list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Harold_and_Kumar_Escape_from_Guantanamo/297835/default.aspx Title: Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo
Year: 2008
Director: Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz
Plot: After successfully seeking out the ultimate slider in the 2004 stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, the cannabis-craving twosome return in this high-flying sequel that finds them labeled terrorists for attempting to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement on a flight to Amsterdam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 41
Number of Lists: 13
Number of blog posts: 18
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:58 GMTHarold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo2008Hayden Schlossberg, Jon HurwitzAfter successfully seeking out the ultimate slider in the 2004 stoner comedy <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/228443/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle</a>, the cannabis-craving twosome return in this high-flying sequel that finds them labeled terrorists for attempting to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement on a flight to Amsterdam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide41Tag Target (>10)131823http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s297835.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Harold_and_Kumar_Escape_from_Guantanamo/297835/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/9/39318.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/9/2009 2:00:58 PM
Body: At the cinema, 2008 was the year when it was hip to depart from the moral outrage any conscientious individual might feel about our countries’ on going illegal and immoral war 6,000 miles away. Light satire, be it of the buddy (Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay) or “five minutes in the future, things will be even more remarkably FUBAR” variety (War Inc.) were fashionable. Stop-Loss, much like last year’s ill conceived Lions for Lambs, luke warm Rendition and sneakily powerful In the Valley of Elah, was too sincere for most audience members and a large swath of critics’ taste. On the other hand, did we really need Morgan Spurlock to go looking for Osama Bin Laden? What if he would have found him? That might have been a beheading worth watching. Thankfully the much-maligned documentarian Nick Broomfield, best known for his perpetual work-in-progress (i.e. shoddily constructed), Tragic Musicians of the 90s Docs Kurt and Courtney (1998) and Biggie and Tupac (2002), finally surfaced with a genuinely terrific film. His 2007 TIFF entry Battle for Haditha, a picture that, in perhaps the year’s biggest cinematic surprise given its author’s dubious track record and relative inexperience in the realm of narrative, is so eerily verisimilar that it puts much of what one could accurately call combat cinema to shame. Shot in grainy, fluid 16mm with Jordan doubling for Iraq, and starring non actors culled from local Iraqi refugees and ex-American military personnel, Broomfield’s movie paints a potent and altogether horrifying picture of American military brutality that would be fodder for the knee jerk responses of hawkish pundits if a) it had been seen by anyone; b) if its events weren’t almost entirely drawn from the documented atrocities of November 19th, 2005; and c) if it had been directed by Brian DePalma, whose Redacted could have been this relevant if its director wasn’t so busy navel-gazing and rubbing his bald spot. With a structural conceit that resembles Gus Van Sant’s long build up to tragedy in Elephant (but with much less artifice and showy stylistic hijinks to burn), Battle for Haditha recounts not the 2005 battle for which it’s named (that took place in August of 2005 and featured the death of just about every marine from Brook Park, Ohio), but the massacre of twenty-four Iraqis, fifteen of them confirmed civilian noncombatants, by Americans servicemen out for revenge after a member of their platoon, Corporal Miguel Terrazas, was killed by an IED within the city.  That IED was initially listed as the cause of the fifteen civilian deaths in the military’s official report on the incident, only to be discovered as the mere spark for a clinical retribution on the part of a tired, emotionally scarred and trigger happy platoon. Broomfield paints the soldiers as limited and essentially decent men who, under the right circumstances, are subject to the worst human nature has to offer. The film has a small share of inauthentic-seeming moments, which will always occur when you unleash an inspired non-performer in a set of dire given circumstances and make them create without a safety net. But even in the midst of these moments, the film retains its power to both enrage and enthrall. Especially riveting is former Marine corporal Elliot Ruiz as Cpl. Ramirez, whose rage spills over to needless violence with a ferocity that can be hard to watch at times, but whose vulnerability, his essential optimistic sweetness, breaks your heart. At times the performance seems designed to provoke a Liberal wussie’s worst suspicions about the men who serve us in uniform; in other moments, you completely fall in love with the man. It’s dynamite work, a fully lived-in sensation. That those on both sides of any armed conflict are left wounded and this is no small thing might be Broomfield’s thematic intention, but his film transcends his schematic desires by putting us so equally in the shoes of combatants on both sides. It’s also leisurly enough to glimpse small moments with surprising restraint and unexpected beauty. From he sensuality of a woman removing her hijab to have intercourse and then a quaint shower with her lover, to a soldier watching as children flee their Madrasahs in the wake of the retaliatory massacre, Broomfield reveals himself to be a visual poet, albeit a minor one. The banality of evil is the film’s (and this whole war’s) real subject, but as it floats between the daily routines of the platoon and various groups of Iraqi civilians (and a few insurgents), many of whom we know will not see another day, the film manages to truly put to bed Francois Truffaut’s notion that war cinema is always too visceral to be considered truly pacifist. I’m glad I’ve seen it and, deity willing, I never, ever want to see the real thing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:58 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/9/2009 2:00:58 PMAt the cinema, 2008 was the year when it was hip to depart from the moral outrage any conscientious individual might feel about our countries’ on going illegal and immoral war 6,000 miles away. Light satire, be it of the buddy (Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay) or “five minutes in the future, things will be even more remarkably FUBAR” variety (War Inc.) were fashionable. Stop-Loss, much like last year’s ill conceived Lions for Lambs, luke warm Rendition and sneakily powerful In the Valley of Elah, was too sincere for most audience members and a large swath of critics’ taste. On the other hand, did we really need Morgan Spurlock to go looking for Osama Bin Laden? What if he would have found him? That might have been a beheading worth watching. Thankfully the much-maligned documentarian Nick Broomfield, best known for his perpetual work-in-progress (i.e. shoddily constructed), Tragic Musicians of the 90s Docs Kurt and Courtney (1998) and Biggie and Tupac (2002), finally surfaced with a genuinely terrific film. His 2007 TIFF entry Battle for Haditha, a picture that, in perhaps the year’s biggest cinematic surprise given its author’s dubious track record and relative inexperience in the realm of narrative, is so eerily verisimilar that it puts much of what one could accurately call combat cinema to shame. Shot in grainy, fluid 16mm with Jordan doubling for Iraq, and starring non actors culled from local Iraqi refugees and ex-American military personnel, Broomfield’s movie paints a potent and altogether horrifying picture of American military brutality that would be fodder for the knee jerk responses of hawkish pundits if a) it had been seen by anyone; b) if its events weren’t almost entirely drawn from the documented atrocities of November 19th, 2005; and c) if it had been directed by Brian DePalma, whose Redacted could have been this relevant if its director wasn’t so busy navel-gazing and rubbing his bald spot. With a structural conceit that resembles Gus Van Sant’s long build up to tragedy in Elephant (but with much less artifice and showy stylistic hijinks to burn), Battle for Haditha recounts not the 2005 battle for which it’s named (that took place in August of 2005 and featured the death of just about every marine from Brook Park, Ohio), but the massacre of twenty-four Iraqis, fifteen of them confirmed civilian noncombatants, by Americans servicemen out for revenge after a member of their platoon, Corporal Miguel Terrazas, was killed by an IED within the city.  