I don't really deserve to do this review because:
I didn't see all the movies that were nominated for Oscars, so therefore I can't really say which did or did not deserve the reward. And because I'm not really a real critic or anything of that sort, just some guy who likes movies and shoots news stories for a living.
So let me begin....
Best Picture: No Country For Old Men - I really really enjoyed this movie and I hoped it would win the Oscar. I am ashamed to admit that of the four nominations, I did not see ‘There Will Be Blood.' It is top on my list to see next, and I would have seen it yesterday or the day before the Oscars, but I had friends in town visiting, and my wife and I adopted a new Chihuahua which absorbed all of my time.
Best Director: The Coen Brothers - I was very happy with this choice as well since I am a huge fan of the Coen Brothers who directed one of my all time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski, so hats off to them! They've been around for a while and they deserved it. Again, I did not see ‘There Will Be Blood', so my opinion really is biased. Sue me.
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard for her role in 'La Vie En Rose'. I never saw the movie, but I'm glad she won. She seems like a really nice person.
Best Actor: Daniel Dey Lewis for his role in ‘There Will Be Blood.' I was rooting for Viggo Mortensen for his role in ‘Eastern Promises' because I loved that movie and I think it deserved more praise than it received. It baffles me that ‘Michael Clayton' was nominated for best picture and ‘Eastern Promises' was not, which leads me to . . .
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton for her role in ‘Michael Clayton'. Seriously, I think she's a fine actress and all, but her role in ‘Michael Clayton' wasn't all that, I don't know, special? I thought the little girl in ‘Atonement' should have won. Her character dealt with a wider range of emotion, and I think she had way more screen time to show her guns as well.
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem for playing a psychopath in ‘No Country For Old Men'. I was rooting for him to win. I didn't see any of the other movies with the other nominees, but I doubt they would have captivated me as Javier's performance did. As I stated, this is my ‘not so qualified Oscar review.'
As far as the rest goes, I don't really care because I did not see most of them. ‘Transformers' lost for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing to ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.' Lame. ‘Transformers' also lost in the Best Special Effects category to ‘The Golden Compass.' Also lame. As you can tell, I really liked ‘Transformers,' which kind of makes me lame as well.
Overall, I thought it was a pretty good Oscar show. Jon Stewart was funny, the presenters were good; the only complaint I have is that there were too many annoying performances for songs from that movie, ‘Enchanted.' But then again they did make good bathroom breaks. And what was with Jerry Seinfeld presenting awards as that character from that damn ‘Bee Movie???' I know the DVD is due out soon blah blah, but still, move on Jerry, move on.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Will The Fourth Indiana Jones Movie Suck?
There are several movies I am looking forward to that will be released soon, like Cloverfield, which is released this weekend and some that are further down the road like Batman, The Dark Night. But the one I am looking forward to the most is Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. I am a fan of all things Jones. I even liked Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, which is usually the least favorite of people who Jones out to the Jones movies. What am I even talking about?
Here's the thing... I so hope IJ4 (Indiana Jones 4) won't suck. I remember like five years ago someone wrote a script for it. Then the script was changed. Then it was completely rewritten. Then they were going to have that creepy M. Night Shyamalan guy direct it. Then, Harrison Ford wasn't sure if he'd do it. Then, nothing happened for like three more years, and suddenly a few months ago George Lucas is renting out an airplane hanger in Fresno to make IJ4, Fresno of all places. Movies surrounded by this type of hype, procrastination hype that is, usually suck. I just hope IJ4 proves to be an exception.
The good news is that what's her name is in it, the woman from the first Indy movie; I'm too lazy to Google (webmaster's note: it's Karen Allen). Also, Shia LeBeouf is in it. He's cool in my book, did just fine in Transformers as well as his legendary Louis Stevens character in Disney Channel's Even Stevens, and the fact that I even know that says something of the geek in me. Brandon Dyer of KVBC geek fame would agree. He has told me I'm a geek on several occasions, and that is a compliment.
