Thursday, October 12, 2006
The Departed
Personally, I think the whole movie industry is just a big scam. I refuse to believe that so many people could make so many bad movies and churn out so much…searching for a family friendly term….lameness (best I could do). I mean, we’ve all seen lots of movies and while everyone has their own taste, we can all agree that much if not most of what gets put out is not worth the popcorn left on the floor of the theater after it is viewed.
Then, there is a movie like “The Departed” where it is as if the power brokers in Hollywood get together and say, “ok, we’ve messed with them long enough, lets just get a bunch of good people together and make a good movie.” I’m guessing the most common response to that is, “really? It’s only been 3 years since we made a good movie, shouldn’t we hold out a little longer? I mean, that whole Lord of the Rings fiasco was like 3 great movies in 3 years or something and that really screwed up our averages.”
But somehow, some way more benevolent minds prevailed and they called Scorsese and said, “hey, why don’t you round up some of the better younger talent around, mix in a few veterans and make a good, uncompromising movie.” Fortunately for us, he agreed.
Now, I don’t want to over sell the movie. It isn’t the next Godfather and it probably isn’t even the next Goodfellas. But it is a very good movie done right. They avoided most of the obvious pitfalls and clichés and turned out a good movie.
The movie is about two young cops (Damon and DeCaprio) who come up at the same time. Damon is a hard charging fast climber who happens to actually be working as a mob informant. DeCaprio is guy on the edge who gets turned back to his old neighborhood to be an informant for the police. The main story is a cat and mouse as each tries to find the “rat” in their respective organizations while appearing to work for the opposition.
What’s to like:
1. This list could honestly be very, very long, but I’ll keep it somewhat limited. First, the movie is brilliantly directed with no shot wasted and every scene advancing both the story and the character development. The way the scenes are shot both raise the intensity and tension in the movie and know when to give us a break and let us relax a bit. Could be his best work since Raging Bull and that includes Good Fellas if you’re just talking directing.
2. The characters are believable and sympathetic starting with the stars. Damon and DiCaprio are both balanced complex characters neither all good or all bad. They square off against each other without even knowing it and dominate their respective story lines like Pacino and Deniro in Heat. Not saying they were that good, but they played their characters perfectly.
3. Jack. Nicholson is always good, always. He does tend to play himself a bit, but he’s so layered and intense and weird, that isn’t really a bad thing. He is great in this movie. Go ahead and send him the gold statue for best supporting actor right now. I’m telling you, mark it up. The great thing about the performance is that with very little set up you have to be completely convinced he’s a powerful bad dude completely in charge and to be feared. He convinces you of that in about 2.4 seconds.
4. The other players. Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Marky Mark and Vera Farmiga are all brilliant. In some ways their performances even outshine the stars. Baldwin and Wahlberg play the best characters in the movie and Farmiga (who was great in the very underrated “Dummy”), gets my nod for best performance from this movie. Completely believable
5. The twists of the story. I can’t tell you what they are of course, but some of them just about take your breath away. The whole movie has a you see it coming but you don’t see it coming sense to it that keeps you on edge
6. I really could go on and on about the movie having the right look, not overly romanticizing the bad guys, being real about the good guys, the great writing, and so forth, but I have to cut it short.
What I could have done without:
1. I can’t decide if I like the ending. I think I didn’t
2. Damon and DiCaprio looked too much a like. It wasn’t that I got them confused or anything, but it was almost like the same actor playing both parts. I think some variety would have added something, though they were both good.
3. That’s about it really. At least that’s all I can think of at the moment.
Who do you like: I’ve been through this, but DiCaprio’s character is quite sympathetic and Farmiga is brilliant. She draws you in to her character and the ones she’s connected with. Marky Mark is the best though. Hilarious.
What’s new: A great cast in a mob movie done right. It isn’t the first time, but it’s been a good long while. Since Casino I guess and this was better than that.
What’s the last word: As mentioned above, I don’t think I liked the ending….I don’t think. I’m still on the fence. It worked for the movie, I’m just not sure it worked for me.
Who you should bring: Uhmmm, well, adults for one thing. This movie is very violent and no one in the movie says 4 words together without cursing. Don’t bring anyone who prefers not to watch that kind of movie and don’t bring anyone younger than 18 (though 25 is probably a better number). With all the violence and most of the characters being men doing manly things and acting like men do with other men when they are violent psychopaths, I think this movie will appeal more to men than to women, but certainly not exclusively and I think anyone who likes Scorsese’s other gritty movies will like this one.
Where you should watch: Well, you will get your money’s worth at the theater (how often can you say that), but you don’t really need a huge screen to enjoy it.
What’s the couch rating: Tough to say how much my lovely wife would have enjoyed this, but it is safe to say she wouldn’t have fallen asleep.
What my gut tells me: My gut and brain are on the same page here. I walked out liking it immediately and the more I think about it, the more I do. That said, I don’t want to see it again. It is a good movie, but it is unpleasant.
What it’s like: Good Fellas, Donny Brasco,
Where it rates: 9. I went in with very high expectations and it didn’t disappoint.
Then, there is a movie like “The Departed” where it is as if the power brokers in Hollywood get together and say, “ok, we’ve messed with them long enough, lets just get a bunch of good people together and make a good movie.” I’m guessing the most common response to that is, “really? It’s only been 3 years since we made a good movie, shouldn’t we hold out a little longer? I mean, that whole Lord of the Rings fiasco was like 3 great movies in 3 years or something and that really screwed up our averages.”
But somehow, some way more benevolent minds prevailed and they called Scorsese and said, “hey, why don’t you round up some of the better younger talent around, mix in a few veterans and make a good, uncompromising movie.” Fortunately for us, he agreed.
Now, I don’t want to over sell the movie. It isn’t the next Godfather and it probably isn’t even the next Goodfellas. But it is a very good movie done right. They avoided most of the obvious pitfalls and clichés and turned out a good movie.
