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. Adele rules the Grammys! – Yeah I know that she didn’t get the most nominations, that was Kanye, but she got the most where it counts. Bruno Mars made a strong showing too with his freshman album. The Grammys are always really confusing when it comes to nominations because the eligibility period is very weird. For example Bruno Mars wasn’t up for best new artist either last year or this year, yet Nikki Minaj, who has been around for a couple of years was nominated this year. Anyways, I don’t really care too much about who wins. I just like to see the musical acts during the awards show.
2. Miyamoto Steps Down? – So first it is announced that Miyamoto (the creator of Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda etc.) was retiring. That was immediately withdrawn and he is apparently just taking on less responsibilities. To me that is just fine. The guy was a genius, but I almost feel as though the past couple of years he has been holding Nintendo back and it is time to let go some of his control. The guy will always be remembered as one of the best designers ever, he doesn’t need to add more to his legacy.
3. Bernicio Del Toro Leaves Star Trek 2 – Probably a big mistake on his part. If it was his decision. The Star Trek sequel is hugely anticipated and the villain will get a lot of focus. Del Toro is a good actor and could make for an interesting villain. Hopefully they will be able to take this opportunity to get someone even better.
4. Alec Baldwin Upsets the Friendly Skies – So apparently Alec decided that playing Words with Friends was really important. He was recently kicked off American Airlines for refusing to put his phone away. He complained about it on Twitter, and then quit Twitter. Now first I applaud the airline for kicking him off, he broke the rules and that is what happens. But why quit Twitter. It’s America and the Internet. If you aren’t complaining about something on the internet and you live in America you might be Canadian.
5. Community Put on Hiatus – I really enjoy most of the NBC Thursday night comedy block. But it seems I am in the minority. I find Community to be fantastic, it is this fun little quirky show that reminds me a little of Arrested Development. Not as funny, but still really good. Unfortunately, due to ratings the show was put on hiatus. Hopefully it won’t last too long and it will be back and continue working its way to six seasons and a movie.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Marty - The Oscar Project Part XXVIII
The 1955 film “Marty” is best known to me as Ernest Borgnine’s best performance and is what gave him real credibility as an actor. This was curious to me as I have always viewed Borgnine as just a silly old man, so I was interested to see where he got his Oscar from. Similar to “On the Waterfront”, which won the previous year, “Marty” is really about the performance of one guy. But the question is does can a movie based on the performance of a guy who’s career didn’t take the same path as Brando hold up today.
“Marty” is about a butcher named Marty. He is a bachelor in his 30’s that lives with his mother and is socially awkward. One night he goes out to the clubs with his friends and ends up spending the evening with a lady who is almost as socially awkward as he is. They hit it off and the next day when he plans on calling her, he gets advice from everyone around him that he shouldn’t because of a variety of reasons. Eventually at the end he brushes everyone off and makes the call. And that is where the movie ends. This plot is okay but it is fairly simple. For the movie going audience of today not enough is really going on here. While “On the Waterfront” focused heavily on Brando’s character, there were others there, the entire plot of the movie didn’t hinge on his performance and he was able to make a good film a great one. Here, without Borgnine’s performance, the movie would have nothing else.
From an acting standpoint I find that Ernest put in a solid effort, but I didn’t find it to be anything spectacular. Except for the last speech, which was pretty good, his character lacked a lot of emotion. I realize that this is the way the character is meant to be portrayed and that it is really more of a script problem than anything Borgnine had control over. But a solid performance can’t carry a movie full of one note characters that you’re not supposed to like because the film is designed to make you root for Marty. It leaves very little to write about.
In the end I don’t think that this movie could have been made the same way today. Audiences now need more going on in a movie, and a more charismatic lead character. A character like Marty would most likely we relegated to a supporting character and a subplot which may sound unfortunate, but that is the way the world is. “Marty” gets 2.5 out of 5 stars.
“Marty” is about a butcher named Marty. He is a bachelor in his 30’s that lives with his mother and is socially awkward. One night he goes out to the clubs with his friends and ends up spending the evening with a lady who is almost as socially awkward as he is. They hit it off and the next day when he plans on calling her, he gets advice from everyone around him that he shouldn’t because of a variety of reasons. Eventually at the end he brushes everyone off and makes the call. And that is where the movie ends. This plot is okay but it is fairly simple. For the movie going audience of today not enough is really going on here. While “On the Waterfront” focused heavily on Brando’s character, there were others there, the entire plot of the movie didn’t hinge on his performance and he was able to make a good film a great one. Here, without Borgnine’s performance, the movie would have nothing else.
From an acting standpoint I find that Ernest put in a solid effort, but I didn’t find it to be anything spectacular. Except for the last speech, which was pretty good, his character lacked a lot of emotion. I realize that this is the way the character is meant to be portrayed and that it is really more of a script problem than anything Borgnine had control over. But a solid performance can’t carry a movie full of one note characters that you’re not supposed to like because the film is designed to make you root for Marty. It leaves very little to write about.
In the end I don’t think that this movie could have been made the same way today. Audiences now need more going on in a movie, and a more charismatic lead character. A character like Marty would most likely we relegated to a supporting character and a subplot which may sound unfortunate, but that is the way the world is. “Marty” gets 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Legend of Zelda: A Look Back Part II
As much as I enjoyed the first and second Zelda games it wasn’t until the Super Nintendo game “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” that I became officially obsessed with a game. I don’t think I could count how many times I played that game. I did speed runs, I did runs where I didn’t save and I did several runs where I did not die. I played that game more than any other game of that generation. It also set up a lot of the mythology and game mechanics that are still in Zelda today.
It setup the concept of a twist after the first three dungeons, something that has carried over to almost every other Zelda game as well. It also introduced the proper mythology of the three separate pieces of the triforce, sages, and the dark world. It was a game I just threw myself into and remains my favorite 2D game of all time. Having such a huge world to explore and then halfway through the world size doubles by having a light side and a dark side.
Around this time we also got the Zelda cartoon series. This was part of the Super Mario show and they always showed the Zelda cartoon on Friday. Looking back I realize that it was not a very well produced cartoon, but I was always excited for Friday. Because that was Zelda day. The animation was bad and the stories weren’t interesting enough to remember at all, but seeing those Zelda characters in action made up for everything that was bad about it.
I’m currently 21 hours into “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” and I am really enjoying it now. I’ve adapted to the controls more and can now take on enemies a lot easier. Which is good because they have started to get harder. I’m near the beginning of the 4th dungeon and the separation between Skyloft and the world below makes me feel like I’m playing two different games. One I am exploring and adventuring and in the other I am just a citizen of Skyloft. It’s awesome. I can’t wait to see what comes up next.
It setup the concept of a twist after the first three dungeons, something that has carried over to almost every other Zelda game as well. It also introduced the proper mythology of the three separate pieces of the triforce, sages, and the dark world. It was a game I just threw myself into and remains my favorite 2D game of all time. Having such a huge world to explore and then halfway through the world size doubles by having a light side and a dark side.
Around this time we also got the Zelda cartoon series. This was part of the Super Mario show and they always showed the Zelda cartoon on Friday. Looking back I realize that it was not a very well produced cartoon, but I was always excited for Friday. Because that was Zelda day. The animation was bad and the stories weren’t interesting enough to remember at all, but seeing those Zelda characters in action made up for everything that was bad about it.
I’m currently 21 hours into “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” and I am really enjoying it now. I’ve adapted to the controls more and can now take on enemies a lot easier. Which is good because they have started to get harder. I’m near the beginning of the 4th dungeon and the separation between Skyloft and the world below makes me feel like I’m playing two different games. One I am exploring and adventuring and in the other I am just a citizen of Skyloft. It’s awesome. I can’t wait to see what comes up next.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
On the Waterfront - The Oscar Project Part XXVII
Another year another classic movie. Released in 1954 “On the Waterfront” is another one of those movies that is best known for lines delivered by Marlon Brando. Going into it I was interested to finally see Brando playing someone that isn’t an old guy. This is the movie that really kicked off his acting career and helped make him a legend. The funny thing is that I knew nothing else about this movie, I just knew that I was about to see some Brando action.
“On the Waterfront” is about a dock that is run by the mob. Specifically it follows Brando’s character of Terry Malloy, a former boxer that has a good place in the mob thanks to his brother. However, he eventually begins to doubt his role when he helps the mob murder an informant. While this is going on Father Berry tries to bring order to the dock and get rid of the mob, but no one will talk against the mob leader, Friendly. As Terry falls in love with Father Berry’s sister Edie, the two work to convince him to turn on the mob. Eventually Terry’s brother, Charlie, tries to persuade him not to become an informant and when he fails Charlie is murdered. This all culminates in a fight on the dock between Friendly and Terry. Terry is winning until Friendly calls on help and has Terry beaten to near death. This all happens in front of the dock workers who finally unite and stand up to the mob.
While watching this movie I couldn’t help but notice some of the similarities to another great movie, “Rocky.” To me it seems that “Rocky” is simply what would have happened if Terry hadn’t thrown that fight that he was forced to throw. While the movie is very good most of that is because of the performance Brando puts in. Watching this movie it is easy to understand why he is a legend. This is the role of a lifetime and he nails it. The movie belongs to him as it is he that I remember throughout the movie. Everything else was perfectly fine, the rest of the actors are good and the direction from Elia Kazan is great, but it is Brando that really delivers in this movie.
Overall this is just a great movie thanks to the performance by Brando. If it were released today with the same level of acting the movie would be a definite nominee for an Academy Award. And whoever played the part of Terry would be nominated as well. It’s certainly one of the best characters created for the American cinema. It gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.
“On the Waterfront” is about a dock that is run by the mob. Specifically it follows Brando’s character of Terry Malloy, a former boxer that has a good place in the mob thanks to his brother. However, he eventually begins to doubt his role when he helps the mob murder an informant. While this is going on Father Berry tries to bring order to the dock and get rid of the mob, but no one will talk against the mob leader, Friendly. As Terry falls in love with Father Berry’s sister Edie, the two work to convince him to turn on the mob. Eventually Terry’s brother, Charlie, tries to persuade him not to become an informant and when he fails Charlie is murdered. This all culminates in a fight on the dock between Friendly and Terry. Terry is winning until Friendly calls on help and has Terry beaten to near death. This all happens in front of the dock workers who finally unite and stand up to the mob.
While watching this movie I couldn’t help but notice some of the similarities to another great movie, “Rocky.” To me it seems that “Rocky” is simply what would have happened if Terry hadn’t thrown that fight that he was forced to throw. While the movie is very good most of that is because of the performance Brando puts in. Watching this movie it is easy to understand why he is a legend. This is the role of a lifetime and he nails it. The movie belongs to him as it is he that I remember throughout the movie. Everything else was perfectly fine, the rest of the actors are good and the direction from Elia Kazan is great, but it is Brando that really delivers in this movie.
Overall this is just a great movie thanks to the performance by Brando. If it were released today with the same level of acting the movie would be a definite nominee for an Academy Award. And whoever played the part of Terry would be nominated as well. It’s certainly one of the best characters created for the American cinema. It gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Legend of Zelda: A Look Back Part I
Most video games these days have become annualized. That means that we get a new one every year. For some of the larger games there is a two year break in between each one. There is one franchise though that has yet to follow this pattern. The Legend of Zelda. I’ve played each major home console installment of the series, starting with the 1986 original. I haven’t had the chance to play the portable ones, but that is just because I’m not really a portable gaming guy. It’s been 5 years since the last installment “Twilight Princess” was released and now I am 10 hours into “Skyward Sword.” Being the 25th anniversary I thought it would be best to put down some of my memories over the next few weeks about this great series.
I don’t remember the exact year that I played “The Legend of Zelda” (TLOZ) for the first time. What I remember most was the gold cartridge and just getting completely lost in the world. From a story standpoint the game was simple. Save the princess, beat the bad guy. But the world itself was full of puzzles. I remember burning a bush to find a dungeon entrance and wondering why I just stabbed a guy after he gave me his sword. It was a game that I kept going back to and beating over and over again. It even had a second quest that I didn’t enjoy as much as the first quest but I played through it multiple times just the same.
I was really excited for “The Legend of Zelda II” when it came out a few years later. But I was disappointed. Instead of the top down action I loved. I got a side scrolling adventure RPG. I was turned off by it and barely played it at all until a few years later when I returned to the game and got lost in what Nintendo was trying to do. Here was a new take on Zelda, full of the puzzles and action that I loved but presented in a new format that while different was still fun. After much hard work I eventually got through the game and beat the shadow version of Link. It still remains the most difficult Zelda game to be released.
Next week I’ll cover the Super Nintendo game and the cartoon. But first at the end of each of these I’ll describe my thoughts on Twilight Princess so far. I’m 10 hours in and I’ve beaten the 2nd dungeon. I’m loving the uses for the wii-mote when it comes to accessories. The golden beetle, bombs and slingshot all work great. The sword fighting is still a little waggle to win for most basic enemies, but for larger ones it takes quite a bit of patience and some skill. I’m enjoying the story so far, there are a lot of interesting characters being set up and I can’t wait for the pay off.
I don’t remember the exact year that I played “The Legend of Zelda” (TLOZ) for the first time. What I remember most was the gold cartridge and just getting completely lost in the world. From a story standpoint the game was simple. Save the princess, beat the bad guy. But the world itself was full of puzzles. I remember burning a bush to find a dungeon entrance and wondering why I just stabbed a guy after he gave me his sword. It was a game that I kept going back to and beating over and over again. It even had a second quest that I didn’t enjoy as much as the first quest but I played through it multiple times just the same.
I was really excited for “The Legend of Zelda II” when it came out a few years later. But I was disappointed. Instead of the top down action I loved. I got a side scrolling adventure RPG. I was turned off by it and barely played it at all until a few years later when I returned to the game and got lost in what Nintendo was trying to do. Here was a new take on Zelda, full of the puzzles and action that I loved but presented in a new format that while different was still fun. After much hard work I eventually got through the game and beat the shadow version of Link. It still remains the most difficult Zelda game to be released.
Next week I’ll cover the Super Nintendo game and the cartoon. But first at the end of each of these I’ll describe my thoughts on Twilight Princess so far. I’m 10 hours in and I’ve beaten the 2nd dungeon. I’m loving the uses for the wii-mote when it comes to accessories. The golden beetle, bombs and slingshot all work great. The sword fighting is still a little waggle to win for most basic enemies, but for larger ones it takes quite a bit of patience and some skill. I’m enjoying the story so far, there are a lot of interesting characters being set up and I can’t wait for the pay off.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
From Here to Eternity - The Oscar Project Part XXVI
After the last film “The Greatest Show on Earth” Oscar returned to honoring films that were actually good with “From Here to Eternity.” Released in 1953, the film returns to what is still one of the most popular subjects for Oscar films to this very day, World War II. No war is more represented by movies that have won the best picture Oscar. The reason is simple, the majority of stories about World War II end up being about good vs. evil. It’s a black and white depiction that allows for little controversy over why were fighting or why people had to die. Removing that, people can focus on the characters and stories that are being told.
The story focuses on several soldiers that are stationed in Hawaii during late December 1941. Obviously there is a high level of alert going on, but that stays in the background while we deal with the problems that the soldiers are having. The main plot focuses on Private Prewitt who has transferred to the company and refuses to fight in an upcoming boxing match. The company leader continuously tries to punish him until he agrees to box. Eventually this drives Prewitt to go AWOL, he eventually returns on December 7th where he is killed in battle. The attack also cancels the upcoming boxing match. During this story two love stories take place, including one that gives us the infamous love making scene on the beach with the waves crashing around them. The plot is much deeper than what I’ve described here and is full of layers that can keep anyone interested.
From a production standpoint the movie doesn’t miss a beat. Director Fred Zinnermann filled the movie with some great shots. Cuts were clean and he brought out a lot in his actors. Of course he also helped create one of the most memorable and mocked shots ever put on the silver screen, the beach love making scene. The acting is full of people that really know how to act featuring Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr and Ernest Borgnine. Also featured was Frank Sinatra, he did a fine job in the film, but it is rumored that the way he got this role is what inspired the horse head in the bed scene of “The Godfather.” This is only a rumor and Sinatra puts in a fine performance.
