I'm in pain.
Not just because I spent the whole weekend moving apartments, so my back, knees, and legs are numb. It's mostly due to the fact that as a result of said move, I've not had cable since last Friday night. And Time Warner cable does not hook me up till tomorrow. I'm missing shows and Yankee games man...not cool.
Alas. This brief impediment has not stopped me entirely…nothing…ever...will! (for the full impact of the previously written statement, please read while thinking of the determined voice of Lian Neeson's character in Taken).
THE OTHER GUYS:
How did this movie unseat Inception as the #1 B.O. moneymaker? Because it’s fraking hilarious, that’s why.
As Will Ferrell/Adam McKay movies go, it’s probably is their third funniest (my ranking, #1 Anchorman, #2 Step Brothers, #3 The Other Guys, #4 Talladega Nights), but as a movie (further critiqued on its writing, acting, direction, pacing, etc…), this one is by far their best. And don’t count this fact out. As funny as a movie can be, if all the previously mentioned traits are sub par, the time in between laughs can feel like an eternity.
There are rarely any moments to yawn at in this film. If you’re not laughing, you’re invested in the story. The majority of the credit should be given to McKay, but also to the chemistry between two leads.
Ferrell we know delivers time and again, but I'd like to single out Whalberg here. He literally steals the movie. Yes, he’s funnier than Ferrell. Heaps of praise should be given to Will and McKay who saw Whalberg's potential as a comedic actor. Kudos for casting him, but more so for making the decision to let Whalberg take the comedic lead in most scenes. Thus slotting Ferrell into the second seat. This is not saying that Ferrell isn't funny in the film (one of the funniest moments in the film comes when Will rants on his possibly injuries after almost being blown up), but it’s Whalberg who had the audience rolling in almost every scene.
As an actor, I’ve always been surprised Whalberg. He’s got a strange cadence when delivering his lines, which when placed in the hands of an inept director and/or editor, come off very wooden and almost phony (see Max Payne or Shooter). That said, it’s his intense commitment to every role and every moment which has continually kept me on his bandwagon. It’s this commitment which makes him so brilliant in The Other Guys. He plays every moment as if the film were a straight drama, and when inserted into the McKay/Ferrell this commitment only plays as comedy gold.
Another interesting element is the choice of “bad guy”. Instead of your commonplace cop movie drug dealer or terrorist, The Other Guys went with an evil investment banker (ala Bernie Madoff) who’s after the NYPD pension fund. It’s an inspired choice, and makes the narrative much more interesting.
A few extra thoughts…
- Like most Ferrell/McKay films, the supporting cast is incredible. Eva Mendes and Michal Keaton being the standouts. Mendes is hilariously self-deprecating as Ferrell’s wife. As for Keaton, it should not come as a surprise to say he’s hilarious because for a long while in the 80's the dude was once one of the best comedic performers working (Mr. Mom, Beetle Juice). But he’s been so absent from any form of quality content for so long that he seemed to have been forgotten. I’s it really good to see him kill it once again.
- The end credits of the film are fascinating. The filmmakers put together a bunch of animations chronicling and explaining the recent financial crisis. Make sure to stay till the end…and even after…there’s a great little blooper to cap things off.
RUBICON (AMC, Ep. 1.1 & 1.2 “Gone in the Teeth”/”First Day of School”):
I was finally able to finish not only the first episode, but the second as well. I’m all in on this show. I have no idea what it’s about, but I am loving the ride so far. The show’s restraint is its best quality. There isn’t a ton of dialogue, and when there is, not many words are spoken, but the info delivered is immense (make sense?). The producers give the audience a lot of credit. They expect the viewers to be engaged and active participants in the actions unfolding (shades of The Wire here). I dig the characters, and really dig the way the first two episodes have skillfully begun to peel away the layers of the conspiracy in which the show is centered around. I can’t wait for more.
Now here's some stuff which caught my eye on the web...
SURVIVOR: NICARAGUA (premieres Wednesday, September 15 on CBS)
Yes!!! The new season of Survivor is almost upon us. After an amazing 20th season, the producers have gone back to “unknowns”, but have focused the tension on “Old vs. Young” (I have no idea what constitutes "old" by the way).
