Movie Reaction: The Impossible

Formula: 2012, but real

Cast: Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are two actors who's abilities I've never questioned and their skill is on full display. Both have powerful, heartbreaking moments that reminded me how great they are. What really impressed me were the three sons. All three of the young actors (Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, and Oaklee Pendergast, by the way) blew me away at moments. They had a great amount of poise and were treated as individual parts, not a collective.

Plot: The story of a family torn apart by the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia (remember that? I kind of didn't, truth be told). Most of the movie follows the mother, played by Watts, and the oldest son, played by Holland, as they try to survive and reunite following the Tsunami. It's harrowing and authentic playing it as real as it can. There are a few moments of contrivances that reminded me too much of Serendipity, but I think they were mostly earned, and frankly, by the end, I just wanted a happy ending however they had to.

Elephant in the Room: Isn't this a depressing subject matter? Absolutely. This movie is not for the feint of heart. I can't remember the last time I was this physically uncomfortable in a theater. There are moments that absolutely devastated me and others that brought me to tears. It's that kind of movie.

To Sum Things Up:
The thing I kept hearing about this movie is "this is a great movie that I never want to see again." That is my sentiment exactly. I really like this movie. The Tsunami sequence is as intense as anything I've seen in the last year. Pretty much any time someone cried I nearly did as well. I think it is best to be experienced in theaters since it does have a few immersive moments, but I also understand why most people wouldn't want to see it in that setting. I recommend it although you should know what you are getting into. I nearly backed out and saw Jack Reacher instead because I was already bummed out going in. Glad I didn't back out.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

My Next 5 TV Shows of 2012

I gave you my top ten the other day and you can check those out here. Since I made a full list, I figured I'd take a look at a few other shows that either surprised or disappointed me this year.

My Next 5 Favorite Shows of 2012 (in no particular order)

Dexter
Fav. Ep. "Are You...?"
A real return to quality after a comically bad sixth season. This year started strong, meandered in the middle, then came through with a big last episode. I'm legitimately excited for the final season although I've excepted what Dexter isn't as well as all the things it is.

Game of Thrones
Fav. Ep. "Blackwater"
I came in late to this show and binged this season in about a week. I am constantly impressed by how epic the scale of the production of this show is. It's hard to believe this show is actually on the air. The second season was a little uneven and it was at times hard to see how all the things going on connected, but my understanding is that that's as much a problem of the text as anything. I can't wait to hear what is in store for season three.

New Girl
Fav. Ep. "Fancyman Part 1"
It's so nice to see a show figure itself out. 2012 saw this show transform from a manic pixie dream girl dominated vehicle for Zooey Deschanel into an outright ensemble, harnessing the comedic chops of Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, and even at times Lamorne Morris while recalibrating Deschanel into a real, human character.

Shameless
Fav. Ep. "Hurricane Monica"
I'm not sure why this is called a comedy so often considering the strongest elements are the dramatic ones, namely the phenomenal Emmy Rossum. Really, the entire cast of Gallagher children is an embarrassment of talent, each one managing to wow me a few times throughout the season.

The Walking Dead
Fav. Ep. "Better Angels"
Since leaving the farm (a phrase I could see as a sister to "jumping the shark", meaning "the change that moves a show to the next level") the show has gotten much better. I don't think the issues with the farm were fixed as much as ignored for what it does right (killing zombies and action in general). While I've never understood the fervor a lot of people have for the show, it is a fun alternative while waiting for new Mad Men or Breaking Bad to come back.

A Few Other Shows That Surprised Me (in a good way)

Ben & Kate - This show came in with fully-formed chemistry in the cast and is still trying to figure out what to do with them. I fear we won't be seeing a second season of this which is a shame because I'd like to see where it could go.

Go On - What started as The Matthew Perry show is finally settling in and figuring out what to do with the unwieldy cast size. This certainly looks to be the best of NBC's next generation of comedies.


Wilfred - This show continues to delve into darker places, relying less of Jason Ganz playing on the human-dressed-as-a-dog conceit. I fully expected the second season to fall off the map, but it got even more engaging than before.

A Few Shows That Disappointed Me

Modern Family - In truth, I don't know what I was expecting. After a first season that looks increasingly like a fluke, it has continued in its downward trajectory relying increasingly on sight gags, convolutions, and sacrificing character growth to get laughs.

The Office - After a weak as ever end to the season in May, the return of Greg Daniels and promise of this being the final season has been massively underwhelming even if it is better than it has been the past could years.

