"On the Internet, 50 percent is porn material. Why should we refer to the Internet?"
-Vladimir Putin
Friday, January 22, 2010
Quote of the Day
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Song of the Day - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen), Baz Luhrmann
I loved this song when it came out in 1999, and its even more weighty now. Some will call it hokey, but given that I became an adult around that time, it is interesting to remember back what I thought about it then and now.
Continue reading this postPandorum - D+
On DVD and Blu-ray
On a ship in deep space, Bower (Ben Foster) awakens to find himself alone with Payton (Dennis Quaid). Their supervising crew is missing and there are fast moving cannibalistic creatures (which look exactly like The Descent's monsters) all over the ship. As they strive to find out what went wrong, they're in a race against time with the malfunctioning ship and a psychosis brought on by the deep space hibernation.
The violence is overly gruesome and meaningless. The characters don't know who they are and neither do we which makes them far from engaging. Foster has an intense presence, but isn't given time to act - just to shout and run. This represents a new career-low for the moribund Quaid, who could be excused if he were the lead or if there were any interesting ideas or insight. But writer Travis Milloy is more interested in the horror genre than science fiction. The film even threatens to turn into torture porn in one scene. Director Christian Alvart stages each scene like an ADHD afflicted 8 year old who just ate all of his Halloween candy. D+
Banksy at Sundance
The famed (and loved by Priest and Lawyer) graffiti artist Banksy has a film playing at this week's Sundance Film Festival, and he has graced the site of the Festival, Park City, Utah, with some of his art. Read more here. More pics here.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Wonderful World - C-
One of the liberal fantasies perpetuated by Avatar is that less developed countries (like Haiti, for instance) are more spiritual and meaningful since they are forced to be in tune with nature and don' t have the distractions of jobs and responsibilities. Never mind their high infant mortality rate, crippling disease, and unending tribal fights. In Wonderful World, Matthew Broderick plays Ben Singer, a former child entertainer who now works as a book editor. His ex-wife has remarried and his daughter wants less and less time with him. Ben lives with Ibu, a diabetic Senegalese man, who slips into a coma early on. Ibu's sister comes to NYC to see him and hits it off with Ben, teaching him what's really important in life.
Ben is an unshaven, mean-spirited, dour sourpuss. It's no wonder no one wants to be around him. The fact that he used to sing to children only sets up an obvious, uninspired redemption. The culture discussions are one-sided with Senegal shown as a better country than America (I'm immigrating later this month). The only halfway interesting part is when Ben tries to sue the city for negligence, but this is woefully underdeveloped and immediately forgotten. Broderick does as much as his part allows, but he's set up to fail with a project as misconceived as this. The rest of the cast is instantly forgettable. I caught it on HDNET movies almost 2 weeks ago, and it's still available On Demand, but it's hardly worth your money, let alone your time. C-
Monday, January 18, 2010
Song of the Day - Are You Ready?, Richard Ashcroft
Cool, layered song from his new collaborative project.
Continue reading this postDVD and Blu-ray Releases 1/19/10
Che (Criterion) - #
Gamer - #
Invention of Lying - #
Pandorum - #
Smokin' Aces 2 - #
Whiteout - #
Click below for this week's TV and Blu-ray releases
TV:
Dallas: 12th Season
Damages: 2nd Season
Law and Order: 7th Season
thirtysomething: 2nd Season
Weeds: Season 5 - #
Blu-ray:
Boogie Nights - *
Magnolia - *
Smokin' Aces
# - also on Blu-ray
* - Doctor approved
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Golden Globe Winners
Host Ricky Gervais insulted everyone hilariously, especially Mel Gibson. I'm not sure how plugging a cable from a person's ass into horse's ass warrants Best Picture and Best Director. The Hangover was a surprise win (should have been 500 Days of Summer). Jeff Bridges has been my favorite actor for years. Meryl Streep should have at least 3 Oscars, but not for Julie & Julia (much better in last year's Doubt). The wins for Up and Christoph Waltz are well-deserved. Up in the Air has a good screenplay, but not Tarantino-good. On the TV side, I loved seeing Mad Men, 30 Rock, and Taking Chance take home trophies. Here is my favorite part of the night. Click below for the list of winners.
