KNOCKED UP
In the same vein of the hilarity that is ABC's "Notes from the Underbelly," this film explores the trauma that comes along with an unexpected pregnancy for two under-qualified strangers, Katherine Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy") and Seth Rogen (The 40 Year Old Virgin), who had a one night stand. Playing their life support are actors who are known for being designated best friends: Leslie Mann (Big Daddy), Paul Rudd (The 40 Year Old Virgin), Jason Segel ("How I Met your Mother"), Jonah Hill (Accepted), Jay Baruchel ("Undeclared"), and Martin Star ("Freaks and Geeks"). Like I mentioned last week, there's a lot of faith in Rogen and his ability to turn out a great comedy, as he's done before in supporting roles. I've always seen him as a meathead, but after this role of playing the nearly retarded, emotionally-challenged, and unambitious counterpart to Heigl's independent hottie, he just might broaden that perspective. And while Rogen's future is promising, it seems he's more interested in paving the way for the future frat pack, who may be lead by none other than Jonah Hill, his young doppleganger. Hill will be costarring in Rogen's next writing venture Superbad, after being in One Part Sugar with his fellow brother in comedy Justin Long (Accepted) and alongside Rogen's good friend Steve Carrell in Evan Almighty. Watch both actors this weekend to see history in the making. Or...just go see Heigl get half naked.
MR. BROOKS
Kevin Costner shrugs off his former reluctant heartthrob rep and dons a creepy serial killer persona in this mystery thriller starring Demi Moore, the diligent cop, Dane Cook, the snooping photographer, and William Hurt (The Good Shepherd), Brooks's confidant. Costner has alluded to the idea that if this film is successful, he intends on making the character a part of a saga or trilogy of films. However, if it were to do well it would also mean a lot for his costars--Moore would have fully recovered from the slump she's endured since her hiatus and Cook will have successfully stepped into a new genre. But is it worth the ticket price? I'd say it's probably more gripping than Perfect Stranger...so, maybe it won't suck? The fact is: Women go see Costner cause they think he has that eternal Clooney hotness and watching him be merciless is probably not all that appealing. But if you happen to be interested in the story then you might want to discover how this particular serial killer manages to kill his victims without leaving a trail (kind of like Fracture), how Moore's taunted by him (kind of like Hannibal), and how his daughter (Danielle Panabaker, from Yours, Mines and Ours) will react when she slowly pieces together the truth about her father (like in The Glass House). It may not be original content, but maybe it'll have an original ending.
DAY WATCH
I know the previous two films have been getting more press than this one, but this Russian indie will surely be an underground sleeper hit that'll be just as under appreciated as last year's District B-13. Even though I didn't watch all of the Matrix films, I'd say that this action film puts the trilogy's special effects to shame. Russian director Timur Bekmambetov is making his American debut this year with two films: Wanted with Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Common, and 9 with Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, and Jennifer Connelly. He's most certainly one to watch. This action sci-fi/horror/action flick is a sequel to Night Watch. But don't be discouraged. Even if you don't get to watch the first--like Blade and even Die Hard--there's no real prior knowledge necessary. It, like Children of Men, deals with a post-apocalyptic world. A man who's stuck in the midst of a war between the forces of Light and Dark discovers something that'll restore Moscow to what it once was. Too philosophical for you? Watch the trailer and the sick driving that goes on in the end--making Vin Deisel look like he was operating a tricycle in The Fast and the Furious--and you'll be swayed.
RISE: BLOOD HUNTER
If you want a more dumbed down action flick, then Lucy Lui's latest will do the trick. As a result of being written and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez (Snakes on a Plane, Gothika), this vampire movie is grounded more in realistic locations, wardrobe, and personalities than say Underworld or Blade. The premise revolves around a cop that is raped and murdered by a vampire couple played by Brit James D'Arcy (Mansfield Park) and Carla Gugino ("Entourage"). After she wakes up in the morgue, hellbent on revenge, they try to convince her that she must accept what she is now. But like every involuntary vampire, she'd rather be dead. Unfortunately, there literally is no life in Lui during the trailer, so I doubt her performance will be any more impressive. Other than the lesbian kiss, I don't really see anyone finding a reason to watch it.
GRACIE
I know you've probably seen your share of underdog sports films from Rudy to Radio, but just give this one a chance. Amanda Bynes had a similar story in She's the Man, which I thought was hilarious. But, this is a true tale about a girl who takes her brother's place on a soccer team after he dies in a car accident. She's not only grieving for the loss of her best friend, but battling naysayers who are stuck in the dark ages with the notion that women are deficient in all things athletic. I'm sorry, have you ever heard the names Mia Hamm, Serena Williams, or Laila Ali? The lead, Carly Schroeder (Mean Creek), is an up and coming actress with a lot of promise. She'll have you screaming at the misogynists on the screen and mentally pinpointing the nearest Modell's for a soccer ball.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
MUSIC: Hilary Duff dumped a "Stranger"
As the third single off of Hilary Duff's album, "Stranger" isn't as strong as her second, "With Love." But, since it's intertwined with scandal—like Justin's "What goes around comes around"—it just might work. However, Duff stays firm to her claim that the song, which alludes to her ex-boyfriend, Joel Madden, turning into a stranger and cheating on her, is actually about her parents and their imminent divorce. Either way, it's a lovely publicity stunt that will further her career...as will the video.
It seems Obama and Clinton aren't the only ones on the campaign trail. Belly dancing, flashy minis, and classic scorned woman behavior all amount to a clever tactic to inch her way towards the vacant pop princess thrown. Let's be honest, it's been vacant for a while now. By the time Britney gets her shit together, she'll be scrambling for fans like Madonna will in her 60s and her Depends will be showing through her thong. When you can't sing, you can only gyrate for so long before you have to opt for a hip replacement instead of a boob job, or pick up a weird instrument like Cyndi Lauper. But Duff still has a long way to go. As if history isn't proof enough, she'll need a huge scandal to get her on the map. Hopefully, she'll choose to keep her dignity.
Duff's touring Canada throughout the summer and should soon start production on the drama Safety Glass with Steve Coogan (Night at the Museum), Amber Tamblyn (Grudge 2), Amanda Peet ("Studio 60"), Michael Angarano (Lords of Dogtown), and Molly Shannon (Year of the Dog). And it appears she and John Cusack are inseparable, because after wrapping War, Inc. a couple of months ago, they'll be working together again soon on the sci-fi thriller Talking with Dog, alongside Rodrigo Santoro (300). Her film marks a trend in the industry lately to market post-apocalyptic films that started with Children of Men. This one not only touches on a world inflicted with infertility, but global warming as well. Duff's sudden migration from romantic comedies to more serious films could get her stronger street cred. And if she stays away from Lohan-Paris-Richie-Britney-related publicity stunts, she just might get it.
FILM: Seth Rogen's "Superbad" Trailer
SUPERBAD
I literally laughed for two minutes straight. I fully welcome the return of the teen comedy filled with ridiculous shenanigans, i.e. Can't Hardly Wait, American Pie, Girl Next Door, etc. Now I get all the hype that's surrounding this up and coming comedian. Genius. Pure Genius.
I literally laughed for two minutes straight. I fully welcome the return of the teen comedy filled with ridiculous shenanigans, i.e. Can't Hardly Wait, American Pie, Girl Next Door, etc. Now I get all the hype that's surrounding this up and coming comedian. Genius. Pure Genius.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
MUSIC: Paula DeAnda thinks guys are "Easy"
"Easy" by Paula DeAnda feat. Lil Wayne
Paula DeAnda, 17-year-old Mexican-American pop singer, is still kicking around the charts since she released her first single, "Doing Too Much," last July. Her next single was, the better received, "Walk Away" featuring The DEY, which was written by Ne-Yo and Christina Milian. This year she released "When it was me," a song where she asks what makes another girl better than her. But to be honest, "Easy" is my first fave from the singer. It has a catchy self-obsessed chorus—a la Pussycat Dolls—with lyrics like: "I know I'm a hot hot shorty!" and "Cause you so damn easy!" It's a mellower club song than the usual rowdy reggae, but it'll get the job done.
Paula DeAnda, 17-year-old Mexican-American pop singer, is still kicking around the charts since she released her first single, "Doing Too Much," last July. Her next single was, the better received, "Walk Away" featuring The DEY, which was written by Ne-Yo and Christina Milian. This year she released "When it was me," a song where she asks what makes another girl better than her. But to be honest, "Easy" is my first fave from the singer. It has a catchy self-obsessed chorus—a la Pussycat Dolls—with lyrics like: "I know I'm a hot hot shorty!" and "Cause you so damn easy!" It's a mellower club song than the usual rowdy reggae, but it'll get the job done.
Monday, May 28, 2007
FILM: Box Office Results - 5/29/07
If it weren't for Memorial Day, good old Jack Sparrow would've been screwed this week. With an extra day, At the World's End was able to top Dead Man's Chest by seven million, making $142 million. It also exceeded Shrek the Third's ($122 mil) first weekend box office total, but was a few mil shy to beat Spiderman 3's ($148).
Thursday I implied that the plot was simple, but I was wrong--there were so many hidden agendas and double crosses. Although this was supposed to be the last film and there were several plot points that were being wrapped up in a tight little bow, there were others that were just beginning. Like they promised, there were a couple things left up in the air in case they wanted to make another sequel. Unlike Spiderman 3, the romantic angle of Dead Man's Chest was gripping and tangible. Like poor Spidey and even the new Bruce Wayne, Will Turner finds it's harder to keep his true love than to find her. Aside from the intricate plot and two or three impressive combat scenes, there were several unnecessary sequences. Whenever studios create trilogies or sagas, they know they can't just continue with the same theatrics. There's a fine line between shocking us and underwhelming us. And unfortunately there were a few instances when the film fell on the wayside with useless giants, pointless Jack hallucinations, and an unimpressive goddess. There are three moments, however, that are worth seeing--which may be skewed by my gender--Elizabeth getting to wield a powerful position, the two lovers professing their love during, by far, the most chaotic moment of the film, and when Keith Richards silences a room of rowdy, ravenous pirates with just a whisper.
