Friday, December 30, 2011

The Devil's Double- Yes, comparisons to 'Scarface' are almost certain, but overall, it's a fairly unique film. Dominic Cooper does a good job portraying the psychopath of Saddam Hussein's son Uday, which makes most of the film. It's an intriguing concept. A look-alike type 'Prince and the Pauper' story cept' it never truly goes where you want it to go (I'm guessing that's because it's "based on a true story", though it obviously takes quite a few liberties). Throughout the film, Uday is sadistic human being, killing, raping, and pillaging in any which ay he wants to, while Cooper's better-half character, Latif Yahia, basically just sits there with his arms crossed and goes, "I don't like it". I mean, it's nice that we have such a protagonist in a film that mainly focuses on its antagonist, but honestly, it might sound wrong, but I would have been more interested in Latif slowly becoming Uday, the man he hates but must act like, over just hating him the whole movie. I mean, if you are going to take liberties with history, might as well, right? Not to say it's bad, I actually liked this one quite a bit. I just wish there was more conflict in the hero's mind than "this is right, this is wrong".



- Jeff Bassin

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Drive- I won't lie to you, I had high expectations. When this film came out, it was most certainly that movie where everyone said "Hey, have you seen 'Drive' yet? This is my second time, it's so goooood" (Feel free to reread that statement over and over again in the condescending tone it applies) and all the reviews from critics screamed Nicolas Winding Refn's film was the most original thing they have seen in the action action genre in years. Luckily, my expectations were mostly met. Drive, while not being the most character driven film ever, fulfills both the viewer's need for an ominous dark neo-noir tone, and crazed ultra violence that one would ask for in a crime film. It's one of those odd circumstances where if I analyzed most things individually, it would only end up with okay as an average, but together, it's quite magical. Gosling delivers a mostly quiet performance, as does the film itself, keeping moments of silence and long european styled takes before pumping up the action and soundtrack to 80s style music and the ominous score by Cliff Martinez. This film certainly original, especially when it makes use of slow quiet moments more often to create tone rather than using extensive dialogue. I wish we saw a bit more of his life as a stuntman driver moonlighting as a getaway driver before we got into the big story, but overall, it's well worth the view.



- Jeff Bassin

Monday, December 26, 2011 - Tuesday, December 27, 2011

American Horror Story Season 1- The first season, completed in a 24 hour period. Saw the first 4 one night, and spent the next day finishing the 12 episode season. Yes. This is an accomplishment. A perfectly fine day wasted on some mindless television. Worth it. Sure, the show essentially is horror cliches molded in a 'Dark Shadows' formula with not so unique ideas, then pop in all the sexual and violent nature that Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk brought to 'Nip/Tuck' (Not 'Glee', silly!) and there was season one of 'AHS'. While the show didn't hook me from the pilot episode, I was hooked by the series' best episode 4 and 5 'Halloween, Part 1 and 2'. If you don't enjoy the show at that point, I would give you free range to quit watching.


The performances where all quite good, with the most notable ones being from Jessica Lange (the crafty and nefarious neighbor),


Kate Mara (the crazed ex-lover),

-She's usually so much hotter.

Evan Peters (the psychopath boyfriend)… I'm noticing that the most memorable performances came from the show's villains.

- I saw never back down, and lets just say, this is different.

Not to say that it isn't nice seeing Dylan McDermott again (since I haven't seen him in anything since Bobby Donnell in 'The Practice'),


or Denis O'Hare (who is slowly winning me over in the unknown character actor category with his performances on this and 'True Blood' as Russell Edgington),


or how about the edgy and emotional performance by Taissa Farmiga (this is the first most, including myself have seen of her, and I can tell she has talent),


and Connie Britton (I haven't watched 'Friday Night Lights', I know that's her claim to fame, but I have been meaning to and will certainly get to it faster now).


Jeez, all the performances were great so I want to just go over them all. How about the altered perception thing they did with Frances Conroy/ Alexandra Breckenridge (hot or not?). Either way it was effective and shocking.



But I'll stop now.

On the note that the series will be continuing season 2 with a different story completely, I'm actually glad. Not that this story was bad… just completed. It ended. I don't need to watch some of supposed "To Be Continued…" type stories they set up. Those sound boring to me. I think the season ended fantastically, going from it's typical overbearing soap opera drama, to a lighter tone with a slight homage to the movie 'Beetlejuice'. If you watch the season, which you should in my opinion, you will know what I mean. No, it's not the greatest thing on television. No, it's not unique. But yes, it is consistently interesting.



- Jeff Bassin

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work- One of the better expose documentaries I've seen, which is the reason I've watched it for the second time. Rivers is more than just marvelous comedienne (I didn't realize that is what you call female comedians until I saw this film). She's a tragic figure, a workaholic, a constant genius, and a real interesting person. You could learn a thing or two from this woman and her life.



Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010 Remake)- Interesting fairy tale horror film that spooked me quite a bit, but would have instilled great fear in me if I were younger. This is a creepy film. First time feature director Troy Nixey is an expert at mood, especially with his experience on his short film 'Latchkey's Lament' (which I also enjoyed when I saw it a bit ago) and with the help of the academy award nominated writer/director Guillermo del Toro as Producer. Nixey also has an eye for good visual art, clearly from his experience as a comic book artist. While the performances were nothing to special, Bailee Madison (the child in the film) is fairly believable and it's nice to see Katie Holmes doing work again (I still sigh when I watch her missing from 'The Dark Knight'). Certainly good for a nice scare, even if it's not perfect.



- Jeff Bassin

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Lucky- As much of a chance I wanted to give to Gil Cates Jr.'s off handed SXSW comedy, 'Lucky' really just isn't all that funny. Colin Hanks' performance seems remarkably offhanded, but I don't know if I want to blame him or the writers. I can't tell if I should pity him or fear him, since he is a goes from awkward quiet type to confident 'Dexter' type in only a few minutes time. With Ari Graynor, his romantic interest, she put on a nice performance, both a little zany and vulnerable. But honestly, none of the characters were really likable, which kind of puts a halt on a romantic comedy. How could you want Hanks and Graynor to end up together if they are both terrible people? It was not a waste of time, but I don't think I enjoyed it.



Rise of the Planet of the Apes- Like the first time I saw this film, I enjoyed it.



- Jeff Bassin

Friday, December 23, 2011

Abduction- Would be really silly, popcorn fun, though it's not very fun. I knew what I was getting into. Sure, Taylor Lautner has some stuntman skills, but in the end, the story wears everything else down. Maybe not even the story, The script is to blame. The dialogue is phony. When the lead characters point out that "wasn't this an interesting first date?" "definitely", I sigh. It points out the fact that this film is just as much of a plot as I thought it was. Taylor Lautner shirtless. Check. Taylor Lautner mackin' on the ladies (just Lily Collins, but you know what I mean). Check. And Taylor Lautner basically being better than anyone else in the film (except for the Dad character but he's never seen so he's not so much a bad@$$. Oh Well. I guess it was enjoyable, sort of. But not really. I wish it went to darker places, or created more three dimensional characters, or did anything interesting besides just exist. Director John Singleton has done interesting work, and Lautner clearly has the potential to be an action star (he clearly does a lot of his own stunts and is a talented martial artist i.e. 'The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D', and they look quite good too) but the script leaves wasted space for the both of them.



- Jeff Bassin

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Shark Night- Shlocky fun like 'Piranha 3D', but without the gore to back it up. None of the acting was great, the sharks looked fake, and the PG-13 rating really limited it. It's a bad movie and you know it, but somehow I didn't stop watching. Katharine McPhee is beautiful though. If it helps.



- Jeff Bassin

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Bag of Bones- Not amazing, but definitely entertaining. The performances were nothing too special, but the story was intriguing, and thoroughly chilling. Mick Garris (director of 'Hocus Pocus' and creator of 'Masters of Horror' and 'Fear Itself') gives the film a nice look, and provides interesting enough story for its 3 hour duration. The script isn't perfectly paced, especially in terms of taking a steady half of the first part to even get Pierce Brosnan's Mike Noonan to the lake house. Give it a chance if you have the time. From the outside perspective of a person who has not read the King novel, I was fairly surprised by its outcome.



Early Californication: Season 5 Premiere- What was once a show I looked forward to, I now want to push back and save it for later. Sadly, with the main story arc of Hank's unfortunate misunderstood crime now completed, the show no longer has any room to grow. The show ended last season. It's a shame the show will most likely end in 'The Office' category of zombie television shows (they just won't die!!!!).



