LOST - The Beginning of the End; A Review

I'm not going to review every episode of this show on my blog because I will drive myself insane and end up doing time in lock-up with Hurley.
Let's just jump right in with some bullet points:

-Thank the Gods this show is back. I can't believe we made it this long without new episodes, but we did. And unfortunately Lost will be back off the air before we can blink.

- Hurley was an interesting choice to lead off with this year. I think this choice was a response to all of the fans who hated how much time we spent with Jack, Kate, and Sawyer at the beginning of last season. Lindeloff and Cuse made sure to get everyone here some screen time. I can't think of a more well liked character to lead us back into the action than Hurley.

- Charlie's final warning to the losties was that the freighter does not belong to Penny. That doesn't mean the freighter is bad, but it does mean that Naomi was lying about who she was and why she was there on the island. The warning from Charlie was heeded by a few while others couldn't look past the opportunity to be rescued. I have to say that if I were on the island I would have chosen Jack's group. I probably would have echoed the sentiments of the always blunt Rose when she said "I'm not going with that man."

- I Charlie's warning aside I think the producers have misjudged how much people liked Charlie. Maybe I am in the minority here, but during the weeping, winy, let's grieve for Charlie the annoying hobbit druggie scenes I wanted to fast forward.

-There seems to be several new mysteries for us to discover this season. First, there is the whole Oceanic 6 thing. Who are the 6? We know that Jack, Kate, and Hurley make up the first half, but who are the 2nd half? We know that because Hurley made it off the island that it's still possible for Sawyer or Claire to be among the 6. They chose to go with Locke, but we have to assume at some point these two new factions will join back up. We know Locke won't be one the 6 because he is never going to leave the island voluntarily and then agree to keep quiet about it. The sentimental favorites to be among the 6 are Jin and Sun. Knowing that Michael is returning to the show he might be one of the 6. Of course, there could be more than 6 that get off, but maybe the public only knows about 6 of them. Think about it, Jack attends the funeral of someone that both he and Kate know. But they don't consider this person "family or a friend." There was no one, but Jack at the funeral and we have been led to believe that the 6 are quasi-celebrities. Also, let's keep in mind that Ben, Juliet, and any of the Others could also be off the island and not be considered part of the 6 because they weren't on the flight. My guess is these 6 were let free as long as they kept "the secrets." Kate possibly made this agreement in exchange for freedom, a new identity, a clean slate or some past-erasing deal.

-When Hurley sees the swimmer in the mirror at the police station the guy holds his hand up to the glass. Written on his hand is "They Need You." Couple that with the "Oceanic Attorney" asking Hurley if "They" are still alive and Charlie telling Hurley that he knows "they need you." Who is they? The logical assumption is that some of the castaways are still on the island or in some sort of danger. Looks like this season is going to be about the 6 doing what they can to help THEY.

- There is also an IT factor. What was Charlie? A figment of Hurley's imagination like Dave? As far as I can recall, Dave never touched Hurley, but Hurley did touch Dave. He put his arm around him for the photo. So if Charlie is an imagination, but can have contact with Hurley then I am going to jump to this conclusion. Charlie appearing to Hurley is just like Walt appearing to Locke, Eko's brother appearing to him, or Jack's dad appearing to Jack. The island is still in control. When Hurley is schooling Jack at basketball he tells Jack that "I don't think we did the right thing, Jack. I think it wants us to come back, and it's going to do everything it can..."
The island is It and It is still playing games with our losties. No matter what, I love that the island is still being explored and explained as if it were a character on the show.

- What about Jacob's cabin? I slowed down my tivo and tried to get a good look at who was in the rocking chair and who was in the window of the creepy cabin that Hurley stumbles on. Originally I thought that it was Jacob in the chair and Locke in the window, but after further examination I think it was Jack's dad in the chair and the Just-Won't-Die-Mikhail who's eye pops up staring out the window. I have not gone online to read any spoilers or get any info. That is just my feeble take on it. If I hear an official word from anyone I will let you know. But if it's Jack's dad in the chair, then what does that mean? Is Jack's dad Jacob? Is Christian Shepherd's body just being used as a vessel? Who knows with this show.

- The guy who lands on the island at the end of the episode was Jeremy Davies. He is an awesome actor and he should be a great addition to the cast.

- The flash-forwards really do open up a whole new world to us. I love to concept. I assume most of the flashbacks from here on out will either be about Ben becoming the leader of The Others, the past lives of the rescuers, or something along those lines. But all of this thinking about flash-forwards and backs got me thinking. With Jack and Hurley wanting to go back to the island wouldn't it be awesome if at some point we have an episode that completely messes with our minds. It's a flash forward, disguised as a flashback, and it's of Jack and Hurley as they come back to the island. Trippy.

The episode as a whole was great. It had an awesome tone and a quick pace to it. It was not my favorite season premiere, that honor is still held by season 2 when Jack and Desmond meet again. I thought the season 3 premiere was pretty awesome too, with our first real glimpse at The Others.

If you watched the episode, let me know what you thought. I will post again on Friday with some additional easter eggs and whatnot if any come out about it. I'm just so glad that this show is back on the air, no matter how brief.


OUT!

Weird News

From Perez Hilton

She has recently been frequenting the lesbian nights at a Los Angeles club, and now Paris Hilton is taking it up a notch. Big time.

The former heiress was seen making out with fellow actress Elisha Cuthberth at New York City club Tenjune on Tuesday night, Us Weekly is reporting.

The two were "all over each other and making out" a source tells the magazine.

We'll await the inevitable denials, but until then….

Pussy power!

Another Lost Review...

This time a very brief snippet from the SF Gate:

At first, ABC said it wasn't going to send out screeners of the Season 4 premiere of "Lost." Too many spoilers, the network said. Can't trust the critics.
Then, over the weekend, ABC sent an e-mail to critics saying, yes, they could watch the first two episodes online. A DVD appeared on Monday.
Three words for Thursday's first episode: Oh. My. God.
ABC kindly sent the second episode as well. Three more words: Oh. My. God.

The 832 Incident

Some of you that have been to my house will understand this story. Some of you that hear this story will probably never come to my house. All I can hope is that if you do come to my house again (or for the first time) that you are safe and sound and leave my home the way you entered it, in one piece and not burnt to a crisp. Let me explain.

This afternoon I went home to let the BruDawg out and give him some food. When I turned onto Rock Road I noticed something was amiss. There were about 8 cop cars, mostly unmarked parked in front of my house and along the street. I slowly pulled onto my street and up to one of the officers. He asked what I needed and I told him that I lived at that house right there, pointing to the 8-3-6.

He told me that it was fine to park on the side of the street and to head into my house. As I got out of the car he asked me if I would answer a few questions. He pointed to my neighbors house and asked "Do you ever smell any strange odors coming from this house right here." I responded "no, I haven't but some of my friends have mentioned strange smells before." He asked what kind of smells and I told him that it was usually a chemical smell or the stench of rotten eggs. I didn't say stench, but I should have. That's why I blog and don't podcast. I'm much more clever after a have done a re-write of my material.

He asked if I knew if the guy worked. I said yes, usually 8-6. But it was after his next question that I officially became a narc and the president of the neighborhood watch at the same time. He asked "do you know where the guy work or what he drives." I said, "he usually drives a Harley and keeps me up all night long coming and going like some drug dealer." They pointed to the Harley in the driveway and said, "That one." "Yep, that's the one."

Note to all my friends...don't tell me shit, if the cops come asking me I will obviously sing like a bird. And don't ask me to be a character witness. I can't keep my answers to just "yes" or "no." I have to elaborate and give juicy details.

I went ahead and took care of Brutus. As I was leaving the cops had their rifles drawn and their guns pointed. They were each at a window and one at the door. They were calling the guys cell phone to see if they could hear it ring inside. One of the cops told me that they suspected the guy was inside his home. I left at that point because I had to get back to work. I will keep you posted.

As most of you know I have long suspected my neighbor as a drug user. I have actually said numerous times that I think he is a methhead. He comes and goes at all hours of the night. He never sleeps. He is as thin as a rail. He is highly paranoid. All of the signs are there. I have always suspected that he was a dealer as well because of his strange hours and the very large amount of traffic to and from the house all day long. Now I am pretty sure that he's not only a user and a dealer, but a cooker as well. And that's just down right wrong.

All I can hope for is that if he blows himself and his house up, he does it when I'm not there. Because chances are high that if he blows up his lab, my house is going with it. Which is fine, as long as Beth, Brutus, and my 52" HD TV are safe.

To Be Continued...

No Respect...Are You Kidding Me?

Last time I checked, Memphis is number one in BOTH Polls.

I Don't Know How I Feel...

This year I am watching American Idol for the first time...It's my feeble attempt at being a good boyfriend and letting Beth have control of the television for a few minutes each week. HA. Well tonight the show was in Omaha, Nebraska. My favorite band Bright Eyes is from Omaha and I wondered if they would get a mention or if one of their songs would be featured on the show. Sure enough, the first scene of the show had the music from a Bright Eyes song. Pretty cool...until I thought about it for a minute and realized that maybe having their song on this show was anything but cool.
When I mention the show to anyone these days everyone denies that they watch it anymore. I guess I missed the bus on this show. I don't really care for it that much, but I'll keep watching it as long as Beth mak....asks me to.

OUT

This Is Good News...

One of my favorite critics just posted this on his blog and I felt like I needed to re-post it here.



Sorry to be a tease, but I just got done watching screeners of the first two episodes of "Lost" season four, and all I can say is that the season three finale was no fluke. They've got their mojo back. I shall say no more until Thursday, but geeks get ready to feel very, very happy.

www.sepinwall.blogspot.com

Have You Seen Me Lately???

The Writers Strike For Dummies

Here is a quick run down of where the WGA writer’s strike stands at the present:

WHO: As In Who Are The Key Players
WGA - The Writer’s Guild of America: The Union that represents writers for both television shows and movies
VS.
AMPTP – Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers: The big production companies and studios that fund television and movie productions.

WHAT: As In What Is The Strike REALLY About
The real battle here is over a collective bargaining agreement. The old agreement expired last year and the two sides have not been able to come to terms on several key issues which led to the WGA strike.
The main issue revolves around money earned from new media formats. The writer’s get very little if any money from internet distribution, online viewing and purchasing from sites like iTunes, and on-demand viewing of shows.
Other issues include DVD residuals, meaning the writers see very little if any money when television box sets or dvd movies are sold in stores. When the last agreement was struck DVD’s were still a small industry trade and some insiders felt like they would never be a huge money making endeavor, however today DVDs are the main money making tool for studios. In April of 2004, the New York Times reported the companies made $4.8 billion in home video sales versus $1.78 billion at the box office between January and March. That’s a lot of loot and the writer’s are getting about 0.3% of it.
Two other major issues are animation and reality television. The union wants to have jurisdiction over those genres.

WHEN: As in When Did It Begin and When Will It End
The strike began November 5, 2007. Most casual viewers of television likely didn’t notice the strike was even going on until their shows began to end prematurely leaving many cliffhangers and storylines in doubt.
The WGA and AMPTP sat down shortly after the strike began, but talks fell apart. Now eleven weeks into the strike the two sides are about to began INFORMAL discussions.

WHY: As In Why Are They Returning To The Table
The AMPTP handles agreements with over 80 different unions including the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the Director’s Guild (DGA) and many others. What many outsiders don’t realize is that not only is the WGA agreement up, but the DGA and SGA agreements are about to expire as well. The DGA went into negotiations last week and hammered out a deal with producers. This deal give the director’s some money for new media and dvd residuals, but not as much as the writers are asking for.
What this agreement has done is force the WGA to make some adjustments on their demands. The first thing the WGA did was drop their position on animation and reality programming. This is encouraging news and takes 2 or the major hurdles out of the way. The AMPTP in return agreed to return to the bargaining table with the WGA.
Informal talks began on Wednesday. If it is determined that the two sides are really ready to get down to business then FORMAL negotiations could begin in a week or two.

HOW: As In How Is The Going To Affect My Television Programming
The bad news is, television will never be the same again. Each year the major networks dish out big bucks on pilots. The ones they like get added to a fall schedule which is promoted heavily at the Up-Fronts every May. Well because of the strike many of the pilots originally sent into production have been cancelled. NBC studio head Jeff Zucker said that this is likely going to force television to be go into a “year round format.” This means that shows won’t just debut in the fall anymore. Some shows might premiere in the summer or spring now. Which isn’t really a bad thing if you ask me.
The shows that you love are likely finished for this television season. Even if an agreement was reached today, which it won’t be, it would take several months to get new episodes on the air. The best we can hope for is a quick resolution and a full television season next year. A few of your favorite shows like Grey’s Anatomy or Desperate Housewives might be able to get one or two episodes on the air to bring some closure to their current seasons, but that is a long shot.
If there was a new show you really liked such as Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, or Reaper there is good news. These shows were all decent shows, but none of them were a sure thing to return next season. Well now that many pilots and development deals have been cancelled last year’s crop will likely have a second chance.


Many lives have been affected by the strike. For every actor or writer or director that is now out of work there are 100 crew people that have been laid off. For every show that has gone dark there are caterers, make-up artists, costume designers, and camera men that are without a job right now. The strike has already cost about 1 billion dollars. The sooner is can be resolved the better.

I feel like we have finally seen that turn around third base. It is coming down the home stretch. Unfortunately, even when it wraps up the fall out will be felt for several years. It remains to be seen if these changes will be good or bad. One thing is for certain, the way you watch television has been changed forever.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions, post them in the comments section and I will do my best to get you an answer.

OUT!

I'm A Democrat, But This Was Too Funny...

Chelsea Clinton recently spoke to an American Solider. She asked him if there was anything that he was scared of in this time of war.

The solider replied, "There are only three things that I am scared of...



Osama

Obama

and Yo Mama!

How Do You Know...

How do you know when a film franchise has gone on for too long? I suspect it's when they name the movie "Quantum of Solace." Yes folks, that's the name of the new James Bond flick. I admit the Daniel Craig led Bond was much better than any of the Brosnan ones, but I can't say that I'm really looking THAT forward to the film. The title of the movie already makes me a little bored. What do you think fo the title?

OUT!

You Know How Some Movies Just Stick With You?

I saw a movie in 1989 that has haunted me for years. It was called “I Know My First Name is Steven.” Many of you might remember it. The movie was based on the real life kidnapping and abuse of seven year old Steven Staynor.
Staynor was abducted by Kenneth Parnell in 1972 and held for a little over seven years by this man. Parnell told the young Steven that he had adopted him because his parents couldn’t afford him any more. Parnell was lavished with expensive gift enticing him to stay and not run away. Steven was given the new name “Dennis Parnell.”

He was abused sexually many times over the seven year period. As he finally hit puberty Parnell began looking for a younger kid to replace Steven. He brought home a 5 year old named Timmy. Steven, not wanting to see Timmy endure all of the pain inflicted on him, grabbed the young boy and escaped. They hitchhiked 40 miles to the closest police station.
On the official police report that day he wrote:
"My name is Steven Stainer. I am fourteen years of age. I don't know my true birthdate,but I use April 18, 1965. I know my first name is Steven, I'm pretty sure my last is Stainer,and if I have a middle name, I don't know it."

Notice how he even misspelled his family name.

Well Steven got married in 1985 and had two children. In 1985 he was killed in a motorcycle accident.

His kidnapper was sentenced to less than 5 years in jail and was released in 1985. He was arrested again in 2004 for trying to buy a young boy for 500 dollars. Kenneth Pernell died in prison this week.

To add an addition twist to this story, Steven’s older brother Cary is convicted as a serial killer. He killed several hikers and campers in Yosemite National Park. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2001. He is awaiting an appeal hearing.

The Best News I've Heard All Day...

VELVET REVOLVER frontman Scott Weiland has told MiamiHerald.com that fans should be on the lookout for a reunion of his previous band, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, in the coming months. The singer made the announcement during an appearance this past Saturday (January 19) at an all-star gala event benefiting the AROD Family Foundation. The event took place at the Ritz Carlton hotel in South Beach, Florida. Hosts included Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and his wife Cynthia, who founded the non-profit organization to support programs focused on improving quality of life, education and mental health for families in distress.

You all know that I am a huge STP fan. And while the last album was a pile of junk, they are still amazing to see live and I hope that they tour before the end of this year. I will go about anywhere to see them live...which means I guess I better plan a trip to Atlanta for later this year, huh.

THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS

Whether or not there is a ceremony to announce winners or not doesn't really matter to me. The 4 plus hour bloated production has never been that interesting to me. But since it is the single most important event in the film industry I figured it was important for me to talk about it.

Below is a list of nominations. The items in GREEN are who I think SHOULD win. The items in RED are the ones I think will win. The item is in BLUE if they are both.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Achievement in Directing
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman, Juno
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly


Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up

Original Screenplay
Diablo Cody, Juno
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Brad Bird, Ratatouille
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages


Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Hampton, Atonement
Sarah Polley, Away from Her
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood


Original Score
Atonement: Dario Marianelli
The Kite Runner: Alberto Iglesias
Michael Clayton: James Newton Howard
Ratatouille: Michael Giacchino
3:10 to Yuma: Marco Beltrami

Original Song
"Falling Slowly," Once: Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up," August Rush: Nominees to be determined
"So Close," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz


Achievement in Art Direction
American Gangster: Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
Atonement: Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Golden Compass: Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Sweeney Todd: Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
There Will Be Blood: Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in Cinematography
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Roger Deakins
Atonement: Seamus McGarvey
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Janusz Kaminski
No Country for Old Men: Roger Deakins
There Will Be Blood: Robert Elswit


Achievement in Costume Design
Across the Universe: Albert Wolsky
Atonement: Jacqueline Durran
Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Alexandra Byrne
La Vie en Rose: Marit Allen
Sweeney Todd: Colleen Atwood


Best Documentary Feature
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War/Dance

NUMBER ONE

Let's hear from you in the comments section Tiger fans. The best in the land!!!

There Will Blood - Movie Review

There Will Be Blood is based on the novel "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair. The movie is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The movie is about oil man Daniel Plainview and his unrelenting business drive to unearth black gold in Little Boston, California. Along the way some townsfolk, including faith-healer Eli Sunday try to stand in his way.




We were promised blood and it was delivered. Judging by many of the critics who saw this movie before me I was also promised an amazing movie, one of the year's best, according to most. That was not quite delivered.




What was delivered:
-Top notch acting. Daniel Day-Lewis is once again worthy of every ounce of praise bestowed upon him. He takes the character of Daniel Plainview by the balls and unleashes hell. Paul Dano is making a name for himself quickly by throwing down his second strong performance in a row (Little Miss Sunshine).

-Beautiful scenery. Every shot is framed up with a keen eye. Paul Thomas Anderson knows how to sell a story with pictures and this is his most effective work to date. There are so many wide sweeping shots that give the audience the feeling of being dropped off by the DeLorean right in the middle of the early 1900s.

-A true fear of the movie's main characters. For any film to be effective the audience has to be invested in the characters on the screen. It's why movies like Alien Vs. Predator aren't winning over movie goers. No one care whether Billy and Bonnie live or die. I cared about Eli and Daniel and H.W. and all of the other characters. Of course caring can mean I hoped that they would die, but that still means I cared!


What wasn't delivered:
-Any sense of continuity. The movie bounced around from scene to scene, from decade to decade moving the story along, but never really going back to close up loose ends. Yes, the story made sense, but scenes never followed the path laid out by the scene before it.

-Any closure. Yes, the movie has an ending. And yes things get solved. But I left the theater wondering what happened to so many different things. Many promises were made and so many of them were never delivered.

In Closing:
Magnolia is one of the most acclaimed movies of the last quarter century. It is the best role I have ever seen Tom Cruise play. Too bad the movie is also one of the most overrated pieces of crap I have ever seen. Yes, the acting is perfect. However, Magnolia is the best example I can think of to prove that amazing acting isn't enough to save a movie.
There Will Be Blood proves this point again. Granted, this movie is a million times better than Magnolia, but the acting, as great as it was, wasn't enough to make me love the film. I feel like most people who rate this movie are grading it simply on Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano and not on the movie as a whole.
The other big connection between Magnolia and There Will Be Blood? They were both written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. ApparentlyI just don't like his movies (Punch Drunk Love included). I will give him this credit though, he gets the best out of everyone he directs.

Plot (The Story): 8
Script (The Dialog): 7
Directing: 9
FX / Sound: 10
Casting: 10
Acting: 10
Pacing: 8
Conclusion: 6
Overall Entertainment: 15

TOTAL: 83
MOVIE GRADE: B


For the record here are the grade ranges:
100 - 97 = A+
96 - 93 = A
92 - 90 = A-
89 - 87 = B+
86 - 83 = B
82 - 80 = B-
You Get The Point
70's = Cs
60's = D's
59 and below is F

Movie Review - Cloverfield

I come bearing news from Cloverfield. The new JJ Abrams produced, Blair Witch meets Godzilla thriller, has been unleashed and I was there to see it on opening night. Some of my initial feelings might not hold up, but I don't have the patience to wait on putting it up. Here are some bullet points.


-The cast is made up of mostly unknowns and they do a good job of selling the general idea. That's not saying the acting was any good, because largely it was only barely convincing, but they managed to get the point across. -The main narrator was the best part of the movie. He held the camera, provided the comic relief, and largely was the only one I cared about.


-The action started about 15 minutes into the movie and it didn't stop or even think about slowing down for the next 60 minutes...except for one brief moment to conclude a love story.

-I hated the love story. I love many of my friends, but if a monster was coming at me with Mike Tyson style bad intentions I likely wouldn't go back into the war zone to confess my dying love.

-I thought that the movie played too much on the emotions of a post 9/11 movie crowd. The buildings collapsing, the dust storms, the screaming crowds, screams of bloody victims. These are all images that are still too rough. I just felt like the chills were cheap because of this.

-The camera is so shaky that I strongly recommend some motion tablets before you go see it.

-There were some seriously tense moments, usually when the ground shook and the monster lurked beyond buildings just out of sight. At those moments you were able to think about how you would feel if you were really there. Very effective stuff.

-The movie was obviously sponsored by Nokia and Sephora. And apparently a big ass monster is strong enough to knock down major buildings, but smart enough to miss the cell phone towers so that the characters can call their friends...I'm just saying.

I won't say much more because the movie needs to be experienced by each individual. Ultimately Cloverfield manages to accomplish what it sets out to do; entertain and thrill its audience. Now, the grades.


Plot (The Story): 9
Script (The Dialog): 6
Directing: 9
FX / Sound: 10
Casting: 5
Acting: 6
Pacing: 10
Conclusion: 8
Overall Entertainment: 19

TOTAL: 82
MOVIE GRADE: B-


For the record here are the grade ranges:
100 - 97 = A+
96 - 93 = A
92 - 90 = A-
89 - 87 = B+
86 - 83 = B
82 - 80 = B-
You Get The Point
70's = Cs
60's = D's
59 and below is F

Looking Ahead

Now that I've reflected some on what has passed, it's time for me to begin looking ahead to 2008. Here is a list of my most anticipated movies of the year.

10. Star Trek XI - I hope you'll keep reading even though I put a Star Trek movie on my list. But honestly, I'm excited about it. JJ Abrams, who we can thank for Lost is behind the camera on this series re-start and that couldn't give anything other than hope to the Trek community. 12-25-08

09. Wall-E - Ok, yet another diversion from my usual path. This is the next offering from Pixar Studios. If I have learned one thing as a wanna-be critic it's tht you don't bet against Pixar. they are top of the line in animation quality both visually and in story telling. This little robot adventure story is sure to be out of this world. 6-27-08

08. The Chronicles of Narnia; Prince Caspian - As a huge fan of CS Lewis' series of books, I can't help but wait in wonder of the next stunning chapter in this tale of a far away land. Some time has passed since the four children ventured into the wardrobe and found Narnia, but when they head back they quickly realized that much has changed in the land. But there is a savior... 5-16-08

07. Indiana Jones and the Kindgom of Crystal Skull - Harrison Ford is back, this time with Shia LeBeouf as his side kick. The real plot of the story has been kept under wraps pretty tightly, but I can't imagine a misstep in this series after so many years away. 5-22-08

06. Be Kind Rewind - Michael Gondry who brought us into the Eternal Sunshine and through The Science of Sleep has outdone himself this time. Mos Def and Jack Black work at an old school VHS Video store. When all of the tapes get erased the duo begins shooting their own versions of the movies and renting them out. This is going to be too funny. 1-25-08

05. Harold and Kumar 2: Escape From Guantanemo Bay - The pot smoking tag team is back in action, with Neil Patrick Harris in tow of course. This time the boys get busted for trying to smuggle a bong onto a plane. They get locked up and treated as terrorist. The tag line for the movie says it all...This time they're running from the joint. 4-25-08

04. Wanted - Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy star in this action movie. I know very little about the film, but I saw a preview for it several weeks ago and was absolutely blown away. I enjoy an action movie as much as the next guy, but I'm never geeked up about them like many of my friends are. Well, this one...I'm already counting down the days. Go check out the trailer on the apple trailers site. Seriously. Now. 6-27-08

03. Iron Man - I never in a million years thought that I would give a damn about this movie. And then I heard that Robert Downey Jr. was going to play the lead. I was more interested. Then I saw the trailer...Oh my word. This is not the next Ghost Rider or Dare Devil like I thought it might be. It is a serious kick ass superhero movie. I can't wait. 5-2-08

02. The Incredible Hulk - This is NOT a sequel to the Ang Lee film from several years ago. This is a complete system reboot with a different cast and a completely different looking Hulk. To make you more excited: Edward Norton is playing Bana! Yep, one of the best actors of our time is stepping into the role. 6-13-08

01. The Dark Knight - This one is NOT a reboot. It is a sequel to the best Batman movie of them all. I loved Batman Begins. It was a brutal, dark, twisted origin story that had me by the gonads the entire runtime. Heath Ledger joins the fun as the Joker and judging by the first 6 minutes of the movie, we are in for a real treat. Christopher Nolan is back in charge directing. 7-10-08

Others To Mention:

Hell Boy 2 - Guillermo del Toro directs

Bond 22 - Daniel Craig is back

Cloverfield - Monster movies meets Blair Witch Project

Get Smart - TV show remake with Steve Carrell, looks hilarious

Valkyrie - Tom Cruise stars Bryan Singer directs. Great team

ALL IN ONE PLACE

Just to keep everyone from having to scroll so far down to see my top ten movies I wanted to post them all in one place:

10. Grindhouse
09. Kite Runner
08. 300
07. Superbad
06. Bourne Ultimatum
05. Gone Baby Gone
04. Knocked Up
03. The Lookout
02. No Country For Old Men
01. Juno

Thanks for playing boys and girls.

OUT!

BEST MOVIES OF 2007 - NUMBER 1

http://realorimaginary.blogspot.com/2007/12/movie-review-juno.html

R I P

Actor Brad Renfro Dies at 25

Actor Brad Renfro, who became a child star at 14 in The Client but in recent years was plagued by numerous drug problems and arrests, was found dead at his Los Angeles home Tuesday morning; he was 25. While the Los Angeles County coroner confirmed to Access Hollywood that Renfro had died, a cause of death was not named. The Tennessee-born actor snagged an amazingly high-profile part for his first role, that of a young boy sought by the mafia in the 1994 adaptation of the John Grisham novel The Client, opposite established stars Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. His impressive performance in the box office hit made him a high-profile young actor, and roles in such films as Tom and Huck, Sleepers and Telling Lies in America followed; he also appeared opposite Ian McKellen in Bryan Singer's controversial Apt Pupil, about a young student who blackmails his elderly neighbor, whom he believes is a Nazi war criminal. Despite a string of successful roles, including solid performances in Bully and Ghost World, Renfro reportedly found adapting to Hollywood difficult, and was arrested on a number of drug and theft charges. In 2000, he was arrested in Florida on grand theft charges for allegedly trying to steal a 45-foot yacht, and while on probation for the crime was jailed for underage drinking. Other arrests followed, and last year he was found in violation of his probation for failing to enroll in a drug treatment program. Most recently, Renfro had appeared in The Jacket as well as an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He had just wrapped filming on The Informers opposite Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger.

