John Cusack stars as Edgar Allen Poe in the new thriller, The Raven.
The Raven explores, (as much as possible, as not much is known) about the final few days of 19th century writer and poet Edgar Allen Poe. Poe, of course was a genius, and madman all at the same time. He wrote such fantastic stories as Murders In the Rue Morgue, Pit And The Pendulum, and the iconic poem, The Raven. In this story they try to explore the possible reason for his unexplained death in October of 1849 in Baltimore.
It's a thriller that claims that Poe was engaged to a beautiful young woman that is abducted by a serial killer. The killer is using methods and scenarios from Poe's own stories to murder his victims. He then while having the beautiful women hostage, demands that Poe write the end of this story on how her fate will play out And to get it published in the Baltimore newspaper. Interesting enough plot line.
But that isn't enough to carry the day. The Raven is certainly not a bad movie, but it will suffer from one of the most dreaded movie fates that there is: it's forgettable. Behind the nice costuming, sets, and dark backdrop of eerie 19th century Baltimore is a story that in theory is good, but there's just something missing. When you add it all up, it just comes up short.
I am a Cusack fan. When he picks he right role, he's great. When he's in junk like 2012, he's not. This was a good choice for him, playing Poe, but they didn't write Poe nearly as complex as they should have. This is Edgar Allen Poe. At times, his dialogue was compelling and deep. In others, shallow and quite frankly boring. For this movies sake, Poe must be powerful, commanding and exceptionally literary. There's not enough of that. Cusack does what he can.
The supporting cast overall is weak, and limp, and written poorly. Much of this seems disjointed, and following this at times is not really hard to follow, but you are wondering why you are. There is a lack of any real forward motion at times. This is not an action movie, but not a straight on thriller either. There are flashes of extreme violence, but it's short. But one scene is highly graphic that may be tough for some.
The Raven. The idea is good, the execution is not. It's not a complete washout, but there's just something missing.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
LOCAL GOLF - Sunday Morning Golf Review
This week the Dewsweepers ran over to a very well kept secret in Seville at Deer Pass.
You have probably seen Deer Pass from I-71 many times. It is essentially at the intersection of I-71 and I-76, near the truck stops. You more than likely wondered what we always have. What's up with that course? It is relatively new, less than ten years, and is a place certainly on the way up. For courses to really be great, good people, time and of course money are always the determining factors on how great a course can be.
Well Deer Pass, has really great people in place, and this place has come a long way in a short time. As we talked with General Manager Chad Gibson, he was explaining all the improvements they have made in his short 20 months there on the job. And there are plenty. Impressive too was the posted list of what they have done for all to see. I liked that. You can see they have pride in their course and a forward motion there. It's a course on the rise, and not a course that is just laying there.
Deer Pass proved to be far more difficult than we were prepared for. Do not think that this is an easy track. Yes, it is not overly long, but there are plenty of very well designed nuances to this course that make it very challenging.
First off, the greens over all are small, and undulated with potentially tough pin placements. Many of them are a blind shot in, and there are more than a few that not only are blind in, small, but they also slope away from you. Many are very tough to hit. They also were loaded with break, especially around the cups. Tex found this out time and time again, as we all were aghast on how many of his putts broke late and didn't jar. Tex's normally knocks down many more putts. There was not really very much sand, and I think there was only one sand shot all day, think it was Joe Red, and it wasn't a problem as he saved par. He had a few nice par saves on the day.
The front 9 also has a thing called the 8 Acre Lake. This comes into play on a whole host of holes on the front, with two island greens where there is no margin for error. Just ask me as I dropped two in the drink on one par three, taking a terrible 7. A real round killer. That lake is really in play, or nearly in play a much of the front 9, and you will do well to keep the ball dry on all 9. We all took a scoring bath on the front, and for the most part we recovered on the back 9, which really has no water and overall far less trouble.
Deer Pass is a course that we would really like to go back and play again, and I think our approach would be very different. This is not a long course, and some long irons would be in better order on some of the par 4's than driver. Plus, it would behoove you to club down and land many approach shots short of the green and let them bounce on. And also to realize that many of these blind approach shots play shorter than the yardage in, because of the sloping away greens. I think a second round there under most circumstances would shave off a bunch of strokes for us and many others. And I mean a bunch! This is course that has to be learned. Sure, there were some bad shots, but there was a lot of different club choices and strategy that would certainly pay off.
Beef carded the only birdie of the day on the par 3 16th, a 7 iron about 3 foot away from the cup, led to a tap in. We all had our share of pars today, but next time there will be more of those, now that we know the course. I carded the only quad-bogey of the day as I told you earlier. But I recovered from a terrible front nine, (worst I've played all year), to a pretty good back 9. I Think Joe Red and I shot the best on the back. But not I, or anyone else shot the lights out. But we had fun as we always do, and that's the name of the game.
Deer Pass has a real nice staff that made us feel very welcome and comfortable on our first visit and that means a lot to us. We do put a very high value on that. Plus, a nice clubhouse, and a great selection of hot dogs, brats, and burgers for you at the turn or after the game. And...they are cooked on the grill outside - nice touch. We loved our experience, and look forward to going back with lower scores, and more conservative shots.
Scores
Joe Red - 86
Beef - 88
Wynn - 91
Tex - 100 +
You have probably seen Deer Pass from I-71 many times. It is essentially at the intersection of I-71 and I-76, near the truck stops. You more than likely wondered what we always have. What's up with that course? It is relatively new, less than ten years, and is a place certainly on the way up. For courses to really be great, good people, time and of course money are always the determining factors on how great a course can be.
Well Deer Pass, has really great people in place, and this place has come a long way in a short time. As we talked with General Manager Chad Gibson, he was explaining all the improvements they have made in his short 20 months there on the job. And there are plenty. Impressive too was the posted list of what they have done for all to see. I liked that. You can see they have pride in their course and a forward motion there. It's a course on the rise, and not a course that is just laying there.
Deer Pass proved to be far more difficult than we were prepared for. Do not think that this is an easy track. Yes, it is not overly long, but there are plenty of very well designed nuances to this course that make it very challenging.
First off, the greens over all are small, and undulated with potentially tough pin placements. Many of them are a blind shot in, and there are more than a few that not only are blind in, small, but they also slope away from you. Many are very tough to hit. They also were loaded with break, especially around the cups. Tex found this out time and time again, as we all were aghast on how many of his putts broke late and didn't jar. Tex's normally knocks down many more putts. There was not really very much sand, and I think there was only one sand shot all day, think it was Joe Red, and it wasn't a problem as he saved par. He had a few nice par saves on the day.
The front 9 also has a thing called the 8 Acre Lake. This comes into play on a whole host of holes on the front, with two island greens where there is no margin for error. Just ask me as I dropped two in the drink on one par three, taking a terrible 7. A real round killer. That lake is really in play, or nearly in play a much of the front 9, and you will do well to keep the ball dry on all 9. We all took a scoring bath on the front, and for the most part we recovered on the back 9, which really has no water and overall far less trouble.
Deer Pass is a course that we would really like to go back and play again, and I think our approach would be very different. This is not a long course, and some long irons would be in better order on some of the par 4's than driver. Plus, it would behoove you to club down and land many approach shots short of the green and let them bounce on. And also to realize that many of these blind approach shots play shorter than the yardage in, because of the sloping away greens. I think a second round there under most circumstances would shave off a bunch of strokes for us and many others. And I mean a bunch! This is course that has to be learned. Sure, there were some bad shots, but there was a lot of different club choices and strategy that would certainly pay off.
Beef carded the only birdie of the day on the par 3 16th, a 7 iron about 3 foot away from the cup, led to a tap in. We all had our share of pars today, but next time there will be more of those, now that we know the course. I carded the only quad-bogey of the day as I told you earlier. But I recovered from a terrible front nine, (worst I've played all year), to a pretty good back 9. I Think Joe Red and I shot the best on the back. But not I, or anyone else shot the lights out. But we had fun as we always do, and that's the name of the game.