The movie is about two young cops (Damon and DeCaprio) who come up at the same time. Damon is a hard charging fast climber who happens to actually be working as a mob informant. DeCaprio is guy on the edge who gets turned back to his old neighborhood to be an informant for the police. The main story is a cat and mouse as each tries to find the “rat” in their respective organizations while appearing to work for the opposition.
What’s to like:
1. This list could honestly be very, very long, but I’ll keep it somewhat limited. First, the movie is brilliantly directed with no shot wasted and every scene advancing both the story and the character development. The way the scenes are shot both raise the intensity and tension in the movie and know when to give us a break and let us relax a bit. Could be his best work since Raging Bull and that includes Good Fellas if you’re just talking directing.
2. The characters are believable and sympathetic starting with the stars. Damon and DiCaprio are both balanced complex characters neither all good or all bad. They square off against each other without even knowing it and dominate their respective story lines like Pacino and Deniro in Heat. Not saying they were that good, but they played their characters perfectly.
3. Jack. Nicholson is always good, always. He does tend to play himself a bit, but he’s so layered and intense and weird, that isn’t really a bad thing. He is great in this movie. Go ahead and send him the gold statue for best supporting actor right now. I’m telling you, mark it up. The great thing about the performance is that with very little set up you have to be completely convinced he’s a powerful bad dude completely in charge and to be feared. He convinces you of that in about 2.4 seconds.
4. The other players. Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Marky Mark and Vera Farmiga are all brilliant. In some ways their performances even outshine the stars. Baldwin and Wahlberg play the best characters in the movie and Farmiga (who was great in the very underrated “Dummy”), gets my nod for best performance from this movie. Completely believable
5. The twists of the story. I can’t tell you what they are of course, but some of them just about take your breath away. The whole movie has a you see it coming but you don’t see it coming sense to it that keeps you on edge
6. I really could go on and on about the movie having the right look, not overly romanticizing the bad guys, being real about the good guys, the great writing, and so forth, but I have to cut it short.
What I could have done without:
1. I can’t decide if I like the ending. I think I didn’t
2. Damon and DiCaprio looked too much a like. It wasn’t that I got them confused or anything, but it was almost like the same actor playing both parts. I think some variety would have added something, though they were both good.
3. That’s about it really. At least that’s all I can think of at the moment.
Who do you like: I’ve been through this, but DiCaprio’s character is quite sympathetic and Farmiga is brilliant. She draws you in to her character and the ones she’s connected with. Marky Mark is the best though. Hilarious.
What’s new: A great cast in a mob movie done right. It isn’t the first time, but it’s been a good long while. Since Casino I guess and this was better than that.
What’s the last word: As mentioned above, I don’t think I liked the ending….I don’t think. I’m still on the fence. It worked for the movie, I’m just not sure it worked for me.
Who you should bring: Uhmmm, well, adults for one thing. This movie is very violent and no one in the movie says 4 words together without cursing. Don’t bring anyone who prefers not to watch that kind of movie and don’t bring anyone younger than 18 (though 25 is probably a better number). With all the violence and most of the characters being men doing manly things and acting like men do with other men when they are violent psychopaths, I think this movie will appeal more to men than to women, but certainly not exclusively and I think anyone who likes Scorsese’s other gritty movies will like this one.
Where you should watch: Well, you will get your money’s worth at the theater (how often can you say that), but you don’t really need a huge screen to enjoy it.
What’s the couch rating: Tough to say how much my lovely wife would have enjoyed this, but it is safe to say she wouldn’t have fallen asleep.
What my gut tells me: My gut and brain are on the same page here. I walked out liking it immediately and the more I think about it, the more I do. That said, I don’t want to see it again. It is a good movie, but it is unpleasant.
What it’s like: Good Fellas, Donny Brasco,
Where it rates: 9. I went in with very high expectations and it didn’t disappoint.
Fearless
I like Jet Li. He is an incredibly skilled martial artist and just a phenomenal athlete. I like his movies, because I am bound to see some move or fight sequence that I’ve never seen and makes me say, “wow.” That said, as his career “progresses,” it is becoming sadly apparent that he can not act. I mean not at all. Not even a little. Most of the time, that is just fine because he doesn’t have to. He has to fight lots and lots of bad guys, preferably all at once. He is the Chinese Keanu Reeves. As long as it’s an action movie requiring little more than some looks of pain and stern “I’m about to open up a can” looks, both Reeves and Li are just fine. Ask them to act and you get “A Walk In the Clouds.”
So, Fearless starring Jet Li and lots of other fighting Chinese people was a bit of mixed bag. It had tremendous fight sequences without heavily relying on wire work, but also asked Li to act which was nearly unwatchable. He may have the worst fake laugh in the history of cinema. On to the review
What’s to like:
1. Jet Li’s fighting. He’s amazing. On thing though, that was the subject of a long and continuing debate between me and my buddies that I saw the movie with, and that is, why don’t martial arts movies make some attempt to show real fighting, ever? I mean I get why we get the styalized stuff most of the time, but why does it never make an attempt to be real? It is always so obviously choreographed, I’m left wondering, would any of those things actually work in a real fight? I’m sure some would, but you can’t tell from watching the movies. All the moves end up looking like that scene from Napoleon Dynamite where the karate instructor is showing a move that requires you to grab his left arm in a certain way for it to be effective. I always think, sure if that guy happens to grab you just so and then stayed still while you whirled around, that might work, but when does that happen?
2. The fight scene in the restaurant. Great wood breaking, table smashing more “realistic” type fighting. Best scene in the movie.
3. The landscapes, CGI city shots and just the look in general. Had that epic look and feel even if the story didn’t.
4. The fighting. Oh wait, did I mention that already, oh well, it was the good part of the movie, so there you go.
What I could have done without:
1. The horrible dialogue. Now, here I’m not sure whether to blame the writing which was all in Chinese which I don’t speak even a little, or the subtitles which were in 2nd grade English which I know well enough to know it stunk. For example, the crowd would erupt in chants and cheers after the conclusion of a fight and the subtitle would read, “Great” “Really nice job” “Excellent victory.” I mean, is that really the kind of thing Chinese people yell at the close of a fight? Seriously? Then there was one fight when one of the fighters was mysteriously able to tear Li’s clothing and skin using his finger tips at which point Li said (according to the subtitles) “kitten paw” This provoked the other fighter to yell, “Tiger claw!!!” and they exchanged these piercing barbs which no doubt left a deeper impact than their blows. Ugh. So, either this movie boasts the worst dialogue since Battleship Earth, or we have to do something about how we translate movies from Chinese. I also enjoyed that there were some words they didn’t translate like “Wushu” I guess maybe because some people familiar with martial arts would have known that term, but whatever the reason it allowed for great lines like, “Master, his wushu is greater than yours.”
2. All the Westerners being corrupt morons. I know, Hollywood deserves this for doing the same to Asians for years in movies, but it is no more fun in reverse than when we do it to them. It’s a movie, not a cartoon.
3. The obligatory fight with the giant, growling westerner where in spite of the fact that he is about 7 feet tall and freakishly muscular he is helpless against the Yoda sized Li. I get that Li is fast and skilled, but give me a break. By the way, the growling goliath is the same guy that take it in the neck from Achilles in the best scene in the movie Troy and has apparently started making a living being the huge guy that the little guy beats up on. Given how unlikely that would be for him in real life, I wonder if it bothers him…..probably not.
4. The story – It was allegedly based on a true story, though my buddy James did some reading and discovered they (gasp) actually changed some of the facts. Shocking I know. Nonetheless they should have kept on changing because the story is a wee bit thin with a strange disconnect from the final scene. Nevertheless, the look and action of the movie propped the story up well enough so this is only a minor criticism.
Who do you like: Li’s character passes for sympathetic. Otherwise, there is no one of note in this movie. So, if you don’t like Li, stay very far away.
What’s new: Good new fighting scenes, the best of which was Li fighting with this 3 rod contraption. Think extra long nunchucks but instead of a length of chain in the middle a third rod with all three connected by short lengths of chain. I’m sure there is a wushu name for this, but I don’t know it. He uses that to fight a guy with a sword and it is pretty amazing.
What’s the last word: As mentioned above, the ending seemed disconnected to the rest of the story. It is also, apparently, not very grounded in truth. Not a criticism, just letting you know.
Who you should bring: People who like martial arts movies, which I suspect mostly means guys. There is a love story….sort of, but this movie is really about a guy who learns to fight and spends his life fighting and very little else. So, bring people that don’t mind subtitles and love fighting.
Where you should watch: See this on as big a screen as possible. The scenery is beautiful and the fight scenes are better when bigger. You need to go to the theater (and quickly) if you want to see this movie.
What’s the couch rating: Tanya digs martial arts fighting so I think she would have stayed awake through most of it. That said, she would have been sound asleep for the last 25 minutes or so. Once the fighting slows and the characters don’t engage you, she would have been out.
What my gut tells me: I liked it. It doesn’t stand up to criticism when you break it down, but I enjoyed it and enjoyed all the discussion and debate afterward about whether a tiny kung fu expert could beat a big fast boxer type like Tyson. Over all I enjoyed it.
What it’s like: House of Flying Daggers meets every other Jet Li or Jean Claude Van Dam movie.
Where it rates: 7. Not great, but enjoyable enough.
So, Fearless starring Jet Li and lots of other fighting Chinese people was a bit of mixed bag. It had tremendous fight sequences without heavily relying on wire work, but also asked Li to act which was nearly unwatchable. He may have the worst fake laugh in the history of cinema. On to the review
What’s to like:
1. Jet Li’s fighting. He’s amazing. On thing though, that was the subject of a long and continuing debate between me and my buddies that I saw the movie with, and that is, why don’t martial arts movies make some attempt to show real fighting, ever? I mean I get why we get the styalized stuff most of the time, but why does it never make an attempt to be real? It is always so obviously choreographed, I’m left wondering, would any of those things actually work in a real fight? I’m sure some would, but you can’t tell from watching the movies. All the moves end up looking like that scene from Napoleon Dynamite where the karate instructor is showing a move that requires you to grab his left arm in a certain way for it to be effective. I always think, sure if that guy happens to grab you just so and then stayed still while you whirled around, that might work, but when does that happen?
2. The fight scene in the restaurant. Great wood breaking, table smashing more “realistic” type fighting. Best scene in the movie.
3. The landscapes, CGI city shots and just the look in general. Had that epic look and feel even if the story didn’t.
4. The fighting. Oh wait, did I mention that already, oh well, it was the good part of the movie, so there you go.
What I could have done without:
1. The horrible dialogue. Now, here I’m not sure whether to blame the writing which was all in Chinese which I don’t speak even a little, or the subtitles which were in 2nd grade English which I know well enough to know it stunk. For example, the crowd would erupt in chants and cheers after the conclusion of a fight and the subtitle would read, “Great” “Really nice job” “Excellent victory.” I mean, is that really the kind of thing Chinese people yell at the close of a fight? Seriously? Then there was one fight when one of the fighters was mysteriously able to tear Li’s clothing and skin using his finger tips at which point Li said (according to the subtitles) “kitten paw” This provoked the other fighter to yell, “Tiger claw!!!” and they exchanged these piercing barbs which no doubt left a deeper impact than their blows. Ugh. So, either this movie boasts the worst dialogue since Battleship Earth, or we have to do something about how we translate movies from Chinese. I also enjoyed that there were some words they didn’t translate like “Wushu” I guess maybe because some people familiar with martial arts would have known that term, but whatever the reason it allowed for great lines like, “Master, his wushu is greater than yours.”
2. All the Westerners being corrupt morons. I know, Hollywood deserves this for doing the same to Asians for years in movies, but it is no more fun in reverse than when we do it to them. It’s a movie, not a cartoon.
