We're just a few days away from the Academy Awards in Hollywood. I know there are a ton of awards shows, but the Oscars always seem to be the most anticipated awards of the year. This year the Academy has changed a few things, most notably they now have ten pictures nominated for Best Picture.
So I thought we'd do the same kind of preview we do each year with a twist of our own. In the five major categories, Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress, we'll make three picks. The Academy pick. Who I think the Academy will pick as the winner. I'll make my choice as the best performance of the year. Then we'll make an adjustment of our own, like the Academy. I'll give you a "dark horse" choice. Someone to keep an eye on, that might just sneak in there and take the prize.
Best Picture:
The Academy winner - Avatar. As imaginative as it is, I'm starting to feel with all the animated
movies the past decade and more all the time, they should have their own
major award. Too much success, and money. The Academy won't be able
to resist.
I would pick - Up In The Air. A movie for our time, told honestly, and with terrific actors
delivering really great performances. A story you've never seen, and a movie
that makes you think.
Dark Horse pick - The Hurt Locker. This is a powerful, emotional story about real soldiers
doing real stressful work in Iraq. It's also a story you've never seen, done
extremely well. Sometimes movies like this are a real surprise at the Oscars.
Best Actor:
The Academy pick - Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. He's already won the Golden Globe for this
role.
I would pick - Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. This is the performance of a lifetime . He is
simply fantastic!
Dark Horse pick - Morgan Freeman in Invictus. He is great as Nelson Mandela. Big role.
Best Actress:
The Academy pick - Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side. This is the definitive moment for her.
It's her time to win and the Academy I think will recognize that. She is
great and this is the jewel of her long and successful career.
I would pick - Sandra Bullock. She reinvented herself for this role, and I'm hoping this
is the start of a new Sandra Bullock.
Dark Horse pick - Gabourey Sidibe in Precious. So well acclaimed and she was
great.
Best Supporting Actor:
The Academy pick - Christoph Walz in Inglorious Basterds. Quentin Tarantino movies
many times are very well liked by Hollywood. He is the gas in the engine
of this movie.
I would pick - Christoph Walz. He is so good in this movie. Compelling, scary, funny, and the
amount of dialogue and multiple languages spoken. Just fantastic.
Dark Horse pick - Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones. Great performance as a really creepy
stalker in this very popular movie. You really hate his character in this
movie. Really well done.
Best Supporting Actress:
The Academy Pick - Penelope Cruz in 9. Hollywood loves movies like 9, and she was really,
really good. They won't be able to help themselves. She'll win.
I would pick - Anna Kendrick in Up In The Air. She was so good in her role as an Ivy League
know-it-all, know nothing young executive. When she was on camera, this was
a better movie. Great job!
Dark Horse pick - Anna Kendrick. She has an outside shot, but Cruz is too much this year.
The Oscars are this Sunday. Pop up the popcorn and get ready to cheer on your favorites. We'll review the show next week
E-mail me your thoughts - scott@wqmx.com
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW - The Crazies
Here comes The Crazies! A remake of a a 1973 cult classic, and given a modern day spin for a new generation of scary movie buffs.
The Crazies is one of those movies that doesn't boast huge stars, and it doesn't need them. It's also a scary movie that for the most part doesn't rely on huge special effects to make it's point. The Crazies is actually pretty straight forward and honest. It doesn't try to flower up this story just because it could. I have to say by and large, The Crazies for what it is, is pretty good!
It's the story of a fictional Iowa small town that has about 1,200 people. For some reason some of them start acting "crazy." What that actually means in this movie, is that some are just walking around zombie-like and intent on killing others. It starts off mild enough, but quickly turns into a town- wide epidemic. Leaving the local town sheriff, his wife, and small staff left to figure this whole thing out and stay alive long enough to get out of town and to safety.
Why are these people going crazy? Why is the American military suddenly involved? These are the crazy questions, in The Crazies!
For what it is, there is something about this movie that works. I have to give it props on the fact that it's a movie and not a cartoon, relying on animated special effects to make it's point. There is plenty of old fashioned violence here, but this is a movie about nutty people stricken with some problem that are bent on killing people. There are some scenes that will tough for some to watch. But this is a movie meant for a young, thrill happy audience and they will be amazed how compelling a movie can be that is simply a movie and not a video game.
But let's not get carried away here. The Crazies is not going to be standing on the brink of Oscar greatness. It will be relatively forgettable over time. But if you're looking for a quick thrill on a cold and snowy weekend night with a bunch of friends, The Crazies may be your movie. And the later your showtime, the scarier it will be.
Movies like The Crazies have to be reviewed on what they are. This movie is supposed to give you a jolt and a thrill, and be entertaining for thrill-seeking young movie goers that want a good rush. And trying to do so without being completely ridiculous, predictable or stupid.
Call me crazy......but The Crazies....is that movie.
The Crazies is one of those movies that doesn't boast huge stars, and it doesn't need them. It's also a scary movie that for the most part doesn't rely on huge special effects to make it's point. The Crazies is actually pretty straight forward and honest. It doesn't try to flower up this story just because it could. I have to say by and large, The Crazies for what it is, is pretty good!
It's the story of a fictional Iowa small town that has about 1,200 people. For some reason some of them start acting "crazy." What that actually means in this movie, is that some are just walking around zombie-like and intent on killing others. It starts off mild enough, but quickly turns into a town- wide epidemic. Leaving the local town sheriff, his wife, and small staff left to figure this whole thing out and stay alive long enough to get out of town and to safety.
Why are these people going crazy? Why is the American military suddenly involved? These are the crazy questions, in The Crazies!
For what it is, there is something about this movie that works. I have to give it props on the fact that it's a movie and not a cartoon, relying on animated special effects to make it's point. There is plenty of old fashioned violence here, but this is a movie about nutty people stricken with some problem that are bent on killing people. There are some scenes that will tough for some to watch. But this is a movie meant for a young, thrill happy audience and they will be amazed how compelling a movie can be that is simply a movie and not a video game.
But let's not get carried away here. The Crazies is not going to be standing on the brink of Oscar greatness. It will be relatively forgettable over time. But if you're looking for a quick thrill on a cold and snowy weekend night with a bunch of friends, The Crazies may be your movie. And the later your showtime, the scarier it will be.
Movies like The Crazies have to be reviewed on what they are. This movie is supposed to give you a jolt and a thrill, and be entertaining for thrill-seeking young movie goers that want a good rush. And trying to do so without being completely ridiculous, predictable or stupid.
Call me crazy......but The Crazies....is that movie.
Friday, February 26, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW - Cop Out
When you see the trailer for the new Bruce Willis action - comedy Cop Out, you might think this could be a pretty good movie. Might be some fun here, and this could be a pretty good night at the movies. Well, it's not Gone With The Wind.
Cop Out stars Willis, and Tracy Morgan as two cops in New York that have been partnered up for 9 years. They do things "their" way. You know, renegade detectives with no rules and not very well liked by their superiors. Now that the basic stage is set let's talk about the actual story. Well, that's a completely different challenge.
Cop Out is what you might think it is. If you've seen the commercials, you've pretty much seen the movie. It comes off as a series of scenes that are are sort of like small comedy skits designed for big laughs. They are then pasted back to back thinking you'll just giggle from one sketch to the next. And in fairness, there are some laughs here. Willis and Morgan do pull off some fun and there is some amusement here. But after you realize there is only one joke being told, it gets old in a hurry.
There really is no story per say. But what there is, are a few laughs, a few chuckles, a bunch of gun play violence and a whole boatload of real bad language. And I mean all the words are said time and time again. The constant use of huge profanity gets very fatiguing after a while, but this is a large, new Hollywood trend over the past few years. Cop Out is made for young adults, and Hollywood must honestly believe that the young people today must want to hear incessant horrible language, because Cop Out is not the first comedy to go down this road.
