Each week I take 5 news items from the current week from the entertainment industry, list them out here and then give my take on them. This is Take 5.
1. World Series Goes to Game 7 – I don’t really have a horse in this race but any game 7 in a championship series is exciting. Both lineups are full of power and both have had impressive bullpens throughout the regular season. I’m hoping that Texas is able to overtake St. Louis, they haven’t won a series yet. I am disappointed that this means no new Fringe this week and that the new NBC show Grimm won’t get a fair chance tonight as many people will turn for a World Series Game 7. Chuck will also get hurt by this, but it’s the final season anyways.
2. Harry Potter DVD’s to disappear after this year – So Warner Bros. is playing the Disney Vault card. Probably a smart move that will mean huge sales this holiday. The only question is, when they get released from the vault will DVD’s still be relevant or will electronic media be the king? They will have to do something pretty special to get big sales from them again.
3. Nintendo Reports Record Losses – Ever since I was born Nintendo has been a profit making company until this year when it will report losses of over 100 Billion. This is mainly due to the possible failure of the 3DS. I won’t claim that it is a failure until after Christmas however. Nintendo has made a lot of mistakes since they released the Wii. I honestly don’t think that they thought it would work and now just don’t know what to do. Hopefully the house that Mario built will be able to right itself.
4. New Charlie Sheen Series to air on FX – It’s called Anger Management and I couldn’t care less. Odds are this show will be a joke, people are so over Charlie Sheen that I see this as being a show that gets boycotted by everyone. Then again people still watch The Jersey Shore.
5. Thor Dies . . . Again – Last week was the conclusion to the Marvel summer series Fear Itself. It centered around Thor and some bad guys getting hammers and nazi robots. It was not very good. At the end of it Thor died. An ending that everyone saw coming a million miles away. However its finally happened and no one cares about death anymore. They killed off both Thor and Bucky Barnes in this series and no one cares. Because we have finally seen behind the curtain and everyone now realizes how pointless the revolving door of death is. DC has reinvigorated interest in their comics thanks to the new 52. Maybe Marvel should try something as well.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
All the King's Men - The Oscar Project Part XXII
“All the King’s Men” was a movie I had often heard as being a meaningful movie when it comes to politics. So it was one of the movies on the Oscar winning list that I was looking forward to. Released in 1949 the movie is based off of a book of the same name and apparently is a thinly veiled telling of the life and assassination of real-life Louisiana Governor, Huey Long.
The movie plot follows a journalist as he begins to cover the campaign of Willie Stark. Due to corruption in the government, Stark loses his first bid. He puts himself through law school and then runs for governor. This time he starts making some of the shady deals that he refused to make the first time. As the movie continues Willie does big things for the state, but at the same time makes a lot of shady deals that profit himself and his family. We see this through the same reporter who is brought into Willie’s group as a close advisor who would get dirt on everyone. Eventually Willie’s antics catch up to him and he has to keep doing more and more illegal activities to try and keep himself looking clean. However by the end of the movie, after beating a possible impeachment, Willie is shot and killed.
The plot itself is decent and resembles some of the political dramas that are so prevalent today. However, there is a big step missing. The transition from Willie being a clean candidate to a dirty politician is glossed over. He goes from being a nice straight forward candidate to being someone who is willing to lie and cheat to get what he wants over night. Apart from this transition however the rest of the story is interesting and can match up with the plots of today.
From an acting perspective the movie belongs to Broderick Crawford and his portrayal of Willie Stark. Apart from the transition problem I mentioned above, Crawford puts in a master class of growing a character. By the time the movie is over he is hardly recognizable as the same character that started the movie and it is very convincing. Most of that is due to the script which is full of fun speeches and lines for him to say. The supporting cast is decent, but the movie would be nothing without Crawford. While the script is also pretty good, the directing is nothing to really celebrate. It’s a standard piece of work, but nothing really special is happening here.
With a few small tweaks “All the King’s Men” could work very well in today’s world. The topics would still fit, the meta-commentary on our current political strife would be present, and it would be an actor’s dream role. The movie gets 4 out of 5 stars.
The movie plot follows a journalist as he begins to cover the campaign of Willie Stark. Due to corruption in the government, Stark loses his first bid. He puts himself through law school and then runs for governor. This time he starts making some of the shady deals that he refused to make the first time. As the movie continues Willie does big things for the state, but at the same time makes a lot of shady deals that profit himself and his family. We see this through the same reporter who is brought into Willie’s group as a close advisor who would get dirt on everyone. Eventually Willie’s antics catch up to him and he has to keep doing more and more illegal activities to try and keep himself looking clean. However by the end of the movie, after beating a possible impeachment, Willie is shot and killed.
The plot itself is decent and resembles some of the political dramas that are so prevalent today. However, there is a big step missing. The transition from Willie being a clean candidate to a dirty politician is glossed over. He goes from being a nice straight forward candidate to being someone who is willing to lie and cheat to get what he wants over night. Apart from this transition however the rest of the story is interesting and can match up with the plots of today.
From an acting perspective the movie belongs to Broderick Crawford and his portrayal of Willie Stark. Apart from the transition problem I mentioned above, Crawford puts in a master class of growing a character. By the time the movie is over he is hardly recognizable as the same character that started the movie and it is very convincing. Most of that is due to the script which is full of fun speeches and lines for him to say. The supporting cast is decent, but the movie would be nothing without Crawford. While the script is also pretty good, the directing is nothing to really celebrate. It’s a standard piece of work, but nothing really special is happening here.
With a few small tweaks “All the King’s Men” could work very well in today’s world. The topics would still fit, the meta-commentary on our current political strife would be present, and it would be an actor’s dream role. The movie gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Monday, October 24, 2011
"Hamlet" - The Oscar Project Part XXI
I have a long history with the theatre. Most of my teen years and my early twenties were spent either behind a curtain or on center stage. It even inspired me to take multiple theatre classes while in college. One of my favorite of these classes was my Shakespeare class. I had been introduced to Shakespeare in high school. It was there that I discovered my favorite play in “Hamlet.” Prior to watching the 1948 Oscar film I had seen three different versions of the play, twice on stage and the Kenneth Branagh 1996 film. I was excited to see a “Hamlet” that had won the Oscar for Best Picture and I knew that Laurence Olivier was a legend of the silver screen. Unfortunately I was let down.
For the most part the script follows what Shakespeare had originally penned. Cuts are made however to shorten the running length. The usual characters of Fortinbras, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were removed completely, that is a typical cut made and I can be okay with that. However they also cut all of the lines from the play within the play, this would be fine but they also have to cut the scene before then were Hamlet is giving the actors notes on how to read their lines. If they are not going to read any lines then why is he giving those notes? The biggest change that upsets me though is the opening lines read by Olivier where he equates Hamlet to simply being a movie about a man that can’t make up his mind. I’ve studied “Hamlet” and let me assure you that the script has a lot more to it than just someone that can’t make up his mind.
The set is what is considered standard now for “Hamlet” with the hallways and stair cases twisting to show the craziness that is present in his mind. The actual film work could use some work as the whole film feels to light without much use of contrast. On a whole the film feels very old. Not old due to the age of the script though. Just old as a movie, something I haven’t felt as much with some of the other films that I have watched.
If your going to take on Shakespeare and put it on film, it needs to have energy and this movie just didn’t have it. However, it’s still Shakespeare, but I can’t recommend that you watch this. If you want to see “Hamlet” go watch the Branagh movie. It’s complete and well done. I give “Hamlet” 2.5 out of 5 stars.
For the most part the script follows what Shakespeare had originally penned. Cuts are made however to shorten the running length. The usual characters of Fortinbras, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were removed completely, that is a typical cut made and I can be okay with that. However they also cut all of the lines from the play within the play, this would be fine but they also have to cut the scene before then were Hamlet is giving the actors notes on how to read their lines. If they are not going to read any lines then why is he giving those notes? The biggest change that upsets me though is the opening lines read by Olivier where he equates Hamlet to simply being a movie about a man that can’t make up his mind. I’ve studied “Hamlet” and let me assure you that the script has a lot more to it than just someone that can’t make up his mind.
The set is what is considered standard now for “Hamlet” with the hallways and stair cases twisting to show the craziness that is present in his mind. The actual film work could use some work as the whole film feels to light without much use of contrast. On a whole the film feels very old. Not old due to the age of the script though. Just old as a movie, something I haven’t felt as much with some of the other films that I have watched.
If your going to take on Shakespeare and put it on film, it needs to have energy and this movie just didn’t have it. However, it’s still Shakespeare, but I can’t recommend that you watch this. If you want to see “Hamlet” go watch the Branagh movie. It’s complete and well done. I give “Hamlet” 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Take 5 - 10/21/11
Each week I take 5 news items from the current week from the entertainment industry, list them out here and then give my take on them. This is Take 5.
1. Sherlock Holmes 2 Trailer – There are currently two Sherlock Holmes franchises going on. One is a British television series and the other is the American Robert Downey Jr. movies. Fortunately both are so different in their take that there is room for both of them. I prefer the television series but the addition of Moriarty to the movie should make for an epic battle on the big screen. The trailer promised more of what I liked about the first movie, which is all I really want.
2. The Walking Dead Premieres Huge – Who doesn’t love a zombie? Apparently no one since the second season premiere had a record breaking debut. The first season was good but not great television. It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. I am pretty familiar with the comic but the show has already left that in the dust.
3. NBA Lockout Continues – While I am not really a basketball fan, and could care less about whether the season is saved or not, it is a shame that so many people will be out of work for the next 6 months. And not the players but the people that work at the stadiums or in bars close to stadiums. They will get hit by this the hardest since they don’t make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
4. Tigers Lose the ALCS – Yeah, maybe this isn’t a big news story for a lot of people but I am a Tigers fan. In the end the toll of the 162 game season was just too much for them. They came into the playoffs tired and injured. It caught up with all of them. Looking forward to next season and how they’re going to fill in their holes during the off season. Go Tigers!
5. Ice Cream Sandwich Unveiled – This is the next Android operating system and will but any android tablets and phone on the same operating system. I like the idea of Android. Open sourced software that is developer and user friendly, nothing wrong with that. The problem lies in how it is rolled out. Google leaves it up to the device makers to conform it to their system and get it out. With so many different devices several people get left behind. Still ICS looks pretty sweet, and delicious.
1. Sherlock Holmes 2 Trailer – There are currently two Sherlock Holmes franchises going on. One is a British television series and the other is the American Robert Downey Jr. movies. Fortunately both are so different in their take that there is room for both of them. I prefer the television series but the addition of Moriarty to the movie should make for an epic battle on the big screen. The trailer promised more of what I liked about the first movie, which is all I really want.
2. The Walking Dead Premieres Huge – Who doesn’t love a zombie? Apparently no one since the second season premiere had a record breaking debut. The first season was good but not great television. It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. I am pretty familiar with the comic but the show has already left that in the dust.
3. NBA Lockout Continues – While I am not really a basketball fan, and could care less about whether the season is saved or not, it is a shame that so many people will be out of work for the next 6 months. And not the players but the people that work at the stadiums or in bars close to stadiums. They will get hit by this the hardest since they don’t make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
4. Tigers Lose the ALCS – Yeah, maybe this isn’t a big news story for a lot of people but I am a Tigers fan. In the end the toll of the 162 game season was just too much for them. They came into the playoffs tired and injured. It caught up with all of them. Looking forward to next season and how they’re going to fill in their holes during the off season. Go Tigers!
5. Ice Cream Sandwich Unveiled – This is the next Android operating system and will but any android tablets and phone on the same operating system. I like the idea of Android. Open sourced software that is developer and user friendly, nothing wrong with that. The problem lies in how it is rolled out. Google leaves it up to the device makers to conform it to their system and get it out. With so many different devices several people get left behind. Still ICS looks pretty sweet, and delicious.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Gentleman's Agreement - The Oscar Project Part XX
In 1947, the movie “Gentleman’s Agreement” was released and would go on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. The War was over and the clean up was still occurring. A big portion of this was the exposure of the Holocaust to the general public and the discussion of the creation of the Jewish state of Israel. The movie takes advantage of what is currently going on to make a statement about Judaism. The film more than any I have watched, other than “Mrs. Miniver”, was a movie with a message.
The movie focuses on journalist Phillip Green, who is a widowed single father, as he attempts to write a story that exposes prejudice against those who are Jewish. He takes the approach of pretending that he is Jewish and writing about his experiences. Over the course of the movie he is refused service and treated differently. He even begins having problems with his personal life as the ruse he is putting up is beginning to effect a new relationship that he has started up. The movie makes a big point that there was a lot of prejudice going on. This makes the movie very political for the time period and I can see this as being part of the beginning of the view as Hollywood trying to be very political with how it gives out its awards. Something that doesn’t seem to be as present today.
Directed by Elia Kazan, the movie doesn’t really break any new movie making ground. It felt standard from that perspective. The real draw to the movie was due to the script and to the acting. Gregory Peck carries the movie and he is one of the few actors that don’t have a problem doing that. He has so much gravitas when he is performing it is almost impossible to look away. He is also able to portray a lot of emotion without trying. The script was also solid and had a natural progression that stuck with me long after the movie was finished.
“Gentleman’s Agreement” was a solid movie that surprised me in how good it was. The only problem is that I don’t view the problem that it is stating as being a problem anymore. It makes the movie less relevant and since it presses its message so hard it loses a lot of its punch. Still a good movie is a good movie and it gets 4 out of 5 stars.
The movie focuses on journalist Phillip Green, who is a widowed single father, as he attempts to write a story that exposes prejudice against those who are Jewish. He takes the approach of pretending that he is Jewish and writing about his experiences. Over the course of the movie he is refused service and treated differently. He even begins having problems with his personal life as the ruse he is putting up is beginning to effect a new relationship that he has started up. The movie makes a big point that there was a lot of prejudice going on. This makes the movie very political for the time period and I can see this as being part of the beginning of the view as Hollywood trying to be very political with how it gives out its awards. Something that doesn’t seem to be as present today.
Directed by Elia Kazan, the movie doesn’t really break any new movie making ground. It felt standard from that perspective. The real draw to the movie was due to the script and to the acting. Gregory Peck carries the movie and he is one of the few actors that don’t have a problem doing that. He has so much gravitas when he is performing it is almost impossible to look away. He is also able to portray a lot of emotion without trying. The script was also solid and had a natural progression that stuck with me long after the movie was finished.
“Gentleman’s Agreement” was a solid movie that surprised me in how good it was. The only problem is that I don’t view the problem that it is stating as being a problem anymore. It makes the movie less relevant and since it presses its message so hard it loses a lot of its punch. Still a good movie is a good movie and it gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Breaking Bad - Season 4 Review
I have always been a big fan of Quentin Tarantino. His films have some problems but he has such a unique and distinct style that when I see a movie of his I am always overwhelmed by how fresh it feels. During this season of Breaking Bad I realized that this is what a Tarantino television series would feel like and is probably one of the reasons that I love the show so much. I didn’t watch the show when it first came out. I thought it was going to be light hearted or just completely devoted to action sequences. Boy was I wrong. This season of Breaking Bad had more plot, characterization and development than almost anything else on television.
