Even though I co-hosted arguably the most popular rock show in WVOF 88.5 FM history for two years (which means that we got about 12 listeners a week), I still can not define my musical taste. I feel like other people have a better grasp on the type of music I like than I do. Time and time again, people tell me to listen to songs that they think I would enjoy, and more often than not they are right.
If there's one thing that I do know about my musical taste it's that I like the band Green Day. I mean, any band with an album named Dookie is good in my book. I own 4 Green Day albums, including the most recent, 21st Century Breakdown. It's been playing in my car non stop for the past 2 weeks. The album has a great title track, a fake ass ballad (They're a punk band, ballads are virtually out of the question), and a ready made Guitar Hero III song. For a more professional analysis, here's the Rolling Stone Review.
It's hard to imagine, but the CD gets even better. After watching their appearance on the Colbert Report, I learned that the band was having a little tiff with Walmart. Apparently Walmart wanted the band to make an edited version of the album because of curse words and suggestive language, and they said no. I love that Green Day took a stand against the world's number one retailer. Instead of caving to sell more records, they maintained their artistic integrity and as fate would have it, they still have the top selling album in the country.
Here is one of their most explicit songs:
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Great Moments in Manhood
A few weeks back, when ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd was talking about Dallas Maverick forward Dirk Nowitzki's crazed and now ex-fiance who claims she is carrying his child, he said,
"Women are like brownies. Even if a guy isn't hungry, you put a brownie in front of him and he's like, "Ehhh I guess I'll eat it.""
Essentially what he meant was that guys are lazy and they'll usually settle for the girl that's the most aggressive. Sure, sometimes a guy likes the cat and mouse game that occurs when a girl plays hard to get, but in general, they want to put in the least amount of work possible in order to get some. This comment was made because Dirk is a professional athlete and this female is a dog (more on this later). Normally professional athletes have smoking hot wives because they are rich and (most) women are superficial. Most professional athletes also cheat on their spouses at a ramped rate. A female friend of mine (again, I'm a huge FOG), told me that she doesn't respect Kobe Bryant because he infamously cheated on his wife. My argument was that 1.) Kobe's wife, although hot, sucks 2.) Jordan cheated on his wife countless time and 3.) At least 75% of professional athletes (NBA, MLB, and NFL) cheat. Now chicks dig hockey players, but I don't know the sport well enough to include them in my estimation.
Okay, so back to this Dirk situation. His ex-fiance Cristal Taylor was arrested at his home on charges of fraud. Apparently there were warrants out for her arrest in two states and she had used somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 aliases in her adult life. Outside of secret agents, anyone that has an alias is a complete whack job (unless that alias is tater salad). It's a tell tale sign. Kind of like my theory that if you have a tattoo on your neck, you're a thug. Dirk was not the first professional athlete that Ms. Taylor tried to take down. Former St. Louis Rams Quarterback Tony Banks came out and said that he used to date Taylor and that she almost ruined his life.
Here is what Taylor and a mid game Dirk look like:
Any guesses as to what their unborn child is going to look like? Here's mine.
"Women are like brownies. Even if a guy isn't hungry, you put a brownie in front of him and he's like, "Ehhh I guess I'll eat it.""
Essentially what he meant was that guys are lazy and they'll usually settle for the girl that's the most aggressive. Sure, sometimes a guy likes the cat and mouse game that occurs when a girl plays hard to get, but in general, they want to put in the least amount of work possible in order to get some. This comment was made because Dirk is a professional athlete and this female is a dog (more on this later). Normally professional athletes have smoking hot wives because they are rich and (most) women are superficial. Most professional athletes also cheat on their spouses at a ramped rate. A female friend of mine (again, I'm a huge FOG), told me that she doesn't respect Kobe Bryant because he infamously cheated on his wife. My argument was that 1.) Kobe's wife, although hot, sucks 2.) Jordan cheated on his wife countless time and 3.) At least 75% of professional athletes (NBA, MLB, and NFL) cheat. Now chicks dig hockey players, but I don't know the sport well enough to include them in my estimation.
Okay, so back to this Dirk situation. His ex-fiance Cristal Taylor was arrested at his home on charges of fraud. Apparently there were warrants out for her arrest in two states and she had used somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 aliases in her adult life. Outside of secret agents, anyone that has an alias is a complete whack job (unless that alias is tater salad). It's a tell tale sign. Kind of like my theory that if you have a tattoo on your neck, you're a thug. Dirk was not the first professional athlete that Ms. Taylor tried to take down. Former St. Louis Rams Quarterback Tony Banks came out and said that he used to date Taylor and that she almost ruined his life.
