while she just wants to be with him forever. Ultimately, Ed acknowledges that he is being totally selfish by promising to change Bella, but he does draw a line at premarital sex.
The movie continues the abstinence only message it has been espousing since its onset, with only a few stolen kisses to tide over the horny teens. In this film Bella wants more than the soulful (or soul-less) connection she shares with Ed, as she now desires her pale pasty skin against hers. Alas, Edward wants to wait for marriage, in a throwback to his past. But don't be fooled by this grasp of the past, since it is really just a diversion away from the fact that Ed is as straight as that awkward pompadour he puts together every morning.
Here in lies the real tension of the movie. Bella isn't choosing between Jake (Taylor "Lats"autner) or Ed. Ed is debating between living the closeted lifestyle vampires in his world approve of (BELLA) or coming out and bumping uglies with Jake. I mean c'mon, he wasn't mad at Jake in the tent, he was jealous of Bella!!! All of this is a product of the conservative vampire culture, which at this point needs to exit the closet. Alice should announce her love of Bella and Jasper should go back to molesting the newborns. This can't be just me, right?
Anyway, the star of this movie is Charlie. Last time it was Jake's abs, but that has become a joke the movie even comments on as it breaks the fourth wall with some self-referential humor. So yeah, Charlie is awesome as the "Dad" in the movie. Before this film he was just the guy who paid rent, but now I really connected with him. His hatred for Ed matched my hatred and i almost teared up when he stood during Bella's graduation (Seriously. And can you believe her mom didn't make the trip. Bitch?). He even had hilarious lines about how he liked Alice, but the best was when he discovered Bella was still a virgin and yielded a bit of like for Ed. In this vein of humor, though, I wish Larry Miller (the dad from 10 Things I hate About You) had been tapped for the part. "Bella, you can't date until Edward starts to age or Jacob can keep a shirt on for ten minutes."
But anyway, I thought Bryce Dallas Howard was wasted in this movie. She would have been totally creepy as Dakota Fanning's part, especially since she already documented her hood wearing skills in THE VILLAGE. Also, where the frak was Michael Sheen??? Maybe he's not in this book, but just use him for the Oscar Buzz he brings every role.
For a movie that moved pretty fast it felt like nothing really happened. Bella finally addressed her feelings, which is that she wants to have her cake and eat some other guy's cake too. Jake pronounced his undying (and post-mortem) love. And Bella is destined to become a vampire.
There was some posturing by the bad vampire elites who seem like coniving bastards. For the most part nothing really happened. There were newborns, who embody the awfulness of the Terribly Twos, and required vampires and werewolves to team up.
Oh yeah, we got some really cheesy vampire back stories too. This reminded me that i love the dad vampire, if solely because of his role as the jock in CAN"T HARDLY WAIT.
I believe that is called unintentional comedy.
Anne Kendrick also gave us a kick ass graduation speech that made me yearn for a second attempt at my own. Hers also had some sort of tie in with the movie, but that went right over my head.
Ultimately this is a terrible movie. It had no redeeming qualities, except for the possible exception of vampires teaming up with werewolves in a touching bit of chemistry. If this was just some random movie it would be scoffed at, tweens would think Cedric Diggory was odd looking, concerned parents would buy Lautner some shirts and Dr. Drew would try to help out Kristen Stewart with all her damn anxiety.
(Editor's Note: Dave probably should have stopped here, but he felt it was necessary to draw the ire of the twilight nut cases. Oh no, now i've gone and insulted them. Curse the day he was born.)
Anyone who says this is a good movie, and i'm talking to you nutcases who saw this movie more than once or on opening weekend, you are completely delusional. This festering pile of crap appeals to so many people because it appeals to the lowest common denomination, which is code for the people who voted for Lee on AMERICAN IDOL. Yeah, a Crystal fan watches TRUE BLOOD, which is a vampire program that critics acknowlege as worthy of a time committment.
THe writing in Eclipse has the steady pitter patter of talented people banging their heads against a wall. The teen angst plays out with all the nuance of a two dollar hooker courting her next client. The story develops with the surprise that one has after catching an STD from the afformentioned hooker.
IT STINKSS!!! THIS WHOLE SERIES STINKSS!!!!
With all that being said, I totally understand why people get excited for these movie and turn out in droves with the wild devotion of Lee fans. I know where this comes from, as I'm a fan of the Harry Potter movies. And by fan, I mean, the movies suck but i love seeing them in theaters. Now i just want you crazy people to make the same admission.

