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Reviews
Fanboys (2009)
Yet another good idea turned into garbage
On a whole the premise of the story seems to be relatively promising, four Star Wars fanboys are all waiting anxiously for the release of the highly anticipated Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace. But as news comes that one of the characters has only a few months to live, they decide to break into Skywalker Ranch to see the film they've been desperate to see for so long.
As I said, the film seems to have an entertaining plot, there are some laughable moments and a monumentally geeky cameo from Mr. Seth Rogen, who seems to have two parts in it. But that's really where it ends, the plot becomes too mushy for my liking, it falls into the inevitable happy ending category. Though to be fair, the acting on the most part was cheesy (to say the least) from the start, especially the unbearable performance from Sam Huntington, who seems to exude a charmless manner that really grates on you towards the end. It truly is a film I recommend you not view.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Fully deserved best screenplay
Having seen many advertisements on T.V. about "Little Miss Sunshine" I didn't think much of it, didn't seem like my kind of movie. But now, I like to think I have matured in my taste, and today I proved myself astronomically wrong. This is first and foremost in my opinion not a comedy, yes it has a multiple amount of laughs, but the structure of the film is drama based, so don't watch it with the expectation of leaving laughing.
Lets get to it then, what caught my attention was the impeccable casting, who'd of thunk Steve Carell could pull off serious or that a character who doesn't even utter a sound until the end of the film could captivate you so. The oblivious, self involved father is played tremendously by Greg Kinnear, I mean that scene in the hospital, just hilarious and kudos on Abigail Breslin, who had a personality that could rival the whole cast and she showed that just because you are a child, does not mean you can't act like the best.
I've got to say, it's so refreshing to see a film like this, a film that isn't cheesy or just plain embarrassing, it's no surprise it won best screenplay. We must continue to cherish quality over quantity and this truly does that, I highly recommend this to anyone with decent taste, nah actually everyone.
10/10
30 Rock (2006)
Best show on TV right now
Flicking through the mundane channels that plague my TV, I saw an advert for a new American hit show called 30 Rock. I have to say I was skeptical as the certain television station is known for their poor programming. But I threw caution to the wind and decided to watch it (being bored on a Saturday night will do that to you). I watched two episodes that were, I think mid season two and thought it was hilarious and also satisfied my need of smart humor to a great extent. You see I am on an Arrested Development come down, having watched all three seasons religiously after many recommendations, and have so far found that nothing really comes close to it. So finding this show was a blessing in disguise and my life is now complete, well until I watch all the seasons.
Now at this point I usually describe the characters and their history in every minute detail, but this tends to lead into an oblivion of, well boringness. So I've decided to just list some of my favourite characters and why I find them so captivating to watch.
Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) - The protagonist writer for the fictional show that she is the head of, quirky, geeky and generally useless in society and apparently a fictionalized version of Fey. She is by far the most diverse and utterly relatable character on the show and I find it incredible that Fey produces it as well as act in it.
Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) - Cocky, arrogant and completely oblivious to anyone else, Donaghy seems to possess all these boss-like traits, Baldwin is excellent in this role and a little bit too convincing. I find it particularly amusing to see his vulnerable side, as he becomes increasingly needy and hilarity ensues.
Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) - The blatant funny guy, Tracy Morgan is also very similar to his character, he's definitely not my favourite but none the less still a vital cog in the machine.
Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) - Kenneth the page is probably my favourite character (a close second to Lemon), he has a childlike sense of right and wrong and is so incredibly sweet that its impossible not to find him endearing.
I'm also very glad that I can finally follow a great show that hasn't been cancelled.
10/10
Arrested Development (2003)
A sad day for humanity when it was cancelled
Arrested Development, in my opinion will go down as one of the greatest shows to bless our screens in television history and also FOXs biggest mistake in epic proportion. Why they cancelled it perplexes me and deeply aggravates me, although I am aware that Fox have a reputation for prematurely cancelling anything that isn't watched by millions, but come on be reasonable, this show won six Emmy awards, one Golden Globe, had a spot on Time magazine's 100 greatest shows of all time and not to mention has a huge cult following of loyal fans. Well at least there will be a movie and that is the least AD deserve. I think I'm just going to have to accept that they will always favour ratings over quality and desist this rant about FOX.
Arrested Development is an American sitcom that ran from 2003 to 2006, throughout the entire shows time on air it was constantly under the threat of being cancelled, a topic that AD frequently joked about. The show was different, it wasn't the average drivel that is churned up day-in and day-out, like for example Two and a half men, The big bang theory or 30 Rock.
I am going to list a few things that made the show so brilliant.