I just clicked through the cast, and it looks there are some great contestants this season. Outside of the already leaked and confirmed Jimmy Johnson. Here are my standouts and predictions.
- Jimmy Tarantino (48 year old Commercial Fisherman from Gloucester, Mass): From his photo he just looks awesome. I want him to have a THICK New England accent, and be constantly irritated with the younger Survivors. (Prediction – Makes it to the merge, no further than the final 6)
- Tyrone David (42 year old Fire Captain from Inglewood, CA): Physically, this guy seems to be an older James (he’s jacked). Being a physical threat might get him booted early, but I don’t think so. Firemen usually do well on Survivor, and if Tyrone can make it to the merge, I think he can go on a Tom like run for immunity necklaces. (Prediction – Makes it to the merge, final three).
- Wendy Desmidt-Kohlhoff (48 year old Goat Rancher/Retired Army Officer from Fromberg, Mont): I think she gets voted off in the first 4-5 episodes, but man, she looks like she’s going to be an awesome character.
- Yve Rojas (41 year old Homemaker, from Kansas City, Mo): Soley based on her photo, age, and occupation she my pick to win. She’s a hot mom from the mid west. No one is going to want to vote off their mom, much less a MILF. Probst should just give her the $1,000,000 now.
An extra thought…
I see the producers have found the obligatory skinny, blond, 20 year old nursing student, but where is the skinny, brunette, 20 year old pharmaceutical rep. Come on guys, you’re slipping.
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20354695_20408478,00.html
BLACKSTAR WARRIOR:
Another week, another Star Wars parody. This one is brilliant in concept (Lando Calrissian's own Blaxploitation spin-off movie), and half baked in execution. If you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s worth the 3 minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NATeU-r0GDU&feature=player_embedded
Monday, August 09, 2010
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Week of August 2, 2010
Frak me! It's been too long droogies. Did you miss me? Because I missed you (which is code for...I missed the exercise of mind vomiting through my fingers onto the interweb...OR...posting my opinions in an effort to have a feeling of self worth...either one...you choose). Why the absence? Well, I could chalk it up to major life changes, but I'm just going to pull my excuse out of the "I'm a lazy ass" bucket.
Regardless, "they" say, "time makes the heart grow fonder". And in my internet abcense I realized how much I really dug this. So I made the decison that I'd like to do it more, and this time around I am going to make every effort to post on a regular basis.
What does that mean? Well, I'm going to try like hell to post at least once a day (or every other day). It's going to be a broad smattering of stuff. From TV shows, to movies, web stuff, and probably some sports. And if I get lukcy, maybe be honored with some "guest" contributors. Basically, the I'm going to be dishing out my opinions on the pop culture I take in on a daily basis. I'll digitally bake everything, and serve it to you in easy to consume pieces.
But before I begin, I want to take a moment to mention one of the primary catalysts aiding me in my decision to start all this up again.
Someone recently been introduced to a blog written by what I can only describe as a "muppet of a fan-boy" (purposeley did not capitalize "muppet" as a formal liking with this guys would be an insult to the real Muppets).
What this dude does is simple, he posts his thoughts on all the TV and movies he sees. His blog consists of short, meandering, brain droppings which are just laughable for anyone plugged into the pop culture zeitgeist. I could go on and on about his sophomoric prose and misguided opinions, but I think the following example sums this fellow's blog up better...
Modern day filmmakers can be split into two types. There's the ones that go to film school to study visual composition, visual language, lighting, editing, and film theory. Then there are "film fans" who go to Best Buy and purchase a camera and feel like they can make a movies based on their self proclaimed vast knowledge of the form. It's Little Miss Sunshine coming out of Sundance vs. Joe Nobody's film being released for free on Youtbe after it wastes too many people's time at 4th rate film festivals and private screenings. It's a Spike Jonze film vs. a Brett Ratner film. The faux film geek in question is Ratner, his posts can only be viewed as comically absurd. (NO...I am not linking to his blog)
So after reading his shit (and I mean "shit" as in what comes out of a dogs ass, and not like, "Hey, I heard the new Eminem album. I dig his shit."), I, like any self absorbed 30-somthing in this digital age, figured I could do better. So here I am, typing away. I'm back bitches. And oddly enough, I guess I owe this douche nozzle a "thanks". So thanks for sucking buddy.
