Today marks the return of the "Friday the 13th" franchise, one that apparently continues only to provide marketable product for a film studio to release on actual Fridays 13. And of course, we usually get a romantic comedy or female-centric movie to commemorate a Valentine's Day weekend, as well, but at least that's an actual holiday.
I don't mind movies being released to coincide with holidays, or even made for that reason, but coordinating their production to fit a date is a little much. Each Friday 13, if there isn't a Jason movie, there's some kind of horror movie to try to capitalize on the supposed OOH, SCARY nature of that "unlucky occasion."
This strategy has run its course. I want to see some variety. For example, we usually get big blockbusters for the Fourth of July, and maybe every now and then something that actually tries to be patriotic, like, well, "The Patriot," but I don't count movies like "Independence Day."
No, I want to see actual July 4 movies on or around July 4. Why should HBO be the only place to see the Founding Fathers? I say every Independence Day, give me something with guys in cool wigs bitching about the Brits. I suppose some kind of rah-rah jingoistic war movie will do, but I want the tradition to focus on the Revolutionary War era.
If we can get more horror movies just because the 13th happens to fall on a Friday, why can't we get, say, a Gouverneur Morris biopic for the Fourth?
Friday, February 13, 2009
This Week in DVD
W: What better way than to face the challenges that meet our country today and in the near future than to watch two hours fictionalizing the life of the man that just got voted out? Seriously, I kind of want to see this Oliver Stone biopic, but...the words "too soon" come to mind. Then an image of Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney comes to mind, and I reconsider.
Nights in Rodanthe: I liked Richard Gere and Diane Lane in "Unfaithful," but didn't know that pairing and "The Cotton Club" were enough to make them a modern-day Tracy and Hepburn. Yet when this one was released last year, we were told, "Gere and Lane are back," like we had all been salivating for another chance to see them play kissyface. But, hey, Valentine's Day is coming up, so if you are excited about this, good for ya. I'm going to expose my ignorance and say I had no idea where Rodanthe was (Hint: It's not the birthplace of Rodan).
Miracle at St. Anna: I'm intrigued by this WWII flick about an all-black Army division, and I'm not just saying that because it's a Spike Lee joint and anything negative I say might therefore be misconstrued as racist. But then there's this note on the screen in the commercial for the DVD: "Bonus Features on Blu-Ray Only."
You know, just like charging more for "standard-def" DVDs isn't going to make me more eager to go Blu-Ray, neither is saving extra content for the BD version. These tactics only make me LESS eager to buy the regular discs!
Frozen River: Star Melissa Leo's nomination makes this movie this year's Unheralded Indie of the Academy Awards. Of course, that usually means the movie's depressing as hell.
Soul Men: Bernie Mac's sudden death cast an unfortunate pall over the release, but then again, maybe it will give people an extra reason to seek out this tepidly-reviewed but interesting-sounding movie starring Mac and Jack (Samuel L. Jackson) as musicians. I can't say whether or not this was a hidden gem overshadowed by the tragedy, but I can say that it really sucks that Mac is gone.
What Makes Sammy Run: This looks like a real treat. Koch, the company behind the recent Studio One Anthology, mines the Golden Age of Television again with this acclaimed adaptation of Budd Schulberg's searing Hollywood novel. I haven't seen this or read the book, but I know the name Sammy Glick. And, hey, I know it's "searing." Isn't that enough? Koch includes some bonus material, including a commentary, in what looks like a classy vintage TV presentation.
Nights in Rodanthe: I liked Richard Gere and Diane Lane in "Unfaithful," but didn't know that pairing and "The Cotton Club" were enough to make them a modern-day Tracy and Hepburn. Yet when this one was released last year, we were told, "Gere and Lane are back," like we had all been salivating for another chance to see them play kissyface. But, hey, Valentine's Day is coming up, so if you are excited about this, good for ya. I'm going to expose my ignorance and say I had no idea where Rodanthe was (Hint: It's not the birthplace of Rodan).
