I love Seinfeld and I thought that Newman was one of the best characters. He enhanced every episode he was in and made a great double act with Kramer.

In tribute to Newman here is my attempt to post a YouTube video onto my blog.

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What?

His Airness and His Hareness: what a team! Michael Jordan slams, Bugs Bunny jams and a cavalcade of looney tunes stars hoop it up in Space Jam, the rim-rattlin animated/live-action roundball romp from Hollywood talents who refuse to let their imaginations be earthbound.

The jokes fly and the fun never stops as the Tune Squad takes on the Nerdlucks in a hardcourt game to decide if the Looney Tunes remain here… or become attraction at a far-off galactic off-ramp called Moron Mountain. The Nerdlucks have a monstrous secret weapon on their side: they’ve stolen the skills of top NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing and become Monstars. But that’s not all folks. The Tune Squad also has a secret weapon. And he just happens to be the finest player in this or any other universe. He’s outta this world and so is the fun!

Where?

On the Jubilee Line

With?

Just myself.

Why?

Well things went a bit wrong today.

Today, January 8th 2010, I should have been in the local cinema watching a film I’ve been waiting to see for nearly 2 years…THE ROAD. Alas, I had to come home from work early due to the weather and am now snowed in, so that idea went flying out of the window.

Due to the trains being useless, I had to take a very long alternate route home, with all that spare time I figured I’d watch one of the films I loaded on to my iPod for exactly these kinds of situations. Feeling pretty tired, I wanted something easy on the brain and easy on the eye.

Space Jam met that criteria.

Worth It?

Let’s get the bad out-of-the-way first. Michael Jordan, along with his basketball alumni (Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing etc) are TERRIBLE actors! I’m talking really really bad, dead eyes bad, no emotion whatsoever bad!

OK, that’s out-of-the-way. This movie is a ton of fun from start to finish and it’s all down to the Toons and the supporting actors. Wayne Knight once again plays the put down upon assistant who has his heart in the right place but only smothers, he provides the human physical comedy and despite his job essentially being “fatty fall down”, he brings enough to the table to endear him to the viewer.

Then there’s Bill Murray…as Bill Murray. He’s in the movie for maybe 15 minutes in total, but you can tell he’s having fun and he completely steals every scene he’s in. One throwaway line with Larry Bird makes me chuckle just thinking about it.

The Looney Toons are great as usual and the soundtrack is pretty brilliant but it’s the final game that brings the big laughs, and they’re usually coming from the amazing Daffy Duck, keep a look out for his entrance, it’s a cracker.

Space Jam is a completely throwaway movie, a real sick day piece of film where everything is what it seems, and it works best that way. It’s no masterpiece but it is a fun movie to watch with some real stand-out moments.

6/10

Punisher: War Zone is a hard movie to rate. It is insanely over the top and hilarious in its excess and utter lack of knowledge of the real world. Its as if the filmmakers watched the Boondock Saints and wondered why they held back so much. The characters are so broadly sketched that nothing they do feels remotely true and the dialogue is cheesy and the delivery hammy. The violence is the selling point of the film, first, last and always. No single bullet (or even punch in one case) fails to destroy the victim’s skull entirely. Certain characters serve no purpose other than target dummies, particularly the Irish Rastafarian and his crew (though that was one of the film’s top moments). In the end, though, the reason I can only give the film two stars is the callous, bad spirited portrayal of the hero. His first and last dealings with Jigsaw are so pointlessly cruel that you are left with no one really to sympathize with. Wayne Knight’s Microchip was the only character to make any sacrifice and this was presented in a heartlessly thrown away moment. I will admit that this mess was entertaining but afterward I just felt a little dirty for having watched it. 2 stars

Este domingo 22 de noviembre llegó a su fin la septima temporada de la maravillosa serie Curb your enthusiasm, una temporada esperada por muchos por un detalle peculiar: los actores de Seinfeld se reunirían de nuevo bajo el mando de Larry David, como sucedió hace 20 años.

Luego de 9 temporadas de Seinfeld y 7 de Curb, es claro que Larry David es un genio. Y como alguien suficientemente inteligente, no agotó los 10 episodios de la temporada con Julia, Michael, Jason y Jerry haciendo chistes a diestra y siniestra. De hecho, en la mitad de los episodios no salen ninguno de ellos y, más bien se enfocan en sus más recientes hijos: Cheryl, Jeff, Susie, Funkhouser y Leon, apoyados en las clásicas visitas de Ted Danson y Richard Lewis. Hasta Christian Slater hace una aparición.

La temporada estuvo plagada de momentos memorables como el incidente con Jesús, las pantaletas, la felación en el carro, o la chica en silla de ruedas, pero sin duda la química entre los dos judíos es el mejor regalo que podríamos pedir. Ver interactuar a Jerry y al verdadero George Constanza es increíble ya que la comedia de observación de Seinfeld se complementa a la perfección con el desorden metal de David.

Aún no se sabe si habrá una nueva temporada de Curb, pero con lo que vimos en estos últimos episodios, podemos decir que Larry David terminó de ponerle un bello lazo a su trabajo en televisión. No podría pensar en un mejor final para dos de las mejores series de comedia que se han hecho (diría que las mejores, pero no puedo hacerle eso a Arrested Development) Ahora, es probable que David conseguirá otra idea para una nueva temporada, y seguramente será tan buena como esta.

Esperemos que el dvd con el material extra salga pronto, porque esos detrás de cámara deben ser una joya.

Les dejo de regalo este es un especial de HBO acerca de la temporada, con entrevistas y algunas escenas detrás de cámara.

