Movie Reaction: Insidious: Chapter II

Formula: Insidious + ... slight changes

Why I Saw It: I enjoyed Insidious far more than I expected, and, if nothing else, Rose Byrne is in it, so it couldn't be a complete loss.

Cast: Basically, everyone is back from the last one. Rose Byrne is the frantic mother. Patrick Wilson is the way too calm about ghosts father. All the creepy kids are back but the focus is shifted away from them more (granted, their importance in the first was that one was in a coma, so it's hardly a seismic shift). Lin Shaye has a much smaller part in order to fit Steve Coulter's Carl in (there's also the kind of obvious reasons why she isn't so prominent).

Plot: This is not a horror movie to see if you haven't seen the first. The first movie lays a lot of ground work that this one doesn't bother covering. In addition to that, more than any horror movie I can think of, it ties together with the first movie a lot, to the point that it will change your next viewing of the first. I like that because it shows either uncommon foresight and impressive work retrofitting the story. Another touch that I liked is that the story is completely ready to laugh at itself. Several times as the intensity of the movie spikes it is subdued by something downright goofy. Despite a fairly convoluted story, it never falls under the weight of the exposition. The biggest knock I have for it is that it didn't differentiate itself from the first movie nor up the stakes much.

Elephant in the Room: Is it scary? At some points, yes. I would call this far more of a mystery movie with horror elements though. Compared to James Wan's other movie this year, The Conjuring, this is quite tame. That didn't disappoint me. I think this movie works better with some levity since I think it's the mythology, not the images that distinguishes this series from other scary movies.

To Sum Things Up:
I was disappointed by how much this felt like a rehashing of the first movie and the two are tied together so much that I regret not rewatching the first sooner before seeing this. On its own it is an enjoyable movie, especially given that a mid-September release is generally seen as a dumping ground for movies the studios don't know what to do with. I hope when the inevitable sequel comes out, they continue to have a user for Byrne and Wilson although I get the feeling that this is the last we've seen of them in a lead capacity for the series.


Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

Delayed Reaction: Stigmata

The Pitch: It'll be The Exorcist but with bleeding.

What Took Me So Long: I don't like the thought of stigmata. It sounds painful.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) As far as religions go, Catholicism has the best fan-fiction. It's all so ritualized with layers upon layers of history that you can get a really warped and mysterious story which this movie aspires to be. In terms on frightening imagery, it has them all.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: The problem is that in the end it will always be a story about a renegade priest, feature numerous scenes that come off religious education in some way, and be compared to The Exorcist, all of which are tall orders. I found this more forgettable than I figured it would be.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

Delayed Reaction: License to Drive

The Pitch: The Coreys want to make a movie, this time, about driving.

What Took Me So Long: Somehow, being an infant caused me to not get sucked in to the Corey craze.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) I fancy myself a pop culture historian and the Coreys are a fun chapter. Start to finish, this is one of those over-the-top high school odysseys where all the jokes are only funny to a demographic (preteens) younger than the target demo (teens) but it's still enjoyable anyways. I like Corey Haim as the lead with Feldman as the sidekick, where he works best. Seeing a young Heather Graham in this is a shocking reminder of 1) how old she actually is and 2) how amazingly well she's held up for 25 years.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: It is not a great movie. It's more fun that a lot of movies I end up watching, but the fact that I know almost no one who has seen it is a testament to how disposable a movie it was (and let's be fair. It was designed this way).

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

Delayed Reaction: Doc Hollywood

The Pitch: A hotshot city doctor on his way to California get stuck in a country town. Basically, it's the template for the show Hart of Dixie except I added the word "shot".

What Took Me So Long: Honestly, it was a reference that I understood conceptually for years, but I always thought it was a TV show, not a movie.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) There was a period in the early 90s it seems, when the city-to-country, fish out of water story was very popular. I think that it peaked with My Cousin Vinny. This movie is certainly an enjoyable entry though. It's fun to be reminded of how much fun Michael J. Fox was, you know, before he got the shakes*. I was in the middle of Gilmore Girls when I watched this and basically went into small town charm overload. My favorite part is the pig. I think that's fair.

*He's still fun, but there's there's always a nervousness watching him now.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: You have to be a mighty surly person to find something to hate in this. I doubt I'll ever watch it again or anything, but really, what is in this that could be worth hating? A little sidebar I'd like to add: How the  did this movie get a PG-13 rating with a very explicit topless scene of Julie Warner. Given the strict enforcement of that kind of stuff we see now, I'm shocked when movies like this or Titanic or especially, PG-rated Sixteen Candles manage to sneak by. Yet another reason to be annoyed by the MPAA.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

2013 Emmy Preview: Creative Arts Emmys

It's that time of year again. The Emmys are upon us. However, unlike most years, this is a very busy time for TV with the series finale of Dexter and the penultimate episode of Breaking Bad happening during the show. How stupid is that? Breaking Bad could win best Drama (I'll get to that in a few days) while it is on. I must say, I'm not happy about this.

