Radiohead Tour Update

The aforementioned North American Radiohead tour now has dates and venues. The relevant dates: Houston, Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion; Dallas, Sunday, May 18, 2008 at the Starplex; and for Dentist, Charlotte, NC, Friday, May 9 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Tickets go on sale here this Thursday.

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Snap Judgments - a Quick Review of 5 Movies

The Nines – 2007
After a rough start where Ryan Reynolds burns down a house, scores some crack, and nails a fat hooker, the movie settles down into a very interesting puzzle- a psychotic blend of New Age mysticism and Judeo-Christian tradition. Reynolds, Hope Davis, and Melissa McCarthy play 3 different characters in 3 separate stories where the number 9 keeps popping up all over the place. The structure is familiar, but the film is surprisingly satisfying in its originality and payoff. The acting is erratic, and it could probably lose 10 minutes, but it works. (Priest-your take on the religious stuff here would be interesting) B-

Rush Hour 3 - 2007
You’ve probably seen this movie twice before, but there’s a reason why these movies make money: Chris Tucker is a great entertainer. He does it his way, too – cashing $20 million checks when the money runs out. The plot has something to do with Tucker and Jackie Chan going to Paris to rescue an Ambassador’s daughter. Tucker delivers his lines like mid-80s Eddie Murphy. You won’t care about the ridiculous plot. Jackie Chan is getting a little too old for this sh!t, but at least he’s having fun, not taking himself too seriously. The closing credits outtakes are worth watching. Though I’m still stunned by the presence of Max Von Sydow and Roman Polanski. C+

The Invasion - 2007
The original cut delivered by Downfall director Oliver Hirschbiegel failed to impress the Warner’s suits so they hired the Wachowskis and V for Vendetta director James McTeigue to create some action scenes. This results in a movie that feels very disjointed and is trimmed within an inch of its life at 93 minutes. This fourth telling of The Body Snatchers book by Jack Finney improves on the priors by making the transformation related to a virus rather than plants. But it loses its guts by making the changes reversible via a vaccine from immune people. As the 2 leads, Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman try some humor, some action scenes (in high heels), and awkward movie banter. After seeing Craig totally kick ass as James Bond, it’s tough to watch him as a p-whipped nerdy research doctor. Kidman is fine, but if you must go Kidman, rent The Others instead. C

War - 2007
After a pretty good opening with rain falling and barrels on fire, the movie mostly becomes a snoozefest. That’s mostly because of Jet Li, who somehow gets audiences to buy tickets despite being the least interesting actor on the planet. His solemn and drab presence may hide his ferocious martial arts technique, but there are plenty of interesting actors (like Jackie Chan) who know how to entertain while they are talking, conveying the plot, interacting with others, etc. Jason Statham does his great thing as a cop trying to bring Jet Li to justice, but it’s not nearly enough to overcome the overbearing familiarity. D+

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - 2007
In this sequel that nobody asked for, the funereal four must stop a silver dude on a surf board from destroying Earth. The special effects are fine and Chris Evans is likable (but much better in the recent Sunshine). How come I can never remember his name? Michael Chiklis and Jessica Alba aren’t given much to do except exhibit a physical presence. (Advantage: Alba) But the central problem of both FF movies is the casting of Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic, a live-action plastic man that will bore you to tears. Hey, Andre Braugher, if you need money this bad, call me - I’ll spot you some. C-

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You Talkin' to Me?

..

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Oscar Got it Right

Best Original Screenplay in 1974

Robert Towne, Chinatown

aka Chinatown - in 10 Pictures

“All right, Curly. Enough’s enough. You can’t eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.” (Jack Nicholson as Jake J. Gittes) (Click below for the rest)

“I’m not in business to be loved, but I am in business.” (Jake J. Gittes)

“You’re a very nosy fella, Kitty cat, huh? You know what happens to nosy fellas? Huh? No? Wanna guess? Huh? No? OK. They lose their noses.” (director Roman Polanski in a cameo)

“OK, go home, but in case you’re interested, your husband was murdered. Somebody has been dumping thousands of tons of water from the city’s reservoirs and we’re supposed to be in the middle of a drought. He found out about it and he was killed. There’s a water-logged drunk in the morgue, involuntary manslaughter if anybody wants to take the trouble which they don’t. It seems like half the city is trying to cover it all up which is fine by me. But Mrs. Mulwray, I goddamn near lost my nose. And I like it. I like breathing through it. And I still think you’re hiding something.” (Jake J. Gittes)


“Of course I’m respectable. I’m old. Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.” (John Huston as Noah Cross)


“Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can’t already afford?" (Jake J. Gittes)


“Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown” (Joe Mantell as Lawrence Walsh)
-my vote for best last line ever.


But it’s not just the razor sharp dialogue. It the creative ways Nicholson/Gittes goes about the business of solving the case:

1) Placing two watches on either side of a car tire to see when a person leaves.

2) Kicking out a tail-light so he can follow a car.

Plus it’s got one of the best revelations ever (given by Faye Dunaway – which I won’t spoil here), Unlike the great last scene revelations in Citizen Kane and The Sixth Sense, this reveal occurs at the beginning of the third act.

Note: Pretty good monologue by Nicholson above. He gets bonus points for delivering it in one uninterrupted take.

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5 Great Movie Monologues

"So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here you are - and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it."

Fargo (1996)
Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson
Screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen
(Click below for the rest)

"Mike? What's the pool on me up to right now? What's it up to? What is it, 300 dollars? Is that it? 300? I'm a school teacher. I teach English Composition in this little town called Addley, Pennsylvania. The last 11 years, I've been at Thomas Alva Edison High School. I was coach of the baseball team in the spring time. Back home when I tell people what I do for a living, they think, well, that, that figures. But over here it's a big, a big mystery. So I guess I've changed some. Sometimes I wonder if I've changed so much my wife is even gonna recognize me whenever it is I get back to her - and how I'll ever be able to tell her about days like today. Ryan - I don't know anything about Ryan. I don't care. Man means nothin' to me. It's just a name. But if - you know - if going to Ramelle and finding him so he can go home, if that earns me the right to get back to my wife - well, then, then that's my mission. You wanna leave? You wanna go off and fight the war? All right. All right, I won't stop you. I'll even put in the paperwork. I just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel."

Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller
Screenplay by Robert Rodat


“You pay me to go get guys like Wigand, to draw him out, to get him to trust us, to get him to go on television. I do. I deliver him. He sits. He talks. He violates his own f@cking confidentiality agreement. And he’s only the key witness in the biggest public health reform issue, maybe the biggest, most expensive corporate malfeasance case in U.S. history. And Jeffrey Wigand, who’s out on a limb, does he go on television and tell the truth? Yes. Is it newsworthy? Yes. Are we gonna air it? Of course not. Why? Because he’s not telling the truth? No, because he is telling the truth. That’s why we’re not going to air it. And the more truth he tells, the worse it gets.”

The Insider (1999)
Al Pacino as Lowell Bergman
Screenplay by Eric Roth and Michael Mann


"You're so ambitious, aren't you? You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube, a well-scrubbed, hustling rube, with a little taste. Good nutrition's given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling? And that accent you've tried so desperately to shed - pure West Virginia. What does your father do? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp? You know how quickly the boys found you. All those tedious, sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars, while you could only dream of getting out, getting anywhere, getting all the way to the F...B...I.”

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
Screenplay by Ted Tally


“You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it, is that clear? You think you have merely stopped a business deal - that is not the case! The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back. It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity, it is ecological balance. You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations! There are no peoples! There are no Russians! There are no Arabs! There are no Third Worlds! There is no West! There is only one holistic system of systems, one vast and immane, interwoven, interacting, multi-variate, multi-national dominion of dollars! Petro-dollars, electro-dollars, multi-dollars, reichmarks, rins, rubles, pounds and shekels! It is the international system of currency which determines the totality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today. That is the atomic, and subatomic and galactic structure of things today. And you have meddled with the primal forces of nature, and you will atone! Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little twenty-one inch screen and howl about America and democracy. There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT & T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon - those are the nations of the world today. What do you think the Russians talk about in their councils of state - Karl Marx? They get out their linear programming charts, statistical decision theories and mini-max solutions and compute the price-cost probabilities of their transactions and investments just like we do. We no longer live in a world of nations and ideologies, Mr. Beale. The world is a college of corporations, inexorably determined by the immutable by-laws of business. The world is a business, Mr. Beale. It has been since man crawled out of the slime, and our children will live, Mr. Beale, to see that perfect world in which there's no war or famine, oppression or brutality. One vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men will work to serve a common profit, in which all men will hold a share of stock, all necessities provided, all anxieties tranquilized, all boredom amused. And I have chosen you to preach this evangel, Mr. Beale."

Network (1976)
Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen
Screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky

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Obama "Yes We Can" Video

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Click here for a cool video for Barack Obama, produced by will.i.am (I hate that I just typed that) and featuring lots of celebs, including Scarlett Johanson, Live's Ed Kowalczyk, Kate Walsh, Aisha Taylor, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and others I recognize but don't know their name. Pretty cool; but, go McCain/Romney/Huck.

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Best Picture Oscar Snubs

Over the years, Oscar has failed to nominate dozens of worthy films, this year's omissions include Once, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and Zodiac. Below is my list (since 2000) and a list compiled by the LA Times. Go here to see all nominees for all years.

