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(01/26/06 5:00am)
Maybe it is just my music ADD, but with Beck's Guero CD from last year I would usually stop listening or tune out by the sixth or seventh song ("Earthquake Weather" or "Hell Yes," depending on my mood). If approached randomly and asked if I listened to Beck, I'd answer with a resounding yes. I even listed him under music I like in my Facebook profile. So when the opportunity was offered to review Beck's new CD Guerolito, a remix of Guero, I volunteered immediately. \nIt was while listening to Guerolito I realized I was somewhat of a fraud of a Beck fan. I'd never really listened to any of his CD's all the way through until Guero, which, as stated before, was an effort that usually faded by the middle of the CD. As a result, if someone picked out a song from the second half of Guero or Guerolito, I probably wouldn't be able to tell which CD it was from. With the exception of the first six songs (which I felt were by far the best of the original CD), the most noticeable difference between the two CDs is that iTunes classifies Guero as "alternative and punk," and Guerolito as "pop."\nGuerolito begins with a remix of the most popular song from Guero, "E-Pro," under the new title of "Ghost Range" (changed song titles conveniently have the originals listed in parentheses). The remix eliminates the heavy distorted guitar and beat of "E-Pro" and replaces it with a country-western type feel. If I wasn't so familiar with the original I may like the song more, but I don't think the remix fits as well. \nThe other popular single from Guero, "Girl," is another redux where I heavily favor the original. Whereas the original is upbeat and always gives me a good feeling, somehow the remix manages to make the song slightly depressing. The guitar riff is gone and the song takes on more of a techno vibe, dominated by drums and pseudo-classical background sounds, with the last minute of the song turning into a complete wash as the song is mixed like a DJ might do in a club.\nHighlights of Guerolito are "Qué Onda Guero," "Shake Shake Tambourine" (formerly "Black Tambourine") and "Ghettochip Malfunction" ("Hell Yes"); mainly because these are the only upbeat and/or original sounding songs on the CD. I'm not sure how familiar people are with remix artists, but they include Adrock of the Beastie Boys, Air, 8Bit, El-P, and others.\nWith the exception of the songs listed, most of Guerolito is a slowed down, dreary version of perfectly fine Beck originals. Maybe I like Beck more than I thought.
(01/26/06 12:14am)
Maybe it is just my music ADD, but with Beck's Guero CD from last year I would usually stop listening or tune out by the sixth or seventh song ("Earthquake Weather" or "Hell Yes," depending on my mood). If approached randomly and asked if I listened to Beck, I'd answer with a resounding yes. I even listed him under music I like in my Facebook profile. So when the opportunity was offered to review Beck's new CD Guerolito, a remix of Guero, I volunteered immediately. \nIt was while listening to Guerolito I realized I was somewhat of a fraud of a Beck fan. I'd never really listened to any of his CD's all the way through until Guero, which, as stated before, was an effort that usually faded by the middle of the CD. As a result, if someone picked out a song from the second half of Guero or Guerolito, I probably wouldn't be able to tell which CD it was from. With the exception of the first six songs (which I felt were by far the best of the original CD), the most noticeable difference between the two CDs is that iTunes classifies Guero as "alternative and punk," and Guerolito as "pop."\nGuerolito begins with a remix of the most popular song from Guero, "E-Pro," under the new title of "Ghost Range" (changed song titles conveniently have the originals listed in parentheses). The remix eliminates the heavy distorted guitar and beat of "E-Pro" and replaces it with a country-western type feel. If I wasn't so familiar with the original I may like the song more, but I don't think the remix fits as well. \nThe other popular single from Guero, "Girl," is another redux where I heavily favor the original. Whereas the original is upbeat and always gives me a good feeling, somehow the remix manages to make the song slightly depressing. The guitar riff is gone and the song takes on more of a techno vibe, dominated by drums and pseudo-classical background sounds, with the last minute of the song turning into a complete wash as the song is mixed like a DJ might do in a club.\nHighlights of Guerolito are "Qué Onda Guero," "Shake Shake Tambourine" (formerly "Black Tambourine") and "Ghettochip Malfunction" ("Hell Yes"); mainly because these are the only upbeat and/or original sounding songs on the CD. I'm not sure how familiar people are with remix artists, but they include Adrock of the Beastie Boys, Air, 8Bit, El-P, and others.\nWith the exception of the songs listed, most of Guerolito is a slowed down, dreary version of perfectly fine Beck originals. Maybe I like Beck more than I thought.