Here is what Taylor and a mid game Dirk look like:
Any guesses as to what their unborn child is going to look like? Here's mine.
Monday, May 25, 2009
A Weak Lineup
At last week's ABC Upfront, Jimmy Kimmel ripped his network's new fall shows in his monologue. New York Times writer David Itzkoff took Kimmel's words at face value and thought his brutally honest rhetoric would leave him on thin ice with network executives. Apparently Itzkoff can't detect humor, or sarcasm because Kimmel's monologue (as you can see in the video below) was not given with any malcontent.
While he was clearly going for laughs, his words were actually quite accurate. After watching the trailers for ABC's new fall shows, I couldn't be any less excited. I usually give new shows a chance for two reasons. 1.)I never know if they are going to be the next smash hit and DVR lets me view them at my convenience and 2.) Some shows (like Lost for example) are best understood if you watch them from the get go.
However, like Kimmel said, most of these shows will get canceled, so getting hooked can be dangerous. For example, when FOX canceled Reunion, it left me and the other 12 people that watched it on a cliffhanger that we will never see end of. Please FOX, just tell us who the killer was.
You can watch the trailers for the new fall shows that you'll see on ABC and FOX here.
A few quick comments about these new shows.
ABC
V: I don't know what's more unrealistic, another life form contacting earth or a journalist saying what this joker says to the alien right before the interview in the second video. I've got two words for V: No thanks.
Flash Forward: People dig time travel, but I'm not one of them.
Cougar Town: Courtney Cox needs to realize that she's been George Costanza'd (Yeah, I just made that up). Just like people will always think of Jason Alexander as George Costanza, people will always think of her as Monica Geller and there's nothing she can do about it.
The Deep End- Shows about hospitals and law firms are generally liked because people idealize doctors and lawyers, but the drama in this one seems a little too contrived for me.
Hank- I like Kelsey Grammar, but I don't know how this one can make it past one season.
Happy Town- A murder in Pleasantville brings out a town's murky history. This horror genre has a niche market, but it's a small one, so I don't like this one's chances for success.
The Middle- Good to see the janitor from Scrubs get a chance, but this show looks like a knockoff version of Malcom in the Middle.
FOX
The Cleveland Show: Cleveland is a great character on Family Guy, but spinoffs never work, right?
While he was clearly going for laughs, his words were actually quite accurate. After watching the trailers for ABC's new fall shows, I couldn't be any less excited. I usually give new shows a chance for two reasons. 1.)I never know if they are going to be the next smash hit and DVR lets me view them at my convenience and 2.) Some shows (like Lost for example) are best understood if you watch them from the get go.
However, like Kimmel said, most of these shows will get canceled, so getting hooked can be dangerous. For example, when FOX canceled Reunion, it left me and the other 12 people that watched it on a cliffhanger that we will never see end of. Please FOX, just tell us who the killer was.
You can watch the trailers for the new fall shows that you'll see on ABC and FOX here.
A few quick comments about these new shows.
ABC
V: I don't know what's more unrealistic, another life form contacting earth or a journalist saying what this joker says to the alien right before the interview in the second video. I've got two words for V: No thanks.
Flash Forward: People dig time travel, but I'm not one of them.
Cougar Town: Courtney Cox needs to realize that she's been George Costanza'd (Yeah, I just made that up). Just like people will always think of Jason Alexander as George Costanza, people will always think of her as Monica Geller and there's nothing she can do about it.
The Deep End- Shows about hospitals and law firms are generally liked because people idealize doctors and lawyers, but the drama in this one seems a little too contrived for me.
Hank- I like Kelsey Grammar, but I don't know how this one can make it past one season.
Happy Town- A murder in Pleasantville brings out a town's murky history. This horror genre has a niche market, but it's a small one, so I don't like this one's chances for success.
The Middle- Good to see the janitor from Scrubs get a chance, but this show looks like a knockoff version of Malcom in the Middle.
FOX
The Cleveland Show: Cleveland is a great character on Family Guy, but spinoffs never work, right?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Top Ten Supporting Performances
Hollywood, like Sports, is driven by the big names. The biggest names are what attract people to the theater, or to the arena, but sometimes it's the lesser known actors, or athletes that steal the spotlight. Just like sometimes Michael Jordan passed to Steve Kerr or John Paxson for the game-winning shot, sometimes the lead actors (Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, etc.) aren't the ones that shine the brightest in films. As many of you know, I am on a personal quest to see every movie that's received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in my lifetime. With that in mind, I present the top 10 Oscar nominated supporting performances since 1986 (5 of the 10 came away winners). What can I say? I'm all chalk.
10.) Dennis Hopper as Shooter in Hoosiers (1986)
Hoosiers is a classic sports movie about a small town Indiana high school basketball team's journey to the state title. Hopper's character Shooter, the town drunk, is offered the assistant coaching job, but must sober up first. He holds things together for a while, but his old drinking ways resurface and he stumbles into a gym and onto the court to yell at a referee. Shortly after this escapade he is found passed out and drunk in the middle of the woods. He spends the rest of the movie rehabilitating in a hospital, but it appears that he has finally turned the corner.
Memorable lines:
Shooter: Alright, boys, this is the last shot we got. We're gonna run the picket fence at 'em.
Shooter: I know everything there is to know about the greatest game ever invented.
Shooter(drunk): You're out of position to make the call!
9.) Marissa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Well in order to appease my female readership, I figured I'd throw in a token female supporting performance. Tomei won an Academy Award for this role as the fiance of a wanna-be lawyer. Vito's brash New York attitude comes to life in a number of arguments that she has with her fiance, Vincent Gambini, played by Joe Pesci. Vito ends up being the key witness in the case because of her knowledge of the auto industry.
Memorable lines:
Mona Lisa Vito: Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water... BAM! A fuckin' bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you give a fuck what kind of pants the son of a bitch who shot you was wearing?
Mona Lisa Vito: I want a wedding in church with bridesmaids and flowers.
Vinny Gambini: Whoa. How many times did you say that spontaneous is romantic?
Lisa Vito: Hey, a burp is spontaneous. A burp is not romantic.
8.) Mark Wahlberg as Sergeant Dignam in The Departed (2006)
Wahlberg would be higher (actually I guess I mean lower) on this list, but it could be argued that Alec Baldwin's role as Ellerby was the better supporting performance. Either way, Wahlberg was in his element with this character. Dignam is a foul mouthed Boston guy with a chip on his shoulder. His heated exchanges with both Matt Damon's character and Leonardo Dicaprio's character were poignant moments in the film.
Memorable lines:
Dignam: I'm the guy that does my job. You must be the other guy.
Dignam: You were kind of a double kid, I bet, right? One kid with your old man. One kid with your mother. Upper middle class in the week, and then dropping your 'r's and hanging in the Southie projects with daddy the donkey on the weekends. I got that right? You have different accents? You did, didn't you.
Dignam: Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe fuck yourself. My theory on Feds is they're like mushrooms. Feed 'em shit and keep in the dark. You girls have a nice day.
Colin Sullivan: A problem?
Dignam: Yeah, I run rat rucks like you. I don't like them.
Colin Sullian: The day you wouldn't take a promotion, you let me know. And I wouldn't even have a job if you did yours.
Dignam: Fuck yourself.
Colin Sullivan: I need to know the identity of your undercovers.
Dignam: Blow me. Not literally, there's no promotion in it for ya.
7.) Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Walken is the ultimate supporting actor. The thought of him playing a lead role is hard to even fathom. In this film, Walken plays the father of a high profile con man (played by Leonardo Dicaprio). Walken's character never stops trying to instill life lessons in his son, even when he knows there's no changing his fraudulent ways.
Memorable line:
6.) Joe Pesci as Tommy Devito in Goodfellas (1990)
Pesci won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the hot-headed gangster Tommy DeVito. Throughout the course of the film, DeVito becomes a psychotic murderer who acts on impulse and deals with the consequences later. His violent and explosive temper get him into trouble, but wouldn't you know that this personality type seems to bring out the best in Pesci.
Memorable lines:
5.) Edward Norton as Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear (1996)
Norton plays an altar boy accused of brutally murdering a high ranking Catholic Priest. His fate seems sealed until Richard Gere, who plays a hot shot lawyer, swoops in to defend the stuttering young Aaron. Gere later finds out that Aaron has a split personality. His alter ego is the highly aggressive Roy. The ending contains a nice twist and I don't want to ruin it for those of you that haven't seen it. Just know that this role was Norton's coming out party because of how he handled the two polar opposite personalities.
Memorable line: (Spoiler Alert)
Well, good for you, Marty. I was gonna let it go. You were looking so happy just now. I was thinking...To tell you the truth, I'm glad you figured it. 'Cause I have been dying to tell you. I just didn't know who you'd wanna hear it from. Aaron or Roy, Roy or Aaron. Well, I'll let you in on a client- attorney-privilege type of secret. It don't matter who you hear it from. It's the same story. I j-j-just...had to kill Linda, Mr Vail. That cunt just got what she deserved. But...cutting up that son of a bitch Rushman......that was just a fucking work of art.
4.) Kevin Spacey as Roger "Verbal" Kint in The Usual Suspects (1995)
Spacey won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but he was basically the lead. In the film, he plays a crippled criminal who is in a police station recounting his memories after a bloody heist of a ship's cargo. His character has immunity so a little bit of a cat and mouse game arises between he and the police investigator (played by Chazz Palminteri, who is best known for his role as Sonny in A Bronx Tale). Spacey's character seems to be very forthright with what he knows, but the police investigator has a feeling that he is withholding something. He can't quite put it all together, but must before time runs out.
Memorable Line:
Verbal: Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that, poof. He's gone.
3.) Cuba Gooding Jr. as Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire (1996)
First things first, who knew that Tidwell was just Anquan Boldin before Anquan Boldin? Same team. Same position. Same type of player. Both looking for a big contract. The similarities are startling.
In the film, Gooding Jr. plays a star wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals that wants his agent Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise, to get him the big time contract that he thinks he deserves. In fact, his most famous line is of course, "Show me the money." As the movie progresses we learn that there is actually a genuine person behind the animated receiver. Tidwell, ego aside, ends up teaching Maguire a lot about loyalty, friendship, and family. Gooding Jr's. performance was recognized with the Oscar in 1997.
Memorable lines:
Rod Tidwell: I am a valuable commodity! I go across the middle! I see a dude coming at me, trying to kill me, I tell myself "Get killed. Catch the ball!' BOO YA! Touchdown! I make miracles happen!
Rod Tidwell: You're hanging by a very thin thread, dude. And I dig that about you.
Rod Tidwell: See, man, that's the difference between us. You think we're fighting, I think we're finally talking!
2.) Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008)
As we all know, this role won Ledger the Oscar, but it also cost him his life. He was outstanding as The Joker. He literally stole the movie. His personality, mannerisms, and downright lunacy had me rooting for him instead of the bland and uninspiring Christian Bale Batman. It's truly a tragedy to think that ramped drug use heavily influenced this prolific performance, but then took the life of the actor shortly thereafter.
Memorable lines:
The Joker: Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You are truly incorruptible, aren't you? Huh? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever
The Joker: Do you want to know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?
The Joker: It wasn't hard. You see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push.
1.) Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R. Jessep in A Few Good Men (1992)
The fact that Nicholson didn't win the Academy Award back in 1993 is an absolute travesty (Gene Hackman won for his performance in Unforgiven). The role of Jessep, an arrogant Army Colonel, was perfect for Nicholson. When I see him sitting court side at Laker games, I imagine that his off screen personality is just like that of Colonel Nathan R. Jessep's. There's been some great court room moments in the history of film, but I don't think any are as powerful as when Jessep takes the stand. In fact, I would argue that is one of the best scenes of all time. Whenever I catch this movie, and especially this scene, on television I get sucked in and watch it until the end.
Memorable Lines:
Because that list was rather uninspired (all of them were Oscar nominated), I'll also throw out a few more great supporting performances. Clive Owen in Inside Man (2006), Will Ferrel in Wedding Crashers (2005), Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State (1998), Rob Corddry in What Happens in Vegas (2008), Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1985) and Brad Pitt in Fight Club (1999).
Feel free to let me know if you think of any others.
10.) Dennis Hopper as Shooter in Hoosiers (1986)
Hoosiers is a classic sports movie about a small town Indiana high school basketball team's journey to the state title. Hopper's character Shooter, the town drunk, is offered the assistant coaching job, but must sober up first. He holds things together for a while, but his old drinking ways resurface and he stumbles into a gym and onto the court to yell at a referee. Shortly after this escapade he is found passed out and drunk in the middle of the woods. He spends the rest of the movie rehabilitating in a hospital, but it appears that he has finally turned the corner.
Memorable lines:
Shooter: Alright, boys, this is the last shot we got. We're gonna run the picket fence at 'em.
Shooter: I know everything there is to know about the greatest game ever invented.
Shooter(drunk): You're out of position to make the call!
9.) Marissa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Well in order to appease my female readership, I figured I'd throw in a token female supporting performance. Tomei won an Academy Award for this role as the fiance of a wanna-be lawyer. Vito's brash New York attitude comes to life in a number of arguments that she has with her fiance, Vincent Gambini, played by Joe Pesci. Vito ends up being the key witness in the case because of her knowledge of the auto industry.
Memorable lines:
Mona Lisa Vito: Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water... BAM! A fuckin' bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you give a fuck what kind of pants the son of a bitch who shot you was wearing?
Mona Lisa Vito: I want a wedding in church with bridesmaids and flowers.
Vinny Gambini: Whoa. How many times did you say that spontaneous is romantic?
Lisa Vito: Hey, a burp is spontaneous. A burp is not romantic.
8.) Mark Wahlberg as Sergeant Dignam in The Departed (2006)
Wahlberg would be higher (actually I guess I mean lower) on this list, but it could be argued that Alec Baldwin's role as Ellerby was the better supporting performance. Either way, Wahlberg was in his element with this character. Dignam is a foul mouthed Boston guy with a chip on his shoulder. His heated exchanges with both Matt Damon's character and Leonardo Dicaprio's character were poignant moments in the film.
Memorable lines:
Dignam: I'm the guy that does my job. You must be the other guy.
Dignam: You were kind of a double kid, I bet, right? One kid with your old man. One kid with your mother. Upper middle class in the week, and then dropping your 'r's and hanging in the Southie projects with daddy the donkey on the weekends. I got that right? You have different accents? You did, didn't you.
Dignam: Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe fuck yourself. My theory on Feds is they're like mushrooms. Feed 'em shit and keep in the dark. You girls have a nice day.
Colin Sullivan: A problem?
Dignam: Yeah, I run rat rucks like you. I don't like them.
Colin Sullian: The day you wouldn't take a promotion, you let me know. And I wouldn't even have a job if you did yours.
Dignam: Fuck yourself.
Colin Sullivan: I need to know the identity of your undercovers.
Dignam: Blow me. Not literally, there's no promotion in it for ya.
7.) Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Walken is the ultimate supporting actor. The thought of him playing a lead role is hard to even fathom. In this film, Walken plays the father of a high profile con man (played by Leonardo Dicaprio). Walken's character never stops trying to instill life lessons in his son, even when he knows there's no changing his fraudulent ways.
Memorable line:
6.) Joe Pesci as Tommy Devito in Goodfellas (1990)
Pesci won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the hot-headed gangster Tommy DeVito. Throughout the course of the film, DeVito becomes a psychotic murderer who acts on impulse and deals with the consequences later. His violent and explosive temper get him into trouble, but wouldn't you know that this personality type seems to bring out the best in Pesci.
Memorable lines:
5.) Edward Norton as Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear (1996)
Norton plays an altar boy accused of brutally murdering a high ranking Catholic Priest. His fate seems sealed until Richard Gere, who plays a hot shot lawyer, swoops in to defend the stuttering young Aaron. Gere later finds out that Aaron has a split personality. His alter ego is the highly aggressive Roy. The ending contains a nice twist and I don't want to ruin it for those of you that haven't seen it. Just know that this role was Norton's coming out party because of how he handled the two polar opposite personalities.
Memorable line: (Spoiler Alert)
Well, good for you, Marty. I was gonna let it go. You were looking so happy just now. I was thinking...To tell you the truth, I'm glad you figured it. 'Cause I have been dying to tell you. I just didn't know who you'd wanna hear it from. Aaron or Roy, Roy or Aaron. Well, I'll let you in on a client- attorney-privilege type of secret. It don't matter who you hear it from. It's the same story. I j-j-just...had to kill Linda, Mr Vail. That cunt just got what she deserved. But...cutting up that son of a bitch Rushman......that was just a fucking work of art.
4.) Kevin Spacey as Roger "Verbal" Kint in The Usual Suspects (1995)
Spacey won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but he was basically the lead. In the film, he plays a crippled criminal who is in a police station recounting his memories after a bloody heist of a ship's cargo. His character has immunity so a little bit of a cat and mouse game arises between he and the police investigator (played by Chazz Palminteri, who is best known for his role as Sonny in A Bronx Tale). Spacey's character seems to be very forthright with what he knows, but the police investigator has a feeling that he is withholding something. He can't quite put it all together, but must before time runs out.
Memorable Line:
Verbal: Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that, poof. He's gone.
3.) Cuba Gooding Jr. as Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire (1996)
First things first, who knew that Tidwell was just Anquan Boldin before Anquan Boldin? Same team. Same position. Same type of player. Both looking for a big contract. The similarities are startling.
In the film, Gooding Jr. plays a star wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals that wants his agent Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise, to get him the big time contract that he thinks he deserves. In fact, his most famous line is of course, "Show me the money." As the movie progresses we learn that there is actually a genuine person behind the animated receiver. Tidwell, ego aside, ends up teaching Maguire a lot about loyalty, friendship, and family. Gooding Jr's. performance was recognized with the Oscar in 1997.
Memorable lines:
Rod Tidwell: I am a valuable commodity! I go across the middle! I see a dude coming at me, trying to kill me, I tell myself "Get killed. Catch the ball!' BOO YA! Touchdown! I make miracles happen!
Rod Tidwell: You're hanging by a very thin thread, dude. And I dig that about you.
Rod Tidwell: See, man, that's the difference between us. You think we're fighting, I think we're finally talking!
2.) Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008)
As we all know, this role won Ledger the Oscar, but it also cost him his life. He was outstanding as The Joker. He literally stole the movie. His personality, mannerisms, and downright lunacy had me rooting for him instead of the bland and uninspiring Christian Bale Batman. It's truly a tragedy to think that ramped drug use heavily influenced this prolific performance, but then took the life of the actor shortly thereafter.
Memorable lines:
The Joker: Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You are truly incorruptible, aren't you? Huh? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever
The Joker: Do you want to know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?
The Joker: It wasn't hard. You see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push.
1.) Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R. Jessep in A Few Good Men (1992)
The fact that Nicholson didn't win the Academy Award back in 1993 is an absolute travesty (Gene Hackman won for his performance in Unforgiven). The role of Jessep, an arrogant Army Colonel, was perfect for Nicholson. When I see him sitting court side at Laker games, I imagine that his off screen personality is just like that of Colonel Nathan R. Jessep's. There's been some great court room moments in the history of film, but I don't think any are as powerful as when Jessep takes the stand. In fact, I would argue that is one of the best scenes of all time. Whenever I catch this movie, and especially this scene, on television I get sucked in and watch it until the end.
Memorable Lines:
Because that list was rather uninspired (all of them were Oscar nominated), I'll also throw out a few more great supporting performances. Clive Owen in Inside Man (2006), Will Ferrel in Wedding Crashers (2005), Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State (1998), Rob Corddry in What Happens in Vegas (2008), Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1985) and Brad Pitt in Fight Club (1999).
Feel free to let me know if you think of any others.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tweet This
A week ago today I was at lunch with a female friend (I'm a huge FOG) in the dumpster that is the state of New Jersey. During the course of the lunch she got an alert on her blackberry. Perhaps without thinking, she read it out loud. "(My Friend the K Man) wants to follow you on Twitter." I almost fell out of my chair. I couldn't believe that my friend the K Man, a person who I generally agree with on things, fell victim to the Twitter craze. Now he is a tech-Geek, but still. I wish that I had known that he was thinking about joining and I would have showed him this video sooner. It basically sums up my thoughts on the social networking device.
The Century Mark
NBC's The Office is celebrating its 100th episode tonight. Doesn't it seem like there's already been that many? I mean, it's already in syndication on TBS. 100 is apparently a lot tougher to get to than we realize. For instance, I've had this blog since October and this is only my 68th post.
This 100th episode is also the Season 5 finale. Here is a preview of what you'll see tonight.
This 100th episode is also the Season 5 finale. Here is a preview of what you'll see tonight.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
My Mistake
A few weeks back (around the same time I last posted something), I put up, what I thought was an interesting poll question. It asked what you thought our generation would come to be referred to as when it's all said and done. It was a small sample size (thanks to the 8 of you that voted) and "The iGeneration" came out on top. Steve Jobs unfortunately wasn't around to accept the title, but I believe that the result may have been tainted anyway. The answer choices that I provided, although both timely and accurate, did not include this worthy nomination by friend of the blog, Bob Sinclair.
Monday, May 4, 2009
On-Screen Reunions
For whatever reason, some actors and actresses just click when they are on screen together. There is no formula, or method to follow. Casting directors basically take a shot in the dark and hope for the best. Every once in a while they hit it out of the ballpark and a visible sense of chemistry will form between an actor and an actress. Sometimes this on screen chemistry turns into off screen romance (Brad and Angelina in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)). Other times, the on screen chemistry is expected to replicate itself later on in the careers of the actor and actress, but rarely does that initial spark reappear. These expectations are oftentimes hard to meet because on screen chemistry isn't just about who the actor and actress are. So many things factor into the equation. The script, the director, the music (Yes, the music. It sets the scene like nothing else), etc. Here are three on screen reunions that have been deemed unsuccessful.
