Reviews From A Fishbowl...

Blu-ray Review: Shrek the Third

2008-10-12T18:22:00.000-05:00

I remember reading Shrek when I was little. I loved that book. That book is also why I initially hated the first Shrek movie. Sure, there was an ogre and a princess ogre he falls in love with, but the movie wasn’t really anything like the book. After pretending it wasn’t supposed to be based on the children’s’ book by William Steig, I gave Shrek another chance and loved it. Then I loved Shrek 2. I was skeptical of Shrek the Third because let’s face it, rarely does it seem trilogies keep up pace with the first or even second movie.

For many, Shrek the Third doesn’t cut it. The story is extremely similar to that in the first movie. By this point, the pop-culture references don’t seem so clever and the potty humor hasn’t matured. Instead Shrek has a nightmare of hundreds of baby ogres throwing up all over the place — quite possibly the creepiest scene in any animated flick I’ve seen. But I actually like Shrek the Third. I liked how the characters from other fairy tales were doing their parts to save Far Far Away. And while I knew how it would play out, I still enjoyed the ride to get there.

Shrek the Third follows our beloved ogres Shrek and Fiona after the king of Far Far Away dies. Shrek hopes to return to his life of farting and mud back at his swamp home but the issue of successor to the throne isn’t exactly one that can be ignored. So Shrek sets off with his loyal sidekicks Donkey and Puss in Boots to find Artie, the only other heir besides Fiona. Meanwhile, Charming rallies the fellow fairytale bad guys to take over the kingdom. Saving Far Far Away from Charming might be the same basic idea as found in the first, the details are different enough to make it worth watching.

The voices behind our charismatic characters help make the movie. Mike Myers voices Shrek, Eddie Murphy is Donkey, Cameron Diaz is Princess Fiona, and Antonio Banderas is still the lovable Puss in Boots. However, Justin Timberlake joins as the voice behind Artie. All of the actors ham it up to make the animated characters memorable.

But what really makes the flick a success is the animation team. I truly think Shrek the Third is by far the most impressive visually of the trio of Shrekiliciousness. It really stands out on Blu-ray too. The animation pops to look as if it isn’t just an animated movie but perhaps something more. You can see the details in the hair on the characters or fibers of fabric on their clothes. It starts off strong with Charming’s hair billowing in the wind so clearly. The transfer is in 1080p so the pop in colors and sharpness is visible throughout the film. The high definition almost distracts from the movie because the animation stands out so beautifully. However, there is a difference in the Blu-ray release and that of the earlier HD-DVD version — an issue of depth of field. There is more detail in the background elements instead of blurring them slightly to differentiate the foreground and background. This isn't just an issue with Shrek the Third but it seems to be common with Blu-ray releases. So while it is beautifully detailed, it is a bit odd.

The audio is in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 showing crisp dialogue throughout with the ambient sounds adding depth but never overpowering or distracting the audience from what is going on. Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also available in Dolby Digital 5.1.

There are tons of extras on the Blu-ray release, many of which were on the HD-DVD release but some are improved upon or even new. The coolest feature, if you ask me, is the Picture-in-Picture feature called “The Animators’ Corner” with interactive storyboards of deleted scenes pitches. There’s a pop up video track called “Shrek’s Trivia Track” about production info, and “The World of Shrek” with biographical info on the actors and movie. There are also your typical behind the scenes and outtakes features in “Lost Scenes,” “Big Green Goofs,” “The Tech of Shrek,” and several more.

I think Shrek the Third is definitely worth watching. But if you already purchased it when it was released on HD-DVD you can skip this Blu-ray release, as it is pretty much the same.

DVD Review: Another Cinderella Story

2008-10-06T20:51:00.001-05:00

A Cinderella Story was cute. I like the cheesy family flicks that would be found on the likes of Disney or ABC Family. But what I don’t want is a ton of rip-offs of the same modern translation of yet another story. Each new movie is worse than the one before it. And a lot has to be said for originality, unfortunately Another Cinderella Story lacks that. The Cinderella-esque story has been done before. The dancing story has been done before. And both had much better versions than this. It’s a good thing I don’t have testicles because I promise they would have castrated themselves and run away after watching this movie.

Another Cinderella Story is the tale of Mary, our modern-day Cinderella. She lives with the fading popstar diva Dominique and her two step-sisters. Mary dreams of dancing and hopes to go to a dancing school. Then we have current pop-heartthrob Joey Parker who has come home to go back to school. Throw in a masked ball (because so many high schools have those), replace a missing slipper with a missing mp3 player, and you have this take on the classic tale.

Just what did this DVD get right? Well, it has an insert to get your digital copy of the movie for your computer. So if for some reason you need to watch a movie on your computer or portable device and don’t want to pay for a better movie, you can. The movie also looks fine, so at least it doesn’t look like something your little sister recorded on a digital camera. No really, it looks like your typical DVD these days — not as finely detailed and fluid as a blu-ray, but we weren’t expecting that. The kids in the movie are cute, I have no idea who any of them are (other than Jane Lynch of course) but they did a decent job. I guess I’m not the hip Highschool Musical type. None of the dancing blew me away, but I didn’t laugh the way I do during So You Think You Can Dance auditions either. Apparently the boy actually sings pop music, but the music was just generic pop Backstreet Boys could have done ten years ago that didn’t have the muster to become a hit single. But again, I didn’t laugh the way I do during American Idol auditions.

What did the movie get wrong? Well, the age difference in the leads apparently got some remarks. I agree that our Cinderella looks young, but honestly he does too. As far as chemistry between them, I don’t think we ever get many scenes with them other than when they are dancing or singing - and anyone can do that well together if given enough training and practice. I also think Jane Lynch’s character fell flat. She was underused so her bits missed the target and instead of being funny were simply annoying.

There are a handful of special features on the DVD. It has music videos and sing-a-longs, though none of them were compelling. There are several behind-the-scenes looks - at Mary, Joey, and the fashion. There is also a look at the dancing in the movie. As seems to be the norm these days, Another Cinderella Story is double-sided so you can watch in either widescreen or full-screen, though I am unsure of why anyone would opt to watch something in full-screen.

I’d only recommend Another Cinderella Story to those with kids who eat up all movies like this and to those who haven’t seen A Cinderella Story or any of the dancing movies that actually made it to the theaters.

Blu-Ray Review: The Love Guru

2008-09-27T20:18:00.001-05:00

The Love Guru can very easily be called a really dumb movie. But unlike most dumb comedies these days, it actually made me laugh. Perhaps it is because a lot of Mike Myers’ golden lines are ad-libbed, but the humor in The Love Guru isn’t as predictable so the surprise factor goes a long way. And while I won’t say I think everyone needs to rush out to buy the movie, I do think it is worth renting at the very least.

The Love Guru is an "East meets West" comedy starring Myers, Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, and Romany Malco. Not counting his voice-over work, Mike Myers makes his return to the screen after a five-year absence as the Guru Pitka, who is trying to beat Deepak Chopra as the world’s best self-help guru. Pitka and his team decide that helping a hockey player fix his marriage and win the Stanley Cup will be their key to success. And it is that tale that The Love Guru follows.

Pitka is a popular relationship guru with some popular followers — Jessica Simpson, Val Kilmer, and Mariska Hargitay make cameos. His teachings don’t really follow any religion and even his greeting is made up, hence Mariska Hargitay’s appearance. Some of Pitka’s antics are the same potty humor we come to expect from Mike Myers, like the extended diarrhea noises in the bar or game of stink mop where they fight with mops dipped in urine. Of course, what would a movie about a love guru be without the guru’s own romance?

Guru Pitka is like a fake philosophy-touting Austin Powers, with similar quirks and gags as found in the Austin Powers flicks. But those work for Myers so while sex gags, catch phrases, and silly costumes aren’t new to the big screen, they still garner giggles from the audience. The plot is somewhat petty and perhaps considered racist — he’s a white dude speaking with a bad Indian accent — but if not taken seriously, this movie is still 86 minutes of entertainment. I don’t think it has hit the mark of Austin Powers, so it may not be a home run of a return to the big screen, but as I said earlier, it is a dumb movie.

Guru is on DVD and Blu-ray now. I know that Blu-ray is more expensive, but if you haven’t watched it yet you really should. Even if you aren’t someone who can spot the difference between something shot on film versus video, you will definitely notice the difference in quality seen on Blu-ray. The picture is clearer and more detailed, but at the same time smoother. The difference is similar to that of a cheap digital camera's photograph as compared to a high-quality professional photograph. That's just part of the beauty seen in the 1080p high definition transfer. And if you have surround sound set up, you're in for a treat because Guru is in Dolby Digital TrueHD — which uses surround channels to help get a crisp sound to complement the visual beauty of Blu-ray.

There are several special features on the DVD set. There are some of the typical features: deleted scenes, outtakes, and a couple of behind-the-scenes looks at how they made The Love Guru. They look at the thoughts behind Myers’ character, how they trained the actors in the hockey rink, and some of the puppetry in the movie. However, unlike many other movies out there, all the special features are also presented in high definition. I think the neatest feature is the second disc in the set, though. It is a digital copy (it’s protected, folks!) so you can easily put the movie you purchase on your computer, iPod, or other portable device so you can watch it whenever or wherever you want. I know I like the ease of putting a movie I’ve spent money to buy on my iPod instead of having to also buy it on iTunes to be able to watch it at the gym or on a plane.

TV Review: The Big Bang Theory The Complete First Season

2008-09-15T22:33:00.000-05:00

I have a thing for dorks. That dictated my desire, no my need, to watch The Big Bang Theory. I quickly fell in love with Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki). The two are roommates and physicists; they know everything about integrals and black holes but have little to no knowledge of women. That is plenty apparent when the blonde bombshell Penny moves into the apartment across the hall and Leonard makes a bumbling idiot of himself and Sheldon is more interested in watching Battlestar and mentions that they tried masturbating for money.

Joined by Raj and Wolowitz, they make a 30-minute sitcom that easily found its way on my Must-See list. Everyone quickly learns to head for the hills when Sheldon gets sick because he’s easily the neediest person alive. Tempers flare when Sheldon and Leonard present a paper at a symposium, but luckily Wolowitz videotapes the entire thing so the dork fight can be viewed over and over on YouTube. Leonard has a semblance of social skills but Sheldon prides himself on one thing – being the smartest person around and even that gets fractured when a child prodigy tours the university where our favorite geeks work.

As far as special features go, The Big Bang Theory is short on special features, but honestly who watches those all that much? The only feature is a behind the scenes look at the creation of the show called “Quantum Mechanics of The Big Bang Theory.” However, the show’s creators do have some help of actual physicists to help the jargon and information be accurate to allow Big Bang to be a genuinely smart show. Now no one can say intelligence isn’t entertaining. Plus, it is sort of nice to see the nerd cast as the hero instead of a sidekick who gets a few chuckles. Maybe it can prove that the nice guy really does get the girl, even if the plot of a beauty among beasts isn’t something new.

Luckily, the ensemble cast works well together with each individual bringing something to the table – from comical timing to a simply refreshing presence. And let’s face it; the casting is what makes the show a hit. The wrong group of actors could have seen Big Bang fall flat very quickly. I enjoy the show a great deal, but there isn’t much a show can accomplish in a 30-minute time slot that could be considered revolutionary. But in a world of hour-long dramas, it’s good to have a witty sitcom that hits the spot.

DVD Review: Gossip Girl The Complete First Season

2008-08-24T19:01:00.001-05:00

Canceling Veronica Mars left a void in my CW viewing. Fortunately, Kristen Bell is involved in a new teen drama — even if only as the never-seen, snarky narrator. Gossip Girl may not be about a sarcastic teen detective, but the private-school offerings do serve up some guilty pleasure fodder. Throw in the fact I went to prep school and the show was almost guaranteed to be a hit -- at least for me.

Gossip Girl is the deliciously racy new CW offering of The O.C.’s teen-soap experts. This batch of privileged teens attend an Upper East Side prep school and take the life of luxury to an extreme the likes of Marissa and Summer couldn’t even imagine in Newport Beach. Nay, their lavish lifestyles aren’t contained in ocean-side mansions. The Waldorfs, van der Woodsens, and Archibalds are used to expensive Manhattan hotel penthouses, champagne, and randier sex lives than the stars of Debbie Does Dallas. That’s merely the tip of the iceberg of gossip for which these teens live or guilty pleasures thrive. Strangely, these underage elitists never seem to have a problem drinking in NYC’s hottest bars. Stranger still is lack of smoking cigarettes, apparently smoking is worse than casual sex under the influence of who knows what or drug overdoses.

Cecily von Ziegesar’s young adult series of a mystery blogger known only as Gossip Girl serves as the inspiration for the teen drama where an instant can change friends into enemies and enemies into your only ally. The juicy gossip of Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and her BFF Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) are enough to get Gossip Girl on monitoring groups like the Parents Television Council. The juicy details that kick off the series are enough to make some parents wish they could lock up their children to keep them pure as Serena returns from an abrupt disappearance to boarding school a year earlier. Why did she leave? Because she had drunken sex with her best friend’s boyfriend of course. But don’t worry because Blair returns the favor to her boyfriend by sleeping with his best friend -- her first time in a limo no less.

But nevermind the naughtiness the parents don’t like, the overboard and extreme nature of Gossip Girl is everything we viewers want in our guilty pleasures. Even more desirable is the first season being out on DVD. The DVD set includes typical special features like unaired scenes (at least two episodes on each disc have them), gag reels, music videos and behind-the-scenes looks. Also included is a downloadable audiobook of one of the popular novels read by Christina Ricci. Warner Brothers are also taking a green-approach by packaging the five discs into the space of one.

Even though the storylines are over-the-top, these young actors bring their characters to life. Dan Humphrey (John Tucker Must Die’s Penn Badgley) and Serena van der Woodsen give all TV couples a lesson in what chemistry looks like. His younger sister Jenny (Taylor Momsen) gives a chilling performance as the girl who goes to almost no ends to make it into the popular crowd. And while Serena’s charisma makes her beauty non-intimidating, Blair is the one who really steals the show. It’s pretty powerful when someone can do all in her power to oust her best friend from the in-crowd and still illicit sympathy from the audience. Naturally everyone on the screen is gorgeous and represents the people we sometimes dream about becoming.

If you want a glimpse into the life you wish you had, I’d recommend you buy the complete first season of Gossip Girl. XO XO.

DVD Review: My Sassy Girl

2008-08-19T22:24:00.001-05:00

When I heard they were turning the Korean romantic comedy My Sassy Girl into an American movie, I had mixed feelings. First, I was excited because I highly enjoyed the Korean original. But I was also skeptical because it seems many Asian movies translated into an American version simply aren’t as good. Either way, I knew just had to see My Sassy Girl.

Bring It On’s Jesse Bradford and The Girl Next Door’s Elisha Cuthbert are Charlie Bello and Jordan Roark. Yann Samuell directs in what appears to be his American directorial debut. Victor Levin took on the task of crafting an English screenplay based on the original film’s screenplay by Jae-young Kwak. The story is based true stories Ho-sik Kim posted online before compiling the relationship woes into a novel.

My Sassy Girl is the tale of the first and last time Charlie Bello falls in love. From their initial meeting, trouble is the name of the game. Imagine an amorphous mass of dating disasters and you get an idea of the relationship between the young couple. Some mysterious force with the strength of gravity between two planets must be at play between Charlie and Jordan as the relationship truly makes no sense on the surface. Everything seems pitted against the two of them. Things suddenly come to a halt when the two write letters confessing their love for each other. Agreeing to meet a year later to read the love letters together, Charlie and Jordan go their separate ways.

I won’t ruin the end of the movie for you – whether they end up together or miss each other reading the letters by a day. You will just have to rent the movie to see how the story ends. There is, however, a strong message behind the romantic woes — a tale of destiny. We can’t sit and wait for destiny to happen, but we must build the bridges ourselves.

The film is certainly similar to its Korean counterpart. The storyline is the same, with a few details changed to make sense in a different culture. The intro matches that of the original movie, but in a less creepy sort of way. Whereas the Korean movie has an animated intro with weird babies suckling at their mothers’ breasts, the American movie shows a montage of events with bright, yet simple sets to illustrate Charlie’s life to this point.

It seems the only thing that doesn’t fully translate into the new movie is the humor. My Sassy Girl is touted as a romantic comedy, and the Korean version very much is. The mishaps are construed in a way to be charming. However, they lose some of the funny appeal in the new film. Not that the movie is a complete bore, it just seems somehow more tragic.

My Sassy Girl has a direct-to-DVD release in late August 2008. While I wouldn’t tell anyone to rush out to rent it, the movie is definitely worth picking up on a rainy day.

Movie Review: The Great Debaters

2008-01-08T23:13:00.000-06:00

I love the Disney-esque stories of the underdog beating all odds to achieve something everyone said they couldn’t do. I like to feel good. Sure, we know they’ll come out on top before we even see the movie, but the heartwarming hope is still nice to watch. I don’t care for the ones that are overly sentimental and gag inducing, but when the movie is well done it just hits the spot. The Great Debaters is that sort of film.

Denzel Washington, as both the director and a star of the movie, manages the perfect balance between feel-good and real so The Great Debaters isn’t just syrupy sweetness. Yes, we know they just don’t make movies inspired by true stories that don’t somehow have a happy ending. Heck, this story was so touching as to make Oprah Winfrey want her Harpo Films company to produce it.

The Great Debaters is about the 1935 debate team from all-black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. There are four students on the team: the 14-year-old prodigy James Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), handsome troublemaker Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), the first female on the team Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett), and Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams). The film follows their journey from tryouts until the climatic face-off with Harvard University. Okay, so the movie takes some liberties as the team actually went up against the University of Southern California, but the idea is the same. Naturally there are some side-plots to help keep some tension in the story that might otherwise be too formulaic and safe. And since they live in the Jim Crow South, you can imagine some of the issues dealt with in the movie.

With seasoned greats like Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker (no relation to the young Denzel Whitaker), the acting starts off on a strong foot. Throw in the four talented young actors and The Great Debaters avoids one-note roles, for the most part. But the characters with little-to-no depth also have entertaining performances even if they do rely heavily on stereotypes.

The production design is also excellent and does a lot to capture the feel of 1930’s Texas. The sets, costumes, and props work together well, so well in fact they really are merely the background instead of a distraction as seems to be a common shortfall for contemporary movies. And while the film does play it safe a lot of the time, there are some moments where lines of comfort are crossed to show what life for these young students might have been like.

In fact, I think the only thing that didn’t work for The Great Debaters is some of the subplots that add little to nothing to the story – the romance for example. That and the Wiley team always debate for the side of the arguments they already agree with. It would have been interesting to see them debate against integration or something that would have proven to be difficult for the kids. The Great Debaters does follow the profitable and formulaic sports plot, simply substituting debating and arguments for sports and balls. But it does make for a movie the entire family can enjoy with some educational aspects thrown in the mix.

As a side-note, I can’t help but notice Denzel Whitaker’s name as being a hybrid of the two, more established actors in the film. Luckily for him, I don’t think it will be difficult for him, or any of the young actors really, to own up to the name.

Movie Review: Lars And The Real Girl

2008-01-06T14:39:00.000-06:00

I enjoy subtle, sarcastic, and dark humor so seeing a preview for Lars And The Real Girl was all it took to garner my interest. Oddly enough, I had just watched a documentary on people who had “relationships” with the life-size sex dolls that made for another reason to see a movie about just that.

While the idea of a movie centering around a lonely man who orders a customizable doll online to be his girlfriend sounds depressing, Lars And The Real Girl is actually full of hope and love. Sure, it examines the life of a lonely soul, but it focuses more on how loving and supportive a community can be.

Lars (Ryan Gosling) is a lonely man who has retreated into a hermit-like shell and finds physical contact literally painful. Being the nice twenty-something man that he is, those around him worry about his solitary life and push the idea of dating on him like hotcakes. His news of having a girlfriend shocks those who know how uncomfortable he finds attention from others to be; even more shocking is their discovery that Bianca is in fact an anatomically correct mannequin. Yes, the sort of doll with holes in all the right places for one’s enjoyment.

Ryan Gosling truly must be a genius. He plays Lars so well that he becomes real and someone you care about. His expressions and movements bring to life Lars’ emotions so we know how he feels without anyone having to spell it out. Gosling plays Lars in such a way that his delusions seem real without taking over the film to make it about his affliction. His impairment is merely a means to tell a much bigger story.

While the film could be one big opportunity for jokes and crass humor, the filmmakers instead choose to present real people with both strengths and weaknesses that the audience begins to admire in some way. They could have easily made an exploitation film instead of a heart-warming story that is at the same time endearing and tragic.

The subtleties in the film are intelligent and easy to miss. The costumes have motivation and the changes in them reflect the growth of characters through the film (pay attention to the blanket-turned-scarf Lars wears for an example).

I find most character study films to be nothing but dull and drab but all the elements of Lars pull me in in such a way where other films fail – it makes me actually care about the characters and want to see how things will resolve. Ironically, Lars, along with his delusional faults, presents the community around him with a sign of sanity. Lars And The Real Girl brings to life a hope in community, finds respect for traumas, and shows the difficulty some have with maturing.

And no, Lars doesn’t use Bianca for her intended purpose.

Movie Review: No Country For Old Men

2008-01-06T01:04:00.000-06:00

Everyone I know loves No Country For Old Men. I even heard several people talk about how it is the best movie they have seen in years. I couldn’t disagree more. I actually hated the movie. But I also understand how it is a good movie all at the same time.

Let me start by saying I thought the actors are all great; the casting was spot on for this film. They deliver their lines in such a way that the movie brings to life Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same title. Tommy Lee Jones is able to deliver a performance with restrained emotion while still coming off as passionate. Each glance Javier Bardem makes adds to how creepy his character is – in fact he is perhaps the most evil man I have ever seen in a movie.

The cinematography is also something to be complimented. Each shot and display of color truly makes West Texas come alive. It emphasizes the size and dusty climate beautifully without going over the top. The camera work helps maintain the chase elements into what is ultimately a character driven story. And therein lies the rub.

I don’t like movies where nothing happens. If it is dialogue with nothing for me to grasp onto, I get bored. Don’t get me wrong, I like most of the Coen Brothers’ movies. In fact, I think I enjoy all of them but O Brother, Where Art Thou? and for many of the same reasons. Something about the story keeps the chase and thriller aspects under such constraint that it is as if nothing really happens. Sure, people are being murdered by an air compressor powered cattle stun gun, but in a way that fails to shock me. And perhaps the lack of shock is what makes Javier Bardem’s performance believable. The story manages to make action seemingly nothing and any build up of anxiety completely disappear. It fails to suck me in to care what happens to any of the characters. I neither want nor hope against what any of the characters are trying to accomplish.

This film confuses me in that I think it is great as a film but also find it to be absolutely boring. The problem for me is the story. All the cinematic elements are as perfect as anyone could have made it. The music, the editing, the directing is all spot on. I appreciate No Country For Old Men as a body of cinematic art but hope to never waste what to me feels like an eternity in watching it again. But then, I also don’t like any of Cormac McCarthy’s novels.

DVD Review: Scrubs - The Complete Sixth Season

2007-11-27T13:16:00.000-06:00

Scrubs is one of the plethora of hospital shows on television. But unlike the rest, it is a 30-minute sitcom. Sure the show deals with some less-than-happy subject matter, but each episode has its funny moments that endear the series. It is also one of those rare shows where the reruns are just as funny as they were when they originally aired. While I have to say the first two seasons were pure gold, season six is still full of great television.

The sixth season of Scrubs had some interesting storylines. JD gets his doctor girlfriend Kim pregnant, Dr. Cox’s wife is pregnant, Carla and Turk have their baby, and Elliot gets engaged to Keith. The season also dealt with more serious issues than previous seasons seem to have touched on. Carla deals with postpartum depression. Nurse Roberts not only winds up in the hospital but also dies. JD has to deal with his thoughts on becoming a father when his girlfriend moves away and breaks up with him. Sure, this season focuses a lot more on the serious aspects of relationships than the first five seasons, but Scrubs hasn’t lost its focus of being a hospital comedy. Dr. Kelso, Janitor, and Ted continue to bring their humorous touches to the life at Sacred Heart Hospital.

Discussion of the sixth season cannot be complete without a mention of “My Musical,” the musical episode of Scrubs. The song and dance routines embrace the spirit of the show by having the serious up against the humorous. Personally, my favorite songs were “Guy Love” and “Everything Comes Down To Poo.” Obviously I am not the only one who enjoyed those songs, as they were one of the multiple Emmy nominations the episode received. Another new thing worth mentioning about the sixth season is characters other than JD narrated a few episodes; in fact some of the more minor characters took over.

Many feel this season stumbled to a point that wasn’t at the standard previous seasons had set. Luckily, Scrubs regained its footing before the end of the season, which had been hinted at being the final season. The creators of the show have agreed to a seventh season, but it is coming to an end. I appreciate ending the show before it goes to utter crap and there really is no reason a television series needs to be around for a decade or more. Unfortunately, the current WGA writers strike threatens Scrubs from airing a complete final season. In fact, it is rumored that the finale may not be shown until it is released on DVD.

The special features include a making of the musical episode. It includes glimpses at why they made the episode, how the cast and crew felt about it, and the special people they brought in to make it perfect. The next one is called “Judy Reyes Keep Talking” which looks at everything Carla – from auditioning, to her relationships with the other characters, to struggles Carla faced on the series, and what is up next. Naturally, a collection of deleted scenes is included but it takes on a different approach than most by showing the scene as aired before the deleted version is shown. Similarly, there is a feature showing alternate lines than the ones used in the show. “The Third Tier” is the next featurette and it is about characters that were initially meant for one joke and ended up with a recurring role. Following is “The Debra and Stephanie Show” which is another look at the musical episode. There are the commentary tracks for each episode and an Easter Egg — if you don't want spoilers for the seventh season, I recommend you not try to find this.

Overall, the sixth season of Scrubs is chock full of scalpel sharp wit and unforgettable characters with their quirks. Like the first five seasons, Scrubs - The Complete Six Season DVD is a must-have set for your television DVD collection.

DVD Review: Veronica Mars - The Complete Third Season

2007-11-13T01:26:00.000-06:00

Veronica Mars came to a cruel fate. It was a great show, had a fan following, and received critics’ praises. Usually, that is a recipe for a long-running series, or so you would think. Not so much for Veronica Mars, which was canceled after only three seasons. Now people are hoping for something like Firefly/Serenity with a feature film version, or perhaps a made-for-TV movie and some comics.
For those who live under a rock in a cave and never saw Veronica Mars, you’re lame. Okay, in all seriousness it is worth checking out. Veronica is a teen girl who works for her dad, who happens to be a private investigator. He used to be the sheriff but some stuff went down so he was fired and then he gets to be sheriff again, and well, that’s a different story. Veronica has a knack for investigating things herself, which naturally gets her some side jobs, and some unwanted trouble. Each episode has its own contained mystery, and then there are arcs within the series that work out over anywhere from seven episodes to the entire season.

Season Three saw Veronica in college. She’s up to her same tricks, discovering who a campus rapist is, what really happened to cause the dean's death, there’s even a nerd in love with a prostitute he wants to save. While the third season wasn’t as strong as the first two, even the weakest episodes of Veronica Mars were heads above the best episodes of most TV shows on the major networks.

As far as the DVD set of Season Three is concerned, five discs are your typical bundle of episodes. None seem to have commentary tracks available. But the little booklet that comes with the DVDs is nice enough to include the original airdate, who wrote each episode, and who the director was .The true gem is the sixth disc – it is why any fan of Veronica Mars must get the third season DVDs right now.

The first special feature is one of the best features I’ve ever seen on any DVD set ... ever. It is called “Season 4 Presentation” and is a teaser of what the next season would have been if the show lived to tell the tale. Veronica is a special agent in the FBI and just as prickly as ever. The next featurette is “Pitching Season 4” with supervising producer Dan Etheridge and creator Rob Thomas (not the Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20). It discusses how the new direction of the next season came into being – from the concept of Veronica in the FBI to the color shift to give the show a new look.

Then there is a multi-part feature called “Going Undercover with Rob Thomas” and the sections are ‘Main Titles: Why the Change?’, ‘Rob’s Directing Experience,’ ‘Favorite Guest Star Moments,’ ‘Veronica Mars: Mean Girl,’ ‘The Politics of Veronica Mars,’ ‘Favorite Veronica and Logan Moments,’ ‘Favorite Veronica and Keith Moments,’ ‘Do-Overs?’, and ‘Highlights.’ Thomas and Dan Etheridge host this special feature as well. It sort of serves as the commentary that is lacking in any individual episodes on the other discs.

But wait, that’s not all. The next feature is the Webisode Gallery, which is more of a goofy look at some of the crew and actors on the show. Then there are some of your typical deleted scenes with an introduction from show creator Thomas. Finally, there is the Gag Reel.

Overall, the special features alone are reason to buy the third season of Veronica Mars. Add in the fact that Veronica Mars was a great show and there really is no reason it shouldn’t be part of your DVD library.

DVD Review: Transformers

2007-10-30T23:29:00.000-05:00

I grew up watching Transformers as a kid. I had the toys, sheets, even costumes to be a number of different Transformers. Watching the movie, I was both very skeptical and extremely excited. In fact, the only thing I was truly weary of was that it was a Michael Bay movie.

Fortunately, Transformers rocked my face off. For those who live under a rock, the Transformers movie is about a boy who has some special information, only he isn’t aware of that fact. The Autobots are sent to protect the boy and the information from the evil Decepticons. The movie follows the obstacles, victories, and some killer action sequences in just what this information is and why it is so important.

Transformers is the movie that will bring out the inner child in all of us. If it doesn’t, I’d argue you have no soul. Even if Michael Bay isn’t one of the more well-liked directors out there, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson, Jon Voight, and several others truly worked together to bring this story to life. Transformers isn’t meant to be some deep movie with a lot of meaning, so if that is what you want, look elsewhere. But Transformers is a fun and exciting story with a great soundtrack. The CGI was well done and didn’t distract from the movie, as sometimes is the case.

The DVD is a two-disc special edition. The first disc contains the film in widescreen format enhanced for 16:9 televisions. The sound is Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 available in English, French, and Spanish with subtitles available in the same three languages. The first disc also contains a commentary track by Michael Bay.

The second disc has three special features. The first is titled “Our World” and is a series of “behind the scenes” looks at how Transformers was created: the process of hiring teams and creating the script, how the casting was done, the special effects, and the locations of the shoot. The next featurette is called “Their War” which looks at the history of Transformers in all its incarnations and how that influenced the creation of the robots in the movie. The final featurette is “More Than Meets The Eye” and has three parts. The first details the desert fight scene’s development. The next part deals with concepts the filmmakers wanted to fit into the movie. Finally there are trailers with the first teaser and two of the theatrical trailers for Transformers. Really, the only thing missing that I expected to be included was a series of deleted scenes. The features alluded to them so it made their absence more disappointing.

However, as a whole, Transformers is more than worth buying. It is also available in HD DVD.

DVD Review: 28 Weeks Later

2007-10-21T20:10:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, when 28 Weeks Later came out in theaters I had no interest whatsoever in seeing it. To me it seemed like one of the sequels that should never have been green lit. But I also didn’t like 28 Days Later as much as most people. Now that 28 Weeks Later is on DVD, I figured I would give it a try.

I am shocked to admit it, but I like 28 Weeks Later a lot more than 28 Days Later. For starters, it is a completely different genre. Instead of being a horror, it is much more of an action/thriller. There aren’t really moments where something unexpectedly pops out at you as in the first movie. But what I really appreciate is 28 Weeks Later doesn’t have the creepy, crazy rape thing going on in it. I don’t really like sexual assault in my entertainment. And it certainly wasn’t necessary in the first movie.

28 Weeks Later picks up with a few survivors holed up together to hide from the dangers outside. Unfortunately, some of the infected find them and it seems only Don escapes. Cut to 28 weeks after that and some people are slowly moving back into London, under an American-led NATO group. Don’s two children are two of the other survivors (they were abroad during the infection) and they believed their father when he tells them that mommy had been eaten until they happen to find her. Strangely, she doesn’t look much worse than you would expect from someone who has been fending for themselves for 28 weeks. And if you only learn one thing from watching 28 Weeks Later, let it be that kissing someone with a horrible disease is a very bad idea.

The chase is on after the deadly kiss. The zombies are faster and deadlier. They don’t simply bite their victims but go for ripping apart the arteries. These zombies are full of rage and very little else. Yet this time around, the infected maintain some element of humanity deep within.

The movie also blends genres in its visual appearance. At times it looks like your typical hit movie, while other times it looks more like a photojournalist has documented an actual catastrophe. The blending of styles works well to give 28 Weeks Later a grittier feel. 28 Weeks Later also looks more at the choices we make in the face of disaster. The line between saving lives and exterminating the deadly infection is a blurry one with some questionable responses. Yet those responses are what drive the movie.

Special features are par for the course on DVDs these days. 28 Weeks Later includes commentary with the director, some deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, and trailers for a few other movies. “Code Red: The Making of 28 Weeks Later” is a mini-featurette with a look at how the sequel was made, from the original inspiration and how it evolved into the film they made. Next is “The Infected” which is hopefully self-explanatory, but in case it isn’t, “The Infected” is a featurette looking at the infected extras in the movie. Finally there's another feature called “Getting Into The Action” and it details more of the actual action in the movie and the differences that set 28 Weeks Later apart from 28 Days Later. After these features are two looks at an animated comic book version of the story, “28 Days Later: The Aftermath Stage 1 Development” and “28 Days Later: The Aftermath Stage 3 Decimation.” They are an interesting take on the story but I haven’t any clue as to how many stages there actually are, or why only the first and third appear on the DVD.

The DVD is in English 5.1 Dolby Digital and in Widescreen. There are options for closed captioning, French and Spanish Dolby Surround with subtitles available in English or Spanish.

DVD Review: Jericho The First Season

2007-10-21T18:07:00.000-05:00

I was hooked on Jericho from the first commercial I saw. I made it a point to make room for the show in my appointment TV watching. I easily watched each episode at least twice. The show is far from being cheery, yet it still holds onto a glimmer of hope. It also makes you think about what life would really be like in such a situation.

Jericho is about a small Kansas town and their survival after a nuclear attack on the United States. They have no idea if there are other survivors or if they are alone to rebuild. The show chronicles what would be very real problems like food shortages and looting and then goes a bit further to show war-like skirmishes between neighboring towns that had very different responses as to how to survive.

Jericho is another in the growing popular ensemble-cast thrillers. The thriller aspect comes in from living in a basically post-apocalyptic world. But sprinkled throughout the chaos are stories of the people of Jericho: who they are, their relationships with each other, and what secrets they aren’t telling anyone else. The setup has drawn a lot of comparisons to Lost, just without the supernatural aspect.

What makes Jericho so gripping, and perhaps timeless, is the invisible enemy. Without knowing who is attacking the US or why, it puts a real spin on the plot. I think the mysterious forces behind the nuclear attacks also force the audience to wonder how they would react in such a situation: would they maintain law and order or would it be a free for all?

The casting of the show also works in its favor. Skeet Ulrich (Scream) is the lead and is equally strong and vulnerable, which makes his character more compelling. He’s also ridiculously good looking, so you know some love triangles are in for the making. The cast of Jericho is rounded out by Gerald McRaney (Major Dad, Simon & Simon), Ashley Scott (Birds of Prey), Pamela Reed (Proof of Life), Kenneth Mitchell, Lennie James (Sahara), Sprague Grayden, Michael Gaston, Erik Knudsen (Saw II), Brad Beyer, and Shoshannah Stern (Weeds) who is really deaf.

The special features on Jericho: The First Season are fairly typical extras these days. Most of the episodes have deleted scenes, commentary, or even both available to watch. The sixth disc also has two mini-featurettes. The first is called “Building Jericho” and is a behind the scenes look at how the first season of Jericho was made – from audition tapes, to building the back lot, special effects, and even how fan feedback affected the season. The next feature is a mini documentary called “What If” that looks at possibilities of actual nuclear attacks in the past, present, and future. It chronicles the history of nuclear weapons with stock footage and interviews with various people. The feature also discusses responses to disasters, with Hurricane Katrina being a big example of how it can go wrong without a plan in place.

Technically speaking, Jericho: The First Season is in widescreen format, enhanced for 16:9 televisions. The sound is Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround with options for subtitles in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.

I highly recommend Jericho be added to your DVD collection.

Movie Review: Scarecrows

2007-10-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

I like to spend the entire month of October preparing for Halloween, mostly by watching all the scary movies and B horror flicks I can get my hands on. Scarecrows starts with the credits in red, letting you know you’re in for a delicious treat. And let’s just let it out there in the open, I’ve always found scarecrows to be creepy and scary.

Scarecrows begins with a greedy criminal deciding not to share the loot from a great heist – sure it isn’t a rare theme, but something had to set up why this man was alone in the country and why the other guys were hunting him down, right? Problem is, there are all these damn scarecrows everywhere. And they’re obviously pissed off. Oh, they are alive and don’t seem to die easily.

Like any B horror worth watching, there’s not much by way of the plot to distract you from the sheer creepiness of killer scarecrows. There’s also the necessary blood and gore for the gross-out factor. Scarecrows was obviously made with a smaller budget as static shots of scarecrows and creepy scenery fill in a large bulk of the movie. A lot of the dialogue takes place over the paramilitary radios; I can’t decide if the voice over adds to the disturbing atmosphere or emphasizes the cheesy acting that is characteristic of the genre, perhaps it does both. And yes, the movie shows the same shots of the same freaky scarecrows multiple times, but somehow each time seems more ominous and disturbing. The most disturbing part of the movie is when the dog eats the blown up remains of a scarecrow and his victim.

There is no explanation as to the origins of these creepy cornfield creatures, nor any clues as to what happened to the residents of the farm. Were the three former inhabitants the scary scarecrows running amuck or did they come to the same fate as the thieves? The lack of background does serve to make the idea of scarecrows with a vengeance seem even scarier. The director, William Wesley, makes excellent use of the dark atmosphere by playing up the menacing shadows. But other than that, Scarecrows is really just out to give you the creeps and a scare. And there is no better timing than with Halloween around the corner to pick up the DVD of the cult classic.

There are absolutely no special features -- the DVD menu has three options: play movie, language selection, and scene selection – so the nitty gritty movie is all you get. However, it is in widescreen format enhanced for 16:9 televisions. The sound is in English Dolby Surround, with options for Spanish Stereo or French Dolby Surround along with English or Spanish subtitles. Scarecrows is an 83-minute flick from 1988 and certainly worth watching this Halloween.

Music Review: West Indian Girl - 4th & Wall

2007-10-09T00:38:00.000-05:00

Once a pop duo, West Indian Girl is now complete as a rock sextet. Named after a strain of LSD, original members Robert James (vocals/guitar) and Francis Ten (bass) are joined by Mariqueen Maandig (vocals/percussion), Mark Lewis (drums/backing vocals), Nathan Van Hala (keyboard), and Amy White (keyboard/backing vocals) and the six-piece rock outfit has the sophomore West Indian Girl album, 4th & Wall, ready for an October 23, 2007 release. If you just cannot wait, don’t fret too much as the first single, “Blue Wave,” is already available on iTunes. The band also has a few tracks up on their MySpace page.

The album is named after the corner where the band’s studio is. The warehouse is in a part of Los Angeles that isn’t really a tourist destination, in fact it is the type of neighborhood your mother told you to avoid, as influencing the beachy sounds of the album -- they are surrounded by a community of homeless people, rats, and excrement. However, being aware of their surroundings is also the only inspiration the sound needs as they dream up visions of a better place. To that end, West Indian Girl succeeds.

The catchy guitar riffs and synth that caught our attention with their first single, “What Are You Afraid Of,” are back yet fleshed out with the additional personalities the band has picked up along the way. And don’t worry, there are still references to mind altering substances present throughout the new album. 4th & Wall will definitely make you long to have the days of summer back as the ocean seems to be a main character of the album.

“Get Up” certainly has potential to pop through the airwaves with brilliant harmonies and solid orchestration. “To Die in LA” is a rocker strengthened by the great synth we’ve come to expect from West Indian Girl. With the howling harmonies, “Sofia” may very well be my favorite track on the album. The enthralling hook in “Blue Wave’ makes it a perfect choice to be the first single. “All My Friends” is a foot-tapping trippy tune that further makes the point that 4th & Wall is the antithesis to the surroundings in which it was created. The CD is certainly worth a listen.

The complete track listing for West Indian Girl’s 4th & Wall is:
1. To Die in LA
2. Sofia
3. Blue Wave
4. All My Friends
5. Indian Ocean
6. Up The Coast
7. Solar Eyes
8. Lost Children
9. Back to You
10. Rise From the Dead
11. Get Up

West Indian Girl also has a few upcoming tour dates. Those of you on the West Coast are lucky dogs. Let me know if you catch a show, I’d love to hear about it.
October 19 at Winstons in San Diego, CA
October 20 at Spaceland in Los Angeles, CA
October 21 at the Monterey Fairgrounds in Monterey, CA as part of the Monterey Music Summit
November 1 at the Billboard Conference in Lost Angeles, CA
November 10 at The Independent in San Francisco, CA

DVD Review: What About Brian The Complete Series

2007-09-25T16:37:00.000-05:00

It seems the creators of Alias and Lost have fallen into a rut with the first being over and a scheduled ending in sight for the second. Unfortunately, What About Brian fell into that rut.

What About Brian is about a circle of ridiculously attractive friends and their problems. Brian love Marjorie and she might love him, but she’s engaged to Brian’s best friend Adam. Brian’s sister Nicole is trying to get pregnant but something tragic also happens. Their friends Dave and Deena tried to have an open marriage and now have to figure out how to handle the fall-out from that. Oh wait, they also have some friends, Ivy and Jimmy, who are secretly rich but hiding it.

The entire series of What About Brian is 24 episodes with the five-episode first season and an additional 19 for the second season. The core of the cast included Barry Watson (7th Heaven), Matthew Davis, Sarah Lancaster (Everwood), Rosanna Arquette, Rick Gomez (Band of Brothers), and Amanda Detmer (Boys and Girls). While the characters were interesting in and of themselves, they failed to carry the show. Without further development, What About Brian seemed to end up unrealistic with pretty people living in pretty homes with seemingly pretty problems that made the characters too hard to identify with to make the show appointment viewing. The show was pleasant; it just sort of got boring.

Figuring out where the Bonus Features were wasn’t as easy as most DVD sets since they weren’t listed on the cases of the DVDs along with which episodes are on each disc, but like most DVD sets they are on the last disc. The first is an unaired episode that was originally meant to be the last one of the first season. There is also a featurette is called “Calling All Friends: The Story of What About Brian” and is a behind the scenes look at the series from the eyes of the cast and crew. The last featurette is “What About 3: The Season That Never Was” giving a glimpse into what might have happened if the series had been around for a third season.

And last there is the Audio Commentary with writer/director Dana Stevens for the last episode of the series. The commentary is interesting in giving more insight on how the season changed with news that it was being cut to 19 episodes from the original 22 ordered and looking in hindsight that it is in fact the last episode of the series.

The series is presented in Widescreen format, enhanced for 16:9 televisions. What About Brian is in English Dolby Digital 5.1 with options for French and Spanish subtitles.

Ultimately, What About Brian wasn’t perfect television, but nothing was really wrong with the show either. It’s a charming look at friends and love, even if it isn’t all that realistic. The DVDs are certainly worth watching if you haven’t seen the show and want to watch a sweet, syrupy drama.

DVD Review: NUMB3RS The Third Season

2007-09-25T13:47:00.000-05:00

If crime-solving shows aren’t your bag, you’re hard pressed to find much on television these days. In a world full of CSI and Law & Order and their various incarnations in different cities, it is fairly difficult for a new cop show to come on the scene and offer something new to its audience. NUMB3RS is able to give a fresh perspective by focusing on the importance of math. The show also allows enough focus on the personal lives and relationships between the characters that it isn’t just some formulaic way to solve a crime. But the character development doesn’t fall into the trap of being reminiscent of a soap opera, the drama is stuff that explains who the characters are as we already see them. And thankfully there aren’t the cookie-cutter one-liners being spouted horribly from characters we don’t really like that much anyway (David Caruso on CSI: Miami anyone?).

NUMB3RS is an FBI crime drama based in Los Angeles. But the LA in the show is more a reference than a location because it really could be happening in any city. The lack of pretty shots of the city help NUMB3RS maintain a more universal appeal. The show keeps it’s appeal for those who, like me, stopped taking math after high school by creating analogies about what the math is figuring out. The analogies aren’t the strength of the show and some of them are even quite boring, but they distract you enough from the equations being scribbled furiously that you think you understand exactly what is going on.

The Special Features for the third season of NUMB3RS are spread out over discs four, five and six. All the discs except for four have at least one episode with commentary available. Disc four has a featurette titled “Crunching NUMB3RS: Season 3” that looks at the importance the third season has for the series and the various ways the show changed. The fifth disc has a featurette called “Eppes Central” detailing the house used as the Eppes home and why they ultimately had to recreate the home on a sound stage. The final disc has two special features: a tour of the set house and a blooper reel.

Technically speaking, the DVD set has what you come to expect these days. It has a widescreen version enhanced for 16:9 televisions; the sound is Dolby Digital 5.1 English with Closed Captioning. The 24 episodes and special features are spread over six discs.

If you are a fan of the plethora of crime-solving dramas on television, NUMB3RS: The Third Season is worth adding to your collection. The show itself is worth giving a second look if you’re sick of all the forensic following franchises because it doesn’t have the same formulaic approach. Then for you Northern Exposure fans, Rob Morrow is one of the leads, playing FBI agent Don Eppes. Charlie Eppes is Don’s math whiz brother, played by David Krumholtz, and Judd Hirsch plays their father, Alan Eppes.

DVD Review: Brothers and Sisters - The Complete First Season

2007-09-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

"Brothers and Sisters" is ABC’s new drama about a contemporary American family, dysfunction being a major character. However, no matter what their individual problems are, the Walkers come together and find strength as a family. The first season follows the Walkers after the patriarch of the family dies. Along with news of their father’s death, the five children discover some well kept secrets including a mistress and illegitimate daughter.

"Brothers and Sisters" also has a cast that blends seasoned actors with some newer faces. I first tuned into the show because Sally Field plays the mother. The idea of a television show detailing an older woman’s life was new and casting Sally Field struck me as a perfect choice. Not being a fan of "Ally McBeal", I was a bit concerned about Calista Flockhart, however where Ally was unsure, Kitty Walker is strong and driven. By the same token, I was a huge fan of "Alias", so Ron Rifkin, Patricia Wettig, and Balthazar Getty were major draws for me. Rachel Griffiths ("Six Feet Under"), Emily VanCamp ("Everwood"), Matthew Rhys, Dave Annable ("Reunion"), and Rob Lowe ("The West Wing") add to the ensemble cast and truly make it feel like a family. Sure, it has some soap opera elements, but that keeps audiences watching and distracted from their own lives – because hey, at least we aren’t that messed up.

What is most refreshing about "Brothers and Sisters" is Kevin Walker. He’s one of the siblings, a successful lawyer with relationship issues... oh, and he’s gay. But unlike most gay characters on television, his sexuality isn’t his entire identity. While it is a part of Kevin, he isn’t a stereotype or stock character, but more representative of a real person. Kevin's gayness is no more his sole defining characteristic than Justin’s addiction troubles are his or Kitty’s conservative views are hers; yes, these are big parts of who the characters are but not their sum total.

The first season of "Brothers and Sisters" is now available on DVD. The 23 episodes are in the six-disc set. The special features include your typical outtakes, audio commentaries, and behind the scenes glances at the show. There are two different featurettes giving a behind the scenes glimpse; one features the three Walker brothers (Balthazar Getty, Dave Annable, and Matthew Rhys) giving the audience a tour of the facilities while the other feature gives a more in depth look at the show from the conception to the cast, crew, and a funny vignette detailing how much the Walker family drinks.

Another jewel among the special features is an episode, originally the second, that never aired. While the show didn’t suffer from the episode not being broadcast, it is nice to see a bit more detailed look at how things happened in the beginning. The remaining bonus feature is a comparison between the Walker family business and the Olin family working on the show (Ken Olin is a director/producer, his wife is actress Patricia Wettig, their son Cliff Olin is a staff writer and daughter Roxanne Olin has been a guest). One thing that would have been interesting to include is some of the original pilot shot before Sally Field replaced Betty Buckley.

Technically, the series is in Dolby Digital 5.1 and in Widescreen format enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Subtitles are available in English, French, or Spanish. The series is rated TV 14.

Overall, "Brothers and Sisters" is well written and wonderfully acted. The DVD of the first season would be a good addition to anyone’s collection.

DVD Review: Raise Your Voice

2007-08-31T13:44:00.000-05:00

"Raise Your Voice" isn’t a Disney movie, but it could have been. It is the story of Terri Fletcher finding her voice. It begins with a happy teen, Terri (Hilary Duff), and her older brother Paul (Jason Ritter). Unlike most teen siblings I’ve come across, they get along famously. Terri and Paul sneak out to go to a concert and are in a car wreck on the way home. Paul dies and Terri doesn’t want to ever sing again. The problem with that is Paul sent in a DVD to a prestigious summer music program as his sister’s application and she was accepted. From there you can guess the rest; Terri makes new friends, discovers new love, and once again finds her voice.

For those looking for a wholesome movie, "Raise Your Voice" definitely fits the bill. Hilary Duff’s Terri sings in the church choir, listens to Christian music, and finds solace in going to church. Those who find Duff attractive will find lots of shots of her in tight tank tops. And those who enjoy the feel-good movies that could be on Disney Channel or Lifetime will enjoy the message.

That being said, "Raise Your Voice" is a bunch of clichés thrown together in an attempt to be a modern day "Fame" but failing. The script is lacking, the acting isn’t great, and the music isn’t exactly compelling. Though to be perfectly honest, pointing out all the ways the film fails to soar is sort of like beating a dead horse. But to be fair, it is only a PG-rated film. The thing I found most distracting was the presence of a lot of “pretty shots” that really didn’t add anything but time.

The Special Features on the DVD include five deleted scenes, a reel of outtakes, a behind the scenes look at the making of the movie, an orchestra sequence showing clips from the movie and the recording of the score, a music video for Hilary Duff’s “Fly”, an interactive jam where you make your own music, the theatrical trailer, and previews for other New Line releases. In addition to that material, the DVD has features and web links accessible on your computer running Microsoft Windows. I don’t have a PC, so I am not sure what those materials might be.

The DVD itself is dual-sided with Widescreen or Full Screen versions of the movie on either side. The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 in English with options for English or Spanish subtitles.

Overall, the movie isn’t one I’d rush out to buy but it is 107 minutes of harmless entertainment the family can watch together.

DVD Review: The Flying Scotsman

2007-08-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

The thing about movies based on true stories is you can pretty much guess how it will end, even if you aren’t familiar with the people who inspired it. The underdog always comes out on top. These stories give us hope that our own average lives might somehow take a turn and be inspirational. These stories also show us the importance of working towards accomplishing our dreams; miracles won’t just drop into our laps. These stories also tell us there might be some nasty bumps before we find our happy endings.

Such is the truth of The Flying Scotsman. It is based on the real story of Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree. Not quite a rags to riches story, it follows Obree from being a cycling courier to breaking cycling world records with depression and suicidal thoughts thrown in the middle. The film is done well enough, though I am not sure it would be so compelling if it weren’t true. But fans of cycling and those who like any movie based on a true story will enjoy the film. The Flying Scotsman isn’t a bad film; it just fails to capture your emotions the way more successful inspirational sports films do.

But The Flying Scotsman, directed by Douglas Mackinnon, does provide a new twist in the big obstacle being suicidal tendencies. The cycling races in the film add to the feeling of despair because it was Obree on an empty track. Perhaps the obstacle didn’t present itself big enough or long enough to reel in the audience. Showing the madness to be deeper and darker might have helped us want him to succeed. The battles between Obree and the World Cycling Federation (based on the Union Cycliste Internationale) were interesting and perhaps could have been expounded upon. The film was too much of Obree’s successes with not much of his obstacles getting in the way preventing the true inspirational nature of Graeme Obree’s successes from coming through.

It is interesting to know that the real Graeme Obree was a technical consultant for actor Johnny Lee Miller (who plays Obree) during the shooting of the film and rebuilt some of his exceptional bikes for the production. Johnny Lee Miller also did most of the cycling himself with only a few of the biking shots being done by his double.

The DVD is scheduled to release September 18, 2007. It is dual sided with both Widescreen and Full Screen versions of the film on one disc. The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 in English with options for subtitles in English, French, or Spanish. Three trailers (Beyond the Gates, Rescue Dawn, Death At A Funeral) are the only extra on the DVD. The film is 96 minutes and rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and strong language.

The Flying Scotsman stars Johnny Lee Miller, Billy Boyd, Laura Fraser, and Brian Cox.

Armstrong's Team Discovery Calls It Quits

2007-08-11T16:06:00.000-05:00

The sport of cycling’s image is tarnished. At least for now.

Team Discovery may have won the sport’s most prestigious race, but they are disbanding at the end of the season. In February, Discovery Channel announced this would be their last year of sponsoring the cycling team that was previously the US Postal Service Team, the team Lance Armstrong belonged to when he won a record number of Tours de France (7 wins in a row). And with winning 8 of the last 9 Tours, at least the team is going out on top.

The disbanding of Team Discovery is certainly a sign of troubles in the world of cycling, but on top of that it is a sad note for American Cycling. Sure, the team isn’t made up of only Americans, but the work of Lance Armstrong and the team has given cycling a bigger chance in the United States. It propelled a cyclist’s name into American homes and hearts. The team’s success helped the sport find new fans in a country where cycling isn’t often thought of. Then again, it’s also the only International Cycling Union’s ProTour team based in the US. Armstrong’s first team, and the first American squad to race in the Tour de France, quit cycling in 1996 when they couldn’t find a new sponsor after losing Motorola.

It seems cycling’s current bout with scandals and controversies is too much for companies to want to sponsor a team; after all they might be a bunch of dopers. Even though the team owned by San Francisco’s Tailwind Sports (partly owned by Lance Armstrong) had been in talks with several potential sponsors, all the recent doping allegations have made for an environment not conductive to investment. The team’s owners realized it was a difficult spot to be in and chose to step aside instead; a decision made more difficult after the team and individual wins in the Tour de France last month.

A cycling team needs the funds of a sponsor to exist. The teams earn money not from ticket sales or TV rights, but from sponsors. Unlike companies who buy naming rights of stadiums or sponsor teams in other sports, a cycling team’s name is the sponsor and therefore a riskier investment. The Austin, TX based team was also looking for a three year commitment of $15 million annually. But doping scandals aren’t the only problems sponsors have to worry about. Last month it was clear that leadership within the sport couldn’t get along with the governing body of the Tour de France (ASO) saying they didn’t want to work with the International Cycling Union (UCI) next year.

The team will still ride in the Tour of Spain and the first Tour of Missouri later this year. However, the 27 cyclists of Team Discovery will need to find new teams for the 2008 season. While none of the riders on the team have ever failed a drug test, they are not without suspicions. This year’s Tour winner Alberto Contador held a press conference Friday in Spain to deny the allegations that have plagued him recently – he was one of the Spanish cyclists cleared during the Puerto Operation with new accusations emerging following his Tour win. Armstrong had dodged allegations throughout his career. Team Discovery even fired its lead rider this year, Ivan Basso, when he was involved in doping investigations.

Armstrong said he is confident cycling will not only continue but will thrive, but that it won’t happen in the next year. Let’s hope he’s right.

Save Veronica Mars

2007-06-08T19:12:00.000-05:00

It seems Veronica Mars fans aren’t quite ready to throw in the towel. At least not yet.

Last year’s attempt to save Veronica Mars worked, so why not try another “Save Veronica” campaign? Oh wait, they do have one going on. This year Veronica fanatics are sending a sweet message to the head of The CW, Dawn Ostroff. They are working together to ship Mars Bars and marshmallows to her office in California. Hopefully the reasoning behind the Mars Bars is pretty obvious, but you might wonder why marshmallows are included in the delicious demands for more Veronica Mars. In the pilot episode of the show there is a memorable line saying, “Veronica Mars, she’s a marshmallow.” Plus, marshmallows are lighter with cheaper shipping costs and can pile up pretty quickly to make a large shipment.

But how did this year’s campaign to save TV’s hottest detective start? The guys at Ain’t It Cool News came up with the bright idea to send Mars Bars to The CW. The Indian Food Store sells imported Mars Bars (from England) on Amazon. One day he woke to realize Veronica Mars fans had purchased more than 600 bars from him in under three hours. Jumping on the Save Veronica bandwagon, The Indian Food Store is now offering free shipping to the CW building. The store has also started a blog with information about the campaign to save Veronica Mars and how more folks can contribute.

Not only is the seller offering free shipping, but they’ve set it up where the code VERONICA will ensure your scrumptious purchase will be included in the delectable attempt to save Veronica Mars. Ain’t It Cool News has the shipping address for your convenience. So go on and save Veronica Mars, you know you want her.

Elton John - Rocket Man: Number Ones

2007-05-09T17:49:00.000-05:00

No matter what your musical taste prefers, chances are you’ve heard of Elton John. A multiple Grammy winner, humanitarian, and flamboyant superstar, Elton John has been a huge success on the music scene since 1970. His first release was Empty Sky in 1969 with his most recent being Rocket Man: Number Ones, a collection of 17 of his biggest hits. Wisely, the CD isn’t a compilation of only his Number One Singles, but also includes several of his more well known songs that didn’t quite make it into that number one spot ("Rocket Man" only made it to sixth spot on US pop charts). Instead, Rocket Man adds those few songs that most people have heard and think of when Elton John is mentioned; the CD just wouldn’t feel complete without them. And it certainly wouldn’t be fitting for the eccentric 60-year-old to leave his audience wanting. But of course, 17 songs fall short of being able to be truly comprehensive of Elton John’s great songs of the past 40 years.

Is it worth buying another album of greatest hits from Elton John? He has already released such collections on Greatest Hits (1974), Greatest Hits Vol. 2(1986), The Very Best of Elton John (1990), One Night Only (2000), Greatest Hits 1970-2002 (2002), with many having a separate release in other countries and other compilation albums such as Love Songs and Duets. If you don’t own any of those, then the question is most assuredly you should purchase it. While Greatest Hits 1970-2002 is probably the most in depth greatest hits release, sometimes having a single disc with music spanning his career really is better than two discs. In that instance, Rocket Man is also worth purchasing. Then, you could be like me and simply be obsessed with Elton John when there is no question in your mind on if you will buy it. It is also a great collection of songs for someone unsure of which Elton John to purchase.

I honestly only have two complaints about Rocket Man: Number Ones. The first is my favorite song, "I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues", isn’t included. The real complaint is the version of "Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me". It is a live recording, which is never my personal preference unless I am actually watching it live. Not only is it live, but George Michael sings most of it and not Elton John.

I do enjoy the cover art a great deal and it is truly representative of Elton’s career. Perhaps it is an homage to the Sgt Pepper cover, but it shows Elton John throughout the four decades of his musical career. The liner notes also give you information about the songs, which albums they were first a part of and when they reached their hit status.

Track Listing:
1.Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (3:14) - Cash Box Pop, 1973
2.Bennie & The Jets (5:23) - Billboard Pop, 1973
3.Daniel (3:54) - Billboard A/C*, 1973
4.Crocodile Rock (3:55) - Billboard Pop, 1973
5.Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (5:56) - Billboard, 1974
6.Philadelphia Freedom (5:20) - Billboard Pop, 1975
7.Island Girl (3:43) - Billboard Pop, 1975
8.Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (w/Kiki Dee) (4:35) - Billboard Pop & A/C, 1976
9.Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (3:50) - Billboard A/C, 1976
10.Sacrifice (5:06) - U.K. Pop, 1990
11.Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (w/George Michael) (5:38) - Billboard Pop & A/C, 1992
12.Can You Feel The Love Tonight (4:01) - Billboard, 1994
13.Your Song (4:05)
14.Tiny Dancer (6:18)
15.Rocket Man (4:41)
16.Candle In the Wind (3:50)
17.Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting (4:54)

*A/C is the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Amanda Bynes is Lovewrecked

2007-03-08T17:22:00.000-06:00

I'm a sucker for made for TV family movies. When I saw the ads for Lovewrecked, I knew I just had to watch it. Amanda Bynes was enough to sell me on the movie, as she was hilarious in She's The Man. She's a pretty good comedic actress who isn't afraid to use her whole body; screwball comedy is her thing. Chris Carmack was the second selling point. He was Luke in The OC, you know the kid whose dad was gay. I knew the combination had to be a treasure of an ABC Family movie.

Jenny (Amanda Bynes) and her best friend Ryan take a summer job working at a Caribbean resort. Jason Masters (Chris Carmack) is the hot pop star who happens to vacation at the same resort. All high school girls have a nemesis and Jenny's is Alexis. Unfortunately for Jenny, Alexis is working at the resort on the same summer program. All is going well until a storm finds Jenny and Jason Masters marooned on a deserted island, or so they think. Love blossoms, reality hits, and love blooms again. It's your typical ABC Family movie sort of plot.

Really the worst things about the movie are the effects and transitions. The things they had to fake for the movie are obvious, but they aren't plentiful nor the point of the movie. The transitions are overly cheesy and apparent, but again not the point of the movie. However, the scene when Ryan is massaging a woman from the Midwest is quite gross.

The movie is a cute although predictable film. Without Amanda Bynes it probably wouldn't have been worth watching. Plus, there's a girl fight for all the men out there. The plot seems to drag on for a bit in the middle. As Amanda Bynes seems to be running out of steam the movie comes to a quick conclusion. It almost seemed forced. Some of it comes out of nowhere and makes little sense. Perhaps some elements were cut for timing purposes.

Lovewrecked is a step down from She's The Man, but still a nice little romantic comedy. It is obviously still targeting the tween demographic and would be perfect to watch during a slumber party. Perhaps director Randal Kleiser (Grease, The Blue Lagoon) has lost a bit of his touch and instead set up sketches for Bynes instead of a more coherent film. However, Bynes is able to chalk up some chuckles.

The DVD includes three deleted scenes. None of them are that compelling and easy to see why they were cut from the film. However, I'm unsure of why they were included in the Special Features, as they don't hold much on their own either. The other Special Feature is the trailer. The trailer is a pretty good one, but again you can tell it is an ABC Family type of movie.

The audio is in English 5.1 with subtitles available in English for the hearing impaired or in Spanish. The sound has a rear channel noise in the opening concert scene that is a little off putting, but it isn't a problem through the whole movie.

Lovewrecked will be available on DVD March 13, 2007.

Gilmore Girls Go On Girls Only Roadtrip

2007-03-07T00:14:00.000-06:00

So Gilmore Girls finally sees Logan turning into the jerk we knew he was from the beginning. I knew him being the productive nice guy was too good to be true. With Richard Gilmore not cooperating with Emily after his heart attack, the three Gilmore girls are on their way to Charlotte via a road trip. But Logan tracked her down and showed up at the wedding to talk to her. Rory has grown up and Logan’s showing up to make a grand gesture isn’t working anymore. I’m proud of Rory for sticking to her guns and being angry with him. Unfortunately, things were tied neatly with a bow in the end anyway. Who has these big conflicts that resolve themselves so quickly and nicely? It is unrealistic. But then, I don’t really like Logan anymore anyway.

Lane and Zack cooked dinner to lure Luke to her house to ask him to be the Godfather for her twins. The last episode, Lane asked Rory to be the twins’ Lorelai Gilmore. Lorelai was the adult Lane always felt able to talk to about anything without feeling judged. I think it is great she feels Rory can be that for her children. Zack’s freaking out about becoming a father is hilarious – completely understandable but hilarious.

It was nice to see Emily, Lorelai, and Rory having a pleasant time watching a movie and eating junk food together in the hotel at the end. I know their relationship isn’t perfect, no one’s is, but it is always refreshing to have the glimpses of happiness. That’s what has endeared Gilmore Girls for so many years and I feel it had been lacking last season. The show is more interesting now that it is actually the girls and not one at a time anymore. The show didn’t work with Lorelai and Rory not speaking, the charm was missing.

It would be nice for Lorelai and Emily to have a real conversation and resolve some of their issues. Lorelai tried to acknowledge that it must not have been easy for Emily when Lorelai left, but Emily didn’t take the bait and seemed cold. While I get that Emily is not as warm as the rest of the Gilmore family, it would be nice to see her character evolve a little more. Either have the issues actually dealt with or move on already. The little tease of a resolution is getting old at this point.

I do wish the episode showed Lane going into Labor instead of merely mentioning it. There could have been quite the comedic element with Lane and Zach freaking out, Lane’s mom trying to control everything, and Luke just trying to keep the balance. The four of them have fairly good comedic timing, for shame they didn’t get to exercise it.

It was strange to throw the Mia character back into the mix. Her importance to Lorelai and Rory is obvious, but her wedding seemed rather random. That and the actress playing Mia was completely different than when she appeared several seasons ago. Mia was suddenly younger too.

However, the change in writing staff has been noticed too. The witty banter is missing. And a level of the substance that was underneath the story is lacking too. I think the writers on staff are just trying to do enough to make the episodes last the rest of this season and be done with it. I’m fine if they end the show, I would much rather Gilmore Girls end instead of dragging on and becoming a bad show. But make the end compelling. Give us a reason to want to know how it ends instead of simply hoping it dies a painless death.

Heroes "Parasite" Serves Up Torture On A Monday

2007-03-05T23:48:00.000-06:00

Tonight we finally got to see Mr. Linderman. The man has money and men at his disposal and he was in his casino’s kitchen cooking? We also now know why Hiro told Peter he looks different without his scar when they met on the subway earlier in the season.

Unlike last week, “Parasite” jumped between a few different narratives. And unlike Lost, it jumped between narratives quite well. Yes, this is my moment to state that I think Heroes is the best show on television right now. I also think the writers of Lost should take some notes on how to answer questions and leave a cliffhanger. Heroes sets up plenty for you to wonder about; but when your questions are answered, the show answers things you didn’t even know you were wondering yet.

Claire ditches the Haitian to try and find Peter Petrelli, having decided he is the only person she can trust. When she gets there, she finds Grandma Petrelli and the Haitian. Grandma tells Claire who she is and that they’re trying to protect her. If she knows about Claire’s powers, I wonder if she is aware of Nathan and Peter’s powers and if she has power of her own. I also wonder if there is something about Claire that requires more protection than her own sons. I guess it goes back to “Save the Cheerleader. Save the World.” But it was nice to find out whom the Haitian has been working for all this time. And I bet she and Linderman had an affair. I’ll eat brains with Sylar if she didn’t.

Nathan Petrelli has been working with the FBI on gathering evidence against Linderman. Unfortunately, Linderman is aware of this little fact and has Nathan’s FBI handlers killed. He does, however, make Nathan an offer he apparently can’t refuse. Ultimately it boils down to the choice of life or death. It will be interesting to learn what Linderman’s terms are because it is quite a lucrative offer as far as Nathan is concerned.

Hiro gets into Linderman’s collection. He gives the curator a painting from Isaac and finally gets his hands on the Kensei Sword. I don’t know if it really holds power or if it is acting as a placebo, but Hiro finally got his powers back. And with Ando’s power of Awesomeness and protection, Hiro is able to teleport them. His focused powers take him into the future – into New York City after the bomb. Hiro thinks of himself as a failure. I think it will help him refocus his energies on a better target.

The best storyline of the night was with Sylar. Until tonight, I haven’t enjoyed any scene he was in. And maybe I only liked tonight because it showed Mohinder isn’t a completely daft man. Mohinder realizes Sylar is Sylar and not Zane Taylor as he has been pretending. Because Sylar was Patient Zero for his father, Mohinder realizes he needs Sylar’s DNA. Unfortunately, his desire for vengeance overshadows his intelligence and Sylar is able to stop the IV drop keeping him unable to use his powers. The emotion and tension in the scenes between Mohinder and Sylar are so escalated that the rest of the episode doesn’t even matter. It could have been watching someone vacuum a bunny and these scenes would have still been powerful.

Sylar finally became a compelling bad guy. Mohinder somewhat redeemed himself from being completely useless—well other than being eye candy—and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Too bad for Peter he walked in when he did. But we know he lives since Hiro knows what he looks like with a scar. Peter can mimic other people’s powers, so it will be interesting to see the Ultimate Showdown of Destiny. Unfortunately, we have to wait until the end of April for the next episode. My guess? Isaac dies. He’s painted his death and Hiro saw him dead in the future.

The Oscars Are Here

2007-02-25T01:28:00.001-06:00

The Oscars are upon us. See what I thought about the various films I've seen so far.

Notes On A Scandal
The Queen
Babel
Jesus Camp
The Last King Of Scotland
Little Miss Sunshine
Devil Wears Prada
The Pursuit of Happyness

Movie Review: The Last King of Scotland

2007-02-16T01:06:00.000-06:00

Charming the right people can obscure the harshness of reality, especially when coupled with killing people the charm doesn’t work on. When one brutal leader is overthrown, it is easy to hope the new leader will somehow be better. Sadly, they are oftentimes worse than their predecessors.

The Last King of Scotland follows Nicholas Garrigan—a fictional character very loosely based on Bob Astles—to Uganda after graduating as a doctor. He quickly learns of the coup establishing Idi Amin as the new Ugandan President. Not long after meeting Amin, Garrigan becomes the president’s personal doctor and eventually his closest advisor.

Like many films based on some real events, The Last King of Scotland mixes truth with fiction and does so effectively. Instead of creating cheesy, over-produced characters, the film has the likeable, yet still flawed Dr. Garrigan. Though James McAvoy does fine as Nicholas Garrigan, the film rides on the performance of Forest Whitaker. He makes the brutal Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, come to life on screen. His murderous brutality combined with a little charm, making him still likeable to the unknowing outsider. It is what makes it plausible that some could have still celebrated such a horrible man. And it is exactly why The Last King of Scotland is a phenomenal film.

The Last King of Scotland is a film about garish brutality with more insinuations than glimpses. However the few glances at the brutality of Amin shown in the film are harsh. Making an example of one of his wives for her betraying him, Amin has her limbs removed and her legs sewn back on as her arms and her arms replacing her legs. If Amin could do that to his wife, one can only imagine what he would do to a political opponent.

Whitaker’s Amin mixes a God complex and a persecution complex, somehow giving him justification for killing anyone and everyone against him. His ability to make Amin equally likeable and detestable is why he received an Oscar Nomination for Best Actor, as well as several other awards including the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Because it is a movie and Forest Whitaker’s performance is exceptional, it is almost easy to lose sight of the truths behind The Last King of Scotland. The filmmakers were able to hold on to reality by adding some facts over the finals images—images of the real Amin and real Ugandans. Facts about Amin’s regime killing more than 300,000 Ugandans and that he died in exile. And like many films ending similarly, it makes you wonder how you would react in such a situation and if you would try to help or try to pretend it isn’t reality.

Movie Review: Jesus Camp

2007-02-14T19:03:00.000-06:00

Jesus Camp is one of the Oscar Nominated documentaries this year. I found it both fascinating and terrifying at the same time. At this point, it is the only nominated documentary I have seen so far, but I can certainly understand why it is a nomination. If it is anything to judge the others buy, the documentaries the past year have been excellent.

The documentary is an exemplary documentary in that there is no commentary from the filmmakers. I have no idea what their stance is on the subject, if they are from an Evangelical Christian background or nonreligious one. It is truly a documentary in the sense that only what is filmed is presented, no agreement or disagreement with what is being shown.

The only disagreement was from an Air America radio host who happened to be a former minister and against the particular type of Christianity being taught at this camp. These clips are probably the only things that didn’t seem to work within the documentary. There wasn’t equal time spent with the radio host, nor much explaining what exactly his views are. The film would have been just as well made and unbiased without them, if not more so. But he is as “intolerant” in his views as the children at the Christian camp are taught to be in theirs, just reversely so.

Jesus Camp documents a camp in North Dakota that children (and some of their families) go to to get closer to God. It is an evangelical Christian camp with guest speakers and a few select children speakers. The documentary focuses on a few children and camp director, their experiences at camp and follows them into their lives away from camp.

What is frightening is that this film is a documentary and these things are real. Don’t get me wrong; I grew up Christian, that isn’t what makes it frightening. But it is the extreme to which the people – the children – are taking their faith. They only listen to Christian music, watch Christian television, and read Christian books. They are taught science has no answers and is stupid. They are forming a bubble around their lives and worldview that can only prove to hurt them later. When they are in their teens and someone offers them a square, will they know enough to reject the offer or will they be so ignorant about life outside their bubble to not know and take it? There is a difference between having a strong faith and denying the existence of anything not a part of that faith.

At the camp, no messages of God’s love are shared. Instead the speakers share messages of politics through a religious avenue – smashing mugs to demonstrate the break of power of evil on our government or duct taping mouths to demonstrate the value of life. The mix of religion and politics makes this film terrifying. Our future generations are growing up being fed this hodge-podge under the guise of Christ and not being taught to think for themselves. It is celebrated to be in a trance and speak in tongues or be so overwhelmed by emotions that children can barely breathe through their tears.

No longer are Christian children taught messages of the Good Samaritan or how faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. No longer is God our shepherd and we his herd. Now children are being raised to be warriors for Christ, part of God’s army. Uncontrollable convulsions, hysterical tears, and speaking in tongues are badges of honor – the proof of one’s faith.

But in showing all of this, Jesus Camp strangely has a tinge of hope about it. Hope that these children will grow up and become more compassionate in their passionate faith. Without saying a word, that is the only hope you can come away from the documentary thinking. We can hope these children give up their desire to be martyrs and instead hope to be beacons of light and hope, helping those in need – like the Christ they worship.

Movie Review: Babel

2007-02-09T01:15:00.000-06:00

Babel is the movie I feel the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selected as filler for this year’s nominations. Nominated for Best Picture, two women up for Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Original Score, and Original Screenplay give it seven nominations. Of those seven I can agree with perhaps one of them even having been considered.

I’m sure most people know the story about the Tower of Babel. How everyone spoke the same language and built a tower and pissed God off thinking they could do better without him. So he showed them by spreading them around and giving them all different languages. I knew Babel was going to have several languages in it. It wouldn’t make sense to give a film that name and have the whole thing in English. But that is the only similarity with the Biblical story.

Babel is similar to Syriana in that there are stories going on in different parts of the globe and does a better job connecting them. But that is as far as my compliments for the film go. The story taking place in Japan added nothing to the film and it wouldn’t have taken anything away to cut it completely. And while Rinko Kikuchi is one of the women up for Supporting Actress, there was absolutely no reason to make the character a deaf-mute -– other than to prolong the movie as it made her scenes take three times as long as they would have otherwise. The Japanese storyline could have been interesting in a stand-alone movie and giving some more details, but it had the smallest connection to the rest of the movie than the other two countries.

I felt the story taking place in the United States was the best of the three countries. Adriana Barraza was nominated for her role and she was really the only good thing about the movie. The audience can guess the two children belong to the Americans in Morocco before they spell it out, but the phone call shows Babel isn’t following any sort of linear timeline. I usually like movies that are disjointed, but there was absolutely no motivation for these stories to be told out of order.

The story in Morocco left me thinking three things. First, that trip must have been pretty expensive so I find it incredibly hard to believe none of the other tourists were doctors. Then I find it difficult to think they wouldn’t want to stay. If someone I was traveling with got shot while our bus was driving along, the last thing I would want to do is pile back on the bus and drive a few more ours. The last thing is the gun; who gives their child a fucking gun and then leaves them?

I left the film wondering what the point was. Is there anything I am supposed to walk away thinking about? Because the only think I am thinking is why the hell did it get seven Oscar nominations?

Music Documentary: Kenny Wayne Shepherd - 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

2007-02-02T00:41:00.000-06:00

The beauty of the landscape, along with the harsh heat and humidity make it easy to see why the South was the natural birthplace of the Blues. The difficult life encompassed by the wonder of nature was a stepping-stone for the ability of blues musicians to sing about their lives without creating negative music. That is what Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s CD/DVD 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads is about. It documents the birthplace of the Blues with none other than the men and women who started it.

On the documentary, Kenny Wayne Shepherd says, “Blues has been around this long, I don’t think it’s going anywhere.” But the artists who started the Blues are aging and Kenny Wayne Shepherd wanted to capture their influence and play with them before it was too late. So he set out with a portable recording studio and a film crew on a ten-day journey through the South culminating in a concert with the Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters’ bands at the Church at Blue Heaven Studios.

Along his journey he recorded in juke joints and kitchens, in the woods and on front porches; he recorded the Blues where it was meant to be played and where it was born. He caught up with artists who are household names like B.B. King but he also met up with musicians who were satisfied just getting by and therefore never became famous, but everyone he played with helped shape the Blues and give it heart. Each track on 10 Days Out was recorded as you see it on the DVD. There are no fancy tricks or editing but real artists recording the Blues as it has always been played, and for some that was before music was written down.

Matching the rawness of the music is the intimacy of the documentary. We’re given a glimpse inside their homes and into their pasts. The beautiful shots are balanced with fuzzier ones showing the realness to the grit. Everything about 10 Days Out is real and that is what makes it so important.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd declares he’s “just another soul searching for the answers.” Hopefully he found them on his fifth album, taking it back to the roots with some impressive guests like B.B. King, Henry Townsend, Etta Baker, Big Daddy Pattman, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Buddy Flett, Bryan Lee, and more. Honoring the Blues, Kenny Wayne Shepherd captured some amazing tracks without crowding the talents of the original bluesmen. 10 Days Out is a piece of history, documenting the Blues in an unrepeatable way as six of the Blues veterans he visited passed away before the album’s release.

Check out the trailer for the documentary and hear Kenny Wayne Shepherd play with B.B. King on “The Thrill Is Gone” and you, too, will understand why you need to buy 10 Days Out. Partial proceeds are being donated to Music Maker Relief Foundation, a non-profit organization helping impoverished blues artists. More information about the artists involved and the project itself can be found at the Official Website.

Movie Review: The Queen

2007-01-29T01:50:00.000-06:00

The Queen is another film that has multiple Oscar nominations this year. It is up for Best Actress (Helen Mirren), Costume Design (Consolata Boyle), Director (Stephen Frears), Original Score (Alexandre Desplat), Original Screenplay (Peter Morgan), and Best Picture. Six nominations are more than enough to pique interest for many viewers, that it adds a human side to a figure many know little about is a bonus.

The Queen in question is Queen Elizabeth II and the film follows the British Royals in the days following Princess Diana’s death in a Paris car crash in 1997. The Queen details the struggle to maintain balance in being a very public figure yet a very private individual. It also shows how sometimes protocol needs to be thrown out the window in order to salvage dignity and honor.

The Queen could have easily been portrayed as a gossipy spectacle of a film, but instead showed two sides of the same event: that of the Royal Family and that of the public. Instead of scenes of public grandeur, The Queen told the story through personal vignettes establishing a sense of intimacy. The film also gives just enough details to explain why what may have been an easy choice for the public to demand wouldn’t be so easy for Queen Elizabeth II to provide.

Stephen Frears has a talent for making films displaying the conflicts in the British class system, and what could display it more than the Queen of England, the highest of the British Upper Class, and Tony Blair, the leader of the very Middle Class. Mixing the reactions of Queen Elizabeth with those of the Prime Minister and his cabinet help set the tone of conflict without needing to say it. And that is the biggest strength of The Queen.

The true beauty to the film is the power of understatement. Helen Mirren’s performance of Queen Elizabeth II is through small nuances that show how human she is: she drives her own Range Rover, leads her dogs around, and admires the beauty of the 14-point Stag on her Balmoral grounds. These touches help the audience see the struggle the Queen must have endured between maintaining the stoic tradition she believes in and acknowledging the public’s grief.

However for those who aren’t Anglophiles, The Queen could be quite boring. It is a slower paced character piece with a lot of sweeping silent shots. While the film is beautifully shot, the English countryside may not be enough to win the affections of a large audience. But even those who find themselves bored with the film will not be able to deny Helen Mirren’s performance is spectacular.

Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness

2007-01-27T17:20:00.000-06:00

I hate alternative spelling. The spelling in the title was enough for me to know I had no desire to see The Pursuit of Happyness, However, since Will Smith received an Oscar Nomination for his performance, I caved in to my better judgment. Let’s just say that as a filmmaker I have already vowed to quit the business if he wins. Fortunately, I seriously doubt he will.

The Pursuit of Happynessis based on the true story of Chris Gardner and his quest to become a stock broker to help provide a better life for his son and avoid shuffling from shelter to shelter. But you can guess all of that from the trailer. Many times films inspired by true stories come across as being more phony than pure fiction, but sometimes it works. Usually it shows someone over coming adversity to find some payoff in the end.

There is no payoff in The Pursuit of Happyness. Well, there are two sentences typed out at the end telling the audience Chris Gardner went on to start his own firm and sell his minority share in a multi-million dollar deal. But it doesn’t actually show any pay out for his hard work. The Pursuit of Happyness starts in a very dark and poor place. Unfortunately, it stays there for two hours. Chris and his family started off in a bad spot and go on to find an even worse place in life.

The biggest problem with The Pursuit of Happyness is it takes far too long for there to be a glimmer of hope, let alone the chance of any follow through. Going into the film, you know he is going to get the job, they simply don’t make movies based on the lives of people who don’t make it. But to have the happy ending come through as text at the end of an emotional diatribe is just as disappointing. Heck, I would have had a hint of ‘happyness’ had he given his son a brand new Captain America in the end, you know as some symbol their life was on the up and up. The end sucked out any life the movie could have potentially had.

The other problem is the voice-over narration. I rarely enjoy movies with a lot of voice-over and find very few do it well. The Pursuit of Happyness has far too much voice-over and little of it adds to the story on any level. It just made me nervous. Not nervous in the sense that the movie was tapping into my emotions, but anxious that the movie was never going to end. Will Smith’s voice-over simply made two hours seem to drag on forever.

This isn’t to say I don’t admire the real Chris Gardner. I find it incredibly admirable that he overcame all that he did and wrote about it. I think it is wonderful his story is used to teach others their dreams are achievable. I just think the film bastardized his story. The Pursuit of Happyness had great potential to be an amazing movie, it simply lacked any follow-through. In fact, simply watch the trailer and see a far better version of the movie.

Movie Review: Notes On A Scandal

2007-01-26T19:20:00.000-06:00

Once the Oscar Nominations are announced, I make an effort to see as many of the films as possible. When a film is nominated for multiple awards, I do what I can to see it. This year, Notes On A Scandal is one such film. Nominated for Best Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), Original Score (Phillip Glass), and Adapted Screenplay (Patrick Marber), Notes On A Scandal is a film worth noting. These nominations aren’t simply to flesh out a lacking list, but are actually deserved.

Displaying sleazy content in a manner that isn’t pedestrian, Notes On A Scandal is a riveting drama showing just how creepy a lonely old lady can be. It is the salacious story of obsessive relationships. Barbara is an older teacher leading a lonely existence. Sheba is the new teacher who proves to be a kindred spirit. Realizing the depth of her feelings for Sheba, Barbara soon discovers she isn’t the only soul to be drawn to Sheba’s luminance. Protecting Sheba’s scandalous secret, Barbara deludes herself into seeing more to their friendship than exists. Which the truth becomes known, Barbara does the only thing she can think to do. And with all the excitement ensuing, she doesn’t change her tune.

Notes On A Scandal is certainly a character driven film. Judi Dench is so aptly able to conceal her creepiness that it isn’t inconceivable to think of people falling prey to her wits. She performs a memorable role, reeling the audience in so they desire to see to what lengths this obsessed stalker appearing a good friend is willing to go. Judi Dench proves herself a gifted actress and deserves the Oscar for Best Actress if ever anyone has. Cate Blanchett displays a sort of effervescent vulnerability that draws attention like the most fragile yet awe-inspiring flower. I certainly cannot imagine anyone disagreeing with her pulling off a win at the Oscars as well.

Acting aside, many other aspects of the film deserve mention. Patrick Marber, and his screenplay adaptation of Zoe Heller’s novel, accomplished what many try and few are able to do: Voice-over narration. Many times voice-over comes across as distracting and fail to really add to the film. However, Marber was able to write Barbara’s narration in such a way to allow a glimpse into the thoughts of Barbara in a way that further developed her character instead of distracting from it. I tend to hate films with a lot of voice-over and find it ruins an otherwise decent film. To write such delectable introspection in the form of voice-over is a rare talent and Marber should be proud of his accomplishment.

Notes On A Scandal is a disturbing drama that should be on everyone’s Must See list.

Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada

2007-01-24T18:19:00.000-06:00

The Devil Wears Prada isn’t the world’s best movie, but it is certainly entertaining. As always, the book is better than the big screen translation, but Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci give us our money’s worth.

The storyline is similar to that of the new hit show Ugly Betty, where a young girl becomes the unlikely assistant to one of fashion’s biggest magazine editors, Miranda Priestly. Where Ugly Betty makes the girl a dodgy choice in appearance, Anne Hathaway’s looks never make her unseemly. The film's biggest problem is everyone at the magazine criticizes her for her appearance, while she’s just as tiny and attractive as they are. She simply lacks a sense of fashion. And that’s where Stanley Tucci comes in. His Nigel helps Hathaway’s Andy learn to appreciate her job while giving her a leg up on finding out what style really is.

Emily Blunt plays Miranda’s first assistant, the sort of bitchy one that has a false sense of entitlement, especially when it comes to Andy Sachs. Emily has been around working her way up the ladder and dresses the part of a powerful fashion icon, but she seems to be overlooked. Unfortunately, Andy proves her worth and quickly climbs past Emily on the ladder to success. But what is the cost of success?

The answer seems to be the biggest point to the movie as Andy neglects her family and friends to the point of losing the ones she loves. As she advances in her career, she begins to notice that who she needs to become to stay on that path isn’t who she is, nor who she wants to be. I personally had a problem with how rude Andy’s friends were over her dedication to her job. I understand the need for balance between one’s professional and private lives, but I think this point was pressed to the point of being extreme. If I found out someone even considered skipping a pivotal moment in their career over a birthday party, I’d be upset. Moments like that are one in a million, birthdays are every year and can be celebrated at any time.

Beyond the jabs at Andy’s appearance as being too fat and her friends feeling neglected because she has a job, I really did enjoy The Devil Wears Prada. The acting is spot on and brings to life a script that could have easily gone dull in a heartbeat. Meryl Streep is a ruthless Miranda Priestly with comic timing to envy. Anne Hathaway is as adorable as ever, really nailing the naivety of Andy Sachs. But the supporting roles of Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci really give the film life.

Realistically, The Devil Wears Prada is the movie lovechild of Ugly Betty and Sex and the City. It has the bitchy and sexy edge of Sex and the City with the innocent charm of Ugly Betty.

Movie Review: Crazy First Love

2007-01-01T04:59:00.000-06:00

Crazy First Love (Cheotsarang sasu gwolgidaehoe) is a Korean film following Son Tae-il's love for Joon Il-mae. He met her while being breastfed and has loved her ever since. The opening is a cartoon version of how Tae-il and Il-mae were breastfed together and sort of set the tone for this less than stellar film. Oh, and yes, cartoon nipples are disturbing.

The rest of the film isn't animated and opens with Tae-il yelling about his pubic hair and how Il-mae's father broke a promise. The promise, apparently, was that Tae-Il could marry Il-mae once he started growing pubic hair. I think his chances of winning her heart should have stopped there, as a male yelling in front of all my friends, his friends, and my father and shaking his pubes for all to see isn't my idea of being wooed. Judging from her reaction, it isn't exactly Il-mae's idea of romanticism either. But Il-mae's father, who happens to be Tae-il's teacher, gives him a quest that would guarantee he could marry Il-mae: improve his grades to be in the top 3,000 nationally. He does this and Teacher requests that Tae-il go on to go to college, law school, pass the bar, and numerous other tasks before he'll grant Il-mae's hand in marriage to Tae-il. In the meantime, the boy tries to guard Il-mae's purity and protect her. As annoying as Tae-Il is, he sure is persistent; I'll give him that.

Blah, blah, blah, gag, blah, right? A tedious plot that doesn't know when to move on is further frustrated because Son Tae-il is either crying or screaming everything he says, and sometimes both. It's loud and annoying, making you think he's quite wimpy and probably undeserving of the young woman's heart anyway. And you start to wonder why Tae-il doesn't realize the public fits of screaming and crying isn't going to win Il-mae's heart, and why the movie doesn't come with a warning that you will need to take Advil every five minutes to fight off the headache from the loud whininess.

The main actors are all experienced, but their talents cannot make up for poorly written characters in a bad script. Oh Jong-rok's directorial debut does have a bit of originality going for it though. Unlike many romantic comedies where the young man would go around the parents' wishes to win the girl's heart anyway, Tae-il consults Il-mae's father every step of the way. This results in an interesting bond forming between Tae-il and Teacher. But it also ends with Tae-il and Teacher crying and screaming to each other more than anyone cares to witness, let alone in less than two hours. And it makes you wonder if Korean men are capable of a somewhat normal tone.

Like many somewhat decent films, Crazy First Love doesn't seem to know when to end. If it were an hour-long film that ends with Tae-il passing the bar exam, it would be a somewhat charming movie. But as it continues, you begin to stop caring if the boy will ever get the girl. To be honest, you don't even care if he were to cry himself to death. And when Il-mae starts whining, you just want the movie to end so the crying stops. As a romantic comedy, it forgets to add the comedic aspects and results in a film that is more embarrassing for the characters with a few - very few - laughs thrown in. While a marriage contract isn't in the plot, there are plenty of other deals thrown in that it can follow that generic Korean film plot. Plus, it adds the random terminal illness halfway through the movie, making Crazy First Love 108 minutes of bad Korean cinema.

If you aren't familiar with Korean films, or are looking for a good Korean romantic comedy, Crazy First Love is definitely not the movie you are looking for. However, if you want to watch a random movie that isn't great but has a guy stabbing a girl in the thigh with a chopstick, Crazy First Love might just satisfy that desire.

Joshua Radin - We Were Here

2006-12-14T13:24:00.000-06:00

Joshua Radin is one of the artists that should be glad he’s a friend of Zach Braff. Zach Braff likes music, as can be seen by putting together the soundtrack for films like Garden State and The Last Kiss as well as his TV show Scrubs. I’m not sure if Scrubs or Zach Braff’s blog is what tipped me off on Joshua Radin first, but I am glad it did. Even then, Joshua Radin would have been able to find his way to the limelight without a leg up.

Radin wrote ten of the eleven songs on We Were Here, with Vince Clarke’s “Only You” being the only cover. Yaz or Enrique Iglesias fans will recognize “Only You,” no it isn’t the song John Lennon and Elvis sing of the same name. I’d never heard it sung without a thick accent and it really is a gem when Radin sings it.

Which is really the point of the whole CD, Radin is truly a diamond in the rough. His voice is unique, almost a whisper, making it seem more intimate. The breathiness to his voice is the perfect match to the airy songs he writes. Centering on love, both new and lost, his voice contains a sort of romanticism that seduces you to join his journey.

Not only is his voice exquisite, but Radin really does have a talent for songwriting. The Singer-Songwriter genre is full of people who can’t sing, can’t write, or both. But he is the light in the distance, the beacon for which the others must strive. With a few words he can entice you, inciting emotions so strong you would think they were your own instead of his. Add moving cello arrangements on top of the beautiful words and you have the recipe for a great CD.

The opening track, “Sundrenched World,” beautifully explains insecurities in love. Yet his vulnerability lacks the in-your face heart-on-your-sleeve feeling of the likes of James Blunt. Although hailed as the new Elliot Smith, Joshua Radin maintains his individuality.

“Star Mile” has a more ditty-like feel to it with more obvious rhyming but it isn’t so sing-songy as to beat you over the head with it. The song also beautifully showcases how well Priscilla Hartranft and Radin harmonize.

“These Photographs” is more upbeat and demonstrates the intelligence behind his songs. I mean, how many artists mention Sylvia Plath, Simone de Beauvoir, Nina Simone, and Mary Cassat in one song? And what fitting people to connect to the images he keeps in his mind of his loved one.

While “Only You” is great for being recognizable, “Winter” is my favorite song on the album. With lyrics like “your voice is the splinter inside me,” how can you not feel the pain and longing Joshua Radin is singing about?

The airiness to his voice makes ballads a great match for Joshua Radin. Personally, I love the ballads. However, I can understand where some would find it repetitive and wish for some variety. Either way, Joshua Radin’s music speaks to that place in your heart where you know you are home and everything is at peace.

And if you can’t tell, I really like Joshua Radin's CD.

Little Miss Sunshine

2006-11-28T19:53:00.000-06:00

Little Miss Sunshine is the tale of a seemingly functional dysfunctional family as they drive to California for the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) has qualified to enter Little Miss Sunshine and practices daily with her coach, who happens to be her heroin-snorting, obscenity-yelling grandpa (Alan Arkin). Her mother Sheryl (Toni Collette) promises to get Olive to Redondo Beach, California even though Olive’s wannabe motivational speaker father Richard (Greg Kinnear) claims they cannot afford the trip. Olive’s brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), who has taken a vow of silence until he joins the Air Force Academy, and Uncle Frank (Steve Carell), who needs constant supervision due to a recent suicide attempt, are forced to tag along on this makeshift family vacation.

I could tell you about all of their misadventures along the way, but it isn’t necessary. You should see the movie to know what they are. What I will tell you is Little Miss Sunshine is all sorts of wonderful.

The sets aren’t beautifully amazing locations, but simplistically perfect. The Hoover home is a simple one in Albuquerque. Instead of using the standard Southwestern style, the art department has chosen to go with a simple monotone palette. The set is there, but it is definitely in the background because even the knick-knacks fall into the beige-yellow color scheme of the home. Choosing this helps the clutter exist, yet still feel simple. It emphasizes the financial situation of the family without screaming and beating you over the head with it. The hotel has different color schemes for each room and looks exactly like those cheesy motels in Anywhere, USA, where the bedspread and curtains match and clash all at the same time.

A lot of times, independent features have the soundtracks you notice most and that holds true for Little Miss Sunshine. With Garden State, it was the CD you had to buy. With Little Miss Sunshine, it is the soundtrack that perfectly matches the expressions and body language of the characters. These aren’t simply tunes that sound cool or a score that happens to work. The music matches every other aspect of the film, from the colors and lighting to the tone of the scene. Little Miss Sunshine doesn’t have a soundtrack that distracts from the film, but one that is one role of many working together in the movie.

While the characters alone might seem a bit overdone in independent cinema, the casting was perfect, allowing for the actors to really bring their roles to life. The first scene with the entire family together is an example of how well the actors work, not only for their individual roles, but also as a collective cast. They are around the dinner table and their dysfunctionality as a family is exposed by showing the random intricacies of each character. A simple glance or shrug accompanied with the right tone of voice makes this family unit believable. They aren’t the hokey, cheesed-out, everyone gets along, dream family. But they are far from the over-the-top, dramarama, unbelievable, everyone hates each other a little too much family either. There is the right amount of camaraderie and disgust to make the Hoovers a realistic American family.

While a little unlikely, this ensemble cast really pulls it off. Greg Kinnear may take his “Nine Steps To Success” a little too seriously, telling his daughter, “Don’t apologize. It’s a sign of weakness,” or his suicidal brother-in-law, “Sarcasm is the refuge of losers.” But he finds vulnerability in humanity that might allow for loss to actually make you a winner. Toni Collette is the mother who has a strong desire to protect and keep her family together, all the while harboring a little resentment toward them as well. And man, can she look angry! Alan Arkin is the crazy grandpa who either had too many life experiences or not enough and so gives some unique advice to his family. Abigail Breslin (yes, she is thecute little girl who stole the show in Signs) is naively adorable but not without dignity, which is hard for a 7-year-old who wants to be a beauty queen.

Two actors outshine the rest, perhaps because their characters are the most alienated. Paul Dano doesn’t say a single word for most of the movie. Once he does start talking, he still doesn’t say much. But then, his eyes are so expressive he doesn’t need to. He nails what it is to be a teenage boy with contempt for his family and longing so much to get away. But Dano isn’t a downer. No, he is a very, very funny young actor.

Steve Carell, however, stands out above the rest – and not just because he is dressed in pristine white clothing. In his first serious role, Carell is leaps and bounds away from his role as Andy in The 40 Year Old Virgin. I would argue he is also leaps and bounds better. While I have enjoyed some of his previous work, I would never have said I was a Steve Carell fan. I was completely blown away. There are certainly moments when the same sarcastic humor comes out (like when he gets some free advice from his brother-in-law), but his subdued melancholy is above and beyond what was expected.

Little Miss Sunshine isn’t some feel good movie that will tickle you pink. I mean, people die and dreams are crushed, for goodness sake. Little Miss Sunshine is a quirky comedy about a quirky family, full of ups and downs, and will still tickle you, just maybe not pink.

Austin Film Festival: Sleeping Dogs Lie, The Book of the Dead, and Awards Announced

2006-10-24T00:36:00.000-05:00

The workweek has slowed things a little at the 13th Austin Film Festival. Basically it means the venues are hosting two screenings in the evenings instead of all day long. People have to work or something. But the slightly slowed pace hasn’t stopped guests from attending screenings of their films, nor does it mean the films being shown are any less spectacular.

Bobcat Goldthwait’s newest project, Sleeping Dogs Lie, was the start to my evening. If you haven’t heard, it’s the bestiality movie. John and Amy get engaged and he wants them to share their deepest secrets with each other. But when her secret turns out to be more than he can handle, things sort of blow up.

I was expecting Sleeping Dogs Lie to be a dark, crude comedy about fucking dogs. I mean, this is the comedian Bobcat Goldthwait that wrote and directed the film. Previous to the screening, Bobcat announced that he made it for $40,000 and never intended it to be projected on an IMAX screen like it was tonight – it was supposed to be a “fucked up movie [he] could show at home to friends.”

Melinda Page Hamilton plays Amy and does a fantastic job. In fact, she was just nominated for the New York Film Critics Awards for her performance in the movie –- a fact Bobcat Goldthwait announced right before Sleeping Dogs Lie started. Jack Plotnick is also a convincing drug addict brother and is the source of many laughs throughout the film.

While the acting was good and some laughs sprinkled throughout Sleeping Dogs Lie, there are also elements of a family drama that I wasn’t expecting. The film actually takes a decent look at family, courage, honesty, and ultimately forgiveness. It has a lot more charm to it than I would have ever guessed. It isn’t the best movie I have ever seen, but Bobcat Goldthwait wasn’t trying to make the best movie ever seen.

Next was the Japanese stop motion puppet animation, The Book of the Dead. It is the story of a young noblewoman who falls into a trance after copying Buddhist sutras. In her trance, she walks into a temple forbidden for women to enter. While atoning for this sin, she stirs the ghost of an executed Prince.

The Book of the Dead is an interesting film and pretty to watch. Unfortunately I think something may have been lost in translation. That or knowledge of the ancient Japanese poetry on which it is based is required, making my understanding pretty limited. There were English subtitles but I am confused about the ending of the film as the young girl just walks out of the building. Maybe my need for a resolution or conclusion is at fault for my being confused, who knows. Either way, it is still a pretty film to watch.

The 2006 Austin Film Festival Film Competition winners have been announced. The awards, as well as guidelines, are available on the AFF website. The winning Narrative Feature is Chalk, written by Chris Mass and Mike Akel and directed by Mike Akel. The winning Narrative Short is When Elvis Came To Visit, written and directed by Andreas Tibblin. Hope Dickson Leach wrote and directed the winning Narrative Student Short, The Dawn Chorus, and Neil Jay wrote and directed the winning Animated Short, Ujbaz Izbeneki Has Lost His Soul. The winning Documentary Feature is Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story, directed by Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim, with Vanessa Roth’s The Third Monday In October receiving an Honorable Mention. The Documentary Short Winner is A Taste of Nate, directed by Jim McGorman.

The Winners in the Screenplay Competition have also been announced and the information on what the awards are on the Austin Film Festival website. The Adult/Family Category winner is Andrew Pagana and Justin Thomas’s The Man in the Rearview Mirror. John Morning won the Comedy Category with What Would Fabio Do?, which also won the Burnt Orange Category. Graverobbers by Brian McDonald won the Sci-Fi Category. Jill Weinberger won the Drama Teleplay Category with her House, M.D. “Reunion” script and the Sitcom Teleplay Category was won by Todd Linden’s script for My Name Is Earl “Tied Gil to a See-Saw.”

Perhaps we will see some of those screenplay winners in future Austin Film Festivals.

