Not The Same ... thoughts ... life ... opinions ...

#77: All the President's Men (1976)

2011-07-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

As somebody who lives and works in the communications world, I couldn't wait to see this film. Not just to see how different the journalistic world was over 30 years ago compared to now, but to see how two reporters essentially brought down a political power. The synopsis on my Netflix sleeve deemed this movie as, "The film that made everybody want to become a journalist," and I truly can see why. This movie not only reinforces the adage that the pen is mightier than the sword, but it says that to truly be mighty, that pen needs to be unbiased and filled with integrity.

All the President's Men is a historical print of the Watergate scandal that eventually led to Richard Nixon leaving the American presidential office. The two men who get this credit is the 1972 Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman). Woodward is the rookie reporter who still goes by the book wherein Bernstein doesn't mind selling the philosophy that "it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission." The movie follows the grueling process of getting to the bottom of the truth when the entity that's holding all the answers happens to be a little organization known as the U.S. government. Turns out, getting those answers aren't easy, and it's fascinating to get an inside look of how real journalism exposed the truth.

What I loved about this film is that there is not a single moment or scene that is wasted. This tight screenplay by master scribe, William Goldman, lets every scene have a purpose. The screenplay is much smarter than you are. And what I mean by that is that it trusts its audience to fill in the holes instead of being spoon-fed the answers. Just like Woodward and Bernstein, you start trying to solve the scandal with them, even though you know what the outcome will be. It's not about the question, “Why”, but the question, “How?”

In an age where almost everybody has a Facebook profile, it's fascinating to see a time in life where reporters had to actually do research by… gasp…. going to the library or making phone calls! You get to see how hard these two reporters had to work and it's invigorating to see the passion that they and their editors had to invest into their Watergate news stories. Despite showing a world that probably will be extinct in the near future, this movie feels strongly current. These days, newspapers are dying and the media seems to start getting the same credibility as used car salesmen, but I can't help but think that if this film was required viewing for all journalism classes, maybe there would be some hope for journalism going forward.

It was refreshing to watch a film that had my attention for its entire run time. The editing, acting and direction are all solid, but it's the story that reels you in. We live in a cynical world, but I'm so glad this film reinforces that the media and communications do indeed have the power to fight this. It gives you hope that although there is corruption in this world, there are those who are fighting to expose it. And they don't need a sword to do so.

I give All the President's Men, 5 out of 5 Deep Throats.

#78: Modern Times (1936)

2011-07-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

I'm really relieved to get this movie under my belt. As a movie fan, I can now say that I've seen a Charlie Chaplin film. Chaplin and his character, the Tramp, has to be one of the most well known icons in film history, yet, I bet a big percentage of America's population has never seen any of his work. I now have the privilege to be on the other side of this bracket.

If you were wondering if he is worth all the hype, he indeed is. His comic timing and movements in Modern Times are so natural and fluid. I would find myself time after time pulling myself away from the comic antics on screen to reflect on Chaplin's unique genius.

Modern Times is a perfect title for this film because it describes the movie perfectly but also imitates life because it is known as one of the last silent films that was made in the new modern era of the "talkie" film. The film follows the Tramp in and out of scenarios where he struggles to make a living. He can never seem to keep up with the labor force of factory work or the demands of a waiter job, but with the help of a new found romance with A Gamin (Paulette Goddard), the two are still able to find hope in a society that seems to be leaving them behind.

I think this movie has made more of an impression on me as I write about it at this moment than when I was watching it. The comedic set pieces make you forget about the thematic elements that Chaplin weaves throughout the movie. He uses sound effects only for machinery and there is some spoken dialogue, but only when it is from the police radio or through the intercom system used by his factory boss. But I don't want to underplay the comedy. Chaplin is constantly throwing gags at you that are memorable and hilarious

The only downfall of the movie is that sometimes the scenes seem to exist just for Chaplin to develop humor instead of developing a plot. Scenes come off more like SNL skits at times, but what do I know? Maybe the 1934 audience was infuriated with the brutal economy, so all they were looking for was laughs. Chaplin could clearly see that there was a movement that was leaving him behind, and although the ending of this movie is somewhat bleak, he instills a hope within his characters that can't help but spill into the viewer. Life is bleak more often than not, but as the last title card states, "Buck up - never say die. We'll get along!"

I give Modern Times 4 out of 5 smuggled "nose powder."

May 2011 - Inside Buckner

2011-05-25T15:17:00.002-05:00

The latest episode that I put together for Inside Buckner. I think our single-parent family ministry is one of the coolest things that Buckner does. Cynthia is an amazing person and has some pretty cool OU ties!

#79: The Wild Bunch (1969)

2011-02-09T10:34:00.005-06:00

The western genre is a tough one for me to tackle. Like trying sushi, I'm hesitant to indulge in the medium, but I always seem to enjoy the outcome once I try it. I think Westerns either fit into the camp of highly entertaining and action-oriented (Tombstone) or methodical and somber (Unforgiven). I would place The Wild Bunch by Sam Peckinpah in the entertaining camp, but when examined closely, exudes a lot of thought-provoking ideas that the methodical Western often brings.

The audience is thrown into choosing the difficult task of liking or despising a gang of old, yet seasoned gang of cowboys led by Pike (William Holden) and Dutch (Ernest Borgnine). After a failed, epically violent, and supposed final bank robbery, the group reluctantly decides to get out of the game for good by helping a ruthless Mexican militia. As the gang tries to dodge hired bounty hunters while stealing American weaponry for an unpredictable Mexican general, Pike and Dutch must face their inner demons and determine whether or not they are any better than the despicable people they both help and avoid.

I won't lie, it takes a while to get into this movie. Now, I watched the director's cut on Blu-ray, so I was automatically invested into a two hour and thirty minute movie. I don't know how else you can view this movie, but I imagine that the shorter version gets rid of a lot of set-up in the first hour that just isn't needed. Once you get into the journey of these crippling outlaws, the movie really becomes an entertaining ride with some very dark undertones.

When I saw that the movie was made in 1969, it made complete sense because you can easily compare this movie's themes to those of the number #84 film Easy Rider. Like Wyatt and Billy of Dennis Hopper's trippy road trip, Pike and Dutch serve as rebels with no place to call home. They resort to brutal violence to get what they think will make them feel good, but there really isn't any amount of money that can blur out their troubled souls.

This is my first Peckinpah film, but I already knew that he was always criticized for glorifying violence. I was really shocked for what was shown in this film, especially for its day. The body count could rival any Schwarzenegger movie. Although the blood doesn't make you turn your head away from the screen, there is shock when you see innocent women get murdered. Often these type of acts are seen off screen, but unlike cheesy 80’s action films, I really think Peckinpah is trying to make you aware of how disgusting, revolting, and careless violence can be. During the time this movie was being made, America was going to war in Vietnam, and you can't deny that the undertones of senseless murders that happen in this movie correlate to the current events of America going into the 70's.

Technically, I think this film was really ahead of its time, especially in its editing style. Peckinpah was using new types of cuts, especially during the action scenes, that I hadn't seen in older movies like this one. His directing style is very calculated, and you can tell that the man behind the camera is intentional in every close-up and every cinematic wide shot. The acting is also really solid and there are actually some comedic moments at times, but every once in a while the film started to feel campy, especially in some flashback scenes that I think were just not needed.

Those few cheesy moments and a lengthy set-up prevent me from giving this film a higher rating, but I really was challenged by its themes of violence, new technology, inner turmoil, and knowing when to let go. All of that and it really has some good suspenseful, fun moments. If you are a fan of Westerns, this is a must see. Those who are weary of the Western genre could go either way with this one, but I believe if you give it a chance, you won't leave dissatisfied.

I give The Wild Bunch 4 out of 5 machine guns.

#80: The Apartment (1960)

2010-10-04T20:18:00.005-05:00

Oscar Winner:
Best Picture, Best Director (Billy Wilder), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Art Direction

It's really easy to overlook how great a movie The Apartment is. It's not flashy, nor in your face. It's this subtleness that makes it such a great film. Whitney and I's favorite type of movies to watch are dramadies. Those movies that could either be a drama or a comedy. At their core, the dramatic stakes are high, but there is a slice of life that makes the conflicts bearable… even entertaining. The Apartment's genius lies in its ability to focus on the characters and forget all the surrounding elements around it.

Set in a New York work environment that is now familiar because of the popularity of Mad Men on television, C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a goofy, yet charming man, who is willing to do whatever he can to get to the top of his insurance company. That doesn't mean backstabbing his co-workers or being cutthroat, but lending his apartment to the top dogs in the company to use for their extramarital affairs. This in itself becomes a full time job as he constantly juggles the vacancy of his apartment with little promises fulfilled by his bosses. Baxter finally gets his big break when the president of the company (Fred MacMurray) wants in on Baxter's hobby. As this event causes things to finally go right in Baxter's life, as well as a budding romance with the elevator girl (Shirley MacLaine), it also causes a mess of a love triangle that is not even close to being worth the price of success.

The Apartment is about 50 years old now, but its relevancy is still so strong. The film proves that the themes of pride and the emptiness of the desire for personal and material wealth never go away. If one was able to suspend thoughts of current affairs, this film could be released for the first time today and still have just as a big of an impact as it did in 1960. This film speaks frankly about sex, affairs, and suicide, which I'm sure was a shocker for filmgoers in the 60’s, but it's amazing how things really aren't that different now than 50 years ago. People still fall in that trap that money and success can bring happiness, and I can't think of any other film that instills this idea better than this one. The world that is presented here is full of faulted people with false ideals, and that is not unlike any other day in the American life.

It's fun to see a film on this list that isn't so flashy or has some kind of gimmick to prove its brilliance. It's just great storytelling, pure and simple. The director, Billy Wilder, is one of the most admired directors to come out of Hollywood. Based on this film alone, I think there are three reasons for this. One, he knows how to cast. The acting in this film is brilliant, no matter how small or big the role is. Jack Lemmon is personally one of my favorite actors to watch and he is perfect playing a character who is extremely lovable, but so very disillusioned. Two, he lets the story be the main star of the movie, not all the other elements of film. Don't get me wrong, cinematography and set design is crucial to a film's success, but if I'm not engaged in the story, I'm done with the film. And last, Wilder is brilliant at piecing together a film. No scene is wasted. Everything that is shown or said is there for a reason and enhances the film experience. I never was distracted, nor bored. How could a film not be labeled as great?

Like a good wine, The Apartment will just get better over time. During this present economic crisis, I can't think of a better example than this film to explain why people get greedy and do the things that they do. Most importantly, this film is both fun and has substance, and I would recommend it to just about anybody.

I give The Apartment 5 out of 5 card games.

* Oh yeah, and it has probably one of the best closing lines to a movie ever.

The next 10...

2010-09-30T20:26:00.001-05:00

It has taken me a little over 7 months to watch #90-#81. It’ll get harder and harder now that Hallie is in this world, but trust me, she's worth it! These 10 were a little harder to get through with them being older in style and also longer in length. Looking at the next 10 gets me really excited. I’ve loved watching these, but I think it’ll just get more enjoyable as I go along.

Here's how #90-#81 faired:
1. 12 Angry Men - *****
2. The Sixth Sense - *****
3. Titanic - **** 1/2
4. Platoon - ****
5. Easy Rider - ****
6. Sunrise - ****
7. Swing Time - *** 1/2
8. Spartacus - *** 1/2
9. A Night at the Opera - ***
10. Bringing Up Baby - ** 1/2

#81: Spartacus (1960)

2010-09-19T17:15:00.005-05:00

Oscar Winner:
Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor (Peter Ustinov), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design

I hate the word epic, especially when it's tagged as the genre of a film. It makes me think that the film is going to be long in length, have a lot of scenic shots to just show you how grand the movie actually is, and be very predictable. Spartacus easily met all these qualifications. So, the question was if I would enjoy this movie? It did take me several sittings to get through the 3 hour and 15 minute run time, but in the end, the qualities that make an epic indeed an epic, made this film an entertaining watch.

Kirk Douglas plays the title character, a tough slave who is sold into the hands of a Gladiator trainer, Batiatus (brilliantly acted by Peter Ustinov). With the brute combination of mistreatment and falling in love with one of Batiatus' slave girls (Jean Simmons), Spartacus leads a rebellion that overthrows the camp. As Spartacus leads the slaves towards their homeland, he unknowingly becomes a chess piece in a political game between two Roman senators, the republican Gracchus (Charles Laughton) and the militarist Crassus (Laurence Oliver).

Does the plot sound familiar at all? Switch out a few settings and names, and this could've totally been Gladiator or Braveheart (Oddly enough, epic, yet one of my favorite films). As mentioned before, this film is tough to get through solely on its length. If it would've been trimmed down by 45 minutes, it would have been much more watchable and I honestly think it could've retained its impact. It's interesting to know that Stanley Kubrick directed this film because it feels very dated. It's historically known that this was the last film in which he didn't have full control over all elements of the film and it shows. As a viewer, you slowly see two styles start to clash. Spartacus has that traditional Hollywood stiffness to its acting and dialogue that was so prominent in an earlier film on this list, Ben-Hur. But you begin to see Kubrick interject his now famous artistic vision in the way he stages and composes some shots. There is a much more realistic nature to the violence that must have not been seen up to that point. Spartacus is very revolutionary in the way that you can see a new style of filmmaking starting to take over the movie system.

Even though Kirk Douglas comes off like Charlton Heston at times, he definitely can carry a film, but its the supporting roles that keep one invested into the plot. I was surprised by how much more interested I became in the political maneuvering than I did the battle scenes. Unfortunately, there aren't too many surprises to what happens. I don't know if it's because that so many things that occur in the movie are now cliches in the epic genre, but when you aren't kept on the edge of your seat with a film like this, it's hard to pay attention.

That said, the plot is challenging enough to keep you invested and it really does have some moments that are truly memorable. I can now say, "I am Spartacus!" and know the emotional impact it carries. I can see why this film eked its way onto this list, but unless you just eat the epic genre up, you may could find a better feast.

I give Spartacus 3.5 out of 5 fights to the death.

* If you ever have a chance, reading about all the chaos that happened to get this film made is probably more interesting than the film itself.

#82: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

2010-08-22T21:06:00.006-05:00

Oscar Winner:
*Best Picture - Unique and Artistic Production, Best Cinematography, Best Actress (Jay Gaynor)

* The only time this category was awarded to a film

Ah yes... The first silent film on this list. Guess what? It's not even a comedy! It would almost take bribery to get most people to sit down and watch a silent film, but just like any type of history, one needs to discover something's past to truly gain an appreciation for it. It's been since college that I've really taken the time to sit down and watch a silent film, and although I don't recommend doing it at 10 p.m. (silent film = sleepiness), I'm so glad I did it with Sunrise.

Directed by the famous German director, F.W. Murnau (most famous for the vampire flick Nosferatu), Sunrise mixes Hitchcockian thrills and romance to tell a tale of rekindled love. Blended with the German expressionism style that Murnau made so famous (how about that film history knowledge being dropped on you!) and enhanced passion that audiences so love, Sunrise follows The Man (George O'Brien) and The Wife (Janet Gaynor) whose marriage is on the rocks. One night, The Man is tempted by The Woman From the City (Margaret Livingston) to kill his wife and leave his farm and children behind for a glorious big-city life with her. With obvious guilt-ridden feelings, The Man can't go through with the plan, but through this more-than-major set back, a stronger bond forms between the married couple.

This film is 83 years old and its amazing to see the apparent influence it has had on now current films. Two major components stood out to me. First off, I loved the cutting-edge editing and camera work of the film. Silent films always seem to be constrained in one setting, so it was refreshing to see an older movie get away from the genre’s static nature. Also, Murnau uses overlay effects to great dramatic effect that still seem innovative today. Even the very few title cards have an artistic breath to them. I couldn't help but think that Moulin Rouge was heavily influenced by this film by not just the editing, but the setting as well. Which brings me to the second component... The cinematography is beautiful. It's not a surprise that it won the Oscar for this category in the way that it captures its vast cityscapes that often had me admiring how they filmed their scenes.

Unfortunately, these technical achievements couldn't hold my attention very well when the second act of the film started. I absolutely loved the beginning and the end of this ironic fairy tale, but as the couples romance starts to bud once again, things start to slow down and it starts to feel like... well, a silent movie. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very engaging story, but the middle almost feels like a completely different film. But it's needed to have the very strong payoff at the end.

I would be remorse if I didn't mention the strong performances in the film. Silent film acting is a whole different type of performance and O'Brien and Gaynor bring so much conviction and realness to their roles. I would love to see how present actors would fair in a silent film like this. In a way, I think it would be an experiment that would really separate the really great actors from just the good ones.

If I hadn't started to get bored somewhat during the middle of this film, Sunrise would get a much higher rating for me. Despite that, I would definitely recommend it to just about anybody and if you forced to only watch one silent film to be an example for the genre, I wouldn't mind this one being it.

I give Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans 4 out of 5 drunken piglets.

#83: Titanic (1997)

2010-08-18T20:40:00.003-05:00

Oscar Winner:
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Effects, Best Visual Effects, Best Music (Original Dramatic Score), Best Music (Original Song), Best Sound

One of the great things about seeing films multiple times is that it can evoke an entirely different sentiment the second time around. People will always have films that they will revisit time after time, but I'm talking about a response that is the complete opposite of what you originally felt. How many times have you revisited a film from your youth and it wasn't quite as good as you remember? I had the exact opposite reaction to Titanic on second viewing. Like everybody else in 1997, I saw Titanic, but as a teenager, the romantic air of the film made me want to gag. Although I thought it was a good film, I didn't quite understand why it broke so many Oscar records. I wasn't necessarily looking forward to seeing it again, but much to my surprise, I couldn't believe how much I was swept into…. yes, I'm going to say it… a movie masterpiece.

Yes, even a young child probably knows that the Titanic was the ship that was said to be unsinkable, but the director James Cameron uses a forbidden romance between two social classes to guide us through the disaster. Torn between being her own person and high expectations of a fortune-bound marriage, spoiled Rose (Kate Winslet) reluctantly comes across an artsy, yet poor star-crossed lover in Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). Jack slowly, but surely, starts to crumble the walls of society that Rose is so bound in, but just as the two decide to take the giant leap into forbidden devotion, an iceberg comes along and ruins their party.

Even though every movie pretty much has a three-act structure, people don't mind dividing this movie into two-halves; the romantic story and the disaster story. Although I think that the sinking of the ship is a far better part and as close to perfect filmmaking that there is, I was surprised by how much I got caught up in Jack and Rose's story. This film had to have a strong foundation for you to invest in a journey where you already know the outcome. Cameron does a brilliant job of flipping the tables and makes the unknown into what happens to this young couple. Although this romance can't help but reek of cheesiness (and is the reason for not quite making it a five-star movie), I emotionally bought into these characters as my teenager soul mocked me in the back of my mind. I'm sure Winslet and DiCaprio have to shudder a bit when they watch this film because their performances aren't necessarily the best ever, but you can for sure see the talent budding that has now made them the top tier of the acting world.

Now that I got that sappy stuff out of the way, I have to expound on how gripping the visuals of the Titanic going down were. Cameron uses special effects mixed with live action to perfection. You can definitely see the budget of this film on screen, but I was shocked at how well everything holds up here. It's been a long time since my eyes were literally glued to the screen and I was totally swept up by the impact of the impending doom. The editing of the disaster scenes are near perfect and I think what really draws you in is the secondary characters that bring a realness to the screen that is very much needed.

Titanic is a film that contains humor, romance, action, big-screen effects, drama, sadness, and most importantly, entertainment. I'm not quite sure why all those elements weren't so clear to me when I was sixteen, but thank goodness for this list to help me see the way.

I give Titanic, 4.5 out of 5 scandalous portraits.

#84: Easy Rider (1969)

2010-08-08T16:58:00.007-05:00

It's fitting that watching this film coincided with the recent death of Dennis Hopper, the producer, director and star of Easy Rider. It was known as one of his best works, and deservingly so. Easy Rider is easily the most experimental film to appear on this list so far, which is an understatement for a film that is laced with drug use. It's not often that you can feel the filmmakers’ presence behind the cameras when watching a film. It's not distracting though because you feel their own intentions, as well as the story's. Their approach happened to not just change the way films were made, but effected a whole generation.

Set alongside the southern roads of America, Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Hopper), hop on their motorcycles to head toward New Orleans after scoring some major cash after a cocaine deal. Invoking a Western-styled journey (influenced heavily by hippie ideals) Wyatt and Billy encounter both friends and foes as they embrace their ultimate destination of, well… life… man… Total freedom is the ultimate goal for these two nomads, but they learn that even their peace-loving ideals don't often bring the truest form of serenity.

This was actually the second time for me to see this film, and honestly, I wasn't as impacted this time around. Strangely enough, I almost feel like this film is best viewed just once. I love the editing (especially the transitional cuts) and the cinematography, but it's so easy to disregard the magic of what's happening on screen. It's widely known that most of the crew was just as strung out as the characters on screen, which in a way discounts the "genius" of this film. I just imagine that when this film was met with such critical praise, Hopper and Fonda had to feel like little boys who got away with stealing candy from the general store.

Nonetheless, you can't discount the impact this film made. Although at moments you may think to yourself, "What's the point?" you can't help but see what a new style of filmmaking this was. This film help usher in a whole new wave of counterculture filmmaking that made Scorsese, Coppola and Spielberg household names. It probably could be credited as one of the first, truly independent films that made the 70's, in my opinion, the best decade for both films and music.

This film is rated a little bit higher in my books more so for the impact then for the actual entertainment value, but to me it's a must see and highly deserves to be on this list. If anything, to feel the impact of the last shot.

I give Easy Rider 4 out of 5 Steppenwolfs. Read below my quick thoughts on the film from the first time I saw it in February of 2005.

I was a little hesitant on how I would view this movie. I knew not to expect too much (two hippies on motorcycles), so would this bore me? On the other hand, it is on numerous great movies lists. How can a buddy-road movie pull this off? While watching it, I enjoyed myself. It was entertaining, but I really didn't see the big deal about it. But, then the ending happened, and it all came together. As stated in the movie Adaptation, "Get them at the end. It doesn't matter what happens the rest of the movie, but if you got a great ending, then you have yourself a great movie." Once the credits rolled with the great theme-titled song, I actually felt what that time might have felt to a lot of hippies. Or maybe it was that joint I had been smoking the whole time.

Pro: The soundtrack! Oh yeah, and a great performance by Jack Nicholson.

Con: If you didn't live during the 60s/70s and have never done drugs (which I account for on both counts) the whole meaning of the movie might loose you.

#85: A Night at the Opera (1935)

2010-07-02T12:08:00.005-05:00

Whenever you think of classic comedic acts, the Marx brothers are on the top of the list with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. I would dare to say, the first big act of the "talkie" era. It had been a while since I had seen this film, but their use of one-liners and physical comedy had always stayed fresh in my mind. Their sense of comedic chaos was always something I admired, so that's why I was very surprised that I couldn't fully enjoy this film as much as I wanted to. A Night at the Opera attempts to reign in their comedy with plot and story-line, and this is one of the few times that I think this is a bad thing.