The horror thriller Bug came in at #4 with $4.2 mil after Shrek (#2) and Spiderman (#3), while Waitress jumped up seven spots to #5 with $4 mil. Indie Angel-A was released in 7 theaters and made $38,000 domestically. Luckily it made $7.7 mil abroad. The anime Paprika, released only in 2 theaters, made a bit more--$46,000. Lastly, Boss of it all, which was only released in one theater, raised $2,000 domestically and $2 mil abroad.
Next week, everyone's betting on Knocked Up to take the fourth spot behind all of the blockbusters, bringing some adult humor back into the box office. Other possible contenders for the top 5 are Kevin Costner and Demi Moore's crime thriller Mr. Brooks and Lucy Lui's vampire action flick Rise: Blood Hunter.
Next week, everyone's betting on Knocked Up to take the fourth spot behind all of the blockbusters, bringing some adult humor back into the box office. Other possible contenders for the top 5 are Kevin Costner and Demi Moore's crime thriller Mr. Brooks and Lucy Lui's vampire action flick Rise: Blood Hunter.
FILM: Spiderman goes emo
I had no idea that Spiderman being posessed by the evil, black, webby symbiote would mean Tobey Maguire would get a bad fashion sense, an emo haircut, and urges to thrust his body and snap his fingers. I found that whole part of the movie to be corny, laughable, and slightly disturbing.
Fortunately, the movie was long and so jam-packed with a million other things going on that Maguire's brush with the embarassing "dark side" was brief in context.
And when I say there were a million other things going on, I mean it. I'm talking flashbacks to Ben Parker's death, Flint Marko's fight to run from the cops, run from Spiderman, and help his daughter, Harry Osborn's loss and regain of his memory, Harry's attempt and resignation at avenging his father's death, Peter Parker's planning to propose to MJ, MJ's fleeting Broadway career and new life as a singing waitress...all topped with a giant wind of sand that is the Sandman and scattered appearances of Topher Grace as Edward Brock Jr./Venom and Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy.
The movie was just as crazy and choppy as that sounded, but surprisingly, it worked. The movie was completely and constantly entertaining and while there were more things going on than in previous Spiderman movies, I thought it all came together nicely in the end. As usual, we are left with some kind of valuable lesson that Peter Parker learns. In this case, it was about good and bad, and being faced with a choice to be good or bad. Spiderman who usually does good did bad things, Flint Marko did something bad in the process of wanting to help his daughter, and Brock chose to be bad.
I have to give Bruce Campbell a special mention as the host at the restaurant where Peter was going to propose. This was by far the funniest and my favorite part of the movie. You have to see it to know what I'm talking about.
Ultimately, Spiderman 3 was a hectic and action-packed adventure that is just fun to watch, and really, that's all I ask for in a superhero movie. The movie was also visually pleasing, as Monica mentioned a couple weeks ago, special effects were very well done.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
FILM: Happy Feet DVD Review
Set in Antarctica, this animated film was about a penguin, Mumbles (Elijah Wood), who was dropped as an egg and suffered such severe "damage" that he couldn't evoke his heart song to find his one true love, and instead danced like he was possessed. The shots of wintry landscapes, synchronized swimming and choreographed tap dancing were amazing—and truly worth an Oscar.BUT...Ever since I heard Scooby Doo and Shaggy were always hungry, paranoid, and found emerging from smoky places because they were potheads, and the first Power Rangers were color-coordinated according to their race, I've always over analyzed the underlying implications of animated films.
First, Mumbles is established as the proverbial retarded kid, because he tap dances. He was an outcast whose only friends, besides his love interest Gloria (Brittany Murphy), were "Hispanic" penguins. They were the only ones who thought his tap dancing was impressive and worth applause. Ergo, *LOL* Hispanic people are retarded. [Side note: I am Dominican.]
Second, the elders of the penguin colony forced all the other penguins, including Mumbles' father, to shun him, saying that his skill was demonic. The way the elder penguin spoke was as if he were in Puritan times and he'd found himself a witch. It was like he was equating Mumbles' "deficiency" to an unwed teenager having a child at 16. Ergo, *LOL* Hispanic people are heathens. [Side note: Again. I. Am. Dominican.]
So, the moral of the story for all of you young kids out there: Stop listening to Dora the Explorer. She doesn't know what she's talking about and she's going to HELL.
Oh, and besides the fact that the studio buried this obvious storyline, they also failed to market how environmentally conscious this film is. It—seriously this time—teaches kids about how humans affect their surroundings and endanger other species. And like all animated films, it reinforces the idea that even if you're just one person, even if you haven't gone through puberty, and—in the special case for this film—even if you don't speak their same language, you can make a difference and change people's mind.
All in all, if your child isn't old enough to realize how subconsciously racist this film is, pop it in the DVD player and scroll through the yellow pages for a tap dancing teacher. Trust me. Making noise is every kid's specialty. Now they'll discover a name for it.
ALBUM REVIEW: Linkin Park "Minutes to Midnight"
I've been a consistent fan of their music, but after a first listen, I was only captured by two tracks. The first was "Leave out all the rest." It's your basic Linkin Park melody, starting off slow and steady with a solemn Chester at the mike, and then raging guitars to amp up the emotion erupting around the chorus. It's a nice throwback to when they did the formula correctly.
The other track that I really like is "Hands held high." Before you watch the youtube clip, know that it's actually synched to a Columbine tribute--which is probably why it's one of the only clips that haven't been removed by the music company. The best part of this track is Shinonda's drumroll-speed rhyming of the lyrics:
"Do you see?/The soldiers that are out today./That brush the dust with bulletproof vests away./It's ironic./At times like this you pray,/But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday./There's bombs in the buses, bikes, roads,/inside your markets, your shops, your clothes,/My dad, he's got a lot of fear I know/but enough pride inside not to let that show./My brother had a book he would hold with pride/A little red cover with a broken spine./In the back he hand wrote a quote inside,/when the rich wage war, it's the poor who die."
Hear the whole thing here:
Shinonda most certainly delivers what's long been awaited. But I think the next time they release an album they'll all have to step it up just to keep up with his artistic evolution.
Friday, May 25, 2007
MUSIC: R&B artist Mario, gasping for air
"How do I Breathe" by Mario
I was perusing the AOL Hot 100 and I found this song by Mario at the 83rd spot. It's highly underrated. It's actually just as sweet and soulful as Ne-Yo's "Because of You" or Lloyd's "You." Give it a shot.
I was perusing the AOL Hot 100 and I found this song by Mario at the 83rd spot. It's highly underrated. It's actually just as sweet and soulful as Ne-Yo's "Because of You" or Lloyd's "You." Give it a shot.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
NEW MOVIES: 5/25/07
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Ahoy maties!!! Ok, so when would I ever get to say that except now? Which is one of the lovely reasons you should go see the third (and supposedly final) installment of Captain Jack Sparrow's adventures, as he pisses off every pirate he meets and causes trouble for the young lovers, Will and Elisabeth. The basic plot is: Captain Barbossa, the young lovers, and Jack's loyal crew go to Davy Jones's Locker (bizarro name) to save Jack from a gruesome death. If his shenanigans aren't enough to drag you by your knickers to the pits of pirate hell, then you might be enticed by the fact that Chow Yun Fat and Keith Richards are joining in on the fun. So land lovers, dive into this 2hr 48 min sea adventure to discover a world you won't soon forget.
BUG
Plot: "A Gulf War vet turned drifter (Michael Shannon) holes up with a woman (Ashley Judd) in hiding [from her recently paroled ex-husband (Harry Connick Jr.)] in her seedy motel room. The pair is relatively isolated, except for the bug infestation problem that triggers their respective psychological issues." There's been a lot of buzz (pardon the pun) around this film, that's ranked by the tomatometer's cream of the crop at 73%, about how convincingly deranged Shannon (Vanilla Sky) becomes as he's progressively infected by bugs. Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum refers to him as having "a mean-baby face that morphs by imperceptible degrees from innocent to madman." That alone seems worth seeing. Alas, if you don't want to go to sleep with the sneaking sensation that there are bugs prying into your pores and tucking themselves in under your skin, you might want to skip it.
Limited Releases
ANGEL-A
This is a black and white, French, romantic comedy from Luc Besson, the director of Fifth Element, The Transporter, and The Professional. It's about Andre, a scam artist (Jamel Debbouze, She Hate Me) and Angela (Rie Rasmussen, Femme Fatale), a really hot girl, who just happen to meet while standing on a bridge railing as they're about to kill themselves. If you've seen his movies, you know his characters tend to be a tad offbeat, which is why it's no surprise that this really hot girl just might be a figment of Andre's imagination. Like in The Transporter, Andre spends most of the film trying to evade loan sharks and Angela is his only salvation. So, if you're looking for something with minimal special effects that's devoid of pirates, this might be a nice alternative.
PAPRIKA
It's a Japanese anime film, directed by Satoshi Kon and written by Yasutaka Tsutsui, about a female therapist, Paprika, who has to find a stolen machine that allows therapists to enter their patient's mind. Sixteen out of seventeen critics on rottentomatoes.com gave it a thumbs up. So, if you're tired of reading manga, put the comic/graphic novel down and go watch Paprika save our sanity.
Boss of it All
An actor is hired to pretend to be the new boss of a small company. Unfortunately, he wasn't informed of how much his employees hate him or how bizarre they all are. This foreign film takes "The Office" to a whole other level, making Steve Carrell look like Boss of the Year. The Village Voice breaks it down the best, saying the film has: "quite a lot to say, actually, about loyalty, the temptation of the almighty dollar, and corporate buck-passing as a kind of Olympic sport." But the New York Times cracked me up when it said the film was: "A cold, misanthropic work that places no faith in institutions and in humanity itself. But it’s also very funny." That sounds like something "Daria" would've say.
