So the wife and I decide to hit up the theater for a date night this past weekend, and much to my suprise, she agrees to see Law Abiding Citizen (usually she pulls for chick flicks and horror/thrillers). My excitement was sadly brief.
Now I am the first to admit I enjoy a low/weak plot action flick now and then, but this was something different altogether. They get the plot set up and ready right away, and without giving the movie away quickly proceed to the advertised revenge. Unfortunately, neither actor delivers. Foxx appeared bored and was able to pass that emotion on to me, as I got sleepy about half way through and I was suprised to see that I have already grown tired of the machismo driven Butler so quickly. It seemed as though it was supposed to be a more masculine take on the Clarice and Lecter interactions of Silence, but to me it seemed more like Travolta and Slater in Broken Arrow (a better movie by the way..........and a guilty pleasure of mine).
I like the idea of the movie (albeit far fetched), but the acting bored me. In the end, it was an okay movie, but when an action/revenge flick makes you sleepy, it probably wasn't very good.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
homage to the horror flick
in homage of halloween, i dedicate this to my favorite horror movies. i guarantee that i will watch at least half of these movies from now until oct 31st.
#10. friday the 13th (parts 1-6, not to exceed 7)
my personal favorite ft13 are parts 3, 4, and 5... i think. sure, they've collected some cheese since being made way back in the 80's, but come on, it's jason voorhees. we can't let halloween come and go without watching jason slice, dice, snap, crack, and bludgeon countless hapless, oversexed teenagers; and laugh in the process. just don't go beyond ft13 number 7; if you think 1-6 are ridiculous, wait til you see jason in outer space...
#9. alien
another oldie-but-goodie. unlike #10, this movie hasn't collected much cheese, making the fear factor much higher. the lack of music makes this movie more tense. and who can forget the infamous scene in which the alien hatchling breaks free from Kane's chest at the dinner table? priceless.
#8. from dusk til dawn
this is one of the simplest vampire films ever made; as far as the bloodsuckers go, they appear halfway through the film and our heroes must individually slay each one before meeting their own demise. but the lack of vampire plot works so well. it's almost as if the vampire story is a sub-plot to tarantino's and clooney's outlaw kidnapping, but becomes the main focus through willy-nilly weapon-throwing. the humor is dark here, and no matter how many times i watch this film, i stay entertained throughout.
#7. the hills have eyes (2006, remake)
i have yet to meet another chick out there who enjoys this movie as much as i do. or even enjoys this movie at all. hills takes a lot of risks with its gore, and borders on unacceptable. but that's the beauty of this movie; it doesn't pull any punches. the bad guys are really, really bad.
#6. feast
what a surprise with this bloody little sleeper. the only 2 reasons i rented this movie were because 1) it was a horror flick, and 2) balthazar getty was on the cast list. i had no expectations of this movie being good. fortunately for low expectations, feast has become one of my favorite horror movies of all time. it is incredibly bloody, comedic when it needs to be, ingenious, and raunchy in small but extreme doses. i say rent it asap.
#5. dead birds
a ghost story of a different nature, dead birds is definitely one to be watched late at night, with the lights out (preferably in a room where you have a mattress on the floor with nothing in between it and the floor).
#4. seven
tense, psychological, inventive, well-written. any movie that invents new ways to kill people and doesn't do it in a way that you can tell that the death is fake is o.k. by me.
#3. the ring
i would consider myself a pretty solid horror-movie connoisseur, but... the first time i watched this movie, it was late at night. i had all the lights off. i almost made it through the movie, but within the last ten minutes, had to turn the lights back on.
#2. the thing (john carpenter, 1982)
this has to be the only movie that still has the power to scare me almost as much as it did when i watched it when i was little. the music alone is enough to make me turn on the lights while the sun is up. even the creature effects, for 1984, still hold their own against the CGI of today (although some of today's generation might disagree). the movie even has intelligence, like the scientific testing they do on each other to determine who's afflicted or not. and there's something sinister about being far from society in icy tundra, pursued by alien life forms, without help or escape nearby.
#1. the texas chainsaw massacre (2003, remake)
this is the best remake out there right now. it's tense, it's gory, it's downright scary as shit. leatherface looks great (in a bad way); the house becomes one of the creepiest characters in the movie; and, if nothing else, jessica biehl and eric balfour are sexy-ass motherfuckers. and, i love a horror movie that attempts to throw in some syripy, emotional bullshit that makes you feel more connected to the characters- and succeeds.
