Monday, July 11, 2005
not entirely content-free movie and dvd reviews
Born Rich: very brief, like an hour, and wraps up right when you’re starting to lose interest. I can see why some of the folks in question would be angry, as the litigious Luke Weil and nihilistic Eurotrash model skeeze Cody are both thoroughly unlikable. Most of the other featured heirs are relatively okay, though. Ivanka Trump actually seems smart and somewhat normal; the nerdish Si Newhouse comes off like a college-aged Neal Schweiber; and the mild-mannered, hard-working, and impeccably named Josiah Hornblower, both a Vanderbilt and a Whitney, is a real-life Chester, of Sifl and Olly non-fame. The director leaves one pressing question unanswered, however: how the hell did pro golfer Raymond Floyd make enough money to hob-nob with the billionaires?
Shrek 2: As awful as I had imagined. Shrek is still an asshole, Puss-in-Boots isn’t as funny as I had hoped, and much of the humor is completely inappropriate (Shrek talking about his balls, Pinnochio wearing a thong, the three farm girls wanting to jump the humanized Shrek, etc.) And, of course, the incessant use of bad pop music and unimaginative pop-culture references continues unabated. The worst is Pete Yorn’s horrific cover of “Ever Fallen In Love”, played for no appropriate reason during some mindless action scene. Like the first one, the highlight is Donkey, who not only gets the best lines but benefits from the best vocal performance, as well.
When We Were Kings: I wish Foreman had pummeled the crap out of him. George in ’74 was the coolest looking dude maybe ever, and his refusal to echo Ali’s “I’m gonna kill ‘im” rhetoric speaks to his integrity. Ali’s chatter got annoying quick, but you’ve got to give him credit for his strategic brilliance. The movie itself was excellent, with an amazing amount of period footage. The concert looked and sounded incredible, Mailer and Plimpton weren’t annoyingly pretentious and/or literary, and the suspense is built up well for those who don’t know or can’t remember who won. Even Allyn dug it, and she can’t stand boxing.
Daily Show: Indecision 2004, Disc 1 (of 3): Peaks early, then trails off slowly during the final two episodes. “Rob Corddry’s Boston” is some of the best tv I’ve seen in months, though, and not just because they flash a couple shots from my neighborhood.
ECW: One Night Stand: Forty-five minutes in, and it’s been some great fun. On one level I would have rather seen a WCW / NWA reunion, but if that happened and stayed true to form a horrible last hour would have ruined whatever fun the undercard provided. I think I’ve seen three matches on the ECW dvd, and although none of them have been all that wonderful, they’ve been excellent as nostalgia. The Lance Storm / Chris Jericho opener has been the best so far, but the ending was pretty lame. If it is the last match of Storm’s career, he should have gone over clean, and not with interference from Aldo Montoya. Anyway, I hope to knock another hour or so out tonight.
Born Rich: very brief, like an hour, and wraps up right when you’re starting to lose interest. I can see why some of the folks in question would be angry, as the litigious Luke Weil and nihilistic Eurotrash model skeeze Cody are both thoroughly unlikable. Most of the other featured heirs are relatively okay, though. Ivanka Trump actually seems smart and somewhat normal; the nerdish Si Newhouse comes off like a college-aged Neal Schweiber; and the mild-mannered, hard-working, and impeccably named Josiah Hornblower, both a Vanderbilt and a Whitney, is a real-life Chester, of Sifl and Olly non-fame. The director leaves one pressing question unanswered, however: how the hell did pro golfer Raymond Floyd make enough money to hob-nob with the billionaires?
Shrek 2: As awful as I had imagined. Shrek is still an asshole, Puss-in-Boots isn’t as funny as I had hoped, and much of the humor is completely inappropriate (Shrek talking about his balls, Pinnochio wearing a thong, the three farm girls wanting to jump the humanized Shrek, etc.) And, of course, the incessant use of bad pop music and unimaginative pop-culture references continues unabated. The worst is Pete Yorn’s horrific cover of “Ever Fallen In Love”, played for no appropriate reason during some mindless action scene. Like the first one, the highlight is Donkey, who not only gets the best lines but benefits from the best vocal performance, as well.
When We Were Kings: I wish Foreman had pummeled the crap out of him. George in ’74 was the coolest looking dude maybe ever, and his refusal to echo Ali’s “I’m gonna kill ‘im” rhetoric speaks to his integrity. Ali’s chatter got annoying quick, but you’ve got to give him credit for his strategic brilliance. The movie itself was excellent, with an amazing amount of period footage. The concert looked and sounded incredible, Mailer and Plimpton weren’t annoyingly pretentious and/or literary, and the suspense is built up well for those who don’t know or can’t remember who won. Even Allyn dug it, and she can’t stand boxing.
Daily Show: Indecision 2004, Disc 1 (of 3): Peaks early, then trails off slowly during the final two episodes. “Rob Corddry’s Boston” is some of the best tv I’ve seen in months, though, and not just because they flash a couple shots from my neighborhood.
ECW: One Night Stand: Forty-five minutes in, and it’s been some great fun. On one level I would have rather seen a WCW / NWA reunion, but if that happened and stayed true to form a horrible last hour would have ruined whatever fun the undercard provided. I think I’ve seen three matches on the ECW dvd, and although none of them have been all that wonderful, they’ve been excellent as nostalgia. The Lance Storm / Chris Jericho opener has been the best so far, but the ending was pretty lame. If it is the last match of Storm’s career, he should have gone over clean, and not with interference from Aldo Montoya. Anyway, I hope to knock another hour or so out tonight.