1.) Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
These two first rippled some feathers in 1993's sappy romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle. Hanks plays a widowed father, who's son calls into a national radio program to try explain his father's difficulty in finding love again. Hanks' character eventually takes the phone (the radio host refers to him as Sleepless in Seattle) and talks about both his feelings for his dead wife and his desire to move on. Meg Ryan plays one of the show's listeners that is touched by Hanks' story. They are hardly on screen together, but their fairly tale meeting on the top of the Empire State Building at the end had American housewives creaming themselves back in '93. The film garnered 2 Oscar (one for Best Music) and 3 Golden Globe nominations (both Hanks and Ryan were nominated for best actor/actress in a comedy/musical).
Writer/director Nora Ephron, who won an Oscar for writing Sleepless in Seattle, hoped the chemistry between Hanks and Ryan could transcend yet another communications medium in 1998's You've Got Mail. In this film, Hanks and Ryan play rival business owners who unknowingly correspond with one another via email. Although I think the movie is worthless, I must give Ephron credit for the timely plot on internet dating. This was pre-EHarmony and Match.com.
When the online friends first decide to meet in person, Hanks realizes that his beloved Shopgirl (Ryan's screen name in the movie) is in fact his business rival. He plays it off as a chance encounter, but then tries to improve the relations between the two before they again decide to meet in person. Sure enough he wins her over and when the online pair finally meets, Ryan's character says, "I wanted it to be you," and they kiss. You've Got Mail received much less critical acclaim (only 1 Golden Globe nom- Ryan).
2.) Richard Gere and Julia Roberts
Pretty Woman (1990) was an instant classic because of it's obscure, but heart warming love story. In the film Richard Gere plays a big shot corporate raider who hires a prostitute (Roberts) to pose as his date at a number of high society functions over the course of six days. Gere's character showers Roberts' with a limitless supply of money and she transforms from a Hollywood whore into a stunning socialite. Of course they fall in love, have a brief falling out, and then reunite at the end. The film also features a pre-George Costanza Jason Alexander. Roberts' performance earned her an Oscar nomination as well as a Golden Globe win, while Gere settled for just a Golden Globe nomination.
The Gere/Roberts reunion, Runaway Bride (1999), also directed by Gary Marshall, was a flop. The film was about a male chauvinist writer (sound familiar?) who is sent to cover a story about a woman who has walked down the altar with three different men, only to runaway before the beginning of each ceremony. Gere's character follows her (Roberts) around and the two grow on each other. He even starts defending her from mocking townspeople, who are all too familiar with the runaway bride's antics. Eventually they fall in love and break up the 4th wedding before Roberts' character even has a chance to run. With the wedding all planned, she decides to marry Gere's character instead. Sure enough, she runs away from him too. He chases after her, but can't catch her. When Gere's character returns home, Roberts' character is there waiting for him. She proposes to him, they get married, and ride off together on a horse. This film was shut out from the awards circuit, but I must give Richard Gere some props for being married to Cindy Crawford during her prime (1991-1995).
3.) Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet
James Cameron's Titanic (1997) not only won 11 Academy Awards, but it also launched the acting careers of two of the best in the business in Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. This love story is about a low class wanna be artist and high class future housewife who yearns for more. The unlikely pair fall in love, but are forever separated when DiCaprio's character drowns in the icy waters during the aftermath of the most famous shipwreck of all time. Winslet was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe, while DiCaprio only received the Golden Globe nomination. It should also be noted that Canadian sensation Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" won the Oscar for Best Original Song. I'm telling you, music plays a significant factor in this whole chemistry game.
I, like many others, could not wait for the this year's DiCaprio/Winslet reunion in Revolutionary Road. Arguably the best actor and best actress in the prime of their careers were reunited as a volatile 1950's suburban married couple 12 years after starring together in one of the most successful films ever made. How could it fail? Well, I guess the better question would be, how could it ever live up to those kind of expectations? DiCaprio and Winslet both gave emotionally charged performances that, as I've written previously, sort of came off as a who is better at acting contest. The film did receive 3 Oscar nominations (none for DiCaprio or Winslet, although I'm sure Winslet would have been nominated and probably won if it wasn't for her Oscar winning performance in The Reader). Winslet did win a Golden Globe for her performance and DiCaprio was nominated. As far a movie standards go (awards wise, anyway), this film was very successful, but it is seen as a failure because it did not live up to the extraordinary hype.
1.) Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
These two first rippled some feathers in 1993's sappy romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle. Hanks plays a widowed father, who's son calls into a national radio program to try explain his father's difficulty in finding love again. Hanks' character eventually takes the phone (the radio host refers to him as Sleepless in Seattle) and talks about both his feelings for his dead wife and his desire to move on. Meg Ryan plays one of the show's listeners that is touched by Hanks' story. They are hardly on screen together, but their fairly tale meeting on the top of the Empire State Building at the end had American housewives creaming themselves back in '93. The film garnered 2 Oscar (one for Best Music) and 3 Golden Globe nominations (both Hanks and Ryan were nominated for best actor/actress in a comedy/musical).
Writer/director Nora Ephron, who won an Oscar for writing Sleepless in Seattle, hoped the chemistry between Hanks and Ryan could transcend yet another communications medium in 1998's You've Got Mail. In this film, Hanks and Ryan play rival business owners who unknowingly correspond with one another via email. Although I think the movie is worthless, I must give Ephron credit for the timely plot on internet dating. This was pre-EHarmony and Match.com.
When the online friends first decide to meet in person, Hanks realizes that his beloved Shopgirl (Ryan's screen name in the movie) is in fact his business rival. He plays it off as a chance encounter, but then tries to improve the relations between the two before they again decide to meet in person. Sure enough he wins her over and when the online pair finally meets, Ryan's character says, "I wanted it to be you," and they kiss. You've Got Mail received much less critical acclaim (only 1 Golden Globe nom- Ryan).
2.) Richard Gere and Julia Roberts
Pretty Woman (1990) was an instant classic because of it's obscure, but heart warming love story. In the film Richard Gere plays a big shot corporate raider who hires a prostitute (Roberts) to pose as his date at a number of high society functions over the course of six days. Gere's character showers Roberts' with a limitless supply of money and she transforms from a Hollywood whore into a stunning socialite. Of course they fall in love, have a brief falling out, and then reunite at the end. The film also features a pre-George Costanza Jason Alexander. Roberts' performance earned her an Oscar nomination as well as a Golden Globe win, while Gere settled for just a Golden Globe nomination.
The Gere/Roberts reunion, Runaway Bride (1999), also directed by Gary Marshall, was a flop. The film was about a male chauvinist writer (sound familiar?) who is sent to cover a story about a woman who has walked down the altar with three different men, only to runaway before the beginning of each ceremony. Gere's character follows her (Roberts) around and the two grow on each other. He even starts defending her from mocking townspeople, who are all too familiar with the runaway bride's antics. Eventually they fall in love and break up the 4th wedding before Roberts' character even has a chance to run. With the wedding all planned, she decides to marry Gere's character instead. Sure enough, she runs away from him too. He chases after her, but can't catch her. When Gere's character returns home, Roberts' character is there waiting for him. She proposes to him, they get married, and ride off together on a horse. This film was shut out from the awards circuit, but I must give Richard Gere some props for being married to Cindy Crawford during her prime (1991-1995).
3.) Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet
James Cameron's Titanic (1997) not only won 11 Academy Awards, but it also launched the acting careers of two of the best in the business in Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. This love story is about a low class wanna be artist and high class future housewife who yearns for more. The unlikely pair fall in love, but are forever separated when DiCaprio's character drowns in the icy waters during the aftermath of the most famous shipwreck of all time. Winslet was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe, while DiCaprio only received the Golden Globe nomination. It should also be noted that Canadian sensation Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" won the Oscar for Best Original Song. I'm telling you, music plays a significant factor in this whole chemistry game.
I, like many others, could not wait for the this year's DiCaprio/Winslet reunion in Revolutionary Road. Arguably the best actor and best actress in the prime of their careers were reunited as a volatile 1950's suburban married couple 12 years after starring together in one of the most successful films ever made. How could it fail? Well, I guess the better question would be, how could it ever live up to those kind of expectations? DiCaprio and Winslet both gave emotionally charged performances that, as I've written previously, sort of came off as a who is better at acting contest. The film did receive 3 Oscar nominations (none for DiCaprio or Winslet, although I'm sure Winslet would have been nominated and probably won if it wasn't for her Oscar winning performance in The Reader). Winslet did win a Golden Globe for her performance and DiCaprio was nominated. As far a movie standards go (awards wise, anyway), this film was very successful, but it is seen as a failure because it did not live up to the extraordinary hype.
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