3. The obligatory fight with the giant, growling westerner where in spite of the fact that he is about 7 feet tall and freakishly muscular he is helpless against the Yoda sized Li. I get that Li is fast and skilled, but give me a break. By the way, the growling goliath is the same guy that take it in the neck from Achilles in the best scene in the movie Troy and has apparently started making a living being the huge guy that the little guy beats up on. Given how unlikely that would be for him in real life, I wonder if it bothers him…..probably not.
4. The story – It was allegedly based on a true story, though my buddy James did some reading and discovered they (gasp) actually changed some of the facts. Shocking I know. Nonetheless they should have kept on changing because the story is a wee bit thin with a strange disconnect from the final scene. Nevertheless, the look and action of the movie propped the story up well enough so this is only a minor criticism.
Who do you like: Li’s character passes for sympathetic. Otherwise, there is no one of note in this movie. So, if you don’t like Li, stay very far away.
What’s new: Good new fighting scenes, the best of which was Li fighting with this 3 rod contraption. Think extra long nunchucks but instead of a length of chain in the middle a third rod with all three connected by short lengths of chain. I’m sure there is a wushu name for this, but I don’t know it. He uses that to fight a guy with a sword and it is pretty amazing.
What’s the last word: As mentioned above, the ending seemed disconnected to the rest of the story. It is also, apparently, not very grounded in truth. Not a criticism, just letting you know.
Who you should bring: People who like martial arts movies, which I suspect mostly means guys. There is a love story….sort of, but this movie is really about a guy who learns to fight and spends his life fighting and very little else. So, bring people that don’t mind subtitles and love fighting.
Where you should watch: See this on as big a screen as possible. The scenery is beautiful and the fight scenes are better when bigger. You need to go to the theater (and quickly) if you want to see this movie.
What’s the couch rating: Tanya digs martial arts fighting so I think she would have stayed awake through most of it. That said, she would have been sound asleep for the last 25 minutes or so. Once the fighting slows and the characters don’t engage you, she would have been out.
What my gut tells me: I liked it. It doesn’t stand up to criticism when you break it down, but I enjoyed it and enjoyed all the discussion and debate afterward about whether a tiny kung fu expert could beat a big fast boxer type like Tyson. Over all I enjoyed it.
What it’s like: House of Flying Daggers meets every other Jet Li or Jean Claude Van Dam movie.
Where it rates: 7. Not great, but enjoyable enough.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
TV Update
So, I finally get around to writing something about TV since the new Fall season just started and almost as soon as I write it, everything changes and it’s out of date. So for the good of the 3.5 people who might read this, I feel compelled to offer an update. So, here’s some additional thoughts on TV and the new fall season.
You may have noticed that for years now there is a strange copycat phenomenon that happens in Hollywood. Every couple years there will be a movie on some random subject matter that sounds interesting and seems worth seeing and then you hear just days later that there is another movie coming out with virtually the identical subject matter. Just the ones I can think of off the top of my head include: a couple years ago there were two volcano disaster movies; 2 asteroids headed toward earth movies; two movies about Columbus; two drill to the center of the earth movies; two movies about cops who are partners except for one is straight laced and by the book and the other one is a rule snubbing maverick (not the basketball team), they both argue with their African American police chief as they fight against Asian drug lords preferably referred to as the “triad” or “triads” (no one in Hollywood is sure if there are more than one), actually at least 2 of these movies get made every year.
The explanation I have heard for this phenomenon is really quite simple if not rather pathetic. Apparently, it works like this: One studio gets a hold of a great script that is new and fresh and gets a good buzz going. Big time directors and stars are interested and the “industry” starts getting all hyped up. A rival studio then sees an opportunity to cash in on all this free buzz and publicity and pays extra for a different big director and different big name stars. If you notice, when you have these double movies, they almost always both feature bankable stars. The copycat film studio knows their movie will suck. I mean, it is just a rip off of something else and gets thrown together quickly, so how could it not? Because they know they will suck, they rush their movie to get to theaters fast and first. It doesn’t matter if it is good, it just needs to have big stars, enough decent material to put together a good trailer and the buzz generated by the second movie which inevitably gets blended into the copycat. Then the first one comes out, does OK and usually takes an audience away from the real movie which is usually much, much better.
I mean, you probably already either figured this out or at least assumed it couldn’t be coincidence. But it is at least conceivable that two people just happened to think a giant space rock headed toward earth to wipe us all out dino-style might make for some cool special effects and a profitable movie. So, how do I know that it isn’t just coincidence when this happens? First, I know because it always plays out just as I described above in terms of one movie sucking and one being good. Second, I know because this year there are mysteriously two movies about magicians set in the 1800s or thereabout where there is mystery and intrigue and heavily waxed mustaches. I think the odds of two different people coming up with that concept for a movie at the precise same moment in time are roughly the same as me becoming a huge Colin Farrell fan…in other words, less chance of surviving a space rock the size of Mt. Everest landing on you as you walk to work.
That means, of course, that only one of those movies is going to be good despite the fact that both have big stars and cool looking previews. Trust me, only one will be good, the second one. The first one, “The Illusionist” stars Ed Norton (one of my favorites) with the great Paul Giamatti and the easy on the eyes Jessica Biel. This movie already came out and even though I didn’t see it and still want to see it and definitely will see it eventually, I already know it will be hackish and bad. The second movie is “The Prestige” which stars Christian Bale (one of my favorites), Hugh Jackman (sans claws) and the even easier on the eyes Scarlett Johansen. That movie has a chance to be pretty dang good. Give it a chance even if you saw the other one and it was bad.
Now you’re thinking, “hey wait, I thought this was going to be about TV?” Well, I bring all this up to say, that this phenomenon happened in TV this year in almost identical fashion, except with “stars” who could only be considered big on TV. I’m guessing that someone in the Timothy Hutton fan club, proudly wearing their “Turk 182” T-Shirt, let slip that he was inked to do a hip new serial drama about a wealthy powerful family who has a family member get kidnapped and the plot takes strange and interesting turns as the good guys fight to get the victim back. So, Fox grabbed some guy with a nice face who couldn’t act to go with a bunch of guys you recognize but can’t place, like a doctor from ER and Penelope Anne Miller who looks like she has borrowed Star Jones’ hips (ok, that was a cheap shot, I apologize, writing about entertainment stuff makes me catty I guess). They rush to make a rip off kidnapping show so they can get theirs on the air first.
Well, that show became Vanished and as I mentioned in the last post, I got sucked in and started watching it and am still watching it even though it is really fairly lame. They did just replace the nice face with a guy who can act a bit, so I’m sticking with it for a bit longer. The good show, that came after, even though I guarantee it was the original, was called “Kidnapped” and just got cancelled. So, when I told you to pick Kidnapped if you haven’t picked one yet and you want to watch a show about kidnapping that doesn’t have Anthony Lapaglia in it, you can leave hateful comments to this post for the terrible advice.
Staying with the “shows that got cancelled” theme., you might recall that I named Smith as the best new show on TV. I almost wrote that it is so good that it is sure to be cancelled. But my doctor has asked me to cut my cynicism in half which is still roughly 3 times the recommended daily allowance, so I didn’t say anything even though I was thinking, this show is actually pretty good, I bet it gets cancelled. Why would I think that? Am I just a pessimist of the first order? Of course not, I couldn’t make it out of the 3rd order, but also I just know that the people in American television believe that the American audience is really, really stupid and they believe that regardless of how good a show is or how bad a time slot is, if the show doesn’t explode on to the scene like Lost or Alias did, then there is no way anyone in America will figure out that it is worth watching and yet a 7th installment of CSI is not. This is irrefutable fact. I know because I’m a lawyer and get paid to refute things and use words like “irrefutable” in non-legal conversations as if normal people would ever do that. So, I know irrefutable and this is as irrefutable as it gets. So there. Convinced? I’m guessing you already were.
So, of course, Smith got cancelled. How on earth is “My Name is Earl” still on the air? I mean it is good and funny and smart (even while being stupid). I can’t believe they brought it back. They better be careful, if it goes on much longer it will become a runaway hit and a huge success.
I watched the first few episodes of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” which was apparently named by the owner of the “California Angels of Anaheim brought to you by Orange County in conjunction with Long Beach.” Here’s my take. I think I enjoyed this show more when it was called West Wing and it was in its first season. I mean, the writing, acting, directing, story lines are so much like West Wing it is a like trying to find the difference between the hook of Queen’s “Under Pressure” and Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.” Except now, instead of the White House, it is the set of a show that is exactly like Saturday Night Live. The problem is, that everyone still acts like they are running the most powerfull nation on earth instead of a sketch comedy show. This show, in addition to feeling warn out before it even gets going because it is so much like a show we’ve already seen, takes itself waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too seriously. It is about a comedy sketch show and the people who make it go and nothing funny happens. Come to think of it, that makes it pretty much like the real SNL, but I don’t think that’s the intended goal. The writing is good and sharp and Matthew Perry is really, really good playing a slightly more serious and stressed out Chandler from the first season of Friends….when he was still funny. But good acting and writing are not enough to save this show from a seriously flawed premise. I don’t care what happens behind the scenes of SNL and even if I did, I wouldn’t believe this was an accurate depiction. And I write a whole blog dedicated to entertainment stuff. So, how is a normal person going to get into this show? I don’t think they will and I think this show isn’t going to make it.
Also, I’m done watching it. I’m going to check in with my lovely wife, but unless she really wants to keep watching, I’m taking it off the Tivo list. It isn’t just because of the criticism above, it is because the show’s agenda is too obvious and it is an unwelcome distraction from the entertainment. In the first season of West Wing, they took their shots at Bush and Republicans and even when they would bring in a character to offer an alternative point of view, it was obviously a show with an agenda to the left of center. That was fine because they didn’t trot it out every week and beat us over the head with it and the writing and acting was so fresh and good, it still made for a great show. Then the real presidential race started and the show couldn’t help itself. They dropped any veil still slightly masking its pointedly liberal agenda and turned into little more than well crafted propaganda. Laying my cards on the table, I’m a registered Republican and I’m sure that’s part of what soured me on the show. But more than that was I felt insulted that the show started taking its mission so seriously as to assume I would actually get my political opinions right from Martin Sheen. It was obnoxious and patronizing.
Well, Studio 60 skipped right to the 3rd season in that regard with its anti conservative agenda. Every episode takes some shot at “the Christian Right.” Like in West Wing, they are smart about it and always do it in such a way that you think, “aw, they’re just being tongue in cheek” or “one of their characters is a Christian and they actually showed people praying, so they are being fair.” I don’t care if they are fair. It’s entertainment, they are welcome to use the show to forward any agenda they want to pursue. I’m glad they have that right. That said, I don’t really care to get preached at while I’m watching a drama as it tries to jam an anti-Christian, anti-conservative message down my throat while pretending to be about a sketch comedy show. Plus, did I mention it is about comedians and it is never funny? And it has DL Hughly who has never been funny a day in his life…ever.
So, I’m going to skip the sermon and lament that a lot of good acting and writing is going to waste. I will take solace, however, in the knowledge that the show has such an obvious level of quality in its production that it is sure to get cancelled.
I have to say this to the makers of the new show “Heroes” who I like to pretend read my blog. STOP TELLING US EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH VOICE OVERS AND PREVIEWS AND ENDLESS STUPID NARRATION!!!!! They have about ruined a promising show by laying out for us not only what is going on now with events that are only interesting if they contain enough mystery to tempt our imagination to engage, but they insist on giving us weekly previews of the entire season which maps out for you where the show is going. Why would I still want to watch if I already know what happens? Ugh. It’s a decent show really with a fun premise (stolen from X-Men), but having the narrator tell you, “this is the bad guy, stay with us to see him do these bad things, for these motives, with this hidden agenda against all these people in the following order,” is destroying the show. I’m sticking with it for now, but I’m concerned. I haven’t watched tonight’s episode yet, so no spoilers in the comments please…as if there were some left. My lovely wife insightfully pointed out, while I was ranting and raving about this, that it is likely this way so the show doesn’t become an early victim if people aren’t willing to invest, but removing our imagination from the equation is not the way to build a following. Don’t believe me? Check the popularity of Lost or tell me whether or not people watched the X-Files.