Now, enough about me...let's talk about the consumed content.
PREDATORS:
(Note: I am a little ashamed this is the first film being covered in my return blog...but it's the freshest...I did see it Tuesday night) Simply put, Predators is a missed opportunity. It had all the makings of a great summer cheese and blood fest. But in realirt, it's a film about a bunch of boring people walking through a jungle.
There’s barely any Predator action. For a 120 minute movie, I’d say the characters squared off with the Predators for maybe 30/35 minutes…total. What makes this film all the more disapointing is that it starts out great. The tone is set quickly, mostly due to the actors (including Academy Award winner Adrien Brody) delivering spot on retro-80's dialogue with conviction...
"Where are you going?"
"That way."
"Why?"
"So I can find out who dropped me out of a plan, and to get off this fucking rock!"
But then...oh, but then...the characters take s quick trip to Boring Town.
With each passing moment, the yawning quotient increases. The best thing I can say about Predators that it knows and respects where it came from. Of all the Predator sequels and spin-offs, this is the only one which pays the proper respect to the 1987 classic (it even has a nice homage to Arnold’s classic “Kill me now…I’m right here…DO IT!” moment). In short, this film has a lot of walking and talking, and not enough action, killing, and cheese.
RESCUE ME (FX, Ep. 6.6 “Sanctuary”):
The brilliance of Rescue Me is its ability to seamlessly transition from comedy to drama (and vice versa) in not only a single scene, but sometimes in a single line. The characters are so nuanced and truly feel like they exist in the Recue Me world.
After a subpar season five, Rescue Me returned to form with an amazing season six (so far). This season is about redemption and transition. As a result, the uber-dysfunctional and “I don’t know how their alive” alcoholic Gavin clan have been brought to the forefront of every episode’s “A” plot line.
This past week's “Sanctuary” was a rock solid follow up to last week’s “Blackout”. The narrative decision to turn Colleen into a drunk has been paying off in a big way. It's allowed the show to explore Tommy’s psyche from yet another angle. It’s been a long time coming for Tommy to see the err of his ways manifested in his offspring.
As a long time viewer of this show, I’ve come to understand that when the Rescue Me writers hit a dark patch with a character, they don’t just explore it, they keep digging until they hit the real pain. I am truly excited to see where this season goes.
A few extra thoughts…
- Rescue Me has one of the best ensemble casts on TV, and the scenes with the “guys” have been particularly good this season. It’s clear all the actors relish these scenes. They are so comfortable with each other, they know each other’s rhythms, and always find different ways to land a joke. The stand outs, as always, are John Scurti as Kenny/Lou and and Steven Pasquale as Sean. I don’t know if either of these guys will ever “break out”, but I can assure you that when this show is off the air, and I see either of these two guys in something else, I am going to react with the same excited as when I see actors/actresses from The Wire.
- If I had one complaint for season six it would be the little use of the super talented Callie Thorne's Sheila character. The only saving grace of last season was the fact that the writers gave her and Denis Leary one amazing…and I mean kick ass…no, I mean fucking the best shit ever…scene every week. These scenes were usually centered around a monologue for Thorne. And each week she killed it. In the season five episode titled “Sheila”, Thorne deilvers a six and a half minute monologue in which her characters recounts the day her husband (the firefighter) died at Ground Zero. It's a six and a half minute scsne, one shot, no cuts, just Thorne’s face. And through her pauses, tone of voice, and facial expressions, she delicers (in my opinion) one of best acted moments ever on TV. If I could create a spin off show after Rescue Me ends, I’d want to just do a bunch of unseen Sheila and Tommy moments from years past. I have the biggest acting crush on her. I need me some more Sheila.
LOUIE (FX, Ep. 1.7 “Double Date/Mom”):
This show is fantastic. Highlight of summer TV. If you’re not watching it…start immediately. If you think it’s too far gone, download all the episodes off iTunes. And if you just don’t have any interest…well, screw you, you’re dumb and we’re not friends.