Miracle at St. Anna: I'm intrigued by this WWII flick about an all-black Army division, and I'm not just saying that because it's a Spike Lee joint and anything negative I say might therefore be misconstrued as racist. But then there's this note on the screen in the commercial for the DVD: "Bonus Features on Blu-Ray Only."
You know, just like charging more for "standard-def" DVDs isn't going to make me more eager to go Blu-Ray, neither is saving extra content for the BD version. These tactics only make me LESS eager to buy the regular discs!
Frozen River: Star Melissa Leo's nomination makes this movie this year's Unheralded Indie of the Academy Awards. Of course, that usually means the movie's depressing as hell.
Soul Men: Bernie Mac's sudden death cast an unfortunate pall over the release, but then again, maybe it will give people an extra reason to seek out this tepidly-reviewed but interesting-sounding movie starring Mac and Jack (Samuel L. Jackson) as musicians. I can't say whether or not this was a hidden gem overshadowed by the tragedy, but I can say that it really sucks that Mac is gone.
What Makes Sammy Run: This looks like a real treat. Koch, the company behind the recent Studio One Anthology, mines the Golden Age of Television again with this acclaimed adaptation of Budd Schulberg's searing Hollywood novel. I haven't seen this or read the book, but I know the name Sammy Glick. And, hey, I know it's "searing." Isn't that enough? Koch includes some bonus material, including a commentary, in what looks like a classy vintage TV presentation.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Happy birthday, Mr. President...
Happy Birthday to Abraham Lincoln, who is definitely in my top couple dozen or favorite presidents and rebounded from assassination to star in such movies as "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure."
If only one could walk into a bookstore and, perhaps desirous of learning more about the man, find something to read about him. If only...
Seriously, I was in a Borders today and there were almost as many Lincoln volumes as there were employees running around trying to look busy. I think the approximate breakdown of books in that entire store went like this. Now, I was only there for a half-hour and didn't do a thorough count, so take the numbers with a grain of corn--good, hearty corn such as that which Lincoln himself might have grown.
27%--Books about A. Lincoln
18%--Books of or about the 'Twilight" franchise
16%--Books by, about, or that "inspired" President Obama
13%--Children's books
and
26%--Everything else.
And just think, some of those children's books are probably about Honest Abe, too.
I have a few Lincoln books at home myself, and even a few unread ones I've been meaning to get to, but, gosh, the amount of material out there is staggering. Yet--and I've bemoaned this before--not one single Wallace Beery bio out there on the shelves. Are we really celebrating Abraham Lincoln's legacy in the right way?
If only one could walk into a bookstore and, perhaps desirous of learning more about the man, find something to read about him. If only...
Seriously, I was in a Borders today and there were almost as many Lincoln volumes as there were employees running around trying to look busy. I think the approximate breakdown of books in that entire store went like this. Now, I was only there for a half-hour and didn't do a thorough count, so take the numbers with a grain of corn--good, hearty corn such as that which Lincoln himself might have grown.
27%--Books about A. Lincoln
18%--Books of or about the 'Twilight" franchise
16%--Books by, about, or that "inspired" President Obama
13%--Children's books
and
26%--Everything else.
And just think, some of those children's books are probably about Honest Abe, too.
I have a few Lincoln books at home myself, and even a few unread ones I've been meaning to get to, but, gosh, the amount of material out there is staggering. Yet--and I've bemoaned this before--not one single Wallace Beery bio out there on the shelves. Are we really celebrating Abraham Lincoln's legacy in the right way?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Panel Discussion: Dick Tracy Part 2
"My, oh, my, forget Tess Trueheart," you must be asking, "Who is THIS lovely lady? This handsome woman is none other than Lu, mastermind of a counterfeiting ring. How could such a doll get caught up in high crimes? How did she go from "Collier's" to wanted posters, from runways to police lineups, from billboards to APBs? How will a delicate flower like this survive in the hothouse of a women's prison?