(12/08/05 5:00am)
It's that time of year again! The time where Seth MacFarlane realizes he needs to buy his family Christmas presents so he puts out a new Family Guy DVD. Released much quicker than previous sets is the new "Family Guy: Volume Three" collection, which features three discs of episodes from as recently as September and spans back to the triumphant return of the show to television in May.\nWhile it's easy to mock the show for its takeover on the DVD industry, who wouldn't want more Family Guy? With demand high enough to bring the show back from the dead, it's easy to see why seasons are being released on DVD faster than ever.\nBut don't expect enough material to last as long as the other sets did. While volumes one and two contained 28 and 21 episodes respectively, volume three contains a meager 13. You might recall commercials this fall for the "season premiere" of Family Guy when the new season had already begun. This was because the season was split into two parts, and thus volume three is only part one of the season (with volume four slated for a spring release). \nBut enough number crunching, it's FAMILY GUY. Does it even matter what features the DVD has? For those of you who think it does, this paragraph is for you. All the special features are on disc three of the set. Included are commentaries on selected episodes by MacFarlane, producers, directors, writers and cast members; "World Domination: The Family Guy Phenomenon" featurette, which basically uses MacFarlane and the people mentioned before to explain how the show was brought back on the air; deleted scene animatics, which show preliminary animations alongside the actual scene; "Score!" -- The Music of Family Guy featurette, which is a behind the scenes look at the music of the show; multi-angle table reads, which show the hand storyboard/animatic comparisons, which are similar to the deleted scene animatics, except with scenes that were actually used.\nThe only real positive aspect of volume three is that even though it has roughly half the episodes of volumes one and two, it's only a little bit cheaper ($32 at Best Buy, $25-$30 online). Nevertheless, with adequate special features to go along with thirteen fresh episodes (the first few I find to be some of the best ever), Family Guy volume three is another excellent addition to the collection.
(12/08/05 2:31am)
It's that time of year again! The time where Seth MacFarlane realizes he needs to buy his family Christmas presents so he puts out a new Family Guy DVD. Released much quicker than previous sets is the new "Family Guy: Volume Three" collection, which features three discs of episodes from as recently as September and spans back to the triumphant return of the show to television in May.\nWhile it's easy to mock the show for its takeover on the DVD industry, who wouldn't want more Family Guy? With demand high enough to bring the show back from the dead, it's easy to see why seasons are being released on DVD faster than ever.\nBut don't expect enough material to last as long as the other sets did. While volumes one and two contained 28 and 21 episodes respectively, volume three contains a meager 13. You might recall commercials this fall for the "season premiere" of Family Guy when the new season had already begun. This was because the season was split into two parts, and thus volume three is only part one of the season (with volume four slated for a spring release). \nBut enough number crunching, it's FAMILY GUY. Does it even matter what features the DVD has? For those of you who think it does, this paragraph is for you. All the special features are on disc three of the set. Included are commentaries on selected episodes by MacFarlane, producers, directors, writers and cast members; "World Domination: The Family Guy Phenomenon" featurette, which basically uses MacFarlane and the people mentioned before to explain how the show was brought back on the air; deleted scene animatics, which show preliminary animations alongside the actual scene; "Score!" -- The Music of Family Guy featurette, which is a behind the scenes look at the music of the show; multi-angle table reads, which show the hand storyboard/animatic comparisons, which are similar to the deleted scene animatics, except with scenes that were actually used.\nThe only real positive aspect of volume three is that even though it has roughly half the episodes of volumes one and two, it's only a little bit cheaper ($32 at Best Buy, $25-$30 online). Nevertheless, with adequate special features to go along with thirteen fresh episodes (the first few I find to be some of the best ever), Family Guy volume three is another excellent addition to the collection.
(11/03/05 5:00am)
1965 was known as "the year of folk rock." Bands and artists like The Byrds, The Mamas and the Papas and Bob Dylan defined the year. But this era wasn't crowned complete until December of 1965, with the release of The Beatles' Rubber Soul. \nA couple months short of 40 years later, we get This Bird Has Flown, a tribute album featuring artists such as The Donnas, Dar Williams, Ben Harper, Sufjan Stevens, Ben Kweller, Ben Lee, the Cowboy Junkies and others. \nThe hardest part of critiquing a tribute album is determining what is important in covering a song. Everyone has their own opinion. Some may think it's recreating the original as closely as possible, while others may think changing the original dramatically is far more interesting. Personally, I prefer something that sounds close to the original, with maybe a little flare to make it unique. But I'm not teaching "Tribute Album 101," and alas, I digress.\nThe Donnas start off the album as it was meant to, with the upbeat riff of "Drive My Car." With the exception of the female voices, they recreate the original almost exactly. Other notable songs include Dar Williams' version of "You Won't See Me," which is sung with the intimacy of the original. Yonder Mountain String Band does a great job on George Harrison's "Think for Yourself," which lacks the fuzz bass of the original but captures the folk feel beautifully. Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals cover "Michelle," adding a predictable reggae feel which surprisingly works pretty well.\nThere are also some major misses. The Fiery Furnaces completely butcher "Norwegian Wood," adding some sort of weird organ noise and not even bothering to mimic Lennon's beautifully sung melody. Ben Lee covers arguably one of the most important songs on the album, "In My Life," which has also been referred to as one of the greatest songs ever written. If Lee had performed it originally, it never would have received such praise. Lee removes the familiar guitar interludes between verses, and sings the song painfully slow and quiet, turning it from a self-reflective musical masterpiece to a depressing solo with virtually no musical accompaniment. \nIf you're a serious Beatles fan, parts of this album could impress you and parts could enrage you. A casual fan may enjoy it much more and even prefer some covers over their original counterparts. For me, it was fun to listen to, but I'll stick with the original.
