The Couch Potato Report - December 7th, 2004
In The Couch Potato Report this week, there are two movies and one TV show and all of them are actually worth watching.
When I tell you what this week's first new release is about, your first reaction will probably be to think that it sounds like a dumb idea for a movie.
And I agree, it does. A movie about the game of dodgeball that we all used to play in school and on playgrounds does sound like a dumb idea for a movie.
But the idea isn't what is available now on video and DVD, the movie they made is and DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY is one of the funniest and most entertaining films of the year.
Vince Vaughn from OLD SCHOOL and SWINGERS is the underdog owner of a gym that is home to a group of average Joe misfits called, appropriately enough, Average Joe's Gym. In what isn't an original movie premise, he faces foreclosure unless he can raise $50,000 in 30 days.
But what is original is the fact that his solution comes courtesy of a dodgeball tournament in Las Vegas that offers $50,000 to the winners.
So Vaughn and his group of Joe's form a team to save their beloved gym.
Their nemesis, in life and in the tournament, is the vain, egotistical owner of Globo Gym, the company that is threatening to buy Average Joe's. Ben Stiller from ZOOLANDER and MEET THE PARENTS is the gym owner, and he is hilarious in every scene he is in!
That's it for the story in DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY.
The credit for what makes the movie great primarily goes to the cast. Vaughn and Stiller excel in their roles and the film is either funny or very funny for almost the entire 96 minutes running time.
Yes, DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY does sound like a dumb idea, but the movie will amuse you immensely.
Well, that is unless you have too many bad memories of being hit in the head during gym class with one of those round red balls. Then maybe you should stay away from DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY.
And if we are talking about reasons to stay away from a movie, you should probably stay away from this week's other major new movie release if you have a problem with constant motion.
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY is a superb film, but there are times during the picture where the action in the movie, and the way it is edited, may cause you some problems. That is due to the fact that the camera is right in the middle of the action and that action is non-stop.
But the motion of the camera and the amount of edits isn't a valid reason for me to not recommend THE BOURNE SUPREMACY.
In the literary world THE BOURNE SUPREMACY is the second of two books. In the movie world, here's hoping that this is merely the second in a long line of films!
This film picks up almost exactly where THE BOURNE IDENTITY left off. The action begins when former CIA assassin and partial amnesiac Jason Bourne is framed for a murder in Berlin, setting off a chain reaction of pursuits in motion from India to Berlin, Moscow, and Italy.
The action in THE BOURNE SUPREMACY is non-stop and director Paul Greengrass puts the camera right in the middle of it. As I mentioned, that causes things to be a bit disorienting at times, but the end result doesn't suffer too much for it.
Matt Damon from OCEANS ELEVEN returns as the title character and once again he is an interestingly unconventional action hero.
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY is a great thriller that has well-crafted suspense. I enjoyed every minute of it!
I also enjoy every minute, of every hour of the television show 24.
If you've never seen the show, it is a unique action series set in real-time. Each hour of the show represents an actual hour over the course of a day, and each episode usually ends with a cliffhanger ending.
That is why watching the show on DVD is the perfect situation because you don't have to wait a week to see what happens.
24: SEASON THREE is a new seven disc box set that features the complete third season of the series 24. Kiefer Sutherland, Elisha Cuthbert, Dennis Haysbert all star.
In the third season, our hero Jack - played by Tommy Douglas' Grandson Kiefer Sutherland - starts his day by attempting to find and then broker a deal for a deadly virus.
That sets the 24-hour clock ticking in a tight, taut, action-packed day.
Of course, what Jack is doing is just one story. The intricate subplots that take place during the day are 24's greatest strength.
If you have never seen an episode of the series 24, I would recommend you start with seasons ONE and TWO before moving on to SEASON THREE. You should be finished just in time for the show's fourth season premiere on Sunday, January 9th
DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY and 24: SEASON THREE are all available at your favourite local video store.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT
Isaac Asimov's classic book was the inspiration for Will Smith's new film I ROBOT. Smith plays a detective in the year 2035 who believes that a robot killed a scientist. Bridget Moynahan from THE SUM OF ALL FEARS and SERENDIPITY also stars.
