It's January and that means one thing: every Friday is a dumping ground for films the studios have no faith in. Up this week:
The Book of Eli
Directed by Albert and Allen Hughes
Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman
What it's about: The world is a dust-bowl and despite the lack of food and water, the world's worst baddie (Oldman) really just wants the last Bible on the planet. He'll have to battle Mad Max, erm, Denzel to get it.
Nikita's thoughts: I'm conflicted--I like Denzel and Gary and the trailers don't look that bad, but I know that being released in January means it's probably a dog.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 43% (Rotten)
The Spy Next Door
Directed by Brian Levant
Starring Jackie Chan, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Lopez
What it's about: Jackie Chan is a baby-sitting spy. Really.
Nikita's thoughts: I hate to be blunt...wait. No, I don't. There is no way this movie can be watchable.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 4% (Toxic mold)
Opening in Limited Release:
Fish Tank
Expanding:
The Lovely Bones
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Spiderman?
Isn't it bad enough that Sony wants to "reboot" a franchise that is a.) less than a decade old and b.) one of the most successful of all time? Now are they really considering going all dude-that-played-a-sparkly vampire-and-looks-like-he-stinks on us?
I present to you...
Jack Bauer in a dress. Or why I really like Kiefer Sutherland.
He lost a bet with a friend over a Patriots' football game and had to wear that sexy garb on Letterman.
From the interview: "This may be the most humiliating moment of my life. And I've had quite a few to choose from."
Sorry, Kiefer, nothing is more humiliating than being a part of a marketing campaign that proclaims "New York is about to get Jacked!"
He lost a bet with a friend over a Patriots' football game and had to wear that sexy garb on Letterman.
From the interview: "This may be the most humiliating moment of my life. And I've had quite a few to choose from."
Sorry, Kiefer, nothing is more humiliating than being a part of a marketing campaign that proclaims "New York is about to get Jacked!"
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Conan Moving On?
The answer is 'yes' if NBC decides to go along with their plans and move Leno back to 11:35 p.m. and push Conan to 12:05 a.m. This according to a a charmingly funny and well-thought-out statement from Conan himself.
I've worked with Conan O'Brien and his producers over the years and they're a great bunch of people. It'll be a sad day if Conan really does pull the plug, but who could blame him? Six years ago, he was promised 'The Tonight Show' once Leno retired, which was the plan last year. But like the mafia, NBC pulled Leno back in. This would have been fine had they found another venue for Leno once it became clear the 10 p.m. experiment was a gigantic disaster.
So what will Conan do? I have no reason to believe he isn't a man of his word so he'll be gone should NBC push the issue and actually make 'The Tonight Show' the 'First Thing in the Early Morning Show'. I suppose the two men could share the slot--but that would be, not only unprecedented, but a little disjointed. While they have some overlap in audience, Conan's tends to be younger and I don't think there's much crossover in their comedy.
There's always Fox. If the rumors are to be believed, Fox would like to reboot their late night efforts by offering Conan the gig. Many are pointing to Fox's failed attempts at late night fare (poor, poor Chevy) as to why that would be a boneheaded move. I disagree. For some reason, no one remembers Arsenio Hall (which could be the problem, I suppose)--who courted an audience of younger viewers for five years on Fox. They can market a late night show if the package is worth promoting and Conan certainly is--he has proven late night chops and has a built-in audience who will follow him wherever he goes.
In addition, on Fox, Conan would likely get a jump on the competition: most Fox affiliates air their network news at 10 p.m. meaning Conan could take the screen at 11 p.m. This could not only give a nice boost to Conan's ratings but also to local affiliate news casts.
And then there's Leno who has been strangely quiet (outside of his nightly monologues) on the subject. From everything I've heard, Leno is a good guy, a nice guy, and I find it kind of confounding that he's okay with this whole scenario considering he started it by retiring. Putting aside any encouragement he may have been given to retire, it feels like the stand-up thing to do would be to step aside and let Conan and Jimmy Fallon have their time.
The only scenario here that doesn't work for me is Conan leaving TV.
I hope that's not even an option.
I've worked with Conan O'Brien and his producers over the years and they're a great bunch of people. It'll be a sad day if Conan really does pull the plug, but who could blame him? Six years ago, he was promised 'The Tonight Show' once Leno retired, which was the plan last year. But like the mafia, NBC pulled Leno back in. This would have been fine had they found another venue for Leno once it became clear the 10 p.m. experiment was a gigantic disaster.
So what will Conan do? I have no reason to believe he isn't a man of his word so he'll be gone should NBC push the issue and actually make 'The Tonight Show' the 'First Thing in the Early Morning Show'. I suppose the two men could share the slot--but that would be, not only unprecedented, but a little disjointed. While they have some overlap in audience, Conan's tends to be younger and I don't think there's much crossover in their comedy.
There's always Fox. If the rumors are to be believed, Fox would like to reboot their late night efforts by offering Conan the gig. Many are pointing to Fox's failed attempts at late night fare (poor, poor Chevy) as to why that would be a boneheaded move. I disagree. For some reason, no one remembers Arsenio Hall (which could be the problem, I suppose)--who courted an audience of younger viewers for five years on Fox. They can market a late night show if the package is worth promoting and Conan certainly is--he has proven late night chops and has a built-in audience who will follow him wherever he goes.
In addition, on Fox, Conan would likely get a jump on the competition: most Fox affiliates air their network news at 10 p.m. meaning Conan could take the screen at 11 p.m. This could not only give a nice boost to Conan's ratings but also to local affiliate news casts.
And then there's Leno who has been strangely quiet (outside of his nightly monologues) on the subject. From everything I've heard, Leno is a good guy, a nice guy, and I find it kind of confounding that he's okay with this whole scenario considering he started it by retiring. Putting aside any encouragement he may have been given to retire, it feels like the stand-up thing to do would be to step aside and let Conan and Jimmy Fallon have their time.
The only scenario here that doesn't work for me is Conan leaving TV.
I hope that's not even an option.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New to DVD (1/5/2010)
Time to update the Netflix queue--here's what's new today on DVD:
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord
Voiced by Anna Faris, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T
What it's about: Animated tale about an environmental culinary disaster. Or, really big meatballs falling from the sky.
Nikita's thoughts: I support any film or TV show that hires Bruce Campbell. Plus I love animation.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 85% (Certified Fresh)
Final Destination
Directed by David R. Ellis
Starring Shantel VanSanten and a bunch of other people you have never heard of
What's it about: Attractive teenagers are stalked by the grim reaper...again.
Nikita's thoughts: Doesn't there come a point when it's time to put a franchise no one cares about to bed?
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 28% (Rotten)
Also released this week:
Chuck: The Complete Second Season (TV)
Hip Hop Project
Lorna's Silence
Trucker
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord
Voiced by Anna Faris, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T
What it's about: Animated tale about an environmental culinary disaster. Or, really big meatballs falling from the sky.
Nikita's thoughts: I support any film or TV show that hires Bruce Campbell. Plus I love animation.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 85% (Certified Fresh)
Final Destination
Directed by David R. Ellis
Starring Shantel VanSanten and a bunch of other people you have never heard of
What's it about: Attractive teenagers are stalked by the grim reaper...again.
Nikita's thoughts: Doesn't there come a point when it's time to put a franchise no one cares about to bed?
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 28% (Rotten)
Also released this week:
Chuck: The Complete Second Season (TV)
Hip Hop Project
Lorna's Silence
Trucker
Friday, January 1, 2010
What I Learned in 2009
It feels premature to do a "Best of" film list for the year--I haven't seen nearly enough. Instead I've decided to highlight what film and other media taught me in 2009.
There's still plenty of evidence vampires don't sparkle. Let the Right One In, both the novel and Swedish language film, should be enjoyed before the Hollywood-ized, surely Twilight-inspired version drops next year. Vampire priests have more to struggle with than their eternal souls according to the fabulous Korean film, Thirst. And, of course, there's the chilling, sexy, and surprisingly sweet and funny HBO series "True Blood."
Forgiveness is possible. For example, Aldo Raine (Inglorious Basterds) has made me forgive Brad Pitt for Benjamin Button.
At least Sarah Palin isn't pandering. No matter what I may think of her politics or her folksy ideology, I have to hand it to the former VP candidate--what you see is what you get: a gun-totin', moose-huntin', ultra-conservative Alaskan mama. Now she may be a little delusional (as people who have combed through the "facts" in her book claim) and have so bought into her own self-importance that she believes simply existing is the same as doing something, but at least she isn't Glenn Beck, who became a hard-core GOP shill right around the time Fox News offered him a job. Beck's crocodile tears and sycophantic rants will continue as long as the checks keep rolling in. Mama Palin? She'll be with us until the "liberal" media stop following her every move and convincing her of just how gosh darn important she is.
Oprah means well. She just has a hard time telling the difference between real science and snake oil hyperbole.
All it takes it a rousing rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'" and I'll watch your show every week. "Glee." The best new show of the season.
When you wish upon a star, your dreams CAN come true. Disney, a return to hand-drawn animation, The Princess and the Frog. Enough said.
There are talking heads on both sides of the fence. I love Keith Olbermann, but he is, in many ways, the liberal equivalent of his arch nemesis Bill O'Reilley.
The exception is Rachel Maddow. I was going to bundle this in with the one above, but it deserves it's own listing. Unlike her counterparts (and sadly network news), she talks about actual news and isn't afraid to engage in real debate and discussion with people who are far removed from her personal ideology.
There's still good serial TV out there--you just need to know where to look. "Mad Men", "Burn Notice", "True Blood", "LOST", "Fringe", "Castle", "Chuck", and "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency" just to name a few. And then there's "House", which came back strong after a few lackluster seasons.
There are still artists who won't compromise. If there weren't we wouldn't have films like Where the Wild Things Are. Thank you, Spike Jonze.
