Archive for August, 2008

It took a while: “Street Kings”

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson

I wanted to catch it on the big screen. I didn’t. Last night, I wanted to watch it on DVD. I did… but it sure took a while.

That’s what happens when you have a moody DVD player that refuses to acknowledge some DVDs, seemingly at random. On about the 10th try getting the DVD player to read “Street Kings,” I got as far as the previews before the main title menu.

And then it spit “Street Kings” back out at me once again, sighting some sort of “disc error.” Yeah, DVD player, well guess what? The iMac read it just fine. So after some rearranging of furniture, I did finally see “Street Kings.” As long as I waited to finally see this LAPD crime drama, I didn’t have to wait hardly a moment to start feeling conflicted about the actual film.

Keanu Reeves plays Detective Tom Ludlow (pictured). Keanu Reeves in He’s a dirty cop. Don’t worry, though, because he’s just part of an entire unit that’s dirty. I have to think an actual LAPD detective might take offense at how the police department is portrayed in “Street Kings,” because they’re not just dirty, they’re murderers. Reeves’ Ludlow, I guess, is our hero but it’s an odd feeling when the first scenes show the hero flat-out murdering about 5 “suspects” and then planting evidence. He’s doing it to rescue two kidnapped little girls.

So does that justify his killing of the suspects without ever questioning them?

It gets worse from that point on. Ludlow drinks (and drives) on the job, beats people with phone books, and even says things like, “We’re the police. We can do whatever the hell we want.” And in “Street Kings,” written by James Ellroy and Kurt Wimmer, he’s right.

Most of the fun in “Street Kings” is had in unraveling the twisted, seedy world of Ludlow’s unit, so I don’t want to spoil anything for you. Suffice it to say, though, that eventually Ludlow – by default – is the most heroic of this collection of characters. Well, young Detective Diskant (Chris Evans) is a good man, too… but like many in this movie, his life comes to a bloody end.

“Street Kings” is worth watching if for no other reason than that it’s unique in its lack of a true hero.

It’s too bad they ended it the way they did, though. Any scrap of credibility the story had left is flushed down the toilet with the final line from Captain Biggs (“House” star Hugh Laurie).

Oh, and I dare you to find a more creepy-I-look-like-a-pedophile mustache than the one Jay Mohr sports.

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Stand by…

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson  

Alright, so this really doesn’t count. But, since I normally post on Tuesdays I didn’t feel quite right just ignoring the blog. So after tossing around a few ideas as to what to write about, I saw an ad on the TV for “Street Kings.” 

It’s on DVD! 

I remembered how excited I was (and wrote about in this space) for its theatrical release, mostly because this preview was so downright exhilarating. Wow, just watched the trailer again. And, again, I’m stoked. 

Thankfully I also looked up the nearest Blockbuster store earlier tonight and the card I have – issued to me at the downtown Juneau store years ago – worked!

So, I’ve rented “Street Kings.” It’s just past midnight, and I’m popping it in. Feel free to come over and watch it with me. 

Is that weird to say that? 

In any case, I’ll post again tomorrow with more in depth thoughts on Keanu Reeves’ latest. Was it worth the wait? 

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Debuting 8/22

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson

Let’s dispense with the pleasantries, shall we? There are too many new movies this weekend to dillydally!

Up first: “The House Bunny” – If you’ve seen the trailer, you know it looks like 2008’s version of “Legally Blonde.” And, just like that movie (the original, not the stupid sequel), this one might soon be a guilty pleasure for the guys and a top-fiver for the gals. Anna Faris has been carving out a nice career for herself in various comedies; this story about a playboy bunny who gets kicked out because she’s too old at 27 might be her stepping stone to the A-List. And yes, Rumer Willis is Bruce’s daughter.

Next, “Death Race.” I’ve been on board for the pre-hype, thanks mostly to a very entertaining preview. Early word isn’t great, though. Still, Jason Statham and Ian McShane are cool cats. Mindless action-violence? Maybe. Is that so bad, though? Maybe one of you can let everyone know how it is…

Third up is “The Rocker.” Rainn Wilson in Hey, new episodes of “The Office” don’t come back until September 25th so I’ll take Dwight Schrute any way I can get him. Even if it’s in a silly comedy about a 40-something former rocker named Robert Fishman (pictured). Jim Halpert was a letdown in “Leatherheads”; I didn’t see Michael Scott in “Get Smart”; I’ll fill you in on how Dwight does next Thursday.