Y además acá los torrent de todos los episodios para que se hagan un favor y vean esta genialidad de temporada.

EP.1: “Funkhouser’s Crazy Sister“

EP.2: “Vehicular Fellatio“

EP.3 “The Reunion“

EP.4 “The Hot Towel“

EP.5 “Denise Handicapped“

EP.6 “The Bare Midriff“

EP.7 “The Black Swan“

EP.8 “Officer Krupke“

EP.9 “The Table Read“

EP.10 “Seinfeld“

Respect the Wood!!

The thing about Encores is that the producers are really just showcasing the songs, the dancing, and the sense of fun in the theater.  This time around, Encores once again tackles a 1930’s musical, stocked with well-known-ish actors & their own sense of purpose.

Ugly Betty’s adorable Becki Newton and her husband Chris Diamantopoulus ostensibly lead the show as the romantic foils.  Neither was particularly outstanding, but both were enjoyable and had strong voices that could find good lead theater work.  The two lead parts are rather formulaic – which worked for the ’30’s, but isn’t quite interesting enough for today.

Marc Kudisch, Ana Gasteyer, and Wayne Knight were uniformly suited to their roles.  Kudisch exuded strong, masculine sex appeal.  Gasteyer, playing one of the roles that made Ethel Merman a star, blasted away with her steel-girded lungs and snappy sense of humor.  Knight surprised me the most, and stole every scene he was in as the put-upon, always being chased nebbish.  He displayed the comic panache most of us expect from him, had a more than serviceable voice, and was a delight at all times.  I look forward to seeing him back on stage soon in a meatier role.  He would make an excellent Horace Vandergelder, a great Col. Pickering, and I could even see him replacing Bill Irwin in Bye Bye Birdie.

Overall, if you go into Encores (regardless of what they’re doing) with a sense of what to expect, you’ll always enjoy the experience.  I’ve seen some shows that really deserve to stay buried, but the experience of getting them out of storage & trying parts of them on is really what the series is about.  They may destroy the book, but the singing & dancing is always good.  I doubt there is a straight man in the chorus, but they worked it well.  Or, rather, well enough.  Sure, there wasn’t much of a set & the sound design is always a bit off (since not all cast members have their own mic), but that’s really not the point.

This show in particular was a combination of outmoded types & trends, and it put a smile on my face.  Then I went home & watched Fred & Ginger.  A little more sass, a bit more structure, but just as much “are you really caring about the details” vibe that makes a song & dance show fun.  I’ll be pulling out a few more F&G shows this weekend to continue the effervescent & delightful mood.  Or something.

Jurassic Park (1993)
★★★★ / ★★★★

“Jurassic Park” was one of my favorite movies when I was about seven years old and it still remains a guilty pleasure of mine. (And I’m guessing my love for this film will be passed on to my kids.) Based on the novel by Michael Crichton and directed by the great Steven Spielberg, this film made me experience every emotion that there was to experience in (smart) summer blockbusters and creature-feature movies: heart-pounding thrills, suspense embedded in silences, funny one-liners, and astute script supported by storytelling that inspires true wonder.

John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) wanted to open a new theme park that was full of dinosaurs and everything else from that specific time period. But in order for the park to get a green light to open, he must get the approval of outside parties: a mathematician who loves to talk about the chaos theory (Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm) and two dinosaur experts who are opposites but undoubtedly share great chemistry (Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant and Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler). Other characters included Hammond’s grandchildren (Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards), a greedy computer expert who made a deal with another research group to smuggle DNA outside of Jurassic Park (Wayne Knight), another computer expert who likes structure and discipline (Samuel L. Jackson), a dinosaur hunter (Bob Peck), and a lawyer who values money over safety (Martin Ferrero). Although none of the characters were fully explored, I did not think that was too big of a problem because each of them contributed something to the picture, such as being dinosaur bait for our entertainment. And who really wants character development when one can look at how ferocious and fatal dinosaurs can be?

I admired this picture’s ability to balance. With its two-hour running time, I noticed that the first half served to explain how the scientists were able to replicate (with slight but crucial modifications) extinct creatures and the second half focused on the many brutal ways of getting hunted. As a Biological Sciences major, I liked the fact that it offered an explanation that made sense with regards to how the scientists acquired the dinosaurs’ DNA. Moreover, I also liked that it mentioned that acquiring the DNA would not be sufficient. That is, there were missing gaps in the DNA that had to be solved in order to commence the process of DNA replication and eventually cloning entire organisms. As for the chase sequences, I found that once it started it never lets go until the final three minutes. There were definitely a plethora of highlights in the second half but I’m only going to mention some. The kitchen scene that haunted me when I was younger was even more thrilling than I thought. When I was seven, I remember being able to identify with those kids because I thought that if I were in their situation, I wouldn’t want to get eaten by those hungry velociraptors either. Not that I’m older, I still could identify with them but on a different level: I didn’t want them to get hurt because they are smart, funny and energetic kids. Another highlight was the first appearance of the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex and how the water vibrated as it moved closer to the characters. I’ve seen the impact of vibration reference in a plethora of films that came after “Jurassic Park” so I think it’s safe to say that that scene is pretty much embedded in the collective media unconscious. And it rightly deserves to be because of Spielberg’s great execution by building suspense and eventually delivering the thrills.