Deer Pass has a real nice staff that made us feel very welcome and comfortable on our first visit and that means a lot to us. We do put a very high value on that. Plus, a nice clubhouse, and a great selection of hot dogs, brats, and burgers for you at the turn or after the game. And...they are cooked on the grill outside - nice touch. We loved our experience, and look forward to going back with lower scores, and more conservative shots.
Scores
Joe Red - 86
Beef - 88
Wynn - 91
Tex - 100 +
Saturday, April 28, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW - The Five Year Engagement
The new romantic comedy, The Five Year Engagement is new this week with Jason Segal and Emily Blunt.
This movie is really two movies, and seldom is that a good thing. And sadly, this really good idea, and great start fall victim to some very poor writing, editing and equally bad decision making. This was basically written by our star Segal, and also produced by him as well. On screen he is really good, but off screen - not so much.
This is the story of Tom (Segal) and Violet (Blunt). They are young and madly in love, and decide to get married. Problem is Violet is a graduate student who is trying hard to get into Cal-Berkley which is near San Francisco where they live. Tom is a chef working his way up the ladder, and is very talented. Violet, after excepting Tom's proposal then gets an offer at the University of Michigan. So they postpone the wedding for two years and move there.
At first Tom is a great sport, and very supportive. He quits his job and moves with Violet. But after her tenure at Michigan gets extended, he starts to lose his sense of humor over the whole ordeal. Then of course, there is resentment and other people get involved and the whole thing goes south. So, can they work this out, or are they destined to not make it? Even though they do seem to love each other.
First of all, the first 45 minutes of this movie are are really good, very charming and consistently funny. The final 15 minutes are equally as charming, and actually very wonderful. But there is about a 45 minute segment in the middle of this movie that I frankly do not understand. The theater at first was roaring with laughter and giggles. Then, after while it just stopped. This becomes very dark, and borderline disturbing at times, with all of it surrounding Tom as he plummets down a bad path with his resentment towards Violet. It really had nothing to do with the first part of the flick. It becomes angry and pathetic. And worst of all, not funny, with a complete and total loss of any real charm, class, or fun that it started out with.
It does rebound the end and returns to the snappy, witty fun movie it was. But it's too late. This is the biggest, and saddest waste of a good idea, and great performances by our stars and supporting cast. For some reason, it becomes enamored with bad language, silly, dark plot twists, and excessive, graphic discussion of human body parts, and very uncomfortable dialogue by characters that really have no relevance. And to reinforce, the theater completely stopped laughing and having fun. Plus, this movie is way, way too long coming in at a bit over 2 hours. 90 minutes should have been the cut-off. But his movie making bunch simply does not know how to end scenes, or movies effectively.
But Segal on screen continues to get better, and more skilled in challenging roles. I have enjoyed him recently, in The Muppets which was fun, and Jeff Who Lives At Home, which was great! I don't quite understand his obsession on showing off his clunky, naked body in every movie he makes, but that's this problem. Emily Blunt is fantastic. She is becoming such a GREAT star. Easy to watch, her alluring British accent is incredibly charming, and there is a certain ease with her on camera that is propelling her to the top. She's funny, lovely, and a real natural. She has Oscar winning talent, and more than likely will win one somewhere up the road. She and Emma Stone are leading the charge as exceptionally talented young actresses, who we all hope make good career choices.
Should be noted, that what is wrong with this movie on screen, has nothing to do with our stars. Just bad writing at times. Also, supporting actress Alison Brie as Violets sister, may have the funniest 3 minutes on camera this year so far at the beginning of this movie. She, has a small role in this movie, but to me was very funny.
The Five Year Engagement. Great moments and very charming at times. I just wish that someone with some level of maturity was behind the camera and the pen would have been there to guide this thing all the way through. A big opportunity thrown away.
This movie is really two movies, and seldom is that a good thing. And sadly, this really good idea, and great start fall victim to some very poor writing, editing and equally bad decision making. This was basically written by our star Segal, and also produced by him as well. On screen he is really good, but off screen - not so much.
This is the story of Tom (Segal) and Violet (Blunt). They are young and madly in love, and decide to get married. Problem is Violet is a graduate student who is trying hard to get into Cal-Berkley which is near San Francisco where they live. Tom is a chef working his way up the ladder, and is very talented. Violet, after excepting Tom's proposal then gets an offer at the University of Michigan. So they postpone the wedding for two years and move there.
At first Tom is a great sport, and very supportive. He quits his job and moves with Violet. But after her tenure at Michigan gets extended, he starts to lose his sense of humor over the whole ordeal. Then of course, there is resentment and other people get involved and the whole thing goes south. So, can they work this out, or are they destined to not make it? Even though they do seem to love each other.
First of all, the first 45 minutes of this movie are are really good, very charming and consistently funny. The final 15 minutes are equally as charming, and actually very wonderful. But there is about a 45 minute segment in the middle of this movie that I frankly do not understand. The theater at first was roaring with laughter and giggles. Then, after while it just stopped. This becomes very dark, and borderline disturbing at times, with all of it surrounding Tom as he plummets down a bad path with his resentment towards Violet. It really had nothing to do with the first part of the flick. It becomes angry and pathetic. And worst of all, not funny, with a complete and total loss of any real charm, class, or fun that it started out with.
It does rebound the end and returns to the snappy, witty fun movie it was. But it's too late. This is the biggest, and saddest waste of a good idea, and great performances by our stars and supporting cast. For some reason, it becomes enamored with bad language, silly, dark plot twists, and excessive, graphic discussion of human body parts, and very uncomfortable dialogue by characters that really have no relevance. And to reinforce, the theater completely stopped laughing and having fun. Plus, this movie is way, way too long coming in at a bit over 2 hours. 90 minutes should have been the cut-off. But his movie making bunch simply does not know how to end scenes, or movies effectively.
But Segal on screen continues to get better, and more skilled in challenging roles. I have enjoyed him recently, in The Muppets which was fun, and Jeff Who Lives At Home, which was great! I don't quite understand his obsession on showing off his clunky, naked body in every movie he makes, but that's this problem. Emily Blunt is fantastic. She is becoming such a GREAT star. Easy to watch, her alluring British accent is incredibly charming, and there is a certain ease with her on camera that is propelling her to the top. She's funny, lovely, and a real natural. She has Oscar winning talent, and more than likely will win one somewhere up the road. She and Emma Stone are leading the charge as exceptionally talented young actresses, who we all hope make good career choices.
Should be noted, that what is wrong with this movie on screen, has nothing to do with our stars. Just bad writing at times. Also, supporting actress Alison Brie as Violets sister, may have the funniest 3 minutes on camera this year so far at the beginning of this movie. She, has a small role in this movie, but to me was very funny.
The Five Year Engagement. Great moments and very charming at times. I just wish that someone with some level of maturity was behind the camera and the pen would have been there to guide this thing all the way through. A big opportunity thrown away.
Monday, April 23, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW - Think Like A Man
The new Steve Harvey Comedy, Think Like A Man, makes a huge splash at the box office this opening weekend. Bringing in 33 million dollars.
TLAM is a "romantic comedy" of sorts, as about 6 couples "act out" portions of the real life book written by Harvey, Act Like A Lady, But Think Like A Man. And to be honest, this is pretty funny stuff. Harvey's book is handbook for single, dating women who are drawn to this self help book because it gives away all the secrets that single, dating men have. The men in our story look at Harvey as a traitor, while the women for the most part are hanging on every written word.
And the game is on. After our men friends find out that all of the women in their lives are reading this book, they grab copies and they read the book too, in order to play offense and defense at the same time. When the women find out the men are also reading the book and their motives are suspect, it causes big problems with our couples...and potential couples.
The very large ensemble cast is very good and do what they are asked to do. Show the modern relationships in all of their glory, the good and the bad, and let us have a laugh or two at our own expense. This is highly relatable to those new in a romance, or for someone married 20 years. Even though circumstances do change, the basic realities between the sexes do not, and it makes it pretty funny to laugh at ourselves.
Not all of this works. A couple of the characters are a bit fatiguing and wear out their welcome, and some of the writers didn't know when to quit at times. Also, this may be a bit too long, and here is a hugely horrible scene involving one of our couples at the very end. This scene comes dangerously close to ruining a pretty good movie, as it makes no sense at all. But because of this movies previous 100 decent minutes, it luckily gets a pass.
Think Like A Man. Pretty funny stuff, with some fresh faces, even if the subject matter is as old as the hills. Just told in a new way.
TLAM is a "romantic comedy" of sorts, as about 6 couples "act out" portions of the real life book written by Harvey, Act Like A Lady, But Think Like A Man. And to be honest, this is pretty funny stuff. Harvey's book is handbook for single, dating women who are drawn to this self help book because it gives away all the secrets that single, dating men have. The men in our story look at Harvey as a traitor, while the women for the most part are hanging on every written word.
And the game is on. After our men friends find out that all of the women in their lives are reading this book, they grab copies and they read the book too, in order to play offense and defense at the same time. When the women find out the men are also reading the book and their motives are suspect, it causes big problems with our couples...and potential couples.
The very large ensemble cast is very good and do what they are asked to do. Show the modern relationships in all of their glory, the good and the bad, and let us have a laugh or two at our own expense. This is highly relatable to those new in a romance, or for someone married 20 years. Even though circumstances do change, the basic realities between the sexes do not, and it makes it pretty funny to laugh at ourselves.
Not all of this works. A couple of the characters are a bit fatiguing and wear out their welcome, and some of the writers didn't know when to quit at times. Also, this may be a bit too long, and here is a hugely horrible scene involving one of our couples at the very end. This scene comes dangerously close to ruining a pretty good movie, as it makes no sense at all. But because of this movies previous 100 decent minutes, it luckily gets a pass.
Think Like A Man. Pretty funny stuff, with some fresh faces, even if the subject matter is as old as the hills. Just told in a new way.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW - The Lucky One
The latest Nicholas Sparks book to come to the movies is, The Lucky One. And it's here this weekend.
TLO stars all grown up Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling as Logan and Beth respectively. Logan is a former marine who has just come home three tours in The Middle East. While he was there, he found a beautiful picture of a pretty young woman (Beth) in the rubble after a late night raid. He can not find out who the picture belongs to. So it seems that the picture is from a marine killed in action. Logan then starts to think that the picture is his guardian angel, and vows that if he makes it out alive, he will find this woman and return the picture.
As he returns to the states, he finds it difficult to spend time at his sisters house, so he strikes out to find the woman in the picture. This is not surprising. In fact, nothing in this movie is the slightest bit surprising, and that's the real weakness of this flick.
This is horribly written for the big screen. It is very manipulative and becomes an "aww" fest. Check this out. Logan tracks Beth down somehow on the Internet with really no information at all. Then he decides to walk, (I said, walk) from Colorado to Louisiana to find her, (awww). Oh, yeah, with his trusty German Shepard, Zeus (aww) who is in the movie for some reason. She hires him to work at her stuggling business without knowing his story, and he's best worker all time, (aww). He then can't bring himself to tell her the truth, (aww), and they reluctantly start to fall in love, (aww).
She, of course is a typical Sparks woman character. She's young and beautiful, the world is stacked against her, and she's a single mom. Also, she owns a dog boarding hotel, (aww), and lives in this gigantic house on a huge farm, (aww), just like most struggling single people do. She is a former elementary school teacher (aww) , who is loved all over town. And her mom, lives with her and of course is a great woman, and overall person too.
In short, it's the Sparks formula. Logan is too good to be true, and so is Beth. And everyone else in the movie that we are supposed to like are too good to be true too. And then somehow it all works out in the end, with plenty more aww moments along the way. The problem in this flick though is that it never really seems to get going. It is disjointed, and convenient at times. It also has some real dead spots in it and it is amazingly predictable all along the way.
Why does she own a pet hotel? It's not even a part of the story. Why does Logan have this great dog? He's just there to look at, and not really be in the story. Why does it take so long for these young and beautiful, available people to come together? None of this really makes any real sense. But you know what? NONE of this is going to make one bit of difference. This is a movie that the core audience is in love with long before they walk into the theater. For Sparks fans, there is virtually nothing that can be done that will make one person not love this movie.
And that's OK, we need passionate fans going to the movie.
But this Sparks story is more relevant than many, as it deals head on with what is going on in our world today. And that's great. But with it's formula outside of the circumstances, it's just the same stuff over and over again. Basically infallible, young, stunningly beautiful people meandering through a tortuous world alone for some reason until they find each other and fall in love. The only new ground was this takes place in Louisiana and not in Sparks' home area of the Mid-Atlantic Coast.
The Lucky One. It's another Sparks movie. They all look, sound and are the same. And for the fans, that's OK with them.
TLO stars all grown up Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling as Logan and Beth respectively. Logan is a former marine who has just come home three tours in The Middle East. While he was there, he found a beautiful picture of a pretty young woman (Beth) in the rubble after a late night raid. He can not find out who the picture belongs to. So it seems that the picture is from a marine killed in action. Logan then starts to think that the picture is his guardian angel, and vows that if he makes it out alive, he will find this woman and return the picture.
As he returns to the states, he finds it difficult to spend time at his sisters house, so he strikes out to find the woman in the picture. This is not surprising. In fact, nothing in this movie is the slightest bit surprising, and that's the real weakness of this flick.
This is horribly written for the big screen. It is very manipulative and becomes an "aww" fest. Check this out. Logan tracks Beth down somehow on the Internet with really no information at all. Then he decides to walk, (I said, walk) from Colorado to Louisiana to find her, (awww). Oh, yeah, with his trusty German Shepard, Zeus (aww) who is in the movie for some reason. She hires him to work at her stuggling business without knowing his story, and he's best worker all time, (aww). He then can't bring himself to tell her the truth, (aww), and they reluctantly start to fall in love, (aww).
She, of course is a typical Sparks woman character. She's young and beautiful, the world is stacked against her, and she's a single mom. Also, she owns a dog boarding hotel, (aww), and lives in this gigantic house on a huge farm, (aww), just like most struggling single people do. She is a former elementary school teacher (aww) , who is loved all over town. And her mom, lives with her and of course is a great woman, and overall person too.
In short, it's the Sparks formula. Logan is too good to be true, and so is Beth. And everyone else in the movie that we are supposed to like are too good to be true too. And then somehow it all works out in the end, with plenty more aww moments along the way. The problem in this flick though is that it never really seems to get going. It is disjointed, and convenient at times. It also has some real dead spots in it and it is amazingly predictable all along the way.
Why does she own a pet hotel? It's not even a part of the story. Why does Logan have this great dog? He's just there to look at, and not really be in the story. Why does it take so long for these young and beautiful, available people to come together? None of this really makes any real sense. But you know what? NONE of this is going to make one bit of difference. This is a movie that the core audience is in love with long before they walk into the theater. For Sparks fans, there is virtually nothing that can be done that will make one person not love this movie.
And that's OK, we need passionate fans going to the movie.
But this Sparks story is more relevant than many, as it deals head on with what is going on in our world today. And that's great. But with it's formula outside of the circumstances, it's just the same stuff over and over again. Basically infallible, young, stunningly beautiful people meandering through a tortuous world alone for some reason until they find each other and fall in love. The only new ground was this takes place in Louisiana and not in Sparks' home area of the Mid-Atlantic Coast.
The Lucky One. It's another Sparks movie. They all look, sound and are the same. And for the fans, that's OK with them.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW - Lockout
New this week, is the Sci-Fi action thriller with a sense of humor, Lockout starring Guy Pearce.
Lockout takes place in the year 2079. The world has started building maximum security prisons in space. There, the inmates are put into a coma-like state. What this does, is insure peace, and quiet, and not abuse, or violence as older prisons on earth. In our story, the President of the United States' beautiful young daughter is visiting the prison called M-S-1. She is on a humanitarian mission there.