(11/03/05 1:46am)
1965 was known as "the year of folk rock." Bands and artists like The Byrds, The Mamas and the Papas and Bob Dylan defined the year. But this era wasn't crowned complete until December of 1965, with the release of The Beatles' Rubber Soul. \nA couple months short of 40 years later, we get This Bird Has Flown, a tribute album featuring artists such as The Donnas, Dar Williams, Ben Harper, Sufjan Stevens, Ben Kweller, Ben Lee, the Cowboy Junkies and others. \nThe hardest part of critiquing a tribute album is determining what is important in covering a song. Everyone has their own opinion. Some may think it's recreating the original as closely as possible, while others may think changing the original dramatically is far more interesting. Personally, I prefer something that sounds close to the original, with maybe a little flare to make it unique. But I'm not teaching "Tribute Album 101," and alas, I digress.\nThe Donnas start off the album as it was meant to, with the upbeat riff of "Drive My Car." With the exception of the female voices, they recreate the original almost exactly. Other notable songs include Dar Williams' version of "You Won't See Me," which is sung with the intimacy of the original. Yonder Mountain String Band does a great job on George Harrison's "Think for Yourself," which lacks the fuzz bass of the original but captures the folk feel beautifully. Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals cover "Michelle," adding a predictable reggae feel which surprisingly works pretty well.\nThere are also some major misses. The Fiery Furnaces completely butcher "Norwegian Wood," adding some sort of weird organ noise and not even bothering to mimic Lennon's beautifully sung melody. Ben Lee covers arguably one of the most important songs on the album, "In My Life," which has also been referred to as one of the greatest songs ever written. If Lee had performed it originally, it never would have received such praise. Lee removes the familiar guitar interludes between verses, and sings the song painfully slow and quiet, turning it from a self-reflective musical masterpiece to a depressing solo with virtually no musical accompaniment. \nIf you're a serious Beatles fan, parts of this album could impress you and parts could enrage you. A casual fan may enjoy it much more and even prefer some covers over their original counterparts. For me, it was fun to listen to, but I'll stick with the original.
(10/20/05 4:00am)
Unless you've been living in a cave for the past 10 years, or you're Amish, you've seen "South Park," Trey Parker and Matt Stone's cartoon about four kids from a small mountain town in Colorado. What was once a late '90s craze that blew up, continued for a few seasons and turned into a movie -- the-end all-be-all of television series' -- is still going strong, with a new season ready to air on Comedy Central. In terms of the DVD market, this most recent release is season six.\nUnless you follow the show religiously, you have no idea when season six was or what episodes were part of it. For starters, season six was the first without Kenny. Parker and Stone were sick of having to think of a way to kill him every episode, so he was temporarily-permanently removed. While this may upset some, it opened the doors for a slew of new characters, most prominently Butters and Tweek. \nSome noteworthy season six episodes include the one with alleged psychic John Edwards, Jared from Subway, the timeshare trip to Aspen, the "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and the ladder to heaven. In total there are 17 episodes (399 minutes of DVD fun) and special features include commentary from Parker and Stone.\nWhat impresses me most about "South Park" is that, after all this time, it seems to keep getting better. Season six epitomizes this change. Parker and Stone prove that they can get rid of their most prominent catch phrase ("Oh my god! They killed Kenny!") and actually make the show better. In order for a cartoon to last this long, things need to change. For "The Simpsons" it was for the worse (I can't stand any episode from the past four years), and the verdict is still out on "Family Guy," which has become significantly weirder and more obscure in its humor. In the post-movie lull, where a show can surge on or fade away, "South Park" went to another level. And season six was a key step in this change.\nIn terms of price, different stores take a lot of liberty with DVDs. It runs for $35 on Amazon, and $40 on the Comedy Central Web site. I'm sure Best Buy or Target or any mega-store sells it in the $30 to $40 range. There aren't many special features, but entire seasons usually aren't released for that purpose. The episodes are all you need.
(10/20/05 3:20am)
Unless you've been living in a cave for the past 10 years, or you're Amish, you've seen "South Park," Trey Parker and Matt Stone's cartoon about four kids from a small mountain town in Colorado. What was once a late '90s craze that blew up, continued for a few seasons and turned into a movie -- the-end all-be-all of television series' -- is still going strong, with a new season ready to air on Comedy Central. In terms of the DVD market, this most recent release is season six.\nUnless you follow the show religiously, you have no idea when season six was or what episodes were part of it. For starters, season six was the first without Kenny. Parker and Stone were sick of having to think of a way to kill him every episode, so he was temporarily-permanently removed. While this may upset some, it opened the doors for a slew of new characters, most prominently Butters and Tweek. \nSome noteworthy season six episodes include the one with alleged psychic John Edwards, Jared from Subway, the timeshare trip to Aspen, the "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and the ladder to heaven. In total there are 17 episodes (399 minutes of DVD fun) and special features include commentary from Parker and Stone.\nWhat impresses me most about "South Park" is that, after all this time, it seems to keep getting better. Season six epitomizes this change. Parker and Stone prove that they can get rid of their most prominent catch phrase ("Oh my god! They killed Kenny!") and actually make the show better. In order for a cartoon to last this long, things need to change. For "The Simpsons" it was for the worse (I can't stand any episode from the past four years), and the verdict is still out on "Family Guy," which has become significantly weirder and more obscure in its humor. In the post-movie lull, where a show can surge on or fade away, "South Park" went to another level. And season six was a key step in this change.\nIn terms of price, different stores take a lot of liberty with DVDs. It runs for $35 on Amazon, and $40 on the Comedy Central Web site. I'm sure Best Buy or Target or any mega-store sells it in the $30 to $40 range. There aren't many special features, but entire seasons usually aren't released for that purpose. The episodes are all you need.
(10/06/05 4:00am)
If you're like me and watch 12-16 hours of television a day, you've probably seen many an advertisement for the new "Family Guy" DVD "Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story." If you're really like me and have a DVR that records "Family Guy" on every channel (because it's on at every time of day), then you're probably drooling over this DVD (and probably have already bought it). \nNevertheless, Seth MacFarlane and the rest of the "Family Guy" crew have all but mastered the DVD market -- originally with their record-setting sales of the first two volumes, which got the show back on the air, then with the "Freakin' Sweet" collection, then this particular DVD (with advertisements for volume three among the special features). They also understand fans are probably going to buy their DVDs no matter what, thus explaining why the commercials for this one didn't really make sense or explain anything about the DVD, except that it was outrageous, uncensored and never-before-seen footage. \nPreparing myself to watch, I really had no idea what to expect. For some reason I imagined some sort of "Pulp Fiction"-esque series of "outrageous, uncensored, never before seen" shorts loosely connected one way or another. It's "Family Guy," and that's all that matters anyway. \nTurns out this DVD is actually a movie. It follows the "cast of 'Family Guy'" on the red carpet to their movie premiere, then the movie itself, then the wrap party with the cast. The movie is fashioned quite similarly to the "Road to Rhode Island" episode with Stewie and Brian. \nIn this movie, Stewie sees a man on TV who looks just like him and is convinced that it's his real father, since Peter is too stupid to be related to him. Brian and Stewie join Quagmire in his newly-purchased Winnebago (or "Wannabang-o," as Quagmire calls it) on a cross-country trip to San Francisco in search of Stewie's alleged father. Side plots include Peter and Lois teaching Meg and Chris how to talk to the opposite sex so they can start dating people and be out of the house more often.\nWithout giving too much away, that's the gist of the plot. Hopefully you can take this information and use it to adequately prepare yourself to watch the movie, since advertisements were unclear. Watching the way I did and not mentally preparing myself for a full-length (88 minutes) feature is a bit mentally draining. \nBut it's "Family Guy," and that's all that really matters anyway. While some portions are hit or miss, the movie delivers all the borderline inappropriate humor and pop-culture references fans know and love. I wouldn't say it's significantly more outrageous or "uncensored" compared to the show, but there are a few bits that may cross the line on network television.\nSpecial features include a bonus "uncensored" audio track, full-length commentary by Seth MacFarlane, cast members and writers and animatic comparison (which is basically watching the original slides before animation). The movie is funny and entertaining, but 88 minutes can be a bit overwhelming with all the comedy "Family Guy" throws at you. I suggest buying the DVD, but don't expect a gold mine of material.
