The Couch Potato Report - June 29th, 2009
This week The Couch Potato Report peels a made-in-Saskatchewan movie that could have been great, and a fifty year-old film that still is.
When I read the synopsis for this week's first new release - our Hot Potato - I was very...very excited!!
Sure, the fact that it was made-in Bulyea, Craven, Qu'Appelle and Regina made it a must-see as well, but it was primarily the synopsis that had me excited.
Here it is:
"In the Autumn of 1960, a fluke atmospheric weather condition allows a young teenager, Parry Tender, to receive a radio broadcast from New York City.
Nestled in the Northern town of Goose Lake, Saskatchewan, Parry believes the contest the New York radio D.J. is running may be his ticket out of town, and away from a life to which he feels he never belonged.
When Debbie Baxter, a young girl from California, arrives in the town by way of her father's position with the military, Parry soon discovers love, loss, and the magic of rock and roll."
Now, that sounds like a great movie!!
Unfortunately, sometimes you can't just a DVD by it's cover either!!
45 RPM does feature the things that it's synopsis suggests, but as the movie plays out, the music and friendship elements of the story start to take a back seat to police brutality, child abuse, sexual assault, and several other subjects that take away from what the film could have been.
The truth is that the filmmakers decided to make their movie, with all of the extra story lines that aren't mentioned in the synopsis, and it was their movie to make.
My feeling is that had they focussed on the classic rock and roll music an dthe dream of these two friends getting out of Goose Lake, Saskatchewan to New York City, this could have been as good a movie as STAND BY ME, MY GIRL, THE GOONIES or THE SANDLOT, all great films about friends overcoming the odds of their situations.
45 RPM, is not a bad movie, but parts of it are...and so even though Saskatchewan loosk great on film, as always, I just can't recommend it.
I suggest you see STAND BY ME, MY GIRL, THE GOONIES or THE SANDLOT instead, if you haven't already.
I have four capsule reviews for you now, four films that I didn't like or dislike, but you might consider a good rental.
Like INKHEART, for example.
INKHEART is the film based on the young adult-child fantasy novel that is the first book of the Inkworld trilogy.
Canadian Brendan Fraser stars along with Paul Bettany, and Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent.
Fraser plays the father of a young girl who discovers that he has the ability to bring characters to life from books just by reading out loud.
He must try to stop a freed villain from his plot of world domination!!
INKHEART is not awful, but there is nothing special about it. If you have a teenager who likes to read, get them the book instead.
Now, if you have a teenager who likes to shop...relax...that is normal!! We all liked to shop at that age...and some of us still do!
In CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC Isla Fisher from WEDDING CRASHERS and DEFINITELY MAYBE stars as a wannabe journalist who loves to shop, and is good at it too!!
I admit that even though I love Isla Fisher, and think she is a beautiful and talented actress, I didn't expect much from CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, so I didn't mind it.
It isn't as good as THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and it certainly isn't for everyone - but it isn't a bad little film.
I will say the same about THE PINK PANTHER 2.
It also isn't a bad little film.
I love and adore Steve Martin, but I didn't see his first PINK PANTHER film. I was a little embarassed that he felt the need to take over this iconic Peter Sellers role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau, so I stayed away.
I may have to go back and see it now as this second movie was sort of fun at times.
In PINK PANTHER 2 Clouseau is part of a team of International detectives who are working to try and stop a globe-trotting thief who specializes in stealing historical artifacts.
Some parts of THE PINK PANTHER 2 are simple silly and stupid fun, other parts of it are just stupid.
Ultimately, it isn't a bad little film. It isn't a classic, but it is okay.
This next release has an amazing cast, including Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd, all actors I like, but I have nothing positive to say about it.
I didn't dislike CROSSING OVER, I just don't have anything positive to say about it.
CROSSING OVER is a film with multiple story arcs that is primarily about immigrants struggling to live life and become American citizens in Los Angeles.
The cast, the stories, they are almost all interesting...however, this movie is so slow and boring at times that I found it hard to stay interested in them, or their stories.
As far as I was concerned, when it ended, it ended.
As this review now does because I am moving on, with an instantly recognizable TV show there song!
With the release of TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN to theatres this week, the time has never been better to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the animated television show.
Especially if you like quality - albeit dated at times - entertainment!!
I found the newest film to be a loud, useless film that was too noisy and pointless to enjoy, so I'm glad I had the simplistic television shows to watch this week, at at time when due to the hype and publicity machine behind the theatrical film, I have been craving some TRANSFORMERS.
If you've had that craving too, skip the film, and check out the three disc set for TRANSFORMERS - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, which comes with a very interesting restrospective look back at how an advertising company came up with the characters in the first place, and it also features some of those great old commercials!!
Yes, it has been twenty-five years since the debut of the TRANSFORMERS...do you remember 1984?
How about 1988?
That was the year that a small Tom Hanks film went on to do some big things.
Tom Hanks' film BIG is now available in High Definition for the first time and the BLU-RAY BEACON shines it's spotlight on it this week because the new Blu-ray also features the EXTENDED EDITION of the film, with some interesting new scenes added in!
The Blu-ray of BIG doesn't feature any new features that weren't included on the DVD that came out a couple fo years ago, but it does allow you to see either the theatrical version, or the 26-minute longer EXTENDED CUT in High Definition.
For me...that is a big difference!!
Finally this week, talk about remembering 1984 and 1988, do you remember 1959?
That was the year the film THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK debuted.
Before the Holocaust films SOPHIE'S CHOICE, SCHINDLER'S LIST, and THE PIANIST there was this, harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
What made and makes this one different is that we know this one is absolutely true!
It is said that THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK is second only to The Bible as the most widely read book in the world, and so many people know the story of this girl who hid in the attic with her family for two years.
But if you have never seen the film, this new 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION features some great retrospective looks back from Anne's family and friends, and the filmmakers and cast...including Millie Perkins, who played Anne.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK remains an important film, even fifty years after it's Academy Award winning release.
It is available now on DVD and Blu-ray, along with Tom Hanks' great comedy BIG, Steve Martin's okay comedy THE PINK PANTHER 2, the not bad CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, and the not awful but nothing special film INKHEART.
The could have been interesting CROSSING OVER, THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the still fun animated show TRANSFORMERS, and the made-in-Saskatchewan film 45 RPM are all available now only on DVD.
Coming up in TWO WEEKS on the next Couch Potato Report
The Canadian films IT'S NOT ME, I SWEAR and THE MEMORIES OF ANGELS.
Plus, we will SKATE OR DIE and THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the television show PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE debuts on DVD!!
I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in fourteen 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!
'Lost' will last a little longer
If you're already preparing yourself for the departure of "Lost" in the spring of 2010, take heart. The series will go on a little longer than expected.
OK, it's only one hour longer, but we'll take what we can get.
An ABC rep confirmed Monday (June 29) that the final season of "Lost" will run 18 hours. That's an hour more than initially planned, although where that extra time fits in -- although a two-hour series finale seems pretty much like a given at this point -- is far from determined yet. "Lost" begins filming season six in Hawaii later this summer.
Considering the possibly game-changing events at the end of season five -- wherein Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) detonated a nuclear warhead in an effort to hit the Island's reset button and, in theory, prevent Oceanic 815 from crashing in the first place -- any extra time the show's creative team wants to take unraveling what happened could be welcome.
When ABC and executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof agreed to an end date for the show after season six, the network asked for three 16-episode seasons to wrap things up. The 2007-08 writers strike messed up that schedule somewhat, and only 14 episodes made it onto the air in the fourth season.
Last season ran 17 episodes (with the two-hour finale counting as two), and the final season was set to do the same thing. Adding the extra hour to the final season will bring the total number of episodes in the final three years to 49.
Michael Jackson Ticket Refund Details Announced By AEG
AEG Live has announced that full refunds will be given to fans who purchased tickets through authorized agents to Michael Jackson's 50 planned concerts at the O2 Arena in London, according to a news release from the promoter, which operates the O2 Arena. The refunds will include service fee charges.
On July 1, fans who purchased tickets to Jackson’s "This Is It" concerts will be directed to MichaelJacksonLive.com for information about how to receive full refunds. The refunds will be processed by authorized ticketing agencies, including primary ticketing company Ticketmaster and U.K. reseller Viagogo, among others.
Fans will be also given the option to receive the concert tickets as souvenirs in lieu of the full refunds. The tickets were printed with the lenticular process and were designed by Jackson, according to the release. The offer will be valid through Aug. 14.
"The world lost a kind soul who just happened to be the greatest entertainer the world has ever known," AEG Live president/CEO Randy Phillips said in a statement. "Since he loved his fans in life, it is incumbent upon us to treat them with the same reverence and respect after his death."
Jackson's planned 50-show run at the O2 Arena in London would have been the highest-grossing single concert engagement. More than $85 million worth of tickets had already been sold for the series of performances.
Jackson wrapped video before death
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 19 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – Two weeks before he died, Michael Jackson wrapped up work on an elaborate production dubbed the "Dome Project" that could be the final finished video piece overseen by the King of Pop, The Associated Press has learned.
Details on the project are scarce. Two people with knowledge of the project confirmed its existence Monday to the AP on condition they not be identified because they signed confidentiality agreements.
They said it was a five-week project filmed at Culver Studios, which 70 years ago was the set for the classic film "Gone With the Wind." Four sets were constructed for Jackson's production, including a cemetery recalling his 1983 "Thriller" video.
Shooting for the project lasted from June 1-9, with Jackson on the set most days. Now in post-production, the project is expected to be completed next month.
Producer Robb Wagner, founder of music-video company Stimulated Inc., did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the project.
Michael Roth, a spokesman for Jackson's Los Angeles-based promoter AEG Live, said he hadn't heard about the production but did not rule that it could be part of the company's contract with the entertainer.
According to one of the people with knowledge of the project, a willow-thin, pallid Jackson left a memorable impression on the crew, arriving in a caravan of SUVs with hulking security guards in tow. The person said Jackson introduced himself to workers on the set and walked with a spring in his step but at one point needed assistance as he descended steps off a stage.
Besides the cemetery, one set was draped in black with an oversized portrait of Jackson in his "Thriller" werewolf costume. Another set was designed to simulate a lush jungle, and a fourth was built to replicate a construction site, with a screen in the back to allow projection of different backgrounds.
Taping took place in marathon sessions ending early in the morning. One scene filmed on the construction site set included scantily clad male dancers wearing carpenter's belts.
It's unclear what final form or forms the video project will take.
According to Stimulated's Web site, the company was hired to produce screen content for Jackson's planned comeback concerts in London. Stimulated has worked with Def Leppard and the Pussycat Dolls, and produced content for the Academy Awards and the Emmys.
New Releases, June 30: Rob Thomas, Brad Paisley, Wilco, Moby, Levon Helm, and more!!
Rob Thomas "Cradlesong" (Atlantic)
The pop/rock star, who came to fame as the frontman for Matchbox Twenty, is finally ready to unveil his second solo record. The first single from "Cradlesong" is the track "Her Diamonds."
"Cradlesong" follows 2005's "...Something To Be," which made chart history when Thomas became the first male artist from a rock or pop group to debut at No. 1 with his inaugural solo album, according to a press release. In a broader sense, "Cradlesong" also follows his 2007 reunion with his Matchbox Twenty bandmates on "Exile On Mainstream," which was the first group effort since the 2003 six-song collection, "EP."
* * *
Brad Paisley "American Saturday Night" (RCA)
The mega-popular cowboy crooner/guitarist is back with a follow-up to last year's "Play." The first single from "American Saturday Night," Paisley's eighth studio album, is the hit song "Then," which holds the distinction of being the fastest-rising chart-topper of Paisley's career, according to a press release.
Paisley currently is supporting the new album with a major North American trek, dubbed the "Saturday Night Tour." The run will hit more than 40 cities and stretches well into October. His tour companions are fellow country singers Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne.
In other news, Paisley had a huge night at the most recent CMT Music Awards. The country star tallied the most belt-buckle-shaped trophies this year of any entertainer, snagging Male Video of the Year for "Waitin' On a Woman," Collaborative Video of the Year with Keith Urban for "Start a Band" and Performance of the Year alongside Alan Jackson, George Strait and Dierks Bentley for their rendition of "Country Boy" on "CMT Giants: Alan Jackson."
* * *
Wilco "Wilco (The Album)" (Nonesuch)
The acclaimed alt-rock act is set deliver "Wilco (The Album)." The record is the Chicago-based group's seventh studio offering to date, and its first since 2007's "Sky Blue Sky."
Wilco co-produced the album with studio vet Jim Scott (who had worked as a mixer on some of the band's prior discs) during recording sessions in New Zealand and Chicago. "Wilco (The Album)" also includes the group's first-ever official duet, "You and I," which was recorded with Canadian singer Feist.
Wilco is currently touring in support of its new album--as well as a recently released concert DVD, "Ashes of American Flags"--and plans call for the band to remain on the road through an Aug. 23 appearance at Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes Festival.
* * *
Moby "Wait For Me" (Mute)
The electronica giant, who took the music world by storm with the 1999 dance manifesto "Play," plugs back in for his ninth studio album. "Wait For Me" follows 2008's "Last Night."
The first single from "Wait For Me" is the track "Shot in the Back of the Head," the music video for which was directed by David Lynch. Moby produced the album, then turned it over for mixing to Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros).
* * *
Levon Helm "Electric Dirt" (Vanguard)
The classic-rock legend, best known as a founding member of The Band, returns with his second solo offering. "Electric Dirt" was produced by Larry Campbell, who also worked the boards on Helm's 2007 Grammy-award winning "Dirt Farmer."
"Electric Dirt" features versions of The Grateful Dead's "Tennessee Jed," Happy Traum's "Golden Bird" and Randy Newman's "Kingfish." It also includes horn arrangements by Allen Toussaint and the Levon Helm Band.
* * *
More new releases:
Bjork, "Voltaic" (Nonesuch)
Jefferson Airplane, "Jefferson Airplane: The Woodstock Experience" (Sony)
Janis Joplin, "Janis Joplin: The Woodstock Experience" (Sony)
Killswitch Engage, "Killswitch Engage" (Roadrunner)
Lillian Axe, "Sad Day on Planet Earth" (Blistering)
Santana, "Santana: The Woodstock Experience" (Sony)
Sly & The Family Stone, "Sly & The Family Stone: The Woodstock Experience" (Sony)
Rod Stewart, "A Night on the Town" (Rhino)
Tanya Tucker, "My Turn" (Saguaro Road)
Twisted Sister, "Stay Hungry" (Rhino)
Various Artists, "Now That's What I Call Music, Vol. 31" (Sony)
Various Artists, "The Woodstock Experience" (Sony)
Johnny Winter, "Johnny Winter: The Woodstock Experience" (Sony)
Soundtracks and scores:
"Road Show" (Nonesuch)
Heath Ledger's Last Days – From His Friends
In the days leading up to his death, Heath Ledger battled chronic insomnia, pneumonia and exhaustion, according to several members of Ledger's inner circle – who paint a portrait of a tortured man who struggled with personal strife and professional indecision, reports the August Vanity Fair, on sale nationally July 7.
Apparently, one of the biggest struggles in Ledger's life was his deteriorating relationship with partner Michelle Williams.