Toys for all ages

I have never drank the Pixar kool-aid. I like their movies that I have scene, but for the most part they're just cute fun that seems to try too hard for depth. It is like they keep trying to dive off the high beam, even though the water is really shallow. I don't crack my head open in the end, yet I do feel that their goal is a flop. This is not the case with Toy Story 3.
I don't want to wax poetically about a movie that already has enough nostalgia for 5 sequels, but i will say that this movie really tugged at my heartstrings. It got me in touch with feelings of loss, growth and life that normally remain dormant during your typical animated film.
Additionally, the movie is hilarious. Michael Keaton voices the metrosexual Ken doll, who absolutely steals every scene he is in.
THe amazing reality about Toy Story 3 is how it creates a product that is sweet, but not too sweet. It adds just the right ingredients, particularly in terms of the bitter resentment embodied by Lotso, the unquantifiable love of Andy and two potato heads (HA!).
Toy Story 3 is a must see, especially if you've grown up with the series the same way I have. THe first movie came out when i was eight, and since then I've gone to Pizza Planet in Disney, owned a Buzzlight year doll and returned to my toys in the same fleeting grasp of the past that Andy performs before leaving college.
You can mark this movie down as an early contender for the Best Picture Oscar (seriously). It will undoubtedly be one of the ten nominees, and so far is the front runner amongst a host of weak competitors.
Finally, make sure you stay to the very end and catch the dance number between Buzz and the cow girl.

Woodstock takes me over

As I prepare to attend the jam musical festival Gathering of the vibes, in my capacity as an ice cream salesman, I was mentally preparing myself to buckle down and push product. By product I mean ice cream, and ice cream only, as all other goods should be moved by the ganja goodies lady or the some other vendor.
But anyway, I explain to you my mindset in order to help you understand my business oriented mind, and how that reflects my very non-hippyish mindset. Better yet, I'm a democrat who is embarrassed by half the people who call themselves democrats. Does that help? You want me to shut up and get to the point? ok. Here it is...
After watching Ang Lee's TAKING WOODSTOCK I find myself in a very groovy mood. The movie, which is about thirty minutes too long, is not fine art. In fact, the documentary about the concert is probably a more worthwhile endeavor if you're going to devote a lot of time.
The problem with Lee's movie is that he allows it to lose focus too often. It is supposed to revolve around how Elliot Teichberg (the impressive DEmetri Martin) experiences this part of his life, but we're given flashes and not a full picture. By cramming the movie full of colorful characters and a myriad of moments we fail to understand what really transpired for Elliot. The result is slightly unsatisfying as a movie experience, but as an experience it is fulfilling.
By an experience I'm referring to the mood the film captures. In a cheesy scene with a cop, we sum up how this concert overwhelmed the cop the same way the movie overwhelms the viewer. I found myself swept away in the flower power, peace love and happiness and free love.
Maybe I was just won over by the colorful characters, portrayed by Eugene Levy, Emile Hirsch, Jonathan Groff and Liev Schrieber. They command each scene in a slightly gimmicky way, and that's fine with me. They help embody the half a million people who went upstate for this concert, as it would be impossible to create personalities for everyone.
ANother great way the movie dives into the event is with the multi view scenes that demonstrate the wide scope. This device is utilized by the documentary to similar effect.
I was not keen on some of exposition that built up to the culmination of the movie, with Elliot moving on from his parents. Could have done without the mud diving scene, which was a reality of the concert, but merely served as a failed moment of levity and didn't carry me away with anywhere near the same force as a conversation with Schreiber's crossdressing vet.
Additionally, the threeway was a pointless endeavor and the whole drug trip in general was a waste of time. THe college actors should have all been shot too, or at least not given any air time.
Yet for all the failings of this movie, it still captured my sense of whimsy. I now want to experience vibes in a go with the flow style that runs completely contrary to my personality. So i guess if a movie could do that, it can't be all bad.
I'd recommend checking out the Woodstock documentary, and then taking on the movie over two nights.