Ok, I think that’s it for now. I still haven’t seen The Nine or Six Degrees, though they are piling up on my Tivo. Hopefully, at least one of them will be decent and no one will tell the TV execs, so it has some small chance of staying on the air.
You may have noticed that for years now there is a strange copycat phenomenon that happens in Hollywood. Every couple years there will be a movie on some random subject matter that sounds interesting and seems worth seeing and then you hear just days later that there is another movie coming out with virtually the identical subject matter. Just the ones I can think of off the top of my head include: a couple years ago there were two volcano disaster movies; 2 asteroids headed toward earth movies; two movies about Columbus; two drill to the center of the earth movies; two movies about cops who are partners except for one is straight laced and by the book and the other one is a rule snubbing maverick (not the basketball team), they both argue with their African American police chief as they fight against Asian drug lords preferably referred to as the “triad” or “triads” (no one in Hollywood is sure if there are more than one), actually at least 2 of these movies get made every year.
The explanation I have heard for this phenomenon is really quite simple if not rather pathetic. Apparently, it works like this: One studio gets a hold of a great script that is new and fresh and gets a good buzz going. Big time directors and stars are interested and the “industry” starts getting all hyped up. A rival studio then sees an opportunity to cash in on all this free buzz and publicity and pays extra for a different big director and different big name stars. If you notice, when you have these double movies, they almost always both feature bankable stars. The copycat film studio knows their movie will suck. I mean, it is just a rip off of something else and gets thrown together quickly, so how could it not? Because they know they will suck, they rush their movie to get to theaters fast and first. It doesn’t matter if it is good, it just needs to have big stars, enough decent material to put together a good trailer and the buzz generated by the second movie which inevitably gets blended into the copycat. Then the first one comes out, does OK and usually takes an audience away from the real movie which is usually much, much better.
I mean, you probably already either figured this out or at least assumed it couldn’t be coincidence. But it is at least conceivable that two people just happened to think a giant space rock headed toward earth to wipe us all out dino-style might make for some cool special effects and a profitable movie. So, how do I know that it isn’t just coincidence when this happens? First, I know because it always plays out just as I described above in terms of one movie sucking and one being good. Second, I know because this year there are mysteriously two movies about magicians set in the 1800s or thereabout where there is mystery and intrigue and heavily waxed mustaches. I think the odds of two different people coming up with that concept for a movie at the precise same moment in time are roughly the same as me becoming a huge Colin Farrell fan…in other words, less chance of surviving a space rock the size of Mt. Everest landing on you as you walk to work.
That means, of course, that only one of those movies is going to be good despite the fact that both have big stars and cool looking previews. Trust me, only one will be good, the second one. The first one, “The Illusionist” stars Ed Norton (one of my favorites) with the great Paul Giamatti and the easy on the eyes Jessica Biel. This movie already came out and even though I didn’t see it and still want to see it and definitely will see it eventually, I already know it will be hackish and bad. The second movie is “The Prestige” which stars Christian Bale (one of my favorites), Hugh Jackman (sans claws) and the even easier on the eyes Scarlett Johansen. That movie has a chance to be pretty dang good. Give it a chance even if you saw the other one and it was bad.
Now you’re thinking, “hey wait, I thought this was going to be about TV?” Well, I bring all this up to say, that this phenomenon happened in TV this year in almost identical fashion, except with “stars” who could only be considered big on TV. I’m guessing that someone in the Timothy Hutton fan club, proudly wearing their “Turk 182” T-Shirt, let slip that he was inked to do a hip new serial drama about a wealthy powerful family who has a family member get kidnapped and the plot takes strange and interesting turns as the good guys fight to get the victim back. So, Fox grabbed some guy with a nice face who couldn’t act to go with a bunch of guys you recognize but can’t place, like a doctor from ER and Penelope Anne Miller who looks like she has borrowed Star Jones’ hips (ok, that was a cheap shot, I apologize, writing about entertainment stuff makes me catty I guess). They rush to make a rip off kidnapping show so they can get theirs on the air first.
Well, that show became Vanished and as I mentioned in the last post, I got sucked in and started watching it and am still watching it even though it is really fairly lame. They did just replace the nice face with a guy who can act a bit, so I’m sticking with it for a bit longer. The good show, that came after, even though I guarantee it was the original, was called “Kidnapped” and just got cancelled. So, when I told you to pick Kidnapped if you haven’t picked one yet and you want to watch a show about kidnapping that doesn’t have Anthony Lapaglia in it, you can leave hateful comments to this post for the terrible advice.
Staying with the “shows that got cancelled” theme., you might recall that I named Smith as the best new show on TV. I almost wrote that it is so good that it is sure to be cancelled. But my doctor has asked me to cut my cynicism in half which is still roughly 3 times the recommended daily allowance, so I didn’t say anything even though I was thinking, this show is actually pretty good, I bet it gets cancelled. Why would I think that? Am I just a pessimist of the first order? Of course not, I couldn’t make it out of the 3rd order, but also I just know that the people in American television believe that the American audience is really, really stupid and they believe that regardless of how good a show is or how bad a time slot is, if the show doesn’t explode on to the scene like Lost or Alias did, then there is no way anyone in America will figure out that it is worth watching and yet a 7th installment of CSI is not. This is irrefutable fact. I know because I’m a lawyer and get paid to refute things and use words like “irrefutable” in non-legal conversations as if normal people would ever do that. So, I know irrefutable and this is as irrefutable as it gets. So there. Convinced? I’m guessing you already were.
So, of course, Smith got cancelled. How on earth is “My Name is Earl” still on the air? I mean it is good and funny and smart (even while being stupid). I can’t believe they brought it back. They better be careful, if it goes on much longer it will become a runaway hit and a huge success.