Well, you can imagine that it all goes wrong, and there is a major security breach. Hostages are taken, and she is marooned up there. She is the only thing that stands in the way of the U.S. blowing it out of the sky. But obviously, the President wants his daughter back so they come up with a plan. Which is to send up Special Agent Snow, (Pearce), to rescue her. Snow has legal troubles of his own as he is set up for incarceration himself. But he is the man for the job, all agree. So off Snow goes.
Far-fetched? You bet, and that's why the running humor is so effective in this movie. In the past they have tried to make movies like this straight, and on the level. But they really don't work, and become running jokes over time. The snappy dialogue and really fun script prevent you or the movie makers from taking this too seriously, and that makes it work. Pearce is great as the sarcastic, bad boy Snow. I really like Guy Pearce. I wish he made more movies.
In all honesty, pay NO attention to the supporting cast, as it is marginal at best. This is Pearce's show and it should be. He creates a really fun character that over time develops a real nice chemistry with his co-star Maggie Grace as the daughter. And you do start to cheer for them. Her performance gets better was this movie goes on. I was a bit worried early on in this movie, as I thought she was horrible in the early scenes. But she recovers.
Is Lockout great? No, but it's plenty fun for 90 minutes. It is forgettable in the long run, and will be on TNT every weekend in about 2 years as it has that kind of look. But for a quick getaway to the flicks? It's do-able.
Lockout. Could have been a dud, but in the end, it's fun.
Lockout takes place in the year 2079. The world has started building maximum security prisons in space. There, the inmates are put into a coma-like state. What this does, is insure peace, and quiet, and not abuse, or violence as older prisons on earth. In our story, the President of the United States' beautiful young daughter is visiting the prison called M-S-1. She is on a humanitarian mission there.
Well, you can imagine that it all goes wrong, and there is a major security breach. Hostages are taken, and she is marooned up there. She is the only thing that stands in the way of the U.S. blowing it out of the sky. But obviously, the President wants his daughter back so they come up with a plan. Which is to send up Special Agent Snow, (Pearce), to rescue her. Snow has legal troubles of his own as he is set up for incarceration himself. But he is the man for the job, all agree. So off Snow goes.
Far-fetched? You bet, and that's why the running humor is so effective in this movie. In the past they have tried to make movies like this straight, and on the level. But they really don't work, and become running jokes over time. The snappy dialogue and really fun script prevent you or the movie makers from taking this too seriously, and that makes it work. Pearce is great as the sarcastic, bad boy Snow. I really like Guy Pearce. I wish he made more movies.
In all honesty, pay NO attention to the supporting cast, as it is marginal at best. This is Pearce's show and it should be. He creates a really fun character that over time develops a real nice chemistry with his co-star Maggie Grace as the daughter. And you do start to cheer for them. Her performance gets better was this movie goes on. I was a bit worried early on in this movie, as I thought she was horrible in the early scenes. But she recovers.
Is Lockout great? No, but it's plenty fun for 90 minutes. It is forgettable in the long run, and will be on TNT every weekend in about 2 years as it has that kind of look. But for a quick getaway to the flicks? It's do-able.
Lockout. Could have been a dud, but in the end, it's fun.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
LOCAL GOLF - Sunday Morning Golf Review
This week Joe Red, Tex, Beef and I (The Dewsweepers) tee off at 750AM at the Rawiga Golf And Swim Club. Beef and I had played the course a couple of times before, but Joe Red, and Tex had never had the honor.
Rawiga is great. Rawiga is the poster child for old-school northern golf. It's not overly long, about 6,300 yards for average players. But it's cleverly placed trees, trouble, and elevated and humped back greens make it a real challenge to score well on. But before we dive into the actual golf, let me say this is the kind of settling I really like in a course. Right off Rawiga Road in Seville, it it absent of any houses, roads, or anything to spoil the fact that you go deep into the trees to play a quiet and enjoyable round of golf. A wonderful barn-like recently updated club house and pro shop too, is incredibly quaint, and just adds to the overall experience. You feel like you have stepped back in time, and not, all at the same time. Wonderful.
The story of this round with The Dewsweepers was the rough. The rough was really tough, and made scoring prohibitive on this day. Although, Joe Red had the right idea and decided to keep the ball in the fairway for much of the day, and he was rewarded with the low round of the morning. None of us were setting the world on fire, but there was no real hacking either. The rough made the difference. Joe Red didn't have to deal with as much of it as the rest of us, and that kept his damage minimal. One double and one triple. Other wise...pretty solid round. The rest of of didn't hit the ball badly, but just errant enough to make second and third shots really tough.
Everyone played the back better than the front, except for me. I shot OK and the front, and while my fellow Dewsweepers were playing a more solid back I went the other way. My triple on 13, and double on 15, really hurt. All in all, I hit the ball well, just way too many bogie's. Beef shaved off 3 strokes from front to back, and Tex shaved off 5. Red knocked off three on the back, and I shot 3 higher.
Putting was really not a problem for us. By and large we didn't get hurt by 3 putting, it was just getting the ball on the green in good shape for a decent first putt. There is sand on the course, but I was the only one that found any of the bunkers. I found 4 of them.
Course highlights? Number 16, a par 5 number one handicap is a brutal hole. Good decisions are a must, but it's a great hole. In fact all the par 5's are great, and you can score on them if you are patient. Number 15 is their signature hole, a par 3, that you hit from an elevated tee, to a protected green some 75 feet below, about 165 yards. Great hole. Also, by early summer this place should be really great. We have to remember, we are still very early in the season.
I think Rawiga is one of the the really well kept secrets in the area. I love playing there every single time. And we look forward to teeing it up there again soon. In fact on our drive home, we thought a couple more visits there this summer would be in order. It's a wonderful design, and it's amazingly mature, quiet and challenging. Worth a little drive from anywhere for a really nice round of golf. We play all over the area, but there are a few courses we love to revisit, and this is certainly one of them.
Scores
Joe Red 85
Wynn 91
Beef 93
Tex 115
Rawiga is great. Rawiga is the poster child for old-school northern golf. It's not overly long, about 6,300 yards for average players. But it's cleverly placed trees, trouble, and elevated and humped back greens make it a real challenge to score well on. But before we dive into the actual golf, let me say this is the kind of settling I really like in a course. Right off Rawiga Road in Seville, it it absent of any houses, roads, or anything to spoil the fact that you go deep into the trees to play a quiet and enjoyable round of golf. A wonderful barn-like recently updated club house and pro shop too, is incredibly quaint, and just adds to the overall experience. You feel like you have stepped back in time, and not, all at the same time. Wonderful.
The story of this round with The Dewsweepers was the rough. The rough was really tough, and made scoring prohibitive on this day. Although, Joe Red had the right idea and decided to keep the ball in the fairway for much of the day, and he was rewarded with the low round of the morning. None of us were setting the world on fire, but there was no real hacking either. The rough made the difference. Joe Red didn't have to deal with as much of it as the rest of us, and that kept his damage minimal. One double and one triple. Other wise...pretty solid round. The rest of of didn't hit the ball badly, but just errant enough to make second and third shots really tough.
Everyone played the back better than the front, except for me. I shot OK and the front, and while my fellow Dewsweepers were playing a more solid back I went the other way. My triple on 13, and double on 15, really hurt. All in all, I hit the ball well, just way too many bogie's. Beef shaved off 3 strokes from front to back, and Tex shaved off 5. Red knocked off three on the back, and I shot 3 higher.
Putting was really not a problem for us. By and large we didn't get hurt by 3 putting, it was just getting the ball on the green in good shape for a decent first putt. There is sand on the course, but I was the only one that found any of the bunkers. I found 4 of them.
Course highlights? Number 16, a par 5 number one handicap is a brutal hole. Good decisions are a must, but it's a great hole. In fact all the par 5's are great, and you can score on them if you are patient. Number 15 is their signature hole, a par 3, that you hit from an elevated tee, to a protected green some 75 feet below, about 165 yards. Great hole. Also, by early summer this place should be really great. We have to remember, we are still very early in the season.
I think Rawiga is one of the the really well kept secrets in the area. I love playing there every single time. And we look forward to teeing it up there again soon. In fact on our drive home, we thought a couple more visits there this summer would be in order. It's a wonderful design, and it's amazingly mature, quiet and challenging. Worth a little drive from anywhere for a really nice round of golf. We play all over the area, but there are a few courses we love to revisit, and this is certainly one of them.
Scores
Joe Red 85
Wynn 91
Beef 93
Tex 115
MOVIE REVIEW - Cabin In The Woods
Cabin In The Woods is among the strangest movies you will see this entire year.
In short, it's the story of 5 college students that go off on an ill-fated trip to one of the groups cousins' cabin deep in the woods. They are hoping for a weekend of drinking, partying, swimming and more. They find out that they are going to get anything but what they had been hoping for. One by one they start getting picked off in typical slasher movie gory fashion. Then you start to slowly learn that there is much more in play here. It's not going to be your stereotypical teen, slash, skin, and sex fest.
Seems that our characters are in the middle of some kind of sick reality show thing, that is being controlled by some company, or entity that we really don't have any real understanding of. As the movie flies along you learn more about what is really the reason for all this, and you start to get a sense of the real story. In the end, this is creative. Plus, it's all done tongue and cheek, with an underlying sense of humor that dresses this thing up nicely. They keep you on the hook nicely and let you slow burn to the eventual answers that you do start to crave. Well done.
OK, that is where I'll stop. Even with is sly motives, fun effects, humor and well written script, this is still plenty violent. In the end, extremely bloody and certainly isn't going to thrill Nana and Pappy if they want to go to the movies with you. But this flick identifies its core audience and plays right to it. Yes, it's a slasher flick, but it is a cut above. In the end, you do walk out feeling like you've gotten your money's worth, if for no other reason, you've never really seen this story told this way before.
A Cabin In the Woods. Highly inventive, and not the same old same old.
In short, it's the story of 5 college students that go off on an ill-fated trip to one of the groups cousins' cabin deep in the woods. They are hoping for a weekend of drinking, partying, swimming and more. They find out that they are going to get anything but what they had been hoping for. One by one they start getting picked off in typical slasher movie gory fashion. Then you start to slowly learn that there is much more in play here. It's not going to be your stereotypical teen, slash, skin, and sex fest.
Seems that our characters are in the middle of some kind of sick reality show thing, that is being controlled by some company, or entity that we really don't have any real understanding of. As the movie flies along you learn more about what is really the reason for all this, and you start to get a sense of the real story. In the end, this is creative. Plus, it's all done tongue and cheek, with an underlying sense of humor that dresses this thing up nicely. They keep you on the hook nicely and let you slow burn to the eventual answers that you do start to crave. Well done.
OK, that is where I'll stop. Even with is sly motives, fun effects, humor and well written script, this is still plenty violent. In the end, extremely bloody and certainly isn't going to thrill Nana and Pappy if they want to go to the movies with you. But this flick identifies its core audience and plays right to it. Yes, it's a slasher flick, but it is a cut above. In the end, you do walk out feeling like you've gotten your money's worth, if for no other reason, you've never really seen this story told this way before.
A Cabin In the Woods. Highly inventive, and not the same old same old.
Monday, April 16, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW - Bully
You have probably heard of the new documentary, Bully that is in limited release this week.
Bully is the real story of about a half dozen separate different victims of middle, and high school bullying. It also puts the spotlight on their entire families and the various local, and public school systems that seemingly are failing horribly in this era of teen-age bullying. At times this is a very powerful piece of film that goes right to the heart. Then at others, it feels like only the beginning of the conversation. Let's get this out there. Bullying is a big problem today, and no one should attempt to minimize the that trouble is big, out of control, and needs to be addressed.
Even though the subject matter is really topical and tough, sadly this feels like a really big opportunity missed. While focusing only on the victims and their plight, many things jumped out. First, virtually all of the true stories take place in extremely rural areas, or the south. I found that very limiting. And even though clearly that the victims are the central focus, there was really no attempt at all to understand the root cause, or source of this phenomenon.
There was not one word from the "other side." Not to defend bullying of course, but to attempt to at least help us understand why this exists to the degree it does today. I felt that is one of the essential elements of any real documentary. I think many will want to find who these bullies are, and what is their misguided motivation, and the families that harbor them. Also missing was virtually any mention of cyber-bullying which is a gigantic problem facing today's youth. Another opportunity missed.
As in many documentaries, there has to be a scapegoat and there is one here too. They successfully portray the public school administrators in various schools as non-caring, incompetent , and self absorbed adults that are out of touch and really don't care about the trouble. If the attempt was to show the politics, rules, and the fact that they have their hands tied in may of these cases, it failed. They made these people, and two women assistant principals look like total buffoons. Only the film maker knows what the actual intent was.
Bully is certainly not a bad movie, but it only goes as far as the film maker will let it go. And to be fair, maybe the problem is just far too large to explain in a two hour movie, and so there is a pass given. Maybe there will be more up the road to help us all understand the problem in it's entirety. I think they even did the subject a bit of harm at times by failing to completely educate, and to me that is what a documentary does best. It stops one quarter of the way, and though there's nothing wrong with the content in this film, there is much more to be learned and shared.
Bully. A moving experience to be sure, but there is certainly so much more to this story and problem than they give us here.
Bully is the real story of about a half dozen separate different victims of middle, and high school bullying. It also puts the spotlight on their entire families and the various local, and public school systems that seemingly are failing horribly in this era of teen-age bullying. At times this is a very powerful piece of film that goes right to the heart. Then at others, it feels like only the beginning of the conversation. Let's get this out there. Bullying is a big problem today, and no one should attempt to minimize the that trouble is big, out of control, and needs to be addressed.
Even though the subject matter is really topical and tough, sadly this feels like a really big opportunity missed. While focusing only on the victims and their plight, many things jumped out. First, virtually all of the true stories take place in extremely rural areas, or the south. I found that very limiting. And even though clearly that the victims are the central focus, there was really no attempt at all to understand the root cause, or source of this phenomenon.
There was not one word from the "other side." Not to defend bullying of course, but to attempt to at least help us understand why this exists to the degree it does today. I felt that is one of the essential elements of any real documentary. I think many will want to find who these bullies are, and what is their misguided motivation, and the families that harbor them. Also missing was virtually any mention of cyber-bullying which is a gigantic problem facing today's youth. Another opportunity missed.
As in many documentaries, there has to be a scapegoat and there is one here too. They successfully portray the public school administrators in various schools as non-caring, incompetent , and self absorbed adults that are out of touch and really don't care about the trouble. If the attempt was to show the politics, rules, and the fact that they have their hands tied in may of these cases, it failed. They made these people, and two women assistant principals look like total buffoons. Only the film maker knows what the actual intent was.
Bully is certainly not a bad movie, but it only goes as far as the film maker will let it go. And to be fair, maybe the problem is just far too large to explain in a two hour movie, and so there is a pass given. Maybe there will be more up the road to help us all understand the problem in it's entirety. I think they even did the subject a bit of harm at times by failing to completely educate, and to me that is what a documentary does best. It stops one quarter of the way, and though there's nothing wrong with the content in this film, there is much more to be learned and shared.
Bully. A moving experience to be sure, but there is certainly so much more to this story and problem than they give us here.
Friday, April 13, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW - The Three Stooges
Wacky film makers, and brothers Bobby and Peter Farrelly have finally gotten the Three Stooges to the big screen this week. A long-time planned, trouble plagued movie where it has at last come all together.
The Three Stooges of course, have been around since Vaudeville days. The original black and white movie short troupe entertained movie and TV audiences for decades with their unmistakable brand of slap-stick humor. And now, they have been brought back to life in color and thrust into the 21st century. This is not a bio-pic. This is a fictitious story with Larry, Curly and Moe buffooning their way through life.
First up, should be noted that we live in correct world these days. And there is no way on earth to make The Stooges anywhere near correct. They still poke each other in the eyes, and hit each other with hammers, fall off buildings, and never really get hurt. That's just the way it is. When even classic Warner Brothers cartoons and such have been edited, and made more correct, somehow The Stooges get a pass. And I'm good with that. My goodness, do we not know that this is just silliness, amplified and personified? If you don't want your kids to see these things, then don't go. And don't cry to me or anyone else if you do and you are offended.
The story here really doesn't matter. What does matter here are the performances. Large kudos to our three stars. Sean Hayes as Larry, Will Sasso as Curly and Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe. This is not easy stuff. 90 minutes of imitating nearly 100 year old entertainment icons is not easy, especially if you want to be taken "seriously." They are incredibly dead on in look, sound and mannerisms. Honestly uncanny stuff, all three. It's clear that the actors and the film makers studied The Stooges at length.
This movie has the feel of a real Stooges flick. It is broken down into three "shorts" like the old Stooge shorts. There is a nice supporting cast, with Jane Lynch, Larry David, Jennifer Hudson and SofÃa Vergara. There is plenty of head slapping, eye poking, and gourde bashing fun. And the reasons you laugh are many. First, you are a Stooge fan. Or you are laughing at the sheer expert imitations you are seeing. Or, you just have a silly bone that needs to be tickled from time to time with a guilty pleasure laugh. And that's what this is.
The Three Stooges is a bit fatiguing, and CERTAINLY it is not for everyone. It's one thing to watch a 10 minute short, and another to watch this for 90 minutes. But it's fast paced, no down time, and exits just in time, or maybe 10 minutes oo late. This is not a perfect comedy by any means, but many generations of movie goers at the showing today were laughing hysterically. And that's seldom a bad thing. Kids loved it. Again, if you're not willing to give The Stooges the pass they've always gotten, don't go. It's not correct, and Stooge fans wouldn't have it any other way.
Footnote: Extraordinary thing at the end. The Farrelly brothers themselves come on camera at the end of the movie and before the credits. They directly address the kids in the audience and explain that none of this is real and all done in fun. They go on to say that the hammers are rubber, and show them. And they show how the eye poke is actually done safely and a few other things too. And end by urging kids to play safe. Well, well done.
The Three Stooges. It is what it is. It's just silly fun. And three really wonderful mimics who have The Stooges down.
The Three Stooges of course, have been around since Vaudeville days. The original black and white movie short troupe entertained movie and TV audiences for decades with their unmistakable brand of slap-stick humor. And now, they have been brought back to life in color and thrust into the 21st century. This is not a bio-pic. This is a fictitious story with Larry, Curly and Moe buffooning their way through life.
First up, should be noted that we live in correct world these days. And there is no way on earth to make The Stooges anywhere near correct. They still poke each other in the eyes, and hit each other with hammers, fall off buildings, and never really get hurt. That's just the way it is. When even classic Warner Brothers cartoons and such have been edited, and made more correct, somehow The Stooges get a pass. And I'm good with that. My goodness, do we not know that this is just silliness, amplified and personified? If you don't want your kids to see these things, then don't go. And don't cry to me or anyone else if you do and you are offended.
The story here really doesn't matter. What does matter here are the performances. Large kudos to our three stars. Sean Hayes as Larry, Will Sasso as Curly and Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe. This is not easy stuff. 90 minutes of imitating nearly 100 year old entertainment icons is not easy, especially if you want to be taken "seriously." They are incredibly dead on in look, sound and mannerisms. Honestly uncanny stuff, all three. It's clear that the actors and the film makers studied The Stooges at length.
This movie has the feel of a real Stooges flick. It is broken down into three "shorts" like the old Stooge shorts. There is a nice supporting cast, with Jane Lynch, Larry David, Jennifer Hudson and SofÃa Vergara. There is plenty of head slapping, eye poking, and gourde bashing fun. And the reasons you laugh are many. First, you are a Stooge fan. Or you are laughing at the sheer expert imitations you are seeing. Or, you just have a silly bone that needs to be tickled from time to time with a guilty pleasure laugh. And that's what this is.
The Three Stooges is a bit fatiguing, and CERTAINLY it is not for everyone. It's one thing to watch a 10 minute short, and another to watch this for 90 minutes. But it's fast paced, no down time, and exits just in time, or maybe 10 minutes oo late. This is not a perfect comedy by any means, but many generations of movie goers at the showing today were laughing hysterically. And that's seldom a bad thing. Kids loved it. Again, if you're not willing to give The Stooges the pass they've always gotten, don't go. It's not correct, and Stooge fans wouldn't have it any other way.
Footnote: Extraordinary thing at the end. The Farrelly brothers themselves come on camera at the end of the movie and before the credits. They directly address the kids in the audience and explain that none of this is real and all done in fun. They go on to say that the hammers are rubber, and show them. And they show how the eye poke is actually done safely and a few other things too. And end by urging kids to play safe. Well, well done.
The Three Stooges. It is what it is. It's just silly fun. And three really wonderful mimics who have The Stooges down.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
LOCAL GOLF - J.E. Good Park Golf Course
The Sunday Morning Dewsweepers tee'd it up at Akron's J.E. Good Park public golf course.
You know where it is. It's the course visible from I-77 near the White Pond Exit. If you've never played it or haven't played it in a while, you should. Every time we play this course we always say over a beverage that "We should have played this course better today." And I think a whole lot of golfers feel that way at rounds end. From the white tees it checks in at par 71, and around 6,200 yards with some sand, and no water of any real consequence. But you better hit it straight.
From our perspective there were not enough pars at all for us out there. This is a thin course with a boatload of trees of all kinds. Big, small, tall, pines, and they seem to come into play a whole lot. The greens were quick and true, and a bit slick at times. Ask Beef, as he wrestled on the greens all day long. 3-putting 6 times and one "other". This, after actually hitting the ball pretty well, really hurt his score.
One thing too about this course are the harder handicapped holes. 1-4 handicaps are brutal and can shred the card, and are way harder than the rest of the course. Hole 10 is a ridiculously hard par 4, 440 plus to an elevated, and slanted green 2 handicap. It always gives us trouble. Ask any of us. We all got wood-shedded there. Number 5 is 1 handicap, a super long par 5, is no picnic either. In fact, the 3 par 5's are all tough. Even number 2, a short 5, but heavily tree lined all the way, better be down the middle. Hit a big driuve straight, and it make this hole is really much easier. But......get into the forest?
Joe Red got a case of double bogey-itus. He putted well, but hit the ball just errant enough to find himself in trouble, and not able to go at the greens. And it never ends. Lot's of trees. Tex, who is not a long hitter, had his strong short game working, but the length of some of the par 4's were difficult for him to score on, especially with the early morning dew in the rough.
I had played the course a few times before, and had slight advantage, but still was not in position to score well. You must hit it very straight every hole, and I simply did not. There are a few holes on this course as an amateur you must score well on to have a good card. You know can see them when you are on the tee. If you don't take what the course gives you, it can be a long day.
The Park has a real nice and simple club house that I really like. Good hot dogs, and cold drinks. I always feel like it's a retro experience playing there, and I like that too. It's old-school and straight forward golf. Hit is straight and be rewarded, don't and don't. Better putt well, because many of us hacks will not find a ton of regulation.
In short, we all liked it and will return. Thinking this is the time we play it a bit better, and take advantage of it shorter length.
Ahh, always next time.
You know where it is. It's the course visible from I-77 near the White Pond Exit. If you've never played it or haven't played it in a while, you should. Every time we play this course we always say over a beverage that "We should have played this course better today." And I think a whole lot of golfers feel that way at rounds end. From the white tees it checks in at par 71, and around 6,200 yards with some sand, and no water of any real consequence. But you better hit it straight.
From our perspective there were not enough pars at all for us out there. This is a thin course with a boatload of trees of all kinds. Big, small, tall, pines, and they seem to come into play a whole lot. The greens were quick and true, and a bit slick at times. Ask Beef, as he wrestled on the greens all day long. 3-putting 6 times and one "other". This, after actually hitting the ball pretty well, really hurt his score.
One thing too about this course are the harder handicapped holes. 1-4 handicaps are brutal and can shred the card, and are way harder than the rest of the course. Hole 10 is a ridiculously hard par 4, 440 plus to an elevated, and slanted green 2 handicap. It always gives us trouble. Ask any of us. We all got wood-shedded there. Number 5 is 1 handicap, a super long par 5, is no picnic either. In fact, the 3 par 5's are all tough. Even number 2, a short 5, but heavily tree lined all the way, better be down the middle. Hit a big driuve straight, and it make this hole is really much easier. But......get into the forest?
Joe Red got a case of double bogey-itus. He putted well, but hit the ball just errant enough to find himself in trouble, and not able to go at the greens. And it never ends. Lot's of trees. Tex, who is not a long hitter, had his strong short game working, but the length of some of the par 4's were difficult for him to score on, especially with the early morning dew in the rough.
I had played the course a few times before, and had slight advantage, but still was not in position to score well. You must hit it very straight every hole, and I simply did not. There are a few holes on this course as an amateur you must score well on to have a good card. You know can see them when you are on the tee. If you don't take what the course gives you, it can be a long day.
The Park has a real nice and simple club house that I really like. Good hot dogs, and cold drinks. I always feel like it's a retro experience playing there, and I like that too. It's old-school and straight forward golf. Hit is straight and be rewarded, don't and don't. Better putt well, because many of us hacks will not find a ton of regulation.
In short, we all liked it and will return. Thinking this is the time we play it a bit better, and take advantage of it shorter length.
Ahh, always next time.
MOVIE REVIEW - American Reunion
It's been a number of years, but the American Pie troupe is back in force, and all grown up now in the fourth installment, American Reunion.
All of the original cast, and characters return 12 years after graduating high school, and come back to their small hometown for a high school reunion. But, don't panic, they are still all the same old sex-crazed people we knew from the original trilogy. Constantly finding themselves in drunken, compromising sexual situations. So not much has changed.
This whole series was of course very popular and a whole generation kind of grew up with these characters. And there are come funny moments in these movies, and here too. I always thought if you took the best scenes from each of the first three and put them in one movie, you would have had a really funny flick. But it's strung out over three, and it's a lot of the same over and over again. And so is this. Be advised, you do need knowledge of the first three to get all the humor in this movie. They do reference the past a lot.
There is some growth in our characters, and they try real hard to have a heart and attempt to put a more grown up spin on this, but it's still American Pie. They do bring in a few new characters to try to breathe some new life into this, and some of that does work. But as fresh as the new faces might be, the formula is still the same. Plus at times take you till the next level and go for the gross-out formula which is really not needed at all.
Should be noted that this series was the launching pad for many young stars that have gone onto better things both on TV and in the movies. And it was no small feat to get them all back together for this reunion. Commendable. But sadly the end is left wide open, and there seems to be ground work laid down for yet more American Something, to come down the road at a later date. And that is more than unfortunate. As time goes on, these characters and actors will look sillier and sillier. But that's Hollywood.
American Reunion. If you were a big fan of the originals, then this may be for you. Or you may find that you've grown up more than our characters, and you may have more and different things to so. Nothing really new here.
All of the original cast, and characters return 12 years after graduating high school, and come back to their small hometown for a high school reunion. But, don't panic, they are still all the same old sex-crazed people we knew from the original trilogy. Constantly finding themselves in drunken, compromising sexual situations. So not much has changed.
This whole series was of course very popular and a whole generation kind of grew up with these characters. And there are come funny moments in these movies, and here too. I always thought if you took the best scenes from each of the first three and put them in one movie, you would have had a really funny flick. But it's strung out over three, and it's a lot of the same over and over again. And so is this. Be advised, you do need knowledge of the first three to get all the humor in this movie. They do reference the past a lot.
There is some growth in our characters, and they try real hard to have a heart and attempt to put a more grown up spin on this, but it's still American Pie. They do bring in a few new characters to try to breathe some new life into this, and some of that does work. But as fresh as the new faces might be, the formula is still the same. Plus at times take you till the next level and go for the gross-out formula which is really not needed at all.
Should be noted that this series was the launching pad for many young stars that have gone onto better things both on TV and in the movies. And it was no small feat to get them all back together for this reunion. Commendable. But sadly the end is left wide open, and there seems to be ground work laid down for yet more American Something, to come down the road at a later date. And that is more than unfortunate. As time goes on, these characters and actors will look sillier and sillier. But that's Hollywood.
American Reunion. If you were a big fan of the originals, then this may be for you. Or you may find that you've grown up more than our characters, and you may have more and different things to so. Nothing really new here.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW - Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
One of the really fun thing about going to the movies is when you see a well told story that you have not seen in any way before. That's the new Indy Piece, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.
This is a remarkable new movie that stars Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. It's the story of Fred (McGregor) and Harriet (Blunt). Fred works for the British government in the Fisheries Department. Harriet works for a public relations firm that represents an incredibly rich Middle Eastern Sheik. The forward thinking Sheik has the eccentric dream of bringing river fishing to his native Yemen. He is a huge fishing enthusiast, and enlists the help of our two characters, and about 100 million of his own dollars to make it happen.
There are huge pitfalls along the way. Because of the climate can it be done? Is there the will from his own nation to want it to happen? And of course, there are many factions within his own culture that don't want this "westernization" of the Yemen. Then you toss in the tension between Harriet and Fred.
Fred is extremely boring, and reserved. He is in a loveless marriage that seems to be winding down. It's clear he needs someone new in this life. Harriet is young woman who also can envision someone new in her life. They are polar opposites at first, but they learn to grow together. Are they right for each other?
McGregor chooses his projects so well, it's hard not to be a fan. He is terrific here, and perfectly cast as the beaten down Fred. It's also hard to explain how great Blunt is in this movie. She is so versatile and is really coming on as one of the really wonderful actresses in Hollywood. I am becoming a huge fan very quickly. The basically unknown supporting cast is good, led by Kristin Scott Thomas who plays a higher up in the British government who is pulling many of the strings in our story.
This movie tells a captivating story that is seemingly far fetched, and it is. But this is so skillfully done it seems believable, and attainable. The plot draws you in, develops the characters well, and makes you care about them and what they are doing.
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. In limited release. If you love the movies, find it... go to it... and enjoy it. One of the best movies of this year so far, if not the best.
This is a remarkable new movie that stars Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. It's the story of Fred (McGregor) and Harriet (Blunt). Fred works for the British government in the Fisheries Department. Harriet works for a public relations firm that represents an incredibly rich Middle Eastern Sheik. The forward thinking Sheik has the eccentric dream of bringing river fishing to his native Yemen. He is a huge fishing enthusiast, and enlists the help of our two characters, and about 100 million of his own dollars to make it happen.
There are huge pitfalls along the way. Because of the climate can it be done? Is there the will from his own nation to want it to happen? And of course, there are many factions within his own culture that don't want this "westernization" of the Yemen. Then you toss in the tension between Harriet and Fred.
Fred is extremely boring, and reserved. He is in a loveless marriage that seems to be winding down. It's clear he needs someone new in this life. Harriet is young woman who also can envision someone new in her life. They are polar opposites at first, but they learn to grow together. Are they right for each other?
McGregor chooses his projects so well, it's hard not to be a fan. He is terrific here, and perfectly cast as the beaten down Fred. It's also hard to explain how great Blunt is in this movie. She is so versatile and is really coming on as one of the really wonderful actresses in Hollywood. I am becoming a huge fan very quickly. The basically unknown supporting cast is good, led by Kristin Scott Thomas who plays a higher up in the British government who is pulling many of the strings in our story.
This movie tells a captivating story that is seemingly far fetched, and it is. But this is so skillfully done it seems believable, and attainable. The plot draws you in, develops the characters well, and makes you care about them and what they are doing.
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. In limited release. If you love the movies, find it... go to it... and enjoy it. One of the best movies of this year so far, if not the best.
Monday, April 2, 2012
LOCAL GOLF - Sunday Golf Thunderbird Hills North
The Sunday Morning Dewsweepers went out and played a real nice public golf course this week. It has been one of our favs over the past few years in Huron, Thunderbird Hills North Course. Beef, Joe Red, Tex, and I were all geeked up and ready to get the 2012 season started off right.
Thunderbird Hills North is part of a two 18 hole complex right on Route 2. The North Course is open all year round, and the South Course which is newer and more modern, does close in the fall. T-bird Hills is very easy to get to, and well worth the drive for many reasons. It's about an hour from Akron/Medina, 45 minutes from Brunswick/Strongsville and about 30 minutes from Cleveland. Your GPS will take you on Route 2 or the Turnpike.
When we played the North this week, we found it in great shape, and very challenging. It is a traditional course. Lot's of trees and rolling hills. The North has no sand traps, but don't let that fool you. The rough is the story here. Most holes have generous driving lanes, but you are penalized for hitting into the rough. Especially in the morning while we are sweeping the dew, the wet rough can be brutal. We found the greens fast and true which was impressive for this time of year. Joe Red proves positive of this, but 1 putting 7 of the first 1o holes.
We have played this course a dozen times or so, and it always seems to go the same way. Generally, the front is the place to make your hay, because the back plays far tougher. My 42 on the front was punctuated by my birdie on the par 4 number 4, and I was feeling pretty good. But my three doubles on the back, and overall getting slapped around gave me, and us all a reality check.
Holes 9 -13 is really the teeth of this course. Hole 10 could possibly be the toughest par 4 we play all year, checking in at number one handicap. Proceeded by number 9 a brutal par 5, 2 handicap where Beefs really nice front 9, took a hit when he got a triple number 9. In a five hole stretch you play 2, 1, 17, 3 ,7 handicaps. Pretty tough. There's your round.
We always seem to hack up the 10th. 440 yards down the hill, up the hill, over water to a raised and turtle backed green. A par 4, in which 5 is a great score. It can kill a round. Ask anyone of us. All of us have taken our turn in the triple bogey barrel here. We always are glad to see that hole go by and hopefully without too much damage to the card. Tex's big number there 8, was a reminder that this can happen there quickly.
Truth be told, T-Bird Hills is always in great shape, and the rates are always fair for the kind of course you're getting. Great people too. The clubhouse on the North Course is great, with a new wine bar called Bar North that is new the past year or so, with good food too. Good hot dogs that are always ready even for the early tee times at the turn. Hot coffee, and good selection of drinks. A real nice patio to sit and watch those come up the 18th fairway with a brew when you're adding them up.
In short, golfers don't mind a little drive for a good golf course, and this one is. Thunderbird Hills North/South. Always is a good time, always is challenging, and always invites us back.
Scores:
Beef - 90
Joe Red - 88
Tex 100
Wynn - 88
Thunderbird Hills North is part of a two 18 hole complex right on Route 2. The North Course is open all year round, and the South Course which is newer and more modern, does close in the fall. T-bird Hills is very easy to get to, and well worth the drive for many reasons. It's about an hour from Akron/Medina, 45 minutes from Brunswick/Strongsville and about 30 minutes from Cleveland. Your GPS will take you on Route 2 or the Turnpike.
When we played the North this week, we found it in great shape, and very challenging. It is a traditional course. Lot's of trees and rolling hills. The North has no sand traps, but don't let that fool you. The rough is the story here. Most holes have generous driving lanes, but you are penalized for hitting into the rough. Especially in the morning while we are sweeping the dew, the wet rough can be brutal. We found the greens fast and true which was impressive for this time of year. Joe Red proves positive of this, but 1 putting 7 of the first 1o holes.
We have played this course a dozen times or so, and it always seems to go the same way. Generally, the front is the place to make your hay, because the back plays far tougher. My 42 on the front was punctuated by my birdie on the par 4 number 4, and I was feeling pretty good. But my three doubles on the back, and overall getting slapped around gave me, and us all a reality check.
Holes 9 -13 is really the teeth of this course. Hole 10 could possibly be the toughest par 4 we play all year, checking in at number one handicap. Proceeded by number 9 a brutal par 5, 2 handicap where Beefs really nice front 9, took a hit when he got a triple number 9. In a five hole stretch you play 2, 1, 17, 3 ,7 handicaps. Pretty tough. There's your round.
We always seem to hack up the 10th. 440 yards down the hill, up the hill, over water to a raised and turtle backed green. A par 4, in which 5 is a great score. It can kill a round. Ask anyone of us. All of us have taken our turn in the triple bogey barrel here. We always are glad to see that hole go by and hopefully without too much damage to the card. Tex's big number there 8, was a reminder that this can happen there quickly.
Truth be told, T-Bird Hills is always in great shape, and the rates are always fair for the kind of course you're getting. Great people too. The clubhouse on the North Course is great, with a new wine bar called Bar North that is new the past year or so, with good food too. Good hot dogs that are always ready even for the early tee times at the turn. Hot coffee, and good selection of drinks. A real nice patio to sit and watch those come up the 18th fairway with a brew when you're adding them up.
In short, golfers don't mind a little drive for a good golf course, and this one is. Thunderbird Hills North/South. Always is a good time, always is challenging, and always invites us back.
Scores:
Beef - 90
Joe Red - 88
Tex 100
Wynn - 88
MOVIE REVIEW - Mirror, Mirror
This is the first of two Show White movies that we'll have this year. This is the live action satirical comedy starring Julia Roberts, and it's called Mirror, Mirror.
It's the tongue and cheek telling telling of the classic fairy tale, with Roberts as the evil Queen who is obsessed with her fleeting beauty. Not to mention the beauty of her step daughter, the 18 year old Snow White. She then takes every step imaginable to rid herself of Show White, and hopefully marry the handsome Prince herself. Yes, this version has the 7 Dwarfs too, although they have been reinvented and defined.
MM is heavy satire and parody on the classic story, and some of this works real well. The story has been rewritten, and worked for a new audience. Let's face it, Snow White has been told to death for 100 years now, and it is somewhat fun to see someone's new spin on the old fable. This has a nice cast, and a fun look. Totally lavish, and over the top sets, costumes, and props. It makes not apologies that this is an off beat interpretation, and much of this feels somehwhat fresh.
Roberts has discovered that there is acting life beyond "Pretty Woman, romantic comedy Julia Roberts." She is fiendishly funny and the skullduggerish Queen, who takes great pride in causing misery to others. Lily Collins as the pure Snow White is brilliantly cast too. There also is a decent supporting cast, led by funny man Nathan Lane.
Should be noted, because of the subject matter, this movie is going to have box office limitations. There are not going to be huge bands of guys flocking to see this, and that's OK. This is a niche movie, and for those who find this interesting this could be right on the money. But as interesting as this idea is, it's not overly great.
Roberts and Collins give it a good go, but Mirror, Mirror in the end will suffer from the dreaded forgettable label.
It's the tongue and cheek telling telling of the classic fairy tale, with Roberts as the evil Queen who is obsessed with her fleeting beauty. Not to mention the beauty of her step daughter, the 18 year old Snow White. She then takes every step imaginable to rid herself of Show White, and hopefully marry the handsome Prince herself. Yes, this version has the 7 Dwarfs too, although they have been reinvented and defined.
MM is heavy satire and parody on the classic story, and some of this works real well. The story has been rewritten, and worked for a new audience. Let's face it, Snow White has been told to death for 100 years now, and it is somewhat fun to see someone's new spin on the old fable. This has a nice cast, and a fun look. Totally lavish, and over the top sets, costumes, and props. It makes not apologies that this is an off beat interpretation, and much of this feels somehwhat fresh.
Roberts has discovered that there is acting life beyond "Pretty Woman, romantic comedy Julia Roberts." She is fiendishly funny and the skullduggerish Queen, who takes great pride in causing misery to others. Lily Collins as the pure Snow White is brilliantly cast too. There also is a decent supporting cast, led by funny man Nathan Lane.
Should be noted, because of the subject matter, this movie is going to have box office limitations. There are not going to be huge bands of guys flocking to see this, and that's OK. This is a niche movie, and for those who find this interesting this could be right on the money. But as interesting as this idea is, it's not overly great.
Roberts and Collins give it a good go, but Mirror, Mirror in the end will suffer from the dreaded forgettable label.
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