Well, I wanted to do a Top 10 Movies of 2008, but I realize that due to my 2-year old son and very busy life - I just don't get out to the movies as much as I would like to.
I have been doing my best to catch up on DVD when I have a chance, but even that takes awhile.
So, here are my Top 10 Movies of 2008 (that I have seen).
1) The Dark Knight
2) Iron Man
3) Tropic Thunder
4) Wanted
5) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
7) The Incredible Hulk
8) Definitely, Maybe
9) Hancock
10) Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
Also, I wanted to put out an announcement that in this new year - hopefully very soon if I find the time - I will have a new design to the site and will officially join the LAMBs.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Scrubs: My Screw Up
As I have mentioned numerous times on this blog, Scrubs is probably one of my favorite television shows of all-time and is definitely my favorite comedic television show.
I recently got season seven on DVD and finished it in two days.
Anyway, this blog is about a an episode that occurred way back in season three entitled 'My Screw Up'.
I have a lot of favorite episodes on Scrubs, in fact it is pretty hard to narrow down my favorites. But, I think this one just may be my favorite.
Scrubs has that quality that can both have you on the floor laughing, and also tug at your heart strings - and that is not a clearer point then when watching this episode.
This episode marks the return of Jordan and Dani Sullivan's brother, Ben - played wonderfully by Brendan Fraser.
The last time Ben visited Sacred Heart, he was diagnosed with leukemia. However, for the past two years he had been out living his life in remission - but is best friend, Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley), scolded him for not seeing a single doctor during that two years, and recommended he get a check up.
Around this same time, Dr. Cox's son, Jack, was having a birthday party - so Dr. Cox had to bail the party clown out of jail and left all of his patients - including Ben - in the hands of J.D. (Zach Braff).
J.D., however, tells Dr. Cox that he is swamped with patients, and is worried about a patient's heart. Dr. Cox tells him not to worry about it - he won't be dead in the time it takes him to return.
This is where the show gets really interesting, as sort of an homage to The Sixth Sense we are led to believe that while Dr. Cox was away, J.D.'s patient dies - but we don't find out until the conclusion that it was in fact Ben who passed away.
For the rest of the episode, Dr. Cox blames J.D. for the death - which the audience still believes is the heart patient - and takes over all of his patients. Ben is still around, and talking to Dr. Cox - in the same vein as Bruce Willis - however, if you pay attention he never interacts with any other character on the show after the 'death'.
In the end, J.D. is finally forgiven - and Ben even convinces Dr. Cox to forgive himself. The final scene is Dr. Cox believing he is heading to his son's birthday party, but as Ben fades away we now are aware that it was Ben who died - and this was his funeral that everyone was attending.
Like many Scrubs episodes, this one still had its many comedic parts, but there was something about the way they led up to Ben's death. I mean, Ben was only in two other episodes prior to this one - and for some reason you still feel horrible about his death.
Perhaps it's because you are so attached to Dr. Cox, and realize just how hard he is taking the loss of his best friend.
Anyway, kudos to Bill Lawrence (the creator), Chris Koch (the director) and Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan (the writers) - this is truly a rose of an episode that sticks out on a show that, in my opinion, only has roses for episodes.
I recently got season seven on DVD and finished it in two days.
Anyway, this blog is about a an episode that occurred way back in season three entitled 'My Screw Up'.
I have a lot of favorite episodes on Scrubs, in fact it is pretty hard to narrow down my favorites. But, I think this one just may be my favorite.
Scrubs has that quality that can both have you on the floor laughing, and also tug at your heart strings - and that is not a clearer point then when watching this episode.
-There will be spoilers from here on out-
This episode marks the return of Jordan and Dani Sullivan's brother, Ben - played wonderfully by Brendan Fraser.
The last time Ben visited Sacred Heart, he was diagnosed with leukemia. However, for the past two years he had been out living his life in remission - but is best friend, Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley), scolded him for not seeing a single doctor during that two years, and recommended he get a check up.
Around this same time, Dr. Cox's son, Jack, was having a birthday party - so Dr. Cox had to bail the party clown out of jail and left all of his patients - including Ben - in the hands of J.D. (Zach Braff).
J.D., however, tells Dr. Cox that he is swamped with patients, and is worried about a patient's heart. Dr. Cox tells him not to worry about it - he won't be dead in the time it takes him to return.
This is where the show gets really interesting, as sort of an homage to The Sixth Sense we are led to believe that while Dr. Cox was away, J.D.'s patient dies - but we don't find out until the conclusion that it was in fact Ben who passed away.
For the rest of the episode, Dr. Cox blames J.D. for the death - which the audience still believes is the heart patient - and takes over all of his patients. Ben is still around, and talking to Dr. Cox - in the same vein as Bruce Willis - however, if you pay attention he never interacts with any other character on the show after the 'death'.
