Looking forward to.... Pineapple Express

Debut: 2008
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco

I'd be lying if I said that half the reason I want to see this is because I love James Franco (because he's hot) but I love them both from Freaks and Geeks as well. And although Franco's hot, it kind of cancels out in this movie because he's playing a pothead with long hair.

Well, I think it will be good. I actually have no doubts - besides Franco and Rogen are Gary Cole (awesome), Darrell from the Office (no one knows his real name) and that new up-and-comer Danny McBride. All signs point to good.

And even if it's not funny, it appears to have a solid amount of action, so that will do either way.

Game 6

Debut: 2005
Director: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr.

Whoa, I didn't think Michael Keaton had made anything since Batman.... thanks for proving me wrong, man. Please see that comment as harmless, because he was basically amazing in this film.

Keaton plays this guy Nicky who writes plays for a living and has one coming out soon, and lives in fear of a horrible review from Steven Schwimmer (Downey). Downey tells the honest-to-God-awful truth in his reviews, so he lives in isolation and wears disguises when he leaves his building.

Anywho, Nicky is also obsessed with the Red Sox - to the point he misses his own play's opening night. He leaves the bar (after watching the losing game six....) furious without even knowing Schwimmer's impression of his play, wants to kill Schwimmer (finds him with Nicky's daughter....yikes!) and they end up working things out because they are both Red Sox fans. Maybe that last bit was a SPOILER ALERT. I didn't even realize it until I wrote it. Sorry.

Well, basically everything was great. It was easy on the eyes, easy on the head, and that's how I like it. Ooh, and it was short. You can tell I spend my days watching Blues Clues with the boys when I complain about most movies being too long or too much action. But this one was adorable, and completely worth your time.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Debut: 2001
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, a bunch of random celebrities

So basically I love most Kevin Smith movies (and by most I mean all but this one...) yeah it wasn't so great. I normally find Jay and Silent Bob hilarious, but yeah. This just didn't do it for me.

I think a lot of the parodies were pretty off-key. Yeah they weren't good at all, I would say. There's a fine art to doing parodies, which SNL proves from being on the air for 33 years, and Kevin Smith did not seem to find that fine-tuning. I'm not going to bash him, I'm sure he knows it's not his best.

And it's a little ironic that he made fun of all of his other amazing movies in this one - the one that wasn't so amazing. I don't really know what to say, but if you're a Kevin Smith fan, you're only going to be disappointed.

Sherrybaby

Debut: 2006
Director: Laurie Collyer
Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Um, I would side on the "liked it" side, but I'm not completely sure. I don't know that I would watch it again, which generally is my personal indicator as to whether I liked it or not. Hmm.

Well, it's about this girl who gets released from prison on a drug charge and ends up in a transition house. She's extremely trashy and supposedly only wants a better life for her and her daughter.

It's just plain hard to watch I suppose. Just not my style, not my thing, not anything I could ever relate to, so maybe that makes it a little bit harder to sit through. Gyllenhaal plays the kind of girl you would frown upon and the movie, in no way, ever makes you feel bad for her or relate to her at all. You still kind of just judge her and don't really think that she makes anything better for her life.

Whatev.

The Practice, Season One

Debut: 1997
Creator: David E. Kelley
Starring: Dylan McDermott, Michael Badalucco, Camryn Manheim, Steve Harris, Kelli Williams

So back in the day I was like a fanatic of The Practice. And you know what, after watching the first few episodes, I am completely shocked it ever took off. I never saw the beginning, and lately it's been on in the morning, and I was like, all right, I'll go back and watch them because I loved it so much.

Wrong. The first episode is about a drug charge. A DRUG CHARGE I say. Yeah, most of their shows were about serial killers and murderers, and they kicked it off with a drug charge case. BORING. Aside from that, Helen Gamble (Lara Flynn Boyle) was not in the picture yet, and apparently she made the show significantly more interesting.

Well, don't bother with the beginning of the great show. There was just no chemistry yet, nothing. Lame. And for some God-awful reason, that's the only season on DVD. Thanks for nothing!

Soapdish

Debut: 1991
Director: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Sally Field, Kevin Kline, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Downey Jr., Elizabeth Shue

My gosh, I finally understand that clip that is always in a Scene It? question.

