19/June/2007 [9:29 AM] -- Jericho
Hi everyone! Sorry it has taken me so long to write more reviews for all of you! I have had lots of things going on lately! I am back though and ready to write you all some fun and entertaining movie reviews but before I get into those I’d like to take a moment to talk about a TV show, a TV show that has generated lots of buzz and a passionate outcry from it’s faithful viewers. CBS’s Jericho was my favorite new show of last season. Starring Skeet Ulrich, (who in my opinion is one of the greatest actors of our generation), Ashley Scott, Brad Beyer, Lennie James, Pamela Reed, Sprague Grayden, Kenneth Mitchell, Shoshannah Stern, Erik Knudsen, Michael Gaston, and Alicia Coppala.
Jericho is based in a small, rural Kansas town, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on twenty-three major cities in the United Sates. The series begins with a visible nuclear detonation of unknown origin over nearby Denver, Colorado; they suffer loss of power and loss of communication, isolating Jericho. Several themes regularly addressed in the show are gathering of information, public order, limited resources, the value of family, and internal as well as external threats. The show also features several mysteries involving the backgrounds of major characters, the perpetrators of the attack, and the extent of damage to the United States and its government.
The pivotal character in this story is Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich), the 32-year-old son of Mayor Johnston Green (Gerald McRaney), who returns home to briefly visit his family and friends before becoming stranded as a result of the catastrophe. After a somewhat awkward return home and a tense reunion with his father, Jake steps up to become a leader in Jericho, fighting to protect the town and its citizens. As the people of Jericho struggle to survive in a changed world, they remain unaware that one of the newest residents, Robert Hawkins (Lennie James), knows more about the attacks than he lets on.
Jericho is well written, superbly acted and holds a sense of mystery in every episode. Sounds interesting don’t you think? Intriguing? With 9+ million viewers CBS decided to cancel Jericho. Fans were, to say the least, very upset with this decision. Not only were they taking off one of the best shows on TV but in the season one finale they left the audience on a huge cliffhanger, which was just a slap in the face to all of us loyal followers. Well fans weren’t going down without a fight! A campaign was launched with the help of Nutsonline.com to SAVE JERICHO. Fans began sending NUTS to CBS in protest, why nuts you may ask? Well in the finale it is what Jake (Skeet Ulrich) says to Jericho’s attackers when asked to surrender is town. About $55,000 later, after 20 tons of nuts were sent to CBS that’s about 8 million peanuts CBS decided to give Jericho another chance renewing it for 7 more episodes with hopes of higher ratings so that the show may continue on. I can proudly say I was one of those passionate fans who sent some NUTS and in turn we also made history, networks are now starting to change the way they view ratings factoring in internet downloads, internet watching, TIVO and other forms, in this day and age with our technology TV shows are watched in many ways and it’s time the networks realized that. Too many times I have gotten involved in shows only to have them canceled after only a few episodes, times have changed and our rating system should change along with it.
Never the less, a brilliant show has been saved and given another chance! I hope all of you will tune into Jericho to see what all the passion is about! I also encourage everyone in this world to pick a greater cause and show support just as these fans did, can you imagine what a wonderful world this would be if we could all ban together for the greater good? Just something to think about…
Reruns of the first season of Jericho will start on Friday July 6th at 9pm followed by a recap episode of the first half of the season on Friday July 13th and then the remainder of the season will play out every Friday after that. Or you can always catch it online at www.cbs.com ! And I of course give this show:
Posted in [Commentary, Drama Reviews, Action Film Reviews]
26/January/2007 [4:38 PM] -- Valentine’s Day
With Valentine’s Day approaching I thought I would write an article on some of my favorite romance movies of all time that will fit whatever mood you happen to be in on February 14nth! Films you can share with your true love or films you can loose yourself in if you hate the dreaded day of gushy love notes and heart shaped candy. I will offer to you the best light hearted romantic comedies, the heart breaking dramas and the frightful tales of love gone wrong.
I must of course start out with what is by far my favorite movie of all time, Breakfast At Tiffany’s based on the well loved novel by Truman Capote Breakfast At Tiffany’s is a love story about Holly Golightly an eccentric and spirited call girl who feels that she is incapable of falling in love until Paul moves into her building. This film is timeless, made in 1961 it stars the luminous Audrey Hepburn as Miss. Golightly and the charming George Peppard as Paul. It offers laughs and tender moments that are both enchanting as well as fun to watch.
The 80’s brought us many romantic comedies such as Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Happy Together and Say Anything. However, I would like to talk about a silly and enjoyable film called Can’t Buy Me Love starring McDreamy himself Mr. Patrick Dempsey. This is a wonderful light-hearted movie that brings me to laughter every time I see it!
Next on my list is You’ve Got Mail made in 1998 and starring the queen of romance herself Meg Ryan and her comedic partner in crime Tom Hanks. “I turn on my computer, I wait impatiently as it boots up. I go on line, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You’ve got mail.” You’ve Got Mail is based on the classic film The Shop Around the Corner and is a story of pen-pal romance that has been updated for modern day and internet age. Tom Hanks plays the owner of a large bookstore chain called Fox Books and falls in love,online, with Meg Ryan the owner of a struggling bookstore that his company is threatening to put out of business. This movie is truly enchanting, perfect to curl up with a blanket and cup of hot chocolate with.
Another romantic comedy set on the delightful streets of New York is Serendipity a story about fate and how sometimes following your heart is the only way to find true love. Serendipity stars the lovely Kate Beckensale and the always enjoyable John Cusak as two soul mates destined to meet no matter how great the odds. Made in 2001 and set in New York which is always a remarkably romantic backdrop Serendipity has much to offer with a entertaining script and a great supporting cast which includes Jeremy Piven, Molly Shannon and Eugene Levy. You will fall in love with this film and will want to watch it again and again.
Moving on to dramas now there are the obvious choices that I know most of you have probably seen so I wont waste time with such films as Titanic, Pearl Harbor, and Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet. You know you should have seen those already! Instead I will focus on some of my favorites that you may not have seen yet.
I will begin with a classic called Hanover Street starring Harrison Ford and Lesley-Ann Down made in 1979 and set in my favorite city in the world London, England. David (Harrison Ford) a WWII American bomber pilot who meets and falls in love with a beautiful married nurse (Lesley-Ann Down) during a London air raid. David is shot down behind enemy lines while taking a British agent to France. Faced with danger David realizes that the British agent is his lover’s husband. It is a well-penned, heart-wrenching love story.
The next film I’m going to talk about I can’t tell you how many times I have seen it, it was simply genius in every way. 1995’s Before Sunrise is about two people who meet each other on a train headed to Vienna and the entire film takes place over the course of one day. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is a self-involved American, and Celine (Julie Delpy) is a beautiful French student who is headed back to Paris. After spending time getting to know each other in the lounge car, Jesse takes the plunge and asks Celine to spend the day with him in Vienna, since his plane doesn’t leave for the US until the next morning. She spontaneously agrees and the couple spends the next 24 hours walking the gorgeous streets of Vienna, becoming even closer as they share stories from their pasts and hopes for their futures. The script is so well written it gives the characters’ bond time to develop more deeply and much more genuinely than in other films of this genre. Hawke and Delpy’s amazing chemistry combined with a lovely background produce a romance that is genuine and lasting.
Another film that I love to watch over and over even though it makes me cry every time is Sweet November it stars Charizie Theron and Keanu Reeves and is the story of a very experimental love affair. Sara (Theron) is a free-spirited woman who runs across the uptight, career driven Nelson (Reeves) and offers to let him be her “November” and stay in her house with her for a month while she teaches him to become more unstructured and how to enjoy life to the fullest. As Sara begins to change his life Nelson finds the things he is missing in his world and begins to fall in love with her but he finds Sara has secrets of her own. Sweet November is touching, emotional and sincere; the acting is top notch and it has marvelous dialogue! Grab your sweetheart and a box of tissue for this one.
The last romantic drama I will recommend is The Notebook, a story of second chances, growing old, and love endured. It stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as a young couple who fall in love but are from completely different social and financial backgrounds. It’s based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks and is a perfect adaptation of a love that transcends time. The Notebook is poetic and epic, the perfect end to a romantic evening.
Okay so some of you are reading this and rolling your eyes because these types of films are just not your cup of tea or because you are in an Adam Sandler Love Stinks kind of place. Well then let me offer up a few alternatives to the sappy romance with a few tales of love gone wrong, hair-raising, horror movie fun! First things first, the year is 1960 and the filmmaker is Alfred Hitchcock, the movie is Psycho, immortal for its contribution to the horror movie genre. Anthony Perkins haunting depiction of lonely motel keeper Norman Bates will never be forgotten in the cinema world. When Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a gorgeous blonde with lots of money checks in for the night Bates domineering mother isn’t too happy, she hates loose woman, thus begins this classic tale of desire and terror. Complete with the infamous shower scene it is the perfect film to escape your everyday troubles with!
In the year 2000 a small film came out in theatres by the name of Quills starring Kate Winslet, Geoffrey Rush and Joaquin Phoenix this talented cast blended with a remarkable story made for, in my opinion, one of the best movies of that year. Quills is a gothic tale of virtue and vice, twisted love, shocking erotica, censorship and imagination. It is not for the faint of heart and will leave you feeling uneasy for a few days after watching it. It is a heavy film with deep meaning and shocking conclusions.
If you feel you would like a lighter approach to your evening let me suggest a very campy horror film that is worth its weight in cheese. Valentine came out in 2001 starring Denise Richards, Katherine Heigl and David Boreanez it is one of those horror films that is so bad it’s good and has a fitting premise that centers on this Valentine’s Day theme. Creepy cards, eerie scenarios and plastic surgery! Come on a cheesy horror film doesn’t get better then this, have a laugh on me!
If you haven’t had enough of the silly comedy horror then try one of my all time favorites Shaun of the Dead is a hilarious British comedy/horror film that follows Shaun through his mundane life in London. Followed closely by his immature friend Ed, Shaun unfavorable ways cause a break-up between him and his girlfriend Liz but before he can get her back he realizes the town is being taking over by a horde of zombies. Shaun must now rescue his friends and family and bring them to the only safe place he knows, the local pub of course! Shaun of the Dead is hilarious guaranteed to have you rolling on your floor with laughter. So pop a bag of popcorn, pop a beer and enjoy!
I hope this article has helped you find your perfect Valentine’s Day movie. So happy heart day to you or happy love stinks day! Either way I hope I was of some assistance!
Posted in [Commentary]
