New Releases: The Hangover AND The Proposal

Okay, there are some spoilers in these reviews, mostly because pretty much everyone who is going to see them already has, and those who haven't might find a few spoilers funny. First, The Hangover. Four guys head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party for Doug (Justin Bartha from National Treasure). However, everything goes terrible off kilter when Doug's slightly strange future brother-in-law Alan (scene stealing Zach Galifianakis) gives them all roofies and when they wake up the next morning, they can't find Doug. The spend the day retracing their steps and talking to people they saw, including the new wife of Stu (Ed Helms), Mr. Wong (the always hysterical Ken Jeong) and Mike Tyson. The comedy appears in both the activies that are re-enacted and in the dialogue of Alan. He's just strange and says things that his slightly cooler pals can only stare at. Overall it's a funny movie, but I still think most of the other movies of the same genre are funnier (Role Models, I Love you Man, Step Brothers). It really doesn't have anything new, except actors who are given their chance to be stars and funny (I've loved Bradley Cooper since his time as Will on Alias). 3.5 stars/lambs

The current number one film (The Hangover is second this week) is The Proposal. I was expecting very little going into the movie. I enjoy Sandra Bullock's movies, but Ryan Reynolds' romantic comedies haven't been wonderful (good, but not great). So possibly I enjoyed this movie so much more because I didn't expect much from it. I'd waited a little to see The Hangover, and it has been much hyped (and deservedly so) but I thought it only just lived up to the hype, it wasn't any more. The Proposal follows Sandra Bullock's Margaret as she bribes her assistant (Reynolds) to marry her to avoid deportation. Because of the timing of the wedding, they're investigated by INS and to prove the legitimacy of their love, decide to go home to his parents' house in Sitka, Alaska for his grandmother's (Betty White) 90th birthday. She's an uptight publishing executive and arrives in the rural town in her Christian Louboutin stilletos and is afraid of the water (his family "the Alaskan Kennedys") live in a huge house on an island in the Sound), but she does a good job to try to fit in an keep the charade going. Andrew (Reynolds) hasn't seen his family in 3 years (it's not easy being Margaret's assistant) and has struggled with being the son of the weathly family. The two of them do a good job of pretending to be engaged and of course end up learning more about each other and ultimately falling in love. It's a very funny movie, both from Bullock's pratfall type humor and Reynolds dry wit commenting on it. I really liked it. 4 of 5 stars/lambs

It's not old if it's new to you: Playing by Heart

This is a new feature I wanted to try out. I've been trying to do some spring cleaning (yes, I'm aware tomorrow starts summer, but I live pretty far north so we're barely getting warm weather yet) and part of that has involved getting rid of boxes of VHS tapes. I wish there was a good place to actually get rid of them, so far my cleaning has involved just looking at my tapes to see which I want to be sure to purchase on DVD or even Blue-Ray. Hence, the title of the post - they're not old movies if they're new to you, and I love so many, and most people haven't heard of a lot of them.
The one I just got it (thanks to SwapaDVD.com) on DVD is, Playing by Heart. It came out in 1998 and has a cast that boggles the mind. It's a comedic drama that shows a lot of different kinds of relationships, yet intertwines them in ways that are both surprising, but interesting. Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands play an older couple dealing with reaching their 40th anniversary. Gillian Anderson and John Stewart are a couple trying to figure out how to date the second time around (post-divorce). Ellen Burstyn and Jay Mohr are mother and son trying to figure out how to let go while making their relationship count. They have some beautiful scenes trying to be really honest with each other and Mohr gives my favorite performance, in that for one he doesn't play a jerk or anyone at all smarmy. Oh, and Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillipe are the young 'uns falling for each other while figuring themselves out. Jolie gives a really funny performance trying to drag Phillipe out of his shell, and they're perfectly matched with their strangely dyed hair. There are lots of dramatic subplots, AIDS, adultery, cancer, etc. , but it's really about how to be yourself while dating someone else. The pace of the movie is terrific, you get long enough segments of each story without dragging you too deep into any single story to make you want to stop watching the other stories. Oh, the movie also stars Anthony Edwards, Dennis Quaid, and Madeline Stowe. I really liked it, and the only thing that dates the movie is a line about NBC winning the Thursday night lineup. Even after watching it so many times, I'd still give it a 4.5 of 5. It's available on Netflix, and it only took a few weeks to get it through SwapaDVD.

