Lazy Movie Saturday

With a weekend (or at least a Saturday) completely open, I made it my plan to see as many movies as I could, seeing as I've been lax this year both due to lack of time and lack of appealing content. Unfortunately, a stunning block by parents prevented me from wasting my whole day sitting at the Loews theater in the mall, so i was forced to change my planned 3 movies in the theater day to a 2 in and 1 at home movie day. It ended up be a fairly decent day overall. Before I get to the films, a few notes:

-saw the poster for "Benchwarmers" with David Spade, Rob Schneider and the guy from Napoleon Dynamite. I have to ask: who's this kid's agent? Schneider & Spade, together in one film? I mean, wow, talk about your HIGH LEVEL star power.

-Previews for Davinci Code and American Dreamz were great, but what the hell is up with the new Mel Gibson film? Is it me or is it a cross between Cirque de soleil and the Temple of Doom?

-Greatest name on a movie poster? "The World's Fastest Indian". That's awesome. I can't wait for the sequels "The world's most tempermental Arab" and "The World's Cheapest Jew".

as to the films:

Match Point: Never would've thought that I would be seeing two Woody Allen films in a 12 month period and actually liking them both. This one is a weird combo of Crimes and Misdemeanors and a British high society drama (if that makes any sense). I'm still not sure what to make of Jonathan Rhys Meyers and whether he's a decent actor or not. This was a tough role for any actor and he gave about a C+ performance. On the other hand, Scarlett Johansson was really good as was the rest of the cast. Speaking of which, anyone remember Ghost World, he breakout role alongside Thora Birch? Did anyone predict she'd end up becoming a much bigger star than Birch? I mean, it's not even close in any aspect of comparission.

Definitely worth seeing this movie, especially for the ending.

The Baxter: This was Michael Showalter follow up to "Wet Hot American Summer", so naturally it piqued my curiosity. Much of the cast from that film is used in either starring or supporting roles, though this film is much more centered on a few characters. Showalter plays the titular "Baxter", a term his character's grandma used to describe guys who keep losing out at love. And by the way he acts in the first half of the film, you almost hope he loses his fiance (played by Elizabeth Banks). Of course, there's a monkey wrench (or actually a pair of them) in Michelle Williams and Justin Thoreaux, who end up driving the couple apart in their own ways. As much as I enjoy Showalter's work on the State and WHAS, this one just fell flat for me. Much of it is due to the general patheticness of his character and the general unlikeability of most of the characters. The best character, at least from a likeability view, was Michelle Williams. This is a cable or netflix worthy rental for fans of the State/WHAS/Stella. Everyone else will likely be bored.

Glory Road- I had no intention of seeing this one in the theater, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The story was enjoyable and the basketball scenes were well done. Several people in the theater actually started cheering during them. All in all, a good movie experience. However, I later learned that the movie was less than truthful about the time frame of the real story (It took actually 5 seasons, not 1, for Texas Western to win the national championship). Does that matter? To me, no. I was looking for a movie not a history lesson.

Artest heading to Sac-Town?

Looks like all those Artest for Peja rumors are finally coming to fruition, as ESPN and various other sources say the deal is all but done. On paper, the deal looks like a win for the Kings, as Peja has had his worst season in quite some time and Artest was putting up great numbers prior to revealing his psycho side once again this winter. So will this end up making the Kings playoff contenders again? Depends on Artest. If he comits to keeping himself in check, he might be able to have one of those Spree in NY type redemptions. Sacramento worked well for Chris Webber, so why not Artest?

As for Indiana, I think resolution is really the biggest key to this deal, far more than Peja. And perhaps Peja will get some gym time in with Bird and rejuvenate his season. Whatever the case, I think the Pacers aren't going to catch Detroit, but second in the Central is certainly a possibility.

One craptastic network to rule them all

UPN and WB merging.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060124/ap_on_en_tv/tv_network

Makes sense from the perspective that neither network had done incredibly well in the last few years, but with very few decent shows between them, not like this affects my tv watching routine too greatly.

Overrated vs. Underrated

You ever get really sick of seeing one person at the forefront of everything? For whatever reason, this person has managed to convince the rest of the world that they are truly above everyone else in their particular field and deserve the accolades that are dished out to oh so few of their peers, much less the rest of us living on this planet? Of course you do. It's human nature, I think, to be somewhat peeved at people who get far more credit than they deserve.

Naturally, there's clearly an opposite to this, those people who go under the radar or just never seem to get the accolades they truly deserve. It's not that they aren't successful; it's just that they consistently get shunted to the side to make way for people who are more "celebrated" for whatever reason.

This happens in all fields, but instead of mentioning every instance of this, I'm going to focus on four categories: acting, music, sports and politics. I'll give one example of each followed by the reasoning for my selection. Agree or disagree at your own leisure.

Acting:

Overrated:Colin Farrell. The true impetus behind this rant. I honestly don't get how he remains one of the most popular actors out there. At first, I bought into the theory that he was good when Daredevil came out and he seemed to shine as the only bright spot in the film. Then i saw Phone Booth. Never have i rooted for an actor (not the character he played, but the actual actor) to be killed during a movie more than I did with this flick. A ridiculous concept to begin with, his pathetic attempt to pull off a compelling somewhat sympathetic character just fell flat. And yet, he's still getting big roles in movies made by decent directors (Oliver Stone, Terrence Malick). Maybe he has incriminating pictures of someone or maybe he's threatedened studio heads with violence. In any event, he needs to be stopped before he kills again.

Underrated: Jason Lee. It's now ten years since he first debuted in Mallrats and it still shocks me that he hasn't found a decent starring vehicle yet. I'm not discounting My Name is Earl, but I always thought Lee was destined for film greatness. And his resume of great second banannas (all his Kevin Smith roles, his role in Almost Famous, Syndrome in the Incredibles) show he's more than capable of stealing the limelight from the supposed star. All you need to do is watch Chasing Amy and see how he utterly dominates his scenes with Ben Affleck. Affleck's a leading man now; Lee should be one too.

Music

Overrated: Radiohead. Now that I've committed musical blasphemy, let me start by saying I like Radiohead. During college, the Bends was one of my favorite albums and the song "Fake Plastic Trees" usually ends up being played whenever I'm in a shitty mood. That being said, something strange happenned once OK Computer came out: people started treating them deferentially and stopped actually listening to what they were putting out. I'm guilty as anyone in this regard, as I recall pimping Kid A as a masterpiece even though I couldn't listen to it all the way through without having a pounding headache. Even when their "return to rock" album, Hail to the Thief, came out, I played along. But no more. They haven't put out a truly good album since OK Computer and haven't put out a great album since the Bends. Had to be said.

Underrated: Guster. Is there any legitimate explanation as to why a band this talented hasn't at least had one top 40 hit? Their songs are catchy, have pop sensibilities and avoid most of the trappings that similarly situated bands get caught up in. The song "Amsterdam" off their last album especially sounds like a hit song to be sure. So what happened? It seems they came together about five to ten years too late. Had they released either of their last two albums during the Hootie/DMB/Blues Traveller era, I have no doubt they'd be much bigger today than they are.

Sports

Overrated: Stephon Marbury. Like this is a shock. Sure, he's gotten his fill of potshots from people over time, but he's still deemed a "good player" and a potential All-Star. And yet, the facts are indisputable: He left Minnesota in 1999, the next season the team wins 50 games and goes on to do so three more times after that. He left New Jersey after the 2001 season, the next season they make it to the NBA finals. He left Phoenix in 2004, the next season, they make the Western Conference finals. Maybe it's coincidence, maybe it's just his supposed value allows his former teams to acquire better players, maybe it's just karma. But in any event, it's quite clear that a team with Starbury gets infinitely better once he leaves.

Underrated:Tiki Barber. It amazes me how little regard he's given when the conversation turns to great running backs. Here's a guy who's run for a 1000 yards five times in his six seasons as the primary running back for the Giants (and he would've ran for a thousand in the other season had he played the full 16 games). Added to that is the fact that he also has caught for over 500 yards receiving six times and had 2000+ total yards the last two seasons. And yet, outside New York, he seems like an afterthought. Maybe the national sports media has a bias against New York players or whatnot, but you'd think he's deserving of almost the same amount of press as Thomlinson and Alexander, right?

Politics

Overrated: George Pataki. I'm still perplexed as to how he's been governor for over ten years now. Is the NY democratic party that inept that Pataki can win three elections? And now he's being talked about as a potential presidential candidate. Why? because he happenned to be in charge of the state on 9/11? At least Giuliani had some modicum of a vision for changing the city and actually did what he set out to do. Pataki always hung back and never made any moves beyond towing the moderate republican line and avoiding controversy. About as interesting as dry white toast.

Underrated: Charles Schumer. Hillary Clinton gets all the publicity, but it's Schumer who actually looks out for New Yorkers and Americans in general. He coauthored the assualt weapons ban, he went after the failure of the Bush administration to make good on its terrorism funding for New York and has done so without getting many accolades. I heard him speak in 2000 and found him very engaging.

Fox begins the bloodletting

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/television/13649139.htm

So Malcolm in the Middle and That 70's show are dead and King of the Hill, Bernie Mac and Arrested Development seem to be all but. Never cared for King of the Hill or Bernie. That 70's show was cute for the first two or three seasons before the shows became ultra repetitive. And once Kutcher and Grace left, they should have just ended it there.

I'm a little bit dissappointed about MITM. I've always enjoyed the show and always found it hysterical when I ended up watching it. I've completely forgotten about it since it was in the Friday night death slot, but it still was a very good show.

Still, AD looks to be a probable for rebirth elsewhere, so that's a definite consolation.

Antonio goes the Artest route..sortof

So it amuses me to no end to see how apologetic sports commentators are about Antonio Davis running into the stands last night. Granted, he wasn't as wild eyed and crazy as Bi-Polar poster boy Ron Artest, but still, the chance for escalation was certainly there and what would have happenned if there was another incident? I understand Davis's concern for his wife, but I thought we established that running into the stands is NEVER ok.

And the worst part of the whole incident is that it overshadowed a pretty good game and the fact that the Knicks blew a chance to steal one on the road. Methinks Stern's gonna come down harder on Davis than many think and in all honesty, he should.

Speaking of the Knicks, look's like Isiah has found the reason for the Knicks woes: Bill Simmons! Yup, not the fact that he gave away tons of draft picks for a guy with a heart problem:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons

Interesting movie tidbits

http://www.411mania.com/movies/news/36964/%5BMovies%5D-Ford-Gives-Spielberg-&-Lucas-Deadline-for-%5C%5CIndiana-Jones-IV%5C%5C.htm

Considering Ford is now older than Sean Connery when he played Jones' dad in the last movie, I'd say the chances of this happenning are coming close to nil at this point. And really, is it really necessary to do a fourth Indiana Jones when by the time it comes out, it'll be nearly 20 years since the original came out? Just leave it be guys.

Knowing Lucas and Spielberg, I bet they take Ford's ultimatum as an impetus to get cracking though.

http://www.411mania.com/movies/news/36965/%5BMovies%5D-David-Duchovny-Set-to-Take-Over-%5C%5CHulk%5C%5C-Role.htm

This would've actually been cool for the original, as Duchovny is a much better Bruce Banner than Bana was in terms of looks and general demeanor. That's no knock on Bana, who looks like he'll be robbed of an oscar nomination for Munich. It's more a statement of how Duchovny would be a better fit. But at this point, is the sequel really a good idea? Lee's take on the film showed how difficult it is to translate the dichotomy between Banner and the Hulk and if he can't do it, I'm not sure who could. Again, this isn't the best of ideas.

1-3 again

Let's just say I'm not rushing to bet on football anytime soon. So where does this weekend leave us? Seems to me without Alexander, who may or may not play, Seattle still did well against Washington. But their defense is not in the same league as Carolina and so if he doesn't play, I think Carolina's a near lock to win.

In the AFC, logic would dictate that Pittsburgh should be able to beat Denver after beating two of the top three teams in successive weeks. But apparently, neither logic or gut instincts matter in football. But anyway, I'm calling a Pittsburgh v. Carolina Super Bowl.

So look forward to a Seattle v. Denver game.

Optimism time for Knicks fans?

Watching last night's game against the Mavs, I gotta say I was impressed with the energy in the Garden. I haven't heard it that loud since the late 90s Spree/Houston/Camby era and I was watching at home no less. I think the Knicks have a great chance to contend for the last playoff spot at this point considering how bad the teams outside the top 7 (Detroit,Indiana,New Jersey,Cleveland,Miami,Milwaukee, Philly) are. Even if they get ousted in the first round, a playoff appearance is a necessary starting point to turning this team around. And for God's sake, play Frye more!

Gut Instinct football

Before I announce my picks for the weekend, I must say I'm pretty unaffected by Herman Edwards leaving. Sure, he was a decent coach and the compensation the Jets got for releasing him was a joke, but really, he's not THAT good of a coach. What's really the problem with the Jets are the players on the field and that will continue to plague them until they start upgrading at key positions. With Chrebet retiring and Martin probably doing so in the next few years, there's alot of holes to fill.

Anyway, last week I chose winners based on a logical system and ended up 1-3. This week, I did the same analysis but am going with my gut instincts. Fortunately, they only conflict once:

Washington vs. Seattle-I'm not convinced Seattle is as good as they seem to be on paper. Still, Washington just eeked out Tampa Bay and the Hawks should be well rested. I think Seattle will win and eliminate my current favorite team (sorry Giants fans).

Carolina vs. Chicago-Ugh, this one is going to be ugly. Will they combine for over thirty points? I think Carolina blew it's wad last week and just won't have enough to hold off the Bears. Last week, when I read Bill Simmons calling a Bears/Patriots rematch of Super Bowl XX, I laughed. Now, it seems remotely possible.

Denver vs. New England-And here is where the gut and the brain collide. My brain tells me that all New England has over Denver is Tom Brady. My gut reminds my brain that Brady has won 3 of the last four Super Bowls and Denver's QB is Jake Plummer. My brain replies by saying Plummer had a great season and seems to have exorcised many of his demons from the past. My gut says once a crappy QB, always a crappy QB. I can't argue with that logic, so I'll take the Patriots and now proceed to throw up.

Indianapolis vs. Pittsburgh-If Earl Hickey were making picks, he'd note that Pittsburgh is probably damned to all hell for the Palmer injury. But it's not like it matters here. Indy is not losing to Pittsburgh.

Unnecessary Sequels: American Pie: Band Camp

You gotta love Netflix for many reasons, but one of the best ones is that you can rent movies you would never consider paying for, watching them in a day and return them. No harm, no foul. Of course, that still means you end up wasting time watching them and in the case of today's film, American Pie: Band Camp, you still end up feeling gipped.

Now, seeing as it was a direct to video film, the warning lights went off pretty quickly, but I succumbed to my innate "bad movie enjoyment" urges and figured I'd give it a try. Bad idea.

The plot,thin as it is, revolves around Matt Stiffler, the younger brother of Sean William Scott's character in the real American Pie films. Now, it's not the real brother from the films, but a new actor who seems to be just lifting Scott's performance and dumbing it down a bit. After playing a prank on the school band, he is forced by newly appointed guidance counsellor Chuck Sherman aka the Shermanator to attend Band Camp as his punishment. Now, the logic falls flat right here: first, how is sending a known troublemaker to a summer camp punishment to him? And further, doesn't it punish the band whom he tormented?

Then there's the fact that this movie is set in 2005. Assuming Sherman graduated with Jim, Stiffler et al in 1999, that would mean he graduated college in 2003 and would have to have somehow gotten his counselling degree in a year and be immediately be hired by the school district in Michigan. Now, seeing as it was a middle-upper class area, why would they hire such an inexperienced person? Oh yeah, because he's one of two people in the film with an actual connection to the other films.

The other person is Euguene Levy, who ends up at band camp as their de-facto head counsellor/advisor. How you ask? Well, it was supposed to be Alyson Hannigan's character, but seeing as she is pregnant (didn't want to be in the movie), they give it to Levy by default. More outstanding logic. Levy's appearance just makes me sad and a bit angry, as they would've likely trashed the whole concept without someone of his stature (or at least importance to the series) attached to the project.

You can probably figure out the rest of the story: mini-Stiffler acts like an ass, learns a lesson, becomes a better person, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Even as a netflix rental, this one isn't worth the money. Stay away.

I know nothing about football

or at least I've learned that I should trust my gut over my brain. Both the Skins and Pats were my gut choices, but I went with logic and bombed big time. Keep me from all sports books please.

As for the Giants stinking it up, well, I don't know what to say except when Tiki Barber is your biggest offensive weapon and they completely shut him down, you better have a solid "B" plan. And at this point, Manning ain't it.

Welcome back Scrubs!

I didn't realized how much I missed this show till it came back with a solid double shot last night. Having two episodes every week almost makes up for the fact that they foolishly left it off the fall schedule. I think the first episode was uniformly a better episode and the whole "Man card" thing was just great. I have to wonder why they're ending Elliot's job so soon into the season when it seemed poised to add an entirely new dimension to the show.

Finally, the decrepit NFL season ends

The Jets end up with four wins, well outside the Reggie Bush lottery. I have no clue where they go from here or who they'll take in the draft (a qb or rb to replace an aging Martin). As far as the playoffs go, seems like we're heading toward an Indy/Seattle Super Bowl. With that in mind, here are my predictions for the wild card games:

Pittsburgh over Cincinatti-Cincy is where Indy was back in Peyton's first few seasons: great offense, bleh defense. If Pittsburgh had no offense, this might not be an issue, but Rothlesberger had a great season. Between him and the Pittsburgh defense, I see the Bengals going home early.

Jacksonville over New England-My gut says it's really dumb to choose any team over New England at home in the playoffs. But hey, I have nothing riding on this, so I'll go with the facts: Jacksonville has played better this season and down the stretch. They've made less errors and are solid on both sides of the field. Head says Jacksonville, gut says Patriots. Head wins. for now.

Tampa Bay over Washington-I'm sortof rooting for the Skins in this one based on both fantasy loyalty (Portis) and former Jets loyalty (Moss). And they may, in the end, pull an upset. These two teams are pretty even on paper and Washington's been on fire the last few weeks. Nonetheless, Tampa Bay's defense at home should be enough.

Giants over Carolina-How Carolina has gotten this far really defies any reasonable explanation. They're really not a playoff worthy team. But this is the NFC, so it's not surprising that they made it. I think the Giants are about two years away from being taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender, but depending on how this week works out, they could conceivably make it to the NFC championship game.

Farewell "Blue"

Not exactly a shocker here, but sad nonetheless:

http://usatoday.com/life/people/2006-01-01-cranshaw-obit_x.htm