500  posts. Plus 2. Then 5 more.  That’s exciting. Shocking, too. Exciting and shocking. Reminds me of my last few marriages.

More random notes:

One: Christmas Eve, all by myself. Plenty of drink and food and a lot of DVDs piling up. And sleeping dogs. I was planning on watching an old movie I enjoyed entitled A Midwinter’s Tale, but I ended up watching it last week instead out of impatience…

from here.

It’s an old comedy from 1995, directed by Kenneth Branagh, going back to his bread and butter, of course: the bard.

It’s the story of a group of poor has been and would be and never was actors putting on a Christmas play in a drafty old church in a small English village. The play they pick, of course, is Hamlet, partially because it’s all the silly things one thinks of Shakespeare – men in tights yelling silly things at each other and then sword fighting – but also because it is the ultimate play, the ultimate endeavor of theatrical drama. And somewhere along the way they find themselves, some light within themselves that’s still burning bright. Of course.

It’s a minor film, but a likable one in my book. It’s 90s comedy and independent film making at it’s finest, also. Branagh is a capable director with a good eye for finding new angles within Shakespeare to reveal to an audience and the cast is tight and enjoyable. Especially Absolutely Fabulous‘ Julia Sawalha as the female lead.

Two: So, right, but I’ve already watched that. I’ve got some work to do but I want to squeeze a movie or two out of this night. I doubt It’s A Wonderful Life is on, though it should be, of course, and I’m actually a bit sick to death of X-mas already. In fact, you know what I’m in the mood for? A ghost story, or something like that. Something creepy. I wish there more adaptations (that were good) of Shirley Jackson’s novels. Sigh.

My choices are, and this is interesting, a South Korean horror film called A Tale Of Two Sisters or it’s American remake, The Uninvited? Granted, the traditional logic here is to watch the original first, especially when the remake is an American take on an Asian original, and I’ve heard good things about the South Korean film, but obviously I’ve never been excited enough to watch it before now.

Though, slight exception to the rule: I really did like Gore Verbinksi’s remake of The Ring. Not the most logical film, of course, but Verbinkski did a remarkable job at effectively capturing dread in the cinema, something that is a lot harder to do than one would think. Actually, previous only Roman Polanski and David Lynch have been truly good at it in my book.

Actually, you know what I really want to watch? The Others. That movie was brilliant.

Three: Speaking of the cinema and adaptations, a few posts ago I was talking about how I was worried that a remake of Home Alone would end with gun violence, and that actually got me thinking a bit…

I’m surprised it hasn’t made the leap to the movies yet, but could one effectively stage a version of Clifford The Big Red Dog series of kid’s books? Especially in this period of economic turmoil, could a family realistically afford to feed this furry monster? And, much like E.T., wouldn’t the government want to step in and take a look at this canine behemoth?

Maybe that’s the angle right there. In the first act, the family gets the puppy, and the little girl’s love causes it to grow to gargantuan sizes. Act two, the government shows up and steals the thing concurrently with the parents, already struggling to pay their bills and buy truckloads of dog food at a time, gets laid off.

Act three: I don’t know. Something to do with the family getting a reality TV show, a take on the Gosselins meets the Balloon boy and his family, and the giant dog escapes the government holding facility in Dreamland/Area 51 where they’re keeping him after peeing on a captured alien spaceship there, which looks like a fire hydrant to him. Jesus, that’s ridiculous, isn’t it? But it’d work. They’ll probably cast somebody like Breckin Meyer as the patriarch and Elizabeth Banks (who’s in the remake of A Tale Of Two Sisters, by the way) as the matriarch, and get somebody like Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the evil Army General who… well, you get the gist, right?

Four: Tomorrow, in the UK, they’re airing the penultimate episode of Doctor Who featuring David Tenant as the Doctor, “The End Of Time, part 1.”

How sad is it that this excites me more than most other Christmas-y things, right? I imagine that somewhere in the vicinity of 3 PM to 5 PM my time, I’ll be online, scouring to find where somebody will have no doubt uploaded it. Then, on New Year’s day, there’s “The End Of Time, part 2,” and after that, well, after that is when that weird looking fucker Matt Smith takes over. Well, Matt Smith and the lovely Karen Gillan too:

Five: I’d much rather watch a movie based on Clifford The Big Red Dog rather than Walter the Farting Dog. That poor creature. The covers of those books just make me sad.

Tell me that dog doesn’t look like he’s in incredible pain. Just try.

Six: This picture is just for you, Peanut St. Cosmo:

Seven: Hmm. Shit. How much chocolate is too much chocolate for a dog to eat? Fuck.

Eight: This picture is just for you, August Bravo, since I know that you’re in love with Morrissey:

from here.

Something to do with him working with Stella McCartney on a line of shoes with no leather in them. Speaking of living my life just fine without slaughtering animals…

Nine: In the last few weeks, two travesties of decency have been committed upon me: The first being that Burger King canceled their “Angry” line of burgers, which was really just pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, and some kind of spicy sauce on their regular burgers. But their angry tendercrisp chicken sandwich was like hot flavorful sex in my mouth and now… now it’s gone…

The following week I went into a McDonald’s and was informed that they cancelled the McSkillet burrito. What the shit? I calmly asked the employee working there. She has no clue and just shrugged. Also, she did not speak English. So the following day, I went to another McDonald’s and discovered the same thing. The McSkillet was gone. Sigh. It felt like a part of myself was gone with it.

It may be remarkably easy to give up fast food for the New Year, should I be foolish enough to even verbalize a resolution this year.