DVD Roundup: Valkyrie and New in Town

As always, my DVD Round up pairs two movies that only in the land of Netflix would they have arrived at the same time. The first is Tom Cruise's latest, Valkyrie, tracing the last attempted assassination of Adolph Hitler by German soldiers right around D-Day. Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a disillusioned soldier fighting for Germany in North Africa. He loses his hand, and eye in an attack and is sent back to Berlin where he hooks up with a recently foiled group of assassins in Hitler's high command, led by Kenneth Branaugh and Bill Nighy. They set up a plan to assassinate Hitler and Himmler and route the SS and the Gestapo and take control of the government. Just from watching how much von Stauffenberg's group have to take over makes you realize how pervasive Hitler's terrible government had become and only a huge coup and a lot of treason would put a stop to their attrocities (luckily the Allies were able to come at it with a huge army rather than a small group of insiders). They're nearly successful in their assassination attempt, but history records Hitler's suicide later, so these movie makers were tasked with the unenviable position of having to make a known historical event interesting when everyone already knows the ending. I thought they did a good job of creating a tension and revealing another side of the most complicated war ever. Tom Cruise is good. His performances in recent years have been colored by his real life exploits, but in this case, I found it made sense. His zeal for getting rid of Hitler was a perfect place to put all the energies he's devoted to his real life, so it wasn't distracting for a change. Good movie, with excellent supporting performances. 3.5 of 5 stars/lambs

The second movie I watched was New in Town with Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick, Jr., J.K. Simmons, and a wonderful performance by Siobhan Fallon (her big moments I remember are as the bus driver Dorothy Harris in Forrest Gump and the birth coach in Baby Mama). Renee plays an executive at a food company who is sent to reorganize a plant in Minnesota, and figures out that most of the country is really cold in the winter, and that there are places where it doesn't really matter what you look like, but who you are and what you do that matters. Yes, it's a super-duper simplified rom-com about good and bad and learning to be yourself and falling in love. But it's also, reasonably heart-warming and Renee is good, and the supporting cast is really funny, especially Siobhan Fallon as her secretary, with a strong Minnesotan accent. The cheap laughs come when Renee is struggling with the cold (it's impossible to be attractive and sexy in a down coat, it just is), but the really funny parts are with Siobhan's observations about the differences between Minnesota and the rest of the country. Not great, but not bad, either. 3 stars/lambs

Birthday poetry

I've never claimed to be either a good writer or a poet, but as today is my 30th birthday, I'm using the opportunity to write three random reviews using haiku. I beg your indulgence.

Revolutionary Road

Hopeful lovers wed
Cruel life springs hard upon them
Reality goes on

I really liked this movie. Kate Winslet is terrific, her acting and wardrobe are impeccable. Not the happiest of films, and didn't deserve to lose its Oscar momentum, but it did. Winslet totally deserved her Golden Globe for this, and should have been nominated for the Oscar for this performance over The Reader. Michael Shannon is good, but too short a performance to win and probably shouldn't have been nominated, just praised. 4 of 5 stars

Pineapple Express

Pothead sees murder
Tries to hide with dealer, smokes
Pineapple Express

There were a lot of funny parts to this movie, but overall, it's not great. James Franco is hysterical, and between his performance in this and Milk, he'll be someone to keep watching for Oscar in the future.

Maneater (a Lifetime miniseries)

Sarah Chalke needs dough
Marries rich man with wrong name
Grows up, finds real love

This I caught because I love Sarah Chalke in "Scrubs", and it turned out pretty funny. Judy Greer is awesome in her tyical role as wise-ass best friend (27 Dresses) but the males leads are weak, even if Chalke is good.

The Tonys

I love awards shows, I like the insider jokes (many of which I'm sure pass me by as I'm not actually an insider of any industry) and I like the hosts who try to bring their own personality to the show while staying out of the way of the people desperate to know if they won. I thought Neil Patrick Harris was terrific. A few too many off-color jokes, but overall it was extremely well done, and his obvious personal attachment to Broadway is inspiring. I saw him perform in Sondheim's Assassins a few years ago and he's wonderful on stage. The rest of the Tonys was generally well done. They chose big-name presenters so more people might be included in the fun (it's no fun to watch an awards show for people you don't know at all). My other good point was Dolly Parton coming out to start the song for 9 to 5, but then handing off to the cast (both were nominated, Dolly for writing the songs, Allison Janney for her performance, and others). It was fun, and there are lots of shows I want to go see, as always.

Lost and Found in space and time....

I was recently tagged by Fletch over at Blog Cabins for a meme started by Getafilm. The idea is to pick a place and time from film that you'd most want to be part of. Here are the rules, followed by my choice:

THE RULES:
1.) Think of a place (real or fictional) and time (past, present, future) portrayed in a movie (or a few) that you would love to visit.
2.) List the setting, period, applicable movie, and year of the applicable movie's release (for reference).
3.) Explain why, however you'd like (bullet points, list, essay form, screenshots, etc.). If this is a time and place that you have intimate knowledge of, feel free to describe what was done well and what wasn't done well in portraying it.
4.) If possible, list and provide links to any related movies, websites, books, and/or articles that relate to your choice (s).
5.) Modify Rules #1-4 to your liking. And come up with a better name for this meme.
6.) Link back to this Getafilm post in your post, please.
7.) Tag at least five others to participate!

I had a hard time choosing a place I'd want to live, there are positives and negatives even in fictional places. I honestly first thought I'd like to live in the time and place of Star Trek: The Next Generation (the 24th Century for you unaware). I like the idea that they've evolved beyond a capitalist society and science and information are important. I also really want a food replicator - imagine just being able to think of your dinner and it arrives, no more cooking. But I realized 1) choosing this time and place really confirms me as a bigger nerd than I'm prepared to be, and 2) they don't dress very well.

So I thought some more and was intrigued by the world of 19th Century England as found in Sense and Sensibility (the book, mini-series or movie), but only if I was wealthy. I like the idea that nothing was required of women (not much was thought of them either) so they could really do whatever they wanted. If you're wealthy you get to live in a big house in the country going to down for balls and parties and such. It's a quiet pace of life, and you can kind of do what you want. But, there are huge drawbacks - women are not highly valued (mostly valued for their dowry in marriage and only as baby-makers afterward). So I'm not sure I'd actually enjoy it.

Then I settled on exactly where I think I would be happiest - living in Aaron Sorkin's world. Specifically in The American President (1995) version of the US. The world is environmentally friendly or at least hoping to be. They have great respect for civil rights, and they speak really fast and walk while they speak. I like it. Any of Sorkin's worlds have people who speak quickly, so pretty much they'd all be fine. And, I'd be willing to put our current President up against the fictional Michael Douglas, so I guess I'm happy to be living now.

People I'd like to tag:

David Bishop at Hoping for Something to Hope For
Rachel and Rachel's Reel Reviews
Buttercup at Buttercup Counts Her Blessings

Top TV Performances 2009

A fellow blogger put up a list of her 25 favorite performances during the recently completed TV season. As I don't watch some of the shows she loves, I thought I'd create my own. I'm sure I've left out some wonderful performances, and I'll think of them later, but here's my top 10 TV performances of the season.

1. Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper) "Big Bang Theory" - I watch this show and giggle at the nerdy humor every week. I love it. Parsons is the funniest guy on TV and has a great time making everyone else squirm. The fact that all his friends give in to him every week kills me, I wish I had that kind of power. Even when he can't speak he's awesome. Check out this clip if you don't believe me.



2. Simon Baker (Thomas Jane) "The Mentalist" - Definitely the best new show on TV this season (okay, one of the best), but it's all because of Baker's comedic timing and hypnotic abilities (I love when he gets to hypnotize someone). It would be just another crime procedural without him and the trust his team puts in his ability to read people. Such a good actor, and who knew vests would become so sexy again.

3. and 4. Joshua Jackson and John Nobel (Peter and Walter Bishop) "Fringe" - This might be the second best new show on TV, and one of the best ever. I love the sci-fi freaky things that happen on this show, but the best parts are the kooky things that Walter's broken brain likes to blurt out.



5. Josh Holloway (Sawyer) "Lost" - I thought "Lost" was pretty amazingly difficult to follow this year - with the time jumping and place jumping. But it was always worth watching Sawyer try to figure out where he fit into everything and how he was going to get back to Kate (even after he fell in love with Juliet). It was really his season. Playing "LaFleur" and becoming one of the leaders of the Dharma Initiative gave him more depth without having to resort to more and more flashbacks. I loved him this season.

6. David Krumholtz (Charlie Epps) "Numb3rs" - Like Sawyer, Charlie got to grow so much this season, and I thought David Krumholtz did a terrific job showing us all of Charlie's struggles between using his mathematical gifts for exploration or for helping the FBI and his brother. I've written of my love for Krumholtz before, but I thought he was given such great material and rose to the occasion this season, particularly in the 2-part season finale.

7. Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette) "Friday Night Lights" - I think this was Tyra's last season on FNL, if the rumors are to be believed, but she went out on a high note. Her drive and determination, while full of self-doubt, to go to college was inspiring and she did a great job struggling with the uncertainty she had. She was always an interesting character, and when Landry gave her crap for using him, she actually seemed to listen, while attempting to keep doing it.

8. and 9. David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel (Seely Booth and Temperance "Bones" Brennan) "Bones" - They really had terrific chemistry throughout this season, better than previously. There were a few episodes where the story didn't help, but it was always great watching the two of them interact, whether arguing about religion or the proper way to comfort someone. I wasn't a huge fan of the season finale's twisted world, but I did love seeing them finally get a chance to actually show their affection. It'll be interesting to see where the "making a baby" storyline goes.

10. Melissa Rycroft (Herself) "The Bachelor" and "Dancing with the Stars" - Okay, she's not actually an actor and probably won't be on anything I watch again, but I think she did a great job with her 15 minutes of fame. She behaved like any other woman when she was dumped on TV, and better than most. Rather than crawling under a rock or trashing him in the tabloids, she did one better - she stole the headlines from him by being an instant success on "Dancing with the Stars". She never mentioned him again in any interviews I saw, and even took the teasing from the comic during the finale with a smile. She's a class act, and I hope she continues to do well.

