Usually I write about recommendations. This week, however, I was generally bummed out with my pop culture intake. Therefore, I have decided to post my disappointments of the week. In no way am I recommending that anyone jump to partake of these options. If you do choose to partake, you do so at your own risk.
Film: Hollywoodland
The critics loved it. Ben Affleck did not disappoint. I do think he was very good. However, the movie itself is long and boring. The idea of Adrien Brody's private investigator imagining different scenarios of George Reeves's death is interesting. Unfortunately, at the end of the day I just didn't care what happened to tv's Superman. He's dead, so be it. The cast is top-notch so I'm not sure what happened here. I guess it's just an example of dull subject material.
Book: Gilead
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, is a Pulitzer-Prize winning book. So why wasn't I impressed? Again, I think it's a matter of subject material. The story is the "begats" written by a dying Iowa preacher to his young son. He talks about his grandfather and father, as well as the prodigal son of his best friend. (Said son is also the spiritual son of the preacher.) Truthfully, I once again didn't care. I wanted to, I swear! I tried to get into this book but I just couldn't. I didn't mind that it jumps back and forth in time in little 1-3 page vingettes. I didn't mind that I had to really think about what was going on because there was no sense of story here. I just couldn't get into it.
Television: Knight Rider
Okay, my disappointment here is probably not that shocking. After all, the original Knight Rider was pretty cheesy, yet it was part of my 80s television trifecta: The A-Team, Knight Rider, and Airwolf. I wanted last night's tv movie and series pilot to retain some of that 80s television corniness. Instead, it took itself just a smidge too seriously. K.I.T.T. does look cooler and can actually morp into three different cars. Plus, they gave a nod to the Hof: his son is K.I.T.T.'s new driver. (The Hof actually made a 2-minute special guest appearance.) But that's about it. The only good thing is that Val Kilmer is the voice of K.I.T.T. I miss William Daniels as the car but Val Kilmer works. Will I watch again? Probably because, disappointment or not, I am a glutton for punishment.
Okay, I must go. I have the day off and I am starting Philip Pullman's The Subtle Knife, the second in the Golden Compass trilogy. This afternoon I think I'll watch Eastern Promises. Tonight I'll be tuning in for SCC:T. Hopefully this will be the start to a better pop culture week.
BTW, did anyone watch SCC:T last week? I was going to but TCM showed It Happened One Night. It was a toss-up between Lena Headey/Summer Glau and Clark Gable/Claudette Colbert. In the end, kick-ass chicks just can't bring down the walls of Jericho!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
I'm gonna disagree w/ you on Hollywoodland. I totally LOVED Ben Affleck in this movie. I thought it was one of his first "grown" up roles and helped me disassociate him w/ the whole Bennifer thing. I LOVE Adrian Brody so there's no issue there. I do, however, wonder what the heck happened to Superman...murder? suicide? we'll never know and I find that fascinating! He was so torn about his TV character . . . it made him famous but he hated it.
Nuttin aint nuttin without the Hof!
I watched SCC last week and you missed a good one! Kyle Reese's brother is there, and he doesn't know that John is his nephew. Good stuff. Can't wait for tonight's ep.
OK, SCC last night was a bit of a let down. It seemed to be setting up something big though.
The previous 2 eps were great. That part where John was locked in the bomb shelter with the 888 - so freaking awessome!
Loved the bomb shelter ep! I missed last week's so I completely bummed. While I liked last night's ep, it must be a plot-builder. What's going on with Summer Glau's character? Is she going to be evil? And it was interesting that John wouldn't tell Derrick the truth about Kyle. Do you think Derrick and Sarah will get together? So much!
I'm watching "New Amsterdam" tonight. Why do all reformed/good immortal characters have to be detectives? Why can't they be something banal like line chefs or hairdressers? :-)
I don't think they will get together. There's more to Derrick. That last scene showed him killing Andy - but when he first met Sarah, he lied and told her it wasn't him. He claimed someone else did it before he got there and he was only trying to steal the prototype computer (which he said was already gone). I think him knowing who John really is would change his attitude though.
So now the question is - did someone actually steal the computer? (and could it be Cameron?)
I don't know what's happening with Cameron. Interesting that they put in the "sometimes they just go bad" scene. She saved some of the Coltan too - and now the chip with programming.
Oh well.
New Amsterdam looks interesting. I may try to watch.
New Amsterdam starts tonight? I haven't seen anything about it. if you're interested in the show's premise, there is a book called "Forever" by Pete Hamill that is basically the same concept. In fact, I believe the author looked into suing the show, it was so close in the basic idea. In the book, it's an Irish man who immigrates to New York in the 1700s and becomes immortal through Indian means, but he can't ever leave Manhattan or he'll die. So it's a little different, but I can see the author's gripe. I mean, they could have picked a different city. :-)
I have only seen parts of Hollywoodland, but I'd like to see the whole thing. Ben Affleck and Adrian Brody were both pretty good. And I have an Affleck-related recommendation. I saw Gone Baby Gone this weekend and it was really good. Lots of twists and turns. Besides Casey Affleck as the star, it also features Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Amy Ryan, who is Oscar-nominated for her role.
Ben Affleck is actually really talented, IMO, to both direct and co-write this movie. It's a shame his career had to detour down the crap-movies/J-Lo path.
True, Ben Afleck has chops which makes him all that much more detestable. To see someone who has a gift and then to see that person squander it by doing crap...ooh that burns me up. Especially since I am aware of all of the tallented and dedicated individuals out there who want to do great things but don't get the breaks. So they toil in obscurity while others choose to make crap.
Okay, so I only half-listened to the commercials for "New Amsterdam." Apparently it starts on March 4. I will be watching then, though. I'm not sure it will be a "must watch" for me but it could be a little bit of entertainment.
I really hope that the writer's strike brings about year-round programming. I am more apt to watch shows like "New Amersterdam" or "Knight Rider" if there is nothing better on. That's why I watch a lot of sci-fi shows in the summer.
And I agree about Ben Affleck. "Gone Baby Gone" is on my Netflix queue. And he was very good in "Hollywoodland" even if I didn't actually like the film as a whole. It's nice to see him getting praised again. Just goes to show that bad press can eventually be trumped by raw talent. Thank goodness some in Hollywood still care more about art than celebrity!
It's rare anymore when art trumps celebrity. But as long as people are willing to spend their time and money on crap, then crap shall triumph. The primary example I tend to site is Brandon Frasier in God's and Monsters. I left the theatre with my jaw dragging through the lobby, I couldn't believe that he could actually act!
What, not impressed with Encino Man and George of the Jungle?
I loved Gods and Monsters.
Gods and Monsters was an awesome, awesome movie. I think I need to rewatch it, especially now that I have extensively studied Frankenstein and James Whale.
Post a Comment