Also, IJ4 comes to us, as did the other Indy movies, from the creative minds of George Lucas and his little pal Steven Spielberg, both of whom I am a fan. Oh, and who could forget Harrison Ford as the title character, the iconic Indiana Jones. So let's just keep all our fingers crossed that this one will be good. Oh yeah, Karen Allen. But still, Fresno??? Isn't that where all the meth labs blow up? Anyways...
Here's the thing... I so hope IJ4 (Indiana Jones 4) won't suck. I remember like five years ago someone wrote a script for it. Then the script was changed. Then it was completely rewritten. Then they were going to have that creepy M. Night Shyamalan guy direct it. Then, Harrison Ford wasn't sure if he'd do it. Then, nothing happened for like three more years, and suddenly a few months ago George Lucas is renting out an airplane hanger in Fresno to make IJ4, Fresno of all places. Movies surrounded by this type of hype, procrastination hype that is, usually suck. I just hope IJ4 proves to be an exception.
The good news is that what's her name is in it, the woman from the first Indy movie; I'm too lazy to Google (webmaster's note: it's Karen Allen). Also, Shia LeBeouf is in it. He's cool in my book, did just fine in Transformers as well as his legendary Louis Stevens character in Disney Channel's Even Stevens, and the fact that I even know that says something of the geek in me. Brandon Dyer of KVBC geek fame would agree. He has told me I'm a geek on several occasions, and that is a compliment.
Also, IJ4 comes to us, as did the other Indy movies, from the creative minds of George Lucas and his little pal Steven Spielberg, both of whom I am a fan. Oh, and who could forget Harrison Ford as the title character, the iconic Indiana Jones. So let's just keep all our fingers crossed that this one will be good. Oh yeah, Karen Allen. But still, Fresno??? Isn't that where all the meth labs blow up? Anyways...
Dragon Wars Review
If you like dragons, and you like wars, then maybe you'll like Dragon Wars. Go figure. I checked out Dragon Wars last night, it was just released on DVD and probably Blue-ray and HDDVD, I don't know. I'm not really hip to the whole Blue-ray/HD thing going on right now, and I never tried to come off like I was a know-it-all about it in the first place, so until I can afford a Blue-ray player and an HDTV, get off my back about it.
Sorry. I'm just miffed that we have to choose between one and the other, which is a load of crap. We should not be treated like guinea pigs by these large corporations who are battling it out to win the battle of whatever format will become the next big thing like when DVD replaced VHS back in the 80s or 90s or whatever. I will probably buy a Blue-ray player when the time comes because I hear that they are the bombastic shizzle. If, however, I buy a Blue-ray player and HDDVD becomes the norm and they fade Blue-ray out, I will be angry and I will HULK out. Yes, I will Hulk out as KVBC Editor Sean Robertson has seen me do when I get angry at technology. What Hulking out entails is me clinching my fists real hard and growling out loud, and maybe even yelling a cuss word. I did this at my old station where I worked with Sean in Salinas, California - KSBW 8. He stepped into my edit bay and said, "Are you Hulking out again?" And that's how the term came about. Here at KVBC however, we need to be a bit more professional, so I don't Hulk out as much here, and when I do it is internally.
Anyway, aside of the cheesy acting (not including Robert Forester), Dragon Wars was damn cool. Tripods Up!
Sorry. I'm just miffed that we have to choose between one and the other, which is a load of crap. We should not be treated like guinea pigs by these large corporations who are battling it out to win the battle of whatever format will become the next big thing like when DVD replaced VHS back in the 80s or 90s or whatever. I will probably buy a Blue-ray player when the time comes because I hear that they are the bombastic shizzle. If, however, I buy a Blue-ray player and HDDVD becomes the norm and they fade Blue-ray out, I will be angry and I will HULK out. Yes, I will Hulk out as KVBC Editor Sean Robertson has seen me do when I get angry at technology. What Hulking out entails is me clinching my fists real hard and growling out loud, and maybe even yelling a cuss word. I did this at my old station where I worked with Sean in Salinas, California - KSBW 8. He stepped into my edit bay and said, "Are you Hulking out again?" And that's how the term came about. Here at KVBC however, we need to be a bit more professional, so I don't Hulk out as much here, and when I do it is internally.
Anyway, aside of the cheesy acting (not including Robert Forester), Dragon Wars was damn cool. Tripods Up!
Dragon Wars Review
If you like dragons, and you like wars, then maybe you'll like Dragon Wars. Go figure. I checked out Dragon Wars last night, it was just released on DVD and probably Blue-ray and HDDVD, I don't know. I'm not really hip to the whole Blue-ray/HD thing going on right now, and I never tried to come off like I was a know-it-all about it in the first place, so until I can afford a Blue-ray player and an HDTV, get off my back about it.
Sorry. I'm just miffed that we have to choose between one and the other, which is a load of crap. We should not be treated like guinea pigs by these large corporations who are battling it out to win the battle of whatever format will become the next big thing like when DVD replaced VHS back in the 80s or 90s or whatever. I will probably buy a Blue-ray player when the time comes because I hear that they are the bombastic shizzle. If, however, I buy a Blue-ray player and HDDVD becomes the norm and they fade Blue-ray out, I will be angry and I will HULK out.
Yes, I will Hulk out as KVBC Editor Sean Robertson has seen me do when I get angry at technology. What Hulking out entails is me clinching my fists real hard and growling out loud, and maybe even yelling a cuss word. I did this at my old station where I worked with Sean in Salinas, California - KSBW 8. He stepped into my edit bay and said, "Are you Hulking out again?" And that's how the term came about. Here at KVBC however, we need to be a bit more professional, so I don't Hulk out as much here, and when I do it is internally.
Anyway, aside of the cheesy acting (not including Robert Forester), Dragon Wars was damn cool. Tripods Up!
Sorry. I'm just miffed that we have to choose between one and the other, which is a load of crap. We should not be treated like guinea pigs by these large corporations who are battling it out to win the battle of whatever format will become the next big thing like when DVD replaced VHS back in the 80s or 90s or whatever. I will probably buy a Blue-ray player when the time comes because I hear that they are the bombastic shizzle. If, however, I buy a Blue-ray player and HDDVD becomes the norm and they fade Blue-ray out, I will be angry and I will HULK out.
Yes, I will Hulk out as KVBC Editor Sean Robertson has seen me do when I get angry at technology. What Hulking out entails is me clinching my fists real hard and growling out loud, and maybe even yelling a cuss word. I did this at my old station where I worked with Sean in Salinas, California - KSBW 8. He stepped into my edit bay and said, "Are you Hulking out again?" And that's how the term came about. Here at KVBC however, we need to be a bit more professional, so I don't Hulk out as much here, and when I do it is internally.
Anyway, aside of the cheesy acting (not including Robert Forester), Dragon Wars was damn cool. Tripods Up!
Dragon Wars Review
If you like dragons, and you like wars, then maybe you'll like Dragon Wars. Go figure. I checked out Dragon Wars last night, it was just released on DVD and probably Blue-ray and HDDVD, I don't know. I'm not really hip to the whole Blue-ray/HD thing going on right now, and I never tried to come off like I was a know-it-all about it in the first place, so until I can afford a Blue-ray player and an HDTV, get off my back about it.
Sorry. I'm just miffed that we have to choose between one and the other, which is a load of crap. We should not be treated like guinea pigs by these large corporations who are battling it out to win the battle of whatever format will become the next big thing like when DVD replaced VHS back in the 80s or 90s or whatever. I will probably buy a Blue-ray player when the time comes because I hear that they are the bombastic shizzle. If, however, I buy a Blue-ray player and HDDVD becomes the norm and they fade Blue-ray out, I will be angry and I will HULK out.
Yes, I will Hulk out as KVBC Editor Sean Robertson has seen me do when I get angry at technology. What Hulking out entails is me clinching my fists real hard and growling out loud, and maybe even yelling a cuss word. I did this at my old station where I worked with Sean in Salinas, California - KSBW 8. He stepped into my edit bay and said, "Are you Hulking out again?" And that's how the term came about. Here at KVBC however, we need to be a bit more professional, so I don't Hulk out as much here, and when I do it is internally.
Anyway, aside of the cheesy acting (not including Robert Forester), Dragon Wars was damn cool. Tripods Up!