Up: Review of a short film

There have been lots of live-action shorts made into real films. The most recent example I can think of is Frozen River which premiered as a short film at Sundance and was made into a longer film after that. It feels like the new Pixar movie Up was a 15 minute short film that they decided to make into a feature-length film. I say this because the best part of the movie was the first 15-20 minutes, essentially before the thunderstorm. The little boy explorer meets a kindred spirit in Ellie at their clubhouse. Then occurs one of the most movie montages in movie making (particularly animated) as we see them fall in love and age and finally our hero, Carl (terrific Ed Asner), old and alone in his house as the neighborhood is turned into a skyscraper. Carl overcomes being thrown out of his house by taking it away (his career had been a balloon seller at the zoo) with a huge set of balloons. On his floating front porch he finds he's accidentally taken with him a young explorer named Russell. This is where the movie pretty much loses its amazing magic - the kind that lifts you above the ruin that is Wall*E's world or makes you want Toys to triumph. Up becomes just a really good kids movie after the thunderstorm whisks our heroes away to South America. Good triumphs over bad, and the talking dogs are fun seems to be all you need for the rest of the film. If you have kids, take them. 3.5 of 5 Lambs/Stars

Why I love Emma Thompson

I just watched Last Chance Harvey and it made me realize how much I really enjoy watching Emma Thompson practice her craft. She's such a terrific actress and has made some movies even more enjoyable by her presence. Here are some of my favorites:

Howard's End was one of her first major movies and won her the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. I watched it again recently and was surprised that it was the best performance that year, and still have trouble understanding what the voters saw that made them choose her, but perhaps it was the amazing potential she has. She plays a young woman who gets to know a wealthy family, befriending the matriarch and ultimately marrying the father when she dies. I guess in lesser hands, the role could contain a lot of smarmy deceit, but Thompson plays her with such innocence and strength that you beliive she just lucked into everything that happens.

Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespearean play turned into a movie, in large part because of the wonderful banter between Thompson and her then husband, Kenneth Branagh. She plays Beatrice, the cousin of the lead, a young Kate Beckinsale. Beatrice is known as a shrewish woman who will never marry because no man could put up with her. Thompson shows her spirit constantly by helping her cousin's attempt to regain her honor while arguing with Branagh's Benedick. Robert Sean Leonard also makes it amazing, but I love Thompson throughout.

Her next film, Remains of the Day, I constantly got confused with Howard's End (hence the rewatching), though they're completely different except that they're both period films starring Thompson and Anthony Hopkins.

My favorite movie of all time, Sense and Sensibility, which Thompson won an Oscar for best adapted Screenplay for penning, also stars Thompson as Elinor Dashwood. She falls in love with Edward Ferrars and then finds out he's betrothed to someone else. She can't tell anyone about her distress, but has to watch as her sister (a wonderful Kate Winslet) throws her heart at a man who rejects her, ending them in the same boat. It's such a wonderful adaptation and Thompson's chemistry with Hugh Grant is both restrained, but obviously entrancing.

I know Thompson had terrific performances in In the name of the Father, Primary Colors, and Wit, but the next thing I love her in is Love, Actually. She plays the sister of the Prime Minister who discovers her husband (Alan Rickman) is having an affair. She has a great scene where she's listening to Joni Mitchell and trying not to scream and cry at the realization of the affair. Nothing is said, but every woman I know can empathize with the struggle she's internalizing. I love the small scenes with her daughter. She's just announced she got a part in the Nativity play as a lobster. Thompson responds with incredulity and her daughter says she's the "first lobster", and Thompson's response "there was more than one lobster at the birth of Jesus?" always kills me.

One of the reasons I made the effort to see the HBO production of Angels in America (both parts) was Thompson's appearance in several roles, most notably the angel itself. Her humor and dry wit are a match for Justin Kirk's over the top rage and fear when the angel appears. Meryl Streep and Al Pacino are beyond terrific in this too, but the supporting cast really sells the show. I really want to see this again if only for Thompson's scene breaking through the ceiling.

Thompson's performances in several Harry Potter movies as Professor Trelawny are wonderful, and bring to life all the book promises. Stranger than Fiction pairs Thompson as a depressed and depressing murder writer with Queen Latifah's straight-forward humor trying to help her finish her next book. And Thompson's next foray into screenwriting, Nanny McPhee is a terrific children's story brought to life and Thompson's transformation throughout the film is wonderful.

And her most recent film, Last Chance Harvey, pairs her again with Dustin Hoffman (from Stranger than Fiction). She's an airline employee who meets Hoffman at the end of his worst day (his daughter chose her stepfather to give her away at her wedding, and he lost his job) and they hit it off. She's been suffering taking care of her mother who drives her nuts. They talk all day and all night and spend time figuring out what makes them happy and what doesn't. It's a short film (about 85 minutes) that focuses on these two characters in this one place and time - much like Before Sunrise, and it succeeds well in achieving this small goal. Thompson and Hoffman have terrific chemistry and you believe they might be willing to find ways to overcome their obstacles and create a life together. I really liked it, 4 of 5 stars/lambs.

Night at the Smithsonian

The newest Ben Stiller movie, Night at the Museum: The Battle for the Smithsonian, opened huge this past weekend, and I'm not surprised at all. The first movie, I liked as decent entertainment, with Ben Stiller playing a pretty funny straight man against the insanity that was a come-to-life museum exhibit. The new movie follows our now successful hero to protect the still-life exhibits as they're shipped to be stored at the Smithsonian. However, our cheeky monkey from the first movie has stolen the gold tablet whose magic turns them to life, and is bringing it to the largest museum in the world. This movie had a lot to live up to, bringing to life even more and crazier characters, including Al Capone, Ivan the Terrible, Amelia Earhart, and Abraham Lincoln. It was bigger and more over the top than the first one, but didn't really improve on the original. There was a terrifically funny scene between Stiller and Jonah Hill, and a few historical references that were fun (Jay Baruchel finds a cell phone when Stiller drops it in his painting and Joey Motorola is his name). Amy Adams was terrific as Earhart, but just like their characters, Stiller and the rest just couldn't keep up. There were a lot of little throwaway lines, but overall it just wasn't as good as the original. 3.5 of 5 stars/lambs

Angels and Demons: review

There are a lot of movies out there that need not be the next greatest film of all time. There are many reasons to go to the movies. Since I began writing this blog, I've added another reason I go to the movies, so I can think about them and write about them more when I get home (it extends the procrastination of a single movie viewing by hours). The opening of "summer blockbusters" so early in May in an effort to jump start the season and not to compete directly with each other has given us more movies to see, for little reason that they're new and famous for one reason or another. I've happily kept up with the huge openings thus far, Star Trek, Wolverine and now Angels and Demons. I've also taken in 17 Again and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. I'm willing to bet none of these movies will achieve any awards for acting (though Zachary Quinto was really good), and likely few for special effects (though Star Trek could make the cut, it's still early). The real reason (in my opinion) to see all these movies is for the shear entertainment they provide. In that respect, Angels and Demons delivers big.

I've read the books of Dan Brown and appreciate the details he uses and the nerdy semi-historical facts he hinges his thrillers on, so I went into this movie thinking I knew what I was getting. It's now been about 5 years since I read the book, which is incredibly complicated and I'd forgotten most of the important twists and turns, and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. So as not to ruin your viewing pleasure, I'll just explain the basics. A pope has died, and thus all the cardinals must meet in the Vatican to elect a new pope. This has provided the chance for an anti-church (fictionalized) group call "the Illuminati" to wage war by kidnapping the 4 cardinals most likely to win the election, and also to steal a fictionalized substance called "anti matter" to blow up the Vatican. (now I don't mean that either the Illuminati or antimatter are fictional, but artistic license has made them both into something they are not for the purpose of the story, like Opus Dei in The Da Vinci Code). Our hero, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks, in a much better performance than DaVinci Code) has been called in to interpret symbols sent to the Vatican with the warning of impending doom. There's a lot of chasing around Rome and Vatican City which looks amazing and really complicated, too many whirling shots for me. The supporting cast is terrific, each giving off the "I could be the bad guy" vibe all the way through, Ewan McGregor (as the pope's assistant, the Camerlengo and interim in charge), Stellan Skarsgard (head of the Swiss guard who protect his Holiness) and Armin Mueller-Stahl (the cardinal Strauss in charge of conclave). Also, I must say the female lead, Ayelet Zurer (a huge deal in Israel and really making a splash on US audiences now) was terrific, neither cloying nor saccharine like Audrey Tautou's character in Da Vinci. Overall, it was a great thriller, violent, but constantly changing heroes. 4 of 5 stars.

Frozen River: up close and personal

The movie that got Melissa Leo an Oscar nod, Frozen River, takes place less than 50 miles from my house. I look out on the St. Lawrence River daily. It is a perfect representation of much of the life of people who live in relative poverty in this area. Rent-to-Own is huge, Dollar stores are in every town and every space between towns, and a double-wide trailer really is the epitome of safety and assurance that your house will stick around. The River does freeze across for less than 6 weeks a year, and gambling and safety on the Mohawk Reservation are always a matter of concern. It's a good movie, with moving performances, but yes, it can be that dreary living the lives portrayed. A terrific rental. 3.5 of 5 Lambs/stars

Star Trek: Revew

I freely admit to being a Trekker (by which I mean, I've seen all the movies with Star Trek in the title and all the episodes of "The Next Generation" series, though I've never been to a convention nor dressed up in any sort of costume). This is to say I was excited to see the new Star Trek movie, but more in the way of reading the next book in a series you love, it doesn't matter how unique or special it is, just as long as it provides familiar comfort. However, the new delivers on BOTH fronts of unique and familiar. If you've never seen a single moment of previous Trek video, you'd still be in for a great story with excellent action, terrific acting and wonderful special effects. However, if you're already a fan, there's an even greater level of terrific familiarity, filling in the gaps of previous stories and fully creating characters. It is what Wolverine should have (could have) been. Here's what I think the story was about (time travel usually confuses me, so I've thought about it, but could be wrong). *Spoiler Alert* (though given that it's a prequel you know who survives). James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is at the Star Fleet Academy, where Spock (Zachary Quinto) has been an instructor. A great problem arrives that necessitates the cadets to help on star ships. Basically, far into the future the planet Romulus is destroyed by a super nova. A Romulan, Nero (an unrecognizable Eric Bana) who feels it was Spock's fault manages to come back in time with a super-future awesome ship and manages to destroy Vulcan and is on the path to destroy Earth (given that Spock is half human, he has two home worlds). Star Fleet has to figure out a way to stop him. With the help of the people we'll all recognize as the future Enterprise crew (Uhura, "Bones", Chekov, Sulu, and eventually Scotty - a terrific Simon Pegg). With each character there's a little bit of the original character, but not a parody or exact duplicate, just a recognizably familiar character. Overall, it's a great movie, with really terrific acting and directing from a new set of actors and directors. My one pet peeve was the "red matter" (something that can create a black hole) appears as a large, unexplained red ball remarkably similar to the bad stuff in "Alias" (another J.J. Abrams creation). Great film, will probably see it again in theaters. 4 lambs/stars

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: Review

This could have been a good, holiday movie. It has the classic Dickensian story behind it, and even had a good update concept, however, it falls pretty short, due in large part to the bland supporting cast. While I recognized most of them, I couldn't name any of them, and in their stereotypical roles, there was a lot of room for stand-out performances. The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is the story of Connor Meade (Matthew McConaughey), a womanizing photographer who is attending his brother's (Breckin Meyer?) wedding at their late uncle's (Michael Douglas) estate. The maid of honor, Jenny (Jennifer Garner) is the childhood love of Connor, though she tries to keep him in line, he rants against marriage at the rehersal dinner. He is visited by his deceased uncle (in the Jacob Marley role) who tells him he'll be visited by 3 ghosts that night, and that his life is not one to emulate as he died sad and alone. The first ghost (from his high school past, in all her '80s glory, including braces), the second, his current assistant, and then the silent ghost who shows him how awful his future will look. He realizes, of course, he loves Jenny and thinks love and marriage is wonderful. It's a funny movie most of the way through, but it would have been better had it been released at Christmas (it's set in winter) and possibly with a stronger cast. McConaughey and Garner are very good, but without much fun around them, it's hard to keep watching. 2/5 stars/Lambs

17 Again: Review

In the grand tradition (okay, humorous if not grand) of Big, 13 Going on 30, Freaky Friday, Like Father, Like Son and 18 Again! (with George Burns, it's really funny), we now have with Zac Efron and Matthew Perry as the 17 and 37 year old versions of Mike O'Donnell, a high school basketball star who ends up married to his high school girlfriend right out of high school, forgoing a future as a basketball star and/or college graduate. He ends up at 37 bitter about life and blaming everyone but himself. His wife, the hysterical Leslie Mann, has kicked him out and his children (Michelle Trachtenberg and Sterline Knight) don't really like him. He's staying with his best friend from high school, Ned Gold (wonderfully funny Thomas Lennon), a super-geek (Star Wars, LOTR and other sci-fi fantasy paraphernalia decorate his house) turned super rich computer geek (he invented both the software to pirate music and the software to prevent piracy). Anyway, Perry thinks high school was the best time every and if he could return, he'd do everything differently. Enter, the "spirit guide" who makes him 17 again. He helps his son gain self-esteem and popularity and his daughter to be less skanky and more sure of herself and realizes he was a bad husband, but really loves his wife. It's a very funny movie, and I was pleasantly suprised to find out Zac Efron is a really good actor (I'm not quite the demographic for the High School Musicals so this was only the first time I'd seen him since his small role in Hairspray). Efron is in nearly every scene and actually does a very convincing job of being Matthew Perry as a 17-year-old, with sarcasm and speechifying to make fun of the school bully. Also, the relationship between Ned and the school principal is hysterical. Fun movie, 3.5 stars/lambs, though if you're a teenage girl, it's probably the best movie you've ever seen.