Ten: Also… well, also there’s nothing else. Nothing that can’t wait. Well, except for this:

And this:

Have a lovely Christmas Eve, regardless of your religion, your race, your sex, your situation, or how ugly you probably are. I hope you’re someplace safe and warm doing naughty things with someone you love, or care about, or at least know the first name of. And to all a good night!

Well, ladies and germs, it’s almost Christmas time, so I suppose it’s time for me to review an uplifting film for a change. I am not keen on watching too many actual Christmas movies, considering that most of them leave a taste in my mouth I could only liken to that of a candy cane found in a dead man’s chest cavity, so I’ll instead opt to just write a review on a movie that is not about murder or bizarre sexual practices. Disney’s Invincible is one of those feel-good movies, a movie that makes you believe that you can do anything if you try hard enough, even if it just isn’t possible in any realistic sensibility. It also tries to remind us that second chances ARE possible, despite our high-minded cynicism. It’s an unreasonably bland affair, other than the message of hope, with not that much to bolster its 90 minute run time besides a plot so hardwired to the tracks that changing the course with original thoughts might just be structurally impossible. But, in this instance, that isn’t such a bad thing.

The plot is based on the true story of the 1976 Philadelphia Football Team With Some Mascot I Can’t Think Of At The Moment. Their team sucks big time, embarrassing the city and all the owners. So, in a desperate bid for success, they try something SO CRAZY THAT IT JUST MIGHT WORK; they actually start open tryouts for people to play on their NFL team. The one guy they cull from the droves of idiots and not-quites is Vince Papale, a 30 year old Philly native who has the drive to win and a burning desire to prove himself. His life has hit the skids since his wife left him, his teaching job fell through, and he was reduced to bartending at a local pub recently to keep himself afloat. He is a long shot, being a little old to start out as a rookie, but that won’t stop him, and maybe nothing will. But desperate coach Dick Vermeil will ride this guy’s ass until he’s ready to quit; can these two take each other to the Playoffs in 1976? Or is Vince too old to start a new career as a guy who gets beat to shit for a living?

There goes my cynicism again! And I JUST finished watching this movie! In spite of my misgivings, it actually is a very inspiring movie. Much like the Disney movies of old, I was moved to go out and do something with myself after I got done with it. The “based on a true story” aspect of it is really the neat part. Someone with a dream and a lot of initiative actually made it into the NFL, beating out all other prospective hopefuls and joining the ranks of legendary football players like (and these are just off the top of my head) Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, um, Babe Ruth, Pelé, and Winston Churchill, I think. It makes you feel like any day could be the day you turn your life around. I think the world needs a little more of that, even if it’s from a predictable football movie.

The movie is really sold by Mark Wahlberg. His Vince Papale is as earnest as can be, and a real charmer to boot. The first part of the film, watching Papale’s life fall apart, wasn’t pretty to watch, and he made us feel it personally with his body language and an impressive failure in his eyes. It is a role that seems to define his later career, that of the put-upon man looking for some sort of redemption. But here he certainly gets it and then some as an actor. Greg Kinnear shines as similarly put-upon coach of the Philadelphia Platypi (is that it?), but he doesn’t fare as well. The problem is that his hard-ass coach role has been filed by so many more impressive performances over the years, like Gene Hackman or Denzel Washington, that this seems sort of an afterthought to have him here. I would have much rather seen Robert Patrick as the hard-ass coach than nonthreatening Greg Kinnear. I could kill Greg Kinnear with my left thigh alone, so watching him coach fully grown large men without a larger-than-life attitude to back it up is a little weak. And Elizabeth Banks shows up as a love interest for Vince to look really pretty. She can’t even really look too HOT, since this is a Disney movie, so her contributions are scanty at best.

Invincible isn’t really a movie to dwell on too much. It’s a sports movie where a guy gets everything he wanted after living a life of poverty and loneliness. We get it, nobody will be surprised at the ideas being put forth, and this will end up as a movie sold at Wal Mart around 3:28 in the morning. But Invincible has a spirit that a lot of movies today have lost in their pessimism. It gently reminds us of a most valuable lesson, that it’s never too late to take your life in your hands and go for it; there are no rules in our hearts, just the limits we build around it. I enjoyed that immensely, even though I thought most everything else was trending towards the mediocre, including the soundtrack, most of the acting, and the incredibly boring direction. All in all, though, Invincible still gets 6 1/2 Philadelphia Platypi out of 10!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, so I will be very curious as to what I watch! Hopefully it’s something positive and uplifting! Until then!!

Elizabeth Banks stands out in any crowd but in THIS crowd...

(Warner Brothers) Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz, Miranda Richardson, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Bobb’e J. Thompson. Directed by David Dobkin

Although we love our brothers and sisters, our lives are one long game of “who’s better.” The term “sibling rivalry” takes on an additional dimension when one of the siblings is famous and successful.

Fred Claus (Vaughn) has a secret – he is the older brother of Nicholas Claus (Giamatti), better known as Santa. Nearly from birth his mother (Bates) made it clear which sibling was her favorite, with a barrage of “Why can’t you be more like your brother” remarks tossed Fred’s way. And to be truthful, Nicholas has a pretty long shadow to step out from. He is so filled with goodness that he becomes a living saint and as such, he and his family also become immortal (don’t ask me to explain it – just go with it and you’ll find your head aching less).

At an early age Fred learned to resent the attention his younger brother got and chose to turn away from his family. He lives in Chicago now, just skating by on charm and full of promises that he rarely keeps, driving his girlfriend Wanda (Weisz), who works as a meter maid, crazy.

When a misunderstanding with a group of Salvation Army Santas leads to a fight in a toy store, Fred has no choice but to turn to his little brother to bail him out of jail. He also needs cash to open an Off-Track Betting parlor directly across the street from the Chicago Mercantile and time is of the essence. In order to get the cash, Fred agrees to work for his brother as Christmas approaches.

Despite the misgivings of Annette (Richardson), Nicholas’ wife, Nicholas sends head elf Willie (Higgins) to fetch Fred via flying reindeer and sleigh. He arrives to find the situation in the North Pole not as hunky dory as you might expect. Longer wish lists and a population explosion of children have left the elves unable to keep up with demand very well. Nicholas copes with the stress by overeating and to make matters worse, the powers that be have sent Clyde Northcutt (Spacey) – an efficiency expert – to report on the state of things at Santa’s Workshop. If the report is bad enough, Clyde can shut the whole operation down…permanently.

Nicholas puts Fred to work in the Naughty/Nice department, making the determination which children get presents and which kids get nothing. In the meantime, he has to deal with a one-dimensional DJ (Ludacris) and an unrequited romance between Willie and Santa’s Little Helper, a tall and buxom number-cruncher named Charlene (Banks). To make matters worse, someone is actively trying to sabotage the operation and is using Fred as the fall guy. Can even a saint – or a saint’s brother – save Christmas?

This movie got scathing reviews when it was first released in 2007 and in some ways, I can see why. It advertised itself as a comedy (and with Vaughn in the cast, who could blame them?) and I think that might have been the original intentions of the filmmakers to produce one.

But this isn’t a comedy, and if you expect it to work as one, you’re going to dislike this movie intensely. What Fred Claus REALLY is, is a family holiday movie. Granted, there are some scenes that are actually funny (the Siblings Anonymous scene comes to mind off the bat) and the by-play between brothers Nicholas and Fred are pretty realistic and laugh-inducing, too.

What’s at the heart of this movie is the sibling rivalry between the two brothers, and Fred learning to grow beyond it. His life is empty without people in it and his relationship with his brother has informed all the other relationships in his life since. If Fred comes off as a bit of a huckster, well it’s more or less a defense mechanism. When he cynically informs Slam (Thompson), an orphan he has befriended, not to drink the Kool-Aid, it’s because he’s terrified of finding out the Kool-Aid actually tastes good.

There are a lot of good actors involved in this and production designer Allan Cameron has given them a gorgeous playground to work in. The North Pole sets are definite eye candy, particularly the magnificent Workshop that comes off as a cross between the Crystal Palace of London and a Rube Goldberg-designed factory.

There are some scenes that are genuinely heartwarming, and I really liked the Elf Ninjas who act as a kind of deranged Santa Secret Service. If you like either Giamatti or Vaughn, they are at the top of their games here and since I like both of them, it’s like getting an extra scoop of ice cream in your hot fudge sundae.

There comes a time in all our lives where we must assert our own identities and this movie is all about that. It took Fred centuries to learn that he was his own person and special in his own way; hopefully it won’t take most of us that long to get the same message.

WHY RENT THIS: The interplay between Vaughn and Giamatti is brotherly and fun. Some touching familial reconciliation tugs at the heartstrings. North Pole set design is off the hook.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Sometimes Vaughn gets a little bit out of control. If you’re expecting a comedy, this really isn’t one.

FAMILY VALUES: As with most Christmas movies, everything is fine for the kids.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Jeffrey Dean Morgan has an uncredited cameo as a parking ticket recipient who hits on Wanda.

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: The Blu-Ray edition comes with a Ludacris music video as well as, oddly, a DVD games disc. There is also a featurette on sibling rivalry featuring several of the participants in the Siblings Anonymous scene.

FINAL RATING: 7/10

TOMORROW: The Holly and The Quill continues.

After a very busy week, this is one of the last posts before Christmas.

Once again, there is some bad behavior on display

I hope you see my point in all of the cases…

I also hope that you had a great weekend, see you soon!

VERDICT:
8/10 World’s Creepiest Posters

Works surprisingly well for a movie that’s essentially one running gag for two hours straight.

The 40 Year-Old Virgin is about a 40 year-old endearing nerd who still hasn’t had sex – he’s come close a couple times, but, no, still hasn’t sealed the deal. Then one day his co-workers find out about this utter crime against humanity and make it their mission to get this guy laid.

Believe it or not, there’s actually a lot more heart here than the synopsis would lead to you believe. Judd Apatow seems to have this formula of “crude + caring = everybody wins” down to a science at this point, but still, it gets pretty damn crude. I know some folks who absolutely hate this movie because of its gross-out factor, and even though it all just had me laughing me ass off, I can appreciate how this might not be everyone’s thing.

But outside of the physical gags and the constant sex jokes, the real selling point here is Carell and Apatow’s script. The writing here is great in a number of aspects, but the thing I always find myself impressed by is that it never gets old. It successfully manages to not just be a movie about dick jokes and awkward sexual/non-sexual encounters because the comic writing is so damn strong and because the main character, Andy (the freak up on that poster), actually wants a relationship and isn’t just trying to pop his cherry. Aside from the waxing scene, I don’t think a whole lot of people leave this movie talking about the cringe-worthy stuff, but rather the fresh and hilarious dialogue coming from the mouths of a really solid cast of newcomers.

And even though a lot of the lines were ad libbed and whatnot – which isn’t a bad thing in the least, as long as it’s done well – all the stuff about donkey shows and Michael McDonald hate and hoodrats are easily my favorite part of this movie as it outshines everything else that’ll make your face turn sour. Every new scene is these guy brewing up conversations that are even crazier than the last, and, yeah, it can be a little rough around the edges, but it’s too good to not appreciate.

