September 2006 - Posts

• DVD Quickie: High School gets "like totally complicated" in the film noir tribute BRICK.

  Oh High School days, how I miss thee. How could I forget dealing with peer pressure, acne, popularity contests, mid-term exams, and solving murders. Wait, scratch the last one. Things get pretty complex for the students of a Southern California High School in Brick. Seems a girl has been murdered, and no one is talking. So Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his brainiac sidekick (Matt O'Leary) embark on an epic quest that will involve jocks, thespians, drug dealers and cheerleaders to find out whodunnit. Brick does just about everything it can to be taken as a serious film noir, all the stereotypical characters are here. You have your Femme Fatale, your Bully/Muscle, and finally your villian. Which is "The Pin", played brilliantly by a grown-up Lukas Haas (Lady in White, Mars Attacks!).     The High School world of Brick seems pretty normal(?) until someone opens their mouth. The dialogue in Brick is often lightning quick, and full of slang and wit. Do 12th graders really talk like this? Umm.. No. At least not when I was in High School. It almost leaves you with the impression that the students of Brick are some class of super gifted humans. They are able to cause multiple webs of deceit without too much effort. This unrealistic portrayal of High School students weakened the film for me. If you compare it to films like Donnie Darko or even The Breakfest Club, you can see where the writer looses a little credibility with his own vocabulary. What does work? Just about everything else. Writer/Director, Rian Johnson knows his noir. The story weaves back and forth while we struggle to keep up, just like any good mystery novel. You may feel lost at first, but eventually the dark fog fizzles, and the whole story seems pretty standard. The film itself looks gorgeous, and the editing is quick and skillful. Acting is also handled well throughout the cast. Brick may be nothing more then what it appears to be, a film noir that takes place in High School. It's the quality of the tribute that makes it feel fresh and unique. 8.2/10.0 - Warning: Not for the brainless , Maroon 5 fans.   Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 30 2006, 08:28 PM by sauer with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Movies

• Robert Downey Jr. is IRON MAN!!! in Marvel pictures first "Indie" film.

  It looks like all that Spiderman/X-men money has done Marvel really well. They will be releasing Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire Tony Stark. I guess this really isn't "Indie". I'm sure there is a lot of money being poured into this project. Ex-Swinger Jon Favreau will direct. I was never a huge fan of the Iron Man books, of course I never read any of them, so that could have been the problem.   Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 29 2006, 12:24 PM by sauer with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Movies

• Weekend Movies 09/29/06

  41% The Guardian - Um, what is with Kevin Costner and his "The <insert profession>" movies? I mean The Bodyguard, and my personal favorite The Postman (WTF was he thinking?) were both terrible, do we need to see him in another career change? 32% Open Season - Put another CGI in the book for 06. It's times like this where I'd wish we could get an actual non CG animated flick. 22% School for Scoundrels - Chances of this being good are slim. I like how the producers have added Ben Stiller's cameo performance in all the trailers. If it has Ben Stiller in it, it has to be funny, Right? Oh I forgot about that total turd of a movie Greed. Next week we get to see Dane Cook work at Costco, Scorsese remake an asian crime story, and another Texas Chainsaw Movie. Leatherface is the new Jason Vorhees. Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 29 2006, 12:08 PM by sauer with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Movies

• It's official, Gnarls Barkley is WAY overplayed.

  Ok, I really like St. Elsewhere, in fact it's probably one of the best pop records of the year. Yet somewhere between hearing "Crazy" at my local Publix, and now hearing it MULTIPLE times (at work) on the worst radio station in S.Florida (Y-100). I'm officially sick of them. It's amazing how such a great song, can become your absolute worst enemy once it becomes a radio smash. THIS is why people get upset when an artist "sells-out". It's not because we are mad that other "casual" music fans are digging our pride and joy, it's that these people just listen to the same damn songs again and again and again. If I hear this song one more time, I will go crazy, and the sad truth is that I will most likely hear it 3 more times just today! At least they have cooled down the James Blunt a little bit. Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 28 2006, 03:18 PM by sauer with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Music, Sauer Says

• Trailer - I'm a Cyborg, but that's O.K. (Park Chan-Wook)

  Can be found HERE. Not sure what to say, Oldboy of course was my favorite movie of last year. Lady Vengence is now on DVD, and now we have a trailer for his latestet. It looks pretty strange, but at this point I'm willing to give anything he does a chance. Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 28 2006, 11:11 AM by sauer with no comments Filed under: Movies

• Guitar Hero II confirmed for Xbox 360 with exclusive (wireless?) controller

  Well it looks like Xbox fans will be getting an exclusive version of Guitar Hero II. It's naturally assumed that the new guitar controller will be wireless, but at this point it's still not confirmed. Expect plenty of extra features from Xbox Live, including extra songs, leaderboards, extra guitars, characters, etc. The real question is at what cost?  Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 27 2006, 08:45 PM by sauer with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Music

• Microsoft announces a whole bunch of stuff at X06.

