In theaters. Rated PG-13, 107 minutes. Trailer.
No one is more fun to watch than Vince Vaughn. As Doc so eloquently put it, his motormouth is a national treasure - when his acting combines with great writing, it is magic. Trouble is, the Vince written, produced and starring Couples Retreat is too lazy to be good. The film feels like a super-extended version of the 'couples night' scene in The Breakup, and that works a lot of the time, but not enough to save the film. Click below for more COUPLES:
The film tracks 4 couples as they head to a island/marriage therapy destination. The first quarter of the film shows them in their natural element, and this portion of the film works well with Vaughn as the typical dad/husband and Bateman reprising his normal neurotic character. Bateman's marriage to Kristen Bell's character is on the rocks, and they found the island location and can get a great deal if all 4 couples go.
The rest of the film is set in Bora Bora, and shows the couples as they move through the couples skillbuilding (including funny therapy sessions with Ken Jeong and John Michael Higgins) and the ensuing arguments and uncomfortable situations. There are several funny sequences here, but they had been WORN OUT already by the trailers, so a big chunk of them were already stale. The film ends with outlandish plot points and decent resolutions for the 4 couples.
The big weakness of the film was the obviousness of a lot of the jokes like the speedo clad and inappropriate touching yoga instructor. Those scenes were kind of funny, but not really because it was so dumb and uninteresting. Same goes for the scenes with Jean Reno and most of the 'crazy' island folks. It is surprising to me that the writers (Favreau, Vaughn and another guy) couldn't work the fish out of water angle better.
The Vince Vaughn/Malin Akerman couple is the best, most realized couple, and their life and relationship were enjoyable to watch for this parent/husband. There issues are real and their interactions and resolutions works the best. The biggest weakness of the film was the black couple - the guy is funny, but their relationship dynamics aren't interesting and he doesn't fit in - replace him with Paul Rudd or a Wilson brother or even Ron Livingston and this movie probably gets saved.
If you don't love Vaughn, this is a C+. Still a good time at the movies. It will finish #1 - the 9:30pm showing was sold out in Plano, and the Stonebriar 9:50pm showing was nearly sold out.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Couples Retreat - B-
Why not?
For his extraordinary efforts to give a good performance, treat the cast and crew well, and promote his film.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Anvil: The Story of Anvil - C+
On DVD, Rated R for language.
Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner met in the 70s in Toronto and dreamed to make it big as rock stars. They had 15 minutes of fame in the early 80s at a concert in Tokyo, but unlike all the other bands that played there (including Whitesnake and Bon Jovi), fame and riches were elusive. Former Anvil roadie turned filmmaker Sacha Gervasi filmed Anvil between 2005-2007 during their last European tour (which feels exactly like This is Spinal Tap). He also spent time with family members and famous rock stars like Slash who are all complimentary of the band. I still don't know if Gervasi is truly still a fan or is exploiting them, but the film is certainly interesting, frustrating and memorable.
I've never liked metal rock even when some people did in the 80s. Anvil's most famous song, "Metal on Metal", is said to be influential on Metallica and others, but I'd never know since it all sounds like the same crap to me. Lips wearing bondage garb and playing a guitar with a dildo isn't unique or smart - it's pathetic, disgusting, and sad. In fact, the whole movie is sad - you feel sorry for these people who clearly and admittedly made bad choices with management and record labels. But they don't obviously have much talent or insight and the only thing they seem to be an expert at is self-delusion. It's shocking nobody mentions Spinal Tap since the comparisons are so obvious (including the drummer's name - you can't make this stuff up). Lips and Reiner even visit the real Stonehenge (but there are no dancing dwarfs like in This is Spinal Tap).
There is lots of hilarious stuff in the movie, but the characters don't know it. My favorite line was after Lips's older sister gives him $10 K so he can record an album. His response: "Family's important sh!t, man." My second favorite line was after Lips accuses Reiner of having negative energy. Reiner's retort: "F@ck you! I'm positive!". The film tries to be one of those "triumph of the human spirit" films toward the end and the band should definitely be commended for following their dreams. But Gervasi seems to be implying that if you don't find all of this extraordinarily touching, then you're a jerk with real problem. Maybe I am, but family is not the only thing that's important. Talent, perspective, good parenting, and intelligence is all important sh!t, too (man). Probably a B for metal fans. C+
The unintentional laughs continue right up until the credits when Slash says that the bands that have stayed together the longest are (paraphrasing), "the Rolling Stones, The Who . . . and Anvil." !?!