Finally, Ice Cube stars as a football coach in “The Longshots.” It’s about a girl who winds up being the star quarterback of a Pop Warner football team. Um, yeah right. Sorry. Actually, the only reason I’m including this one is because of how bizarre the credits are.

Again, it’s a family movie about a girl playing football. It stars former badass – and current owner of zero street cred – Ice Cube. Guess who the director is. Go on, guess. How about Fred Durst? Yes, that Fred Durst.

So there you go. Three new movies and one straight out of Bizarro World. See you at the box office!

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I helped

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson

“The Dark Knight” is currently at about $473 million at the U.S. box office. My $10 got it there. Or at least they helped.

Yes, I finally saw the 2nd most popular movie of all-time (no, I still don’t think it’ll reach “Titanic”). So, after waiting four weeks to finally see the movie that I’ve personally heard about 88 people praise glowingly, what did I think? It would inevitably be a letdown, right?

Wrong.

“The Dark Knight” is without question a good movie. Period. It’s a good action movie, but it’s also just a good movie. Certainly, it’s too scary and violent for some folks, but I honestly can’t see a reasonable argument on the “this is a poor film because…” side of the coin. Can you?

I won’t bother with storyline, since it’s safe to assume if you have a pair of eyes you saw it before I did. Still, Christopher Nolan’s script (co-written with his brother, Jonathan) is tight and intricate. We are re-introduced to characters we’ve seen before (Jack Nicholson’s Joker in 1989, Tommy Lee Jones’ Harvey Dent in 1995), yet it’s so dramatically different this time around that it matters not one bit we’re retracing our steps.

Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is nothing like the previous version. Thankfully, both of Nolan’s entries in the Batman franchise have felt much more like Tim Burton’s efforts than the cartoons Joel Schumacher put out. Consequently, Eckhart’s Dent is much darker than Jones’ goofy, brightly colored version was. Eckhart is on his game, too. His transformation from heroic Harvey Dent to the angry and breathtakingly ugly Two-face is believable. Heath Ledger as the Joker.

Make no mistake, though, “The Dark Knight” is all about the late Heath Ledger (pictured). He’s scary good. He’s also just scary. And I actually found him funny at times, which is something many have said he lacked.

I’m hopping on the Oscar-for-Heath bandwagon.

So there you go, the same weekend “Tropic Thunder” finally took down the Batman, I finally saw it and in the day’s the-sun-will-rise-tomorrow news, I liked it a lot.

Just someone, please…. Please! Please, please, please tell Christian Bale to stop talking like that when he dons the suit. Maybe that’s what his mom and sister were doing when he (allegedly) assaulted them?

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Debuting 8/15

Friday, August 15th, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson

Another Friday, another collection of new movies in a theater near you. Ben Stiller’s back for another double-dip effort as director and star (his movie actually opened on Wednesday), “Star Wars” continues (sort of) and Kiefer Sutherland becomes the latest actor to try his hand at scaring the be-jeezus out of you.

Word from the powers that be at the Hooligan is I’ll be watching the continuation of “Star Wars.” The twist is that this one has no actors (and I was so looking forward to the unintentional comedy provided by Hayden Christensen). “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is animated. Yep, there is officially now a “Star Wars” cartoon. I haven’t heard anything about the geeks of America uniting to camp out in line for this version of their beloved Star Wars, though. I’m far from an expert on Anakin Skywalker and company, but I’ve seen all the live-action films so I don’t think I’ll be lost. Here’s a preview. Can you tell I’m less than enthused?

Ben Stiller’s last double-dip effort was 2001’s “Zoolander.” If I had to estimate, I’d say “Zoolander” played from start to finish at least 54 times in our sophomore dorm room. Safe to say, there was no more concentrated a locale than Forest Grove, Oregon that year to find immature young men quoting Derek Zoolander and Hansel (Owen Wilson). The point is, I’ve enjoyed Stiller’s work before and I’ve read nothing about “Tropic Thunder” Ben Stiller in to lead me to believe it’ll be anything short of hilarious. Cameo alerts: Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey. Still, not everyone is exactly excited about some of the humor in “Tropic Thunder.”

Finally, if you are wired to jump at spooky things on the big screen, there’s “Mirrors.” That trailer features Amy Smart’s reflection tearing her own jaw open. Ewwww! Count me out on this one – at least for now. Eventually I can’t help but to succumb to my morbid curiosity about these films, even though the freak me out. Oh, just noticed the last name of the characters in “Mirrors”; it’s the same as the one on my driver’s license. That can’t be good.