The special and visual effects must be given applause. I’ve seen a number of movies surrounding 1993 and nothing even comes close to this film’s magic. Back in 1993, it must have been that much more impressive. Nowadays, if one was to watch this movie, one would find out that some effects were noticably computerized. Given that, while the two sequels greatly improved on the effects, neither comes close to the original’s sense of wonder and tension. For me, it goes to show that a movie can have the best special and visual effects in the world but if there’s not enough story and heart, it’s essentially weak as a whole. Last but certainly not least, I liked that it managed to tackle ethical questions of building such a park. I was glad that the whole “playing God” issue/religion was acknowledged but it eventually focused on defying nature without thinking of the consequences first. Goldblum’s character provided much of the ethical questions and I was always interested with what he had to say. And really, his questions are still relevant today because of all the technological advancements our generation are acquiring.

“Jurassic Park” is truly one of the best summer blockbuster popcorn flick ever made. By the time the credits started rolling, despite the death and terror that happened in the park, I still wished we had one just like it in real life so I could visit. If I were to describe this movie in the fewest words possible it would be “A Landmark.”

You have very little time left to see this in theaters. I went opening night, and I’ve been floating ever since. Toy Story is one of the greatest films of the last 25 years, one of the singular achievements in cinematic history, and it’s revolutionized the way animated films are both drawn and told. It also began a run of films by Pixar that has proven to be the most impressive run of films by a production studio in the history of movie production– no other run of ten films has produced seven four-star classics and three more three-star films in a fifteen-year span. Ever. Toy Story 2 is included in the double feature, and while its animation is even more impressive than the first, and it performs admirably as a sequel to one of the best films I’ve ever seen, it doesn’t quite live up. Still, the two together, with retouched graphics and 3D effects added in, stands tall as one of the best times I’ve had in theaters this year.

I was ten when the original Toy Story came out. I was starting to get too old to believe your toys came to life when you left the room, but action figures and stuffed animals still had names, and still had their own personalities in my mind. Watching it now, nearly fifteen years later, I felt ten again. Before the film began, a trailer for Toy Story 3 showed Andy as an adult now, wondering what to do with his old toys. A montage of Andy growing older with his toys diminishing farther into the background of his life brought tears to my eyes. This was exactly what I had gone through– and sure enough, if I went back home, there all my old toys and stuffed animals would be, with my mom urging me coldly and logically to get rid of them, because I never play with them anymore, and I’m never home. Moms never understood in the Toy Story films. Mom was the one who never believed Andy when he said Woody and Buzz were missing. Mom was the smug one when Woody and Buzz showed up magically in Andy’s box. Mom was the one who went to Andy’s room to scoop up toys for the yard sale while Andy was away at summer camp.  It’s not that Mom doesn’t care– she just has forgotten that toys have lives of their own, lives that only the child owner can fully appreciate and comprehend.

When the film started, showing me Andy’s familiar wallpaper, listening to the familiar strains of Randy Newman’s classic score, I was taken back to age ten with a startling quickness. When Woody first appears, with the pullstring utterance, “Reach for the skyyyyy!”, warm tingles ran down my spine. This isn’t just a movie from my childhood– it IS my childhood. Toy Story enables the viewer to relive that sense of being a kid again. The fact that I was a kid when Toy Story came out only adds to my appreciation, layering a touch of nostalgia on top. The musical montages made me reach for a tissuebox that I wish I’d anticipated bringing. “I Will Go Sailing No More” is one of the best musical montages ever in any film, and then the film has the grace to follow that beautiful heart-wrenching moment with one of the funniest scenes in the film, Buzz flipping out, yelling, “You see the hat?? I am Mrs. Nesbitt!” Every voice is perfect, every moment magically snapped into place flawlessly, and now with the retouched visuals, the animation looks as sharp and awe-inspiring as ever.

There is a moment in Toy Story that ranks up there as one of the best moments of its kind ever made. It’s the moment in which Woody and Buzz have been left behind by the moving truck, and they realize they’ve got a rocket and a match– they can still catch up! Woody lights the match… and the wind from a passing car extinguishes the flame. This moment is one of those moments where despite the fact that you know, you just KNOW, that the heroes will make it back and the day will be saved, you think for a moment, “Does this film truly have the guts to end with these toys… not making it back?” It’s an impossibility, and as an avid moviegoer, you know that they will make it. Yet when the surefire final solution is gone, what’s left to do? A similar moment is the moment in Back To The Future when Marty is racing the clock, and he puts the key in the ignition, and the car won’t start. These are the moments in film that sink our hearts into our stomachs, and they are only achieved when we have massive amounts of caring for the characters on screen and when the storytelling is nothing short of masterful. This tells you the caliber of film Toy Story is. It’s one of a kind– it’s magical.

Toy Story 2 does not reach the same level, but that’s like faulting Wilt Chamberlain for not scoring a hundred points in a single game twice. It begins with an exquisitely animated Buzz Lightyear adventure, which is done creatively but feels somewhat out of place with the heartfelt simpler pleasures of the first film. When we return to Andy’s room, the laughs begin, and the rest of the film stays within the toy point-of-view. Woody is stolen by a toy collector at a yard sale, and he discovers his worth as a classic collector’s item. Part of him wants to return to Andy… but the other part of him acknowledges the grim reality that his time in Andy’s life is short at best, whereas in a museum kids will marvel at him forever. Meanwhile, Buzz and the gang set off into the city to try to find Woody, and they enter a toy store, full of Barbies, other Buzz Lightyears, and the Emperor Zurg action figure hellbent on destroying Buzz.