Groucho, Chico and Harpo play… well, it's a little confusing what roles they actually play, but through their antics they try to bring two lovers together who are talented opera stars. The boyfriend is trying to catch a break, so the Marx brothers ban together to get rid of the evil, leading tenor so he can become famous. Set mainly in the opera house and a cruise ship, the brothers constantly become intruders and stowaways in the name of love.

Don't get me wrong, the movie is funny and that is a key ingredient. The problem lies in the fact that there are story elements that sometimes completely disregard the existence of the Marx brothers. There are musical numbers with the opera singers that are just plain boring, and even when the Marx brothers are featured in a musical number, it comes across more appropriate for one of their vaudeville shows than for the screen. I was often left just waiting for the comedy to kick back in, and trust me, when it does, it's pretty memorable. It's not really until the last scene where the director lets the Marx brothers do what they do best… create comedic anarchy.

At its core, this is still a very entertaining movie. If you've never seen a Marx brothers film, you'll be pining to see more after this one. It's just that I can't wait to watch Duck Soup (their other film on this list) that is more perfectly bound in what the brothers do best. So, maybe this is a better movie to see first so that you are void of disappointment when you see some of their other films.

If I weren't tempted to fast-forward some scenes, this film would definitely receive a better rating from me, but I only blame the director for stifling such great talent.

I give A Night at the Opera 3 out of 5 crowded cruise rooms.

#86: Platoon (1986)

2010-06-29T20:43:00.005-05:00

Oscar Winner:
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Sound

As long as there have been movies, the war genre has existed. Many of the early ones, especially the ones that were focused on WWII, were very much American propaganda. As the 70's came along, so did a new whole style of filmmaking. It was never more apparent than the approach to the Vietnam war in the films Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter. Several years after those revolutionary films, Platoon came about with what I believe as a more inviting style, yet still maintaing its artistic integrity.

Based on Oliver Stone's actual experience as a volunteer (yep, a volunteer!) in Vietnam, Charlie Sheen plays Chris, a naive college student who quickly learns what a war experience actually is. As the atrocities and violence of the war wage on, Chris begins to discover himself. A battle of good and evil in the form of Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) force the men within Chris' platoon to choose sides. A war within a war emerges as Stone explores the animalistic nature that comes both from physical and internal battles within man.

If a modern war film can be described as approachable, I think this is it. There are still some very violent and hard-to-watch scenes, but it's the strength of its characters that I believe made it win Best Picture. Especially with Dafoe and Berenger's characters. Dafoe is so hippie-like in his loving spirit and Berenger's is so menacing with his scarred grin, that I was totally shocked not to see them on AFI's list of Heroes and Villains. Their rivalry matches that of Ali and Frazier, and although the material is very dramatic, it's a lot of fun to watch. It's also really entertaining to see all the now famous actors that got their start in this film. There's the great character actor Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon (Entourage), John C. McGinley (Scrubs), Johnny Depp and many more.

The downfall of Platoon is the use of voiceover. Too many times Stone uses Chris to literally tell us what he is feeling instead of showing us. It's a very gripping film that holds your attention the whole time, but it's not one for me that draws me to come back. That said, I think it's a must see, especially if you like the war genre at all. It's a little bit easier to swallow than other war films and definitely holds up today.

I give Platoon 4 out of 5 night watches.

#87: 12 Angry Men (1957)

2010-05-23T21:37:00.003-05:00

Many films have been adapted from stage to screen. Off the top of my head, I can think of The Color Purple or Frost/Nixon. If you didn’t have that prior knowledge, you wouldn’t know those were plays. 12 Angry Men is the complete opposite of that. Like other stage adaptations, such as Death of a Salesman, 12 Angry Men feels like you are watching the story from Broadway seats, yet it totally stands up as a film to itself. Director Sydney Lumet takes the elements of the play that make it so good and enhances it two folds with his use of camera moves, editing and the acting. Although I had seen this once before, I was struck again by what a good film this is.

With a claustrophobic feel, the whole movies takes place in a jury room minus the opening and closing scenes. As the scenes play out in real time, Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) stirs the pot, so to speak, when he challenges the other eleven jurors to examine a murder case with a little bit more depth. An emotional journey takes place as each unique juror is forced to examine how they perceived the evidence, which pretty much turns the room into one big psychologist’s chair. The film quickly becomes a social experiment as each juror is forced to look within themselves to not just make a decision about a case, but many have to completely reevaluate how they look at life. The cinematic ride isn’t what the jurors will ultimately decide, but how they will make those decisions.

The superb acting really shines through in this film. All twelve performances are astounding and that's why I really like this film. Henry Fonda is clearly the lead, but I feel like this is more of an ensemble piece. Each character is able to have an unique character trait that allows you to clearly distinguish between everybody, which is hard to do with twelve different actors. This is both a credit to the acting and the screenplay.

Although it's a very dramatic film, it's not a too heavy-handed experience. The pace and editing are so well balanced that you know that pre-production was the key to obtain this success. All present-day filmmakers need to use this film as a study of how to achieve your point in a precise, yet entraining manner.

In my opinion, this is a movie that can appeal to all ages, sexes and races, and when a filmmaker can do that, I can't help but give it 5 out of 5 verdicts.

* On a side note, this whole film is based on the definition of 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' If you leave this movie agreeing with what the jurors decided, the O.J. Simpson jurors were correct in their verdict. I think Simpson's lawyers watched this film before the trial started. This was just something that hit me. What do you think?

Survivor H/V: Week 14 - Finale

2010-05-23T21:23:00.001-05:00

Week 14 - Finale:
''Russell's keeping me around because I'll never get a single vote. But I don't know about that."

That was a pretty good finale! It was a lot better than I thought it would be. Usually you can predict how things will go but by the end, I honestly didn't know who was going to win between Parvati and Sandra.

Ok, let's get to it...

* It was finally good to see Colby compete in that immunity challenge. Although he didn't win, I think he may have saved his reputation a little bit. His little speech about throwing in the towel was pretty convincing, but his "strategy" to go to Russell was not. This move was a little too late and why does everybody go to Russell??? Even though they teased that Russell would change his mind, I didn't buy it and Colby was sent packing.

* I already shared my thoughts on Colby in the last email, so I won't go further. It was funny to think that if he had won that immunity challenge, he would've been really close to winning a million dollars.

* I thought that the last immunity challenge was very interesting. It was unlike any that they had before, and when it started, I didn't like the set up. Well, that certainly changed as I started yelling at the T.V. screen when Russell, Jerri and Parvati were all so close to grabbing that necklace! The producers lucked out on that one because it could've gone a completely different way.

* Russell's choice to vote out Jerri was very interesting and quite unexpected. I would have thought that for sure Parvati was a goner. This showed to me how much Parvati had him wrapped around her finger (I don't know why she didn't bring this up in her final argument). I wonder how much he regrets that decision? Maybe she was more liked than I thought. Plus, she was not a guaranteed vote like he imagined (more on that later).

* I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Jerri played a really good game. Not win-worthy, but by the end, I don't think she has anything to be ashamed of. I don't think she made any huge strategic decisions, but she flipped to the correct alliance, and she held her own in challenges. It really looked like she was having fun out there, and for being labeled a Villain, she was way more heroic than a lot of Heroes this season. She got really far in the game and she stayed quiet, yet effective. Thanks Jerri for not letting me hate you this season.

* Sandra throwing Russell's hat in the fire was priceless! Hilarity aside, I think that really affected Russell and he even admitted that it rattled him a bit. How funny is that? Sandra was the only true person in Russell's past two seasons that talked down to him and could rattle his bones a bit.

* The last tribal council was pretty good and I thought from a editing stand point was done very well. I thought everybody asked some pretty good questions and for the most part didn't come off too pretentious (minus Coach, but that goes without saying, right?). I thought Parvati and Sandra did amazing with their answers. Both stayed true to how they played the game, but without being condescending. Unlike somebody else, ha ha.

* I'm going to go back to the final three and break down their gameplay, but I LOVED this final three. Not only was it unexpected, but I loved that there were actually three players that deservingly could've won the million dollars. You don't always get that with a final three, and that's a testament to how great this season was.

* What a fun reunion show. This could've been two hours and I would have been thoroughly entertained. Probst talking down Russell, Sandra's lip, J.T. almost throwing his letter into the fire, Rob and Russell getting into it... It was good live television that actually felt live.

* For the record, I don't think J.T.'s move was the stupidest ever. It might be if Russell would've won, but it just won because it was the most relevant. In my opinion, it was Eric giving up his idol at tribal council. And although it's not as entertaining, Colby taking Tina did cost him a million dollars.

* I can't believe people like Rupert as much as they do. I know I talk about this way too much. I apologize.

* The ultimate survivor morph did not go over well. That poor graphic designer's hard work was mocked by the silence of the audience.

Okay, now to the final three survivors:

* Russell - I could go on and on about his gameplay. Yes, everybody knows his cockiness is as much as a downfall as an attribute to his gameplay , so I won't go into that too much. I was the first one to say that he should've won his first season. He was against very weak players and he clearly played the hardest. But, after seeing this finale, I may have changed my opinion. You can not, and I repeat, canNOT be the ultimate survivor when you fail to think about the jury members on the other end. That's just how the game is played. Dan Marino is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play football, but what's one thing that he lacks? A superbowl ring. You can match up his stats against Aikmen, Brady, and Manning, and they may be better, but those guys will always be above him because they have the title. The same correlation can be made to Russell. He doesn't have the ability to see through other people's eyes, and that's why he hasn't and won't ever win this game. I'm not discounting how hard he plays, and has a valid argument that it's the only way he can play this game. But to think that others will give you a million dollars because you are true to that is just ridiculous. His whole gameplay is based on lying and deceitfulness, yet he doesn't bring that when it comes to the end. He thinks that if he gets to the final three he's golden, when in fact, he ditches the one strategy that has gotten him to that point.

* Parvati - I really feel bad for her. She played an AMAZING game and if I was voting, she would've got my vote for the million. I think that the Heroes did not quite grasp how much she controlled Russell. They should have not faulted her for aligning herself with such a hated person. She used him right from the beginning. She perfectly played the game in all three categories. Outwit - Russell took her to the final three, 'nuff said. Outlast - The first vote for the Villains was between her and Randy! Then, after the merge, all the Heroes were gunning for her. Outplay - She was the standout in most of the challenges, especially for individual immunity. She won when her butt was on the line. If Colby would've won that next-to-last one, she definitely would've been on that jury.

* Sandra - All that said about Parvati, I absolutely have no qualms about the fact that Sandra won. I was thrilled and very surprised when she was announced as the winner. I in no way think she was a coattail rider. Jeff Probst has always said that she always plays with the strategy that when it comes to deciding who is being sent home, she plays the "as long as it's not me" card. She knows when to play hard and how to vote, and that's why she won. She's vocal enough for people to know that she's around and she's never been tagged as being lazy around camp. Although she said her strategy from day one was to get rid of Russell, I think in code that means, "From day one I was set out to survive past Russell." The only time she really conceded to Russell's ways was when he was deciding who to take to the final three, and by playing the, "No one will vote for me" card, he took her. She played him just as much as Parvati at that point. And another thing that was a huge play was the fact that she strategized with the Heroes, but not enough for the Villains to fault her for it. All five heroes on the jury voted for Sandra. There were four Villains on the jury and Courtney was the only one of them to vote for Sandra. Unlike Russell, Sandra knew where the numbers lied on the jury. And that was probably Parvati's slightest fault was that she didn't socialize with the Heroes more. Sandra absolutely deserved the million dollars and I hope Russell despises that fact until the day he dies. Something tells me that he will.

What a great season! It's going to be extremely hard to beat this one. It'll be a while before another season comes close to it. 10 years and 20 seasons of Survivor. I'm so curious to see how this new decade plays out. Will it really last another 10 years? It'll be fun to see what new villains, heroes, and favorites will emerge and if another all-star edition is even plausible.

Before I sign off, a big congrats goes out to Ashliegh Whiteman for winning! I'll let you know what the prize will be. Like this season, nobody really had Sandra on their radar and you are one of the few that picked her.

I thought I did pretty well with the recaps this year. I only missed one week. It's a lot of fun to do, but a lot of work. Thanks for reading and I look forward to doing it again in the fall with Hallie doing all the typing for me :)

Until then!

Survivor H/V: Week 13

2010-05-23T21:22:00.001-05:00

Week 13:
This Recap Is Brought To You By Sprint

Today's recap is fresh off the presses. Aren't you proud?

* I thought it was hilarious that Russ was still telling Parvati that Danielle was plotting against her. I was a little surprised by how forgiving the girls were of his move. Of course they said, "I don't trust him anymore," but they definitely weren't running to Rupert and Colby.

* I was proud of myself, this was the first time I did not tear up during the loved ones segment. Well, I take that back. I did form tears... tears of laughter as Colby constantly was berating his brother. That was hilarious and his brother was not fazed in the least by Colby's constant screams.

* The shots of Rupert and his wife making out were a little bit too close. It looked like she was making out with a bear. You should have seen Whitney's face... she was practically gagging. You could practically smell him through the screen.

* On the surface, Jerri's move not to take Russell along to the reward seemed like a bad move, but she was in a tricky spot. It was a little surprising that she chose Sandra so quickly. I wouldn't have done that, but I wonder if she was worried that Sandra might make an alliance with Rupert and Colby. The smartest thing was probably to keep Russell away from those two, but I guess it's all a mute point. Russell didn't hold on to his anger like I thought he would. She's too much of a good pick for Russell to take to the end.

* I was just waiting for one of those coconuts to crack open on one of their heads.

* I might even hear Rupert cracking sticks when I fall asleep tonight. He was that loud.

* You've got to hand it to Parvati... She's not only a strong strategic player, but she dominates in the "focus" challenges. I'm not sure how Rupert was moving his arms around so much and still stuck around as long as he did. I really wonder if he had won if Russell would have gone through with getting rid of Parvati.

* Now, I don't blame Rupert for going straight to Russell when Sandra whispered her secondary plan. But did he really have to do it in front of Sandra and Parvati? Rupert has no discreteness to his strategy, or lack thereof.

* How strange and funny was that exchange between Russell and Sandra? I think her and Parvati went loopy after all those burgers. It was hilarious that Russell was SO serious and the two girls were SO not. It did provide some intrigue going into tribal council, but my only thought to why Sandra was acting that way was because she knew she was playing the idol. I think she was just playing with the cameras when she said she wasn't going to play the idol. She is too smart to make a boneheaded move like that. She was brilliant not to tell anybody about it. She knew that if Russell and Jerri did turn, Rupert would still be gone and then she would expose Russell's faults even more so. Then she would come out looking like the hero... I mean the not-so-bad villain.

* Russell actually was a little more restrained on this vote. He knew that it wasn't going to do him any good to go with Rupert and Colby. He had to stick to the girls this time around.

* Let's talk about Colby for a sec. Did you see him at tribal council? He had his face buried into his hands like he was a pouty kindergartner. Here is a guy who has lucked into being in the final five, and he could care less. By far he's one of the most disappointing players this season. Who would've thought that the Villains wouldn't be pining to get him voted off because, "He's not a threat in challenges." Colby has become the coattail player that I so often get frustrated at. I would have never expected that.

* Now about Rupert's departure: I can't stand the man. Why did he glare at Russell like he had betrayed an alliance that had been going on since day one? I hated how self-rightieous he was about being a Hero and how evil the Villains were. But as soon as anything benefited him, he would switch to a Villains side immediately. I don't care that he did that, just don't act surprised when blindsides happen in the game of SURVIVOR. I might forgive him if this was his first time, but this is his third time to play the game. His last statement to the camera sums up how aware he is of his celebrity status, "I don't need Survivor to know that I'm a winner." I beg to differ Rupert, I beg to differ.

There's one more final episode to probably the best season out of the 20. Hopefully it'll live up to the suspense of all of these other episodes.

My bold prediction:
Colby is gone next.
Then, if Parvati wins immunity, she takes Russell and Jerri to the finals. Parvati wins.
If Sandra wins immunity, she takes Jerri and Parvati. Parvati wins.
If Russell wins immunity, he takes Jerri and Sandra. Sandra wins.

Of course if they keep Colby, this prediction is all a bust, ha ha.

What do you think? Happy viewing!

Survivor H/V: Week 12

2010-05-23T21:19:00.002-05:00

Week 12:
Double the Trouble, Double the Surprise!

What a bizarre episode! I would have never guessed that Candice and Danielle would be the next ones to go. I thought for sure Colby and Rupert were goners, but with the way this season has been going, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Some thoughts...

* As predicted by me, Candice was automatically on the outs with both sides. Totally disgust from the Heroes and total disrespect from the Villains. Her swing vote had more dire consequences than I would have predicted.

* Another correct prediction from me was saying that Rupert and Colby needed to stir up some trouble. Although it wasn’t very effective, Rupert did a nice job of trying to throw Russell underneath the bus. It didn’t faze Russell though. It was like trying to convince a bluebird that in fact, it’s blue.

* I loved the first immunity challenge. Having them stand on those little ledges was a good bonus. Now, I know I have no idea what it’s like to experience hunger like these guys are, but I’m always amazed at how quick people ditch these challenges for food. I thought it was stupid for Russell and Sandra to bail so early because you know that Jeff is just going to bring out bigger and better food. I was really shocked to see Colby leave the challenge so soon. His competition level is at Lebron’s playoff performance (does anybody get that reference?). Also, I bet Candice wishes she would have stayed longer as well.
I’m so glad Sandra found the idol and finally did the smart thing that no Survivor does... She didn’t tell anybody about it!!! Sandra can easily win this game at this point.

* From now on, all Survivors will carry rocks in their pockets. Thank you Rupert.

* I was pretty shocked that Rupert wasn’t gone after the first immunity vote. I guess that the girl Villains (does Jerri deserve credit for this move?) just didn’t feel good about what Candice might do in the game. Maybe they saw that Russell was trying to suck her in. They probably should’ve been more on the same page on this vote, but maybe in the Villains eyes they were still ousting a Hero.

* I think Candice could’ve totally been in a position to win this game. She has the potential of being a great Survivor, but she lets paranoia get in the way of strategy. She had a good ally in Cirie and she let that go, and then she had a good alliance with the Heroes and let that go. Now, I don’t blame her at all for swinging to the other side, she just did it at the wrong time. She is physical enough and smart enough to win this game, but obviously not in an All-star edition.

* So, Russell comes back to camp with the mindset to gain back control, and boy does he ever. And somehow Colby and Rupert are still alive. How ironic was it that all the girls were cheering on Russell to win immunity and that it turned out to be their worst nightmare.

* Okay... So now about the biggest thing about this episode: Russell turns on his alliance. This once again to me is a brilliant but dumb move. Can you ever remember a Survivor moment where the obvious strongest alliance turns on each other so soon? The girls were obviously gaining control over Russell and everybody saw it coming. It’s as if lightning struck him when Candice was voted out and he said to himself, "No more!"

* Why this was a smart move: He could make this move because he had immunity. So if there was any better time to do this, this was it. He obviously has “real” control in the game now and he took out a person who could easily had won the million dollars.

* Why this was a dumb move: At this point he will get no votes from the jury. It may be a repeat of last year’s finale. Russell may still get to the end, and in my opinion is totally justified in winning, but if Sandra or Parvati are there at the end, he has no shot. His moves are so mean-spirited and are in such a bully-like manner that it will cloud the jury’s opinion of his strategy.

* I’m so glad Parvati stood up to Russell. Parvati has never been my favorite, but she gained a lot of respect from me for not letting Russell throw his male ego on top of her.

* One of my favorite moments of the season was this exchange; Russell to Rupert: "We're voting off Danielle." Rupert, with no hesitation, "Okay!" What a god-send for Rupert and Colby.

* I felt really bad for Danielle. She has played a really solid game this season and literally out of nowhere, she was stabbed in the back. She made a solid alliance, was in the background at the beginning of the game, and then she knew when to get aggressive. That would usually result in a million dollars, but she did allign herself with the most evil troll to ever walk this earth. She talked WAY too much at tribal council. I don’t fault her for crying, but she was falling more and more into Russell’s verbal trap. If I were Parvati, I would’ve hit her. I’m not sure what made Jerri change her vote, but she did, and now it’s once again a completely different game.

If I saw the commercial correctly through the fast-forward of the DVR, I think we only have two more episodes left! Thursday and then the finale on Sunday.

So, I think the overwhelming questions are... How shocked were you to see Candice and Danielle go? Does Russell have any chance of winning? Who is your favorite to win right now?

Survivor H/V: Week 11

2010-05-05T19:54:00.002-05:00

Week 11:
No Fighting In Robert Louis Stevenson’s House!

* Russell and Parvati’s alliance won’t be the same. I would have never played that idol unless it was to get Russell out of the game. That is the only way he should’ve known about that.

* I’ve always liked the shuffleboard challenge. It’s a good reward one because anybody can win. Colby’s last shot was pretty clutch.

* I’ve never experienced so much awkwardness as Amanda and Danielle fighting over that immunity clue. I felt like I was watching Jerry Springer for a second. Colby’s reaction was priceless. Now, here’s the thing... in life, that clue was Danielle’s, put did Colby and Amanda give up too easily? Should they have forced Danielle to read it out loud? When you are trapped in a little room like that, how do you get that clue for yourself? What would have you done?

* Danielle should’ve known that Russell had that idol after not finding it. It seems like she had no choice to tell the rest of the group about the clue, but why were only her and Russell looking for it?

* Right when I think that Russell shouldn’t be as celebrated as he is, he pulls a brilliant move by swaying Candice. He is amazing at finding other player’s weak spots. He did it with Tyson, and now he did it with Candice. I can’t reiterate how brilliant this was. His trust in Parvati and Danielle had swayed, so he just goes and renews trust in a whole new girl.

* I like Candice. She’s my pick in this game, but she infuriates me sometimes. I understand that she was at the bottom of the Heroes alliance and that is why she swayed towards Russell. She saw more potential in him. There is a point though where you loose a lot of respect in this game, and she just screwed over all her Heroes alliance. At this point, even if she gets to the end, which I still think can happen, she will get no votes. The vote against Amanda didn’t show her strategic side, it just showed Russell’s.

* Poor Sandra. She must’ve known that Candice wasn’t going to switch, so why burn bridges with Russell and the other Villains. I think she is still somebody to watch out for. If she makes it to the end, which she can by being in the middle of the Heroes and Villains, she’s played a strong enough game not to be seen as “riding coattails.”

* It’s funny to think that Probst had never snuffed Amanda’s torch before. It’s pretty amazing that she still got this far in this game. I liked Amanda from China, but as the seasons went along she didn’t become my favorite. I don’t know if I got tired of her puppy dog looks all the time, but she has been one of the stronger female players in Survivor history and I’ve always liked that she played pretty strategically and always knew who to align herself too.

