The Soloist

One of the biggest annoyances at the end of 2008 was Paramount/Dreamworks/Universal deciding to push Defiance and move The Soloist. The trailer for The Soloist was a wonderfully heart breaking/ heart warming thing and the movie did star 2008's wonder boy Robert Downey Jr(RDJ). Why in the world would they move it? It worried me because usually moving a movie means the movie is bad. The belief was that the combined studios could only promote one of those movies for Oscar gold and some studio wanted to keep Daniel Craig happy, so they chose Defiance. I did not see that movie, so I cannot compare the two or anything, but I can say that Defiance was not even pushed because it was torn apart by the critics. Well, here we are a week before the big summer movie season and The Soloist is finally here!

Steve Lopez(Downey Jr.), with a slat and pepper beard is a journalist with no passion for anything. He writes a column for a Los Angeles paper where he wonders about life in the city or just wonders about his life in general. One day while walking the streets he writes about he hears a little Stevie Wonder jam being played on a violin. He follows the music and meets Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr(Jamie Foxx). Ayers, a homeless man with a series of awesomely weird hats, speaks in long stream of consciousness monologues that are only barely coherent. Lopez and Ayers chat briefly and Ayers mentions he used to be at Julliard School of Music and Lopez knows he has a story. Ayers was a student at Julliard but he dropped out. Now he is on the street playing a violin with missing strings. Lopez's story is well received and a woman even donates a Cello for Lopez to give to Ayers. In this moment, Lopez becomes intertwined with Ayers whether he wants it or not. What Ayers has is never fully clear, but he hears voices and they are not friendly voices. He feels trapped by being inside, therefore he lives outside. Lopez is, at times, burdened by the possible friendship but he wants to help. He is just unsure of how. He writes more columns about homelessness and Ayers and eventually the Mayor promises to try to fix the homeless problem, But this story is about Ayers and Lopez, first and foremost.

Joe Wright who directs his first American and first contemporary movie with The Soloist works really hard to ruin this movie. First off, he gets two wonderful performances, but he never is content to let this movie be about that. He wants more, so instead of focusing on Foxx and RDJ during a wonderful moment, he pulls the camera back and takes us on an aerial tour of Skid Row. The shot itself is not a bad one, but it pulls focus from the friendship and the prayer that Foxx is giving. In the first scene where Foxx plays the cello, instead of giving us that emotional moment to connect to the two actors, we get a shot that follows the pigeons flying away. I get that while playing the cello he feels as a free as the birds, but the symbolism crosses over into stupidity as the camera continues to follow the bird soaring. Pull it back and let me see Foxx and RDJ together! The final moment of this is when the two men are sitting in on a rehearsal of the L.A. symphony and instead, again, of watching their faces, we see that the Foxx character hears in colors. The visual is kind of cool, I guess, but I want to just see the two men react to this beautiful music.

In a series of flashbacks, we find out what happened to Ayers and these moments are wonderful. With voices in his head layering on top of each other, becoming very scary, the scenes are shot with off-putting lighting and sound that makes it feel very creepy and Foxx really sells those scene. We get the impression that if taken inside Ayers might actually snap and that is important for later in the film. It is tough to play a guy with mental problems because the performance can often become a series of tics or mannerisms. Foxx, I think, goes beyond just the odd speaking patterns and constantly movement of Ayers and finds a nice balance between insanity and charm. He plays Ayers as a bright but troubled man and he finds little layers to rise and fall into and he plays well off of RDJ. RDJ continues his impressive run of late as his Steve Lopez is a man who is not only down on his luck but unsure of what he should do about it. He really gets into the heart of Lopez as he struggles with what to do with Ayers. Lopez believes Ayers needs help or treatment, but Ayers does not want it. The turmoil of that shines through in the final twenty minutes.

The Soloist is a mixed bag of great and bad. The performances from the two leads make up for the stylistic choices that go awry. It should be a more personal story than it ends up being because Wright has visions of epic grandeur. I admire the man for wanting to make the movie bigger, but if you are going to do that you need a longer movie. In staying with the two men, you can make enough statements about friendship, music and humanity without going all epic. The Soloist is all about making the best out of life when you only have "two strings" and in that message the movie succeeds. It never gets the tearjerker I expected it to be, but you leave the movie feeling optimistic about where life can go.

Asleep in the bread Aisle by Asher Roth

Right now, there is no rapper out that is dividing people like Asher Roth. Asher is white, with reddish hair and does not have the look of a rapper. He does not have the background of a rapper. He did not grow up listening to exclusively rap music. He is from a suburb in Philadelphia. He has both parents, went to college and never struggled for money. In rap music, most fans need to identify with what is being said. This is Asher Roth's problem. Being white is still kind of a problem, but what is more of a problem is how he was raised. See, Eminem came up through battling and he was poor. People could relate to that. Asher Roth represents a new kind of hip-hop. His level of acceptance will go a long way to show what hip-hop is willing to allow. From the three major hip-hop websites I visit, Asher's album has received an 8/10, a 7.5/10 and a 4/10, so there is no consensus how he did his first time out. What is clear is that saying his name in hip-hop circles will offer strong differing opinions from everyone. So, on with the review.

1. Lark in my Go-Cart: first off, this might be favorite beat of 2009 thus far. The break beat, guitars and distorted organ sounds are super crazy and really set thew album off properly. The song itself seems to exist merely for some verbal dexterity, which is not a bad thing, but the whole song is nonsensical. It is chalk full of the most random pop cultures references. He name drops, among others, Kelly Kapowski, Tedddy Ruxpin, Razor Ramon and Tim Duncan. It is an interesting introduction, but the beat is so dope, the rest almost does not matter on this track. 4/5

2. Blunt Cruisin': I do not, nor have I ever smoked weed. Yet, this song is so chill, I kind of want to start. There is nothing special about what is going on in the song, except it sounds like the personification of smoking weed. it is kind of lazy, but funny and then paranoid. It is probably the song most rap fans will identify with, because it is basic story telling, with a chill beat and helpful lyrics like" You don't need roach clips if you can't hold it/You can use your phone tip, hurry up and take this." Asher is definitely a pot head and he makes others want to be. 3.5/5

3. I love College: Only a white boy would sample Weezer for a rap song. I want to hate this song, but I am singing it ALL OF THE DAMN TIME! This is the catchiest of catchy summer tracks, except it is not a summer track. I think anyone who has been to college can understand the song and it is a playful track with a creative use of Weezer's guitar loop. Asher is a charismatic kid on the Mic and this song is the perfect example of who he is. He just wants to have fun while rapping. His rhymes are probably the weakest in this song, but it is a wonderful lead single. It is kind of funny that a song about a crazy party is rapped in such a chill way, but Asher does not allow anyone to harsh his mellow.

4. La Di Da- This is where Asher will have his first issue with rap fans feeling where he is coming from. Asher cannot be rattled and cannot get mad, so when he has had enough he just says "La di da da da." Well, whatever Mr, Roth, I get it, but most rap fans will not. The song is cool, with really crisp production and Asher has a nice flow over the beat, which I think is unexpected for a white kid who grew up listening to Dave Matthews. Another thing I really love about Roth is his diction. Every word is super clear, no matter how quickly he raps. I really like the song because it feels like the kid is always about to blow but he never does. This is a bottled up track. I am sure I will want to see what Roth sounds like when he lets loose, but for now I like a song that sounds like a guy trying to do his best to keep his cool. 4/5

5. Be By myself- This song has single potential all of the way. First off Cee-Lo sounds perfect on the hook and it gives Roth a bit of credibility. Asher is also impressive on the lyrics dexterity here. I love the opening few lines "Ash is young, attractive, handsome bachelor, awesome rapper/Got a knack for vernacular when I perform spectacular." The way he pronounces the words is impressive and I like the topic of a young man not ready to be in a relationship. This is a total guy song and I have respect for that. He raps about Madden too, which is perfect. He also talks a bit about his perfect woman. Asher is only 22 and he needs to be by myself to hang with his boys. Plus he uses the words "dag" and "rad" in the song. White boy power! 4/5

6. She don't wanna man- I should hate this Black Eyed Peas inspired song, but I'll be damned if I don't jam out every time I hear it. Asher is pure fluff here, but the hook is catchy, the beat is jammin' and Asher is having a good time. It is a good dance song or party song. It is certainly better than most dance songs, plus, it tells a little story. Also, the song is how a woman actually just wants to dance and is not looking for a guy to put his hands all over a girl, which is a nice change of pace for a dance song. I mean it isn't about girls acting like strippers. Plus, Keri Hilton as the girl is sexy voiced and Asher and Keri have a nice chemistry on the track. 4/5

