The Couch Potato Report - September 27th, 2008
This week The Couch Potato Report peels an awful summer movie, one pretty good one, and we flashback to movie High School.
We all have those actors and acrtresses that we admire and love more than others.
Some of the folks I love and admire include Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Anne Hathaway, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Connelly, Bill Murray, Jodie Foster and Mike Myers.
I adore Mike Myers, and I love his work!!
From his years on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, through the WAYNE'S WORLD films, SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER, AUSTIN POWERS, the SHREK...I loved it all and - with few exceptions - THE CAT IN THE HAT - he could do no wrong!
Or so I thought...man, what a stinker his new film is!! THE LOVE GURU may not go down as the worst movie of the year, but I certainly think it is the greatest disappointment.
It is awful!!!
Normally when I sit through a movie this bad, I feel sorry for myself because of the waste of time, the ruing of my expectations, and sometimes even the shattering of a carrer - or two - that I enjoyed watching.
When THE LOVE GURU concluded, I just felt bad for Scarborough, Ontario's own Mike Myers...I still feel bad for him...how could someone so talented, someone who is usually so cinematically reliable, how could he write and star in garbage like this?!?
I hope he is okay!!
Now, many of us saw this disater coming from the moment we saw the trailer, or read the synopsis, which I have for you now, and bear in mind the majority of the film takes place in Toronto, Canada, yet here is the synopsis:
Pitka - an American raised outside of his country by gurus - returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business.
His first challenge: To settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player whose wife left him for a rival athlete.
It takes place in Canada, but even the synopsis, and the movie's trailer says that it takes place in America!
I have watched THE LOVE GURU twice now, out of allegience to Mike Myers, and both times I thought the same things - Justin Timberlake is very entertaining as a Frech Canadian - Celine Dion loving goaltender who plays for the Los Angeles Kings, some of Stephen Colbert's work as a Hockey Night In Canada commentator is smile enducing, Jessica Alba looks fantastic, and how could Mike Myers give us a movie this bad?!
And THE LOVE GURU is bad, even if you love Mike Myers, as I continue to, skip it, ignore it, just walk away!!
Just walk away!!
Now as surprisingly bad as THE LOVE GURU was, our next release was the polar opposite.
SEX AND THE CITY - THE MOVIE was surprisingly good!
I still can't believe how much I enjoyed this movie.
If you are unfamilar with the television series that this film is based on, SEX AND THE CITY is about four female friends - Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda - living, loving and shopping in New York City.
The series often portrayed frank discussions about romance and sexuality.
THE MOVIE is set four years after the events of the series finale, the film begins with Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie and her long-time onagain-off again lover Big viewing apartments with the intention of moving in together.
Yes, SEX AND THE CITY - THE MOVIE is about Carrie & Big's attempts to be happy, but it - like the series - is primarily about Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda living, loving and shopping in New York City....even though Samantha - played by Canadian actress Kim Cattrall - now lives in Los Angeles...yet she - for plot reasons - always seems to be back in New York.
Yes, I am on record as having enjoyed this film, but that is one thing about it that I still take exception to...when anything happens - little or huge - Samantha flies right back, and never looks tired or wrinkled.
But hey, if you love the characters, you want them together, so I can forgive that plot device.
What still prevents me from loving the film is that fact that it is too long, and the DVD release has 12 extra minutes that weren't in the theatrical version, making it almost two and a half hours long!
Plus, and this is the final issue I have with the SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE...Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson from DREAMGIRLS - who play's Carrie's new assistant - cannot act! She was great in he Academy Award winning role, but she is not great here.
Still, with all that said, I will always love movies about old friends spending time together, an dthat is what I liked about the movie. The clothes, the fashions, the loves, the passions, that stuff was okay...but I loved, yes loved, almost every scene that just featured Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda.
And yes, I am still surprised that I enjoyed THE SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE as much as I did.
Oh, and by the way for you fans of the series or film, writer and director Michael Patrick King says that he is hoping to have another film in theatres the summer after next!
Okay, let me give you capsule reviews of this week's other four releases, as there are actually 8 movies here, and I will start with George Clooney's LEATHERHEADS.
This is a wannabe romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football, where the fast-talking Clooney recurits a strait-laced college sensation to join his team.
The college boy is being followed by a reporter - played by Oscar winner Renee Zelweger - and both men fall for her.
LEATHERHEADS wants to be a comedy, it wants to be slapstick, it wants to be the type of film they don't make anymore, but all it really is is over in 114 minutes, and that is too long!
Even though I liked the cast and characters, their film is not very good, and I say skip it.
RUN FATBOY RUN is up next, and it stars Simon Pegg from SHAUN OF THE DEAD and Thandie Newton from CRASH, two actors I always enjoy seeing in a film.
In this one he is an out-of shape guy who - five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day - decides to run a marathon to win her back.
RUN FATBOY RUN is not perfect, but it also isn't a complete waste of time. The characters are likeable, and there are more than a few laughs, so although it is utterly predictable, I liked it.
I also liked the films THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES and WEIRD SCIENCE when they first came out in the mid-1980s, and now, all these years later, I have no problems admitting I love them!
And now these three John Hughes films are available in the HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK COLLECTION!
They have all been digitally remastered, and there are several retrospective features on each DVD.
If part of your cinematic childhood was defined by THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES or WEIRD SCIENCE, I hope you still enjoy them as much today as I do!
Finally this week is the 5-DVD Box Set for THE GODFATHER TRILOGY - THE COPPPOLA RESTORATION.
Director Francis Ford Coppola and a team or restoration experts have taken the time to restore the first two GODFATHER films, and the new transfers for Parts I and II are exceptional!
At times it is like seeing them for the very first time!!
In addition to the three films, there is also two discs of bonus features, and many of them are all new!!
So even if you have the original DVD box set for these movies, it is completely worth it to buy them again, something I rarely say, because the restoration job on the first two films is just that good!
Enjoy!!
The spectacular FRANCIS FORD COPPPOLA RESTORATION of his GODFATHER TRILOGY, the memory-inducing HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK COLLECTION featuring John Hughes' films THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES and WEIRD SCIENCE, the mildly entertaining comedy RUN FATBOY RUN, the failed and flawed film LEATHERHEADS, the super successful SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE and the awful on almost every level "comedy" THE LOVE GURU are all available now on DVD.
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report
Yes, next week it is a special Sunday edition of the report, and at that time I will tell you about four new TV ON DVD Sets, including SEASON FOUR of the Canadian series KENNY VS. SPENNY and SPORTS NIGHT, one of my favourite shows of all time!
Plus, the summer blockbuster IRON MAN is new on DVD, and so is the underrated comedy FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL.
I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, 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!
The Dark Knight falls in December
At the end of the year, Warner will release the undisputed box office champ of the last few years when The Dark Knight arrives on DVD and Blu-ray.
The film will arrive in Dolbt TrueHD and 1080p VC-1 on Blu-ray and anamorphic widescreen on DVD. As mentioned many months ago, the film will change aspect ratios slightly during playback to accommodate the scenes filmed for IMAX.
Extras include Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a scene, Batman Tech - The Incredible Gadgets and Tools, Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight, six episodes of Gotham Tonight, art galleries, trailers and TV Spots. This will also be Warner's first BD-Live title.
The discs will be available individually, or as part of a gift set which includes a replica of the Batpod.
All will arrive during the night on December 9th.
New CD Releases, September 30th: James Taylor, Ben Folds, T.I.
James Taylor "Covers" (Hear Music)
The acclaimed singer/songwriter pays respect to other songwriters with the release of "Covers." The album includes versions of songs made famous by such artists as Leonard Cohen, Eddie Cochran, The Dixie Chicks, George Jones, The Temptations, Buddy Holly and John Anderson.
"Covers" was created in a Massachusetts barn-turned-studio with Taylor's regular band. The selections are all songs that the vocalist has performed in concert over the years, but previously had not recorded.
Taylor is no stranger to the cover tune. Many of his best-known recordings have been cover songs, including "You've Got a Friend" and "How Sweet It Is."
* * *
Ben Folds "Way to Normal" (Sony)
The singer/songwriter/pianist is back with an eagerly awaited new studio album, which follows 2005's "Songs for Silverman."
"Way to Normal" was produced by Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse) and it features bassist Jared Reynolds and drummer Sam Smith. Guest vocalist Regina Spektor appears on the album's first single, "You Don't Know Me."
Folds is currently showcasing his "Normal" sides on tour. The road show is scheduled to last through mid-November.
* * *
T.I. "Paper Trail" (Grand Hustle)
The Grammy-winning hip-hop star returns with his sixth album, which follows last year's "T.I. vs. T.I.P." The lead single from "Paper Trail" is the tune "No Matter What."
The album features tons of guest performers and top-name producers, including Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Usher, The Dream, Fall Out Boy, Kanye West, B.O.B, John Legend, DJ Toomp, Swizz Beatz, Drumma Boy and Danja.
Along with releasing several hit albums over the years, T.I. has also experienced his share of legal problems. Notably, earlier this year he was sentenced to a year in prison on weapons charges.
* * *
Jennifer Hudson "Jennifer Hudson" (Arista)
Having already established herself as a superstar vocalist in the film version of "Dreamgirls," Hudson finally gets around to releasing her eponymous debut CD.
Hudson, who first came to fame competing on "American Idol," is joined on this 13-track disc by some big-name guest stars. Included in the mix are fellow "Idol" vet Fantasia and rap star Ludacris.
* * *
Faith Hill "Joy to the World" (Warner Bros.)
Although Halloween is still a month away, the Christmas-time CD blitz has already started. Getting a jump on the competition is Hill, who delivers "Joy to the World."
The collection features the country star performing such holiday standards as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Silent Night."
* * *
More new releases:
Anberlin, "New Surrender" (Universal)
Ani DiFranco, "Red Letter Year" (Righteous Babe)
Dream Theater, "Chaos in Motion 2007-2008" (Roadrunner)
Linda Eder, "The Other Side of Me" (Verve)
Enigma, "Seven Lives Many Faces" (EMI)
Jack's Mannequin, "The Glass Passenger" (Warner Bros.)
Kellie Pickler, "Kellie Pickler" (BNI)
Joshua Radin, "Simple Times" (Mom & Pop)
Andre Rieu, "Live in Vienna" (Denon)
Todd Rundgren, "Arena" (Hi Fi)
Robin Thicke, "Something Else" (Interscope)
Trivium, "Shogun" (Roadrunner)
U2, "Under a Blood Red Sky (Deluxe Edition)" (Island)
Soundtracks and scores:
"Nightmare Revisited" (Disney)
Plant: No Tour Or Recording With Zeppelin
Robert Plant has put the hammer down on rumors he will join Led Zeppelin for a 2009 tour and recording sessions. In a statement on his Web site, Plant says he "has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years."
Following Zeppelin's one-off reunion last December in London, rumors of further activity have been constant. Most recently, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham were said to have been rehearsing together and mulling vocalists to replace Plant on tour if he opted not to participate.
"It's both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward," he said.
"I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects," he added.
Plant has reaped critical acclaim for his 2007 album with Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand," and will wrap an extensive tour with her Oct. 5 in Saratoga, Calif. The artists performed over the weekend at the Austin City Limits festival in Austin, Texas.
There is one piece of Zeppelin news to report. On Nov. 4, Rhino will release a 10-disc boxed set featuring the band's nine studio albums plus the rarities album "Coda" in mini-LP replica sleeves with artwork from the original U.K. vinyl releases.
The attention to detail is eye-popping: "Led Zeppelin III" has its gatefold sleeve with a rotatable laminated card disc, while six different versions of the cover for "In Through the Out Door" are featured. Even the complex "Physical Graffiti" inner/outer cover is faithfully reproduced.
Newman on DVD: A dozen picks from a superb career
In his five-decade evolution from hunk-ish Actors Studio rebel to the voice of Doc Hudson in Pixar's 2006 Cars, Paul Newman was initially admired for a forceful presence (one not exactly diminished by his looks). And, eventually, he came to be both admired and beloved on an extraordinary number of levels. He carried himself with classy reserve, becoming a celebrity role model for how to keep your private life private and for being that low-key face on the salad dressing bottle and at the track.
None of this discounts his trove of treasured movies. On his way to winning a best-actor Oscar, life achievement Oscar, a Jean Hersholt humanitarian Oscar and eight more acting nominations, Newman amassed a filmography with uncommon consistency, though like every superstar, he had to survive such clunkers as Lady L or When Time Ran Out.
Early on, he specialized in playing hustlers and heels and floundered when attempting comedy; his touch just wasn't light. Only later did Newman become one of the movies' best relaxed actors.
Though Newman's career did benefit from high-profile stage work in the early 1950s (Picnic, The Desperate Hours) and memorable contributions to TV's Golden Age (The Battler, the original Bang the Drum Slowly and several more), it was a sometimes sticky apprenticeship, as evidenced by his earliest appearance available on DVD. It's on Vol. 1 of ABC-TV's cheesy Tales of Tomorrow (Image, $25), a live sci-fi anthology series that anticipated The Twilight Zone. Cast as an Army sergeant on an Aug. 8, 1952, episode, Newman hysterically describes the fatality of one colleague after a woebegone rocket blast somehow leads to the freeze-over of a U.S. desert. At least the teleplay's title is nothing if not precise: "Ice From Space."
But in the end, the best of Newman's film career is an embarrassment of riches. Among his movies with robust fan bases are The Left-Handed Gun, The Long Hot Summer, Harper, The Towering Inferno, Blaze, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Empire Falls and Road to Perdition. But for a combination of must-viewing and full career perspective, start with the following dozen DVDs:
- Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956, Warner)
Newman became a star in his second feature with this slick adaptation of middleweight boxer Rocky Graziano's autobiography. Essentially, it's a story of rehabilitation: Despite years in reform schools and a dishonorable Army discharge, the Rock became a valued member of society.
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958, Warner)
After the julep-heavy The Long Hot Summer, Newman solidified his career by going South again in this adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play. He stole enough attention from Elizabeth Taylor for them both to earn Oscar nominations. When they reunited as Oscar presenters in 1991, Newman responded to a Cat clip by saying, "I thought we were lookin' pretty good back then." Taylor replied, "Hey, I think we're still looking pretty good."
- The Hustler (1961, Fox)
The definitive movie about pool hustling pit Newman's callow "Fast Eddie" Felson against Jackie Gleason's wizened pro, Minnesota Fats. Newman, who had never held a cue, was coached by pool legend Willie Mosconi. The two swapped Newman's dining-room table for a pool table and practiced every night.
- Hud (1963, Paramount)
In a morality play about generational clashing on a Texas cattle ranch, Oscar-nominated Newman wrestled a greased pig and too many other men's wives. And even though James Wong Howe's spectacular cinematography is in black-and-white, you all but feel the pinkness of Newman's Cadillac.
- Cool Hand Luke (1967, Warner; also on Blu-ray)
After drunkenly vandalizing parking meters, Newman's Luke ends up on a Southern chain gang where the only things to do are watch a buxom blonde suds up a car or brazenly ingest 50 hard-boiled eggs on a bet. He also finds himself on the wrong side of Southern chain gang warden Strother Martin's "What we have here … is a failure to communicate" catchphrase.
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, Fox; also on Blu-ray)
Newman ended the decade as half of a casting coup for the ages. Playing off Robert Redford's breakout performance in William Goldman's jokey script, he gave a performance that at the time was his most loosened-up. An actor whose attempts at comedy once seemed overbearing suddenly seemed easygoing, beguilingly so.
- The Sting (1973, Universal)
A reunion with Redford and Butch director George Roy Hill, this critical/commercial bonanza so captivated the public that Scott Joplin's theme ended up sharing concurrent Billboard pop chart placement with Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder.
- Slap Shot (1977, Universal)
A key contender for Newman's best movie of the decade is this hockey comedy from director Hill, whose Nancy Dowd script may have set new standards for screen profanity at the time. It's probably Newman's funniest performance -- especially in scenes with the Hanson Brothers, a trio of violence-prone Neanderthals who bash opposing players and soft-drink machines with equal zeal.
- The Verdict (1982, Fox)
Newman's best outing of the '80s, besting 1981's Absence of Malice. As an alcoholic has-been attorney seeking redemption, Newman headlined one of the best courtroom nail-biters ever, with assists from screenwriter David Mamet and director Sidney Lumet.
- The Color of Money (1986, Touchstone)
A quarter-century later, The Hustler's Eddie Felson wasn't so "fast," yet it was an inspired idea to bring him back to the screen with some hard-earned middle-age maturity. It was also a good commercial move for Martin Scorsese, who needed a box-office hit. This time, Tom Cruise is the callow one, and Newman finally won his acting Oscar, just a year after he'd won a special one that paid tribute to his entire career.
- Nobody's Fool (1994, Paramount)
In the movie of Richard Russo's novel, Newman is a family-estranged laborer battling a scoundrel contractor (Bruce Willis). Though nominated Newman missed the Oscar, he found a productive partner in Russo. He would win a 2005 Emmy for HBO's movie of the Pulitzer-winning Empire Falls.
- Cars (2006, Pixar/Disney)
Newman's one live-action movie about auto racing (1969's Winning) was a stiff. But computer animation offered restitution, with the actor's final theatrical feature keenly casting him as a judge with substantial racing-car history. It was a smooth project to go out on and a no-lose chance to widen his fan base. You could almost hear someone saying to some oblivious tyke: "You know that old geezer who was the voice of Doc Hudson? The guy's been a superstar for 50 years."