Great Links
Larry David on Hannah Montana - very funny.
Website for The Duke Silver Trio. From last night's Parks and Rec (also known as the best show on TV other than 30 Rock). Go to Hulu and watch the Beauty Pageant episode from last week. Greatness.
The Brothers Bloom - B+
On DVD and Blu-ray. PG-13
Rian Johnson's Brick is easily one of the best "first" films of the decade. His writing is undeniably clear and clever and his direction almost matches it. With his second film, he gets bigger stars and a much bigger budget. But he also tries too hard with the cleverness, making the film unnecessarily complicated which limits the overall effect. Bloom and Stephen grew up orphans with many foster homes. They discovered how to con at a young age and when they become adults, the older Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and his cons become more elaborate and Bloom (Adrien Brody) wants to retire.
They have been joined by Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), who only speaks 3 English words and is an explosives expert. Stephen finds their final mark, the ridiculously wealthy Penelope (Rachel Weisz) who will have quite an effect on Bloom. Brody is more relaxed and likable than he has been in a long time and Ruffalo gives his usual perfect naturalistic performance. Kikuchi has a near-mime role and her reactions to situations are frequently humorous. Weisz is fine as the distracted, eager shut-in, but she's much better at playing smart characters in control (The Constant Gardner). For some, the real stars of the film will be the 1940s costumes and the European locations. Johnson has a terrific eye for color and framing and a great ear for dialogue, but he also has a considerable knowledge of film history - recent or classic.
His use of Ricky Jay in the opening narration not only is appropriate for the con-man genre, but gives the other-worldy feel of Magnolia. Johnson also uses animated writing for the transitions that is straight out of Wes Anderson's playbook. His choice of music (both source and score) is perfect (my favorite being an opening credits use of The Faces' I'm Losing You). The cinematography is gorgeous and the visual effects (including many sunsets and sunrises) add to the overall rich feeling. It may be the most beautiful film of the year to look at, obviously more than Brick, which was intentionally drab and rainy. The Brothers Bloom is enjoyable throughout, but opts for a heavy ending which it doesn't really earn given the breezy atmosphere that precedes it. B+
Of interest, Johnson took the 3 main character's names from James Joyce's Ulysses.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Fall Movie Releases - 10/9/09
Couples Retreat
Vince Vaughn's motor mouth is a national treasure, best seen in Swingers, Wedding Crashers, and Old School. Unlike those 3 movies, Couples Retreat has been defanged with a PG-13 rating which doesn't have to be bad, but probably is. 4 couples go to paradise on earth to improve their relationships. The trailer wasn't so bad but the reviews are not so good. Kristen Bell, Jon Favreau, and the ubiquitous Jason Bateman co-star.
An Education
Carey Mulligan is set to attend Oxford until she meets an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) which threatens her bright future. It's one of the better reviewed films of the year and some say the 24 year old Mulligan might actually take home the Best Actress Oscar. Trailer is here. Limited release.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Oasis - Must Watch Alert - Palladia
Bride 
is complaining because I am watching Oasis perform Supersonic on a show called MTV Live for literally the 10th time, airing on the great Palladia HD channel (711 on Verizon Fios). This channel always has great music, it should be in your rotation. The Oasis concert from last year airs tomorrow, October 13, 22, and 24 (schedule here). It is 60 minutes and it is worth your time, if only to hear Noel's solo at the end of Supersonic.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
HBO Sunday Night - 10/4/09
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Reunion
Season 7, Episode 3
Larry's ex-wife Cheryl has started acting again and to win her back, he agrees to arrange a Seinfeld reunion where she will star as George's ex-wife. The major Seinfeld players all showed up, but this was a Curb episode all the way with LD's misanthropy affecting everyone around him. The one-on-one scenes with the 4 Seinfeld cast members were terrific, especially Jason Alexander who seems none too pleased with the Seinfeld finale. Nor does he seem to realize that George Costanza was based on Larry David all along. Jerry threw all kinds of great improvised things at Larry and Michael Richards was beautifully aloof. The "waiter tipping" thing went on a bit long but the obsession with minutiae is one of the cornerstones of both Curb and Seinfeld. A-
By the way, LD was right, it's spelled "champing", but pronounced "chomping".
