Survivor H/V: Week 2

Week 2:

One Voice!

I’m so intrigued by this season, and kudos to the producers for splitting up the tribes the way they have. I think it’s so interesting that you have a heroes tribe that is every word in the sense, self-destructing. They have their camp together perfectly, but Probst isn’t too far off when he says that ego is getting in their way. These people are use to winning and when it doesn’t happen, things go haywire. It’s almost as if they are strategizing too much at this point instead of focusing on winning.

Then you have the Villains tribe who are so individualistic, the camp is in shambles, but when it’s time to compete and win, they do. Just from a viewer standpoint, I would love to see the Heros start winning some challenges, but it’s going to be a tough task.

It was sad to see Stephanie go. She’s now complete the life cycle of a Survivor. The first to be on the jury one season, the final another, and now the second one gone. She really became a scapegoat and it was hard to see such a strong female leave so early. This was not a good move solely from a challenge standpoint. They are really going to miss her as time goes by.

Some thoughts...

* Woah James... There’s a difference between leadership and being a bully. He sure had it out for Steph.

* I loved how Colby and Tom stood up for Steph at tribal council. Things aren’t looking to good for them right now.

* Watch out for Cirie and Candace. They could be very dangerous together, and as much as I wanted them to go with Tom, Colby and Steph, they were smarter to stick with the other group.

* What? An episode that didn’t highlight Russell? It felt a little strange didn’t it? But nice at the same time.

* I forgot about how good Boston Rob is at this game. Yes he is cocky and defines a Survivor villain, but I forgot how good he is at challenges. As chaotic as the Villains tribe is, at least they know how to appoint a leader.

I’m still loving this season. I’m thrilled every time I have a chance to watch it. Let me know what you think! I love the feedback!

Survivor H/V: Week 1

Week 1:
Shoulders, Toes, and Bras. Oh my!

I’m already hyped up for what seems like a great season. I loved this first episode. When I saw the first all-stars, it was different because it was first time that I had seen the show. This time around, I recognize everybody, which makes it a lot more fun.

We had some power issues, so our DVR didn’t record the last 30 minutes of the show after the immunity challenge, so we missed all of of that, but it quickly became apparent that Sugar was going to be the first victim. Really, no surprise there and I never really liked her the first time, so I’m okay with more competitive people being around.

What I like so far about this season is that the past winners aren’t immediately a direct target like they were in the All-Stars season. That may change as the season goes along, especially in the last final tribal council, but this time around it seems like everybody is starting fresh from scratch.

Here are my quick thoughts, and hopefully Boston Rob will be around after the next episode. He’s too entertaining not to have around!

* Awesome opening challenge. It couldn’t have played out better.

* It’s funny how easily it is to start rooting for the heroes. They really assembled a strong group with those guys.

* Coach owned Colby. Thus, there will be millions of parents naming their children Coach in the future.

* Bras are meant for support, but sometimes they can be hindering to your ultimate goal. How great was it that Sugar won that battle?

* Stephanie dislocates her shoulder, puts it back and doesn’t complain about it afterwards. This is why everybody loves her.

* People better watch out for J.T. I like the idea of Tom and him working together. It reminds me of when Tom aligned himself with Ian.

* Rupert is not looking good so far. That toe will catch up to him and so far it doesn’t look like he is making good connections within his tribe.

* I loved Russell last season, but two seasons in a row may be a little overkill. It’s like going to high school with the guy with little-man syndrome and then finding out he is sitting next to you in your first college class. A little bit of Russell goes a long way. I do like that he has more of a challenge this time around.

* I forgot how cool Colby is. He may be my man crush like Coach has a man crush for Boston Rob.

* If Boston Rob sticks around, him and Sandra could make a lethal combination. Although she’s not my favorite, I love how comfortable she is in her own skin.

* Also, watch out for Cirie. How do people overlook her every time?

* And for my final thought.... Coach + Jeri = Ewwwwwwww

Until next week!

#90: Swing Time (1936)

Oscar Winner:

Best Music, Original Song - “The Way You Look Tonight”

Any film history course will no doubt mention Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in its lectures. They are a genre unto themselves and probably have influenced everything from early musicals to today’s dance flicks. Even with this knowledge, I had never seen one of their films. That’s what I love about this list... it’s been forcing me to see films that I need to have under my belt to even consider myself a film guru.

To make up for his tardiness to his own wedding, Lucky Garnett (Astaire) travels with his best buddy, Pop, to New York to earn $25K to gain his future father-in-law’s trust in his ability to provide for his daughter. Along the way he stumbles into a perfect dancing partnership with Penny (Rogers). Together they take New York’s night club scene by storm, and as they draw closer together, both are put in situations that force them to choose between former loves or each other.

Although the plot doesn’t blow you away, Swing Time is pure entertainment through and through. It never takes itself too seriously and the comedy here is truly funny, and to my delight, very offbeat at times. Astaire and Rogers are amazing together, especially in the dance scenes. What I found surprising was how much Astaire stood out next to Rogers. Despite the fact that he’s a pretty normal looking guy (especially when he’s next to his beautiful dance partner), his charm and wit match that of George Clooney. There were several scenes that just feature him and you forget about Rogers completely, which truly shocked me.

Swing Time very much feels like its age, which is both a good and a bad thing. I could easily see much of the younger generation getting bored by this film. Not that it’s slow, but the humor and tone may be lost on them. If one doesn’t enjoy the classics, I would be hard pressed to convince them to watch this one. Originality doesn’t really seep from its scenes, but is nature is so light-hearted and fun, I don’t know how somebody could not enjoy it.

I’m really glad I got a chance to see the magic and chemistry that is Astaire and Rogers. So, next time I see Zac Efron dancing the hallways in High School Musical, I can be justified in scoffing at the screen.

I give Swing Time 3.5 out of 5 tailored pants.

My Top 10 So Far...

So, one of my new year’s resolution was to stay more consistent with this list. Well, as you may have noticed, I haven’t faired so well this first month. But better late than never, right?

Here's my top 10 so far:
1. Goodfellas - *****
2. Toy Story - *****
3. Do The Right Thing - *****
4. The Last Picture Show - *****
5. Pulp Fiction - **** 1/2
6. The French Connection - *** 3/4
7. Yankee Doodle Dandy - *** 1/2
8. Ben-Hur - *** 1/2
9. Sophie’s Choice - ** 1/2
10. Blade Runner - ** 1/2

#91: Sophie's Choice (1982)

Oscar Winner: Best Actress (Meryl Streep)

You’ve probably heard the phrase making a, “Sophie’s choice,” quite a bit in every day conversation, but I think it’s interesting that like me, I ‘d never seen the originator of this term up until recently. Unlike movie quotes from The Terminator (“I’ll be back”) or new ideals from The Matrix, most probably don’t know what choice Sophie actually has to make in this film. For some reason I always thought that it dealt with abortion, and although I wasn’t completely off, Sophie’s Choice does deal with heart-wrenching decisions, but are unfortunately underwhelming when the film was finished.

Based on a stage play, a recluse novelist, Stingo (Peter MacNicol), finds refuge in a boarding house full of eccentric characters, including the strange couple Sophie (Meryl Streep) and Nathan (Kevin Kliine). What occurs is a love triangle that at its core is the mysterious history of Sophie and Nathan’s obsessive nature. Sophie is a Holocaust survivor and Nathan is an overly passionate American Jew. These two histories not only affect their own relationship, but those who are around them as well.

This film really consists of two different stories: Sophie’s past and Sophie’s present. The present is the most dominate section, which is unfortunate, because her past is so much more interesting. It’s almost like it’s two different films. Simply put, I was engrossed by one and totally bored by the other. The scenes with Streep, Kline and MacNicol have its moments, but eventually I think it takes up way too much space in the film. Sophie’s past is filmed in a haunting, yet beautiful way, and I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen when these scenes appeared.

Streep is known as one of the best actresses around and this role only builds upon that. If you didn’t know who she was, you could swear that she was actually Austrian in real life. She was more than deserving of her Best Actress Oscar and her portrayal is one of the strongest female roles I’ve ever seen.

Too bad that is overshadowed by the imbalance of this movie. I think it’s a case of when a director doesn’t know what material to let go that he/she may love too much. You have to remember about the audience and too often I was looking at my watch. With a few scenes cut here and there and I could totally justify its place on this list, but I was only left with a so-so feeling despite Streep’s strong performance.

I give Sophie’s Choice 2.5 out of 5 drunken tempers.