All of the characters were cast so perfectly, I couldn't imagine any of them being portrayed by another actor. There are the obvious ones Tobias, GOB or Michael, but I have to say my favorite characters are Maeby and George Michael, they constantly had great story lines, their chemistry was fantastic and were both perfect for their roles. Davis Cross as Tobias Fünke the utterly oblivious actor wannabe or GOB, the moronic older brother who becomes hilariously needy, all of them were PERFECT.
As well as being a producer, Ron Howard is the narrator. He pulls off a stupendously funny dead pan commentary, explaining the situation and frequently calling back to past episodes. The thing that is so engaging about his narration is that he is not on anyone's side, he explains whats happening and makes subtle jokes or comments about the characters and his subtleness is just impeccable.
The guest stars on Arrested were part of the winning formula. Liza Minnellis' Lucille Austero the severe vertigo suffering mess, who has a odd relationship with Buster, Henry Winklers' Barry Zuckerkorn, the Bluths perverted lawyer or even Scott Baios' Bob Loblaw (Purely for the name). Even though they were guest stars, they didn't seem like it. They were always part of the story and always in character, not just making a cameo appearance to get air time.
The camera work resembles the style of reality TV and this makes the show seem real and gives the show a personal touch if you will. I think its one of the reason it got critical acclaim from so many critics, the camera work is edgy and fast perfect for the feel of the show.
One more thing is that they didn't employ canned laughter, something I find annoying and a bit disrespectful to the audience. I don't need to be told when to laugh or when something awkward is happening, its just a testament to a show when they don't need to use canned laughter to make the show seem funny.
It didn't and still doesn't get the recognition it deserves, but I am glad they are making a movie as I feel that it needs to be wrapped up and honestly cannot wait till its out.
Garden State (2004)
Braff is Brilliant!
Garden State was a complete shock to me, as I have only seen Zach Braff in Scrubs, I only saw him as a comedic actor, and have never really been interested in seeing any of his films. But this one was recommended to me by a friend, so I gave it a whirl and was surprised that not only did I enjoy the film, it has become one of my all time favourites.
Written, directed and starring Zach Braff, the story revolves around Andrew "Large" Largeman, a twenty-something jersey boy living in Los Angeles who is an actor/waiter. When he was nine he accidentally crippled his mother and has been on the drug lithium ever since, causing him to feel no real emotion at all. After hearing of his mother's death he decides to go back for the funeral. Upon arriving back in Jersey he meets Sam, a pathological liar who is quirky, smart and unlike Andrew, completely open with her emotions, and the two opposites instantly have a connection.
Garden State doesn't follow your typical Hollywood love story (One of the reasons I love it), it has real depth, the characters are real, for instance Sam is not your day-to-day love interest, who is blonde, big chested and were's skimpy clothing. She has problems like the rest of us, dealing with seizures, and being a pathological liar. The location is also a pretty dreary place, where not a lot seems to happen, but thats what seems to give it character, it's unique.
Each shot is unique, all relevant to the plot, the dialogue flows beautifully, overall Braff's directing debut was a superb watch and I highly recommend you take the time see it.
South Park: Elementary School Musical (2008)
South Park Musical!
Woooo season 12 finally has an awesome episode under its belt, and it's all about the annoying High School Musical fad. Now i've never seen any of these HSM films, but if their anything like this episode, then umm, I don't imagine I will be seeing them any time soon.
Everyone in South Park Elementary has seen High School Musical 3....apart from the boys. Crazed pupils constantly break into upbeat songs, and Butters turns into one of the popular kids. Dumbfounded by what they see, they all vow never to join the fad. But when Stan see's Wendy pining over Bryden, he realises he could lose her, he doesn't want to sing, so he persuades Bryden he should pursue his dream. Enter Brydens Theater obsessed father, who sings in sentences and abuses with a "suuuper hard slap" to the face, he forbids Bryden to play "sissy sports", as it would be hugely embarrassing for him. Meanwhile the boys (minus Stan) are hanging out with Scott Malkinson, these small sections in the episode have hilarious banter, which is another reason I liked the episode a lot.
I didn't find myself waiting for the episode to end, which is what has been happening more frequently with South Park, but overall it's a good episode and well worth the watch!
Gia (1998)
A definite favourite
Gia is the moving story of the worlds first "supermodel", and the pressures of the model industry that entailed in the 70's/80's. Set in New York City, it follows the story of Gia Carangi, a model from Philadelphia with a fiery personalty, and her conflicted, emotional life in a well documented cruel business. The film is a long one, but it never trails off.