Sad part is that Morgan at times can really be a funny guy But he's asked to cuss a lot and say the same things over and over, and it sells his talent short. Willis, with a shaved head, is somewhat of a parody of himself from the Die Hard series. He is who he is. Toss in a hip soundtrack and an underwhelming supporting cast, and Cop Out staggers around for an a hour and forty minutes, then falls over at last to it's eternal resting place.
There will be those who howl at Cop Out, as any movie can somehow find it's audience. This could have been so much better if it had been bold enough to try something new. But It doesn't. It sells out to cheap attempts at cheap laughs. For many Cop Out, will strike out!
Cop Out stars Willis, and Tracy Morgan as two cops in New York that have been partnered up for 9 years. They do things "their" way. You know, renegade detectives with no rules and not very well liked by their superiors. Now that the basic stage is set let's talk about the actual story. Well, that's a completely different challenge.
Cop Out is what you might think it is. If you've seen the commercials, you've pretty much seen the movie. It comes off as a series of scenes that are are sort of like small comedy skits designed for big laughs. They are then pasted back to back thinking you'll just giggle from one sketch to the next. And in fairness, there are some laughs here. Willis and Morgan do pull off some fun and there is some amusement here. But after you realize there is only one joke being told, it gets old in a hurry.
There really is no story per say. But what there is, are a few laughs, a few chuckles, a bunch of gun play violence and a whole boatload of real bad language. And I mean all the words are said time and time again. The constant use of huge profanity gets very fatiguing after a while, but this is a large, new Hollywood trend over the past few years. Cop Out is made for young adults, and Hollywood must honestly believe that the young people today must want to hear incessant horrible language, because Cop Out is not the first comedy to go down this road.
Sad part is that Morgan at times can really be a funny guy But he's asked to cuss a lot and say the same things over and over, and it sells his talent short. Willis, with a shaved head, is somewhat of a parody of himself from the Die Hard series. He is who he is. Toss in a hip soundtrack and an underwhelming supporting cast, and Cop Out staggers around for an a hour and forty minutes, then falls over at last to it's eternal resting place.
There will be those who howl at Cop Out, as any movie can somehow find it's audience. This could have been so much better if it had been bold enough to try something new. But It doesn't. It sells out to cheap attempts at cheap laughs. For many Cop Out, will strike out!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wishbone Italian
One of the real fun things about all the social network websites is that you can see what kinds of things people respond to. Some serious of course, but a lot of it is just fun stuff.
For a while now, one of the jokes Sue Wilson and I have had on our show has been the old "I'm eating a sandwich" status update. People do put boring updates like that up, and we laugh at them. But this week I saw an update that made me take notice. A friend of ours statused, "Still cut my sandwiches into 4 pieces...go ahead laugh" OK, this was from an adult. And it made me smile. Then after she got a ton of agreeable comments about this childood memory, it got me thinking. There are those things from when we were kids that stay with us - always.
I have no idea if she had the sandwich epiphany at that very moment, or if she's always known that's how she rolls with her bread, and it doesn't matter. It got me thinking about memories of my own. The really good, and the not that good. A food, a smell, a habit, or a little thing like the 4 slicer sandwich. What has stuck with you all these years.? I came up with a few. All in fun.
The really good? Cinnamon rolls cooking. Even the cheap ones, 8 to a silver tin. Man, takes me all the way back. We didn't always have them, so it was a treat. To this day when I get a whiff I'm on on a mission. Gang way, and heads up! I will NOT be denied. They're going down... to my stomach. You want some? Go to the store and buy some more.
Raisin bread toast. Raisin bread is only good for one thing. Toast. Can't imagine making a sandwich out of it, no matter how many slices you cut it into. Bologna on raisin bread? I'm guessing not.