Ahoy maties!!! Ok, so when would I ever get to say that except now? Which is one of the lovely reasons you should go see the third (and supposedly final) installment of Captain Jack Sparrow's adventures, as he pisses off every pirate he meets and causes trouble for the young lovers, Will and Elisabeth. The basic plot is: Captain Barbossa, the young lovers, and Jack's loyal crew go to Davy Jones's Locker (bizarro name) to save Jack from a gruesome death. If his shenanigans aren't enough to drag you by your knickers to the pits of pirate hell, then you might be enticed by the fact that Chow Yun Fat and Keith Richards are joining in on the fun. So land lovers, dive into this 2hr 48 min sea adventure to discover a world you won't soon forget.
BUG
Plot: "A Gulf War vet turned drifter (Michael Shannon) holes up with a woman (Ashley Judd) in hiding [from her recently paroled ex-husband (Harry Connick Jr.)] in her seedy motel room. The pair is relatively isolated, except for the bug infestation problem that triggers their respective psychological issues." There's been a lot of buzz (pardon the pun) around this film, that's ranked by the tomatometer's cream of the crop at 73%, about how convincingly deranged Shannon (Vanilla Sky) becomes as he's progressively infected by bugs. Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum refers to him as having "a mean-baby face that morphs by imperceptible degrees from innocent to madman." That alone seems worth seeing. Alas, if you don't want to go to sleep with the sneaking sensation that there are bugs prying into your pores and tucking themselves in under your skin, you might want to skip it.
Limited Releases
ANGEL-A
This is a black and white, French, romantic comedy from Luc Besson, the director of Fifth Element, The Transporter, and The Professional. It's about Andre, a scam artist (Jamel Debbouze, She Hate Me) and Angela (Rie Rasmussen, Femme Fatale), a really hot girl, who just happen to meet while standing on a bridge railing as they're about to kill themselves. If you've seen his movies, you know his characters tend to be a tad offbeat, which is why it's no surprise that this really hot girl just might be a figment of Andre's imagination. Like in The Transporter, Andre spends most of the film trying to evade loan sharks and Angela is his only salvation. So, if you're looking for something with minimal special effects that's devoid of pirates, this might be a nice alternative.
PAPRIKA
It's a Japanese anime film, directed by Satoshi Kon and written by Yasutaka Tsutsui, about a female therapist, Paprika, who has to find a stolen machine that allows therapists to enter their patient's mind. Sixteen out of seventeen critics on rottentomatoes.com gave it a thumbs up. So, if you're tired of reading manga, put the comic/graphic novel down and go watch Paprika save our sanity.
Boss of it All
An actor is hired to pretend to be the new boss of a small company. Unfortunately, he wasn't informed of how much his employees hate him or how bizarre they all are. This foreign film takes "The Office" to a whole other level, making Steve Carrell look like Boss of the Year. The Village Voice breaks it down the best, saying the film has: "quite a lot to say, actually, about loyalty, the temptation of the almighty dollar, and corporate buck-
Monday, May 21, 2007
MUSIC: Enrique Iglesias Returns & Vanessa Hudgens' Redo
"Do You Know?" by Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias, the 32 year old Latin pop star, has returned from his 3-year hiatus. Either he got tired of lounging in tennis star Anna Kournikova's arms or he wanted to upstage Ricky Martin. On his new track, "Do you know?," off of his new album Insomniac, he gets all sappy and whiny about feeling abandoned and unprepared to move on after a relationship has ended. It could be a snippet of a rough patch in his present relationship...and if it is, I think that guilt-trip song would certainly lure her back.
"Say OK" by Vanessa Hudgens
Alright, so maybe she's one of those "annoying kids" from High School Musical, which starts her off with negative 100 points in your musical opinion. But I would say this track is much more mature than "Come back to me"--and not just because hottie Zac Efron is in the video fueling the rumors that they're dating. The song is an idea beyond "let's be together." It's more about whether or not the person will still be around when it gets hard, which isn't usually something you hear from an 18 year old pop star. If you want the song with a faster techno beat, check out the remix.
Now if you want to see bad High School Musical tunes, watch these two:
"Kiss the girl" by Ashley Tisdale
It makes you wish she could be as voiceless as Ariel.
AND
"Push It" by Corbin Bleu
Laura, wait till you see him mime...you are going to DIE laughing!!
Enrique Iglesias, the 32 year old Latin pop star, has returned from his 3-year hiatus. Either he got tired of lounging in tennis star Anna Kournikova's arms or he wanted to upstage Ricky Martin. On his new track, "Do you know?," off of his new album Insomniac, he gets all sappy and whiny about feeling abandoned and unprepared to move on after a relationship has ended. It could be a snippet of a rough patch in his present relationship...and if it is, I think that guilt-trip song would certainly lure her back.
"Say OK" by Vanessa Hudgens
Alright, so maybe she's one of those "annoying kids" from High School Musical, which starts her off with negative 100 points in your musical opinion. But I would say this track is much more mature than "Come back to me"--and not just because hottie Zac Efron is in the video fueling the rumors that they're dating. The song is an idea beyond "let's be together." It's more about whether or not the person will still be around when it gets hard, which isn't usually something you hear from an 18 year old pop star. If you want the song with a faster techno beat, check out the remix.
Now if you want to see bad High School Musical tunes, watch these two:
"Kiss the girl" by Ashley Tisdale
It makes you wish she could be as voiceless as Ariel.
AND
"Push It" by Corbin Bleu
Laura, wait till you see him mime...you are going to DIE laughing!!
FILM: Box Office Results -- 5/21/07
At first I thought it was the addition of Justin Timberlake, but it should be no surprise that Shrek the Third came in at #1 with $122 mil because Shrek 2 made $108 mil in its first weekend. It's no wonder Cameron Diaz is just surfing every day. She's set for life. Unimpressive in comparison, Spiderman 3 came in at #2 with $28 mil (grossing $281 mil so far in the 3 weeks its been in theaters). 28 Weeks Later must be riding on good buzz, coming in at #3 with $5 mil. Disturbia just won't loosen its grip on the top 5, coming in at #4 with $3.7 mil, beating Lohan's flick Georgia Rule by just a bit and leaving her in the 5th spot.
As for the indies that made their debut:
The Wilson brothers' The Wendell Baker Story was only released in 17 theaters, making $53,600. It may not make much more on DVD after Entertainment Weekly's ball busting review. Even Money was only released in 6 theaters, making a reasonable $26,000. Despite its start-studded cast, the tomatometer reached a pathetic 22% and ew.com gave it a C-.
This friday it shall be a Battle Royale for sure. Shrek the Third and Spiderman 3 go up against Pirates of the Caribbean: At the World's End. Will good old Jack lure all the kids away from that bumbling ogre his mangy cat and his jackass?
TV: NEW Shows - Fall 2007 Schedule
NBC
"Journeyman" (Monday, 10 p.m.): This sci fi drama about a man who involuntarily travels through time comes on after "Heroes"--stealing the cancelled "Studio 60" time slot--and mooches off of that rambunctious Hiro's sudden stardom and the overall sci fi trend. The main character faces the moral dilemma of having to decide whether he should save two people who died in the year he keeps returning to. From the trailer, I surmised that one is his first wife and the other is his brother. He's also faced with the task of following one specific guy and changing the course of his life.
"Chuck" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.): The show follows a guy who accidentally receives and memorizes top secret gov't information in an email that opens into a rapid image file. It's sort of an Employee of the Month meets Mission Impossible--if that doesn't terrify you. What will make or break the show is how well the lead actor, Zachary Levi ("Less than Perfect"), delivers this quirky action show. It's only real competition was "Veronica Mars," which might be cancelled if the writers don't deliver a banging script for next season by June.
"The Bionic Woman" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.): This is a revamping of the popular 70s show that followed a technologically enhanced woman who suffered from a horrible accident. Technically, if you're watching "Smallville" right now--Lex made himself a super soldier--, then this won't seem at all bizarre to you. The press is enjoying the first look at the new show. I'm not sure about the lead newbie, Michelle Ryan, a 23-year-old Brit. But after watching the clip teaser, I'm definitely excited to see what she'll do next. Since it's going up against the CW's "One Tree Hill," it won't get very many teen viewers. But I'm sure those rabid comic fans will tune in every week.
"Life" (Wednesday, 10 p.m.): an ex-cop returns to the police force as an ex-con. Naturally, he'll have an inner Jekyll/Hyde battle--constantly being reminded that he was once on the other side of the bars. His battle is lightened by the fact that he has an offbeat sense of humor, a no-nonsense female partner, and he keeps spouting proverbs, answering questions with meaningless sayings just to annoy people--and soon me. NBC is brave to pit this new show up against ABC's "Lost." Even if it's down in its ratings, it has a cult following that probably won't be lured away by a crime dramedy. I mean, with shows like "Monk," "Psych," "Dead Zone," etc., you can't half ass your way through a primetime show.
"The Great American Singing Bee" (Friday, 8:30 p.m.): You know when you have a song stuck in your head, but you can't remember the words and it bugs you all f*ing day? Well, this is a game show where the contestants recall the lyrics to a song when given just a snippet. The funniest part of this concept is that if someone misses out on a billion dollars cause they couldn't remember the rest of the words to "Hit me baby one more time" they will never be able to hear that song again without crying--as if Britney hasn't caused enough trouble.
"Lipstick Jungle" (Sunday, 10 p.m.): From the creators of "Sex in the City," this female-driven dramedy hasn't gotten rave reviews yet. But Sunday night might become ladies night if viewers switch over to NBC after watching "Desperate Housewives," instead of switching to HBO for the adorable antics of "The Entourage"--that's right, you've lost your edge and I'm calling you adorable. Instead of following four successful women "uncharacteristically" looking for some action--like we don't have libidos just because we don't hump someone's leg when we like them--, the show follows three of the most powerful married women in the city who are trying to balance both sides of their hectic lives. Brooke Shields is Carrie, Lindsay Price is Charlotte, and Kim Raver is Samantha and Miranda all rolled into one. If you watch the clip, you'll see they say, "They're not looking for Mr. Big. They are Mr. Big," which I thought was pretty cool. Out with the old, in with the new.