Sorry. I'm just miffed that we have to choose between one and the other, which is a load of crap. We should not be treated like guinea pigs by these large corporations who are battling it out to win the battle of whatever format will become the next big thing like when DVD replaced VHS back in the 80s or 90s or whatever. I will probably buy a Blue-ray player when the time comes because I hear that they are the bombastic shizzle. If, however, I buy a Blue-ray player and HDDVD becomes the norm and they fade Blue-ray out, I will be angry and I will HULK out.
Yes, I will Hulk out as KVBC Editor Sean Robertson has seen me do when I get angry at technology. What Hulking out entails is me clinching my fists real hard and growling out loud, and maybe even yelling a cuss word. I did this at my old station where I worked with Sean in Salinas, California - KSBW 8. He stepped into my edit bay and said, "Are you Hulking out again?" And that's how the term came about. Here at KVBC however, we need to be a bit more professional, so I don't Hulk out as much here, and when I do it is internally.
Anyway, aside of the cheesy acting (not including Robert Forester), Dragon Wars was damn cool. Tripods Up!
You Don't Have To Sneak Your Own Food Into Movie Theaters Anymore!!
Good news for movie fans who like to sneak their own food and drinks into movie theaters. Century Theaters now allows its guests to bring their own food and beverages into their theaters, and you don't have to be sneaky about it. A few weeks ago I bought a Starbucks iced coffee beverage on my way to the Century Theaters at South Point here in Las Vegas. I parked my car, walked the quarter mile from the parking lot all the way through the casino, past the sports book, and made the U-turn up the escalators next to the poker room. I looked down upon all the gamblers and thought to myself, ‘That's it. Keep it up, all you high and low rollers. Keep paying my state taxes... that's it.'
It was at about that moment when I realized that my iced coffee beverage was still considerably full. I was two minutes late for the movie, which meant they were still showing previews, so I wasn't worried. However, I knew I would have to chug my iced coffee and risk a brain-freeze in order to not waste anymore time or coffee. Suddenly I became frustrated. Here we are, it's 2008, a man can die for his country at age 18, but I can't bring my coffee beverage into the movie theater? I got up to the ticket counter, ordered my movie ticket, and was almost tempted to Jedi wave the ticket guy and say "You will let me bring my iced coffee beverage into the movie theater." Instead, I held up my beverage and said, "I'm not allowed to bring this in, am I?" And to my amazement, the ticket... wait... let's make this like a scene in a movie!
INT. -- SOUTHPOINT MOVIE THEATER TICKET COUNTER - DAY
Our hero, PRESTON, approaches the ticket counter. He winces, shaking off the brain-freeze whilst grasping his ice cold coffee beverage. The kid at the ticket counter appears to be half asleep.
TICKET GUY
PRESTON
Yeah, one ticket for No Country For Old Men.
TICKET GUY
That'll be seven dollars and twenty-five cents.
PRESTON
(holding up coffee beverage)
TICKET GUY
Yeah.
Preston is startled. His jaw drops in utter surprise.
PRESTON
You mean to tell me... I can bring... this drink
into the movie theater?
TICKET GUY
Yeah, as long as it's not in a glass container,
PRESTON
Why thank you, kind sir.
TICKET GUY
Excuse me, mister? Did anyone ever tell
PRESTON
I get that all the time.
That's exactly how it went down. So there you have it. According to the ticket guy at South Point Century Theaters, you are allowed to bring in your own food and drinks! Hallelujah!!!! It's about time. Good things really do happen to good people, or at least to movie fans.
It was at about that moment when I realized that my iced coffee beverage was still considerably full. I was two minutes late for the movie, which meant they were still showing previews, so I wasn't worried. However, I knew I would have to chug my iced coffee and risk a brain-freeze in order to not waste anymore time or coffee. Suddenly I became frustrated. Here we are, it's 2008, a man can die for his country at age 18, but I can't bring my coffee beverage into the movie theater? I got up to the ticket counter, ordered my movie ticket, and was almost tempted to Jedi wave the ticket guy and say "You will let me bring my iced coffee beverage into the movie theater." Instead, I held up my beverage and said, "I'm not allowed to bring this in, am I?" And to my amazement, the ticket... wait... let's make this like a scene in a movie!
INT. -- SOUTHPOINT MOVIE THEATER TICKET COUNTER - DAY
Our hero, PRESTON, approaches the ticket counter. He winces, shaking off the brain-freeze whilst grasping his ice cold coffee beverage. The kid at the ticket counter appears to be half asleep.
TICKET GUY
Can I help you?
PRESTON
Yeah, one ticket for No Country For Old Men.
TICKET GUY
That'll be seven dollars and twenty-five cents.
PRESTON
(holding up coffee beverage)
I'm not allowed to bring this in, am I?
TICKET GUY
Yeah.
Preston is startled. His jaw drops in utter surprise.
PRESTON
You mean to tell me... I can bring... this drink
into the movie theater?
TICKET GUY
Yeah, as long as it's not in a glass container,
you can bring in your own drinks. We
allow you to bring in your own food as well.
PRESTON
Why thank you, kind sir.
Preston takes his ticket and walks toward the theaters.
TICKET GUY
Excuse me, mister? Did anyone ever tell
you that you look just like Brad Pitt?
PRESTON
I get that all the time.
Preston turns and continues into the theaters, disappearing into theater six.
That's exactly how it went down. So there you have it. According to the ticket guy at South Point Century Theaters, you are allowed to bring in your own food and drinks! Hallelujah!!!! It's about time. Good things really do happen to good people, or at least to movie fans.
JUNO
Okay, I'm back from doing my news duties . . .
Let's talk pregnant teenagers. Juno, which just came out in theaters, stars Ellen Page, (X-Men 3, Hard Candy), who plays a knocked up teenager who decides she is going to adopt her baby out to a thirties-something couple played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner. The film is heart warming, hilarious, smart, and very sweet. Director Jason Reitman, who could very well be the son of Ivan Reitman, hell I don't know, does a wonderful job of capturing a more realistic side of today's youth coming of age.
Remember when teenagers got pregnant, people were like, "Oh my gosh!", and then that pregnant girl in high school dropped out, never to be seen again? Well, I do. And her name was Andrea. But in Juno, she doesn't drop out, she doesn't let the gossip destroy her reputation, she doesn't throw a milkshake in the real daddy's face; it just doesn't become that movie. In fact, it doesn't veer off into about three directions that I thought it would, which is a good thing. Once again, Ellen Page delivers a fine performance as a take no bull from anyone teen, sort of like she did in Hard Candy . . .sort of. This girl is ahead of her time and she knows how to act. If you haven't seen Hard Candy, go rent it.
The supporting cast in Juno is great as well. Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Super Bad), who plays the baby's daddy, is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, although I am waiting for him to finally break out of his nice guy mold and play a psycho killer or something crazy. Anyway, Tripods Way Up!
Let's talk pregnant teenagers. Juno, which just came out in theaters, stars Ellen Page, (X-Men 3, Hard Candy), who plays a knocked up teenager who decides she is going to adopt her baby out to a thirties-something couple played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner. The film is heart warming, hilarious, smart, and very sweet. Director Jason Reitman, who could very well be the son of Ivan Reitman, hell I don't know, does a wonderful job of capturing a more realistic side of today's youth coming of age.
Remember when teenagers got pregnant, people were like, "Oh my gosh!", and then that pregnant girl in high school dropped out, never to be seen again? Well, I do. And her name was Andrea. But in Juno, she doesn't drop out, she doesn't let the gossip destroy her reputation, she doesn't throw a milkshake in the real daddy's face; it just doesn't become that movie. In fact, it doesn't veer off into about three directions that I thought it would, which is a good thing. Once again, Ellen Page delivers a fine performance as a take no bull from anyone teen, sort of like she did in Hard Candy . . .sort of. This girl is ahead of her time and she knows how to act. If you haven't seen Hard Candy, go rent it.
The supporting cast in Juno is great as well. Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Super Bad), who plays the baby's daddy, is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, although I am waiting for him to finally break out of his nice guy mold and play a psycho killer or something crazy. Anyway, Tripods Way Up!
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