Favorite line: "I'm going to hate myself more than normally."
Entourage: Give a Little Bit
Season 6, Episode 12
Almost everyone gets what they want. Drama is offered his own TV series. Eric and Sloan get engaged. And Ari gets to buy his old boss's agency and fire lots of people. The best scene was easily Ari shooting newly fired people with a paint ball gun (including the guy who represents John and Kate + 8 - who totally deserved it). It's the kind of inspired craziness that much of the season was missing. The season was entertaining but toothless and played it way too safe to be very memorable. Matt Damon had a decent guest star appearance in this episode, playing against his nice-guy persona to shake Vince down for a big check to help a kids charity. A post-credits scene with Damon yelling at Vince (calling him a c-sucker, then crying) was followed by a black-screen dedication to a recently deceased relative of show creator Doug Ellin ("In loving memory"). The whiplash change in sentiment was unintentionally hilarious.
Paintball scene: A
Episode: B+
Season: B
DVD and Blu-ray Releases - 10/6/09
Anvil: The Story of Anvil
Imagine That - #
My Life in Ruins - #
The Thaw - #
Trick 'r Treat - #
Year One - #
TV:
Ally McBeal - Complete Series
Bones: 4th Season - #
National Parks - America's Best Idea - #,*
Mary Tyler Moore Show - 5th Season
Medium - 5th Season
Click below for this week's Blu-ray releases
Audition
Charlie Brown Christmas
Contact
Ghost Ship
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Miracle on 34th Street
The Number 23
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - *
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Wolf (1994)
# - Also on Blu-ray
* - Doctor approved
Monday, October 5, 2009
Goodbye Solo - B
On DVD
In Winstom-Salem, William, a depressed man (Red West) hires Solo, a taxi driver (Souleymane Sy Savane), to take him to the movies regularly. He has even bigger plans on a specific date later in the month when he will pay one thousand dollars for transportation - no questions asked. Solo is OK with the money, but eventually begins to care about William and intervene in his life. Meanwhile, Solo is struggling to keep his pregnant wife happy. What starts as a low-budget, adequately acted and written film about unlikely friends eventually finds greatness in the last few scenes . . .
Ramin Bahrani is of Iranian descent, but was born in North Carolina. He's been hailed as the next great American director by no less than Roger Ebert, so needless to say, expectations were fairly high. I'm not sure he's much different than any other new talent out there - certainly not the sudden impact of a Tarantino or the Andersons (with Reservoir Dogs, Bottle Rocket, and Hard Eight). But there's a subtle beauty to this simple story, honestly told. It feels like a European or Middle Eastern art film, more dependent on the stuff under the surface and held back than an American one filled with characters that talk a lot but don't say anything. Here, characters communicate with their eyes better than their words.
If you're patient and get through the meandering early parts, the ending will sneak up on you. It will probably have a bigger impact if you've never been on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway or to Blowing Rock. The claustrophobic taxi cabs and crappy apartments that fill most of the film give way to one of the most beautiful locations in America. The outdoor beauty perfectly symbolizes William's catharsis and Solo's acceptance and peace. Bahrani definitely captures what it feels like in the Blue Ridge mountains both in the visuals and sound design (wind). The last shot of the film is the most memorable segment of the highway. While the actors eventually drew me in, I can't really say I wan to sit through the first 75 minutes again. I will be checking out the last 15 when it hits cable. B
Austin City Limits - Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam taped their Austin City Limits performance last weekend, and it will air on PBS on November 21. Read about the set here and get your tivo ready.