Season 4 focuses on Walt and Jesse’s labor dispute with their employer Gus Fring. Over the course of the season this dispute brought on several changes for our characters. Walt essentially went crazy and by the end of the season truly broke bad, Jesse completely submitted to his old lifestyle before being brought out of it by Gus and grew into a better person and Skylar immersed herself further into the “family” business and learned that she would go far to protect her family. But in reality the season focused on two things the relationship between Jesse and Walt, and the character of Gustavo Fring.
Throughout the series the relationship between Walter and Jesse has grown as the two have worked together. In many instances Walt has referred to Jesse as a son. During this season there was a change. In one of the bigger moments of the series the two of them finally went at each other. After this confrontation the status quo changed. Jesse was the one on the high ground with Walter being the more criminal. I’m not saying that Jesse is a saint now, but he demonstrated loyalty to Gus and even more loyalty to Walt after the fight. He also became more involved in the life of his girlfriend and child. Walt went freaking nuts. He became overly paranoid to the point that he took a risk and poisoned a child to get at Gus. By the end of the season Walt had turned into a character that we almost cannot sympathize with. It will be interesting to see where this goes next season, with Gus out of the way, will Walt take his place? Will he go back to cooking meth or is his criminal past behind him?
The rest of the season focused on Gus. We learned pieces of his past and how he works with his employees. In developing the character the show writers have created one of the most complete villains to ever be on a television series. The actor playing Gus was able to convey an entire conversation without ever speaking. Everything about him said something. The color suit he wore, the look in his eyes. He was a complete character. Due to the fact the show is about Walt, we knew that by the end of the season that Gus had to die. Which is what is great about this series, any other show would have kept him alive, but the writers on Breaking Bad want to keep the narrative moving, the only way it could move any further is if Gus was dead. Their several instances throughout the season though that I think were purposely done just to get a specific reaction out of the final shot of Gus. He walked into the line of fire of a sniper, poisoned himself and somehow knew about a car bomb. When he stepped out of the room after the explosion there was half a second where I thought he might actually be invincible. If it weren’t for what happened the rest of the season I wouldn’t have had that great reaction to his death.
Breaking Bad had its best season this year. The previous season contained great acting and so did this one, but this year it just had something a little extra. The only show on television right now that I watch that can compete with this is Mad Men. I am interested to see if that show can still keep up with Breaking Bad when it comes back in 2012. And of course this season of Breaking Bad gets 5 out of 5 stars. If you’re not watching it, do yourself a favor and start.
Season 4 focuses on Walt and Jesse’s labor dispute with their employer Gus Fring. Over the course of the season this dispute brought on several changes for our characters. Walt essentially went crazy and by the end of the season truly broke bad, Jesse completely submitted to his old lifestyle before being brought out of it by Gus and grew into a better person and Skylar immersed herself further into the “family” business and learned that she would go far to protect her family. But in reality the season focused on two things the relationship between Jesse and Walt, and the character of Gustavo Fring.
Throughout the series the relationship between Walter and Jesse has grown as the two have worked together. In many instances Walt has referred to Jesse as a son. During this season there was a change. In one of the bigger moments of the series the two of them finally went at each other. After this confrontation the status quo changed. Jesse was the one on the high ground with Walter being the more criminal. I’m not saying that Jesse is a saint now, but he demonstrated loyalty to Gus and even more loyalty to Walt after the fight. He also became more involved in the life of his girlfriend and child. Walt went freaking nuts. He became overly paranoid to the point that he took a risk and poisoned a child to get at Gus. By the end of the season Walt had turned into a character that we almost cannot sympathize with. It will be interesting to see where this goes next season, with Gus out of the way, will Walt take his place? Will he go back to cooking meth or is his criminal past behind him?
The rest of the season focused on Gus. We learned pieces of his past and how he works with his employees. In developing the character the show writers have created one of the most complete villains to ever be on a television series. The actor playing Gus was able to convey an entire conversation without ever speaking. Everything about him said something. The color suit he wore, the look in his eyes. He was a complete character. Due to the fact the show is about Walt, we knew that by the end of the season that Gus had to die. Which is what is great about this series, any other show would have kept him alive, but the writers on Breaking Bad want to keep the narrative moving, the only way it could move any further is if Gus was dead. Their several instances throughout the season though that I think were purposely done just to get a specific reaction out of the final shot of Gus. He walked into the line of fire of a sniper, poisoned himself and somehow knew about a car bomb. When he stepped out of the room after the explosion there was half a second where I thought he might actually be invincible. If it weren’t for what happened the rest of the season I wouldn’t have had that great reaction to his death.
Breaking Bad had its best season this year. The previous season contained great acting and so did this one, but this year it just had something a little extra. The only show on television right now that I watch that can compete with this is Mad Men. I am interested to see if that show can still keep up with Breaking Bad when it comes back in 2012. And of course this season of Breaking Bad gets 5 out of 5 stars. If you’re not watching it, do yourself a favor and start.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Take 5 - 10/14/11
Each week I take 5 news items from the current week from the entertainment industry, list them out here and then give my take on them. This is Take 5.
1. Netflix Puts a Halt to Qwikster – Thank you. I hated this decision from the beginning. I use Netflix pretty heavily and the thought of having to go to two different websites to manage my movie watching experience bugged me. I have my movies all laid out and I love the way it is right now. Fortunately I was not the only one who thought this was a terrible idea. So long Qwikster, we hated you before we met you.
