1.25.2005
1.17.2005
In Good Company
I'm not really a Hugh Grant fan, but I loved About A Boy. Maybe it was that I recognized a little of myself in Grant's character, or that I enjoyed the book and felt like the adaptation to the screen was handled well, but after seeing In Good Company, I realized why I liked About A Boy so much. Paul Weitz, who directed both movies (and co-wrote the screenplays with his brother Chris), got a stellar performance out of Grant. Yes, Hugh played to type, but his character was a believeable person rather than the usual foppish caricature he usually plays.
The reason I came to this realization is that Weitz gets the same type of performance from two of his stars in In Good Company. Both Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid play characters they've played before, Grace the awkward, unsure youngster, and Quaid the everyman American father figure. But there is something in their performances here that feels more real. You feel Quaid's uncertainty, pain and stress over his change in status at work, and Grace's nervousness at work and need for meaningful relationships outside of it rings true with anyone who's ever felt that way. Coupled with excellent supporting performances from Scarlett Johansson and Marg Helgenberg, and a great anti-corporate merger message (that seemed suspiciously familiar to me, having worked for Time Warner during the AOL debacle), this makes for a great movie. I'm curious to see what the next project is for the Weitzes.
One side note: Memo to the people who put together movie soundtracks: Unless your name is Cameron Crowe, there needs to be a moratorium on downbeat Peter Gabriel tunes. I thought the soundtrack was pretty solid for this movie, but when the opening strains of "Solsbury Hill" kicked in during another wander-the-streets-and-rethink-my-direction-in-life scene, I got a bad taste in my mouth. It's a great song, but overuse has depleted any power it once had for scenes like that.
The reason I came to this realization is that Weitz gets the same type of performance from two of his stars in In Good Company. Both Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid play characters they've played before, Grace the awkward, unsure youngster, and Quaid the everyman American father figure. But there is something in their performances here that feels more real. You feel Quaid's uncertainty, pain and stress over his change in status at work, and Grace's nervousness at work and need for meaningful relationships outside of it rings true with anyone who's ever felt that way. Coupled with excellent supporting performances from Scarlett Johansson and Marg Helgenberg, and a great anti-corporate merger message (that seemed suspiciously familiar to me, having worked for Time Warner during the AOL debacle), this makes for a great movie. I'm curious to see what the next project is for the Weitzes.
One side note: Memo to the people who put together movie soundtracks: Unless your name is Cameron Crowe, there needs to be a moratorium on downbeat Peter Gabriel tunes. I thought the soundtrack was pretty solid for this movie, but when the opening strains of "Solsbury Hill" kicked in during another wander-the-streets-and-rethink-my-direction-in-life scene, I got a bad taste in my mouth. It's a great song, but overuse has depleted any power it once had for scenes like that.
1.14.2005
How to Win Enemies and Alienate People, by Randy Moss
Dear Philadelphia fans,
You have a reputation, sometimes deserved, sometimes not, for being the biggest bunch of jerks in the country. You're always hard on opposing teams, and sometimes you're hard on your own players. Well, this week, I have a special request for you. Whatever you've got, dig deep, and let Randy Moss have it. Start when he steps on the field, and don't stop until he leaves it. Try to penetrate the giant Afro and get it into his head that he's done something stupid, becasue I don't think he's figured it out yet.
Asshole of the Week Award goes to the Vikings receiver, who had this to say about his $10,000 fine for pretending to moon Green Bay fans during last week's playoff game:
Reporter: "Randy, are you upset about the fine?"
Moss: "No, cause it ain't [expletive]. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't [expletive] … Next time I might shake my [expletive]."
I guess when you make $5.75 million a year, 10 grand doesn't seem like much. But if it means so little, how about sending a few of these "drops in the bucket" to help the tsunami victims in Asia, or the people displaced by the mudslides in California, or anybody who actually deserves that money. Because it's clear from his comments that Randy certainly doesn't.
You have a reputation, sometimes deserved, sometimes not, for being the biggest bunch of jerks in the country. You're always hard on opposing teams, and sometimes you're hard on your own players. Well, this week, I have a special request for you. Whatever you've got, dig deep, and let Randy Moss have it. Start when he steps on the field, and don't stop until he leaves it. Try to penetrate the giant Afro and get it into his head that he's done something stupid, becasue I don't think he's figured it out yet.