ABC
"Sam I Am" (Monday, 9:30 p.m.): Okay, if you watch "Grey's Anatomy" then you know about the amnesiac who has spent weeks in the hospital with no memory of who she is. Her own personal doc, Alex, tests her to see if anything triggers a memory. So, in theory she's investigating her identity. That's what this comedy is going to be about. The best part of it is that it's Christina Applegate's return to TV. However, competing with "Heroes" might be its downfall.
"Cavemen" (Tuesday, 8 p.m.): Because of this generation's constant addiction to outlets like MySpace and YouTube, the network execs have brilliantly decided to turn the cult-fave GEICO commercial into a comedy about cavemen who are discriminated against because they didn't evolve physically like everyone else. (Geico must be loving this.) It's an underdog comedy with a snarky attitude. Just as long as no one thinks we want a TV show with the Mac (Justin Long) and the PC guy, everything will be okay.
"Carpoolers" (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.): First off Jerry O'Connell ("Crossing Jordan") and Faith Ford ("Hope and Faith") are the most notable actors in the show--which isn't saying much. Secondly, the clip I linked to shows four married men groaning about their wives and money issues, which probably won't fair well with the mainly female demographic that ABC caters to. Lastly, it just wasn't funny.
"Pushing Daisies" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.): In the fashion of "Medium" and "Ghost Whisperer" and every other show where someone talks to the dead, this show follows a guy, Lee Pace (The Good Shepherd), who can touch the dead and bring them back to life for 60 seconds, long enough to rat out who killed them, so he and his detective friend, Chi McBride (Gone in 60 Seconds--how ironic), can build a case against them. It'll need a romance angle for it to last even a season, kinda like its competition "Bones" has. It'll also have to fare against "America's Next Top Model." If Pace can tear ladies away from that, he'll deserve a metal.
"Private Practice" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.): If you didn't catch the 2hr sneak peek during "Grey's Anatomy," go to abc.com and check it out. It's funny. It's girly. It's less depressing than "Grey's." Hopefully "The Bionic Woman" won't steal its thunder.
"Dirty Sexy Money" (Wednesday, 10 p.m.): is a dramedy that's like the Godfather if "the family" were run by a politician and if the lead character was the lawyer.
"Big Shots" (Thursday, 9 p.m.): literally a bastardization of "Sex in the City," if men were to tap into their emotions more and talk about them while half naked and sweaty. Starring: Michael Vartan ("Alias"), Dylan McDermott ("The Practice"), and Christopher Titus ("Titus").
CBS
"The Big Bang Theory" (Monday, 8:30 p.m.): This is a comedy about two physicists (Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons) with a hot blonde (Kaley Cuoco) for a roommate. As you can imagine one of them (or all of them) will fall in love with her and there'll be a romantic subplot. But mostly there'll just be humiliating geek-outs and dumb blonde moments. And this is what they cancelled "The Class" for.
FOX
"K-Ville" (Monday, 9 p.m.): Boldly going up against "Heroes," this Fox show attempts to market heroes of its own, pulling on the heart strings connected to Katrina. This New Orleans based drama follows two police officers--one who prides himself on not abandoning the city like many other officers did (some even during the storm) and another who chose to turn his life around if he survived. Together they must battle the increasing crime rate and the dirty politicians who are trying to capitalize off a city's suffering. Opting for a new genre, Anthony Anderson (King's Ransom) delves into a grittier role, mooching off the success of Miami Vice, opposite Cole Hauser (Paparazzi) and Tawny Cypress ("Heroes").
"Journeyman" (Monday, 10 p.m.): This sci fi drama about a man who involuntarily travels through time comes on after "Heroes"--stealing the cancelled "Studio 60" time slot--and mooches off of that rambunctious Hiro's sudden stardom and the overall sci fi trend. The main character faces the moral dilemma of having to decide whether he should save two people who died in the year he keeps returning to. From the trailer, I surmised that one is his first wife and the other is his brother. He's also faced with the task of following one specific guy and changing the course of his life.
"Chuck" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.): The show follows a guy who accidentally receives and memorizes top secret gov't information in an email that opens into a rapid image file. It's sort of an Employee of the Month meets Mission Impossible--if that doesn't terrify you. What will make or break the show is how well the lead actor, Zachary Levi ("Less than Perfect"), delivers this quirky action show. It's only real competition was "Veronica Mars," which might be cancelled if the writers don't deliver a banging script for next season by June.
"The Bionic Woman" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.): This is a revamping of the popular 70s show that followed a technologically enhanced woman who suffered from a horrible accident. Technically, if you're watching "Smallville" right now--Lex made himself a super soldier--, then this won't seem at all bizarre to you. The press is enjoying the first look at the new show. I'm not sure about the lead newbie, Michelle Ryan, a 23-year-old Brit. But after watching the clip teaser, I'm definitely excited to see what she'll do next. Since it's going up against the CW's "One Tree Hill," it won't get very many teen viewers. But I'm sure those rabid comic fans will tune in every week.
"Life" (Wednesday, 10 p.m.): an ex-cop returns to the police force as an ex-con. Naturally, he'll have an inner Jekyll/Hyde battle--constantly being reminded that he was once on the other side of the bars. His battle is lightened by the fact that he has an offbeat sense of humor, a no-nonsense female partner, and he keeps spouting proverbs, answering questions with meaningless sayings just to annoy people--and soon me. NBC is brave to pit this new show up against ABC's "Lost." Even if it's down in its ratings, it has a cult following that probably won't be lured away by a crime dramedy. I mean, with shows like "Monk," "Psych," "Dead Zone," etc., you can't half ass your way through a primetime show.
"The Great American Singing Bee" (Friday, 8:30 p.m.): You know when you have a song stuck in your head, but you can't remember the words and it bugs you all f*ing day? Well, this is a game show where the contestants recall the lyrics to a song when given just a snippet. The funniest part of this concept is that if someone misses out on a billion dollars cause they couldn't remember the rest of the words to "Hit me baby one more time" they will never be able to hear that song again without crying--as if Britney hasn't caused enough trouble.
"Lipstick Jungle" (Sunday, 10 p.m.): From the creators of "Sex in the City," this female-driven dramedy hasn't gotten rave reviews yet. But Sunday night might become ladies night if viewers switch over to NBC after watching "Desperate Housewives," instead of switching to HBO for the adorable antics of "The Entourage"--that's right, you've lost your edge and I'm calling you adorable. Instead of following four successful women "uncharacteristically" looking for some action--like we don't have libidos just because we don't hump someone's leg when we like them--, the show follows three of the most powerful married women in the city who are trying to balance both sides of their hectic lives. Brooke Shields is Carrie, Lindsay Price is Charlotte, and Kim Raver is Samantha and Miranda all rolled into one. If you watch the clip, you'll see they say, "They're not looking for Mr. Big. They are Mr. Big," which I thought was pretty cool. Out with the old, in with the new.
ABC
"Sam I Am" (Monday, 9:30 p.m.): Okay, if you watch "Grey's Anatomy" then you know about the amnesiac who has spent weeks in the hospital with no memory of who she is. Her own personal doc, Alex, tests her to see if anything triggers a memory. So, in theory she's investigating her identity. That's what this comedy is going to be about. The best part of it is that it's Christina Applegate's return to TV. However, competing with "Heroes" might be its downfall.
"Cavemen" (Tuesday, 8 p.m.): Because of this generation's constant addiction to outlets like MySpace and YouTube, the network execs have brilliantly decided to turn the cult-fave GEICO commercial into a comedy about cavemen who are discriminated against because they didn't evolve physically like everyone else. (Geico must be loving this.) It's an underdog comedy with a snarky attitude. Just as long as no one thinks we want a TV show with the Mac (Justin Long) and the PC guy, everything will be okay.
"Carpoolers" (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.): First off Jerry O'Connell ("Crossing Jordan") and Faith Ford ("Hope and Faith") are the most notable actors in the show--which isn't saying much. Secondly, the clip I linked to shows four married men groaning about their wives and money issues, which probably won't fair well with the mainly female demographic that ABC caters to. Lastly, it just wasn't funny.
"Pushing Daisies" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.): In the fashion of "Medium" and "Ghost Whisperer" and every other show where someone talks to the dead, this show follows a guy, Lee Pace (The Good Shepherd), who can touch the dead and bring them back to life for 60 seconds, long enough to rat out who killed them, so he and his detective friend, Chi McBride (Gone in 60 Seconds--how ironic), can build a case against them. It'll need a romance angle for it to last even a season, kinda like its competition "Bones" has. It'll also have to fare against "America's Next Top Model." If Pace can tear ladies away from that, he'll deserve a metal.
"Private Practice" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.): If you didn't catch the 2hr sneak peek during "Grey's Anatomy," go to abc.com and check it out. It's funny. It's girly. It's less depressing than "Grey's." Hopefully "The Bionic Woman" won't steal its thunder.
"Dirty Sexy Money" (Wednesday, 10 p.m.): is a dramedy that's like the Godfather if "the family" were run by a politician and if the lead character was the lawyer.
"Big Shots" (Thursday, 9 p.m.): literally a bastardization of "Sex in the City," if men were to tap into their emotions more and talk about them while half naked and sweaty. Starring: Michael Vartan ("Alias"), Dylan McDermott ("The Practice"), and Christopher Titus ("Titus").
"Women's Murder Club" (Friday, 9 p.m.): The story follows four women who investigate crimes together, combining their professional expertise in order to expedite the process, since most crimes take months or years to solve. "Law and Order" vet Angie Harmon is the lead, playing a lieutenant. Her allies are a medical examiner (Paula Newsome, Reign Over Me), a newspaper reporter (Laura Harris, "Dead Like Me"), and a young assistant district attorney (Aubrey Dollar, "Point Pleasant"). In spite of the horrible title--it's isn't a club so much as a team; it's not like they're doing this for fun--it has a sliver of potential to last a few episodes.