Anything tickle your fancy?

And no, I still haven’t seen “The Dark Knight.” Yes, it’s still in my plans.

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Do you care about Don Cheadle?

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson

The first question is, “Do you know who Don Cheadle is?” You should. Not only is he handsome (pictured), Don Cheadle. he’s also one of the most talented actors working today. The trouble with Cheadle, at least in the eyes of some in Hollywood, isn’t his skill set – it’s that for whatever reason, he is not a box office leading man.

My two cents? He should be.

In the last five years alone, Cheadle’s work includes a starring role in “Crash” (Winner: Best Picture Oscar – 2006) and the headlining role in “Hotel Rwanda” (Cheadle was nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar – 2005). So, yeah, the dude can act. He also made co-star Adam Sandler seem like a serious thespian in 2007’s “Reign Over Me.” Here’s the cruel irony: None of these movies made money at the U.S. box office.

“Crash” barely topped $50 million, “Hotel Rwanda” couldn’t crack $25 million, and “Reign Over Me” – even with Sandler’s name attached – didn’t even sniff $20 million! (Note: box office numbers courtesy of boxofficemojo.com.)

If you’re wondering where the “Ocean’s” movies are in this discussion, they don’t count. Yes, Cheadle is in all three films as part of George Clooney’s crew. However, those films were hits because of the whole package (star studded cast, ground-breaking directing from Steven Soderbergh, etc.). Cheadle was simply part of the equation. Also, I’m not counting “Ocean’s 12” against Cheadle. Everyone deserves a pass for some mistake they made in life, well, I’m giving every single person involved with “Ocean’s 12” a pass.

I digress.

Here’s why I’m brining the Cheadle question up. In a few weeks (August 27th), a film called “Traitor” hits theaters everywhere. If you liked the “Bourne” movies with Matt Damon, if you enjoy spy thrillers with intelligent and intricate plotlines, if you don’t select the films you go to based only on the “star,” I implore you to consider checking out “Traitor.”

I can’t guarantee it’ll be good. All I can do is point you in the direction of its enticing trailer and refer you, once again, to Cheadle’s track record.

Maybe you don’t care about Done Cheadle… but perhaps you should.

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Debuting the day before yesterday

Friday, August 8th, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson

I admit it. I forgot movies were opening on Wednesday this week. Just out of curiosity, though, can someone tell me why movies opened on Wednesday this week? What’s so special about the 6th of August? Or were they afraid the Olympics starting in Beijing would interfere with opening night box office returns?

Alright it probably wasn’t that. I am curious though. Is there a holiday I’m failing to remember?

This week/weekend is essentially about two new movies. Previews have been ubiquitous the past several days for both. One, like “Mamma Mia!” for all the weeks leading up to its release, probably made young men across the country fight their gag reflex; the other probably had those same gents turning to their buddy and saying, “Dude, that looks hilarious!”

The gag reflex flick: “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2”

That’s right. “2.” It’s a freaking sequel. Four girls somehow share a pair of jeans that fits them all even though they’re very differently proportioned from girl to girl. Granted, I don’t have as much credibility talking macho about this stuff after borderline-praising “Mamma Mia!” a couple weeks ago, but c’mon! Even my girlfriend is annoyed by these previews. And we both love Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel). I’m relieved to tell you I’m in no risk of uttering “I liked it” about this one because I’m not reviewing it!

Crisis averted.

I am reviewing new film #2, the stoner comedy “Pineapple Express.” Seth Rogan and James Franco in Judd Apatow, who’s suddenly Mr. Comedy in Hollywood, co-wrote with Seth Rogan, who also stars. Judging from the trailers, though, it would appear it’s Rogan’s co-star James Franco who makes the movie promising. Oh, and yes, that is Rosie Perez you see in the preview. I didn’t know she was alive either.

Both new releases outdid “The Dark Knight” on Wednesday, although Batman already leapfrogged “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” (man, it’s annoying just typing out the damned title!) to take back the 2nd spot at the box office on Thursday. The smart money says by weekend’s end “The Dark Knight” will once again be on top of the box office.

I still don’t think “Titanic” has anything to worry about. As always, your comments welcome!

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Bonus Review: Step Brothers

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

By Chester Duke Carson

Note: (No, I still haven’t seen “The Dark Knight.” Although I think I’m going to have to very soon. Friends are questioning my commitment to movies. Blog posters are questioning my sanity.

By the way, after being outdone by “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” on Friday, “The Dark Knight” quickly got back on top on Saturday and has once again entrenched itself in the top spot at the box office. $400 million and counting.)

Now, on to “Step Brothers.” The previews didn’t lie; it’s funny. And thank goodness – I really didn’t want to have to write Will Ferrell off completely. If “Step Brothers” were as bad as “Semi Pro” I might have had to do just that.

Ferrell co-wrote “Step Brothers” with Adam McKay, who directed it. In other words, creatively speaking it was the same recipe that brought us 2004’s “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgun

dy.” Quite honestly, if you don’t love that movie, then your sense of humor is like my cat’s loyalty: non-existent.

Besides McKay and Ferrell, “Step Brothers” also once again proves that John C. Reilly is a brilliant comedic actor. More than once during the movie I found myself daring to wonder if Reilly might actually be funnier than Ferrell.

And then came the scene where the two 40 year-old step brothers go to their job interviews as a team. That’s when Ferrell, as only Ferrell can, starts telling the interviewer, “Shut your mouth.” She is of course shocked, and when she starts to speak again, Ferrell – with a straight face, mind you – says again, “Shut… shut your mouth. Just shut it.” There’s no actor on the planet that has the I’m-going-to-insult-you-with-a-straight-face-in-a-ridiculous-manner routine down as well as Ferrell.

The whole ensemble is good, actually. The movie works, though, because Ferrell and Reilly clearly enjoy one another and subsequently have golden comedic chemistry.

A quick shout-out to Adam Scott, who plays Ferrell’s jerk of a little brother. He’s excellent and one of those guys who you know you recognize from other movies… even if you have no idea what his name is. Well, it’s Adam Scott.

My only real issues with “Step Brothers” were that they might have been a little too liberal with two things:

1.     F-bombs: I’m not saying potty-mouths aren’t funny. I’m just saying… there’s such a thing as too much.

2.     Balls: I pity the prop-guy who one day likely heard these words from his boss: “Hi Bob, I need you to make Will Ferrell’s testicles. Okay, see ya.”

 All in all, though, I’m just happy I can now erase “Semi Pro” from my memory bank. 

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Debuting 8/1

Friday, August 1st, 2008

Yes indeed, it’s Friday once again. Unless you work the odd hours of the radio industry (raising my hand) that means you get to relax for the next two days. It’s the weekend, baby! And with each weekend’s arrival movie theaters debut new films, which these days means several new flicks try their best to take down “The Dark Knight” ($351 million and counting).

So what’s new this weekend?

It’s pretty much a two-trick pony. Kevin Costner’s back; don’t freak out though, apparently his comedy is better than you might think. And Brendan Fraser couldn’t wait more than a couple weeks after debuting his 3-D film to release his third Mummy flick.

Costner first. It’s a comedy, and chances are you’ve seen the very self-explanatory previews. If not, here’s the gist: Costner plays an average Joe who winds up holding the single vote that will decide who the country’s next President will be. Hence the title, “Swing Vote.” It sounds like a goofy premise, but it’s got a loaded cast that includes (in addition to Costner) Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper and Nathan Lane. Early word is mixed, but not nearly as tilted towards the negative end of the spectrum as one might understandably expect.

As for Fraser, he’s back. Already. If you could see my face as I typed, “F-r-a-s-e-r,” I’m fairly sure you’d have seen a bitter-beer-face. For some reason the dude just annoys me.

That said, the Mummy franchise has been undeniably entertaining.

Number three is called, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” Previews promise this one will be just as much of a ride as the first two. I’m not entirely sure why, but I’m genuinely pumped to see the scenes with the abominable snowmen. Rob Cohen directs Fraser along with Jet Li, Maria Bello and Michelle Yeoh. 

Brendan Fraser and Jet Li in

I’m trying to avoid reviews on “The Mummy 3” since it’s the one I’ll be checking out this weekend for next week’s Hooligan.

The real question remains, as I mentioned above, can anything even come close to sniffing the late Heath Ledger and his cohorts in “The Dark Knight”? $351 million in less than three weeks! Are you kidding me? It’s pulling in money so fast that I actually had a real debate with a buddy this morning about whether “Titanic” and it’s $600 million domestic take should feel vulnerable.

And somehow I haven’t seen it yet! I suppose there’s no hurry. It ain’t going anywhere.

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