"Heath was always blaming himself [about the relationship], asking 'what did I do wrong?'" says Ledger's friend and mentor, director Terry Gilliam. "Once it started going south, it went very quickly. He was overwhelmed by lawyers, and there were more and more of them, as if they were breeding."
Especially contentious were the custody issues surrounding the couple's daughter, Matilda. As the couple battled over the child, "there were definitely heated conversations," says one source, "and emotions were high."
The stress of his personal life left Ledger unable to sleep.
Chronic Insomnia
Gerry Grennell, a vocal coach who lived with Ledger during the filming of The Dark Knight, said that the actor used sleeping medication to combat chronic insomnia. "I'd say, 'If you can possibly bear it to stop taking the medications, do, because they don't seem to be doing you any good,' " recalls Grennell, who said that Ledger would spend his nights finding ways to occupy himself, such as rearranging the furniture.
Grennell also says that everyone has a different view on how Ledger died. "From my perspective, and knowing him as well as I did, and being around him as much as I was, it was a combination of exhaustion, sleeping medication … and perhaps the aftereffects of the flu," he says. "I guess his body just stopped breathing."
Grennell and other sources claim that Ledger was no longer using illegal drugs or alcohol when he died.
Professional Indecision
Despite the actor's eventual success – and posthumous Oscar – as the Joker in the The Dark Knight, Ledger's friend and agent, Steven Alexander, tells the magazine that Ledger "was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster, with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies. He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices."
Friends say that Ledger agreed to join the Batman franchise because it would be such a long shot that it would give him an excuse to turn down other offers. Ledger reportedly had a pay-or-play deal for Dark Knight, meaning that he'd receive a paycheck no matter what, so he took creative liberties with the Joker.
According to cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, Ledger hoped his performance would be so over-the-top that he'd be fired.
Impressionist, Vegas headliner Fred Travalena dies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Impressionist Fred Travalena, a headliner in Vegas showrooms and a regular on late-night talk shows with his takes on presidents, crooners and screen stars, has died in Los Angeles. He was 66.
Publicist Roger Neal says Travalena died Sunday at his home in the Encino area after a recurrence of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that first surfaced in 2002.
Travalena was known for the sheer volume of celebrities he imitated, leading to the nicknames "The Man of a Thousand Voices" and "Mr. Everybody."
His act included presidents from Kennedy to Obama, musicians from Frank Sinatra to Bruce Springsteen and actors from Marlon Brando to Tom Cruise.
The Bronx native started his career in Las Vegas in 1971.
A Lost Michael Jackson Tune...and His Final Concert?
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Michael Jackson never got around to recording that long-awaited comeback album, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of material.
E! News has obtained the King of Pop's recording of "Shout"—the first of what will likely be a slew of posthumous recordings unearthed in the next few years.
The tune, which puts a distinctive Jackson twist on the Isley Brothers' seminal 1959 hit, was cowritten by the New Jersey-based team of Cyph and Crystal and recorded in the fall of 2001 at Sony Recording Studios in New York City, but was never released.
"After the recording was done, we could see him dancing to the song," Cyph, who was introduced to the star by producer Teddy Riley, tells E! News. "He really was feeling that record, but, unfortunately, the record got rail roaded by politics within the album and the dispute between M.J. and Tommy [Mottola], so it got released as a maxi single to R. Kelly's "Cry." No one's heard "Shout" in the U.S."
Jackson's last studio album, Invincible, came out in 2001.
One of Jackson's biographers, Ian Halperin, claims the singer may have left more than 100 unreleased songs to his three children as a "personal legacy," according to the the Times of London.
Meanwhile, per TheWrap.com, Jackson's final Los Angeles rehearsal for his upcoming London concert series was recorded by AEG as part of his multimillion-dollar deal, and the concert promoter is reportedly planning to release it on DVD and CD as a "live concert."