Before we leave, let's take another look at the police chief's share of the witty repartee. Not only does he throw out an effective variant of the classic "wouldn't trust you as far as," line, but he spices it up with a reference to his lumbago. Cutting and to the point, yet self-deprecating--THAT'S how you banter with a criminal.
Not that I really believe poor Lu is a criminal. I guess I'm just taken in by her feminine wiles, but despite several weeks' worth of strips providing evidence to the contrary, I find myself believing that she really is just a victim of circumstance. Dick Tracy can make mistakes, too, you know!
This is yet another fine panel from Volume 1 of IDW's reprint series. I posted part 1 on Friday. Stay tuned, fans, because next week, part 3 of the Dick Tracy Panel Discussions features one of the most shocking comic strip scenes ever as we get back to good old-fashioned mayhem.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thinking of Linking
Some interesting things I've seen lately:
*If you're interested in the new Bruce Springsteen joint, you can read about 40 words on it in "Entertaimment Weekly" or you can check out my amigo Mike's analysis here.
*Ken Jennings, who isn't my amigo but seems like a decent chap, has an amusing take on "Lost's" time travel theme this season.
*I found this through Baseball Musings: An awesome exploration of the pursuit of Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1973 by...Snoopy!
*I feel comfortable declaring this the Best Marvel Comic of 2009 already, even though it won't be here till summer: Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting examining the history of the Marvel Universe.
*Roger Ebert goes existential in his blog.
*If you're interested in the new Bruce Springsteen joint, you can read about 40 words on it in "Entertaimment Weekly" or you can check out my amigo Mike's analysis here.
*Ken Jennings, who isn't my amigo but seems like a decent chap, has an amusing take on "Lost's" time travel theme this season.
*I found this through Baseball Musings: An awesome exploration of the pursuit of Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1973 by...Snoopy!
*I feel comfortable declaring this the Best Marvel Comic of 2009 already, even though it won't be here till summer: Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting examining the history of the Marvel Universe.
*Roger Ebert goes existential in his blog.
Good-bye, Varsity TV. I hardly knew ye.
I got a message on my FIOS TV menu last a few weeks ago that Varsity TV is gone. I'd like to give it a proper tribute, talk about how it will be missed, etc., but really I can't believe it's been around this long.
In the two years or so I've seen it--well, "seen" indicates watching, so maybe "had" it is more accurate--I think this channel aired 3 programs. I remember something called "John Something Private Eye," then there was something called "Prague Diaries," then there was some kind of show about extreme sports. And Varsity TV ran these over and over and over again. At least this is what I gleaned from the program listings. I think each time I flipped it to this channel, some black and white low-budget show was on. Maybe it was the private eye thing.
I think a cable network targeting college students and even with-it high-schoolers is a great idea, but I'm not sure what Varsity TV was doing. It claimed to be about teens and by teens and for teens, but I never saw any of that Channels like that are the ones that make people think there really are too many out there.
Apparently FIOS agrees with that sentiment because as of today, it has replaced Varsity TV in the lineup with...nothing.
In the two years or so I've seen it--well, "seen" indicates watching, so maybe "had" it is more accurate--I think this channel aired 3 programs. I remember something called "John Something Private Eye," then there was something called "Prague Diaries," then there was some kind of show about extreme sports. And Varsity TV ran these over and over and over again. At least this is what I gleaned from the program listings. I think each time I flipped it to this channel, some black and white low-budget show was on. Maybe it was the private eye thing.
I think a cable network targeting college students and even with-it high-schoolers is a great idea, but I'm not sure what Varsity TV was doing. It claimed to be about teens and by teens and for teens, but I never saw any of that Channels like that are the ones that make people think there really are too many out there.
Apparently FIOS agrees with that sentiment because as of today, it has replaced Varsity TV in the lineup with...nothing.
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