In the end, J.D. is finally forgiven - and Ben even convinces Dr. Cox to forgive himself. The final scene is Dr. Cox believing he is heading to his son's birthday party, but as Ben fades away we now are aware that it was Ben who died - and this was his funeral that everyone was attending.
Like many Scrubs episodes, this one still had its many comedic parts, but there was something about the way they led up to Ben's death. I mean, Ben was only in two other episodes prior to this one - and for some reason you still feel horrible about his death.Perhaps it's because you are so attached to Dr. Cox, and realize just how hard he is taking the loss of his best friend.
Anyway, kudos to Bill Lawrence (the creator), Chris Koch (the director) and Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan (the writers) - this is truly a rose of an episode that sticks out on a show that, in my opinion, only has roses for episodes.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
My brother-in-law came up for a visit on Saturday night, so we decided to toss in a movie that we hadn't seen yet.
We are all pretty big comedy buffs, so Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was selected.
This is another film out of the brain of Judd Apatow which stars John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox, a musician whose #1 hit was entitled Walk Hard.
The story starts with Cox standing in a hallway, unable to clearly be seen, waiting to go on for a show. But, we immediately get a flashback of how far Cox has come - including the true start of his music career, the killing of his brother with a machete.
One day while playing in the barn - Dewey and his brother, Nate, are playing with their father's machetes (of course with a cover on them), when Dewey takes a large swing, the cover flies off and Nate is cut in half - literally. It was then that I realized this was going to be one crazy film.
And I was right.
There were definitely some laugh out loud moments in the film - but the best part for me was trying to figure out all of the small cameos in the film, such as who was playing each member of The Beatles.
The Saturday Night Live influence is also pretty heavy in the film, as Tim Meadows, Kristin Wiig, and Chris Parnell make appearances.
The Office's Jenna Fischer plays Cox's second wife Darlene - while also being a duet singer with the band.
I felt the movie was watchable, and funny at times. Not the greatest of the Apatow films, but definitely worth a watch.
We are all pretty big comedy buffs, so Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was selected.This is another film out of the brain of Judd Apatow which stars John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox, a musician whose #1 hit was entitled Walk Hard.
The story starts with Cox standing in a hallway, unable to clearly be seen, waiting to go on for a show. But, we immediately get a flashback of how far Cox has come - including the true start of his music career, the killing of his brother with a machete.
One day while playing in the barn - Dewey and his brother, Nate, are playing with their father's machetes (of course with a cover on them), when Dewey takes a large swing, the cover flies off and Nate is cut in half - literally. It was then that I realized this was going to be one crazy film.
And I was right.
There were definitely some laugh out loud moments in the film - but the best part for me was trying to figure out all of the small cameos in the film, such as who was playing each member of The Beatles.
The Saturday Night Live influence is also pretty heavy in the film, as Tim Meadows, Kristin Wiig, and Chris Parnell make appearances.
The Office's Jenna Fischer plays Cox's second wife Darlene - while also being a duet singer with the band.
I felt the movie was watchable, and funny at times. Not the greatest of the Apatow films, but definitely worth a watch.
Grade:
Monday, December 29, 2008
VGR: Sonic Unleashed
Well, Christmas came and went and with it came a very Wii Christmas for this youngster.....er I mean oldster.
I got a good helping of games on my list and decided to start with Sonic Unleashed.
I have been a pretty big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog despite never owning a Sega. My sister, however, did have a Sega Game Gear - and a Sonic game.
Anyway, because of this I was super excited when Sonic was announced for Smash Bros. Brawl - and pretty excited when Sonic Unleashed was announced.
I tossed in the game on Friday and I have been playing it ever since. It is pretty addicting.
This is unlike any Sonic game I have played in the past. Sonic, in this game, turns into a werewolf when the sun goes down - so for at least part, if not most, of the game Sonic is not the speed demon we are used to, but a beast with fighting power.
It is actually a pretty good change of pace - despite the change to Sonic. I mean Sonic is known for his speed, so taking that away was a little hard to grasp.
The game is very entertaining, however, my main complaint is the setup of the screens. It feels a little old school that you have to go to different locations and talk to people - with scrolling words. Plus, the animated movies are a bit long and you have to watch them - there is no skipping.
I guess it's a small thing, because the overall game looks pretty good and so far is really entertaining.
When Sonic is his normal self during the day stages - the speed is unreal. It's so hard to control, but I am getting the hang of it.
So far, Tails and Amy Rose - not to mention Dr. Eggman, are the only former characters I have seen. Except, Sonic is the only player that I have been able to use - so far.
