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Fletch's Film Review: Lars and the Real GIrl
2007-11-14 17:00:00
Or, When Good Actors Make Questionable Choices.I don’t want to give the impression that Lars is a bad film, but I have to wonder if, 15 years from now, will Ryan Gosling see a still from this film, and wonder to himself “WTF was I doing starring opposite a blow-up doll?!?”Oh, that’s right – “Bianca” isn’t a blow-up doll; she’s the 21st century version, a 100-lb. hunk of plastic made to look as real as possible - and she does. That said, this tale of a damaged-almost-beyond-repair young man plays out like one of the best Hallmark made-for-TV movies ever (which I think is both a compliment and an insult).The Swedishly (?) named Lars is a simple guy living in an unspecified northern Midwestern town. He lives in the converted garage next to the house occupied by his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and Gus’s wife Karin (Emily Mortimer). Karin, as we learn, is always trying (and failing) to pull Lars out of his shell, and his house, and get him to join them for breakfast ...
More About: Film , Review , Film Review , Girl , Real

Monday's Moods (11/12/07)
2007-11-13 00:10:00
New feature time!Monday’s Moods will be a sad attempt by me to tap into the zeitgeist of the pop culture landscape. As we all know, living in Arizona working as a data monkey keeps me in tune with all of the celebrity goings-on and biz news that Variety wishes they could keep up with.The premise is simple – I’ll choose a few people, places and/or things and let you know how they’re feeling. We’ll all hope that none of them have “a case of the Mondays,” but that’s unlikely.Robert Redford – pissed offJudging from the tone of Lions for Lambs (which Mrs. Fletch and I saw this weekend; review to come), the squire of Sundance was already pretty peeved – but that was just at Bush, the war, and the apathy of Americans in this non-protest time of ours. Now he can add the moviegoing audience to that list, as Lambs took in just ~$7 million this past weekend, it’s first in wide release (also Tom Cruise’s first wide release in years not to open at #1).Jerry Seinfeld – m...

LAMB Report
2007-11-10 01:27:00
(Ed. note: This post was originally published over at The LAMB, but I made a few edits and thought it belonged here as well. Thanks.)Well, The Large Association of Movie Blogs is not even two weeks old, and I couldn't be much prouder of a parent.Already, there are 11 LAMBs posted, and one more pending, for an average of more than one site a day. I know that doesn't sound like much, but with the existing LAMBs all linking to the site, and with some very special LAMBs writing individual posts about it (gold stars are awarded to Joe at Intermission at Work, * (asterisk) from A Blog About Nowt, and Wayward Jam over at Reel Whore - let me know if I've snubbed you), I think it's a great start.Hopefully, all of you who've sent in entries so far are seeing an ever-so-slight traffic boost as well; I can't say that Blog Cabins has received all that much, but I also can't say that I expected all that much in the early stages, as I'm pretty familiar with many of you already.That's abou...
More About: Report , Lamb

Survivor: China - Episode 8 Recap
2007-11-09 05:07:00
Coming to you live from Casa de Fletch, it's that most unoriginal of gimmicks, the live blog. That said, I can't say that I've seen it done with this particular show. I'm joined as usual by Mrs. Fletch and our trusty, sleepy pug Scooter. Let the action begin!7:02: I could watch the Jamie/Idol gaffe over and over again, but alas, it's time for the new episode to start.7:03: Jean-Robert returns from council somewhat in shock, yet relieved that Jamie's idol was a fake. He shows his humility and appreciation by...hogging the sleeping quarters, not letting Erik on. Way to ingratiate yourself, JR - always looking to get in people's good graces. James asks him if he wants a hug and calls him a dumbass. We're off to a decent start.7:05: I'm proud to say I've never been a "Dollar Menu-aire." I probably never will be, either. Sorry, McDonalds.7:06: Raise your hand if you watch Num3ers. No one? Ok, raise your hand if you call it "numthers" like I do. Still no one?7:08:...
More About: China , Episode , Survivor , Recap

TGITDNMAR (11/9/07)
2007-11-09 00:45:00
It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.Lions for LambsThe Kingdom bombed. Rendition ain't doing so hot, either. The buzz now is, will Lions for Lambs, the latest current events/Iraq war film, share the same fate? I tend to think so, but not just for the shared theme. Personally, I'd like to see the film, but even I admit that I know almost nothing about it. In other words, for the style of film that it is, the trailer is awful.Sci-fi flicks and comic book movies can get away with teasers, either due to some really cool sh*t in the teaser or because the audience may already be somewhat familiar with the characters/story, but that's not the case with a "serious drama." Sure, star power plays a role, but not so much here. Neither Redford nor Streep have been box office draws in decades (to say nothing of their quality), and Cruise has been plagued by craziness and/or bad press for the past three years.Short s...