(10/06/05 2:25am)
If you're like me and watch 12-16 hours of television a day, you've probably seen many an advertisement for the new "Family Guy" DVD "Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story." If you're really like me and have a DVR that records "Family Guy" on every channel (because it's on at every time of day), then you're probably drooling over this DVD (and probably have already bought it). \nNevertheless, Seth MacFarlane and the rest of the "Family Guy" crew have all but mastered the DVD market -- originally with their record-setting sales of the first two volumes, which got the show back on the air, then with the "Freakin' Sweet" collection, then this particular DVD (with advertisements for volume three among the special features). They also understand fans are probably going to buy their DVDs no matter what, thus explaining why the commercials for this one didn't really make sense or explain anything about the DVD, except that it was outrageous, uncensored and never-before-seen footage. \nPreparing myself to watch, I really had no idea what to expect. For some reason I imagined some sort of "Pulp Fiction"-esque series of "outrageous, uncensored, never before seen" shorts loosely connected one way or another. It's "Family Guy," and that's all that matters anyway. \nTurns out this DVD is actually a movie. It follows the "cast of 'Family Guy'" on the red carpet to their movie premiere, then the movie itself, then the wrap party with the cast. The movie is fashioned quite similarly to the "Road to Rhode Island" episode with Stewie and Brian. \nIn this movie, Stewie sees a man on TV who looks just like him and is convinced that it's his real father, since Peter is too stupid to be related to him. Brian and Stewie join Quagmire in his newly-purchased Winnebago (or "Wannabang-o," as Quagmire calls it) on a cross-country trip to San Francisco in search of Stewie's alleged father. Side plots include Peter and Lois teaching Meg and Chris how to talk to the opposite sex so they can start dating people and be out of the house more often.\nWithout giving too much away, that's the gist of the plot. Hopefully you can take this information and use it to adequately prepare yourself to watch the movie, since advertisements were unclear. Watching the way I did and not mentally preparing myself for a full-length (88 minutes) feature is a bit mentally draining. \nBut it's "Family Guy," and that's all that really matters anyway. While some portions are hit or miss, the movie delivers all the borderline inappropriate humor and pop-culture references fans know and love. I wouldn't say it's significantly more outrageous or "uncensored" compared to the show, but there are a few bits that may cross the line on network television.\nSpecial features include a bonus "uncensored" audio track, full-length commentary by Seth MacFarlane, cast members and writers and animatic comparison (which is basically watching the original slides before animation). The movie is funny and entertaining, but 88 minutes can be a bit overwhelming with all the comedy "Family Guy" throws at you. I suggest buying the DVD, but don't expect a gold mine of material.
(09/15/05 4:00am)
Hopefully when the Oscar nominations come around at the end of the year, we'll be seeing a lot of the movie "Crash." Then it will finally get the recognition it deserved.\nThe Paul Haggis überdrama was relatively quiet in terms of box office revenue. Released at the beginning of the summer, most people were eagerly awaiting blockbusters like "Batman Begins" and "War of the Worlds." The only area where the film did make some noise was among the critics, who gave it rave reviews and deemed it one of the best films of the year.\nDon't think that you didn't hear about it because it's some hipster indie flick either. "Crash" has an ensemble cast that features Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Esposito, Terrence Howard, Brendan Fraser, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges (yes, that Ludacris) Ryan Phillippe and even a cameo by Tony Danza. It sounds cliché, but all of them give stellar performances, even Ludacris and Tony Danza.\nThe film -- which was also written by Haggis -- takes place over two days in Los Angeles, and revolves around several characters whose lives become interconnected. These confrontations between them usually involve race, but not your Sunday morning "Cosby Show" race issues. The characters believe in racial stereotypes that are evident today (only they're a little more forthcoming about it), and their actions reflect their feelings. Haggis doesn't get preachy with morals either. He lets the characters' actions speak for themselves, and it's up to you to decide how you feel about them. \nWhile I won't rule out a possible special edition DVD release in the future, this DVD has ample features to go along with an excellent movie (remember the old days where we would buy videos just to have the movie? When did we get so greedy? This movie is worth having in and of itself.) Special features include English and Spanish subtitles, Dolby surround options, a DVD introduction by Paul Haggis, behind-the-scenes footage, commentary with Paul Haggis, Don Cheadle and Bobby Moresco (co-screenwriter) and original trailers. \nIn the end, if this were a movie review I'd give Crash an A. But you're reading this because you want to know if the DVD is worth buying. The answer is a resounding yes. "Crash" is a must see, a should own and a few more special features away from being an A DVD. Nevertheless, I suggest you buy it.
