DVR Purge: 5/12-5/14

It's nice that with Parks & Rec. and Community gone (for the summer or forever as the case may be), I have Louie here to fill in.

Past Purges 

Louie "So Did the Fat Lady/Elevator Part 1"
Whoa! Who knew the cat-lady from Go On had that in her? I shouldn't be surprised, Louie has a history of getting the most out of female guest stars in particular (Melissa Leo, Parker Posey, Pamela Adlon). Add Sarah Baker to that list. Her speech was phenomenal in one of those "you can't just read it to get the full effect" way. Just great. It's a shame the season plays the way it does because "Model" last week and "So Did the Fat Lady" this week would've made a great hour. The second episode had some good stuff too. Mostly setup, but the subway experience was pretty great in its own right.

Agents of SHIELD "The Beginning of the End"
Bravo! Stuck the landing. This episode avoided all the traps that I was worried they'd fall into, most notably not trying to redeem Ward. There's signs that he's going to find his way back on the team down the line, but now would be too soon and the writers recognized this. Also, we still have Triplett, who I assumed would be fodder for cheap emotion to be killed off in the finale. Setting the next season up as the rebuilding of SHIELD essentially bring us back to where we were in the pilot, but with the team rapport already established which was one of the bumpiest aspects of the show at the beginning of the season. While it's far from making a "Top Shows" list for me, I couldn't be more pleased with how the show has developed over the year.

Fargo "The Six Ungraspables"
To answer my question from last week: infection is why Lester's hand got worse. That makes sense. I have to remind myself that this is a limited series so the whole story will be told by the end of the season. We are at the halfway point of the season, but I'm so used to feet-dragging in shows, that it surprised me when, say, Molly was able to convince Bill that Lester should be a suspect. Still, the greatest thing about this show continues to be Lorne. I got chills at how effectively he intimidated Gus's neighbor.

The Middle "Heck on a Hard Body"
If the only point of this episode was to setup Sue (and presumably the rest of the Hecks) going to Disney World next week, that would be enough. The episode does right by Sue in almost every way. Her greatest strength, her tenacity, gets her the win. Darrin stands by her in a surprisingly sweet argument. We even get Brad's offer to help her win the car which is a great reminder that while the world tends to shit on Sue, her inner circle is as committed to her as anyone's friends and family. It was about time that we had another episode where Frankie and Axl bond. The same goes with Mike and Brick. Norm McDonald's return is very welcome. His comedic persona works really well in the world of The Middle.

Suburgatory "Stiiiiiiill Horny"
Was that the series finale or do we have another episode left? Boy, this show sure is going out with a whimper. It was never a focused show but I'd still like something that felt a bit more like an end. I think I've been spoiled by too many other shows preemptively writing a series finale into the end of every season. Regardless, I will sort of miss Suburgatory. It was such a likable show and did better by most of the members of the cast than I think they'll ever get again. Jane Levy, Jeremy Sisto, and Cheryl Hines will be fine but it'll be tough to find something that uses Carly Chaikin or Allie Grant as well.

Modern Family "The Wedding (Part 1)"
Let's break this up by story:
Cam, Mitchell, & Lily: You know my stance on this. If those two a working together I almost always enjoy them. Just about everything at the Dry Cleaner (not remembering the man's name, Cam explaining their dynamic, Lily getting stuck) was great. I could do without the required story about the wedding plans falling apart, but what are you going to do? It's a sitcom wedding. That's how they go.
Phil & Alex: They made an excellent comedic duo. I couldn't stop laughing when Alex chewed out the store employee when it started looking like Phil's plan was going to fall apart.
Luke & Claire: Am I crazy or hasn't the show already covered that Luke is some kind of genius in his own right? They keep trying to backtrack him into being an idiot while at the same time not doing that. It makes for a funny joke this week with him thinking of "Alex's plan" but it's making me feel crazy.
Haley & the manny: Are we supposed to be rooting for them to get together? If it gets Haley more screen time, I'm for it.
Jay & Merle: Seriously. What the fuck!? This story is coming out of nowhere a little too much for me. It requires so much backtracking of Jay's development that it comes off as forced.
The Others: I don't know. This was a very busy episode and I forget a lot of what happened.