#10. friday the 13th (parts 1-6, not to exceed 7)
my personal favorite ft13 are parts 3, 4, and 5... i think. sure, they've collected some cheese since being made way back in the 80's, but come on, it's jason voorhees. we can't let halloween come and go without watching jason slice, dice, snap, crack, and bludgeon countless hapless, oversexed teenagers; and laugh in the process. just don't go beyond ft13 number 7; if you think 1-6 are ridiculous, wait til you see jason in outer space...
#9. alien
another oldie-but-goodie. unlike #10, this movie hasn't collected much cheese, making the fear factor much higher. the lack of music makes this movie more tense. and who can forget the infamous scene in which the alien hatchling breaks free from Kane's chest at the dinner table? priceless.
#8. from dusk til dawn
this is one of the simplest vampire films ever made; as far as the bloodsuckers go, they appear halfway through the film and our heroes must individually slay each one before meeting their own demise. but the lack of vampire plot works so well. it's almost as if the vampire story is a sub-plot to tarantino's and clooney's outlaw kidnapping, but becomes the main focus through willy-nilly weapon-throwing. the humor is dark here, and no matter how many times i watch this film, i stay entertained throughout.
#7. the hills have eyes (2006, remake)
i have yet to meet another chick out there who enjoys this movie as much as i do. or even enjoys this movie at all. hills takes a lot of risks with its gore, and borders on unacceptable. but that's the beauty of this movie; it doesn't pull any punches. the bad guys are really, really bad.
#6. feast
what a surprise with this bloody little sleeper. the only 2 reasons i rented this movie were because 1) it was a horror flick, and 2) balthazar getty was on the cast list. i had no expectations of this movie being good. fortunately for low expectations, feast has become one of my favorite horror movies of all time. it is incredibly bloody, comedic when it needs to be, ingenious, and raunchy in small but extreme doses. i say rent it asap.
#5. dead birds
a ghost story of a different nature, dead birds is definitely one to be watched late at night, with the lights out (preferably in a room where you have a mattress on the floor with nothing in between it and the floor).
#4. seven
tense, psychological, inventive, well-written. any movie that invents new ways to kill people and doesn't do it in a way that you can tell that the death is fake is o.k. by me.
#3. the ring
i would consider myself a pretty solid horror-movie connoisseur, but... the first time i watched this movie, it was late at night. i had all the lights off. i almost made it through the movie, but within the last ten minutes, had to turn the lights back on.
#2. the thing (john carpenter, 1982)
this has to be the only movie that still has the power to scare me almost as much as it did when i watched it when i was little. the music alone is enough to make me turn on the lights while the sun is up. even the creature effects, for 1984, still hold their own against the CGI of today (although some of today's generation might disagree). the movie even has intelligence, like the scientific testing they do on each other to determine who's afflicted or not. and there's something sinister about being far from society in icy tundra, pursued by alien life forms, without help or escape nearby.
#1. the texas chainsaw massacre (2003, remake)
this is the best remake out there right now. it's tense, it's gory, it's downright scary as shit. leatherface looks great (in a bad way); the house becomes one of the creepiest characters in the movie; and, if nothing else, jessica biehl and eric balfour are sexy-ass motherfuckers. and, i love a horror movie that attempts to throw in some syripy, emotional bullshit that makes you feel more connected to the characters- and succeeds.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Chili's: still a bad choice for food
i am not a fan of chain restaurants. let's face it: the food is not fresh. it has to be shipped in from far away lands, from far away times, and kept frozen for who-knows-how-long. then, it is thawed-to-order and dressed up as "adequate edible," either with heavy sauces or salty breading and fried (which is better than the former, i must admit).
so imagine my dismay when an old high school friend suggested we meet up at the local Chili's for drinks and a bite. i agreed, sure i would find something on the menu to choke down. the atmosphere isn't terrible, but if you blindfolded me and dropped me in a Chili's, it would probably take me a good bit of an hour to figure out it wasn't a Ruby Tuesday's, or TGIFriday's, or some other gimmicky upscale-ish cookie-cutter town watering hole. the bottom line is: who fucking cares about the atmosphere of a Chili's? no one. nothing sets it apart from the rest of the chains.
onto the meal. they have these new chicken crispers, with like four different flavor variations on the breaded/fried chicken deal. i went with the honey-chipotle crispers, thinking to myself, "the chicken is fried. at least it will be cooked. the breading will add some crunchy texture. then the honey-chipotle glaze should give an okay flavor." i was have always been a fan of chicken fingers, they're kinda a ne'er-go-wrong in restaurants; who can fuck up a chicken finger if it's cooked properly?
i have the answer to that question: Chili's can. as i sunk my fork into the first crisper, i found that the breading was not crisp at all. this began distracting me from my dinner date, as i continued to assess the form of the chicken: was it pink? was it warm? was it chicken? deeming it semi-worthy of my boisterous stomach, i began eating. the actual chicken meat itself was ok. the breading and H/C sauce, however (which there was a bigger ratio of than chicken), was under par, at best. in my mouth, i could better tell the texture and why my fork had told me the breading didn't seem crisp; i got the impression that the kitchen staff poured the H/C sauce onto my chicken and let them sit for about 20 minutes under heat lamps before bringing them to me. soggy breading: heinous. the best part of the chicken was the overcooked ends, where i got a false sense of crisp. after the disappointment, i nibbled on the salty fries. then i scraped the corn-on-the-cobb OFF the cobb, and ate that, in hopes of chasing away all the bad from the 5 bites of chicken "crispers" i took.
like i mentioned, this bad meal really distracted me from my dinner partner. i was not a happy camper. i usually do not hesitate in sending back bad meals, but my etiquette sense kept me from doing so, since i had not seen this person i was dining with in 15 years. next time i am forced to eat at Chili's, i vow to get a milkshake and dinner rolls.
so imagine my dismay when an old high school friend suggested we meet up at the local Chili's for drinks and a bite. i agreed, sure i would find something on the menu to choke down. the atmosphere isn't terrible, but if you blindfolded me and dropped me in a Chili's, it would probably take me a good bit of an hour to figure out it wasn't a Ruby Tuesday's, or TGIFriday's, or some other gimmicky upscale-ish cookie-cutter town watering hole. the bottom line is: who fucking cares about the atmosphere of a Chili's? no one. nothing sets it apart from the rest of the chains.
onto the meal. they have these new chicken crispers, with like four different flavor variations on the breaded/fried chicken deal. i went with the honey-chipotle crispers, thinking to myself, "the chicken is fried. at least it will be cooked. the breading will add some crunchy texture. then the honey-chipotle glaze should give an okay flavor." i was have always been a fan of chicken fingers, they're kinda a ne'er-go-wrong in restaurants; who can fuck up a chicken finger if it's cooked properly?
i have the answer to that question: Chili's can. as i sunk my fork into the first crisper, i found that the breading was not crisp at all. this began distracting me from my dinner date, as i continued to assess the form of the chicken: was it pink? was it warm? was it chicken? deeming it semi-worthy of my boisterous stomach, i began eating. the actual chicken meat itself was ok. the breading and H/C sauce, however (which there was a bigger ratio of than chicken), was under par, at best. in my mouth, i could better tell the texture and why my fork had told me the breading didn't seem crisp; i got the impression that the kitchen staff poured the H/C sauce onto my chicken and let them sit for about 20 minutes under heat lamps before bringing them to me. soggy breading: heinous. the best part of the chicken was the overcooked ends, where i got a false sense of crisp. after the disappointment, i nibbled on the salty fries. then i scraped the corn-on-the-cobb OFF the cobb, and ate that, in hopes of chasing away all the bad from the 5 bites of chicken "crispers" i took.
like i mentioned, this bad meal really distracted me from my dinner partner. i was not a happy camper. i usually do not hesitate in sending back bad meals, but my etiquette sense kept me from doing so, since i had not seen this person i was dining with in 15 years. next time i am forced to eat at Chili's, i vow to get a milkshake and dinner rolls.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The "Wheels" are coming off of the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits
This just in the Foo Fighters are putting the worst song they ever recorded on their new greatest hits album. I saw the track list and it's pretty solid except for the song Wheels.
I will keep this brief. I am not a music expert, nor am I a die hard Foo Fighters fan but I always enjoy the songs they releases as singles. Here's a little know fact: when Kurt Cobain died ending Nirvana Tommy Petty invited Dave Grohl to join the Heart Breakers. He didn't, yet he still managed to write a song that sounds like bad 70's rock.
