With the recent passing of Sherwood Schwartz, it is fitting to honor his memory by highlighting a Sherwood trademark: Awful TV show; Terrific Theme Song. Combine a catchy three-minute ditty with a truly awful 24 minutes of predictable plots, unfunny comedy and horrendous acting, and you have a magic formula for high ratings and unforgettable childhood memories.
So without further ado, here goes The RP’s Top Five Awful Television Shows with Terrific Theme Songs:
5. (tie) The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale; here’s a story of a lovely lady…We start off with the Sherwood Schwartz Daily Double.
If you are between the ages of 35 and 50 and cannot recite every word of the two theme songs, then you either are suffering from dementia or compulsive lying disorder. These are the seminal melodies of my childhood, two songs that indelibly conjure up all of the joys and anxieties of prepubescence. But while the tunes hold up with time, the shows are simply a tribute to insipid plotting, acting and dialogue. And that’s the way, they became the Brady Bunch, right here on Gilligan’s Isle!
Here’s the magic:
SPECIAL!!! All 5 seasons of Brady Bunch theme songs:
4. The Beverly Hillbillies
A few weeks ago, I discussed a recent controversy when a candidate for statewide office in Kentucky was revealed to have made some unfunny, demeaning jokes about Eastern Kentuckians. That was pretty much the entire theme of this program, episode after episode, year after year. If some coastal elites don’t understand the heartland, it may be because of the pernicious stereotypes fed by this awful program. But the show had a fantastic theme song, a bluegrass ditty played and performed by the legendary Flatt and Scruggs.
Listen to this story about a man named Jed:
3. The Love Boat
OK, I admit it. My pre-high school Saturday night ritual was the double feature of The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. Pitiful, huh? Still, before I suffered through silly Gopher and ladies’ man Doc and hip cat Isaac, at least I was charmed by Jack Jones’ theme song. Thankfully, Aaron Spelling abandoned his vision to emerge as the next Sherwood Schwartz by dropping the catchy theme song motif by the time he produced Beverly Hills, 90210. Or maybe his daughter Tori insisted on it. Or that geek who’s somehow married to Megan Fox.
Anyway, for some love, exciting and new, climb aboard, we’re expecting you:
Read the rest of… The RP: The Top 5 Awful TV Shows with Terrific Theme Songs
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Mon Jul 25, 2011 at 2:00 PM ET
This is how it all began.
To me, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was on one hand impossible to make while simultaneously extremely easy to make. It was easy to make because in JK Rowling’s book, she tossed up several action sequences which begged to be made into incredibly suspenseful and intense action sequences in a hugely-budgeted film. On the other hand, this movie was impossible to make because given the source material, the film makers were hard pressed to give this series the ending it deserved. What I mean by that is this: JK Rowling’s final book roundly failed to deliver the closure for which fans of the series begged. She randomly and emotionlessly killed off major characters and failed to provide the “big 3” with the large scale resolution wanted, and at no point provided a satisfactory conclusion to the story of Albus Dumbledore. Given this, the film makers had to create something that was satisfying in a filmographical sense which failed on a literary level.
Wait, THAT GUY used to be the dorky guy from the first movie?
As far as the good moments went, I felt like the film did a fantastic job. When I read the book, I thought four scenes were developed especially for the film adaptation: Malfoy Manor, the robbery of Gringotts, the sacking of Hogwarts, and the scene at King’s Cross. The only scene of these which took place in Part I was Malfoy Manor, and I thought that scene was far and away the best in the film. The remaining scenes, which took place in Part II, were riveting, and provided more satisfaction (due entirely to visuals: the book was a template for a film rather than a true literary experience, IMO) than the book. I don’t want to give anything away, but suffice it to say that Neville Longbottom seemed far more heroic in the film than in the book.
As far as the difficult pieces, the film did a decent job. The ending of the book was laughable, if not down-right aggravating. I can remember reading the book and trying to muster up some tears for the ending of this series, which had spanned my entire childhood, and failing to do so. The film was not heart-wrenching, but given the source material, I felt relatively invested in the ending–more so than I did in the book. It is a shame that Ms. Rowling failed to adequately develop characters such as Ginny Weasley and Tonks, it is too bad that she killed off major characters without much fanfare, and it is too bad that she felt it necessary to murder the comic relief (seriously, if JRR Tolkien had murdered Pippin, we would have skewered him too). In parts, the film seems to mock the book’s ridiculous twists by giving slight references to major deaths.
In the end, if you are a fan of the series, seeing this film is necessary. Ms. Rowling and her compatriots at Warner Bros. have woven an amazing portrait of characters and situations which yearns for closure. It is a shame that the resolution they provide is so lacking–but it is what we have. If you, however, have not read the books or seen any of the films to this point, avoid this film. It is “Part II” of film which is the 7th part in a 7th part series. If you are unfamiliar with it, you will be entirely lost. And in addition, it isn’t all that great.
There is no way that those pictures are of the same person.
I wish I could chalk all this pessimism up to the fact that I am a 24 year old man watching a film made for children–but I can’t. Rowling’s work has been praised for its accessibility to audiences of all ages. The most tragic part of the conclusions to this series is that we know–down in the depth of our souls–that Rowling had the story-telling talents to give us an incredible conclusion to an amazing series, and failed to do so. It was my great hope in 2007 that she would write us another novel from the perspective of Neville Longbottom about this time period. However, as it becomes less and less likely that Ms. Rowling will ever write another novel, and that the resolution we have is the only one we will ever get, it makes me a little sad.