Continue reading this postSunday, October 4, 2009
U2 Concert - Raleigh, NC - October 3, 2009
[Guest Review - Dentist] Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
Oct. 3, 2009
For all the talk of constantly re-inventing themselves, it’s not so much that U2 
have accomplished that on their latest world tour, billed the 360◦ Tour, as much as they’ve created a quasi-Popmart v 2.0 setup. Take out the self-aggrandizing, over-the-top irony of Popmart, throw in a little more intimacy via a “circle in the round” type stage and you get the picture. U2’s most recent stop was in Raleigh, a city that the band surprisingly had never played, due to a last minute cancellation of a scheduled show on 5/29/97 on the PopMart tour because of a malfunction of the LED screen. Having seen the band a total of nine times over the last 12 years and four different tours, I can tell you that it was worth the wait. Click below for more:
I had a field ticket for this show, which meant I took the beating of a 5 + hour wait to secure my spot, but it also meant that I had a prime view of the stage, the “claw” and Bono and his mates. First off, the claw is better than advertised—a true visual beauty in enormity and simplicity, it is one of the coolest things you’ll ever see at a rock show. U2 entered the stage to David Bowie’s Space Oddity, an appropriate backdrop to the “spaceship-like” stage, and immediately launched into a blistering version of Breathe, a song that, like many, really takes shape in the live setting. Right from the start it was apparent that the band was really feeling it, Bono engaging the crowd of 60,000 with almost a child-like hysteria and excitement. It was one of those special nights where the stars seem to align and all is right with the world, if only for a couple of hours.
The new material REALLY sounds good live, in particular the title track and 
Magnificent. In a Little While was soundchecked earlier in the afternoon and made a welcomed appearance for only the second time on the tour. One of the coolest things of the night happened during Sunday Bloody Sunday when Bono grabbed a sign a fan was holding that said: “People Get Ready—C Am F”. Bono didn’t give him a guitar cameo, but rather tossed his mic to the fan to sing a verse of the song—very cool. My biggest surprise moment of the night was hearing the unbelievably good remix version of I’ll Go Crazy….Highlights also include: The Unforgettable Fire, Streets (always good) and Ultraviolet, my favorite from the evening (for the record, I would pay good money to hear U2 play Achtung Baby from start to finish). I’m still unsure about ending the show with Moment of Surrender, but it works okay I guess—would much rather have Bad or 40.
I feel like the older I get, I’m as much of a U2 apologist as I am enthusiast and at times, the band does little to help with my defense of them. However, in the live setting I will put U2 up against anybody else out there. Period. They still are able to connect with their fans in a way that is unrivaled. Do what you can to see them on this tour and experience what I’m talking about. You will not be disappointed and you’ll have a new benchmark to measure every show henceforth. Why did I ever doubt them?
FWIW: Those of you who will see Muse open the show are in for a real treat. Why are these guys not headlining somewhere?
Saturday Night Live - 10/3/09
Ryan Reynolds hosted but was upstaged by guest appearances by Madonna (who had a cat-fight with musical guest and Lawyer favorite Lady Gaga) and Reynolds's own special lady Scarlett Johansson. The show started strong with SNL's best (only) criticism of Barack Obama to date. The show then went to the tried and true "game show" sketch with an "old" Family Feud episode featuring MacKenzie Phillips and her father. The Adam Samberg song was the best of 2009, showing the ridiculousness of white rappers who think they're tough. And Fred Armisen was in every single skit. The show fizzled quickly (and completely after Weekend Update). Click here for the available videos.The Norwegian Acting skit was repetitive and Deep House Dish has never been funny. The Charles Barkley and Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonations were fine, but went on way too long. The Court TV skit was an OK idea, badly executed.
Weekend Box Office: 10/2-4/09
Weekend total / % Change / Cumulative total
1. Zombieland: 25 mil / (-)
2. Cloudy w/ Chance of M-balls: 17mil/-33%/82mil
3. Toy Story / Toy Story 2 (3D): 12.5 mil / (-)
4. The Invention of Lying: 7.4 mil / (-)
5. Surrogates: 7.3 mil / (-51%) / 26 mil
6. Capitalism: A Love Story: 4.9 mil / (-)
7. Whip It: 4.9 mil / (-)
8. Fame: 4.8 mil (-53%) / 17 mil
9. The Informant!: 3.8 mil / -43% / 27 mil
10. Love Happens: 2.8 mil / -36% / 19 mil
Zombieland was made for 23.6 mil so it's obviously doing pretty well. But kids ruled the marketplace. As most parents know, in a recession, you don't really change your spending habits for your kids.
The Informant - B
In theaters. Rated PG-13, 108 minutes. Trailer.
Starring Matt Damon and directed by Stephen Soderbergh, The Informant is a solid film with some laughs and even a few poignant moments. Damon is the ultimate midwestern tool, Mark Whitacre, raking in cash at ArcherDanielMidland (major corn producer) when he decides to go undercover with the FBI to expose price-fixing. His audible inner-dialogue and horrible undercover skills are the centerpiece of this weirdly-toned comedy. Click below for more INFORMANT:
Whitacre comes across as an awshucks guy riding in on a white-horse, but as the investigation (led by Scott Bakula and the Soup and Community's Joel McHale) widens and grows more serious, his own flaws become more and more apparent. We never really get to know Whitacre behind his own facade. The film unravels as you go, so the plot can't really be divulged without ruining it.
Damon is great as the bumbling Whitacre, capturing his self-delusion and misplaced confidence in his bulked up frame. Bakula and McHale are also great as FBI agents cast as the straight man (and in the same position as the audience - trying to figure this guy/situation out). McHale is surprisingly serious and it works despite his smarmy disposition. Buster Bluth is solid as Whitacre's lawyer and several other Soderbergh regulars fill in along the way.
This one is good throughout, but never really grabbed me. It is quietly funny, and might get better upon a repeat viewing - it feels like a Soderbergh directed Coen script.
Bonus - Matt Damon impersonating Matthew McConaughey here.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Zombieland B+
In theatres, 82 minutes, Rated R
Zombieland is Exhibit A for truth in advertising. If you liked the trailer, you’ll love the movie. If you didn’t, don’t waste your time, ‘cause this is an 82 minute uber-violent, zombie-killing comic buzz of a film that starts in high and hardly slows down. The plot, straight from 28 Days Later, is as follows: The world is covered in zombies, and Columbus (played by Jesse Eisenberg, Adventureland—we only know the characters by where they’re from), a multi-phobic anti-social twenty-something, has found a way to stay alive by following some basic rules. He’s trying to get back to his parents place in Ohio when he takes up with a bona fide zombie killing nut job played with reckless glee by Woody Harrelson. They meet up with the two-girl swindling team of Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone, Superbad, and Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine) and band together to get to California to go to Disneyland. The story is organized around Columbus’s rules for survival (think Wedding Crashers) which include #1 Cardio, and #2 Beware of Bathrooms.
Director Ruben Fleischer is one to watch. He sets the raucous, over-the-top tone in the opening sequence and never deviates for a second. While there are tons of production tricks, including maybe the most slow-motion I’ve ever scene in a film, it all works. Also working: a great, great cameo that I won’t spoil here. Eisenberg recycles his Adventureland character, but that was a likable character. Emma Stone is fine if nothing spectacular as the hottie, and Breslin proves she might just make it out of Little Miss Sunshine with a career. But this movie belongs to Harrelson. His character channels the anarchic zeitgeist of the film, the devilish abandon of killing zombies by any means possible and loving it. It’s a fun, perfectly realized ride that I whole-heartedly suggest to you. B+
Friday, October 2, 2009
Fall Movie Releases - 10/2/09
Zombieland
A pretty good trailer alerted my attention. There's a knowing sense of humor and Woody Harrelson seems to be riffing on his character from Natural Born Killers. This is a good move for Adventureland's Jesse Eisenberg, who's only done indie films prior to this. Still, I doubt it will top the similarly themed Shaun of the Dead, which looks better all the time. There's a semi-surprising big-league cameo as a bonus.
