You know, it's nice to be pleasantly surprised once in a while when you go to the movies. And the new Adam Sandler piece, Grown Ups is OK.
Before I go on, let's try to keep this a bit tempered. I'm not going to go tripping over myself, gushing about this new summer comedy but this could have been a lot of things. And terrible is one of them, but it's not.
Grown Ups has a huge modern day cast. Sandler, Kevin James, Rob Schnieder, David Spade, Chris Rock, Selma Hayak, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph. All of these people have done good work in the past, and all have driven their share of bombs straight into the ground. The general feeling was that this summer comedy was going to be too tempting not to really play the crude, and rude card. And it does get played a few times, but GU's is far more tame that I was ready for.
It's the story of a 30 year reunion of 5 middle school friends who haven't really been together since the won the CYO basketball title in 1978. They are all grown up now, married and many have kids. They have all taken different paths in life. They end up staying the weekend in a rented beach house with all of their families as well. There they discover that their own kids know nothing about the joys of the childhood they knew as kids. And the generation gap is wide.
OK, that is about as deep as this movie gets, and Grown Ups has it's problems. This movie is very awkward at times in it's editing and flow. There appears to be much improvising from our male stars, and some of it really works and some falls flat. Some gags are just worn to death and that is troublesome at times. Trouble here too is that it seems there's not enough movie to go around. Story is thin and predictable, but that was to be expected.
Not to be expected was the fact that there would be a story at all. To it's credit, it's not a bunch of skits sewn together and called a movie. There are some crude moments and some junior high humor, but for the most part it steers clear of a path it could have easily taken. And a few years ago with this bunch would have taken. Funny? At times. But this is not designed to be hilarious. It is designed to be entertaining. Is it? At times.
I can't say this movie really works, but it doesn't fail. I think some summer flicks get a bit of a pass because of the intended audience and why we go to the movies in the first place this time of the year. To laugh, or to be taken away to some place that makes us feel good. This movie will not be as funny in three years on TNT, but on a summer night when you're looking for a good time? maybe
Grown Ups. You will laugh at times, and that's what we ask of summer movies.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW - Knight And Day
There is so much at the box office right now for the kids, it's great to have something good for adults at the box office this week!
That's Knight And Day. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz star in this real fun action-thriller/romantic comedy. Action-comedies seem to be a new style of movie making that's really taken off over the past few years. A new kind of romantic comedy that doesn't rely on sappy soundtracks and syrupy story lines. Movies that men are no longer drug by the hair of the head to, all the while kicking and screaming and questioning their masculinity.
Knight And Day is the real fun story of June (Diaz) and Roy (Cruise). Roy is a Federal Secret Agent seemingly gone wrong and is being chased all around the globe by both "The Agency" and some horrible arms dealers. Both trying to catch or kill Roy and the highly secret world changing invention in his charge. Somehow the innocent June gets roped into the whole international conspiracy and the chase is on.
All the while Roy is trying to do his job or run from it, June is falling in love with Roy. This of course complicates things and makes it more fun at the same time. Has Roy gone wrong? Is June barking up the wrong tree? And will the invention end up in the wrong hands? That's Knight And Day.
I am generally not a fan of either one of our stars here. But this is terrific! Cruise much to his credit, is fun and funny, quirky and really good as the slick, but not too serious Roy. Cruise in the past year or two has discovered what we did years ago. His overacting and taking himself too serious was really getting old. Starting with Tropic Thunder, he really turned the corner and has been picking different projects, and ones that are helping him reinvent himself. Diaz too has picked a winner after picking some duds as well. She is really funny here, and does a lot with this role. Great chemistry, and a real nice story line that zips along nicely, gives Knight And Day the fuel to really charge ahead smoothly.
No matter what happens in this movie, the action, music, side characters, the great thing here is that this is Cruise and Diaz' movie. They own it. Pure and simple. The producers understood what they had and didn't let side plots or characters get in their way. It's great to see two big stars get together for a real fun summer movie that does a lot of things right.
Knight And Day. A real fun adult action comedy that delivers all that it said it would. One of the summers best movies!
That's Knight And Day. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz star in this real fun action-thriller/romantic comedy. Action-comedies seem to be a new style of movie making that's really taken off over the past few years. A new kind of romantic comedy that doesn't rely on sappy soundtracks and syrupy story lines. Movies that men are no longer drug by the hair of the head to, all the while kicking and screaming and questioning their masculinity.
Knight And Day is the real fun story of June (Diaz) and Roy (Cruise). Roy is a Federal Secret Agent seemingly gone wrong and is being chased all around the globe by both "The Agency" and some horrible arms dealers. Both trying to catch or kill Roy and the highly secret world changing invention in his charge. Somehow the innocent June gets roped into the whole international conspiracy and the chase is on.
All the while Roy is trying to do his job or run from it, June is falling in love with Roy. This of course complicates things and makes it more fun at the same time. Has Roy gone wrong? Is June barking up the wrong tree? And will the invention end up in the wrong hands? That's Knight And Day.
I am generally not a fan of either one of our stars here. But this is terrific! Cruise much to his credit, is fun and funny, quirky and really good as the slick, but not too serious Roy. Cruise in the past year or two has discovered what we did years ago. His overacting and taking himself too serious was really getting old. Starting with Tropic Thunder, he really turned the corner and has been picking different projects, and ones that are helping him reinvent himself. Diaz too has picked a winner after picking some duds as well. She is really funny here, and does a lot with this role. Great chemistry, and a real nice story line that zips along nicely, gives Knight And Day the fuel to really charge ahead smoothly.
No matter what happens in this movie, the action, music, side characters, the great thing here is that this is Cruise and Diaz' movie. They own it. Pure and simple. The producers understood what they had and didn't let side plots or characters get in their way. It's great to see two big stars get together for a real fun summer movie that does a lot of things right.
Knight And Day. A real fun adult action comedy that delivers all that it said it would. One of the summers best movies!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Of Course!