(09/15/05 2:02am)
Hopefully when the Oscar nominations come around at the end of the year, we'll be seeing a lot of the movie "Crash." Then it will finally get the recognition it deserved.\nThe Paul Haggis überdrama was relatively quiet in terms of box office revenue. Released at the beginning of the summer, most people were eagerly awaiting blockbusters like "Batman Begins" and "War of the Worlds." The only area where the film did make some noise was among the critics, who gave it rave reviews and deemed it one of the best films of the year.\nDon't think that you didn't hear about it because it's some hipster indie flick either. "Crash" has an ensemble cast that features Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Esposito, Terrence Howard, Brendan Fraser, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges (yes, that Ludacris) Ryan Phillippe and even a cameo by Tony Danza. It sounds cliché, but all of them give stellar performances, even Ludacris and Tony Danza.\nThe film -- which was also written by Haggis -- takes place over two days in Los Angeles, and revolves around several characters whose lives become interconnected. These confrontations between them usually involve race, but not your Sunday morning "Cosby Show" race issues. The characters believe in racial stereotypes that are evident today (only they're a little more forthcoming about it), and their actions reflect their feelings. Haggis doesn't get preachy with morals either. He lets the characters' actions speak for themselves, and it's up to you to decide how you feel about them. \nWhile I won't rule out a possible special edition DVD release in the future, this DVD has ample features to go along with an excellent movie (remember the old days where we would buy videos just to have the movie? When did we get so greedy? This movie is worth having in and of itself.) Special features include English and Spanish subtitles, Dolby surround options, a DVD introduction by Paul Haggis, behind-the-scenes footage, commentary with Paul Haggis, Don Cheadle and Bobby Moresco (co-screenwriter) and original trailers. \nIn the end, if this were a movie review I'd give Crash an A. But you're reading this because you want to know if the DVD is worth buying. The answer is a resounding yes. "Crash" is a must see, a should own and a few more special features away from being an A DVD. Nevertheless, I suggest you buy it.
(08/25/05 4:06am)
In recent weeks, I have \nwitnessed much promotion for the movie "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," and what stands out most prominently are the most well-known stars in the cast: Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. Seeing these two together this soon after "Anchorman" easily gives the impression that "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" will be in a similar style, maybe even featuring a cameo like "Wedding Crashers" did.\nDon't assume you're walking into another "Anchorman," \n"Wedding Crashers," "Old School" or any other movie featuring either Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell or any combination of the four. In fact, it is more unique than any of these. The primary reason for this is Judd Apatow.\nDirected and written by Apatow (with writing credit also given to Carell), the film features a solid screenplay and plot. Carell plays Andy Stitzer, an awkward electronics store employee who has never had sex. Once his friends -- played by Rudd, Romany Malco (of "Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story" fame) and Seth Rogen ("Undeclared," "Donnie Darko") -- find out about his secret, it becomes their mission to get Andy laid.\nThe plot primarily focuses on Carell's awkward encounters with women that his friends set him up with, and Trish -- a single mother that he falls for (played by Catherine Keener, "Being John Malkovich"). The comedy culminates in the chest-waxing scene, which everyone has seen on the commercials, but nevertheless is still probably one of the funniest scenes in the movie (it was Steve Carell's actual chest hair actually being waxed for the first time).\nApatow, who was the creator and primary writer of the short-lived cult series "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared," clearly has a knack for screenwriting, whether it be on the big or small screen. The most impressive aspect of the film was that, in addition to being hilarious, it's extremely well-written. Carell's character is well-developed and realistically relatable, while also combined with the right amount of exaggeration to add humor. Apatow creates an awkward, asexual being -- who in reality is a nice person who's just a bit weird -- living in an exaggerated society focused only on sex.\n"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is witty, smart, interesting and in the end a bit long at 116 minutes (the only sign of Apatow's difficulty shifting from TV to movies). The plot is well developed and interesting, and the character development and great acting makes the film deeper than the title suggests. In the end -- for everyone in or watching the movie -- it's all worth it.
(08/25/05 4:00am)
In recent weeks, I have \nwitnessed much promotion for the movie "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," and what stands out most prominently are the most well-known stars in the cast: Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. Seeing these two together this soon after "Anchorman" easily gives the impression that "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" will be in a similar style, maybe even featuring a cameo like "Wedding Crashers" did.\nDon't assume you're walking into another "Anchorman," \n"Wedding Crashers," "Old School" or any other movie featuring either Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell or any combination of the four. In fact, it is more unique than any of these. The primary reason for this is Judd Apatow.\nDirected and written by Apatow (with writing credit also given to Carell), the film features a solid screenplay and plot. Carell plays Andy Stitzer, an awkward electronics store employee who has never had sex. Once his friends -- played by Rudd, Romany Malco (of "Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story" fame) and Seth Rogen ("Undeclared," "Donnie Darko") -- find out about his secret, it becomes their mission to get Andy laid.\nThe plot primarily focuses on Carell's awkward encounters with women that his friends set him up with, and Trish -- a single mother that he falls for (played by Catherine Keener, "Being John Malkovich"). The comedy culminates in the chest-waxing scene, which everyone has seen on the commercials, but nevertheless is still probably one of the funniest scenes in the movie (it was Steve Carell's actual chest hair actually being waxed for the first time).\nApatow, who was the creator and primary writer of the short-lived cult series "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared," clearly has a knack for screenwriting, whether it be on the big or small screen. The most impressive aspect of the film was that, in addition to being hilarious, it's extremely well-written. Carell's character is well-developed and realistically relatable, while also combined with the right amount of exaggeration to add humor. Apatow creates an awkward, asexual being -- who in reality is a nice person who's just a bit weird -- living in an exaggerated society focused only on sex.\n"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is witty, smart, interesting and in the end a bit long at 116 minutes (the only sign of Apatow's difficulty shifting from TV to movies). The plot is well developed and interesting, and the character development and great acting makes the film deeper than the title suggests. In the end -- for everyone in or watching the movie -- it's all worth it.