The hijinks in the city is very amusing, but lacks the same sort of heart in these sequences that the previous film maintained throughout. The moments between Woody and the other figures that make up Woody’s Roundup Gang (voiced by Joan Cusack and Kelsey Grammer) have all of the heart and the thoughtfulness that we’d expect from a Pixar film, although a musical montage by Sarah McLachlan detailing how Joan Cusack’s character, Jessie, lost the favor of her owner, feels derivative of the “Strange Things” montage from the first film. There’s nothing wrong with this movie– it’s laugh-out-loud funny, full of the characters we love, and even more exquisitely animated than the first (the conclusion of the film at the airport is really sensational). It’s unfair that our brains automatically compare a sequel to its truly classic predecessor, but it’s the truth of the matter: you can’t leave Toy Story 2 without thinking, “It’s not AS perfect as Toy Story.”

Still, you’d be a fool not to check out this double-feature while it’s still in theaters– you’ve got at least one more weekend. The films are split by an intermission with trivia and little fun clips containing the whole gang (peppered with wisecracks so funny they made me want to skip my restroom break and stay the whole time). If you’re not familiar with these films, you’re in for a treat that I can’t begin to describe. If you saw Toy Story fifteen years ago, it’s absolutely worth seeing the gorgeous retouching they’ve done with it… and it’s always more fun seeing classics in theaters. But if you’re like me, and you’re of the rare age that you grew up with Toy Story, then this will be one of the best movie experiences of recent memory.

Though the movie Toy Story 2 by itself would be three kernels, Toy Story and the experience as a whole is…

É exatamente por isso que ninguém no mundo me inspira mais do que ele.

Hoping to make up for the hot mess that was season 5, Nip/Tuck returns next Tuesday (Oct. 14) with brand new episodes that appear to kick the crazy back into high gear. I’m talking bat shit, people.

While Sean (Dylan Walsh) continues his dangerous love affair with crazy Teddy (now played by Rose McGowan), Matt (John Hensley) decides to become an actor. More specifically, he becomes a mime — one that may or may not turn to a life of crime. This craziness prompts Julia’s mother (a much-missed Vanessa Redgrave) to try to gain custody of Julia (Joely Richardson) and Sean’s other children. Meanwhile, Kimber (Kelly Carlson) becomes an esthetician and goes into business with Dr. Hamoui (a not-so-missed Mario Lopez).

Unfortunately, season 6 will also feature more Christian-Liz drama. In my opinion, their hook up (vomit) and marriage (double vomit) was the weakest part of season 5 — and possibly the stupidest storyline in the show’s history. Season 6 finds cancer-free Christian (Julian McMahon) and former-lesbian Liz (Roma Maffia) battling it out in some pretty ugly divorce proceedings. There is a silver lining, though: Wayne Knight (aka Seinfeld’s Newman and Jurassic Park’s roly poly villain) will be joining the show in the role of a divorce lawyer.

While creator Ryan Murphy may have forgotten about Nip/Tuck in favor of his new hit series, Glee, it’s important for us, the diehard fans, to appreciate the series’ remaining 13 episodes. Here’s a look at the upcoming season. Let’s hope it’s a good one!

More videos here.

Convenhamos, folks:

O Pernalonga, o Patolino e os outros Looney Tunes sabiam fazer uma faxina como ninguém.

Cusparadaaaaaaaaaa!

PS1: Além do Michael Jordan, Space Jam contou com a participação de Larry Bird e Charles Barkley, duas outras estrelas do inesquecível dream team das Olimpíadas de Barcelona (o melhor de todos os tempos?). Os fãs podem rever os melhores momentos, inclusive do Magic, aqui.

PS2: O mala do Bill Murray e o Danny deVito, que empresta sua voz para o vilão, também integraram o elenco.

PS3: A trilha sonora de Space Jam também fez muito sucesso – principalmente For you I will, da Monica, e Fly Like an Eagle, música do Jordan feita pelo Seal. Quem levou o Grammy, porém, foi o R. Kelly por I believe I can fly.

Pop Corn and Coke : Punisher: War Zone

Rilis bulan Juli ini, Punisher: War Zone. Bercerita tentang tokoh pahlawan Punisher dari komik Marvel. Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) yang kehilangan keluarganya karena dibunuh Mafia kini merubah identitasnya menjadi The Punisher. Castle masih berusaha menghancurkan semua mafia yang terkait dengan pembunuhan keluarganya. Sasaran berikutnya adalah Billy, seorang gembong mafia yang ikut terlibat dalam pembunuhan keluarga Frank. Saat hendak membunuh Billy di tempat persembunyiannya, tanpa sengaja Frank membunuh seorang agen kepolisian yang sedang menyamar bernama Nick. Frank kemudian menyadari bahwa yang dibunuhnya adalah seorang agen yang menyamar. Namun Billy yang sudah didepan mata tak mungkin untuk dilepaskan. Frank kemudian mengalahkan Billy, Tapi Billy berhasil selamat namun ia mengalami kerusakan pada wajahnya. Billy kemudian merubah namanya menjadi Jigsaw.  Frank merasa bersalah atas terbunuhnya Nick, terlebih pada Angela dan Grace, istri dan anak Nick. Frank sempat mendatangi Angela untuk memberikannya uang dan memintanya menjalani hidup yang baru sekaligus meminta maaf, namum hal itu ditolak Angela. Singkat cerita Jigsaw yang sempat ditahan kemudian dilepaskan karena melakukan perjanjian dengan salah satu Agen. Namun lepasnya Jigsaw malah membawa petaka, Jigsaw kemudian menyandera Angela dan Grace beserta Paul, teman Frank yang bertugas menyediakan senjata. Jigsaw menyandera mereka disalah satu bangunan tua. Namun jigsaw mempunyai rencana untuk mengalahkan The Punisher. Berhasilkah Frank “The Punisher” Castle mengalahkan Jigsaw…

Film ini dirilis kedalam bentuk VCD Video untuk Home Box Office anda pada bulan Juli ini.