I have enjoyed sports and games my whole life. I get it honestly. My father was a good athlete and a big sports fan. But he was a different kind of fan. He was able to see how certain sports and games could be of much higher value, if you looked outside the box scores and stats. Truly, he wasn't interested at all in that. He was more concerned with the real value of many games and how they mirrored life.
I have always been drawn to baseball and golf. Baseball because of its unique nature to begin with. It's the only sport where the defense has the ball. I have always found that fascinating. And of its ability to teach us how to deal with non success, because at every moment in the game, it's 1 against 9. Humbling. Valuable lesson there.
And golf. The worlds most frustrating game for some, and there was a time that included me. The amazing thing about golf is that it's a game that can only be played, and not won. Oh sure, you can score lower than your buddies, but that's not the spirit of the game. And that's where the life lessons come into play. Few things in life teach you as much about yourself as a game of golf. How many other games require you to call a penalty on yourself?
During a far more tumultuous time in my life, I had a different perspective on the game, and it was wrong. I would worry what my score was, how far behind or ahead I was, and the sheer numbers of the game. I didn't want to lose. That not only was on the course, but in my life too. Worry, anxiety, winning, not losing, all things that were stealing the only reason I should have been out there in the first place. Having fun. Then I figured something out many years ago on the course. Your opponent in golf is not of flesh and blood, and is not riding in the cart next to you. If that is your honest perspective, than the real enemy is you. In fact, the people you thought you were up against are actually in the same boat as you are. Your opponent, is the course. And the course never loses.
After all, when you're done for the afternoon, you're sweaty, you're tired, you're worn out, and you need to get inside where it's cool and dry. The course is still out there challenging others. Golfs greatest lesson to me? Life cannot be won, or beaten, or cheated by you. Life can only be played, lived and experienced by you. Life, like a course has it easy parts and tough parts. Danger, and hazards. Significant challenges and an occasional gimme. I think it's no coincidence, that once I took a new perspective on golf, somehow that transferred over to my life. I simply started enjoying the game, and then.....life.
Sound silly? To some maybe, but in a great game, a really great game, there is always the game within the game that allures us and attracts us to it. I honestly feel it has to be more than just club to ball, or tee to green. I think it's because golf is humbling, and strips us down first before it builds us back up. It unleashes parts of your makeup that you might not know about yourself. It teaches, honesty, integrity, and patience. How to be humble, and how much we can grow. And maybe golfs most valuable lesson, to share in the joys of others success, and help them through the slumps and bumps the game and the course will certainly bring. Life too.
Many think that character comes from the calender, and that may be true. But why wait? Character can come from the course, and that can help keep us......on course.
I have always been drawn to baseball and golf. Baseball because of its unique nature to begin with. It's the only sport where the defense has the ball. I have always found that fascinating. And of its ability to teach us how to deal with non success, because at every moment in the game, it's 1 against 9. Humbling. Valuable lesson there.
And golf. The worlds most frustrating game for some, and there was a time that included me. The amazing thing about golf is that it's a game that can only be played, and not won. Oh sure, you can score lower than your buddies, but that's not the spirit of the game. And that's where the life lessons come into play. Few things in life teach you as much about yourself as a game of golf. How many other games require you to call a penalty on yourself?
During a far more tumultuous time in my life, I had a different perspective on the game, and it was wrong. I would worry what my score was, how far behind or ahead I was, and the sheer numbers of the game. I didn't want to lose. That not only was on the course, but in my life too. Worry, anxiety, winning, not losing, all things that were stealing the only reason I should have been out there in the first place. Having fun. Then I figured something out many years ago on the course. Your opponent in golf is not of flesh and blood, and is not riding in the cart next to you. If that is your honest perspective, than the real enemy is you. In fact, the people you thought you were up against are actually in the same boat as you are. Your opponent, is the course. And the course never loses.
After all, when you're done for the afternoon, you're sweaty, you're tired, you're worn out, and you need to get inside where it's cool and dry. The course is still out there challenging others. Golfs greatest lesson to me? Life cannot be won, or beaten, or cheated by you. Life can only be played, lived and experienced by you. Life, like a course has it easy parts and tough parts. Danger, and hazards. Significant challenges and an occasional gimme. I think it's no coincidence, that once I took a new perspective on golf, somehow that transferred over to my life. I simply started enjoying the game, and then.....life.
Sound silly? To some maybe, but in a great game, a really great game, there is always the game within the game that allures us and attracts us to it. I honestly feel it has to be more than just club to ball, or tee to green. I think it's because golf is humbling, and strips us down first before it builds us back up. It unleashes parts of your makeup that you might not know about yourself. It teaches, honesty, integrity, and patience. How to be humble, and how much we can grow. And maybe golfs most valuable lesson, to share in the joys of others success, and help them through the slumps and bumps the game and the course will certainly bring. Life too.
Many think that character comes from the calender, and that may be true. But why wait? Character can come from the course, and that can help keep us......on course.
Friday, June 18, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW - Jonah Hex
The summer action movies are coming out fast a furious now, and this week it's Jonah Hex!
Josh Brolin stars as Jonah Hex in this latest comic book come to movie flick. Jonah Hex is set in post Civil War America. Hex is a former Confederate soldier who betrays his own military unit in the waning days of the Civil War. He sees no good in soldiers burning down hospitals and schools killing innocent civilians. After the war he is a hated man and wanted many by surviving members of the Confederacy who knew him. They track him down, kill his wife and son, and brand him for life by burning a horrible brand on his face leaving him terribly disfigured.
But something happens to Jonah Hex after this. He "crosses over" and develops the supernatural. He can communicate with dogs, and horses somehow. He can talk to the dead. A series of serendipitous events surround him as he becomes a bounty hunter, tracking down those who took his family from him.
But the group he is pursuing is far worse than thought. They are 19th century domestic terrorists bent of destroying the United States Of America with a "super weapon." And President Grant orders that Hex be located and sends him off to destroy the terrorists. Complicated? It's not. It's just good.
JH is part comic book, part old Eastwood style and part classic movie making. Many interesting characters, and plot line you haven't seen before in a western. Jonah Hex is certainly a new kind of western that doesn't look as formula as movies past. It doesn't bog itself down with a bunch of stuff you don't care about either. JH stays very focused.
Finally, a western for a new audience. Complete with plenty of action, and a story that zips long very nicely indeed. A heavy metal soundtrack gives it a music video feel at times that really "youngs" if up. This story is very well thought out, and very well told. With Jonah Hex, you have to look beyond some of the action and see the actual character. He is very interesting and very well developed. Josh Brolin a great as our enigmatic hero, and is perfectly cast. This movie is loaded with symbolism, and a real nice supernatural angle. It's not silly or hokie.
Jonah Hex does not make the same mistake as virtually all other comic book movies. Watchmen, Spiderman, Batman, and others. It has a story to tell, tells it and moves on. All done in a very tidy 90 minutes. Also starring Megan Fox, and John Malkovich, Jonah Hex is good summer action.
Jonah Hex. Clearly not for everyone, but from my seat I left wanting to learn more about this character and this story. Very well done!
Josh Brolin stars as Jonah Hex in this latest comic book come to movie flick. Jonah Hex is set in post Civil War America. Hex is a former Confederate soldier who betrays his own military unit in the waning days of the Civil War. He sees no good in soldiers burning down hospitals and schools killing innocent civilians. After the war he is a hated man and wanted many by surviving members of the Confederacy who knew him. They track him down, kill his wife and son, and brand him for life by burning a horrible brand on his face leaving him terribly disfigured.
But something happens to Jonah Hex after this. He "crosses over" and develops the supernatural. He can communicate with dogs, and horses somehow. He can talk to the dead. A series of serendipitous events surround him as he becomes a bounty hunter, tracking down those who took his family from him.
But the group he is pursuing is far worse than thought. They are 19th century domestic terrorists bent of destroying the United States Of America with a "super weapon." And President Grant orders that Hex be located and sends him off to destroy the terrorists. Complicated? It's not. It's just good.
JH is part comic book, part old Eastwood style and part classic movie making. Many interesting characters, and plot line you haven't seen before in a western. Jonah Hex is certainly a new kind of western that doesn't look as formula as movies past. It doesn't bog itself down with a bunch of stuff you don't care about either. JH stays very focused.
Finally, a western for a new audience. Complete with plenty of action, and a story that zips long very nicely indeed. A heavy metal soundtrack gives it a music video feel at times that really "youngs" if up. This story is very well thought out, and very well told. With Jonah Hex, you have to look beyond some of the action and see the actual character. He is very interesting and very well developed. Josh Brolin a great as our enigmatic hero, and is perfectly cast. This movie is loaded with symbolism, and a real nice supernatural angle. It's not silly or hokie.
Jonah Hex does not make the same mistake as virtually all other comic book movies. Watchmen, Spiderman, Batman, and others. It has a story to tell, tells it and moves on. All done in a very tidy 90 minutes. Also starring Megan Fox, and John Malkovich, Jonah Hex is good summer action.
Jonah Hex. Clearly not for everyone, but from my seat I left wanting to learn more about this character and this story. Very well done!
MOVIE REVIEW - The Karate Kid
The new Karate Kid was a big hit at the box office last week.
But this week it will certainly be kicked out of the top spot by Toy Story 3. Jaden Smith (Will's son) stars as Dre, in this remake of the 1984 tale of a bullied young kid, who decides to learn the martial arts to give him self-respect and avenge his tormentors at the movies end. Jackie Chan stars as his teacher and mentor, who in this movie teaches him "real Kung-Fu." You know the basic story. Jaden Smith is livable here, and better things are to come for him as heis a talented kid.
TKK has been re-worked a bit to bring it up to 2010. This time it takes place in China, as Dre's single mom has no choice but to move there as the Detroit auto companies transferred her. Chan is Mr. Han, the lonely janitor who crosses paths with Dre, and befriends him. After witnessing Dre's troubles, he takes him in and this time teaches King-Fu and not karate. It all comes to a head at a Kung-Fu tournament where Dre will make or break.
TKK is TOO LONG! Gracious, this movie would have been so much better checking out after about 100 minutes or so, but drags us along, (and I do mean drag) for two hours -ten. I'm not sure this movie needed to be remade except for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, who produced it, and seem bound and determined to make Jaden a star by the age of 12 or so. To me it all seems to self-serving, hard to get past. Especially since Jaden's parents couldn't keep themselves off the screen altogether, as they pop up in picture after picture during the closing credits for some reason. Note - make and watch your home videos at home.
Jackie Chan is perfectly cast though as Mr. Han. Too bad the character isn't slightly better developed. There's a certain charm Chan has, that makes him fun to watch. They attempt to make Mr. Han whole here, but it never really happens all the way. Although he does a lot with a little, and there is a fun scene where we get to see Chan use his incredible stunt skills in a marital arts scene. They are always fun, well designed and mandatory if you cast Chan in any movie at all. He is a joy. But they should have leaned on him harder, and given him more of a heart in the script.
Story average, tired and predictable. There are some fun moments here, and some of the side characters are well cast as well. Plus there are some wonderful shots and scenes filmed in some of the most beautiful areas of China. But over all, this is a miss. But this movie will be very popular with the middle school aged kids as that's the age of Dre in this movie and that's rare in movie making today.
The Karate Kid. A kick and a miss!
But this week it will certainly be kicked out of the top spot by Toy Story 3. Jaden Smith (Will's son) stars as Dre, in this remake of the 1984 tale of a bullied young kid, who decides to learn the martial arts to give him self-respect and avenge his tormentors at the movies end. Jackie Chan stars as his teacher and mentor, who in this movie teaches him "real Kung-Fu." You know the basic story. Jaden Smith is livable here, and better things are to come for him as heis a talented kid.
TKK has been re-worked a bit to bring it up to 2010. This time it takes place in China, as Dre's single mom has no choice but to move there as the Detroit auto companies transferred her. Chan is Mr. Han, the lonely janitor who crosses paths with Dre, and befriends him. After witnessing Dre's troubles, he takes him in and this time teaches King-Fu and not karate. It all comes to a head at a Kung-Fu tournament where Dre will make or break.
TKK is TOO LONG! Gracious, this movie would have been so much better checking out after about 100 minutes or so, but drags us along, (and I do mean drag) for two hours -ten. I'm not sure this movie needed to be remade except for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, who produced it, and seem bound and determined to make Jaden a star by the age of 12 or so. To me it all seems to self-serving, hard to get past. Especially since Jaden's parents couldn't keep themselves off the screen altogether, as they pop up in picture after picture during the closing credits for some reason. Note - make and watch your home videos at home.
Jackie Chan is perfectly cast though as Mr. Han. Too bad the character isn't slightly better developed. There's a certain charm Chan has, that makes him fun to watch. They attempt to make Mr. Han whole here, but it never really happens all the way. Although he does a lot with a little, and there is a fun scene where we get to see Chan use his incredible stunt skills in a marital arts scene. They are always fun, well designed and mandatory if you cast Chan in any movie at all. He is a joy. But they should have leaned on him harder, and given him more of a heart in the script.
Story average, tired and predictable. There are some fun moments here, and some of the side characters are well cast as well. Plus there are some wonderful shots and scenes filmed in some of the most beautiful areas of China. But over all, this is a miss. But this movie will be very popular with the middle school aged kids as that's the age of Dre in this movie and that's rare in movie making today.
The Karate Kid. A kick and a miss!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
50 Years Of Psycho
A half century has blown by since Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho hit the theaters, today is the 50th anniversary. Few movies have impacted a half century of movie making the way this movie has. And it continues to do so.
The real separator for Hitchcock films from the rest of the pack then, and now is simply this. He knew what scared you. And if you pause and think about it, you have fears in your own life, and somehow he knew them too. His signature scene form Psycho, and maybe his entire career, is the shower scene where Janet Leigh is killed. We still talk about it, we still reference it, and the whole "taking a shower in a strange place" thing.....still crosses our minds. It was powerful stuff. In a lonely hotel room in the middle of nowhere, vulnerable, with no defense at all. Not even clothes, being stalked and stabbed by some unknown person repeatedly. Sound scary in written form? Think about 1960 and seeing it in the movies. And speaking of sound? That music? Who among us doesn't know it, and it still sound scary!
Psycho was different than any other movie that was made until then. Hitchcock dared to kill a beautiful, young woman on screen. Unheard of at the time, even though he never showed us the actual murder. He didn't need to. We knew what happened. All of this was so cutting edge at the time, taking into account mainstream entertainment at the time was watching Leave It To Beaver on TV. And Psycho still holds up. I understand this all sounds so ridiculous today. But at that time, it was a real film making risk.
I know too Psycho can look a bit dated. But I say so? It's only dated in it's technology, not in it's message. Most of today's movie makers rely on the special effects to frighten us. Blood, gore, guts, doesn't do it. It may make us queasy and hard to watch, but it doesn't really scare us.
Hitchcock's brilliant film making bled over to many films over many years. He continually understood what scared us, and would put us IN the film. Imagining that some of these things could really happen to us, was his greatest attribute in film. Virtually every horror film maker since has learned of his secret, but almost none of them has taken it to heart or been able to capture it.
Psycho changed films forever. The black and white classic that took a classic thriller tale and made it so much more. Very scary.
The real separator for Hitchcock films from the rest of the pack then, and now is simply this. He knew what scared you. And if you pause and think about it, you have fears in your own life, and somehow he knew them too. His signature scene form Psycho, and maybe his entire career, is the shower scene where Janet Leigh is killed. We still talk about it, we still reference it, and the whole "taking a shower in a strange place" thing.....still crosses our minds. It was powerful stuff. In a lonely hotel room in the middle of nowhere, vulnerable, with no defense at all. Not even clothes, being stalked and stabbed by some unknown person repeatedly. Sound scary in written form? Think about 1960 and seeing it in the movies. And speaking of sound? That music? Who among us doesn't know it, and it still sound scary!
Psycho was different than any other movie that was made until then. Hitchcock dared to kill a beautiful, young woman on screen. Unheard of at the time, even though he never showed us the actual murder. He didn't need to. We knew what happened. All of this was so cutting edge at the time, taking into account mainstream entertainment at the time was watching Leave It To Beaver on TV. And Psycho still holds up. I understand this all sounds so ridiculous today. But at that time, it was a real film making risk.
I know too Psycho can look a bit dated. But I say so? It's only dated in it's technology, not in it's message. Most of today's movie makers rely on the special effects to frighten us. Blood, gore, guts, doesn't do it. It may make us queasy and hard to watch, but it doesn't really scare us.
Hitchcock's brilliant film making bled over to many films over many years. He continually understood what scared us, and would put us IN the film. Imagining that some of these things could really happen to us, was his greatest attribute in film. Virtually every horror film maker since has learned of his secret, but almost none of them has taken it to heart or been able to capture it.
Psycho changed films forever. The black and white classic that took a classic thriller tale and made it so much more. Very scary.
Friday, June 11, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW - The A Team
The A Team is out this weekend to much fanfare, but can it live up to the hype?
First of all, I did not was not a fan of the TV show in that ran from 1983 - 1987. I saw it and knew the premise and all that. And I'm generally NOT a big fan of TV franchises being made into movies. My big problem is that many times they just use the name, and tear the guts out of the show, and it really isn't true to the shows spirit at all. It just gets used. There have been some exceptions notably The Fugitive years ago with a great cast, and a real care for the original TV show. Both were fantastic.
Not only is The A-Team good summer, action fun at the movies, it is very true to the TV show and honors those who worked so hard to put a different kind of show on years ago. If you don't know much about The A-Team TV show, it was over the top action. It had a feel and personality, with well defined characters in this elate "Alpha Unit." On TV it was just fun. They weren't taking themselves overly serious and they were not trying to convince you that this could really happen. It was all so over the top. And for a few years it was fun.
The same goes for the movie. A good strong cast lead by Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, The A-Team really delivers a big dose of fun, without all the stuff you might think this kind of movie usually does. Plenty of action, minus the harsh language, blood and guts, and really distasteful humor. I saw many dads and sons at this movie and that's a good thing. The A-Team in short is just fun, and doesn't try to be something that it's not. It's been updated in story line of course, and that's fine. But it's true to the TV show and that's a real good thing.
The A-Team. Don't look for Oscars, or for this to be on Masterpiece Theater, but it is what it's supposed to be....and that's good, clean, exciting fun. Well done! "I love it when a plan comes together!"
First of all, I did not was not a fan of the TV show in that ran from 1983 - 1987. I saw it and knew the premise and all that. And I'm generally NOT a big fan of TV franchises being made into movies. My big problem is that many times they just use the name, and tear the guts out of the show, and it really isn't true to the shows spirit at all. It just gets used. There have been some exceptions notably The Fugitive years ago with a great cast, and a real care for the original TV show. Both were fantastic.
Not only is The A-Team good summer, action fun at the movies, it is very true to the TV show and honors those who worked so hard to put a different kind of show on years ago. If you don't know much about The A-Team TV show, it was over the top action. It had a feel and personality, with well defined characters in this elate "Alpha Unit." On TV it was just fun. They weren't taking themselves overly serious and they were not trying to convince you that this could really happen. It was all so over the top. And for a few years it was fun.
The same goes for the movie. A good strong cast lead by Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, The A-Team really delivers a big dose of fun, without all the stuff you might think this kind of movie usually does. Plenty of action, minus the harsh language, blood and guts, and really distasteful humor. I saw many dads and sons at this movie and that's a good thing. The A-Team in short is just fun, and doesn't try to be something that it's not. It's been updated in story line of course, and that's fine. But it's true to the TV show and that's a real good thing.
The A-Team. Don't look for Oscars, or for this to be on Masterpiece Theater, but it is what it's supposed to be....and that's good, clean, exciting fun. Well done! "I love it when a plan comes together!"
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Answer Is.... George Callendine
The other day I received some very sad news. A guy I went all the way through elementary, Jr. High and High School with passed away, way too young. I even went to nursery school with him. (is that still around?) Our mothers looked after each other's kids when one mom wasn't there, we carpooled..you know the drill. We were about 5.
We were in same homeroom together for years, so we really new each other. "TW" was exactly my age. I hadn't seen TW in many years. Maybe since high school. But if we would have bumped into each other at some point, it would have seemed as if no time had passed at all. That's the phenomenon of these early friendships. I have other friends that I made just about that same time as TW. Connie, Barbara, Scott M., come to mind right away. Kids I went all the way through school with and were friends with. Haven't seen them in decades either. Although I re-connected with Barbara at about 20, we worked the front desk of a hotel at the same time.
But this whole thing got me thinking. Take a look around you at the people in your life right now today. I am sure they are great, and you love them all. But more than likely you have not known them for as long as you've known others. Regardless of how long you've been together, there are a few that you've known longer and have known you same. It's kind of fun to think back. Who have I known the longest of anyone in my life? No matter how long it's been since you've seen them or even thought of them for that matter. As long as I knew TW, there was one I have known longer.
His name is George Callendine. When I was born in Columbus, George Callendine was my first friend. Our moms used to get together, and we'd play...in the playroom (do they still have those?) George even made it into some of our family pictures that have survived the years, and some home movies too. But as luck would have it, we moved to Northeast Ohio when I was almost five, and George and I were permanently separated. Or are we?
No, I'm not thinking of looking him up on Google or anything like that. Not necessary. Because no matter what technology or the Internet says, we are forever linked together in a more important and maybe a nicer way. Our names are the answer to our own personal trivia questions. In fact, we are the answers the to granddaddy of all personal trivia, "Who in the world have you known the longest?" I like that! I like being the answer to such a question. Makes you wonder how many times your name has come up in some after dinner, two glasses of wine conversation over the years. "I knew this kid...Scott Wynn when I was about 4.....yea we'd play Sorry, Lincoln Logs, building blocks and watch Leave It to Beaver re-runs back in the day! Wonder what ever happened to him?"
I have no idea what happened to George Callendine. I'm sure wonderful things as he came from a great family, and to be honest, it's not important to me. All that is, is that we are the forever linked in a way that is undeniable. First friends.
It is said too that we never remember the number 2's in anything. Superbowl runner-ups, silver medalists and the like. But not here. Even though TW was second on my actual list of life long friends, it was only so because of the dates, not of the deeds.
I always remembered him...still do...and still will.
We were in same homeroom together for years, so we really new each other. "TW" was exactly my age. I hadn't seen TW in many years. Maybe since high school. But if we would have bumped into each other at some point, it would have seemed as if no time had passed at all. That's the phenomenon of these early friendships. I have other friends that I made just about that same time as TW. Connie, Barbara, Scott M., come to mind right away. Kids I went all the way through school with and were friends with. Haven't seen them in decades either. Although I re-connected with Barbara at about 20, we worked the front desk of a hotel at the same time.
But this whole thing got me thinking. Take a look around you at the people in your life right now today. I am sure they are great, and you love them all. But more than likely you have not known them for as long as you've known others. Regardless of how long you've been together, there are a few that you've known longer and have known you same. It's kind of fun to think back. Who have I known the longest of anyone in my life? No matter how long it's been since you've seen them or even thought of them for that matter. As long as I knew TW, there was one I have known longer.
His name is George Callendine. When I was born in Columbus, George Callendine was my first friend. Our moms used to get together, and we'd play...in the playroom (do they still have those?) George even made it into some of our family pictures that have survived the years, and some home movies too. But as luck would have it, we moved to Northeast Ohio when I was almost five, and George and I were permanently separated. Or are we?
No, I'm not thinking of looking him up on Google or anything like that. Not necessary. Because no matter what technology or the Internet says, we are forever linked together in a more important and maybe a nicer way. Our names are the answer to our own personal trivia questions. In fact, we are the answers the to granddaddy of all personal trivia, "Who in the world have you known the longest?" I like that! I like being the answer to such a question. Makes you wonder how many times your name has come up in some after dinner, two glasses of wine conversation over the years. "I knew this kid...Scott Wynn when I was about 4.....yea we'd play Sorry, Lincoln Logs, building blocks and watch Leave It to Beaver re-runs back in the day! Wonder what ever happened to him?"
I have no idea what happened to George Callendine. I'm sure wonderful things as he came from a great family, and to be honest, it's not important to me. All that is, is that we are the forever linked in a way that is undeniable. First friends.
It is said too that we never remember the number 2's in anything. Superbowl runner-ups, silver medalists and the like. But not here. Even though TW was second on my actual list of life long friends, it was only so because of the dates, not of the deeds.
I always remembered him...still do...and still will.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW - Killers
Action comedies are all the rage right now, and here comes another one, Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher in Killers.
It's the story of two young lovers Jen (Heigl) and Spencer (Kutcher). Jen is a very nice, naive, sheltered young woman, who falls in love with Spencer while on vacation with her parents in France. They get married and we flash forward three years as they are living a quiet life in the burbs, and all is well. Except for one little thing.
Spencer turns out to be an ex-CIA agent that has quit the agency and left it all behind. Jen has never known. Then as the agency decides he has too much information, they embed and turn loose a series of hit men and women to put a hit on him. And of course the joke turns out to be that Jen has NO idea and she must decide to go on this wild assassination ride with Spencer or not. That's Killers.
I always think that watching Katherine Heigl is very easy. Beautiful yes, but there's something comfortable about her that's very appealing. She's funny, and not afraid to look silly on camera and that's attractive. She's comfortable, so we're comfortable too. Her physical comedy is quite funny in past movies and at times here. She is lovely overall. But this is really NOT a Katherine Heigl movie. True she's in it, and funny and all that. But this is really more of an ensemble cast flick, with Kutcher taking the lead.
Great supporting cast with Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara as Jens wacky parents very well done. A real fun soundtrack at times reminiscent of the old secret agent movies too. Heigle and Kutcher have a nice chemistry at times and there are some fun moments in this movie. But to be fair, this movie always seems to be trying so hard, it struggles with a natural flow. It can't really decide what kind of movie it really wants to be, and that slows it down and times, and stunts it's growth. The basic idea is pretty good. But another re-write could have been in order here. And for heavens sake write some better dialogue for these actors to utter. Sometimes it is embarrassingly bad. I am envisioning the same idea, just executed a bit differently.
This is by no means a bad night at the movies. I think expectations will be high, and delivery for some will be low. Killers is going to let some fans down, and to be honest Killers in a year will be forgotten, unlike The Ugly Truth, or 27 Dresses other Heigl hits. Forgettable, is never a good thing.
Killers. Better idea than movie. Action comedy to look out for? Knight And Day in two weeks with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Killers can tide you over till then.
It's the story of two young lovers Jen (Heigl) and Spencer (Kutcher). Jen is a very nice, naive, sheltered young woman, who falls in love with Spencer while on vacation with her parents in France. They get married and we flash forward three years as they are living a quiet life in the burbs, and all is well. Except for one little thing.
Spencer turns out to be an ex-CIA agent that has quit the agency and left it all behind. Jen has never known. Then as the agency decides he has too much information, they embed and turn loose a series of hit men and women to put a hit on him. And of course the joke turns out to be that Jen has NO idea and she must decide to go on this wild assassination ride with Spencer or not. That's Killers.
I always think that watching Katherine Heigl is very easy. Beautiful yes, but there's something comfortable about her that's very appealing. She's funny, and not afraid to look silly on camera and that's attractive. She's comfortable, so we're comfortable too. Her physical comedy is quite funny in past movies and at times here. She is lovely overall. But this is really NOT a Katherine Heigl movie. True she's in it, and funny and all that. But this is really more of an ensemble cast flick, with Kutcher taking the lead.
Great supporting cast with Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara as Jens wacky parents very well done. A real fun soundtrack at times reminiscent of the old secret agent movies too. Heigle and Kutcher have a nice chemistry at times and there are some fun moments in this movie. But to be fair, this movie always seems to be trying so hard, it struggles with a natural flow. It can't really decide what kind of movie it really wants to be, and that slows it down and times, and stunts it's growth. The basic idea is pretty good. But another re-write could have been in order here. And for heavens sake write some better dialogue for these actors to utter. Sometimes it is embarrassingly bad. I am envisioning the same idea, just executed a bit differently.
This is by no means a bad night at the movies. I think expectations will be high, and delivery for some will be low. Killers is going to let some fans down, and to be honest Killers in a year will be forgotten, unlike The Ugly Truth, or 27 Dresses other Heigl hits. Forgettable, is never a good thing.
Killers. Better idea than movie. Action comedy to look out for? Knight And Day in two weeks with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Killers can tide you over till then.
MOVIE REVIEW - Get Him To The Greek
Here we go again, the traveling comedy troupe that bring us a bunch of edgy, and raw comedies is at it again, with this weeks Get Him To The Greek.
GHTTG is the latest installment of the Judd Apatow group that gave us Knocked Up and bunch of similar comedies in recent years. These generally deal with lots of sex, and recreational drug use, heavy drinking and overall raunchy behavior by young adults, and GHTTG is no exception. In essence it's about an young record company executive and his idea to bring back an aging rock star from England to put on a tenth anniversary concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
Erin (Jonah Hill) flies in London to escort our rock star (Russel Brand) back. But of course there are many stops along the way that our out of control rock star makes, and Erin is way over his head. Drugs, sex, personal appearances gone horribly wrong, you get the drift. Will they make it to the Greek in 72 hours and will the show go off? That's GHTTG.