7. Sour Patch Kids- Here is the first track I really just do not have much need for. I love how it begins, but when the beat fully kicks in, it just does not sound like the right kind of beat for a song about Government and Global Warming. Asher's lyrics are merely platitudes or talking points which is kind of obnoxious. I do like the line "Mother Earth shrugs her shoulders and we all get evicted," but that is about it. The hook is too lazy considering he is trying to be political and he is just off his game here. He does show more of that verbal dexterity as he rhymes a bunch of words really quickly, but it is not as impressive here. 2/5

8. As I em- The beat on this thing is spectacular. It perfectly fits the moody tone of the song and Chester French is just killing that hook. Asher Roth sounds like Eminem and people accuse him of trying to copy Eminem. This is Asher addressing the topic. I was surprised to hear the song on the album, but I like it. Asher is being honest about how Eminem opened up doors, but is also defending himself and how different he and Eminem are. Lyrically Asher is at his top on this song. He not only rhymes well, but the lines actually have a point here. He uses different rhymes patterns, which works in a song about Eminem since Eminem is the master at that. This song shows flashes of Asher's ability to really make a name for himself as a rapper. I can listen to this song all day. 5/5

9. Lion's Roar- Asher Roth tries his hand at double time rapping. Double time rapping is not an easy task and I admire Roth for tackling it. The beat perfectly compliments the double time rapping and Roth is going along fine. The song is about sex, which is a good topic for double time rapping because double time rapping works better when rhyming short words quickly and a lot of words rhyme with bed, sex and girl. However, Roth makes a huge mistake by letting Busta Rhymes on the track. Very few rap in double time better than Busta. The guy released dope singles in double time rap and he makes Roth look bad the second he begins to tear the track in half. If you let Busta loose on a track, you gotta come much harder than Roth does. 3.5/5

10. Bad Day- For Ice Cube a good day was a day he did not have to use his gun. For Asher Roth a bad day is forgetting his iPod and having to be in a plane without it. Oh how different a life Asher lives. Asher shows himself to be a nice story teller as each verse builds on the worst day. Except as far as bad days go, this is kind of weak. Roth changes his flow and voice inflection for the song, which is a nice change of pace. I like the hook because the guy singing it is trying so hard to sell this idea of a bad day but then Asher comes in and he just cannot muster any real anger. Asher is just too cool to get too angry at anything. 3/5

11. His Dream- Asher takes on the role of narrator here. He is narrating the story of a man who is 50 years old and realizing life has passed him by. Roth feels very sincere with his voice and the beat is calm and kind of morose, both of which fit the mood. I am sure he is talking about his own father here, which is not a common thing in rap. Rappers are not always kind to their fathers, because so many of them were absent. The violins provide a nice second movement and Roth really seems to understand what his father gave up to make sure his kids have a better life and Roth's father described as a dream defender is a cool visual for me. 5/5

12. Fallin- This is the first song in rap music that I can totally relate to. Asher is giving a history of his life and how he came to being a rap fan and how it was not easy. Now, I did not go into rapping, but when Asher says "Even though I couldn't really relate, I kept listening, studying and stuffing my face." This is how I have always felt. The beat and hook give off an optimistic view of the world and Asher is having some fun with it all and lyrically he comes off pretty strong. It is a little too fluffy and I wish he had delved deeper, but with lines like "Ballpoint pen, mines spinning like a whirlwind/Getting on the mic, I'm a wizard like Merlin/Breaking barriers, tearing walls like it's Berlin" it is easy to forgive a lack of depth. 5/5

13. Perfectionist- I kind of feel like I should love this track more than I do. The beat sounds a little too raw or rough for Asher's voice and style. He does alright over it and the hook is dope and Beanie Siegel unleashes something fierce on it, but there is just something about the song I cannot get into. Asher comes correct on verse two, but this feels less like an album cut and more like a mixtape track. I just do not think it fits the album. Maybe that is my problem, as a song it is nice, but as part of a bigger project, it just sticks out from the rest of the album. 3/5

14. The lounge- This was actually the first song I ever heard from Mr. I love College. It is a bonus track on this album, but it was the song that got people talking a year or so again. The beat is very piano heavy and Asher is really trying to figure something out on this track. He begins "I got a question, what's a rapper look like?" Then he spends the rest of the song trying to answer that question by asking other questions. It was the perfect introduction to this gangly white kid who wears flip-flops and basketball shorts. He does not look like a rapper and he never will. However, if you can bring it, does it matter? Or, is he only getting press because he does not look like a rapper? We will never know, but I like that Asher is aware of the complications that come from looking the way he looks. 5/5

I have probably rated some of these songs higher than I normally would, but I like this kid. He does not seem to have aspirations above his skill set and he is "creating his own lane." He is attempting to change the idea of what and who a rapper is. That takes balls and it takes confidence, but Roth is also aware that he is a visitor in the world of hip-hop. he has the respect of rappers, but he also decided to make his album his way. You will not find a big time producer on it and only two guest appearances by people actually rapping. To do that in this era of rap is a big deal and should not be overlooked. I do not know if Asher has what it takes to be more than a one hit wonder or if he can outlive his gimmick, but on the European version of the album he trades rhymes with Slick Rick, so he must be doing something very right.

State of Play

There was a time when this movie was incredibly high on my radar. At that time, Tony Gilroy was the screen writer and Brad Pitt was the star. The strike happened, Pitt dropped and two other people took Gilroy's script and went over it. Russell Crowe came on board to save the movie, but my excitement was gone. I have nothing against Crowe or the new writers, Billy Ray and Michael Matthew Carnahan. In fact, Carnahan and Ray have both written movies I have liked with Carnahan having written The Kingdom and Lions for Lambs and Bill Ray having written and directed Breach and Shattered Glass. However, they are not Tony Gilroy and I worry any time a movie have rewrites. Yet, it had some things going for it, namely Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams and it had a story that I thought would be interesting.

Cal McAffrey(Crowe), with his unkempt hair, spare tire gut and messy car is the newspaper writer who believes int eh power of the written word. He is an intelligent investigative journalist with a disdain for blogs and on-line journalism. When he meets the paper's new blogger, Della Frye(McAdams) Cal is smug, condescending and rude. He is an old timer stuck in the old days. He has recently started writing a column on a shooting in which two men were shot by a professional killer. At the same time, a young woman is killed in a subway station. The young woman was working for Senator Stephen Collins(Ben Affleck) and it comes out that Collins and her were having an affair. McAffrey and Collins were college roommates and friends and soon McAffrey finds himself in the middle of a whole different story. Collins is currently chairing a senate hearing on a Private army that may be using illegal tactics and Cal is out to find everything he can that may help his friend and make the right story.

Russell Crowe has always been a better actor when he gets to get his hands dirty. When he is not concerned with image or concerned with playing someone who actually existed, Crowe is a master. He belongs in movies like this. He has been a leading man, but he never should have been. He is supposed to be a middle aged man with crazy hair and a bit of a gut. He is a character actor trapped in a leading man's brain. In this movie he is wonderful. At times funny, at times serious, but always invested in the story, Crowe turns this movie into a great thriller because of his cagey personality as Cal. Everyone else follows suit. Rachel McAdams gladly gives Cal the screen, but she stands up when she needs to. She really gets across Della's willingness to learn and to get better. Then you have Ben Affleck, another actor who is better suited for character roles. As Senator Collins, Affleck is tight and pulled together and gives away nothing until he absolutely has to. Affleck is going to have a much longer career as a supporting player and I think he is learning that. Then you have the lovely, sexy and charming Helen Mirren. Clad in tight sweaters, the ageless beauty is a fire cracker as the head of the paper.

Besides great performances, the film also works from a directorial stand point. The camera work is top notch, although may disorient people. The camera is not crazy shaky, save for the really disorienting opening, but the camera is not exactly stationary, either. What it amounts to is a camera that is bobbing up and down, not exactly like a first person P.O.V camera, but is bobs enough to give it the impression that the camera is not supposed to be there, or that we should not be seeing what we are seeing. The action is most effective in the parking garage, chase, but parking garage chases are always effective. What makes this one so much more effective is that Cal is running from a military man, which means Cal has no way of fighting back. he is truly just hiding to stay alive. The movie also takes time to build the story. It is never slow and boring, but it lets us breathe and gives us a chance to figure out what is going on.

Kevin McDonald, the director, has solved his problems from his last movie, The Last King of Scotland. The Last King of Scotland was muddled and edited so chopped up that it was not a coherent movie. This film aims to be a bit confusing, but it is never incoherent. This is made very clear by one scene in particular. Cal and Della have a key witness, played by Jason Bateman, in a motel and the scene is played in that moment, then played in the past through a television, and then it moves back to watching it as it happened, but played from the past. It makes sense in the moment and it actually works as a interesting story telling device. Plus, Bateman in his one scene knocks it out of the park. he is hilarious, scary and then in the most serious moment of his career, incredible at telling a serious story void of his usual snide comments. It is not only a very key moment in the story, it is done in an interesting way so it is not just some interrogation.