My list of recent snubs: Lives of Others, Pan's Labryinth, Cinderella Man, History of Violence, Constant Gardner, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Garden State, 21 Grams, City of God, About a Boy, Adaptation, Mulholland Drive, Memento, Requiem for a Dream, and Almost Famous.

LA Times list: Adam's Rib, Aliens, Arthur, Being John Malkovich, Being There, The Big Slee, The Birds, Blade Runner, Blood Simple, Blue Velvet, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Brief Encounter, Carrie, Casino, Central Station, The China Syndrome, [Click below for the rest of the list]Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Cool Hand Luke, Days of Heaven, Days of Wine and Roses, Do the Right Thing, Dreamgirls, Duck Soup, East of Eden, Election, A Fish Called Wanda, Gilda, Harold and Maude, Hud, In Cold Blood, Leaving Las Vegas, The Lion King, A Little Princess, The Manchurian Candidate, Manhattan, The Matrix, Mean Streets, Meet Me in St. Louis, Melvin and Howard, Memento, The Misfits, Modern Times, Murder on the Orient Express, North by Northwest, Notorious, The Opposite of Sex, Out of Sight, Paper Moon, Peggy Sue Got Married, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Philadelphia, The Player, Pleasantville, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Ran, Rear Window, Rebel Without a Cause, Rosemary's Baby, Saturday Night Fever, The Searchers, The Seventh Seal, Singin' in the Rain, Spartacus, Strangers on a Train, The Stunt Man, Suddenly, Last Summer, Sullivan's Travels, Sweeney Todd, Thelma and Louise, The Third Man, To Have and Have Not, A Touch of Evil, Toy Story, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Truman Show, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Victor/Victoria (exception!), Viva Zapata, The Way We Were, When Harry Met Sally, The Wild Bunch, Wild Strawberries, A Woman Under the Influence, The World According to Garp and You Can Count on Me. Hat tip, Hollywood Elsewhere.

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Bucket List - B

In theaters. Rated PG-13, 97 minutes. Trailer.

Okay, okay, I COULD'VE seen Persepolis, but chose to see Bucket List instead because I just didn't want to have to sift through the angst of an Iranian NY Times cartoonist and preferred a predictable but uplifting movie.

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman basically play dying versions of themselves in the movie; Jack the rich and agressive womanizer and Morgan the thoughtful mechanic. Yes, Morgan Freeman narration is overdone, but its also effective as hell. Kudos to Director Frank Darabont for introducing us to this seemingly essential element of modern film with Red in The Shawshank Redemption. Director Rob Reiner uses the classic bookends technique, starting with Freeman narration about Jack's death. Click below for old people jokes!

Cut to both of them in the same hospital room with terminal cancer. The usual reluctance/repulsion followed by gallows humor and bonding follows, culminating in a plan to use their remaining months to accomplish all the things they wanted to do before they kicked the bucket. Cut to the usual skydiving and Egypt scenes, followed by death and weepy scenes about reconciliation with kids and the meaning of life.

Jack and Morgan are both great in this one, and its always fun to watch great actors work with eachother. The story has some unexpected twists, but doesn't veer far off the path, or make you think hard either. There are some genuinely funny moments, joke: "Once you get old, never trust a fart!!!!" There was a moment of mist for even this jaded lawyer, of course involving a weepy father/daughter scene. My beloved had to be dragged in, but floated out due to all of the waterworks on display. The Morgan Freeman family/faith stuff was a complete waste in even this movie. A great movie to watch with someone you love over 50.

Viewing note: The line for the Hannah Montana concert movie took over the entire 24 screen theater.

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Stephen Tobolowsky’s Birthday Party – B

On DVD

Cinematographer Robert Brinkmann convinces good friend character actor Stephen Tobolowsky to go on film and tell some of his entertaining stories. He’s normally the life of every party. In movies, he’s a secondary character, but here he’s the star of the show. His stories are humorous, well-told, and occasionally very insightful. The movie appears to have been shot over the course of one day as Mr. Tobolowsky visits the beach then cooks for friends before they come over for an extended party. (Click below for the rest and some pictures from his films)

My favorite story involved an old man crossing the road very slowly while the actor is in a hurry toward an audition. He’s mad at the old man of course. Within a week’s time, the actor is symptomatic from a kidney stone and he becomes the guy who crosses the street slowly. He, in turn, is yelled at by a younger person. The anecdotes don’t let up, but at 87 minutes, the movies feels long – mostly because there’s no change in the delivery (although the director does his best to changes settings). B

Below are some of his widely diverse roles in his best films.

Mississippi Burning -1988 (as a KKK leader)


Thelma and Louise -1991 (as FBI agent) - with Harvey Keitel

The Insider -1999 (as a corporate suit)

Memento -2001 (as Sammy Jankins, memory-deficient CPA)

Groundhog Day -1993 (as Ned Ryerson, insurance salesman) Skipped the chronologic order for this, his best and most memorable role. Happy Groundhog Day tomorrow.