The other big thing Apatow has going for him here is his characters. Whether they’re on-screen for two seconds or two hours, they’re all totally memorable and have their own great personalities. Just look at Jonah Hill’s cameo, he’s in here for a blink of an eye playing some kid who just wants to buy a pair of platform shoes with fish in them and even he has a great line or two.

It’s not often that a movie serves as such a significant launching pad for so many careers, but good lord, the proof is in the pudding with this one.

My favorite is still Seth Rogen, but you’ve also got Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Kat Dennings, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, and a bit role by Mindy Kaling from The Office, too. I think we all know this gang by now, you can thank Judd Apatow for that one. And even though it’s kinda hard to think of Steve Carell outside of Michael Scott nowadays, the dude has always been hilarious from back in his Daily Show years and it was about damn time he got his due.

And thank God it finally put Apatow on the map. I like to think it’s karma for whoever came up with the brilliant idea to cancel Freaks and Geeks.

Only problem here is the bizarro ending. “Age of Aquarius”? Where the hell did that come from?

Back in ‘05, the debate between my friends and I was always between this and Wedding Crashers, and even though I think Wedding Crashers is a damn funny movie, it’s no 40 Year-Old Virgin. I was expecting to laugh as hard as I did when I first saw this, and it still has me laughing today. Great characters, great writing, and just a wicked sense of humor to back it all up.

“Hoodrats”, man. Too good.

What if Santa Claus had an older brother who was pretty jealous of his every move and had to move to the North Pole right before Christmas?

Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) moves to the North Pole in order to work for some money that he wants from his brother Nick (Paul Giamatti). But Fred is not the only guest in the North Pole in the build up to Christmas, Clyde (Kevin Spacey) who is analysing and watching Nick and seeing how the Elf’s are working and making sure they are not over worked by a 3 strike role or the North Pole workshop will be closed forever.

This is not really much different to a lot of other Christmas movies that you would have watched, although I feel it is geared more towards an adult audience as young children will probably get bored at times, especially when it is away from the North Pole. But that does not mean it does not contain funny moments, as it really is filled with quite a lot of funny moments. My favorite has to involve Kevin Spacey and a Superman cape . . .  The other really amusing moment has to be the help group which is for people with famous brothers who are sick of living in their spotlight.

Films involving the North Pole and Santa always seem to end up with someone having to save Christmas and deliver all of the presents to the children of the world and this is no different. But with Nick throwing his back out, it was then Fred’s turn to save Christmas and fly the sleigh around the world delivering presents . . . but does he make it in time?

While this is not the worst Christmas film ever, it is no where near the best. It is alright to watch and entertaining in parts, but it is missing a little something . . . maybe it does not feel totally like Christmas because of the times away from the North Pole and Santa? Maybe? 

Performance wise, for me Kevin Spacey really does totally steal every scene in which he is in (yes, that is in nearly everyone of his other movies too) but I really do think hes just fantastic. I thought Paul Giamatti’s Santa looked very good and acting well considering not a massive amount of screen time, as this film wasnt really about Santa it was about Fred.  I found Rachel Weisz rather annoying in this, mainly because her accent seems to change every time she speaks?!?! I mean what was going on with that, plus the way the character goes on with Fred annoyed me too. Vince Vaughn as Fred was pretty much the same helpless character he plays in most movies, but you cannot help to find him entertaining.

I would not really call this required Christmas viewing as definitely not going to become a classic or even a big favorite of mine.

OMG! THIS IS SOOOO AMAZING AND EXCITING!! I LOVE Elizabeth Banks!! She’s SO gorgeous and SO talented!! And definitely making her rounds on the TV circuit, just recently guest starring on an episode of Modern Family in which she played an old friend of Cam & Mitch and frequently threaten to “kill” Cam and Mitch’s baby because she was getting more attention that her!! haha!! LOVE IT!! 


Now, she has just been cast as potential love interest for Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock!! She’ll appear in at least four episodes on 2010 according to Michael Ausiello. 

Certamente, forse è un film del 2008, commedia romantica diretta da Adam Brooks, e interpretato da Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks e Abigail Breslin.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Adam Brooks | Ryan Reynolds | Abigail Breslin | Elizabeth Banks | Isla Fisher

W. è un film del 2008 diretto da Oliver Stone ed interpretato da Josh Brolin.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Oliver Stone | Josh Brolin | Elizabeth Banks | Thandie Newton | Ellen Burstyn | Ioan Gruffudd

We hate the blog Owl Tattoos.

1. WE HATE the frivolity of the internet. Oh sure, it’s great that nature photographers, nudists, and other societal rejects have an online home, but … c’mon. Before clicking that “Create Blog” button in your Blogger account ask yourself,  “does the world really need a blog about this?”  In the case of the creator of the blog Owl Tattoos, if that question even came up, the answer apparently was “hells yes!”

Of course, we’re cool with tattoos. Tattoos are great. And owls? Well, ok. Owls. Whatever. Tattoos depicting owls? Hey, it’s your skin.

A blog about owl tattoos? Hmph. See the name of this blog.

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

2. WE HATE how when we rapidly scroll through your blog, it’s like catching a psychedelic butcher shop out of the corner of our eye.