In the incredible film COLLATERAL a cab driver is forced to spend a night driving a killer around Los Angeles. Tom Cruise is the killer and Jamie Foxx is the cabbie. This is neither your typical buddy movie, or your typical thriller. It is simply a great movie!
The always radiant and always lovely Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews team up once again for THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT. Although not as charming as the original PRINCESS DIARIES, it is an entertaining family film.
STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES - THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON features the final 24 episodes on eight discs, plus two versions of the never aired episode "The Cage."
And the latest offerings in WAVE FOUR of THE DISNEY TREASURES COLLECTION are THE COMPLETE PLUTO - VOLUME ONE, THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB and MICKEY MOUSE IN BLACK AND WHITE - VOLUME 2.
I'm Dan Reynish and I'll have more on those, and some 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 week on The Couch!
New Tunage!
Here are the new music releases for Tuesday, December 7th, 2004:
Avant Private Room (reissue w/bonus) (Geffen)
Bankie Banx Amazing Grace (Thump)
Andrea Bocelli Andrea (Philips/Sugar)
Cam'ron Purple Haze (guests Kanye West, Twista and Lil Flip) (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
Eric Clapton Sessions for Robert J (CD/DVD combo) (Duck/Reprise)
Diana DeGarmo Diana DeGarmo (RCA)
DJ Lady Tribe Cholo Super Mix (w/bonus DVD) (Thump)
Los Downers Los Downers (Thump)
John Frusciante Curtains (Record Collection)
Geto Boys War & Peace (Hypnotize Minds)
Bugs Henderson Stormy Love (No Guru)
Hoodoo Gurus Mach Schau (Evangeline)
Lil' Scrappy & Trillville Chopped & Screwed (Reprise)
Lindsay Lohan Speak (Casablanca)
Ludacris The Red Light District (Def Jam)
Mario Turning Point (J)
Morrissey You Are the Quarry - Deluxe Edition (CD/DVD combo w/b-sides) (Sanctuary)
Mysterymen Everything but an Answer (Disko B)
Nas Street's Disciple (two CDs; Redman, P. Diddy and AZ guest) (Columbia)
Pernice Brothers Nobody's Watching/Nobody's Listening (CD/DVD combo) (Ashmont)
Bobby Seals Daddy's Home (Del-Fi/Keane)
Slim Thug Already Platinum (Geffen)
Snow Patrol Final Straw (DualDisc) (Interscope)
Soul Sirkus World Play (Soul Sirkus/Warner Bros.)
Xzibit Weapons of Mass Destruction (Columbia)
Yung Wun The Dirtiest, The Thirstiest (J)
VA DJ Negro Presents the Noise 10 (VI)
OST 24 (Fox TV drama score be Sean Callery) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST A Very Long Engagement (Angelo Badalamenti score) (Nonesuch)
OST Carnivàle (HBO series score by Jeff Beal) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST Carrie (1976 Brian De Palma horror classic) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST Earthsea (score by Jeff Rona) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST Flight of the Phoenix (score by Marco Beltrani) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (video game soundtrack, 8-disc box set; 2-disc version same day) (Interscope)
OST Ocean's Twelve (Stephen Soderberg sequel to 2001 hit) (Warner Bros.)
OST Ray (original motion picture score) (Rhino)
OST Shrek 2 (score by Harry Gregson-Williams) (DreamWorks)
DVD Eminem Eminem AKA (Xenon)
DVD Wyclef Jean The All-Star Jam (Eagle Vision)
DVD Rod Stewart Live at the Royal Albert Hall (J)
DVD Westlife Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits (RCA)
DVD White Stripes Under Blackpool Lights (live U.K. performance) (Third Man/V2)
DVD Yes Songs from Tsongas: The 35th Anniversary Concert (Image)
DVD Audio Keane Hopes and Fears (DualDisc and SACD same day) (Interscope)
DVD Audio Mark Knopfler Shangri-La (Warner Bros.)
DAVE ON THE RISE
NEW YORK -- David Letterman is closing the gap with latenight rival Jay Leno, helped by a CBS primetime that dominated the November sweeps in key demos.
"Late Show With David Letterman" saw its best November sweep against NBC's "The Tonight Show" in total viewers since 1994 and since 2001 in the prized 18-49 demo.
With three days to go in the month of November, "Letterman" was up 9% in average total viewers (5 million), while "Leno" dropped off 6% (5.9 million).
"Letterman" was up 6% in adults 18-49 over the same frame last year and up an impressive 17% in 18-34.
"Leno" was down 13% in adults 18-49 and 11% in 18-34.
The "Letterman" show has improved its ratings for every night of the week and now occasionally beats "Leno" in total viewers on Monday nights, CBS said.
"David Letterman is benefiting from the fact that our promotional platform is stronger in the 10 to 11 o'clock hour," said David Poltrack, CBS exec veep of research.
CBS' primetime strength, driven by shows like "CSI: Miami" and "Without a Trace," are helping the Eye in latenight.
Also surging is the Eye's Sunday morning lineup: "Face the Nation" had its largest margin over ABC's "This Week" (338,000 more viewers) since the advent of People Meters in 1987.
ABC, like CBS up vs. last year in the November sweep, also boasts a revitalized primetime, but its hit shows are positioned in earlier timeslots that don't give much support to latenight programming.
"Desperate Housewives" airs on Sunday night, while "Lost" airs on Wednesdays but at 8.
LIZA, MARTIN GET “ARRESTED”
Nets are banking their guest stars for winter, as Liza Minnelli and Martin Short tape episodes of Fox's "Arrested Development," while Duff sisters Hilary and Haylie stop by "Joan of Arcadia."
Also, Eliza Dushku, whose "Tru Calling" was dropped by Fox, is already back at the net, guesting on "That '70s Show."
Minnelli will reprise her critically acclaimed turn as Lucille Austero, rival to Bluth matriarch Lucille (Jessica Walter) and love interest for Lucille's spacy son, Buster (Tony Hale).
Minnelli's on board for at least two episodes of "Arrested," although she may wind up guesting in more.
Meanwhile, Short will don heavy makeup to play a 70-year-old friend of the Bluth family -- and a potential love interest for Walter's character. On TV, Short most recently starred in and exec produced Comedy Central's "Primetime Glick" as befuddled Hollywood reporter Jiminy Glick, a role he's reviving in an upcoming feature.
"Arrested Development" has earned raves for its unique stunt castings, which have included unusual turns by thesps such as Minnelli, Henry Winkler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Carl Weathers. Pop tart/thesp Hilary Duff will guest on the Feb. 4 seg of "Arcadia" as a popular girl whose life is saved by Joan (Amber Tamblyn). Sis Haylie will appear in the Feb. 11, 18 and 25 episodes as a student who befriends Joan and her pals.
Hilary Duff, who's best known on TV and in features as "Lizzie McGuire," recently starred with "Joan" castmember Jason Ritter in the feature "Raise Your Voice." Haylie Duff appeared in the feature "Napoleon Dynamite" and has guested on series such as "Third Watch."
As for Dushku, the actress will appear in a February episode of "That '70s Show" as Sarah, a hot girl who works at Donna's (Laura Prepon) radio station.
Besides "Tru Calling," Dushku's credits include "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," as well as the features "City by the Sea," "Bring It On" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back."
"I remember another gentle visitor from the heavens. Who came to earth... and then died... only to be brought back to life again. And his name was: E.T., the extra-terrestrial. I love that little guy."
— Rev. Lovejoy, Fox's The Simpsons
MORE REBEL YELLING?
Billy Idol set to release his first album featuring new songs in more than 10 years. The album, titled Devil's Playground, is due for release March 22, 2005.
'Titanic' Line Tops Cheesy Movie Survey
NEW YORK - Although "Titanic" soared at the box office in 1997, according to a recent survey, its most memorable line — "I'm the king of the world!" — sunk.
British baker Warburtons posed the question "What are your top three cheesiest moments in film?" to 2,000 U.K. moviegoers in celebration of the launch of their new cheese-flavored crumpets.
The line uttered by Leonardo DiCaprio was followed by Patrick Swayze's "Nobody puts baby in the corner" from 1987's "Dirty Dancing" and Andie McDowell's "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed," from the end of 1994's "Four Weddings and a Funeral."
Warburtons reports that surveyed women opted for romantic comedy moments from films such as "Notting Hill" and "Jerry Maguire" while men preferred silly scenes from action flicks like "Top Gun" and "Braveheart." Despite the gender divide, 33 percent of the overall vote unanimously agreed on the "Titanic" yell as the cheesiest moment.
The list of big cheese moments:
1. "Titanic": Leonardo DiCaprio's "I'm the king of the world!"
2. "Dirty Dancing": Patrick Swayze's "Nobody puts Baby in the corner."
3. "Four Weddings And A Funeral": Andie McDowell's "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed."
3. "Ghost": Demi Moore's "Ditto," to Patrick Swayze's "I love you."
5. "Top Gun": Val Kilmer to Tom Cruise: "You can be my wingman anytime"
6. "Notting Hill": Julia Roberts' "I'm just a girl ... standing in front of a boy ... asking him to love her."
7. "Independence Day": Bill Pullman's "Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"
8. "Braveheart": Mel Gibson's "They may take our lives, but they will not take our freedom!"
9. "Jerry Maguire": Renee Zellweger to Tom Cruise: "You had me at hello."
10. "The Postman": A blind woman says to Kevin Costner: "You're a godsend, a savior." He replies: "No, I'm a postman."
Soul and Country Artists Vie for Grammys
NEW YORK - With the year's top album and single, Usher doesn't have to worry about getting left out when Grammy nominees are announced Tuesday. The question simply is how many nominations the R&B crooner will get.
His megahit "Yeah!" is likely to receive record and song of the year nominations, and "Confessions," which has sold more than 7 million copies and spawned four hit singles, seems a lock for album of the year.
But he's also likely to be nominated in the pop and R&B categories for his performances on songs such as "Confessions" and "Burn," and could get other nominations for his collaborations with Alicia Keys on "My Boo," his current big hit, and Ludacris and Lil Jon on "Yeah!"
"His music was everywhere this year, and he's having his fourth big record from the album this year," Rick Krim, executive vice president of talent and programming on VH1, said Monday. "He's the biggest artist of the year."
But it won't be a one-man show when the nominations are announced by The Recording Academy in Los Angeles.
Among others expected to get multiple nods: 2002's Grammy darling, Alicia Keys; rap innovator and newcomer Kanye West; country's self-proclaimed "redneck woman," Gretchen Wilson; and Ray Charles, who died in June.
His posthumous album, "Genius Loves Company," has become the biggest-selling record of his decades-long career, and he's the subject of the critically acclaimed movie "Ray."
"There's always the sentimental factor with the Grammys, and my guess this year is it will be Ray Charles," said Krim.
Keys' multiplatinum debut album, "Songs in A Minor," netted her five Grammys, including song of the year for "Fallin'." Keys has two songs from her follow-up, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," that could qualify for that honor this year: "You Don't Know My Name" and "If I Ain't Got You," both retro-soul ballads that were top 10 hits. The album might also make it for album of the year.
"When you have a history of having a successful Grammy run, it certainly helps your case. The same could probably be said for Norah Jones," said Krim.
Jones is a possibility for album of the year. Her debut disc, the phenomenally successful "Come Away With Me," won eight Grammys in 2003, and "Feels Like Home," released in February, has enjoyed commercial and critical success.
Another likely contender for album of the year is West's innovative debut, "The College Dropout." West became an unlikely rap superstar by eschewing typical rapspeak about sex, money and gangsta life and offering prose about atypical subjects ("Jesus Walks").
Other album of the year nominees could include Prince's "Musicology." If Prince is nominated, it would be fitting, since he kicked off his comeback year with an electrifying appearance on the Grammy telecast last February; after that, he embarked on a top-selling arena tour, his first in years, and released "Musicology," which went on to be his most successful album after years out of the spotlight.