State of Play is the kind of thriller that will keep you wondering what is going on and it does throw a twist at the end, because that is what these movies do. I could have done without the romantic angle of Cal and the one that got away, but I am sure for some people it will add an element. It is good story telling, telling an interesting story and it finds time to lament the end of newspaper journalism in favor of gossip and unsubstantiated blogging. The acting is strong and the directing is interesting and effective. This is a nice pre-summer movie. It gives you something to chew on and takes you on a journey that is intense and interesting. It is hard to get mad at that.

Television recap (Apr. 19-25)

There were still too many reruns of shows I watch, so in order to get to ten I will double up on shows, yet again.

10. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon- I never catch an entire episode, but every so often I watch the show for a few minutes and I have to admit I liked Jimmy fencing with Jerry O' Connell. It was a nice funny moment and I think Fallon is finding a niche as the host who is game for anything. I think this comes from his background at Saturday Night Live, which called on him to be up for everything. Fallon lost the fencing match, but he did get the first point, which I am sure was unexpected.

9. Grey's Anatomy - Alex and George have always hated each other and this week it all finally erupted. The two actors really stepped it up and their verbal fight was highly intense and then the final moments with the two characters was equally nice. I am fairly certain we are losing George at the end of the season, which is too bad because when he was getting good story lines he really did well with them. This was a glimpse of that.

8. The Office- Well the arc of Michael with his own company finally comes to an end. I am not sure if I liked the storyline, but I liked Michael in it. The show so often plays up Michael as a clueless guy who could never have been a manager of a store for so long and these last few episodes showed that there was a time when Michael could really bring it and this week he brought it hard! Michael, with his company about to go under, finds a way to get Pam, Ryan and himself jobs back at Dunder/Mifflin. The episode was not as funny as some episode, but it was a great moment, nonetheless.

7. Scrubs- Anytime I get to see Elizabeth Banks on my screen, I consider it a good thing. This week we got Banks and Scott Foley. Foley and Braff have always had a funny screen chemistry as two guys who hate each other and that continued here. The funniest moment was when the two couples could not figure out how to sit as to make it not awkward. As Scrubs winds down, I find myself fully connected to the characters again, something that has been missing the last two seasons. I am kind of sad to see it go.

6. Supernatural- Fans were up in arms about this episode before it ever aired because it featured a previously unknown about 3rd brother. In television terms it is called a "Jump the Shark" moment. It is a single moment that destroys the whole show. The title of the episode was "Jump the Shark" but the episode was very serious, save for one reference to a Jump the Shark moment by naming the diner "Cousin Oliver's" which is a reference to The Brady Bunch's Jump the Shark moment. Well played Mr. Kripke.

5. Dollhouse- This week featured a really interesting story idea. A client dies, but finds life again as a doll. This led the head of security to question where it all ends. It also gave another reason for the Dollhouse to exist, which has become an important thing for Joss Whedon and company to do. However, the best moment in the episode came when Topher turns one of the dolls into a buddy. It is something he gets to do one time a year. I like the idea of it. he is a guy who loves his job so much, but it is more than full time job, so one day a year he gets to play. It provided some funny moments, but I think it really humanized Topher.

4. 24- At first I was unsure of keeping Jack on the sidelines because he is such an action hero. However, having him out of the action have shown us just how smart Jack is. We have always seen the flashes of Jack intelligence, but now as he watches everything unfold, he has to use only his brain to help. This moment was very evident when he went out in the field after Tony was shot and deduced very quickly that there had to be a second shooter. Jack Bauer is the single greatest U.S.A saver ever.

3. Supernatural- When Dean and Sam find out they have a third brother the brothers have very different reactions, but what I liked more is that they seem to be different reactions than they would have had early in the series. In Supernatural, the things that happen in the past continue to change the outlook of the brothers and I really like that. Whereas Dean was once single minded, Sam has become that now. Dean telling Sam that Dean was more like their dad was a very telling moment. I am really excited to see where this is going.

2. Chuck- One episode left in the season and this show is pulling out of all the stops. This episode was full of great things, but it all pales in comparison to Chuck and Sarah making out in bed. HOW HOT WAS THAT?? First off, it starts slow and sensual with the two waking up and holding hands, nice and slowly running their fingers over their hands and then BAM!! Hard core awesome rolling around in bed making out. Oh Chuck, way to finally make your move. The climax to the moment was depressing, but perfectly Chuck, but who cares, he was rolling around in bed with Sarah. Damn, dude. Just damn.

1. 24- I was trying to find a way not to spoil this for anyone who watches it on DVD, but I cannot find a way to do it. As Jack finally realizes what Tony did, the two men have a confrontation. However, Jack cannot keep it up as his seizures start to get the best of him. Jack has just lost his only friend left and on top of it, he is dying. Keifer continues it be amazing this season and what makes this more exciting is knowing that before this season is over Tony and Jack will meet again and my guess is Tony will not enjoy it one bit. No sir!

2009 Pre-summer movie bash!

There was a time when Memorial Day weekend marked the beginning of the summer movie season, well that is no longer the way it goes. Summer begins the first week in May. With the success of Fast and Furious, though, I would not be surprised if it actually starts sooner than that eventually. As usual, May is stacked, June is weak, July has monster movies and August has a potential hit or a potential miss. As has been my tradition, I will give the movies about which I am most excited, as well as some movies that do not excite me and some random thoughts. Enjoy and please let me know what excites you about the summer movie season.

The Ten movies I cannot wait to see:

10. G.I Joe- The teaser looks awful and I am not thinking it will be a great movie, but the little boy in me still wants to see it. It does not show up until August and will probably tank, but still, I am intrigued by the idea of a live action G.I. Joe movie, even if it directed by Steven Summers.

9. Drag me to Hell- The PG-13 rating has dampened my desire a bit, but the trailer plays so well on the big screen and Sam Raimi does creepy very well. The story is interesting and the visuals, especially during the exorcism look intense and cool. I hope it plays as well as some people think. I am cautiously optimistic.

8. The Hangover- This is kind of a wild card, because it stars 3 people that are kind of unknown to the general public and is kind of a rehash of Dude, Where's my Car? but I laugh every time I see the trailer, so that is promising. The studio has already commissioned a sequel, which is a great stunt and really makes the movie look more exciting.

7. Up- My excitement for this Pixar movie is lower than previous years because this movie looks more aimed at young people, like Finding Nemo. I still think it looks good, but the whole thing skews a little younger than Wall-E from last year. I am sure the animation is going to be super amazing, and that is always fun to see. I just worry about it being too young for my taste.

6. Star Trek- I really want to be much more excited about this than I am. J.J Abrams has done no wrong thus far and while I have never been a Star Trek fan, the teaser made me crazy excited. That being said, something just seems off about the whole project. I still want it to be awesome, but I am less interested now than I was last year. I think the delayed release lessened my excitement. I wanted it in December of 2008 like it was supposed to be!

5. Terminator: Salvation- This would be number 2 if I was sure it would be Rated R, but it looks like it is getting that PG-13 rating. I am worried about McG because his directorial efforts include BOTH Charlie's Angels movies, which is never good. Christian Bale as John Connor makes sense and to be honest, the trailers all look amazing, but still Charlie's Angels. NO!

4. Wolverine- I have gone back and forth on this movie for a few months. I am still very excited, but I have been watching the same trailer for three months and am kind of tired of it. Robbie has tried to dampen my spirits with reports from his stupid Ain't it cool News website, but Hugh Jackman is so awesome in the role and Gambit is finally here! Harry Knowles be damned, I want to see this and I want to see it now!

3. Funny People- yes, I worship at the altar of Judd Apatow. His way of mixing raw comedy with topics not typically considered perfect for raw humor gets me every time. I can like Sandler, I love Rogen and the supporting cast. Plus, Leslie Mann in all her smart sexiness, will be all over this movie. It looks more serious than his previous ventures, and I am okay with that. I worry a bit that the whole movie is blown in the trailer, but who won't love Erik Bana beating up Adam Sandler?

2. Public Enemies- Michael Mann makes gun battles better than anyone else. The only way his gun battles could be better was if they featured Tommy Guns. My wish is his command! Johnny Depp, finally breaking away from Disney looks so freaking cool holding a Tommy Gun and add Christian Bale to the mix and we have the new Heat! This movie should be so amazing, it should have some award potential at the end of the year.

1. Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen- So sue me, Michael Bay is the man. Transformers was an amazing summer spectacle. Why should this be any different? Shia and Megan sizzling up the screen, with like 40 robots, come on! The teaser is awesome, the trailer is awesome and this movie will rule all others this summer. This is exactly what I want summer movies to be. I want big explosions cool effects and sexy people. This is a guaranteed home run!

Five movies I will see, somewhat begrudgingly

5. Year One- I want to want to like this, but it just does nothing for me. I like the cast, well I can like Jack Black, and Michael Cera is always funny, but this kind of appears to be a mess. besides gripes with the actual history of it, it just does not bring the funny enough in the trailer to get me all excited.

4. Harry Potter 6- I have seen all of the others so I feel I need to see it, but after the debacle of HP5, I cannot get excited for it. The new trailer is actually pretty good, but as long as David Yates is directing HP, I will not be excited for it.

3. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past- I am such a sucker for Jennifer Garner and those amazing dimples. Plus, Emma Stone is doing a supporting comic role, so I am going to see it, but I will never be excited for a romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey.

2. The Ugly Truth- I feel like this could be good because I like Katherine Heigel and Gerard Butler. However, it is so basic and obvious what is going to happen. I will see it because Heigel has impressed me in the genre and she is super hot, so that is a plus.

1. Angels and Demons- I would probably avoid this at all cost, but we are playing it where I work, I get to see it for free. It looks even worse than The Da Vinchi Code, which is not an easy task. I do not know what Ron howard and Tom Hanks are doing in this piece of crap.

The One Movie I know I will not be seeing (otherwise known as The Will Ferrell syndrome)

Lost of the Lost- Nothing about this seems good. It even makes dinosaurs look uncool. My guess is the dinosaur actors did this strictly for the pay check. They would never work with Ferrell if they did not need to feed their family. Hollywood needs to make more dinosaur movies so these actors do not have to stoop to the Will Ferrell level. BAH!!!

Random Thoughts:

Meryl Streep has another summer movie in the mix. Is she summer box office gold? Is she the oldest summer draw, ever? Julie and Julia could be HUGE!

There was a time when movies could make money being R rated. The change to PG-13 is directly related to budgets, I believe. The more a movie costs, the more it has to make and a PG-13 Terminator can make more than an R rated Terminator can.

Taking of Pelham 123 just does not seem like a summer movie. I feel like I want it in November like most Tony Scott movies.

I should not want to, but I kind of want to see Night at the Museum 2. The trailer makes me giggle in all the right ways.

I feel like this summer has more romantic comedies than years past. I wonder if this is deliberate.

Amy Adams, Ryan Reynolds, Eric Bana, Christian Bale and Josh Duhemal are all starring in two summer movies this year. Will this be the year Eric Bana becomes a movie star?

I Love you, Beth Cooper could be an American Pie style hit, but probably not. Does Hayden Panatierre translate to the big screen? She is so tiny.

I am not interested in Bruno but the scene in the trailer where he is wearing a suit made of Velcro is pretty damn genius. Is it enough to get me to watch it, though? I do not know.

Finally, some under the radar movies I am anticipating: Away we go, 500 days of Summer, The Time Traveler's wife, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, All good things, Moon, Battle for Terra, Next Day Air and The Girlfriend Experience,


P.S. (Mostly for Robbie because he will ask) I did not include Inglorious Basterds because I do not count the very end of August as the summer movie season. Otherwise it would have been at the top of the list.

Crank: High Voltage (Spoilers)

Okay, allow me to begin with a disclaimer: I do not recommend this movie to anyone who did not love the first one. If you did not enjoy Crank, just do not pay any attention to this review.

In the very first trailer for Crank, the voice over from Chev Chelios(Jason Statham) said, "Today is the day I die." Before we even saw the first movie we knew he was going to die. HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE HAVE A SEQUEL?? Well, easy. Just look at the tag line for Crank: High Voltage "He died...but he got better." Problem solved! Look, this movie is aimed directly at a certain audience and it knows that. From the moment I heard they were making a sequel, I was hooked. Then when I heard what it was about, I was so excited, I could barely contain my excitement. I needed this movie in my life!

Chev Chelios(Statham) falls from a helicopter, bounces off a car, hits the ground and dies, or so everyone thinks. In reality he is literally scooped off of the sidewalk by the Chinese Triad gang, who want to harvest his organs. Chelios' heart appears to be superhuman for him to have survived the poison from the first movie. He wakes up right before they harvest his penis and escapes. His heart has been replaced by a battery and he has a battery pack attached to it. When that battery pack runs out he has an hour to live. Very early on his battery pack is damaged and he takes it off. Now in order to stay alive he has to keep electrically charging his body to keep the battery going. If he finds his heart his buddy, Dr. Miles is "reasonably sure he can put the heart back in." AWESOME! This sends Chelios on a chase from a guy with a red cooler, which Chelios believes holds his heart. Along the way he reunites with his sexy trashy girlfriend Eve(Amy Smart), has some very public sex at a racetrack, gets in many fights, kills a whole bunch of people and electrically charges his body in ways no one could imagine.

I wish I could just reproduce the script here to show the awesome brilliance of Crank 2. First off, everything in Crank gets upped by about 100% here. The two directors just throw everything possible at the audience and more often then not, it works. There is a character with full body turrets, so he is a joy. Bai Ling shows up as a foul mouthed girl who screams everything. There is a truly amazing flashback to a young Chev Chelios whose mom is played by Ginger Spice. Corey Haim shows up as a strip club owner looking for Eve. There is even a detached head somehow kept alive to the point where he can talk to Chelios. Any movie that can have a character utter a phrase like "Who has my heart" gets points, really. I mean what kind of movie has the audacity to have a character running running Los Angeles without a freaking heart??

Crank 2 is a movie that wonders what would happen if it was possible to make a live action cartoon. Things happen that could never ever happen to real humans but by treating Chev Chelios as a pseudo Bugs Bunny, we see flesh and blood people going through things only animated characters can go through. Or, you can look at Crank 2 as a satire (?) of sandbox video games like Grand Theft Auto. Crank 2 is showing ridiculous those types of games are, maybe? Who really cares, when the lead character is running around downtown Los Angeles looking for HIS HEART!! At one point, there is a protest going on and who is protesting, you ask? Well, Porn Stars want better benefits! Yes, Ron Jeremy shows up as himself as well as a few other "name" porn stars. Why is this? Who the hell knows, but it just adds to this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mentality.

If you go into this movie you know what to expect. You are watching super ridiculous things meant to be super ridiculous. You expect loony tunes style action, mixed with hardcore violence, seriously gratuitous nudity and one-line non-sequitors like "Chicken and Broccoli." You expect to see Dwight Yoakam deliver the line "Is Dr Miles gonna have to choke a bitch?" And to deliver it with such emphasis, you cannot help but get sucked into this crazy nuts world where a guy can be on fire and still be alive. The movie even gives a description of Chev Chelios as "He looks like the guy from The Transporter movies." Then at the very end when Chev Chelios is on fire and laughing he breaks the fourth wall looks directly us and flips us off. He does this as way to tell off all of those people who will complain about the lack of realism to be found in Crank: High Voltage. Flip them off indeed, Chelios. I can hardly wait for what you will do the next time out.

Final Grade: A. Seriously, an A. It is that awesome

Adventureland

I always like to watch movies featuring someone from a major movie phenomenon, in a role that is totally different and shows they can actually act. The new Star Wars trilogy had Natalie Portman and Hayden Christiansen, both of whom can act and have shown it numerous times, but Star Wars made them both suck. I was curious about Kristen Stewart because as bad as Twilight was, she did nothing to make it better. She was just as awful as everything else in that movie. I know that Adventureland was filmed before Twilight and Stewart has done some other things, but she will forever be the Twilight girl and that is unfortunate. Well, this movie gave her a chance to go and do something completely different and besides, it has a John Hughes feel and who doesn't love John Hughes!

After graduating from college, James(Jesse Einsenberg) finds himself unsure of what comes next. Well, he knows what he wants to come next, but his family is suddenly in financial trouble and he is left to work at a theme park to, hopefully, pay for Graduate School at Columbia. The summer theme park, Run by Bobby and Paulette (Saturday Night Live scene stealers Bill Hader and Kristen Wigg) is a kind of run down place where the employees "are doing the work for morons." James hates it at first, but soon it grows on him. he finds some friends, a guy to look up to (Ryan Reynolds) and a girl, Em(Stewart) James and Em kind of sort of date, but Em has serious issues and spends most of the movie keeping James at arms length. James has a nice supply of weed and he and his friends spend the summer smoking weed, getting drunk and discussing what life has to offer. No one is particularly happy and they get progressively less happy as the movie goes on. There is not much going on in terms of plot because Adventureland is a character study of life in the post college world.

Greg Mottola, who also directed Superbad, has created a very intimate movie, which is a total change of pace from Superbad. Superbad was an over-the-top exploration of high school sex and Adventureland is an exploration of college love. Mottola goes to great lengths in recreating the 19080s, including awesome and sucky music and great/awful hair. This story means a lot to him and it is steeped in the tradition of John Hughes. The connection is not just made because it is set in the 80s, but because he has an ear for smart young people. There are a lot of nice conversations about interesting things going on in the film and all of it sounds natural coming from the actors. Mottola deserves nice credit for that, but a lot of that falls with the actors, as well.

Jesse Eisenberg could be considered a poor man's Michael Cera, as it seems like Cera was probably first choice for this, but I like the subtly Eisenberg brings to James. Jesse has been doing dry wit for just as long as Cera, but he does not feel as detached as Cera when he speaks. Granted, Jesse is playing someone who is a bit detached, but you believe him when he believes he loves Em after such a short time. He has a sincerity in his performance that really plays perfectly with a soft spoken college grad with a love for Charles Dickens and Herman Melville. Kristen Stewart is also soft spoken and perfect in the role. She plays the insecurities of Em really well, but also plays Em's abrasive honest side in a very sincere way. Stewart loses all of that lame Twilight love to play a relationship that feels real. We have all had relationships or almost relationships like the one featured in Adventureland.

Also, the movie is very funny, but not in the way Superbad was. This film has humor that is more grounded, therefore the laughs are not so much big belly laughs, but subtle knowing laughs. The humor comes from the belief that the audience understands and feels what these characters understand and feel. There is an honesty to the whole story that comes through in the dialog and the scenarios. I believe that everything in this movie could actually happen and that is where Motttola mines his laughs. Also, Bill Hader and Kristen Wigg actually tone down their usual personas, but still find a way to be super funny. That is a testament to just how funny both of these people are. Bill Hader is too odd looking to ever be the leading man in a comedy, but he is going to be a force in comedy for a seriously long time.

Adventureland will probably turn some people off because of how much alcohol and weed is consumed, but I think the only way to get through working a whole summer at an amusement park, is to consume such products on a regular basis. The movie doe snot offer any unusual twists and you have a pretty good idea of where the story is going, but the fun of this movie is the journey. Even though the movie is set in the 1980s it feels very current and there is much in it that can be understood by anyone who has been 21 and unsure of what comes next.

Final Grade: A-

Television recap (Apr. 12-18)

With two of my shows off the air and another three on hiatus for the week, I am not sure I even have ten moments this week, so I am going to cheat and a few of my shows will have two moments.

10. American Idol- This week had the awesome Quentin Tarantino on, but the week sucked. The songs chosen by the singers were just so obvious and boring. The only person I actually loved this week was Kris Allen and his version of "Falling Slowly" from the film Once. He was the only person to emotionally connect to the song and to the movie, which Tarantino pointed out was probably the idea of this kind of challenge. Kris will probably come in second to Adam when it is all said and done, but he could have a nice career doing his Jason Mraz/Jack Johnson thing. Mostly, he gets kudos for not over singing a song, which is a rarity for a show like AI

9. The Office- I am still not sure I love the idea of two warring paper companies, but I enjoyed seeing Michael Scott at work this week. The man has survived in the business for 20 years and this week we got to see why. The man can flat out sell and his war with Dwight was funny, but mostly because Michael stayed sane while Dwight went crazy. The key moment was when Michael was trying to steal Dwight's client while leaving his phone on so Dwight could listen to the master work. Great stuff.

8. The Big Bang Theory- This week we actually saw the guys in a comic book store. The episode was full of great things, but the kicker had to be watching Penny maneuver around a comic book store. As she walks in all of the nerds inside the store freeze and stare at her. Leonard leans in and whispers "Don't worry, they are just as scared of you as you are of them" and Penny responds "I doubt it." The show has really figured out how to perfectly use Penny finally.

7. Scrubs- Part two of the weird wedding. Scrubs has had quite a ride and this season finds the show a lot more grounded in reality, which is nice. It has also gone back to the idea of one universal theme for all of the characters in an episode. The highlight this week includes an acoustic version of Andre 300's massive hit "Hey Ya." As that song plays the three main couples realize what love means and how they are supposed to work as a team to remain happy. Scrubs has never been afraid of getting a little sappy and I feel like all of the actors are earnest enough to make it work.

6. How I met your Mother- I know there are some people wanting this show to start moving on with Ted and a girl, but I am liking the idea of Ted starting his own business and stuff. However, his story this week was not the main attraction. With Marhsall worrying about getting fired he needs a gimmick to make him invaluable. As he and Barney think about it we are introduced to different invaluable guys: food guy, toy guy, etc. The best moment, though, was at the very end of the episode where the ninja shows up in the office and Barney says that ninjas have been known to infiltrate the building. What does Barney do???

5. Chuck- I will keep championing this show as long as it is on the air. This season has really caught fire and this week continues that trend, with awesome spy stuff, great humor and even a really good B-plot at the Buy More. However, this week's moment has everything to do with the music. First, a heavy assassin chases Chuck to the sounds of Duran Duran's Hungry like the Wolf, offering a very funny chase. Then during an awesome gun fight, we get Twisted Sister's "We're not gonna take it" blaring as Sarah lays down the law on a series of bad guys. I have always been a sucker for a girl who can kick my ass and Sarah continues that trend. The gun fight was an awesome combination of bullets, slow motion and a kick ass song. Chuck needs to be renewed!!

4. Lost- Miles finally gets his own episode. I enjoyed the flashbacks because it was a totally new experience and any time Marsha Thompson(Naomi)is on my screen I consider it a good thing. however, the moment I love happened on the island. With Miles and Hurley carpooling (To maybe stop Global warming before it happens) the two engage in a nice conversation about Star Wars. One thing I love about Lost is how they constantly form and change the dynamic of groups. Miles and Hurley, somehow, have connected in a funny way, recently. First they had the Back to the Future conversation and now they use Star Wars, which gives Hurley a great analogy with Darth Vader and Luke.

3. 24- With Jack dying, Kim returns and 24 gives us one of the longest scenes in the history of the show. It is also the quietest, most touching and heartbreaking scene in the series. So many people have hated Kim for so long, but it was nice to have her back. My guess is that she did not actually leave, but it still gave us a great scene. Keifer is such a talented guy at playing gruff, but in the quiet moments when Jack is reflecting about how much he has lost, Keifer really brings it and this week was no exception. Jack was okay with dying but now that he has seen his daughter it is going to make the whole thing much more difficult. Great stuff!

2. Lost- For weeks I have been missing Daniel Faraday. I have needed my nerdy scientist fix. I need the guy back who actually knows what is going on. After spending an hour with Miles, I was getting curious about Daniel and where he went. I knew he would be back in the past because of the quick flashback we had earlier in the season, but it was still so exciting to see him pop out of the submarine this week. It was also nice that he had that smug knowingly smile as he said hi to Miles. With so much going on that no one can seem to explain, Daniel is all knowing and I need that force to help figure out what the hell is going on.

1. 24- This show has made its mark on television with the unbelievable twist. Seasons 1 and 5 had these amazing jaw dropping, from out of nowhere twists that "changed the game." This season has had the usual mole and cool reveal of villains, but this week they dropped another major twist and I swear I never saw it coming. Triple crosses do not happen all that often. I had stopped worrying about the motives of Tony like 7 hours ago and then BAM! Plus, it marked the death of a character I was just starting to like, which should have been a clue that he was going to die.

Observe and Report

Often times a comic actor will slowly dip his foot in dramatic waters by taking a role that is funny, but serious as well. I know people did it before Robin Williams, but he seems to be the major pioneer of this, to me. Tom Hanks did it and never looked back. Jim Carrey followed their lead and has great success in the roles where he was funny, but also serious. Adam Sandler had critical success with it, but not monetary and Will Ferrell tried it without much success. It is a rite of passage for comic actors. Observe and Report looked, to me, to be Seth Rogen's foray into this transition. It might not look as risky as some of his predecessors because the comedy looks right up Rogen's alley, but Rogen's real appeal is that he is so insanely likable. he plays big lovable guys. He plays guys with big laughs and big hugs. In that respect, Observe and Report looked very much like a departure.

Ronnie Barnhardt(Rogen) is the head of mall security in a mall that has been hit with two major offenses in 1 week. First, women are terrorized by a streaker with a foul mouth. Second, the store is robbed. Barnhardt is a Bi-Polar man with an exaggerated sense of self and a serious attitude problem. He believes he deserves the hottest girl so he is "in love" with Brandi(Anna Farris) and he does not trust the cops who come to check out both cases. Ronnie plans to take the law into his own hands and serve justice Barnhardt style. Ronnie abuses his power and longs of being able to use a gun on the job. Eventually Ronnie decides he needs to be on the police force. After failing the psych exam, Ronnie really loses it. he is not at all helped by his mother, an alcoholic prone to passing out in the middle of conversations. If you thought Ronnie was misogynistic, racist, violent and crude before, wait until he gets really pissed.