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

3. WE HATE the fact that owls are the new hot animal. It used to be penguins. We love penguins, but now owls are the new penguins. In line with its mission to make callous movies out of pop culture cliches, we assume Dreamworks is cooking up an animated owl movie featuring the voice talents of people like Tracy Morgan, Elizabeth Banks or Sarah Silverman in lieu of finding real actors.

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

4. WE HATE the fact that people want to mythologize the owl. Everything you think you know about owls is wrong. Owls are jerks:

(From the Wikipedia) Much of the owls’ hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. Owls have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of owls’ feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge owls’ remiges muffle an owl’s wingbeats, allowing its flight to be practically silent. Some fish-eating owls, for which silence is of no evolutionary advantage, lack this adaptation.

Once prey has been captured, an owl’s sharp beak and powerful talons allow it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole (unless it is too big). Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of regurgitating the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales and fur) in the form of pellets. These “owl pellets” — which are plentiful and easy to interpret — are often sold by companies to schools for dissection by students as a lesson in biology and ecology. ^[3]

Owls are the ninja assassins of the woodlands, not the professors. Keep that in mind, Owl Tattoos. You’re just feeding the Owl Agenda.

Look! A tattoo of an owl!

5. WE HATE photos of tattoos, now, after posting all of these. You know when a tattooed person asks you if you would care to see commands you to see their tattoos? Then they tell you the story of how they got the tattoo? And how much it hurt/didn’t hurt? And they tell you what the chaotic and overdrawn blob of ink on their calf means? And it means nothing to you? And they tell you why they had the tattoo drawn on their calf? And they tell the hilarious story of how they had to get the name of their ex covered up? And you start to lose interest right around the time they tell the story about how they got the one on their shoulder? Well, you’re trying to get laid by that person, so it’s ok. Without that at stake, random photos of fresh (and probably sore) owl tattoos just make up one more blog to hate. *sigh*

Piacere Dave è un film del 2008 diretto da Brian Robbins con Eddie Murphy. Il film è stato co-scritto da Bill Corbett e Rob Greenberg.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Brian Robbins | Eddie Murphy | Elizabeth Banks | Gabrielle Union

Zack and Miri Make a Porno è un film del 2008 commedia scritta e diretta da Kevin Smith, e distribuito da The Weinstein Company.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Kevin Smith | Seth Rogen | Elizabeth Banks | Craig Robinson

“Great Expectations”

November 18th, 2009

In terms of the great comedy battle of 2009, which continues to rage amongst shows both new and old, Modern Family is at a distinct disadvantage: with Parks and Recreation delivering some legitimately great comedy and Community doing a really compelling and confident meta-storyline, the simplicity of this show is a disadvantage in terms of being flashy. There comes a point where the hype surrounding the show creates greater expectations than the storylines themselves can live up to in terms of their premise, requiring viewers to appreciate the strong execution where originality isn’t overtly present.

“Great Expectations” is a solid episode of the show, featuring a number of fun loving gags and a couple of big guest stars, but nothing stands out as particularly stunning as compared to some of the other comedies. In this instance, I think there was enough nuance to each individual story to continue to prove how strong the writers understand these characters, but it nonetheless follows similar patterns to what we’ve seen in the past. I think it’s one of their stronger episodes due to a nice role reversal, but it’s not reaching as high as some of the other comedies are right now.

For me, this episode is about the little things more than it is about the guest stars. While Elizabeth Banks (playing Cameron and Mitchell’s barhopping friend Sal) and Edward Norton (playing the bass player/backup vocalist from Spandau Ballet) are both very funny and integrated well into the episode, the storylines they’re involved in really have very little to do with them. I thought the Cameron/Mitchell story was perhaps the episode’s least interesting, if only because it was so predictable: we’re shown that they’re having trouble getting out with Lily around, they make a night out of it with a friend, and discover that their friend is jealous of Lily and devolves into a petulant child. There’s nothing wrong with the storyline, and Banks sells the child-like reaction perfectly, but the storyline had absolutely no twists or turns or nuances to it – just a couple of fun moments (Mitchell refusing to allow her to hold her, Mitchell’s “I’m going in!” Re: new boobs), and strong performances all around.

I thought the other two storylines were simply more interesting conceptually. Jay’s Night, featuring Sloppy Jays and western movies, was the sort of storyline that was charming because of how great Ed O’Neill is and more importantly how you get small little running gags like Gloria’s tone deaf singing or Luke taking everything that Jay says as a sign that he’s going to die soon. Combine with the running battle between Jay and Haley, which nicely ties into what we know of Claire’s own childhood, and the conclusion with Dylan wanting to stick around for Jay’s Night, and the storyline just had a nice flow to it. It was never overly dramatic or overly broad (Jay squirting Manny like a dog was perhaps a BIT broad), staying within a simple comic mode and delivering on its promise.

And I thought the Claire/Phil storyline was the episode’s strongest, if not comically, then certainly in terms of the characters. Phil is still a bit too much like Michael Scott (the scene listing off the things he wants could have very easily been put into Steve Carell’s mouth without much in terms of change), but as with Michael it’s always good when he gets to be the smart one. He, unlike his wife, is capable of being romantic, so the anniversary becomes about Claire’s struggles rather than Phil’s. It’s a nice change of pace, as Julie Bowen is likeable even when she’s incapable of being romantic and Ty Burrell was great in interacting with (his good friend) Edward Norton as they struggle over whether the charade (which was a pretty ingenious comic device) could be continued. Like I say, the big laughs weren’t there, but the emotional payoff was solid and it kept Phil out of his usual tomfoolery role.

Nothing complex, but a funny and enjoyable episode – no need to place it relative to anything else to enjoy that.