Now, I realize the Emmys are meaningless or at the very least not a final say in any matter, but they are fun and when they get it right, I feel good. This year is looking like a strange year in that I'm not sure what's happening in a lot of the categories.

As a casual observer* may notice, this year, the Emmys have come with little fanfare from me. I forgot to post any kind of initial thoughts of the nominees and couldn't find any sort of list to compile from previous years. Maybe that means by next year I won't feel the need to say anything at all about the awards (doubtful).

*Let's be frank. Do I have anything but casual observers on this blog?

This year though, I still have the wherewithal to at least make a few picks. Since the Creative Arts Emmys are a week before, there's a few picks I'd like to post now. I want to make it clear that even more so than the hit or miss nature of my Emmy night picks, the following selections are major shots in the dark. If I get a third of these correct I'll be pleased, but I think it's clear that the point of this is more about the why of my picks than the what.

A quick run down of how this works: I've ordered each category from most to least likely to win, in my eyes. I've also noted my personal favorite to win and who I think was the most worthy overlooked potential nominee for most categories.

Reality Program 
Undercover Boss - Last year's winner looks like the favorite to repeat due to inertia.
Deadliest Catch - Former winner, although that win did come the year it featured the tribute to the cast member who died, I believe.
Shark Tank - I've never met a person who watches this, but I think its nearly-reality competition setup might be enough to sneak a win.
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives - I've never heard of this show so I don't know where to place it. A good show has won before (Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution in 2010) but I don't think this has the same brand appeal.
[My Favorite] Mythbusters - The nerd's choice. Sadly, I think the buzz has quieted too much on this.
Antiques Roadshow - By far the most nominated series (every year since 05), logic would say it can't possibly go an Angela Lansbury amount of time without a win, right?

Variety Special
The Kennedy Center Honors - This has dominated over the past 4 years. That should be more than enough to earn preemptive favorite status.
Mel Brooks Strikes Back: With Mel Brooks and Alan Yentob - Historically, who a Hollywood icon has a special, he or she wins a lot (see Don Rickles - 2008, Tony Bennett - 2007, Elaine Stritch - 2004)
[My Favorite] Louis C.K.: Oh My God - Emmy voters love Louie and who is to say how far he can ride that.
12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief - Emotionally, it's hard to vote against a relief concert but so far, only 2002's America: A Tribute to Heroes has come away with a win.
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday - As much fun as these are, they never win.

Guest Actor - Comedy
[My Favorite] Justin Timberlake (Saturday Night Live) - He is a two time winner for hosting SNL and this was a strong episode for him.
Louis C.K. (Saturday Night Live) - Again, Emmys love Louie right now. I don't think his hosting was a great showcase for him, but when has bad acting ever stopped someone from winning here.
Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory) - It isn't unheard of for this to be the "TV Icon returns" award (See Tim Conway - 2008, Gene Wilder - 2003, Mel Brooks 1999).
Nathan Lane (Modern Family) - Modern Family keeps getting nominees here. Never a win. And, with a drop in nominations for the series, I doubt this will swing in its favor.
Bobby Cannavale (Nurse Jackie) - He is a former winner in this category for Will & Grace in 2005. I don't watch This show, so I can't say I know where to place him.
Will Forte (30 Rock) - 30 Rock has 14 nominations in this category over 7 years and only one win.

Guest Actress - Comedy
[My Favorite] Melissa McCarthy (Saturday Night Live) - This is a tough to predict category, but people love her, she was a great host, and has an Emmy already for a much more questionable performance.
Melissa Leo (Louie) - Honest to god, I thought Parker Posey was an absolute lock not only to get a nomination  but to win this for her work on Louie. Leo was great as well though and I won't pretend her Oscar won't influence voters.
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) - Hey, she got a lot of nominations when she was a regular on SNL. Never a win though, so I'm not expecting that to change.
Elaine Stritch (30 Rock) - Former winner here and perennial nominee who got the rare dramatic scene in 30 Rock. Having said that, I'm thinking of moving her up on the list.
Dot-Marie Jones (Glee) - Another one of those repeat nominees who probably missed her chance.
Molly Shannon (Enlightened) - I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this season and Shannon in it. I can't see the Emmys appreciating what the show does, sadly.