Upon hearing of this biographical film, I'll admit I was apprehensive, I didn't find the subject particularly interesting.... I was wrong, this film is incredible, the story is engaging and the acting is superb. You can tell Jolie really got into the character of Gia and was, for me, hard to separate to too. I really wish Jolie would do more films like these, it really shows her acting skills are up there with the best. After watching this, it is definitely one of my favourite movies and would really recommend anyone who hasn't seen to!
Due South (1994)
Should of ended earlier
Due South is one of those shows I can watch all the time, all day, it wasn't just some cop dramedy, it had a lot of character and vivacious plots. The script is always hilarious but still showed a serious side in every episode. Set in the mean streets of Chicago, there was always crime about, and two of the most unlikely people team up to make one of the best shows during the nineties. Fraser a Canadian Mountie, transfered to Chicago after a murder case involving his father, and Ray a typical loud mouthed cop. It was expertly written by the great Paul Haggis, who has created epic films such as "Crash", and the new James Bond movies. The characters where great, Benton Fraser, a do-gooding Mountie who always wants to help even when not wanted, finds out what happened by licking a piece of dirt and of course, always unwittingly very amusing. Raymond Vecchio, never wants to be in the situation he is in, but still makes you laugh, and is driven to help Fraser, and of course Diefenbaker, Frasers deaf wolf. The story lines where always different and whether it was a funny or serious episode, you where always compelled to watch it, and see how it all unfolded, i think that was the key to their success, the explanations where always incredibly interesting to view. Although like most I assume, I wasn't keen when the original Ray left, and was replaced by "Kowalski", it kind of went downhill for me, he wasn't as fun to watch as Ray was, wasn't as engaging and just not particularly funny. Anyway if you haven't seen it, do!
Scrubs: My Old Man (2002)
Scrubs at it's best!
The parents are visiting in this one, J.D.s father who is more like a friend, Elliot's parents who are neglectful and Turks mother who is very controlling and almost exactly like Carla. Throughout the episode they are constantly trying to impress their elders and want try to prove they are either good at what they do, or their girlfriend is the right for them. This episode see's the hilarious John Ritter as J.D.s father, just as juvenile and acts like a buddy, but ultimately shows he cares. Elliot shows her father she knows what she is doing and shows up Dr. Kelso. Carla realized she is just like Turks mother, but there is a reason. Just like most of the episode's in season 1, it is fast paced, humorous and has heart to it. It is one of the better shows of the run in my opinion, i suggest you watch it!
South Park: About Last Night... (2008)
Random, but enjoyable!
About Last Night... is actually a pretty decent episode compared to most episodes in this season, yes it's quite random, and seems to goes off in places, but it's still none the less a funny and imaginative episode. It starts off with Obama supporters celebrating that he has succeeded in winning the presidential election, getting drunk and screaming "change", and Mccain supporters worry and panic the world is about to end. Ike being a Mccain supporter attempts suicide, and Cartman takes advantage of the situation by going round town and stealing televisions. In comes the Oceans 11 spoof, it is revealed that Mccain and Obama are an elite team of thieves, and the presidential campaign was just a cover up for a diamond heist, everyone is in on it including Palin and Obama's wife Michelle, they plan to steal the Hope diamond through an elaborate plan, with an Oceans 11 style narration. Stan and Kyle take Ike to the hospital, only to find that there are no doctors around, as one (an Obama supporter) is out partying, and the other (a Mccain supporter) has hung himself due to the loss of the election. The episode rounds up that Mccain and Obama steal the diamond and fake their own death, but Obama decides to give being a president a go. Republicans wake up realising the world has not ended, and Democrats wake up with severe hangovers. Granted the episode is a bit slow, and definitely not one of their best, it's still certainly worth a watch!
South Park: D-Yikes! (2007)
Scissor Me Timbers!
D-Yikes is definitely one of the stronger episodes of season 11, funny, imaginative and intelligent, as always it's hilarious and extremely enjoyable to watch. The episode revolves around Mrs. Garrison, at the beginning she is aggravated that her date blew off, because she was asked if she used to be a man. Later on she becomes friends with Allison, and is invited to her local bar "LesBos", and proceeds to find out "LesBos" is actually a lesbian bar. It is at this point South Park start to mock the film "300". Persians attempt to buy out "lesBos", a reference to the Persians attacking the Spartans. Garrison kicks a Persian in the balls, a reference to when Leonidas kicks a Persian messenger down a hole, and ans many more. The episode is full of "300" style special effects, and is still remains hilarious. The dialogue is funny, written very well and just a well rounded good episode in my opinion.
I give it 8/10