Cultural Observations

• Alex gets all of the best one-liners amongst the grandchildren, and here she both played into Haley’s vanity and created Luke’s trauma over her grandfather’s death. Hoping for another episode for her soon.
• I was thinking of how Edward Norton was going to do “funny” in this show’s style, and it’s clear now that I should have thought of “accent” right away. Always funny!
• Spandau Ballet, of course, is an actual band, although I didn’t entirely realize this until I heard him humming the melody of “True” and I realized I recognized it (but would never have known the band name). I did enjoy the joke the show got out of this, as the reason Izzy Lafontaine refused to continue the performance was that the song was called “True” and the story was false.
• Wait, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark was also a real band? Oh, The 80s.

I am a huge fan of horror movies, and though I dont get as much time as I would like to watch them, I watch them when I can! I recently watched ‘The Uninvited’ starring Elizabeth Banks and Emily Browning. I tend to not read reviews or blurbs before watching a horror movie, that way I am completely in the dark before it even begins, so I didnt know what the film was actually about, only that it was a horror.

Anna, a beautiful teen girl (Emily Browning) is being released from a mental hospital. A therapist advises Anna to ‘finish things that she has started’, implying be productive and positive going forward. We learn Anna recently has lost her invalid mother in a fire, causing her breakdown. Returning home, she finds her fathers girlfriend (who was her mothers nurse) has moved into the house. Alongside her sister, she vows to find out about her fathers girlfriend (played by Elizabeth Banks) and end their relationship. Along the way, people she speaks with about her stepmother start to die, and things take a very sinister turn when background checks reveal that her stepmother is not who she says she is.

There was something very ‘Sixth Sense’ about this film, the twists were unexpected and the shocks came very fast. Sadly, I dont feel it really lived up to its potential. There was lots of suspense, but the actual horror bits/shocks werent as much as expected.

That said, the twist near the end was fantastic, and I certainly didnt see it coming. True horror fans might find this a bit tame, but for those of who like all types of horror from the gory down to the suspenseful, I would recommend watching this.

You can read the IMDB reviews here.

You can buy the DVD here :

The Uninvited [DVD] [2008]

Some screenshots :

Those slimy, creepy things that go bump in the night are back.

Nathan Fillion (“Serenity”), Michael Rooker (“Cliffhanger”) and Elizabeth Banks (“40-Year Old Virgin”) star in the sci-fi horror comedy “Slither” about a meteorite that crashes in a small town and begins to infect its citizens.

The fun begins with Grant (Rooker) stumbles upon the meteorite and is attacked. Grant possessed by a creature inside him becomes obsessed with meat and the aliens’ evil plot is hatched. Before the smalltown of Wheelsy knows what’s going on its citizens are starting to become infected by slugs which turn their hosts into zombies.

“Slither” is a pretty simple little film which combines a whole variety of different kinds of horror films.

What is so much fun about “Slither” is the zany dialogue and strong performances from Fillion and Banks.

The script is what makes “Slither” so much more fun than your average horror film out there. It kind of reminds me some of the classic Stuart Gordon film, “The Re-Animator” except take that film mix in elements of “Aliens” and the humor of “The Army of Darkness” and “Return of the Living Dead” then you might get close to what is trying to be shown here.

This is a great film for horror fans.

3.5 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

Elizabeth Banks Totally Looks Like Rachel McAdams

» Think you can do better? Make your own!

Pictures by: keerwashere Look-alike by: keerwuzhere via Totally Looks Like Builder

One of Hollywood’s tough guys, Russell Crowe has recently been reported to have been involved in a motor vehicle accident when a Pittsburgh fire truck hit him and co-star Elizabeth Banks.

Crowe and Banks were on location in Pennsylvania to shoot their crime drama movie, ‘The Next Three Days’. The drama almost got too real when the fire truck rounded a corner too quickly and ended up striking Crowe’s car which was parked near Duquesne University.

The truck hit the car’s front bumper but fortunately, Crowe and Banks who were both inside were unharmed by the collision.

It’s a close call for the two stars who were only doing their job but it seems as though the fire truck may have been on its way to do a job too as they were obviously in a hurry and speeding.

Guess that means no one’s quite that safe in the presence of speedsters, even if those speeding drivers are public servants and law officers.

(Doesn’t this bring to mind the fatal crash caused by a La Habra police officer who crashed her cruiser against a couple’s car and killed them?)

Just like a famous quote from the movie Spiderman, “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

Making porno’s have never been so funny.

When longtime platonic friends Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) find themselves in financial hot water, they hit upon the idea of making an adult film with amateur actors — including themselves — to bring in easy money.

This film is Kevin Smith’s second film stepping away from the View Askiniverse universe, the other one is the bomb Jersey Girl. Now when you consider the title and the writer/director, Kevin Smith who is often known for his funny work mixed in with a tempest of crude vulgarity, I worried that Zack and Miri might dissolve into a simply put dirty movie but its not. It has more of the fun than the filth.

This film surely is very different from Smith’s previous works its funny and can be very raunchy but also has a bit of tenderness. To watch Rogen’s and Banks’ relationship evolve on screen is something that is very beautiful and surely a sight to see. Many of his other movies like Dogma and Clerks II where it gets so disgusting that you just get totally taken away from the story, though right when this film seems like its going to get out of control it doesn’t and stays more tender and doesn’t jump off that cliff and go into filth.

The greatness of this film comes from the charm that lies within Banks and Rogen. They are both hilarious and feature great chemistry that in the end keeps this film all together. Many of the supporting casts make this film ten times better with stars such as Justin Long, Craig Robinson, and Jason Mewes.