Jody Hill is an up and comer in the field of directing comedy. Observe and Report shows that the man is not looking to make funny movies just for the sake of being funny. It is a violent, mean-spirited, vulgar and depressing film. It has a scene that borders on date rape, it has an extended scene of insane drug use that leads to some pretty funny and dark antics. It takes a place, a mall, which typically is thought of as an All-American wholesome place and turns it into an empty shell, where souls go to die. And it is freaking brilliant. Hill might be a bit derivative of the directors who shaped him, but he understands what made those directors work. His use of Quentin Tarantino's slow motion poses and slow motion violence is so spot on, Tarantino should be proud. Hill also uses another Tarantino staple, making his entire score song based. There is not original music in the movie, but the songs are used perfectly. Queen has never been set to such an awesome moment. Hill is obviously in love with the violent epics that made the 1990s so awesome and his ability to use them and not have them look bad, is a testament to his talent. I am sure a film class could debate what it means when Tarantino, the ultimate borrower, is being borrowed from, but what cannot be debated is that Tarantino's 1990s vision is still important.

Rogen, for his part, dives right into this disgusting character. I am not sure how we are supposed to feel about the man when the movie is over, but I did not like him. I know we are supposed to have a character to root for, but I like that this movie did not have one. Rogen quickly rids himself of that likability and cuddly persona and spends the rest of the movie relishing the freedom that comes from being liked. He handles all of the material quite well and he is very believable as a man at the end of his rope with humanity. He is betrayed by two people he loves and Rogen does his best to place those in the eyes of a Bi-Polar maniac. Ronnie really believes he is doing right and Rogen plays it just right. Farris also makes a nice change of pace. She typically plays such likable and perky cute girls that to see her play a whoreish girl who drinks too much and vomits on herself is an interesting twist. She does a really job with it, even though she does not have much to do. I would venture to say she gets the most laughs. Ray Liotta is doing his usual quick to explode thing, but no one yells better than Liotta. He also sells the F word better than most.

Observe and Report is very funny, but the laughs are often times followed by exasperated gasps or head shakes. The comedy is not meant to entertain as much as make the audience implicit in the crimes and dirty deeds these characters engage in. There is a fight sequence with Rogen holding a flashlight that feels right out of a crazy action movie, but it also gets laughs until it goes to far, then it takes on a whole different meaning. I think that is the biggest thing this movie does; it finds a laugh and then tweaks it so it takes on a whole other meaning. One character even says "Well, I am going to go. I thought this would be funny, but it is just sad." That line can kind of sum up the movie. The movie spends the first 45 minutes setting you up with semi-harmless laughs and then BAM! Drugs, date rape, penis, guns, violence and seriously dark territory. Jody Hill has made a serious impression on me as a post-Tarantino-post-modern director with a real dramatic flare for changing an entire scene with one line or one shot. I would not be surprised if Observe and Report is the result of Jody Hill locking himself in a room with Tarantino films and Eminem music, for this film felt like the embodiment of the spirit of those two men and their art.

Final Grade: A

Sunshine Cleaning

Entertainment Weekly recently did a list of 50 stars they would watch in anything. I believe Amy Adams was on their list, and she is 100% on my list. This young actress has quickly become a favorite of mine combining peppy energy, youthful enthusiasm and a steely resolve to every character, Amy Adams is just so much fun to watch in anything. If you do not believe me go watch Cruel Intentions 2. The movie is awful, but you cannot stop watching her. With this knowledge, it does not really matter to me what the movie she is in is about, or who else is in it. This time around, though, she is with Alan Arkin in a movie that looks like Little Miss Sunshine, so it is essentially a win-win.

Rose(Adams) is a single mom trying her hardest to make a good life for her and her odd son. She gets help from her sister, Norah(Emily Blount) and her father(Arkin), but she is unfulfilled. She works for a maid service during the day and takes real estate classes at night. She is also having an affair with a police officer(Steve Zahn) who was her high school sweetheart. Living in the town where she was raised, Rose ends up cleaning the house of a former classmate, who is now married and pregnant and Rose cannot take this life anymore. She needs a change. The police officer tells her that cleaning up after crime scenes is a good racket. Rose pulls her resources and with her sister, starts cleaning up after crime scenes. The business is making her feel better and more productive, but the job is messy. She is an optimist and says that her job is helpful and that she comes into people's lives when they need help the most. As if she cannot clean up her life, but she can provide help for other people.

It is hard to make a movie that features so much suicide, a comedy. The material is just not funny enough for the bright and cheery title, or the kind of comedy the movie is trying to go for. I loved the performances and Amy Adams especially. Adams fully dives into the role and she is rewarded for her efforts with a winning, charming and heart breaking performance. There are a few moments of pure gold between her and Emily Blunt. Everyone does their best with the material, but I feel like the movie would have been better if it toned down the quirky attitude towards everything. The son is weird just to be weird and the Arkin character is a sort of salesman, just because he needs something quirky to do. I felt like much of the quirkiness of Little Miss Sunshine had a point. Here, it is quirky just to be quirky. That being said, there are some genuine laughs to be had at the circumstances and those laughs are properly milked to their full potential.

Indie movies have taken a sharp turn for the quirky and it has hit and miss like properties inherently, and Sunshine Cleaning misses more than it hits, sadly. I wanted the movie to give me something deeper and darker in dealing with cleaning up suicides, as the two sisters are revealed to have witnessed the suicide of their own mother. The connections were not deep enough or well developed enough. The music is appropriately indie and the camera work looks the way you imagine it should, but there is a better movie in this subject. The story is ripe for thoughts about life, death and growing up, but they are sacrificed for a vomit joke or a kid licking a wall just to be weird.

Amy Adams is not hurt by this movie, in fact, she rises above it many times and proves once again that she is infinitely watchable. She is still a little more bubbly than I think this character would be, but in the moments when she breaks down, we get the goods. I really loved her breakdown to the one armed man who worked at the supply store. In those moments I saw a better movie than I was watching. In the end, good performances and interesting subject matter fall by the way side as the writer and director try far too hard to copy the indie movies that birthed this kind of sub-genre of quirky dramedies. Boo.

Final Grade: C+

television recap (Apr. 5-11)

I know I am a day late here, but I did not get the chance to watch Lost until this morning and felt I needed to hold off until I had seen it. So, without further waiting, here are last week's top 10 television moments.

10. Jimmy Fallon- I have yet to sit through an entire episode of the show because I am not one for the late night talk shows, but I stumbled upon a segment early in the week with Cameron Diaz. First off, The Roots are his house band, which is beyond incredible. He and Cameron had a funny dance off while The Roots played original tunes. Diaz won with her hip shaking, but Fallon and Diaz had a nice chemistry and I think Fallon is settling into things.

9. Saturday Night Live- Zac Efron turned out to be a pretty good host. He did not set ablaze the comedy world, but he was charming and willing to do everything asked of him. The highlight was the HSM parody where Troy Bolton comes back to East High and tells all of the graduating seniors that there is no singing in college. The sketch is funny for musical geeks, but I liked it because Zac was hitting in issues with Zac not Troy. Will we accept Zac as someone who has moved on from HSM, or will he have to go back to Disney forever?

8. Reaper- Is Sam giving into the idea of the Dark Side? I do not know, but I am liking where this episode took the show. I have grown tired of Sock and his step sister flirting and am glad they finally did the deed and I saw the end coming a mile away, but this episode was made worth it by the fact that Ben was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice because he thought he lost the girl he loved. Part of the best thing about this show is that the 3 guys have very distinct personalities and Ben being the softer guy, it made sense.

7. Scrubs- As the final season starts to wind down, it is time for J.D. and Elliot to have issues. I liked the way they brought up the issues by putting the whole cast in an exotic locale. I am not sure how so much of a hospital staff was able to get away for a fake wedding, but whatever, it is Scrubs. This season has had less of the crazy daydreams and focused more on the reality and the J.D./Elliot love story has been a pretty grounding force throughout the run of the show. The moment at the bar made the episode as it showed how differently J.D. and Elliot think in terms of love. Of course, a scene featuring Elliot in a bikini in slow motion runs a close second.

6. 24- I am not sure how long I want Jack on the sidelines in all honesty. I like that Tony is running around making things happen, but I need Bauer Power!! With Bauer nursing his life threatening chemical agent, Tony infiltrates and finds the chemical weapons, but is it in time? I am confused as to where this story can go from here. This season seems to have gone off the typical short arcs building to a bigger arc, all of a sudden. I could be wrong, of course. The best moment came as Jon Voight, in all of his villain-like glee, gives the President an ultimatum. Good television!

5. Chuck- This episode really makes me hope this little show of awesomeness will get renewed. it was so packed with everything that makes it wonderful. First off, Scot Bakula as Chuck's dad was totally perfect. Bakula should find a way back on network television. I loved it. Then Chevy Chase as the villain was also cool. However, the coolest moment was Chuck, clad in spy gear, shooting knock out darts into Casey and Casey stumbling and slurring how badly he was going to kill Chuck. I need this show to keep going!

4. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles- Whether this is the season or series finale I do not know. What I do know is that all of my fears about where the show would go without Derek were eased by the truly awesome final scene. Cameron is gone, John and his mother are now in two different times and John is in the future, as a young John. I am not sure how they will go forward, but I like where they left things. The finale had guns fights, a prison break and John and Cameron hotness on a bed. So what if she is a Robot. She is Summer Glau. YUMMY!

3. Dollhouse- This was another exceptional episode from the Dollhouse team. I liked that we saw everyone's story, in a sort of overlapping method and any show that opens with Eliza Dushku as a dominatrix gets automatic points in my book. Sierra has totally grown on me as a sexy and smart female and Echo, is still awesome. The scene that started as an interrogation and ended in a fight, stole show because it was awesome and because it provided a twist I truly would have never seen coming. I am going to miss the character, but I think it was a good move in terms of story telling.

2. Friday Night Lights- Another great season finale in the books. I am so freaking glad this show has been renewed for two seasons because I think they set up the next two seasons perfectly in this finale. There are so many great moments starting with the 5 month spanning montage to open things and then the wedding party giving every character a moment to shine at the end. Picking one moment to highlight is tough, but I am going with Coach Taylor's quiet, gentle but firm plea for his job. Kyle Chandler is one of those actors who says more with his face than many can say with words and this moment really drove that home.

1. Lost- Speaking of actors who can say a lot with their face, Michael Emerson as Ben Linus continues a master class on acting over at Lost. The show is finally back on track this week with an awesome episode full of pulpy weirdness, cool story twists, and a brutally quick and intense fight. Lost is always better when John Locke in confident and in charge. His aloof arrogance is awesome in this episode as he leads Ben to a Smoke Monster trial. Picking one moment is again tough, but I think I will go with John and Ben having their first conversation. Emerson and Quinn are masterful in their facial expressions as these two island leaders try and figure out what the other knows.

With Terminator and Friday Night Lights ending their seasons, I am going to probably pick up Harper's Island and either Southland of The Unusuals depending on which pilot I like better.

Also, The Office would be my pick for worst of the week. Neither new episode really did anything for me, which makes me sad.

The art of Trailers

Most people complain about the amount of trailers that appear before a movie; they suck. There is an art to the trailer. There are ways to do it right and wrong and often times the genre of the film can be the device on hwo to judge a trailer, but there are rules to how they should go. What follows will be many trailers and some breaking down of what works and what does not work. I do this mostly because it is something I have thought a lot about and it is my blog and I can do whatever I want. Also, I mention trailers often in my reviews and this will provide the framework for those types of discussions.

Rule #1: Show just enough

The Matrix: We kind of know what the movie is about, but not so much that we do not need to see the movie to understand. There is a ton of action and a few philosophgical questions posed. This is what we need to want to see the movie. For 2 minutes and 30 seconds I desperately need to see this movie.



Snake Eyes: Everything is going okay until the 1:57 mark when they show way too much by giving away what would have been a twist. Why do I need to see this thrillers when the big thrill has been spoiled for me?



Rule #2: (For action movies) Never give us your best stunt/sequence/explosion in the trailer! Of course, we cannot know this happened until after the movie. So, the disgust is retroactive.

Superman Returns: This is the biggest offender of this. At the 2:20 mark pretty much the coolest thing happens and it made me need to see the movie because how much cooler woudl the rest of it be. WRONG! It was the single best moment in the movie and they blew it. It was the peak and I got it before entering the movie



Rule #3: Misleading the audience. This is another one that is essentially retroactive, because we cannot really know we have been misled until the movie is over.

Gran Torino: The trailer makes the movie look like a revenge movie. It looks like a movie full of violence and leads me to believe CLint is going to somehow kill all of the gang members. The movie is not about that at all!



Rule #4: Music choice. This can actually make or break a trailer, really. There are many examples of good and bad music choice in a trailer.

The Last House on the Left(2009): When I reviewed it I already made mention of the song, but it is a perfect song choice. The song is moody and somber, so it only hints at the violence and the vocals are slow and drawn out, like torture. It is also a song about love, which works as a juxtoposition for the carnage, but also works becuase the parents do this out of love.



Miami Vice: There will be people who disagree with me on this one because there is a way to look at it that the song fits. However, Michael Mann has no business having Linkin Park as music in his films. To me, the hybrid of Jay-Z/Linkin Park suggests something different than Miami Vice. Maybe my perception of a Miami Vice movie is different from what it should be to begin with.



Rule #5: Do not give away your funniest material, while still being funny. (applies to comedies or action comedies) This is very similar to the action sequence rule.

Superbad: The trailer offers tons of laughs, but it barely scratches the surface of the comedy held within the nearly two hours of the movie. Plus, it gave us McLovin which is hilarious and needed to be in the trailer.



Anger Management: All of the funny to be had in this movie can be found right here in this trailer. The other stuff not in this trailer is not at all funny.



Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox story: It is possible this movie is funny, but you cannot tell that from this trailer.



So I thought I would show 1 perfect trailer and 1 possible perfect trailer to recap and show how these things all can work together. I am not going to pick obvious ones liek The Dark Knight or something epic like that because it would be too easy. Also, it is purely a coincidence that Seth Rogen stars in both.

Pineapple Express: First off, it shows some funny stuff without showing the funniest stuff. Next, it gives good action, but does not show the most epic stuff. It gives us an idea of what the movie is about but still leaves me wondering things, which is always good. Lastly, it has the perfect song.

Offensive language WARNING



Observe and Report: This movie looks so dark and funny at the same time, which makes me really want to see it. it has a perfect song to match the voice over stuff. Now, it could all be misleading, but for now, it is perfect. It makes me laugh and cringe, and I need to see where it is all going. The song I mean starts at the thirty second mark.




One last trailer I want to show and mention because this si the trailer that really spawned this entire conversation that began in my head. The music is perfect and visually it looks amazing, but it has no story clues at all. yes, I am dying to see it

Where the Wind Things Are


I know this is not an all inclusive list and I know that not everyone will appreciate the artistry of the trailer, but I like them because they can lead me to things like this.

Fast & Furious

I want to begin by saying I am a fan of this franchise. I do not know why, but the first 2 are movies I enjoy. I need to say this because the criticism that follows is not because I think these movies are repulsive or stupid. Well, I do think they are stupid, but in a big fun stupid kind of way. I very much wanted to enjoy the movie and when I was done watching it, I was so sure everyone would feel that way I did. They did not. People love it, so I am in the minority, but just know, I did not go into the movie thinking I would hate it, or wanting to hate it.

A big deal was made about the original 4 stars coming back. We get to see some of this right off the bat, as Dom(Vin Diesel) and Lettie(Michelle Rodriguez) are part of a team that is trying to steal gasoline from a massive gasoline truck that happens to be alone on a giant stretch of highway. The heist ends in a big explosion and Dom believes the team needs to split up and he needs to leave Lettie because the heat on him is too high. he leaves her. We then catch back up with Brian (Paul Walker) who is somehow an F.B.I. agent. he is chasing a guy through a street and gets name off of him. We catch back up with Dom after Lettie is killed and Dom must come back to America. Dom is after Lettie's killer and Brian is after a giant drug kingpin. What were the odds this was the same person? What were the odds this kingpin needs street racers! This is the perfect set up for a series of chases, gun fight, fist fights and explosions, right? WRONG! This turns out to be the perfect set up for a drama so wrought with homoerotic tension, the Volley ball scene in Top Gun got jealous.

I am sure I am supposed to begin with a joke about the definite articles being eliminated from the title, but I want my joke to be about the title. I want my joke to go like this: "Fast and Furious?, yeah right more like sort of speedy and kind of reckless." It is not a very good joke, but this movie does not deserve a good joke. This movie has everything it needs to be awesome: Fast cars, guns, Vin Diesel's arms, hot chicks and faster cars. How could they possibly screw it up? Well, with a movie that runs 110 minutes, there should have been twice as much action. First off, the entire opening sequence should have been awesome, but they broke a cardinal Kyle sin: They blew it all in the trailer! If something is the best thing you have, do not give it away in the trailer! ARGH! Second, there are only two actual car chase scenes. They are both pretty awesome, but only 2? And I had to wait until the very end to get one of them. Third, why give us a potentially confusing story. We do not care, we just want to watch Vin Diesel tear guys up. He does not get angry enough for me, here. The dude has tree trunks for arms and he should be swinging those bad boys more often. Even in terms of guilty pleasure, Fast and Furious disappoints. Some of the cheesy lines exist, but there is nothing as classic as "I live my life a quarter mile at a time."

I do not want to leave anyone with the impression that it is all worthless, because the climatic chase through a long tunnel is pretty cool and that chase has a satisfactory ending and the chase earlier through the streets of Los Angels has some really cool stuff and I liked the way the GPS was used to maneuver us through the 4 cars in that race. Also, everyone is is extremely hot. Diesel looks more buff than ever, Walker is still pretty, Michelle Rodriguez, in her one scene looks great and Jordanna Brewster looks great in clingy sweaty sun dresses. Also, the cars are sexy looking and the girls used as set dressing all have banging curves. I am sure people will love/hate all of the homoerotic tension between Diesel and Walker. I kept waiting of them to just kiss and get it over with. it is all very sweet. They are so Bromantic I expect Judd Apatow to make a movie starring them.

