| 4/28/2005 |
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DOMO ARIGATO MR. ROBOTO by Styx
ROBOTS - (B-) When you've got movies like Finding Nemo, Shrek, & The Incredibles coming before you, there is a lot at stake to make an animated film that can live up to the expectations that audiences have. Will there be something for adults as well as kids? Can we handle the glut of movie related paraphenalia for a season? Can audiences handle Robin Williams as another flamboyant, impish, loveable character, screeching at the top of his lungs? For the most part that answer is "yes."
Maybe I'm spoiled a little when it comes to such movies. I balked at Toy Story until I was forced to watch it one Thanksgiving. It was either watch Toy Story in the basement with the younger cousins or sit upstairs and listen to anyone over 40 talk about their illnesses. The choice was simple. With Toy Story, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were the stars. There were plenty of supporting characters that each garnered affection in their own way. But you knew who the main characters were. With Shrek, it's easy to picture Mike Meyers talking in non-specific brogue around his house. At the fast-food drive-thru. When he drops of his dry cleaning. As I watched Robots I felt bombarded by big name actors. It was hard to like one character when another was along side, waving sparklers, singing God Save The Queen. Love him or hate him, Robin Williams knows how to find and keep the center of attention. In Alladin he was the biggest name or at least the most recognizable. So it's easy to let him take center stage. Yet, when you've got a line up like Mel Brooks, Halle Berry, Ewan McGregor, to name a few... You've got a lot of big names all vying for that center stage. My attention was being pulled in so many different directions it was like I wasn't sure who to find the most loveable. Perhaps it was the person who tried to steal the spotlight the least.
Ok enough bitching about the cast. There was an actualy movei they did. A movie that I did like. The voices were believable for the characters they played. I don't feel that any of the main characters were thrown in there just so they could have a part. Though, it was hard to watch a scene with Fender and not 'see' Robin Williams, being Robin Williams. Alright! I'm done. I'm done. The story was sweet it that "Let's save [fill in the blank]" sort of way. There are some definite funny scenes that are ones to laugh about on the way home and for the next couple of days. Yet overall I didn't feel as drawn in to the story as with some animated films. It wasn't as captivating as I would've hoped. Any kids will love this film. For the adults taking the kids, you won't find as much subtle adult humor.
This could honestly be an instance where my hopes were too high going in to the movie and I was disappointed once I saw it.
Overall, you could wait till this one comes to the dollar theaters. It's good, but it's not must see. Be prepared for a rousing game of Guess Who's Voice That Is! See if you can guess which character Paula Abdul is. |
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I posted this @ 4/28/2005 12:38:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 4/20/2005 |
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IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT by R.E.M.
Kathleen Madigan does a comedic bit about the end of the world. She comments about the crazy weather and natural disasters some places are having, tidal waves, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc... The Enquirer is always predicting the End of Days. Even the clerk at her drug store said it was just all a sign of the apocolypse. Yet, wouldn't someone look foolish if it was the end of the world and once in Heaven your admonished, 'I gave you all those signs. The photos of my face in the clouds in the newspapers... The lady at the drug store... The [Red Sox] win the World Series...'
Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I like my religious miracles to be of the burning bush variety. They are a little less vague than, oh, let's say... a water stain on a highway overpass or as part of a left-over sandwich. |
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I posted this @ 4/20/2005 02:42:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 4/14/2005 |
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I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU by The Rembrandts
Ok. So I'm hoping that someone can tell me if this (or any part of this) is from a F*R*I*E*N*D*S episode.
Occasionally I'll have dreams that are very vivid. While this one I knew I was dreaming, it felt like it was actually happening. I love dreams!!
Chandler is sitting in his apartment (pre hooking up with Monica. post losing the bet to Monica and Rachel and they swap apartments) pouting because he broke his leg and can't get around much. He is in a wheelchair looking out the window using binoculars (a la Rear Window). Phoebe walks in to check on him and catches him in the act of peeping. It turns out he think he has spotted the girl he is currently seeing in an apartment nearby. Phoebe makes remarks (in the way she does) "Hey, this is how I first met you." Chandler corrects her saying Monica introduced them.
"As far as you know," she jokes, winking at him pantomiming binoculars. Chandler looks confused and a little concerned, but then back to peeping.
Ross comes in holding some candy in his hand that he got out of a vending machine. He pops a piece in his mouth as Phoebe explains what Chandler is doing. Ross joins in on the admonishing and then joins in on the spectating, but not before tossing all the remaining candy in his mouth. He begins to choke almost immediately (making the international symbol for choking). Chandler yells at Phoebe to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on Ross. She does as she is told, but not before noting again... "Hey, this is how I first met you!" Ross isn't amused as points to his throat again. Phoebe manages to get him to cough up a nickel. Ross is fine, but aghast that there was a nickel mixed in with the candy that came out of the machine. He goes on a mission to find out how this was possible.
As he storms out, Monica is in the hall with the guy she is seeing. They are schmoozing about their time together and making plans to get together again. As he leaves he calls her by the wrong name. Monica goes along with it and doesn't bat an eyelash. After she watches him leave she heads into the apartment where Phoebe and Chandler are sort of eavesdropping on her. They question her about the date only adding off-handedly that she still hasn't corrected him on her real name. She explains that when he met her on the subway he thought she was someone else, but she was so smitten by him that she went along with it and pretended she was. So she's adopted this 'persona' in order to keep seeing him.
The dream fades out from here and unfortunately nothing is ever resolved. Does Chandler figure out if his girlfriend is really in another man's apartment acting all lovey-dovey? Does Ross figure out how the mysterious money got mixed in his munchies? Does Monica fess up to her false name? Who knows!? I don't know... Unless these are episodes that I've just forgotten.
Any help? |
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I posted this @ 4/14/2005 03:09:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC by Julie Andrews
A friend passed this link on to me. Someone that he knows. I figured I pass along the word.
Matt Alber
My friend recommended End Of The World & Walk With Me, and so do I. There are plenty of samples to listen to. Good stuff! |
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I posted this @ 4/14/2005 03:07:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS
- Horrendous:: Horrific
- Home video:: Theater
- What a girl wants:: What A Girl Needs
- Grounded:: For Life
- Trusting:: Beliving
- Simplistic:: Easy
- Buzz:: Word
- Balcony:: Patio
- Roar:: Lion
- Hooker:: Lady Of The Night
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I posted this @ 4/14/2005 03:01:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 4/05/2005 |
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BELIEVE IT... OR NOT?!
The Talented Mr Ripley – (B) Where to begin? That’s probably not a big resounding exclamation of a positive review to come, but hold on. It gets better. Let’s start with the actors. What a great combination of fresh faced A-listers to bring in the bucks. Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and Cate Blanchett round out the main characters cast. I’ve seen Damon in serious roles, but to see him where he’s just a liiiiittle bit off in the head was a first for me. He’s got such intense eyes and a mouth vs. face proportion thing that he can use to the movies creepy end.
The story of the movie was excellently displayed for all to see. It rolled out at just under 2 ½ hours. This was a bit long for me to hold my interest. The characters were ‘real’, yet they were somewhat hard to identify with. Unless you are, like the characters, the child of a wealthy socialite who runs in the kind of circles where people have birth names like, Bitzy, Muffy, Freddy, Chance, or Margie. I got the impression that the intentional cutening of a name was a sign of how much money a person had in that era. That should’ve been their first clue that something was amiss. Tom (Damon) didn’t go by Tommy.
I love Europe, and this movie does have that feel. Cinematically the mood is set quite well for the creepiness to unfold. There were quiet a few times that you just know something is going to happen without any eerie sound effect or ominous music to cue you when to take your rightful place on the edge of your seat. The downside to that (and I know that this is mainly me who thinks this) is without musical cues, I get lolled into a very serene state of mind. Thus, the thrilling parts just walk up beside you, tap you on the shoulder, and introduce themselves before they make you wish you’d peed before watching the movie. So for me the last effect is not what I would’ve hoped to feel from a thriller. It’s a more sedate version of frightened or creeped out.
It’s definitely a movie that I would recommend to people. But I would add to that recommendation that they make sure they have the time to commit to sitting down and watching it.
Good… movie on the box. Very intriguing story and the actors to back it up.
Bad… that it took its Stephen King-esque time to get to the psychological tension.
Watch it… when you’ve got the time to commit and the brains to wrap around some of the twistedness. |
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I posted this @ 4/05/2005 02:56:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS
- Renewal:: Subscription
- Someone to talk to:: Companion
- Count:: Thrrree! Thrrrree cupcakes!! Ah... Ah... Ah...
- Expiration:: Date
- Upload:: Download
- Publish:: Submit
- Holy:: Crap!
- Change in the air:: Spring is here
- Titillating:: Scintilating
- Glorious:: Marvelous
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I posted this @ 4/05/2005 02:55:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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