That IED was initially listed as the cause of the fifteen civilian deaths in the military’s official report on the incident, only to be discovered as the mere spark for a clinical retribution on the part of a tired, emotionally scarred and trigger happy platoon. Broomfield paints the soldiers as limited and essentially decent men who, under the right circumstances, are subject to the worst human nature has to offer. The film has a small share of inauthentic-seeming moments, which will always occur when you unleash an inspired non-performer in a set of dire given circumstances and make them create without a safety net. But even in the midst of these moments, the film retains its power to both enrage and enthrall. Especially riveting is former Marine corporal Elliot Ruiz as Cpl. Ramirez, whose rage spills over to needless violence with a ferocity that can be hard to watch at times, but whose vulnerability, his essential optimistic sweetness, breaks your heart. At times the performance seems designed to provoke a Liberal wussie’s worst suspicions about the men who serve us in uniform; in other moments, you completely fall in love with the man. It’s dynamite work, a fully lived-in sensation. That those on both sides of any armed conflict are left wounded and this is no small thing might be Broomfield’s thematic intention, but his film transcends his schematic desires by putting us so equally in the shoes of combatants on both sides. It’s also leisurly enough to glimpse small moments with surprising restraint and unexpected beauty. From he sensuality of a woman removing her hijab to have intercourse and then a quaint shower with her lover, to a soldier watching as children flee their Madrasahs in the wake of the retaliatory massacre, Broomfield reveals himself to be a visual poet, albeit a minor one. The banality of evil is the film’s (and this whole war’s) real subject, but as it floats between the daily routines of the platoon and various groups of Iraqi civilians (and a few insurgents), many of whom we know will not see another day, the film manages to truly put to bed Francois Truffaut’s notion that war cinema is always too visceral to be considered truly pacifist. I’m glad I’ve seen it and, deity willing, I never, ever want to see the real thing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/18/38568.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/18/2008 5:00:50 PM
Body: Don’t you just hate when the movies make you care about a bigot? Sure, racists are technically humans, but that doesn’t mean we need to sympathize with them, right? No matter how great the film, it should be very difficult to accept the softening of intolerant people. Yet the lovable racist is not uncommon in cinema. In fact, out in theaters right now are two films dealing with this type of character. The Reader presents a cold Concentration Camp guard (Kate Winslet) for whom we’re meant to shed a tear, and Gran Torino focuses on a War Veteran stereotype (Clint Eastwood) who may evoke from the audience as much amusement as disgust. Maybe it’s like picking a scab, watching these kinds of movies. Some great films, such as Downfall, may only welcome an understanding of someone so heinous as Adolph Hitler, but other films have allowed us to totally enjoy racist protagonists of lesser offense. Check out the following examples to see some of the many intolerant heroes we’ve easily tolerated. Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) in The Searchers (1956) Compared to many classic westerns, John Ford’s The Searchers is not necessarily racist towards Native Americans. Yet it does feature one of the most unapologetically racist characters in film history, one who influenced many subsequent intolerants like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. Ethan is such a badass bigot that he’d even kill his own niece for mating with a Commanche. Despite all his racism, though, audiences can’t help but like Ethan throughout much of The Searchers, because although Ford clearly looks down upon his hatred, the film also treats the character as a heroic man of his time. It’s a love him and hate him at the same time sort of thing. Pino (John Turturro) in Do the Right Thing (1989) In a way, almost everyone in Spike Lee’s classic is at least a little bit racist, evident in the famous slur montage. But it’s Pino who is the most ignorant, calling black people “the N word” on a regular basis. Yet we may forgive him, just as Mookie (Lee) does, because his bigotry is brought about through a combo of stupidity and culture. After all, if he’s a fan of Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy, he can’t be a true racist. Right? Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) in As Good as It Gets (1997) He’s portrayed as mostly hateful towards gays and women, but Melvin is also plenty racist. He tells Frank (Cuba Gooding Jr.) to “think white” and earlier, when yelling for police, he shouts, “Assault and battery! And you’re black!” But who can resist Jack? He may be a total bigot, but it’s okay, because he’s got OCD and he’s ultimately good to a sick little boy and his mother (Helen Hunt). He even reluctantly bonds with the gay neighbor (Greg Kinnear). What’s not to love about this Oscar-winning character? Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Whether you’re Rob Corddry in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay or Billy Bob Thornton in any number of films, it’s okay to be a bigot if you’re hilariously extreme in your intolerance. Sacha Baron Cohen takes the cake with his Borat character, though, when it comes to loveable racists. Hey, it’s satire! He holds up a mirror to explore our own racism, displayed best in a pre-film scene from Da Ali G Show, in which an audience of rednecks joins him in singing, “Throw the Jew Down the Well.” In the movie, he similarly gets applause at a rodeo for suggesting America kills all Iraqi men, women and children. Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) in This Is England (2006) He’s the most adorable little skinhead ever, so how can we stop loving Shaun when he ignorantly joins up with the Nationalist ex-con Combo (Stephen Graham)? Isn’t it cute when Shaun is being racist towards the Pakistani shopkeeper? It’s not like he’s the real bigot; that’s Combo. Shaun is just too young to understand at age 12 that losing his father to the Falkland War is not an excuse for racism. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:00:50 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/18/2008 5:00:50 PMDon’t you just hate when the movies make you care about a bigot? Sure, racists are technically humans, but that doesn’t mean we need to sympathize with them, right? No matter how great the film, it should be very difficult to accept the softening of intolerant people. Yet the lovable racist is not uncommon in cinema. In fact, out in theaters right now are two films dealing with this type of character. The Reader presents a cold Concentration Camp guard (Kate Winslet) for whom we’re meant to shed a tear, and Gran Torino focuses on a War Veteran stereotype (Clint Eastwood) who may evoke from the audience as much amusement as disgust. Maybe it’s like picking a scab, watching these kinds of movies. Some great films, such as Downfall, may only welcome an understanding of someone so heinous as Adolph Hitler, but other films have allowed us to totally enjoy racist protagonists of lesser offense. Check out the following examples to see some of the many intolerant heroes we’ve easily tolerated. Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) in The Searchers (1956) Compared to many classic westerns, John Ford’s The Searchers is not necessarily racist towards Native Americans. Yet it does feature one of the most unapologetically racist characters in film history, one who influenced many subsequent intolerants like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. Ethan is such a badass bigot that he’d even kill his own niece for mating with a Commanche. Despite all his racism, though, audiences can’t help but like Ethan throughout much of The Searchers, because although Ford clearly looks down upon his hatred, the film also treats the character as a heroic man of his time. It’s a love him and hate him at the same time sort of thing. Pino (John Turturro) in Do the Right Thing (1989) In a way, almost everyone in Spike Lee’s classic is at least a little bit racist, evident in the famous slur montage. But it’s Pino who is the most ignorant, calling black people “the N word” on a regular basis. Yet we may forgive him, just as Mookie (Lee) does, because his bigotry is brought about through a combo of stupidity and culture. After all, if he’s a fan of Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy, he can’t be a true racist. Right? Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) in As Good as It Gets (1997) He’s portrayed as mostly hateful towards gays and women, but Melvin is also plenty racist. He tells Frank (Cuba Gooding Jr.) to “think white” and earlier, when yelling for police, he shouts, “Assault and battery! And you’re black!” But who can resist Jack? He may be a total bigot, but it’s okay, because he’s got OCD and he’s ultimately good to a sick little boy and his mother (Helen Hunt). He even reluctantly bonds with the gay neighbor (Greg Kinnear). What’s not to love about this Oscar-winning character? Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Whether you’re Rob Corddry in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay or Billy Bob Thornton in any number of films, it’s okay to be a bigot if you’re hilariously extreme in your intolerance. Sacha Baron Cohen takes the cake with his Borat character, though, when it comes to loveable racists. Hey, it’s satire! He holds up a mirror to explore our own racism, displayed best in a pre-film scene from Da Ali G Show, in which an audience of rednecks joins him in singing, “Throw the Jew Down the Well.” In the movie, he similarly gets applause at a rodeo for suggesting America kills all Iraqi men, women and children. Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) in This Is England (2006) He’s the most adorable little skinhead ever, so how can we stop loving Shaun when he ignorantly joins up with the Nationalist ex-con Combo (Stephen Graham)? Isn’t it cute when Shaun is being racist towards the Pakistani shopkeeper? It’s not like he’s the real bigot; that’s Combo. Shaun is just too young to understand at age 12 that losing his father to the Falkland War is not an excuse for racism. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/1/35765.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/1/2008 12:01:21 PM
Body: Will this year’s presidential election be determined by which candidate is more hip? Barack Obama is younger, listens to Jay-Z and Kanye West and is something of a trendy choice among college students. McCain, on the other hand, is older and (now) less athletic but is still considered to be hip in a cool grandpa kind of way. Like the grandpa who has exciting war stories to share. Have you seen the video footage of him jumping from an explosion during the USS Forrestal fire? That’s pretty cool. So, the outcome of the race may depend on what the majority of Americans think is cool. Charisma or Muscle. It reminds me of an election for high school class president. Who is more popular, the preppy basketball player or the more jockish captain of the wrestling team? But do we really want a cool president? Let’s take a look at some of the coolest fictional presidents from the movies and decide if it’s truly a good idea to base our vote on which candidate we’d prefer to hang with. 10. President Lindberg (Tony “Tiny” Lister), from The Fifth Element I’m not saying that being cross-eyed or incessantly receiving calls from your mother is cool, though both could very well be thought so in the year 2263. That’s so far in the future that Lindberg isn’t just the President of the United States, he’s head of the “United Federation” (like in Star Trek). No, I’m saying that Lindberg is cool because he’s really big and badass and could probably do some sweet damage to some Mangalores all by his lonesome. Unfortunately, Lister never gets to display his old wrestling moves in any action scenes. 9. President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews), from Idiocracy Another African-American wrestler-turned-president, also in a future setting. Only this time it’s the character who is a former pro wrestler (Crews is instead a former pro football player) and the setting is even further in time, 2505, when the people of the world are very, very stupid. But is it stupid to elect a man with an awesome chopper and a tendency to sing his speeches? If Teddy Roosevelt were alive, he’d probably also have a motorcycle and a machine gun, though maybe he wouldn’t shoot the latter while standing before Congress. Or maybe he would, and maybe we’d still re-elect him. 8. President Devlin (George Clooney), from Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over If George Clooney stopped simply talking politics and actually ran for president, a lot of people would vote for him regardless of what he stood for. Simply because he’s a cool celebrity. Fans of the Spy Kids films kind of got a taste of what President George Clooney would look like when his character, Devlin, became commander-in-chief by the third installment. 7. President James Dale (Jack Nicholson), from Mars Attacks! Of course, if there’s one actor even cooler than Clooney, it’s Jack Nicholson. What if the presidential race consisted of these two actors up for the position? If you truly voted based on the coolness of the candidate, you’d have to go with Jack. But only if he wore sunglasses during every public appearance, including especially the State of the Union Address. 6. President Joseph Staton (Dennis Quaid), from American Dreamz American Idol may not be the coolest thing on television, but it is one of the most popular TV shows, and it’s pretty cool to a good percentage of the people old enough to vote for the president. Perhaps if the voting age was lowered to 14 (see #1), it would be cooler for the President to appear on MTV or at a Jonas Brothers concert. However, as the election tends to be more in the hands of older folk, it would be cool for a president or presidential hopeful to appear on Idol, as Staton does in this movie (with a fictionalized version of the show, titled American Dreamz). 5. President George W. Bush (James Adomian), from Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay This list is basically limited to fictional presidents in film, but we can make an exception for Adomian’s portrayal of Bush, as it’s no more accurate a representation than is Neil Patrick Harris’ portrayal of himself in the same film. In this movie, Bush is a much cooler guy. He gets high, has an awesome rec room, and he’s like a rebellious yet spoiled teenager. Heck, if ‘Rold and Kumar like hanging with him, you’d probably like hanging with him, too. 4. President James Marshall (Harrison Ford), from Air Force One People used to prefer a leader who’d proven himself in battle. Now, it’s not so important for a presidential candidate to have served in war or even been shown to have some sort of fight in him. Now it’s more cool than qualifying for a president to be able to kick a bad guy’s ass without need of assistance from the Secret Service. Even cooler, though, is a president who can kick a bad guy’s ass while also avoiding falling out of an airplane cargo door. 3. President Thomas “Tug” Benson (Lloyd Bridges), from Hot Shots! Part Deux Even tougher a guy than President Marshall is President Benson. In fact, he’s been through enough to make McCain look like a lazy hippie. He caught a bazooka round in Okinawa, took a bullet in Corregidor that went straight through both ears, took a torpedo in the lower abdomen that resulted in the removal of his intestines, he has a shell the size of his fist in his head and he was shot down on more than 194 air missions. He’s not too bright these days, but he’ll still take it upon himself to go into Iraq and fight the enemy face to face. With a light saber. 2. President Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock), from Head of State He’s not as cool as his running-mate (who is also his brother, played by Bernie Mac), and the movie isn’t as funny or insightful as Chris Rock’s political stand-up, but Mays Gilliam is like an even hipper exaggeration of Obama. Not only does he listen to rap, he plays Nelly at formal events and gets old ladies to dance and sing along. He takes mudslinging to a new level with “Yo Mama” jokes. And his “That Ain’t Right” slogan is like a cooler, possibly more genuine, inverse of Obama’s “Yes We Can.” 1. President Max Frost (Christopher Jones), from Wild in the Streets As the hit song from the movie goes, “nothing can stop the shape of things to come,” and I take that to mean that inevitably there will one day be a rock star elected to the presidency. After all, there has already been a movie star president, and eight years ago plenty of young music fans were ready to vote Jello Biafra into the White House, simply because he’s Jello Biafra. Despite the uncool things done by Max Frost and his band, The Troopers, such as putting LSD in the capital’s water supply and detaining citizens over the age of 35 for re-education, they do carry out some really hip ideas, such as lowering the voting age to 14, and more importantly they gave the world some classic garage rock tunes. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:01:21 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/1/2008 12:01:21 PMWill this year’s presidential election be determined by which candidate is more hip? Barack Obama is younger, listens to Jay-Z and Kanye West and is something of a trendy choice among college students. McCain, on the other hand, is older and (now) less athletic but is still considered to be hip in a cool grandpa kind of way. Like the grandpa who has exciting war stories to share. Have you seen the video footage of him jumping from an explosion during the USS Forrestal fire? That’s pretty cool. So, the outcome of the race may depend on what the majority of Americans think is cool. Charisma or Muscle. It reminds me of an election for high school class president. Who is more popular, the preppy basketball player or the more jockish captain of the wrestling team? But do we really want a cool president? Let’s take a look at some of the coolest fictional presidents from the movies and decide if it’s truly a good idea to base our vote on which candidate we’d prefer to hang with. 10. President Lindberg (Tony “Tiny” Lister), from The Fifth Element I’m not saying that being cross-eyed or incessantly receiving calls from your mother is cool, though both could very well be thought so in the year 2263. That’s so far in the future that Lindberg isn’t just the President of the United States, he’s head of the “United Federation” (like in Star Trek). No, I’m saying that Lindberg is cool because he’s really big and badass and could probably do some sweet damage to some Mangalores all by his lonesome. Unfortunately, Lister never gets to display his old wrestling moves in any action scenes. 9. President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews), from Idiocracy Another African-American wrestler-turned-president, also in a future setting. Only this time it’s the character who is a former pro wrestler (Crews is instead a former pro football player) and the setting is even further in time, 2505, when the people of the world are very, very stupid. But is it stupid to elect a man with an awesome chopper and a tendency to sing his speeches? If Teddy Roosevelt were alive, he’d probably also have a motorcycle and a machine gun, though maybe he wouldn’t shoot the latter while standing before Congress. Or maybe he would, and maybe we’d still re-elect him. 8. President Devlin (George Clooney), from Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over If George Clooney stopped simply talking politics and actually ran for president, a lot of people would vote for him regardless of what he stood for. Simply because he’s a cool celebrity. Fans of the Spy Kids films kind of got a taste of what President George Clooney would look like when his character, Devlin, became commander-in-chief by the third installment. 7. President James Dale (Jack Nicholson), from Mars Attacks! Of course, if there’s one actor even cooler than Clooney, it’s Jack Nicholson. What if the presidential race consisted of these two actors up for the position? If you truly voted based on the coolness of the candidate, you’d have to go with Jack. But only if he wore sunglasses during every public appearance, including especially the State of the Union Address. 6. President Joseph Staton (Dennis Quaid), from American Dreamz American Idol may not be the coolest thing on television, but it is one of the most popular TV shows, and it’s pretty cool to a good percentage of the people old enough to vote for the president. Perhaps if the voting age was lowered to 14 (see #1), it would be cooler for the President to appear on MTV or at a Jonas Brothers concert. However, as the election tends to be more in the hands of older folk, it would be cool for a president or presidential hopeful to appear on Idol, as Staton does in this movie (with a fictionalized version of the show, titled American Dreamz). 5. President George W. Bush (James Adomian), from Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay This list is basically limited to fictional presidents in film, but we can make an exception for Adomian’s portrayal of Bush, as it’s no more accurate a representation than is Neil Patrick Harris’ portrayal of himself in the same film. In this movie, Bush is a much cooler guy. He gets high, has an awesome rec room, and he’s like a rebellious yet spoiled teenager. Heck, if ‘Rold and Kumar like hanging with him, you’d probably like hanging with him, too. 4. President James Marshall (Harrison Ford), from Air Force One People used to prefer a leader who’d proven himself in battle. Now, it’s not so important for a presidential candidate to have served in war or even been shown to have some sort of fight in him. Now it’s more cool than qualifying for a president to be able to kick a bad guy’s ass without need of assistance from the Secret Service. Even cooler, though, is a president who can kick a bad guy’s ass while also avoiding falling out of an airplane cargo door. 3. President Thomas “Tug” Benson (Lloyd Bridges), from Hot Shots! Part Deux Even tougher a guy than President Marshall is President Benson. In fact, he’s been through enough to make McCain look like a lazy hippie. He caught a bazooka round in Okinawa, took a bullet in Corregidor that went straight through both ears, took a torpedo in the lower abdomen that resulted in the removal of his intestines, he has a shell the size of his fist in his head and he was shot down on more than 194 air missions. He’s not too bright these days, but he’ll still take it upon himself to go into Iraq and fight the enemy face to face. With a light saber. 2. President Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock), from Head of State He’s not as cool as his running-mate (who is also his brother, played by Bernie Mac), and the movie isn’t as funny or insightful as Chris Rock’s political stand-up, but Mays Gilliam is like an even hipper exaggeration of Obama. Not only does he listen to rap, he plays Nelly at formal events and gets old ladies to dance and sing along. He takes mudslinging to a new level with “Yo Mama” jokes. And his “That Ain’t Right” slogan is like a cooler, possibly more genuine, inverse of Obama’s “Yes We Can.” 1. President Max Frost (Christopher Jones), from Wild in the Streets As the hit song from the movie goes, “nothing can stop the shape of things to come,” and I take that to mean that inevitably there will one day be a rock star elected to the presidency. After all, there has already been a movie star president, and eight years ago plenty of young music fans were ready to vote Jello Biafra into the White House, simply because he’s Jello Biafra. Despite the uncool things done by Max Frost and his band, The Troopers, such as putting LSD in the capital’s water supply and detaining citizens over the age of 35 for re-education, they do carry out some really hip ideas, such as lowering the voting age to 14, and more importantly they gave the world some classic garage rock tunes. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/2/34658.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/2/2008 4:00:50 PM
Body: The Democratic National Convention is over, and all the ecstatic party members have left Denver to go back to their zombie-esque lives (Bob Hope said it, not me). But after four days of celebrating what it means to be a Democrat, some may not wish to settle down and calmly wait out the next two months until Obama’s (possible) win, let alone the next five months waiting for the candidate to (possibly) be sworn in as President, participating in the normal non-specifically-Democratic, non-self-congratulatory activities that most of us are content with. So, one thing excited Democrats can do is watch movies that will continue to inspire and encourage their beliefs and politics. As Karina already wrote, The American President is one movie that just barely may allow Obama fans to relive his DNC speech. Also, beginning yesterday, the Oscar-nominated documentary No End in Sight will be available in full on YouTube through till Election Day. Of course, there’s always other anti-war and anti-Bush docs for free viewing online, at such sites as SnagFilms and FreeDocumentaries.org. And since there are so many docs out there that can make a Democrat giddy with the want for change, I’ve decided to limit today’s list to fictions and dramatizations, because they are more about feelings than facts, and that’s all you really need for political inspiration these days. As usual, I’m leaving out a lot of picks, both obvious and obscure, so feel free to tell us what movie make you feel most proud to be a Democrat. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town - Never mind that Frank Capra voted Republican or that ultimately this film has rather conservative messages regarding traditionalism, privatization and self-sufficiency; all the allusions to the New Deal are strong enough to excite any Rooseveltian liberal. In its time it may have fooled the population by seeming pro-FDR, but today it can still be appreciated by Democrats for demonstrating the President’s Depression-era programs in a way that may be celebrated by those who believe in them. Just concentrate more on screenwriter Robert Riskin’s influence and contribution and ignore Capra’s underlying and conclusive ideology. Cradle Will Rock - Another Depression-era film, though this one was made 63 years later and is actually pro-New Deal, directed by the openly liberal actor/filmmaker Tim Robbins. In a way, it’s probably more left-wing than even some Democrats can agree with, but a general appreciation for government-funded and supported arts, as well as a hatred of conservative-pressured cuts to similar programs, should allow most in the party to enjoy the film. The People vs. Larry Flynt - You can’t have a Democratic film marathon without at least one title celebrating the First Amendment. Feel free to substitute with Lenny, or just add it to the list. Roe vs. Wade - A TV movie, sure, and not even a great one, but when it comes to films about women’s right to choose, you’ve either got great foreign films (Vera Drake; 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days), which don’t exactly represent U.S. politics, documentaries (which don’t qualify the list), and satires (Citizen Ruth would be a decent inclusion, maybe, but it kind of ridicules all sides). So, here’s the direct dramatization of the court case that made history. Thirteen Days - JFK’s presidency is well-enough renowned by the Democratic Party, but this specific portrayal of one of his greatest moments in office is also important viewing for fans of RFK and Adlai Stevenson. Dick - It’s possible to get excited while watching All the President’s Men and celebrating the outcome of Woodward and Bernstein’s investigation, but Dick is a little more anti-Nixon, at least in a lampooning manner. Plus, as great as Redford and Hoffman are in AtPM, I prefer Will Ferrell and Bruce McCullough as the journalists who helped to take down the corrupt Republican. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - And if you prefer Dan Hedaya’s humorous portrayal of Nixon in Dick to Anthony Hopkins in Nixon, you’ll likely enjoy James Adomian’s caricature of George W. Bush in this Harold & Kumar sequel. It’s a little jokingly apologetic, but it will tide you over until W. comes out — if you’re even eager to see a full biopic about your worst enemy, that is. Inherit the Wind - Based on the infamous 1925 trial of science teacher John T. Scopes, who was convicted for teaching evolution in a state allowing only creationism to be taught, this 1960 adaptation of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s play continues to be significant in the ongoing debate regarding science vs. religion and the division of Church and State. To Kill a Mockingbird - Since I can’t decide on any movies to include that directly deal with the Civil Rights Act, here’s the movie based on the book that inspired me most about civil rights when I was young. It should be required viewing (and the book should be required reading) for all kids of impressionable age. Three Kings - I certainly wouldn’t vote for somebody solely based on his or her movie tastes, but I will admit to liking Bill Clinton a little bit more, post-presidency, after learning from his guest appearance on Roger Ebert & the Movies that he loved Three Kings. And, the other way around, I had an even greater appreciation for the film after Clinton’s endorsement, which included a reading of the film, which goes as follows (thanks to Salon for the quote and lead-in): He saw the movie as an indication that we need to face up to society’s “oldest, most primitive problem, our tribalism, our tendency to go beyond a natural pride in our group, whether it’s a racial or ethnic or religious group or whatever,” which results in “fear and distrust and dehumanization and violence against ‘the other.’” Of course, just because Clinton liked Three Kings doesn’t mean other Democrats will. Or vice versa. Ronald Reagan was apparently a big fan of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, which hasn’t made me any less of a fan. So, I’ll ask again, differently, since the Democratic Party is anything but completely united: what movies are most relevant to your politics as a Democrat? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:00:50 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/2/2008 4:00:50 PMThe Democratic National Convention is over, and all the ecstatic party members have left Denver to go back to their zombie-esque lives (Bob Hope said it, not me). But after four days of celebrating what it means to be a Democrat, some may not wish to settle down and calmly wait out the next two months until Obama’s (possible) win, let alone the next five months waiting for the candidate to (possibly) be sworn in as President, participating in the normal non-specifically-Democratic, non-self-congratulatory activities that most of us are content with. So, one thing excited Democrats can do is watch movies that will continue to inspire and encourage their beliefs and politics. As Karina already wrote, The American President is one movie that just barely may allow Obama fans to relive his DNC speech. Also, beginning yesterday, the Oscar-nominated documentary No End in Sight will be available in full on YouTube through till Election Day. Of course, there’s always other anti-war and anti-Bush docs for free viewing online, at such sites as SnagFilms and FreeDocumentaries.org. And since there are so many docs out there that can make a Democrat giddy with the want for change, I’ve decided to limit today’s list to fictions and dramatizations, because they are more about feelings than facts, and that’s all you really need for political inspiration these days. As usual, I’m leaving out a lot of picks, both obvious and obscure, so feel free to tell us what movie make you feel most proud to be a Democrat. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town - Never mind that Frank Capra voted Republican or that ultimately this film has rather conservative messages regarding traditionalism, privatization and self-sufficiency; all the allusions to the New Deal are strong enough to excite any Rooseveltian liberal. In its time it may have fooled the population by seeming pro-FDR, but today it can still be appreciated by Democrats for demonstrating the President’s Depression-era programs in a way that may be celebrated by those who believe in them. Just concentrate more on screenwriter Robert Riskin’s influence and contribution and ignore Capra’s underlying and conclusive ideology. Cradle Will Rock - Another Depression-era film, though this one was made 63 years later and is actually pro-New Deal, directed by the openly liberal actor/filmmaker Tim Robbins. In a way, it’s probably more left-wing than even some Democrats can agree with, but a general appreciation for government-funded and supported arts, as well as a hatred of conservative-pressured cuts to similar programs, should allow most in the party to enjoy the film. The People vs. Larry Flynt - You can’t have a Democratic film marathon without at least one title celebrating the First Amendment. Feel free to substitute with Lenny, or just add it to the list. Roe vs. Wade - A TV movie, sure, and not even a great one, but when it comes to films about women’s right to choose, you’ve either got great foreign films (Vera Drake; 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days), which don’t exactly represent U.S. politics, documentaries (which don’t qualify the list), and satires (Citizen Ruth would be a decent inclusion, maybe, but it kind of ridicules all sides). So, here’s the direct dramatization of the court case that made history. Thirteen Days - JFK’s presidency is well-enough renowned by the Democratic Party, but this specific portrayal of one of his greatest moments in office is also important viewing for fans of RFK and Adlai Stevenson. Dick - It’s possible to get excited while watching All the President’s Men and celebrating the outcome of Woodward and Bernstein’s investigation, but Dick is a little more anti-Nixon, at least in a lampooning manner. Plus, as great as Redford and Hoffman are in AtPM, I prefer Will Ferrell and Bruce McCullough as the journalists who helped to take down the corrupt Republican. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - And if you prefer Dan Hedaya’s humorous portrayal of Nixon in Dick to Anthony Hopkins in Nixon, you’ll likely enjoy James Adomian’s caricature of George W. Bush in this Harold & Kumar sequel. It’s a little jokingly apologetic, but it will tide you over until W. comes out — if you’re even eager to see a full biopic about your worst enemy, that is. Inherit the Wind - Based on the infamous 1925 trial of science teacher John T. Scopes, who was convicted for teaching evolution in a state allowing only creationism to be taught, this 1960 adaptation of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s play continues to be significant in the ongoing debate regarding science vs. religion and the division of Church and State. To Kill a Mockingbird - Since I can’t decide on any movies to include that directly deal with the Civil Rights Act, here’s the movie based on the book that inspired me most about civil rights when I was young. It should be required viewing (and the book should be required reading) for all kids of impressionable age. Three Kings - I certainly wouldn’t vote for somebody solely based on his or her movie tastes, but I will admit to liking Bill Clinton a little bit more, post-presidency, after learning from his guest appearance on Roger Ebert & the Movies that he loved Three Kings. And, the other way around, I had an even greater appreciation for the film after Clinton’s endorsement, which included a reading of the film, which goes as follows (thanks to Salon for the quote and lead-in): He saw the movie as an indication that we need to face up to society’s “oldest, most primitive problem, our tribalism, our tendency to go beyond a natural pride in our group, whether it’s a racial or ethnic or religious group or whatever,” which results in “fear and distrust and dehumanization and violence against ‘the other.’” Of course, just because Clinton liked Three Kings doesn’t mean other Democrats will. Or vice versa. Ronald Reagan was apparently a big fan of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, which hasn’t made me any less of a fan. So, I’ll ask again, differently, since the Democratic Party is anything but completely united: what movies are most relevant to your politics as a Democrat? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/unclefestering/archive/2008/8/30/34565.aspx Post By: unclefestering
Post To: unclefestering Blog
Post Date: 8/30/2008 8:36:12 PM
Body: I saw Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo after both the hype and all the grumbling from the disapponted fans wore out. It isn't a bad movie. And the problem is that that is the best that can be said for it. The skinny on the plot: The two stoners from Jersey fly to Amsterdam and Kumar is carrying a smokeless bong so he can light up on the flight over. But an old lady thinks they are terrorists because they aren't white. Isn't that hilarious? No? I didn't think so either. A government doofus sends them to Guantanamo where they escape in under five minutes and then head to Texas where they hope another friend in the government can clear the whole thing up. So the best moments are when Neil Patrick Harris returns to play Neil Patrick Harris, a straight, shroom-popping, kinky, whore-seeking Neil Patrick Harris. The problem is that this was a fantastic cameo character in the first movie, because Neil Patrick Harris didn't have a career then. Now after the first movie, he's Barney in How I met your Mother and in a series of commercials making fun of his Doogie Howser persona. The other great scenes are when the guys accidently break into President Bush's Crawford compound, where he is hiding from Cheney and getting high. Other than those scenes the jokes fell pretty flat. See the original. It is much funnier.