Fletch's Film Review: Gone Baby Gone
2007-11-07 18:18:00
I’m sure it’s an unfair comparison, and it may seem blasphemous to some, but I liked Gone Baby Gone more than Mystic River. Maybe it’s a factor of being able to relate more to Casey Affleck than to Sean Penn; or maybe it’s because the Shakespearean melodrama at the end of River was not only a huge turnoff, but the lasting image the film has for me; or maybe it’s just because I think Tim Robbins’ performance was more laughable than laudable (and I’m normally a big fan). What can I say – I’m the same guy that’ll take Casino over GoodFellas any day of the week.I say it’s an unfair comparison because they really are two separate entities, and are directed by two different people at that, but it’s a pretty inescapable one as well. As a reader commented, Dennis Lehan’s novels are not all templates of one another, but these two (at least) do share some commonalities, not only in terms of story (female goes missing form the rough streets of south Boston) but in ter...
More About: Film , Review , Film Review , Gone Baby Gone

Steered in the wrong direction
2007-11-06 16:43:00
I don't usually delve into matter all that political here, but there's a controversy brewing and I feel compelled to comment, as hypocrisy needs to be called out.The story, as summed up by foxnews.com is this:"A children’s fantasy film that stars Nicole Kidman and features a little girl on a quest to kill God has some Christian groups upset over what they believe is a ploy to promote atheism to kids.The movie, “The Golden Compass,” is adapted from the first novel in a trilogy called “His Dark Materials” by English author Philip Pullman, an outspoken atheist. Critics fear that the film, due out in December, will encourage children to read the anti-Church series."New Line, the studio releasing the film, has repeatedly assured moviegoers that the film has been watered down from the original works, taking the religious aspects out of it, but none of that is appeasing Bill Donohue, president and CEO of the Catholic League, who has said "These books denigrate Christianity, thr...
More About: Wrong , Dire , Direction , Rect

The LAMB
2007-11-03 20:42:00
Just a quick quasi-related programming note:I've decided to start up a new blog (of sorts). It's called the Large Association of Movie Blogs (LAMB), and is not at all a real association, but is intended to be a central location, a directory of sorts, for the numerous movie blogs out there. I'm sending a call out to any and all movie bloggers out there that would like to be posted on there, as I hope it would be a place for movie bloggers (and movie blog readers) to learn about other sites out there. With a number of blog directories and everyone's blogrolls being pretty scattershot, and with Google being a crapshoot as well, I know I'd like a place to go to read up a little bit about a number of sites and maybe get to know the authors (and their intentions) rather than surf blindly.It's still wildly raw (and admittedly not much to look at), but I've given it the green light and have even posted an (abbreviated) entry for Blog Cabins there as well. Please check it out at: http...
More About: Lamb

TGITDNMAR (11/2/07)
2007-11-02 22:33:00
It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.A slightly busier week this week with three major releases, but still pretty slow going at the theaters. On the bright side, two of them are high profile films, so we've got that going for us, which is nice. As for the third? Well, read on...American GangsterThis has all the ingredients to be a critical and commercial smash hit, but for some reason, I'm just not feeling it, though I'll definitely see it and hope to be proven wrong. With Crowe, Washington, Ridley Scott, a strong supporting cast (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ted Levine, Josh Brolin, Common), and that most American of tales (organized crime!), this does seem like a can't miss, but it's still ground that has been tread to death over the last 40 years, so originality seems unlikely.Fletch’s Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 56%Bee MovieIf you've seen the trailer for Bee Movie, then you already know what I ...