* Even though Russell played his idol in vain, he should have. At this point, I am SICK of all these hidden immunity idols. I can’t keep them straight anymore. I know that they make for some dramatic tribal councils, but it somehow cheapens the game of Survivor in my opinion. I don’t mind if there are a couple here and there, but it’s gotten pretty ridiculous this season.

* So, at this point, you’d think that Rupert and Colby are the next to go. I don’t know if they can do much to get back into the game, but I would start to make some strong moves. There are some cracks in that Villains tribe, so I would do everything I could to cause distress and tension there. If they did that and won immunity, they MIGHT have a chance to make it to the end, but I doubt it.

I rambled on way too much. Maybe I am making up for missing last week.

What do you think of Parvati’s move of playing two idols? What did you think of Russell pulling in Candice? Who is your favorite to win: is it possible that it’s not going to be Russell, Parvati or Danielle? Are you sick of immunity idols? How awkward did you feel when Danielle and Amanda fought over the clue?

Be on the lookout for an immunity idol hidden somewhere at your house. They are a dime a dozen this time of year.

EW's summary: CLICK HERE
Jeff Probt's thoughts: CLICK HERE
Courtney's exit interview: CLICK HERE

Survivor H/V: Week 10

2010-05-05T19:36:00.004-05:00

Week 10:
For Once, Rupert Was Right!

I know, I know... I was doing soooo good and I missed a week. A big week at that. The merge week!

I’m not going to do a full recap like I usually do for Week 10, but here are just a couple of thoughts:

* I’ve never seen such a less enthusiastic merge. “Game On” mode started much sooner than usual. Probably due to the fact that they delayed it and that there are already two members of the jury.

* The second thought is mainly just about Parvati’s gameplay. I felt like she made a lot of mistakes, but a lot of good moves as well. In my opinion, there is no way I would’ve played both idols. I understand that she was protecting her Villains tribe, and that may pay off big time in the future (a vote from Sandra and Jerri perhaps?). But to throw the idol back into the game again was not a good move. I personally would’ve played just one and still kept the other one hidden. Also, she was dumb for exiting the immunity challenge so quickly. She really exposed to the tribe that she felt like she was untouchable. Regardless, Parvati is really taking over the game.

* Last, I would have never thought that I would say this, but the Heroes should’ve listened to Rupert! I don’t know what made them not trust his conversation with Sandra and believe Russell. I guess that J.T.’s idol handout now does solidify his move as one of the stupidest moves ever.

* J.T. will be missed. I always liked him and he will always be one of the stronger players to play this game. His fault was just playing too hard. He forgot about what helped him win the first time, being subtle. I don’t think he should have totally backed off, but he could’ve honed down his anxiousness a bit. Paranoia got him this time around, and that wasn’t a problem for him in his previous season.

Now on to Week 11:

EW's summary: CLICK HERE
Jeff Probt's thoughts: CLICK HERE
Courtney's exit interview: CLICK HERE

Survivor H/V: Week 9

2010-04-25T18:03:00.004-05:00

Week 9:
Special for One Day Only: Free Idols!

There isn’t a whole lot to say about Courtney’s departure. She really didn’t do much except ride coattails. Towards the end we did get to see her sarcastic comments come out again, which were entertaining. If I were the Villains tribe, I personally would’ve gotten rid of Sandra, who I think is more of a threat. The other thing that I took out of tribal council was that I’m really ready for the merge. I think it’s weird that there will be two members of the jury who weren’t even on the same tribe as some of the Heroes. This just isn’t fair if one of the Heroes gets to the end. Also, I can’t help but think it was a ploy of the producers to have the tribes merge at a 5-to-5 tie. Not that it won’t be entertaining, but the way this has all gone down is a little odd.

Some thoughts...

* I liked how the producers made this reward challenge from an individual challenge, to a group endurance one. Although the Villains won by a mile (Courtney actually contributed!), this was one where I couldn’t predict who was going to win from the get go.

* Dear Outback, your new sponsor is now Sandra! She talked about Outback the way I talk about Pizza King

* So, Parvati found the other clue to the hidden immunity. She did a great job of concealing it. More on this in a bit, but I’m surprised that at this point, the others didn’t think to even look for a clue. That definitely seemed to be a trend to winning reward challenges this year.

* Right now Parvati is controlling this game. Russell thinks he is running the show, and he did, but now Parvati has taken the reigns without him knowing it. That is what makes her such a good player. She knows when to stay in the background and be quiet and then she finds the right timing to thrust herself into the leadership role. The other great move was to tell Danielle about it but not Russell. Maybe she sensed the tension between the two, but she is cementing the two-person relationship in the three-person alliance. I can’t wait to see how these two use this idol.

* Seeing that the immunity challenge was very physical, it was no surprise that the Heroes won. But was anybody paying any attention? Of course the highlight of the episode was J.T. giving Russell the hidden immunity. I loved how the transaction went down. The heist genre would be proud. The look on Russell’s face was priceless. Would you believe it if it happened to you?’

* Now, to J.T.’s credit, none of the other players got to see Russell last season. On the other hand, in no circumstance is it a good idea to give an idol to an opponent that you don’t even know! J.T. will get the blame for this (which he deservingly should), but his tribemates should’ve prevented him from making this idiotic move. J.T. is falling into the trap of over-thinking in this game, and if anybody is going to be targeted going into the merge, he will (being a past winner and being such a physical threat).

* Speaking of past winners, isn’t it crazy that three of these players will be going into the merge having won it all before?

* This sums up the Russell-Parvati-Danielle alliance perfectly: Russell told them all about his idol. Parvati and Danielle told no one else. This action alone will have a tremendous impact on this game, and in my opinion, means that Russell won’t win this season. It was unlike him not to look for another idol once he played his. And it was near a bridge, just like in his previous season!

* Parvati reading J.T.’s letter was HILARIOUS. The way she read it like the voiceover girl from Gossip Girl (I mean, from what Whitney tells me) was pitch perfect. J.T. single-handily changed from the popular jock to the geeky mathlete.

* The debate of whether or not Courtney or Sandra should go wasn’t all that interesting, but it just was another example of Parvati taking over the game as she slowly was pushing her opinion into the forefront, and Russell wasn’t seeming to mind all that much.

* I wonder if the other Villains have worked up the courage to tell Danielle about her mustache.

* If this was ever a time to voice your opinion about this season, now is the time: What did you think of J.T.’s move? This move will be talked about for a long time. What I like most about it is that we didn’t see the impact of the stupid move right away (like Tyson voting himself out). It’ll be fun to see how this mistake will fester.

Yahoo for the merge!

Survivor H/V: Week 8

2010-04-14T23:31:00.003-05:00

Week 8:
The Dragon Has Been Slayed

I would have never thought in my wildest dreams that Coach would’ve been the target in this next episode. He was truly shocked that he was voted out, but I don’t think he really cared. The Survivor strategy and backstabbing had taken the toil on the Steven Segal look-a-like. He definitely was more effective in challenges this season, but he never made any kind of move strategically. Although I know many are annoyed by him (Whitney and my Dad), but you can’t help but admit how entertaining it was to get annoyed by his quotes, antics and poses. In a way I’m glad he is gone early because that means the game-play will be stepped up even more so with him being gone. Thanks Coach for allowing me to mock you, but if you ever come back to Survivor, I think it will be a little overkill.

Some thoughts...

* As soon as tribal council was over, you could already predict how the rest of the show was going to go without Boston Rob’s leadership being present. I thought if that they didn’t merge, we would see the Villains back at tribal council, and I was more right than I thought I would be.

* How stupid was it that Courtney and Sandra sat out in the bowling challenge? I’m not saying that it would’ve helped them much in the next challenge, but it definitely didn’t help.

* Hey kids, do you know what foreshadowing is? Look no further than the Heroes thinking that their is an all girl alliance at the Villains camp. This misperception just works in Russell’s favor every which way.

* It was so funny that the Villains tore down their camp. In a way, I can’t blame them for thinking the way they were, but I love that the Survivor producers gave them a reality check. They wanted to remind them that they will always control what happens. I wouldn’t doubt if they changed their minds about the merge just because they saw them tearing down their camp.

* You may disagree, but I thought that J.T. did well with pretending that he intended to show everybody else the idol. He didn’t do an amazing job, but really how else could you recover. I thought it was hilarious when Candice and Amanda talked about their relief of stumbling into him. What I don’t understand is why they weren’t looking all together? People get these clues and then sit on it. This is really where you have to admire Russell’s perseverance.

* How smart is Sandra by sowing that “Coach is after you” seed in Russell’s head? Without this move, Courtney would’ve been gone for sure. She definitely knows how to read people.

* Coach, please stop flexing.

* The fights back at the Villains camp were classic. Things always seem to get tense during a Survivor season, but this one seemed omnipresent. Is this all due to Russell’s presence? Quite possibly.

* The Heroes dominated the mud challenge. I’m not a big Rupert fan, but he really did put a lot of effort into that one. Coach is much more physically fit than him, and Rupert almost beat him.

* I’m really interested to see what happens to this Heroes tribe of 5. I’m not buying their alliance at all.

* Could there be a rupture in Russell’s alliance? Danielle and him sure had it out. He just can not handle any slight thinking that is contrary to his. They seemed to make amends eventually, but I can’t see this being a partnership that stays intact. I’m glad they gave Danielle some more face time here. She’s pretty much been missing from this season, but I think this episode showed that she truly is a strong female player.

* I was really confused by the voting at this tribal council. Russell ended up voting for Courtney (to get a vote from Coach?) and Danielle ended up voting against Coach (a possible alliance with Courtney and Sandra?).

* I’m curious to see if Coach will throw his final vote towards a Hero or Villain at the end since he spent no time with the Heroes. He is definitely a vote that could be swayed towards the end. His vote may be a game-changer.

* It looks like a merge will happen this time and apparently, a mistake that goes down as one of the biggest in Survivor folklore!!! I can’t wait.

Until then!

EW's Dalton Ross' summary: CLICK HERE
Jeff Probst's blog: CLICK HERE
Exit interview with Boston Rob: CLICK HERE

#88: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

2010-04-10T13:59:00.003-05:00

The best way to describe this movie is, “Loud.” As an audience, we’re used to that element with summer blockbusters, but this is a different kind of loud. Do you know that sound that radiates rooms when you walk into a kid’s birthday party? That’s what this movie reminds me of. All the dialogue is at such a high volume and pitch, it made the jokes hard to follow and most importantly, hard to laugh at.

This highly-acclaimed Howard Hawk’s screwball comedy follows the tightly-would paleontologist, Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant), who in a quest to raise money for his museum, randomly runs into Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn). To say Susan is eccentric is quite an understatement, as Susan leads David into a journey full of exotic animals, bone-stealing dogs, mistaken identities and prison. Like many screwball comedies, the reason for all these events don’t need an explanation. They are there to serve the growing bond between two very different personalities as David and Susan both grow together and tolerate each other.

I know that plot doesn’t really need to be strong for a screwball comedy to work. It really hinges on the chemistry of the two leads and I just didn’t feel that spark between Grant and Hepburn. I know that they've done countless of movies together, but I just didn’t ever buy that their complete opposite personalities would gel as one. Which leads me back to the randomness of the plot. I felt like the screenwriter was constantly using a Mad Libs template to fill in the holes and gaps.

As mentioned previously, Hepburn’s dialogue is so high-pitched and shrilling that I was just plain annoyed. The jokes and gags are truly funny in their nature, but the way they are delivered are so angst-inducing that I was rarely amused. As always, Grant is the true anchor for the whole movie and he was the sole reason for me to slightly care about what happened to these characters.

This is by no means an awful movie and it really has some cute and funny moments, but I’ve seen much better black and white classic comedies. This was just an old-fashioned film that doesn’t hold up today. If people aren’t familiar to this genre, I can’t see them wanting to come back to it after seeing this film. It’s probably the most disappointing film so far for me on this list. As much as I love these actors and this genre, I was surprised to leave with such a so-so feeling for it.

I give Brining Up Baby 2.5 out of 5 run-away leopards.

2010-04-07T23:27:00.005-05:00

Week 7:
That’s No Way To Make Friends

I hate to admit it, but Russell really proved here to be more powerful than Rob. I didn’t think it was going to happen, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shift in leadership at a camp before a merge like this one. How smart was it to target Tyson at the last vote? Because of this move, it really did take the wind out of the Villains tribe. All of a sudden Jerri is flopping all over the place and Russell is now in control of the game. Unbelievable. As he puts it, “Having the immunity idol means power,” and that sure proved true in this case. Now, how much this move is going to hurt the Villains as a tribe in challenges is yet to be seen because the merge is soon coming. I’m sure that Russell and them at this point don’t care if they loose anymore because they have their new alliance now. I was sad to see Rob go. He is the villain you hate to love because he has been such an amazing player in this game. No matter if it was strategy, challenges or providing at camp, he could clearly be labeled as the ultimate Survivor without the Villain label. Wow, I’m gushing like Coach right now... Needless to say, he did all that he could do to stay alive and it’s a shame that he carried his tribemates this far to get cut off so quickly. But that’s Survivor...

Some thoughts...

* I enjoyed both the challenges this time around. It was nice to see the Heroes win, and most importantly, see Colby do so well. How would have James’ knee do in those challenges? He would’ve had to do the puzzle on the second challenge, so chances are they wouldn’t win.

* Apparently the word Jerri means “punching bag” in its original Greek roots. It’s good to know that the Colby/Jerri feud will continue because Colby form tackled her.

* I got to watch this episode with family in Norman and we collectively all cheered out loud when the Heroes won both challenges. Not many shows besides sports can make me do that.

* I’m really interested to see if this new immunity idol can be collectively used for the good of the Heroes. It’s really never been done before, so it will be interesting to see what will happen if they find it.

* I’m shocked at how easily Jerri was swayed. Not a good move on her part. She just became a lower tier on somebody’s alliance. It was a great move by Russell, Parvati and Danielle. Those three have the swagger and confidence to deserve that title of Villain.

* Dear Courtney, you are useless in the game of Survivor. Sincerely, Nathan.

* By far one of the funniest moments ever in Survivor history is the two shot of Rob and Russell talking about who should go and Russell says, “One of those two,” and the camera pans to Sandra and Courtney sitting at their feet. Rob’s reaction was priceless and he didn’t even know what to say, which probably doesn’t happen that often to Rob. “That’s no way to make friends,” he stammered. This interaction alone defined this rivalry.

* Coach really did chicken out on his vote. I don’t think Rob would have been mad at Coach if Coach had written down his name, but the fact that he wrote Courtney’s, which was a throw away vote, infuriated him. In fact, it showed that he was not playing with honor by not picking a side.

* I’m really interested to see what happens when these two tribes merge. With Boston Rob out, I really don’t think of these alliances will truly stick. This will quickly become an individual game in a big way. Which of course means better episodes for an already great season.

Let me know what you think!

Nathan

P.S. Some links that might interest you:

EW's Dalton Ross' summary: CLICK HERE
Jeff Probst's blog: CLICK HERE
Exit interview with Boston Rob: CLICK HERE

Survivor H/V: Week 6

2010-03-27T09:29:00.002-05:00

Week 6:
Tribal Council Goes Bananas!

Tsk, tsk, Tyson. You were in a really good spot to win this game and all of a sudden you’re gone! I can’t quite figure out if it was more Tyson’s stupidity to not sticking with the plan or if it was Russell's genius of getting him to vote Parvati that sealed Tyson’s fate. Regardless, Russell’s move will really put the rest of the Villains on guard, which I don’t think is a good thing. Was it a strategic move that came too early? I’d like to think yes, but Russell has proved us wrong in the past. Last season he could really get away with that type of move because he was still controlling the tribe. This time, he isn’t. Tyson was in a perfect alliance and he was strong enough to be a threat in individual immunity, so even his cockiness must’ve been bumped down a few notches.

Honestly, the Heroes ousting James was a complete surprise to me! I don’t know if it was the editing, but it definitely looked like Colby was gone. I think James knew that he was going to be voted out and to the Heroes credit, I don’t think that they revealed too much about their dynamics in front of the Villains. James was way too relaxed and was not at all surprised when they voted him out. Now, if I was Colby and Candace, I would see this opportunity as an amazing gift that doesn’t come too often in Survivor. The five remaining Heroes need to set EVERYTHING aside and go into these next challenges swinging. They need to set their differences aside and form a tight alliance that could possible side with Russell, Parvati and Danielle to flip the game on its heels. They did the right thing in voting out James, too bad that they were dumb and didn’t make this vote last week. Hopefully they can come out of this stronger and somewhat unified.

Some thoughts...

* Colby has checked out! I don’t blame him in a way, but it is disappointing as a viewer who is a fan. Hopefully this second chance will flip a switch.

* The exchanges between Boston Rob and Russell have been classic! You know that the producers have to be loving this interaction. It’s like watching a scene from The Godfather or The Sopranos. The mind game that is going between these two is one for the ages. It’ll be interesting to see which wins.

* I haven’t ever really liked it in the past when they do an immunity challenge and the winner still has to go to tribal council. The way they constructed it this time was perfect and I thought that it provided a good twist, but still gave somebody the chance to save themselves. I actually didn’t mind that both tribes went to tribal council this time. Well done Survivor producers!

* Sandra’s bluntness has been cracking me up.

* Rupert’s blank stares and frank statements still drive me nuts.

* Even with a bum knee, James probably could beat me in a race. Both him and Jeff Probst’s niece.

* I like bananas, they are my favorite fruit.

That’s really about it because the whole episode was pretty much tribal council.

Let me know what you think!

Whose going to win out, Russell or Rob?

Did the Heroes do the right thing in voting out James?

How stupid do you think Tyson’s move was?

Will Baylor make it to the Final Four?

Until next time...

Survivor H/V: Week 5

2010-03-19T16:32:00.003-05:00

Week 5:
No Chocalate + Focus = Blown Out Knee

I won’t even hide it... I’m sad to see Tom go. Unlike some people who get voted out early, he really fought hard the whole game. I think his million dollar win was a target that never quite got unstuck. Despite being, what seemed, still pretty strong in challenges, J.T. had to vote against him to earn some kind of trust back from his other tribe-mates. I’m curious to see if James, Rupert and Amanda will still hold that strong loyalty. All three of the aforementioned are followers when it comes to alliances, so J.T. will probably still be able to guide them with a leash. I don’t think it was a good move on their part, especially with James with such a bad injury. They did not have me fooled for an instant. I don’t care how strong James is, that vote was totally based on alliances. The Heroes are in deep trouble, and even if they started to win some challenges, it may not be enough to catch up with the Villains when a merge happens. I think the Heroes know that, so they are starting to prepare now.

Some thoughts...

* Another brutal reward challenge. I’m seeing a trend. Reward challenge: physical. Immunity challenge: some physical and puzzle. If this keeps up, the Heroes will never win.

* Wow, Jerri took a shot to the face. Rupert did try to help her up, but I don’t think Jerri will ever forget that move. As soon as a merge happens, I bet she guns after Rupert. Colby will be thanking Rupert later.

* James’ injury was hard to watch, especially when he got back up to walk. It was clear that the Heroes were going to loose when he went down. I don’t think it was the lack of numbers that caused them to loose, but you could see the momentum just drift away from their “no chocolate” imitation strategy.

* Speaking of, I was ready to see Jeff and Colby throw down! I love how Jeff doesn’t back down from anybody.

* You know Russell was going to find that idol. Now I’m changing my thinking about him now being a “marked man.” That was really stupid for the others not to look for that thing. He really does hold the power, and like I said last week, if they vote for him, Boston Rob may be gone. So what if he’s a marked man?

* I have to admit to something. I actually stood up for Coach. Yes, and I was proven wrong immediately. When Russell started talking about bringing Coach into his alliance with Parvati, I thought, “No way! Coach is way too loyal to everybody else. Plus, Russell clearly didn’t join in the group yoga session.” I should’ve known better because Coach now has a bigger man crush on Russell and even bowed down to him. Like Russell needed another ego boast. Watch out for these three because if a merge happens, they will quickly grab J.T., Candace or Colby.

* As for the immunity challenge, it was just sad to see the Heroes loose like that... AGAIN! If I were at camp, I would constantly be creating puzzles for everybody just so they could be somewhat prepared. And as much as I hate to admit it, James did a great job “calling” out to everybody.

* Finally, I’m glad Tom called James out on his “strategy.” Somebody finally needed to do it. I’ve never quickly changed my opinion on a player like I have James this season. He really does seem to be a completely different person.

As you probably noticed, the NCAA tournament knocked a new episode from being aired this week. Don’t forget that the next one is this coming WEDNESDAY.

Sic’ em!

#89: The Sixth Sense (1999)

2010-03-11T16:17:00.002-06:00

Forget everything you know about M. Night Shyamalan films and the twist endings you’ve come to expect from both his films and those who quickly followed, and I think The Sixth Sense still stands out as one of the best films to come out of the 90’s. As big of an impact that the film had on pop culture, I think that the elements that everybody noticed actually take a back seat to the suspense, storytelling, acting and tone.

Bruce Willis plays Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a noted child psychologist, who tries to solve a case with Cole (Haley Joel Osment) that reminds him of a prior patient that he was unable to “cure.” To say Cole is troubled is an understatement as Dr. Crowe tries to figure out what makes Cole so special and troubled, while trying to fix his own problems at home.

I’ve always admired the horror in this film. I’ve never been scared by the gore and torture porn of today’s current movies, but the psychological strings that Shyamalan pulls are fine-tuned and so calculated that your fear causes you to watch more instead of looking the other way. I love that plot and imagery play tricks on you versus fast cuts and brutal violence. The Sixth Sense preys on your nightmares, not on visuals.

I’ve seen this film several times, and what really struck me this time was the acting. Toni Collette’s performance as Cole’s mom should be studied on how to play a perfect supporting role. Furthermore, without the performance of Osment, this movie would’ve been dead in the water. Try to think of another child actor in his spot and I think the film could’ve come across as laughable. They both highly deserve their Oscar nominations for supporting roles and think that Shyamalan hasn’t found the same acting magic in his other films. The last scene between the two characters may be one of my favorite written scenes in film based on its impact and how it ties everything together.

Yes, watching this film multiple times will cause you to see some things that are spelled out to you a little bit too much (a close up of a prescription pills that have the label “anti-depressant” for Dr. Crowe’s wife), but this film is as close as to Hitchcock’s legacy as one can get. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, suspenseful and most importantly, original. I envy those who get to experience it for the first time, but I think even more so for those who take it in more than once.

I give The Sixth Sense 5 out of 5 broken thermometers.