PS - A great guy I went to college with, Tommy Dewey, has a small role as Matthew Perry's boss. He's hysterical as the young VP promoting someone else over Perry. Here's hoping he keeps getting funny roles.

X-men Origins: Wolverine

Now I've read a lot of the reviews of X-Men Origins: Wolverine that said the movie wasn't particularly good, but I disagree. It was full of action, interesting back story filling in the history of how Wolverine became who we met in the original trilogy. It wasn't a particularly complicated story, Jimmy (whose name becomes Logan, though I missed the connection) runs off with his brother Victor (Liev Schriber who becomes Sabretooth) and they fight all the American wars, since the Civil War, eventually becoming special ops searching for something in the Congo, while killing basically everyone they come in contact with. The team is composed of other mutants (including Dominic Monaghan who can communicate with his mind, lighting light bulbs, moving elevators; Will.I.Am can teleport and wears a cowboy hat; Ryan Reynolds can fight with swords really fast; and then Wolverine and Sabretooth). Wolverine decides he's had enough killing and walks away. He ends up working for a logging company in Canada, living with Kayla who seems to understand why he's a little crazy and can make bones come out of his hands. The head of the army team, Striker, comes looking for him to warn him that members of their team have been dying. Wolverine knows Sabretooth has shown up, and realizes Kayla's in danger. Wolverine finds her dead in the woods and vows to revenge her by killing his brother. However, Sabretooth is stronger and more vicious than he is, so when Striker gives him the option to have adamantium bonded to his bones (we knew this happened from the previous movies, but now we know why). While the procedure is going on, Wolverine hears Striker talking about an island and other mutants including Sabretooth. Wolverine knows he's been betrayed and adds Striker to his list of people to kill (which we know he doesn't, again, it's a prequel). In order to find the "island" Wolverine seeks out Will.I.Am (who I really liked, he was funny, but subtle instead of scene stealing) who send him to Gambit (Taylor Kitsch - Riggins from Friday Night Lights) a card playing mutant in New Orleans. Basically, lots of people fight, few die, but it turns out Striker's been trying to make a super-mutant warrior (Ryan Reynolds signs up to be altered) and the island is wasted. Wolverine and Sabretooth realize they're brothers but enemies, and that mutants are good people usually, but that Striker is still bad. It sort of sows the seeds of needing safety for the mutants, Charles Xavier does have a purpose. Overall, I liked the action and story. There were a few things that just annoyed me: 1. Everytime Wolverine and Sabretooth start fighting they run at each other from opposite ends of the room and leap into the air - EVERY TIME. 2. All of the mutants seemed to have multiple powers depending on what was necessary, ill-defined powers which are usually the most interesting. 3. The whole beginning sequence - was Victor just a bad kid or did bad things make him evil as Sabretooth later, just curious. Hugh Jackman is great - always keeps your attention when he's on screen. If you liked the X-men trilogy, you'll really enjoy this new one - it fills in some interesting blanks in the previous story. I nominate Storm for the next Origins story. 3/5 Lambs/stars

Really strange things that are fun to watch...

Okay, because of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency showing on HBO, we've had a chance to see a few extra shows/movies at home. I saw the new "Grey Gardens", with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange as young and old Edith Bouvier Peale, who lived for decades in a house in East Hampton that became more and more decrepit over time, but they continued living there until it was condemned. Their life was documented in the 1977 documentary at the time, but this film shows a version of their whole lives - from young beautiful women in the heyday of Grey Gardens to the falling apart bitter women who refuse to acknowledge the lives they've given up or the life they're living. It's amazing. It's sad and funny and entertaining and historical and just a great movie to watch. Drew Barrymore masters the Long Island/Boston accent of the high society of the '30s and handles the craziness that was her personality and life so well you can't stop watching. Jessica Lange is good, but older Edie just isn't as interesting a character, but she's still pretty amazing to watch. Check it out if you get the chance.

The other movie is Sydney White a funny retelling of Snow White in the way 10 Things I hate about You does "Taming of the Shrew". Amanda Bynes is great and the supporting cast is fun. It's a quiet, family friendly movie that takes care of a good afternoon.

Monsters vs Aliens review

A blog friend commented that Dreamworks animation has been making the same movie over and over with Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and now Monsters vs. Aliens. The idea that they're all about it's only what's on the inside that counts. So I started thinking about the other animation studios and what they seem to keep redoing. Pixar's theme seems to be "friends can make anything happen". From Toy Story to A Bug's Life and Nemo, even Cars, all hinge on the fact that the hero needs his or her friends to help solve the problem. Disney has had the theme of motherless (sometimes completely parentless) heros or heroines all the way from Snow White through The Lion King. So I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing if Dreamworks keeps spinning out the same theme. And I still liked the newest entry.