Animated films can be just as honest and moving as live action. I actually already knew this one, but I think some previous unbelievers shook off their disdain with Up.
Sometimes it's possible to have too much of a good thing. The first "exclusive look" at Avatar was fun, but then it felt like every show, every day had something "new and exciting." Then there was the episode of "Bones" created to basically sell the film. The most disappointing part about this ostentatious marketing/advertising campaign was it felt like they were selling a Michael Bay film; not a movie Cameron put his heart, soul, and a decade of his life into creating. And with that....
When people call something a "game changer" it usually isn't. A true "game changer" is something that usually can't be readily identified--it sneaks up on an audience, an industry and changes how we feel, think or do things, not because it sets out to do that, but because it's so good it can't be ignored. Cameron has a game changer--it's called Titanic. Love it or hate it, it can't be denied what he did was revolutionary: mixing real life events (including minute details) with a fictionalized story, stunning special effects and elaborate set design. Titanic had a at-the-time unheard-of budget, but became the most financially-successful movie of all time (again, at the time) by managing to cross-over audience demographics in a way no other movie really had. Oh, and then it won a roomful of Academy Awards including for Best Picture and Best Director. And that is why any studio would put up with Cameron spending 10+ years on the production of Avatar, which, while undeniably stunning, probably isn't going to change anything about movie making. Of course, only time will tell.
Happy New Year!
There's still plenty of evidence vampires don't sparkle. Let the Right One In, both the novel and Swedish language film, should be enjoyed before the Hollywood-ized, surely Twilight-inspired version drops next year. Vampire priests have more to struggle with than their eternal souls according to the fabulous Korean film, Thirst. And, of course, there's the chilling, sexy, and surprisingly sweet and funny HBO series "True Blood."
Forgiveness is possible. For example, Aldo Raine (Inglorious Basterds) has made me forgive Brad Pitt for Benjamin Button.
At least Sarah Palin isn't pandering. No matter what I may think of her politics or her folksy ideology, I have to hand it to the former VP candidate--what you see is what you get: a gun-totin', moose-huntin', ultra-conservative Alaskan mama. Now she may be a little delusional (as people who have combed through the "facts" in her book claim) and have so bought into her own self-importance that she believes simply existing is the same as doing something, but at least she isn't Glenn Beck, who became a hard-core GOP shill right around the time Fox News offered him a job. Beck's crocodile tears and sycophantic rants will continue as long as the checks keep rolling in. Mama Palin? She'll be with us until the "liberal" media stop following her every move and convincing her of just how gosh darn important she is.
Oprah means well. She just has a hard time telling the difference between real science and snake oil hyperbole.
All it takes it a rousing rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'" and I'll watch your show every week. "Glee." The best new show of the season.
When you wish upon a star, your dreams CAN come true. Disney, a return to hand-drawn animation, The Princess and the Frog. Enough said.
There are talking heads on both sides of the fence. I love Keith Olbermann, but he is, in many ways, the liberal equivalent of his arch nemesis Bill O'Reilley.
The exception is Rachel Maddow. I was going to bundle this in with the one above, but it deserves it's own listing. Unlike her counterparts (and sadly network news), she talks about actual news and isn't afraid to engage in real debate and discussion with people who are far removed from her personal ideology.
There's still good serial TV out there--you just need to know where to look. "Mad Men", "Burn Notice", "True Blood", "LOST", "Fringe", "Castle", "Chuck", and "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency" just to name a few. And then there's "House", which came back strong after a few lackluster seasons.
There are still artists who won't compromise. If there weren't we wouldn't have films like Where the Wild Things Are. Thank you, Spike Jonze.
Animated films can be just as honest and moving as live action. I actually already knew this one, but I think some previous unbelievers shook off their disdain with Up.
Sometimes it's possible to have too much of a good thing. The first "exclusive look" at Avatar was fun, but then it felt like every show, every day had something "new and exciting." Then there was the episode of "Bones" created to basically sell the film. The most disappointing part about this ostentatious marketing/advertising campaign was it felt like they were selling a Michael Bay film; not a movie Cameron put his heart, soul, and a decade of his life into creating. And with that....
When people call something a "game changer" it usually isn't. A true "game changer" is something that usually can't be readily identified--it sneaks up on an audience, an industry and changes how we feel, think or do things, not because it sets out to do that, but because it's so good it can't be ignored. Cameron has a game changer--it's called Titanic. Love it or hate it, it can't be denied what he did was revolutionary: mixing real life events (including minute details) with a fictionalized story, stunning special effects and elaborate set design. Titanic had a at-the-time unheard-of budget, but became the most financially-successful movie of all time (again, at the time) by managing to cross-over audience demographics in a way no other movie really had. Oh, and then it won a roomful of Academy Awards including for Best Picture and Best Director. And that is why any studio would put up with Cameron spending 10+ years on the production of Avatar, which, while undeniably stunning, probably isn't going to change anything about movie making. Of course, only time will tell.
Happy New Year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)