- Jeff Bassin

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

TV Finales and Premieres

Allen Gregory Finale- I don't think there will be a season 2, so lets just call it a mini series to make it sound like that was all part of their plan. I agree this show is bitter hearted and clearly isn't the kind of show to last generations and become a cultural phenomenon like 'The Simpsons', but honestly, I'm sad to see it go. Why? Not because it's hilarious (though it really does have its moments), but because I really am not looking forward to the new 'Napoleon Dynamite' animated series as a replacement.



Dexter: Season 6 Finale- By now, I find it are to believe the show can last more than 2 more seasons in the annoying holes it has dug itself into. As much as I enjoyed Mos Def's performance in this season of 'Dexter', this has by far ranked itself just above third season's pointlessness in story arc. Dexter didn't even really serve to much justice with his dark passenger this season. With the exception of some weird incesty stuff and the final scene, this season was completely predictable and forgettable, which is a real shame.



Misfits: Season 3 Finale- Like I said, it has got to be one of the best shows on television right now from my preference. It has enough comedy to create beautiful characters, but it still finds enough ground to create some thoroughly touching moments. Despite in some ways going exactly where a viewer thought it would eventually go with some of the characters, the moments were effective and has not diminished my enjoyment of the program one bit. Even though two important characters have departed the show, with the recent success Howard Overman has had in my opinion with the character of Rudy, I still believe the show has the ability to get back to it's roots.



Early Shameless: Season 2 Premiere- I enjoyed the new season opener in the American adaptation of the UK series, and even though it isn't the most exciting or even controversial thing on television, it definitely has it. It's not laugh out loud funny, but keeps that comedic realism tone that the UK is so known for. Certainly worth checking out if you have an open mind.



- Jeff Bassin

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Our Idiot Brother- I really enjoyed this movie. The performances were nice and natural all around, the story was interesting all the way through, and the film had a nice thesis message. Despite being a bit generic, this film goes above and beyond in making up for Jesse Peretz's earlier directorial effort, 'The Ex'. Paul Rudd puts on one of my favorite performances by him and the film just has a nice heartfelt tone. Even though a few of the concluding scenes felt a bit forced and overly happy, it didn't really hurt my overall impression of the film. I would recommend this for a nice warm feeling on a rainy day.



- Jeff Bassin

Friday, December 16, 2011

High Anxiety- Surprised I had never seen this one, I finally saw this Mel Brooks classic. Being a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, this film actually seemed quite perfect in terms of what I wanted. A spoof of his films, with most notoriety going to 'Vertigo', I went into it with high hopes. And while those hopes were slightly diminished, I definitely enjoyed myself. Funny, absurd, and a bit too much slapstick, those are staples of the average Mel Brooks film, so you can forgive a few misses when it ones to his humor. It seems like most people forgot about this one, so I would have to say it is one of his underrated films, even though I probably wouldn't rank it too high in terms of his filmography.

From what I have seen by him, here's my top 5:
5) Dracula: Dead and Loving It
4) History of the World: Part I
3) Blazing Saddles
2) The Producers
1) Young Frankenstein

So I guess 'High Anxiety' doesn't really rank, even though I somewhat enjoyed it. It was at least better than 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' in my opinion.



- Jeff Bassin

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies...- Merchant puts on an entertaining show, but in the end, he's just not as good as when he's partnered with Gervais. The two are a genius team, but in the end, Merchant plays more to his search for marriage than to jokes, and that grows tiresome. Sure, he has an entertaining voice to listen to, especially when you are packing clothing away and can't look at every hand gesture he makes, but his jokes were fairly visual (one with texting language) and that was a hassle in terms of missing jokes on an auditory standpoint and having to go back. He's definitely a funny man, and deserves far more credit for his work than he often receives by the general audience, but I wasn't that impressed with this comedy performance. I would watch another if he had one obviously, but I probably won't be spreading this one around like it's the new Kanye album.



- Jeff Bassin

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Melancholia- Not as good as I thought it would be. As a somewhat fan of Lars Von Trier's previous works, 'Antichrist' and 'Dogville', I expected something a little bit more… I don't know, entertaining. 'Melancholia' is slow, clearly indulgent, and a bit obvious. From the opening sequence (which is the best part of the film) you know what will happen, so you are just waiting to get to know the characters, in the hopes of getting to know them and their minds before they are turned to dust in the destruction of the planet Earth from the collision of the Planet Melancholia. But no, Trier isn't interested in that. I never felt close to any characters. Just when you think that you understand a character, he pulls the rug from you and makes them do something that seems out of character. Sure it's interesting to watch, but no, it's not really enjoyable or well written. Part 1 is an irrelevant wedding that is meant to show Kirsten Dunst's character Justine is just oh so depressed (though she does give a good performance). But why show her wedding if, A) she won't be married in the second part and B) the repercussions of her choices in part 1 hardly show up in part 2. Part 2 was actually entertaining. With the threat of Melancholia being prevalent (there is hardly any mention of it in Part 1) and taking the perspective of Charlotte Gainsbourg's Claire (much more interesting character), trying to keep the family together while realizing all of their time has come. Kiefer Sutherland and her worked well together, and they actually made a pretty realistic (but obviously troubled) couple with a child. Actually, I enjoyed part 2 even though it was kind of like watching a candle burn. When it comes down to it all, I chalk this film up to a naked Kirsten Dunst. Certainly not as life changing or even as depressing as I was told it would be. I though it was relatively tame in terms of making me sad. Don't say I didn't get it. I understood the back and forth metaphor for the depression and the planet colliding. It just wasn't all that surprising or interesting to me. The opening visuals are awe-inspiring but after that, it gets handheld and I just didn't care as much. It was okay, but not too special. I had high expectations so don't blame me for not loving it as much as you did.



- Jeff Bassin

Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Inbetweeners Movie (2011)- I'm not sure if this is how the series wraps up, but while a funny adventure, it fit far too many cliches to actually be good. Sure, the film remains in the tone of the series and the characters seem to be very in check in terms of writing… but the cliches! Oh the horror! Every guy ends up with a female counterpart, happy endings abound. The villain character gets what is coming to him. The lead gets a girl way over his league. It's just too much. Overall, it's like 'The Hangover' Jr. It has some of the risqué tones and dialogues that most R rated films have received these days, and ends with that hollywood ending that just makes you smile and frown at the same time. Entertaining and funny, but ultimately dry of anything wholly original.



- Jeff Bassin

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Auge in Auge: Eine deutsche Filmgeschichte - This is a documentary about famous directors' favorite German Films. It's slightly boring because I was unaware of most of the filmmakers outside of Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run) and Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire), so it was hard for me to catch that care that one would have if I had watched the American version of this film with people like Scorcese, Coppola, Spielberg, Cameron, etc. It was interesting, though not that informative. It's kind of like sitting down with people you don't know that well and comparing films you like. Sure, you have more on your netflix que, but in the end, you are just wasting the time you could be watching one of those films with. There were quite a few that sounded interesting.



- Jeff Bassin

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Zookeeper- Very unmemorable, and not even a good family film. All the voice work is terrible, the idea made no sense, and there was really no comedic moments. I liked 'Paul Blart' when I looked at it as a fat man's spoof on 'Die Hard', my favorite action film of all time. But this is dreadful. Poor Happy Madison Productions, which is slowly pit-falling into making me assume all their films are terrible. 'Jack and Jill', come on?!?!?!! Not as bad as 'Grown Ups' but still a waste of my time.



- Jeff Bassin

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Lives of Others- Absolutely amazing piece of work. The film rings so much truth and tragedy that you want to bow down to the film's greatness. Yes, it's a bit long. Yes, it's kind of odd that the film has like three "2 years later" bits in the course of 10 minutes, but this is a really good German film well deserved of its praise. It's too bad that director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (try saying that 10 times as fast) really hit a low note with his next film (Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie's 'The Tourist'). This film shows much greater potential. One of my favorite bits is the interchanging of the characters of HGW and Georg Dreyman as they search Dreyman's apartment. The tension that Donnersmarck creates is fantastic. This movie has so many interesting angles going for it that you really are invested in all three leads for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes. Trust me, it's worth having surveillance over.



- Jeff Bassin

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Muppets (2011)- After giving myself some time to think, I would have to say that this movie is highly recommendable. The reason I gave myself some time before reviewing it is because its one of those movies that gives you a "fun high" after it. TOO MUCH FUN! If someone walked into the movie with expectations for a character driven story, they won't get it. But if they are looking for a good time, plenty of jokes, and certain freshness that comes from the combination of young (Selena Gomez and Jack Black bits) and old (Pee Wee Herman map traveling) ideals, they will definitely be pleased. The performances are hammy (especially the muppets, "Waka waka") from Jason Segal and Chris Cooper (the military dad in 'American Beauty') but that's all part of its charm. Also, Amy Adams gets her fair share of screen time doing musical bits, which is a welcome return to her big break in 'Enchanted'. Speaking of the music, the film contains many homages to the HBO show 'Flight of the Conchords', of which I was a fan of. Many of the musical numbers are written by one of its stars, Bret McKenzie, featuring clever and catchy tunes like a rap by Chris Cooper, and one about a party of one (a "me" party) that I absolutely enjoyed. In fact, the music was probably one of my favorite aspects. Though music only goes so well with its director, also a creator of 'Flight of the Conchords', James Bobin, who actually did a stunning job, considering a lot of the work he did for the TV show was very low budgeted. It seemed fairly unexpected that the pieces in this film be so large and "in your face", but oh how they were. Definitely give this movie a shot if you are in the mood for some good ol' fashioned family laughs.



- Jeff Bassin

Friday, November 25, 2011

Early Review of The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn- Spielberg (Come on… fine: 'Saving Private Ryan', 'Schindler's List', 'Jaws', etc)/ Jackson ('The Hobbit', 'Lord of the Rings Trilogy', 'Dead Alive', etc.)/ Wright ('Scott Pilgrim vs. the World', 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Hot Fuzz') all working on one film. It's a dream come true for any film aficionado. But… sadly it didn't reach my expectations. To be fair to the people behind it, it really is a great film. It's the 'Indiana Jones' comeback we wish we could have had. Only, I had it pegged for the best movie this year and it surely isn't that. It's one of those odd circumstances where every element of the film analyzed on its own is either "good" or "perfect", but put together only averages a "pretty good" in my mind. Spielberg's direction is perfect, Weta Digital's animation is beautiful, the performances by Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, and Daniel Craig are thoroughly fun, and the script from Steven Moffat ('Doctor Who', anyone?), Edgar Wright, & Joe Cornish (the exceptionally entertaining 'Attack the Block') is fairly solid (even though lacking the comedy and character development I would expect from someone like Wright) for the first of what is proposed as a trilogy. Of course, I enjoyed the movie. But I was disappointed. Let down. Maybe the sequels will be better. This was supposed to be the best film of 2011, but now I'm thinking it won't even win best animation film at the academy awards. But then again, we'll see. After all, its main competition is 'Cars 2' at the moment.



- Jeff Bassin

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Wings of Desire- This is the kind of film idea that I love. A unique concept that allows the filmmaker the ability to create a beautiful story while also allowing the audience to see inside the minds of even the smallest characters. As it says in the film, they are more than extras. They are important. They are extra human. It's almost a complete and utter masterpiece up until it reaches the end, because then it keeps going. The film chooses to go on for so long that when it finally gets to that "To Be Continued." at the end (it has a sequel), you kind of ask "Why?". There's a very long and kind of confusing monologue at the end that while it is talented, it really just grows boring. It's like that bit in 'Brief Interviews with Hideous Men' where John Krasinski does the same thing for 10 minutes. It's too much. It's just not very believable unless in a theatrical setting. Director Wim Wenders could have easily had actors Bruno Ganz and Solveig Dommartin have a friendly conversation. It would have made way more sense than a Dommartin's odd poetic profession of love at their first meeting. On a final note, Peter Falk is pure magic in this movie, both interesting and memorable. I will definitely give the sequel a go when I get the chance, if only to see him do that "as himself" character again.



- Jeff Bassin

Monday, November 19, 2011

Mr. Popper's Penguins- "No penguins were harmed in the making of this film. Jim Carrey, on the other hand, was mercilessly bitten. But he had it coming." This is the proclamation the film makes during the credits of the film. And maybe he did have it coming. After all, 'Yes, Man' was pretty darn terrible. But not for this film. It's a family film. So don't complain. I thought Carrey was actually quite entertaining and not that much over the top in this one, which is a good thing (his old 'Ace Ventura' style doesn't really translate well into modern day in my opinion). It's also always nice to see Clark Gregg and Philip Baker Hall, two really great character actors, and Angela Lansbury from 'Murder, She Wrote' is in it (I don't watch the show, never seen it, but hey, I do like the song and I have seen it on while channel surfing). Technically, nobody was harmed in making this film, physically, financially, or popularity wise. A good move on Carrey's part.



- Jeff Bassin

Friday, November 18, 2011

Friends With Benefits- Like I've said before, the cast really makes this film. The whole film seems cheaper when I think about the dialogue and app jokes coming from other people's mouths (though Kutcher and Portman probably could have done this one too though). So enjoy it, a solid enjoyable romantic comedy doesn't come around that often.



Transformers: Dark of the Moon- All together a little tiring the second time around. Especially knowing that after 2-3 hours of explosions (cool though they are), I will be rewarded with nothing but that same shlocky Optimus inspirational speech, with no real ending in sight. My problem is that it is left open ended. Why? It's the end. Why can't it seem like it? Everything until then is fine though (explosions and money burning by the second)… I mean, for a Transformers flick.



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2- It's finally gotten to the point where I can completely decide that I enjoy Part 1 more than Part 2. Despite the Helena Botham Carter/ Polyjuice scene being one of the best in the series in my opinion, the film really is just okay. By okay, I mean good, just not notable. I liked it, but it feels like a concluding chapter rather than one on its one. It's like the last chapter in a book. You've already gotten through the real arcs, now you just have to finish it so that nothing is left to watch. Actually, I'll put the movies in order so you get that I'm not hating on it.
8: Chamber of Secrets
7: Order of the Phoenix
6: Sorcerer/Philospher's Stone
5: Half-Blood Prince
4: Deathly Hallows Part 2
3: Goblet of Fire
2: Prisoner of Azkaban
1: Deathly Hallows Part 1
None of the films are bad. All are awesome. But after about ten minutes of deliberation, that's my order of 8.



- Jeff Bassin

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fright Night (Remake)- Entertaining. It's not an especially memorable movie, but I was excited to see it, and it didn't let me down too much (a little less comedic than I thought it would be and the second half of the film gives way to action over dialogue way to much) but I loved a few of the characters enough to care less about those aspects. Those characters would include Colin Farrell's Jerry and David Tennant's Peter Vincent. Farrell isn't the scariest vampire to hit the screens since 'Nosferatu' but he most definitely makes it seem like it was fun to work with him on set. Farrell just releases confidence and professionalism, and you can tell that the guy knows his physical acting bits just as much as losing that celtic tone. With Tennant, sure, he's basically just doing the same bit Johnny Depp does with Jack Sparrow but with a rock and roll magician, but in the end, he's Doctor Who, so he kind of strides awesomeness anyways.



It's odd that the hammiest performances are my favorite in the film… actually not really, since I was kind of hoping for the film to take itself a little less seriously. But oh well, kudos Craig Gillespie for really successfully departing from 'Lars and the Real Girl'/ 'Mr. Woodcock' territory into 'Disturbia' territory.



- Jeff Bassin

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Head On- A real terrific romantic drama film built on strong performances and really well written characters. Everything else can mostly be ignored, despite the crazy amounts of cultural themes, since the film goes in way to many directions for one to want to touch upon in a small review. It's a real unique independent styled film and it has several very unforgettable notable moments such as the broken shot glass dance sequence (if you see it, you'll know what I mean right away). It's not the best mood movie (probably make you kind of sad) but if you want to watch a good movie, knock yourself out… I know the characters would (Boom! You'd get that one too if you saw the film).



- Jeff Bassin

Monday, November 14, 2011

Space Jam- I think this movie was nostalgic the day it came out. So much childhood in an hour and a half that you may just explode. Not really, but you get my point. Despite being a walking advertisement for Nike, Michael Jordan, and the Looney Tunes, it represents a spacial place in everyone's hearts. It's one of the few true guilty pleasure films that everyone feels guilty about together, so therefore nobody is guilty?



- Jeff Bassin

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 - What You Call Entertainment, I Call Studies (Cause I Study A Lot)

A Look at My Current Fall TV Schedule- Well, obviously, being the fan of storytelling in all mediums (Movies, Television, Books, Comics, etc.), I clearly have quite a bit of television I follow. Keep in mind I can't watch them all on TV, I am a busy college kid after all *The amount of shows will scare you. Here's some shows this fall that I'm watching, whether they are worth it or if I just can't quit (even if it's sooooo bad):

Sunday
Allen Gregory- Jonah Hill animated as an obnoxious rich kid in a public school with a bunch of other people. If that doesn't sell it to you, then it can't win. I don't laugh, but at this point, I look forward to it more than 'Family Guy' and 'American Dad'.



The Simpsons- Still funny, even if I'm no longer laughing. It's that kind of satire where you admire them more than you express it. They keep making, I'll keep watching.



Family Guy- It's gotten painful to watch. But I just can't break off of it. They are no longer controversial enough to catch attention, so they are reduced to repetition jokes and catch phrases from their notable and well thought of character ideas. It's just boring now.



American Dad- Has only a little more originality than family guy, though I did enjoy its "Cee Lo Green, Little Jacuzzi of Horrors" Episode.



The Walking Dead- Mind-boggling and entertaining, the show manages to do a whole lot with the simple premise of a young girl getting lost from the pack of survivors this season. When it chooses to be a dark show, that's when it's most surprising, but in those small moments of light humor and emotion, you have hope and pull out for the survivors, no matter the things they have done in the past.



Dexter- You know, there was a time when Dexter intrigued me more than most shows on television, but that time has come to a slight end. I mean, for someone who doesn't look for anything new on their TV, Dexter won't change on them. Dexter always gets his man (sometimes lady, I'm not sexist or anything, jeez!), and his murderous identity always remains a secret. It's tiresome, even if Michael C. Hall and the rest of the cast rock their roles to the best of their abilities. There's just only so much one can take in this 6th season before complaining that something big has to happen. That hasn't happened for two seasons, though I obviously will keep watching because it's still entertaining. Just not really surprising.



Once Upon a Time- Honestly, it's surprising how enjoyable the show is. Its light fairy tale fluff is just enough to wet the tooth without getting boring, and even if it is a bit too cheesy, it's perfectly fun. My only concern is that the plot of the show screams an ending so obvious that it won't be able to sustain as a show past 2 seasons without getting over complicated or redundant.



Misfits- Simply one of the funniest and original shows I have the pleasure to watch in the fall. Maybe 'Heroes' wasn't your thing. That's okay. 'Misfits' is so much better. Just do yourself a favor and get up to the 4th episode of series 1 (probably my favorite episode of the series) and then you can try to quit. I'd like to see that.



Monday
Terra Nova- I can't fully give my opinion since I never got past episode 3. It kind of lost track of what I found so original about it in the pilot, so I'm not sure if I'm content with the show anymore. I'll probably wait until the season ends, catch up, and then further my opinion.



How I Met Your Mother- 'HIMYM' is the rare show that no matter how redundant it gets (humor or story), the writing is so fresh and fun that I still enjoy it on an episode to episode basis. I'm sure the wait of a week between episodes helps me fight that problem, but still, I'll keep with it as long as it keeps doing new things with the way it tells its stories. For example, last week featured Future Ted telling the story of his friends at the bar telling the story of the hurricane that hit NY, which frightened Marshall because Marshall imagines the dangers of the world. It's complicated, but makes so much sense when watching it.



Castle- I like the chemistry between Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion, but the lack of real character development (you can skip to beginning and end of an episode and skip the middle) really bores me. The show never does anything important until its finales and the crimes no longer really have to do with Fillion's Castle character's background in writing, so what makes this different from any other procedural. It's like 'Bones', except I hope Castle ends before it gets that far, at least for the sake of the story. It took a while for the writers of 'House' to realize that's what the audience wants. Hopefully it won't take 'Castle' writers that long. Don't Bother.



Tuesday
New Girl- I misjudged Zooey Deschanel's new sitcom. It's very funny, mostly because of its great cast. But I still don't care for her character. It's just too much for me. Good show, annoying character.



Raising Hope- It's surprising how much heart and laughs a show like this has, especially after 'My Name is Earl' lost so many of that by the end. Clearly, Greg Garcia (the creator of both shows) has a nack for representing blue collar lower class, and this show picks up the funny where 'Earl' dropped it.



Workaholics- Juvenile, stupid, and hilarious. To me, this is the "fratiest" show outside of 'Blue Mountain State', with characters so lovable and dumb that it becomes unique. Most of the humor comes from misfortune, stupidity, and pop culture reference mistakes (they always mistake one show/movie/actor for another), and the satire of the workplace and recent graduate type characters is perfect. This is an example of Comedy Central letting a comedy troupe write a show, and it just working on comedy, not big names. Who needs Jeff Dunham (though I do like puppets) when you have genius like this?



Wednesday
Suburgatory- Surprising one of the better television shows starting this season. It's a fun sitcom, well worth watching before 'Modern Family'. Sure, it portrays New Yorkers (where I'm from) as being too open-minded, i.e. the kind where you eat food out of the trash, and suburbanites (where I now live) as being too close-minded, i.e. ignorant about situations besides fashion and gossip, but hey, it's all done for the satirical joke and I can dig it.



Modern Family- One of the best comedy shows on TV, and it's perfect for the whole family. That's a rare thing. Despite the humor declining as it goes into it's third season, there is still plenty of reason to watch.



Psych- Every once in a while there's a great mystery, but most of the time, I'm just sticking around for James Roday and Dule Hill's great banter. Reason to watch, not really. But the plot doesn't matter on an episode to episode basis for the most part, so if you watch, pick a episode by the plot that interests you.



American Horror Story- Frustratingly confusing, but extremely intriguing, that's what 'AHS' is. It's one of the odder shows on television, and certainly heads less towards the 'From the Creators of 'Glee'' fare and more to the 'From the Creators of 'Nip/Tuck'' fare. After watching 'Harper's Island' when it aired, I wanted more television of the genre, so it's refreshing to see horror television becoming a trend again. I enjoy its style and look and look forward to the many copies that will be made in the future on other channels because of its success.



Blue Mountain State- It's the dumbest show I hate to love. I like to call it the Misogynistic 'Scrubs'. It's ridiculously overacted, and it's jokes rarely turn away from poop and sex humor. It makes me angry that it exists. But I can't help it. It's like watching a version of the Straight to DVD 'American Pie' movies, where you feel dirty for watching it, only funnier and a bit more clever. And sometimes it's nice to feel dirty, like a night to the clubs, so there's my thought process of it.



South Park- I still think it's one of the best animated shows of all time and it's as funny and memorable as ever, even if its references and satire are more topical. But I really want the show to end at this point, since it seems that Matt Stone and Trey Parker want to pursue other things, but because of audience's interest, and the money they are offered, they keep compromising. I just want them to be happy and do what they want. So just watch this online.



Thursday
Community- Funny and original, but not quite as brilliant as last year's season. The only episode that I truly enjoyed so far was the one where the go through the several alternate realities while rolling a dice and the 'Hearts of Darkness' parody episode. But I will still keep watching in hope of something better.



Park & Recreation- With Adam Scott and Rob Lowe firmly planted in the show, it seems like 'P&R' has reached its peak. It can't get much better. Hopefully it doesn't drop the ball, but obviously it's pretty fantastic at this point. I feel like Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson character might just make it to pop culture icon. Who knows? I'm pulling out for it at this point.




The Office- So blah. It was a recent episode where I realized that they stopped writing jokes for 'The Office'. The characters are supposed to be funny. I don't care if they are all in relationships. It's a zombie that just won't go down. Just my opinion.



Whitney- Not sure why I watch this. It's terrible, and the jokes are often flat. But I guess I have nothing to do sometimes and I bring it up on hulu.



It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia- While not every episode is a keeper, a few episodes have been some of the best of the show, so I'm going to have to side with it remaining awesome.



The League- Underrated and not watched enough. It is so consistently funny, but for some reason it hasn't caught on yet. At least not that much of an audience. Maybe it's the fantasy football aspect of it. They probably shouldn't advertise that way. It's the same way as 'Workaholics' except the party mentality for 'holics' is much easier to market.



Burn Notice- While I was right about to quit around the season 4 finale, I'm extremely glad I didn't, since season 5 has been some of the best arcs the show has seen since, well, since I first saw the show in season 1 and thought it was original. If there was ever a reason to continue the show, Matt Nix (the show's creator) is giving it. It feels like the end of the show, which is an exciting prospect, since anyone who has seen the show thinks "WOW, this is really cool, but he'll obviously choose his family over the CIA in the end". Keep it up and I might actually make it a season or two more.



Friday
Chuck- It's surprising how much more room there is left to tell in this show after most of the viewers' wants for the show have been fulfilled. It's still fun as ever, and it hasn't lost that originality that you hope a show can remain with after running through procedural-esque episodes for 5 years.



P.S. Creating this post makes me rethink quitting a few shows. So much television!

- Jeff Bassin