3 Razors

30 Rock – Season 2

/ / Home Video
  • Title: 30 Rock – The Complete Second Season
  • tv.com: link

“I like when a woman has ambition; it’s like seeing a dog wearing clothes.”

When 30 Rock originally aired I wasn’t impressed.  To me the first season which was slightly less fun than staring at color bars, was painfully unfunny.  So it was with more than a little trepidation when I sat down to watch the second season on DVD.  Imagine my surprise when it turned out that while I wasn’t watching the show it began to find the funny.

The show takes place in NBC Universal headquarters inside the GE Building at 30 Rockerfeller Plaza (thus the title).  Tina Fey stars as the head writer for a comedy series which stars Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowsi.

The main focus of 30 Rock is the behind the scenes antics of those who work in the building from the other writers on the show (Scott Adsit, Frank Friedlander, Keith Powell), to the loyal page (Jack McBrayer) and the studio suit (Alec Baldwin).

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Body of Lies

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Body of Lies
  • IMDB: link

“Ferris didn’t give much thought then to the complexity that lay beyond this vision; the maze that was so perfectly constructed you didn’t think to ask whether it was perhaps inside a larger maze.”

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as CIA agent Roger Ferris who is sent to the Middle East by his superior Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) to find and stop an emerging terrorist leader.

When the film focuses on the relationships between Hoffman, Ferris and the head of the Jordanian Intelligence (Mark Strong) it works quite well.  Trust and partnerships are very fragile things in the region where anyone could just as easily be your enemy or ally.

Ferris must deal with the ego of his boss while trying to create trust with the officials in whose country he is operating.  It doesn’t help that Hoffman’s idea of diplomacy is deception and the end of the knife.  Hoffman’s only concerns are completing the mission and keeping American interests prioritized over of all others.

Although DiCaprio gets the bigger role it’s Crowe who steals the film.  As Hoffman he portrays an intelligence and American arrogance which is infuriating as he turns out to be right most of the time.  Strong also puts in another nice supporting performance here.

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The Express

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Express
  • IMDB: link

“And I won’t tell him he’ll be the next Ernie Davis, because there’ll never be another Ernie Davis.”

Sports movies are often filled with cliché and usually fall into one of two categories – the underdog who makes good (Rocky, Seabiscuit, Major League, Hoosiers, Miracle, Blue Crush) or the team facing racial diversity (Remember the Titans, Pride, Glory Road).  Although The Express falls into the later category it has enough of its own voice to separate it as something more than just another Titans knock-off.  It’s not a great film, but it’s better than I expected.

The film follows the college career of young Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) who follows in the footsteps of his hero Jim Brown (Darrin Dewitt Henson) to play football for Syracuse University.

After the early scenes involving Ernie’s recruitment by Brown and head coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), the film moves to Syracuse, the short scenes involving Davis’ freshman season on the bench, and his break-out sophomore year.

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Religulous

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Religulous
  • IMDB: link

“I don’t believe in Santa Claus.”
“Of course not, that’s one man flying all around the world and dropping presents down a chimney.  One man hearing everybody murmur to him at the same time, that I get.”

In an attempt to better undestand religon, and to make some fun out of the more ridiculous beliefs, Bill Maher takes a trip around the world to discuss relgiion with politicans, scientists, theologians, and the common people.  What results is an often funny, though not that enlightening, experience.

Much like Michael Moore, Maher begins his journey with a preconceived outcome – proving the ridiculousness and dangerous nature of all the world’s various religions.  Although quite humorous with his quips and various well-placed clips from religious films, he’s mostly preaching to those who already don’t believe in organized religion.

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Beauty and the Beast

/ / Home Video

How many shows can you name which center around lawyers, doctors, cowboys, explorers, families and space travelers?  Now how many prime time fairy tales do you remember from television?  Here’s one…

  • Title: Beauty and the Beast – The Complete First Season
  • tv.com: link

“We’re below the city, below the subways.  There is a whole world of tunnels and chambers that most people don’t even know exists.  There are no maps to where we are.  It’s a forgotten place.  But it’s warm and it’s safe, and we have all the room we need.  So we live here and we try to live as well as we can, and we try to take care of each other.”

After being attacked society girl Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton) is nursed back to health in the bowels of New York City by Vincent (Ron Perlman).  Here begins a fairy tale love story between a beautiful Assistant District Attorney and her protector, a beast with the soul of a poet.

This first season introduces us to the world of “down below” and the characters who will become staples of the series.  It also sets up Catherine’s world above with her boss Joe (Jay Acovone) and her on-again, off-again, suitor Elliot Burch (Edward Albert).  “Son of Orpheus” reveals Father’s (Roy Dotrice) past and his reasons for retreating from the world above and creating the underground society.  “An Impossible Silence” and “China Moon” are set in the distinct worlds of a deaf girl (Terrylene) and Chinatown.  “The Alchemist” introduces the recurring villain of Paracelsus (Tony Jay), and Vincent’s childhood friend returns in “Promises of Someday”.  The nature of the lovers relationship is put to the test in “A Happy Life”

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