Survivor H/V: Week 4

2010-03-10T09:41:00.002-06:00

Week 4: This is my tribe, and I can cry if I want to

Our first blindside! I told you that it may be coming. Cirie has always been such a strong strategic player, so it was sad to see her go in that respect. It’s always fun to see how she can twist people to think her way or how she smacks sense into them. Nobody has been aware of it, except for J.T. I know that although the vote happened for strategic purposes, I think it was the best vote for the tribe strategically. If they want to win challenges, Cirie probably wasn’t their biggest contributor. She did always play the role as the mother of the tribe, so from a gelling standpoint, I wonder how they will be affected.

Some thoughts...

* You know that when you are going to Tyson for comfort, something may be a little loose in the brain. Coach’s breakdown was hilarious and I love Tyson’s advice to him, “Get rid of the feather, don’t tell your stories, and do your yoga by yourself.”

* The slip and slide reward challenge was somewhat entertaining, but really was anybody’s game. I do love when it comes down to one last shot. I’ve personally enjoyed just the one immunity challenge.

* Could the producers be even more blunt in the immunity idol clue? Well, I think it worked because it was pretty entertaining to watch everybody scramble. The Heroes nearly killed each other while the Villains of all people, decided that anybody who goes for it is immediately a target.

* Even in a villains tribe, Russell is the only one who has to completely march to his own beat. You know, even if he finds it, he will have power. Even if everybody decides to vote for him with the idol, one of them is going home (Boston Rob perhaps?).

* The immunity challenge was really fast. It was over before I knew it. Once again, it was a incredibly close and I’m glad nobody fainted and passed out this time.

* I don’t know how to really sum up what happened next, but it’s pretty amazing that Tom and Colby are still alive in this game. It’s obvious that J.T. has all the power, so it will be interesting to see what happens when they all get back to camp. He’ll probably turn on his country charm and everybody will forgive him, but I can’t help but think if he’s playing too hard too fast.
Regardless, I think this will help with Parvati’s argument on the other side of camp, because her “ally” is now gone.

* We watched the episode on that Thursday night, so sorry if my recap isn’t as detailed. If I don’t write them right after I see them, sometimes I forget the funny parts.

Until next week!

Survivor H/V: Week 3

2010-03-01T18:19:00.003-06:00

Week 3:
Nobody Here Is Honorable... Except For Me

I’m so glad that the villains had to loose somebody. Not because I hate them, but like I’ve always said, Survivor just gets boring when the tribes are lopsided. We didn’t see much of Randy and it was apparent why that was the case this episode. He just didn’t ever gel with anybody. He was even more miserable than he usually is. I know Parvati is the threat, but they did the right thing voting him out. He was the weakest and they cut him loose despite staying loyal to alliances (where the Heroes faltered last week). I think it’s a shame he left because he was an entertaining guy to watch, but strategy didn’t get him too far in Gabon and you could see that weakness in this season. Like Sugar, I don’t think as viewers we’ll miss him much.

Some thoughts...

* Hiding the machete... really Russell? I think he’s starting to grasp at air in this season. What made Russell good last season was that he was playing with alliances that weren't so apparent. Not so in this season and I think he is getting played big time by Parvati.

* Speaking of Parvati... isn’t it crazy how much she controls people in this game? Coach says he’s not being seduced by her, but at times it certainly looks like it. I still don’t expect her to go far. Not because she isn’t a good player, but I think she’ll be an easy vote for the rest because she’s won before.

* J.T. may be playing too hard too fast. His lie about Candace may come back to haunt him. He’s gotta realize that everybody eats out of the palm of his hand and that he only needs to lie when it comes to tribal council. He’s worrying too early.

* Candace may not have a leg to stand on. It seems as if she has no close friends at all. Unless somebody really screws up in a challenge, she may be the next to go.

* How great was that immunity challenge? I’ve never enjoyed a butt whopping like that one. I was cheering out loud the whole time.

* Although Tom isn’t quite in the same shape as he was in Palau, he certainly took Russell down fast.

* Love the Colby/Boston Rob match up. I wish that I looked as intense as Colby when I flexed.

* Is it honorable when you pose for 30 seconds when you cheated in a game? Coach... how I love to make fun of you.

* James... you have to chill out some. The bag throw at Randy was just unnecessary. Beating Randy was no accomplishment. It seems like fame has changed the ego of the once gentle giant. He may be in trouble if he ever stirs up too much tension at camp.

* Two people to watch out for in the Villains tribe... Tyson and Sandra. Tyson is playing very low key, so I expect him to amp it up the second half if he makes it that far. He could easily side with J.T. and some Heroes if it plays in his favor. Also, Sandra is perfectly playing that “as long as I’m not getting voted out,” card. That’s why she won, she flies under the radar but provides enough in camp not to be a target, so she’s not necessarily seen as undeserving.

* It was funny to see all those Villains all at once at tribal council. If they continue to go, it should get more and more entertaining.

* Discounting Stephanie, I’m loving the fact that the least favored favorites are going early. The strong are staying in which makes this season all that more exciting. I wonder when the blindsides will start occurring.

As always, let me know what you think!

Survivor H/V: Week 2

2010-02-23T13:27:00.005-06:00

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

2010-02-12T10:47:00.003-06:00

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)

2010-02-11T09:02:00.003-06:00

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...

2010-02-02T21:37:00.000-06:00

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)

2010-02-01T15:25:00.003-06:00

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.

Survivor: Samoa - Weeks 4 - 7

2009-11-06T15:56:00.003-06:00

A Much Needed Merge

Don’t worry! You may have thought I had abandoned my favorite show, but be certain I haven’t! It’s an excuse, but Whitney and I have been super busy. With the combination of taking care of a house, my new job, and being out of town several weekends, we fell a bit behind with all the episodes. I’m not going to even attempt to try to recap each episode, but I want to give you my quick thoughts about the season and then I’m going to summarize about both the players that got the boot and those left in the game. I haven’t watched last night’s episode, so keep that in mind if you email me comments.

To be honest, this hasn’t been my favorite season. It started out strong, but the show has been plagued with a tribe that never wins, and it’s just not as fun to watch. Foa Foa’s losing streak combined with the down weather has provided players who are both physically worn out to strategize and those way too comfortable to strategize (Galu). I’m so glad that this merge is coming up because like last season, I can easily see Galu unraveling. Especially with Russell S. gone, I think Galu will run amuck with new strategy just because they are bored. I think there are a lot of wild cards on that tribe, so we’ll see what happens.

I never say this, but this is season that I think really could have benefited from mixing up the tribes half way. It was pretty clear that Foa Foa was never really going to catch a lucky win streak. Also, this has been one of those seasons whose conditions have been so bad, I’ve actually pondered myself if I could’ve stuck with it like they have. The rain has been miserable and the shots of the casts’ hands and toes would almost (and I stress the word almost) make me not want to go on the show.

So my quick thoughts on those departed...

Yasmin - Probably a mistake at the time to vote her off because of what she brought to challenges, but now we see that it really didn’t matter. From a viewer standpoint, I would have loved to see her stick around just for entertainment sake, but when you are super annoying in this game, you’ll be voted out quick.

Ashley - I really thought she would have gone further. I thought she would have strategized more than she did. I don’t blame the tribe for voting her out, especially when Liz did so well in that challenge.

Russell S. - He provided one of the scariest moments on Survivor history. It wasn’t as frightful the first time he fainted, but seeing his eyes glaze over when he sat up that second time, it showed how brutal this game was. I felt bad for him because you could tell he loved playing this game. I think he would’ve gone far, but he lacked the strategizing skills that you need when the merge comes. I hated to see him go out like that, and I usually don’t say that when people are removed from the game involuntarily.

Elizabeth - She was just the casualty of being on a bad tribe. She was smart and strong in challenges, and I don’t blame Foa Foa for voting her out. Going into the merge, I think Jaison would be more loyal than Liz would’ve been. That’s not a knock on her character, I’m just saying that she could’ve done some damage later on in the game.

And my thoughts on those remaining...

Russell H. - I can’t wait to see what he does in the merge. Like every other Survivor villain, I’m growing to love him, especially because he brings so much entertainment to the game. I think Russell could easily go the final two, but I just think that somebody will finally expose his evil ways. It’ll catch up to him... but I kinda hope it doesn’t.

Natalie - She seems to be smarter than she appears. I bet she plays a really good social game and watch for her bonding with Laura, Monica and Kelly on Galu.

Jaison - It’s not just because he’s my pick, but I’ve been disappointed in Jaison. He has the intelligence and the strength to win this game, but he is holding back. He’ll be gone early just because he’ll be seen as a threat in individual immunity.

Mick - He’s been boring and will just follow Russell along until the cord is cut. Another guy whose heart just isn’t in it anymore. He’s been no sort of leader for Foa Foa.

Erik - I could see Erik easily winning the game if he doesn’t get blindsided. He has the immunity idol, he’s strong and strategic... My pick to win at this moment.

Dave - Really smart, but he’ll be his own worst enemy. I can’t wait to see Russell and him on the same tribe, they are going to HATE each other. He really annoys me, but I could see him going far too.

John - I would never have guessed he would have made it this far. I’m still not sure what to think of him, but I think he’s going to be more a follower than a leader when it comes to winning the game. I don’t see him winning.

Brett - The same thing goes for Brett as John. Maybe they are both flying under the radar on purpose, but both could be a threat to win individual immunity. I don’t see Brett straying far from his alliance at all.

Laura - I could easily see her getting the group of girls together to dominate (accept for Shambo). She’s smart enough to see that she’s at the bottom of the Galu food chain, so I could see her leading the way to help the Foa Foa members get back into the game. Russell was very smart to talk to her on this past episode.

Kelly - Also another girl who seems smarter than she seems. I can’t really say much about her because they haven’t shown much of her.

Monica - She may fly under the radar for a long time, but she’s already been on the chopping block twice, so I really can’t see how she could win.

Shambo - What a wild card Shambo is. Even if she got to the end, I don’t see many jury members giving her the money. She’ll stay true to the four Galu guys if they put enough trust in her, but Foa Foa sure does like her and vice versa. She’ll probably make a stupid move that actually makes her win the game. Who knows with her...

So that’s it! Sorry for the late email and I’ll try to be more disciplined in my writing. I know I may not hear much response because many of you probably watched last night’s episode, but let me know if you are still reading!

Yahoo for the merge!

Survivor: Samoa - Week 3

2009-10-08T11:50:00.003-05:00

The Racist is Gone

Obviously the editors at Survivor don’t read my emails because once again Galu got no coverage this episode. While watching this episode, Whitney commented, “I don’t like that tribe.” As soon as she said it, we talked about why that might be and we decided it is because we haven’t spent any time with them. Even though they keep on winning, the way the show has been edited makes Foa Foa the underdogs (even though they have dug their own grave) and Galu as the bad guys, even though there seems to be some very nice people on that tribe. If Foa Foa keeps losing, expect a shake up between tribes very soon. I want to see this just to see how Evil Russell reacts to this.

You know a tribe is dysfunctional when as soon as tribal council is over, they are talking about who is going next. It’s as if that they are already expecting to lose in the challenge. This is when strategy takes over the game too much and you just need to focus on your tribe winning. As it played out the whole episode, Ashley and Ben were on the chopping block from the get go. Ben because he’s, well, Ben... and Ashley because Evil Russell is intimidated by smart girls.

I don’t know if you will agree with me on this, but I am beginning to think that Evil Russell is a lot smarter than what he even displays. Yes, it’s obvious that he loves the spotlight and I think he gives himself way too much credit, but he definitely can get people to trust him. The gullible and to me, boring, Mick is like a King who lets his advisor make all the decisions for him. I keep telling myself that people are going to catch on to Evil Russ, but maybe his seed analogy is true. The reason I am giving him this credit is because of how he backed away from his strategy to get Ashley off. I saw a switch go off in his head that usually happens with great players. Great players know how to be aggressive, yet know when to back off a bit. We’ll see if he stays in this category, because he could easily get bit by the cockiness bug that takes down players (Kenny from Gabon comes to my mind).

For some reason the immunity challenge didn’t click with me this time. I know it was another physical one, but I couldn’t quite grasp the strategy of the players to keep others out of the “block zone.” Also, I don’t like it how some of the players on Foa Foa sat out even though they were down in numbers. I think it was ok for that first challenge because it was just for reward and it started things off, but I think if all possible, everybody should compete. Seeing Mr. Rebel completely miss a tackle was all worth it though.

Following the challenge, we finally got to see some drama at Galu’s tribe besides Shambo’s disgust. Good Russell, as the tribe’s leader, chose comfort over functionality. No matter what he chose, somebody was going to be mad. I wouldn’t have chosen the same way, but that’s not the reason I thought this was a bad move. It was because his explanation to his tribemates about taking care of his women was completely displaying his strategy in this game. He clearly is going to try to make alliances with the women in his tribe, which is smart, but I do think it’s dumb that he declared it out loud like he did. If I were the other guys on the tribe, this would have been a huge red flag for me.

We then saw Shambo throw her tribe under the bus as she became the most amazing person ever in the eyes of Foa Foa. Yasmin, take notes... If Shambo was smart, she would try to mend fences better at Galu, but regardless, she has put herself in a great spot if a merge was to occur. She showed exactly what you need to do if you spend time at another tribe’s camp.

Now to the ousting of Ben... He needed to go and I’m proud of Jaison for standing up like he did. Now, from a game perspective, I don’t know about his threat of leaving the game if Ben stuck around, from a personal perspective, I commend him. I think mentally Jaison is going to check out of Survivor. This pains me to say because he’s my pick for this season, but I think he’s a very smart and athletic guy who could win this game, but other personalities may become the death of him. He’s almost to that point of being so smart the he’s going to put life in perspective and wonder why the heck he is interacting with these wild personalities. Maybe with Ben gone, that will change, but who knows?

It was good to get rid of Ben just from a tribe dynamic position. He was annoying, not really great at challenges, and we really didn’t get to see how much he actually did at camp except just chop one piece of wood over and over and over again. That was one of the most personal tribal councils I’ve seen and I was with Jaison all the way. I thought that Jaison eloquently stated his position well and Ben just was way too prideful to admit that he made a mistake. I don’t remember exactly how he put it, but when he said, “Ok Ben, even if you think Yasmin is ghetto trash, at least admit you weren’t being sensitive to the history of African Americans,” and Ben still wouldn’t back down. That “Southern pride” that just makes me sick. I think it’s one thing to cast controversial people for this show, but I think the producers went too far in casting Ben. Being the way he was in front of everybody, they had to know about his racial tendencies from all the profiling they do for contestants before a show airs. If he had stuck around more, who knows what could have happened between Ben and Jaison, or even Ben and Yasmin, and I think that would definitely had crossed that line of good television versus bad taste. Good riddance to Ben and I hope he gets as little limelight as possible shined on him. I didn’t even love to hate Ben, I just was disgusted by him.

On that cheerful note, what did you think? Am I giving Evil Russell too much credit? What would you have chosen, comfort or functionality? Did Good Russell make the right decision? What did you think of Jaison’s way of getting Ben voted out? What did you think of Ben and do you think the producers went too far in casting somebody like Ben?
Week 3:
The Racist is Gone

Obviously the editors at Survivor don’t read my emails because once again Galu got no coverage this episode. While watching this episode, Whitney commented, “I don’t like that tribe.” As soon as she said it, we talked about why that might be and we decided it is because we haven’t spent any time with them. Even though they keep on winning, the way the show has been edited makes Foa Foa the underdogs (even though they have dug their own grave) and Galu as the bad guys, even though there seems to be some very nice people on that tribe. If Foa Foa keeps losing, expect a shake up between tribes very soon. I want to see this just to see how Evil Russell reacts to this.

You know a tribe is dysfunctional when as soon as tribal council is over, they are talking about who is going next. It’s as if that they are already expecting to lose in the challenge. This is when strategy takes over the game too much and you just need to focus on your tribe winning. As it played out the whole episode, Ashley and Ben were on the chopping block from the get go. Ben because he’s, well, Ben... and Ashley because Evil Russell is intimidated by smart girls.

I don’t know if you will agree with me on this, but I am beginning to think that Evil Russell is a lot smarter than what he even displays. Yes, it’s obvious that he loves the spotlight and I think he gives himself way too much credit, but he definitely can get people to trust him. The gullible and to me, boring, Mick is like a King who lets his advisor make all the decisions for him. I keep telling myself that people are going to catch on to Evil Russ, but maybe his seed analogy is true. The reason I am giving him this credit is because of how he backed away from his strategy to get Ashley off. I saw a switch go off in his head that usually happens with great players. Great players know how to be aggressive, yet know when to back off a bit. We’ll see if he stays in this category, because he could easily get bit by the cockiness bug that takes down players (Kenny from Gabon comes to my mind).

For some reason the immunity challenge didn’t click with me this time. I know it was another physical one, but I couldn’t quite grasp the strategy of the players to keep others out of the “block zone.” Also, I don’t like it how some of the players on Foa Foa sat out even though they were down in numbers. I think it was ok for that first challenge because it was just for reward and it started things off, but I think if all possible, everybody should compete. Seeing Mr. Rebel completely miss a tackle was all worth it though.

Following the challenge, we finally got to see some drama at Galu’s tribe besides Shambo’s disgust. Good Russell, as the tribe’s leader, chose comfort over functionality. No matter what he chose, somebody was going to be mad. I wouldn’t have chosen the same way, but that’s not the reason I thought this was a bad move. It was because his explanation to his tribemates about taking care of his women was completely displaying his strategy in this game. He clearly is going to try to make alliances with the women in his tribe, which is smart, but I do think it’s dumb that he declared it out loud like he did. If I were the other guys on the tribe, this would have been a huge red flag for me.

We then saw Shambo throw her tribe under the bus as she became the most amazing person ever in the eyes of Foa Foa. Yasmin, take notes... If Shambo was smart, she would try to mend fences better at Galu, but regardless, she has put herself in a great spot if a merge was to occur. She showed exactly what you need to do if you spend time at another tribe’s camp.

Now to the ousting of Ben... He needed to go and I’m proud of Jaison for standing up like he did. Now, from a game perspective, I don’t know about his threat of leaving the game if Ben stuck around, from a personal perspective, I commend him. I think mentally Jaison is going to check out of Survivor. This pains me to say because he’s my pick for this season, but I think he’s a very smart and athletic guy who could win this game, but other personalities may become the death of him. He’s almost to that point of being so smart the he’s going to put life in perspective and wonder why the heck he is interacting with these wild personalities. Maybe with Ben gone, that will change, but who knows?

It was good to get rid of Ben just from a tribe dynamic position. He was annoying, not really great at challenges, and we really didn’t get to see how much he actually did at camp except just chop one piece of wood over and over and over again. That was one of the most personal tribal councils I’ve seen and I was with Jaison all the way. I thought that Jaison eloquently stated his position well and Ben just was way too prideful to admit that he made a mistake. I don’t remember exactly how he put it, but when he said, “Ok Ben, even if you think Yasmin is ghetto trash, at least admit you weren’t being sensitive to the history of African Americans,” and Ben still wouldn’t back down. That “Southern pride” that just makes me sick. I think it’s one thing to cast controversial people for this show, but I think the producers went too far in casting Ben. Being the way he was in front of everybody, they had to know about his racial tendencies from all the profiling they do for contestants before a show airs. If he had stuck around more, who knows what could have happened between Ben and Jaison, or even Ben and Yasmin, and I think that would definitely had crossed that line of good television versus bad taste. Good riddance to Ben and I hope he gets as little limelight as possible shined on him. I didn’t even love to hate Ben, I just was disgusted by him.

On that cheerful note, what did you think? Am I giving Evil Russell too much credit? What would you have chosen, comfort or functionality? Did Good Russell make the right decision? What did you think of Jaison’s way of getting Ben voted out? What did you think of Ben and do you think the producers went too far in casting somebody like Ben?

Survivor: Samoa - Week 2

2009-10-08T10:44:00.003-05:00

The Woods Ain’t The Hood

Ladies and gentlemen... Survivor Samoa will now be called Survivor Foa Foa. All I really know about the other tribe is that their color is purple and that Shambo’s antics, although highly entertaining, may cause a good character to be booted early. Despite the fact that all the focus has been on Foa Foa, I though that this was a great second episode. Usually the early episodes are forgettable, but like Fans Vs. Favorites, this episode had plenty of memorable moments.

The episode quickly started off with Betsy’s weariness of Russell, so we knew either of them was probably going to go. Then all of a sudden, the villain of the season with the awful strategy actually showed some intellect as he quickly found the hidden immunity idol before any clues had been dispersed. You have to give him some credit here. He was thinking way ahead of everybody, including the producers. How crazy is it that he found it in pure daylight in front of everybody? The producers had to be throwing their hands up in excitement knowing that the “love to hate” character of the season may be sticking around for a bit longer. Now, I don’t know how smart of a move it was to show Jaison the idol. I think he was brilliant for making a true ally in Jaison because they are such an unlikely pair, but we will see if that lasts (according to the sneak peak for the next episode).

As an audience we were then privy too watching probably the most physical Survivor challenge ever. I’m going to sound like an old fart, but they are going to have to tame these ones down a bit. Each season it grows more brutal, which I think is due to contestants trying to raise the stakes each season. The fact that they had girls and guys in that pit at the same time was pretty crazy to me. Regardless of all of that, I think they made too big of a deal of Probst pulling Ben. I had the privilege of watching this episode with Whitney and both of my parents, and we enjoyed the debate of whether Ben should’ve been kicked out. I was in the position that yes he was because he could’ve broken Russell S.’s leg with his trip, but Whitney’s argued that there was just as much choking going on. I’m sure Ben wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt somebody, so I understand that he was trying everything to help his team win. I think it’s an interesting debate.

So Foa Foa lost the fight and Mike left pretty banged up and had to leave the game. You had to see it coming and the fact that they voted out Marisa before him might come back to haunt them. Because the show started off with 20 contestants, you knew at some point there would be two people gone on one episode, so this gave the producers a perfect opportunity to use Mike’s departure to dwindle the number down a bit. This was unfortunate for Betsy because I thought she could’ve really made an impact on the game. I think with a little more time she could’ve really recruited some of the young ones to her side, but despite Ben’s annoying and cocky behavior, I don’t blame them for voting her out. They really have to win challenges at this point being three members down.

Going back a little bit... How big of a win for the episode was the fact that Yasmin came over to Foa Foa’s camp? Out of all the people Russell S. could choose, he chose her. When she went over to that camp and just started down-talking everybody, it blew my mind. I can’t see how any of those rants could benefit her in this game. What a perfect opportunity missed to maybe make some friends when a merge occurs. Her and Ben’s fight was like watching our two political parties duke it out in Washington D.C. You just knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere. But boy was it entertaining to watch.

Ben amazes me with his no-apologies personality. I personally can’t stand arrogant people like him, but if he keeps up his antics there is now way he can win this game. He isn’t even playing mean smart, and when somebody like Russell starts having disrespect for you, you know he has to be pretty bad.

What are your thoughts on everything? Are you giving Russell H. more respect knowing that he found the idol early? Do you think his alliance with Jaison will have legs? Was the challenge too physical and do you think Ben should’ve been kicked out? Do you wish the focus on both tribes would be a little bit more equal? Were you sad to see Mike and Betsy go? Could Yasmin be the next spokesperson for Micro Machines?

A lot of questions... I look forward to hearing what you think!

And remember... never lose the fishing gear! (How does that seem to happen every season?)

Survivor: Samoa - Week 1

2009-10-01T00:01:00.003-05:00

Where Did My Socks Go?

First impressions... I think this season is going to be a good one. The cast already seemed more appealing to me than I had seen during the interviews. This is probably due to the fine editors of the show, but it looks like a group that fall in two categories: Really fun people to be around or very vocal and opinionated people.

Right off the bat, I liked how they did the first impressions this time. Instead of calling out the people who are leased liked, they decided to elect leaders of the tribe, which started this season on a positive note. It was also nice to see two challenges instead of one, and I thought the device of picking out particular people to participate was ingenious. I thought it was interesting to see the difference between how the two elected leaders approached their new positions. Russell S. embraced it with full arms knowing that by being one of the older ones, being catapulted into this position was a great way for him to stay in the game longer. Mick on the other hand never seemed comfortable with it and that attitude definitely carried into the camp. With such outgoing personalities like Ben and Russell H. on his tribe, Mick is going to have a tough time being the leader. I think the tribes seem to be very well divided, so hopefully that’ll prove to be true when it comes to the challenges. It just makes the show more interesting when the victories go back and forth.

I suppose the big standout already is the pure evil nature of Russell H. I honestly don’t see how his strategy will carry him to the end. This is Survivor, so I may be proven wrong, but his charade will eventually have to crumble. I really don’t understand the strategy, and although it may take a scapegoat to reveal his evil ways (cough, cough, Betsy, cough, cough), I can’t see him making it very far into a merge. What will keep him around is his contribution to the challenges. The girls will certainly turn on him, but we’ll see what the guys do. Him and Ben could join forces and reek havoc worse than three Johnny Fairplays combined. Russell’s antics might be shocking and entertaining at first, but I think his presence will get tiresome quick. Pouring out water and burning socks??? There’s a difference between manipulating somebody and endangering somebody’s health.

It’s always hard to write a summary for the first episode because there is so much to see and dissect. You had to feel bad for Marisa because if it wasn’t for Russell, she had potential to go far (think of Erinn from last season), but she made the mistake of not talking to others about Russell before he did the same thing about her. I think it kind of stinks for females like Marisa and Ashley who are confident and outspoken in this game. They always seem to be the first to go, but if you are a guy and have the same qualities, it seems redeemable because a guy may swim faster. That said, this show seemed to focus on certain people more than others for sure (Shambo, Russell H.), but I don’t know if that means that their exit will be fast approaching or if they will be around for awhile. Time will tell...

So... do you think there is any redeemable quality to Russell H.? Did you like the beginning as much as I did (voting leaders in, the first challenge)? Do you feel like this season seems promising?

And on one more note... if you haven’t had a chance to see this show on HD, try to as soon as possible. The crew shoots this show so well and the quality puts live NFL games to shame.

Until next time...

The Reader (2008)

2009-09-18T13:56:00.004-05:00

This film has Oscar bait written all over it. From the music, to the subject material, it screams to be noticed as important. Sure enough, it worked, because it earned a Best Picture nomination and a Best Actress win for Kate Winslet’s performance. My curiosity coming in was if it was deserving of all these nods.

Without giving too much away, The Reader is a little strange to watch because it centers on an affair between 15-year old Michael Berg (David Kross and later, Ralph Fiennes) and a mid-30’s bus-ticket puncher, Hanna Schmitz (Winslet). What starts as seemingly just a sexual adventure blossoms into a relationship that ends suddenly for both characters. The way the two meet again is not as much surprising as a moralistic decision that no person would want to take on.

The Reader takes a little time to get into. I didn’t know if it’s because of the uneasiness of the main relationship at first, but once the plot arrives at the turning point, my interest was set in. Kate Winslet is very good here giving a sympathetic feel to at the very least, a faulted character. I would usually go more in depth about both the plot and setting, but trust me, the less you know about the story going, the more you will get out of it at the end.

I wasn’t blown away by the total package of the film, but the moral dilemma forces you to invest, which made for a movie that is very much worth seeing, but won’t stay in my subconscious for a long while.

I give The Reader 3.5 out of 5 tape recorders.

#92: GoodFellas (1990)

2009-08-28T09:51:00.005-05:00

Oscar Winner: Best Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci)

When I think of the best directors in movie history, Martin Scorsese is always at the top of that list. He’s had some so-so films here and there, but it’s not from a lack of talent. As an avid film lover and historian, you know his heart is poured out into every film, so you always forgive his missteps and wait for his new one to release. He always seems to be at his best when it comes to gangster films and GoodFellas is no exception. It acts as the pinnacle of Scorsese’s style, preciseness and vision.

GoodFellas is the classic rise-and-fall story of the real-life gangster, Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta. The movie follows him and his two pals, Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy De Vito (Joe Pesci) as they climb the ranks of the New York mafia ladder in the 60’s and 70’s. As their fame and prestige grow, so do the murders, as they continue to adapt to the ever-changing climate of their trade.

Like other gangster films before it, GoodFellas gives you an in-depth look at how the mob operates. What makes it different is that its fast pace perfectly reflects the graphic violence and whirlwind nature of the lifestyle. Every scene and moment moves with a quick pulse, yet each one is truly memorable and builds upon the next. Having the knowledge that everything is based on a true story (Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi) adds to the shock of it all, but like no other film, you feel like you are getting an insiders peak that not even a documentary film could cover. Scorsese is the master of being innovative with his camera movement, use of soundtrack, and editing technique. With every swoop and cut, more and more depth is added to the characters.

Along with being a perfect movie technically, the acting is super. Joe Pesci has always been great at playing characters with a ferocious short-man syndrome, but here he plays a character so out of control that you get nervous anytime he appears in a scene. Robert De Niro’s character isn’t as up front as you would expect, but his acting chops shine through in his subtle nature of knowing that he’s not the main character in the film. Also, I think it’s a shame that Ray Liotta doesn’t get more credit for his role here. He’s likable and charming, yet provides the dangerous qualities that is needed for his tragic nature. In particular, I marveled at how well he did the voice-over narration, which is wound throughout the film so much, that with one bad inflection, it could’ve derailed the film.

I could go on and on about how well made the film is, but at the heart of it all is that it’s just flat out entertaining. It’s funny, suspenseful, dramatic… all the elements that make up a great movie. It’s crazy that at the time, Scorsese didn’t win the Oscar for directing or for best picture. Dances With Wolves pretty much stole everything that year, but Scorsese was finally awarded the statues for The Departed, which is great as well, but not nearly as good as this film. Perhaps the Academy was making up for past mistakes.

GoodFellas has always been a favorite of mine that I can watch over and over and not get tired of it. In short, it’s a perfect film. I give it 5 out of 5 pistol whips.

Watchmen (2009)

2009-08-26T16:14:00.003-05:00

Who watches the Watchmen? I’m not sure, but I know you shouldn’t.

Although my wife teased me about it, I wanted to read the film’s original source that landed on Time’s All Time 100 Novels list. True devotees of the graphic novel should be enamored by the fact that the movie is a very, very true representation of the film. Unfortunately, the comic book dialogue and staging did not translate to the screen at all.

The film is set in a reimagined world where Nixon is serving his third term and America has won the Vietnam War. With America on the brink of nuclear war with Russia, a now banned group of superheroes, The Watchmen, come together once again after one of their own has violently been murdered.

I’ll get the compliment out of the way… Zack Synder knows how to appeal to the visual senses. Watchmen is a beautiful film to look at, but it’s too bad that Synder is way too in love with his style. Everything moves in slow motion… the dialogue, the action, the transitions, the story… to a point that the run time of 2 hours and 40 minutes feels like 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach brings the only redeemable acting to the film, but the rest do a terrible job, especially Patrick Wilson and Malin Akerman (who I call the second coming of Cameron Diaz). I feel sorry for anybody who hasn’t read the source material, because I can’t imagine going into this film without any background on the story line. Synder completely forgets to intertwine the themes that made the graphic novel so adored.

I sat there feeling sorry for the people who watched this who weren’t “fan boys.” I myself felt lost and just not caring about anybody, so I really don’t see how anyone else could. Watchmen is a sloppy film that drags on just to showcase how innovative Synder can be with his camera.

I give it 2 out of 5 doomsday clocks.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

2009-08-25T10:46:00.004-05:00

Titles are a very important thing to a movie. This one alone made you decide to read the review with cautious curiosity or an expected shaking of the head. With sexual content right up there with The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up (if not worse), and the word ‘porno’ in the title, it’ll be hard to convince anybody to look past their barriers to see this film.

My stance is not to convince you to see this because frankly, you know what you can or can’t handle. I’ve been a fan of the controversial director, Kevin Smith, for a long time. Not so much because of his ability to write dialogue that even makes Tarantino blush, but because he adds a real-life feeling to his films that tackle hard-hitting issues like religion and homosexuality. Ok, not all the time (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), but he does always try to entertain.
Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks (both extremely good here) play long-time best friends and roommates who find themselves not being able to pay their bills. So what’s the simple solution you ask? They make a porno! Yes, Smith uses the set up to poke fun at the industry and probably provide a platform for jokes he always wanted to use, but he once again brings intimate and sweet moments to his raunchy world (which he’s done long before the Apatow crew became famous for this).

It sounds crazy to say this considering the context, but Smith, his core group of actors and the story are very reigned in, and in a way they have become adults who still like to have fun (especially compared to Smith’s Mallrats). Along with this and a scene that I think really demonstrates how important love is to sex and how it can go the complete opposite way when abused, this was a very funny, touching (no pun attended) and well-made film. Just make sure you pray and repent afterwards…

I give Zack and Miri 4 out of 5 awkward high school reunions.

Films Whitney Can’t Believe I’ve Never Seen- 8/20/09

2009-08-20T11:21:00.006-05:00

There is a list of movies that my wife, Whitney, gasps at due to the fact that I’ve never seen before, especially being such a “movie guy.” Yes, they are often chick flicks, but they are ones that I somehow missed that the world did not. I’ll occasionally write a brief synopsis of these films that I finally took time to watch.

The Cutting Edge (1992)
A very campy movie that was way more fun than I would have ever expected. It’s one of those rare occasions where early 90’s cheesiness still translates to an enjoyable experience.

3.5 out of 5 Dorseys.

The Notebook (2004)
Although I was surprised by the lack of depth and mystery to the story, it’s one that is truly moving (yes some tears formed) and totally justifiable of being on EW’s 50 Sexiest Movies list. A guy will score major points for watching this one with their significant othe.

3.5 out of 5 dances with no music.

Some Kind Of Wonderful (1987)
In honor of John Hughes’ death, we watched this film. With a plot that is as thin as a sheet of paper, the 80’s nostalgic feel can’t save the film from Eric Stoltz’s constant whispering, Lea Thompson’s overacting, and lack of humor that usually carries Hughes’ films. Mary Stuart Masterson’s tomboy character is about the only thing that makes it worth watching.

2 out of 5 drum solos.

#93: The French Connection (1971)

2009-08-19T11:42:00.003-05:00

Oscar Winner: Best Picture, Best Director (William Friedkin), Best Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay

The best way to describe The French Connection is a cat and mouse chase. Except for a few of the character-building scenes, it’s as if somebody is after another in some form or fashion. This characteristic provides for a movie that overall I wasn’t blown away by, but one that is heavily entertaining throughout. It’s a cop movie that has elements that are all too familiar, but I had to remind myself that it’s from 1971, so in reality it is the source of all the copycats we see today.

The French Connection perfectly embodies the launching ground of the anti-hero movement in 70’s film. The main character, Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) is a cop who is overtly racist and fights crime for the thrill of fighting, not for justice. With his partner Buddy Russo (the always good Roy Scheider) in toe, he comes across a heroin smuggling ring that may be his ticket out of sniffing petty drugs out of local bars every day. What follows are French crooks and mafia men who push Popeye’s temper and patience to a point where he tries everything to solve the case just because he can’t stand not solving a case.

Unlike most cop films, you find yourself not rooting for either side because you don’t want the chase to ever end. Friedkin’s direction is very spot-on and calculated, providing for shot compositions and transitions that are unforgettable. This movie is most known for its subway/car chase scene that still holds up today. It remains so raw and computer effects free, that you feel every crash, screech and near miss. Even more so, I think I enjoyed a foot chase between Popeye and the main villain, because it’s more mental in its suspense than physical.

It was hard to keep in mind that this film was revolutionary for the cop drama because there have been so many incarnations of Popeye Doyle since then (a more carefree Sgt. Riggs comes to mind). As a pure enjoyable ride, it hits all the marks, but it forgets about its themes too often until the last shot. The ending is about as bleak and surprising as one you’ll find, but I wished that was strung throughout the film more. It just comes off more as a blockbuster to me than an Oscar winner.

Still, I feel like The French Connection is one of the more accessible films on this list. I give it 3.75 out of 5 subway chases.

Gran Torino (2008)

2009-08-18T11:07:00.003-05:00

Despite his legendary status, I have not seen many Clint Eastwood films. I’m more familiar with his current work as a director than his spaghetti-westerns back in the day. So, as an acting swan song, he’s left his iconic image with what my wife put so well as, “A made-for-TV movie that looks really good.”

Eastwood is Walt Kowalski, a Korean war veteran stuck in a Detroit neighborhood with every ethnicity but his (think of an elderly Dirty Harry). Facing loneliness for the first time and children who just don’t give a damn about him, he reluctantly meets his Chinese neighbors after an act of gang violence. He’s faced with overcoming his racial mindset as he learns to stop cursing at life and finally become connected to the community that has left him far behind.

I’ve heard Eastwood is one of the fastest directors when it comes to shooting and making a film. Part of that is taking a screenplay as is (this is unheard of) and shooting 1 to 2 takes for each scene. This method isn’t recognizable in his Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River, but he couldn’t get away with it with this one. It’s a good story that just needed a little more tweaking and maybe just a few more takes from an inexperienced supporting cast.

At times scenes seemed too clunky and cheesy, but also have times where it’s very dramatic and actually funny. It feels odd to laugh at this old crotchety man, especially with his racial slurs that never let up. Eastwood pulls it off though by giving heart and depth to a character that I unfortunately still was not pulling for at the end. You see the transformation in him, which is commendable, but it never apologizes for his racial thoughts that never sat too well with me.

I would put Gran Torino in that category of a good movie, but you aren’t missing anything if you don’t see it. I give it 3 out of 5 “Get off my lawn” growls.

The Ugly Truth (2009)

2009-08-17T16:17:00.004-05:00

Here is a movie that the previous film that I reviewed, (500) Days of Summer, is 100% trying not to be… A romantic comedy that is clichéd with circumstances and characters that probably would never exist. Yet, The Ugly Truth uses the well-known formula to form a worthwhile theater-going experience.

The Ugly Truth takes a curve around the PG-13 rating for R-rated material that never steps close to the raunchiness of Apatow films, but has just enough blushful moments to appeal to the Sex and the City crowd. Gerard Butler (from 300 fame) is Mike, an alpha-male TV commentator who gets picked up by a desperate Sacramento news station despite disapproval from its high-strung head producer, Abby (Katherine Heigl). Obviously, Mike and Abby don’t see eye-to-eye on things, but the two draw close as Mike uses his extensive knowledge of the male ego to help Abby land the guy of her dreams.

This was a movie that was way better than I expected, nor was it anywhere near great. It’s most likely to get lost amongst the slew of rom-coms that are out there. Butler and Heigl’s chemistry is lacking a bit, but it’s mainly due to the script, not the acting. The R-rating will probably drive off a lot of viewers, but I almost appreciated the fact that it was taking a chance with the material; versus skirting around the issues like PG-13 films do… too bad it was for the most part unsuccessful.

I give The Ugly Truth 3 out of 5 badly hidden Scottish accents.

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

2009-08-14T11:33:00.003-05:00

Everyone has had that breakup where all your thoughts, expectations, and desires have been shattered without warning. If it’s not a breakup, everyone will face, at one time or another, a moment in life where everything you once thought and believed is crushed. It’s a tough time in life, yet a pivotal one, that can make or break somebody. A film hasn’t captured that feeling so well like (500) Days of Summer.

Billed as an anti-love story, first-time director Marc Webb innovatively tells the story of the fruitful beginning and ultimate demise of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Don’t worry, that isn’t a spoiler. The film flips back and forth to pivotal moments of the two’s relationship to give context to the question, “Why?” There are some very out-of-the-box moments that are truly innovative, smart and entertaining that poke fun at the clichés that movies make us think that are reality… i.e. that you must have that special somebody to feel complete in life.

Unfortunately THERE ARE some clichés in this film that don’t quite make it perfect or as innovative as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but it was still a breath of fresh air to sit in a theater that was showing a film that was entertaining throughout, very original, had great performances, and one that I know I want to see again. You connect with a very emotional feeling to this film, but it gives you leverage to laugh at both yourself and the characters. Please go to the theater and support independent films like this one before more brainless blockbusters overtake it.

I give (500) Days of Summer 4 out of 5 Hall & Oates hits.

#94: Pulp Fiction (1994)

2009-08-13T10:19:00.005-05:00

Oscar Winner: Best Original Screenplay (Also nominated for 6 other categories)

A Royale with cheese… the big brains on Brad… Honey Bunny… the twist contest… the soundtrack… Ezekiel 25:7… The best way to describe Pulp Fiction is by one word… Cool. Even if the language, violence and drugs that appear repulse you, one has to admit that Quentin Tarantino’s film oozes with Cool.

This is one of the films on the list that I had seen many times, mainly from my time in college, and it still holds up today. It’s now historically known as the movie that brought independent film to the forefront. There are so many memorable scenes and quotes that it’s almost overwhelming. For better or for worse, there are images and moments from this movie that will stick with you for a long time, and to me that is one of the elements that makes a great film.

Pulp Fiction is an ode to the inexpensive fiction magazines that were widely published from the 1920s through 1950s. It tells four original tales that involve gangsters, a boxer, and rather chatty robbers that all connect in someway. The viewer is never quite sure what to expect because everything is intertwined in a non-linear fashion, which was very new and original at the time. The stories almost abandon any sense of theme or purpose, but dive headfirst into a world that you know exists, but one that you don’t want to admit does. You just have to accept that this world that Tarantino has created is pure entertainment and as uncomfortable as it is, you have to sit back and enjoy.

What particularly stands out is the performances and the dialogue. The movie practically made Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman a household name and John Travolta should still be paying Tarantino some compensation for revitalizing his career. Also, the verbiage used between the characters is so unique and clever, but at the same time captures how two people talk to each other. You feel as if you are spying on somebody’s conversation versus hearing a movie script. By blending this innovative, yet real-life conversation with dynamic chemistry between the actors, Tarantino created a world that filmmakers have been trying to recreate since.

The only downfall of this film is the middle story, following Butch (Bruce Willis). Besides for its very funny opening with Christopher Walken and its fury of an ending, it’s boring and way too long with a pace that is not like the others. Still, that segment wasn’t enough to keep it from being nominated for Best Picture in 1994 with an amazing class; Four Weddings and a Funeral, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption, and Forrest Gump (which won).

There was a huge outcry when it didn’t win, especially because it won the prestigious Golden Palm award at the Cannes film festival. I think people must move past that because Pulp Fiction made a huge impact on pop-culture and changed the way the studio system looked at independent films. Which to me is a bigger legacy than receiving the coveted recognition.

I give Pulp Fiction 4.5 out of 5 briefcases.

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

2009-08-04T08:43:00.005-05:00

I heard about this film way before the heavy Oscar-nominated film, Milk, came out this past year. Before I saw that one, I wanted to see the non-Hollywood depiction of the man who became the first openly gay politician elected to a high office. This film was in my Netflix queue when I first heard about it on my favorite podcast, Filmspotting. From time to time the two hosts have marathons, and they discussed this Oscar winner when they had a documentary marathon.

If you’ve ever seen an older documentary, they have such a different feel than the fast-cutting, hard-hitting, propaganda-filled docs of today. Don’t get me wrong, the filmmakers here had an agenda, but this ’84 film is more of a recapturing of a pivotal moment in history, with a remorseful feel rather than a bitter one. Although Milk’s name is in the title and is definitely the center focus, it didn’t feel like a bio-doc as much as a capturing of the essence and feel of the gay-rights movement in the politically charged San Francisco in the late 70’s.

Harvey Milk was very interesting and his eccentric but well thought out persona provides for a compelling look into this man, but what hit me the most was how up to this point in my life, the pivotal movements of Milk’s political goals had been unknown to me. The reactions and events that occurred due to Milk’s election into city council were not just revolutionary for the gay movement, but in a way defines the strife that was occurring in America at the time. The fact that this information was absent from my high school history books astounds me.

To see Milk’s impact on people is worthy enough to see this film, but honestly I wasn’t blown away by this documentary. It does a wonderful job of capturing a man and his impact, but you are left wanting to be challenged a bit more. It had more of a History Channel feel to it than a film, but I will continue to suggest it to people. I think it would help people see that there is more to the issue of gay rights than the current issue of same-sex marriage. Will the movie change a person’s thoughts on homosexuality… probably not. I do think that the film could at least make people think out of the box more, which is always better than nothing.

When I see Sean Penn’s portrayal, I’ll let you know if you need to see both, or one over the other, but in the meantime, I give The Times of Harvey Milk 3.5 out of 5 Twinkie defenses.

The Proposal (2009)

2009-07-28T09:59:00.004-05:00

As many romantic comedies that are out there today, you tend to forget how important chemistry is between an actor and actress. There’s been Astaire & Rogers, Hepburn & Tracy, and now… Bullock & Reynolds? I wouldn’t go quite to that length, but I loved how the two actors worked together in this one. They save what is a not-so-inventive plot.

Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is an over-worked assistant to a quite cruel, big shot book editor, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock). When Margaret realizes that she hasn’t updated her Canadian immigration papers, she bribes Andrew into marrying her to avoid deportation. The two then fly to the mystic land of Alaska to meet Andrew’s family to redevelop what is already a strained relationship.

Pretty farfetched, huh? It’s not that the two make the plot plausible, but they make you forget about the silly concept by their reactions to each other and their circumstances. Betty White as Andrew’s grandmother adds a lot of humor and strength to her role, and although the character is way out there, Oscar Nunez from The Office brings life to a supporting role that usually would be forgettable.

Bullock and Reynolds aren’t quite Hepburn & Tracy yet, but if they continue to do movies like screwball comedies of old, they might just make it there. I give The Proposal 3.5 out of 5 nude run-ins.

Side note:
Are “funny” deleted takes during the closing credits becoming too overdone? The ones in this film just don’t make sense and aren’t funny. It almost left a bad taste in my mouth.

#95: The Last Picture Show (1971)

2009-07-14T10:54:00.009-05:00

Oscar Winner:

Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Ben Johnson), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Cloris Leachman)

This was my second time to watch this movie and I honestly wasn’t looking forward to it. My first viewing occurred during the first summer back from college and I was beginning to gain a strong interest in film. I saw this on the library shelf and thought I should give it a try with all the acclamations that shouted from the cover. What I know now was that I was lost on the independent nature of this film. I was used to the “classics” being just that, and I think I was shocked by its revolutionary style in cinema that began in the 70’s. I’m thankful for this marathon in that it’s made me take a look again at films like these because I’m glad that the second time around I saw the brilliance of this film.

The Last Picture Show focuses on a tiny Texas town and follows two best friends, Sonny and Duane (Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges) as they try to find themselves in that awkward period between boyhood and adulthood. Shot in B&W, director Peter Bogdanovich flips the wholesome image of small-town America in the 50’s upside-down as you are shocked by the turmoil that exists between all the townspeople. This could be labeled an “independent film” but the term didn’t even really exist at the time.

It’s a film about real people with real problems, and how people have always relied on tangible things to fill their lives. Bogdanovich particularly focuses on sex in a frank and candid manner that shocks you not in an erotic manner, but that of horror as people constantly use it for self-gratification rather than love. The film uses the tight knit community to show that everybody has a secret and it helps you realize that not everything is pretty on the outside.

The film won 2 Oscars out of its 8 nominations, which is very commendable for a piece that is not flashy and that develops in a patient manner. The black and white cinematography is beautiful, but gets upstaged by the amazing ensemble of actors that include Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman (Yes, she can be serious!), and Ellen Burstyn. I think any aspiring actor or director needs to watch this to see the importance of range and character development.

I was blown away by the depth and the heart-breaking issues this film tackled. You can see how revolutionary it must have been for the time, but most importantly, it holds up to any art-house piece that is out there today.

I give The Last Picture Show 5 out of 5 pool parties.

The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

2009-07-13T20:15:00.003-05:00

While Whitney and me were visiting her family in Norman, we had a free afternoon and came across this film. I remembered it coming out, but it seemed to come and go.

Adapted from the popular novel and set during the Civil Rights moments, it follows Lily (Dakota Fanning), a teenage girl who runs away from her strict father (the always good Paul Bettany) and the guilt she carries about the loss of her mom. Alongside her only friend and housekeeper (Jennifer Hudson), they stumble across a bee farm run by African-American sisters. These women take in Lily as she starts to discover her true roots and tries to figure out more about her painful past.

Although I’ve never read the book, this film seemed very true to its original source. It definitely plays out like a novel, and it was just a bit too slow for me. The performances and story are good all around, but it just wasn’t my taste. That being said, I would recommend it to a lot of people who I thought it might appeal to, which leans more to a female demographic. Like a good book, it’s full of sad and happy moments, but for one of the rare times, I would have rather spent my time reading the book. I think I would have been a bit more invested into the characters and I would have liked to taken in the story at my own pace.

I give The Secret Lives of Bees 3 out of 5 grits.

Night At The Museum (2006)

2009-07-11T16:31:00.003-05:00

I had always wanted to catch up with this film because the advertisements and plot always peaked the curiosity of my inner kid. It did not fail to disappoint because NATM is one of the most fun family films I’ve seen in a while. It is far from perfect, but I can totally see why kids made this a big hit and it’s one that adults will be able to have fun with as well.

Larry (Ben Stiller), a divorced dad, is slowly loosing his son’s respect due to always hopping from one dead-end job to another. He finally lands a night security job with the Museum of Natural History, and to his surprise, all the historical artifacts come to life at night. This pushes Larry’s perseverance like never before as he tries to figure out how to handle the nighttime antics while also trying to earn his son’s respect.

I couldn’t help but think of Jumanji when watching this. The fun lies in not knowing what will happen, but what will come alive next. I’ve seen Stiller in better roles, but he plays the over-exasperated guard pretty well. What I thought was very commendable of the film was its ability to challenge the audience, particularly kids, to visit museums. It stresses the importance of knowing about what has come before us, but does it with such energy that I can see kids actually wanting to go to their local museum without complaining.

Not every joke is funny and some characters get a little tiring, but I haven’t seen a film provoke so much imagination in a long time. I give NATM 3.5 out of 5 monkey slaps.

Side notes:
• It seems like every family film I see these days have a scenario in which the parents are divorced. I know that it’s the norm these days, but it’s still sad to me that this scenario more relatable to a bigger audience.

• I usually don’t notice this as much, especially in a family film, but I loved the historical feel that the cinematography evoked.

#96: Do The Right Thing (1989)

2009-06-24T13:47:00.005-05:00

Spike Lee has always been somewhat of a controversial figure in America’s eyes, but you can’t deny the fact that he brings issues up that sometimes need talking about. Usually I don’t concentrate on what actors or directors do outside of their pictures, but I think that Lee is one of those celebrities, for one reason or another, who has gained such a reputation (viewed either negatively or positively) that it has affected whether or not people see his films. Which is a shame, because Do The Right Thing is one powerful, introspective and moving film filled with humor, drama and in a way, horror. I think that regardless of what your opinion is of Lee, this film is a must see that will garner a new respect for the man.

Do The Right Thing, with a recognizable late 80’s hip-hop culture at its center, follows Mookie (Lee), a pizza delivery boy for the only white occupants in the African-American Brooklyn neighborhood. As the film progresses through one extremely hot day, you meet eccentric and thoughtful characters that make up one huge family. As racial tensions began to slowly boil over, Mookie is forced to make choices that not only affect the neighborhood, but also reflect on the troubles that America’s society faces every day.

There is no question that this movie is about racial issues as the hit “Fight The Power” opens and segues throughout the film, but Lee approaches it in such a new way, that instead of being hesitant, you dive head first into the story. You are weaved into an ensemble of characters that are so funny and touching, that regardless of race, you start to feel a connection. Then with innovative use of cinematography, breaking of the fourth wall, and camera angles, Lee guides you to a face-to-face conflict that is so terrifying in its realistic nature, you don’t know what hits you. What he forces you to do, which is contrary to what others say about the director, is to think for yourself and answer the question, “Why?”

I know that this sounds heavy handed, and it is, but I don’t want to neglect the fact that this movie is a very entertaining ride with superb performances from an all-star cast. When you combine high entertainment with themes that challenge an audience, you can see why this film is now considered as one of the top 100 American films.

I give Do The Right Thing 5 out of 5 pizza slices.

Up (2009)

2009-06-23T12:52:00.003-05:00

In my eyes, Pixar can do no wrong in both their short and full-length films. Even their film Cars, which was good but not great, is way above most animated films that come out of rivaling factories. The quality that makes them stand out amongst the rest is their great storytelling ability that spans across all ages.

Up stretches this characteristic to the utmost by having its two main characters be an old widower and a persistent young boy scout. Oppressed by loneliness and life, the elderly Carl (Ed Asner) picks up his life (literally) and flies his home with helium balloons to a place he’s always wanted to visit. What he does not plan for is an adventure that comes in the form of a stowaway and a land full of creatures… both familiar and unusual.

I don’t think Up surpasses other Pixar films, but it succeeds in being innovative, yet not too unfamiliar. It’s so rare to see elderly main characters and the director, Pete Docter, uses Carl as an emotional center that encompasses life that any adult can relate to. To say that I just teared up a couple of times would be an understatement. Just when you are hit at your emotional core, the film whisks you away to a land of humor, action and entertainment that you just can’t find in one place.

Up had just enough moments where I felt like I was watching an animated children’s move and not a film, but it has to be one of the stronger movies I’ve seen this year. One thing you can ALWAYS guarantee with a Pixar movie is a fun time, and as ticket prices continue to go up, it’s great to have that security as a moviegoer.

I give Up 4 out of 5 talking dog collars.

#97: Blade Runner (1982)

2009-06-16T17:28:00.007-05:00

I won’t lie, I’ve never been a huge sci-fi fan. They’ve just never done much for me, so going into Blade Runner, I was really skeptical. Oh yeah, and the echos of it being terribly boring didn’t help either. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but that didn’t necessarily mean that I was thrilled by it.

It should be noted that I watched the director’s cut (Ridley Scott) of this film, that apparently abandons the Harrison Ford narration of the film, expands on the romantic scenes with Ford and Sean Young, and has an ending, which I can testify to as having “somewhat of a bleaker ending.”

With that said, Blade Runner follows Rick Deckard (Ford), a blade runner who is called out of retirement to terminate human clones, known as replicants, who wish more harm than good in the futuristic Los Angeles of 2019. Five replicants (one who is played by Daryl Hannah) have escaped from their exile island to further their short life-spans, and it is up to the rebel Deckard to stop these violent and strong clones from killing civilians to obtain their goal.

Much has been made about the visuals of this film, and they are spectacular. Even though this film was made in 1982, they still hold up, which can’t be said for many things that have come out of the 80’s. And honestly, that’s really the only reason why I can fathom that this film is on the list. The story is intriguing, but the replicants come off more boring than dangerous, and although Harrison Ford does well with the part, it’s nothing to write home about. I did get caught up in the story, but the final battle scene is just like the rest of the movie, very long and slow so you can take in the visuals. I don’t mind endings of movies that keep you guessing, but this one didn’t provide enough information throughout the film to even gather clues to what Scott was trying to say.

If you are really into cinematography and visual effects (especially before the rampant CG you see all the time these days), Blade Runner should be in your collection, but if you are neither a fan of sci-fi or slower paced movies, I would be very surprised if you would enjoy this film.

I give Blade Runner 2.5 out of 5 funky costumes.

Tin Cup (1996)

2009-06-15T11:38:00.004-05:00

Why are Kevin Costner films so hit or miss (no pun attended)? It’s a toss up to whether he’s going to show up as a good actor or not, and thankfully he does in this one. He plays a West Texas, golf driving-range owner who always lets his male ego get in the way of actually being successful in life. As in most of these sport/romantic comedies, a girl (Rene Russo) and a long-time rival (a very solid Don Johnson) show up to spur him to win the U.S. Open to prove to everybody he has the talent to back up his mouth.

Tin Cup is just a sold film that is perfect for both guys and girls to enjoy together. The chemistry between Costner and Russo is more than enough to have the gals watching, but there is plenty of golf and buddy humor (Cheech Marin is a lot of fun) for the guys. I was into the story the whole time and enjoyed it from start to finish. Nothing really stands out that makes it bad and I wouldn’t ever put it on the “Best Comedies” list, but if somebody was having trouble figuring out what to rent for a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, I would recommend this in a heartbeat… especially for date nights. I give Tin Cup 3 out of 5 broken clubs.

Ghost (1990)

2009-06-11T09:47:00.006-05:00

Yes, it’s true… this was my first time to see this film. Whitney has always given me a hard time about not seeing it, and I can see why, sorta… This film is a supernatural romance that follows Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) who is trying to avenge his murder and reconnect to his lover (Demi Moore) as a ghost… hence the title. With the help of a con-artist/psychic (Whoopi Goldberg), he pushes the boundaries of his paranormal state to tend to some unfinished business.

Honestly, the first half of the movie really didn’t hold my interest at all. You have to keep in mind that the effects were a pretty big deal at the time, but still the film feels very dated. The cheesy dialogue and Swayze’s overacting did not help, but halfway through there was a switch the flipped for me. The same characteristics were there that bugged me, but I had no idea where things were headed, which kept me invested and entertained. It’s a little surprising to me that Whoppi won Best Supporting Actress because she’s really just a much-needed comic presence in a very melodramatic film, but her acting does save it. Along with Moore, they both take their roles seriously, and you particularly miss Whoppi’s character when she’s away from the screen.

If you can dive into the suspension of disbelief, you’ll love the mixture of mystery, comedy, drama and romance. There were just too many elements that drew me out, but at the end I came out smiling, which means that I give Ghost 3 out of 5 pottery wheels.

#98: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

2009-06-08T15:38:00.007-05:00

Oscar winner:
Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Cagney), Best Music, Scoring of a Musical, Best Sound, Recording

“My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you...”

I would probably have never seen this movie if it wasn’t for that quote. I always wondered what the context was to make that quote so memorable in film history. Besides that, I’ve been hesitant to watch the film because it never really looked like a true musical (which ended up to be kinda true) and the title alone kinda turns you off because, well, you can’t help but get that annoying song stuck in your head. See, you are humming it in your head right now! You can thank me later...

This bio pic/musical is about the life of George M. Cohan (Cagney) who went from a vaudeville family lifestyle to one of the most famous composers, singers, and dancers to hit not just Broadway, but America.

And yeah...that’s about it. There’s not much to this film, but in a way, that is what makes it stand out. The movie released soon after Pearl Harbor, and boy does it make a connect to the Uncle Sam posters you’ve seen in your history books. This film more or less pukes American propaganda. I had no idea that George Cohan was responsible for such songs as Yankee Doodle Dandy, Give My Regards To Broadway, and the WWI anthem, Over There. Although it’s pretty heavy-handed on American sentiment, it was neat to see a reflection of a time where people would do anything for their country and even thinking of protesting a war was out of the question.

Some of the musical numbers are forgettable because they don’t really support the story, but the whole movie is saved by the acting force of James Cagney. I’ve sadly never seen his films, but like most people, I’ve always connected him with gangster films of the 30’s. Although he isn’t the biggest dancing presence ever seen in film, he brings so much joy and energy to the film, Yankee Doodle Dandy is worth watching solely for his performance. The narrative thread got boring at times, but the film has some really sweet moments and its innocence allows your mind to relax and just enjoy the ride. Yankee Doodle Dandy is a tricky one to pin down: Older generations will love it, while younger ones will be left bored. But it allows you to feel the spirit that was running amongst the U.S.A. during WWII, and no matter what age you are, you can’t help but be moved by that.

I give Yankee Doodle Dandy 3.5 out of 5 catchy tunes.

#99: Toy Story (1995)

2009-06-01T16:10:00.004-05:00

I’ve seen Toy Story many, many times before, but even seeing it once again, I felt like a giddy youngster as I was thrust into this world of talking toys. Many animated movies boast that they can make you feel like a kid again, but this movie truly can back that statement up. You used to be so connected to your toys. They had their own personalities and you could’ve sworn they had a life of their own when you couldn’t find them, even though your mom would say that you, “Must’ve just misplaced it.”

Toy Story follows the group of toys that make up Andy’s room. Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is the leader of the pack and Andy’s favorite toy. His spot on the throne of plastic majesty is threatened when a new modern toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) comes to town. As tempers flare between the two, Woody and Buzz find themselves lost in the real world and forced to work together to return home to their beloved owner.

I can’t believe it has already been over ten years since Toy Story has come out and it still holds up today. The CG animation is still breathtaking and if released today, I think it still looks crisper than some of the Dreamworks movies that have come out recently. John Lasseter really did a great job directing this film. The angles and lights bring a cinematic feel to the movie, but he still keeps the innocent mood the movie requires. One thing I’ve always liked about Pixar is that they truly find the right actor to voice a character and not just who is “hot” at the time. Woody, Buzz, and all the side characters are fully developed and I’m sure people connect with different ones. This movie is just plain fun and finds that perfect balance for both kids and adults to partake in. It’s funny, suspenseful and surprisingly emotional. This is one of those films that I can’t wait to show to my future children, not just so I can enjoy it with them, but to see them transported into this world that always lurks in the back of every kid’s mind.

I give Toy Story 5 out of 5 Randy Newman songs.

The Wrestler (2008)

2009-05-28T13:44:00.003-05:00

It’s always hard to go into a heavily nominated film for me. This won’t surprise you at all if you know me, but I tend to overanalyze things… So, the question with this film for most is, “Did Mickey Rourke get snubbed at the Oscars?” Well, I can’t answer that because I haven’t seen Milk. I think the bigger question should be, “Would this movie’s story propel over the performances?” The answer is… not quite, but The Wrestler is still a powerful independent film that dissects the fear of loneliness and losing what is most important to you. Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a huge 80’s wrestling icon that finally has to face the reality of his age and the fact that he can’t demolish his body in stinky convention centers anymore. Rourke’s performance is pretty amazing as he captures the essence of the toils of life in an almost too frightening way. It’s the type of acting that transcends into normal life. Watching this movie will cause you to start seeing “real” people on the streets and thinking of Randy “The Ram.” Not because they look like former wrestlers, but you start to see and visualize the personalized hell on their faces, and you can’t help but be reminded of this film’s messages. It’s a very grim movie, but it stays with you, and you come to realize that the things you take stock in truly form you into who you are, for better or for worse. Some of the scenes and situations are a little clichéd from time to time, but Rourke’s amazing performance and director Darren Aronofsky’s innovative shooting style makes me give The Wrestler 4 out of 5 hair-metal songs.

Survivor: Tocantins - Finale

2009-05-27T08:50:00.005-05:00

I've been planning a certain something for Coach for a long time now when he got voted out. I thought it was going to be a lot earlier than it was, but all along I was going to write something from his point of view. But, he ended his "reign" in such a ridiculous fashion, I decided to follow suite: So, before I get to the finale, I would like to recite a poem:

My attempts to be a strong warrior and Survivor player,
were challenged even though I tried to avoid Exile island.
I endured criticism from Erinn, Sierra and all the naysayers,
But with unexpected back pain, immunity lost was unplanned,
and the wizard put the final stake into the Dragon Slayer.

(I know it's not the greatest, but give me some credit, ok?!)

The final four, which wasn't a huge surprise was J.T., Stephen, Taj and Erinn. What was the surprise that followed a spider-web challenge built just for J.T., was the outing of Taj. I'm still trying to figure out the reasoning behind this. They said it was because Taj was more of a threat to win individual immunity in the final three than Erinn was and I don't buy that at all. Besides the challenge way back when everybody played water-tackle-basketball, Taj has not been a threat at all. I don't know if Stephen and J.T. were scared that they might not hold up to their promise to be in the final two, which apparently cracked anyway. I think Taj wouldn't have been frustrated at all to be third and she would have probably cast a vote for Stephen. But they pretty much just made their only Jalapao ally very, very angry.

The regret was apparent when the final three returned to camp and Erinn couldn't shut her yapper. Then my pick Stephen decided to start a new gameplan. I think it was called "Self-implode" because from the moment him and Erinn had their little heart to heart, it seemed like Stephen did everything in his power to destroy the great game he had played up to this point. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of Erinn, I definitely knew she was smart enough to weasel herself into the final two.

I liked the final immunity challenge because it was different than the endurance ones we are used to seeing, yet it obviously tested your mental prowess. J.T. proved once again that concentration can get you a long way in winning a challenge and Stephen just let his nerves overtake him. Then after this, the bond that seemed to have no faults in it broke. Erinn made an ingenious move by pleading a brilliant case to J.T. to take her to the final two. Now, I don't blame Stephen AT ALL for talking to Erinn, but when J.T. confronted him on it, all he had to say was, "Yes, I talked to her about that, but I wanted to throw her off our game. I wanted to see if she would approach you about it..." There, all is said and done.

I honestly think J.T. was dead set at that point to bring Erinn to the final two, but his plan changed at tribal council because Stephen began to be more talkative than he ever should have been. He answered Jeff's questions so badly, I think J.T.'s plans changed. He saw a jury that would respect him for bringing the strongest player with him (which means more votes) and he now had a jury that hated Stephen at that moment more than Erinn. I do think friendship played into it as well, don't get me wrong, but J.T. was so good at reading people at this game, and at that moment he saw that Stephen would be more hated in the final two than Erinn, which had not been the case up to that point.

I've never been the biggest fan of the final tribal council. It provides for all sorts of akwardness, which I know is the point, but it usually just ends up being a jury full of resentful players getting their last two cents in and being all coy about who their vote is going to be for. Besides for Sierra who took this route, I thought the jury asked great questions for the most part and they were ones that actually made the other two squirm, well Stephen at least. Like Amanda in China and Fans vs. Favorites, Stephen did an awful job of pleading his case. Stephen did a great job in this game... he strategized well, seemed to play the social game well (until the end), and made very strong allies, but none of this shine through. For a while in my mind I had Stephen over J.T., because it did seem like Stephen made the plans and J.T. went along but diverted if it shone a bad light on him (how brilliant was it not to vote for Coach?). But by the end, I thought nobody was more deserving of winning than J.T. I was surprised that Stephen got absolutely no votes, but that's how bad he did at that last tribal council.

I thought it was great to see a final two that had the two strongest players in it, and to see somebody win that I thought absolutely played a flawless game throughout. J.T. was a provider, everybody loved him (although he played a part in everybody getting voted out), he was awesome in challenges, and he alligned himself with the right people at the right time.

Congratulations to Roger for winning this season! At the beginning, I was certain J.T. was going to make it to at least the jury, but usually somebody who is so strong gets a target on his chest early. J.T. played that Southern charm to perfection and he showed that you can play this game with intensity and strategy, but still have everybody love you at the end. By far, one of the top Survivor players ever. Wow, it sounds like I have a man-crush on him too... Great pick Roger...

We have at least two more seasons of Survivor left... it'll be a long summer, but in the meantime watch So You Think You Can Dance, you won't regret it...

Thanks for reading all my updates this spring and being patient for all my delays. I hope you love reading them as much as I like writing them. Also, I think it's time to reapply again, don't you? As always, I have to leave you with some questions...

Will there ever be a more colorful character than Coach? Did you think Taj deserved to be voted out like that? If Erinn were in the final two, would she had a chance at all of winning? Was Stephen his own worst enemy? And would you agree that J.T. is one of the best Survivor players ever...

Until the fall...

#100: Ben-Hur (1959)

2009-05-21T10:59:00.005-05:00

*Oscar winner:
Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Picture, Best Sound *Unequaled until 1997’s Titanic

I may have been my own worst enemy on this one. Yeah, I know you are supposed to go into a movie with no expectations, but I’m sorry, the fine print on the back of the DVD cover which said 212 minutes scared me a little bit. I had seen the chariot scene well over 25 times throughout my lifetime and was amazed every time, but I had to still get into a decent mindset for this movie.

Ben-Hur is a Biblical epic in which a Jewish prince of Jerusalem, Judea Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), has his whole life turned upside down when his old friend Messala, a high-ranking officer of Rome, throws Ben-Hur into slavery after he is wrongfully accused of trying to murder the Governor of Rome, and for good measure, locks his mother and sister in jail as well. Told alongside Jesus’ ministry on Earth, the film follows Ben-Hur’s incredible journey to find those closest to him and seek revenge on Messala.

It’s a great plot. You can’t help but think of other epic films like Braveheart and Gladiator, but the big thing for me was that it took 3 1/2 hours to tell this story when it could have just as easily been told in 2 1/2 hours or less. It’s hard to adjust to the theatrical acting in the film because it just makes the scenes seem that much longer. But it is amazing to watch just for the set design, and oh yeah, have I mentioned the chariot scene yet? This movie really was truly an amazing feat for something made in 1959. If it was made today, I can imagine all the sets just being computer effects, like 300. Ben-Hur is a movie that has its ups and downs, but like many roller-coaster rides, you are glad that you stepped out and took the ride.

I give Ben-Hur 3.5 out of 5 spiky wheels.

AFI'S 100 Years... 100 Movies

2009-05-20T17:11:00.005-05:00

In the summer of 2007, The American Film Institute updated their list of the 100 Greatest American Movies, which was originally released in the summer of 1997. I'm going to embark on a journey where I watch #100 all the way #1!

“Why do this?” you may ask. Well, when I looked at the updated list, I was kind of surprised to discover that I’ve seen 67 out of the 100 movies throughout my lifetime. That’s really not too bad, but as I examined the list more thoroughly, I found myself blushing as I could not cross off some of the movies. I have seen 9 out of the top 10, but can I really call myself a movie fan if I haven’t seen On The Waterfront, The Sound of Music, or even The Gold Rush?

Even if I have seen the film, it will be good to revisit it because many on the list I saw as a kid (Hitchcock’s Vertigo & North By Northwest) and I can’t remember those all that well. I’m not sure when I’ll get through all of them, but hopefully it’ll make me appreciate film more even though we are constantly bombarded by the summer blockbusters.

Thanks for reading along with this and I hope that if you have the time, you can follow along as well and truly discover the classics of cinema!

To see the AFI's list, CLICK HERE.

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 11

2009-05-14T15:38:00.003-05:00

Whitney and I didn't get a chance to watch this week's episode until last night, so here are some quick thoughts. With the episode tonight and the finale on Sunday, I'll have plenty to write about.

* I don't know why Coach was so upset. He wanted Sierra gone. So funny that a person would actually say out loud, "Cowards. Cowards. Cowards. All of them."

* Debbie showed that you got to play consistent in this game. She was a little too strong with her strategizing too late.

* I want to say that Stephen and J.T. better not get bit by the overconfident bug as well, but they seem to still be making smart moves.

* A little disappointed that the auction reward wasn't longer. Those are always fun to watch.

* If you say that you didn't cry at Taj's reaction to seeing Eddie George, you are lying.

* Coach... you brought your assistant coach, really??? More and more I think that a Survivor factory created this man.

* Stephen finally won a challenge! Also, he guaranteed that it will never be used by giving away how he won it.

* I think it was a brilliant move not to tell Coach about Debbie getting the boot. So, when they come back to camp they'll say it was because she had turned on him and he will forget all.

* I know that it is still Stephen, J.T., Taj and Erinn, but I've never seen a not so solid four go so far. I wouldn't be surprised if Erinn gets voted out next because you just don't have to worry that much about Coach at the end.

* This was another great episode. I'm really liking this season. It has me guessing at tribal council almost every time.

I'll try to write another recap before Sunday... wish me luck!

The Foot Fist Way (2006)

2009-05-13T19:09:00.005-05:00

This film was quietly released into art house theaters with the tag of, “Presented by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, FunnyOrDie.com),” and from the previews, it seemed to be billed as a raunchy Napoleon Dynamite. Director Jody Hill (Observe and Report, HBO’s Eastbound & Down) and star Danny McBride (Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express) have moved on to bigger things, but The Foot Fist Way does not prove that somebody’s earlier works are their best. Shot on a shoestring budget, it follows Fred Simmons (McBride), a shopping center Taekwondo instructor who is more vulgar and disillusioned than talented. The plot isn’t that important because this totally is a calling card for a couple of guys to say and do things to just get a reaction. Some of it works, but the majority of the material seems like an inside joke between teenagers. You can definitely see the star power of McBride and he can pull off many of these stunts that others can’t. The problem is that except for the un-funny villain, nobody else is as cartoonish as the main character. So, the film comes across as if Looney Tunes characters were placed in the real world, which turns out, doesn’t work. You can’t help but compare this to Napoleon Dynamite, because of the budget, feel, look, and editing style. The difference is, Dynamite found a balance between implausibility and reality, where The Foot Fist Way is all over the place. There are some memorable moments and lines, but just ask me about them and it’ll save you a movie’s worth of time. I give The Foot Fist Way 2 out of 5 demo tapes.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)

2009-05-13T19:04:00.004-05:00

Although I would consider fellow Longview High School graduate, Matthew McConaughey’s films more on the bad side than good, his charm is infectious just because you know he probably knows this. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past takes The Christmas Carol theme we all know so well and thrusts it onto Connor Mead (McConaughey), an egotistical, big-time photographer who attends his brother’s wedding, despite his disdain for the sacred tradition. Of course one of his former loves is a bridesmaid… and you can probably figure out the rest from here. There isn’t a whole lot to say about the film except that if you like the trailer, you’ll like the movie. It was one of those films that you decide whether to have fun or not as you walk into the theater. This time I had fun. I was able to discount some of the bad acting and implausible characters and focused on the fun of the three ghosts and their leader (Michael Douglas), and how they would plop in and out of Connor’s life. You know there is a happy ending coming, so it keeps you invested. It doesn’t even come close to having the moral impact that past Scrooges have presented to us, but I’ll just say that it was nice to see a chase scene in a romantic comedy that wasn’t necessarily aimed at the main love interest (Jennifer Garner). As I previously said, you’ll enjoy this one about as much you think you will. With that, I give Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 3 out of 5 “Time After Time” montage sequences.

• On a side note… This film didn’t have much language, but I’ve never heard the word sex or the slang for the word used so many times in a PG-13 rated film. I don’t know if it gets a pass because it’s a romantic comedy, but it shows that the MPAA rating system is screwy if this gets a PG-13 rating and Slumdog Millionaire gets a R. I’m just saying…

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

2009-05-13T19:00:00.004-05:00

I went into this new X-Men installment with pretty low expectations, but two things spurred me to move forward. 1) To be loyal to the nerdiness I possessed as a kid when I faithfully read the series and watched the cartoon. 2) It was the official start of the summer blockbuster season. I left the third film, X-Men: The Last Stand, disappointed, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. I exited Wolverine with just a so-so feeling… so is it wrong that I was glad about this? Everything about this movie just had the “OK” stamp on it. There wasn’t much sloppiness to the direction or the acting; it was just bland all around. The problem is that this movie plays out in full that was shown as flashbacks in the previous installments. It turns out those flashbacks were more than sufficient because what you get here are actions scenes, characters and dialogue with no meat that ultimately lead you to an ending with no mystery. Hugh Jackman does great with what he is given although he’s stripped of any humor or likeability found in the other portrayals of his character. Also, I liked some of the supporting characters, but they are never given enough time to develop, so they are merely there just to get us from point A to point B. This movie was neither great nor awful, but with a slew of other big releases on its heels, this one will be as quickly forgotten as Logan’s memory. I give Wolverine 2.5 out of 5 Canadian soldiers fighting in American wars.

Junebug (2005)

2009-05-13T14:16:00.006-05:00

This is one of my favorites in my archive and thought you might enjoy reading it. Originally written on July 29, 2006.

One of the best "new" films I have watched in a long time. I loved, loved this movie. It's about a British art dealer from Chicago who goes with her husband to North Carolina to knock out two birds with one stone to talk to a potential client (this is an overstatement) and meet his family for the first time.

I know you are immediately thinking of Fish Out of Water comedies, possibly like Monster-in-Law or Home for the Holidays (although I haven't see either of these), or Meet the Parents (which I have), but this does not fall into the usual cliches.

I guess I would categorize this film as a dramedy. More on the dramatic side, but the comedic scenes had me laughing more than I have laughed in a long time.

I'll touch on some of the few things I loved about this film:

#1: The setting. I haven't spent much time in North Carolina, but what little I have seen of it and what little time I have spent with the people from this state, it reminds me a lot of East Texas. This movie captures this southern atmosphere perfectly. It pokes fun a bit, but not in a mean manner. The guy who wrote this movie is from the Winston-Salem area, so he obviously knows what he is writing about. The scenery will have you going, "I know a place like that" and the characters will have you saying, "I definitely know somebody like that." If you are from the South, that is.

#2: The acting. Amazing all around. I hadn't really seen the other supporting female roles that got nominated in 2006, but after seeing this, Amy Adams could have definitely taken it with pride. She is amazing as a dumb-witted pregnant girl, but she adds so much more depth to this character than your average "air-head" that is usually portrayed in movies. She actually reminded a whole, whole lot of a good friend of mine. A big part of why I enjoyed the performance.

Also, Ben McKenzie's portrayal as the jealous, closed-off brother, Johnny is excellent as well. I haven't seen him in anything else before, although I recognized him from the O.C. I have never seen that show and never will, but his performance here not only surprised me, but made me change my mind about how I felt about his character multiple times throughout the movie. But the thing is, he stays constant throughout. You know that is good acting when your feelings change that much about a character.

I could go on and on, which I already have, so I will stop. This is definitely an independent film, so I wouldn't be surprised if some people "don't get it", but I would be completely taken back if somebody wasn't moved at least once while watching this.

Warning, there is quite a bit of sexual content in this movie. If you do see this because of my glowing review, I am warning you in advance.

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 10

2009-05-07T09:28:00.003-05:00

Wow, I was really surprised. I thought I was going to hear him rant and complain about the vote, but instead Coach and Debbie just sweet talked Stephen and J.T. That was hilarious because people usually go nuts, but it was actually a smart move because if they had, they would have totally shot their chance of winning. It somehow did still prove loyalty to their alliance, despite losing their "leader" Tyson.

Thus came the bragging from Sierra (post-tribal), the emotional thumping of Sierra (the reward challenge), the verbal, yet totally justified bashing of Debbie and Coach from Sierra, the ultimate demise of Sierra (tribal council) and Stephen and J.T. in about the best position that I've ever seen two people be in. I think it was real smart to get Sierra out of there because you now have instilled faith back into Coach and Debbie, yet you still have Taj and I'm guessing Erinn on the other side. It's just a matter of who you think is best to compete with in the end.

By the way, from my memory, this has to be the worst Exile Island yet. It looks so miserable there. I'm glad they didn't replant Bredan's immunity idol. It's nice to not have that as the main focus point of all the strategizing. I think it's funny that the other one hasn't come up yet, but I'm sure everybody is assuming Taj has it.

This particular reward challenge is always entertaining. You always feel sorry for the person who is getting the brunt of it but usually others take some hits as well, but in this case, nobody else took it personal. Coach just laughed when he got called out for his antics. Also, they practically gave Stephen the win on this one. They either are not seeing him as a threat or they are just thinking about everybody else more. I wondered whether or not it was smart to take J.T and Taj on the reward, but it turned out to be just fine because of the fireworks that soon came from the former members of Timbira (more on that in a sec). I wonder how Erinn felt about being sent to Exile though. If I were the former members of Jalapao, I would work real hard to solidify her as "the fourth" as soon as she got back.

So, that was some intense fighting that went on. It just wasn't people getting upset at people, but you could tell Debbie was really hurt. I don't know if it was more frustration or what, but things really came to a boiling point. Especially when we got to see, *GASP*, Coach get caught in a lie. Seeing him squirm both at that point and at tribal council was, I'm sure, a huge victory for the millions who watch this show. I think Sierra will be more proud of the fact that she got Coach to lie versus not winning the game.

And how about Coach winning immunity... Just when his ego seemed to get a little bit smaller, this challenge has to come around and ruin it for everybody! I wonder if National Geographic will do a documentary about this legendary win?

As a close, I just want to point out that I'm glad that they gave some focus on Debbie this episode. From the pre-interviews, she seemed like she was more than just the older woman who rode coattails but then she got lost among the shuffle of eccentric characters this season. I'm glad to see that some of premonitions were right as we were able to glimpse that one, she does want to win, two, she is strategizing with the best of them, and three, she will continue to do so as next's week teaser seems to suggest. I don't think it will be enough for her to win, but she could easily take it like Tina did in Season 2 if things fall in place for her.

So... did you enjoy seeing Coach getting caught in a lie? Are Stephen and J.T. in the best position ever? Do you think Debbie is a strong player? Did you think they made the right choice to vote Sierra out?

And most importantly, are you going to cry in next week's family reward challenge? (I'm going to laugh if the Eddie George ends up coming back to camp).

Frost/Nixon (2008)

2009-05-02T14:20:00.004-05:00

Although I was not alive during Nixon’s presidential term, the effects of his actions can still be felt today. Whether it was his impeachment hearings or the Vietnam War, any current, negative political act seems to trace back to Nixon’s decisions. I don’t know how accurate actor Frank Langella’s portrayal of Richard Nixon is, but he captures the presence of a broken and powerful man perfectly. It’s not the characteristics that he presents that stand out as much as the traits of a man whose ego and strengths were both so big that they led to his ultimate downfall. Besides for some, I thought, unnecessary setup at the beginning, the brilliance of this film was how it summed up a man’s legacy with interactions with David Frost (Michael Sheen). Frost isn’t quite as intriguing as Nixon, although he is given just as much screen time, but what shines through is the power of the T.V. interview and that with just the right words, nobody is susceptible to scrutiny. The dialogue between Frost and Nixon are fascinating. You can’t help but get into the drama of things although the ending is pretty predictable. Ron Howard’s direction is solid but a little unforgettable due to the fact that Langella’s performance carries the film. His version of the flawed man makes the whole thing worth watching and will make you forever ponder what has and will drive America’s presidential leaders of both the past and the future. I give Frost/Nixon 4 out of 5 Italian shoes.

Adventureland (2009)

2009-05-02T14:19:00.003-05:00

Movie trailers are very misleading. This movie was billed as a comedy from the creators of Superbad. The image that should pop into your head is quite the opposite of what this movie actually is, which happens to be a wonderful thing. This film is a pretty serious drama that captures “the coming of age” moment in life perfectly. James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg, channeling a deeper Michael Cera) is an intellectual dork whose post-college plans come crashing down as he is faced to take a summer job at a crappy local amusement park. He meets the girl of his dreams (Twilight’s Kristen Stewart), makes new friends (the brilliant Martin Starr from Freaks & Geeks) and embraces the rebellion of coming into his own. On the surface this seems like nothing new, but director Greg Mottola uses the 80’s background and soundtrack to showcase that time in life where people and atmosphere, whether you like them or not, has more of an influence of who you are than today’s media and technology might tell you. There are a few missteps… Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, although funny, seem out of place and there are a few scenes that drag the story along too much. Fortunately, it’s not enough to retract that nostalgic feeling I got of the time where the world was at my fingertips, but I just couldn’t grasp it. I give Adventureland 4 out of 5 corndogs.

In Her Shoes

2009-05-01T12:12:00.006-05:00

I came into this movie with a great hesitancy. Two sisters who are complete opposites go on two different journeys after a huge fight… One finds love and one is reunited with a grandmother that she never knew existed. Oh yeah, they also both like shoes… As a guy, do you see why I wasn’t too thrilled about watching this one? Like the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover, because I was surprised at what patience director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) took with this material. This is a movie that takes a realistic approach to the sisterhood of the main characters, rather than a cheesy one you find in some romantic comedies. This is a great dramedy where you get really invested into the characters and actually are guessing what happens throughout, not because it’s mysterious, but because it develops like a rich novel. Cameron Diaz is probably at her best, which is still just ok, but Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine are very strong. Also an unknown actor to me, Mark Feuerstein, who plays a love interest, is particularly strong. Guys don’t be too scared because I give In Her Shoes 3.75 out of 5, well… shoes.

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 9

2009-04-29T21:10:00.007-05:00

I knew it! I knew J.T. and Stephen wouldn't be as loyal to Tyson and Coach! Now, I didn't know that it would be this early on, but I feel like I sorta called it, right? :) The episode began with Sierra's reaction, which in honesty drove me up the wall! I'm sorry, but I felt no pity for her. I hate it when people try to save themselves by trying to make others feel sorry for them. Why don't you instead try to approach people with, "Hey, I screwed up, my strategy didn't work. Let's see what we can do to get YOU further in the game." You being the key word there, because as soon as you start saying, "Save me!" people are going to shut you off. Just like Tyson did... my goodness, what did you think about that little confrontation? I thought Tyson was telling her what she needed to hear, but that was rough. He was basically talking down to somebody else who was about the same age. It was a little funny, but almost a little too brutal.

We had the classic "visit the natives" reward challenge which is never too interesting. It always seems that somebody ends up throwing up, whether it is drinking too much, or in this case, eating too much. And poor Stephen had to spend another three days by himself on exile island. I think you forget how rough it is out there, especially by yourself. At least last year on Gabon they had a hut and hammock they could enjoy.

The immunity challenge was interesting and a good one. Of course the rain and cold added so much more to it all, especially with the option to chow down on some pizza under a covered tarp. I totally didn't blame Stephen for going, being on Exile, but I was a little surprised that J.T. went. Not surprised at all by Coach's decision and if I were Tyson, I would have been mad too. I've always said that if it were me, I didn't care what position I was in, I would play the challenge. I know that's easier said because I've never been starving like that before, but it just throws too much limelight on you.

Sierra ALMOST won it, but Debra had a perfect shot that shattered her hopes, for the time being. I had the chance to play shuffle board this past weekend, and I admire Debra's more than clutch shot. Which led to a great post strategy session amongst everybody. Erinn created an ingenious idea to get Tyson off. If you are her, you are getting a power player out of the way who happens to not like you and you are strengthening position to go with J.T. and Stephen. Now, you have to give J.T. and Stephen the huge credit for implementing the change. I think that no doubt Tyson and Coach would've stuck with them, but they were smart enough to realize they had a better chance of winning not having to strategize or compete with them at the end.

Once again the overconfidence bug hit, and Tyson, Coach and Debra were stunned. I thought it was brilliant to not include Sierra in the plan, because who knows how she would have acted around Tyson and Coach before tribal council. I honestly didn't think Tyson was gone, but I'm glad that the overall editing of the show surprised us as much as Tyson was surprised.

Now I'm sure the next episode, if it the past ones haven't already, will be the Coach show. I bet we are going to hear the tirade of honesty and integrity being broken, and how the spirits of the land will not be so kind to Stephen and J.T. who have for certain now lost their warrior status. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Sierra will have a huge decision to make to be on the bottom rung of one alliance (Coach, Debra, Erinn) or the other (J.T., Stephen, or Taj). I don't know where Erinn plays in all of that, but she's put herself in a very interesting position to float to either side that probably won't provide too much backlash against her.

So... Were you shocked that Tyson was eliminated? Were you as annoyed as I was by Sierra's attitude? How mad will Coach be, REALLY? And who do you think has the best chance of winning right now (I think J.T.)?

Practicing my shuffle board skills,

Nathan

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 6-8

2009-04-23T10:20:00.005-05:00

Yeah, I realize I haven't written one of these in a while. I really don't have a good excuse... but by the flood of emails I got wondering where they were, I thought I better get back into it.

Rather than trying to recap all three I'll just try to jump in. But too the departed Sydney and Joe... Sydney had the potential to go far because she was a loyal vote, but the tribe did right by keeping Taj, because she will be even more devoted and maybe possibly make a not-so-smart move that will help Stephen and J.T. (they are really playing her at the moment). Joe happened to have bad luck with the infected knee, but I didn't see him going very far. I don't see how a guy like him didn't get in better with J.T. and Stephen except for the fact that he really liked the pretty women, who in this game, happened not to be strong players.

Now to this past episode... I can't remember a tribe going into a merge with the numbers be so divided so early on. The old tribe of Jalapao didn't have to do anything at all. I think it's just plain crazy that Timbira turned on their own so quick. Stephen and J.T., especially lucked into it. They said that they are the power players right now, and it's true. I really wouldn't count on them being totally faithful to Coach and Tyson. They are in such a great position right now and you can't forget how pivitol Taj and Erinn may be for them down the road. I think Tyson and Coach will stay true to them, but think of this scenario... If Sierra goes next (which according the teaser seems like she will), you now have a situation where you recruit Taj and Erinn (who probably won't be huge factors in individual immunity), blindside Tyson, then pick off Coach and Debra. As strong as Tyson has been in the challenges, I don't think you will want to go against him at the end.

Going back to J.T., what is it about this guy that everybody loves? Obviously people aren't seeing how devious he can be, but he is just one of those guys that girls love and that other guys want to be. Coach obviously had a man crush on him and Brendan had one little boating adventure with him and he was ready to take him to the finals! I really liked Brendan. I really don't know why the others turned on him so quick. He came off as so likable in his interviews, was he just rude to everybody else? He was really smart, really athletic, and a natural born leader, but he got caught by the biggest snake in this game, overconfidence. Plain and simple. He should've taken advantage of J.T. and Stephen...like I hate to say... Coach.

Ok, no bones about it, this is the season of Coach. The producers know everybody hates him, therefore they are going to show him more and more. (I call it the Richard Hatch syndrom) I am really surprised he has made it this far, I would've never guessed that would've happen, but he has something where he does get strong players (Tyson, J.T.) to allign with him. I loved that one quote Tyson had, "Coach says one thing and everybody hates him, I say the same thing and everybody laughs). Coach will get burned in this game, I guarantee it, which means I am already dreading his jury speech.

I know I keep saying it, but this is a great season. I'm really enjoying it and they did a wonderful job with the casting. A lot can still happen, and at this point of the game, it's always exciting when that's the case.

So did you believe Coach's story (I can't tell you how much I rolled my eyes. I loved Brendan challenging him on it)? Are you finding Tyson as entertaining as me? Are Stephen and J.T. truly the power players right now? What do you think Brendan could've done better? And why is it you get depressed as soon as Sierra talks?

Trying to stay on track,

The Dragon Slayer

Sicko

2009-04-06T22:21:00.002-05:00

I implore you to place your political issues aside and watch this powerful documentary. Love him or hate him, Michael Moore flipped the conventions of documentary filmmaking, and with this film he shows the most restraint as he presents how the health care industry has affected America’s health, pocketbooks, and most importantly, our fears. Moore occasionally takes some unnecessary jabs that take you out of the film and at times you can’t help but wonder about the flipside to other nations’ health care systems that he presents and raves about. Regardless, this film will not so much have you shaking your head at how corrupt and thoughtless the HMO industry is, but particularly how our government has created a system that has us as Americans in fear of cost instead of our health when an incident or diagnosis occurs. With greed as the core center of this issue, Sicko is never more as relevant as we face this current economic crisis in 2009. I give Sicko 4 out of 5 severed fingers.

I Love You, Man

2009-03-30T22:02:00.004-05:00

I am a sucker for the recent comedies that have come out, especially when it involves Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. Yes they can be crude, but I think the appeal these Appatow-esque films is their ability to capture snapshot moments of real life and that they really have a heart at the center of them. I Love You, Man has both in a huge way. Rudd really shows his comedic acting chops as a recently engaged man who discovers that his great friendships with women don't translate as well to male friendships as he searches for a best man for his wedding. The beginning of the movie tends to be univentive setting up the plot, but once Rudd's character stumbles into a budding (no pun attended) relationship with Sydney (Segel), the film takes off into sincere and truthful moments of relationships between couples, girl friends, guy friends and even gay friends. Most of the scenarios are not just hilarious, but almost relatible to a pont that it was scary. Both girls and guys will love this movie, whether you are on a date or just with your friends. As entertainment goes, it was just plain fun the whole time. I give I Love You, Man 4 out of 5 Rush tunes.

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 5

2009-03-23T14:13:00.006-05:00

This season might officially be deemed as the season of great challenges! They have been so entertaining so far and I know I keep going on and on about this, but over the past couple of seasons I have zoned out as soon as Probst says, "Do you want to know what you are playing for?"

The spin reward challenge was hilarious but competitive, and actually had some strategy behind it. Then the net challenge, which as far as I could remember was new but similar in past styles on the season. But it cemented its legacy in Survivor history by JT's chipped tooth. Of course he had to toss it aside like it was a booger, to just add to the manly man credibility that he already established way back during his first interview when his thick Alabama accent first crawled out of his then pearly white teethed-mouth. I love Jeff Probst's improve nature of making sure they recovered the tooth, just so he could leave the challenge by saying, "All I have for you is J.T.'s tooth." Classic Probst... I honestly thought he got it to auction off on the Survivor website.

I'm interested to see what Tyson does in this game. He seems to be holding back a little back and staying in the middle, but I bet he makes a big move in a big way. The reason I say this is his keeness to notice Brendan's choice of taking Stephen to Exile Island. I wonder if Brendan is truly the next to go if Timbira looses.

The letter reward, of course, is always heartbreaking. It really makes you think about how weird it would be away from any kind of contact from your friends and family. But this one was a little different in two comments... Joe's about how his Dad hardly gives compliments and J.T. saying that his mom said "I love you" for only something like the fourth time. They tried to play it off as much as they could, but wow, it really shows what distance from your loved ones can do, on both sides.

Now I am definitely one to know that Survivor has a formula, but it seems to be getting really apparent this season about who is going to go. There was Spencer's profile piece this episode, Sandy's rant about Sydney last episode, etc. It takes the drama out a bit about who is going to win the immunity challenge and also who will be going home. I wish they were a little bit more clever on how to approach this.

Thankfully the challenge was yet again entertaining and we went back to Jalapao camp where there was a bit of a self destruction moment. They did let one slip by and I wonder how much of Taj's outburst was her personality or that she had the immunity idol. Well... scratch that, Stephen has it in his possesion for some odd reason. Like him, I wouldn't mind at all, but it's funny that Taj trusts him that much to GIVE it to him. She could have easily been voted out this episode and not have known it. Stephen will be in odd predicaments like this the rest of the game, but I bet he may not be entirely true to this secret alliance. Especially if Brendan is the next one to go if Timbira loses.

I was a little surprised by Spencer's exit. Not because he messed up the challenge (where was Sydney, Taj towards the end, etc.) but as a fan who has watched the show since day 1, I was surprised he didn't fight more. I think all it would have took was some sucking up to J.T. and Joe with an apology, but he really showed his age during that really awkard scene in the pond. He just didn't seem to be really close to anybody and although most of his tribe was young, there was still a disconnect there.

Sorry for the loss Kacey. I know how it feels to go out early, but sometimes it helps (at least for me). When I went out early last season, I wasn't quite as nervous when I watched it. I thought Spencer was a good pick because he seemed a lot smarter than Eric from Fans vs. Favorites, but I think he just got a little to self-conscious and too hard on himself after that last challenge.

So were you impressed with the tooth throw away? Did you think Spencer could have saved himself? Will the secret alliance stay intact?

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 4

2009-03-21T13:10:00.004-05:00

Now I was definitely not a big fan of Sandy, at ALL, but I actually felt pretty bad for her last night. Although you pretty much knew the outcome, I think the vote last night will be one of the most crucial turning points of the game. Sandy really had the unfortunate luck of not just being on a tribe that was young, but really a season where everybody seems young. That had to be a tough vote for the group. Sandy really helped a lot in the challenges and Sydney will be one of those contestants that might ride some coattails. During tribal council, she didn't necessarily come off that she was really playing hard or cared. But when somebody annoys you, especially the way Sandy's personality was, it's hard to keep her. And you know, she could've been a REALLY wild card in the future.

It's always nice to see things even out. Even though it is so much easier to like the orange tribe, when things go back and forth, it just makes the whole season more interesting all around. It's so hard to even think of the last season where the challenges have been so close. Having the weight challenge come down to just the girls and then the puzzle challenge basically ending as close as it could had to be a producer's dream. Like I mentioned in the last email, the right people are getting voted out early which will provide for more and more drama as the season goes along.

As soon as I say how great the secret alliance is, the show teases that Tyson catches on to it and that Taj rubs her tribemates the wrong way. So I don't know how valid these next comments will be... but how lucky was it that Sierra picked Taj? And was it that hard for Brendan to find time to talk to Sierra? He almost blew that whole thing. Speaking of Sierra... when Taj basically gave her an invitation to win the game, her reaction was basically as if Taj said, "Sierra, guess what? You breathe air!" Even if this thing falls apart, I think Stephen is in the best place because you can always rely on your fishing buddy to pull you through (I'm referring to JT of course).

I think JT is going to be a dangerous player. I think he's definitely playing that "good ol' boy" card but I bet he can be just as ruthless as Tyson. Well, maybe not as much as Tyson. I love Tyson's sarcasm, although I bet some don't at all. He is a professional cyclist and as Whitney pointed out, you can tell that he wants to win, but I bet he doesn't need the cash. Which makes him a threat because I bet he will play hard just for the heck of it and being a competitor, he won't want to lose just based on principle.

So, now for your thoughts... will the secret alliance hold up? Are you relieved that Sandy is gone or do you like Sydney's coy ways? Have you been more entertained by the challenges this season? And who do you think has the best chance to win: Brendan? Taj? JT? Tyson? I think there are still a lot of possibilities out there, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 2 & 3

2009-03-20T15:07:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm back! In addition, we have a couple of more people added to the list! My ultimate goal is to get my updates syndicated somewhere, so spread the word... I'm kidding of course :) Unless you really know somebody that is.... Kidding aside, always let me know if you want me to pass this along to anybody else, I would love to add them to the list.

Now to the actual events at hand. We watched these two episodes the night after we got back from my honeymoon, so if I can't quite recall everything that happened from being so tired, my apologies. Overall, I already like this season better than last years. The cast is very likable, save a few, and so far everybody that has been voted out has not been too big of a surprise or somebody you might really miss. Maybe except for Jerry who had a great personality, but you could tell that his heart wasn't into the whole thing. Not saying that he wasn't sick, it's just that he didn't do any strategizing to save himself and if he had done just a little, they would have sure kept him. All that to say, it seems as if the show is setting everything up to have strong players at the end, unlike last season where you had not very good players at the end or so-so players who thought they were the best ever (cough cough... Kenny... cough cough).

The really physical challenges are always pretty entertaining to watch. I'm surprised more people don't come out of those really hurt. The water basketball was great T.V. all around. It starts to rain, people are beating up each other, there were unlikely heros and a comeback, what more can you ask for? From the other challenges that followed, I hope this doesn't become a trend like last year where one tribe continues to win, thus forcing a tribal shakeup. There was a lot of backlash from doing that last year, so maybe they will stay clear of it this time around.

I felt bad for Candace. She was really a huge asset for her tribe in that challenge and that totally got overlooked because of Coach? I could really rail on this guy, but I bet his exit is fast approaching, so I'll save it to then. One thing I do think is that he comes off worse in his interviews because his tribe really do seem to like him, but I bet he'll get old to them quick. Which by the way, the last tribal council was hilarious because you could tell how much he was bothered by the fact that they wanted Brendan as a leader and not him. I was a little confused though because Coach and Tyson seemed surprised when Jerry was voted out, but maybe it was for show so Jerry didn't leave mad at them. It was a good move by their tribe though. At this point, they really have to win challenges and if they voted Erinn out, they would probably be sealing their fate. Besides Sandy, Jalapeño (I know that isn't the actual name, but c'mon, when it is so close you can't help but think of the Mexican treat) is a very strong tribe, so it's hard picturing them losing many more challenges.

I think it's kind of funny that there are two idols on those beaches that haven't been found yet. That hole that Brendan and Sierra dug was huge! Were they planning on killing Coach and burying him there? I think I would have stopped at the 4 foot mark. Thank goodness Sierra came up with a story when Debra discovered the hole because poor Brendan just looked like a deer in headlights. Speaking of Brendan, I think he constantly has a sad puppy dog look on his face. So far everything is falling into place for him and the friendship between him and Taj seems to be working out well. I honestly don't know how you couldn't think of doing a secret alliance like that, so it'll be cool to see how it plays out without the other survivors becoming suspicious.

Taj is quite a character. She seems ultra cool, smart and athletic. I wonder if it'll make her too big of a target. For me personally, I can't root against her because of two things. One, she's bringing my two picks, Stephen and Sierra into her alliance. Two, her husband is Eddie George. He didn't play long or that great for the Cowboys, but he was a Cowboy, so that makes her okay in my book. I would've reacted to that revelation just like J.T. and Joe, and I think it's hilarious that Stephen had no clue.

I still think this could be anyone's game and at this moment it's hard to pinpoint a strong winner, without having to decipher it through the editing of the show. I'll be a little bit more descriptive about the next episode and the events that will happen, so I hope this two-episode recap has been all right. I haven't seen the new one yet, but I'll be caught up soon enough. And I can't ask too many questions to you because you are probably caught up as well, so I'll save those.

Thanks for reading and practice on your dramatic Erinn sneers as taught by Coach!

Survivor: Tocantins - Week 1

2009-03-17T22:14:00.003-05:00

Now that all the wedding stuff is done, I'm going to gradually update this blog with Survivor posts and some other fun tid bits. Enjoy!

Hello everybody! As you know, I'm crazy busy right now. So, I can't give this email the detail I would like to :( I'll try to give some quick thoughts, but overall, I think this is going to be a really good season. I think the cast looks really strong and it looks like there are a lot of good strong players. I like the theme of "first impressions" and it should be interesting to see how that grows over this season. Initially I had Carolina high on my list, so I was a little surprised. So, I'm not really sure how all of this will play out. Also, as you can see, Philip and I went in together on the picks and we will dominate :)

Some quick thoughts and I'll let these be... The emails will hopefully be back in full force two weeks from now. I know you will have some withdrawals, but just remember to stay calm.

I HATE Sandy. Hopefully her craziness will eventually drive her tribe nuts.
Loved how it played out that one looked for the idol and one didn't.
Everybody seems really, really young. I don't know if this will hurt or help the show. Thus, this makes Sandy look even crazier.
I bet the weather will play a huge part in this one.
The immunity idol looks like a Stretch Armstrong Doll.
Tough challenge and it was nice to see it close and that the two tribes seem pretty even.
I can't stand to hear "Coach" talk. He'll wear on people pretty quickly.

Hope this season is a good one! Next time you get a Survivor email from me I'll be a married man!

Survivor Gabon: Week 12 - Finale

2008-12-15T22:39:00.003-06:00

Congrats to Ty (my Dad) winning Survivor: Gabon! I taught him everything I know. Ha ha... Actually, here's a bit of trivia for you, my parents introduced me to Survivor after college when I started to watch Survivor: Vanuatu with them. So, you can blame them for all these emails!

So we return to camp with Kenny still fuming over the fact that Bob wouldn't give him the necklace even though he was going to take him out if he did. Yeah, sounds fair to me. Then Sugar makes a huge move by immediately going to Kenny, before the challenge, and talking to him as if he's the leader and Bob is the next to go, not Kenny. Kenny felt secure from that point and all was undone. The challenge was quite elaborate, as the next-to-last ones usually are. Although it didn't seem quite as tough to me. And once again Bob won it! It was a bit closer this time, but still, pretty amazing that he tied the record for the most consecutive wins.

You knew something was going to happen with Susie getting so much air time, but the producers fooled me when tribal council came around. I thought they really were going to vote Susie off because I think we saw more of Kenny's strategy on interviews than his real persona around camp. Don't get me wrong here, I was really glad to see him go! I'm all for strategic players to win the game, but when they are cocky and refer to themselves in the third person, I can't stand it. I thought he once again unraveled at tribal council by calling Bob again. He really didn't need to do that, plus Bob exposed his plan! He was really dead then. My hate almost dissolved as he graciously left the game and seemed like a good sport in his confessional. Then I turned again at the last tribal council and then turned again during the reunion (more on that later).

So then there was a final four that I would have never, ever predicted. And as Susie got more and more interview time, you knew something was going to happen. I thought this was a great challenge. I personally like to see them sweat it out, but I think they assumed Matty would win quickly. I thought Susie was brilliant for just stopping while the others panicked. She played it very, very well. We finally got to see more air time of her as they headed back to camp, and trust me, I'm glad they didn't focus on her the whole season. They showed Bob getting real upset, and I was just as annoyed as he was, and we only saw 5 minutes of it! I'm totally with Susie that it was a huge shock, but honestly, ease it down a bit.

Then Sugar once again throws her wits up in the air and sees where it lands and basically gives Bob a million dollars. Now, if I was her and I wanted to win a million dollars, it would be a predicament of who to vote for as well, so I thought her choice would've been noble if she hadn't told Bob about it. Basically blindsiding Matty. How relieved was Bob? He knew he had it, and how smart of him to go practice. So we had to say goodbye to Matty. His game this season was... interesting... I would like to say he made some power moves, but he really didn't. He did great of not getting voted out, but he lacked a solid friendship and alliance with anybody, except Susie (which we never really saw). But it looks like that if he had won that fire challenge, he would have won a million. Now that would have been something.

Which then led to the final tribal council where Bob pretty much dominated by answering straight and letting the other two girls bury themselves. I'm sorry Susie, just trying to prove something to your family isn't going to do it. Why didn't she mention turning the game on its heels by voting Marcus out? Winning two immunity challenges, especially the last one! I know I don't have any children, but I think there are better ways to prove to them that trying is valuable asset than going on Survivor. If I'm going on Survivor, I want to win a million dollars! If I wanted to prove to people that I can try or do something, I'm going to do a marathon or go on a diet. Not go across the world away from all my close ones!

And as far as Sugar goes... this is why I couldn't take her as a viable strong player. You can't make all those moves and then just not even try to get a million dollars. Her moves were totally to just do what Sugar wanted to do, not to win a game. As I mentioned earlier, she basically gave Bob a million dollars. The last two votes I was really gaining respect for her and then she flushed all down in the toilet. It boggles my mind that there's been 17 seasons of Survivor and people still blow it at these tribal councils. I'm sure it is really stressful, but I think the key is to just be upfront and honest about your game, whether you have been the nicest guy ever or malicious. Bob obviously has watched Survivor before and I loved is answer to Matty's question, "Why do these girls deserve a million dollars?" Bob: "They don't."

This was a relatively boring last council save Corinne's comments. I just don't understand when people consciously decide to be that mean. I think Corinne just loves to have attention on her and I think she was on the show to become a famous actress. Why else would you act like that? And the way she referred to "the edit" at the reunion show was just a gesture to all the producers out there in L.A.

I thought it was funny that nobody answered Randy the way he wanted to. Matty did not need to wear that tank-top. Kenny once again pouted way too much and was a drama king with his pacing. Marcus didn't look too smart with his boring questions. I completely forgot what Crystal asked. And Charlie is as nice as ever.

Which thankfully led to a victory by Bob! Such a deserved win. And Susie with three votes? Can you imagined if she had won? Bob probably could've been a bit more aggressive in his answers at the last tribal council and gotten one more vote or so, but thankfully he won. He did great at staying in the middle and playing hard when it counted. I think he made some wrong moves here and there, but he never lingered on them. You always like it when these type of people win Survivor. He played a pretty honest game and at the end, I think everybody still likes him, even Randy.

The reunion show really just kind of reflected the season. It was good, but not great. Way too much attention on Corinne for my taste. Randy came off a bit odd, but he does have a biting humor. I loved his response about cheating in school. I was really glad to see Kenny admit that he got way too cocky. This is where I forgave him once again. You could tell he was in a totally different mode out there, just like we are between our homes and work. He saw it as work, which he should have, but it actually seems that he's going to take away a life lesson from this game.

Oh, and Michelle is really one weird girl. Termites beware!

I have to admit, the past couple of episodes have been really good. They really saved this season. It didn't stay predictable and I guess that's what happens when an strong alliance of four gets broken up. Somebody won that totally deserved to win, and I'm usually always happy at that. But if you like this show as much as me, I'm really wanting to see something fresh this coming season in Brazil. This was the first time I really started to get bogged down by the cliches of the show. I mean, I know it's going to be there after 8 years of being on T.V., but I think that this season proved that by having too many contestants that are generally mean-natured doesn't necessarily mean a compelling season. Nastiness doesn't always collide with strategy. This season went a step back towards it's usual formula, so we'll see if Brazil has some new tricks up its sleeve.

What changes would you like to see? Do you think there are way too many hidden immunity idols? Should Exile Island be done away with?

Were you happy that Bob won? How would you rank the show?

As always, it's been fun and we'll gear up for next season! We can't let Ty enjoy that trophy too much!

Survivor Gabon: Week 11

2008-12-15T21:15:00.002-06:00

This is a first... me writing the recap the day after the episode! I bet you are pretty excited.

So, I really, really can't stand Kenny now. What a cry baby. He's a strong player, I can admit that, but you don't have to keep on referring to yourself as a mastermind. And how did he turn the fact that he betrayed everybody to, "Whoa is me, I exposed myself, so you should feel sorry for me because I messed up my game." I thought he really hurt himself in this episode. Yes, he is still in the game, but he got desperate and by doing so, he really exposed his position. The way he panicked proved to me that he isn't really a "mastermind."

Bob once again dominated in the challenges. I think this is great by the way. He always takes his time and he seems to win every one. Now, when Matty and Kenny are your only true competitors, it evens the odds some, but nobody would have predicted this. Now, finding a connection with the gorillas was a little strange. I thought they were going to this exotic location with waterfalls surrounding all the gorillas, instead they were next to them by a fence. Are you sure they didn't film that segment at the San Diego Zoo?

He was smart to take Ken & Crystal with him, but not smart to promise Ken the necklace, but then was smart to renegotiate the terms by, "If I think you are leaving I'll give it to you," and leaving Matty and Sugar at camp to bond, and then not to confuse things, let's just send Susie to exile island so at least you can justify her not saying anything at camp.

Matty then threw a pity party when everybody got back. I don't blame him too much, but he did sway a bit too much to make him an individual in the game. Thankfully hot-headed Crystal was there to save the day! Her rant pretty much changed the game. It finally caught up to her because Sugar finally felt convicted. And as we have learned in this season, when Sugar gets convicted about things, the game changes. I can't really dog her game play much anymore because she made one heck of a move. I think it's too bad that she has made most of the jury mad, so she still won't have a chance of winning, but she did good here, real good.

I know I'm going back and forth with the timeline of things, but this is how this episode was. So, Bob wins immunity, AGAIN, while Crystal and Susie decided to tour the African landscape blindfolded. I thought the openness of everybody talking about who they were going to vote for was pretty hilarious. It's as if they said, "I'm tired of having to get up and go into the woods to strategize." I'm going to come back to Kenny here and say that he got way too cocky and vulnerable by deciding to turn on Bob, and THEN LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW HIS PLAN.

So, Crystal got sent home. A great move by Sugar and soooo smart of Bob to not give away his necklace. Kenny can't get mad because he didn't get voted out, and Susie sat there wondering how in the world she is in the final 5. Crystal took the oust like a true Olympic champion (despite never winning a Survivor challenge, how ironic) and realizing she and Kenny became their own worst enemy.

So, the finale is Sunday and as of now, it looks like it will be a final three with nobody really promising one another that they will take each other to the final three. I think it really is a free for all on this one. How cool would it be to see a final three possibility with the final competitors minus Susie. I think she will somehow squeak in there because somebody would be dumb not to take her to the final, but we''ll see.

Maybe it's better that I don't write these right after the episode. I go on for way too long.

Who do you think will win? Who do you think should win? Was Sugar's move big enough to win her a million? Will Kenny become humble at all?

Until the finale!

Survivor Gabon: Week 10

2008-12-10T19:36:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that this season is almost over? Thursday night's episode and then Sunday's finale, and that's it! So sad, or is it? Are you ready for a new start? Let's hope the cast is a bit better than this one this year. One thing I can guess is that they won't let them pick their own tribes this time :)

This episode comforted me in knowing that Bob's move last tribal council was better thought out. I thought it was good of him to call them out on making a mockery of Randy. Yes, yes, I know Randy probably had it coming, but I would've been mad if I were Bob too. It possibly cost him a vote if he makes the final three. I'm pretty sure the rant was sincere, but at least Corinne can come back now and vouch for Bob's strategy.

This "loved ones" reunion wasn't quite up to par either. I like it when they are involved in the challenge, it makes the stakes so much harder and usually all the competitors play full out. In fact, as I type this, I can't recall what the actual challenge was. I saw it this past weekend...am I getting old or was it that unmemorable? Of course you knew Bob's wife was going to pop out somewhere, but it was still sweet to see them reunite, as well as the others. Even as disconnected I am with this year's players, it got dusty. Of course this is coming from me, so that shouldn't be a big surprise.

By the way, what did you think of Matty's proposal? I know most would see it as sweet, but I wonder how she felt. In a way it felt a little too spontaneous, especially if even Matty described himself as uncommitted, but it just felt a bit strange to me for some reason. Maybe because it was the fact that he made her a necklace instead of a ring! Ha ha.

The immunity challenge was a good one as luck is pretty much the determination of who wins, and once again Bob the Skeleton proves that he is dominate in challenges. I think Survivor has done a great job of making challenges not so physical dominate so others have a chance, so it's a bit more unpredictable. But I do miss them as the days progress because I think the physical side of survival should still play a big part, and that goes missing some seasons.

Which now leads to Bob's plan which ALMOST worked. I thought it was pretty ingenious, what do you think? I don't think there was much more that Corinne and him could have done, except for what I suggested in the last email, go after Susie, Matty and Sugar. Kenny's cockiness finally bit him in the butt though. I don't blame Crystal for not going along totally because like her and Ken talked about, they were risking a lot by voting the way they were, but as the teaser suggests, Ken will really have a target on him now. I wonder how much of a riff it will create between the odd duo? Regardless, this may have played out better for Bob that Corinne got voted out. Ken is now the target, which will be followed by Crystal. And if that happens, your final four is Matty, Sugar, Susie and Bob. Matty might be Bob's competition, but I see most of the votes going Bob's way. Especially with all the fake, convincing fake idols. (I bet Ozzy is crying in shame).

So, as you can tell, I'm rooting for Bob as I'm sure most of you are. How about you? Despite what happens, will there be any drama to the next couple of episodes? Are proposals on Survivor growing weary? Or is Nathan just too cynical?

I'll try to write a review before Sunday, but don't hold it to me too much!