It goes without saying the brilliance behind this show is its creator, main actor, writer, director, and editor Louis C.K. (yes…he does hold all those positions for almost EVERY EPISODE). For a long while C.K. has been the guy behind the guy. He was Chris Rock’s head writer for over a decade, and in certain circles is considered to be the finest live stand up performer working. With Louie, which is a mix of C.K.’s live standup pinned to correlating scripted narrative scenes, C.K. is able to shine the spotlight on himself and his truly unique sense of humor.
Like Rescue Me, Louie is able to effortlessly walks the line between humor and drama. As funny as this show is, the stand out moment every week is usually a single scene which can only be descibed as comically melancholy. This past week’s episode titled “Double Date/Mom”, contained two such moments. First, when Louie’s self-centered and distant mother informs him that she's a lesbian in a restaurant, and Louie follow up with a rant about how he never loved her.
The second moment comes at the end of the episode when Louie’s brother (played wonderfully by comedian Robert Kelly) begs his mom to tell him she loves him in public. And the mom’s reaction is simply, “I will not be bullied into doing something I don’t want to do.”
These moments are gut wrenchingly entertaining. They're brilliantly conceived and executed by C.K. The man does not hold back, and kudos to FX for giving him a platform to express himself without barriers. I’m thrilled it’s been picked up for a second season. I can’t wait for more.
An extra thought…
- If you do choose to try this show, the strongest episodes are “So old/Playdate”, “Travel day/South”, and “Heckler/Cop Movie”.
BURN NOTICE (USA, Ep. 4.9 “Center of the Storm”):
I’ve really been enjoying season 4 of BN. The subplot of Michael helping another burned spy get his life back (while not letting said burned spy find out that Michael was the reason for his “burning”) has been lots of fun.
I was originally interested in BN for one reason…Bruce Fucking Campbell is in it. And as much as Ash delivers week-in and week-out, I’ve truly become attached to all the characters on the show. This season, the show's creator and show runner Matt Nix, has allowed the characters overarching narratives to dictate the plots. Where in past seasons it seemed the writer were just throwing Michael, Fiona, Maddy, and Sam into whatever mess sounded fun.
With “Center of the Storm” the show took a nice step forward to reintroducing the evil genius/mastermind character of Simon. This gets me giddy. Simon is played by one of my all time favorite TV character actors named Garret Dilahunt. Dilahunt’s “that guy”. You’ve seen him in a ton of stuff, but you never knew what his name was. I can’t wait for the his return.
An extra thought…
- The news out of Comic Con was that during the show’s hiatus the producers are going to shoot a one-off movie about Bruce Campbell’s character Sam’s last days in the Navy Seals. My geek meter nearly exploded when I heard this. When plotting out this movie, I only ask one thing of the producers…can Campbell pick up a chainsaw once…just once. Please!!!
RUBICON (AMC, Ep. 1.1 “Gone in the Teeth”):
I can’t say much here as I am only half way through the first episode. That said, I am really liking what I’m seeing. Great cast, led by James Badge Dale (who was excellent as Lucky in HBO’s The Pacific). I love shows shot in NYC with gritty, muddled, visuals. The great TV director Allen Coulter helped the first episode (mostly know for his work on The Sopranos…but is also one of the directors on the upcoming Scorsese/HBO series Boardwalk Empire). I’m digging this show’s Three Days of the Condor/Da Vinci Code vibe. This seems like a show I’ll be sticking with for some time. Further thoughts as I ingest more.
Now here's some stuff which caught my eye on the web...
THE KNIFE SHOW (webshort)
One of the perks that comes with a new Will Ferrell movie is his unmitigated commitment to promotion (if you didn’t know, Ferrell has The Other Guys opening today).
To me if he's got a project to promote, Ferrell will go anywhere and do almost anything in an effort to build awareness. But Will doesn’t just show up, sit on a couch and answer questions. He usually has a plan, a skit, a bit, a song...something which makes his appearance unique.
Now these bits don’t always work (i.e. Ferrell went on Letterman this past week and did his own rendition of Send in the Clowns…not funny). Regardless, it’s always made clear that whatever he’s doing, he’s having fun. And if you like Will, it’s fun just to watch him have fun. I think it’s all great, god bless the guy.
Here’s one of the bits which worked from this week…
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/08/05/the-other-guys-will-ferrell-mark-wahlberg-knife-show/
JACKASS 3D TRAILER:
Jackass is one of my all time favorite TV shows, and the two films are some of the most fun I've had in the theater. I've always felt there was something "else" going on with everything Knoxville and the gang did. Something self-aware and intelligently subversive. So I can't wait to see what they do in 3D. I just hope I don’t vomit.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=106118900#pm_cmp=vid_OEV_P_P
CATFISH TRAILER:
I missed this film at Sundance, but hear it's pretty pretty pretty awesome. I know nothing about it, other than what I've learned from the below trailer. After screening, I am genuinely excited to see this film.
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/catfish/
A Kick Ass Video About Lightsabers (webshort)
Do I have to say more...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ey3g6BmuTI&feature=player_embedded
Well, that's it for now my Droogies. Till Monday ya'll. Have a great weekend everyone.
This is Lt. Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo signing off.
Regardless, "they" say, "time makes the heart grow fonder". And in my internet abcense I realized how much I really dug this. So I made the decison that I'd like to do it more, and this time around I am going to make every effort to post on a regular basis.
What does that mean? Well, I'm going to try like hell to post at least once a day (or every other day). It's going to be a broad smattering of stuff. From TV shows, to movies, web stuff, and probably some sports. And if I get lukcy, maybe be honored with some "guest" contributors. Basically, the I'm going to be dishing out my opinions on the pop culture I take in on a daily basis. I'll digitally bake everything, and serve it to you in easy to consume pieces.
But before I begin, I want to take a moment to mention one of the primary catalysts aiding me in my decision to start all this up again.
Someone recently been introduced to a blog written by what I can only describe as a "muppet of a fan-boy" (purposeley did not capitalize "muppet" as a formal liking with this guys would be an insult to the real Muppets).
What this dude does is simple, he posts his thoughts on all the TV and movies he sees. His blog consists of short, meandering, brain droppings which are just laughable for anyone plugged into the pop culture zeitgeist. I could go on and on about his sophomoric prose and misguided opinions, but I think the following example sums this fellow's blog up better...
Modern day filmmakers can be split into two types. There's the ones that go to film school to study visual composition, visual language, lighting, editing, and film theory. Then there are "film fans" who go to Best Buy and purchase a camera and feel like they can make a movies based on their self proclaimed vast knowledge of the form. It's Little Miss Sunshine coming out of Sundance vs. Joe Nobody's film being released for free on Youtbe after it wastes too many people's time at 4th rate film festivals and private screenings. It's a Spike Jonze film vs. a Brett Ratner film. The faux film geek in question is Ratner, his posts can only be viewed as comically absurd. (NO...I am not linking to his blog)
So after reading his shit (and I mean "shit" as in what comes out of a dogs ass, and not like, "Hey, I heard the new Eminem album. I dig his shit."), I, like any self absorbed 30-somthing in this digital age, figured I could do better. So here I am, typing away. I'm back bitches. And oddly enough, I guess I owe this douche nozzle a "thanks". So thanks for sucking buddy.
Now, enough about me...let's talk about the consumed content.
PREDATORS:
(Note: I am a little ashamed this is the first film being covered in my return blog...but it's the freshest...I did see it Tuesday night) Simply put, Predators is a missed opportunity. It had all the makings of a great summer cheese and blood fest. But in realirt, it's a film about a bunch of boring people walking through a jungle.
There’s barely any Predator action. For a 120 minute movie, I’d say the characters squared off with the Predators for maybe 30/35 minutes…total. What makes this film all the more disapointing is that it starts out great. The tone is set quickly, mostly due to the actors (including Academy Award winner Adrien Brody) delivering spot on retro-80's dialogue with conviction...
"Where are you going?"
"That way."
"Why?"
"So I can find out who dropped me out of a plan, and to get off this fucking rock!"
But then...oh, but then...the characters take s quick trip to Boring Town.
With each passing moment, the yawning quotient increases. The best thing I can say about Predators that it knows and respects where it came from. Of all the Predator sequels and spin-offs, this is the only one which pays the proper respect to the 1987 classic (it even has a nice homage to Arnold’s classic “Kill me now…I’m right here…DO IT!” moment). In short, this film has a lot of walking and talking, and not enough action, killing, and cheese.
RESCUE ME (FX, Ep. 6.6 “Sanctuary”):
The brilliance of Rescue Me is its ability to seamlessly transition from comedy to drama (and vice versa) in not only a single scene, but sometimes in a single line. The characters are so nuanced and truly feel like they exist in the Recue Me world.
After a subpar season five, Rescue Me returned to form with an amazing season six (so far). This season is about redemption and transition. As a result, the uber-dysfunctional and “I don’t know how their alive” alcoholic Gavin clan have been brought to the forefront of every episode’s “A” plot line.
This past week's “Sanctuary” was a rock solid follow up to last week’s “Blackout”. The narrative decision to turn Colleen into a drunk has been paying off in a big way. It's allowed the show to explore Tommy’s psyche from yet another angle. It’s been a long time coming for Tommy to see the err of his ways manifested in his offspring.
As a long time viewer of this show, I’ve come to understand that when the Rescue Me writers hit a dark patch with a character, they don’t just explore it, they keep digging until they hit the real pain. I am truly excited to see where this season goes.
A few extra thoughts…
- Rescue Me has one of the best ensemble casts on TV, and the scenes with the “guys” have been particularly good this season. It’s clear all the actors relish these scenes. They are so comfortable with each other, they know each other’s rhythms, and always find different ways to land a joke. The stand outs, as always, are John Scurti as Kenny/Lou and and Steven Pasquale as Sean. I don’t know if either of these guys will ever “break out”, but I can assure you that when this show is off the air, and I see either of these two guys in something else, I am going to react with the same excited as when I see actors/actresses from The Wire.
- If I had one complaint for season six it would be the little use of the super talented Callie Thorne's Sheila character. The only saving grace of last season was the fact that the writers gave her and Denis Leary one amazing…and I mean kick ass…no, I mean fucking the best shit ever…scene every week. These scenes were usually centered around a monologue for Thorne. And each week she killed it. In the season five episode titled “Sheila”, Thorne deilvers a six and a half minute monologue in which her characters recounts the day her husband (the firefighter) died at Ground Zero. It's a six and a half minute scsne, one shot, no cuts, just Thorne’s face. And through her pauses, tone of voice, and facial expressions, she delicers (in my opinion) one of best acted moments ever on TV. If I could create a spin off show after Rescue Me ends, I’d want to just do a bunch of unseen Sheila and Tommy moments from years past. I have the biggest acting crush on her. I need me some more Sheila.
LOUIE (FX, Ep. 1.7 “Double Date/Mom”):
This show is fantastic. Highlight of summer TV. If you’re not watching it…start immediately. If you think it’s too far gone, download all the episodes off iTunes. And if you just don’t have any interest…well, screw you, you’re dumb and we’re not friends.
It goes without saying the brilliance behind this show is its creator, main actor, writer, director, and editor Louis C.K. (yes…he does hold all those positions for almost EVERY EPISODE). For a long while C.K. has been the guy behind the guy. He was Chris Rock’s head writer for over a decade, and in certain circles is considered to be the finest live stand up performer working. With Louie, which is a mix of C.K.’s live standup pinned to correlating scripted narrative scenes, C.K. is able to shine the spotlight on himself and his truly unique sense of humor.
Like Rescue Me, Louie is able to effortlessly walks the line between humor and drama. As funny as this show is, the stand out moment every week is usually a single scene which can only be descibed as comically melancholy. This past week’s episode titled “Double Date/Mom”, contained two such moments. First, when Louie’s self-centered and distant mother informs him that she's a lesbian in a restaurant, and Louie follow up with a rant about how he never loved her.
The second moment comes at the end of the episode when Louie’s brother (played wonderfully by comedian Robert Kelly) begs his mom to tell him she loves him in public. And the mom’s reaction is simply, “I will not be bullied into doing something I don’t want to do.”
