Entertainment Today and Beyond

Never Met a Zombi I Didn’t Like…

Bruno- Offensive YES, but still extremely Funny stuff!

bruno-1I must say that Bruno is one the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had at the movies. While I was buckled over from laughing I couldn’t help but wonder how far Sacha Baron Cohen will go to get a laugh and whether comedians have pushed boundaries so far that there’s no more elasticity left to stretch. There’s no doubt in my mind that Sacha Baron Cohen is a truly fascinating and unique comic talent; a method actor who never cracks a smile and has the amazing ability to stay in character no matter how absurd the situation. The man might be the funniest and most comedically creative person on the planet right now.

Now having said all that, it felt strange that at least 10% of the paying audience I saw the film with on a Saturday night got up and walked out before the film’s halfway point. Clearly they were highly offended. Yet I sat in my seat and laughed so hard I thought I would hurt myself. Like his previous hit Borat, Bruno hinges on interviews with people who don’t know that the flamboyant ultra gay Bruno is not a real person.

 Some of his subjects in this film are so clueless, pathetic and make such fools of themselves that it’s hard not to believe they were in on the act. Bruno is a character Cohen created for his sketch comedy but, unlike Borat who is a foreign television commentator, Bruno is a gay Austrian fashion reporter who loses his job and comes to America looking to become famous just about anyway he can.

At a running time of just 82 minutes the film bounces from one scene to the next and I can honestly say they all work. The film is briskly paced without a dead spot to be found.

What Borat showed for race issues in America, Bruno does for sexuality – at least to some extent. The difference between the two characters is Borat was looked at as a likeable foreigner while Bruno is so flamboyant that the people he comes in contact with aren’t exactly comfortable with him. I have to admit I didn’t look at this film for social commentary (although there is some) I just wanted to laugh and I certainly did. Bruno is an even funnier film than Borat, and that’s saying a lot.

The setups here include: an interview with Paula Abdul, who has no problem sitting on the backs of Hispanic men who are used as makeshift furniture, and; Bruno and his agent sitting at a focus group meeting watching his pilot for a celebrity interview show with the promise of a Harrison Ford interview. This scene includes an extended sequence of Bruno’s penis (it even talks) that pushes the boundaries of anything ever seen in even an R-rated film. Except for a Ron Jeremy movie I can’t imagine full frontal male nudity being more prevalent. It was at this point that some of the walkouts started.

Other highlights include: an interview with a high ranking terrorist; an uncomfortable hotel room interview with Senator Ron Paul; a stunningly hilarious interview segment with parents who are trying to get their kids into commercials (a mother agrees that she will have her 30 pound little girl lose 10 pounds in a week if she gets the job), and; a very funny encounter at a swingers party. The true show stopper involves a mock talk show with former TV host Richard Bey and an audience of outraged African Americans as they question Bruno on the adoption of his African boy. The still shots of Bruno and the boy are priceless, especially the one where the kid is strapped to a cross.

The final scene involving Bruno and another man stripping each other and making out in the ring at an MMA event is also hilarious. While the film is outrageous, offensive and had me uncomfortable at times (the mili vanili psychic bit was pushing it big-time), what can I say other than I laughed throughout. I found Bruno incredibly funny. While I’m fully aware that this type of material will offend, and in some cases disgust, it made me laugh as hard as I’ve ever laughed in a movie theater. So for me Bruno gets 4.5 out of 5 Zombies. Whether this is the start of the fall of western civilization is a discussion for another day – I’ll keep an open mind.

July 12, 2009 Posted by | Reviews | , | 1 Comment

NBC’s DAY ONE Trailer

day_one_nbc

Since I was a big fan of the CBS show Jericho, I’m hoping this promising looking new NBC fall program might fill the void of that show’s cancellation for fans like myself who like a little ‘end of the world’ in there life. It’s pretty evident that the network has put a decent chunk of change into the pilot episode. The Trailer is pretty self explanatory. Take a LOOK 

Synopsis: From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander (“Heroes,” “Lost,” “Alias”) and director Alex Graves (“Fringe,” “Journeyman”), “Day One” tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world’s infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors — played by Adam Campbell (“Date Movie”), Catherine Dent (“The Shield”), Julie Gonzalo (“Eli Stone”), David Lyons (“ER”), Derek Mio (“Greek”), Carly Pope (“24″), Thekla Reuten (“Sleeper Cell”) and Addison Timlin (“Cashmere Mafia”) — strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories — and heroes are born every day. “Day One” is a Universal Media Studios production

July 12, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | Leave a Comment

Jennifer’s Body Poster

jennifersbody-finalposter-fullsizeWhen people tell you looks don’t count, do not believe them. Megan Fox is clearly carving out a very respectable movie career with her role in the Transformers franchise and leading parts in a handful of high profile projects in development (including Jonah Hex opposite Josh Brolin). Trust me when I say she’s not getting these roles for her top notch acting skills. This is the poster to Jennifer’s Body, a horror comedy scripted by the Oscar winning writer of Juno, Diablo Cody. The poster is actually a nice throwback to the 80’s and has a similar design to the horror film Student Bodies. The very appealing actress Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia) co-stars ands gets equal billing. If you ask me who will be working in movies in ten years between Seyfried and Fox, I would easily say Seyfried, but celebrity is a powerful force and Fox certainly has celebrity in spades right now.

Jennifer’s Body hits theaters September 18, 2009. The poster comes courtesy of Bloody Disgusting. Here’s the films TRAILER

July 11, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | , , | 1 Comment

Spiderman 4 writer update, G.I Joe marketing push and Cameron Diaz in The Green Hornet

spiderman 2-1Sony has hired a third screenwriter to rewrite Spiderman 4. Gary Ross, responsible for Big, Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, has been brought in to work on the script that already has had James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, David Lindsay-Abaire (Inkheart), taking stabs at creating a winning storyline for the comic book heros’ fourth outing on film. It’s pretty clear that director Sam Raimi will be under a lot of pressure to deliver a film that will please hardcore fans as the backlash of Spiderman 3 is pretty strong and long lasting.

Personally I don’t get that. While Spiderman 3 had its flaws (a few too many characters) I found it to be a solid and very entertaining entry in the overall franchise. If you tell me Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen are bad films I’m in total agreement, but not Spiderman 3. I just don’t see it that way. As for this fourth entry, it’s pretty clear that there’s a lot of serious writing talent on hand so hopefully director Raimi will knock this entry out of the park in the way he did Spiderman 2. Fans are still wondering what villain will be used to lock horns with Spiderman this time around. 

Paramount has ramped up its marketing push for the August release of G.I Joe as we’re starting to see trailers being shown heavily on television. It’s no secret that the studio is facing a nice sized hurdle with some serious negative buzz running rampant on the internet for the last few months. While this buzz could be unwarranted it’s probably more true than not as many influential and credible sources have written stories documenting problems between director Stephen Sommers and the studio. Let’s face it, the trailers look pretty cheesy and far from story oriented – a one weekend wonder at best. If there is one person I hope walks away unscathed it’s actress Rachel Nichols (P2) who I think is very talented . She plays the role of Scarlett in the film. G.I Joe literally, and probably sadly, flies into theaters August 7.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Cameron Diaz has been offered the female lead opposite Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet, although they don’t confirm exactly what role she will play. My question – does it make a difference? This whole project seems all wrong from the get go. While the film has a competent and interesting director in Michael Gondry (Be Kind, Rewind), is Seth Rogen playing The Green Hornet even plausible? While my only real understanding of the character is based on an appearance on the Batman television show in an episode that aired in the 1960’s, I just don’t get it. What tone will Rogen and Gondry go for? Will it be serious or comedic or a mixture of both. Anyway you slice it the project doesn’t appeal to me. If it’s a spoof I’m not interested at all. If it’s a serious adaptation why is Rogen involved.