I got a good helping of games on my list and decided to start with Sonic Unleashed.I have been a pretty big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog despite never owning a Sega. My sister, however, did have a Sega Game Gear - and a Sonic game.
Anyway, because of this I was super excited when Sonic was announced for Smash Bros. Brawl - and pretty excited when Sonic Unleashed was announced.
I tossed in the game on Friday and I have been playing it ever since. It is pretty addicting.
This is unlike any Sonic game I have played in the past. Sonic, in this game, turns into a werewolf when the sun goes down - so for at least part, if not most, of the game Sonic is not the speed demon we are used to, but a beast with fighting power.
It is actually a pretty good change of pace - despite the change to Sonic. I mean Sonic is known for his speed, so taking that away was a little hard to grasp.
The game is very entertaining, however, my main complaint is the setup of the screens. It feels a little old school that you have to go to different locations and talk to people - with scrolling words. Plus, the animated movies are a bit long and you have to watch them - there is no skipping.
I guess it's a small thing, because the overall game looks pretty good and so far is really entertaining.
When Sonic is his normal self during the day stages - the speed is unreal. It's so hard to control, but I am getting the hang of it.
So far, Tails and Amy Rose - not to mention Dr. Eggman, are the only former characters I have seen. Except, Sonic is the only player that I have been able to use - so far.
Grade:
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
25 Days: Elf
I must admit that I did laugh out plenty of times last night while watching Will Ferrell as Buddy in Elf.
Buddy is an orphan who climbs into Santa Claus' (Ed Asner) sack one Christmas Eve night and ends up at the North Pole.
Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) raises Buddy as his own - and as an elf - despite his huge size difference to the other elves.
After overhearing a few other elves speak about him being a human, Buddy sets out to New York City to find his birth father, Walter (James Caan).
Buddy, however, despite being about 30 years old still has the mind of a child and is constantly trying to spread Christmas cheer wherever he goes.
The only thing that convinces Walter that Buddy is his child is a blood test - and even then it appears that Buddy is more of a nuisance to him than a son. Walter's other son, Michael (Daniel Tay) is also neglected by his father - who is a bigshot children's book producer.
Buddy also falls for a girl who works at the Gimbels Department Store, Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) - and takes her out on his first ever date, and even gets his first ever kiss.
After interrupting a very important meeting that might cost Walter his job - Walter unleashes on Buddy and throws him out of his office. Buddy decides to leave and on his way sees that Santa's sleigh hs crashed in Central Park.
This is where things get sort of weird for me. I know that a movie only has a short amount of time to tell a story, but when Michael comes to get his father to come help find Buddy - it was an awfully quick turn around for Walter. I mean this man has been married to his job for years, including blowing up at Buddy not a few hours before - and all of a sudden he is a great family man, I don't buy it.
The story itself was rather interesting - Ferrell did a great job as Buddy and I really enjoyed Deschanel as Jovie. I think she is a really underrated actress.
I wasn't as thrilled with Caan's performance but I guess he was going for a Scrooge-like character that all of a sudden catches the Christmas spirit.
A decent film that one can watch each Christmas - but doesn't truly leave a lasting impression.
Buddy is an orphan who climbs into Santa Claus' (Ed Asner) sack one Christmas Eve night and ends up at the North Pole.Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) raises Buddy as his own - and as an elf - despite his huge size difference to the other elves.
After overhearing a few other elves speak about him being a human, Buddy sets out to New York City to find his birth father, Walter (James Caan).
Buddy, however, despite being about 30 years old still has the mind of a child and is constantly trying to spread Christmas cheer wherever he goes.
The only thing that convinces Walter that Buddy is his child is a blood test - and even then it appears that Buddy is more of a nuisance to him than a son. Walter's other son, Michael (Daniel Tay) is also neglected by his father - who is a bigshot children's book producer.
Buddy also falls for a girl who works at the Gimbels Department Store, Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) - and takes her out on his first ever date, and even gets his first ever kiss.
After interrupting a very important meeting that might cost Walter his job - Walter unleashes on Buddy and throws him out of his office. Buddy decides to leave and on his way sees that Santa's sleigh hs crashed in Central Park.
This is where things get sort of weird for me. I know that a movie only has a short amount of time to tell a story, but when Michael comes to get his father to come help find Buddy - it was an awfully quick turn around for Walter. I mean this man has been married to his job for years, including blowing up at Buddy not a few hours before - and all of a sudden he is a great family man, I don't buy it.
The story itself was rather interesting - Ferrell did a great job as Buddy and I really enjoyed Deschanel as Jovie. I think she is a really underrated actress.
I wasn't as thrilled with Caan's performance but I guess he was going for a Scrooge-like character that all of a sudden catches the Christmas spirit.
A decent film that one can watch each Christmas - but doesn't truly leave a lasting impression.
Grade:
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