1. Episode 1- Jon and Kate Probate.
2.Episode 2- The nightmare on TLC street.
3. Episode 3- Kate’s playboy spread.
4. Episode 4- Earning money for therapy.
5. Episode 5- Papas and Fear.
6. Episode 6- The Duggars come to visit.
7. Episode 7- Field Trip to the Methadone clinic.
8. Episode 8- 6 of the 8 run for the gate
9. Episode 9- Kate and Octomom do lunch- “Exchanging Advice”
10. Episode 10- Jon Hates Kate and wants to date.
Who would have thought that the new generation of actors would actually impress me in this remake? Chris Pine was born to play this character and although he blew me away (where did he come from?) the real star for me was Spock’s character played by Zachary Quinto. He brought the character back to life with a new flair; the younger-more inexperienced Spock to the teenager- to the young man embarking on an incredible adventure with Captain Kirk. It’s with Spock that the real story begins and ends. What I like most about this film is the incredible thought the writers gave to each character. They added just enough layers to make these characters exciting and new- yet reminiscent.
I’m suprised that this film wasn’t a cheesy Zach Efron-esque vehicle for Chris Pine. This was a movie truly for the Star Trek fans with a consistantly Star Trek enemy and federation standards of operations. The intensity added into the story due to the progression of relationships that we all love from the past was the cherry on top. It’s like being able to ride a brand new Disneyland Star Wars ride for the first time. Everything is renewed and suddenly, the park is fun again- even if you aren’t a kid anymore.
To give you a little taste of the plot, Kirk’s Dad is killed by a rogue Romulan who is out to seek revenge. But wait…it gets good when the plot unveils some really cool reasons why they want revenge. I can’t give it away. Sorry- you’ll have to go read other blogs for that. I think part of the greatness of seeing this film is not knowing too much beforehand. I’d criticize the film for being cliche on a few of the “Star Wars” esque “father dies so you take on the quest on the Enterprise”…but they made it believable with good character development for Chris Pine as well as decent dialogue- so it’s fine…and you buy it.
The special effects in this film are truly unique- down to a hairsplitting..nail biting escapade with the enemy with only seconds to beam back. Yup, this film gives all new meaning to “Beam Me Up Scotty”. Also, you have a great cast with actors from Shaun of the Dead, Harold and Kumar and Miss Zoe Saldana who plays a great Nyota Uhura. Eric Bana plays Nero- the enemy in this film…and the real SPOCK makes a cameo. The story is…when Leonard Nimoy makes a cameo they were actually going to have William Shatner enter in the picture- but they nixed it. Media is reporting Shatner was quite upset at the new generation and new script. After seeing the film, I hope he’s changed his mind.
It’s no doubt this film is going to have sequels galore- and I welcome it. Transformers is merely a crumb compared to this film. You want a good time – go see the film. You’ll be just as surprised as I was.
Addiction…like the corners of my mind. Picture the complete opposite of “40-year-old Virgin” with an even drier and grittier humor. Picture “Running With Scissors” and the screwed up family atmosphere. Confused? Read on…Sam Rockwell plays “Victor Mancini” and is 100% addicted to sex. Like all addictions, it stems from an inadequate childhood experience (s) that lead to suppression and unnecessary longing for contrite, swift pieces of attention and gluttony. Sam eats all of these things with a cherry on top and doesn’t make any apologies. He’s a sex machine and knows his job so well he can have any woman he wants- at any time.
By looking in his eyes we can all feel our worst memories and addictions welling to the surface like a bad therapy movie in Psychology class. Bursts of happiness only momentarily break the dry humor that Sam Rockwell plays up so well. The “no really…I’m happy. Now let me go screw something up for my friend” mentality.
Another beacon of weakness in Sam’s pathetic world is his mother played by Angelica Houston. Locked away in an expensive home, where Sam visits when he’s not working at a ridiculous colonial “field trip” mockery, Angelica Houston barely remembers her doting son. Victor feeds her Italian dishes in paper to-go boxes- hoping to hear one ounce of a thank from a mother who left him several times during his childhood. Stability is not his strong suit. Love is not hers.