Best Picture, Drama — Avatar
Best Picture, Comedy/Musical — The Hangover
Best Director — James Cameron, Avatar
Best Actress, Drama — Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Actor, Drama — Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress, Comedy/Musical — Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Best Actor, Comedy/Musical — Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes
Best Supporting Actress — Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Supporting Actor — Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Foreign Language Film — The White Ribbon
Best Animated Feature — Up
Best Screenplay — Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Original Score — Michael Giacchino, Up
Best Original Song — The Weary Kind, Crazy Heart
Best TV Series, Drama – Mad Men
Best TV Series, Comedy — Glee
Best TV Miniseries — Grey Gardens
Best Actress, TV Miniseries — Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Best Actor, TV Miniseries — Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Best Actress, TV Drama — Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Best Actor, TV Drama — Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Best Actress, TV Comedy — Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Best Actor, TV Comedy — Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Best Supporting Actress, TV — Chloe Sevigny, Big Love
Best Supporting Actor, TV — John Lithgow, Dexter
Weekend Box Office: 1/15-1/17/10
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
1. Avatar: 41.3 mil / -18% / 491 mil
2. Book of Eli: 31.6 mil / (-)
3. Lovely Bones: 17 mil / + / 17.5 mil
4. Alvin & Chipmunks 2: 11.5 mil/-31%/193 mil
5. Sherlock Holmes: 9.8 mil / -41% / 180 mil
6. Spy Next Door: 9.7 mil / (-)
7. It's Complicated: 7.6 mil / -30% / 88 mil
8. Leap Year: 5.8 mil / -37% / 18 mil
9. The Blind Side: 5.6 mil / -26% / 227 mil
10. Up in the Air: 5.5 mil / -24% / 63 mil
11. Daybreakers: 5 mil / -67% / 24 mil
12. Youth in Revolt: 2.8 mil / -59% / 12 mil
13. Princess & Frog: 2.7 mil / -41% / 96 mil
Avatar will pass Titanic to become the highest grossing film ever. I understand that people want to check out the 3-D but does anyone really want to sit through this thing twice? Denzel opened well and Lovely Bones expanded pretty well. Jackie Chan tried to do the domestic comedy thing in Spy Next Door.
Precious - B+
In theaters. Rated R, 109 minutees. Trailer.
Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) is an obese, black, poor and pregnant (by her father) 16 year old girl living in Harlem in 1987 with her sadistically abusive mother (Mo'Nique). After her high school suspends her because of her (second) pregnancy, she is placed at an alternative school where she meets a compassionate teacher and begins a tenuous journey to 'normal'. Part movie of the week, part unflinching portrait of poverty and incest, the film works on many levels and exhibits a refreshing lack of preaching with a story that could've been turned into a boring object lesson. Click below for more Precious:
While mostly a downer, the film has some funny scenes and gives a glimmer of hope in spite of the terrible circumstances. Mo'Nique's mother character is lazy, mean, and entirely dependent on welfare. She hates Precious because her boyfriend (and Precious' father) prefers Precious to her and she takes that hatred out on Precious with vicious physical and emotional abuse. After she leaves her high school and heads to the alternative school, Precious meets Miss Rain, an attractive liberal that teaches a class of extremely troubled teens. Her illiteracy and pregnancy are huge hurdles that the film doesn't solve, but she does make progress.
The
film's most powerful scenes all involve Mo'Nique's character, especially the extremely tense scene when Precious brings her baby home and one of the best scenes of the year when mother has to cop to all the abuse face to face with Precious (with the help of a social worker). Her performance is a tour-de-force, and she should win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress whether she campaigns for it or not. I also thought Mariah Carey (social worker) and Lenny Kravitz (male nurse) provided great layering to the film in their performances. Sidibe is also impressive.
Director Lee Daniels uses various styles and film stocks throughout the movie to convey the mood and escapism of Precious, and deserves his likely Oscar nomination for Best Director. There are several interesting issues that are dealt with in the film, namely AIDS, incest, abuse, homosexuality, black culture, social programs and a shockingly candid indictment of welfare. In a letter writing exchange with Miss Rains, Precious trades comments about welfare checks and arguments for and against keeping her baby (and her first child with down syndrome, referred to throughout the film as Mongo) - this sequence has many thoughtful statements and keeps the evenhanded tone of the film.
Most critics have coupled this with The Blind Side since they both involve a black teen emerging from a horrible ghetto culture to some success - but Precious is a much darker and realistic film (and much better).
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Song of the Day - That's Not My Name, The Ting Tings
I saw these guys at some festival on Palladia last night and liked this song - they're also playing in a few minutes on SNL.
Continue reading this postHitler and Leno and Conan
This may not be up long. I'll de-post if it's removed.
Continue reading this postMoon - B+
On DVD and Blu-ray
On the dark side of the moon, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is finishing his 3-year stint managing the mining of Helium-3, an isotope used for fusion that helps solve Earth's energy problems. The only other inhabitant on the lunar station is GERTY, a computer (voiced by Kevin Spacey) who fixes any and every problem. Sam begins hallucinating and this leads to a crash. When Sam is awakened, he will begin questioning everything - from his family and the corporation's intentions to his very existence . . .