Keren banget, penuh kekerasan didalamnya, sadis juga penuh baku tembak, itu yang digambarkan dari film ini. Film ini memang dihadirkan Marvel dengan menggambarkan citra The Punisher yang kejam dan dingin, namun tetap mempunyai hati. Film ini juga berbeda dari film-film Heroes Marvel lainnya, yang lebih banyak mengumbar sisi Patriotiknya. Malahan Marvel menggambarkan pahlawan ini lewat sisi kejamnya dan mencitrakannya dengan citra kriminal. Film yang telah di Re-boot untuk kedua kalinya ini memang benar-benar ditunggu para fans Marvel. Pasalnya 2 film sebelumnya dianggap gagal dan kurang mengambarkan citra Punisher. Dan menurut saya yang kali ini cukup berhasil. Ceritanya dibuat menghitam, pembangunan Karakter Frank yang berubah menjadi Punisher sendiri tidak cukup banyak dijelaskan dan mengabur. Adegan-adegan perkelahiannya di hadirkan dengan kejam, dengan darah dimana-mana (bahkan menyamai kejamnya Rambo 4), namun setting yang malam dan agak sedikit gelap membuat aksi kejam sedikit disamarkan. Akting Ray Stevenson pun terbilang cukup sukses, ia dapat menggambarkan profil Punisher yang gelap dan War Junkie, pas sekali. Alhasil menurut saya film ini film yang bagus dan sangat cocok untuk mewakili Franchise Punisher, tapi hati-hati film ini khusus dewasa bukan buat anak-anak yang doyan pahlawan-pahlawan super…

Cast

Ray Stevenson (King Arthur, Rome Series, Outpost)

Dominic West (300, Forgotten, Mona Lisa Smile)

Wayne Knight (Kungfu Panda, Toy Story 2, Jurassic Park, Tarzan)

Point 7,9

One of the main reasons I consider Seinfeld to be the greatest sitcom of all time is the seemingly endless series of hilarious supporting characters seen throughout the show’s run.  I like a ton of them, but decided to only list my five favorites.  Many appeared in only one episode (not including the finale), like The Soup Nazi and Bubble Boy, so I excluded them from consideration.  I also excluded Newman, because he appeared in so many episodes (47) he might as well have been a regular cast member.  He’s like the Fifth Beatle of Seinfeld.  So, without further ado, here’s my list…

5. The Maestro
(played by Mark Metcalf)

Having already established a permanent place in the annals of classic comedy with his performances as Niedermayer in the 1978 film Animal House and The Dad from those Twisted Sister videos back in the ’80s, the instantly recognizable Mark Metcalf completed his own three-decade trifecta in the ’90s with his brief but memorable appearances on Seinfeld as The Maestro (a.k.a. Bob Cobb).  The Maestro was the hilariously pretentious small-time conductor who whisked Elaine away to Tuscany while insisting to Jerry there were no rentals available there whatsoever.  His pre-show pants removal technique ensured a perfect crease and was adopted by many of the Seinfeld gang, most notably during a frustrating round of billiards in George’s cramped childhood bedroom.  To his comedic contributions, I say “BRAVO!”

4. Mickey Abbott
(played by Danny Woodburn)

Just about everyone on Seinfeld had a sidekick.  Jerry had George.  The Gay Latin Armoire Thief had The Gay Anglo Armoire Thief.  And Kramer had Mickey, the bearded actor whose tiny body housed a raging temper.  Whether attacking Kramer for his ill-advised suggestion to wear lifts when standing in for a growing boy on a soap opera or reading him the riot act for developing Communist leanings while they worked together as a department store Santa and his elf, Mickey brought non-stop comic energy to every situation.  His reaction when George flippantly called him a midget was priceless, as was the time he and Kramer jostled for position when trying to determine which girl they were each dating.  They may have been mad for Merlot, but I’m mad for Mickey.

3. Kruger
(played by Daniel von Bargen)

The funniest sub-category of Seinfeld supporting characters would have to be the many bosses of Costanza over the years.  Big Stein was a fascinating buffoon throughout George’s stint with the Yankees, and the way George’s boss at Play Now went so quickly from pitying him to intensely hating him was comedy gold.  But none of George’s bosses made me laugh harder or more often than his last boss, Kruger, whose go-to response for just about every situation was “Whatever.”  Upon learning of George’s attempt to defraud the company through a bogus charity called The Human Fund (“Money…for people.”), Kruger insisted upon accompanying George to the Costanza family’s resurrection of their long-dormant Festivus celebration.  Yet while chaos ensued around him, he merely shrugged his shoulders and broke out his flask.

2. J. Peterman
(played by John O’Hurley)

George wasn’t the only one of Jerry’s pals with a history of nutty bosses, as Elaine certainly had her fair share.  Mr. Pitt was a delightfully upper-crust British Magoo, while Mr. Lippman’s many quirks included being so attracted to Elaine that he renounced Judaism.  But the most hilarious of all Elaine’s bosses was the incomparable J. Peterman, who could instantly provide a catalog description off the top of his head for anything (and everything) he saw.  He provided so many side-splitting moments over the years, but the ones I always laugh at without fail are his exchanges with Kramer when negotiating to co-opt Cosmo’s life story for his own autobiography and his numerous cautionary tales about the many dangerous drugs found throughout the Orient.

1. David Puddy
(played by Patrick Warburton)

Kramer and Costanza are undoubtedly the most impersonated and quoted Seinfeld characters, but neither of them have given me as much mileage since the series ended as Elaine’s on again, off again, on again boyfriend, David Puddy.  He’s a Devil-loving face painter, a foreplay-stealing auto mechanic, a kroner-counting jetsetter, a disposal-installing germophobe, a fur-wearing partygoer and a high-fivin’ Arby’s enthusiast.  Am I trying to say he’s a true renaissance man?  ”Yeah, that’s right.”

I was surfing youtube the other day and stumbled across the scene where Terk, Tantor, and their friends found Jane’s camp from the 1999 movie of Tarzan.  Anyway, I was reading some of the comments and one of the comments was the scene reminded the person of Stomp!  Anyway, as I watched the scene again, I thought the same thing.  Trashin’ The Camp does remind me of Stomp!  Because if you think about it, both use non-traditional instruments to play percussion music.  I just found that interesting. BTW, I had to laugh at the reference to Mrs. Potts and Chip from the 1991 movie version of The Beauty And The Beast.

 Jurassic Park (the film based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same title) was released in 1993 and is one of Steven Spielberg’s most entertaining movies of all time. John Hammond wants to open a park filled with cloned dinosaurs, but must have a safety inspection first. Computer Architech Dennis Nedry (played by favourite 90s fatty actor Wayne Knight) gets bribed to steal dinosaur embryos to deliver to Hammond’s rival. Accordingly, Nedry shuts off the security system; allowing dangerous carnivorous dinosaurs to escape out of their cages. This is where the fun begins.

I was petrified when I watched this movie for the first time. The beginning was light and fun, even included a cartoon explaining the cloning of their dinosaurs. I didn’t understand a thing but it was still cute to watch. Once T-Rex came into the picture, it was time to hide under the covers.

I watched this again and the dinosaurs still looks real as they did the first time I saw it. So many films these days use computers to generate animals and other creatures but it ends up looking like a 3D animation. Examples are the two Chronicles of Narnia films. For some reason it works for Jurassic Park. The sound effects used in Jurassic Park are spectacular. The screech and growls of these dinosaurs are just scary. You MUST watch this with surround sound.

The scene that frightened me the most and still does a bit, is the scene in the kitchen. Tim and Lex (Hammond’s grand children are trying to get out of being dinner (or was it breakfast/lunch, who knows) to two hungry Velociraptors. Tim and Lex are only kids, so this is pretty much a nightmare come true for them. They’re only in a kitchen for Pete’s sake; there isn’t much space for you to run or hide.

[Excuse the poor quality]

My other favourite scene was when Tim, Lex and Alan Grant get up close and personal with a Brachiosaurus in a tree. The dinosaur sneezed all over Lex. Cute.

Prepare yourself for creative uses of shrimp forks and chair legs, because Punisher: War Zone is the Greatest Movie EVER!

Review in a Nutshell:  Punisher: War Zone is undeniably the definitive Punisher film.  It distills the best elements of Garth Ennis’s writing into film form, in the process capturing the elusive quality that can only be described as “the comic book feel”.

This movie contains:

Loony Bin Jim.

Jigsaw.

Um…overcompensating, maybe?

CAUTION!

This podcast may contain High Levels of Daryl Surat.

Title: Toy Story 2
Year: 1999
Directors: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon & Lee Unkrich
Writers: Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin & Chris Webb; story by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Ash Brannon & Stanton
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Wayne Knight
Music: Randy Newman
Distinctions: formerly on IMDb’s Top 250
Synopsis: Woody is stolen by a toy collector
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), April 2008
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good).
Objective Rating: 5/10 (points off for concept, characters, cinematography, acting and music) c. 2.4/4 (Okay).

Fun. I was kind of shocked; this is much better than the original. The animation is impressive technically, but there’s not much there creatively. Why does Kelsey Grammer have a voice acting career?

President Kennedy was not killed by a magic bullet, contrary to popular conspiracy theories.

However, a wizard did fire the fatal shot. He was on the grassy knoll.

This week we’ve got a few DVDs that have come out and I have a lot to say on just about each one.  Here we go!

Punisher: War Zone 

Synopsis: After killing the head of the Maggia crime family, Frank Castle must defeat Jigsaw to save the life of a widow and her daughter.

Review: I wanted to like this film so much. I thought giving it an R-rating, combined with some decent action, a great actor (Ray Stevenson, from HBO’s Rome fame) and a decent story, this might be the resurrection of The Punisher. Unfortunately, I was way off. The film suffers a lot, mainly from its visual and sound effects as well as the performance of Dominic West, who I loved in 300.  The visual effects are just horrible – the blood splatters are unrealistic (please, somebody in Hollywood watch Dexter), the executions are unbelievable, and the makeup, especially Jigsaw’s face, is horrible. He looks more like one of the Geico Cavemen than a comic book villain. The sound effects are also terrible, with unsynced dubbing and unrealistic sounds. Also, some of the scenes in the cars are not as polished as you normally see in films. Is there anything worth watching in this film? Absolutely. The story is half-decent and probably follows the MAX comic series pretty well. Stevenson is an excellent Punisher. He plays the role strong, with a gruff manner and an unrelenting, almost sadistic demeanor in the action sequences. Doug Hutchison plays the maniacal Loony Bin Jim extremely well and is totally convincing in the role. Each scene with him more than made up for West’s performance. The surprise appearance of Wayne Knight (Newman from Seinfeld) as Microchip was excellent and welcomed. The action itself is pretty decent as well. The opening scene fight on the dinner table is something I have never seen before. Same with the finale in the hotel, I just wish it ran a little longer, what with the delayed (sometimes cheesy) buildup to the scene. However, I still do not think I would ever watch this film again. There is nothing begging me to pick it up off my shelf over any of the other Marvel films, let alone other action films.  Reflixability: Frisbee.

