The Couch Potato Report – August 22nd, 2009
This week The Couch Potato Report peels rock, paper, scissors, Mike Tyson, there is some truth about Lying and Hannah Montana.
Hey lets have some fun this week and play a few games of rock, paper, scissors. And remember, Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beats Paper, and Paper beats Rock.
We’re playing that because our first release this week is a made-in-Toronto film that is part “comedy” and part documentary.
The film is ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER.
THE WAY OF THE TOSSER is about a guy who has been less than sucessful in his life – okay he is a loser – who is desperate to win the Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship.
And yes, there really is such a thing.
His girlfriend and best friend Trevor support him completely and they also help him “train”.
The film is part comedy, part documentary.
Sadly, if you are looking for a comedy, this one won’t make you laugh that much as it isn’t as funny as the filmmakers think it is…and if you are looking for a documentary, this one doesn’t offer that much insight into Rock, Paper, Scissors or their World Championships.
But…if you are looking for a small movie, that was made in only seven days by people who aren’t filmmakers, is very well done for something made this fast and cheap, and features a great soundtrack…then I suggest you give ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER a try.
And if you’re still not sure…play a game of rock paper scissors with a friend to decide.
From the fun sort-of-sport rock, paper, scissors, lets move now to the sweet science of boxing and the documentary TYSON.
Filmmaker James Toback’s documentary about boxer Mike Tyson doesn’t feature other people talking about the former undisputed heavy weight champion of the world, it just features clips from some of his more notable fights and Tyson himself just talking to the camera.
He talks about his career, his family, his friends, his ups, his downs and his convictions – both his religious ones and his 1992 legal one for sexual assault.
This documentary pulls no punches…you see Mike Tyson warts and all…and the result is fascinating and interesting.
Even if you don’t like Mike Tyson or boxing, this is one of the most entertaining films of the year, and I consider it a must see!!
Okay, before I get to three new TV on DVD sets, I’d like to do you a favour.
You might find yourself in a movie rental store this weekend, and when you get near the end of the letter “L” you’ll see the film LYING.
The packaging features the young and talented actresses who star in it – ChloÎ Sevigny from the TV show BIG LOVE and the film ZODIAC, Jena Malone from DONNIE DARKO, and JOAN OF ARC’s Leelee Sobieski – who also atarred in this summer’s PUBLIC ENEMIES.
That packaging also includes a synposis of the film that sounds interesting. It reads:
When a long weekend brings four women together in the countryside, their relationships are challenged as each of them experiences the complexities of social interaction. How well do we really know the friends we make in adulthood? What can be made of a person who tells lies so small they serve no obvious purpose?
This film is populated by some great actresses, but their characters are all underveloped and uninteresting….and most of all, the script gives you no reason to care about any of them.
Why is she lying, will they find out, what are the reprecussions…you will not care!!
This is the film LYING, and as I said, let me do you a favour…stay away from this thing, it is awful, a complete waste of your time, and that is the truth!!
Moving on, lets get back to having fun…hey, THE SIMPSONS – THE TWELFTH SEASON came out this week in a 4-DVD set!! Here’s creator Matt Groening listing off all the guest stars.
These episodes aired in 2000 and 2001 and even though I have seen them all at least a dozen times since then, I still laughed out loud watching them again this week!!
If you have the other 11 sets, go ahead and have some laughs while making it a full dozen as the packaging for THE SIMPSONS – THE TWELFTH SEASON has a comic-book theme and my favourite character on the show – Comic Book Guy – on the cover!!
There is even a featurette of the best Comic Book Guy moments and more.
Next up is another television show on DVD…a night time soap opera about a family of exceptionally wealthy socialites in New York City.
DIRTY SEXY MONEY had a great cast – including Peter Krause from SIX FEET UNDER, Academy Award nominated actress Jill Clayburgh and the great Canadian actor Donald Sutherland – and it started off strong when it’s first season debuted in 2007, but it lost steam by the end of SEASON ONE, and then the Hollywood writer’s strike hurt the show even more not long after SEASON TWO began and the show was eventually cancelled.
But if you need to see how season number two played out, then you must see DIRTY SEXY MONEY – THE COMPLETE AND FINAL SECOND SEASON
DIRTY SEXY MONEY was a guilty pleasure for me when it debuted, but I lost interest in it early into year two. This 3-disc set is for completists only.
There is a larger group I can recommend this next release to…people who love motorcycles, motorcycle gangs, profane filled action shows, well-written dramas…and above all else, those who enjoy TV violence.
If you love those things in a television show, then you must see SONS OF ANARCHY.
I new very little to nothing about this show when I first started watching it…but after the first episode I was hooked!
SONS OF ANARCHY is about a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town somewhere in Northern California.
And now you know what I knew…and I won’t say anything else as I don’t want to spoil it for you.
If the show sounds interesting to you…AND you were a fan of either THE SHIELD or THE SOPRANOS…than I think you should pick this one up because you will enjoy SONS OF ANARCHY – SEASON ONE as well!!
Back in 1984 a new comic book came out about some turtles who had been exposed to some radioactive ooze and thus – in their teens – became mutant ninja turtles.
And now, a new box set is celebrating that 25th Anniversary…but not in a way that is a gift to the creators and fans of that comic, or the films that were made about it.
The TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES – 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION on DVD features the live action films Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time and 2007ís computer animated film TMNT.
The DVD set comes in a manhole cover collectible tin, and includes four turtle masks and tattoos, however the studio never remastered the films…in fact they are just the old DVDs that they used to sell individually.
That means if you have them already, there is no need to pick up this set…and I for one am disappointed!! I was a fan of the comic from the get-go, and I enjoyed all of the movies – especially the first one – and I wanted the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES – 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION to be radical, dude.
Sadly, the Turtles’ Box Set isn’t spectacular, but if you or your kids don’t own them at all, at least the price is also cheap!
Finally this week is a film that is not aimed at my demographic, based on a television show that is also, not meant for the likes of me.
But those who the show are meant for love it, and will probably love the film as well.
As for me…I admit that I liked HANNAH MONTANA – THE MOVIE too.
If you have never heard of it, or her, Hannah Montana is television series about a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer by night
Her real identity is hidden from the public, only her close friends and family know the truth.
In HANNAH MONTANA – THE MOVIE her father takes Miley on a trip from Los Angeles back to her hometown in Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters in life the most.
I know it isn’t meant for me, and I also admit that I’ll never watch it again, but the star – Miley Cyrus – has talent, she can act and sing – there are some laughs in the picture, and the movie is fun!
It is a perfect film for teenagers who enjoy the show…and an enjoyable film for some of us older folks too!
The fun HANNAH MONTANA – THE MOVIE, the money-grabbing 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES films, SEASON ONE of the very interesting series SONS OF ANARCHY and the great documentary TYSON are all available now on Blu-ray and DVD.
DIRTY SEXY MONEY – THE COMPLETE AND FINAL SECOND SEASON, THE SIMPSONS very funny SEASON 12, the awful film LYING and the worthy of your time because it tries hard ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER are all available now on DVD.
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report
POLYTECHNIQUE is a film – not a documentary, a film – that looks at the events of December 6, 1989 at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique.
Also next week, the Academy Award nominated documentary TROUBLE THE WATER, the dramedy SUNSHINE CLEANING, and SEASON 8 of the very funny television series SCRUBS.
I’m Dan Reynish. I’ll have more on those, and several other releases, in seven days.
For now, that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here next time on The Couch!
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