Victor has an uncanny way of being vulnerable and vile at the same time and that juxtoposition carries the humor through the film. He delivers surprisingly clever dialogue written by Clark Gregg (Fight Club) and based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk . You will see a similar OMG twist in this film that really surprised me and popped- so plan on that!
Sam Rockwell is not your typical hot leading man but he’s REAL and exactly what would you would see in your local sex addiction AA meetings.
Choke takes you on a journey of addiction, the discovery of your addiction, finding happiness despite your addiction and realizing what holes you have in your heart and what can repair it. Victor Mancini is challenged with a real actual love and the loss of his mother which rips open his heart to reveal that it’s not hollow– it just needs some air.
The film earns it’s name from a series of attention seeking bouts Victor Mancini learns to concoct early on to grab attention from adults; mimicking a sexual dominance as well. The film makes you feel like EVERYONE has issues and problems and everyone can go crazy at a certain point in their lives. Everyone is still entitled to a fresh start and their feelings and experiences can only enhance that.
I was suprisingly happy watching this film. It’s graphic..it’s real..it’s funny. It’s not the best film you will every see but it’s definitely much better than a lot of crap out there. I’d say watch it on DVD rental -
Grade: B-
I recently watched “Mars Attacks” and wondered where it fits in with the most expensive (and most likely 50% retarded list) of films. We all know about “Waterworld” -which I have specific disdain for due to the possibilities of the subject matter that were all shot to hell- but what about the other films? Well, we did some research and put together the top lists from several websites that talked about it- including Forbes. What’s interesting is a few websites have different views on the subject. We’re taking the average-and the bottom line. That’s how we roll here on the world of film craft.
All info is adjusted for inflation.
1. War And Peace- 700 million ( 4 parts) in 1968
2. Pirates Of The Caribbean at Worlds End- -300 million -2007
3. Cleopatra- 290 million -1963
4. Titanic- 250 million -1997 (Debate on whether it was 250 or 200)
5. Spider Man 3- 258 million -2007
6. Waterworld- 231 million -1995
7. Quantum of Solace- 230 million – 2008
8. Pirates- Dead Mans Chest- 223 Million -2006
9. Terminator 3 Rise Against The Machines- 219 Million 2003
10. Spiderman 2 – 212 Million- 2004
11. X-Men Last Stand- 210 Million -2006
12. King Kong- 207 Million- 2005
13. Wild Wild West- 206 Million- 1999
14. Metropolis- 204 Million- 1927
15. Superman Returns- 204 Million 2006
16. Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian- 200 Million- 2008
In this film, we have a star stuffed cast, and a whole lot of expectation. Watch out- a few spoilers ahead–let’s review the righteousness of HEAT #2. The plot of this movie dissected two main personalities and how they deal with death, violence and destruction. (I remind the audience of the Scorcese film…”The Departed”. ) Wrought by a recent judicial stomach issue where the government threw a rapist back up and onto the streets, the two cops are figuring out what the badge means if justice is really this crappy. They also contemplate how scotch tastes…and the purpose of a “police” psychologist who encourages them to write down their feelings.
We all know, there is no other way of life for these hard-asses. Al Pacino says it great when he says “I had two choices. The badge and gun or the hard hat and hammer”.
People are dyin….and the killer is leaving poems- really shitty “violets are red” type of poems. At some point due to time and circumstance-the entire police gang realizes this killer knows cop talk..and cop time…and cop moves.
Who you think is going to end up as the horrible killer/poet (blah!) is obvious but then you think to yourself…no..it’s not that easy! Is it? They have to throw a wrench in this somehow!!
Is it one of the cops? Is it one of the bad guys they put away in the shadows who has revenge on their tongue? Is it the a-hole who was released? No because he’s dead now. Is it Donnie Wahlberg who I thought was Mark Wahlberg the entire time? (They really do look like twins but I think Donnie has a slight tard-ish dialogue pause)
Ohh you almost tricked me mister movie when you had one of the characters confessing on video interlaced throughout the movie.
Why do I feel this film plot was regurgitated out from a writer who had no time to think of something special?
Besides Robert Deniro getting it on like a screen door in a hurricane with a much younger Carla Gugino (shivers run up my spine for some reason)–(actually let me explain more. There is a scene where Carla is already dressed and up lighting a smoke and Bobby Deniro is still trying to get up off the kitchen floor a few mintes later- man that’s sexy!!) It’s such an odd scene- but I guess they wanted to pose Deniro as the fragile sex fiend.