"Cashmere Mafia" (Midseason Replacement: Tuesday, 9 p.m.): Now this could possibly, maybe, perhaps fare well in emulating "Sex in the City." It's four semi-young women depending on each other to succeed in business. At the helm is a much more docile and feminine Lucy Lui. She's usually a firecracker, like Ling Woo ("Ally McBeal") or a vengeance seeking hottie, like Grace Chin ("Ugly Betty"). By her side are: Miranda Otto (War of the Worlds), Bonnie Sommerville ("Kitchen Confidential"), and Frances O'Connor (Timeline).
"Eli Stone" (Midseason replacement): A cutthroat lawyer (Jonny Lee Miller, Trainspotting) has what psychiatrists would call a mid-life crisis, but ABC chooses to call a spiritual awakening. He suddenly begins to care about his cases a la Liar, Liar and begins to have hallucinations of celebrities singing to him and dead people appearing out of no where. All of this somehow leads him to the decision to start his own law firm that caters to the underdog, so he can undo all his wrongs. Because karma brought back his high school girlfriend, maybe more will bring him a better life.
"Miss Guided" (Midseason replacement): This is like every crazy person in "Arrested Development" shoved into a ex-high school geek turned guidance counselor with an agenda of "helping" kids through their rough years. It only takes one minute of that clip to realize she has no idea what she's doing and that every single piece of advice that she gives will be ridiculous. It could work.
CBS
"The Big Bang Theory" (Monday, 8:30 p.m.): This is a comedy about two physicists (Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons) with a hot blonde (Kaley Cuoco) for a roommate. As you can imagine one of them (or all of them) will fall in love with her and there'll be a romantic subplot. But mostly there'll just be humiliating geek-outs and dumb blonde moments. And this is what they cancelled "The Class" for.
"Cane" (Tuesday, 10 p.m.): This is a drama about a Cuban family that runs a rum business with aspirations of running a more lucrative business--even if it's illegal. It's the first Hispanic driven drama that's not on Telemundo. Cast: Hector Elizondo (Princess Diaries), Jimmy Smits ("The West Wing"), Nestor Carbonell ("Lost"), and Rita Moreno. It be great if maybe they could find a Cuban actor to add to the authenticity.
"Kid Nation" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.): Jamie Kennedy abusing children. Just watch the clip. No words.
"Moonlight" (Friday, 9 p.m.): A guy gets married and his wife loves him so much that she turns him into a vampire. He's not too excited about it. So, he decides to become a private investigator...you know, so he could work at night. In his free time, he falls in love with a mortal woman. Essentially, it's "Angel" without the apocalypse (yet) and without smoking hot David Boreanaz. Friday night is pretty uneventful so it might suffer ratings wise.
"Viva Laughlin" (Sunday, 8 p.m.): It's like "Las Vegas" if it were inpsired by a BBC dramatic musical called "Blackpool." This must be the result of our sudden enthusiasm for musicals like Dreamgirls, High School Musical, and now Hairspray. But if you watch the clip that I link to and several other clips available on Youtube, you'll see that their musical integration is so juvenile that it could only work if they did it once a show...so there wouldn't be so much fast fowarding.
FOX
"K-Ville" (Monday, 9 p.m.): Boldly going up against "Heroes," this Fox show attempts to market heroes of its own, pulling on the heart strings connected to Katrina. This New Orleans based drama follows two police officers--one who prides himself on not abandoning the city like many other officers did (some even during the storm) and another who chose to turn his life around if he survived. Together they must battle the increasing crime rate and the dirty politicians who are trying to capitalize off a city's suffering. Opting for a new genre, Anthony Anderson (King's Ransom) delves into a grittier role, mooching off the success of Miami Vice, opposite Cole Hauser (Paparazzi) and Tawny Cypress ("Heroes").
"New Amsterdam" (Tuesday, 8 p.m.): Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Kingdom of Heaven) plays a cop who is immortal. Hundreds of years ago he was cursed to never age until he finds his one true love. In the mean time he hunts down criminals using his unlimited knowledge that he's gained over the centuries and cheats death at every turn. It's a new take on the cop drama genre that puts all of its cards on how many ladies swoon for the romantic angle and how many guys stick around for the heroics.
"Back to You" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.): Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton pair up to be co-anchors on a news show. Don't get any ideas. This isn't SNL's Weekend Update. It's more like Grammar being an egotistical spotlight stealer and Heaton trying to grip onto her dignity as tightly as possible and not be swallowed up by his shadow.
"Canterbury Law" (January): This show is basically a rip off of "The Closer" except the lead no-bullshit female character (Julianna Margulies, "ER") is a lawyer instead of a cop. And she doesn't have all those Southern manners to hold back her ferocity and underhanded tactics. If they went head to head, I'd fear for Kyra Sedgwick's well-being.
"The Return of Jezebel James" (January): It seems Parker Posey is looking for some steady work. She'll be starring in this comedy as a businesswoman who learns she's infertile. So, she decides to ask her younger sister (Lauren Ambrose, "Six Feet Under") to have her baby. Posey is hilarious. I trust she'll deliver at least a few laughs. Hopefully she'll be as successful as Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("The New Adventures of Old Christine").
CW
"Gossip Girl" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.): It's true. If you loved "The O.C.," you just might get hooked by this teen drama. Talk. About. Drama!!! If you're unfamiliar with the series of books (like I am), then here's the plot: a bunch of rich kids and of course kids from the "other side of the tracks" party hop, sleep around, and have serious relationship issues that's all chronicled by an anonymous blogger that everyone reads. Blake Lively (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) plays the Marissa-equivalent, while Penn Badgley (John Tucker Must Die) plays a mix of Ryan and Seth--he's aloof and poor, but he's also a dork and practially invisible. The bitch and a-hole of the show are Leighton Meester ("Surface") and Chase Crawford (The Covenant). They make any enemy the O.C.ers had look like amateurs. As long as they humanize the characters, it might last.
"Reaper" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.): This show follows a kid who finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil and he has to be the grim reaper and bring escaped souls back to hell. It sounds funny...and it's supposed to be. It's not a drama, but a comedy...which is why the action sequences seem a bit out of place. I give it maybe two episodes.
"Hidden Palms" (Premieres on May 30th): A clean-cut, tight ass teenager (Taylor Handley, "The O.C.") turns into a lost soul when his father kills himself right in front of him...no seriously, inches away while he's doing his homework. Naturally he is disturbed and saddened and doing drugs and so on and so forth. Dammit, if you saw "The O.C." watch it.
"Aliens in America" (Monday, 8:30 p.m.): A teeange exchange student from Pakistan moves in with an American family with a teenage son (Dan Byrd, A Cinderella Story). Apparently, they "ordered" an exchange student and got a "terrorist." This is most certainly every American's psychotic paranoid fear complete with voice over.
"Life is Wild" (Sunday, 8 p.m.): "Drama about a New York veterinarian who moves his second wife and their two sets of children to a South African game reserve run by his father-in-law." I think it's supposed to be "7th Heaven," if you subtract God and add wild animals.
Friday, May 18, 2007
NEW MOVIES: 5/18
Shrek the Third
Every other film that comes out this week is an indie under limited release, so it seems that if there is a toddler in your life or even within you, you'll be forced to watch this. Shrek goes on a search for Artie (Justin Timberlake) to be the heir to the throne of Far Far Away so he won't have to be king. Meanwhile, Fiona's trying to keep that conceited Prince Charming and his brood of allies (Hook, Wicked Witch, and Rumpelstiltskin) away from it. Since Artie is a teenager there will be humiliating moments fueled by hormones and the trials of puberty, and Shrek will be trying to speak slang. Translation: this will once and for all be funny for all ages.
Fay Grim
Parker Posey has always been an oddball--even in commercial films (Superman Returns, Josie and the Pussycats). This one takes the cake. She plays the wife of a missing man who's suspected of writing top secret information in several notebooks. She has them and a lot of people want them. Now just imagine if your mom had to cooperate with the CIA and nab the bad guys. How inefficient would she be? Multiply that by 10 and add Posey's humor and you've got this quirky action comedy. Here's a little inside scoop: It comes out on DVD Tuesday (22nd). So if you can bare to wait a couple days, you could save a couple of bucks.
The Wendell Baker Story
A pathetic idiot (Luke Wilson) who makes fake I.D.s for illegal immigrants gets arrested. When he's released, he's forced to work at a retirement home with a total slacker (Owen Wilson) who "disposes" of the old folks when it gets too crowded. Everything's pretty decent in his new life, except he can't stop thinking about his old girlfriend (Eva Mendes). Of course, his competition has to be Will Ferrell. Luke's gathered some big names for a pretty small film that he and his brother Andrew co-wrote and co-directed.
EVEN MONEY
This film shouldn't be whittled down to "a bunch of gamblers who get in over their head." It's more about how an addiction to chance, to betting against the odds, to sacrificing the lives of people around you affect your life and the people you love. It isn't romantic like Drew Barrymore's Lucky You. It's dramatic and suspenseful. The roster speaks volumes: Kim Basinger, Forest Whitaker, Danny DeVito, Kelsey Grammar, Nick Cannon, Ray Liotta...
Every other film that comes out this week is an indie under limited release, so it seems that if there is a toddler in your life or even within you, you'll be forced to watch this. Shrek goes on a search for Artie (Justin Timberlake) to be the heir to the throne of Far Far Away so he won't have to be king. Meanwhile, Fiona's trying to keep that conceited Prince Charming and his brood of allies (Hook, Wicked Witch, and Rumpelstiltskin) away from it. Since Artie is a teenager there will be humiliating moments fueled by hormones and the trials of puberty, and Shrek will be trying to speak slang. Translation: this will once and for all be funny for all ages.
Fay Grim
Parker Posey has always been an oddball--even in commercial films (Superman Returns, Josie and the Pussycats). This one takes the cake. She plays the wife of a missing man who's suspected of writing top secret information in several notebooks. She has them and a lot of people want them. Now just imagine if your mom had to cooperate with the CIA and nab the bad guys. How inefficient would she be? Multiply that by 10 and add Posey's humor and you've got this quirky action comedy. Here's a little inside scoop: It comes out on DVD Tuesday (22nd). So if you can bare to wait a couple days, you could save a couple of bucks.