This is the classic movie that you expect to win Oscars from back in the 50’s. It has classic Hollywood leading men and ladies. With an epic story and beautiful cinematography this could easily go toe to toe with many movies released today. It gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The story focuses on several soldiers that are stationed in Hawaii during late December 1941. Obviously there is a high level of alert going on, but that stays in the background while we deal with the problems that the soldiers are having. The main plot focuses on Private Prewitt who has transferred to the company and refuses to fight in an upcoming boxing match. The company leader continuously tries to punish him until he agrees to box. Eventually this drives Prewitt to go AWOL, he eventually returns on December 7th where he is killed in battle. The attack also cancels the upcoming boxing match. During this story two love stories take place, including one that gives us the infamous love making scene on the beach with the waves crashing around them. The plot is much deeper than what I’ve described here and is full of layers that can keep anyone interested.
From a production standpoint the movie doesn’t miss a beat. Director Fred Zinnermann filled the movie with some great shots. Cuts were clean and he brought out a lot in his actors. Of course he also helped create one of the most memorable and mocked shots ever put on the silver screen, the beach love making scene. The acting is full of people that really know how to act featuring Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr and Ernest Borgnine. Also featured was Frank Sinatra, he did a fine job in the film, but it is rumored that the way he got this role is what inspired the horse head in the bed scene of “The Godfather.” This is only a rumor and Sinatra puts in a fine performance.
This is the classic movie that you expect to win Oscars from back in the 50’s. It has classic Hollywood leading men and ladies. With an epic story and beautiful cinematography this could easily go toe to toe with many movies released today. It gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Review
I do not like “Twilight.” To be fair I haven’t read any of it. But, nothing there appeals to me. I know it’s about vampires and werewolves , but it is also about brooding and a chick that can’t make up her mind. I’m a Buffy guy. Like many people my exposure to vampires comes from a blond cheerleader who can kick butt and crack a few jokes while doing it. Buffy is my vampire universe, a place with less brooding and where vampires don’t bloody sparkle. That being said, I haven’t jumped into any of this latest vampire crazes offerings. Lately though I have heard good things about the CW show “The Vampire Diaries.” So, I sat down and worked my way through season 1.
“The Vampire Diaries” isn’t Buffy, but from what I understand it isn’t “Twilight” either. It is somewhere in between. It focuses on the tale of two vampire brothers and a girl. There is lots of brooding and pining, but were the show really succeeds is in two areas. The first is that stuff happens. Main characters die, people change allegiances and people get turned into vampires. The plot of each episode moves along the general arc of the story giving people a fun ride. Second the plot relies on the history of the vampires. These guys have been around for 150 years, it’s nice to see that the stuff that they did before matters.
The biggest thing the show is missing is humor. Buffy captured so many people because it made you laugh in addition to telling a great story. There isn’t a lot of humor in “The Vampire Diaries” but the shows dark nature makes it so that comedy wouldn’t fit. Then there is the brooding. The main vampire brother, Stefen, broods too much. Even when on human blood, he was brooding. I understand that the ladies like them a good brood, but get over yourself.
For those who have been looking to get another dose of Buffy goodness “The Vampire Diaries” is a solid option. The first season gets 4 out of 5 stars.
“The Vampire Diaries” isn’t Buffy, but from what I understand it isn’t “Twilight” either. It is somewhere in between. It focuses on the tale of two vampire brothers and a girl. There is lots of brooding and pining, but were the show really succeeds is in two areas. The first is that stuff happens. Main characters die, people change allegiances and people get turned into vampires. The plot of each episode moves along the general arc of the story giving people a fun ride. Second the plot relies on the history of the vampires. These guys have been around for 150 years, it’s nice to see that the stuff that they did before matters.
The biggest thing the show is missing is humor. Buffy captured so many people because it made you laugh in addition to telling a great story. There isn’t a lot of humor in “The Vampire Diaries” but the shows dark nature makes it so that comedy wouldn’t fit. Then there is the brooding. The main vampire brother, Stefen, broods too much. Even when on human blood, he was brooding. I understand that the ladies like them a good brood, but get over yourself.
For those who have been looking to get another dose of Buffy goodness “The Vampire Diaries” is a solid option. The first season gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)