Digging a big deeper than just our superficial story line, there are some things in this movie that are really interesting once you pull back the predictable layers. The story at the very end does take a surprising twist that makes sitting through all the poop, puke, horrible language and glorified drug use a little more worthwhile. There are some big laughs here too. What this movie does well is lampoon the entire record and Rock - n - Roll industry by making fun of it's principal players. And that's pretty funny. Even though the stereotypes are not so new, some of this works.
The real story here though is Jonah Hill. He of course is the chubby, curly headed kind from Superbad and other similar movies. I thought his performance here was really strong. Hill has put on even more weight and looks even more vulnerable as the hapless Erin, and the character is really well done. You do feel for him every step of the way, as he tries his best to negotiate his way through this mess, and his personal life too. I think if Hill has the guts to take a chance on a new acting path, there will be roles for him in better quality projects that will take him down a new avenue, and be good at it. He is so believable here. He steals the show as the straight man.
GHTTG. No Oscars here, but plenty of cash to go around. You know what you're getting when you walk in and there are no apologies made. An acquired taste - not for Nana. But for fans of the young, edgy, nonsense comedy? A real hit.
GHTTG is the latest installment of the Judd Apatow group that gave us Knocked Up and bunch of similar comedies in recent years. These generally deal with lots of sex, and recreational drug use, heavy drinking and overall raunchy behavior by young adults, and GHTTG is no exception. In essence it's about an young record company executive and his idea to bring back an aging rock star from England to put on a tenth anniversary concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
Erin (Jonah Hill) flies in London to escort our rock star (Russel Brand) back. But of course there are many stops along the way that our out of control rock star makes, and Erin is way over his head. Drugs, sex, personal appearances gone horribly wrong, you get the drift. Will they make it to the Greek in 72 hours and will the show go off? That's GHTTG.
Digging a big deeper than just our superficial story line, there are some things in this movie that are really interesting once you pull back the predictable layers. The story at the very end does take a surprising twist that makes sitting through all the poop, puke, horrible language and glorified drug use a little more worthwhile. There are some big laughs here too. What this movie does well is lampoon the entire record and Rock - n - Roll industry by making fun of it's principal players. And that's pretty funny. Even though the stereotypes are not so new, some of this works.
The real story here though is Jonah Hill. He of course is the chubby, curly headed kind from Superbad and other similar movies. I thought his performance here was really strong. Hill has put on even more weight and looks even more vulnerable as the hapless Erin, and the character is really well done. You do feel for him every step of the way, as he tries his best to negotiate his way through this mess, and his personal life too. I think if Hill has the guts to take a chance on a new acting path, there will be roles for him in better quality projects that will take him down a new avenue, and be good at it. He is so believable here. He steals the show as the straight man.
GHTTG. No Oscars here, but plenty of cash to go around. You know what you're getting when you walk in and there are no apologies made. An acquired taste - not for Nana. But for fans of the young, edgy, nonsense comedy? A real hit.
MOVIE REVIEW - Splice
You have probably seen a ton of TV ads for the new thriller Splice new at the box office this week.
Splice is the story of two very gifted scientists working for giant drug company trying to find the cure for many of the worlds worst medical problems and diseases. They are trying to create new forms of life that are "spliced"together that will supply man with new enzymes and proteins that can be made into drugs so cancer, Parkinson's, and diabetes can be cured. Their motivation is good.
But of course when they decide to "slice" in human DNA into their experiments, they cross the line legally, ethically and morally. They somehow create "Dren." A new female creature with spliced human DNA. It goes horribly wrong and every line is crossed. As Dren grows rapidly and out of control, what can they do and what should be done?
Splice is a movie that starts out strange and gets really weird as it goes on. Although addressing many relevant issues associated with this kind of technology, it veers off in a few directions that may leave you a bit bewildered. There are things about Splice that really work and are really interesting. And to be very honest, it's not as predictable as you might think. I have to admit, it went a few places I wasn't expecting, and went places difficult to go.
But as well done as some of this really is, both in story and the special effects there's just something missing here, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Splice is not a bad movie. It's pace is decent, and there's enough here to hold your interest, but there's really no payoff that stands tall and makes you feel like you've really seen something special. Just as our scientists were looking for that one special missing element in their research that makes everything come together. So does this movie.
Splice. For some this will be a real thriller and compelling. For me, it was just two hours at the movie. Splice doesn't fall down, it just has a hard time really standing tall.
Splice is the story of two very gifted scientists working for giant drug company trying to find the cure for many of the worlds worst medical problems and diseases. They are trying to create new forms of life that are "spliced"together that will supply man with new enzymes and proteins that can be made into drugs so cancer, Parkinson's, and diabetes can be cured. Their motivation is good.
But of course when they decide to "slice" in human DNA into their experiments, they cross the line legally, ethically and morally. They somehow create "Dren." A new female creature with spliced human DNA. It goes horribly wrong and every line is crossed. As Dren grows rapidly and out of control, what can they do and what should be done?
Splice is a movie that starts out strange and gets really weird as it goes on. Although addressing many relevant issues associated with this kind of technology, it veers off in a few directions that may leave you a bit bewildered. There are things about Splice that really work and are really interesting. And to be very honest, it's not as predictable as you might think. I have to admit, it went a few places I wasn't expecting, and went places difficult to go.
But as well done as some of this really is, both in story and the special effects there's just something missing here, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Splice is not a bad movie. It's pace is decent, and there's enough here to hold your interest, but there's really no payoff that stands tall and makes you feel like you've really seen something special. Just as our scientists were looking for that one special missing element in their research that makes everything come together. So does this movie.
Splice. For some this will be a real thriller and compelling. For me, it was just two hours at the movie. Splice doesn't fall down, it just has a hard time really standing tall.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
It's Good To Be Human
It's easy to win, and hard not to sometimes. As in a friendship, it can be easy to really fall for someone when things are really good. But you learn a lot about friends, lovers, and family members when things are not so good. That's the separator. Those who can dig deep and handle themselves with class and dignity when it's far easier not to.
That's exactly what happened last night in Detroit when the Indians were playing the Tigers, and the young Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga was on the precipice of pitching Major League Baseballs 21st perfect game ever. To give you some perspective, they've been playing professional baseball well over 100 years. It's only happened 20 times. Then it happened. You saw it. On the games final play, yes or no to history, veteran umpire Jim Joyce missed the call at first base badly, and it was over just that fast. The perfect game suddenly over, and history was put on hold. What a shame - heartbreaking.
I am still as stunned as you are. But maybe what we are stunned over matches up and maybe it doesn't. I am still stunned in this era of "look at me, it's all about me...what about meeeee" by most of our nations biggest athletes and celebrities in general, on the reaction of Armando Galarraga, and Jim Joyce collectively. Both completely understood what had happened, accepted it, manned up and set a fabulous example for young and old alike to follow. It was a breath of fresh air in the arena of taking responsibility, that could use a good and thorough de-stinking.
Joyce through tears in his eyes admitted blowing the call and apologized to the pitcher in person after the game. Galarraga accepted not only the apology, but also what had just happened. Both that he was denied a perfect game, but also that he just pitched one of the great games in the sports history regardless of the stats. After all, this was a kid that in mid -May was in the minor leagues riding a bus to away games and watching the Detroit Tigers on TV. Good perspective. Joyce a 22 year veteran umpire acted like one. He manned up. These are stand up guys.
Maybe the reason that so many have lauded these two is that it's not what we're used to this anymore. What we expect to hear is the whining, sniveling, "it's not fair, poor me, gee whiz I was robbed fix this for me" from these athletes and stars. And it's pathetic. Maybe more should take a lesson from our new hero Armando, and actually become a FAN of the game they are playing and making millions doing so. Because Galarraga spoke like a guy, who loves the GAME. Not just his involvement in it.
And for Joyce. No defying tone, no "Hey I know it all, you didn't see what I saw" attitude. He eventually saw what the rest of us did, and made it as right as he could. Umpires have their troubles, but they do love the game. And as wrong as he got it at 847 pm Wednesday night. He got it more than right at 930pm when he stepped out in front of a blood thirsty press, and made an impassioned statement of his blunder. Both guys refreshing - my gosh.
Now what? My feeling is that today I love the game today more that ever, and we shouldn't mess around with it. It's a game played by humans, for humans and officiated by humans, and as in life sometimes we get it wrong. You want replay or whatever? Go play video games where it's all so absolute. I want to love a game, any game where we talk about this kind of thing, and wonder what if, or can you believe that? That is what holds my interest and gets me cheering as much as the play on the field. The human element. Life doesn't have instant replay, and I'm glad. In the world many times you have to think on your feet, and get it right. And at times we don't. Things are generally more exciting if we don't always know the temperature of he water before we jump in.
Galaraga and Joyce are human, and they did what they should have. Just not what we expected sadly. In the end, they both got it right.... real right. They turned the page. Now, it's time for everyone else, to do the same.
That's exactly what happened last night in Detroit when the Indians were playing the Tigers, and the young Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga was on the precipice of pitching Major League Baseballs 21st perfect game ever. To give you some perspective, they've been playing professional baseball well over 100 years. It's only happened 20 times. Then it happened. You saw it. On the games final play, yes or no to history, veteran umpire Jim Joyce missed the call at first base badly, and it was over just that fast. The perfect game suddenly over, and history was put on hold. What a shame - heartbreaking.
I am still as stunned as you are. But maybe what we are stunned over matches up and maybe it doesn't. I am still stunned in this era of "look at me, it's all about me...what about meeeee" by most of our nations biggest athletes and celebrities in general, on the reaction of Armando Galarraga, and Jim Joyce collectively. Both completely understood what had happened, accepted it, manned up and set a fabulous example for young and old alike to follow. It was a breath of fresh air in the arena of taking responsibility, that could use a good and thorough de-stinking.
Joyce through tears in his eyes admitted blowing the call and apologized to the pitcher in person after the game. Galarraga accepted not only the apology, but also what had just happened. Both that he was denied a perfect game, but also that he just pitched one of the great games in the sports history regardless of the stats. After all, this was a kid that in mid -May was in the minor leagues riding a bus to away games and watching the Detroit Tigers on TV. Good perspective. Joyce a 22 year veteran umpire acted like one. He manned up. These are stand up guys.
Maybe the reason that so many have lauded these two is that it's not what we're used to this anymore. What we expect to hear is the whining, sniveling, "it's not fair, poor me, gee whiz I was robbed fix this for me" from these athletes and stars. And it's pathetic. Maybe more should take a lesson from our new hero Armando, and actually become a FAN of the game they are playing and making millions doing so. Because Galarraga spoke like a guy, who loves the GAME. Not just his involvement in it.
And for Joyce. No defying tone, no "Hey I know it all, you didn't see what I saw" attitude. He eventually saw what the rest of us did, and made it as right as he could. Umpires have their troubles, but they do love the game. And as wrong as he got it at 847 pm Wednesday night. He got it more than right at 930pm when he stepped out in front of a blood thirsty press, and made an impassioned statement of his blunder. Both guys refreshing - my gosh.
Now what? My feeling is that today I love the game today more that ever, and we shouldn't mess around with it. It's a game played by humans, for humans and officiated by humans, and as in life sometimes we get it wrong. You want replay or whatever? Go play video games where it's all so absolute. I want to love a game, any game where we talk about this kind of thing, and wonder what if, or can you believe that? That is what holds my interest and gets me cheering as much as the play on the field. The human element. Life doesn't have instant replay, and I'm glad. In the world many times you have to think on your feet, and get it right. And at times we don't. Things are generally more exciting if we don't always know the temperature of he water before we jump in.
Galaraga and Joyce are human, and they did what they should have. Just not what we expected sadly. In the end, they both got it right.... real right. They turned the page. Now, it's time for everyone else, to do the same.
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