]]>Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:36:12 GMTunclefesteringunclefestering Blog8/30/2008 8:36:12 PMI saw Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo after both the hype and all the grumbling from the disapponted fans wore out. It isn't a bad movie. And the problem is that that is the best that can be said for it. The skinny on the plot: The two stoners from Jersey fly to Amsterdam and Kumar is carrying a smokeless bong so he can light up on the flight over. But an old lady thinks they are terrorists because they aren't white. Isn't that hilarious? No? I didn't think so either. A government doofus sends them to Guantanamo where they escape in under five minutes and then head to Texas where they hope another friend in the government can clear the whole thing up. So the best moments are when Neil Patrick Harris returns to play Neil Patrick Harris, a straight, shroom-popping, kinky, whore-seeking Neil Patrick Harris. The problem is that this was a fantastic cameo character in the first movie, because Neil Patrick Harris didn't have a career then. Now after the first movie, he's Barney in How I met your Mother and in a series of commercials making fun of his Doogie Howser persona. The other great scenes are when the guys accidently break into President Bush's Crawford compound, where he is hiding from Cheney and getting high. Other than those scenes the jokes fell pretty flat. See the original. It is much funnier. http://www.spout.com/blogs/captainryannn/archive/2008/8/11/33880.aspx Post By: CaptainRyannn
Post To: CaptainRyannn Blog
Post Date: 8/11/2008 9:08:45 PM
Body: Titles in bold represent a first time viewing. 346. Magnolia (Anderson, 1999)----------I thought that this was a pretty great collage-type film with the likeness of a more familiar title, Crash. Aside from Julianne Moore's performance, one of the few things I didn't like was the fact that the characters didn't connect with each other other than the bizarre finale at the end of the film. (7.5 / 10) 347. Stuck (Gordon, 2007)----------Based on a true story, stuck follows a wannabe-ghetto woman (Mena Suvari) after she hits a homeless man and drives him into her garage. The acting was terrible, the premise was good though. Towards the end, it began to pick up in terms of entertainment. (6 / 10) 348. Equilibrium (Wimmer, 2002)----------Christian Bale? Sweet. Reviews relating it to The Matrix? Awesome. This is why I initially checked out Equilibrium. The action was pretty sweet but every few minutes, I couldn't help but see a blatant plot-hole. Also, can someone answer me why do the people have dust fly out of them when they get shot? (7 / 10) 349. The New World (Malick, 2005)----------It seems that whenever Malick puts out a new movie, I become less and less interested. To me, Badlands was his best and his vast collection of movies since then have just seemed to have gone downhill. I appreciated the beautiful cinematography and music along with the great acting. But the pacing was just a little too slow for me. (7 / 10) 350. The Terminator (Cameron, 1984)----------It's funny to think that The Terminator, one of the most masculine movies of all time, came from the same guy who made Titanic, one of the most popular love stories of all time. I basically watched this for mere entertainment and it satisfied that. (7 / 10) 351. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Cameron, 1991)----------Again, I just watched this purely for entertainment. I think it did a better job at doing that than the first one. The best thing about watching these movies is just pausing it at certain testosterone-filled moments and thinking, This is the governor of California. (7.5 / 10) 352. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Mostow, 2003)----------This got quite a bit of negative reviews. I wouldn't say that it was especially bad, but rather on par with the first one. The best part was how they ended it. It got me excited for Terminator Salvation. (7 / 10) 353. A Home at the End of the World (Mayer, 2004)----------Although the subject matter may not be something many of us can relate to, the themes definitely are. The overall mood and and portrayals of friendship and love make this worth watching alone. (7 / 10) 354. Undertow (Green, 2004)----------When I first watched this, it was decent. Once I delved into some reviews and analysis' I watched it again and fell in love with it. The story follows two brothers who live with their dad out in the southern forests. Their mysterious uncle comes around and suddenly a game of cat-and-mouse begins. The tone of the film stays consistent and I think that that is it's strongest point along with great performances by Jamie Bell and Josh Lucas. (8 / 10) 355. Antikörper / Antibodies (Alvart, 2005)----------Antibodies is a film that follows closely in the footsteps of The Silence of the Lambs. Our protagonist is a village cop and the antagonist is a serial killer whose finally been caught. The cinematography was good and the acting was average. The basic story-line is something that's been done plenty of times before but the sheer intensity that this takes it to puts Antibodies a little bit above the rest. (7.5 / 10) 356. Cidade de Deus / City of God (Meirelles, 2002)----------I've seen City of God countless times as it is my favorite film along with Once Upon a Time in America. It takes us through two decades in the lives of a handful of children / teenagers in the slums of Rio de Janerio. Most grow up to be hoods and murder and robbery isn't something uncommon in their lives. Our protagonist, Rocket, is an aspiring photographer and just so happens to be there as all of the violence breaks out. If you're okay with subtitles, be sure to check this one out. (10 / 10) 357. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (Hurwitz, 2008)----------The whole 'Escape' part only really lasts about five minutes. The rest of the film is basically slapstick comedy executed in an non-comedic way. (5 / 10) 358. Shotgun Stories (Nichols, 2007)----------I have been looking forward to seeing this one for quite some time. After falling in love with the trailer, I had to see it. There are two sets of step-brothers. Their father just died. One set knew him as a loving man and the other knew him as a violent, neglecting one. A feud erupts between them and their egos don't allow themselves to stop until irreversible damage has been caused. This movie had some of the most real characters I've ever seen portrayed and it was as if I were watching this unfold in real life. (8.5 / 10) 359. My Bodyguard (Bill, 1980)-----------I rented this based off of Roger Ebert's shining review but found it to be just average in comparison to other tough-time-in-high-school films. The main kid is a rich boy who starts going to a public school. The bullys don't like this and pick on him. After getting pushed around he gets the tough-guy bodyguard and they become friends, but not after finding out a few secrets about each other. (6 / 10) 360. Kicking and Screaming (Baumbach, 1995)----------Unlike the 2005 comedy, this one is actually good. But it's not about a children's soccer team, but rather a group of friend who have just graduated from college and don't know what to do next. This has some of the most subtly humorous dialogue I've ever experienced and I couldn't help but laugh virtually the entire way through. The plot really isn't there, there's no character development or twists. This movie basically stands up on the dialogue and it's characters. The friendship that exists reminds me slightly of that of the American Pie trilogy. Great movie. Worthy of its Criterion stamp. (8 / 10) 361. Schizopolis (Soderbergh, 1996)----------What did I just watch? (?? / 10) 362. Children of Men (Cuarón, 2006)----------Featuring probably some of the best camera work and choreography in film in recent years, Children of Men was superb. To be able to shoot such busy scenes all in one shot takes a certain amount of skill. Watching the special features and commentary definitely gave me an idea of how much work went into this. Children of Men takes place about twenty years in the future where women are infertile and no one knows why. Immigrants are killed and the world is in chaos. An immigrant is found bearing a child and Theo (Clive Own) is in charge of getting her to safety. (8 / 10) 363. The Chumscrubber (Posin, 2005)----------Set in a 'Desperate Housewives' kind of neighborhood, shy-boy Dean, through a series of events, is in charge of getting drugs for the popular kids. With an all-star cast, The Chumscrubber is entertaining, dark, and comedic all at the same time. (7.5 / 10)
]]>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:08:45 GMTCaptainRyannnCaptainRyannn Blog8/11/2008 9:08:45 PMTitles in bold represent a first time viewing. 346. Magnolia (Anderson, 1999)----------I thought that this was a pretty great collage-type film with the likeness of a more familiar title, Crash. Aside from Julianne Moore's performance, one of the few things I didn't like was the fact that the characters didn't connect with each other other than the bizarre finale at the end of the film. (7.5 / 10) 347. Stuck (Gordon, 2007)----------Based on a true story, stuck follows a wannabe-ghetto woman (Mena Suvari) after she hits a homeless man and drives him into her garage. The acting was terrible, the premise was good though. Towards the end, it began to pick up in terms of entertainment. (6 / 10) 348. Equilibrium (Wimmer, 2002)----------Christian Bale? Sweet. Reviews relating it to The Matrix? Awesome. This is why I initially checked out Equilibrium. The action was pretty sweet but every few minutes, I couldn't help but see a blatant plot-hole. Also, can someone answer me why do the people have dust fly out of them when they get shot? (7 / 10) 349. The New World (Malick, 2005)----------It seems that whenever Malick puts out a new movie, I become less and less interested. To me, Badlands was his best and his vast collection of movies since then have just seemed to have gone downhill. I appreciated the beautiful cinematography and music along with the great acting. But the pacing was just a little too slow for me. (7 / 10) 350. The Terminator (Cameron, 1984)----------It's funny to think that The Terminator, one of the most masculine movies of all time, came from the same guy who made Titanic, one of the most popular love stories of all time. I basically watched this for mere entertainment and it satisfied that. (7 / 10) 351. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Cameron, 1991)----------Again, I just watched this purely for entertainment. I think it did a better job at doing that than the first one. The best thing about watching these movies is just pausing it at certain testosterone-filled moments and thinking, This is the governor of California. (7.5 / 10) 352. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Mostow, 2003)----------This got quite a bit of negative reviews. I wouldn't say that it was especially bad, but rather on par with the first one. The best part was how they ended it. It got me excited for Terminator Salvation. (7 / 10) 353. A Home at the End of the World (Mayer, 2004)----------Although the subject matter may not be something many of us can relate to, the themes definitely are. The overall mood and and portrayals of friendship and love make this worth watching alone. (7 / 10) 354. Undertow (Green, 2004)----------When I first watched this, it was decent. Once I delved into some reviews and analysis' I watched it again and fell in love with it. The story follows two brothers who live with their dad out in the southern forests. Their mysterious uncle comes around and suddenly a game of cat-and-mouse begins. The tone of the film stays consistent and I think that that is it's strongest point along with great performances by Jamie Bell and Josh Lucas. (8 / 10) 355. Antik&ouml;rper / Antibodies (Alvart, 2005)----------Antibodies is a film that follows closely in the footsteps of The Silence of the Lambs. Our protagonist is a village cop and the antagonist is a serial killer whose finally been caught. The cinematography was good and the acting was average. The basic story-line is something that's been done plenty of times before but the sheer intensity that this takes it to puts Antibodies a little bit above the rest. (7.5 / 10) 356. Cidade de Deus / City of God (Meirelles, 2002)----------I've seen City of God countless times as it is my favorite film along with Once Upon a Time in America. It takes us through two decades in the lives of a handful of children / teenagers in the slums of Rio de Janerio. Most grow up to be hoods and murder and robbery isn't something uncommon in their lives. Our protagonist, Rocket, is an aspiring photographer and just so happens to be there as all of the violence breaks out. If you're okay with subtitles, be sure to check this one out. (10 / 10) 357. Harold &amp; Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (Hurwitz, 2008)----------The whole 'Escape' part only really lasts about five minutes. The rest of the film is basically slapstick comedy executed in an non-comedic way. (5 / 10) 358. Shotgun Stories (Nichols, 2007)----------I have been looking forward to seeing this one for quite some time. After falling in love with the trailer, I had to see it. There are two sets of step-brothers. Their father just died. One set knew him as a loving man and the other knew him as a violent, neglecting one. A feud erupts between them and their egos don't allow themselves to stop until irreversible damage has been caused. This movie had some of the most real characters I've ever seen portrayed and it was as if I were watching this unfold in real life. (8.5 / 10) 359. My Bodyguard (Bill, 1980)-----------I rented this based off of Roger Ebert's shining review but found it to be just average in comparison to other tough-time-in-high-school films. The main kid is a rich boy who starts going to a public school. The bullys don't like this and pick on him. After getting pushed around he gets the tough-guy bodyguard and they become friends, but not after finding out a few secrets about each other. (6 / 10) 360. Kicking and Screaming (Baumbach, 1995)----------Unlike the 2005 comedy, this one is actually good. But it's not about a children's soccer team, but rather a group of friend who have just graduated from college and don't know what to do next. This has some of the most subtly humorous dialogue I've ever experienced and I couldn't help but laugh virtually the entire way through. The plot really isn't there, there's no character development or twists. This movie basically stands up on the dialogue and it's characters. The friendship that exists reminds me slightly of that of the American Pie trilogy. Great movie. Worthy of its Criterion stamp. (8 / 10) 361. Schizopolis (Soderbergh, 1996)----------What did I just watch? (?? / 10) 362. Children of Men (Cuar&oacute;n, 2006)----------Featuring probably some of the best camera work and choreography in film in recent years, Children of Men was superb. To be able to shoot such busy scenes all in one shot takes a certain amount of skill. Watching the special features and commentary definitely gave me an idea of how much work went into this. Children of Men takes place about twenty years in the future where women are infertile and no one knows why. Immigrants are killed and the world is in chaos. An immigrant is found bearing a child and Theo (Clive Own) is in charge of getting her to safety. (8 / 10) 363. The Chumscrubber (Posin, 2005)----------Set in a 'Desperate Housewives' kind of neighborhood, shy-boy Dean, through a series of events, is in charge of getting drugs for the popular kids. With an all-star cast, The Chumscrubber is entertaining, dark, and comedic all at the same time. (7.5 / 10) http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/28/33169.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/28/2008 1:01:03 PM
Body: If you still haven’t had enough goodies from Comic-Con, feel free to check out the bootlegged clip of the new traiiler for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Personally, I’m ready to move on, and so here’s a look at another superhero story: Oliver Stone’s W. Or, as I like to call it, U.S.-President Origins: George W. Bush. It looks a little more serious than I anticipated. For all we’ve read and heard about the campiness of the script, the thing is now at least being marketed as a drama about a clash between father and son. Even the roll call of characters (captioned as such, rather than crediting the players) makes each part look less like caricatures than I’d expected. Kudos to the editors for allowing Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney be the money shot. His casting was the most surprising, and it’s good to see that it’s not actually the most ill-fitting. Meanwhile, Ellen Burstyn somehow suddenly seems wrong as Barbara Bush. I’ll continue to say, however, that a movie about the relationship between Bush 1 and Bush 2 just doesn’t seem too appealing after the past eight years. And, again, I note that the paternal issues are dealt with just perfectly and hilariously in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Sorry to repeat myself, but even though this movie doesn’t look as bad as I’d feared, the teaser doesn’t exactly offer any new hopes, either. [via /Film] Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:01:03 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/28/2008 1:01:03 PM If you still haven’t had enough goodies from Comic-Con, feel free to check out the bootlegged clip of the new traiiler for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Personally, I’m ready to move on, and so here’s a look at another superhero story: Oliver Stone’s W. Or, as I like to call it, U.S.-President Origins: George W. Bush. It looks a little more serious than I anticipated. For all we’ve read and heard about the campiness of the script, the thing is now at least being marketed as a drama about a clash between father and son. Even the roll call of characters (captioned as such, rather than crediting the players) makes each part look less like caricatures than I’d expected. Kudos to the editors for allowing Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney be the money shot. His casting was the most surprising, and it’s good to see that it’s not actually the most ill-fitting. Meanwhile, Ellen Burstyn somehow suddenly seems wrong as Barbara Bush. I’ll continue to say, however, that a movie about the relationship between Bush 1 and Bush 2 just doesn’t seem too appealing after the past eight years. And, again, I note that the paternal issues are dealt with just perfectly and hilariously in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Sorry to repeat myself, but even though this movie doesn’t look as bad as I’d feared, the teaser doesn’t exactly offer any new hopes, either. [via /Film] Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_Five_deceptively_intriguing_trailers/190/31494/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: laylor
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 6/21/2008 3:34:42 AM
Body: 1. Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay This is probably the worst movie I have seen in theatres in the last few years. I could not believe that this is what they decided to put out into the world. The first movie was hilarious and silly but this one is just awful. I maybe laughed twice. Maybe. 2. Iron Man I was pretty excited for it before the trailer and then was excited that they, obviously, used Black Sabbath's Iron Man in the trailer. Then when I saw the movie I keept feeling like Robert Downey Jr. was doing Dudley Moore who is doing a cabaret act for the entire film. I didn't so much laugh as I did snort. There were some okay action scenes but man, Jeff Bridges was a waste and Terrence Howards was an even bigger waste. Gwenyth Paltrow's performance was absolutely heinous. 3. Lady In The Water I wasn't insanely excited for this film nor was I waiting for the last possible second for a twist ending. I just thought, from the trailer, that it looked beautifully shot and pretty interesting. Well I was half right: beautiful stuff going on here with the grass wolf or whatever that was and the night time imagery was pretty cool but man was it boring and convoluted. I kept getting really annoyed by something new being introduced: "Hey, I forgot to tell you this part of the story...". Ugh, here we go again. 4. The Tiger's Tail I recently saw this for free (thankfully) at the independent theatre I work at. I was constantly bombarded by the trailer for weeks before we got the film and I thought it had an interesting premise. Well, yes the premise was interesting but it was so poorly executed I can't even begin to discuss it. The worst part of the film was casting Kim Catrall as an Irish woman. That accent is...just wow. Think Brad Pitt in the Devil's Own or Kevin Costner in anything that requires him to do an accent. 5. Be Kind, Rewind From the trailer I thought this movie was going to be really funny but it was just okay and sometimes plain irritating. Jack Black is always annoying (except in Kung Fu Panda, maybe that's a sign he should stick to voice work) and Mos Def got on my nerves on and off throughout the film. It had some sweet elements and it tried very hard but this film is pretty forgettable.
]]>Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:34:42 GMTlaylorTop 56/21/2008 3:34:42 AM1. Harold &amp; Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay This is probably the worst movie I have seen in theatres in the last few years. I could not believe that this is what they decided to put out into the world. The first movie was hilarious and silly but this one is just awful. I maybe laughed twice. Maybe. 2. Iron Man I was pretty excited for it before the trailer and then was excited that they, obviously, used Black Sabbath's Iron Man in the trailer. Then when I saw the movie I keept feeling like Robert Downey Jr. was doing Dudley Moore who is doing a cabaret act for the entire film. I didn't so much laugh as I did snort. There were some okay action scenes but man, Jeff Bridges was a waste and Terrence Howards was an even bigger waste. Gwenyth Paltrow's performance was absolutely heinous. 3. Lady In The Water I wasn't insanely excited for this film nor was I waiting for the last possible second for a twist ending. I just thought, from the trailer, that it looked beautifully shot and pretty interesting. Well I was half right: beautiful stuff going on here with the grass wolf or whatever that was and the night time imagery was pretty cool but man was it boring and convoluted. I kept getting really annoyed by something new being introduced: "Hey, I forgot to tell you this part of the story...". Ugh, here we go again. 4. The Tiger's Tail I recently saw this for free (thankfully) at the independent theatre I work at. I was constantly bombarded by the trailer for weeks before we got the film and I thought it had an interesting premise. Well, yes the premise was interesting but it was so poorly executed I can't even begin to discuss it. The worst part of the film was casting Kim Catrall as an Irish woman. That accent is...just wow. Think Brad Pitt in the Devil's Own or Kevin Costner in anything that requires him to do an accent. 5. Be Kind, Rewind From the trailer I thought this movie was going to be really funny but it was just okay and sometimes plain irritating. Jack Black is always annoying (except in Kung Fu Panda, maybe that's a sign he should stick to voice work) and Mos Def got on my nerves on and off throughout the film. It had some sweet elements and it tried very hard but this film is pretty forgettable. http://www.spout.com/groups/Post_Your_Playlist/Robin_Sparkles/599/29719/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lopezdash
Post To: Post Your Playlist
Post Date: 5/21/2008 11:31:38 PM
Body: Do any of you guys watch How I Met Your Mother, the CBS show starring Niel Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar)? If you do, you might remember Robin Sparkles, the 80s Canadian pop singer who was totally the brainchild of the viral marketing channel at CBS. When the episode aired, I totally googled "Robin Sparkles" and found her MySpace page... only to later discover that it was all a marketing ploy! There's something "magical" about the music, and watching the music videos just make them so much more fulfilling. "Let's Go To The Mall" "Sandcastles In The Sky"
]]>Thu, 22 May 2008 03:31:38 GMTlopezdashPost Your Playlist5/21/2008 11:31:38 PMDo any of you guys watch How I Met Your Mother, the CBS show starring Niel Patrick Harris (Harold &amp; Kumar)? If you do, you might remember Robin Sparkles, the 80s Canadian pop singer who was totally the brainchild of the viral marketing channel at CBS. When the episode aired, I totally googled "Robin Sparkles" and found her MySpace page... only to later discover that it was all a marketing ploy! There's something "magical" about the music, and watching the music videos just make them so much more fulfilling. "Let's Go To The Mall" "Sandcastles In The Sky" http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/25/27819.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/25/2008 4:00:30 PM
Body: The sequel to Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle opens in theaters today, and you can read my SXSW review of the movie, titled Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, over here. Though I enjoyed it, H&K2 disappointed me for taking on too much plot. But apparently some other reviews are favoring the second installment, and according to Craig Phillips at Green Cine, the matter has critics divided. Phillips, who marginally prefers the sequel, uses the opportunity to revisit those sequels that improved upon the original. Obviously, the list includes The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and The Road Warrior. However, surprisingly, The Godfather Part II is not in the top ten, because he considers the first and second films tied, and he claims both Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Gremlins 2: The New Batch are only honorable mentions, because their definite superiority is up for debate (true, I’ve never been able to decide if I like them better than their respective counterparts). Over at Entertainment Weekly, there’s another list associated with H&K2 in honor of Neil Patrick Harris’ return as “himself”. It’s a list of favorite performances by stars playing themselves, and it features my favorite cameo of all time, Kurt Vonnegut in Back to School. While thanks to Entourage and Extras, it has become too popular nowadays to lampoon your celebrity through exaggeration or false self-representation, I think Harris does rise above in the H&K movies. It’s probably only secondary to John Malkovich’s good sportsmanship in appearing as himself in a film titled Being John Malkovich. And here’s one more: Cinematical’s Jette Kernion continues the comparisons between H&K2 and Blazing Saddles (which I hear may be turned into a Broadway musical, unfortunately) by coming up with seven “Deliberately Offensive (But Fun) Comedies.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:00:30 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/25/2008 4:00:30 PMThe sequel to Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle opens in theaters today, and you can read my SXSW review of the movie, titled Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, over here. Though I enjoyed it, H&K2 disappointed me for taking on too much plot. But apparently some other reviews are favoring the second installment, and according to Craig Phillips at Green Cine, the matter has critics divided. Phillips, who marginally prefers the sequel, uses the opportunity to revisit those sequels that improved upon the original. Obviously, the list includes The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and The Road Warrior. However, surprisingly, The Godfather Part II is not in the top ten, because he considers the first and second films tied, and he claims both Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Gremlins 2: The New Batch are only honorable mentions, because their definite superiority is up for debate (true, I’ve never been able to decide if I like them better than their respective counterparts). Over at Entertainment Weekly, there’s another list associated with H&K2 in honor of Neil Patrick Harris’ return as “himself”. It’s a list of favorite performances by stars playing themselves, and it features my favorite cameo of all time, Kurt Vonnegut in Back to School. While thanks to Entourage and Extras, it has become too popular nowadays to lampoon your celebrity through exaggeration or false self-representation, I think Harris does rise above in the H&K movies. It’s probably only secondary to John Malkovich’s good sportsmanship in appearing as himself in a film titled Being John Malkovich. And here’s one more: Cinematical’s Jette Kernion continues the comparisons between H&K2 and Blazing Saddles (which I hear may be turned into a Broadway musical, unfortunately) by coming up with seven “Deliberately Offensive (But Fun) Comedies.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
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