(04/21/05 4:00am)
"Ocean's Twelve," Steven Soderbergh's recent follow-up to the 2001 remake, "Ocean's Eleven," was a box-office hit and now it's looking to gain some more cash on DVD. The hype and familiarity of a sequel always guarantees a good audience, and "Ocean's Twelve" didn't disappoint; mainly because Soderbergh didn't try to stray from the formula that proved successful in the first film. \nFirst of all, the entire cast is back. Arguably the least emphasized, but most important aspect of a quality sequel is getting all of the cast members back. It seems like a simple task, but lose one main character, such as Wesley Snipes not coming back for "Major League 2," and the entire movie is tainted. "Ocean's Twelve" brings back all the main stars and lesser supporting characters played by Casey Affleck (brother of Ben), Scott Caan (son of James), Carl Reiner and Elliot Gould. Catherine Zeta-Jones was the key star addition rounding out the 12.\nAt the end of the first movie, we are left seeing Danny Ocean (Clooney) leave prison with Tess (Julia Roberts), as well as $160 million of Terry Benedict's (Andy Garcia) money. However, he is being followed by two of Benedict's goons, letting the audience know Benedict wasn't completely fooled. This movie picks up, more or less, where "Eleven" left off. All the characters are reintroduced, now living lavish lifestyles with their new fortunes. Each is then visited by Benedict and/or his goons, who demands his money back, with interest. Ocean's crew must pull off a new heist in order to repay Benedict, but run into problems with master thief François Toulour, aka the "Night Fox," brilliantly played by Vincent Cassel.\nThe film uses similar styles to the first with quick, witty dialogue and complicated plans that can be hard to follow but ultimately are understandable. Much of the film takes place in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome, where on-location shooting provided beautiful settings. The playful competition between the clever schemes of Ocean's crew and more traditional styles of Toulour (exemplified in the completely ridiculous, but still amazing laser dance scene), provide plenty of entertainment throughout the film. \nAs for the DVD itself, there is little to say. Besides being in widescreen, the only extra features on the disc include sound type selection, languages, subtitles and the theatrical trailer. If you missed this film in theaters and are desperate to see it now, I would definitely suggest renting it. Otherwise, assuming a special edition DVD with more features will be released in a few months, it would be worth the wait to purchase that version instead of the one that is in stores now. The movie is fantastic, but the DVD adds basically nothing.
(04/20/05 5:07am)
"Ocean's Twelve," Steven Soderbergh's recent follow-up to the 2001 remake, "Ocean's Eleven," was a box-office hit and now it's looking to gain some more cash on DVD. The hype and familiarity of a sequel always guarantees a good audience, and "Ocean's Twelve" didn't disappoint; mainly because Soderbergh didn't try to stray from the formula that proved successful in the first film. \nFirst of all, the entire cast is back. Arguably the least emphasized, but most important aspect of a quality sequel is getting all of the cast members back. It seems like a simple task, but lose one main character, such as Wesley Snipes not coming back for "Major League 2," and the entire movie is tainted. "Ocean's Twelve" brings back all the main stars and lesser supporting characters played by Casey Affleck (brother of Ben), Scott Caan (son of James), Carl Reiner and Elliot Gould. Catherine Zeta-Jones was the key star addition rounding out the 12.\nAt the end of the first movie, we are left seeing Danny Ocean (Clooney) leave prison with Tess (Julia Roberts), as well as $160 million of Terry Benedict's (Andy Garcia) money. However, he is being followed by two of Benedict's goons, letting the audience know Benedict wasn't completely fooled. This movie picks up, more or less, where "Eleven" left off. All the characters are reintroduced, now living lavish lifestyles with their new fortunes. Each is then visited by Benedict and/or his goons, who demands his money back, with interest. Ocean's crew must pull off a new heist in order to repay Benedict, but run into problems with master thief François Toulour, aka the "Night Fox," brilliantly played by Vincent Cassel.\nThe film uses similar styles to the first with quick, witty dialogue and complicated plans that can be hard to follow but ultimately are understandable. Much of the film takes place in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome, where on-location shooting provided beautiful settings. The playful competition between the clever schemes of Ocean's crew and more traditional styles of Toulour (exemplified in the completely ridiculous, but still amazing laser dance scene), provide plenty of entertainment throughout the film. \nAs for the DVD itself, there is little to say. Besides being in widescreen, the only extra features on the disc include sound type selection, languages, subtitles and the theatrical trailer. If you missed this film in theaters and are desperate to see it now, I would definitely suggest renting it. Otherwise, assuming a special edition DVD with more features will be released in a few months, it would be worth the wait to purchase that version instead of the one that is in stores now. The movie is fantastic, but the DVD adds basically nothing.