Asshole of the Week Award goes to the Vikings receiver, who had this to say about his $10,000 fine for pretending to moon Green Bay fans during last week's playoff game:
Reporter: "Randy, are you upset about the fine?"
Moss: "No, cause it ain't [expletive]. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't [expletive] … Next time I might shake my [expletive]."
I guess when you make $5.75 million a year, 10 grand doesn't seem like much. But if it means so little, how about sending a few of these "drops in the bucket" to help the tsunami victims in Asia, or the people displaced by the mudslides in California, or anybody who actually deserves that money. Because it's clear from his comments that Randy certainly doesn't.
1.09.2005
Fun with the barter system
As my music collection becomes more and more digital, I've been purging my physical CD collection. As anyone who sells CDs knows, you usually get more value if you choose trade over cash, giving me a reasonable excuse to pick up some new music. Today, I visited Luna Music, an excellent local music store, and came away with a nice haul of new stuff, all for a grand total of $11.85 after trading in about 25 old crap discs. Here's what I took home:
Tegan and Sara, So Jealous
Jack Johnson, G. Love & Donavon Frankenreiter, Some Live Songs EP
Owsley, The Hard Way
Arcade Fire, Funeral
Muse, Absolution
The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic (remastered)
Stereophonics, Just Enough Education to Perform
Hieroglyphics, Full Circle
Atmosphere, Seven's Travels
This should make for an interesting soundtrack to the football I'll be watching this afternoon. Anything's got to be better than listening to Phil Simms and Jim Nantz.
Tegan and Sara, So Jealous
Jack Johnson, G. Love & Donavon Frankenreiter, Some Live Songs EP
Owsley, The Hard Way
Arcade Fire, Funeral
Muse, Absolution
The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic (remastered)
Stereophonics, Just Enough Education to Perform
Hieroglyphics, Full Circle
Atmosphere, Seven's Travels
This should make for an interesting soundtrack to the football I'll be watching this afternoon. Anything's got to be better than listening to Phil Simms and Jim Nantz.
1.03.2005
And now, an upcoming movie
Having put 2004 behind us, now it's time to move on to this year's upcoming movies. Next Christmas, the same effects studio that worked on Lord of the Rings (WETA in New Zealand) is bringing C. S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to the screen. I'm sure this project only got the greenlight once the movie studios started seeing how much cash LOTR brought in, but I'm curious to see what they do with The Chronicles of Narnia. These books always had a different feeling from LOTR due to the strong Christian themes running throughout, but there are a lot of similarities (partly due to Lewis and Tolkien being friends who regularly critiqued each other's work). So far, it looks like it will be good. Check out a preview here.
Best of 2004, Part III (Movies)
There's still a few movies I haven't seen that are showing up on everyone's year-end lists, so I'll start by giving you a list of what I haven't seen. That way, you'll understand why I didn't choose any of these.
The 2004 Movies That I Want to See But Haven’t Gotten Around to Yet
Sideways
Collateral
Finding Neverland
The Passion of the Christ
Anchorman
Shrek 2
King Arthur
The Best Movies of 2004 That I Have Seen
The Incredibles
The title says it all. The best action movie I’ve seen in 10 years. Even the end credits were cool. And it’s a great story, which tends to get forgotten all too often in the age of CGI effects, but has never been a weak point in Pixar movies. This one, though, isn't just a good kids movie; it's almost more for grown-ups. It’s so good that you forget it’s animated and just enjoy it as a movie. I'll buy the DVD the day it comes out, and then probably buy the Super Special Edition a year later, too.
Garden State
One of the few movies that had a great preview and then lived up to it. Zach Braff did a great job acting and directing (and picking the soundtrack), and Natalie Portman obviously enjoyed the chance to play a real woman instead of the cardboard cutout that is Queen Amidala.
Spider-Man 2
The rarest of rares: a movie that was both a good comic book adaptation and a sequel better than the original. Add Albert Molina’s superbly tortured Doc Ock, and you’ve got a Hollywood hat trick.
A Very Long Engagement
The director and star of Amelie team up again for this beautifully filmed romance/mystery/period piece set just after World War I that also manages to send a powerful message about the horrors of war. You know it’s good when the theater goes completely silent during the climactic scene.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The kids are growing up, and new director Alfonso Cuaran takes advantage. Grittier than the first two, but somehow, more magical. Aside from a poorly animated werewolf, this one was close to perfect.
The Aviator
I used to dislike him, but Leo DiCaprio gets more impressive with each movie. However, the only reason this movie makes my list is because Kate Beckinsale is so hot as Ava Gardner that I drooled on myself.
Special Mention: The Return of the King Extended Edition (DVD)
Since they added 50 minutes of new footage, it’s almost like a new movie. More time for character development, more tips of the hat to Tolkien nerds, and an insane amount of behind-the-scenes footage. The first movie I watched with my new surround sound system.
Most Disappointing Movies of 2004
Ocean’s Twelve
It looked like it was a lot of fun for the cast. Unfortunately, for the audience, not so much.
The Life Aquatic
Could have been so much more. Missing the warmth that made The Royal Tenebaums such a classic.
Napoleon Dynamite
I expected to laugh a lot more than I did. It just tried a little too hard.
Van Helsing
Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein, and Kate Beckinsale STILL couldn’t save this piece of crap.
The Kill Bills
Meet Quentin Tarantino, still coasting on the strength of 2-1/2 great movies. These felt forced, and Garden State notwithstanding, it’s almost never a good idea to make a movie just to be able to work with a particular actress. Especially one that’s so long, it has to be split into two parts.
The 2004 Movies That I Want to See But Haven’t Gotten Around to Yet
Sideways
Collateral
Finding Neverland
The Passion of the Christ
Anchorman
Shrek 2
King Arthur
The Best Movies of 2004 That I Have Seen
The Incredibles
The title says it all. The best action movie I’ve seen in 10 years. Even the end credits were cool. And it’s a great story, which tends to get forgotten all too often in the age of CGI effects, but has never been a weak point in Pixar movies. This one, though, isn't just a good kids movie; it's almost more for grown-ups. It’s so good that you forget it’s animated and just enjoy it as a movie. I'll buy the DVD the day it comes out, and then probably buy the Super Special Edition a year later, too.
Garden State
One of the few movies that had a great preview and then lived up to it. Zach Braff did a great job acting and directing (and picking the soundtrack), and Natalie Portman obviously enjoyed the chance to play a real woman instead of the cardboard cutout that is Queen Amidala.
Spider-Man 2
The rarest of rares: a movie that was both a good comic book adaptation and a sequel better than the original. Add Albert Molina’s superbly tortured Doc Ock, and you’ve got a Hollywood hat trick.
A Very Long Engagement
The director and star of Amelie team up again for this beautifully filmed romance/mystery/period piece set just after World War I that also manages to send a powerful message about the horrors of war. You know it’s good when the theater goes completely silent during the climactic scene.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The kids are growing up, and new director Alfonso Cuaran takes advantage. Grittier than the first two, but somehow, more magical. Aside from a poorly animated werewolf, this one was close to perfect.
The Aviator
I used to dislike him, but Leo DiCaprio gets more impressive with each movie. However, the only reason this movie makes my list is because Kate Beckinsale is so hot as Ava Gardner that I drooled on myself.
Special Mention: The Return of the King Extended Edition (DVD)
Since they added 50 minutes of new footage, it’s almost like a new movie. More time for character development, more tips of the hat to Tolkien nerds, and an insane amount of behind-the-scenes footage. The first movie I watched with my new surround sound system.
Most Disappointing Movies of 2004
Ocean’s Twelve
It looked like it was a lot of fun for the cast. Unfortunately, for the audience, not so much.
The Life Aquatic
Could have been so much more. Missing the warmth that made The Royal Tenebaums such a classic.
Napoleon Dynamite
I expected to laugh a lot more than I did. It just tried a little too hard.
Van Helsing
Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein, and Kate Beckinsale STILL couldn’t save this piece of crap.
The Kill Bills
Meet Quentin Tarantino, still coasting on the strength of 2-1/2 great movies. These felt forced, and Garden State notwithstanding, it’s almost never a good idea to make a movie just to be able to work with a particular actress. Especially one that’s so long, it has to be split into two parts.
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