I don't feel like talking about the plot, so I won't. But I liked it, quite a bit. This one was extremely witty - which is more my kind of humor. In no way is it laugh-out-loud humor (have I mentioned I HATE the phrase LOL?) but in no way does that ever mean a movie isn't funny. This one was extremely funny.

I haven't really seen many Kevin Kline movies (except Wild Wild West when I was like 10.... I don't want to talk about that...) , and he was excellent. I mean he was great. Actually, everyone was great so I don't want to single him out. This was Sally Field when she still played more cutesy characters and less serious Mom characters.

The entire movie was adorable, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to take a peek at it again sometime. Check it out for yourself.

Fargo

Debut: 1996
Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: Frances McDormand, Steve Buschemi, William H. Macy

Loved it. I had seen bits and pieces of this one over and over on TV or something, but knew that one of these days I would have to sit down and watch the whole thing, and of course, as everyone knows, it's great.

The acting is too funny - being in the Midwest and going to school with like a bazillion Minnesotans, it's just cute I guess. I don't even know anyone whose accent is quite that exaggerated, but it's just plain fun.

Aside from that, the story is great. If you haven't seen it yet, like my lame self hadn't until yesterday, I suggest looking into it.

Ghost World

Debut: 2001
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Based on the graphic novel "Ghost World" by Daniel Clowes
Starring: Scarlett Johansen, Thora Birch, Steve Buschemi, Brad Renfro

I actually was really into this movie. I had to read the "graphic novel" in an English class last year, and was kind of into the book, but I really really liked the movie.

Straight up, Ghost World has no true point to it. It's not making any kind of commentary about society or any bull like that. It's simply about two girls - Enid and Becca - who are BFF's and it sort of just follows them through the post-graduation summer.

Enter Buschemi's character, Seymour, who is kind of a middle-aged geek who listens to old records. Seymour and Enid (Birch) end up being pretty good friends, and I HATE relating to characters, but I'm the kind of person who has had best friends who I should not be best friends with.

I'm going to be letting you know all about Fargo in a minute, but I have to say, Steve Buschemi is some kind of wonderful in this movie. You almost get a crush on him (crazy, I know, right?) He is so likable, and you're not really creeped out by the time him and Birch's character get together.

I liked the acting quite a bit, and I actually think the movie made the story a little less boring than the comic book (oops, graphic novel). They added in some bits and pieces and subtracted others, and all in all, it was pretty all right.

Looking forward to.... "The X-Files: I Want to Believe"

Debut: 2008
Director: Chris Carter
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson

So I just want to clear something up, because some people think that the X-Files is for sci-fi nerds, which I definitely am not. The X-Files isn't just about aliens, contrary to popular belief, and I have always found a lot of the X-Files shows to be pretty scary.

Now, moving on, a lot of people also feel weird that they're putting out this X-Files movie so late. I don't care. I loved the X-Files and forgot all about it until now, so hey, bring it on.

Further more, I have NO idea what's going to happen in this one, but I do recall the first movie being pretty scary. The opening scene involved a boy falling into a hole underground, where some kind of bug creepy crawls into his skin. It was downright scary.

Needless to say, this might not be a horrible move - to introduce lots of people to something they might have not watched ten years ago. It could actually be genius, but who knows. I think it will be a good movie whether it actually does well or not.

The Dark Knight

Debut: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Wowsers. Obviously, this movie is kind of a big deal. A few friends and myself went to see it Friday, and I seriously cannot make up my mind. Not as to whether I liked it or not, but there was SOOOO much going on in this film that I'm surprised it's a blockbuster.

I don't know if they did this in all the theaters, and Trevor made fun of me for it, but they seriously made it darker than usual in ours. Like normally they have those side sconces on a tad, but everything was completely off for our showing. So it was darker than normal in the theater, which set the mood.

The thing that made this movie ridiculous was mostly that they crammed sooo much plot into it. So much plot AND action. The entire film either involves an all-out brawl or some serious secrets and whatnot.

The one big beef I have had, and I don't consider this to be a spoiler, but my boyfriend was annoyed when I told him, is that Two Face actually is in quite a bit of the movie. Like an hour probably. My friends and I agreed that the Two Face stuff should have been left for the next one, and I think a lot of people going into this expect that the movie will end when you see Harvey Dent's transformation to Two Face. That is the one main thing I would say I didn't approve of, because really, then, there were two villains in this film, and I think most would agree that the Joker is his own show.