A Serious Man
The Coens' most personal film to date has a Midwestern Jewish professor having one disaster after another befall him. This leads to the testing of his faith. It's getting rave reviews and seems to be in the upper echelon of the the Coens' films (which would be at the top of all films made in the past 25 years). My most anticipated film of the fall.
Whip It
Drew Barrymore's directorial debut has a bunch of ladies (including Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat) playing in a roller derby league. Page is perfectly cast as the indie-teen hating life in a small Texas town.
The Invention of Lying
Ricky Gervais lives in a world where everybody tells the truth. He learns how to lie and uses it to his advantage. Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Garner, and Jeffrey Tambor co-star. Gervais is great on TV, but has yet to strike gold on the big screen. Maybe this is the one. Maybe not.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Coraline - B
On DVD and Blu-ray, 100 minutes
Coraline is a lonely 11 year old only child with distracted parents busy with their own careers. She finds a secret small door (like Being John Malkovich) that transports her to an alternate universe where her parents have all the time in the world for her, treat her lovingly, and even cook her dinner. Her talkative next door neighbor has his mouth sewn shut which is OK with her, but her alternate parents have buttons for eyes, which is kind of creepy. Of course, the dream world will not turn out as great as it first appears and Coraline will learn to appreciate her real life . . .
The stop motion animation is endlessly imaginative and each frame is carefully constructed. For awhile, the jaw-dropping visuals easily carry the familiar and predictable plot. But the third act gets muddled, drags, and repeats itself. And the eyes can only take so much beauty when a story so strange is attacking the brain. The movie would no doubt play better with troubled (female) adolescents with an interest in art. B
Sunshine Cleaning - C+
On DVD and Blu-ray
Single mom Rose (Amy Adams) struggles to get by working as a cleaning lady. She's having an affair with Mac, a married cop (Steve Zahn), and has an unstable sister (Emily Blunt) who can't hold down a job. When Mac recommends cleaning up crime scenes to score some quick cash, Rose finds a way to solve some of life's problems. But her desire to be accepted by high society will cause as many problems as her sister, who feels much more than she thinks. The film is just like every indie film you've ever seen with quirky characters, situations that the crew and cast think are funny (but are not), and nauseatingly predictable life lessons. But Adams really shows her character's desperation well. Her best years (high school) are said to be behind her, but she's trying to change that . . .
The film gets an emotional boost toward the end as Rose and her sister finally come to terms with the suicide of their mother. The acting by Adams and Blunt is excellent and this makes up for the standard indie situations. The premise of cleaning of crime scenes is an interesting one and Blunt's part of the film (saving things from the scene and tracking down associated family members) has potential, but the side plot involving a lesbian attraction diminishes the impact. The film has a forced happy ending that contributes to the overall unevenness. C+
Observe and Report - C-
On DVD and Blu-ray
Seth Rogen stars as Ronnie Barnhardt, a medicated, unbalanced mall security guard who has huge delusions of grandeur and a temper to match. When a flasher exposes himself to Brandi, a perfume counter employee (and Ronnie's object of desire), Ronnie vows to find the perpetrator to win her over. The real cops (led by Ray Liotta) get tired of Ronnie's interference and decide to have fun with him. Written and directed by Jody Hill, the film shares the same "comedic" stylings as Hill's HBO series Eastbound & Down with abrasive characters stating stupid obvious things and demanding undeserved attention and respect. But with a bigger budget, Hill manages to waste good music and great actors . . .
Seth Rogen seems to be channelling the Danny McBride character on Eastbound & Down, unable to find anything honest in the lame writing. As Brandi, Anna Faris has some humorous line deliveries, but Ray Liotta has a tough time fitting in (he seems to be in a different movie). The movie does get points for unpredictability and Michael Pena gives an inspired turn as one of Rogen's colleagues. The film heavily references Taxi Driver toward the end with Rogen's voice over narration promising violence as he lifts weights. But the plot unfolds incoherently with scenes barely connecting to the one that preceded them. Hill seems more interested in setting up funny situations than a film that works. Alas, most of the situations are not funny, not least of which is the climax - which has more male full frontal nudity than I've ever seen. C-