Archive for December, 2007
14 items.
Dec03
Tom has always been somewhat folically challenged.
I know the punch inline in today’s comic is a little anemic, so I tried to fancy things up a bit by making Tom and Cami’s dialog more quippy. Maybe that makes up for it, maybe not.
Apologies if I’m not focused on the funnies this week. Henry came down with a case of chicken pox last week and we’ve basically been staving off cabin fever as he’s been confined to the house for the next few days. We kept ourselves busy with copies of Waitress and Futurama: Bender’s Big Score over the weekend and those were good times. But obviously this was only after Henry had gone to bed. So the waking hours were a little tougher.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End comes out on DVD tomorrow and I know it’s kind of a weird thing to bring up in the comic. I don’t do DVD release comics quite like I used to. Nor do I slap the characters in costume that much either. But looking at the crop of new releases this last weekend, I wasn’t very inspired. Awake? A suspense thriller about Anakin Skywalker feeling everything during an operation where he’s put under the knife? Lots of comedy there! Ugh.
If you’re not feelin’ the PotC 3 reference, I’m going to give you a reason to care at 9:00 PM CST tonight. That’s because I’m giving away a copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End to one lucky listener LIVE on tonight’s Triple Feature broadcast!
We’re shaking things up a little bit with this contest. Tonight, I want PARTICIPATION!
In the past, I would ask you to listen to the show, write down a clue and then come back here to get the second part of a clue. Too complicated! Tonight, I’m making it easy. Here’s how you can win:
- If you don’t already have an account at TalkShoe.com, create one now!
- Carve out an hour to listen to our show LIVE at 9:00 PM CST
- Using your computer and connection through Skype (or other dialing program) CALL IN when we announce the contest!
- Answer a trivia question or two and you might WIN!
The goal tonight is to get people to listen to The Triple Feature. And, of course, give away some cool free stuff! I think once you’ve given us a chance, you’ll really like it and maybe you’ll add us to your weekly listening! Wouldn’t that be grand?
Be sure to listen in tonight at 9:00 PM CST. Not only will we be running the trivia contest, but also congratulating Joe Dunn on his 300th Joe Loves Crappy Movies! Lots of fun for everyone!
See you there!
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Dec04
Just in time for the holiday season, the studios are trotting out their summer blockbusters on DVD. Disney proves the rule with it’s release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End out on DVD today.
Much like it’s sometimes murky and crowded predecessor, Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End plays a little bit better on the small screen. The amazingly rich details of the sets and effects work are kept somewhat more within a controllable scope on the small screen. It really allows you to drink everything in an appreciate the more subtle aspects of what is otherwise a bombastic action thriller.
Unfortunately, some things don’t improve with a reduced scope. While the performances of Johnny Depp, Geoffery Rush and Bill Nighy are largely bulletproof. Rush particularly attacks his roll of Barbosa with zeal. Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom are as wooden as ever. Dialog is stilted, themes are muddled and there are so many interwoven plot points, it’s difficult to keep track (or care.) The issues I had with how the film was put together back in May still hold true here. For more detail on those opinions, you can read my original review here.
So why review At World’s End on DVD? Presumably for the extras! After all, this is a special 2-disc “limited edition” copy of the film that is apparently going back in the vault on September 30, 2008. If it’s so limited, one would think that the extras are spectacular, right?
Well, not quite.
“Bloopers of the Caribbean” is your standard collection of actors flubbing lines, tripping over the set and asking to “go again” – but not saying anything particularly clever or entertaining. There are only two deleted scenes that were cut for good reason and are equally as boring.
The rest of the bonus features are largely behind-the-scenes documentaries. Some are total fluff, meant to stroke the egos of their subjects – one about Chow Yun Fat and the other about Keith Richards. Much has been made about Johnny Depp’s inspiration for Jack Sparrow coming from the perennial Rolling Stone’s guitarist. But it’s evident in their interview while sitting side-by-side, Depp is trying to extend as much courtesy and politeness to Richards as possible. Meanwhile, his eyes are screaming “THIS GUY IS NUTS!”
I suppose, in hindsight, that’s kind of entertaining.
A few documentaries were interesting, but not entirely up my alley. “The Pirate Maestro: The Music of Hanz Zimmer” and a documentary about Penny Rose, the film’s costume designer were expertly done and add another layer of enjoyment to the film, but didn’t fire up my imagination.
The documentaries under the “Masters of Design” series focus on the propmasters behind Sau Feng’s map, Teague’s Code Book and the dressing of the Singapore set shot for the opening of the film are fascinating explorations into the level of detail provided for the film. The short on Crash McCreery and his design work on Davy Jone’s and his cursed crew was breathtaking. As spoken by one of the interviewees during one of the documentaries “these guys are winning Academy Awards for a reason.”
The big documentary is “Anatomy of a Scene: The Maelstrom” and it has to be seen to be believed. Two full-scale replicates of The Black Pearl and The Flying Dutchman were built inside a warehouse for the film’s climatic sea battle. To see the amount of detail, practical effects and integration with computer effects is mind-boggling and a real treat for people who are looking for ways to deconstruct scenes. Everything from the filming to the editing is on display here and it really gives you a sense of the enormous amount of strategic planning that goes into orchestrating these things.
In fact, I would even go so far to say that it bumped up my respect for the film a few notches. Sure the script had holes in it and the characterization was a little weak. But that’s not exactly why you watch these movies, is it? When you see the great level of care that comes into the process of creating something that has never been seen on-screen before, it forces you to reassess what it is you’re trying to take from the experience. In this way, the bonus features succeed.
Is the film worthy of your collection? Completionists like me will demand it, but frankly, it’s no go without it’s first half – Dead Man’s Chest. Disney had great success with the Pirates franchise. Consider how long it had been since the last pirate film of any sort or the likelyhood that another director will attempt to come along and try to top what’s been done here, it might be a while before we see another entry in the genre ever again! So, yeah – pick it up. It’s a good time.
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Sometimes you just want to pitch one straight up the middle, you know?
Of course, now upon inspection, I might have pulled out this gag to sell it a little more. The delivery of this one… it just feels like a “what’s in the news?” late night kind of thing.
The Golden Compass comes out on Friday and I couldn’t be more bored with the idea. Gordon saw a sneak preview of it last Saturday, so we talked about it a little bit on Monday night’s Triple Feature. I was dead serious when I confessed that I thought The Golden Compass was the sequel to The Chronicles of Narnia. Can you blame me? Winter scenes, witches, talking animals. A little too similar for me, I guess. But what can I say? I’m a dullard. I don’t read “books” – whatever those are.
Curiously, unlike Narnia which rankled some atheists for it’s detection of Aslan the Lion as a Jesus-like figure for leading a land out of sin. Now her comes it’s spiritual (pardon the pun) brethren in The Golden Compass and the shoe is now on the other food. Religious groups claim the film promotes atheism because the books written by Phillip Pullman depicts organized religion as evil. Pullman himself has made comments in the past describing himself as an atheist and deliberately “…trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.”
For me, personally, religion fits nowhere into the equation of either Narnia or Compass. I’m not overtly religious in my own life, so I view the conflict from an outsider’s perspective. Looking at it from a distance, I ask myself, “Aren’t these pretty heavy themes for children’s fantasy?”
Granted, most fairy tales have bleak and violent conclusions. So it’ s not as though children can’t process the weight of good and evil in a literary allegory. But why does everything have to be politicized to such a degree?
I think I have some more thoughts swirling around in my brain on this one, but I might hold off until Friday to set them loose. They might get me in trouble. We’ll see.
Until then, thanks for stopping by the site. See you again real soon!
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I caught this story about Katherine Heigl complaining about her role in Knocked Up in the latest issue of Vanity Fair earlier in the week and it’s really been bugging me.
Entertainment Weekly would have you believe that Heigl should be commended for speaking her mind and ignoring “publicist-scripted hooey” in her interview with the magazine. But there is a difference between being honest and being disrespectful.
Not being a woman, I can’t speak with any authority as to Heigl’s claim that Knocked Up is sexist. But as a man, I think there is enough to take umbrage in the depiction of my gender as slothful, stoned, ambitionless tubs of lard. In fact, I would be willing to wager that Knocked Up is more sexist in it’s stereotypes against men than it is against women. It would be one thing if the movie had Heigl’s character walking around barefoot and cooking Seth Rogen’s character dinner in every third scene. But that’s not the case. I think they treat her character with great respect. She’s a responsible professional. She has strong family bonds. And she has dimension of character! She’s responsible, but has a one night stand. She drives her niece’s to school but she gets hormonal like a normal pregnant woman would. If you want sexist, look at the punchline of today’s comic. Now THAT’S sexist!
Things get more disgusting when you start to follow the money. Apparently after the success of Knocked Up and her Emmy win for Grey’s Anatomy, her asking price for the upcoming 27 Dresses with James Marsden went up from $300,000 to $6 million.
The simple fact of the matter is if you didn’t watch Grey’s Anatomy, you didn’t know who Katherine Heigl was. Knocked Up put her on the map. Maybe she didn’t like her character or the movie. Fine. But be a little bit magnanimous about where it got you. Because now you look ungrateful.
I think Heigl’s comments against Knocked Up are going to go down in history as one of the most sublime Hollywood foot-in-mouth moments. Considering how well writer/director Judd Apatow treats his stable of actors, there’s no telling where that relationship could have taken her. What’s the incentive to work with her ever again after this?
Apparently Apatow took the high road when questioned about Heigl’s comments at the recent GQ Men of the Year party in Hollywood this week:
“I don’t think the movie’s sexist, I think there are characters in the movie who are sexist,” clarified writer/director Judd Apatow, who hasn’t spoken with Heigl about her comments. “Apparently Vanity Fair needs to sell some magazines. They’ve got to turn up the controversy. I’m sure when they get you talking for hours and hours, a couple lines taken out of context seem more interesting than they really are.”
That’s a fairly diplomatic response. But Rogen’s response to the same line of questioning is a little more revealing:
“We won A Women’s Image Network Award; I picked it up myself,” he reminded, adding, “I don’t really talk to Katie.”
Does that mean she’s off his Christmas list? “Yeah, exactly. Oh yeah, like she was on it before.”
Rogen has a pretty sarcastic sense of humor, but that still comes off kind of harsh. You get the sense from his comments that they’ve already left her behind.
I look at this mess and the whole time I’m reminded of the reportedly contentious relationship between Kevin Smith and Linda Fiorentino on the set of Dogma. Listen to the Dogma DVD commentary track to get the scoop straight from Smith. Or read this news item from 2000 at TVGuide.com. My point is, has anyone heard from Linda Fiorentino since Dogma?
Her page over at IMDB.com lists four credits since Dogma, all in 2000 and then nothing. Maybe it’s a coincidence. But for someone who starred in Men In Black and Dogma at the end of the 90’s, she seemed poised to make it big in the next few years. Then… nothing.
Apatow probably pulls more clout than Smith did during his Dogma days. But all Smith had to do was be vocal about how difficult Fiorentino was on-set before she stopped turning up in movies. Apatow doesn’t have to say word-one. Heigl is doing it for him. Still, if she’s burning bridges with someone comparable to Smith, could Katherine Heigl be the next Linda Fiorentino? Time will tell, I suppose.
I guess, for me, what’s most disappointing about Heigl’s comments is that it subtracts from a movie I really enjoyed this year. I liked Knocked Up… a lot. I bought the Special Unrated Edition on DVD so I could get MORE Knocked Up content. Now if I watch that movie, I’m going to be looking at Heigl, thinking about her comments and stewing about how ungrateful she is.
Think of it another way. Have you ever been to a concert where maybe the band is just starting to break through? They’ve got some big hit single and they’re tired of playing it? They kind of mope through the song because they feel obligated to, but you can tell their heart’s not into it? They make you feel like an idiot for liking their song! That’s what I feel like after reading Heigl’s comments.
Granted, there is a lot of stuff going on in Knocked Up that I like that has nothing to do with Heigl’s character. I’m sure I can enjoy those parts. But her involvement is pretty much central to the motivations of the character. So I’ll always be aware of her on the periphery, sulking, bitching about sexism (yet comfortable selling out her principles for a hit movie) and it’s just going to taint the entire experience.
Incidentally, if you wanted to look at her Maxim photo shoot where you can see more of her “principles” on display, you can find it here.
That concludes my rant. Have a great weekend, everyone!
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I got in a little trouble last week for my comic about The Golden Compass. I got more than a few e-mails from people telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about and should shut up. Some people even went as far to say they were never going to read Theater Hopper again.
In some small way, I hoped to address this through the comic. Now I’m thinking I may have shoved my foot further into my mouth with my crack about the Bush administration.
I guess what I wanted to bring to light about The Golden Compass is that I didn’t intend to be so black and white by characterizing it as a “rip-off” – and I think that’s the term that probably pushed things over the edge.
Here’s the thing: At first glance, I was convinced that The Golden Compass was a sequel to The Chronicles of Narnia. Winterly scenes. Talking animals. Magic. For the uninitiated, I think this is a very easy mistake to make.
I think it’s also safe to say that the marketing behind The Golden Compass doesn’t try very hard to differentiate itself from Narnia. I think that’s deliberately done in order to ensnare people like myself who don’t know any better. “Hey, that kind of looks like Narnia! I liked that movie! I’m going to see this one!”
That was kind of the point I was making with the comics. Even though I was never familiar with Phillip Pullman’s novels, I recognize that they are thematically different from The Lord of the Rings and Narnia. What’s derivative about Compass is no fault of it’s own. Rather, it’s the greed of Hollywood executive who would have never brought this film to the screen if it weren’t for the success of those two franchises.
That’s not to slight the books for their content. I’m sure they are fine novels and would have made it to the screen eventually. But when you consider that The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was published in 1950, The Lord of the Rings published in 1954 and Northern Lights was published in 1995, it’s route to film adaptation appears expidited somewhat. I think most people agree that these books share a similar core audience.
In last Wednesday’s blog, I made the joke that I “don’t read books – whatever those are.” and people latched onto it as being dismissive. While I freely admit to being unfamiliar with The Golden Compass, it’s not because I don’t enjoy reading. I just don’t enjoy reading fantasy novels. I prefer biographies and history – things that actually happened. Would it surprise you to learn I’ve never read a Harry Potter book? I’m not putting down the genre. It’s just not my cup of tea.
That said, I don’t think the fact that I’m unfamiliar with the book precludes me from commenting on the movie. This is a movie site, after all and I tend to go with my gut. If I’m wrong about something, I’m wrong. But at least I’m being honest about my reactions. That’s the best anyone can hope for.
Anyway – that’s a lot of explaination for something that was supposed to be a fun poke in the ribs. Just know that none of it is personal and that if I’m making fun of a movie or an actor you like, I’m not judging your taste. I’m just providing commentary. Either it lines up with your sense of humor or it doesn’t. Hopefully you stick around long enough to say “Okay. What’s next.”
Speaking of “What’s next” – be sure to join us for The Triple Feature talkcast tonight at 9:00 PM CST over at TalkShoe. We’ll be discussing The Golden Compass as well as Gordon’s recent interview with Newsarama.com.
We’ll also be doing another on-air contest. This week I’m giving away a copy of the Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake. But you can only win if you call in and participate. We’re doing another trivia contest (planned a little better this time, hopefully) and to the winner go the spoils!
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Dec12
I wanted to make the theater Tom was sitting in a little more run down and dingy. Maybe rough Tom up a little bit, too. Y’know – just to sell the whole “last guy on Earth” thing a little bit more. But I didn’t have time.
A big ice storm came through Iowa yesterday and work was canceled. You’d think that would have given me plenty of time to throw a lot of detail into today’s piece. Not really. Between minding Henry all day and shoveling ice off the driveway, there wasn’t much time for anything!
When I was a kid, I used to love it when school was canceled because of winter weather. I loved snow days. It was like a mini vacation. My Mom always said it wasn’t a vacation for adults. I see what she meant by that now.
Despite my own criticisms, I like this comic. Just leading Tom through the emotional progression of yelling “BOOBIES!” in an empty movie theater is enough to make me giggle like an adolescent. Especially considering there are SO MANY MORE INTERESTING THINGS you could do if you were the last man on Earth. Throwing a rock through a plate glass window, for example. I mean, that’s just fun!
I Am Legend comes out this weekend and I’m cautiously optimistic. I think the advertising for the film has been really sharp. The trailers don’t give away too much and you really get a sense of dread from the abandoned isle of Manhattan.
The reason I’m cautiously optimistic is largely because I have a special place in my heart for The Omega Man with Charleton Heston – the second film adaptation of Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel. And since I know there’s been a bit of controversy about my book-reading habits as of late, the answer is “Yes. I’ve read the original book.”
Back to The Omega Man – I know it’s kind of cheesy and Charelton Heston slathered himself all over that film in his over-the-top glory. But I love how heavily it has “1971” stamped all over it. Rosalind Cash’s afro was the bomb! I think it was smart to move the action to New York for I Am Legend versus Los Angelas in The Omega Man. But, dammit! I want afro-action! And, truthfully, I find albino mutants more terrifying than vampires. Vampires have been kind of done to death. No pun.
I’m still going to see the movie, though. This thing is going to be bulletproof from a critical perspective. A lot of that has to do with Will Smith in the lead. People just like the guy and you can’t really deny his charisma.
Will Smith is one of those guys that seems to have it so well put together, you kind of start to resent him for it. Then he says something charming and witty and you fall in love with him all over again. That’s like an honest-to-God super power. I wish I was able to win people over like that, but I’m kind of a jerk deep down and not that patient. Oh, I’m sure Big Willy Style has his off days. But he never lets you see him sweat and that’s impressive.
I’ve read reviews of some of his movies where critics pick apart his apparant need to be liked. I’m kind of like “So what?” I like a movie star who feels like he has to earn it even after he’s proved himself. I like a movie star who appreciates his audience. So many of the big names any more seem like they couldn’t be bothered and they live in their little bubbles cushioned by their money and their Yes Men. Despite his enormous success, Will Smith seems like a guy still tethered to the real world. There’s a lot to admire in that guy.
And I’m just as shocked to admit it as you are!
That does it for me. Have a great Wednesday and I’ll see you here Friday!
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When Cami uses logic, Tom ends up getting his coat.
Curiously, there’s been a lot of references to the consumption of excrement in the last few months. Am I developing some kind of mental disorder?
Despite our horror in response to the first trailer for Alvin and The Chipmunks, real-life Cami turned a corner after seeing the second trailer in front of Enchanted a few weeks ago. The scene she describes in the comic was the clincher and, I have to admit, it is pretty adorable.
If you haven’t seen either one, I dug them out of YouTube for your time-wasting enjoyment.
Alvin and The Chipmunks: Trailer 1
Alvin and The Chipmunks: Trailer 2
Out of the gate, the Alvin and The Chipmunks movie didn’t make a good first impression. Between the turd eating and the ill-concieved reimaging of The Chipmunks as some kind of hard core hip hope group in the poster, a lot of people were left scratching their heads.
At first, I wondered “Why even make an Alvin and The Chipmunks movie? It’s been years since I’ve even thought of their Saturday morning exploits.” Growing up in the ’80’s, they had a cartoon show that remember fondly and the CGI version of The Chipmunks seemed like a perversion of the characters. The “Two Chipmunks, One Cup” thing going on in the trailer didn’t help that perception.
Then I realized that The Chipmunks have been around in one form or another since the 1950’s and obviously this iteration wasn’t aimed to my sensibilities. I worried for the future of society if this is what kids find funny, but otherwise found the film harmless and it dropped off my radar.
But now with the second trailer, I’m starting to think “Hey, this doesn’t look too bad.” Now I’m worried about my own mental stability.
I’ll never completely understand the appeal of The Chipmunks. It’s just some dude speaking and singing at ramped up speed. Now I’m starting to think there’s something in the harmonic frequency that delights the pleasure centers of our brain involuntarily. Like the nefarious “brown note,” it’s beyond our control.
Ross Bagdasarian Sr. set loose something unholy with his creation. Need proof? Alvin and The Chipmunks have won FIVE GRAMMYS.
Isn’t America great?
That’s it on my end. Have a great weekend everybody!
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It’s kind of funny how time can change your perception of a movie.
When the first National Treasure came out a few years ago, I dismissed it as an American knock off of The DaVinci Code done on the cheap. To me, more notable than the outlandish plot was the excessive and blatant product placement in the film.
But you know how things change. A few years go by, the movie crops up on cable from time to time and you end up watching it. No matter how so-so my reaction to it the first time or how many time I had seen it since, I would always stop what I was doing to watch National Treasure on TV and… I came to like it!
Apparently enough people felt the same way because National Treasure: Book of Secrets is coming out on Friday and it looks like more of the same.
That’s not a left-handed compliment. There’s nothing especially wrong about National Treasure except that its mechanics are somewhat cliché and its ties to actual history are tenuous at best. The further the original film progresses, the further it slides away from reality.
But then again – why not? It captures the imagination in a unique way, recasting history in a way you wish it were. The performances from Nicolas Cage, Sean Bean and Jon Voight are all amiable. It’s really one of the top shelf “B” movies of the last 5 years.
Cami never had a question about her affinity for the original movie. She’s a history buff – specifically Presidential history. So the plot of the second film – a President’s book of secrets that contains all the top secret goodies we’re not supposed to know about – will be too much to pass up. That’s what I love about her. Despite her interest in actual history, she doesn’t find fake history to be a detractor. I think she just likes a good story.
Concerning today’s comic, I don’t know if anyone will find the joke funny except for me. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Nicolas Cage seems to sport a different hairpiece in every movie and, for me, it’s starting to get distracting.
Obviously I encourage any actor to use whatever tool in their arsenal to inhabit the spirit of the character they’re portraying. If it means gaining 50 pounds or wearing a fake nose, so be it. Similarly, if wigs help you find the essence of the character, go for it.
But Nicolas Cage is the exception to the rule for me mostly because his wig choices are so damn awful. I mean, you can SEE it’s a hairpiece from a mile away and some of them are laughablly stupid.
Ghost Rider, for instance. Or Next. Or The Weather Man.
Some of his hair choices have made more sense. Like the redneck bad ass Cameron Poe in Con Air or the neurotic Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation. But in those roles, he was actually trying to do a little acting. Throwing on an accent or performing in a way contradictory to his usual character. For his more recent action fare, he’s pretty much been playing Nicolas Cage. If that’s the case, why would you go out of your way to look weird?
I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me.
Be sure to tune in tonight for another live broadcast of The Triple Feature talkcast over at Talkshoe.com. Tonight we’ll be talking about I Am Legend and it’s record-breaking box office win this weekend. We hit the air at 9:00 PM CST. Be there!
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Hey, guys. I know this is extraordinarily short notice, but it was one of those happy accidents that just cropped up at the last minute and I wanted to let you know about it.
In celebration of National Treasure: Book of Secrets being released in theaters this Friday, Disney has also released a brand new 2-disc collectors edition of National Treasure on DVD this Tuesday, December 18.
This thing is loaded to the hilt with features. Four brand new documentary shorts, deleted scenes, an alternate ending and a slew of featurettes that go further behind the scenes!
You’ll have a chance to win a copy of your very own by listening to The Triple Feature talkcast tonight at 9:00 PM CST.
The last few weeks we’ve been doing call-in trivia contests. I didn’t have enough time to prep any questions this week, so that means we’ll probably do our old standby routine – I drop one half a clue in the broadcast and you come back here on Wednesday for the second half of the clue. Send the completed clue along with your name and e-mail address to theaterhopper@hotmail.com and one winner will be chosen at random!
Be sure to dial in and listen to the show live tonight. We’ll be talking about I Am Legend, Atonement, The Kite Runner and the brand new trailer for The Dark Knight!
Be there!
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If you’ve been monitoring the internet at all – and if you’re here, that means you’ve nearly reached the end of the line – then you’ve probably seen the myriad of clips out there promoting Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. And, if that’s the case, then you’ve probably picked up on the euphemism that is Dewey’s last name and how it’s used for comedic effect in the film.
I’ve purposefully tried to stay away from the clips that are out there because I’m very fond of Judd Apatow and his band of merry makers and I don’t want to spoil anything for myself. Comedy is hard and if it’s going to hit you between the eyes, you get one chance to do it.
There’s no doubt in my mind that I will find 90% of the jokes in Walk Hard extremely funny. But I would rather be laughing out loud in the theater on first viewing rather than chuckling silently to myself – or worse, speaking the lines out loud before the actors do – after repeated viewings in the comfort of my own home.
I understand this weekend is going to be a crowded marketplace for new films, but I hope at some point the studio reels things in a little bit regarding the promotion. Early reviews are starting to come in and several of them are effusive to the point of embarrassment. At this point, either you’re down with the Apatow love fest or you’re not. But could there be signs of backlash brewing?… (WARNING – Language NSWF)
What’s been most amazing to me is watching the comedic evolution of John C. Reily. I think anyone that watched Boogie Nights know that Reily is more than capable of playing a lovable goofball. But after Talladega Nights, he really sent the message home. And, well, here we are.
What I love about Reily is that he came from a traditional theater background and made a name for himself as a character actor. Typically you don’t see this kind of sidestep into comedy. Usually, it’s the other way around. Comedian starts out in nightclubs, graduates to a sketch comedy television show, does a few movies with his signature bits and then makes a play for legitimacy by trying drama on for size. See Jim Carrey.
Reily, on the other hand, has complete confidence in himself and saunters out of these different world’s easily. It’s not about credibility. For him, it really seems to be about having fun and I think that comes across even in his more “serious” work. He’s an everyman we can relate to. I’ve nothing but good things to say about him.
Switching gears, I hope you guys had a chance to listen to Monday night’s broadcast of The Triple Feature. We had a really good time talking about I Am Legend and the new Dark Knight trailer.
Something else we touched on was the new contest I’m running for a chance to win a free copy of the 2-Disc Collector’s Edition of National Treasure. I didn’t really give you guys much notice because I didn’t know I would be doing the giveaway until the last minute. So I posted news of it on the site late Monday night and tried to make the rounds elsewhere to promote it. But maybe it was too little, too late?
In any case, there’s still a chance to win if you download a copy of Monday night’s broadcast and listen for the first half of a two-part clue. If you’re reading this, you’re ready for the second half of the clue and that is “BELL.” Turns out Gordon guessed correctly. Who knew?
Anyway, send in the completed two-part clue to theaterhopper@hotmail.com with your name, mailing address and “CONTEST” in the subject line. One winner will be chosen at random. I probably won’t be able to ship this one out before the holidays, so don’t get upset if it doesn’t arrive in your mailbox so you can use it to hide away from your family after getting nothing but sweaters and socks for gifts.
Be sure to check back to the site on Thursday. That’s right, I said Thursday. I just finished watching The Bourne Ultimatum on DVD and I’ll be posting a review to the site on Thursday. It was a great movie. I’m really kicking myself right now for not owning The Bourne Identity or The Bourne Supremacy. Both of those films are great and combined with Ultimatum, make a nice little trilogy.
That covers it for now. See you here tomorrow!
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