First-time director Duncan Jones creates a suffocating, claustrophobic atmosphere and gets surprisingly adept visuals both in the station and on the lunar surface. Clint Mansell's score contributes to the mysterious feeling and hits the emotional points perfectly. Rockwell is basically a one-man show and gives an amazing performance, playing many aspects of himself. The special effects are invisible because the story is gripping enough to place you right into the action. The movie wastes no time going from twist to twist, barely giving the viewer time to keep up.
The film was made for a paltry $5 million and this certainly limits its scope with basically only one character talking to himself. The anti-corporation stance is somewhat respectable, but could have been handled more delicately. The film ends a little awkwardly and abruptly. But like the best of the science fiction genre, Moon gives you plenty to think about: long distance relationships, the aging process and its effect on personality, the effects of isolation, and the occasional need for self-reflection. This is required viewing for science-fiction fans, but even for those that aren't, Rockwell's performance is too good to be missed. B+
Friday, January 15, 2010
Team Conan
I'm pretty sure I speak for Doc and Priest in saying we're on Team Conan.
Song of the Day - Sabotage
By the Beastie Boys
Heard it this week and forgot what a rock 'em-sock 'em, kick in the teeth it is. It's their best song and the best video ever (directed by Spike Jonze). If it were up to me, Jonze would do a full length version of it next. In the Before the Devil Knows You're Dead commentary, Ethan Hawke talked about the Sabotage video as the inspiration for his hold-up disguise.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Song of the Day - No Speak, No Slave
By The Black Crowes
This gem is hidden deep on their second album. What hooks me every time is the two-part bridge.
Rooster crows at the break of dawn
A mother dies without her only son
A doctor laughs in the face of disease
I never once heard a preacher say please
And you, you want to be heard
But none of us understand a word
And you, you want to be free
Then don't speak like a slave to me.
Policemen who break the laws
Politicians rise and fall
A baby crying for its mother's milk
A daddy's secret hidden guilt
And you, you want to be heard
But none of us understand a word
And you, you want to be free
Then don't speak like a slave to me.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Song of the Day - Idiot Wind
by Bob Dylan
The best break-up song ever is also my favorite of Dylan's. Misanthropy, paranoia, conquest, a troubled search for Christianity, a propensity for sorrow, self-deprecation, and acceptance. It's like holding up a mirror.
Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.
People see me all the time and they just can't remember how to act
Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts.
Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at,
I couldn't believe after all these years, you didn't know me better than that
Sweet lady.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads headin' south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I ran into the fortune-teller, who said beware of lightning that might strike
I haven't known peace and quiet for so long I can't remember what it's like.
There's a lone soldier on the cross, smoke pouring out of a boxcar door,
You didn't know it, you didn't think it could be done, in the final end he won the wars
After losing every battle.
I woke up on the roadside, daydreamin' 'bout the way things sometimes are
Visions of your chestnut mare shoot through my head and are makin' me see stars.
You hurt the ones that I love best and cover up the truth with lies.
One day you'll be in the ditch, flies buzzin' around your eyes,
Blood on your saddle.
Idiot wind, blowing through the flowers on your tomb,
Blowing through the curtains in your room.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
It was gravity which pulled us down and destiny which broke us apart
You tamed the lion in my cage but it just wasn't enough to change my heart.
Now everything's a little upside down, as a matter of fact the wheels have stopped,
What's good is bad, what's bad is good, you'll find out when you reach the top
You're on the bottom.
I noticed at the ceremony, your corrupt ways had finally made you blind
I can't remember your face anymore, your mouth has changed, your eyes
don't look into mine.
The priest wore black on the seventh day and sat stone-faced while the building
burned.
I waited for you on the running boards, near the cypress trees, while the springtime turned
Slowly into autumn
Idiot wind, blowing like a circle around my skull,
From the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I can't feel you anymore, I can't even touch the books you've read
Every time I crawl past your door, I been wishing I was somebody else instead.
Down the highway, down the tracks, down the road to ecstasy,
I followed you beneath the stars, hounded by your memory
And all your raging glory.
I been double-crossed now for the very last time and now I'm finally free,
I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me.
You'll never know the hurt I suffered nor the pain I rise above,
And I'll never know the same about you, your holiness or your kind of love,
And it makes me feel so sorry.
Idiot wind, blowing through the buttons of our coats,
Blowing through the letters that we wrote.
Idiot wind, blowing through the dust upon our shelves,
We're idiots, babe.
It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Song of the Day - I'm Looking Through You
By The Beatles
I'm trying to hit some of their earlier songs that are lesser known. So far I've picked my favorites off the Revolver and Help! albums. This song is my favorite off the Rubber Soul album. The familiar post-India Beatles songs hold up better than the familiar earlier songs. Except "Yesterday", but you don't need me to tell you how great that song is, do you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)