From IMDB

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - A Review

I watched the first two episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles last night. I am a big fan of T-2 and I actually enjoyed T-3 quite a bit. The original film used to be high on my list too, but an old friend of mine ruined that for me. He pointed out a fatal flaw in the film’s main premise and I just can’t look past it now.

The new show, which airs Monday Nights on Fox, eliminates the third film altogether. The pilot actually picks up right after T-2 ended. The story follows Sarah and John as they try to lay low after destroying the SkyNet system at the end of the second movie. A refresher: SkyNet is the satellite network, created in the future, that serves as the catalyst for the end of the world.
Well, as always seems to be the case in television, SkyNet wasn’t completely destroyed, it was just slowed down for a while. Someone in 2011 actually manages to get the SkyNet system launched and that event will still manage to lead the machines to turn on humanity after all. The who, what, where, when, and why of this new SkyNet launch is the hook for the show. Sarah and John must stop the system from being put into place.

Sarah Connor, one of the most kick ass mothers in the history of film, is portrayed here by Lena Heady of 300 fame. She is every bit as hardcore as Linda Hamilton and slides beautifully into the role. Thomas Dekker, of brief Heroes stardom, takes on the John Connor roll. John is still a headstrong, angst ridden teenager who has a long ways to go before he can become the man that leads the fight against the machines. The main new character is played by Summer Glau (Firefly, The 4400). She is the “good” machine sent back by John to help protect him and his mother.

The show is an action packed, fly by the seat of your pants thrill ride. But that’s where the good news ends. While the action is brisk and brings back memories of the glory days of 24, it lacks the brains that 24 had. You don’t have to invest a whole lot of your intelligence into Terminator and I consider that a bad thing.

I will say this; the show runs circles around The Bionic Woman, which I am sure it will be compared to. I enjoyed Terminator ten times more than that show. However, I can’t get my mind around this one dilemma. In an early scene in the series Summer Glau’s character takes John and Sarah to a bank. Inside some of the safety deposit boxes are parts to build a kick as futuristic gun that fries the machines. John asks, “Did someone bring this gun back from the future?” The machine explains to him that you can’t send items, including clothes, through time. She says future John sent someone back to 1963 when the bank was built to collect the parts to make the gun and he hid them inside the bank. That’s fine and good. But here is a more fundamental question; why haven’t the bad guys sent someone back even further in time and just killed Sarah Connor’s parents and ended this waaaayyyyy back when?

I can’t stand shows that leave holes in the story that big. This has to be explained or I won’t be able to continue watching the show. Maybe I’m being too hard on it. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taken a show to task. I am going to keep watching because I WAS entertained. But I hope they manage to make the show as much about a mother protecting her son at all cost and about solving a mystery as it is about being a special effects showcase during a cat and mouse chase. That’s basically what 24 has become and I quit watching that show a long time ago.

Check This Out

My friend Paymon wants YOU to check out his new blog. It's sports related, which you could have guessed. It's a great place for insight into all things sports and an even better place to debate with the site's creator.

http://www.realandfantasysports.blogspot.com/

BEST MOVIES OF 2007 - Number 2

No Country For Old Men - Javier Bardem is officially one of the greatest bad guys in the history of cinema. I still see the man with the bowl cut in my nightmares. The Coen Brothers threw out the quirky comedy they've done so well in the past (Big Lebowski, Oh Brother Where Art Thou) and upped the cat and mouse ante that they had already mastered in the minds of many (Fargo). There is nothing to smile about while watching this film. It is hand-on-the-throat intensity all of the way through. The movie is not without its faults, including dialog that rambled on for two long, a showdown that never happened, and Woody Harrelson. But, very few movies are perfect and it was easy to overlook the shortcomings in exchange for all of the brilliance. This is a cinematic diamond and a must see for everyone.

Another Ruined Chance

I am stealing this post, for the most part, from www.themovieblog.com just to be honest. However, the point is soooo good that I have to make it here too... And I assure you, after seeing the picture below, I would have made the exact same comment, minus a few F-bombs.
Anyway, for years I have been one of the many people begging for Pacino and DeNiro to do a movie together. Yes, they were both in Heat and they were both in The Godfather II. However, they only shared one scene together in one and no scenes in the other, respectively. So, why has it taken so long to get them together? The answer is not an obvious one. I doubt, even if there were a reason, that it wouldn't be a good one. But that's about to change. The two amazing actors are about to star in and share screen time in the movie "Righteous Kill."
The bigger surprise? The movie is going to suck ass. Why? Check out the photo below.


Who is that, in between two of the greatest film icons ever? None other than 50 Can't Fucking Act Worth A Cent. Are you kidding me?

BEST MOVIES OF 2007 - Number 3

The Lookout – Many of you know that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my favorite up and coming actor. His roles in Brick, Mysterious Skin, and Havoc are all top of the line performances. You can now add The Lookout to this list. This time around the former Third Rocker plays a kid who makes a mistake by drinking and driving. He gets into a horrible accident and it causes serious brain damage. He goes from being a popular high school kid to someone who has to write down everything that he is supposed to do or he will forget. It’s a tragic story. But even more tragic is what happens when he befriends a group of hoodlums who have something a little more devious than friendship on their minds. Part thriller, part drama The Lookout delivered on every level.

And In Other News...

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!

BEST MOVIES of 2007 - Number 4

Knocked Up - The funniest movie of the year. Hands down. I laughed until I hurt and then I laughed some more. One part in particular hit home with me. I loved when Paul Rudd's character, thought to be cheating on his bitchy wife, was actually caught...playing fantasy sports. Seriously, I fear that could one day be my life and isn't it true that real life situations are the ones that are always the funniest. Judd Apatow is in the zone right now.

BEST MOVIES of 2007 - Number 5

A New Resolution

To my drinking friends.

I just read an article on the dangers of drinking....

Scared the shit out of me!

So that's it!

After today, no more reading.

BEST MOVIES OF 2007 - Number 6

The Bourne Ultimatum - The conclusion of this knock down drag-out trilogy might not be the last Bourne movie after all. And that's a good thing. I would argue with anyone who would tell me there is a better trilogy of movies out there besides The Lord of the Rings set. Coming in at 3+ hours for each movie, LOTR even had its fair share of slow parts. I beg you to find a slow part in any of the Bourne movies? You certainly won't find one in The Bourne Ultimatum. Matt Damon said he would be willing to revisit the character, but only many years down the road. Luck has it that a 4th Bourne book was written, many years after Robert Ludlum put down his pen. This 4th installment is called The Bourne Legacy and I can only hope that some day the movie comes about.

Movie Review - The Orphanage

My first movie review of the new year and it's a doozy. The Orphanage is a spanish language horror film presented by Guillermo del Toro who last year directed Pan's Labyrinth and this year is directing Hell Boy 2. He didn't direct this film, but almost anything with his name on it is golden in my book.

The Orphanage, or El Orfanato if you will, is a good old fashioned ghost story. Here's a quick plot outline: A woman and her husband buy an orphanage that the woman was raised in. They intend to re-open the home for several special needs children. The couple have an adopted, cute-as-a-button son who is ill. The son has several imaginary friends and these friends have a few secrets about the orphanage that they seem to be trying to relay through the boy.
Each scene is a nail biter, winding it's way through a maze of thrills and chills. The story weaves in and out of scenes, each leaving clues about what's really going on. It's a treasure hunt of sorts that National Treasure could only aspire to be.
As with any good story you'll need to be sure not to let anyone ruin what's coming up. The movie is in the same vain as The Sixth Sense (although not quite in its league) crossed with The Others and maybe the two good parts of Hide and Seek thrown in for good measure. I literally leaped out of my seat once and squirmed several others. Don't let the subtitles scare you away from a movie that will honestly scare you.

I'm trying to give more well rounded reviews this year so here is what I'm going to be doing: There are 9 things that I am going to grade each movie on, each of those will be worth up to 1o points a piece except the final category which will be worth 20 total points. Those things:

Plot (The Story): 10
Script (The Dialog): 8
Directing: 9
FX / Sound: 10
Casting: 9
Acting: 9
Pacing: 9
Conclusion: 10
Overall Entertainment: 19

TOTAL: 93
MOVIE GRADE: A


For the record here are the grade ranges:
100 - 97 = A+
96 - 93 = A
92 - 90 = A-
89 - 87 = B+
86 - 83 = B
82 - 80 = B-
You Get The Point
70's = Cs
60's = D's
59 and below is F


We'll see how this grading scale goes and see if it really reflects my feelings on the movies I see. If it doesn't, then I'll go back to a simplified scale.

OUT

Making an Assumption

I was in the shower tonight, an imagine that I'm sure you could live without, when a popular nightly segment came on 93X. The segment is called 9 Songs That Don't Suck. Something is really wrong with your format when you have to take a break from your normal playlists in order to throw on a few songs that don't suck. And several of the songs that they play on this segment are NEVER played on the station again.
Just a thought, but wouldn't it be more ideal to try to always play non-sucky songs?

OUT

A Perfect Example of My Luck

There are two morals to the story that I am about to tell you. It is a heart breaking tale of a boy on the most important journey in his life. I don't usually post too many "personal" items on here, but this one is called for. Especially if it can teach you the life lessons that I myself have learned the hard way.
Many of you know that I have spent the better part of the last month in a serious job hunt. Not that I am dying to leave the library. I want to make it clear that the library/WYPL is going to be the best job that I have ever had. But I don't feel challenged there the way that I want to be. Plus I want to have opportunities to move up and I feel like I have reached the peak of opportunity at the Berry.
So I have been pretty successful in my job hunt so far. With the help of Selena I managed to get an interview for a great job at Sedgwick. I really wanted that job, but I didn't quite have the work experience to land the job. I was basically told to get my foot in the door, get my hands dirty for a little while, and then I could move to this department with ease.
I managed to land an interview with another company without the help of friends. I was pretty proud of myself to get a bite so quickly. This interview went so great that I was promised a second interview right there on the spot. Well two weeks went by and I hadn't heard anything from anyone about setting up this second meeting. So I did what any eager job seeker would do, I called. The lady was nice enough to tell me that the calls were being made for second interviews TODAY and that my name was on the top of that list!!! Go me.
So I waited today for that call. And I waited. And I waited. While I waited I texted a few friends. They didn't write back. I texted a few more. They didn't write back. So finally I picked up my cell to check and make sure that I had service where I was. I did. So I made a call from my cell. And it went straight to ATT's Account Services.
I was told that my bill was past due and that my service had been shut off. That couldn't be right, I'd sent out my payment weeks ago. What the hell?
Nevertheless, I got home, checked my bank account, and sure enough the check had not cleared. So I called ATT, paid by e-check, and got my service cut back on. But I most likely missed the call for my second interview.
The morals of the story...
1. Live in the present; snail mail is for seniors and sending Christmas cards only.
2. Life if about balance; balance your checkbook.

All I can do is pray that those calls weren't made today. And if they were I have to pray that they try my number again tomorrow. I'm not holding my breath.

BEST MOVIES of 2007 - Number 7

SuperBad - Honestly, there was no way this movie wasn't going to make my top ten list. Just from the unrated trailer alone I was in love with this movie. The movie didn't manage to live up to my EVERY expectation, but those were some lofty expectations and SuperBad managed to get pretty darn close. Jonah Hill had the majority of the laughs, Michael Cera was his always endearing self, but they all took a back seat to the guy who will be forever known as McLovin. A little less Seth Rogan and a little more McLovin and this naughty movie would have sky rocketed to near the top of this list.

OUT

BEST MOVIES OF 2007 - Number 8

300 – Some of the knocks I heard on this movie were that it was too over-the-top, not believable, and couldn’t keep up the intensity for the entire movie. I beg to differ on all counts and found 300 to be one of the most kick ass movies of the year. A movie like The Kite Runner wins me over because it creates a moral dilemma and I am left thinking about how I would react in those situations for days after the reel has stopped spinning. A movie like 300 scores with me because I leave the theater jazzed up and ready to take on the world. The last movie I saw before 300 that left me with such an adrenaline rush was The Matrix. And I have that listed as one of my all time favorite films.
300 doesn’t have the brains that The Matrix had, but it has all of the other flavors including visual effects that left my jaw inches from the floor.

BEST MOVIES OF 2007 - Number 9

The Kite Runner - I think Hollywood has begun to rely way too heavily on book adaptations. Apparently Tinsel Town is out of fresh ideas. Nevertheless, many book adaptations are made each year and many of them turn out to be great movies. Some don’t (The Golden Compass). As a matter of fact at least 3 of my top 10 movies are scripts based on books. The reason The Kite Runner makes the list is because of the moving story. It’s the tragic tale of Amir, an Afghani boy who befriends the son of his family’s servant. I won’t ruin any plot here, but something terrible happens and before Amir can make amends the Soviets invade Afghanistan and he is whisked away from the country by his father. Years later Amir returns to the country, now decimated by the Taliban, in search of a way to set things right.
All unknown actors are used in this film, yet the lack of Hollywood drawing power is never evident. All of the actors do an outstanding job. Young Amir and young Hassan were perfectly picked to play those roles. The only negative on the movie was the sudden jumps in time, which were necessary to get the entire story onto the screen in a reasonable amount of time.
For those of you wondering, the movie is about 50 percent subtitled and 50 percent English.

An Annoying Fact...

I was reading in the Commercial Appeal this morning about some name dropping columnist who had dinner with Morgan Freeman recently. While the article went on and on about how she talked with him about her dogs and sports and travel…She went on and on and I never really found a point to the article. However, one thing really did stand out.
Morgan Freeman was telling her that he doesn’t have a problem with guns. Apparently Mr. Freeman found a study that shows that “MOST people don’t shoot their guns at people unless someone fires at them first.”
I’m no math major, but if someone fires at you and you fire back then 2 people have fired guns. 1 + 1 = 2. So if two people fire shot and one of them fired first and another fired back in response, doesn’t that lead to the assumption that the first person fired at will, not because they were fired at? Leaving me to draw the conclusion that 50 percent of all people who fire guns, fire first. And that invalidates Mr. Freeman’s argument that MOST people don’t fire guns unless they are shot at first.
Just goes to show, even famous people believe everything they read in the papers…Then again maybe he didn’t really read anything. Maybe he’s like a lot of people I know (me included) and he just makes up stats and studies. I have heard that 43 percent of all percentage stats are made up numbers…

BEST MOVIES of 2007 - Number 10

And now the moment you've all be waiting for a I know. The official start to my TOP 10 movies of 2007. Well, here we go. At number 10:




GRINDHOUSE - I've chosen to present this feature as one movie, since that's the way I saw it. I loved Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. It was the most mindless fun that could possibly be crammed into an 80 minute flick. Explosions, zombies, guns, and decapitations have never been such a riot. For me Death Proof, Quentin Tarantino's half of the project, was more highly anticipated. It didn't deliver at the level that I had hoped. There was way too much dialog and not nearly enough action. However, when the action finally did get under way, it was quite the thrill ride. The faux trailers between pictures, the missing reels, and authentic grind house presentation sold me. It was truly a unique movie going experience.

BEST MOVIES of 2007 (Honorable Mentions)

These movies were close to making the top ten. They were all on my short list, but these just didn't quite make it. I will share brief pointers on why they were at the top and not focus on why they didn't make the cut.






1408 - I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching a horror movie. So many times scary movies just don't deliver. Well this one did. John Cusak was back to old form here as a writer/ghost hunter trapped in a hotel room. This was an old school supernatural thriller...and one of the best Stephen King adaptations not named Green Mile or Shawshank.

Waitress - The country-fried accents killed me. But once I was able to put them out of my mind this was a really charming movie. Keri Russell flexed her indie-acting chops while Nathan Fillion prepped for his OB/GYN turn on Desperate Housewives as an OB/GYN in this film. The main course was the Russell's failing marriage to an abusive prick. Dessert was the cooky friendship Russell served up with Andy Griffith. And after this movie I couldn't help but find the nearest bakery for a slice of pie.

Breach - I am usually not impressed with straight forward movies that offer up no twists, no turns, no shocks, and few surprises. This was one of those movies, but for some reason it worked. Ryan Phillipe plays a wet-behind-the-ears rookie charged with following every move of veteran agent Chris Cooper. The bosses think Cooper might be a spook. The movie is based on a true story...and for once I believed most of it because not everyone dies at the end leaving no one to tell that true story (Open Water anyone?) but I digress. This movie was genuinely intense and despite the lack of big reveals, delivered a great conclusion.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead - Two brothers, one professionally successful (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and one a slacker (Ethan Hawke), find themselves in a bit of financial trouble. So what's a pair of bros to do? Well rob their mom and dad's jewelry store of course. Well as you can imagine, things don't go as planned and suddenly this time jumping caper is a study in the dynamics of family. This one is directed by Sidney Lumet who brought to life the classic Dog Day Afternoon.

OUT

BEST NEWS EVER

My favorite game show/reality show is making a comeback. ABC has just announced that it will be bring back THE MOLE for a ten week run this Summer. I can't think of a better show to use during the strike disabled season. I know a lot of you guys used to really like this show too, so maybe we'll have a MOLE party at my place in a few months. You Dig?

OUT