  Microsoft had plenty of new things to announce today, here are some of the highlights. - Peter Jackson will be working on a new Halo project (Halo 3?) as well as an exclusive game for the 360 - Halo Wars - a new Real-Time Stratagy Halo spin-off game in development - Grand Theft Auto 4 will have exclusive downloadable content via XBOX Live (PS3 fanboys weep) - BioShock and Next Splinter Cell (not double agent) Xbox 360 Exclusive (Question is for how long?) - New Rare Title : Banjo Kazooie 3 (Nintendo fanboys weep) - Doom comes to Xbox Live TODAY, with 4-player online deathmatch - HD-DVD Player coming in mid-november launching at $199.99 (a good deal, considering it will be on par with the PS3 price) Packed with King Kong HD (much better then Spiderman 2) and that's about it.  I think the biggest news is that Peter Jackson will be developing a Halo game, I wonder if this has anything to do with that Halo movie he's producing. The price of the HD-DVD player is also interesting. It's still up in the air on how the new format wars will pan out, I think the sale of these video game/HD movie consoles will play a large part. So what do you think? Does any of this make you more inclined to buy an Xbox 360 this year? Personally, I'm waiting until the format war has officially started before choosing sides. Halo is the new Mario Bros. Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 27 2006, 03:30 PM by sauer with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Games

• Toys R Us puts Nintendo Wii on "Hot Holiday Toy" List

  If you haven't realized, I'm really looking forward to Nintendo's latest console. It looks like Toys R Us is too. According to their new list, the Nintendo Wii will be a must buy this holiday season. A Toys R Us rep lists the systems family appeal and availability as key reasons. Why didn't the PS3 make the list? "The PlayStation 3 is really geared to a savvy gaming enthusiast," said Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman for Toys "R" Us, of the decision to add the Wii to the list. "The Wii system appeals to young kids as well as adults".   Just in case you're interested here is the list. The following is Toys "R" Us' "Fabulous 15" list of hot new toys for the 2006 holiday season: * Blue Man Group Percussion Tubes from ToyQuest, * Designer's World from Tiger Games, * Dora's Talking Cash Register from Fisher-Price, * ESPN Fast Action Football from Fisher-Price, * Kid-Tough Digital Camera from Fisher-Price, * Laugh & Learn Baby Grand Piano from Fisher-Price, * Mindstorms NXT from Lego, * My Scene My Bling Bling Styling Head from Mattel, * Pink Nitro Notebook from VTech, * Power Rangers Deluxe Manticore Megazord from Bandai, * Speed Stacks StackPack from Play Along, * Sound City Railway from Imaginarium, * Tap Dancing Mumble from Thinkway, * T.M.X. Elmo from Fisher-Price, and * Wii from Nintendo.  You can read more HERE Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 27 2006, 02:20 PM by sauer with no comments Filed under: Games

• DVD of the Week 09/26/06

  Ok, I'll admit, I haven't even seen this film yet. Though I have a hard time believeing that watching this film will waste your time. It's the final film of Cha-Wook Park's revenge trilogy, and it's sure to be dark and disturbing. Can't wait!! runner up:    Low budget horror fans will get a special treat this week with the release of the 2-disc special edition of the B-classic Street Trash. This film is really gross, but in that funny-disgusting kind of way. It won't impress most Scream fans, but the folks out there that love films like Dead Alive and The Toxic Avenger, will eat this up for breakfest. Watch out for flying penises. Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 26 2006, 11:48 AM by sauer with 9 comment(s) Filed under: Movies, Sauer Says

• J. Mascis and friends pay tribute to 70's Doom Metal on Witch.

  I don't know what's more surprising. J. Mascis (guitarist of Dinosaur Jr) doing a metal record, or J.Mascis playing drums instead of guitar. Even crazier is that vocals and all guitar work are played by the freak-folk group Feathers. Who who ever think that such a combination would turn out to be one of the best metal records I've heard all year. Now don't get confused, this isn't radio metal, or even modern underground metal. This is plain and simple, "Sabbath" metal. Much like recent bands Wolfmother and The Sword, Witch play tribute to the simpler times of Doom rock.  So what's the difference between Witch and these other retro-metal artists?     For one, Witch is ALL about the guitars. Vocal work is faint and rarely the main focus. No, it's the guitar riffs that get all the glory. Most songs contain little in the way of lyrics. This becomes pretty obvious in the epic eight minute opener, Seer. The track simply beats you down with a metal riff with just the hint of garage blues, very similar to old Sabbath. This, like most tracks, constantly build and build, until they eventually burst at the seems. It makes for a powerful and sludge filled listening experience. Most songs reference the obvious black magic, evil wizards, demon, all the rest of that fun stuff. You may even hear Ozzy-inspired evil laughter on a few tracks. While there are only seven tracks on the album, most of them are epic guitar battles that will leave you dizzy yet satisfied. Songs like Changing and Hand of Glory will remind you of why 70's metal was so much fun in the first place.     What makes Witch a successful record is it's faithfulness. It's never takes itself completely serious, but at the same time it doesn't go into excess arrogance either. The record comes off as a fun side project by a bunch of talented musicians, who probably learned how to play guitar by listening to bands like Sabbath and Venom. Most hardcore metalheads (do people still use that term?) will most likely look right past this release. This isn't Mastadon, but it isn't trying to be. However, fans of the way metal used to sound before hair bands and rap music got in the way, will find much to love on this rad debut. 8.0/10.0 - Will the REAL Black Sabbath fans please stand up? Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 25 2006, 04:24 PM by sauer with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Music

• Weekend Box Office 09/22-09/24/06

  1. Jackass 2 $ 28.1 Million NEW 2. Jet Li's Fearless $ 10.6 Million NEW 3. Gridiron Gang $ 9.7 Million $ 27.2 Million 4. Flyboys $ 6 Million NEW 5. Everyone's Hero $ 4.8 Million $ 11.6 Million 6. The Black Dahlia $ 4.4 Million $ 17.3 Million 7. All the King's Men $ 3.8 Million NEW 8. The Covenant $ 3.3 Million $ 20.3 Million 9. The Illusionist $ 3.3 Million $ 27.5 Million 10. Little Miss Sunshine $ 2.9 Million $ 50.3 Million     It should come to no surprise that Jackass 2 had the top spot this week. What's kind of interesting is that it made about 5+ million more then the first. It will be interesting to see how long this film stays in the top 10, I expect a pretty decent drop off next week. Flyboys bombed (no pun intended) with a $6 million opening. The film cost about $60 million to make. All the Kings didn't fair well either, but Jet Li's Fearless did pretty good for an martial arts flick. The boredom of September films continue next week with The Guardian, Open Season and School of Scoundrels. I keep wondering why Borat is being held until November.The film has been screened in several cities alraedy. It seems like another stupid marketing decision to me.   Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 25 2006, 11:37 AM by sauer with no comments Filed under: Movies

• The Office Returns!!!

  Call me a jerk, but television just doesn't do much for me. NBC's The Office is another story. Last night's season premiere was chockfull of offensive hillarity. When I heard that we would be getting a US version of the office, I admit I was pretty skeptical. Most US copycats are terrible. The Office breaks that norm. I was laughing a lot last night. Looking forward to the rest of the season. Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 22 2006, 01:00 PM by sauer with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Other Stuff

• "300" Trailer

  can be found HERE  Anything based on a Frank Miller Graphic Novel is OK in my book.   Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 22 2006, 05:34 PM by sauer with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Movies

• Get Ready for Jungle Cruise THE MOVIE!!!

  In the "lame idea for a movie" news, it looks like Jungle Cruise will be making it's big screen debut. OK, Pirates are one thing, but do we really need a Jungle Cruise Movie? I hope we get a really annoying tour guide that uses a lot of puns to complete the experience. Someone kill somebody. You can read all about this great idea for a film HERE Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 22 2006, 05:01 PM by sauer with 8 comment(s) Filed under: Movies

• Movies of the Week 09/22-09/24/06

  76% Fearless - A new Jet Li movie with good reviews? I'm a little shocked, but who knows. Jet Li is the older Tony Jaa. 69% Jackass: Number Two - If this movie doesn't make number 1 this week I'll be surprised. Despite the stupidity of these films, I have to admit that deep down inside I love'em. 33% Flyboys - The premise of this seemed interesting, but it looks like the critics could care less about it. 14% All The King's Men - I don't know enough about this film, but I do know Sean Penn is in it, and I'm sure he'll be nominated for something this year. LIMITED: 67% The Science of Sleep - Ooh Ooh, a new Michael Gondry film. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind was easily one fo my favorite films within the last few years. This isn't a Kaufman written film, but I'm sure we're still in for a visual treat. 69% Feast - Being one of the five people that watched the making of this film on Project Greenlight, consider me interested. The TV show made this out to be a trainwreck, but decent reviews have showed that maybe it actually did work out. Crazy enough the DVD comes out in 3 weeks, could you get any closer to Straight-to-Video? I'm sure it will be better then the crap they play on Sci-Fi Network. Share this post: Email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted Sep 22 2006, 04:47 PM by sauer with 6 comment(s) Filed under: Movies