Seven Pounds

Synopsis: A man searches for redemption by changing the lives of seven strangers.

Review: The film as a whole is a good one and well worth your money to rent.  The story is excellent and it is told in such a way as to develop the suspense throughout the film. The love story is excellent as well and Rosario Dawson and Will Smith both play their roles to perfection. I think that Rosario Dawson is one of the most underrated actresses out there and it is unfortunate she does not get more roles like this one. Will Smith is at his best again. He has mastered the art of the subtle detail. He knows the value of a quick wink, a look away, or even just a mannerism and how important that can be to crafting a character. The supporting cast is great, with Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy and Barry Pepper turning in excellent performances. The direction is unremarkable, but it is solid and without fault.  Same with the rest of the technical details of this film, but in the end it does not really matter. However, as good as the film itself is, I do not think I would ever watch it again.  I predicted the ending within 45 minutes, but even if I had not, I would not go back and see all the clues again. It is ultimately depressing and once you know the secret that this film hinges upon, there is little to bring you back to the story. It is a one-shot deal, however it is definitely worth seeing.  Reflixability – Frisbee.

Twilight

Synopsis: A teenage romance tale about a girl ready to sacrifice herself to save her true love.

Review: This film was a surprise in many ways. I was expecting more drivel than dazzle, considering how crazed this film’s fans were at Comicon, but I was ultimately impressed with this film. The story, while in no means original, is expertly told by director Catherine Hardwicke. I thought she might go more for showing off the leads and pandering to her audience, but she did the exact opposite.  She told the story in a well-constructed way, with plenty of action and some great humourous bits as well. She keeps the story flowing, the camerawork is well done and she gets great performances out of her cast, especially the supporting cast who are meant to bring out the humour in the film. There was even a scene where Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, and Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, climb up to the top of a tree overlooking a Seattle forest and I thought – yeah, that’s great but I’d like to see it from far away with them actually standing in the trees.  And low and behold, the camera zooms out and pans around the two main characters standing in the trees overlooking the valley. If this scene was visual effects, then I am amazed, because it looked real to me. While some of the other effects were less than stellar (the diamond-skin scenes and the speed-running scenes), I was still impressed by the production value of a film with such a small budget!  One of my favourite sequences is the Cullen-family baseball scene and introduction of the other clan. I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen the film, but its definitely worth a look. When it comes down to it, the film is a decent one and definitely worth a look. But is it reflixable? Well, I don’t think I’ll be counting the days until I watch it again, but its not because its a bad film, its just not something that’s meant for me – I’m not a 13 year old girl.  Still, its not like I wouldn’t ever watch it again, so at least that’s something right? Reflxability – Blue Moon.

Elegy

Synopsis: A tale of an English professor and his romance with a student 30 years his junior.

Review: Elegy is mesmerizing.  I cannot express how amazed I was at the end of this film.  I had not really heard of it during the year, but it is definitely one of the best films of 2008. Penélope Cruz continues to show why she is one of the best actresses of her generation.  Her character  is sexy, stunning, and incredibly complex in his film.  Ben Kingsley has one of his strongest performances yet as the selfish, neurotic David Kapesh.  Add in strong performances by Peter Sarsgaard, Dennis Hopper, and Patricia Clarkson and you have one amazing character-driven film.  The direction of Isabel Coixet is fantastic as well. The camera moves with the characters and reveals their pains and their joys. You become immersed in David’s world immediately and you cannot escape until the final scene. Each shot is carefully chosen to accent a mood, an object or a character.  There is evidence of the thought process of a gifted professional and I cannot wait for her next film.    The cinematography is incredible as well and I am extremely suprised that this film did not receive more recognition from the critics.  The question remains, would I watch this again? Absolutely. Perhaps this is not the type of film that you would watch when you want to relax on a Saturday afternoon. But, if you are feeling contemplative or want to watch something deeper than the usual big budget films, then this is your choice and one I would make again and again.  Reflixability – Boomerang.

Goal II: Living the Dream

Synopsis: After making it with Newcastle, Santi transfers to Real Madrid where he suffers the trials and tribulations of a star on the rise.

Review: I’m a soccer fan. I watch my beloved Liverpool on a weekly basis, so when I saw Santi score the winning goal against ‘Pool at the end of the first film, I was gutted. But it was still a great film. Goal II is an excellent sequel, picking up a few months after Santi’s goal and after Gavin Harris’s transfer to Real Madrid. The film is a great story of a man’s rise and fall told in the world of soccer. It is competently directed and shot by Jaume Collet-Serra, who you might know as the director of House of Wax.  Kuno Becker does a great job as Santiago Nuñez, playing the role to perfection, with some great soccer skills to boot. With a supporting cast of Alessandro Nivola and Anna Friel, you can’t go wrong. Throw in a ton of soccer superstars like Zidane, Rául, Roberto Carlos and many others, and you’ll be kept on your toes trying to point out all the talent.  The film rises and falls like a typical tale of this type, but that’s not a knock – often these films end up losing their way, but Collet-Serra keeps the story moving well.  By the end of the film, you can’t help but cheer for Santi as people around the world look on, from the ghettos of LA to the Bernabeu in Madrid. Would I watch this again? Absolutely. I love soccer and I love the story. Its not the greatest movie in the world, but I’d enjoy watching it again and again, in much the same way as I’ll watch Rudy again and again. There’s something about sports films that keeps me coming back and this is definitely one of those films. Reflixability – Boomerang.

Van Wilder – Freshman Year

Synopsis: A prequel to the original Van Wilder

Review: I couldn’t find this film. Apparently it was released this week, but I haven’t found it in stores yet. Maybe it was delayed without me knowing? It stars Jonathan Bennett (from Mean Girls) and Kristin Cavallari (from Laguna Beach). I have hope this might be as funny as the American Pie Direct-To-DVD sequels. I won’t pass judgement until I’ve seen it. Reflixability – Pending.

Well that’s it for this week. Next week I’ll try and have the DVD releases done by Tuesday morning so you know what to pick up for the weekend!

Frank Castle has been cleaning up the streets in his own personal way as the Punisher but he now finds himself up against his most challenging target, Jigsaw.

Directed by – Lexi Alexander

Written by – Nick Santora, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway

Starring – Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchison, Colin Salmon, Wayne Knight, Dash Mihok, Julie Benz, Stephanie Janusauskas, Mark Camacho, Romano Orzari, Keram Malicki-Sanchez, Larry Day, Ron Lea, Tony Calabretta, T.J. Storm

Even after sleeping on it I still find myself up in the air over this one. Ray Stevenson is an amazing Punisher, it’s just that I found everyone else around him playing these over the top cartoon characters. You switch from the Punisher being uber serious to two bumbling cops that I’m not sure if I’m supposed to take seriously.

I kept getting this Ghost Rider vibe from it. Granted it’s much better than Ghost Rider was but alot of this flick seems really corny. That and I was bothered by the fact that the Punisher seemed to super hero for me. I can accept that he gets shot at and never seems to actually get shot, that’s typical action movie standards, but when he punches through a guys face (yeah, through his face) or jumps from one building to the next in a way that can’t be done I get annoyed. I know, I know, he’s a comic book character, but he’s not a super hero. He’s a regular guy with some serious anger issues. Thankfully those scenes are few and far between.

Overall it was a good action film, I don’t know how much that’s saying but that’s how it is. This is way better than the Thomas Jane Punisher and Ray Stevenson is much more believable. He’s old and grizzly looking and seems to fit the Punisher role perfectly. The problems in this movie are pretty easy to overlook even if they annoyed the hell out of me. Like how everyone has a bad accent, and I mean everybody. I think I would’ve been unhappy if I had spent $12 on this at the theatre but for a home viewing it was alright. Seriously though, someone needs to deliver me another Bourne movie. Action and intelligence. Stick to your super heroes Marvel.

Under the marquee – Will

Pelos vistos à terceira foi de vez. Produzido sob a empresa Marvel Knights, uma sucursal da Marvel com matérias mais adultas, Punisher: War Zone, traz de volta ao ecrã Frank Castle/Punisher. Aqui o vilão é Jigsaw, um gangster com o rosto completamente destruído pelo nosso herói. Vemos como a família de Castle perde a vida (através de flashback e como nos foi apresentada nos comics) e a sua vingança perante este gangster. Este filme acenta quase exclusivamente na sua violência visual, bastante agressiva por vezes, e num humor bastante negro. De salientar a presença em ecrã de Wayne Knight como Micro, Ray Stevenson como Punisher e Dominic West como Jigsaw.

Arranje um emprego como vendedor de pipocas para ver o filme no cinema

Lors de sa croisade sanglante contre le crime organisé, le justicier Frank Castle alias The Punisher défigure et laisse pour mort le parrain de la pègre Billy Russoti. Dès lors, ce dernier fomente une vengeance terrible contre Castle. Sous le nouveau pseudonyme de Jigsaw, le criminel recrute une véritable armée de sbires assoiffés de sang. The Punisher repart en croisade… (Allociné)

Voilà donc Ray Stevenson dans le rôle du Punisher et pour être honnête, il fait du bon boulot dans son interprétation. Il est loin d’être monolythique comme le laissait présager le trailer, il en impose avec sa carrure et pratique la violence du personnage avec un certain naturel. Malheureusement, ce n’est pas ça qui va sauver le film, loin de là.

Le scénario n’est pas vraiment mauvais pour un film de ce genre, ça se tient. Certes, ça ne cherche pas trop loin, mais il y a des idées qui tiennent la route. Côté violence, c’est exacerbé, si je puis dire. En gros, Castle éclate la tête d’un type d’un seul coup de point, les boyaux volent dans tous les sens, des mecs se font littéralement exploser. Bref, il y a des morceaux de cerveaux qui se foutent partout.

Là où c’est mauvais, c’est, de façon étrange, chez le méchant interprété par Dominic West. Je ne sais pas qui lui a demander de prendre un accent italien, mais il est d’un ridicule en parlant comme ça, c’est purement mauvais. Il n’est pas crédible, au contraire, c’est limite un clown, avec son frère. Un mauvais méchant, ça vous ruine un film de ce type et c’est complètment le cas ici.

Bref, pas génial et je ne pense pas que toute cette histoire de remontage du film et l’expulsion de la réalisatrice à vraiment quelque chose à voir avec ça. Il y a des choses à sauver, mais ce n’est pas mémorable. Dommage, car au début du projet, ça avait l’air prometteur.

C-