Up All Night - So many people that I like are involved in this show. There were glimmers of improvement even with a complete overhaul going into season two. It still couldn't get better ratings and with the news that it's switching to a multi-cam comedy in the Spring, I simply can't continue with it. If it turns out to improve greatly with the switch and has a long run, I'll happily revisit it, but I doubt that will happen and am getting off this sinking ship.

2012 - The Movies I Saw

Here's everything I saw from this year, in the past year (and a couple movies from 2011 that took too long to expand). Anything I saw in theaters, I've got the link to my initial reaction. Mostly, that's just a way to differentiate the movies I saw in theaters versus the ones I saw later.

I also included a ten point scale for how much I liked the movie. I didn't feel like a top 10 list, so this is my far less efficient alternative.

The Dark Knight Rises    10/10
I won't pretend it's a perfect movie, but as the most dissected movie of the year, it holds up as a satisfying end to a remarkable trilogy.

Looper    10/10
No movie wowed me quite like this one. Intelligently written science fiction with excellent casting.

The Cabin in the Woods    9/10
The most successful inversion of horror movies I have ever seen. A rare satire that also works as the very type of movie it is reflecting on.

Marvel's The Avengers    9/10
A marvelous (pun only noticed upon proofreading) execution of the ballsiest gameplan of any studio since Lord of the Rings. The Marvel universe is in wonderful hands.

This is 40    9/10
Not a perfect movie and deffinitely deserves the moniker "white people problems". That said, it's filled with a ton a jokes, a large and talented cast, and no 30 minute, overly dramatic detour like in Funny People.

21 Jump Street    9/10
In a light year for comedies, this came out of nowhere as the rarest of movies: a good TV show adaptation.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey    8/10
Hard to place this movie, but in the end, Middle-Earth is Middle-Earth. Even when not firing on all cylinders, just visiting this world is awe-inducing.

God Bless America    8/10
It's not for everyone. What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in overtness (redundant, I know). It is in your face unapologetic and I loved every second of it.

Argo    8/10
I can only credit this movie working so well to great direction. Six years ago, I'd've never believed Ben Afflect had it in him. One of the best "based of actual events" I can think of.

Skyfall    8/10
Saying "the best Bond film" is hitting a pretty low ceiling. It makes a strong case for that acolade and more. It's deserving of all it's success.

Pitch Perfect    8/10
I am the first to admit how awful I expected this to be. Instead of a Disney Channel movie with sex jokes, this continues the tradition of the best teen comedies of the early 2000s (Bring It On, 10 Things I Hate About You, etc.).

ParaNorman    8/10
This isn't the funniest or best looking animated movie of the year. What it lacks in polish it makes up for with one hell of a story. It takes some time, but by the end, it has one of the strongest messages of any movie I saw.

The Hunger Games    7/10
I'm not sure that it's $400 million good. It sure was a solid start of a franchise and a welcome shift from the Twilight dominance of the past half decade.

Wreck-It Ralph    7/10
Video game Toy Story. Not greatly original but it is full of that Disney charm that we don't see enough of these days.

Brave    7/10
What's this? Disney Animation beating Pixar...again. Solid Pixar outing although victim of it's own studio's success. At least it's a return to form after Cars 2.

The Five-Year Engagement    7/10
A little longer than it needed to be, but a fun cast and an enjoyable romantic comedy.

Bachelorette    7/10
I have some issues with the plot that hold me back from loving it. Thankfully, the cast is an eclectic and superb comedic cast and the dark tone is a welcome change from your standard wedding movie.

Magic Mike    7/10
As a straight man, am I technically allowed to say I enjoyed this movie a good deal? I say yes.

Lincoln    7/10
The acting was great. I can't deny that. The plot itself is basically a collection of speeches. That got more mileage from others than me.

Cloud Atlas    6/10
The most ambitious movie of the year. It took me hours to recover from it. Ulitmately, the message was lost on me, I think.

Les Misérables      6/10
Impressive production. Some great singing. Some not so great singing.

Flight    6/10
Denzel is solid, but the movie is really uneven.

Prometheus    6/10
Beautiful movie that tries to do too much.

Safety Not Guaranteed    6/10
It's nice to see Aubrey Plaza taking on a lead role. A little too indie for it's own good though.

Silver Linings Playbook    6/10
As a dramatic movie, it's a little slight. As a romantic comedy, it's a little heavy. Altogether, a fairly unique movie with some great acting turns.

Casa de mi Padre    6/10
Will Ferrell learned spanish for this. Shouldn't that be enough for a few points on my rating scale? Beyond that, it had a lot of what worked in something like Anchorman and little of what felt like too much in, say, Semi-Pro.

Ted    5/10
A super-sized episode of Family Guy. Mileage may vary.

Django Unchained    5/10
Inflated runtime but enjoyable the whole way through. A lot of scene chewing and winking at the camera (so to speak) that worked a lot better for me than in a lot of Tarantino films.

The Amazing Spider-Man    5/10
I, apparently had way more issues with this than most. For me, the crane scene still goes down as the most embarrassing thing I've seen in a movie this year (and that's saying something).

Paranormal Activity 4    5/10
It's a cheap bag of tricks that I'm completely fine returning to every October...but seriously, the pattern is established: the odd movies are the same and the evens are the same.

Haywire    5/10
I'll never understand how Soderbergh gets so many big names to do his movie. This felt like a specific type of action movie he needed to get out of his system. It's inconsistent, but a good distraction.

Lawless    5/10
The movie most ruined by the Community episode "Contemporary American Poultry". If you like the mob genre, you'll like this. If not, it won't change your mind.

The Grey    4/10
A bunch of men being chased by wolves. Not much more to it. Well made, but a little too sparse for my taste.

Wanderlust    4/10
A pretty forgettable comedy. In fact, I did forget that I saw it. A strong enough cast to keep it likeable.

Anna Karenina    4/10
A really impressively structure movie. The acting was pretty spot-on as well. This definitely falls into the category of "not my taste" rather than being a particularly bad movie. It did drag-on though.

The Master    4/10
A critical darling, that much like There Will Be Blood, I don't get the big deal. Hoffman, Phoenix, and Adams are all great throughout, but really, I got to the end and all I thought was "what's the point?".

The Bourne Legacy    4/10
If you told me that this was a script that had orginally had nothing to do with Bourne and was edited to fit into the franchise, I would totally believe you. On a technical level, it was fine although I couldn't shake the concerns of why they bothered making it.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home    4/10
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. It struck me as a little too indie for it's own good. Jason Segel and Ed Helms both get to play characters different from their normal casting.

John Carter    4/10
In a world where this wasn't one of the most expensive movies ever made and there wasn't an historically long time in development (This was one of the first movies EVER planned), this would be a forgettable but enjoyable science fiction movie. As is, it's a critically lampooned failure.

Beasts of the Southern Wild    4/10
I don't get it. The ending is fairly touching and the world it builds is inventive and impressive.  That's about all I can say about it. At no point was I all that engaged by it.

Moonrise Kingdom    4/10
I am not a Wes Anderson fan (by result, not intent. I don't go in assuming I'll hate it).  I think it's the fact that with every line, you can see the actors thinking, "This will be really funny for how dry it is".

The Guilt Trip    3/10
Harmless fun. Definitely greared more for Barbara Streisand fans more than Seth Rogen fans. One of those movies that could belong in any decade, not because it's timeless, but because the humor is so without edge that it can't offend anyone easily.

Battleship    3/10
I feel bad for how much this movie gets attacked. It was stupid and I have no idea who thought this would succeed as a summer blockbuster with such a convuluted story. That's a given. Beyond that, there's some good action, better than expected performances by not good actors (See: Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna), and even a couple moments that had me engaged. Yeah, I'm rating this higher than I shoud. So what?

Snow White and the Huntsman    3/10
Charlize Theron was in a completely different movie than the rest of the cast, a much better movie.

Goon    3/10
A harmless sports movie. A good role for Sean Williams Scott. I had fun watching it, even if I have no intent to watch it again.

MIB 3    3/10
Better than the second movie, I guess. Not by much. You either like Will Smith's charm, or you don't. It's the only thing to carry the movie. Personally, I couldn't get past all the egregious age permutations.

The Expendables 2    2/10
Yeah. I'm giving it a 2. There's movies that I enjoyed less, primarily beacause it knew that it's bad. It's camp. It's trash. It's constant winking at the camera. Most of all, it apologizes for nothing. A $100 million B-movie. It tried a little too hard to one-up the first movie and fails but it wasn't unbearable.

American Reunion    2/10
It's a little sad. When the first one came out, it was full of up-and-comers. Now, they are all still available to do a lifeless rehash. Are there any A-listers in the bunch. The fact that Jim's dad and Stifler's mom have the biggest careers now is not saying a lot.

Hope Springs    2/10
Technically, it's not a bad movie. This one falls under the category of "not for me", and I don't think that should be a surprise. The leads are great. Steve Carrell is restrained. The movie is paced pretty well. But, it's a movie about grandparent romance.

Savages    2/10
It bums out that Taylor Kirsch had so many movies that fell flat this year. What hurt this one the most is the fact that it didn't look like it would be as bad as the others, then was. Also, the fake ending was bullshit.

The Campaign    2/10
I don't care much for Zack Galifinakis (although I'd like to), nor do I often care for Will Farrell in character mode. Had this movie merely been an election farce, I'd've rated it a little higher, but the idealized ending and anti corporate message killed it for me.

Mirror Mirror    2/10
The cheaper, family friendlier Snow White movie this year. Mostly, I thought it had the look and feel of a made-for-TV movie. I've given it this ranking despite my strange love of the closing credits song...Seriously, why do I like that song so much?

Dark Shadows    2/10
There were a lot of clever ideas in this, but like almost every movie made from a TV show, it is a bunch of funny parts in the first half, then it falls apart at the end when it remembers it needs to have a plot.

Killing Them Softly    2/10
Essentially, it's a small-time hit man movie. That's all I can gather about it. All the parallels it draws to the 2008 election felt really out of place.

Bernie    2/10
Jack Black is good in an otherwise forgettable movie. I wanted to like it more because of the good performance, but as short as it was, there was basically a half-hour idea in an hour and a half movie.

Bully    2/10
As far as documentaries go, it was well made. This isn't a "well-made" rating though. There wasn't anything new that was being said and as authentic as the footage is, there's hardly anything shocking or danming about it.

Taken 2    1/10
Did Michael Bay direct this sequel? Almost everything that was wrong about Transformers 2 is in this. In a word: excess. Also, I don't remember ever hearing people saying "I really liked the first Taken, but I really wish Maggie Grace had more to do with the action sequences."

Total Recall    1/10
Within a month of seeing this, I had already forgotten almost everything about this. Some movies are bad because of so many elements failing. The only thing this movie accomplishes is being completely forgettable.

Rock of Ages    1/10
This movie is pretty much everything that's wrong with kareoke cinema. A bunch of big names singing songs I'm tired of hearing. I wanted it to surprise me and it didn't.

Project X    1/10
The party is impressive, but I found the characters in this to be vile beyond belief. I tried to turn my brain off and appreciate the boobs and out-of-control attitude, which I'm pretty good at. This couldn't be done. I will recommend again no movie this year more than this one.

Premium Rush    1/10
I love Joseph Gordon Levitt, but he couldn't save this. Fifteen minutes in I was checking my phone hoping it was almost over.

The FP    0/10
Whole different rating system for this kind of movie. It belongs in the "brilliantly bad" category. Anyone looking for a chuckle with some friends, watch this without hesitation.

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A few I saw in 2012 that came out in 2011.

War Horse    8/10
I can't defend the pitch for the movie. I also can't deny how it manipulative it is. I can say, if you go into it with an open mind and willingness to be affected, it is both a  heart-breaking and crowd-pleasing film.

Young Adult    8/10
I can't say I thought much of it at the time. Had I wrote a reaction, it'd be very tepid. As I've stewed on it, I started appreciating the utter-coldness of it. Charlize Theron is as fantastic as she is divisive.

My Week with Marilyn    5/10
Michelle Williams is so good in this. Otherwise, pretty forgettable.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy    4/10
I was way too tired to see this when I did. It is a detailed and complex film. It's a shame I couldn't stay awake for it.

Shame    3/10
The controversy surpassed the product. Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are both terrific though.

The Artist    3/10
I have no idea how this won virtually every best picture award. It was a simple movie and a fun throwback to a different era in filmmaking. Beyond that, I don't see much to offer.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close    1/10
I can't speak for the book, but this comes off as a guide for bad parenting and exploiting 9/11 for dramatic purposes. Pretty disappointing.

Movie Reaction: Les Misérables

Formula: Well, it's a book, made into a play, made into a movie. It is its formula.
          or The Count of Monte Cristo + Romeo + Juliet + Marie Antoinette

Cast: Anne Hathaway is heartbreaking. Hugh Jackman is stately. Russell Crowe is imposing. Amanda Seyfried is chirpy. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are sleazy. Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Barks are new to me but fit the bill with their singing. In short, everyone is good doing what they are asked to. Hathaway has the biggest showcase of anyone and nailed it and I'm excited to see Barks more often.

Plot: I don't think they tried as hard to make this fit as a movie versus a play. The movie is under 3 hours and feels like it. The acts are all pretty distinct and the ending has a bit of a feeling of "finally". There's a lot of characters being served and they get a fair amount of focus. This is a big movie and it is true to the epic story.

Elephant in the Room: What about this "live singing" stuff? It takes some getting used to because it is really a departure from how musicals normally are done. The shortcomings of it are that people like Russell Crowe sound pretty bad at times since he's not the most gifted signer and the songs, at times, are a little clunky. The upside is that when it works, it does so better than a normal musical. I can't imagine "I Dreamed a Dream" packing more of a punch done any other way. Maybe that's just me.

To Sum Things Up:
The overall production is pretty impressive. The actors clearly poured their hearts into this and it shows. Even though my tone so far is slanted toward what didn't work, it really is pretty good. By the end, I was thoroughly exhausted in the good way. It may not be the best movie of the but when it's contemporaries this year includes Rock of Ages, it's hard to look bad.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

Movie Reaction: Django Unchained

Formula: Tarantino + A Spaghetti Western

Cast: Tarantino has that special kind of clout where he can cast anyone to play any role. Everyone is eating up every last beat they get to play. Jamie Foxx is solid, even if I've never understood the big deal about him. Christoph Waltz is as smarmy as even but given a conscience he never had in Inglourious Basterds. Leonardo Dicaprio is letting out the scoundrel he never gets to play. Samuel L Jackson is, well, Sammy Jackson playing a two-faced slave. Can't say there's a lot of nuance to him, but it there ever anymore? I guess Kerry Washington is the next biggest character and her part's pretty small. All the smaller roles are exactly as good as they need to be. What more is there to say? No one blew me away.

Plot: Here's the thing about Spaghetti westerns, they can be very long, and, true to form, so was this. Despite that, I was amazed how much of the advertised plot was blown through in the first 30 minutes (maybe it was longer, but it sure felt quick). It paced itself well. I did kind of lose track of the point about midway through, and I never had a sense why it had to be so long. It often felt like they scenes existed to laugh at racism without any additional function*.

*Not to say I like racism, but it was almost to crowd-pleasingly broad.

Elephant in the Room: What if I don't normally like Tarantino movies? This won't change your mind. I came from the camp of "I don't get what the big deal about him is", so I'm the worst person to ask though. It's identifiable as one of his movies and better than similarly "historical" Basterds.

To Sum Things Up:
I liked this more than I expected. As someone constantly looking for an in-road to the Tarantino camp, this came closer than anything of his I can think of to getting me to see what the fuss is about. The acting is unique and he has an entertaining way to frame his shots. The dialogue is fun as is his way of taking something like violence and kicking it up to 11 while still being funny. In the end though, I'm going to inevitably be sitting in a room with someone talking about how Tarantino is a genius and this is another of his masterpieces and, simply put, I didn't find it much better than Casa de mi Padre that I watched the night before.


Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

Top 10 TV Shows of 2012

The year is winding down and, like any good blogger, this is when I start to reflect on how my thoughts are more important that other people's who don't waste obscene amounts of time ranting about essentially nothing. In that spirit, here's a top ten list.

Now, I feel the need to explain how I picked my list of the best 10 TV shows of 2012.

• First of all, I only included episodes from 2012. Simple enough. It puts new shows on unequal footing but that's sort of an inherent weakness with the timing of the new year and the television calendar. So be it.
• Secondly, this is my list. That makes it subjective. I have reasoning, although I understand that this list is only true through my own lense.
• Third, and somewhat related, most of my picking was done by asking myself a painfully simple question: "What do I want to watch?" I did a big list of every show I watch this year like that and it's remarkable how quickly it came together. So, Suburgatory is above Wilfred because if both are sitting in my DVR, I'm going to watch Suburgatory first. It's not until after I had that list that I asked "why?". Doing that keeps me honest and stops me from ranking shows that I'm "supposed to like" higher than my actual enjoyment dictates.

1. Parks and Reacreation
Favorite Episode: "Win, Lose, or Draw"
Consistency is sometimes the worst virtue since it's rarely noticed until it's gone. I can't remember the last episode I didn't mostly like. This is a strong and diverse [in talents] cast, mixing energetic (Leslie), sarcastic (April), slapstick (Andy), stoic (Ron), neurotic (Chris), and a bunch of other words I don't want to come up with into a potent comedic cocktail that always delivers. The fact that this year saw the conclusion of the Knope 2012 city council story cements this as the best show on TV in my book.

2. Louie
Favorite Episode: "Daddy's Girlfriend Part 2"
I am an admitted Louie CK disciple. He can't do wrong in my book. The helps this show's ranking. What puts it on the list at all though is the complete uniqueness of it. You never know what you are getting week-to-week except and that makes it exciting. The experimentation with story arching with Daddy's Girlfriend and the Late Show saga was an interesting new direction. Sure, there's nothing as epic as Duckies from season 2, but the beautiful Miami episode, all over the place Christmas episode, and somber day with Robin Williams are all strong in there own right. I hope more people give this weird little show a chance.

3. Mad Men
Favorite Episode: "Far Away Places"
No show on TV rewards it's audience's patience as well as Mad Men. The tone and quality has been there since the beginning, but the season keep getting better because of how well we know the characters. There were a few big moments (Lane's "resignation", Joan "making partner", Peggy's farewell), but as always, this year was more about all the little moments and touches of brilliance that build this complex and very real world. This season also saw more experimentation in the episode structure (namely, "Far Away Places") that kept it from starting to feel stale, five seasons in.

4. Community
Favorite Episode: "Basic Lupine Urology"
This is too high. There simply weren't enough episodes to warrant such a high ranking on a year end list, especially considering the Chang taking over the school story produced the weakest string of episodes that I can think of. It is still such a strong, experimental show and you can sense the desperation of showrunner Dan Harmon trying to get as many ideas out there before cancellation (or, as it turned out, being fired). So, we got an excellent Law & Order homage, 8-bit video game episode, and Ocean's 11-style caper, that allowed me to justify putting Community high on my list even with such a small sample size.

5. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Favorite Episode: "The Gang Recycles Their Trash"
This is the 8th season of this show. Eighth. Think about that. This show has a lot of history, which this season looked back on in the thematic equivalent of a season-long clip show. Just saying that makes me realize how risky a move that is. Episodes like "The Gang Recycles Their Trash" or "Charlie's Mom Has Cancer" are either lazy or brilliantly meta (a word I've come to hate using). It's no coincidence that Sunny and Community as so close in my rankings since both shows are the most experimental with the half-hour comedy form on TV. It's pretty undeniable the influence that two have had on one another (even if it's only goes as far as knowing someone else is doing this as well) as both have really attacked the high concept episodes ("hey, let's do a trial episode" or "it would be fun to have them all go to a psychiatrist"). This has been some of the most inspired later season work of any show in recent memory.

6. 30 Rock
Favorite Episode: "Mazel Tov, Dummies!"
30 Rock is, hands down, the king of the joke machines. It has been that since it began and will continue to be until it ends next year (which I'm not looking forward to). There has been some excellent character development throughout it's run, but the first goal is always to get a laugh. In fact, I had a really hard time picking my favorite episode this year because I remember jokes, not episodes. I actually feel bad putting it this low on my list considering we got 30-freakin'-episodes in 2012. It's sad that this show has fallen out of favor (among critics. Ratings have always been shit) the past couple seasons, because it has been as good as ever.

7. Breaking Bad
Favorite Episode: "Fifty One"
Season 5.1 had to be a let down after the kinetic pace of season 3 and 4. This year was cleanup from that and setup for the second half of the season coming next year. There was still a plethora of great moments up to and including Hank's big discovery. While at times things felt rushed as the numbers of episodes before the end moved into single digits, I feel privileged to see Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and company do their thing.

8. Girls
Favorite Episode: "Pilot"
Probably the most delightful surprise of the year for me. I went in curious about the first Apatow produced TV series since Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared and essentially no other expectations. There's certainly been a ton of press going to the show, either loftily praising it or nit-picking  some aspect of it and I largely ignored that. What this show is is the story of a few friends and it isn't concerned about making them likeable. Personally, I found Hanna constantly delightful because they showed her warts and all. I haven't been able to stew on this show quite as much as the others on my list, so I don't have a ton or reasoning for it being in my top ten other than that I really enjoyed watching it.

9. Happy Endings
Favorite Episode: The Butterfly Effect Effect
When 30 Rock abdicates the joke machine throne in 2013, Happy Endings will be ready to take the seat. I've always been hesitant to love this show because there's not a "Tina Fey" behind it to ease my worries when I fear it might be losing it's focus. That's on me, not the show, which has been pretty constant in it's ability yo make me laugh with as much gusto as anything on the air.

10. Homeland
Favorite Episode: "Q&A"
I really wanted a reason to take this out of my top ten. The unevenness of the last few episodes confirmed a lot of concerns I had about the show (burning through too much plot, too many logic holes, confusing the motivations of the characters) but dammit if the performances by Danes, Lewis, and Patinkin weren't some of the best you will see on TV. The highs certainly outweigh the lows and a lot of good feelings carried over from the first season. Season 3 won't have that luxury.

Movie Reaction: This Is 40

Formula: Knocked Up + 15 years

Cast: If you put me in charge of casting for a movie, you basically have a Judd Apatow film. Melissa McCarthy, Jason Segel, Charlyne Yi, Chris O'Dowd, Albert Brooks, Lena Dunham, John Lithgow. Yeah, they're all there and damn funny or just plain good in it. Even Megan Fox is about as capable as I've seen her. Granted, she plays "hot girl" so it's not a great stretch. The key players in this are Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprising their roles as Pete and Deb and they play the same scene-stealing characters they were in Knocked Up except they don't have to steal the attention this time. They are as great as ever and fleshed out wonderfully from the sometimes oversimplified look at them previously. Also, as far as director's kids go, Maude and Iris Apatow hit every note that is asked of them.

Plot: A lot of filmmakers treat their work as a type of therapy. Few are as blatant about it as Judd Apatow who cast his family and replaced himself with Paul Rudd. I'm fine with that. It is pretty obvious though. In short, the story is an examination of why Pete and Deb are together and why they make it seem so hard sometimes, but with a ton of funny jokes in it. Apatow lets the story breath a lot, so it is a little long for a comedy although greatly improved from Funny People in that respect. It is not purely a comedy though. Shit gets rule at a few points. Never for too long and never too dark to come back from quickly. Sad isn't Apatow's game. Honest would be the best word for it.

Elephant in the Room: This looks like a bunch of rich white people problems. That's because it is, to be blunt. At least, in the same way that Girls is about privileged twenty-somethings, for example. You can choose to look at it as a bunch of people complaining about the problems in their blessed lives, but frankly, I have no respect for how you watch or read or process anything. It's about the pressures of life in general. If you can't see it for that, I'm not going to bother trying to convince you otherwise.


To Sum Things Up:
The line between my taste being merely influence by and outright defined by Apatow comedies is extremely blurred. The overlap or taste and product for me is pretty complete. Needless to say, this is one of my favorite movies of the year. Easily the best comedy since 21 Jump Street. I can't speak from an objective viewpoint. I just can't. I loved this movie in it's entirety. I hope you do too, but I'm prone to build up movies like this too much since they hit my sweet spot, so perhaps some restraint is needed.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

DVR Purge: 12/17-12/21

A lot of two-parters this week. I'm going to combine them, because, well, I want to.

How I Met Your Mother "The Final Page"
-Peter Gallheger and Seth Green alert. It's a shame they weren't used more interestingly.
-I like that Ted still loved the professor's lecture even though the professor rather actively disliked him.
-The bottom-of-a-well metaphor was pretty weakly used. The well person was described as someone you can't let go of (the Professor, or Seth Green would put Marshall and Lilly in his), then it was for someone you hate, I think (Patrice). I just think it was bent to the will of the episode rather than well thought out (pun intended).
-I guess I liked the engagement, although, The Robin was convoluted and without nuance. I get that the over-the-top-ness of it was the point, but again, I feel the show used to work with the mythology and now it's bending it to fit the story.
-Had they not completely ruined the first go at Robin and Barney, I'd be completely stoked for the ending. As is, like Victoria's return, it seems more like damage control than anything.

Happy Endings "No-Ho-Ho"
Another episode that is completely ridiculous in every way.
-Alex's wrapping paper fetish was fitting and hilarious.
-Still getting the image of Max pouring eggnog and liquor into his mouth simultaneously out of my head.
-I like that "big ass candle" was a consistent description of the gift.
-I am really curious, is this the first year of the Christmas baby rampage or is this an annual thing.
-Hip-hop Santa tag = delightful.

Burn Notice "You Can Run"
It was inevitable even with all the recaps at the beginning of episodes and seasons. After six years, I am completely lost. How did we get here? What is here? How is Michael not the bad guy or at least a bad guy? I'm dangerously close to giving up on Burn Notice because it is succeeding at something I previously thought impossible: it is wheel spinning while also developing the story faster than I can keep up with. 

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense"
This was not as consistently great as last season, but it was more impressive. This is the first year that there was common through-line which was one of continuity. Virtually every episode seemed to have something to do with a previous episode, in cases like Charlie's Mom Has Cancer and The Gang Recycled Their Trash, they quite literally called back classic episodes. I, personally don't see this as them running out of ideas just as I never saw Fat Mac as a cheap gag. I think Sunny never has earned the respect it deserves, which is a shame.
Got side-tracked there. On to this episode: I don't know of another show that can do a bottle episode quite so well. That's because this show works best when it's those five, in a room, arguing. It's always seamless, always ridiculous, and always hilarious.

The League "A Krampus Carol/The Curse of Shiva"
This season ended a lot stronger than last year. They continue to impress me with the number of guest stars they get, which really shouldn't surprise me considering how ubiquitous that cast is.
Both episodes came together more solidly than in the past couple weeks, with fewer dropped jokes and disappearing storylines.
It's always fun seeing Rafi and Taco interact because few shows have two characters like that. There's normally a Dwight or a Barney. The League has two of them which opens a lot of possibilities.
A season wouldn't be complete without a last appearance by the Shiva in the flesh,



The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
12/16 Dexter and Homeland
12/9-12/15
12/6-12/8
12/1-12/5
11/29-11/30
11/25-11/28
11/21-11/24 (Dexter)
11/17-11/20
11/11-11/16
11/4-11/10
10/28-11/3
10/20-10/27
10/13-10/19
10/6-10/12
9/29-10/4
9/22-9/28

Movie Reaction: The Guilt Trip

Formula: Road Trip + a Jewish mother

Cast: It's pretty simple. Do you love Barbara Streisand? Do you love Seth Rogen? Do you have a Jewish mother? If the answer is "yes" to any of those questions, then this movie's probably for you. Neither of them leave their comfort zone at all. The answer to one of those questions for me is "yes" and Streisand didn't bother me too much, so I found a lot to like here. There's a long list of familiar faces that show up briefly including Casey Wilson, Yvonne Strahovski, and Adam Scott, but none are onscreen long enough to make an impact.

Plot: It's a road trip movie, so the plot follows a pretty predictable path. There's a lot of stupid humor. It's very episodic. Don't forget about the mother-son bonding. What did surprise me is that they didn't fall into the tropes that I absolutely despise. For example, the premise that gets Rogen's character to ask his mom to come with him really comes from a good place. He isn't taking advantage of her. He's trying to do something nice. Also, the end doesn't try to wrap everything up. It solves the necessary conflicts but leaves the non-essentials in flux.

Elephant in the Room: What they hell kind of audience is this going for? It's not a Seth Rogen movie. I can assure you of that. Streisand is the dominant force in this and, while I enjoyed it more than I expected, it is going for that Hope Springs crowd.

To Sum Things Up:
I didn't love this movie. I liked it though. It's endearing, in its own way, and it was nice seeing Seth Rogen play a bit of a different role (even though I don't buy him as a brilliant chemist). Streisand was a bit much at times, but, hey, what do you expect from a Jewish mother type?

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

Fuck the Golden Globe Nominations

I've been resisting from typing up my reaction to the Golden Globe nominations since they came out, mostly because it's the Golden Globes. For as much as I claim to dismiss the Academy Awards and the Emmys, even they hold some weight over the Globes. I have absolutely no idea how this ceremony got so big. There is so little identity to them, except, perhaps vanity. Yes, the Golden Globes are widely considered to be the most vain awards in Hollywood: the industry built on the foundation of vanity. For every commendable decision they make (Comedy and Drama categories in movies) there is an equally stupid one (Lumping supporting actors in sit-coms, dramas, TV movies, and mini-series together).


Actually, no. I started to write a breakdown of assorted thoughts about the Globe nominations. I tried to organize them in some dressed-up "the good, the bad, and the ugly" format saying what they did and didn't get right or when they were overly obviously star-fucking. The thing is there's nothing to get up in arms about.
-Ok, it's pretty obvious they gave up when picking best actor in a comedy. That's nothing new.
-Best Drama movie looks like an Academy Award list and is a bunch of outsiders looking in from an Oscars standpoint (except for the prestige musical).
-Best Animated feature doesn't bother to find out is any small studios made anything good (ParaNorman, anyone?).
-Foreign film is the only one that carries any weight since it includes Rust and Bone, The Intouchables, and Armour, which the Oscars won't, and from my understanding, it's ridiculous that not all of them will.
-Mad Men of all things was booted out to make room for The Newsroom as well as only now discovering Breaking Bad.
-How did Smash and Episodes (let me repeat that: Episodes and Smash) make it into a top 10 list of Musicals/Comedies, let alone the top 5?
-It's pretty tough to mess up lead actor in a drama series.
-They know who Louie C.K. is? Are they big fans of Pootie Tang or something?
-Thank you for nominating both the hosts (Fey and Poehler).
-Mandy Patinkin for Homeland versus Fizbo. I don't even have to explain what's wrong with that.
-Golden Globe Nominee Hayden Panetierre kind of rolls off the tongue. It fits perfectly.
-...which reminds me. Connie Britton nominations: Friday Night Lights - 0/5. Nashville - 1/1...huh?

I don't get it. This isn't to say that I will pretend like I won't watch the ceremony. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are enough to guarantee I'll be watching, but it's not like their absence won't turn me away either.
What this all comes down do is this. Fuck the Golden Globes and the fact that I feel compelled to care even enough to bitch about them.