Feet tucked tight in the bottom of the bed. Yep, I'm a tight feet - bed guy. Love the feel of my feet jammed in there tight, just like when I was a kid. I know it's not everyones favorite, and I can sleep in a floppy feet bed.....but I prefer the tight sheet - feet thing.
Those are the good. Now for the one that's not as good.
Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing. Haven't eaten it in 30 years. When I was a kid, we only had one kind of salad at the house. Iceberg lettuce in a bowl, maybe a slice of tomato or two and Wishbone Italian. It wasn't until I started dating a girl named Sherri when I was 18, that I even knew that there was another kind of dressing! I'd go over there for dinner, and there was about 7 kinds on the table. I couldn't believe my eyes. Thousand Island, Blue Cheese, French, Hidden Valley Ranch? C'mon!!!!!!!!! Are you serious???? I was so excited I think I may have drunk from the bottle a time or two!
I may have even shoveled in a few ladles of Marzettis creamy cucumber straight from the wide mouthed jar into my wider mouth even before the salad showed up. And the salad? They were huge...piled high with bushel baskets of veggies, complete with romaine lettuce and.....cheese.....bacon bits.......and even those crunchy things you shake out of the shaker that no one knows the name of! I have kept my passion for salads and for creamy dressings And I sadly, have forever forgone the Wishbone Italian.
I have nothing against the Wishbone people per say. Probably a very nice family. But I'm afraid I am scarred for life. I simply bypass the Wishbone section and head off to greener salad pastures and graze in the Kens Steakhouse, or Marzettis, or Stancatos aisle ...and always creamy. I also hate to lump in all Wishbone into one category, but I have to. It's a shame, they could be 10 for a dollar, and I still would be out!
So let's all take a trip back and remember the days of cinnamon rolls, tucked in feet and 4 slicer sandwiches. Being a kid was pretty good, and we should take all the good with us. And slice those sandwiches up with pride, or cut off the crust or whatever you did or still do. And pass it on to the next generation.
Just hold the Wishbone Italian!
For a while now, one of the jokes Sue Wilson and I have had on our show has been the old "I'm eating a sandwich" status update. People do put boring updates like that up, and we laugh at them. But this week I saw an update that made me take notice. A friend of ours statused, "Still cut my sandwiches into 4 pieces...go ahead laugh" OK, this was from an adult. And it made me smile. Then after she got a ton of agreeable comments about this childood memory, it got me thinking. There are those things from when we were kids that stay with us - always.
I have no idea if she had the sandwich epiphany at that very moment, or if she's always known that's how she rolls with her bread, and it doesn't matter. It got me thinking about memories of my own. The really good, and the not that good. A food, a smell, a habit, or a little thing like the 4 slicer sandwich. What has stuck with you all these years.? I came up with a few. All in fun.
The really good? Cinnamon rolls cooking. Even the cheap ones, 8 to a silver tin. Man, takes me all the way back. We didn't always have them, so it was a treat. To this day when I get a whiff I'm on on a mission. Gang way, and heads up! I will NOT be denied. They're going down... to my stomach. You want some? Go to the store and buy some more.
Raisin bread toast. Raisin bread is only good for one thing. Toast. Can't imagine making a sandwich out of it, no matter how many slices you cut it into. Bologna on raisin bread? I'm guessing not.
Feet tucked tight in the bottom of the bed. Yep, I'm a tight feet - bed guy. Love the feel of my feet jammed in there tight, just like when I was a kid. I know it's not everyones favorite, and I can sleep in a floppy feet bed.....but I prefer the tight sheet - feet thing.
Those are the good. Now for the one that's not as good.
Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing. Haven't eaten it in 30 years. When I was a kid, we only had one kind of salad at the house. Iceberg lettuce in a bowl, maybe a slice of tomato or two and Wishbone Italian. It wasn't until I started dating a girl named Sherri when I was 18, that I even knew that there was another kind of dressing! I'd go over there for dinner, and there was about 7 kinds on the table. I couldn't believe my eyes. Thousand Island, Blue Cheese, French, Hidden Valley Ranch? C'mon!!!!!!!!! Are you serious???? I was so excited I think I may have drunk from the bottle a time or two!