Moving on to the most talked about topic in the history of the world, Heath Ledger's Joker is stunning, impeccable, scary, funny, and dead on. So many people say that Jack Nicholson did it so well, but I have to say that this was the performance of a lifetime. Here's my take on the Oscar thing - I saw most of last year's nominees, and quite frankly, WAS NOT IMPRESSED. I mean no disrespect, it just seems like some of their performances weren't terribly jarring or didn't take any real guts to play. THIS is something that should be hailed by all. Ledger did a complete transformation, and it's the weirdest thing, because no where in the film did I see the slightest trace of Ledger in the actual role. Not a bit. Aside from that, it KILLS me how he made the character, how the Joker was ridiculously sadistic but made us laugh numerous times. The one horrible thought that went through my mind during the movie was this notion that now the world could understand what led up to his death. The Joker truly frightened me and astounded me at the same time.

I've heard a lot of talk about Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance, and have to say, I wasn't crazy about it. One thing that seriously bothered me is the fact she crossed her arms all the time (which I'm sure was direction) but it's an etiquette thing that people don't cross their arms, especially not when they're hanging out with billionaires. Also, I am NEVER a fan of an actress being replaced in the way they did here. They should have just came up with a new love interest rather than having someone else place the same character Katie Holmes donned a few years ago. But whatever.

Final thoughts - it was good, and it was a whole lot of movie.

Mamma Mia

Debut: 2008
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth

Pretty great, I would say. The story you can get from the previews - it's all about a girl who is about to get married and has three possible fathers and invites all three to the weeding to give her away, thinking she would know immediately which one was her father, and she doesn't, and hilarity ensues.

I guess for musicals I was comparing it to Hairspray, because it's kind of the standard you have to live up to. And I would say that Mamma Mia was nowhere near as seamless or natural as Hairspray was. By no means does that imply that I didn't like the film, but a musical really has to have a natural aspect to it. All big musicals in history have this ability, and this one really seemed to be lacking the ability to go into song on a whim.

On that note, I will also mention that this one had a lot more "down time" between songs, which kind of made it a little harder to sit through. The comedy, too, compared to Hairspray was much more kitsch and much less witty.

On a standalone basis, I still thought it was an adorable flick. The cast was easy to love, and it was pretty entertaining. Stick around for the closing credits - the cast dresses up a la ABBA style and it's just too great.

The Muppet Show: Season One

Everything: Frank Oz and Jim Henson


Okay, I know what you're thinking. Most people who grew up around my age don't know that the Muppets are a far cry from Sesame Street - many, in fact, believe they are one in the same. But fact of the matter is the Muppets were originally created as an adult puppet show (wow that sounds bad.)

Anywho, I'm going to say it's worth it for the following reasons:

1. The music - in case you didn't know, they had a guest star on every week and the musical selections are quite entertaining.
2. Statler and Waldorf - they are the guys who sit up in the balcony and make fun of everyone else. Hilarious. And my idea of fun.
3. Pepe the King Prawn - I actually don't think I saw him in this season, but he is still one of my favorite characters. He's the little shrimp-looking guy who says "okay" after everything. I wish I could speak like that, okay.

Well, I guess those are my main reasons. But in case you don't believe me, youtube it. P.S. - "Mah-na mah-na" is the very first Muppet act of all time. If that's not worth your time then I don't know what is.

Waiting for Guffman

Debut: 1994
Director: Christopher Guest
Starring: Christopher Guest, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard

Oh man, do I ever love Christopher Guest movies, and somehow had never seen this one. I'm going to go ahead and say... AMAZING.

I've heard criticisms about the fact that all of his movies are the same basic plot - a bunch of not-so-talented people getting their hopes up for some award or whatever. But if anyone can make the same movie over and over and make it genius every time, well that man deserves an award.

Waiting for Guffman is about a small town in Missouri - Blaine - which has a sesquicentennial coming up (which you small town folks surely know what kind of a big deal that would be). The resident actor / director/ former-off-Broadway "star" decides to write a musical about Blaine's history - which includes being founded by someone who had thought they were in California but refused to tell his camp otherwise.

The story is adorable, and the actors are at their best. I think the best part is the dinner scene where they discussion Fred Willard's character's "penis de-largement".... it's pretty good.