Austin Film Festival: The Cave of the Yellow Dog, Rescue Dawn, and Death of a President

2006-10-23T01:10:00.000-05:00

The Austin Film Festival is well into its 13th year. Dedicated to filmmakers of every type, aspiring or established, who use the language of film as the means to tell a story, The Austin Film Festival hosts events celebrating all aspects of filmmaking – the artistic and business sides. The 2006 festival is hosting several premieres and three secret sneak preview screenings.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog was submitted as Mongolia’s contender for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won the 2006 Deutscher Filmpreis Award for Best Children’s Picture. The film blends documentary and drama in the examination of the bond between human and dog. Yellow Dog follows the life of a Mongolian nomadic family when the oldest daughter returns home from school for the summer. She may be the oldest child of the family but she can’t be much older than five or six-years-old. While helping with the family chores, she discovers a young dog in a cave and quickly befriends it. However wolves have been attacking the family’s sheep and the young girl’s father is concerned the pup may have been living with the wolves and thus is unsafe for them to keep. She hides the dog from her father until at last the pup warms his heart as well.

It is a beautiful movie, shot in Mongolia. At the heart of the film are the children. They are adorable and add a loving touch to what might have otherwise been a boring story. The spiritual element of reincarnation is woven throughout the film, adding to the bond between the girl and the dog. There were a few moments when the subtitles were difficult to read due to their color but otherwise not a bad word can be said about the film. I definitely recommend anyone with the opportunity to see The Cave of the Yellow Dog not hesitate to do so.

After Yellow Dog I went to the Driscoll Hotel where the festival headquarters is camped out. In the lobby, and at the bar, is also where many of the festivalgoers hang out between screenings to catch up or get out of the surprisingly chilly weather (ok, it is cold for Austin). It is a nice hotel with some excellent – and very pricey – food that also hosts true Texas comfort in the leather couches and Western décor.

Next I was on my way to see Werner Herzog’s newest film, Rescue Dawn. The subject matter is certainly nothing new, nor are the characters as Rescue Dawn is the action drama retelling of Dieter Dengler’s story – the subject of Herzog’s 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly. Dengler was an American Navy pilot who crash-landed in Laos shortly before outbreak of the Vietnam War. Rescue Dawn is his story of survival after the crash.

It would be impossible for any movie about Vietnam to not be beautiful, just as it would be impossible for any project of Herzog’s to not be beautiful. The story is intense, as any POW’s survival story would be. Christian Bale does an amazing job as Dengler but the most amazing performance is Steve Zahn – who knew what an amazing actor he is? Herzog’s ability to tell a compelling story shines through making Rescue Dawn not just a war movie, but a movie about the strength of the human soul – even under extreme conditions. But as much as I loved the film, it wasn’t the typical Werner Herzog film – it focuses far more on the narrative of Dengler than the atmosphere around him. However, the story is compelling enough to allow audiences to leave behind their expectations and follow Dengler through the Laotian jungle with the hopes of making it to Thailand and thus to freedom. Plus it is nice to see the American hero surviving without slaughtering his enemies around him.

While I didn’t attend the screening, tonight’s special sneak preview was one of the first public screenings of Death of a President. Death of a President is a faux-documentary, taking existing news footage to create the story of what life might be like should President Bush be assassinated. The word on the street is that it is hard to watch and never fulfills its potential of true innovative filmmaking. It focuses more on the direct aftermath than on any changes in the world or American life. It is, essentially, the whodunit story of the murder. I suppose I’ll have to wait until Death of a President is out in theaters, which is later this month.

If you haven’t yet gone to the Austin Film Festival website, you should check it out. You can read filmmakers’ blogs, reviews of the films, and even watch trailers for many of the 135 films included in this year’s festival. You can also check out reviews of Friday and Saturday.

Austin Film Festival: Military Intelligence and You!, A Lobster Tale, and The Night of the White Pants

2006-10-22T02:36:00.000-05:00

The 13th Annual Austin Film Festival started off with a bang and seems determined to continue the fireworks. While the festival started with a strong focus on the screenwriting workshops, the festival has grown to include workshops on various topics and a great listing of films you are actually glad to see.

Today was the official world premiere of Military Intelligence and You! I had read a review of the film and decided it was one to think about seeing. When I saw the filmmakers would be in attendance, I figured if nothing else there would certainly be some interesting questions they were asked. I’m glad the premiere was moved to the Texas Spirit Theater because it is far more comfortable than the original theater – plus, the projection and sound equipment are of better quality.

If you have the chance to see Military Intelligence and You! go see it. Really. It is a blend of found military films and new footage. The blend between the old and new is seamless and the acting for the new scenes is spot on to really match with the over-the-top acting of the 40s. Hey, it even has Ronald Regan in it. Military Intelligence and You! certainly parodies the military training films from the era with smart sarcasm and funny wit that is appropriate given the current military actions of the United States. The humor is well done so that it isn’t insults or jabs being thrown about. In fact, I’m pretty sure people will enjoy this film regardless of their political inclinations. There are definitely lines that poke fun of what may be the current Administration’s attitudes, but they are done in a way that also parody the 40s films which inspired Military Intelligence and You! Director Dale Kutzera mentioned they took the time to make sure nothing was included that would be considered insensitive or offensive in the project that ended up being a bit more of a collaboration than he anticipated. For that I am glad because it adds a certain timelessness to the film that will ensure audiences will find it humorous for years, perhaps even decades, to come.

The next film was in the same theater and another world premiere. Adam Massey’s first feature film (he’s directed commercials before) is A Lobster Tale. It is the magical tale of a Maine lobster fisherman who finds moss with healing powers. In deciding what to do with the moss, the relationships between the father, mother, and son are explored in a very moving manner. Adam Massey cast the boy hoping for someone who didn’t “look like he fell out of a Disney movie or Sears catalog” and he wound up with a movie with the same honesty. The acting is wonderful with Colm Meaney, Jack Knight, and Graham Greene all nailing their characters. Greene is able to be the scatterbrained sheriff without coming across as a cliché. Knight carries a lot of the emotional weight of the film as the child in the maritime family. And having been shot in Halifax, Canada there are certainly some beautiful shots to see. Adam Massey did a great job with A Lobster Tale and gave symbolism to bird shit like no one before.

I had a bit of trouble deciding between two films for my last one of the evening (sorry, I just don’t have the energy for Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror tonight). My final choices came down to A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and The Night of the White Pants. Seeing as Saints already has distribution and will be released soon, I opted for White Pants. Plus, it never hurts to support Texas films.

The Night of the White Pants is a chain of reactions that leads to rediscovery. Powerful Dallas businessman Max Hagan’s life is in shambles and by accident he finds himself on the ride of a lifetime with his daughter’s punk rock boyfriend. The plot of everything going wrong but turning out right could easily find itself being a bad attempt at a comedic soap opera. Instead, Tom Wilkinson and Nick Stahl play the ridiculousness with authenticity. Throw in the performances of Janine Turner, Selma Blair, Frances Fisher, Laura Jordan, and Fran Kranz and you have comedy around every corner.

White Pants hasn’t yet found distribution, but I can’t see that being an issue for much longer. I had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard in a few scenes, but the humor isn’t a gimmick nor does it overshadow a real story. The Night of the White Pants is not “a weenie in a punk suit” either. Director Amy Talkington, along with Nick Stahl, Janine Turner, and several others of the cast and crew were in attendance at the screening. With most having met through previous projects, everyone seemed quite pleased with White Pants. As did the audience.

Overall I am quite pleased with this year’s Austin Film Festival. There has only been one movie I would say I didn’t like and will recommend others to miss, The Descendant. If you aren’t in Austin or are unable to attend the Austin Film Festival for whatever reason, you can still read about most of the films, watch trailers, and keep up with the festival buzz on the Austin Film Festival site hosted by B Side Entertainment.

Austin Film Festival: The Descendant, Catch and Release, and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

2006-10-21T04:09:00.000-05:00

Austin, Texas is no stranger to the arts. Music is big here, sure. But so is film. Film is really big in Austin. Austin is the third coast after all. Austin doesn’t just do film, the city does film differently. That’s where the Austin Film Festival (AFF) comes in. You see, they focus on the strengths writers bring to film and television. Austin Film Festival has been doing it for thirteen years now – well, this is the thirteenth year. It’s the festival in town to catch to schmooze with the folks that will be the people to know tomorrow. That’s how it works in the film and television worlds – you're a nobody today and then you’re the hottest thing since sliced bread tomorrow. Austin Film Festival gives you the chance to meet everyone in between and make friends or contacts, but most importantly AFF gives you the inside scoop on the industry from all angles today.

Most of AFF’s venues are in downtown Austin and close enough to walk between. There are two that are in Northwest Austin and not exactly in walking distance – funny enough those two theaters are the more stereotypical theaters in the venue listing. Two theaters are at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum: the IMAX and Texas Spirit Theaters. Basically across the street is the Landmark Dobie Theater; yep it is in a University of Texas dorm’s mall. If you jaunt to the other side of the state capital, you’ll find three venues within a block of each other. The Hideout is a coffee shop with two theaters in it, one upstairs and one downstairs. The Stephen F. Austin Hotel is housing a theater in their ballroom. And of course is the beautiful Paramount Theatre. The other two, the ones in Northwest Austin, are the Regal Arbor Cinema and then Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek. Eight theaters make for eight full days of cinematic treasures to be sought.

I started tonight at The Hideout to see The Descendant’s US Premiere. The Descendant is a 95-minute Canadian film about family secrets. James Duke decides to dig for his family roots by doing what his mother made him promise to never do – contact his grandparents. James is welcomed to their home, but not with open arms. The entire town is less than thrilled with his showing up and snooping around. Before long, the audience is aware there is a huge secret the entire town of Ste Harmonie is hiding. Of course, knowing there is a secret makes James search further. I won’t spoil what the secret is, but it isn’t anywhere near what anyone would expect. It isn’t really that big of a secret – except maybe where a blanket comes into play – and certainly isn’t a secret that will please every viewer. Once James discovers what the secret is, the movie just kind of ends. I’m still not sure what I was supposed to walk away thinking. It was obviously made by someone who feels strongly about the issue at hand (the telling of which issue would ruin the secret!) and that is to be admired. I didn’t hate The Descendant but I didn’t leave the theater liking it either. And judging from what I heard others saying, the movie wasn’t a big hit for anyone.

The next movie was my guilty pleasure. Of the movies playing during the Austin Film Festival, it is one of two or three I’ve actually seen a trailer for. According to writer/director Susannah Grant, the AFF screening was actually the first screening of the recently finished Catch and Release. Recently finished as in the cut was finished Tuesday, three days ago. Catch and Release is a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Garner, Kevin Smith, Juliette Lewis and Timothy Olyphant. Garner’s finance dies days before their wedding and his life-long friends rally around to take care of her. It is a charming film focusing on the paternal way these men take care of each other and Garner as they re-find their footing in life. Together they overcome their feelings of guilt, clean up secrets, and rediscover themselves. Catch and Release is set for theatrical release in January 2007.

Given the setting of Catch and Release, there is certainly some beautiful scenery and the cinematography catches it wonderfully. The sets added to the characters with their homes showing elements of their personalities without needing to spell it out for the audiences. The acting was decent with small glances hitting at the right heartstring or Kevin Smith going on in the perfectly funny way he has a talent to do. The characters were a bit predictable, but that’s to be expected with a romantic comedy, isn’t it?

The writer/director Susannah Grant was in attendance for a Question and Answer session after the film. Catch and Release is her directorial debut but she has been writing successful films for a while (Erin Brockovich, In Her Shoes and 28 Days). Grant has wanted to direct for a few years and finally decided Catch and Release was the project she wanted to direct so “it wouldn’t be what is interesting to someone else because the finished film is what is interesting” to her. While Grant finds it limiting to write with an actor in mind, she immediately knew Juliette Lewis was the only one that could be Maureen. Grant said Sam was hardest to cast but as soon as she watched ten minutes of An Evening With Kevin Smith she knew it had to be Kevin Smith (who had to cancel his appearance at the film). The real gem of knowledge is discovering the 111-minute film was cut from its original two hours and 57 minutes.

The last movie of the night had me a bit nervous at first. I read the description and knew it sounded interesting. But then I realized it was nearly three hours long and set to begin at 10:15. That makes for some brave programming to have such a long movie begin so late during a festival. After having watched Perfume: The Story of a Murderer I understand – it is so well made it would be a powerful movie at any time of day. This was a regional premiere of Perfume and I honestly cannot wait until it is released because I want to watch it again. Based on the novel by Patrick Suskind, Perfume tells the tale of murder and obsession. The tragically beautiful story is of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille’s quest to capture the scent of perfect beauty. As he becomes more skilled in the art of perfume-making, his obsession turns to murder and a glimpse of paradise.

Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run), Perfume relies on the body’s senses of sight and sound to portray the power of smell. The visuals provide such a depth of emotion, yet the images still manage to cancel out unnecessary background noise. The score fits with each flurry of emotion and movement of Grenouille. Together the sights and sounds of Perfume allow the sense of smell to maintain its important role in the story, which is obviously central in the novel and may have made it all the more difficult to translate into film.

While the film is long, cutting out any of the story would have made Perfume the story of murder instead of The Story of a Murderer. The details of Grenouille’s life from the moment before his birth until the last frame of the film are integral into telling the story. Each moment and experience gives insight into the world of the boy with no smell of his own who seeks to capture scents so they will last forever. Each leg of his journey shapes his determination to find his fate. And each minute of the film makes a serial killer the unlikely hero of this story. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer isn’t a happy movie with a happy ending, instead it is the story of love and it’s crushingly overwhelming power.

The 13th Annual Austin Film Festival is certainly off to a good start. You can catch the festival buzz at the festival’s website, where the schedule of films, panels, and special guests can also be found.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Locked 'N Loaded Director's Cut

2006-10-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

For all the Guy Ritchie fans, there is now an unrated Directors Cut of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. More footage of London’s gangland and I am pretty much in heaven.

Usually when watching a film and it starts with the “This film has been edited” message, it says something about the formatting. Basically they edit the aspect ratio. This DVD of Lock, Stock had the message, but to mention it was including footage not seen in the theatrical release.

Lock, Stock and Two Smocking Barrels follows four British men out to make a quick quid in a high stakes poker game. Things go wrong when Hatchet Harry cheats, leaving our unfortunate pool shark Eddie in the hole £400,000. The ruthless killer gives Eddie 15 days to pay his debt or face the consequences.

In a jam to come up with a quick plan to find the much-needed money, they overhear the unruly neighbors’ plans to rob some guys growing “copious amounts of ganja.” Suddenly it seems as though the four friends’ luck has changed.

Several other characters are thrown into the mix with their desire to make mad cash or avoid being shot, making Lock, Stock action-packed and leaving you on your toes. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is violently funny and full of slapdash violence.

The Locked ‘N Loaded Director’s Cut adds some more to the rules of the card game that both old and new audiences to the film can appreciate. The 12 minutes of added footage makes this unrated Cockney gem clock in at two hours.

The film was originally shot on Super 16 and it is obvious there was no digital re-mastering for this DVD release. I enjoy the grainier feel and think it adds a great deal to the mobster madness to Lock, Stock’s London that pristine images wouldn’t be able to achieve. Unless you are unable to appreciate the dirtier style in the cinematography, it shouldn’t bother you but some of the more picky audiences might not like the low-budget flair.

Likewise, the lighting in Lock, Stock is also minimalist which creates a darker look full of many more shadows than would be seen in a blockbuster hit. Chosen because of budget restrictions, the simple lighting also emphasizes the seediness to the gangster lifestyle.

Bonus Features on the DVD:

"One Smoking Camera" is a featurette on the film’s cinematography. It’s quite well made and they do a wonderful job explaining key elements they used to achieve the film’s style. They explain everything from how they lit certain scenes, the various frame rates they shot various scenes and how they cut frames in postproduction, to what mistakes were actually used to their advantage.

Those who enjoy the artful use of expletives will enjoy "Lock, Stock and Two F**king Barrels.” It is a compilation of the expletives throughout the film in a nice montage of fucked up proportions.

The DVD is in English Dolby Digital 5.1 with English, Spanish, and French subtitle options.

One Tree Hill - Good News For People Who Love Bad News

2006-10-12T15:46:00.000-05:00

The newest episode of One Tree Hill was called “Good News For People Who Love Bad News.” I’m curious if there is a relationship to the Modest Mouse album of the same name or not. Either way, the kids of One Tree Hill seem to always be full of bad news.

Peyton and her brother Derek decide to get to know each other. Both are artists, like the same music, and even look alike. He has apparently known about her for a while. Peyton gives him the picture Ellie drew for her. Derek also offers to tell Peyton what he remembers of their father before the man walked out. Too bad it looks as though he’s going to be a psycho. Nothing new for Peyton, I guess, but I am sick of it always being oh woe is Peyton because her life is so awful. I liked that character so much better when she was happier.

Haley is picking up on Rachel’s intentions for Nathan and warns her to stay away from her husband. The whole marriage in high school thing has always seemed a little forced, but the references to it in this episode put that cheesiness over the top. I mean, they haven’t graduated from high school and they’ve already had some huge issues to overcome. We get it, relationships aren’t perfect and you have to work on them, but couldn’t that work without the context of marriage?

As much as Nathan was trying to put the accident behind him, it still plagues him during the game. Skillz gets some play time in his first game as a Tree Hill Raven. And naturally there is a big party afterwards; it just happens to be at Rachel’s house so that ups the drama factor. Brooke kisses a guy she sees walking in with Peyton, but it turns out to be the brother and Brooke takes that as fodder for yet another insult.

Nathan asks Rachel what she remembers form the accident but she doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear. He’s worried about thinking Keith is the one who saved him. Luckily Peyton talks to him and tells him even if Keith did save him, he probably didn’t do it so Nathan would sit around pouting.

Lucas confronts Brooke, telling her she never fights for him. She says he never will so Lucas tells her he isn’t the guy for her. I understand a breakup is never easy and it never feels good, but this whole Brooke-Lucas storyline is already getting old. It is a TV show, if they can recover from the school shooting in one or two episodes – a shooting resulting in the loss of lives – why can’t this whole sub-plot get the ball rolling and go somewhere?

Poor Mouth; he really does deserve someone better than Rachel. Being deemed a great friend upsets him so he gets trashed at the party and is the rude drunk to Derek. It also means he passed out on a bench in the yard.

Somehow Rachel knows Brooke is pregnant. When Brooke tells Rachel to stay away from Nathan and Haley, Rachel uses the pregnancy as a way to insult Brooke. So much for them being friends much longer. And how convenient this fight was so close to Mouth’s sleeping spot on the bench. I’m willing to bet he heard it all and is going to talk to someone about it – either Brooke, Lucas, or talking to a third party.

Haley’s insecurities are gigantic. She tells Nathan she wants to be included in what is going on – even if it means he likes Rachel. That’s when Nathan finally opens up and tells Haley he thinks Keith saved him in the river.

Overall it was an okay episode but One Tree Hill just isn’t what it was the first season. I still care about a few of the characters. Mostly I find myself watching it for the sole purpose of seeing what over the top element they’ll introduce next. Instead of being a fun teen drama, One Tree Hill is becoming a cheesy teen soap opera – you know with the dead people that don’t go away and the girls vying for men they can’t have or introducing random family members no one ever knew about.

One Tree Hill’s “Good News For People Who Love Bad News” episode featured music from The Wreckers, Placebo, and Mat Kearney.

Lost - The Glass Ballerina

2006-10-12T03:26:00.000-05:00

You taste like fish biscuits.
Lost continues the third season with a Sun and Jin centric episode. As if often the case with their back-stories, the focus was on their relationship and its troubles. It cuts nicely with Sun, Jin, and Sayid on their journey around the island on Desmond’s boat. Jin insists they return but Sun and Sayid decide to deceive him to save Sawyer, Kate, and Jack.

I had so wanted Sun to not have slept with the bald man teaching her English – I wanted her to be better than that. Either way, the three on the boat find the dock and decide to go ashore. Yes, the dock says Pala Ferry, which is mentioned in the Pearl Orientation film. Anyway, Sun realizes Sayid knows they aren’t safe and is trying to lure The Others to them. Turns out Jin knows English better than everyone thinks and he is fully aware of all the deception and betrayal. Sun goes back on the boat for safe keeping while Jin and Sayid wait on the beach for their plan to come into play.

Ben is told the Iraqi has found the phony village and is sailing around the island on a boat. Finding the village isn’t his concern. Getting the boat seems to be of the utmost importance though – he tells them to gather a team and get the boat. However, his lack of knowledge about the sailboat suggests he doesn’t know as much about the island and he would have us believe. He obviously doesn’t know about Desmond, which begs an answer to if he knew about Kelvin and The Others relationship to Dharma at all.

If the Longfellow reference is lost on you, it seems one signal fire and The Others would attack by land, but with two it was by sea. So much for all of Sayid’s military training. However, The Others’ ability to sneak onto the boat without detection leaves open the possibility for them being the ones slinking in the jungle with the creepy teddy bear – not that I think there is only one group of “Others” on the island.

Left to her own defenses, Sun kicks ass and shoots the female Other after the woman said it would make The Others enemies. The gunfire clued in Jin and Sayid about how they were tricked. It was really a nice touch with Jin and Sun swimming towards each other; even deception and betrayal isn’t stopping the two of them from truly loving one another.

Sawyer and Kate are taken out of their bear cages and led – at gunpoint – to a gardenlike worksite where they are forced to clear rocks from the ground. They aren’t allowed to do anything without the threat of being shocked. The rock thing reminded me of Bent or The Talisman, but unlike either of those I think they are actually clearing rocks for a reason. While they are working, Kate is signaled to the bushes by Alex and asked about Karl’s location (remember Karl from the cage across from Sawyer in the premiere?). Classic Sawyer for pouring out the canteen and kissing Kate. But can she get any more useless, I mean how many times is someone going to have to go to her rescue in some way?

Too bad there are surveillance cameras watching as Sawyer explains to Kate everything he learned from the tussle by the rocks. Ben is a smart cookie and it really isn’t hard to see how The Others keep outsmarting the Losties.

Jack is still held captive in the aquarium but Juliet seems to have better security with regards to opening his door. Ben visits Jack with an attempt –phony or genuine, I’m not sure—to introduce himself to gain trust. Benjamin Linus has supposedly lived on the island his entire life; his age would put him on the island before the Dharma project was underway, according to the Orientation films. I loved the shout out to the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series, but I sure hope they have the written consent of the Baseball Commissioner to show that footage! But knowing they choose to live there really makes me wonder about why Ben wanted the sailboat so badly.

Of The Others, I find myself really liking Juliet, though I suspect she might be the most “evil” of them. Ben just comes off as being too swarmy for me to be drawn to him or even want to believe a word he says. Plus, Juliet has been pretty good with the torturing Jack and anyone doing that gets major points in my book.

Sawyer and Sayid are by far my favorite characters on the show. I would absolutely love to be stranded on some remote island with the two of them – heck I would settle for either one of the men! This episode of Lost certainly had Sawyer’s wit and intelligence shine through, even if only in the way a con-artist would be able to excel. I’m really disappointed in Sayid and hope he makes up for his complete lack of skill in this episode. I want Sayid to kick some major Others ass!

Nip/Tuck - Faith Wolper, PhD

2006-10-12T03:23:00.000-05:00

Nip/Tuck always proves to have interesting sub-plots. This week we see Christian fantasizing about being on a romantic weekend getaway with Sean, complete with tiny bathing suits and oiled up male volleyball players. While his dream is heavy on the gay factor, there is still no male-to-male kissing, which is interesting given how much sexual contact Nip/Tuck features between the opposite sexes. The possibility of loving Sean is obviously rooted deep within Christian and isn’t something he is comfortable with, at least not yet. Another interesting note is Christian seems really concerned about Sean and wants to save him – that’s quite a lot more emotion dedicated to a “love interest” than he normally shows.

Christian yelled to the entire operating room about his feelings for Michelle when her husband showed up. But instead of showing up with a loaded gun, he comes for help to remove a penis pump. Apparently it works with a nice, hopefully long-lasting erection he takes to Michelle’s office.

A compulsive sex addict turns up in Christian’s office, she just happens to be a therapist – Christian’s therapist. Turns out she has a tramp stamp declaring her “Property of Marco” in permanent ink she wants him to remove. During the procedure, Christian tells his therapist about his gay dream and makes sure to include there was a female in the dream. A woman Dr Wolper was hoping to be herself when she suggested Christian tell the fantasy woman about his feelings.

Instead, Christian calls it off with Michelle. Then her husband, Burt, calls both Michelle and Christian to his home where he gives them matching robes to wear the next time they have sex. Strangely enough, when Christian says their relationship is over Burt suggests they stay together and let him watch. More like he threatens them to do it due to the urging of a therapist. Yep, he happens to be in the grasp of a conniving therapist with her sights set on Christian – Dr. Wolper.

It seems Monica, the nanny Sean slept with, doesn’t plan on leaving Sean alone. I knew that’s how things would turn out, as it would be too easy for him to stop screwing her and she just disappear. Turns out the little nanny Marlow is sick so Monica is filling in for a week or two. But seriously, what sort of doctor doesn’t discourage a girl from piercing her own bellybutton? Then again what sort of woman sleeps with a married man then nurses his baby with her own breast milk?

Listen up, men. Let this psycho nanny-mistress be a huge warning to you if you are even considering cheating on your wife without her consent. Even if she meets a gruesome fate with a city bus.

Veronica Mars- My Big Fat Greek Rush Week

2006-10-11T04:05:00.000-05:00

If you haven’t seen Veronica Mars, don’t think it is a modern Nancy Drew. Sure, both are teen girl detectives with a series of the same name. Veronica makes detective chicks more hip, more real, and a hell of a lot more entertaining than Nancy Drew could have imagined. Add the fact that Veronica Mars appeals to a smart audience requiring more than pretty pictures. However, unlike a more contemporary comparison to say, Buffy, Veronica is saving people from themselves. One mystery at a time. This year’s mystery is a rape.

Apparently when Veronica Mars snuck into Mac’s room last week, Parker wasn’t having a good time but was instead being raped. She’s the latest victim to wake up with a shaved head and no memories but knowing what happened. Sexual assault is one of those things I’d rather not be in forms of entertainment because usually it isn’t done tastefully. When someone is killed in a show, the audience knows it is fake and it is taken at face value. But when someone is raped, the damage goes far beyond the act into what can be one of the cruelest forms of emotional torture that it really isn’t entertaining. Ever. Add the stigma of blaming the victim for doing something wrong and you get a whole new dimension of why rape isn’t entertaining for me.

Keith Mars survived the mysterious shooting. Poor guy thought he was helping Kendall but all he did was lead her to harm’s way -- not to mention his own harm. When Keith leads the local police back to the scene of the crime, no evidence of Kendall is to be found – except some blood on a picture. A picture that will benefit a food bank.

Appropriately the relationship between guard and prisoner is the theme for a class both Logan and Wallace are taking – and the subject of a study in which both volunteer to participate (it is based on the Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment). According to the Resident Advisor the study is intense and life changing. Interestingly enough, Wallace and Logan are on opposite sides of the experiment. Guest star Rider Strong is taking his role as a guard seriously.

Logan comes up with some genius plan to help the prisoners out since the guards were relying on one guy to snap (Neal from Freaks and Geeks). Deception really is a recurring theme throughout Veronica Mars and it shows that it isn’t always a bad thing – sometimes it can save your skin. Unfortunately for the prisoners, Wallace also knows the value of false information. And yes, the professor is Homer Simpson, and yes you do hear someone say “d’oh!” during the experiment, glad you noticed it too.

Veronica has landed herself a new job – as a college paper’s photographer. Her first assignment, as luck would have it, has to do with Parker’s rape. Apparently the Theta Beta sorority might be involved. At least, a look behind the Greek curtain is her assignment but Veronica’s new boss knows how to pitch an assignment and Veronica Mars is on her way in a floral dress. So yeah Veronica Mars totally plays up the sorority stereotype – which is completely unrelated to my experience but who says Veronica Mars is based totally on reality? But Veronica does meet a girl that seems a bit more laid back.

Veronica gets invited to the special – read secret – party full of booze and boys. A sorority party also means Dick Casablancas is there “fulfilling [his] destiny” along with a few other folks from Veronica’s past. Veronica plays the drunken party girl until she gets asked to take a Safe Ride home. Her sober driver gives her a lecture about getting liquored up until she can’t say no and then crying about what happens. Who called the blame the victim card would be pulled – me! But the lecturing sober ride home leads Veronica Mars in a green direction.

Parker’s mom tries to pull her out of college but Mac tells her to stay. Overbearing parents aren’t ever fun to deal with so hopefully Parker will be saved from that horrible experience – or at least those hideous wigs. Figuring out who raped her will have to wait for the rest of the season to unfold.

So what do we know so far?

The Theta Beta’s could have easily had access to Parker’s room the night she was raped.

Parker took a Safe Ride home from the Resident Advisor, Moe, the night she was raped.

Other things to ponder:

Remember: Vomit is the new mace.

The writers of Veronica Mars have to be fans of Battlestar Galactica with all the use of “frack” in the show.

Superman is another fave with Dick mentioning kryptonite last week and Bizzaro World this week.

When will they ditch that stupid “Aerie” bit?

Why can’t Veronica Mars be on HBO where we could have seen a bit more of Logan’s streaking?

So far the only things really missing are a decent plot for Keith Mars and any plot for Weevil.

Gilmore Girls - Lorelai's First Cotillion

2006-10-11T04:02:00.000-05:00

Oh good, Emily and Richard are back unlike last week. I have always loved the Friday night dinners the Gilmore family has. Even when the entire family is fighting, the dinner scenes are guaranteed to be entertaining. True to fashion, there is a shock tonight with a child answering the door and serving cocktails. But each surprise Emily Gilmore has up her sleeve isn’t without reason – this one just happens to be a cotillion. I sure hope the audience paid attention to the table manners lesson.

And what is with Lane not telling Zach she’s pregnant? The poor girl must be in shock. Zach has noticed Lane is avoiding him and is worried that it is over. When Lane does open up to Zach, he pretty much freaks out; nay he completely ignores the subject. Eventually Lane tells Zach she’s terrified about the major turn of events and finally he talks to her about the whole baby situation.

Paris is back in full Paris fashion, being the slave driver in her new SAT tutoring. But learning things between Rory and Logan aren’t perfect, she suggests phone sex or at least sending naughty text messages. All while she is sending Doyle naughty text messages. Rory caves in and sends a naughty text message, but not without doing research on the words of erotica first.

Michel insists Lorelai take him to her mother’s cotillion. The same night, Rory goes to dinner with her dad. Conveniently they arrive home at the same time and Christopher tells Lorelai he loves her. I’m sorry, but didn’t they try to do the Christopher and Lorelai thing a couple of seasons ago? So why oh why did she call him that night? It didn’t work when she got pregnant with Rory. It didn’t work when they tried it recently. So what sort of crazy plot suckers do the writers take the audience for being? Am I making my distaste for Christopher known?

Anyway, this week’s Gilmore Girls didn’t really have a lot happening. It came off more as a filler or an attempt to set things up for the rest of the season. Either way, Gilmore Girls was lacking. I hope it isn’t due to the new writers because last week’s episode was pretty good. Perhaps they have too many holes to write their way out of to expect each episode to be great. I just hope they don’t make this last year of Gilmore Girls a disappointment.

Joshua Radin - We Were Here

2006-10-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

We Were Here was initially available exclusively on iTunes where it easily because the Number 1 bestselling folk album and was in the Top 30 overall. Not bad considering it is Joshua Radin’s first full-length CD; 2004’s EP First Between 3rd & 4th contained only six songs.

Radin wrote ten of the eleven songs on We Were Here, with Vince Clarke’s “Only You” being the only cover. Yaz or Enrique Iglesias fans will recognize “Only You,” no it isn’t the song John Lennon and Elvis sing of the same name. I’d never heard it sung without a thick accent and it really is a gem when Joshua Radin sings it.

Which is really the point of the whole CD, Joshua Radin is truly a jewel in the rough. His voice is unique, almost a whisper, making it seem more intimate. The breathiness to his voice is the perfect match to the airy songs he writes. Centering on love, both new and lost, his voice contains a sort of romanticism that seduces you to join his journey.

Not only is his voice exquisite, but Radin really does have a talent for songwriting. The Singer-Songwriter genre is full of people who can’t sing, can’t write, or both. But Joshua Radin is the light in the distance, the beacon for which the others must strive. With a few words he can entice you, inciting emotions so strong you would think they were your own instead of his. Add moving cello arrangements on top of the beautiful words and you have the recipe for a great CD.

The opening track, “Sundrenched World,” beautifully explains insecurities in love. Yet his vulnerability lacks the in-your face heart-on-your-sleeve feeling of the likes of James Blunt. Although hailed as the new Elliot Smith, Joshua Radin maintains his individuality.

“Star Mile” has a more ditty-like feel to it with more obvious rhyming. But it isn’t so sing-songy as to beat you over the head with it. The song also beautifully showcases how well Priscilla Hartranft and Joshua Radin harmonize.

“These Photographs” is more upbeat and demonstrates the intelligence behind his songs. I mean, how many artists mention Sylvia Plath, Simone de Beauvoir, Nina Simone, and Mary Cassat in one song? And what fitting people to connect to the images he keeps in his mind of his loved one.

While “Only You” is great for being recognizable, “Winter” is my favorite song on the album. With lyrics like “your voice is the splinter inside me,” how can you not feel the pain and longing Joshua Radin is singing about?

The airiness to his voice makes ballads a great match for Joshua Radin. Personally, I love the ballads. However, I can understand where some would find it repetitive and wish for some variety. Either way, Joshua Radin’s music speaks to that place in your heart where you know you are home and everything is at peace.

And if you can’t tell, I really like Joshua Radin's CD.