Time to Ditch the Entourage (again)

I have no expectations about ENTOURAGE anymore. It is simply a week-to-week chore that i begrudgingly carryout in deference to the first two seasons of the show.
In its current form the show is simply boring. It has moved away from the premise of the show, which was an entourage, and has become a sprawling narrative about people in hollywood. I would watch this show, but not as a spin-off to ENTOURAGE.
An entourage has one focal point, with other characters revolving around that dense object. The current dynamic has a bunch of objects floating around aimlessly, except for that rare occasion when the gang has a meal together or attends a premiere.
If ENTOURAGE had evolved, and not merely jumped the shark, I would be accepting of this format. Unfortunately, it relied on gimmickry to shake the doldrums that had begun to set in. I don't understand where the lack of inspiration stems from, as the recent press debacles surrounding Lebron James is just one real life incident that involved an entourage and could be fodder for an episode.
I still like Ari, even if his routine has grown tired and recycled. Eric, in his new capacity is slightly appealing for the first time (as long as he's not with Sloan). Drama, on the other hand, is finally showing his age, or at least the character's place in the show is becoming tiresome.
It is as if fans of the original show have taken over and are failing to recreate the early magic. It is really a shame too, because Vince needs an entourage more than ever with his career taking off. Honestly, as this point they should be doing more than in the past when he was rarely doing movies and was more concerned with banging broads.
Maybe this new flakiness that has come over Vince will require all hands on deck, and a return to the original dynamic (minus super agent Ari, who essentially has his own show that is occasionally interrupted by a call from Vince, Eric or someone else about Vince).
Am i the only one that feels this way? Is anyone else enjoying this product?

Your Summer "Good Guys"

There is a specific aura surrounding summer television. It isn’t the same dumping ground it was ten years ago, where reruns dominated and baseball games became somewhat appealing. The modus operandi of television in the summer, at least on basic cable and network channels is fun.
Fun in the sun. Fun in the sun with good looking people. Fun in the sun with quirky characters. Fun in the sun with “real” people. Fun in the sun with quirky characters. Oh did I say that already? Well that’s only because it is the most recycled formula during the hottest months of the years.
This formula has become so popular because it creates escapism television, which is what people want when they decide to tune in during the summer. The other constants in this equation are the episodic format (with a vague running thread that doesn’t matter), good character actors and a unique setting.
In the vein of this tradition I have watched BURN NOTICE, ROYAL PAINS and MONK. Oh yeah, the other thing about this formula, until now it has been proprietary knowledge of USA.
Sure, TNT and TBS have offered their own versions of summer escapism, but not with the same pizzazz. The networks are involved to, with oddities that they dream about running in the fall (That speaks to their problem, which is that they can’t settle for a niche summer audience).
Finally, though, this formula has made it to FOX, in the form of THE GOOD GUYS. This shouldn’t have been that surprising, as GUYS is the creation of NOTICE creator, Matt Nix.
When GUYS was first released this spring I thought it was getting the GLEE treatment. FOX was offering a little taste, to wet our appetites until the fall. But I was wrong, as it appears that FOX either accepts or was forced into airing GUYS as a summer niche show. Regardless, I hope the fun never stops.

GUYS is about two detectives, played by Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks, who are in the property crimes division. Whitford is the veteran cop who is trying to relive his glory days and Hanks is a young up and comer who has already burned many bridges in the department. The pair of detectives are essential outcasts in the department, relegated to solving the crimes “serious” cops won’t consider.
Luckily, each investigation is linked to a more serious crime that our heroes unknowingly stumble across. This results in the pair bucking the department and pursuing the criminals on their own.
The show isn’t high art by any means. In fact, it fails to be the funny, quotable and flashy comedy that USA can create with assembly line like precision. But those USA shows don’t have one thing that GUYS has, and that’s the comedic chops of Whitford.
He takes a mediocre character and elevates him to greatness. The show wants him to be a cook with memorable lines, and he would be if the writing was better. Unfortunately, the character relies solely on the acting prowess of Whitford, who makes something out of nothing with this character. When he waxes poetically about the good old days or gets caught up in the moment I am really enjoying this show. The only downside is when he has to spew these terrible lines that are supposed to be in the catchy vein of Jane Lynch.
Ultimately what keeps me watching is the lack of actual investment I need to make in this show. I can zone in and out with ease and still enjoy the show, because it doesn’t take a lot of effort to appreciate this show. THE GOOD GUYS knows what it is and doesn’t pretend to be something else. That is good enough for me, guys.