This song is horrible. It's adult contemporary horrible. It's strong enough for a man but made for a woman. It's bad Tom Petty served up on alternative radio to unsuspecting teenagers that don't know any better. Boo Dave Grohl for shame that song is a second rate b-side at best.
I will keep this brief. I am not a music expert, nor am I a die hard Foo Fighters fan but I always enjoy the songs they releases as singles. Here's a little know fact: when Kurt Cobain died ending Nirvana Tommy Petty invited Dave Grohl to join the Heart Breakers. He didn't, yet he still managed to write a song that sounds like bad 70's rock.
This song is horrible. It's adult contemporary horrible. It's strong enough for a man but made for a woman. It's bad Tom Petty served up on alternative radio to unsuspecting teenagers that don't know any better. Boo Dave Grohl for shame that song is a second rate b-side at best.
Friday, October 2, 2009
It Wasn't That Sunny in Phili This Week
If you don't watch Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia you should. It could be the funniest most under rated show on TV. Here are the basics, five of the most selfish and ignorant people I have ever seen work at what could be the worst bar in Philadelphia. They are friends and family members all looking out for number one. What makes the show great is the interaction between the "Gang" and the secondary characters that they try to take advantage of. And they always fail.
I admit it, I'm not the sharpest guy. And sometimes satire goes over my head because I take what I see at face value. I am also hypersensitive to product placement due to my career in the Wine/Beer world. That is why this weeks episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "The Great Recession" was so ridiculous.
I pose the question, did the gang really need to sell out with product placements or was this the usual tongue in cheek writing we are used to and took the whoring to a new level for sheer shock value? The important thing a lot of other reviewers are missing is that they still followed the formula for a great "Sunny" episode. Three story arcs happening at once that shine a light on something that is fucked up in our world all culminating in Sweet Dee being alienated by the Boys.
Lets dissect this a little. To use TV terms we will call them the A,B and C story arcs.
A-Frank, Sweet Dee and Charlie are out on their own trying to get back on there feet after Mac and Dennis "fire" them.
B-Mac and Dennis try and stimulate the bars economy using the same tried and true methods as the good ol' US of A. Making money, bonuses and perks.
C-And this is where it gets kind of fuzzy, it could be alternative comedy that is so subtle that it just passes right over a lot of people heads but I believe that the C arc is the whoring for Coors and Dave and Busters.
Am I right? Is it satire or did the Great Recession make the gang suckle at the teet of commerce? I really want to believe that they just took advantage of Coors and D & B's like the rest of the rotating cast of secondary characters. I won't cheapen this review by posting spoilers and going into the particulars of the Episode, I will just rate it a 7 out of 10. I command you to watch this show 10pm Thursdays on FX.
McWilcox
I admit it, I'm not the sharpest guy. And sometimes satire goes over my head because I take what I see at face value. I am also hypersensitive to product placement due to my career in the Wine/Beer world. That is why this weeks episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "The Great Recession" was so ridiculous.
I pose the question, did the gang really need to sell out with product placements or was this the usual tongue in cheek writing we are used to and took the whoring to a new level for sheer shock value? The important thing a lot of other reviewers are missing is that they still followed the formula for a great "Sunny" episode. Three story arcs happening at once that shine a light on something that is fucked up in our world all culminating in Sweet Dee being alienated by the Boys.
Lets dissect this a little. To use TV terms we will call them the A,B and C story arcs.
A-Frank, Sweet Dee and Charlie are out on their own trying to get back on there feet after Mac and Dennis "fire" them.
B-Mac and Dennis try and stimulate the bars economy using the same tried and true methods as the good ol' US of A. Making money, bonuses and perks.
C-And this is where it gets kind of fuzzy, it could be alternative comedy that is so subtle that it just passes right over a lot of people heads but I believe that the C arc is the whoring for Coors and Dave and Busters.
Am I right? Is it satire or did the Great Recession make the gang suckle at the teet of commerce? I really want to believe that they just took advantage of Coors and D & B's like the rest of the rotating cast of secondary characters. I won't cheapen this review by posting spoilers and going into the particulars of the Episode, I will just rate it a 7 out of 10. I command you to watch this show 10pm Thursdays on FX.
McWilcox
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)