Jun 30 2009
Melissa was quizzing me today about some good road trip music. I was sharing what I currently had on the Ipod and she was scribbling band names down. I decided to put together some songs for a playlist so she can hear what I think are the best of what I talked about today!
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=25A9D49A5C86A636
Jun 29 2009
I created a playlist on YouTube for Stacy. It is a sample of songs we hear when we go dancing at Fez Ballroom on Shut Up and Dance nights. Stacy has stated she wished she knew the songs better so this is what I could remember hearing there before. I know she knows some of them, but I just added what I could remember.
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A9D04643930DDACC
Jun 26 2009
I would think this summer would have more big movies that I wanted to see, but it seems to be another week of sad wide releases. The one film that actually looks interesting is the limited release, The Hurt Locker. It looks like a really good, intense war film.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
My Sisters Keeper
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Directed: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn
Trailer
Synopsis: Sam tries to go to college, but the Autobots call on his help against the Decepticons again, which somehow involves destroying the pyramids in Egypt.
My Take: I had a hard enough time telling which transformer was which in the first one. I don’t imagine it’ll be any easier to tell them apart in the sequel.
RT Score: 21%
RT Consensus: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a noisy, underplotted, and overlong special effects extravaganza that lacks a human touch.
Continue reading “Movies Opening June 26″
Jun 22 2009
In the past month, there has been the premiere of three very different medical shows: Royal Pains, Nurse Jackie and HawthoRNe.
Channel: USA
Time: Thursday, 10/9c
A talented doctor at the best hospital in New York decides that a board member is stable enough for a surgeon to handle so he goes to help out an unstable, non-board member patient. That patient survives and board member has a freak turn around during surgery and dies. The talented doctor gets blackballed from practicing medicine. After his fiance has enough of his wallowing in self pity for a month, she leaves him. His brother drags him to the Hamptons for the weekend where one thing leads to another and he becomes the concierge doctor to the very rich and pampered. There is nothing shocking or unpredictable about the pilot except for Campbell Scott’s very bad German accent, but Mark Feuerstein who plays Dr. Hank is very charming. His brother Evan, played by Paulo Costanzo, is adorably dorky. They get a place to live for the summer so they set up shop. It is a perfect match up with Burn Notice and perfect show for summer. I recommend it.
Continue reading “TV Reviews: Medical Edition”
Jun 21 2009
On Saturday, BBC America will air a Doctor Who special. It’ll be one of the last episodes starring current doctor David Tennant. In 2010, there will be a new actor taking over the role, but there will be a few more specials airing throughout the rest of this year.
Season Finales: I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
The Philanthropist
Channel: NBC
Time: 10/9c
Starring: James Purefoy, Neve Campbell, Jesse L. Martin, Lindy Booth, Michael K. Williams
Premieres: Wednesday, June 24
Trailer
Synopsis: A billionaire playboy decides to spend all his money on philanthropist ideals, which takes him all around the world.
Jun 20 2009
I’m am very late with June’s pick for the Movie Watching Group (MWG). After reading an Entertainment Weekly issue that went through all of Paul Newman’s movies, that Cool Hand Luke sounded like the most interesting one I had not seen. I also liked when I heard that Dr. Cox in Scrubs would rub his finger on his nose at least once an episode like the main character in the movie. It is a classic I have never seen!
Netflix Synopsis: What we have here is a failure to communicate! Lucas Jackson (Paul Newman) is a man who likes to do things his own way. That leads to a world of hurt when he winds up in a hellish Southern prison camp — and on the wrong side of a sadistic warden (Strother Martin). George Kennedy won an Oscar as a fellow prisoner who tries to break Luke and then comes to revere him. The stellar cast includes Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton and Joe Don Baker.
RT Score: 100%
RT Consensus: Though hampered by Stuart Rosenberg’s direction, Cool Hand Luke is held aloft by a stellar script and one of Paul Newman’s most indelible performances.
Watch it and come back here to review it!
Jun 19 2009
The wide releases this week look pretty sad again. Year One is wasted potential and The Proposal is another formulaic romantic comedy. The only movie coming out this week that looks semi-interesting is the camp horror movie Dead Snow about nazi zombies. You can’t beat that!
Year One
Proposal
Year One
Directed: Harold Ramis
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Hank Azaria
Trailer
Synopsis: A hunter and a gatherer are kicked out of their tribe so they go out on an adventure.
My Take: It looks more amusing than funny, which makes me sad since I would expect more from the cast and director.
RT Score: 19%
RT Consensus: Year One is a poorly executed, slapdash comedy in which the talent both in front of and behind the camera never seem to be on the same page.
Continue reading “Movies Opening June 19″
Jun 18 2009
While watching Transporter 3, I thought it was the same plot as the first one or was it the second one? Maybe both. I just realized that I’ve never seen the second one. I thought I did. I might as well have since it seems to be the same movie over and over again. The first one was fun. The only way this one is different is Jason Statham takes his shirt off while fighting in new and interesting ways. Beyond that, it makes no sense!
Continue reading “Transporter 3″
Jun 14 2009
This week has some shows that are canceled returning from hiatus to burn off the rest of the series. Chopping Block returns on Friday and Eli Stone returns on Saturday.
Season Finales: Greek, Cupid, Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Unusuals, Don’t Forget the Lyrics!
Merlin
Channel: NBC
Time: 8/7c
Starring: Colin Morgan, Katie McGrath, Bradley James, Richard Wilson, Anthony Head, Angel Coulby
Premieres: Sunday, June 21
Trailer
Synopsis: Instead of remaking a successful UK series, NBC just imported it. It tells the story of Merlin, Arthur and Lancelot when they were teens.
Jun 11 2009
The wide releases are not too impressive so I would recommend paying attention to the limited releases, especially Food, Inc., which appears to scare you into supporting your local farmers and Moon, which appears to scare you from living on the moon in isolation. It’s scary movie time!
Taking of Pelham 123
Imagine That
The Taking of Pelham 123
Directed: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli
Trailer
Synopsis: A guy takes a subway train hostage in this remake since everything is a remake these days.
My Take: John Travolta isn’t scary at all or maybe I’m imagining him in Battlefield Earth.
RT Score: 42%
RT Consensus: Despite a strong cast, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 suffers under the excesses of Tony Scott’s frantic direction, and fails to measure up to the 1974 original.
Continue reading “Movies Opening June 12″
