I’ve never been too big a musical fan, or so I say. I’ve always thought that there is something unbelievable about them. Somehow, I find cars that defy the space-time continuum more realistic and relatable. Not really sure why. Equally, I feel the same about high school movies. They never really represent what high school was really like. So far, the nerd has not gotten the girl.
With this week’s release of "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," the first venture of the franchise to the big screen, Disney elevates it to status of other classic musical movies set in high school. Here are just a few to start off with to understand how the "High School Musical" series started scoring all ‘A’s.
FAME (1980)
It’s not so unbelievable that a bunch of kids at The New York City School for the Performing Arts might sporadically break out into song, taking over the streets in synchronized movement and break dancing atop taxi cabs. Read more...
Hail to the chief, he’s the chief and he needs hailing…
Right now it’s hard to escape political coverage of the election at hand. It's consumed "Saturday Night Live" and it’s almost the sole topic of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." And now this weekend we can’t get away from it in the movie theaters either, with the release of Oliver Stone’s "W," the film starring Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush that tells the story of how Dubya became our nation's commander in chief.
Now, after eight years of Bush, some people might not want to watch another two hours about him. To avoid overload, I dug up some other presidential choices for you. Maybe they wouldn’t have made for the best president to lead the free world, but they are damn entertaining to watch. Try and not be engrossed by their ability to hold down the White House. Read more...
Originally I was going to talk about "Body of Lies" this week, but then a quite simple realization hit me. Kind of like a linebacker coming with full force, but in my brain. I went to Syracuse University; I must talk about "The Express."
"The Express" is the story of Ernie Davis, the Syracuse running back who became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Taking place just prior to and during the beginning stages of the civil rights movement, "The Express" tells of the struggle Ernie Davis faced while becoming a legend and activist. And aren’t all good sports movies about underdogs succeeding and overcoming adversity? Yes. Yes, they are. The only thing that might make them better is if they all took place at Syracuse. Unfortunately, that's not fair to other lovely sports establishments.
In my searches for other movies about Syracuse to grace you with, I found but three others. Neither "The Boys From Syracuse" (1940), or "The Syracuse Sap" (1930) take place in Syracuse, NY; and the third was "Big Daddy" (1999) wherein Adam Sandler mentions he went to Syracuse Law. So, to my dismay, I bring you some other films to catch before hopping on "The Express"… Read more...
"They set me up." Seems to always be the case, doesn't it...never your fault that all government agencies are chasing you down? That's the case for Shia Labeouf and Michelle Monagham in this Friday's new release "Eagle Eye." As they leave a path of destruction, they attempt to prove their innocence. It usually helps though if they know what and who they are running from, but they don’t... Not the first time though. Here are some other tight binds that the fugitive runs but can’t hide while attempting to prove their innocence (and get out alive).
THE FUGITIVE (1993)
Simple enough for you? It says it in the title. A classic for the ages, Dr. Richard Kimball (Harrison Ford) is charged with killing his wife, and authorities don’t want to look farther than him for the murderer. Double tasked with avoiding the law and finding his wife’s killer, he is quite the busy man. Trekking around the country, running from U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) Kimball takes one hell of a road trip, getting tangled with some messy folks, but as our hero should, avenging his wife’s death in the end. Based on the TV show of the same title, this updated version garnered a lot more attention with its star power and by cramming an enormous amount of mind bending plot twists from the series into a two hour awesomefest. Read more...
I guess I can consider myself lucky - I have never had too dreadful neighbors. This week I get to learn what that might be like from the thriller that is "Lakeview Terrace" where Samuel L. Jackson plays a single dad of two and LAPD officer, who terrorizes his new neighbors by ways of his police badge, putting his own ideals above the law.
Neighborly issues are as old as the ages, look back at the Ten Commandments and you find a few notes about how to treat thy neighbor. And what makes for even better drama then breaking the basic laws of Judeo-Christian religions? Bad cops, of course! "Lakeview Terrace" is chockfull of all these stimulating ingredients. So before heading out to catch some thrills you hope don’t follow you home from the theater, take a gander at these gripping tales of people who just can’t (or don’t want to) get along...
A TIME TO KILL (1996)
Samuel L. Jackson, man of a thousand movies, plays both sides of the terror siege in this ditty. In this thriller, based on John Grisham’s novel, Sam Jackson plays Carl Lee Haily whose daughter is raped by 2 Southern Rednecks. With disbelief in the system, Carl Lee takes matters into his own hands by killing both men in cold blood inside the court house as they are being walked to trial. Read more...
So you’re a big cyberpunk fan? Maybe you just want to get some insight into how to survive in a quickly approaching apocalyptic world? Is it that you really, really love Vin Diesel? As you prepare for this Friday's "Babylon A.D.," how about I give you a few options of other films you can watch in your fallout shelter this weekend while others are out barbequing and soaking up the last of summer…
A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975)
Vic (Don Johnson) and his dog scour a Post-Apocalyptic version of earth looking for the necessities of life. How could Nash Bridges and a dog beat out Vin and Michelle Yeoh in a movie face-off? The dog happens to be smarter than Vic, while also being telepathic! The dog, Blood, “walks” Vic around to look for earthly goods to sustain life, like water, food, and of course the opportunity to procreate with any other survivors of the apocalypse. Read more...
Summer movies mean adrenaline. This summer we've gotten a fair amount of that via superhero flicks. August has seen some decent action/comedies ("Pineapple Express," "Tropic Thunder") that, while hilarious, didn’t totally satiate our venturesome needs. This weekend we get our prescribed dosage in "Death Race" based on the 1975 film "Death Race 2000" (read Kurt Loder's review of "Death Race" here). Now before you speed out to the theater to catch the first viewing of this supercharged action piece, try racing over to the store to pick up these older gems that really know how to get your heart pumping.
THE RUNNING MAN (1987)
If Arnold Schwarzenegger pumps adrenaline, this film bleeds adrenaline. A future TV game show takes prisoners and lets them fight for their freedom on a human obstacle course. The trick you ask? No one gets out alive. So when Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger), a wrongly convicted (aren’t they always) prisoner, finds himself having to fend for his life and freedom, us in the audience get to see some pretty classic future brutality. If you thought contestants had it bad when Simon or Paula ripped into them, how about if Simon had a chainsaw or Randy with a sharpened hockey stick? Read more...
This weekend, unless you are one of those few poor souls who are just finally getting around to seeing the "The Dark Knight," chances are the popcorn in your wallet is going to fund a trip to see "Tropic Thunder." Well before you end up in that nicely worn in movie theater seat, here’s a few flicks worth picking up on DVD that without which, "Tropic Thunder" would have been a very quiet storm.
Apocalypse Now (1979) -- The Complete Dossier - Two Disc Special Collector’s Edition
Beyond just the color palate, cinematography, and setting, "Tropic Thunder" first and foremost spoofs every frame of "Apocalypse Now." If you are unfamiliar with this adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” somehow you have been missing out on jokes from "Back to The Future II" through "Iron Man." Go watch immediately. Read more...