The Americans "You Can't Take It With You"
After last year's quiet finale, I'm not expecting to much to go down next week. There's a lot that could potentially happen though. A lot of moving parts right now. Larrick is still tracking Philip and Elizabeth down. I doubt we are finished with Jared. There's still the matter of figuring out who killed Leanne and Emmett. Oleg has morphed into a very dangerous wild card. I have no idea what is going on in Nina's head or where her allegiance lands right now. Stan is backed in a corner and I don't know how he'll respond to it. Paige is getting suspicious and, based on how last season ends, looks primed to make a discovery about her parents. Then there's Martha who, in a single episode went from hapless pawn to adept obstacle, what with stealing CIA documents to make a point, revealing she knows Philip is wearing a wig, and all that baby talk (she's not already pregnant, is she?). Too much is going on to resolve it all so I'm interested to see what they choose to keep open-ended.

Delayed Reaction: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

The Pitch: It's like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead! but with a game show host.

What Took Me So Long: I simply never had an opportunity to see this and I kept getting it confused with Auto Focus.

Why I Saw It: I like George Clooney as a director. I like Charlie Kaufman as a writer. I like Sam Rockwell as an actor. In short, I liked this movie. It's funny and strange. It plays out like a puzzle, taking what is known of Chuck Barris' public life/persona and figuring out how this CIA assassin life could fit in. Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, and George Clooney (pulling double-duty) were all great in this. I really like how it takes this crazy story seriously and tries to show how it could happen.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: Watching this reminds me how much of a bummer it is that Charlie Kaufman hasn't written more movies (that have been made and released, that is).

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

Movies That Aren't Sequels (But Should Be)

One of my favorite posts on the blog was a list a made a couple years ago that are not sequels but should be, based on title alone. Here it is if you missed it the first time. It's been long enough that I've found a couple more movies to add to the list.

As I said the first time, there's plenty more of these to be found so I'll hopefully be back with more soon. Let's begin:

One of my favorite posts on the blog was a list a made a couple years ago that are not sequels but should be, based on title alone. Here it is if you missed it the first time. It's been long enough that I've found a couple more movies to add to the list.

As I said the first time, there's plenty more of these to be found so I'll hopefully be back with more soon. Let's begin:

Midnight Cowboy (1969) / Urban Cowboy (1980)

After gobbling up Oscar wins and nominations on its way to an impressive box office haul, why wouldn't someone want to make a sequel? I can understand Jon Voight not being on board to reprise his role and John Travolta isn't the worst person to fill in. As it turns out though, these movies aren't at all related.

Bandits (2001) / Bandidas (2006)

You know what this crime caper starring Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thorton needs? Yes, a sequel aimed at a Latino audience starring Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz. I've looked into it, and that couldn't be any further from what the movies actually are.

Dumbo (1941) / Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)

Yes, it seemed really unlikely that Operation Dumbo Drop was a sequel, what with the 54 year gap and switch from animation to live-action. But, both movies were produced by Disney, so how is it my fault for getting confused.

Little Darlings (1980) / Little Children (2006)

Laugh if you will but this could've been a "next generation" type of thing with Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol's roles going to Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connelly.  When you look at the plot, this isn't completely ridiculous.

Last Night (2010) / About Last Night (2014)

So sue me. I assumed this was a Before Sunrise/Before Midnight situation. I was very wrong. It turns out that About Last Night was actually a remake of another movie of the same title. I'm giving myself partial credit for calling that the movie wasn't completely original.

Knockaround Guys (2001) / Stand Up Guys (2012)

What happens when you get knocked around? Yeah, you stand back up. I knew nothing else about the movies than that. Switch out Dennis Hopper for Al Pacino and Vin Diesel for Christopher Walken and BAM! franchise potential.

Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) / Leavng Las Vegas (1995)

I think I was most justified by being confused about this one. After all, both are Nic Cage movies about Vegas and one came out three years after the other. Granted, there are slight tonal differences and what are the odds that the sequel gets all the Oscar love?

Daylight (1996) / Twilight (1998)

Check the titles and the years. Yeah, one is an action movie and the other a crime mystery and sure, none of the actors are the same. I don't see why they still couldn't be in the same movie franchise. Yet again, I was mistaken.

Housesitter (1992) / Houseguest (1995)

I thought about putting The Crazysitter here too but these two are the most likely to be related. Nope. It turns out that Sinbad is not a sufficient substitute for Goldie Hawn. It's not my fault for being confused.

Never Back Down (2008) / Won't Back Down (2012)

Look, the first movie is the assertion: "I'll never back down". The second is reasserting that: "No, I won't back down". Well, I was right. The dance/action movie, Never Back Down, did have franchise potential in the form of the action movie, Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown, not the education drama, Won't Back Down.

Delayed Reaction: In the Name of the Father

The Pitch: The downside to The Troubles...the other downside.

 
What Took Me So Long: In my life, I thought it was about something much different. In the past year, I knew it was one I couldn't be watching with split attention.

Why I Saw It: Daniel Day-Lewis gets to use his actual accent. That's enough for me. It's one part courtroom drama, one part prison movie, and all parts "Oh, that's what it was like." It made me want to lookup the events of the story it was based on, which I think is the highest praise a "based on true events" movie can get.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: It was a little long and I can't say I was terribly engaged by it. The Troubles are an interesting and under discussed period in movies (or at least the ones that I watch) so I was hoping to pull a little more out of this. The acting is top notch though, as is often the case when Daniel Day-Lewis and Emma Thompson get top billing.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

Delayed Reaction: Reds

The Pitch: Communists, they're no so bad.

What Took Me So Long: The main thing stopping me once I saw it was streaming on Netflix was the length (over 3 hours). That's long for a movie that didn't promise a lot of things blowing up or nekkid' people, and even still, those things only gets me to the third hour.

Why I Saw It: It would help if I had any idea who John Reed and Louise Bryant were before I saw this. The acting is top notch. We don't see Warren Beatty anymore these days so it easy to forget that his is one of the best actor/directors Hollywood has ever scene. I was most impressed by Diane Keaton. Louise Bryant could easily be a character in the movie that annoys me but Keaton keeps me rooting for her. Jack Nicholson has a smaller role but a good one.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: I'm, avoiding the story for a reason. It wasn't boring, exactly. I'd stick with needlessly long. When a movie is as long as this is, I expect there to be a reason for it and I couldn't tell you the reason for this. This has the feel of a mini-series rather than a movie.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

Movie Reaction: Neighbors

Formula: Duplex / Animal House

Why I Saw It: Take your pick. I love comedies. The cast is wonderful. It's not like I was going to see Moms' Night Out. I'll stop there.

Cast: I'm unapologetically a huge Seth Rogen fan which helped get me into the theater. What's odd is that he's more of the eyes into the world than the person driving the mayhem. Don't get me wrong, he has some great moment s and does fine work but no one is coming out of the theater talking about him after seeing this. Rose Byrne has done nothing but impress me with her comedic turns. While largely playing the heel in Bridesmaids and Get Him to the Greek, she gets her chance to play a more accessible, comedic character and nails it. I appreciate that Zach Effron is giving comedy his full effort here. He's not as polished as some of those around him but he's still very good. The supporting performances are numerous and hilarious. Dave Franco keeps making a play at becoming my favorite Franco. Christopher Mintz-Plasse has done all he needs to to escape McLovin'. I'm not sure if I've see Jerrod Carmichael before. After this, I'm sure I will though. Ike Barinholtz brings, well, basically that character he plays in things to this movie and it fits perfectly. And don't forget Apatow journeyman Carla Gallo who makes the most of her limited screen time. In short, it's a great cast for a comedy.

Plot: Frat vs. Family. There's not much more to it than that. Rogen and Byrne buy a house. A frat moves in next door. A battle to be the last one standing ensues. There's actually a lot in there about what happens when you grow up and the importance of doing so. None of it gets in the way of the laughs, but like how Forgetting Sarah Marshall has more heart than you'd expect, this does too. I want to stress however, nothing is ever at the expense of forgetting to be funny.

Elephant in the Room: How long is it? A problem with comedies these days, especially ones in the Judd Apatow Universe (I should note he is not a producer for this although Rogen is) is that the final product is often exhaustingly long with a lot of fat left to be trimmed. It's normally because the looser filming structure gives the editor a wealth of material to use. This works well in something like Knocked up. More often though, you get This Is 40 or Anchorman 2, which overstay their welcomes. That is not the case with Neighbors. It's barely 90 minutes and doesn't drag at all. That said, I can't wait to get the director's cut of this because there is certain to be a lot of deleted scenes and alternate cuts.

Now Hear Me Out: I've come up with an alternate way to watch it. I like to pretend this is a sequel of Superbad the way that Get Him to the Greek is of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The common link is that McLovin' becomes Scoonie after failing out of Dartmouth for being too much of a badass. I'm not sure how well this works, but I certainly believe the two movies belong in the same universe.

To Sum Things Up:
I loved this movie. It's the most I've laughed since...This Is the End, I guess, and it a much better cut movie. It looks like this is going to be a big comedy hit and I won't begrudge its success like I did with The Hangover. It's a director I love, with a collection of actors I like watching, and screenwriters I'm happy to follow to their next project. If you like to laugh, this is worth your time.

Oh, and that baby is adorable.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

DVR Purge: 5/5-5/11

Louie is back and I couldn't be happier, especially because it gives me something else to watch with most of these other shows preparing to finish off their seasons.

Past Purges 

Louie "Back/Model"
I definitely enjoyed Back more of the two episodes. It was a scattered collection of stories layered with the constant humiliations of Louie's life. The super who doesn't get how a simple joke works, his daughters exhausted by his effort to explain the benefits of hard work, the old lady helping him to the cab, the doctor basically saying "Life sucks. Deal with it". It's a great episode to return with because it highlights so much about the show that's great and unique.
Model is a bit more divisive. It definitely asks us to watch it in a vacuum more than most episodes. Clearly Louie is better at not bombing than that and he's certainly not "poor" as the episode implies. That said, it's a wonderfully uncomfortable episode and a lot easier to accept when you remember this is all told from his perspective, even when it's being presented as the truth. So, something like how Jerry is acting the whole time reflects how Louie feels more than how Jerry was probably acting. I'm very torn about what happened with the model (beautifully played by Yvonne Strahovski). The accidental punching is funny, but I could easily see how this could trouble some viewers and the extent of the damage is laying it on a little thick. Still, I'm so happy to have this off little show back finally.

Agents of SHIELD "Ragtag"
You know what this episode has that had been sorely underutilized until recently? Fun. It's a fun episode. Despite the increased stakes leading up to the finale and the enlightening flashbacks showing how Ward got to where he is now, there was a outright caper featuring Fitz and Simmons entertainingly feeding May and Coulson information and Coulson completely geeking out over Triplett's grandfather's old gear. I think the most successful version of this show looks a lot like Chuck and this was about right.
One unsettling point I need to clarify: Did Ward kill the dog? They left it just vague enough in my mind to wonder and this is an important point. I've long held the irredeemable point for a villain is killing a dog. A character doesn't come back from that and if Ward is a dog killer, I don't want him back. Plain and simple.

New Girl "Cruise"
This didn't feel much like a season finale with Schmidt backing out of telling Cece how he feels and Nick and Jess continuing the drawn-out break up process. Not a horrible episode but I'd've really liked a strong episode to end an otherwise weak season.

The Mindy Project "Danny and Mindy"
They went heavy with the RomCom moments. I'm glad they decided to end with Danny and Mindy together. That should give the writers a strong launching point for next season which will hopefully allow for a more clear direction for a series that is somehow two seasons in and this unsettled.

Fargo "Eating the Blame"
Billy Bob Thorton is such a delight. The ease in his deception at the police station was a joy to watch. Things are building to a very uneven showdown between Malvo and Molly and Gus. And, I accept that I'm no expert in shrapnel, but should it really be this hard for Lester to get his out of his hand?

The Middle "Office Hours"
Do I think Mike's explanation for why he treats Sue dating different was a good one? No. Do I find it completely fitting with the character and sentiment of the show? Absolutely.

Suburgatory "Les Lucioles"
With the french singing and dream-like sequences, this was a strange episode, even by Suburgatory standards. With news of it not being picked up for a fourth season, I realize this is one of the final episodes of the show and it's a fitting one. Malik and the Shays are taken care of now. I'm curious to see how the others are serviced.

Modern Family "Message Received"
What's this? Cam and Mitchell not only not bickering, but actively propping each other up and showing genuine care for one another? It shouldn't come as a surprise then that this was a very strong episode. I mean, other than having no idea what to do with Gloria, Jay, and Manny for most of the episode. The use of the answering machine on all levels was about as effective as the show has been all season. It gave us some kids versus adults action which is always fun. Phil being so amazing about hearing the "news" was a great reminder of how good Claire and his relationship can be. The messages with Mitchell are also drenched in irony which I smirked at more than once. I'm hesitant about Mitchell and Jay's argument at the end. It's realistic to have Jay regress a bit from his progressiveness given how much of an "old-timer" he's presented as, but I wonder what end this is a means to. Do we really need this leading up to the wedding?

The Americans "Stealth"
I hope Nina will be alright. I don't know that I'd like to watch a version of this show without her. Oh, and at this point, that church camp better be a Russian sleeper cell or something because I'm tired of Paige going on about it when there's no apparent plot significance to it. Shit's going to go badly with Larrick. That's all I can assume about that.

The Big Bang Theory "The Gorilla Dissolution"
Leonard and Penny are engaged now. I know, I didn't completely realize they weren't already. It's good news albeit a little delayed.

Hannibal "Ko No Mono"
What episode are we on? 11? Wow. How are we going to get to that Hannibal/Jack fight teased at the beginning? All this stuff with Margot and Mason has dominated the past couple episodes. I'm not sure if that's setup for future episodes or going to help get to the fight.

SNL "Charlize Theron/The Black Keys"
-Is this Vanessa Bayer's first time doing Hilary? I'm all for it.
-Girlfriends Talk show returns. Yay! Aidy Bryant may be my favorite cast member now. Ok, top 6.
-While I don't find the Heshi sketches all that funny, I'm absolutely impressed by the sound effects.
-You really can't blame Barbara Walters for having poor comedic timing.

Mad Men "The Runaways"
In an episode that has Don and Megan in a three way, the return of Stephanie, Scout's Honor, and Betty threatening to break her daughter's arm, I will remember this episode as the one in which Ginsberg cut off his nipple and I think that's a fair takeaway from the episode.

DVR Purge: 4/28-5/4

 It's about time for May, and for some shows, it's make or break time for if I'll continue past them this season. Sadly, most shows are looking pretty strong.

Past Purges

Agents of SHIELD "Nothing Personal"
I would seriously love Maria Hill to be a regular on the series even though it would be nice to see Cobie Smulders work on a new project instead. This week was mostly about reacting to the truth about Ward. I think most of the responses were earned, especially Fitz's that resulted in an excellent scene between him and Simmons (again, I really hope they don't settle on them as a couple in the romantic sense). Triplett is getting pretty cozy with the team, enough so that I'm honestly wondering if they would consider dropping Ward after this season. Don't get me wrong, I still fully expect Triplett to die saving someone or simply go away as Ward goes through a villain-reform process where the throughline of season 2 is "he's with the team, but can we trust him?". I'm starting to invite the possibility that they'll surprise me though.

New Girl "Dance"
Normally, kids are not the show's strong suit but this was the exception. Each character gets his or her own quirky story to work through. Schmidt being bested by the insults of a middle-schooler fits him. He's a super confident guy, although much of that is because he's around people who like him regardless. He kind of crumbles when in foreign territory. Nick gets along with the slackers. That fits too. Coach is the authoritarian. That's one of my favorite shades of that character. There's no accounting for Winston being a middle-school heart throb but this is the kind of weird story that Lamorne Morris does best. Jess and Cece got the great disagreement about "good cop/bad cop" and that's all that matters to me there.

The Mindy Project "The Girl Next Door"
Like most Mindy episodes, I was meh on the plot. Give more a little more motivation though, and I could collect several one-liners that would be among the week's funniest across all shows.

Fargo "A Muddy Road"
I was very impressed by Allison Tolman and Colin Hanks' scenes together this week, especially in the way Molly understands why Gus let Lorne go when he pulled him over. Those two characters are the clear protagonists at this point and even if they don't get romantically involved, I greatly look forward to them potentially teaming up from here.
Lorne, on the other hand, is nothing but fun. It's definitely the juiciest role in a show already filled with big characters. He carries himself with the absolute certainty that he won't be caught. And, it's not in a cocky way. He has an understanding of what people will do and won't. He can drag a man by his tie because who in an office is going to actually try and stop him. He threatens Gus because he knows Gus has more to lose than he does. It's such a good role so far.

The Middle "The Optimist"
4 thoughts:
-I don't like Frankie at work because it reminds me how frustratingly self-absorbed and lazy she can be. I like her normally, but an episode like this convinces me that she deservedly shouldn't have a job.
-Sue winning the optimist scholarship is spot on. I remember back when I was applying for college, seeing an optimist society scholarship essay and not even attempting it because I knew they'd see right through me.
-I'm glad they included the montage of ways Axl spent his meal points because I was about to ask how he spent them all and has no weight to show for it.
-Generally, I'm perturbed by stories about miscommunication but it played to both Mike and Brick's strengths, so I liked it, especially because it begins with Mike trying to look out for Brick as opposed to the Heck family default of forgetting Brick.

Suburgatory "Dalie Nicole Smith"
Oh my god! A story with Tessa and Geroge. I wasn't sure those were allowed as an A-story anymore. Too bad it was...weird. George is hung up on Dallas still, I guess, but then he kind of forgets that because he's just horny, which, I mean, I can appreciate as a motivator but it was a strange mix of tones. We got a lot of Dalia this week, to the point of actually getting diminished returns from her. The episode gave me a little Tig Notaro though, so I can't complain.

Modern Family "Sleeper"
In short, I appreciate the wordplay but wish there was a little more. One of my biggest issues with Modern Family is when they try to hard to build around a single scene at the end because it normally requires a series of conversations and decisions that no human would have or make. "Sleeper" trades that for a series of small builds and at some point I just have to accept that they'd rather be clever than believable. Everything with Alex was about looking for ways to have double-meanings about diseases. Phil's guilt existed solely for him to do some physical comedy and give us the chess scene, which is my favorite scene of the episode. Jay's embarrassment about being in the dog show primarily seems designed for his misleading conversation with Mitchell at the end. As with nearly every week, the only characters that come away looking good are Haley, Luke, and Lily who all have some great moments (Lily guilting Cam about being left in the car, for instance).

The Americans "Yousaf"
I'm getting that feeling the Phillip and Elizabeth being a good couple is going to get them killed. That or Larrick. Take your pick. Or Stan working with their dead friends' son. Really, a lot of things can get them killed. Maybe even Paige...not sure how that would work but it's looking more likely. It's been fun to see how Phillip and Elizabeth deal with the different ways their kids are being deceptive. Their entire lives are a lie, so they are having real trouble knowing what to do with the children doing it at a much smaller scale. Regardless, it's looking like shit's about to get real, soon with all these moving parts gravitating closer and closer to one another.

The Big Bang Theory "The Proton Transmogrification"
I'm torn. They were certainly using Bob Newhart too much for the novelty to still be there, but I am sad to see that character go. In other news, Sheldon has a human response. They are having one of these every couple episodes at this point which is certainly preferable over "villain Sheldon". 
This May the 4th stuff strikes me as one of those things the writers found out about and said, "hey, this seems like a nerd thing our characters can do" more so than having any significance. You have to fill 21 minutes somehow, right?

Hannibal "Naka-Choko"
That was the strangest sex scene I've seen, especially on network TV, in a while, yet I couldn't look away. This was another one of those episode where I feel like knowledge of the books would give me a few clues about what's going on. Still, the introduction of Michael Pitt's character is interesting enough as it is. And, I'm very curious to see what Will is up to, because I don't believe he's actually being brainwashed by Hannibal. Freddie's not dead. I don't know the rest, but that part I feel pretty sure of.

SNL "Andrew Garfield/Coldplay"
Andrew Garfield proves to be game for anything but the writers don't seem to have a lot of ideas for him. There's definitely the sense that they'd rather have Emma Stone hosting (and who could blame them). Garfield has a killer Justin Timberlake that I was glad to see. And, I can never be sad to see the return of Jebidiah Atkinson, critic extraordinaire, partly because it's so much fun to watch Killam work his way out of a botched line while staying in character.

Mad Men "The Monolith"
Anyone else thing that speech by Bert was directed as much at the audience as it is to Don? It wouldn't be the Mad Men style anyway, but I spent much of the beginning of the episode wanting Don to go "maverick" and do something great, redeem himself, and get Lou's office. Instead, we get Don working for Peggy on an account. While Peggy is deserving of a position of power like this, it's still massively humbling for Don. It's very interesting seeing how the other partners are treating Don, who still has Roger actively and Pete passively on her side. Cooper is in an oddly elevated position again for someone who a couple seasons ago mainly functioned as the office nuisance. Teddy is more or less indifferent to Don and Joan is staying pretty laissez-faire about it. It's mainly Cutler and [not a partner] Lou who appear to be out to get him. Regardless, it's looking like Don really is back on track now and I wonder how long before he's back or gets fired.
-How good is Joel Murray? He's one of those guys who pops up all over the place but always makes me happy to see him.

Movie Reaction: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Formula: Spider-Man 2 / The Amazing Spider-Man

Why I Saw It: I haven't seen Emma Stone in a movie since Gangster Squad and that is too long..

Cast: Andrew Garfield is my favorite British Spider-Man, without a doubt. All joking aside, I like him and think he could play a good Spider-Man, but this take on the character is still too cool for my taste. Emma Stone's great, but that's redundant. They don't give Gwen much to do until the very end when they do successfully demonstrate her value. Jamie Foxx as Electro is, well, some super hero movies have a villain because there's a story to tell with him and others have a villain because they need someone for the hero to fight. This is the latter. I'm not familiar with Dane DeHaan. The direction they went with for his Harry Osborne is "big". Mileage may vary. Sally Field does a fine job playing Aunt May. Paul Giamatti isn't in much of this. He feels more like a "setting up the dominoes" casting. Oh, and Felicity Jones has a "blink and she's gone" role but I like seeing her so I thought I'd mention it.

Plot: You know the Spider-Man story by now. Harry Osborne is back, so they are setting up some Green Goblin. Gwen Stacy is still around, so no Mary Jane Watson. Electro is around to fight and his story is like a less engaging version of The Riddler's from Batman Forever. The whole thing is more setup than a chapter this story needed to tell. My biggest issue is that the entire movie is "right place, right time" occurrences. For the story to function at all, a dozen different things have to happen exactly right. People have to both be in the same place at the same time or learn something from one character right before someone else learns something else. It's all so highly improbable that I found it impossible to be engaged by any of it. Thanks to both the scope of the Disney Marvel Universe and the events of this movie, I'm finding the world of Spider-Man in this series suffocatingly small. Just track Gwen's activities at Oscorp is you need proof.

Elephant in the Room: You came in with a vendetta though. Yes, it's true. I didn't like the first movie. That's doesn't mean I was looking to hate this. My expectations are too low to hate it. After two movies, I am certain of one thing: this particular reimagining of Spider-Man does not work for me at all. Despite an appealing cast, the version of the characters are almost universally unappealing, the story too fast and loose with details and structure, and the action staged ridiculously.

Movie Theater LVP: The 10 year old kids sitting a couple rows behind me who started by talking about how they should sit in the front row because then they could curse all they wanted. Next time, follow that instinct, please. (Side-note- Movie Theater MVP: The mom with the kids who mostly kept them under control).

To Sum Things Up:
Spider-Man is one of my favorite Marvel heroes and even the little of his story that I know is rich with stories that I'd love to see. The direction they decided on with the current iteration is not one that interests me, so I have to accept that.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

Movie Reaction: The Other Woman

Formula: The First Wives Club * The Sweetest Thing

Why I Saw It: Three leads who I like seeing for different (and some of the same) reasons.

Cast: Leslie Mann, Leslie Mann, Leslie Mann. She is a force in this movie and repeatedly carried the entire film on her back and nearly makes it work. I'm reminded of Melissa McCarthy in the way that she completely takes over every scene she is in and I'm happy about it. She is flat-out hilarious in this movie. Cameron Diaz feels really miscast. I think she is happiest and best in the movie when she gets to match Mann's energy but so much of the movie requires to play the straight-man and it's uncomfortable. Speaking of uncomfortable. Kate Upton, at this point, can't really act. That's not a surprise. It's sad watching her disappear in scenes with the two leads. Jaime Lannister Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has too play a bit too much of a cover-all villain. Don Johnson isn't worried about trying anymore (in a good way). Nicki Minaj I simply didn't like. In a movie that already has Upton in it, I would've preferred getting a Regina Hall to come in instead of Minaj.

Plot: Here's where it's a real mess. The basic story is easy. Mann finds out her husband is cheating on her with Diaz who doesn't know he is married. The form a friendship and bring in mistress number 2 (Upton) to get back at him. If the movie just stuck to that and became a sort of updated First Wives Club, I'd be all for it. Instead, it was all over the place in tone (slapstick to gross-out to dramatic to caper, etc.). I should be used to it by now, but why do comedies always forget to keep it funny in the third act?

Elephant in the Room: What about the husband? Thanks for reminding me. He sucked, perhaps too much. At no point does this movie ever try to add complexity to him. He's a sociopathic liar, out for himself first and foremost and at no point responds like a human. At one point in the movie, we're supposed to believe that Mann is having second thoughts about him with is one of the hollowest emotional moments I've seen in a while. Really, he sucks.

Movie Theater MVP (Most Valuable Patron): This is being award to the guy sitting behind my group who promised us beforehand that he didn't have a loud, obnoxious laugh. Well, that was a bit of a lie, but it was the most entertaining laugh. One of those that goes on about 5 seconds too long and sort of escapes from his mouth.

To Sum Things Up:
This is a bad movie with one very good performance. If all you need is a couple good laughs and you can ignore the rest of what's going on, then it'll be fine. See it. You'll enjoy yourself. If you are hoping for something with a little more substance or that will hold up to multiple viewings down the line, you may just want to wait for the next lead role Leslie Mann gets, which she's certain to have because 1) she's so damn good in this and 2) it helps to have super-producer Judd Apatow as your husband.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend