SWING VOTE
21 million dollars – yes, 21 million dollars, that’s how much Kevin Costner sunk into this movie from his own retirement account. Now, think about what you could do with that much money. It’s enough to make you cry. Apparently motivated by the close Bush-Gore election eight years ago, Costner and his co-writer pals now want to imagine it as even closer, yes, so close, it comes to one vote in a place called “Texico, New Mexico”. (more…)
Friday, July 25th, 2008
THE X FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
Here’s is my relationship with “The X Files” – there isn’t one. I saw the show maybe five times (once because it followed a Super Bowl), the first movie ten years ago, and that was it. So, is it fair I review the movie? Hey, this is “The John & Ken Show”, who cares about fair.
Were you as shocked as I was that there was going to be another movie? The show has been off the air for six years, what gives? Ah, yes, the cash register gives, that’s what. David Duchovny is a fine actor, but things have pretty much dried up for him, and Gillian Anderson, well, I’m not sure but I think she purposefully pulled away for a while, and did have a small splash in artsy films, but, let’s just say the “time was right” for both of them to bring back “Scully and Mulder”.
And if you’re a fan of these characters you won’t be disappointed. I’ll admit, they have something between them in that “now they love each other, now they don’t” kind of thing. In case you didn’t know, they were FBI agents specializing in the “unusual”. She’s the doctor, he’s the guy with the amazing intuition, all right, enough about that. What I’m trying to emphasize is that if you’re not into their chemistry, or at least their “guiding beliefs”, you may not be into much of what goes on here. (more . . . )
Friday, July 18th, 2008
THE DARK KNIGHT
The latest retelling of the Batman story came out with little fanfare three years ago when “Batman Begins” debuted. As I said then, it was a pleasant surprise and one of my favorites that year. I was reminded again how good it was, and why it received so little attention, when I turned on the TNT network last night and there was the last incarnation of the Batman story, “Batman and Robin”, with George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. That was a stinker – no wonder they gave up the franchise for eight years.
Well, three years ago Director Christopher Nolan reinvented the comic book “hero” by going back to the story’s roots. Since it was a fine film, and made a fair amount of cash, there had to be a sequel. How do you top yourself?
If you believe all the hype, he has. Me, I’m not so sure. But I’ll say this – plenty of thought went into this storyline, beginning with the concept that because Batman is so successful beating back the bad guys invading “Gotham City”, it’s time for a whole new class of criminal. Enter “The Joker”, who is really far more of a madman than a criminal. (more. . .)
Friday, June 20th, 2008
GET SMART
Just for the record, I saw this one here in Burbank, and stumbled out of the theatre into the 100 degree heat, which when accompanied with the blindness caused by being in the dark for two hours, can be quite disorienting. I was overwhelmed – as for this movie, well let’s just say I’m at least glad I hung in there and stayed for the whole thing.
I’m not what you call a “big fan” of the original TV series, but I watched it as a kid, and when I got my first VCR in the mid-1980’s, I recorded show after show. I’m just not one of those guys who can recite all the episodes. I’m never that way about anything.
Good for me, because the only things this movie brings back are the obvious ones about the show – the lines “sorry about that chief”, “would you believe”, and “it’s the old blah blah blah trick”. Oh, there’s also the phone booth, the hall of closing doors, and a few other things, but the odd thing about this movie is that Steve Carell in playing the role of Maxwell Smart, is mostly not the character you remember, even if you’re only a casual fan of the show (more. . .)
Friday, June 13th, 2008
THE HAPPENING
There’s an old saying, “be careful what you wish for”, and it might apply to the director, writer and producer of this film, M. Night Shyamalan. You see, he has fought over the years with studio suits over control of his movies, and believes he makes brilliant ones that deserve his name above the title. Well, he finally got what he wanted, for here is M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening”. And now here’s a new “old saying” from me – “don’t invite people to a baseball game and then put on an opera”. Well, what I mean is that this movie is not as advertised. Shyamalan feels he has been typecast as the “guy who makes scary movies with shocking endings” (yes, this is the guy behind “The Sixth Sense”, the “I see dead people” movie), so he decided to instead make a comedy. Yes, I meant that – this movie is a comedy, and that might be the only way you’ll enjoy it. (more…)
Friday, May 30th, 2008
WAR, INC.
Anyway, he mentioned this film, and having nothing better to see this week, I went. Then I learned it’s going almost straight to DVD, after a short stop in a few theatres. Hmmm – that can’t be good. Okay, it’s also going to “Blueray Disc” – is that better? (more…)
Friday, May 23rd, 2008
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Ever been to an amusement park and sat through one of those “back lot” tours? Yes, I’m talking about the tram full of Midwesterners and you, rolling past the elaborate sets, usually from films made thirty or forty years ago, with the bad puns from the tour guide, accompanied by the occasional “thrill” special effect. As you can guess, I’m not a big fan of those, and that’s sort of the feeling I had sitting through this movie. Everything looked “staged”, and you are supposed to be having “fun”, having just forked over a chunk of your wallet for this “entertainment”. (more…)