I watched the first few episodes of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” which was apparently named by the owner of the “California Angels of Anaheim brought to you by Orange County in conjunction with Long Beach.” Here’s my take. I think I enjoyed this show more when it was called West Wing and it was in its first season. I mean, the writing, acting, directing, story lines are so much like West Wing it is a like trying to find the difference between the hook of Queen’s “Under Pressure” and Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.” Except now, instead of the White House, it is the set of a show that is exactly like Saturday Night Live. The problem is, that everyone still acts like they are running the most powerfull nation on earth instead of a sketch comedy show. This show, in addition to feeling warn out before it even gets going because it is so much like a show we’ve already seen, takes itself waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too seriously. It is about a comedy sketch show and the people who make it go and nothing funny happens. Come to think of it, that makes it pretty much like the real SNL, but I don’t think that’s the intended goal. The writing is good and sharp and Matthew Perry is really, really good playing a slightly more serious and stressed out Chandler from the first season of Friends….when he was still funny. But good acting and writing are not enough to save this show from a seriously flawed premise. I don’t care what happens behind the scenes of SNL and even if I did, I wouldn’t believe this was an accurate depiction. And I write a whole blog dedicated to entertainment stuff. So, how is a normal person going to get into this show? I don’t think they will and I think this show isn’t going to make it.
Also, I’m done watching it. I’m going to check in with my lovely wife, but unless she really wants to keep watching, I’m taking it off the Tivo list. It isn’t just because of the criticism above, it is because the show’s agenda is too obvious and it is an unwelcome distraction from the entertainment. In the first season of West Wing, they took their shots at Bush and Republicans and even when they would bring in a character to offer an alternative point of view, it was obviously a show with an agenda to the left of center. That was fine because they didn’t trot it out every week and beat us over the head with it and the writing and acting was so fresh and good, it still made for a great show. Then the real presidential race started and the show couldn’t help itself. They dropped any veil still slightly masking its pointedly liberal agenda and turned into little more than well crafted propaganda. Laying my cards on the table, I’m a registered Republican and I’m sure that’s part of what soured me on the show. But more than that was I felt insulted that the show started taking its mission so seriously as to assume I would actually get my political opinions right from Martin Sheen. It was obnoxious and patronizing.
Well, Studio 60 skipped right to the 3rd season in that regard with its anti conservative agenda. Every episode takes some shot at “the Christian Right.” Like in West Wing, they are smart about it and always do it in such a way that you think, “aw, they’re just being tongue in cheek” or “one of their characters is a Christian and they actually showed people praying, so they are being fair.” I don’t care if they are fair. It’s entertainment, they are welcome to use the show to forward any agenda they want to pursue. I’m glad they have that right. That said, I don’t really care to get preached at while I’m watching a drama as it tries to jam an anti-Christian, anti-conservative message down my throat while pretending to be about a sketch comedy show. Plus, did I mention it is about comedians and it is never funny? And it has DL Hughly who has never been funny a day in his life…ever.
So, I’m going to skip the sermon and lament that a lot of good acting and writing is going to waste. I will take solace, however, in the knowledge that the show has such an obvious level of quality in its production that it is sure to get cancelled.
I have to say this to the makers of the new show “Heroes” who I like to pretend read my blog. STOP TELLING US EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH VOICE OVERS AND PREVIEWS AND ENDLESS STUPID NARRATION!!!!! They have about ruined a promising show by laying out for us not only what is going on now with events that are only interesting if they contain enough mystery to tempt our imagination to engage, but they insist on giving us weekly previews of the entire season which maps out for you where the show is going. Why would I still want to watch if I already know what happens? Ugh. It’s a decent show really with a fun premise (stolen from X-Men), but having the narrator tell you, “this is the bad guy, stay with us to see him do these bad things, for these motives, with this hidden agenda against all these people in the following order,” is destroying the show. I’m sticking with it for now, but I’m concerned. I haven’t watched tonight’s episode yet, so no spoilers in the comments please…as if there were some left. My lovely wife insightfully pointed out, while I was ranting and raving about this, that it is likely this way so the show doesn’t become an early victim if people aren’t willing to invest, but removing our imagination from the equation is not the way to build a following. Don’t believe me? Check the popularity of Lost or tell me whether or not people watched the X-Files.
Ok, I think that’s it for now. I still haven’t seen The Nine or Six Degrees, though they are piling up on my Tivo. Hopefully, at least one of them will be decent and no one will tell the TV execs, so it has some small chance of staying on the air.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
What's on TV?
Here’s a few quick thoughts on some of the TV shows I’ve got Tivo’d at the moment. Let me know if I’m missing something good out there. WARNING – THE FOLLOWING WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS IF YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT UP ON A SHOW AND SINCE I AM NOT CAUGHT UP ON MOST OF THESE SHOWS IF YOU PLACE ANY SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN WHERE YOU LIVE AND…AND WELL…GET REALLY MAD AND STUFF….
1. Vanished – One of two kidnapping shows out. This one features mediocre production quality, bad directing, even worse writing and truly awful acting. I mean, some of the worst non-soap opera acting I have ever seen on TV. It also features a pretty interesting plot line with layers and conspiracies and enough to get my imagination going….so I’m still watching. I almost stopped watching because the acting was so brutal and then in the last episode I saw they took out the main character!!! He could be still alive, but I think it just as likely that he’s really dead and getting replaced by an actor that I actually like. Fantastic surprise to give the show much needed credibility going forward. Now I’m going to stick with it for a few more weeks, especially since I admittedly want to know what’s happening.
2. Kidnapped – The other kidnapping show that got a later start features much better writing/acting/production quality, etc. The plot seems much less layered or intriguing, but I think it is by far the better show. I have only seen one episode so far, but I liked what I saw. If you haven’t seen either and want to choose one to watch, definitely choose Kidnapped.