For anyone thinking so it is not even in the same universe as Michael “Beetlejuice” Keaton being cast as Batman in 1989. Not by a long shot. Keaton earned his dramatic stripes in the 1988 drama Clean and Sober (he was great and deserved an Oscar nomination) and, like Tom Hanks, can easily transition from comedy to drama. Rogen might be able to do drama but not superhero drama. It’s not just about acting skills; he doesn’t have the look and that’s IMPORTANT! While I congratulate him on the weight loss I’ll never accept him as The Green Hornet so I just don’t understand the thinking behind the whole idea. So while I’m down with Cameron Diaz, I think I’ll pass on the idea of getting excited. For those who are let me know why! Personally I think this was a part tailor made for George Clooney, albeit a decade ago.

July 11, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | , , | Leave a Comment

Capitalism: A Love Story-The official title of Michael Moore’s new Documentary

Capatalism a love storyDocumentary filmmaker Michael Moore has announced the title of his new film that will chronicle the financial meltdown, Wall Street’s greed and the bailout. It will be titled Capitalism: A Love Story. It’s a perfect title for thi s film and I’m very much looking forward to seeing it this October.

If The Dark Knight’s Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) were describing the film he would probably say “This is the film we don’t want but the one that we need.” I fully support Moore’s effort here to call out Wall Street and the massive GREED of many who have paralyzed our economy. While movies usually only have a short term effect on the public’s overall thought patterns one can only hope that many of the massive mistakes and criminal acts that got us here in the first place will not be repeated. A film like this can only help.

“It will be the perfect date movie,” Moore said in an announcement Wednesday. “It’s got it all—lust, passion, romance and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day. It’s a forbidden love, one that dare not speak its name. Heck, lets just say it: It’s capitalism.” 

While this is a free country and everyone is entitled to their opinion I’m amazed at some of the Michael Moore hate on the internet. I guess I didn’t realize everybody makes more than 250K a year and believes Wall Street has their greatest interest at heart. Joe the plumber syndrome appears to be alive and well. I know people who have worked on Wall Street and they sure don’t feel that way. Personally, I’m a fan of Moore’s work as I believe it’s both relevant and important. Roger and Me, Fahrenheit 911, and Sicko are all films I’m glad I saw and feel the better for it. I’ll be there on Oct 2nd to see Moore’s next venture Capitalism: A Love Story. I have no doubt Moore will deliver something quite thought provoking.

July 9, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | | Leave a Comment

DISTRICT 9 trailer

district-9Sony has released this full length trailer for District 9, a sci-fi film about aliens in South Africa, from director Neill Blomkamp. Like the polarizing Cloverfield (one of my best of 2008) this movie has slowly been generating a positive buzz on the internet. It features an interesting premise, unknown actors and a unique visual style. If anything District 9 looks original. It hits theaters August 14, 2009. Take a LOOK

 

July 8, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | | 1 Comment

Sacha Baron Cohen on Letterman July 7th, 2009

bruno1Sacha Baron Cohen made an appearance on the Letterman show Monday night promoting his new film Bruno, this time showing up as himself and not the Bruno character as he did on The Tonight Show a few weeks ago. What I find amazing about Cohen is the way he is able to alter his appearance as he looks almost nothing like Bruno. While Cohen’s unique brand of humor is not for all tastes its hard to argue that this is not one of the funniest people on the planet. His mind is not only wildly creative but daring in ways that few have equaled.

In this Letterman clip he talks about arranging an interview with a real life terrorist. Also for those not familiar with his Ali-G character try going on You Tube. Just  watch some of his work as that character and see if you don’t wind up buckled over in laughter. Here’s one of my favorite Ali G shows. Take a look

Take a LOOK at Cohen on Dave

July 8, 2009 Posted by | Reviews | | Leave a Comment

BIG FAN Trailer

Big Fan is a film written and directed by Robert D. Siegel, responsible for penning the screenplay for last year’s critical darling The Wrestler. This well received indie fave explores sports fanaticism. So rampant in our culture, what makes the topic so interesting is that the film doesn’t tackle it from a comedic point of view but from a much more serious side. Like The Wrestler, Big Fan appears to be a deep character study which is becoming a rare commodity in movies nowadays. Big Fan stars comedian Patton Oswalt hits theaters Aug 28, 2009. Take a LOOK

Big Fan

July 8, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | | Leave a Comment

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