Other artists who could hear their name called Tuesday include country legend Loretta Lynn for "Van Lear Rose," produced by the White Stripes' Jack White; Hoobastank for "The Reason," which became a huge rock anthem; Jay-Z, whose "Black Album" is supposedly his last; Brian Wilson for "Smile," his finally finished album from the 1960s; omnipresent rapper-producer Lil Jon, responsible for Usher's "Yeah!"; and the pop band Maroon 5.
One of the biggest questions will be whether Ashlee Simpson gets a nod; although her debut album, "Autobiography," was among the year's biggest hits, her lip-synching on "Saturday Night Live" may have left some Grammy voters wary.
The Grammys will be doled out Feb. 13 in Los Angeles, and telecast on CBS.
Emma Puts 'Baby Spice' Behind Her
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Emma Bunton was once known as Baby Spice; that is, when she was one-fifth of multi-million selling girl group the Spice Girls. These days, she is known as Emma. Period.
Her U.S. solo debut, "Free Me," is due Jan. 25 via 19 Recordings/Universal. Wildly buoyant, the album is equal parts Petula Clark, Motown and Burt Bacharach-with sun-bleached splashes of bossa nova.
In November, remixes of the title track went top 5 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music Club Play chart and top 10 on the Hot Dance Radio Airplay tally, and Emma couldn't be happier with that success.
"When I first heard that the dance remixes were on their way up the charts in the U.S., I was ecstatic," the 28-year-old told Billboard.com by phone from her home in London. "I couldn't wait to get there."
Which she did in September when she participated in the 11th annual Billboard Dance Music Summit in New York. She shared her experiences -- along with Martha Wash, DJ Rap, Ultra Nate and Esthero -- on the panel, On Your Knees: Hero Worship.
"It was amazing," she said of her trip to Gotham. "It gave me the feeling that things are really rolling (for me) in the U.S. I feel like it's happening quickly there."
Last month, Emma spent 10 days in India, where she was filming a "celebrity swap" documentary for the U.K.'s BBC2. Emma says she was filmed experiencing life as a Bollywood celebrity. "I was being filmed every day," she said. The documentary compares the Bollywood and British celebrity scenes.
On a purely celebrity front, a striking difference between the two countries is the paparazzi, she notes. "In India, you get out of a car and the press immediately approaches you. There is no red carpet. Nothing separates you from the camera." And since the Spice Girls were popular in India, Emma says she was constantly hearing shouts of, "Hey, Spice Girl!"
While filming the documentary, Emma was offered and accepted a small part in a Bollywood film. "I will never forget that experience," she said. "They work without schedules, which is very different from England where everything is perfectly scheduled. They thought nothing of ringing you up and saying, 'Let's do an interview.' They also don't believe in storyboards."
While such a working environment would be chaotic for some, Emma said it was all very relaxed, chilled and spiritual. "I felt very calm there."
These days, with the holiday season in full swing, she is likely feeling less calm. "I have lots of shopping to do," she acknowledged. "I'm like a big kid at this time of year. It's about being at home with my family -- in your pajamas, eating, catching up on TV and watching old films." (She admitted to having a soft spot in her heart for "Dirty Dancing" and "Mary Poppins" with Julie Andrews.)
After the holidays, Emma said she'll return to the United States for a promotional tour surrounding the album's release. "I may even celebrate my birthday (Jan. 21) there," she said.
Looking back at her days with the Spice Girls, Emma said they always received much support from U.S. fans. "They were always there for us -- which is why I always feel so at home there."
According to 19 Recordings/Universal, "Maybe" will be the next U.S. single from Emma's album. Remixes are forthcoming in the New Year.
Dodge Ball Easter Eggs
On 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s release of 'Dodge Ball' the studio has included some very interesting Easter Eggs in a very cool manner.
From the DVD’s Main Menu go to the 'Special Features' section and there use the directional keys on your remote control to highlight the Purple Cobra logo. Then press the 'Enter' key and you’ll see Ben Stiller in a fat suit congratulating you on being a loser and finding the Easter Egg.
He then goes on to tell you that during the movie, every time he snaps his fingers you can press the 'Enter' key on your remote control to see extra bloopers and other clips.
And lo and behold… if you press the 'enter' key during the movie every time he snaps his fingers, you really DO get access to additional clips, so check it out.