However I did have one problem with this film towards the end. I think Kevin Smith is great at writing funny and catchy dialogue but not the romantic sentimental screenplays. I think that the film made me laugh too much by the end when it wasn’t supposed to but of course most of it was saved by the comedy that saved each scene from going too far into the really cheesy love scenes. Another thing I didn’t quite like was how much of the cast was taking from other Judd Apatow films (Rogen, Banks, and Robinson). I think that Smith saw this man as a comedy directing genius and thought the best way too overcome him was to take a lot of big name actors and put them in his film. Not a lot of originality when it came to the cast.

The film’s title seems too raunchy too see but it does not go over the edge and creates a loveable of portrait of two friends who fall in love all because of a porno.

8/10=Matinee!!!

"Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern" Cover

So, nach einer längeren Blog-Pause, während der ich nur wenig Horrorfilme gesehen habe, soll es diesmal um den Film “Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern” gehen. Dies ist das amerikanische Remake des schon 2002 erschienenen Horrorfilms “Tale of two Sisters” aus Südkorea. Der Film ist vor ca. einem halben Jahr in den deutschen Kinos gelaufen und ist nun als DVD und Blu-ray raus. Ich habe mir die DVD zu Gemüte geführt. Wer Filme wie “The Eye” mit der süßen Jessica Alba kennt, der weiß, dass es nicht immer eine gute Idee ist, einen erfolgreichen, asiatischen Horrorfilm als neugedrehte US-Version herauszubringen. Das lässt sich natürlich auch über Filme sagen, deren Vorlage nicht aus Asien kommt. Mir fällt da spontan “Nachtwache” ein. Der dänische Film war ein Überraschungshit und wusste zu begeistern, doch das US-Remake mit Ewan McGregor in der Hauptrolle war eine 1:1 Kopie, die die Frage aufwarf, warum man solch einen Film drehen muss.

Bei “Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern” ist es anders. Man hat sich natürlich kräftig beim Original bedient, aber das Drehbuch wurde gründlich überarbeitet und an die amerikanischen Sehgewohnheiten angepasst. Herausgekommen sind saubere Bilder und eine recht simple, aber effektive Bildsprache. Abwechselnde dunkle und helle Bilder untermalen den Kontrast zwischen heiler Welt und geheimnisvollen, düsteren Visionen.

In diesem Wechselbad der Gefühle befindet sich Anna. Vor etwa einem Jahr kam ihre schwerkranke Mutter bei einem Brand im Bootshaus um. Dies hatte Anna so sehr geschockt, dass sie in ein Sanatorium musste. Jetzt kommt sie raus und wird von ihrem Vater willkommen geheißen. Anna, die keine Erinnerungen mehr an den Tod ihrer Mutter hat, freut sich ihr Haus und ihre Schwester Alex wieder zusehen. Doch da ist noch eine weitere Person: Rachel, die ehemalige Pflegerin von Alex’ und Annas Mutter, die jetzt überraschend mit Papa Steve zusammen ist. Diese Wendung passt Anna überhaupt nicht. Nicht zuletzt durch düstere Visionen glaubt Anna, Rachel sei nicht so nett, wie sie vorgibt. Zusammen mit Alex fängt sie an zu recherchieren und steigert sich immer mehr in den Gedanken hinein, Rachel könne “Leichen im Keller” haben. Die Situation schaukelt sich hoch und Anna hat immer mehr Visionen. Es kommt, wie es kommen muss. Oder doch nicht? Nein, an dieser Stelle höre ich auf den Inhalt wiederzugeben, denn ich könnte vielleicht zuviel verraten.

Denn “Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern” wurde zwar in Hinblick auf das Original vereinfacht, aber ein überraschendes Ende gibt es trotzdem zu sehen. Drauf gekommen bin ich im Vorwege nicht, und das macht ja guten Psycho-Horror aus. Die Atmosphäre hat mir auch gefallen und die Schauspieler sind zwar alle nicht die bekanntesten, machen ihre Sache aber gut. Elizabeth Banks spielt diesmal nicht das Schnuckelchen wie in anderen Filmen wie “Vorbilder” und “Vielleicht, vielleicht auch nicht”, füllt den Charakter der Rachel aber gut aus. Arielle Kebbel und Emily Browning, die beiden Filmschwestern, wird man bestimmt in weiteren Rollen sehen. Talent und das heutzutage nötige Äußere haben sie.

Alles in allem ist “Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern” weniger “dreckig” als das Original und auch weniger komplex. Dies ist den amerikanischen Sehgewohnheiten geschuldet, passt aber gut zum Gesamtkonzept. Wer US-Horror-Thriller mit mysteriösem Touch mag, dürfte auch mit “Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern” richtig liegen.

Like it says there, three quotes about politics, which we sorely miss talking about here at Counterforce, and then we’ll call it a night.

Thank you, Hunter S. Thompson.

Quote #1:

“I don’t like it. I think the cables have a lot to do with it. I’ll take you back to when I was president – we got tons of criticism, but didn’t seem day in and day out quite as personal as some of these talk show people.”

That’s former President George H.W. Bush, during in an interview in Texas about the lack of civility in politics. The interview was supposed to be about his support for volunteerism, but he had to address how we can’t be nice to each other anymore because of the reception Obama was getting in Texas. He goes on to say:

“And it’s not just the right. There are plenty of people on the left. If you want me to name a couple of names, I’ll be glad to do that for you.”

Of course a reporter would love for him to go on from there…

“Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow – I mean here are a couple of sick puppies.”