Survivor: China - Episode 7 Recap
2007-11-02 07:41:00
Despite a lack of action, this is officially one of my favorite episodes ever. But more on that later...We start with the losers from last week (Fei Long) returning to camp. As they settle in for a long winter's nap, all of the attention falls squarely on the two drama queens for this season, namely Jean-Robert and Angry Stick Figure (formerly Sad Stick Figure). See, Angry Stick Figure (ASF) didn't get her way at Tribal Council, and now the Big Bad JR is still there, ready and willing to blow her straw house away. Anti-Hulk mad! Anti-Hulk smash!Todd has the good sense to tell ASF "Shove it. No one cares that you don't like JR. Deal with it, bitch!" Not coincidentally, Todd earns a number of brownie points with me over the course of the episode.Meanwhile, back at Zhan Hu, James has his eyes on the second Immunity Idol, while PG has her eyes on James. No, not in that way. See, PG, who apparently suffers from a Memento-like condition that keeps her from remembering the rec...
More About: China , Episode , Survivor , Recap

Fletch's Film Review: Confusions of an Unmarried Couple
2007-10-30 21:27:00
About a month ago, I was contacted by an independent filmmaker based out of Toronto. His name is Brett Butler (sadly, not the former L.A. Dodger, and gladly, not the annoying-voiced comedienne) and his latest film is the one in the title above. He and his brother Jason have their own production company (http://www.subprod.com/) up there where they've made a few films, all on low budgets.Brett and the gang have been taking Confusions on the festival circuit and have won and/or been nominated for a few awards ("the Audience Choice Award for Best Film at the Indiana University South Bend Video and Film Festival, as well as being nominated for Best Film at the Swansea Bay Film Festival in Wales, and Best Comedy at the Southern Winds Film Festival in Oklahoma). As part of this publicity, I assume they're contacting a number of movie bloggers in an attempt to get some more press. Well, I took him up on the offer and received a screener DVD a few weeks back, finally getting to watch it a...
More About: Review , Film Review , Couple , Married

Fletch's Favored Five: Happenstance Halloween Movies
2007-10-29 17:28:00
I admit that's an awful title, but I couldn't think of a great way to shorten up "movies that take place on Halloween but aren't scary or really meant to be so."While everyone else in the world is take in-depth looks at horror films and other such frightfests, I thought I'd look at some circumstantial Halloween flicks. There aren't a ton (at least that I've seen - let me know of any major oversights), but I've found five flicks that I'm fond of (hooray, alliteration!). Let's get this over with:Donnie DarkoRichard Kelly's 2001 film is hailed by many as a masterpiece, and I can't put up much of an argument. It's damn good, and along with Memento and Fight Club, is one of the pre-eminent mindf*cks of the last 15 years. Full of somewhat supernatural geekitude, it still manages to be accessible to a mainstream audience, and features a great 80s soundtrack (no, that's not an oxymoron) full of alternative/gothy/dark music (Joy Division, The Church, Echo and the Bunnymen), not ...
More About: Movies , Favor , Etch , Allo

Commit a Random, Senseless Act of Violence!
2007-10-26 23:26:00
Actually, that might be frowned upon, but it is the subject of the new poll. We all know celebrities and politicians can be annoying, so here's your chance to exact some revenge (in your mind, at least). Whatever you do, don't take this too seriously, because a) it's supposed to be fun and b) I don't want any of you going to jail (though the headlines might be fun).For the record (and since it's deleted now), the results of the Jean Claude Van Damme movie poll were as follows:* Bloodsport (7 votes)* Cyborg (5)* Timecop (3)* Double Impact (2)* Lionheart (2)* Death Warrant (1)* Hard Target (1)Total Votes - 21I'm shocked that Kickboxer received no votes. Not that I like it all that much, but I know many that do. Let's get some more votes this time around, people...
More About: Random , Senseless , Violence

Survivor: China - Episode 6 Recap
2007-10-26 08:05:00
Say what you will about the lame special effects and questionable moves made by the producers (I surely have), but you or I would be hard-pressed to complain that this has been a boring season of Survivor . Generally, the show holds your interest for the first two shows as you're trying to get to know who the hell these 16 (or 18 or 20) people are, but it slows down to a snail's pace up until about the time the jury is formed. In that limbo period, you kind of already know who you do or don't like, but the alliances have yet to be formed and not much wildly shocking happens.And that hasn't necessarily happened this time, either. But I guess having such a high number of strong personalities can indeed make the show better (who'da thunk it?). That's not to say that I like them all, just that they've been hard to ignore. Whether it's been DJ Jesus (Sister Christian Leslie) ingratiating herself to everyone in the first five minutes, or Jean-Robert slowly destroying the wills of h...
More About: China , Episode , Recap