Monsters vs Aliens has been accurately summarized in the commercials, but there are actually lots more details in the film. Susan (Reese Witherspoon) is hit by a meteor on her wedding day and grows to be huge, renamed Ginormica by the military who have been keeping strange monsters for decades. Susan gets put in a secret military facility with the other monsters: Dr. Cockroach (a mad-scientist experiment gone wrong, Hugh Laurie), the missing link fish man (Will Arnett) and BOB (a gelatinous blob, hysterically done by Seth Rogan). Oh, and there's a huge insect-like dinosaur that follows bright lights around. Susan is locked up with them. This ends Act One.

Act Two starts with the alien Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) who wants to get back the mineral that crashed into Susan so he can rule the world. He sends a huge robot to earth to get it back. The monsters are set free to try to battle this robot and save San Francisco. Since Monsters aren't actually bad things (and thus you must look deeper to see their inner beauty) of course they win the day, and are allowed to be freed. However, fitting into society isn't easy when you're 50 feet tall or really strange looking. So they're sent off again. End of Act Two.

The Final Act involves our heros heading to Gallaxhar's ship to destroy him before he can take over the world and destroy Susan to get his power back. I won't give it all away, but I really liked it. It was funny with small lines dropped for the adults in the audience (Dr. Cockroach invoking "Hawking's Chair" in amazement) and BOB dating Jell-O to make the kids laugh. All the kids in the audience laughed really hard and many of the adults. Overall it was a fun way to spend an afternoon. 3.5 Lambs/stars

Happy Anniversary!

Insight into Entertainment turns 2!!!

Only 290 posts, but still trying to create more.
Thanks to all the people who read this blog,
and provide comments, I appreciate all the support.

L.A.M. Blog-a-thon: TV thoughts

The L.A.M.B. is having a blog-a-thon to discuss the high quality of television that has risen to the level of films. Since I watch A LOT of TV, I thought I'd sum up what I think of what I watch.

Shows I watch live if possible (this is a big deal as I DVR everything and can't stand commercials):
Bones - The most consistently good show on TV. They might not get very far with each episode and they don't do a lot of small arc storylines, but they always make it work.
Grey's Anatomy
Friday Night Lights - Still my favorite show, season 3 really turned it around.
The Closer
Big Bang Theory - This show always makes me giggle. As a grad student in a fairly nerdy scientific field I find it pretty hysterical.
Monk
The Mentalist

Shows I always DVR:
How I Met Your Mother
Chuck
Fringe
Lost - I've stuck with it all these years and just can't give up. I've put a lot of trust in the fact that they're going to make me not confused by the end of the series, but I'm guessing I'll be disappointed.
Private Practice - I like the medical dramas, even when they're barely about medicine and more about the moral dilemmas.
Ugly Betty
ER - Of the 15 seasons, I watched probably 9 or 10, but I really liked this most recent season. The ending wasn't any better or worse than the sum of the series, but it wasn't particularly memorable.
Numb3rs - I told you I was a nerd.
CSI
Psych
Saving Grace

Shows I will watch if I remembered to DVR and have time:
House, MD - I didn't really like the most recent season, but given the cast changes, I might pay more attention.
30 Rock - If I miss this live, I'll catch it online Friday morning for sure.
Two and a half men
Jon and Kate Plus 8
Scrubs
Dancing with the Stars

Shows I watch on DVD cause I don't get the channels they've shown on:
Dexter - I first caught this during the writer's strike when they put it on CBS as a filler, and loved the stories. How they manage to make us root so strongly FOR a serial killer, I still don't quite understand, but this show is awesome.
The Tudors - I loved watching Anne Boleyn's final season, and Rhys-Meyers is terrific if capricious as Henry VIII.

Shows I own and rewatch on DVD:
Sex and the City
The West Wing - The first 4 seasons are amazing and then season 7 brings it back and finishes it brilliantly.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - My favorite season is probably 4, but I own 6 so I can watch the musical and the Buffy/Spike romance.
Gilmore Girls
Arrested Development
Angel
Friends - Still my favorite show of all time. I've seen every episode and watch it repeatedly.


This is to show I watch a lot of TV, lots of different kinds of TV and I really enjoy quality TV. If you're looking for filmic quality TV, "Sex and the City " already made it to the cineplex and was of the best quality the show proved. However, I don't thin that will work very often. "Friday Night Lights" came from a movie that came from a book, and only the TV show is amazing and worth watching on Direct TV because you get more scenes and no commercials (it's sponsored television rather than commercial-based, not sure why that works, but I loved it). The writing on FNL is superior than almost any movie. Even if you're not from Texas and don't understand or watch football (which I imagine makes for a small demographic), you can love these characters and find amazing acting, storytelling, and except for a small snafu in the second season, a brilliant series. So that's my recommendation - watch seasons 1 and 3 and you'll enjoy this wonderful TV that feels like film. I've written about this a few more times, here and here.