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Worlds Colliding

Last night's Democratic debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton took place in LA at the Kodak Theater, the usual site of the Oscars. In attendance were all kinds of stars, creating very odd camera pans from the debaters to George Costanza in the middle of a health care question, or to Stevie Wonder in the middle of a tax cut (or raise, as the case may be) question. The article below lays out lots of the attendees, others I saw include: Topher Grace, Isaiah Washington, and Cornell guy from The Office. Click below for the article.

Forget about Denzel Washington's movie The Great Debaters. The Oscars are a whole month away, but the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood drew dozens of A-list stars for the final Democratic debate before Super Tuesday featuring contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on Thursday night.

Steven Spielberg showed up wearing an Indiana Jones-type leather jacket. Leonardo DiCaprio arrived with his dad and his publicist. Stevie Wonder jumped up in glee when a question was raised about the possibility of a Clinton-Obama (or Obama-Clinton) “dream ticket.” And Quentin Tarantino, decked out in shiny sharkskin suit, even jotted down his thoughts in a spiral notebook.

The first two-person debate filled the Kodak Theatre with actors, musicians, comedians, directors, studio executives, and other Hollywood types who cheered and applauded wildly after practically every answer by the candidates.

Director Rob Reiner was hooting as if he was at a Dodgers game, especially gratified when Hillary responded to a question about the ongoing Bush-Clinton dynasties by saying she would “clean up” after this Bush era the same way her husband did after George H.W. Bush’s administration. “That was THE line!” said Reiner.

Despite the entertainment industry’s passionate support for individual candidates, however many of those in the crowd rejected the notion that either Democrat decimated the other. “I think it was pretty evenly matched,” says Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton, an Obama supporter. “It almost seemed like they agreed ahead of time to keep things civil.”


WH funds race: Clinton, Obama crush GOP-ers
Focus-group women unchanged post-debate
Democrats remain at par following debate
Stephen Rivers, a longtime Hollywood communications consultant who has worked with politically active stars including Jane Fonda and Oliver Stone, gave the win to Hillary Clinton, but admitted it was a close call. “If I had to grade it, I’d give her about a 55/45 edge,” he said.

Other talent on hand during the debate included Diane Keaton wearing her signature bowler hat and flapper outfit, former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, actress-singer Brandy, Simpsons producer James L. Brooks, former Paramount chief Sherry Lansing with director husband William Friedkin, Sony Pictures studio chief Amy Pascal and playwright husband Bernie Weinraub, and comedian Garry Shandling, who kept those seated around him in stitches by whispering a running commentary throughout the night (“Remember when he was under the desk in Baghdad?” he muttered when Wolf Blitzer first took the stage.) No-shows included comic Dave Chappelle.

Dozens of California Democrats were also in attendance, including San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, congresswoman Maxine Waters (sitting next to Chelsea Clinton) and recalled ex-Governor Gray Davis.

While the showbiz crowd was obviously gaga for the Dems, one question did not particularly go over well. Asked about concerns about sex and violence in pop culture, Obama responded that his six- and nine-year-old daughters mostly watch Nickelodeon, but he is still “concerned about what’s going out over the airwaves.” While he “rejects the notion of censorship” in favor of “empowering parents,” Obama decried the showing of slasher horror film trailers shown during family shows such as “American Idol.” “I don’t mean to be insulting here,” said Obama, though, indeed, it was one of the few remarks that drew tepid applause from the crowd.

After the debate, the two candidates stayed on the stage of the Kodak for several minutes, signing autographs and chatting with the crowd. Then it was off to even more important business, as Obama drove up the street to the Avalon nightclub and Hillary headed west towards the Beverly Wilshire Hotel where they each attended $2,300-per-ticket fundraisers. They weren't the only ones out on the town – John McCain was also here Thursday night. From Politico.com

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 2008 Tour

They'll be in Dallas on August 27, 2008 at the American Airlines Center. Go here to buy tickets. Click below for the rest of the dates and venues.

05.30.08 GRAND RAPIDS MI Van Andel Arena
05.31.08 AUBURN HILLS MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills
06.03.08 Toronto ON Air Canada Centre
06.05.08 PHILADELPHIA PA Wachovia Center
06.08.08 BRISTOW VA Nissan Pavilion
06.10.08 BURGETTSTOWN PA Post-Gazette Pavilion @ Star Lake
06.11.08 HARTFORD CT New England Dodge Music Center
06.13.08 BOSTON MA TD Banknorth Garden
06.17.08 NEW YORK NY Madison Square Garden
06.18.08 Newark NJ Prudential Center
06.21.08 DARIEN CENTER NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
06.22.08 CUYAHOGA FALLS OH Blossom Music Center
06.25.08 LOS ANGELES CA Hollywood Bowl
07.02.08 CHICAGO IL United Center
07.03.08 NOBLESVILLE IN Verizon Wireless Music Centre
07.08.08 CINCINNATI OH Riverbend Music Center
07.09.08 Atlanta GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
07.11.08 Charlotte NC Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
07.12.08 RALEIGH NC Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
07.15.08 SUNRISE FL Bank Atlantic Centre
07.16.08 TAMPA FL Saint Pete Times Forum
07.19.08 Denver CO TBD
07.20.08 OMAHA NE Qwest Center Omaha
07.22.08 Kansas City MO Sprint Center
07.23.08 MINNEAPOLIS MN Target Center
08.07.08 MARYLAND HEIGHTS MO VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE
08.09.08 Winnipeg MB MTS Centre
08.11.08 Calgary AB Pengrowth Saddledome
08.12.08 Edmonton AB Rexall Place/Northlands Park
08.15.08 GEORGE WA Gorge Amphitheatre
08.16.08 GEORGE WA Gorge Amphitheatre
08.20.08 GLENDALE AZ Jobing.com Arena
08.22.08 IRVINE CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
08.23.08 San Francisco CA TBD
08.26.08 SELMA TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
08.27.08 DALLAS TX American Airlines Centre
08.27.08 DALLAS TX American Airlines Centre
08.29.08 Woodlands TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

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Rambo – B/C- = C+

In theaters. Rated R.

After helping the Taliban kick the Russians out of Afghanistan in Rambo III, John Rambo has spent his last few years in war-torn Burma (also known as Myanmar), catching snakes to sell and serving as a river guide with his boat. When a group of naïve Christian missionaries from Colorado ask him to go upriver to deliver medicine, he balks but the female in the group gets to him and encourages him to engage in life and try to help people. Of course the village gets ravaged and the missionaries are taken prisoner. Mercenaries are hired to rescue them and Rambo takes them upriver. Of course, the plan will go awry and Rambo will have to kill lots of people. (Dudes, click below for the rest)

As an actor, Sylvester Stallone doesn’t give himself too much to do, but has carved out 2 very distinct iconic characters. Rocky is heart and soul and Rambo is blood and guts. The fact that they are so different has to count for something. The rest of the actors are sufficient without being distracting or particularly memorable. Stallone is a better writer than a director which is why Rocky Balboa is a better film than Rambo. Not a lot of dialogue is needed here. Some of Stallone’s directorial choices are routine (like the dream sequence) and it’s difficult to distinguish the geography of the characters during the rescue sequence. His best choice is to go to the extreme with the war crimes and violence, although he did pull some punches with the abuse and rape of women (thankfully – he’s got to sell some tickets after all). Making it this violent (4-5 times as gory as Saving Private Ryan - seriously) makes it both memorable and unexpectedly potent, shedding light on the war crimes being committed in Myanmar (and no doubt Iraq).The movie brings up important issues without even realizing it. Violence is always the answer here - and unavoidable. Even the pacifist Christian doctor who threatens to turn Rambo in for murder early in the movie kills during the climactic battle. Peace through violence is unlike anything Hollywood has released in the past several years. For better or worse, this movie will be played in the Army barracks like Girls Gone Wild at a frathouse. The futility of religion is also shown, but some would argue that no one would have been saved without the persistence of the missionaries. Blessedly, the film avoids the speechifying that made the wrap-ups of First Blood, and Part II (especially II) unravel. It also uses a team instead of Rambo going solo – also an improvement. It’s quite a rush – my adrenal glands give it an A. But my testosterone-soaked brain is still running things - for now. Dudes: B Ladies: C-

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Vampire Weekend – Self Titled - B-

[Guest Review - Appraiser] Released 1/29/08.

The new hot thing from New York doesn’t sound so new. The highly anticipated debut from the Manhattan quartet may bring a new vibe to the young indie music lovers out there, but it won’t sound like new material to some. Vampire weekend have put together a well constructed easy to listen to pop album. One would have to admit the songs are catchy, clever, and enjoyable. They just don’t sound original. It’s a hodge-podge of classic artists, such as The Animals, The Kinks, Blondie, even Herman’s Hermits. This is an 11 song, 34 minute cd that is great background at a party, but certainly lacking in artistic merit. Buy this album if you enjoy the 3 minute pop song, which I do. Just don’t mistake it for the new sound coming from New York, because it certainly isn’t “new”. Listen here.

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Favorite Scenes - Bottle Rocket

Props to this site for being the most comprehensive and professional fan site I've ever seen. Worth a visit for even a casual Bottle Rocket fan.

Outside of Bob's house. Dignan rides into the driveway with a scooter.