The Wendell Baker Story
A pathetic idiot (Luke Wilson) who makes fake I.D.s for illegal immigrants gets arrested. When he's released, he's forced to work at a retirement home with a total slacker (Owen Wilson) who "disposes" of the old folks when it gets too crowded. Everything's pretty decent in his new life, except he can't stop thinking about his old girlfriend (Eva Mendes). Of course, his competition has to be Will Ferrell. Luke's gathered some big names for a pretty small film that he and his brother Andrew co-wrote and co-directed.
EVEN MONEY
This film shouldn't be whittled down to "a bunch of gamblers who get in over their head." It's more about how an addiction to chance, to betting against the odds, to sacrificing the lives of people around you affect your life and the people you love. It isn't romantic like Drew Barrymore's Lucky You. It's dramatic and suspenseful. The roster speaks volumes: Kim Basinger, Forest Whitaker, Danny DeVito, Kelsey Grammar, Nick Cannon, Ray Liotta...
TV: Grey's Anatomy Season Finale (SPOILERS)
Cristina: It's official. If you're getting married on Grey's Anatomy and you make a big deal about it, you will end up crying your eyes out in a gorgeous gown, lamenting the death of your relationship. Cristina looked beautfiul. And what Burke did was truly selfless, a quality his mother admired. But I think now Cristina is going to feel like half of a person. He should've pulled out earlier because now it's too late. The "damage" has been done. She's already made room in her heart for someone else and now it'll just feel empty. And knowing Cristina, she'll just fill it up with work.
Alex: Addison told him that he won't get very many chances at love and that Eva might be his only one. I don't think that Alex has ever been in love with someone who felt the same way, because he used to be a pompous ass like Sloane. If anything, this is his intro course to love and he's just getting started. I still believe that he and Izzie belong together. That was his first love--the love that broke through the Sloane-Alex and made him a man he could be proud of.
George: I don't think that George has faith in his profession anymore after what happened to his dad. And the added drama in his personal life isn't helping. But I think next season he'll make an enemy out of his wife Calli and realize once and for all that Izzie is on major rebound after Denny and has latched onto the closest thing that resembles that connection. Then he'll find love, ironically, in a Grey. There was chemistry between Meredith's little step sister and him, even though he was being all glum. And she might be the antidote to get him excited about medicine again with her eager to learn attitude.
New residents: Most of those residents were nobodies, so I'm not sure that any of them will even get face time next season. But it's for sure that Meredith's little step sis played by Chyler Leigh (above) will be front and center. OMFG I just googled her character for her real name and I didn't realize that that's the girl who hit on Derek.
Meredith: Which brings me to the weirdness that is Meredith Gray. She has had the most mind-numbing year. Her mother called her crap and then died. She almost drowned and by almost I mean tried to kill herself. Her step mother died and her father slapped her, blamed her, and destroyed her. But all Derek can think about is why won't you let me watch you cry...cause let's be honest what could he possibly do to console her? Why is he obsessed with consoling her? She has a system. She has a family and a routine. And you, Mr. I-have-a-wife-I'm-never-going-to-mention, don't deserve to be trusted yet, because if you hadn't noticed she has multiple reasons for not trusting people and you are one of them.
Bailey: I can't believe that she always puts the blame on herself. I wonder if she'll be in charge of the new residents, because she just might not have it in her to do it all over again and have to watch one or all of them fail. I'm glad Burke didn't make her chief because she needs to have the freedom to go home to her son whenever she can. If she blames herself for George's failure, she'll most certainly blame herself if anything should happen to her son.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
MUSIC: Slow songs are in
There are a few songs on the radio that I'm loving right now, and they all happen to be slow. Anyway, I thought I'd pay them some tribute before they get played out and every predictable emotional internet whore puts them on his/her myspace page. (It's probably too late for that).
Justin Timberlake - Until the End of Time
When I first heard this song (not on the radio), I thought it was one of those really good non-single-album-only hits. But then I heard it on WBLS, and on Power 105 soon after. I have to say hearing it on the radio took a little something away from the song, but I'm still sure it'll be yet another successful single (Summer Love is also riding the radio waves right now) from JT's Future Sex/Love Sounds album.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony featuring Akon - I Tried
This song is off of the new album, Strength & Loyalty. The song goes into the reality of the problems on the streets these days and that's the fact that it's hard to get out of what you're given.
man I try so hard
will always be a victim of these streets
it ain't my fault cause I...
tried to get away but trouble follows me
Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry
I think this is a good song for teenage girls navigating their way through life with boys, and for grown women for that matter, because love never gets easier. Plus, Fergie is actually singing and not just shouting or spelling words.
Justin Timberlake - Until the End of Time
When I first heard this song (not on the radio), I thought it was one of those really good non-single-album-only hits. But then I heard it on WBLS, and on Power 105 soon after. I have to say hearing it on the radio took a little something away from the song, but I'm still sure it'll be yet another successful single (Summer Love is also riding the radio waves right now) from JT's Future Sex/Love Sounds album.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony featuring Akon - I Tried
This song is off of the new album, Strength & Loyalty. The song goes into the reality of the problems on the streets these days and that's the fact that it's hard to get out of what you're given.
man I try so hard
will always be a victim of these streets
it ain't my fault cause I...
tried to get away but trouble follows me
Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry
I think this is a good song for teenage girls navigating their way through life with boys, and for grown women for that matter, because love never gets easier. Plus, Fergie is actually singing and not just shouting or spelling words.
FILM: Jessica Simpson's Blonde Ambition Trailer
BLONDE AMBITION
Um, that's not going to make any money. But it might do well in DVD profits. Who doesn't want to see Jessica make an ass out of herself?
Um, that's not going to make any money. But it might do well in DVD profits. Who doesn't want to see Jessica make an ass out of herself?
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
MUSIC: Maroon 5 ... Arctic Monkeys
I missed Maroon 5. When their album Songs About Jane came out in 2002, I may not have heard it until 2004 like everybody else who jumped on the "Harder to Breathe" bandwagon. But once I did, I never bothered to listen to the 700 other songs on my iPod and simply reveled in their sultry album. Now after years of touring and a brand new drummer, they are releasing their new album It Won't Be Soon Before Long next Tuesday, May 22nd. Off that album, they've released "Makes me Wonder," which has already done its rounds on the stations and charts. It has a certain 80s Saturday Night Fever-vibe to it. But underneath it all, there's still the seductive, sometimes heart-broken Adam Levine at the helm. He's always had a Prince vibe about him and it is very prominently displayed in songs like "If I never see your face again." My favorite on the album so far just from a 30 second clip is "Nothing Lasts Forever." I'm sure I'll have more after the album is released--sometimes they've got to grow on you.
"Brianstorm" by Arctic Monkeys
If you happen to be in the market for a new favorite Brit band, go for some Arctic Monkeys, an indie rock band that the Queen would surely approve of--if she knew what awesome music sounded like. This may be sacrilegious to say, but they remind me of a more daring and barely discernable Jet (whose "Put your money where your mouth is" I recently can't stop replaying). The first 5 songs are gold, especially "Flourescent Adolescent."
MUSIC: Newbies and Vets in R&B
New to the female hip hop game is teenage rapper Lil Mama. Jive Records signed Niatia Kirkland, a Brooklyn native, putting a lot of green on her. She has a certain MC Lyte attitude with Left Eye-TLC rhymin skills. Kirkland erupts from the new trend of cutesy underaged rappers coming out with songs made to dance to. For example, 19-year-old DJ Webstar and 17-year-old Young B released that so-bad-it's-catchy "Chicken Noodle Soup" last year. Lil Mama's single "Lip Gloss" doesn't have a built in dance to it, but its triviality is just as obvious. She is now recording an album Voice of the Young People that'll most likely feature similar songs that the kids will feel truly represent their generation. The song gets better past the blatant product placement that she swears isn't connected to any kind of endorsement deal. There's a break in the song, where instead of a background track there's just clapping and she rhymes to it. Watch the video. R. Malcolm Jones is coming into his own as a music video director.
Speaking of Eve, she's finally back from her acting hiatus after her self-titled show on UPN--as well as UPN--was booted. She's coming back in a big way though. In her first single "Tambourine" off of her fourth album Here I Am, she starts off the summer right. This will surely be on repeat at the clubs. Her other single "Cash Flow" with T.I. isn't as catchy. In fact, her rhyming is staccato and kind of annoying, but some people might find it genius. Here's hoping the rest of the album is Einstein-infused.
While we're on the subject of summer hits. Chris Brown hasn't exactly been wow-ing me since his first single "Run It." I thought his last/5th single "Poppin" was boring. Oh how original, another seduction song from a preteen who couldn't please a woman even if he had a map to the clitoris. But his latest, "Wall to Wall," could grow on me. It has the same spirit as "Run It" and it's good for a party--which, let's face it, is exactly what Brown's songs are good for. He has a long way to go till he can get girls to replay his ballads like it's their life soundtrack like they do with NeYo, Justin Timberlake, and Usher. Honestly, what he needs is more life experience. Otherwise, he's just going to run out of things to sing about. There's going to be a point where singing about girls wanting you is going to get old...quick.
MUSIC: Oh, the horror!
There are two old school rockin chick songs that I love: Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for walking" and Heart's "Barracuda." Last year, Jessica Simpson made Nancy and her dad roll over in their graves, shove worms in their ears, and pray to God nobody important heard it. This year, Fergie is hell bent on being remembered for all genres. Not just pop. Not just hip hop. But even rock. She tried to go the safe route by re-recording a hit, but that just makes all those rock fans hate you even more (not that selling your body for Daddy Yankee's "Impacto" helped at all). Bare a few seconds of this clip and tell me if I'm wrong.
And if that aint bad enough, a few weeks ago Rihanna released the single "Umbrella," which I loved, mostly because she was taking a step into a different direction with her career and doing it well. But then I stumbled upon the video for the song and wondered what the hell it was supposed to be about? That song had great potential for cinematic video content. Instead, she did a few billion portrait shots that are suddenly putting her in the self-centered, self-involved diva category. However, I'm ecstatic that there's an actual umbrella in the video. I'm glad she had time to remember a word or two that was in the song. And don't give me that budget-bullshit. Upcoming rappers make videos on the dirtiest streets with the most willing extras. Stop half-assing your way to stardom, otherwise you'll end up in jail like Paris. (Ok, maybe your punishment won't be that drastic.)
FILM: Because I Said So DVD Review
It's so hard to find the one. Why not let your mother put a personal ad in the newspaper for you, screen the responding candidates, and then trick you into stumbling upon the perfect guy? That's the basic plot of this Diane Keaton-Mandy Moore, mother-daughter romantic comedy.
The more convoluted breakdown of this film revolves around Keaton projecting her own romance troubles on her daughter. Truth be told Milly (Moore) is hopeless. I barely remember the rejects she fell for--because women were at the forefront of almost every scene--but the way that she crumbled once they abandoned her didn't give them very good street cred. Daphne (Keaton) had a soul-sucking burden formerly known as her husband who never delivered in the love department, despite the fact that they had three girls together. This movie is just as much about Daphne's renewed faith in love as it is Milly's attempt to decide which knight's armor is the shiniest--the suave and debonaire architect (Tom Everett Scott) or the dreamy and artistic musician (Gabriel Macht).
Moore didn't fail in morphing into this young, quirky, desperate mama's girl. She has a genuine knack for acting. I'm sure the motivation of sitting across Diane Keaton didn't hurt either. Speaking of which, Keaton keeps getting roped into playing semi-psychotic, overbearing, overly opinionated mothers to needy and damaged children, i.e. Something's Gotta Give and The Family Stone. Hell, she just finished rapping a film called Smother, about a guy whose mom moves in to pressure him into having a baby with his wife. Come on. Is there no other kind of mother out there?
Moore's sisters, played by Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly), were also a joy to watch. The casting was very well done. Despite the slight differences in appearance, they were in sync as sisters. It was a nice surprise to see Stephen Collins ("7th Heaven") play a non-religious and semi-attractive dad/grandfather for once and even nicer to see "Arrested Development" alum Tony Hale wiggle his way into scenes, stealing them right from under the main characters.
To be honest, if it weren't for the hot guy, Macht, this movie wouldn't work too well. It's a bonafide deal breaker. If the lead romantic interest is less appealing than Dustin Diamond ("Saved by the Bell"), then no matter how well written the film is it will suck.
The film itself--not factoring in acting and storyline--was sort of clocked weird. The first 10 minutes set up the reason for Keaton's obsession with this specific daughter--the other two are already married--with snapshots of wedding celebrations. That's understandable. But after Keaton's chosen her daughter's future husband, every encounter that Milly has with each guy she's dating has no natural connection. It's like they filmed a bunch of scenes and threw them all together. And Keaton's relationship is reduced to great sex, which isn't what she was advocating to her daughter and therefore sort of hypocritical. The director, Michael Lehmann (40 Days and 40 Nights), just needed to have a better structure so that nothing was left on the cutting room floor.
The more convoluted breakdown of this film revolves around Keaton projecting her own romance troubles on her daughter. Truth be told Milly (Moore) is hopeless. I barely remember the rejects she fell for--because women were at the forefront of almost every scene--but the way that she crumbled once they abandoned her didn't give them very good street cred. Daphne (Keaton) had a soul-sucking burden formerly known as her husband who never delivered in the love department, despite the fact that they had three girls together. This movie is just as much about Daphne's renewed faith in love as it is Milly's attempt to decide which knight's armor is the shiniest--the suave and debonaire architect (Tom Everett Scott) or the dreamy and artistic musician (Gabriel Macht).
Moore didn't fail in morphing into this young, quirky, desperate mama's girl. She has a genuine knack for acting. I'm sure the motivation of sitting across Diane Keaton didn't hurt either. Speaking of which, Keaton keeps getting roped into playing semi-psychotic, overbearing, overly opinionated mothers to needy and damaged children, i.e. Something's Gotta Give and The Family Stone. Hell, she just finished rapping a film called Smother, about a guy whose mom moves in to pressure him into having a baby with his wife. Come on. Is there no other kind of mother out there?
Moore's sisters, played by Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly), were also a joy to watch. The casting was very well done. Despite the slight differences in appearance, they were in sync as sisters. It was a nice surprise to see Stephen Collins ("7th Heaven") play a non-religious and semi-attractive dad/grandfather for once and even nicer to see "Arrested Development" alum Tony Hale wiggle his way into scenes, stealing them right from under the main characters.
To be honest, if it weren't for the hot guy, Macht, this movie wouldn't work too well. It's a bonafide deal breaker. If the lead romantic interest is less appealing than Dustin Diamond ("Saved by the Bell"), then no matter how well written the film is it will suck.
The film itself--not factoring in acting and storyline--was sort of clocked weird. The first 10 minutes set up the reason for Keaton's obsession with this specific daughter--the other two are already married--with snapshots of wedding celebrations. That's understandable. But after Keaton's chosen her daughter's future husband, every encounter that Milly has with each guy she's dating has no natural connection. It's like they filmed a bunch of scenes and threw them all together. And Keaton's relationship is reduced to great sex, which isn't what she was advocating to her daughter and therefore sort of hypocritical. The director, Michael Lehmann (40 Days and 40 Nights), just needed to have a better structure so that nothing was left on the cutting room floor.
FILM: Catch & Release DVD Review
Catch & Release was Jennifer Garner's first film after her hit ABC action drama "Alias" had its series finale. It was supposed to be her stepping stone into an industry dominated by phenomenal actresses like Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Natalie Portman, etc. This was the big leagues. Her plan was fool proof. She teamed up with Susannah Grant, writer of Drew Barrymore's Ever After, Julia Roberts' Erin Brokovich, Toni Collette's In her Shoes. Every one of these films followed women who were pioneers of self-improvement, independence, and feminism.
Garner's character, Gray Wheeler, however, spent the entire film depending on the kindness of...men. When her fiance dies, she moves in with his three best friends--two of which are madly in love with her. When the memories of her husband and the secrets that he kept come stumbling out of the sleazy closet, she turns to a man to console her. This was a tale of a broken woman who keeps falling apart with every layer of truth she peels away from her fiance's life. The only part that could be deemed inspirational is that she doesn't allow his dishonesty to make her a bitter, man-hating, malicious woman. If anything, it teaches her how to be honest with herself.
Garner's character, Gray Wheeler, however, spent the entire film depending on the kindness of...men. When her fiance dies, she moves in with his three best friends--two of which are madly in love with her. When the memories of her husband and the secrets that he kept come stumbling out of the sleazy closet, she turns to a man to console her. This was a tale of a broken woman who keeps falling apart with every layer of truth she peels away from her fiance's life. The only part that could be deemed inspirational is that she doesn't allow his dishonesty to make her a bitter, man-hating, malicious woman. If anything, it teaches her how to be honest with herself.
The metaphor behind the title was a reference to fishing, her dead fiance's favorite past time. There are fishermen who hook a big one, take a victory picture and then throw them back in. Gray thinks that isn't as humane as it seems. She thinks that putting a fish through all of that torture just to let them go is actually sadistic. Thus, leading a woman on for a number of years and then throwing them aside like they're nothing is downright inhumane. Lovely metaphor. That's great and everything, but kind of not worth an hour and a half of my life. It literally did nothing for me.
Garner's performance had elements of Sidney Bristow ("Alias") --the pained looks of betrayal--and of Jenna Rink (13 Going on 30)--over enthusiastic displays of happiness. In order to separate her from all the characters she's embodied, I feel she needs a makeover. You can tell that someone isn't really acting like a character, but just like themselves, when they are the same character in every movie, i.e. Owen Wilson.
As for the supporting cast, Kevin Smith played quite the sweatheart, which he does better when he actually has lines. Go figure, him and dialogue have chemistry. Timothy Olyphant was a weird choice for the bad boy turned good. He'll always be that slimy bastard in Scream 2 to me. Sam Jaeger just seemed insignificant--even though his debilitating crush on Gray does play a minor part in the film. He just doesn't leave a lasting impression is all. Juliette Louis is...always weird and talks like she's drunk, which makes her endearing and excusable from needing to have range.
Hence the verdict is: If there was a better cast and maybe a more impressive story line--so earth shattering that I feel the need to bring it up in conversation more than twice--then I'd recommend you to bump it up on your Netflix queue. Alas, it should be cast away to the bottom of the list. Wait for your boyfriend to rip your heart out of your chest. Then commiserate with Gray as much as you'd like. And hell if he has three best friends who are willing to "console" you, go for it.
Garner's performance had elements of Sidney Bristow ("Alias") --the pained looks of betrayal--and of Jenna Rink (13 Going on 30)--over enthusiastic displays of happiness. In order to separate her from all the characters she's embodied, I feel she needs a makeover. You can tell that someone isn't really acting like a character, but just like themselves, when they are the same character in every movie, i.e. Owen Wilson.
As for the supporting cast, Kevin Smith played quite the sweatheart, which he does better when he actually has lines. Go figure, him and dialogue have chemistry. Timothy Olyphant was a weird choice for the bad boy turned good. He'll always be that slimy bastard in Scream 2 to me. Sam Jaeger just seemed insignificant--even though his debilitating crush on Gray does play a minor part in the film. He just doesn't leave a lasting impression is all. Juliette Louis is...always weird and talks like she's drunk, which makes her endearing and excusable from needing to have range.
Hence the verdict is: If there was a better cast and maybe a more impressive story line--so earth shattering that I feel the need to bring it up in conversation more than twice--then I'd recommend you to bump it up on your Netflix queue. Alas, it should be cast away to the bottom of the list. Wait for your boyfriend to rip your heart out of your chest. Then commiserate with Gray as much as you'd like. And hell if he has three best friends who are willing to "console" you, go for it.
