Liz and I finally got around to seeing Watchmen last night. We’d heard mixed reviews before entering the theater: It’s looks amazing, but it’s too long, not emotionally engaging, too true to the comic book in look and feel. And while those critiques proved somewhat true, I enjoyed the film way more than the haters would have me expect. Since everyone has already “reviewed” the movie, I’ll just give you some of my thoughts because I know that’s what you live for:
The Look: The film, as all Zack Snyder’s films do, looks amazing. I didn’t have a problem with it looking too much like the book at all. I thought it was a fantastic balance of comic book and cinema.
The Cast:
Jeffery Dean Morgan is great as the Comedian, Billy Crudup looks ridiculous (in a good way) as Dr. Manhattan (Liz and I discussed how much of his body was real and how much was CGI. I’m going with 50/50, but how much would it suck (or rock, perhaps) to have your junk enhanced for the big screen?), Patrick Wilson is dreamy (as always) as Night Owl, Malin Akerman shows off one hell of a wax job as Silk Specter (I’ve always like MA…going back to her hilariously sweet turn on The Comeback), and Jackie Early Haley is absolute perfection as the Rorschach. Gingers every where should be proud to claim him as one of our own. The only real disappointment is perhaps Mathew Goode as Ozymandias who is rather more forgettable than bad, I suppose.
My Favorite Parts:
The opening credits. Perfectly set the tone and mood and incorporated one of the greatest songs in history, Bob Dylan’s “The Times They are A’Changin’.” Really, the song choices throughout are pretty great…even if, as Garney noted after he saw the flick, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” during the sex scene is a bit much.
Patrick Wilson’s ass.
Night Owl and Rorschach flying into Antarctica while “All Along the Watchtower” plays. This prompted me to turn to Liz and say, “Battlestar!!!” God, we’re nerds.
Rorschach kicking ass and bludgeoning people to death (what? I have a darkside.)
The new ending…which I think actually makes more sense than the ending in the book.
Really, the only thing I didn’t like was the length, but I don’t know what could have been cut…other than some of the overwrought dialogue. Overall, I’d recommend seeing Watchmen, if for no other reason than to be awed by the visuals. However, if your name is Falwless and you hate action/comic book movies, you should probably skip it.
Friday, March 13, 2009
At the Movies: Watchmen
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
This (mostly) Just In...
Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams Get Hitched - She's super vanilla and he's effing insane. Sounds like a perfect match.
Friday Night Lights Renewed for 2 More Season - Maybe...probably. I find this very exciting as Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler are the best couple on TV. Absolutely no contest.
Cat Cora and Partner Expecting - First, I had no idea Iron Chef America's Cat Cora was a lesbian, (but, you know, props for that), but she and her partner are both pregnant...at the same time. All I can say to that is, "Yikes."
Will Arnet and Jason Bateman are Funny - And when they make fun of each other, we all win...
Update!
They've been jack hammering the street outside my office since 8am and I am thisclose to jabbing something sharp into my eye.
That is all.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Super Nerd is the Watchword
Okay, you guys. Prepare yourselves to be super jealous. See, I have this friend who worked at Google for a spell and she went into the Google store and bought me this:
I know, I know. I can't believe how cool I am either.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Live and let die
Nadya "Octomom" Suleman – While I am very pro-Ridiculous British Tabloid Style Nicknames, I’m very anti-running a story into the ground. And the story of the California woman who gave birth to octuplets while she already had 6 kids at home, has been rammed halfway to China by now. What began as a bit of offbeat, “The things they can do with science these days!” news, became a full on politically charged investigative piece when it became clear that this single mom had no job and very little in the way of support. Listen, about a nickel a year - if that - of your tax dollars is going to this woman and her brood. I will gladly give each and every person who is keeping this story alive a nickel from my own personal fortune if it will get this woman out of the headlines.
Alex Rodriquez – As an incurable Red Sox fan I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the press really needs to back off A-Rod. So the guy’s a cheater. This is a surprise how? In addition to the fact that he’s been known to play bush-league ball, it’s pretty apparent that everyone from the home run kings to the batboys of Major League Baseball were on some kind of performance enhancers in the late ‘90s. He ‘fessed up, apologized, let’s move on.
Jennifer Aniston – I’m not a big Jennifer Aniston fan (least funny “Friend” by a mile), and that might be part of why I’m sick of seeing her on magazine covers. But part of me also feels for her on a human level. Her and Brad Pitt got divorced FOUR YEARS AGO! Why are we still talking about it, and every other subsequent relationship/breakup Aniston has, and showing her looking all tragic all the time? Isn’t there a starlet not wearing her underwear somewhere we could bother instead? Jeez.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Signs I'm Getting Old - Vol. 4
If American Idol and ANTM have taught us anything this season, it's headbands worn on the forehead (like the hippies once favored) are back and huge with the kids.
Lord help me.Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Some Thoughts on Reality Bites
Scene: Three bloggers chat about the mid-90's classic, Reality Bites. (as with all chat posts, try to avoid the [sic])
Dave: Watched Reality Bites last night...early 90's are high-larious...
Liz: Oh yeah. The high wasted jeans? Priceless
D: High wasted jeans, self-loathing grungers, AIDS paranoia...and disturbing lack of text messaging and YouTube...
L: It always amazes me how many situations in movies and TV aren't valid anymore, because people have cell phones now. There's like 10 episodes of Seinfeld that revolve around them missing each other at movie theaters and in parking garages
D: You are right though, cell phones completely invalidate a lot of those Seinfeld eps. Who sits at home and waits for the phone to ring anymore?
L: Yeah. And who answers phones not knowing who's calling you?
D: “Hello? Oh thank god it's YOU!"
Like the whole thing at the end where Winona is looking for Ethan Hawke because she does not know where he is...the dude is a struggling musician in a crappy band. Just look them up on Myspace for chrissake!!
The people in that movie were like the first to have such high amount of angst towards retail jobs.
L: Now we'd all kill for retail jobs. (Well, those of us without normal jobs, which will be all of us soon enough)
D: Yeah, people would murder Janeane Garofalo to be manager at the Gap...and Winona Ryder would not be valedictorian, an Asian would have beat her out for sure...
L: Yeah I think Indians and Asians definitely have the Valedictorian market cornered
Red: That movie is a gem. You know what I noticed though, after watching it recently? Everyone in that beezy is a zillion times better than Winona
L: Winona's awesome though. Don't speak ill of Winona.
R: I like Winona, but she really is the weak link in that movie. Sorry, Liz.
L: Fine. Whatever. Haha you're probably right, I haven't seen it in a while
[Editor’s Note: I’m totally right]
D: Dude, she wasn't THAT bad...she did a great job of smoking cigs and having s3x with two guys... Oh yeah, and the freakin’ BIG GULPS were killing me...nobody actually drinks those anymore, do they?
R: I didn't say she was terrible! Just compared to the rest of the cast she's a bit lacking. Geez!!
They still love their Super Big Gulps in Klan-Tee.
[Editor’s Note: Santee (aka Klan-tee) is one of the super redneck parts of San Diego]
L: Totally ... the fat parts of America(JK Santee! Love you babe!)
D: Santee HAS to have the most people named "Cody" in all of SD
L: I imagine its also a place with a lot of TruckNutz
D: It HAS to be...10,000 Points to Santee resident with both TruckNutz and Yosemite Sam mudflaps...
R: God. Trucknutz should be outlawed...as they are in Florida.
D: Good thing government is busy creating important legislature against the root of all of society's ills: TRUCKNUTZ
L: TruckNutz are pretty much the new mullet when it comes to defining white trash, I think
D: They have to be...it was the Calvin pissing on whatever sticker for a while but I think TN takes the cake...
Ethan Hawke was also sporting the "wannabe chollo buttoning only the top button of a dress shirt" look during one scene…Thoughts?
R: Ethan Hawke is perfection in RB. Everything he does is awesome.
L: Hey, That's my Bike = Best Band Ever
D: See...we are on opposite sides of this movie...that guy was way too emo for me in that...
L: I agree. I was being sarcastic about the band. Ethan Hawke actually kind of bugs me in RB. I hate how a guy can be a dick through a whole movie, but everyone forgives him because he had daddy issues or whatever.
R: Ethan is the quintessential bad boy who finally comes around in RB. That character alone sums up why so many women are delusional about love.
I just love all his great lines. Like when he answers the phone and says "You've reached the Winter of our Discontent." Hilarious.
D: I know, what a douche...and meanwhile the normal guys in that movie get totally shafted...
R: I mean, how many times have they told that story: Girl has to choose between boy she really loves, but is an a-hole or the guy who really loves her, but is kinda dorky. The thing about RB, though, is it's like that cliché perfected.
L: True. And Ben Stiller fucks up and gives her a legitimate reason to be mad
R: See, I always have a problem with that. I don't think what BS did was so bad. I mean, you know if you sell your crappy student doc to an MTV like company they're gonna totally change it. And if he genuinely didn't know...I dunno. I always think she's a little harsh on him...and it's really just a plot device to ensure they break up.
D: Yeah, I kind of agree with you on that part...I mean, he's still doing her a favor, trying to get her out of the pathetic unemployed state she's in...
L: Yeah you have a point, I guess it wasn't that bad. They just needed to break them up so she could be with Ethan Hawke.
The "winter of our discontent line" is great. That movie has a lot of quotable phrases
R: Yeah. Janeane G gets a lot of them. I love when she tells Winona, "You are IN the Bell Jar"
E: hahaha, and her speech about how she's the AIDS character on Melrose Place
R: That's my absolute favorite part. That whole scene with the 2 of them at the diner...classic.
Plus, that movie makes Houston look cool...which is, like, impossible.
L: Yeah I always thought it was random that it took place in Texas. Ripping off Richard Linklater I guess
R: The chick that wrote it is from Houston. The DVD commentary is actually pretty good. It's the writer and Ben Stiller and you can just tell having that movie made was, like, the highlight of her life.
D: Oh that's cool. It would probably be the highlight of mine, too.
L: Oh I always thought Stiller wrote and directed it. Sorry, Girl Who Wrote It!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Add This to Your Queue: Changeling
Before the Oscars, I tried to watch as many nominated films as possible. The one I rather enjoyed more than expected was Changeling.
Based on a true story, Angelina Jolie stars as Christine Collins, a single mother in 1920's LA who's son is kidnapped. The LAPD, being the harbingers of all things good and just, replaces her son with another kid. Obviously, like any normal human being, Collins knows they've given her a faux son and she is, understandably, pissed the hell off. Of course, being the LAPD, they call her a crazy, bad mother. Good to see things have changed.
Clint Eastwood directs and does a fantastic job capturing "Old LA" (this, along with Chinatown and LA Confidential, is one of the great "Old LA" films), Angelina still manages to separate her larger than life celebrity and is believably heartbreaking, Burn Notice's Jeffery Donovan is an excellent bad guy, but it's the performances buy the kids that really got me, especially Eddie Alderson as Stanford Clark, a kid who's done some very bad things. I imagine the strong female centric themes in Changeling moved me more than they would someone of the less fair sex, but I'd recommend it to everyone. It's becoming hard to go wrong with Eastwood.
Wherein I Encourage You to Watch More TV
It's mid-season time and some of my favorite shows are coming back. Check it:
Seriously, ya'll. Could Tyra look more like a hot tranny mess? 
Breaking Bad (March 8 on AMC) - I know Garney and I were the only people to watch BB last season, but Bryan Cranston (fka the dad on Malcolm in the Middle) won the Emmy! He really is amazing as a chemistry teacher who starts making meth after he discovers he's got cancer. Watch it Sunday...you won't be sorry.Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (March 2 on NBC) - I realize I am one of the few people who like Jimmy, but what if he proves to be the greatest talk show host of all time, or something? Crazier things have happened, right? No? It's just me?
Also, I've been watching the new Joss Wheadon show, Dollhouse (Fridays on Fox). Is anyone else watching this? It would be super good if Eliza Dushku weren't so terrible. Seriously, who thinks that woman can act? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I mean, you can't go outside, what with your terrible weather and all, so join my couch revolution, won't you?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Making our own fun
So nowadays everyone’s either flat broke or hording money like a rabid squirrel in anticipation of being flat broke very, very soon, and this got me thinking: What’s a cheap and easy activity we could all enjoy?
[Insert obvious “Your mom” joke here]
What I came up with is that it might be fun to start a super nerdy little Movie Club, where every Friday night, some friends would get together, bring food and libations, watch a movie and then sit around chatting about it. Preferably, we’d watch movies that warrant discussion.
I’ve been trying to come up with a kicky (read: Wicked Dorky) name for this endeavor, as well as possible selections for screening. Since it’s easier to leach off the hard work of others than actually come up with ideas yourself, I thought I’d ask you guys for ideas. Whaddya got?