If you like Best in Show or any of the other Christopher Guest movies, you'll love this one too!

The Painted Veil

Debut: 2006
Director: John Curan
Starring: Edward Norton, Naomi Watts

You'll notice that I read this book a few weeks ago, loved it, and felt absolutely compelled to find the movie.

Like most movies-based-on-books, this one isn't as good as the book, but I still think it was excellent.

I don't think they set up the emotions quite as well. I doubt that makes sense, but in the movie they kind of breezed through the main character, Kitty, cheating on her husband and how involved she really became with her lover, and how much it hurt them both to dive into this cholera epidemic.

I still enjoyed the film though. Somehow it didn't make me cry (I have become the biggest wuss and cry at like everything these days) but it was still a great movie. Enjoy!

Ghost Rider

Debut: 2007
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley

Not so good. You know how I feel about comic book movies (by that mean I love them!) and this one was not so great. It was way too much mythology, for lack of a better way to put it.
I don't really know what to tell you. I don't feel like saying much more, so do what you will.

Hancock

Debut: 2008
Director: Peter Berg
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman

I don't really know what to say, but you can see it for yourself. I can't explain my beefs with it, because that would give away the huge plot twist that no one sees coming, but it was pretty all right.

No further comments.

A Scanner Darkly

Debut: 2006
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson

I'm going to give you the plot line according to imdb.com because I don't think I could rightly explain it myself. "An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result."

That's the most of it, but it's extremely interesting a) because it was based on a graphic novel and b) because it involves technology that basically transformed the actors and world into a graphic novel-looking world. At first this tech kind of freaked me out, but I think when you get used to it, it's pretty awesome.

Aside from the whole graphic novel-ness, the acting was amazing. I loved it - every last bit.

This one's not going to be for everyone, so watch out if you're one of those.

Chapter 27

Debut: 2007
Director: J.P. Schaefer
Starring: Jared Leto, Lindsay Lohan

I'm going to start off and say that I am a pretty big Beatles fan, but not so much of John Lennon. I don't really have a beef with the guy, but I definitely don't think he was bigger than Jesus.

This movie is about Mark David Chapman, who shot and killed John Lennon. The film takes place over three-four days before Chapman killed him, and basically goes inside his brain leading up to it.

Leto's performance was unforgettable, as I'm sure you've heard. He put on 30+ pounds for the role, and did a complete physical and mental transformation to really put himself in the shoes.

I would say the story is going to be about as interesting as those three or four days could have been, which isn't terribly interesting. I'm not really knocking it, because it is an interesting subject, it just gets hard to watch a crazy man's rambling after a while.

Looking forward to..... The Dark Knight

Debut: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart

Who isn't looking forward to this? The God-awful thing about this movie is this massive debate is going to ensure as to whether or not it's amazing because Heath Ledger died. I expect it will be a big deal, as it already is.

I have to say, when I first saw the photos of the Joker (before he died) I was already in awe. And I hated (I say hated!) Batman Begins, but I immediately thought I could open my mind up to this one. I think the Joker is, hands down, one of the most amazing transformations an actor has probably ever made, and I can only hope and pray it will be legendary someday.

I feel like it will be oh-so-hard to judge this film. I think it will be awesome. I do! But I think there are going to be so many nay-sayers who are going to say America feels guilty about Heath Ledger and we're just trying to make up for it by saying how awesome this movie was. I think it will be a big challenge and a huge issue, for real. This issue will be more important than the general election at some point, I'm sure.

Fact of the matter is comic book movies have taken this massive turn for the best, minus the Hulk. We already know how I feel about that one. I don't doubt for a second that this one will be amazing, and you should expect a post in a few weeks saying as much.

Looking forward to..... Mamma Mia

Debut: 2008
Director: Phyllida Lloyrd
Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried

Based on the hit ABBA musical, I have to say I'm dying to see this. I hate to use the following terms, but it will be this summer's Hairspray. (Sorry, I read a piece by EW's Dalton Ross about the terms "this summer's Juno...)

Anyways, it's about a girl (Seyfried) who's engaged to be married, and wants the father she never met to walk her down the aisle. Problem: her mother slept with three different guys around the time she was conceived.

I don't doubt it will be amazing, at all. And ABBA is never less than stellar, so yeah. I think it will be wonderful.