Michael Jordan + Looney Tunes + Bill Fucking Murray = Incredible Time Capsule Item
I don't even know what to say about this movie. Space Jam is the synergy of the NBA and Warner Bros. to create a product to simultaneously hype the return of Michael Jordan to the NBA, play into the perfect image of the Michael Jordan character that advertisers count on, and restore the marketability of Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes. It is not art in any way, shape or form. It is a commercial.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Gung Ho
Entertaining but still fairly racist and lazy
A Japanese car company comes to American to save an American plant and the jobs of everyone in a small town.
A Japanese car company comes to American to save an American plant and the jobs of everyone in a small town.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Thing
After watching the miserable failure that was Don't be Afraid of the Dark, it was nice to finally watch The Thing, so that I can enjoy a proper horror film. While not flawless, The Thing is a great piece of horror entertainment that I recommend everyone see as soon as they can (even if they have to spend money on it!).
Friday, August 26, 2011
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Instead, be afraid of Katie Holmes trying to act
What an incredibly poor movie and a waste of money this was. In order for a scary movie to properly work, the audience must have an emotional connection to the main characters, or the characters who are being subjected to the horror. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark fails at this miserably. A little girl is the main character and she is spoiled, stubborn, obnoxious, ungrateful, etc. She brings on all of the bad things that happens to her, her father (Guy Pearce), and her soon to be step-mother (Katie Holmes). So, when her actions create the horror situation, we, in no way, shape, or form, do not feel sympathy for her.
What an incredibly poor movie and a waste of money this was. In order for a scary movie to properly work, the audience must have an emotional connection to the main characters, or the characters who are being subjected to the horror. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark fails at this miserably. A little girl is the main character and she is spoiled, stubborn, obnoxious, ungrateful, etc. She brings on all of the bad things that happens to her, her father (Guy Pearce), and her soon to be step-mother (Katie Holmes). So, when her actions create the horror situation, we, in no way, shape, or form, do not feel sympathy for her.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Independence Day
I have a confession to make. I may be a little snobbish when it comes to movies and TV shows, but Independence Day is probably the movie I have seen more than any other movie. I saw it in theaters with my dad when I was 7, I own it on VHS (and I have probably watched it a dozen times there), and I watch it every time it is on TV (such as this morning). Why do I do this? Because it is a fun movie.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Date Night
Date Night is one of the laziest movies I have ever seen. It has an insultingly stupid script, the most obvious mainstream musical choices for the soundtrack, and it completely forgoes substance in favor of popular Film/Television actors and actresses distracting the viewers from the uninspired story and filming choices. Luckily for Date Night, they hired very charismatic, up for anything, actors and actress.
Steve Carell and Tina Fey have such a natural chemistry that you can't but help root for them. As insulting as the premise is, that suburbia is the doomed place that boring married people go (and the city in turn is the place of danger and excitement), Carell and Fey manage to overcome that most of the time. And to their benefit, they are constantly surrounded by other great comedic actors like Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Ray Liotta, William Fichtner, and J.B. Smoove who add some spice to all their scenes they are in. Franco and Kunis in particular have show-stealing scene as a pair of criminals that Carell and Fey are confused for.
In no way would I recommend spending money on this movie, but it's been all over HBO recently so if you are looking for an easy movie to watch, there are worst ways to spend your time.
Rating: 5/10
Steve Carell and Tina Fey have such a natural chemistry that you can't but help root for them. As insulting as the premise is, that suburbia is the doomed place that boring married people go (and the city in turn is the place of danger and excitement), Carell and Fey manage to overcome that most of the time. And to their benefit, they are constantly surrounded by other great comedic actors like Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Ray Liotta, William Fichtner, and J.B. Smoove who add some spice to all their scenes they are in. Franco and Kunis in particular have show-stealing scene as a pair of criminals that Carell and Fey are confused for.
In no way would I recommend spending money on this movie, but it's been all over HBO recently so if you are looking for an easy movie to watch, there are worst ways to spend your time.
Rating: 5/10
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
If someone were to write down the plot of this movie and then I read it, I would say that this movie would be horrible. However, somehow, this movie was a great summer entertainment. I'm not sure if it is an 'OK' 'good movie or just a 'GREAT' 'bad' movie, but either way, I had fun watching it.
I think we finally found a motion-capture performance worthy of Oscar love. On the degree of difficulty scale, Andy Serkis' performance would have to be considered the most impressive performance of the year. While the technology allowed for the audience to suspend their disbelief, and believe that it was actually an ape on screen, it was the humanity in the ape that gave the audience an emotional connection to the movie. It is that performance that makes the movie work.
Having said that, there are a number of things wrong with the movie. James Franco had his least inspired performance in years; Franco was never meant to play conventional roles completely straight. He is not actually bad in the movie, he just does not really add anything to the movie. The movie also does not take advantage of the solid supporting character actors, John Lithgow and Brian Cox. So much more could have been done with them. Finally, Tom Felton, more famous for being Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, is so bad here that I fear he may never act again.
Movie Rating: 7/10
I think we finally found a motion-capture performance worthy of Oscar love. On the degree of difficulty scale, Andy Serkis' performance would have to be considered the most impressive performance of the year. While the technology allowed for the audience to suspend their disbelief, and believe that it was actually an ape on screen, it was the humanity in the ape that gave the audience an emotional connection to the movie. It is that performance that makes the movie work.
Having said that, there are a number of things wrong with the movie. James Franco had his least inspired performance in years; Franco was never meant to play conventional roles completely straight. He is not actually bad in the movie, he just does not really add anything to the movie. The movie also does not take advantage of the solid supporting character actors, John Lithgow and Brian Cox. So much more could have been done with them. Finally, Tom Felton, more famous for being Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, is so bad here that I fear he may never act again.
Movie Rating: 7/10
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Breaking Bad Season 4 Update at the Half-Way Point
It seems to me that Breaking Bad has been slowly building this season to an explosive conclusion. While we know there will be 16 more episodes after this season, so many elements are being to built to come to a head by this season's end. Walter and Skyler's relationship is connected by a rickety bridge. Gus and Mike are slowly driving a wedge between Walter and Jesse. Walter's self destructive tendencies seem to be on the way of crossing paths with Hank's growing frustration with his paralyzed state (thus a desire to make himself feel useful). I sense that at least one (if not more) of these elements will reach some sort of conclusion between now and the season's end.
Breaking Bad, much like Justified and Sons of Anarchy when they are at their bests, has created an atmosphere where you feel like at any moment, something horrible is going to happen to any of the characters. This atmosphere has been earned though; it's not a false feeling built from sloppy and impatient writing. It's earned by creating charismatic and compelling characters that the audience is attached to despite the wickedness of their ways. I don't know where Breaking Bad is heading for the rest of this season but I can't wait to find out.
Breaking Bad, much like Justified and Sons of Anarchy when they are at their bests, has created an atmosphere where you feel like at any moment, something horrible is going to happen to any of the characters. This atmosphere has been earned though; it's not a false feeling built from sloppy and impatient writing. It's earned by creating charismatic and compelling characters that the audience is attached to despite the wickedness of their ways. I don't know where Breaking Bad is heading for the rest of this season but I can't wait to find out.
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