This is somewhat half-assed - I had written a bunch of reviews but then lost the file - so - this is what we ended up with this week - me trying to recreate the stale magic of doing this the first time around. I've also been pretty busy this week so - here is this week's half-ass attempt to seem relevant.
AT THE MOVIES (Synd)
I heard that Ebert and Roeper are taking their names away from this and that the show is going in a "different direction." What could that be? They are best at reviewing movies - my prediction: it becomes a fluff piece that promotes the films in a softball way (this is Disney we're talking about) then has psuedo reviews where they show clips and talk to the actors and stuff - just what we didn't need. Long live Ebert, Siskel, Roeper, and the great reviewer A.O. Scott who did many turns on the couch. Not having a weekly movie review program will suck - so I guess for now, the balcony is closed.
HULK HOGAN ON STERN (SIRIUS SATELLITE)
Was great. He was open, funny - everything that Pam Anderson on both Stern and Letterman was not.
THE DARK KNIGHT (IN THEATERS)
No spoilers, but suffice it to say this is a hugely ambitious superhero film - maybe one of the most ambitious ever made. Not entirely, but mostly pretty successful. Heath Ledger is an honest to God revelation in one of his last roles - but we don't get quite enough of the Joker - and there doesn't seem to be a great exit for his character and yes, I know the actor died, but they had wrapped out his shooting long before that. The movie feels over long by about a half hour, and some if it is really uneven - but if you're looking for a dark, murky and complex crime thriller - with the addition of some ass kicking Batman-style movie making - this is pretty damn good. I didn't quite love it the way I thought I might - but I loved it. Mostly.
Grade: A -
FUNNY GAMES (AMERICAN VERSION)
So - I finally took a look at this - after giving an A + to the original. This is virtually a shot for shot remake of the original with the original director - and there are NO extras on this bare-bones but well-shot dvd. Standing in for the originals are Tim Roth and Naomi Watts as the hapless couple and Michael Pitt and another actor I can't quite name take the place of the tormentors. This is virtually the same film - but - and this is what I had anticipated - slightly less violent. The dog scene seems to be missing from the American version, and it seems like they go a little easier with the roughness towards the child in the film. Still, if you haven't seen either and hate subtitles, this is a decent way to go. While Roth and Pitt are terrific in their roles, I don't think Watts comes near the emotional journey that the woman from the original displayed. And I think the original is somehow a bit more artful - but you can't go wrong either way, here. I think you'll end up liking whichever one you see first - but there is no use in seeing them both - if you have to go with one - I'd pick the original. Also, if you are disturbed easily by scenes of implied torture - don't go anywhere near this disturbing film. Either version.
FUNNY GAMES
Original: A +
Remake: A -
SUPER HIGH ME (DVD)
Doug Benson, very funny comic and seemingly on very single VH1 show ever produced, does this comic take off on SUPERSIZE ME - Doug, a bit of a stoner - but not as much of one as we might've expected - doesn't do weed for 30 days, then smokes weed for 30 days. I have to admit - I loved the premise - but once he started smoking I realized that what could've been a smarter more informative and funny docu - had kinda gone up in smoke - couldn't really finish it - had the munchies.
Grade: C -
AMERICAN GANGSTER (DVD)
I chose to watch the 3 hour cut. Very good film, very good acting, and very dissapointing. For everything that's right about this, there's like - 10 things that are wrong. Denzel is great, Russel Crowe is good - his New York accent really doesn't fly here - and the filmaking never really gets into Denzel's character - all supposedly based on a real story. And for a bio film, the movie doesn't feel very convincing. All things considered, well worth renting, just no greatness that we expect from people like Russel Crowed, Denzel and the great director, Ridley Scott. The original theatrical ending is here, as well as the longer director's cut, which features an extended episode of...well - I don't want to be a spoiler - but both versions seem to work. The longer cut features a freeze frame ending along with a cheesy rap song - so I'd probably go for the theatrical cut - but if you skip this one altogether, you'll have 2 or 3 hours of your life back.
Grade: C
MAD MEN (AMC)
Great atmospheric opener. What a show. It looks like season 2 is going to be great, but they didn't do too much story in the opener - looking forward to the week's ahead.
Grade: A
THE TWO COREYS (A&E)
Haim had a complete meltdown on his LOST BOYS 2 shooting day. We heard him take a pill, we watched him slur his words and we saw him get called out on it by Feldman and his shrink. This episode, featuring Feldman crying for his friend whose life can't seem to rise from the ashes - was clearly unscripted and truly heartbreaking. This grade I give is without irony:
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment