January 2006

Further Adventures of Rubber Girl and Dog Boy

  • Title: Underworld Evolution
  • IMDb: link

Underworld EvolutionI dislike movies where as an audience member I spend more thought on the story than the writers, closer attention to the dialogue than the actors, and a keener eye on storytelling than the director.  Underworld Evolution is just such a movie.

The movie begins with the back story explaining how the first vampire (Brian Steele) and the first werewolf were twin brothers and they were both imprisoned in order to halt the war between the vampires and werewolves.  William (the vamp) allows himself to be imprisoned so Viktor (Bill Nighy) won’t kill his brother, just imprison him.  Wow, lots of backstory we didn’t get in the first movie (probably because they hadn’t written it yet) and get ready to sit and listen to it be explained to you by Steven Mackintosh‘s character whose sole purpose in the film is to try and fill over the HUGE @#%*! plot holes in the barest cosmetic way.

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Nowhere Man

  • Title: Nowhere Man – The Complete Series
  • tv.com: link

“My name is Thomas Veil, or at least it was.  I’m a photographer, I had it all: a wife – Alyson, friends, a career.  And in one moment it was all taken away, all because of a single photograph.  I have it.  They want it.  And they will do anything to get the negative.  I’m keeping this diary as proof that these events are real.  I know they are… They have to be.”

nowhere-man-dvd

In the fall of 1995 those words were first spoken as a legion of small but vocal supporters tuned into what was to be one of the best television shows ever made.  Nowhere Man follows photographer Thomas Veil who loses his entire life all in the blink of an eye for reasons he can’t even begin to understand.

In much the same way The Prisoner (check out that review here) dealt with the individual versus society Nowhere Man became a show about a man alone in the world unable to trust anyone or anything even perhaps his own sanity.  A man who clings to his identity and individuality, something that belongs to him and no one else, and refuses to give in and turn over the negatives losing that last true part of himself and admitting defeat to “them”.

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Love Monkey

I had the chance to check out the pilot for Love Monkey last night starring the intensely likeable Tom Cavanagh as a A&R Rep looking for new music artists to sign while cursing the current industry push for more pop princesses and big bags of cash.  The show balances Tom’s job with his friendship with his three guy friends (Jason Priestley, Larenz Tate, and Christopher Wiehl) and his relationship with his best friend (Judy Greer).  More than a little bit reminiscent of the musical snobbery in High Fidelity but also very entertaining as Cavanaugh et al exude charm.  The show is based off Kyle Smith’s book.  Painfully though the monkey has been scheduled on Tuesday nights against one of the only good shows left on TV ABC’s Boston Legal meaning if you want to catch it you might have to do so in the next few weeks.  Here’s hoping it lasts long enough to find a branch to call its own.

Love Monkey
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The Fastest Man Alive

  • Title: The Flash
  • tv.com: link

the-flash-complete-series-dvdMy five favorite comic book heroes in no particular order are Batman, the Silver Surfer, Captain Marvel (Shazam!), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan, except no substitutes), and the Silver Age Flash.  The Flash uses the origin and character of the Barry Allen Flash but puts him in modern times while incorporating characters from both the Silver Age Flash and the current Wally West version (such as Tina McGee).

Barry Allen (John Wesley Shipp) is a police scientist.  While working late at the lab one stormy night a lightning bolt strikes through the window hitting a rack of chemicals and the mild mannered Allen.  After the accident Barry finds he is always hungry and what starts as a short run might make him end up 30 miles away in just seconds.

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The 63rd Golden Globes

The 63rd Annual Golden Globes a precursor to The Oscars. Just in case you missed one of many glorious nights in Hollywood, here is the recap. For more details check out the Golden Globes or see it again this weekend on Bravo.

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With the short recap below, you get out of seeing multitudes of commercials. For every 2 awards they gave out there was at least 4 commercials in between.

Highlights:
-Miss Golden Globe, Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith’s daughter, Dakota Johnson.
-Somebody tell Drew Barrymore, you can see right through her dress. I mean it, she wore this horrible old lady green dress with a complete see through opportunity for the boys.
-Johnny Depp looked like a starved street dweller.
-Clint Eastwood purposely studdering over Brokeback Mountain while announcing the nominees for Best Director. Better yet, Clint Eastwood giving out the Best Director to Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain.
-Joaquin Phoenix laying a smooch and a man hug on John Travolta during his acceptance for Best Actor, Walk the Line.
-Tim McGraw got a tear in the eye while talking about Johnny Cash and June Cash for Walk The Line.
-What did Dennis Quaid mean by Brokeback Mountain being a film that rhymes with chick flick? Shame on you Dennis, we know exactly what you meant, and on TV no less!
Brokeback Mountain got Best Motion Picture Drama, kick ass!

FILM AWARDS

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Brokeback Mountain

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Walk The Line

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Philip Seymour HoffmanCapote

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Felicity HuffmanTransamerica

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Joaquin PhoenixWalk The Line 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Reese WitherspoonWalk The Line

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
George ClooneySyriana

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Rachel WeiszThe Constant Gardener

Best Foreign Language Film
Paradise Now – Palestine
Best Director – Motion Picture
Ang Lee Brokeback Mountain

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Brokeback Mountain
Written by Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Memoirs Of A Geisha
Composed by John Williams

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“A Love That Will Never Grow Old”Brokeback Mountain

TELEVISION AWARDS

Best Television Series – Drama
Lost
Touchstone Television; ABC

Best Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Desperate Housewives

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
Empire Falls

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Hugh LaurieHouse

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Geena DavisCommander In Chief
Geena lied about a little girl tugging on her dress and telling her she wanted to be president because of her role in Commander and Chief, and she worships Donald Sutherland

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Steve CarellThe Office
A very funny thank you speech he claims his wife wrote, that thanks her over and over again throughout the speech.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Mary-Louise ParkerWeeds

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
S. Epatha MerkersonLackawanna Blues
Hot flashes and all, this is her first leading role after 15+ years of working in the industry.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jonathan Rhys MeyersElvis
He beat out some brilliant performances by Kenneth Branagh, Ed Harris and Donald Sutherland.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Paul NewmanEmpire Falls
No Show

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Sandra OhGrey’s Anatomy
A studdering and stammering thank you.

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Anthony Hopkins
He was sure to thank all the little people from the catoring truck to the hair dresser not excluding grip carriers and lighting. What a wonderful man.

It was a perfect award show, with all the right people, shows and films getting credit for the best of. I can’t wait to see what the Oscars has in store for us next.

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