However, the most disappointing thing about Fast and Furious is that I did not get to go with Erik and we did not get to ask for tickets to 4 Fast 4 Furious. Hopefully we will get to do it for 5 Fast 5 Furious!

Final Grade: C-

The Class (Entre les murs)

Anytime a movie spends a 10 minute scene with a bunch of students trying to figure out the proper tenses of words like "to swim," it is probably a given that I will like that movie. The Class is that movie. Based on the memoir of a real life teacher (who wrote the script and stars as the teacher) The Class is a small, intimate portrait of a middle school classroom in France. Francois teaches French to a group of kids who are mostly immigrants, for whom French is not their natural language. He gets along with his fellow teachers, he has a smart lesson plan and a very good idea of who his kids are and what his kids can do. As this movie shows, though, none of that matters once the kids are sitting in class. Lesson plans often get thrown away in favor of keeping up with the questions kids have, or have to be put away to deal with some problems in the classroom. Francois is liked by the students generally, but he is firm. he does not allow students to slack off, because he believes in them. The job is frustrating though and The Class really shows how frustrating it can be.

The Class features a host of young people, who are first time actors and who went through a grueling audition and improvisation process. Because of this, the kids are raw and the dialog feels like real things kids this age would say. The film feels less like a movie and more like a documentary. I know that is semi-common these days with movies, but there is not a real actory feel to any of the performances. I do not want to make that sound like a bad thing. I mean, the emotions are there and the anger can be very palpable, but it does not feel fabricated. There are young people who do not articulate the way you'd like them to on screen, but I think that adds to the idea that these are not actors. I would not want every movie to utilize this concept, but it works for a movie like this.

Of course I am going to like a movie that is all about words and how to understand them and use them. It should come as no surprise that a movie that has a long conversation about when to use formal and informal language registers nicely with me. I think the movie can be appreciated by people who are not word nuts like I am, but I am not sure. My movie going partner did not seem to enjoy the movie the way I did. I know it was not because of the very anti-Hollywood ending, because he is not like that, so maybe this movie is best viewed by people who want to be teaching in a classroom or who already do teach in a classroom. Luckily for me, I am that person.

Final Grade: B+

Television recap (Mar.29-Apr.4)

10. Scrubs- This is a weird season because every actor has to not appear in at least two episodes to keep costs down. This episode gave most of the actors a break while giving us time to examine the friendship between Turk and Elliot. I like these two together as friends and this episode did a really good job of mixing the funny and the serious. The interns have officially grown on me, but the show is ending soon, so I am trying not to get too attached to the whole thing. Highlight: Turk throwing a fit because J.D went to Disneyland without him.

9. Lost- This was about as bad as this show has been in like two years. It turns out I really do not care at all about Kate and will actually grow to hate her if Sawyer backslides and revisits his feelings for her. I like that Jack is furthering his transition into the new Locke by believing the Island takes care of things the way it wants. Also, they solved a lot of Ben related problems, which is good, I guess. I could have done without any of the non-Island stuff because Kate is just boring for me. I know I was supposed to feel something when she said good-bye to Aaron, but I do not. Also, a big deal was made about no one else raising Aaron and I need them to bring that back up. Highlight: Miles and Hurley having a conversation about what time is doing and how it operates. It was funny and informative.

8. Chuck- Tricia Helfer stops by as a new handler for Chuck! No! Sarah needs to be Chuck's handler, but Chuck goes all romantic with Chuck and the higher ups do not think it is a good idea. This episode was good because it really brings home the idea of Chuck as a sort of superhero. He has this big secret and he cannot tell his family and so everyone suffers. Plus, Tricia Helfer dressed as a sexy cop and did a pole dance. Still, Sarah remains the heart of this show and she risked her job to help Chuck. I do believe this Orion storyline is not as finished as they want us to think, but I am worried this show will not get proper closure. Highlight: Casey and the Helfer character are all business and the show used the scene of them cleaning their guns together as a sort of sex scene. Funny stuff, kudos!

7. American Idol- Lady GaGa is insane and I am starting to like her. She started the song all slow and stupid, but with clear vocals and then sang Poker Face the way it was meant to sung, and sounded awful! It was so weird. Anyway, I love her like Post-Post-Modern take on performing. It is like she is doing Britney doing Madonna. It is just crazy enough for me to be fascinated by the whole thing. I like that she is a rich girl who used to be a stripper just to be a stripper and even her name is growing on me on some childish nonsense level. Oh, the girl has serious ass too, at least in that outfit she did. Highlight: The zipper thingy over her left eye. Chick is just strange, but polished, which is awesome.

6. 24- Jack Bauer is on the sidelines dying for his country! Of course, he cannot die because the show has at least one more season, but Keifer is selling the hell out of this. Jack is putting up a brave front, but I keep waiting for that breakdown that he finally gave his life for his country. He sacrificed himself to save thousands. On top of everything else Jon Voight is totally rocking the villain role. He is melodramatic with just the right style of over-the-topness. Tony is back with a bigger role which is awesome and Larry Moss has finally understood what Jack Bauer is all about. Highlight: The final moments with Federal agents facing off with Starkwood. AWESOME!

5. Dollhouse- This felt like the end of a chapter, which was cool. I liked seeing the dolls in their actual personalities and the blossoming romance between Sierra and Victor is cool. I like that the romance is not with the main actress. It was a cool episode because it gave us back stories without needing slide into full flashbacks and it provided a reason for these people to sign up for the Dollhouse. Are they being paid for it? I know I am in the minority of fans, but I like Topher and think he provides an interesting thematic notion of playing God. Highlight: The fact that the whole plan was the doctor's. I did not see that coming at al.

4. Terminator- This is super high on the list this week because the show had the balls to kill off the best part of the show and they did it in the first 20 minutes and did it so quickly and unceremoniously. I am not sure I am going to care much about the show after this week, but I have to give it props for doing this. The show is not assured a third season, so I have a hard time mustering the energy to concern myself with the whole thing, but I enjoyed this episode. I am finally thinking the whole John Henry plot is going to pay off, which is good because I think so much more could have been done there. This show is at its best when it forgoes with the end of the world stuff and just focuses on what is happening at that moment and this episode had a lot of that. Highlight: Cameron laying the smack down on another Cyborg. She kicks so much ass.

3. Friday Night Lights- The team lost State, but did it in nailbiting and awesome fashion. Down 27 at half, Coach Taylor makes some changes, gives a speech and awesome things happen. Matt leads the team to 28 unanswered points! Landry leads the way with a huge block and Landry also kisses Tyra! Is Tim Riggins done with football? Was him leaving his cleats on the field symbolic of that? Coach and Joe McCoy are heading for some serious issues. Most importantly, THE SHOW WAS RENEWED FOR TWO SEASON!!! Coach Taylor's speech after the game gave me my usual end of episode tears. They really are all champions in my book. Highlight: Riggins and Saracen playing Frisbee is a moment of pure innocent joy between two guys who should have had more screen time together.

2. How I Met your Mother- After watching this on Monday I was convinced this would be my favorite thing all week. That is how good it was. Ted has a Murtaugh list. A Murtaugh list is a list of things he is too old to do and it is named after Det. Murtaugh of Lethal Weapon. That concept is so indicative of this show and how awesome it is. All week I have been trying to write my own Murtaugh list. Barney decides he needs to do everything on the list, which leads to NPH with Pink hair in rave clothes. In exchange, Ted has to do all of the things old people do, which Ted thinks is awesome because he wants to be an old man. Barney's exchange with the laser-tag boss was also absolutely hilarious, in mock cop fashion. Highlight: Barney pathetically on Ted's couch with his pink hair, rave clothes and pussing ear finally admitting defeat.

1. Supernatural- Erik recently asked me if I had to choose one show to watch what would it be and I answered "Supernatural." This episode is totally why it would be my one show. This episode starts off in hilarity as Sam and Dean discover books have been written about the lives and the show gets very META as the boys discover fandoms and fan fiction and mention how disgusting "slash-fic" is because they are brothers. Also, the creator of the show finds a way to apologize for bad episodes and all other kinds of META things. However, right at the half way mark, one sentence turns the episode into something very serious. Supernatural has that ability and it never seems forced. Castiel gets to do more helping Dean stuff and we learn that the book of Winchester is being written. Highlight: Dean saying "I am sitting in a Laundromat reading about me sitting in a Laundromat, reading about me..My head hurts."


I purposely avoided the series finale of E.R. this week because at some point, I will watch the whole series and kind of want the finale to be as much of a surprise as something can be these days with the Internet.