These moments are gut wrenchingly entertaining. They're brilliantly conceived and executed by C.K. The man does not hold back, and kudos to FX for giving him a platform to express himself without barriers. I’m thrilled it’s been picked up for a second season. I can’t wait for more.
An extra thought…
- If you do choose to try this show, the strongest episodes are “So old/Playdate”, “Travel day/South”, and “Heckler/Cop Movie”.
BURN NOTICE (USA, Ep. 4.9 “Center of the Storm”):
I’ve really been enjoying season 4 of BN. The subplot of Michael helping another burned spy get his life back (while not letting said burned spy find out that Michael was the reason for his “burning”) has been lots of fun.
I was originally interested in BN for one reason…Bruce Fucking Campbell is in it. And as much as Ash delivers week-in and week-out, I’ve truly become attached to all the characters on the show. This season, the show's creator and show runner Matt Nix, has allowed the characters overarching narratives to dictate the plots. Where in past seasons it seemed the writer were just throwing Michael, Fiona, Maddy, and Sam into whatever mess sounded fun.
With “Center of the Storm” the show took a nice step forward to reintroducing the evil genius/mastermind character of Simon. This gets me giddy. Simon is played by one of my all time favorite TV character actors named Garret Dilahunt. Dilahunt’s “that guy”. You’ve seen him in a ton of stuff, but you never knew what his name was. I can’t wait for the his return.
An extra thought…
- The news out of Comic Con was that during the show’s hiatus the producers are going to shoot a one-off movie about Bruce Campbell’s character Sam’s last days in the Navy Seals. My geek meter nearly exploded when I heard this. When plotting out this movie, I only ask one thing of the producers…can Campbell pick up a chainsaw once…just once. Please!!!
RUBICON (AMC, Ep. 1.1 “Gone in the Teeth”):
I can’t say much here as I am only half way through the first episode. That said, I am really liking what I’m seeing. Great cast, led by James Badge Dale (who was excellent as Lucky in HBO’s The Pacific). I love shows shot in NYC with gritty, muddled, visuals. The great TV director Allen Coulter helped the first episode (mostly know for his work on The Sopranos…but is also one of the directors on the upcoming Scorsese/HBO series Boardwalk Empire). I’m digging this show’s Three Days of the Condor/Da Vinci Code vibe. This seems like a show I’ll be sticking with for some time. Further thoughts as I ingest more.
Now here's some stuff which caught my eye on the web...
THE KNIFE SHOW (webshort)
One of the perks that comes with a new Will Ferrell movie is his unmitigated commitment to promotion (if you didn’t know, Ferrell has The Other Guys opening today).
To me if he's got a project to promote, Ferrell will go anywhere and do almost anything in an effort to build awareness. But Will doesn’t just show up, sit on a couch and answer questions. He usually has a plan, a skit, a bit, a song...something which makes his appearance unique.
Now these bits don’t always work (i.e. Ferrell went on Letterman this past week and did his own rendition of Send in the Clowns…not funny). Regardless, it’s always made clear that whatever he’s doing, he’s having fun. And if you like Will, it’s fun just to watch him have fun. I think it’s all great, god bless the guy.
Here’s one of the bits which worked from this week…
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/08/05/the-other-guys-will-ferrell-mark-wahlberg-knife-show/
JACKASS 3D TRAILER:
Jackass is one of my all time favorite TV shows, and the two films are some of the most fun I've had in the theater. I've always felt there was something "else" going on with everything Knoxville and the gang did. Something self-aware and intelligently subversive. So I can't wait to see what they do in 3D. I just hope I don’t vomit.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=106118900#pm_cmp=vid_OEV_P_P
CATFISH TRAILER:
I missed this film at Sundance, but hear it's pretty pretty pretty awesome. I know nothing about it, other than what I've learned from the below trailer. After screening, I am genuinely excited to see this film.
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/catfish/
A Kick Ass Video About Lightsabers (webshort)
Do I have to say more...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ey3g6BmuTI&feature=player_embedded
Well, that's it for now my Droogies. Till Monday ya'll. Have a great weekend everyone.
This is Lt. Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo signing off.
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