I had a problem with the fact that THIS IS WHERE THE EXCITEMENT ENDS. I figured the entire movie out in 10 minutes and was hoping I’d be whipped back into an enticing plot. No Go. That’s it folks… a few good lines of dialogue, some Bob Deniro sex…Al Pacino looking like he’s smoked a million packs of cigarettes..(note to self) and the plot ends up being what we feared— ”too easy”. I think everyone thought it would be trickier and more intense as a psychological theory based who-done-it. It wasn’t and I have to give it a big FAIL.
So, one can argue that the point of the film was not to focus on whodoneit syndrome but rather focus on the mentality of a killer…. and who is driven to kill….
I’m still just not impressed and surprised they picked this script to band together on.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034331/
Grade: D
For those who enjoy watching films such as “The Mothman Prophecies“, “Signs“, “White Noise“, “Minority Report“, “Contact” and “The Day After Tomorrow” then you’ll most likely enjoy this movie. You’re going to get disasters, numbers, prophecies, extra terrestrials, and the apocalypse….and last but not least; Nic Cage- with his teardrop eyes and mad professer haircut. By the way, Ebert gave this film 4 stars. Do I agree? Yes and No. Let me explain….
Nic Cage teaches at the Massachusets Institute of Technology and begins to tell his class the difference between determinism (Crap happens for a reason) and realism (Crap just happens). Due to the loss of his wife from a freak accident you can probably guess where Nic Cage’s thoughts lie. He’s a single father to their son, Caleb, and a genius with a penchant for alcohol after bedtime. His son rattles off astronomy numbers, loves animals and decides to become a vegetarian. You get the feeling his son’s pretty damn smart for a reason within the first 5 minutes. Like father like son.
50 years prior at Caleb’s school, a classroom full of kids placed their pictures and messages in a time capsule so that 5 decades later in 2009, another classroom of kids can celebrate them along with the bicentennial of the school’s opening. Not by any random order, Caleb receives the envelope from the strange girl who only wrote numbers on hers. Can you say psycho?
It takes a bit of time for Nic to figure out that this isn’t your average list of numbers; it’s a checklist of every major disaster in the past 50 years with a dotted line to a finale. We see the sun on random things- which should clue me in on something but it doesn’t. I must have taken my stupid pills as I watched this today. Anyways… Nic Cage goes on a rampage trying to stop the casualities to no avail.
Being chased by strange men who also hide outside his house and whisper to Caleb don’t help Nic save the world and add a successful creepy factor to the story.
Nic Cage channels the character perfectly. …perfect enough to not notice he’s acting which is what we want anyways. However I don’t think this character on paper allows him any sort of Oscar worthy performance above let’s say, Tom Cruise’s performance in “War Of The Worlds“.
Rose Byrne joins him as they figure out how everything’s going to go down- and guess what? She knows a bit about these random events because the crazy chick who wrote the numbers was her mother. I think she brings a different taste to the film as opposed to a vanilla Monica Potter who would normally take this type of role.
Let me tell you why you should see this film: the subway scene. It’s fantastic and I believe showcases some of the BEST special effects in a film. The airplane scene was equally as awesome- but if held at gunpoint I’d go for the subway scene. You’ll know what I mean when you watch it.
Overall the story takes you on a nail biting journey that occasionally annoys you because you KNOW a bit about these films by now. It’s very similar in my opinion to the slow pick up, obvious intertwining of characters, and reasons/professions/locations that many movies have these days.
There are a couple wrenches thrown in for good measure that I didn’t see coming so that’s always a plus. Guess what though? These whispers, special kids and prophecies are pointing towards a finale and it’s a bit like Day After Tomorrow, except..not as cheesy. Technically this film has two endings which is sorta cool. Picture the beach scene in the film “Contact” versus the actual final ending when she gets back to the real world and you’ll kind of know what we mean. One thing is for certain…it gets your brain thinking and wondering WHAT IF?
Grade: B
Proudly powered by WordPress
Theme: Esquire by Matthew Buchanan.