This quote fascinates me, especially as Olbermann pointed out in his response on the Maddow show, this is from the man who arguably started the era of dirty political attacks we’re in now by employing guys like Roger Ailes and Lee Atwater, and the kind of shit that would eventually beget guys like Karl Rove.

It’s funny that the elder Bush then added: “And the way they treat my son and treat anybody that’s opposed to their point of view is just horrible,” as his reasoning for specifically naming Maddow and Olbermann. Cause that’s what he’s really upset about, I’m sure. The way they treated his son, yeah, which I believe, but that they attack people who don’t share their beliefs. That’s something that Bush, sr. really wants to stand up against, I’m sure.

Before I go onto my next quote, I want to share this link with you about an interesting supposition about the wedding storyline in the Archie comics – seriously – and how it’s an allegory for the state of America right now. What happened was: a few issues ago Archie proposed to Veronica, shocking everyone, and then in the most recent issue, he ended up changing his mind and instead proposing to Betty. The semi-serious gist of the post is:

“This is clearly a reference to America’s voting for Barack Obama, then turning against the very things he stood for, such as greater public healthcare coverage.”

Good enough for me, man.

Quote #2:

“Why should we hear about body bags, and deaths, and how many, what day it’s gonna happen, and how many this or that do you suppose? Or, I mean, it’s, it’s not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?”

That’s former first lady Barbara Bush, wife of George H.W. Bush, is from March 17, 2003 when she was asked about the coming Iraq war. On it’s own the quote is just ridiculous and damning about this family of east coast intellectual elites who made a career out of posing as Texas good ol’ boys and “real Americans.” Taken within the context of the interview itself, the statement makes a little more sense, but only just a little more. But it was one of the first things that came to mind, along with “a thousand points of light,” when I hear the “sick puppies” comment.

The comment, of course, also reminds me of that Tony Kushner play, “Only We Who Guard The Mystery Should Be Unhappy” starring Laura Bush during the Iraq War. Ah, seems like it was just yesterday.

I don’t want to fully bash the Bush family, so it’s important to remember this, showing that they really aren’t all that bad.

And last, but not least…

Quote #3:

“Crime, boy, I don’t know.”

But in context, you’ll have to see it here:

“In the future, if you’re wondering, ‘crime, boy, I don’t know,’ is when I decided to kick your ass.”

That’s from the third season finale of The West Wing, entitled “Posse Comitatus,” and deals with President Bartlett, played by Martin Sheen, meeting his rival in the upcoming presidential election, Flordia Governor Robert Ritchie, a clear George W. Bush analogue played by James Brolin, backstage at a performance of “The War Of The Roses.”

My God, I miss this show, not because of it’s “liberalism,” or what most moderate liberals would call simply “common sense-ism,” but because it was just a solidly written, performed, produced show. Aaron Sorkin wasn’t always great with long term story planning (blame it on the cocaine?), but he had a playwright’s excellent sense of immediate personal drama in a single moment and doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his abilities with comedy, but that’s a story for another time.

This particular storyline dealt with President Bartlett being up for re-election, despite lying about having MS, and in a bid for a taste of the real world, he was going up against the Governor of Florida, essentially a take on GWB. The storyline was good enough, just hard to believe in that Bartlett was a great president and in this wonderful television world, you couldn’t believe he’d actually struggle in an election against such a moron. In real life, morons tend to have the advantage over the smart because of a successful attack on “intellectualism” that has been sweeping through this country during the past few decades, perhaps starting with the days of Lee Atwater and Roger Ailes?

Well, no, I wouldn’t give them all the credit for that, but Sorkin does point out that beyond Clinton fatigue, anti-intellectualism was a large part of the 2000 election contest between GWB and Al Gore. That, and outright thievery, but that’s a story that’s been told many times before.

The storyline between Bartlett/Ritchie essentially ended with their debate…

…in which Bartlett so mercilessly and effortlessly kicked his opponent’s ass that it seemed like science fiction. But it was so good. Not just for liberals, democrats, and “intellectuals,” but for people who liked good TV and were American porn enthusiasts. It’s Bartlett’s line in that debate – “I’m the President of the United States, not the President of the people who agree with me” – that has strongly affected my rather simplistic view on politics. Left, right, right, wrong, smart, dumb, agreeing with the President, disagreeing with the President, or somewhere  drifting in between any of those so called absolutes, in this country, you’re still in America. Every part of America is “the real America,” it’s changing every single day, every single moment, and not necessarily drifting towards socialism just because you don’t understand it, don’t like, or are scared of the color of the skin that the man running the show has.

I’d love to throw out the question of why is it necessarily a bad thing to have a smart President who’s considered elite and recognized as being so? I’d love to, but that’s a losing debate amongst the hoi poilloi, I know. Oh, and to continue the tenuous thread between the here and now and the halcyon days of The West Wing, one of the many things I like that Barack Obama and Josiah Bartlett have in common: They’re both Nobel prize winners.

‘Welcome to Old Navy…. Welcome to Old Navy…. Welcome to Old Navy…. I am obviously the same size as everyone else!’  ‘Yes…. you can help me find my size… Welcome to OLD NAVY!’

LOL… I couldn’t help it.  I actually broke out the vaporizer for this one and sat back and enjoyed another instant Eddie Murphy classic.  How could you NOT… *toke toke*.. enjoy the antics of this bugger.

I’m pretty sure our favorite line was…… ‘I AM DAVE MING CHANG’….. yah yah.. sure you are.. HAHAHHA!!… *toke toke*…

Two Bong Tokes