TGITDNMAR (10/25/07)
2007-10-25 23:55:00
It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.Hear that sound? It’s crickets. I guess Halloween (and to some extent, the World Series) scares away potential moviegoers as well, what with only two major releases this week hitting theaters. And the two aren’t even high profile, to boot. Time to catch up on some smaller movies that might still be out (2 Days in Paris, perhaps?) or see one of the many that came out in the last few weeks (Michael Clayton, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, We Own the Night, Rendition, Reservation Road). That’s my plan, anyway.Dan in Real Life(Insert Bruce Almighty joke here.)Steve Carell looks to jump-start his movie career after the bloated failure of his last outing. It’s hard to say if Dan looks good or not. Part of me says yes, but the other part just pretends that Ben Stiller is playing the lead role and wonders if I would think it was a heaping pile if that were the case. The truth...

Fletch's Film Review: Michael Clayton
2007-10-25 05:46:00
Spending the weekend out of town and coming back to the grind with a 3 day backup of work can really wreak havoc on the whole blogging schedule. (For the record, I went to Puerto Penasco aka Rocky Point to hang out, drink beer, drink tequila, watch the Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers concert, enjoy yet another sandstorm and sit at the border for close to four and a half hours. At least the sandstorm didn't hit until the day we left.)Anyway, I'm back and am two reviews behind schedule, the first of which, as you can tell from the title of this post, is Michael Clayton. Due to the whole "lots of work, not a lot of time" scenario, I'll attempt to keep them short and sweet, but somehow I know they'll end up being the same length as any other review I've done, thanks in no small part to rambling, incoherent prefaces such as this. On to the review...I read this line in another review of Michael Clayton , but it's good enough that it warrants my blatant stealing and reprinting here (I...
More About: Film , Review , Film Review

Familiar Face-Unknown Name (#1)
2007-10-23 17:45:00
Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. Not long ago, I did a feature on some of my favorite current iterations of these people (the guy who played Steve the Pirate in Dodgeball aka Alan Tudyk, that guy who played the "snozzberries" kid in Supertroopers aka Geoffrey Arend, etc.), but I wanted to create a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans on Hollywood (like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin) or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. I have an unconscious habit of mentally filing these people away in my brain and can recite their names/roles at a somewhat encyclopedic level, sometimes to the annoyance of friends or family. I can't help it - I like these people, and their inclusion in any movie or TV show typically makes it a better experience (who doesn't love Stephen Tobolowsky??). Now, I'm going to do my part to help the rest of the world get to know them as well.Tod...
More About: Face , Unknown

Survivor: China - Episode 5 Recap
2007-10-19 07:35:00
CBS doesn't want us to watch Survivor anymore. That's the message I'm getting loud and clear. First, they did the stupid freeze frame during the immunity challenge a few weeks ago. Then last week, they topped themselves with the whish-whoosh effect as the ballchucks were being thrown during a challenge. But this week they went beyond special effects during challenges and just decided to ruin the integrity of the game (at least, whatever integrity was there). I'm pissed, the contestants are pissed (some of them, anyway) and you should be pissed, too.But more on that later.We start off with a happy Zhan Hu tribe, having ridded themselves of jackass superleader Dave (Occupation: Former Model) at the previous Tribal Council - now all they needed to do was dump lazy, whining Sherrea and the remaining four (Musicial Virgin Erik, Horse Teeth, PG-13 and Frosti aka the Asian Freddy Rodriguez) would be, if not a strong tribe, at least a happy one.The same couldn't be said for the fo...
More About: China , Episode , Recap , Episode 5

TGITDNMAR (10/19/07)
2007-10-18 18:11:00
It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.It's a one step forward/two steps back week in movies, as the releases this week aren't exactly August-level bad, but there's certainly nothing coming out that has a ton of buzz or is being anticipated by anyone in particular. It does mark the second week in a row that a Joaquin Phoenix movie is being released, for whatever that's worth...30 Days of NightAlaska. Zombie-vampire things. Josh Hartnett. Meh.Fletch's Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 1%Things We Lost in the FireBenicio lives! Seriously, the guy really ought to take an extra project a year or month. With his last appearance being in a bit part in 2005's Sin City, Del Toro returns to the cineplex as a guy helping Halle Berry and her kids out after they lose their father/husband (David Duchovny). In all honesty, the trailer makes the film look pretty awful, but I think that has more to do with it being a...

So Angela Lansbury and I were hanging out the other day...
2007-10-16 18:54:00
Wait, that's not true at all. (Please don't spread that rumor.)Just a self-congratulatory post for me and Angela , as we each celebrate our birthdays today. Also amongst the celeb b-days today?* Tim Robbins* Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)* Kellie Martin (Life Goes On; I'd rather it was Corky)* John Mayer (musician)* Wendy Phillips (WilsonPhillips! F*ck yeah!!!)* Manute Bol (7'6" former NBA player)* Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure)* Paul Kariya (one of the 12 NHL players I can still name)* Sue Bird (one of the 6 WNBA players I can name)* a bunch of other people that I don't care about.Thanks to Wikipedia for that list. Thanks to some humor site for the Bruce Lee pic. Thanks to my parents for giving birth to me. Thanks to my wife and the rest of you readers for reading this here website. Regular posting resumes tomorrow.
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Fletch's Film Review: Eastern Promises
2007-10-04 07:43:00
Every once in a while, I'll see a great film that leaves me more or less speechless. This isn't some gasp over how great it is or due to shock or anything, but for whatever reason, it just doesn't leave me overflowing with criticism (in the general sense). This may be a lacking on my part to be able to successfully apply critical thinking to all mediums and articles, or perhaps it's a flaw in the film that it just doesn't give you much material in terms of theme or tone. Or maybe it's just because sometimes I'm content admiring the quiet beauty that comes with watching Patrick Swayze perform martial artsy yoga in Roadhouse.Eastern Promises is one of these films that leaves me lacking a response. To be sure, it's very good, if not great. It demonstrates the power of loyalty, brotherhood, family, motherhood and a myriad of other topics that have been covered by many a mob picture before it. The fresh part this time, as simple as it is, is that it centers on a Russian family th...
More About: Film , Review , Film Review

Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
2007-10-03 18:13:00
Love that title.Anyway, ever since I've seen Across the Universe, I've had Beatles songs running through my head. Nonstop. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though if it goes on for two weeks I might take a Revolver to my head. Ok, that was bad...but you get the point.So, while I'm in Beatle mode, I thought I might as well list my favorite tunes of theirs, both for me and for you (as I've never put much thought to ranking them, and I'd love to hear what ranks up there for others). Their discography can be found here.Now, I can already tell you that Mrs. Fletch is not a fan of British Invasion-era Beatles aka the innocent, drug-free version. I also definitely lean towards the groovy, sitar-influenced Beatles as well, though I have nothing against their earlier poppy roots. After all, not much on film tops Ferris Buehler cranking out their version of "Twist and Shout." Here's a special, musical Fletch's Favored Five:5. "Twist and Shout " - I don't care that it's not their ...
More About: Road , The Road

Fletch's Film Review: Across the Universe
2007-10-02 01:17:00
If your 13 year old is struggling in their US History class, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe may just be the film to help him or her out. It's perfect in terms of being a Cliff's Notes educational tool - it's written at a 5th-grade level, it skims the surface of many a major event both political and cultural (Vietnam, MLK, hippies, the British Invasion, Bono), and it's a lot quicker to watch this two-hour flick than it would be to read On the Road or Ken Kesey or something like that.For those unaware, Universe is Taymor's ode/tribute to The Beatles, a wannabe Moulin Rouge-esque musical filled with nothing but songs from the Fab Four. It's also derivative, shallow and somewhat unbearably literal. For the "Hey Jude" number, wouldn't you know it - someone sings directly to a character named Jude. Ditto Prudence. As for Lucy (the female lead's name), I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" to be played, only to have to wait until the end cr...
More About: Film , Review , Film Review , The Universe

TGITDNMAR (9/28/07)
2007-09-28 22:44:00
It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.I've fallen waaaay behind in my filmgoing lately, as there are a number of movies in theaters now that I want to (or kind of want to) see, and the situation should only get better over the coming weeks. Fortunately, this week won't compound the problem too much, as only one of the four listed below will get added to that list. The Game PlanDwayne Johnson decides to follow in the footsteps of Vin Diesel (The Pacifier) and Hulk Hogan (Mr. Nanny) as large men starring with small children. And really, who can blame him - just look at the wonders it did for their acting careers.But seriously, this seems like a really bad career move, despite the opportunity to get your name out there to a bunch of kids. Johnson parlayed his successful turns as the Scorpion King from The Mummy series into starring (and somewhat acclaimed) roles in The Rundown and Walking Tall, along with a l...

Survivor: China - Episode 2 Recap
2007-09-28 08:44:00
Things we learned from the second episode of Survivor : China :* Dave (occupation: Former Model) is an annoying jackass.What a 180 I've turned since wishing him well while squaring off against Wrassler' Ashley. Before the opening credits rolled, Dave (occupation: Former Model) managed to condescend, patronize and generally made a donkey out of himself. His "leadership" skills consisted of barking out orders, being dismissive of others' ideas, and even standing apart form the group while making his commands. The only thing missing was an elevated podium, as he sure felt bigger and better than his tribe mates.* Jean-Robert (not actually French) is either the best Survivor player ever or one of the worst.Monsieur Jean-Robert managed to make the sloths that often appear in the transitional shots appear to be harder workers than a bartender on Cinco De Mayo. I've never seen someone have to rest from all the time they spent resting before. And his explanation (paraphrased as usual)? "I...
More About: Episode , Recap , Episode 2

New poll
2007-09-26 21:55:00
Well, I gave you my Van Damme list, might as well let you chime in as well. Pick your favorite JCVD flick from the poll to your right. And enjoy the majesty of the picture, too. I'm thinking of getting a framed version to hang above my toilet, just so I can stare at the awesomeness of that mullet on a daily basis.
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Zoltar commands you to read this post
2007-09-26 17:58:00
Recently, I saw the trailer for a small movie called David & Layla. It's a romantic dramedy about a Jewish American man, a Kurdish Muslim woman, and their wacky, zany families. Think of it as My Big Fat Jewish-Muslim Wedding. It doesn't really look all that great, but something about it caught my eye.Or rather, someone. The lead actor looked strikingly familiar. He's a 30ish guy with curly hair named David Moscow. Nope, the name didn't really ring a bell. He played one of the Van Buren Boys in an episode of Seinfeld a decade ago and had a small role in Just Married. But that's not it, either.No, David is a famous child actor, or was once upon a time. He's the Fred Savage that never happened. In case the title of the post didn't give it away, Moscow was young Josh in the 1988 hit Big. Nice comeback, Dave, and good luck. If you'd like to make a wish to go back in time to the moment before you read this, here's your big chance. You can actually purchase your own Zoltar mac...
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Watching movies is hard to do while driving
2007-09-26 07:43:00
Not that I tried. It's just that with traversing 1500 miles across the country over two days, I didn't have much time to take in any feature films. That didn't stop me from catching a couple portions of flicks on cable or from waxing nostalgic on the Muscles from Brussels.Whilst enjoying the lovely confines of an Amarillo (TX) Motel 6 on Saturday night (you wish your Saturday was that thrilling), I caught about half of The Last Boy Scout. Made during the limbo period of Bruce Willis' career (after Die Hard 2 and prior to Pulp Fiction), Boy Scout gets either neglected or just plain dismissed as another bad 80s style action flick, a precursor and perhaps target of the action parody Last Action Hero (it was released in 1991). Sure, it's filled with over-the-top villains and dumb one-liners, but there's a certain charm to Willis, and Wayans proves he capable of acting while bringing some of his comedy chops along the way. What can I say - I'm a sucker for it. And though I f...
More About: Movies , Driving , Watching , To Do

That's it. I've had enough. I'm out of here.
2007-09-21 17:05:00
Ok, not really. I'm just headed out of town for a few days and will be away from the internets for pretty much the duration as I fly to the Midwest, then spend pretty much the rest of the time driving back to Arizona.I'll return with a new post on Monday or Tuesday. Enjoy your weekends.

Survivor: China - Episode 1 Recap
2007-09-21 06:33:00
Well, I'm going to try to add another (short-lived) feature here, one that I will no doubt be unable to keep up with, especially as it seems that the bulk of the "features" here are back-loaded towards the end of the week, and I only have so much time in the days. That said, the recaps probably won't be terribly long, but I'm a big fan of the show, so here goes. I won't give you a guide to the people or major bios or anything, as I figure you either watch the show or you don't - if not, enjoy the random words and pretty pictures and spend your time awaiting the next non-Survivor post.The theme for this season of Survivor? Stupidity, apparently.As we meet up with our castaways, they are being taken on a journey from Shanghai to a remote Buddhist temple. They receive a warrior's welcome, and are then asked to partake in a "welcome ceremony" (Jeff Probst's words) inside a temple. It doesn't take long for two of the "castaways" to alienate their hosts (and most likely, a nu...
More About: China , Episode , Recap , Episode 1