I may have even shoveled in a few ladles of Marzettis creamy cucumber straight from the wide mouthed jar into my wider mouth even before the salad showed up. And the salad? They were huge...piled high with bushel baskets of veggies, complete with romaine lettuce and.....cheese.....bacon bits.......and even those crunchy things you shake out of the shaker that no one knows the name of! I have kept my passion for salads and for creamy dressings And I sadly, have forever forgone the Wishbone Italian.
I have nothing against the Wishbone people per say. Probably a very nice family. But I'm afraid I am scarred for life. I simply bypass the Wishbone section and head off to greener salad pastures and graze in the Kens Steakhouse, or Marzettis, or Stancatos aisle ...and always creamy. I also hate to lump in all Wishbone into one category, but I have to. It's a shame, they could be 10 for a dollar, and I still would be out!
So let's all take a trip back and remember the days of cinnamon rolls, tucked in feet and 4 slicer sandwiches. Being a kid was pretty good, and we should take all the good with us. And slice those sandwiches up with pride, or cut off the crust or whatever you did or still do. And pass it on to the next generation.
Just hold the Wishbone Italian!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Tiger Pause
It seemed the whole world stopped for a few minutes as Tiger Woods spoke and paused his way through his first public appearance in 3 months on Friday. The reviews came pouring in. Some positive, equal number negative. Seems split at this point.
First off, I am not a Tiger Woods fan. And to be square, this goes back with me long before the the Thanksgiving Thumping of last year. My feelings for Tiger had everything to do with his demeanor on the golf course. And his sometimes arrogant, cussing, club throwing ungracious behavior when things weren't going well on national TV. Friday though, he said all the words that he needed to, had to, and should have said. He also made statements that virtually everyone else in his position before him didn't say. He took responsibility, and that's a good thing. And I haven't lost sight of the fact that he has and does introduce the game to many kids who might not normally get to enjoy golf.
Millions of people are enthralled with this story, his fall from grace, blah blah blah....and it continues to confound me. Everyone seems so concerned for a guy that really has nothing on the line. ( I know that sounds funny, but there's a certain truth to it.) The ONLY thing I feel is really on the line are his children - too young to get or deserve any of this stuff. They will get older, and I hope grow up in a loving environment and are happy, playful, wonderful kids surrounded by countless people who love them endlessly.
As for the rest of the players here... there really is nothing on the line. Not like you, me, and our families. We're trying to pay bills, send our kids to college, and save for a retirement we hope will someday come in our golden years. For the Woods' clan, the pressures off. Tiger is 34, and Elin is a big girl too; she'll land on her feet no matter what. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the immediate families can safely plan for their golden years more easily than you and me.
Best case scenario for Tiger. - He returns successfully to the PGA tour and plays well. He lives in Florida with numerous houses, boats, cars, and raises his children in a lavish household. All of his sponsors and maybe some new ones return, and he makes another literal billion dollars. If he breaks all the PGA records, we'll forget this mess. He cleans up his act as a role model and treats us with respect as we watch him on TV. If he and Elin work it out, he'll spend every night with a Swedish model, along with a billion - plus dollars.
Worst case scenario for Tiger - He's never quite the same on the golf course again, so he makes his living as a good player, going to work every day to the greatest golf courses in the world. He still goes home to his Florida mansions, and boats, and cars. He gets a sponsor or two back. He's somewhat less foul-mouthed on TV during tournaments, but still gets the "pass" from TV announcers. Tiger still has his kids, and loves them as much as ever. He and Elin do not work it out. So Tiger has to spend every night with a new model, and somehow scrape by on a half of a billion dollars.