(02/24/05 5:00am)
Can you believe its been nearly five years since "No Sex in the Champagne Room" was released, launching Chris Rock from comedian to all-around superstar, starring in movies like "Dogma," "Down to Earth" and "Head of State?"\nNow, to be honest, the song didn't solely give Rock the extra popularity needed to make that jump. He's well recognized as one of today's finest comedians, and arguably the best of all-time.\nRock returned to his roots with Never Scared, his most recent HBO special that aired in 2004, which is now being released on CD and DVD. Rock certainly hasn't lost any style points, still blasting out comedy with his distinctive voice and delivery, which pretty much makes everything he says somewhat funny, whether he's trying to be or not.\nRock is now 39 years old (believe it), and in his life he's seen a lot and written plenty of material. While originally many of his bits were edgy and about racial issues, Never Scared tries to cover just about everything, from pop culture to politics. Rock jabs at Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, the government, the war, al-Qaida, abortion, relationships and marriage, resulting in a set that everyone will enjoy at least a part of.\nRock has definitely matured in his time as a comedian, and this is arguably some of his smartest humor. Rock has always been known for being able to pick out the most ridiculous elements of social issues -- good or bad -- and putting a hilarious spin on them. He continues to do so with this performance, including some points where he's almost rallying the crowd to agree with him.\nWhile the performance as a whole is solid, fans (especially the hardcore ones) don't listen to Chris Rock for his worldviews or political opinions, which part of the CD covers. Rock also shows shades of his old bits, especially when he talks about R. Kelly and strippers. For the outside listeners, they might be interested in Rock's unique points on national and world issues, or they might just prefer to watch "The Daily Show." \nWhether you're a longtime fan or someone who's seen some of his movies but never listened to the stand-up, Chris Rock will never cause major disappointment. Die-hards who long for his old material might feel a little shortchanged, while first-time listeners will be thoroughly impressed (although they should listen to his older material as well). Either way, Chris Rock has been doing this long enough and at such a high level to definitively place himself atop the stand-up comedy pyramid. In the end that's always going to leave listeners wanting more.
(02/23/05 5:15am)
Can you believe its been nearly five years since "No Sex in the Champagne Room" was released, launching Chris Rock from comedian to all-around superstar, starring in movies like "Dogma," "Down to Earth" and "Head of State?"\nNow, to be honest, the song didn't solely give Rock the extra popularity needed to make that jump. He's well recognized as one of today's finest comedians, and arguably the best of all-time.\nRock returned to his roots with Never Scared, his most recent HBO special that aired in 2004, which is now being released on CD and DVD. Rock certainly hasn't lost any style points, still blasting out comedy with his distinctive voice and delivery, which pretty much makes everything he says somewhat funny, whether he's trying to be or not.\nRock is now 39 years old (believe it), and in his life he's seen a lot and written plenty of material. While originally many of his bits were edgy and about racial issues, Never Scared tries to cover just about everything, from pop culture to politics. Rock jabs at Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, the government, the war, al-Qaida, abortion, relationships and marriage, resulting in a set that everyone will enjoy at least a part of.\nRock has definitely matured in his time as a comedian, and this is arguably some of his smartest humor. Rock has always been known for being able to pick out the most ridiculous elements of social issues -- good or bad -- and putting a hilarious spin on them. He continues to do so with this performance, including some points where he's almost rallying the crowd to agree with him.\nWhile the performance as a whole is solid, fans (especially the hardcore ones) don't listen to Chris Rock for his worldviews or political opinions, which part of the CD covers. Rock also shows shades of his old bits, especially when he talks about R. Kelly and strippers. For the outside listeners, they might be interested in Rock's unique points on national and world issues, or they might just prefer to watch "The Daily Show." \nWhether you're a longtime fan or someone who's seen some of his movies but never listened to the stand-up, Chris Rock will never cause major disappointment. Die-hards who long for his old material might feel a little shortchanged, while first-time listeners will be thoroughly impressed (although they should listen to his older material as well). Either way, Chris Rock has been doing this long enough and at such a high level to definitively place himself atop the stand-up comedy pyramid. In the end that's always going to leave listeners wanting more.