Anthony: Dignan?
Dignan: Had any time to think?
Anthony: Yeah, I've done a lot of thinking.
Dignan turns off scooter.
Dignan: We're still holding your position open for you.
Anthony: Yeah, I wish you wouldn't do that, and you know...
Dignan: C'mon, go for a ride.
Anthony: C'mon Dignan. It's too small for the both of us.
Dignan: No it isn't. Jump on, man. I'll give you a pump
Anthony: Where'd you get this?
Dignan: I got it from a fr...

Futureman and Clay pull up in their SUV (click below for the rest of the scene)

Futureman: What the hell you wearing?

Clay: Yeah

Dignan: It's a jumpsuit.

Futureman: Clay, look at this guy. [listen]

Clay: He looks like a rodeo clown.

Futureman: He looks like a little banana. Where you from, anyway, man?

Dignan: I'm from around here.

Futureman: This guy used to mow our lawn.

Clay: No shit.

Futureman: Yeah, he was great, clipping the hedges, sweeping up, mowing the lawn. Laughing. What was the name of your little lawn mowing company?

Dignan: The Lawn Wranglers.

Both laughing hard.

Futureman: Let's go. Keep up the mowing, kemosabee.

They leave.

Dignan: It was, it was, it's landscaping not just mowing.

Anthony: Ah man, don't listen to that guy.

Dignan: I don't know. Sometimes I'm not always as confident as I look. [listen]

Anthony: Did you see what he had on?

Dignan: Yeah, pretty cool. All right, well...starts his scooter engine.

Anthony: Wait a second. Dignan, wait a second.

Dignan: over engine. What!

Anthony turns off scooter.

Anthony: Goddammit, I'm in.

Dignan: What?

Anthony: I'm in.

Dignan: I knew you'd be back

Anthony: Three conditions: 1. You mastermind the plan. 2. Bob's on the team.

Dignan: disgusted. Let's here the third one.

Anthony: You gotta get me one of these jumpsuits. [listen]

Dignan: You like these?

Anthony: Yeah

Dignan: Done. Deal. All right. You're doing the right thing, Anthony.

Anthony: Yeah, I know I am.

Dignan: All right, I'll see you later on.

Anthony: Need any help.

Dignan: No, I think I got it.

Anthony: Okay

Dignan manually rolls the scooter away.

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Van Halen Concert - January 26, 2008

At American Airlines Center in Dallas.

As a generic 'alt-rock' guy, I still retain a healthy appreciation for good old fashioned rock and roll. The spectacle of David Lee Roth's reunion with Eddie and Alex Van Halen (and Eddie's son, Wolfgang, on bass) plus the fact that I got my firm's tickets in our luxury box coaxed me into an unlikely Saturday night.

Click below for more Diamond Dave.

On our way to dinner in Victory Park, the crowd was lined up and ready to go. We made our way in around just before 9:00pm and made it just in time for the triumphant pyrotechnic entrance of the band, with DLR waving a huge red Van Halen flag as the band started into "You really got me". Once Dave strutted down with the band in his sequined circus coat and started doing his kicks and swirls I couldn't help from laughing in disbelief. He's a great showman and really is funny and entertaining to watch.

The band was tight and DLR's voice was actually pretty good, even the "Ow's". The big problem I had was....I only knew about 6 of the songs, as my main exposure to Van Halen was the Sammy Hagar era. I didn't enjoy it all that much for that reason. Panama was great, as was Jump and Runnin with the Devil. There was a DLR solo acoustic set, a 7 minutes drum solo and a 7 minute Eddie Van Halen guitar demonstration. The drum solo was pointless, but I'm glad I've been to at least one concert that had one. I thought they were going to do stuff from their whole catalogue, but apparently DLR won't sing any 'red rocker' songs.

All in all, a pretty good concert. Loud rock and roll and masterful guitar work is fun to listen to, but better if you know the songs.

01. You Really Got Me (from Van Halen, 1978)
02. I'm the One (from Van Halen, 1978)
03. Runnin' With the Devil (from Van Halen, 1978)
04. Romeo Delight (from Women and Children First, 1980)
05. Somebody Get Me a Doctor (from Van Halen II, 1979)
06. Beautiful Girls (from Van Halen II, 1979)
07. Dance the Night Away (from Van Halen II, 1979)
08. Atomic Punk (from Van Halen, 1978)
09. Everybody Wants Some (from Women and Children First, 1980)
10. So This Is Love? (from Fair Warning, 1981)
11. Mean Street (from Fair Warning, 1981)
12. Pretty Woman (from Diver Down, 1982)
13. Drum Solo
14. Unchained (from Fair Warning, 1981)
15. I'll Wait (from 1984, 1984)
16. And the Cradle Will Rock (from Women and Children First, 1980)
17. Hot for Teacher (from 1984, 1984)
18. Little Dreamer (from Van Halen, 1978)
19. Little Guitars (from Diver Down, 1982)
20. Jamie's Cryin' (from Van Halen, 1978)
21. Ice Cream Man (from Van Halen, 1978)
22. Panama (from 1984, 1984)
23. Guitar Solo (incl. "Women in Love" intro, "Cathedral", "Eruption")
24. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (from Van Halen, 1978)

Encore

25. 1984 (from 1984, 1984)
26. Jump (from 1984, 1984)

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Juno

Original review here – which I basically agree with. I think my viewing suffered from great expectations.

The Good, Part I: Jennifer Garner (in a superb performance) is the only character in the movie that actually resembles a real person. It’s just a movie, you say? This is not a Wes Anderson movie where the lead character is only required to put on a school play. You’re dealing with abortion, adoption, teenage sex, teenage pregnancy, and divorce.

The Good, Part II: I prefer Jason Reitman’s reliable direction to Diablo Cody’s inconsistent writing. Several shots of Juno walking against the crowd are nicely done, the perfect visual for her situation. The glances between Jason Bateman and Garner are a great touch, and it’s nice that Reitman took so much time with the faces (best scene: Garner feels the baby move). (click below for the Bad and the Ugly)

The Bad: Diablo Cody doesn’t have the first clue how to write for a male. 1) J.K. Simmons would not have responded to the news of his daughter’s pregnancy in such a cavalier manner by cracking jokes. And a blue-collar former military man certainly would not have embraced the guy who knocked up his daughter after her traumatic delivery. Bullsh!t. 2) After all the lawyer stuff, Jason Bateman would have never shown a 16 year old an R- or X-rated horror movie, and he would have been much more cautious about being alone with her.

The Ugly, Part I: Not sure which line of dialogue I disliked the most. It may be Rainn Wilson’s forced confrontational exchange ("This is one doodle that can't be undid, home skillet"- where's Dwight Schrute's mace when you need it?). Or maybe it’s Allison Janney ripping on doctors (there were cheers in the theater – hey, folks, we walk amongst you – sometimes in a T-shirt and jeans sans stethoscope). Ms. Janney’s character just ripped the ultrasound technician (by the way, Diablow, it’s sonographer or ultrasound technologist) for exceeding her boundaries (which she clearly did and would probably be fired for). Ms. Janney then wants to tell the doctor what to do – we can do that, if you like – do you want your stepdaughter and her baby dead? At least then you could get your Weimaraners.

The Ugly, Part II: Maybe I was set up to dislike the movie by the previews of Fool’s Gold, Definitely Maybe, and Made of Honor. Geez, I can’t find my knees. Now I know how many slippery pratfalls I can see before I lose the will to live (4).
Intellectual honesty time: After all this, it sounds like I’d give Juno a D but it is a good movie. Much, much better and more accomplished than so much indie crap. Ellen Page is likable and Michael Cera does his usual great stuttering thing. Some of the lines are funny and it’s certainly unique dialogue. I like new voices in movies but it’s overcooked. And given the $100 million box office and the 4 Oscar nominations, I was expecting much more, not just better than Junebug. B

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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street B+

Sweeney Todd is a bloody, funny, dark songfest that surprisingly manages to hold itself together. More surprising, it also gives Tim Burton his most focused film since Batman as he examines revenge and its ability to tear a man apart. In his filming of this Sondheim stage musical of the same name, Burton brings his keen visual eye and usual drab palette of emerald tones, grays, and black to rainy 19th Century London.

Burton regular Johnny Depp is predictably good with a surprisingly strong voice in the title role. Todd was a young barber with a wife and infant daughter when he was falsely imprisoned by the lecherous Judge Turpin (Alec Rickman). Having escaped prison after fifteen years, Todd returns to London hoping to recover his family. When he finds his wife gone and daughter Johanna (the beautiful Jayne Wisener) a ward of the judge, he’s engulfed in hatred and revenge, first funneling his emotions towards the judge, but soon extending his wrath to all humanity. Equally strong with a more difficult role is fellow Burton regular Helena Bonham Carter as café owner Mrs. Lovett. She takes Todd’s customers and grinds them into meat for pies, but it’s Todd himself she’s after, determined to turn him back into a twisted version of the family man he once was.

Some have said There Will Be Blood is the oddest film of the year, but for my money this treat is. While the dark palette and excessive blood spray eventually get old, the macabre laughs never stop coming. I could have used a couple less songs (always the case with me and musicals) and a little more back story, but this is still dark fun with an unexpectedly potent ending. B+

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27 Dresses C+

In Theatres, Rated PG-13, 107 Minutes

27 Dresses isn’t the worst romantic comedy I’ve seen in the last few years- not by a long shot, actually- it’s just every romantic comedy I’ve seen in the last couple years. There’s not an original scene in this beauty. You’ve got the sing-a-long (My Best Friend's Wedding), the unrequited boss love (The Holiday), the multiple wedding dance montage (Wedding Crashers), the overlooking of the obvious choice in the spotlight of infatuation (Teen Wolf comes to my mind, but the list is endless), and on and on. The “novel” twist here is that the single girl who’s been in a million weddings (okay, 27) and is obsessed with weddings herself is the main character not her best friend.

So, why isn’t this the worst romantic comedy? For starters, Katherine Heigl is the marriage-obsessed girl in the sing-a-longs, dance montage, and boss love. She’s been propping up and pulling off crap storylines as the least consistent character on Grey’s Anatomy for years. Beyond being Golden-Era-Hollywood gorgeous, she has comic chops, impeccable timing, and the ability to make you sympathize with her even when she publicly destroys her little sister (an entire tributary that seems forced). The object of her unspoken infatuation is eco-friendly boss Edward Burns (She’s the One. What happened to his career?). Unfortunately, her sister the model (Malin Akerman, The Heartbreak Kid) comes to town and sweeps Burns off his feet before Heigl can tell her the score. Meanwhile, newspaper wedding columnist James Marsden (Cyclops of the X-men franchise) sees a story of unbridled corporate greed in Heigl’s wedding obsession and writes the story then falls in love with her (the rip-off with the best pedigree- Roman Holiday). Toss in Judy Greer reviving her role as the salty-mouthed, over-sexed best friend from 13 Going on 30 and just push play.

There’s nothing here that will surprise you, except for the overly-syrupy voice over at the end which has to make even post-feminists blush, but it’s largely palatable and pretty harmless (so long as you single guys are prepared to actualize your dearies entire life and every unmet dream). C+

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80s Horror/Science Fiction Movies

For various reasons, I found myself revisiting 3 “horror/sci-fi” movies from the 80s this past month which I hadn’t seen in >15 years. The results were predictable: John Carpenter’s movie was much better than Lewis Teague’s and Jack Sholder’s. Who the hell are those last 2 guys? Exactly. (Click below for Alligator, The Hidden, and The Thing)

Alligator (1980) – John Sayles (!) was hired to write this Jaws ripoff where a giant alligator terrorizes Chicago. I love Robert Forster, one of my favorite character actors, but he’s a little out of his depth as the lead here. He’s the all-too-familiar world-weary cop who seeks revenge on the alligator after it kills his partner. Michael V. Gazzo (Frank Pentangeli in Godfather II) is the chief of police demanding results. The special effects are lame and the plot is both familiar and predictable, but what else would you expect from this classic B-movie set-up? The movie is perhaps best known as the movie referenced in E.T. Who can forget the way Drew Barrymore says, “Alligators in the sewer.” C+

The Hidden (1987) – One year after Blue Velvet, Kyle Maclachlan plays an FBI agent on the trail of the serial killer, but the killer seems to be changing forms. It’s nearly the exact same plot as Fallen (1998), but since that movie had a bigger budget, a better director, not to mention Denzel, Walter Sobchak, and Tony Soprano, it’s a bit better. MacLachlan and Michael Nouri know not to take the material too seriously and the movie is successful with its humor and solid action scenes. How can you not love a movie that has a car drive through a plate glass window being carried across the street? B-

The Thing (1982) – After wreaking havoc on a Norwegian team of scientists in Antarctica, an alien life form makes its way to the American camp. The monster/thing can assume any appearance and inhabit a human without any external manifestation (unlike Invasion of the Body Snatchers – where you could easily tell who the Pod People were). On the surface, the movie is classic horror-movie stuff where you don’t know who will get killed next. But the movie goes much deeper, creating a sense of isolation and a perfect claustrophobic atmosphere.

The character development is the best I’ve seen in a horror movie and the paranoia that fills the group is palpable. The wintry scenes, white outs, and black outs are expertly done by director Carpenter. And the cast – all male – is first rate - led by Kurt Russell, but including Wilford Brimley, Donald Moffat, Keith David, and Richard Dysart. The movie is a bit gory for my taste, but it serves the story rather than existing for itself. And Ennio Morricone’s score is perfectly understated, increasing the dread factor. Ridley Scott’s Alien may still be my favorite horror movie (Aliens is more of an action movie), but this is a close second. A-

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1 Year Old

Today is the one year anniversary of the start of this blog. Interesting facts for the year: 386 posts; 9,031 unique visitors; most visited posts: Pearl Jam Chicago review, Cloverfield review, Charlie Wilson's War review, American Gangster review, Pop Portrait of a Priest, and Top 20 Albums.

Thanks to Doc and Priest for a good year and here's to many more.

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