And that's the worst scenario! I would beg to say there's far more on the line at your house every single minute of every day than one second of Tiger Woods' life. He's famous, he's talented, he's in the public eye, and he's been uncontrollably compensated for it. Most of it NOT from the actual golf course. Most of it becuase of his really good image! Whether that's right or wrong, or if we all like it or not, that's the country we live in.
Thing is, nothing is really going to happen to Tiger. It's simply going to play itself out. And none too soon. Hopefully, Tiger will dig deep and come to the realization that the only thing on the line or in the balance are his kids.
It's simply not only about him anymore.
First off, I am not a Tiger Woods fan. And to be square, this goes back with me long before the the Thanksgiving Thumping of last year. My feelings for Tiger had everything to do with his demeanor on the golf course. And his sometimes arrogant, cussing, club throwing ungracious behavior when things weren't going well on national TV. Friday though, he said all the words that he needed to, had to, and should have said. He also made statements that virtually everyone else in his position before him didn't say. He took responsibility, and that's a good thing. And I haven't lost sight of the fact that he has and does introduce the game to many kids who might not normally get to enjoy golf.
Millions of people are enthralled with this story, his fall from grace, blah blah blah....and it continues to confound me. Everyone seems so concerned for a guy that really has nothing on the line. ( I know that sounds funny, but there's a certain truth to it.) The ONLY thing I feel is really on the line are his children - too young to get or deserve any of this stuff. They will get older, and I hope grow up in a loving environment and are happy, playful, wonderful kids surrounded by countless people who love them endlessly.
As for the rest of the players here... there really is nothing on the line. Not like you, me, and our families. We're trying to pay bills, send our kids to college, and save for a retirement we hope will someday come in our golden years. For the Woods' clan, the pressures off. Tiger is 34, and Elin is a big girl too; she'll land on her feet no matter what. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the immediate families can safely plan for their golden years more easily than you and me.
Best case scenario for Tiger. - He returns successfully to the PGA tour and plays well. He lives in Florida with numerous houses, boats, cars, and raises his children in a lavish household. All of his sponsors and maybe some new ones return, and he makes another literal billion dollars. If he breaks all the PGA records, we'll forget this mess. He cleans up his act as a role model and treats us with respect as we watch him on TV. If he and Elin work it out, he'll spend every night with a Swedish model, along with a billion - plus dollars.
Worst case scenario for Tiger - He's never quite the same on the golf course again, so he makes his living as a good player, going to work every day to the greatest golf courses in the world. He still goes home to his Florida mansions, and boats, and cars. He gets a sponsor or two back. He's somewhat less foul-mouthed on TV during tournaments, but still gets the "pass" from TV announcers. Tiger still has his kids, and loves them as much as ever. He and Elin do not work it out. So Tiger has to spend every night with a new model, and somehow scrape by on a half of a billion dollars.
And that's the worst scenario! I would beg to say there's far more on the line at your house every single minute of every day than one second of Tiger Woods' life. He's famous, he's talented, he's in the public eye, and he's been uncontrollably compensated for it. Most of it NOT from the actual golf course. Most of it becuase of his really good image! Whether that's right or wrong, or if we all like it or not, that's the country we live in.
Thing is, nothing is really going to happen to Tiger. It's simply going to play itself out. And none too soon. Hopefully, Tiger will dig deep and come to the realization that the only thing on the line or in the balance are his kids.
It's simply not only about him anymore.
Friday, February 19, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW - Shutter Island
Lots of hype about the new Shutter Island, new at the box office this weekend. You've got a big time director in Martin Scorsese and a big star in Leonardo DiCaprio, you would think you have a formula for a big movie. But you don't.
This two hour and twenty minute "thriller", has been promoted in theaters and on TV for months. They have been waiting till the right time to put it in the houses. And they chose February. No competition. That's a good thing.
This is the story of a fictional insane asylum in 1954, eleven miles out in Boston Harbor. It's for the worst of the worst mental cases. There has been a disappearance of one of it's inmates, and the U.S. Marshall's are called in to investigate. Upon their arrival, there is suspicion that things aren't right there. It smacks of cover-ups private agendas. What is really going on there, who are these people and why is the U.S. Government funding such a strange and suspicious place?
I think that Shutter Island is supposed to be scary, and thrilling. But it's not. I think it's supposed to be really smart but it's not. And I think we're supposed to be in awe of this kind of movie making, where a big time director takes on a new kind of project, but we're not. It isn't that Shutter Island is a bad movie, it's just a movie. Average at best. A story that thinks it's smarter than it really is, all the while being overdone and predictable. Oh, and did I mention, slooooow and draaaagyyy at times?
Dicaprio is badly miscast, as he still looks 18, where his character is the better part of 35. Ben Kingsley is always great and is here as well as the asylums head doctor. Also nice small performances by Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, and the movies show stealer, Patricia Clarkson as a banished doctor in one simple scene is tremendous. These three prop up Shutter Island, but can't save it. Shutter Island has too many flaws.
Shutter Island. Too long, and just flat out too average. Not a lost night, just a long night.
This two hour and twenty minute "thriller", has been promoted in theaters and on TV for months. They have been waiting till the right time to put it in the houses. And they chose February. No competition. That's a good thing.
This is the story of a fictional insane asylum in 1954, eleven miles out in Boston Harbor. It's for the worst of the worst mental cases. There has been a disappearance of one of it's inmates, and the U.S. Marshall's are called in to investigate. Upon their arrival, there is suspicion that things aren't right there. It smacks of cover-ups private agendas. What is really going on there, who are these people and why is the U.S. Government funding such a strange and suspicious place?
I think that Shutter Island is supposed to be scary, and thrilling. But it's not. I think it's supposed to be really smart but it's not. And I think we're supposed to be in awe of this kind of movie making, where a big time director takes on a new kind of project, but we're not. It isn't that Shutter Island is a bad movie, it's just a movie. Average at best. A story that thinks it's smarter than it really is, all the while being overdone and predictable. Oh, and did I mention, slooooow and draaaagyyy at times?
Dicaprio is badly miscast, as he still looks 18, where his character is the better part of 35. Ben Kingsley is always great and is here as well as the asylums head doctor. Also nice small performances by Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, and the movies show stealer, Patricia Clarkson as a banished doctor in one simple scene is tremendous. These three prop up Shutter Island, but can't save it. Shutter Island has too many flaws.
Shutter Island. Too long, and just flat out too average. Not a lost night, just a long night.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Trouble Is Behind You
It's just a bit of bad luck that about 10 years ago, I started having some recurring back troubles. The first time I hurt myself was Thanksgiving Eve 1999 playing golf with my friend Ray in Florida. I was in bad pain for a week or so. But it passed, and I didn't miss any work. Now I see a chiropractor a few times a year and it's basically under control. I still have troubles occasionally, but not like before.
I work with some people with back issues and I'm sure you do too. This week my partner Sue Wilson, after a hearty round of snow shoveling, has her first sore back and shoulder, and she says it's been a real learning experience. Sue says, "It's always good to walk in another's shoes to learn their plight." And I love that attitude. Very healthy. And it makes those of us that wrestle with this from time to time feel more understood. Always a good thing.
A sore back can make me a bit salty. But her healthy attitude is something I am trying to adopt about this. You have to keep a sense of humor and perspective on this thing. When you have a troublesome back, it's amazing how it effects everything you do. Sue learned this Monday, when stooping down to put a simple door stop in to hold a studio door open. "Help! I need a little help here to get back up!" We all kind of smiled and giggled over her learning the ropes (she did too)...and we got her straightened back up. And truth be told, I learned too. To be a little less salty about this bad back stuff. So here goes!
Here's a list. See if you've been there.