3. Prison break – don’t know why I’m still watching, but I am. It’s not a good show, but it hooked me in. I swore than if they didn’t get out of prison by the end of last year I was quitting. They made it. I was stunned. So, now I’m still watching. I’m a few weeks behind, but already I spend every week saying, “why would they do that? Do they want to get caught?” Oh well, if you aren’t already watching, don’t get into this one. You will get sucked in and then just end up watching a bad show.
4. Lost – Season premiere was last week. The characters on this show are really, really annoying at times as they seem bent on not allowing us to actually like or respect anyone on the show, but it isn’t enough to outweigh the fact that it is a really smart and creative show. It is the best keeps you guessing show since X-Files and if you can put up with the silly love triangle stuff and the implausibility of it all and the fact that Kate likes Sawyer more than Jack and so do most women I’m guessing (and yes I hate myself for writing that), then this is a really good show.
Get the DVDs of the earlier season and then get on board. Pretty fun adventure.
5. Shark – first episode was outstanding. Directed by Spike Lee and brilliantly done. Believable court room stuff which almost never happens for me. James Woods is great. After that the show has gone down hill a bit, but I’m still watching. If you are looking for a new legal drama or a replacement if L&O is getting stale, try this one out. A bit cliché, but Woods makes up for it.
6. Smith – this is “Heat” the TV show. Very good so far. Intense, well written, moves along, has some layers, good acting. No complaints. The heist story has become a bit old, but still a good show. My vote for best new show I’ve seen this year.
7. Heroes – After one episode I’m still watching. Some bad acting and I get the sense it could become cheesy, but pretty creative and well done. That said, it is a blatant rip off of X-men. I mean, it is the same story with less bizarre super powers (so far). I can’t believe they aren’t getting sued. Jury’s still out on this one, but I’m intrigued.
8. The Nine, Six Degrees, Studio 60 – Who has time? They are on my tivo, but at this rate, I may never watch them.
9. L&O – the original is still as good as ever. Both the new women on the show are great. I especially like the new DA. Too bad it got moved to Fridays which means this will be the last year, but it is still worth watching.
10. L&O Criminal Intent – this show is now good every other week. The shows with Chris Noth are a total waste of time even though I like his new partner. The shows with D’Ofriono or whatever his name is have been as good as ever so far. I’m still watching, but might start skipping the episodes without Bobby.
11. The Office, My Name is Earl – Best comedies on TV right now. Some glitch kept them from recording last week, so I’ve only seen one episode each, but they are still funny. If you are one of the apparently millions watching 2 and a half men, do yourself a favor and drop it and start watching something funny.
Ok, that’s all for now.
1. Vanished – One of two kidnapping shows out. This one features mediocre production quality, bad directing, even worse writing and truly awful acting. I mean, some of the worst non-soap opera acting I have ever seen on TV. It also features a pretty interesting plot line with layers and conspiracies and enough to get my imagination going….so I’m still watching. I almost stopped watching because the acting was so brutal and then in the last episode I saw they took out the main character!!! He could be still alive, but I think it just as likely that he’s really dead and getting replaced by an actor that I actually like. Fantastic surprise to give the show much needed credibility going forward. Now I’m going to stick with it for a few more weeks, especially since I admittedly want to know what’s happening.
2. Kidnapped – The other kidnapping show that got a later start features much better writing/acting/production quality, etc. The plot seems much less layered or intriguing, but I think it is by far the better show. I have only seen one episode so far, but I liked what I saw. If you haven’t seen either and want to choose one to watch, definitely choose Kidnapped.
3. Prison break – don’t know why I’m still watching, but I am. It’s not a good show, but it hooked me in. I swore than if they didn’t get out of prison by the end of last year I was quitting. They made it. I was stunned. So, now I’m still watching. I’m a few weeks behind, but already I spend every week saying, “why would they do that? Do they want to get caught?” Oh well, if you aren’t already watching, don’t get into this one. You will get sucked in and then just end up watching a bad show.
4. Lost – Season premiere was last week. The characters on this show are really, really annoying at times as they seem bent on not allowing us to actually like or respect anyone on the show, but it isn’t enough to outweigh the fact that it is a really smart and creative show. It is the best keeps you guessing show since X-Files and if you can put up with the silly love triangle stuff and the implausibility of it all and the fact that Kate likes Sawyer more than Jack and so do most women I’m guessing (and yes I hate myself for writing that), then this is a really good show.
Get the DVDs of the earlier season and then get on board. Pretty fun adventure.
5. Shark – first episode was outstanding. Directed by Spike Lee and brilliantly done. Believable court room stuff which almost never happens for me. James Woods is great. After that the show has gone down hill a bit, but I’m still watching. If you are looking for a new legal drama or a replacement if L&O is getting stale, try this one out. A bit cliché, but Woods makes up for it.
6. Smith – this is “Heat” the TV show. Very good so far. Intense, well written, moves along, has some layers, good acting. No complaints. The heist story has become a bit old, but still a good show. My vote for best new show I’ve seen this year.
7. Heroes – After one episode I’m still watching. Some bad acting and I get the sense it could become cheesy, but pretty creative and well done. That said, it is a blatant rip off of X-men. I mean, it is the same story with less bizarre super powers (so far). I can’t believe they aren’t getting sued. Jury’s still out on this one, but I’m intrigued.
8. The Nine, Six Degrees, Studio 60 – Who has time? They are on my tivo, but at this rate, I may never watch them.
9. L&O – the original is still as good as ever. Both the new women on the show are great. I especially like the new DA. Too bad it got moved to Fridays which means this will be the last year, but it is still worth watching.
10. L&O Criminal Intent – this show is now good every other week. The shows with Chris Noth are a total waste of time even though I like his new partner. The shows with D’Ofriono or whatever his name is have been as good as ever so far. I’m still watching, but might start skipping the episodes without Bobby.
11. The Office, My Name is Earl – Best comedies on TV right now. Some glitch kept them from recording last week, so I’ve only seen one episode each, but they are still funny. If you are one of the apparently millions watching 2 and a half men, do yourself a favor and drop it and start watching something funny.
Ok, that’s all for now.
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