2. iOS 5 is Released – I am a PC guy and it will be very hard for me to ever change over to a Mac. That being said I am very impressed with Apple and their new iOS update gives me everything that I love about my Android phone on a more reliable and more supported handset. I have one more month before I upgrade. Before now I was planning on returning to Android, but I am now almost certain to be getting the new iPhone.
3. The Avengers Trailer – If you would have told me 5 years ago that an Avengers movie would be made and that it would be written and directed by Joss Whedon I would have slapped you in the face and called you Shirley. But it is coming and we got the first real trailer this week. The big question that is still left unanswered is who are the aliens that are being used. We know Loki has an alien army, but what army? The rest of the trailer does demonstrate that this will be a very big threat and features classic Whedon dialog spoken from Downey. I can’t wait to see how this movie comes together.
4. The New 52 Sells 5 Million Comics – Wow! Thanks to the speculator bust of the 90’s comics have been slowly dying. The industry is on the verge of collapse but it appears that DC has managed to inject some life into it by relaunching their line-up. I think that they’ve done a pretty decent job so far. My only wish is that the comics would truly embrace digital and give me a Netflix type option for reading. I know they don’t want to kill brick and mortar stores but they also need to do this to save themselves.
5. The CW on Netflix – I know, two Netflix stories this week. But this one is just as important. I have a hard time giving CW shows a chance because a lot of what they show is crap at first. Then I hear that they start to get better. So now I can watch a couple of these shows that people panned at first and are now raving about. I love technology.
1. Netflix Puts a Halt to Qwikster – Thank you. I hated this decision from the beginning. I use Netflix pretty heavily and the thought of having to go to two different websites to manage my movie watching experience bugged me. I have my movies all laid out and I love the way it is right now. Fortunately I was not the only one who thought this was a terrible idea. So long Qwikster, we hated you before we met you.
2. iOS 5 is Released – I am a PC guy and it will be very hard for me to ever change over to a Mac. That being said I am very impressed with Apple and their new iOS update gives me everything that I love about my Android phone on a more reliable and more supported handset. I have one more month before I upgrade. Before now I was planning on returning to Android, but I am now almost certain to be getting the new iPhone.
3. The Avengers Trailer – If you would have told me 5 years ago that an Avengers movie would be made and that it would be written and directed by Joss Whedon I would have slapped you in the face and called you Shirley. But it is coming and we got the first real trailer this week. The big question that is still left unanswered is who are the aliens that are being used. We know Loki has an alien army, but what army? The rest of the trailer does demonstrate that this will be a very big threat and features classic Whedon dialog spoken from Downey. I can’t wait to see how this movie comes together.
4. The New 52 Sells 5 Million Comics – Wow! Thanks to the speculator bust of the 90’s comics have been slowly dying. The industry is on the verge of collapse but it appears that DC has managed to inject some life into it by relaunching their line-up. I think that they’ve done a pretty decent job so far. My only wish is that the comics would truly embrace digital and give me a Netflix type option for reading. I know they don’t want to kill brick and mortar stores but they also need to do this to save themselves.
5. The CW on Netflix – I know, two Netflix stories this week. But this one is just as important. I have a hard time giving CW shows a chance because a lot of what they show is crap at first. Then I hear that they start to get better. So now I can watch a couple of these shows that people panned at first and are now raving about. I love technology.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Best Years of Our Lives - The Oscar Project Part XIX
By November of 1946, World War II had been over for about a year. In high school I was told about how this was some of the best times that America ever had. Little is ever mentioned about the toll that the war took on the soldiers returning from home. That conversation is left for the Vietnam War and now the Gulf Wars. “The Best Years of Our Lives” is an in depth study of how problems associated with war affected people after World War II and really shows a darker side to that time period that is glossed over in most history books.
The film focuses on the lives of three different characters. Each of them is suffering from effects brought on by their time served in the war. Al, an older gentleman, becomes an alcoholic, Fred, who cannot find a decent job and suffers from flashbacks, and Homer, who has lost both of his hands. Over the course of the film each of the characters are brought to their lowest point before being raised back up again. The film also takes the time to show the audience how family members react to their problems. The three stories intermingle throughout the movie before we are treated to a happy ending were everyone has either gotten over their problems or have accepted them as part of who they are. The ending is a little bit too happy and probably wouldn’t fit in with the cinema of today, but the journey to the happy ending felt earned, so it doesn’t take away too much from the film.
From an acting standpoint the film is solid. Dana Andrews carries the meat of the dramatic portion of the film and he does a very good job of portraying someone who has been deeply affected by the war. Fredric March puts in a solid performance as the alcoholic but it is not to remarkable. The most impressive performance came from Harold Russell, who actually has no hands in real life, since this was his first try at acting. He was able to convey a lot of emotion using his expressions that many actors can never get to. It is a complement to director William Wyler that he gambled here and won. Wyler also created some very intimate settings with the set. I really felt thrust into the lives of these characters when compared to some of the more open sets that previous movies have had.
It was great to see the negative effects of World War II depicted on screen, yet also sad to see that the problems that exist after a war have been around for so long and it seems as if a true support system just can’t be found to avoid these issues. There are several better pictures available that show the after effects of war, but if you want something a little lighter than today’s fare, this would be a good choice. It gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The film focuses on the lives of three different characters. Each of them is suffering from effects brought on by their time served in the war. Al, an older gentleman, becomes an alcoholic, Fred, who cannot find a decent job and suffers from flashbacks, and Homer, who has lost both of his hands. Over the course of the film each of the characters are brought to their lowest point before being raised back up again. The film also takes the time to show the audience how family members react to their problems. The three stories intermingle throughout the movie before we are treated to a happy ending were everyone has either gotten over their problems or have accepted them as part of who they are. The ending is a little bit too happy and probably wouldn’t fit in with the cinema of today, but the journey to the happy ending felt earned, so it doesn’t take away too much from the film.
From an acting standpoint the film is solid. Dana Andrews carries the meat of the dramatic portion of the film and he does a very good job of portraying someone who has been deeply affected by the war. Fredric March puts in a solid performance as the alcoholic but it is not to remarkable. The most impressive performance came from Harold Russell, who actually has no hands in real life, since this was his first try at acting. He was able to convey a lot of emotion using his expressions that many actors can never get to. It is a complement to director William Wyler that he gambled here and won. Wyler also created some very intimate settings with the set. I really felt thrust into the lives of these characters when compared to some of the more open sets that previous movies have had.
It was great to see the negative effects of World War II depicted on screen, yet also sad to see that the problems that exist after a war have been around for so long and it seems as if a true support system just can’t be found to avoid these issues. There are several better pictures available that show the after effects of war, but if you want something a little lighter than today’s fare, this would be a good choice. It gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Doctor Who Season 6 Review
“Doctor Who” is fun science fiction, pure and simple. This past season of “Doctor Who” has taken a different approach than previous seasons have. It became apparent that Steven Moffat, the show runner, is telling a multi-season spanning epic instead of focusing on one season at a time like the previous seasons under Russel Davies. For me this makes the overall story feel more awesome but also frustrating as I am use to getting the answers for the season at the end of the season. If the story wasn’t interesting this would be a hindrance to the show. Fortunately, by focusing on perhaps the longest running mystery in television the storyline has me on the edge of my seat week in and week out. That mystery is of course the name of the Doctor. It’s something I thought would never be revealed, but with all the focus on it over the past few seasons, they will have to reveal it or we will feel cheated.
The season itself was full of fun and lots of head scratching moments. It introduced a new villain in the Silence. It was a little confusing distinguishing between the alien species and the religion, but it worked out. The Impossible Astronaut was a great way to start the season and really showed how ferocious the Doctor had become by turning the entire human race into murderers. The standalone episodes worked well, particularly the pirate adventure and the future Amy story. The episode featuring the flesh was suitably trippy and kept some fun with having two doctors. But the season had its biggest moments in the midseason finale and opener and then the season finale. These episodes not only answered a ton of questions but also had a lot of fun moments. Centurion Rory confronting the Cybermen, stuffing Hitler in a closet and Amy realizing that she is the Doctor’s Mother in Law.
The season wasn’t without a few flaws however. The River timeline has become a little confusing. I believe and hope that the River backward in time thing is over or won’t be used to often. It’s hard to follow now with seeing multiple versions of River. The episode featuring the dollhouse was a bit of a let down as well. Small kids being scared usually deliver a great payoff, but this just felt meh. Also, it felt like everyone was separated a bit too often. I love seeing the Doctor and Amy together and it felt like they separated them a lot this year. Still all of this doesn’t matter because this season gave us Stormbringer – Bringer of Doom. Such a brilliant name.
Another great season and next year should bring something really special. It is the 50th anniversary of “Doctor Who” and it looks like Moffat is getting ready to bring his grand epic to a close. As long as we have some more bow tie wearing fun I’m sure I’ll be happy. This season gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The season itself was full of fun and lots of head scratching moments. It introduced a new villain in the Silence. It was a little confusing distinguishing between the alien species and the religion, but it worked out. The Impossible Astronaut was a great way to start the season and really showed how ferocious the Doctor had become by turning the entire human race into murderers. The standalone episodes worked well, particularly the pirate adventure and the future Amy story. The episode featuring the flesh was suitably trippy and kept some fun with having two doctors. But the season had its biggest moments in the midseason finale and opener and then the season finale. These episodes not only answered a ton of questions but also had a lot of fun moments. Centurion Rory confronting the Cybermen, stuffing Hitler in a closet and Amy realizing that she is the Doctor’s Mother in Law.
The season wasn’t without a few flaws however. The River timeline has become a little confusing. I believe and hope that the River backward in time thing is over or won’t be used to often. It’s hard to follow now with seeing multiple versions of River. The episode featuring the dollhouse was a bit of a let down as well. Small kids being scared usually deliver a great payoff, but this just felt meh. Also, it felt like everyone was separated a bit too often. I love seeing the Doctor and Amy together and it felt like they separated them a lot this year. Still all of this doesn’t matter because this season gave us Stormbringer – Bringer of Doom. Such a brilliant name.
Another great season and next year should bring something really special. It is the 50th anniversary of “Doctor Who” and it looks like Moffat is getting ready to bring his grand epic to a close. As long as we have some more bow tie wearing fun I’m sure I’ll be happy. This season gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Take 5 10/07/11
Each week I take 5 news items from the current week from the entertainment industry, list them out here and then give my take on them. This is Take 5.
1. Netflix vs. Amazon for Streaming Rights – Both Netflix and Amazon announced new streaming agreements today. Netflix with Dreamworks and Amazon with Fox Television. Both deals will add more content to the streaming arena. Being able to access both of these is great for me as it is more stuff I can stream whenever I want. The competition between these two companies is fierce and I love it. It is great for the consumer and helps to push the digital medium along further. I love my little DVD boxes, but I would much rather watch anything I want at the click of a button.
2. Arrested Development Returns . . . Maybe – It was announced this week that deals are in the works to bring back Arrested Development as a 10 episode series with a movie. While this feels closer than any other time, I’ll believe it when I see production actually starting. I loved Arrested Development, but I’ve gotten my hopes up to many times to get excited for this. Not to mention after 5 years will the show still be as funny as it was back when it first aired?
3. iPhone 4S Announced – It’s strange that the announcement of a new phone will dominate the news cycle for a whole day. The announcement of the phone came at the disappointment of many who were expecting something different. But I think if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The iPhone 4 has been tremendously popular, why mess with a good formula.
4. NBC cancels The Playboy Club and Free Agents – Well that didn’t take long. I never bothered to check out Free Agents and The Playboy Club probably belonged on cable, it would be a perfect fit for USA I think or maybe Starz. Either way both of these shows are not going to be missed, hopefully Hank Azaria will find a job one day that isn’t just a voice on the Simpsons.
5. The Death of Steve Jobs – I’m not really a huge Apple fan. I doubt I will ever buy an Apple laptop or desktop, I have PC rules built into me too deeply to give up that control. I do however have an iPad and iPods and I manage my music through iTunes. And with those, the iPhone and Pixar, Jobs was able to change the way people view things. He was a visionary and showman. He certainly left his mark on the world and he will be missed.
1. Netflix vs. Amazon for Streaming Rights – Both Netflix and Amazon announced new streaming agreements today. Netflix with Dreamworks and Amazon with Fox Television. Both deals will add more content to the streaming arena. Being able to access both of these is great for me as it is more stuff I can stream whenever I want. The competition between these two companies is fierce and I love it. It is great for the consumer and helps to push the digital medium along further. I love my little DVD boxes, but I would much rather watch anything I want at the click of a button.
2. Arrested Development Returns . . . Maybe – It was announced this week that deals are in the works to bring back Arrested Development as a 10 episode series with a movie. While this feels closer than any other time, I’ll believe it when I see production actually starting. I loved Arrested Development, but I’ve gotten my hopes up to many times to get excited for this. Not to mention after 5 years will the show still be as funny as it was back when it first aired?
3. iPhone 4S Announced – It’s strange that the announcement of a new phone will dominate the news cycle for a whole day. The announcement of the phone came at the disappointment of many who were expecting something different. But I think if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The iPhone 4 has been tremendously popular, why mess with a good formula.
4. NBC cancels The Playboy Club and Free Agents – Well that didn’t take long. I never bothered to check out Free Agents and The Playboy Club probably belonged on cable, it would be a perfect fit for USA I think or maybe Starz. Either way both of these shows are not going to be missed, hopefully Hank Azaria will find a job one day that isn’t just a voice on the Simpsons.
5. The Death of Steve Jobs – I’m not really a huge Apple fan. I doubt I will ever buy an Apple laptop or desktop, I have PC rules built into me too deeply to give up that control. I do however have an iPad and iPods and I manage my music through iTunes. And with those, the iPhone and Pixar, Jobs was able to change the way people view things. He was a visionary and showman. He certainly left his mark on the world and he will be missed.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Lost Weekend - The Oscar Project Part XVIII
The year 1945 brought an end to World War II. During this year the Oscar winning film “The Lost Weekend” was released. Unlike the last several films, this movie didn’t have anything that really displayed what I currently perceive as the social consciousness of America at the time. The war was coming to an end so people were happy, America was about to experience a baby boom and the depression was over. However, between this movie and the movie released the following year, I am beginning to wonder if alcoholism was already a problem for America during the 1940’s.
“The Lost Weekend” focuses on writer Don Birnam and his troubles with alcohol, particularly over the course of one weekend. The movie follows Don as he goes through several different levels of being an alcoholic. He hides liquor, steals money, gets thrown out of bars, hospitalized, institutionalized, experiences hallucinations and even contemplates suicide. Fortunately, the love of a woman is able to turn his life around and the story has a happy ending. The plot is predictable by today’s standards but it really manages to display the disease of alcohol effectively. It could go head to head with the more modern examinations of drinking that are part of the films of today. Even the ending isn’t overly sappy and really gives the character closure without making him completely forget the journey that he has been on.
From an acting standpoint the film relies almost entirely on Ray Milland. As the main character it is his job to make the audience believe in the experiences that Don is going through. He does a marvelous job portraying the fall that Don goes through in the movie. The differences that are invoked over each step of the process are subtle yet very effective. Jane Wyman does a decent job opposite him, but isn’t given to much to work with. Billy Wilder hits the mark from a direction standpoint, it is a good solid effort nothing to remarkable but the audience can tell that he knows his craft.
Overall the movie is good, nothing to special since the modern movie watcher has seen this story told time and time again, but this was still a good movie. It gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
“The Lost Weekend” focuses on writer Don Birnam and his troubles with alcohol, particularly over the course of one weekend. The movie follows Don as he goes through several different levels of being an alcoholic. He hides liquor, steals money, gets thrown out of bars, hospitalized, institutionalized, experiences hallucinations and even contemplates suicide. Fortunately, the love of a woman is able to turn his life around and the story has a happy ending. The plot is predictable by today’s standards but it really manages to display the disease of alcohol effectively. It could go head to head with the more modern examinations of drinking that are part of the films of today. Even the ending isn’t overly sappy and really gives the character closure without making him completely forget the journey that he has been on.
From an acting standpoint the film relies almost entirely on Ray Milland. As the main character it is his job to make the audience believe in the experiences that Don is going through. He does a marvelous job portraying the fall that Don goes through in the movie. The differences that are invoked over each step of the process are subtle yet very effective. Jane Wyman does a decent job opposite him, but isn’t given to much to work with. Billy Wilder hits the mark from a direction standpoint, it is a good solid effort nothing to remarkable but the audience can tell that he knows his craft.
Overall the movie is good, nothing to special since the modern movie watcher has seen this story told time and time again, but this was still a good movie. It gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, October 3, 2011
The New Fall Season - Part III
The new fall season is under way and every year there seem to be more and more shows vying for our attention. Here is the second part of my fall TV round up from what I’ve seen so far (both old and new) and thank you TiVo for making this possible. Check out my earlier blogs for my thoughts on other shows.
Terra Nova – Dinosaurs! Time Travel! Steven Spielberg! After having been hyped for more than a year I was worried that this show would turn out to be garbage since it had been delayed over and over again. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this is a pretty good episode. It won’t live in the land of great pilots but it was enough for me to check out a few more episodes. I like the premise and the characters have potential. Better than the stuff over on SyFy, that’s for sure.
The Playboy Club – I’m not sure what this show is trying to be. It’s a mix between a murder mystery and a Victoria’s Secret fashion show that is trying to evoke the same feeling as Mad Men. Well, it definitely isn’t Mad Men and it has a lot of flaws. The plot doesn’t make much sense and there isn’t a real solid actor among the group. This is a guilty pleasure show and its best chance for survival, which doesn’t seem likely, is to just go over the top in soapiness and crazy story lines. Just make it a fun show.
Fringe – The best Sci-Fi on TV returns with two solid episodes that could teach Ringer a thing or two about split screen filming. I’m still reacting to the slight nods that the show is giving to the old universe and to Peter. However, this can only last for a little while longer before I will get frustrated with Peter Bishop still being absent. Right now I am still having fun figuring out what is different and what is the same.
Fox Sunday Animation Domination – All the shows from last year return again. Not much to say here as each of them have been following the status quo. Each show has its own voice now and all appeal to the same type of person. Odds are if you don’t like one of these shows you won’t like any of them.
Pan-Am – The other show set in the 1960’s that premiered this season. And the better of the two shows. The acting is good and the interactions between the main characters are interesting and there is a lot of potential in the future. The only weak point is with the spy angle that is present. It feels out of place and I would rather follow the fun times that these girls have exploring the world and flying through the sky.
That’s it for now. A few more shows have yet to air, but I will cover them when they do.
Terra Nova – Dinosaurs! Time Travel! Steven Spielberg! After having been hyped for more than a year I was worried that this show would turn out to be garbage since it had been delayed over and over again. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this is a pretty good episode. It won’t live in the land of great pilots but it was enough for me to check out a few more episodes. I like the premise and the characters have potential. Better than the stuff over on SyFy, that’s for sure.
The Playboy Club – I’m not sure what this show is trying to be. It’s a mix between a murder mystery and a Victoria’s Secret fashion show that is trying to evoke the same feeling as Mad Men. Well, it definitely isn’t Mad Men and it has a lot of flaws. The plot doesn’t make much sense and there isn’t a real solid actor among the group. This is a guilty pleasure show and its best chance for survival, which doesn’t seem likely, is to just go over the top in soapiness and crazy story lines. Just make it a fun show.
Fringe – The best Sci-Fi on TV returns with two solid episodes that could teach Ringer a thing or two about split screen filming. I’m still reacting to the slight nods that the show is giving to the old universe and to Peter. However, this can only last for a little while longer before I will get frustrated with Peter Bishop still being absent. Right now I am still having fun figuring out what is different and what is the same.
Fox Sunday Animation Domination – All the shows from last year return again. Not much to say here as each of them have been following the status quo. Each show has its own voice now and all appeal to the same type of person. Odds are if you don’t like one of these shows you won’t like any of them.
Pan-Am – The other show set in the 1960’s that premiered this season. And the better of the two shows. The acting is good and the interactions between the main characters are interesting and there is a lot of potential in the future. The only weak point is with the spy angle that is present. It feels out of place and I would rather follow the fun times that these girls have exploring the world and flying through the sky.
That’s it for now. A few more shows have yet to air, but I will cover them when they do.
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