1/ It's amazing how many things you drop when your back is sore. You drop your toothbrush
once a year. Guess when? "Do you mean I have to go ALL the way down there to get that
thing?...and back up?" The more sore the back the more things you drop.
2/ Try putting on socks when you have a sore back. It's flabbergasting how far away your
feet really are. I've actually pumped my fist and said, "YES" a few times after threading
my foot into a sock. Small victory - but when you're sore...every little bit counts.
3/ For some reason too, my shoes come untied about 500 times a day only when my back is
out. Never when I'm feeling good. I have actually had to ask people to tie my shoes before.
Rare...but I've had to. Good way to find out who really cares about you.
4/ Putting on pants. Have you ever had to "toss" your pant leg out there to get it over your
foot. It can be like a carnival game, and just as tough. The prize? Your pants are on.
Woo hoo!! (Still have the other leg though)
5/ I never knew the bathtub wall was 25 feet high. Might as well be, sometimes getting in the
shower can be like a convict scaling the wall during a prison break! (BTW, it's 16 inches)
6/ You need assistance rolling over in bed. Embarrassing. Sheesh! Enough said.
7/ After you're comfy, on the couch, and home alone, you find out you don't have the phone or
the remote with you...it's across the room.
8/ Sometimes when watching TV you have to budget extra time to actually get off the couch
and to your feet.
But these are just some of the issues that can give you fits when your back is troublesome, and in the end, it passes. In no time you're back to the spry self you are used to.
Sometimes it is tough though to put the this trouble behind you, because....the trouble is....behind you!
I work with some people with back issues and I'm sure you do too. This week my partner Sue Wilson, after a hearty round of snow shoveling, has her first sore back and shoulder, and she says it's been a real learning experience. Sue says, "It's always good to walk in another's shoes to learn their plight." And I love that attitude. Very healthy. And it makes those of us that wrestle with this from time to time feel more understood. Always a good thing.
A sore back can make me a bit salty. But her healthy attitude is something I am trying to adopt about this. You have to keep a sense of humor and perspective on this thing. When you have a troublesome back, it's amazing how it effects everything you do. Sue learned this Monday, when stooping down to put a simple door stop in to hold a studio door open. "Help! I need a little help here to get back up!" We all kind of smiled and giggled over her learning the ropes (she did too)...and we got her straightened back up. And truth be told, I learned too. To be a little less salty about this bad back stuff. So here goes!
Here's a list. See if you've been there.
1/ It's amazing how many things you drop when your back is sore. You drop your toothbrush
once a year. Guess when? "Do you mean I have to go ALL the way down there to get that
thing?...and back up?" The more sore the back the more things you drop.
2/ Try putting on socks when you have a sore back. It's flabbergasting how far away your
feet really are. I've actually pumped my fist and said, "YES" a few times after threading
my foot into a sock. Small victory - but when you're sore...every little bit counts.
3/ For some reason too, my shoes come untied about 500 times a day only when my back is
out. Never when I'm feeling good. I have actually had to ask people to tie my shoes before.
Rare...but I've had to. Good way to find out who really cares about you.
4/ Putting on pants. Have you ever had to "toss" your pant leg out there to get it over your
foot. It can be like a carnival game, and just as tough. The prize? Your pants are on.
Woo hoo!! (Still have the other leg though)
5/ I never knew the bathtub wall was 25 feet high. Might as well be, sometimes getting in the
shower can be like a convict scaling the wall during a prison break! (BTW, it's 16 inches)
6/ You need assistance rolling over in bed. Embarrassing. Sheesh! Enough said.
7/ After you're comfy, on the couch, and home alone, you find out you don't have the phone or
the remote with you...it's across the room.
8/ Sometimes when watching TV you have to budget extra time to actually get off the couch
and to your feet.
But these are just some of the issues that can give you fits when your back is troublesome, and in the end, it passes. In no time you're back to the spry self you are used to.
Sometimes it is tough though to put the this trouble behind you, because....the trouble is....behind you!
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