Guest Actor - Drama
Michael J Fox (The Good Wife) - Former winner on a different show (Rescue Me - 2009) and a regular nominee with a shelf full of Emmys in comedy (Lead Actor 1986, 1987, 1988, 2000). Most of all, I think he is back on people's radar due to his return to series this year in the Michael J. Fox Show.
Rupert Friend (Homeland) - I could see this episode winning everything it touches.
Nathan Lane (The Good Wife) - He does get a lot of nominees for guest roles (1995, 1998, 2011, and twice this year). Yet to get a win.
Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal) - A buzzy show that I don't think will translate to Emmy success.
Harry Hamlin (Mad Men) - 31 Acting nominations for Mad Men over 6 seasons and not a single win. I'm not betting for it to break that streak now that it is in the twilight of its Emmy glory.
[My Favorite] Robert Morse (Mad Men) - At least Hamlin is something new. Morse has proven that he can't get Emmy love even though he did have a much more useful season this year.

Guest Actress - Drama
Jane Fonda (The Newsroom) - I feel like the words "Jane Fonda" are probably enough to seal this.
[My Favorite] Linda Cardellini (Mad Men) - Then again, maybe it'll take a guest acting category for Mad Men to finally sneak in an acting win.
Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) - Maybe they don't see GoT as the Peter Dinklage show.
Margo Martindale (The Americans) - I have no reason to think she won't win other than the complete lack of support the show has elsewhere in the nominations.
Joan Cusack (Shameless) - She keeps getting nominated (although she really is a supporting character) but the Emmys would rather pretend the show doesn't exist.

There's a lot of other categories here. Quite frankly, I couldn't even fake making a pick for Outstanding Sound Editing  in a Multi-Camera Series, so I won't try.

More in the coming days...

Delayed Reaction: Safe Haven

The Pitch: Well, there's this Nicholas Sparks book. It's kind of like the other Nicholas Sparks books but just different enough to make a new movie.

What Took Me So Long: I didn't want to see it in theaters. Otherwise, it's not possible for me to see it much sooner.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) I really think I'll have to take the Edmund Hillary approach to this and say "because it was there." I like Josh Duhamel. He's got that pretty boy persona that he could do some interesting things with if he let's himself (See: Matthew Mcconaughey). Julianne Hough, honestly, is a pretty face. She can maybe grow in to a good actress, but she isn't there yet. The cast thins out real quick after that. The twist with Colbie Smulders being the dead mother is a clever enough choice that I'll opt not to examine it too much.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: This is a big budget Lifetime Movie to an almost comical degree. I couldn't take this seriously as a feature film, although I realize that that could be said by others about a lot of movies I see in theaters, so I won't harp on it too much. I am a little weirded out by Duhamel and Hough's age difference. I assume she is meant to be playing older than she actually is because everything about this struck me as schtupping the nanny.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

DVR Purge: 9/4-9/10

One more light week before things start to get a little crazy.
 

Past Purges


The Bridge "The Beetle"
The show continues to have good performances. Sadly, the story is taking a turn into places I don't like as much. This master plan is proving to be far less brilliant than I'd expect. We'll see how this plays out although this major shift in tone and the nature of the conflict is not doing it for me. I have to credit the show for the biggest laugh of my week with the discussion of MILF though. That was funny and awkward and well played by Diane Kruger.

Burn Notice "Sea Change"
I feel so annoyingly cynical that I'm not at all invested in what is going on anymore. I hope Fiona doesn't die. That would be unfortunate. I'm having a lot of trouble with Michael switching allegiances at the bottom of the 9th like this. They've spent to long to establish that he is a CIA man and haven't done nearly enough with James to make me see why he would be able to tempt Michael so much.

Wilfred "Regrets"
This episode did a lot. Perhaps it was even overstuffed. Truth be told, I had no idea this was the finale, so when all sorts of shit starts going down, I wasn't ready for it. Ryan's dad dying is a little too convenient and I would've preferred some slower escalation of the recordings like finding out about it last week and resolving it this week or something. Everything with Jenna felt a little rushed too. In fact, there was a lot of movement to suggest that the season wasn't planned out extremely well so that had to maneuver to get everything to come to head this week. I'm definitely confused by the statue he finds, but it fits with how the show likes to end seasons.

Breaking Bad "To hajiilee"
I don't feel equipped to talk about this episode, plain and simple. It starts off pretty simply. Walt is at a major disadvantage not knowing that Jesse is working with Hank, making the return of Andrea and Brock pretty useless. Walt Jr. being star-struck by Saul is a funny reminder of who knows what. You know, in the long history of Walter White lucky breaks, finding Saul is perhaps the luckiest. Then, there's that entertaining little exchange with Huell, although I do have a little trouble believing he could be turned that easily. Minor quibble though. It wasn't a great stretch, so I don't care.
All this is pretty insignificant due to the events in this week's third act. Beginning with Walt's panicked race to the money stash, I don't think I breathed until I hit the closing credits. the amazing thing is that you kind of knew how this would play out as soon as Walt called the Aryans. I kept hoping that Walt would figure out that this was a trap (questioning the coordinates or realizing the picture is a fake). Then I hope that Walt would stay hidden. Most of all, I hoped the Aryans wouldn't show up. Why did Hank have to take his sweet time. The second he made that call to Marie, he was doomed narratively. As much as I wanted to see what would happen next, I hoped the episode would end in the stalemate so I could spend a week looking for a way for Hank and Gomez to make it out of this. I suppose it is still possible they survive, but they won't. Phenomenal episode. I can't imagine them topping the intensity of the shootout, although I always say that about Breaking Bad and they always find a new way to top themselves. I can't wait to see what happens next week.

Delayed Reaction: Shine

The Pitch: It's a biopic about a crazy guy - AN IT CAN WIN OSCARS.

What Took Me So Long: This never struck me as one of those interesting biopics.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) Anytime a performance gets an Oscar it triggers my interest since I'm seeing what is supposedly the best thing that year. I agree, Geoffrey Rush is quite good in this. He gets all the fun of playing a mental illness without having to do retarded, which has go to be refreshing.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: Rush is barely a lead in this. So much of the movie is about him growing up that young David is virtually a co-Lead. I'm not sure what in this I haven't seen before. Looking at when it was released versus when, say, A Beautiful Mind was, it's possible that, in context, it was fresh and new at the time, but to me, watching it now, it was overly familiar.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

Movie Reaction: The Spectacular Now

Formula: 1 / (She's All That)

Why I Saw It: Of all the Sundance movies that generated buzz this year, this was the one I'd uniformly heard the best things about.

Cast: Miles Teller is charming as hell in this and sells both the good and bad about his character surprisingly well. For all that I'm heard about her in this, Shailene Woodley is not in this as much as I expected. She's certainly a supporting character. That said, I'm sold on her. She's great. The Descendants wasn't a fluke. Brie Larson is the frustrating ex for Teller which isn't a demanding role. I seem why I've heard so much about Kyle Chandler's role for how un-Coach-like he is. He is the anti-Coach and it's heartbreaking. Bob Odenkirk, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Andre Royo all have small parts complete with at least one scene each that bummed me out.

Plot: It's a coming of age story - Here me out! Teller is an alcoholic teen who is the life of every party but he is a trainwreck. It's basically his, a lot of it. I have trouble with protagonists like that, but he is young, so I forgive it a little more. Anyways, his girlfriend breaks up with him and he starts dating Woodley's character who is supposed to be a nerdy girl (who is totally hotter than almost any nerdy girl I've ever met, but whatever). He brings her down his spiral of self-sabotage. A lot of the beats are familiar. A few go in some unexpected directions and shit never his the fan as much as I feared and I appreciated that. The story realizing that it doesn't have to go big to be effective.

Elephant in the Room: You say that he is an alcoholic? Is he ever! The movie makes his alcoholism clear almost to the point overdoing it. The dude is always drinking. He makes me feel bad for owning a flask. Ok, it makes me feel bad when I think things like "that's wasn't that much whiskey that he drank". I don't fully understand where all the money was coming from for this habit. How can anyone without a full time job afford to be a functioning alcoholic? Sorry, this is starting to not be about the movie at all. Ignore me.

To Sum Things Up:
I liked this movie. It was definitely hurt by raised expectations, because I was expecting something a lot better. The performances top-to-bottom are great. I will certainly give anything that I see Teller or Woodley in immediate consideration in the future. I'm loving how they committed to the R rating. I can't deny that I badly wanted a neater ending even though I think the ending it has works, probably better. I was hoping to come back from this with a mandate that everyone see it, but it's certainly a niche movie. I am happy I saw it, not through the roof about it.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

Delayed Reaction: Knight and Day

The Pitch: What would it be like if a normal person walked into a spy movie?

What Took Me So Long: At least one friend insisted repeatedly that is was sub-par.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) I didn't believe this friend. More importantly, I was prepared for the relative quality level I was walking into and was intrigued to see how effective it was. This is a classic example of a Hollywood movie sold on the pitch, not on the screenplay. 90% or the good parts of the movie are in the first half, then it remembers it has to be more than a 2hr. SNL sketch. Due to that, I thought the first half was fun. Tom Cruise is playing a caricature of a lot of the characters he's played before. Cameron Diaz is fun too, even if I don't think this is the best kind of role for her.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: That last half really limps along. The last 20 minutes or so, especially drags. I don't think anyone actually believe Cruise's character was dead, so what's the point in killing the momentum of the whole movie? This had the same problem a lot of action comedies have which is that the people behind it only have a grasp of one of the other. In this case, I think they were way more focused on the punchlines, which caused the staging of the action to be fairly sloppy. To be fair, I don't think the movie was going through an identity crisis or anything. I just think the people behind it didn't care about the rough edges.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend