Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
I recently stumbled across this Dr. Horrible website, after getting a Jinx.com newsletter and hearing about them being #1 on iTunes last week as well as crashing their own website due to the influx of traffic. My curiosity got the better of me, so I watched the first episode (which is currently available on their website) and I really enjoyed it!
It’s actually a musical (which I usually hate BTW), about a heart-sick supervillian who finds that his arch-Nemesis Captain Hammer is dating the girl of his dreams. Despite the musical style, it’s really funny and and very entertaining.
It stars Neil Patrick Harris (remember Doogie Howser?) as Dr. Horrible, as well as Nathan Fillion (from Firefly and Serenity) as Captain Hammer. It’s off-beat humor and quirky style reminded me a bit of Mystery Men, which is one of my favorite movies.
There are a couple of things that have really struck me about this show. The first is the intense fan base that it has already developed. It appears that the producers have done a great job of using Social Media and social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Digg to create a viral campaign that has apparently paid off big time for them. Also, the way in which the show was produced is very interesting. According to Wikipedia, the producers apparently wrote the script during the WGA Writer’s Strike in an attempt to “create something small and inexpensive, yet professionally done, in a way that would circumvent the issues that were being protested during the strike”. With the rapid shift that has been taking place from mainstream television and movie viewing to the web, this could be another big sign that the entertainment world is changing right before our eyes.
I would highly recommend checking out the show. It’s short, and better yet, it’s free. For more info on Dr. Horrible, here are some helpful links:
Super-Duper Movie Review Catch Up
So, for the 3 of you out there that might actually read my blog, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been slacking big time on my movie reviews these past few weeks… So to make it up to you, I’m going to do a quick set of micro-reviews of all the cool (and not so cool) flicks I’ve seen lately. I’m going to do them in chronological order, with the most recent on top… woohoo!
Hancock (3.5 of 5 stars)
I went into this movie with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The story is quite different than they insinuate in the preview, and has a pretty interesting twist in the end. Despite it’s corny beginning, It’s actually a pretty decent story with a rather redeeming conclusion.
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (3 of 5 stars)
This movie was pretty disappointing. I really liked the first Hellboy movie, and I probably made the classic error of getting my hopes up too high on this one. There were a LOT of things that I didn’t like:
1. First off, they open the movie with a flashback of Hellboy as a child begging his dad to read him a bed time story… He basically looks like a red Eddie Munster, and is a total whiner. C’mon! Hellboy is supposed to be a huge indestructible demon… It’s like picturing Wolverine getting his diaper changed as a baby… This is not how I want to picture Hellboy.
2. They took the campy humor from the first movie, and pushed it way too far. It felt more like a Men in Black movie than the first Hellboy. It was almost like they were making fun of the idea, rather than balancing the story with some well placed humor. As stupid as this may sound, the first movie had such a good balance with the dark and sinister feel to it, that it felt more “believable” somehow.
3. The bad guys were not nearly as cool as those from the first movie. The Prince in this movie was pretty cool, but he basically looked like an elf from LOTR or WoW, or maybe a Wraith from SG:Atlantis. Whereas, Rasputin, Sammael and especially Kroenen from the first movie were totally cool!
4. They casted a new voice actor for Abe Sapien, instead of David Hyde Pierce. I hate it when they do that!
There’s probably more, but those are the main things. It did have a couple of redeeming qualities. The special effects were pretty cool, and as expected there is a lot of action. It still left me wanting more of the first movie though. I may have to see this one again, so I can try to appreciate it for what it is, and not what it isn’t… QQ
Wanted (3 of 5 stars)
This movie could have been really, really cool… but wasn’t. Instead, it was just OK. The story was all over the place. Their gratuitous use of slow-motion blood splatter and the F-bomb seemed to cheapen the story, and made it harder to take serious. The special effects were pretty darn good overall, and there is lots and lots of action and fighting. Angelina Jolie is always a bonus too! Definitely worth seeing, but don’t expect more than a good action flick.
WALL-E (4 of 5 stars)
This movie was great! Very fun and cute. Excellent animation. The fact that the vast majority of the movie has no dialog in it, yet you hardly notice, is amazing. They do such a good job of communicating emotion and feelings through these robots, without ever saying a single word in many scenes. That’s hard to do with humans, let alone with animated robots… My whole family loved it, and I’m sure we’ll be adding this one to our home collection.
Get Smart (3.5 of 5 stars)
This movie was hilarious. It’s basically just a 2 hour version of the preview though. There are a few more scenes that are particularly funny, but most of the best scenes were blown in the trailers. However, there is definitely something to say for the fact that Steve Carell is funny even when he’s just standing there… So if you feel that way about him, you’ll surely enjoy this movie.
The Incredible Hulk (4 of 5 stars)
Thank God for this movie! Not only because it was a legitimately good flick, but because I desperately needed something to cleanse my pallet after seeing “The Happening” last Friday.
This movie has a good story that feels true to the classic Hulk television show, impressive special effects, and lots of action. They actually do a pretty good job of quickly getting you up to speed as to what is going on, and how Bruce Banner has gotten to where he is. You could easily see this movie and enjoy it without already seeing the Eric Bana version, which if you’re lucky is the case for you… (they do a remarkably good job of redeeming themselves from that film). If you are an old-school Hulk fan or like comic book/superhero movies, you won’t be disappointed.
The Happening (1 of 5 stars)
Let me just start by saying that this movie really sucked. In fact, it was so bad it took me a week just to muster up the strength to write this. I saw this last weekend, on opening night, with my wife and parents. We are all fans of M. Night Shyamalan’s other movies, and as a result we had somewhat high expectations for this movie. It was shocking how lame it was.
If you’ve seen the previews, then you’ve probably picked up that something “happens” that causes people to start killing themselves randomly. At first they think it’s a terrorist attack, but later they determine it’s something else. It’s the discovery of what the cause actually is, that is most disappointing about this movie.
I’ll try to justify my comments without giving it away for any of you who may still want to see it, even if it is out of sheer morbid curiosity…
- Horrible acting: There was such an over-the-top campy feel to this film, that I have to wonder if it was intentional. If so, I’m at a complete loss as to why M. Night would do this… It was stupid.
- Weak special effects: There are a handful of CG scenes in the movie (mainly of people killing themselves in horrendous ways) that are pretty cheesy looking. You’ll know what I mean if you see it.
- Humor confusion: There are scenes that are clearly meant to be funny that just aren’t, while other scenes that would seem to be intended to be scary or intense are comical in their own weird little way…
- Retarded Plot: But above all, the worst thing about this movie is the whole premise of what “The Happening” actually is. It’s such an asinine idea, that I could hardly stand it.
Who knows. Maybe M. Night was trying to make such a bad movie that when people left the movie theater, they would be so disappointed that they would partake in their own little “happening” and brutally end their own lives in the parking lot…
I left the theater actually feeling betrayed by this movie. I’ve spoken to a number of other people who’ve seen it as well, and I was somewhat comforted by the fact that they were as disappointed as I was. I hope that if I’ve accomplished anything writing this review, it’s to lower your expectations so low, that if you see this movie you might actually like it…
Iron Man (4 of 5 stars)
So it was pretty much a movie marathon weekend, if you haven’t noticed yet… I hooked up with a buddy tonight to see Iron Man for the second time, so I thought I’d write a quick review of it, since I didn’t have this site up and running when I saw it the first time.
This movie was a pleasant surprise. I was very skeptical after seeing the previews, and went into it expecting it to be pretty cheesy. I was actually shocked by how good it was. In fact the first time I saw it, I recall my wife and I looking at each other about 30 minutes into the movie and saying “this is really good!”. I know that if she likes a movie like this enough to want to see it again, it has to be pretty decent.
The movie is about a brilliant young scientist, Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.), who owns a large weapons manufacturing company. He has a traumatic experience that causes him to question whether or not his company is helping or hurting the world through the proliferation of weapons. After a bizarre turn of events, he ends up building a super-advanced exoskeleton suit that allows him to fly around and fight with super-human capabilities. It sounds kind of lame, but it had a little bit of the same feeling that Transformers did to me, with a great balance of action, humor and incredible special effects.
I would definitely recommend this movie.
Kung Fu Panda (5 of 5 stars)
We took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda today. It was really great! It’s a very fun and cute story about Po, a chubby panda that is a bit of a screw up and is unexpectedly chosen as the “Dragon Warrior”. Everyone believes his selection is a mistake at first, including himself, and the story unfolds to present a pretty good message about faith and believing in one’s self. I don’t have a single complaint about this movie. It also has some great “clean” Jack Black humor, lots of action, and the animation is really well done as well. All of us enjoyed it thoroughly, and I’m certain that this will end up in our personal collection when it is released to DVD/Blu-ray. I highly recommend this for kids of all ages.
You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (2 of 5 stars)
So… we actually saw this movie. I went into it with pretty low expectations, which was smart, because I wasn’t too disappointed. If you’ve seen the previews, then you probably have a pretty good idea of what you might be in for. Zohan is a superhero-like Israeli counter-terrorist who decides that he’s sick of war and wants to move to America to become a hair dresser. He does so, but while on his quest to “cut and style silky smooth hair” he still gets drawn into conflicts similar to back home. There is an underlying “why can’t we just all get along” message throughout the movie, that is pretty hard to take serious due to the ridiculous storyline.
There is a lot of really stupid and raunchy humor, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that we laughed pretty hard throughout the movie. It had that “There’s Something About Mary” feel, where things are happening that you cannot help but laugh hysterically, yet feel utterly embarrassed to be watching at the same time… Unfortunately, they do push the raunchiness way too far in several scenes, which really takes away from the humor. I was hoping for less shock humor, and a little more of the clever humor that I know Adam Sandler is capable of. Good for a cheap and dirty laugh if you are into that sort of thing.
My love-hate (mostly love) relationship with redbox.
I probably visit a redbox at least once a week, and depending on the season it can be several times a week. You just can’t beat the convenience and price that they offer, which really makes me wonder what their impact has been on rental stores like Blockbuster. I have probably only been to a Blockbuster two or three times in the last year since I started using redbox. It’s usually after driving up to one of their locations, seeing a line of 8-10 people, and deciding that it’s worth the extra $3.50 to not wait in line.
I rented a movie at the redbox tonight and despite how much I like their service, I was reminded of a couple of frustrations that I commonly have when using them. There are a few things that I really wish they would change/improve with their kiosks and website.
- Add a return slot on the side of the machine that allows people to drop their movies off without standing in the rental line. I realize that this would require some re-engineering of the kiosks, but it would be so worth it.
- Maybe create dual station kiosks for high-traffic locations. This would obviously also require some re-engineering, but I think it would also make sense.
- PLEASE create a mobile version of the website (ideally at m.redbox.com) that can be easily and quickly accessed using a phone. It’s a joke trying to use it on my Treo.
I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of these things, and maybe the folks over at redbox are already working on such improvements. I really like using their service, and I’m happy that they appear to be succeeding. I’m just hoping that they will adapt to their popularity by enhancing the capabilities of their website, and release 2nd generation kiosks that move the lines a lot faster.
Cloverfield (3 of 5 stars)
We rented Cloverfield last night. It was pretty decent. I understand now why people were getting sick in the theaters. The cinematography (if you want to call it that) was pretty crazy. It was all filmed from the perspective of a hand-held camcorder, and kinda felt like The Blair Witch Project in NY city. There were a few times in the first half-hour that we actually had to pause the movie and just shut our eyes to give them a rest. After that it either got better, or we got used to it, because it didn’t seem so bad.
The story itself was interesting. It’s basically about this 350 foot monster that stumbles into Manhattan, and wreaks havoc on the city. There are some (not a lot, but some) cool shot of the thing crashing through buildings and stepping on military tanks. They do a good job of keeping the suspense high throughout the movie, and the shaky camera definitely adds to this. I wish they had shown more of the monster, because the scenes where they did show it were pretty cool. The monster drops “parasites” off of it’s body, which look pretty small when they do, but in reality they are about the size of a small person or big dog. These scenes were really intense, and I wish they had done more with those as well.
I think I probably enjoyed watching the bonus features on the DVD the most. It allows you to see pictures of the monster and a number of the special effects scenes without the jerky camera movement and at a much slower pace. There are also some interesting insights they give you about the monster and where it comes from.
Overall I thought this was an interesting and worthwhile movie. I just felt like it left you wishing you could see more. Who knows, maybe that was a brilliant move on the Director/Producer’s part.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2* of 5 stars)
Let me start by admitting that I have a pretty bad habit of setting my expectations too high with certain movies. Especially those that I’ve been anticipating for a while. I tried pretty hard not to do that with this movie, and I think that I went into it with a pretty open mind. Nevertheless, I have some very mixed feelings about this movie.
*** WARNING!!! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ***
Overall it felt like a classic Indiana Jones movie. My wife and I just finished watching the original three movies this week, and it was nice to see that they preserved the classic feel of those movies. There was lots of action and adventure, as Indy and friends romp through jungles and ruins, as well as quite a few scenes that take place in the US. The traditional campy humor was present, as was the traditional ridiculously unrealistic escapes from near death experiences. Remember them riding the inflatable raft down from the airplane in Temple of Doom? There is a scene in this one that I’m sure the Mythbusters guys won’t waste their time on… This episode plays out like the original films, and for those of you that liked those, you will likely enjoy this movie as well.
So here is what I thought was wrong with the movie:
First off, WTF is up with the aliens? This is Indiana Jones, not the X-Files (That comes out in July) for cryin’ out loud! I was buying the concept at first. After all, every Indy movie has had some level of religious or paranormal oriented plot, but they just took it way too far. It was one thing to suggest that the ancient South American civilization was visited and influenced by aliens (AvP anyone?), and that the skull was related to those aliens. I could have handled that. But the scene with the alien skeletons merging into a living one and how it looms over the bad chick at the end made me wonder when Merrill from Signs was going to show up and hit it with a bat. Then it pretty much lost all credibility for me when the flying saucer comes crashing out of the ground and flies away… I must again offer up a serious Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!
My other complaints are minor in comparison:
- Shia LaBeouf’s character was a total Fonz wannabe. I was getting ready for him to do “the honk” during one of the scenes that he was in danger.
- They made it too obvious, and rushed the fact, that Shia’s character was Indy’s son.
- The Mac character’s “I’m good, now I’m bad, now I’m good again, just kidding I am actually bad” game was retarded.
- There was not a good enough “skin crawling” scene. The ants just didn’t cut it compared to the snakes, and bugs and rats from the first three movies. They did such a great job in the original films making the viewer thoroughly uncomfortable watching those scenes, and unless you have a major ant phobia I guess, I just didn’t sense the crowd writhing in their seats during this one.
- There wasn’t the classic romance and sexual tension that the originals had either. I’m willing to let this one slide, since Harrison Ford is pretty much a senior citizen and should probably have been using a walker to get around instead of swinging with his whip. It would have probably been creepy anyway…
- The Russians are not nearly as cool of bad guys as the Nazis were in the first and third movies, and they do a bad job justifying how a large group of KGB with thick Russian accents are somehow freely running around in the US during the height of the Cold War…
- Overall the movie just felt like a half-done patchwork of the first three movies.
So now that I’ve written this out, I’d have to say that I was officially disappointed. I’ll definitely see it again, and I’m sure that I’ll like it more the next time since I am more likely to appreciate it for what it is, rather than what it was not. With all of this said, it’s still a fun movie and worth seeing. It was just disappointing that after all of these years, they couldn’t have done a better job with this one, or I apparently didn’t do a good enough job psyching myself down for it…