FILM: Box Office Results - 5/14/07
It was no surprise when Spider-Man 3 was #1 again this weekend, making $60 mil. The question is where the other films that debuted fell on the Top 10 list.
The horror flick 28 Weeks Later, which received good reviews, came in at #2 with $10 mil. Lindsay Lohan's chick flick, which got horrible reviews, came in at #3 with $5.9 mil--that would be the tween vote. The third big contender for the weekend, The Ex, failed to make the critics laugh leading to the #12 spot, with a measly $1.3--those would be all the "Scrubs" and "Arrested Development" viewers. Most of the critics were jabbing at the film's lack of creativity comedy-wise and they complained that the genre itself has taken over the past few generations--you know the usual back-in-our-day crap that they shell out. However, last weekend I chose not to mention Delta Farce as one of the films premiering because...well, it's stupid. I mean, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall are very funny guys, but they're not $10-of-my-life-savings funny. Nonetheless, the action spoof came in at #5 with #3.5 mil.
Home of the Brave didn't place very high or make very much or impress very many of the citics. They did all come to the same consensus that I did though: it was a noble effort and message. Blind Dating wasn't even seen by most of the critics, but it made 3 times as much as Brave.
Next week expect Shrek the Third to swat that big old bug. On the ogre's tail are a number of indies with big names that'll keep the adults happy. It'll be a slow weekend. But think of it this way: now you can catch up on all that reading you've been ignoring for...all of your life.
The horror flick 28 Weeks Later, which received good reviews, came in at #2 with $10 mil. Lindsay Lohan's chick flick, which got horrible reviews, came in at #3 with $5.9 mil--that would be the tween vote. The third big contender for the weekend, The Ex, failed to make the critics laugh leading to the #12 spot, with a measly $1.3--those would be all the "Scrubs" and "Arrested Development" viewers. Most of the critics were jabbing at the film's lack of creativity comedy-wise and they complained that the genre itself has taken over the past few generations--you know the usual back-in-our-day crap that they shell out. However, last weekend I chose not to mention Delta Farce as one of the films premiering because...well, it's stupid. I mean, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall are very funny guys, but they're not $10-of-my-life-savings funny. Nonetheless, the action spoof came in at #5 with #3.5 mil.
Home of the Brave didn't place very high or make very much or impress very many of the citics. They did all come to the same consensus that I did though: it was a noble effort and message. Blind Dating wasn't even seen by most of the critics, but it made 3 times as much as Brave.
Next week expect Shrek the Third to swat that big old bug. On the ogre's tail are a number of indies with big names that'll keep the adults happy. It'll be a slow weekend. But think of it this way: now you can catch up on all that reading you've been ignoring for...all of your life.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
NEW MOVIES: 5/11
28 WEEKS LATER
Fans of 28 Days Later, the sci fi horror flick that grossed $45 mil and launched Cillian Murphy's career in 2003, has returned with a sequel. In the first film, an incurable disease that turns people into ravenous murderers spreads throughout the UK, while Murphy and few other survivors try to find sanctuary. So, basically it's an artsy, low budget ($8 mil), British version of Resident Evil without all the theatrics. The sequel takes place 6 months after the first outbreak. The U.S. Army takes over to help repopulate the area and sift out the diseased, but unfortunately it spreads again. It follows a family as they try to survive. I won't be watching it...cause I don't need nightmares. But it should be interesting, because it's directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and it's his first English film.
GEORGIA RULE
Don't believe the hype? Or should I say...don't listen to it. Try for two whole hours to forget that Lindsay Lohan does coke, flashes her cooch, shows up on set whenever she wants to, and allegedly runs over paparazzi. Try as hard as you can, because if you can't then Jane Fonda's attempt to get back into the game full swing and Felicity Huffman's attempt to balance a TV and film career will be wasted. Lohan plays a girl who accuses her step father of molesting her...and maybe her mom would believe her if she weren't a pathological liar. Huffman plays a mother who has no idea how to control her teenage daughter, so she thinks the only one who can is the person who used to control her (Fonda). Hence, you must follow Georgia's rules if you don't want to be punished, humiliated, and tortured by good old Georgia. This film follows three generations of women trying their hardest not to let men define their existence. It's meant to be inspirational and touching and perfect for Mother's Day weekend. Then of course there are the token hotties, Dermot Mulroney (The Family Stone) and Garrett Hedlund (Four Brothers), that add a little romance to this dramedy. So don't cross it off your list just yet.
THE EX
Zach Braff has done a good job of steering clear of comedies, since he stars in one on NBC ("Scrubs"). But of course it was inevitable. In this flick, Braff plays a husband forced to work for his father-in-law after his bread-winner wife, Amanda Peet, has to take care of their baby. If that isn't pressure enough, he seems to have the worst competition for her heart, a handicap guy, Jason Bateman, who knows exactly how to abuse other people's kindness. The best part of the film is trying to decide who you'll be rooting for--that and seeing great comedians in action from the "Arrested Development" alum to Paul Rudd to SNLers Amy Poelher and Fred Armisen.
HOME OF THE BRAVE
This is one of those tear jerkers that gets the cogs rolling in the old noggin. Samuel L. Jackson, Curtis Jackson (that's 50 Cent to you), Jessica Biel, and Chad Michael Murray play soliders who have to figure out how to get on with their lives, and how to live with who they've become and what they've done after they return from war. It probably won't get any Oscar play and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a pretty low score, but maybe you'll connect with it on a level those critics didn't.
BLIND DATING
Chris Pine is, needless to say, dreamy, whether he's playing a misogynistic wannabe royal (Princess Diaries 2) or an unlucky clutz (Just My Luck) or a disgusting, murderous spawn of trailer trash (Smokin' Aces). This time he woos you with his ability to make you pity his romantic troubles as he is unable to find the perfect girl since he's blind as a bat and *gasp* a 22 yr old virgin. Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie), his encouraging brother, tries to help him. But Thomas always plays the perv card--sort of the geeky version of Stifler--and he is no help. The one innovative idea in this film is that the love that Pine finds isn't in some picture perfect, blonde-haired, blue-eyed hottie or your stereotypical secretly hot geek who just *sigh* understands him, but an Indian girl (Anjali Jay) who treats him like she'd treat any stranger hitting on her: like shit. Open your mind (and your wallet) and give it a shot.
Fans of 28 Days Later, the sci fi horror flick that grossed $45 mil and launched Cillian Murphy's career in 2003, has returned with a sequel. In the first film, an incurable disease that turns people into ravenous murderers spreads throughout the UK, while Murphy and few other survivors try to find sanctuary. So, basically it's an artsy, low budget ($8 mil), British version of Resident Evil without all the theatrics. The sequel takes place 6 months after the first outbreak. The U.S. Army takes over to help repopulate the area and sift out the diseased, but unfortunately it spreads again. It follows a family as they try to survive. I won't be watching it...cause I don't need nightmares. But it should be interesting, because it's directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and it's his first English film.
GEORGIA RULE
Don't believe the hype? Or should I say...don't listen to it. Try for two whole hours to forget that Lindsay Lohan does coke, flashes her cooch, shows up on set whenever she wants to, and allegedly runs over paparazzi. Try as hard as you can, because if you can't then Jane Fonda's attempt to get back into the game full swing and Felicity Huffman's attempt to balance a TV and film career will be wasted. Lohan plays a girl who accuses her step father of molesting her...and maybe her mom would believe her if she weren't a pathological liar. Huffman plays a mother who has no idea how to control her teenage daughter, so she thinks the only one who can is the person who used to control her (Fonda). Hence, you must follow Georgia's rules if you don't want to be punished, humiliated, and tortured by good old Georgia. This film follows three generations of women trying their hardest not to let men define their existence. It's meant to be inspirational and touching and perfect for Mother's Day weekend. Then of course there are the token hotties, Dermot Mulroney (The Family Stone) and Garrett Hedlund (Four Brothers), that add a little romance to this dramedy. So don't cross it off your list just yet.
THE EX
Zach Braff has done a good job of steering clear of comedies, since he stars in one on NBC ("Scrubs"). But of course it was inevitable. In this flick, Braff plays a husband forced to work for his father-in-law after his bread-winner wife, Amanda Peet, has to take care of their baby. If that isn't pressure enough, he seems to have the worst competition for her heart, a handicap guy, Jason Bateman, who knows exactly how to abuse other people's kindness. The best part of the film is trying to decide who you'll be rooting for--that and seeing great comedians in action from the "Arrested Development" alum to Paul Rudd to SNLers Amy Poelher and Fred Armisen.
HOME OF THE BRAVE
This is one of those tear jerkers that gets the cogs rolling in the old noggin. Samuel L. Jackson, Curtis Jackson (that's 50 Cent to you), Jessica Biel, and Chad Michael Murray play soliders who have to figure out how to get on with their lives, and how to live with who they've become and what they've done after they return from war. It probably won't get any Oscar play and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a pretty low score, but maybe you'll connect with it on a level those critics didn't.
BLIND DATING
Chris Pine is, needless to say, dreamy, whether he's playing a misogynistic wannabe royal (Princess Diaries 2) or an unlucky clutz (Just My Luck) or a disgusting, murderous spawn of trailer trash (Smokin' Aces). This time he woos you with his ability to make you pity his romantic troubles as he is unable to find the perfect girl since he's blind as a bat and *gasp* a 22 yr old virgin. Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie), his encouraging brother, tries to help him. But Thomas always plays the perv card--sort of the geeky version of Stifler--and he is no help. The one innovative idea in this film is that the love that Pine finds isn't in some picture perfect, blonde-haired, blue-eyed hottie or your stereotypical secretly hot geek who just *sigh* understands him, but an Indian girl (Anjali Jay) who treats him like she'd treat any stranger hitting on her: like shit. Open your mind (and your wallet) and give it a shot.
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