This has been cross posted from my personal blog, which you can find here.
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Tue Jul 19, 2011 at 3:30 PM ET
The Politics of Film
Amazingly enough, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II won the box office weekend. WHO COULD HAVE THUNK IT? [Movie Web]
Sigourney Weaver wants to do another Alien film. Good idea or bad idea? I say good idea. [Toronto Sun]
Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, The Godfather Part II) is making a new film called Twixt, which is based on a dream he had. Starring in it will be Elle Fanning, who recently played the little girl in Super 8. /Film has some pictures from it. It looks crazy. [/Film]
The new, secret, Sarah Palin documentary came out this weekend. It grossed about $65,000. That’s not a lot of money, even for a documentary that opened in selected theaters. Is that because the film opened against Harry Potter, or because, you know, its about Sarah Palin? [The Atlantic]
Rupert Murdoch is in a lot of trouble. In addition to running newspapers, heading up Fox News, and wiretapping phones, he also makes a lot of movies. Here is a fun post that asks the question “What if we prosecuted Murdoch on the quality of his films alone?” [The Guardian]
The newest Quintin Tarantino film, Django Unchained, is coming into focus. We already know that it will star Jaime Foxx as a runaway slave, who is then trained by a German hitman (Christoph Waltz) on how to kill evil plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his equally evil pit boss (previously unknown). That final spot is apparently going to go to Kevin Costner–who, as this piece says, could fill the same sort of role as John Travolta did in Pulp Fiction. [Film Junk]
Now that the Harry Potter series is over, what’s next for Emma Watson? Apparently she is attached to Guillermo Del Toro’s new adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. I wonder if Watson will learn a French accent, or if this will be another one of those pictures in which “European” is code for “British.” [IFC.com]
Ron Howard has been talking a big game about adapting the Steven King series The Dark Tower into a film/TV franchise for the better part of a year. Now, however, it seems like the deal is dead. Poor Ron Howard. He should just get to work on making the Arrested Development movie. [The Movie Blog]
By Will Allison, on Wed Jul 6, 2011 at 10:30 AM ET
Hello there! My name is Will Allison, and Jonathan has quite generously offered to let me blog at RP. I thought I’d use my inaugural piece to fill readers in on who I am, and where I am coming from.
You might be wondering…who? Well, first and foremost, I am a proud native son of Louisville, KY. I grew up in the Highlands, in a family that passionately mixed politics with the arts. My father was a civil rights attorney, my mother an actress and acting teacher. If we weren’t at Actor’s Theatre, we were at a rally at Memorial Hall. One of my earliest memories is watching my mother perform in a one-woman show, portraying the South African anti-apartheid activist Ruth First. I guess you could say that experience was emblematic of my parents’ activism, and the values they taught their children.
Both of my sisters entered the arts, so as I became a teenager, I tried to take a different path, focusing on writing rather than politics or the theatre. However, I was quickly drawn back to the stage, attending the Youth Performing Arts School and falling in love all over again with Euripides and Stephen Sondheim alike. Assured I would become the next Ralph Fiennes, I journeyed far after high school from Louisville to Boston to continue my acting training. I had some great moments with Pinter, Brecht, Kaufman, Shakespeare and others. Assured I would become the next Philip Seymour Hoffman, I journeyed (not so) far after college from Boston to New York, to take the world by storm.
Well, that didn’t pan out so much. So, I turned back to the other family business.
Jane Hoffman
In the spring of 2002, I joined Democrat Jane Hoffman’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor of NY State as a junior staffer. It’s worth pointing out that joining any Democrat’s campaign for anything in the spring of 2002 was a risky proposition at best. The city was still reeling from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. George W. Bush had poll numbers in the stratosphere. Locally, Republican Rudy Giuliani had gone from disgraced philanderer and failed Senate candidate to “America’s Mayor”. And Gov. George Pataki was cruising to re-election for a third term with more money than any opponent could compete with. All three men were wielding 9/11 as a deadly political weapon, and doing it brilliantly (if cynically).
But Jane was a compelling presence on the stump, a dedicated Consumer Affairs Commissioner, and a highly telegenic figure. As the summer campaign wore on, we felt we had at least an outsider’s shot of upsetting the establishment candidates in the race. That feeling ended the day Jane announced she had become very ill with a rare eye disease, and the campaign would have to end. A campaign without a victory is by its very nature a sad place to be, but I can’t recall a sadder way to end a campaign than that.
Read the rest of… Will Allison: Let’s Begin the Conversation
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Tue Jul 5, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
The Politics of Film
I see a lot of movies. More than most people I know. Every few weeks, I write in this space about all the movies I’ve seen, and whether or not I would recommend that you go see them also. Here is my rundown for the past few weeks:
Midnight in Paris: I have recommended that several people go see this film. It was nice, but I disagree with the people who have given it huge rave reviews. Woody Allen quit acting in his own movies a few years ago, and has resorted to using Woody Allen stand-ins in all of his films to date, and Owen Wilson doesn’t fit the mold very well. In my opinion, he is too attractive, and doesn’t come across as intelligent enough. However, the magic-realism interplay of the film was fantastic and the cameos are very enjoyable, but I had a hard time connecting with many of the characters. However, if you are looking for a film to see this weekend, this is the best thing playing at the multi-plex.
The Green Lantern: I love comic books. When comic book movies became a huge fad, I was thrilled. However, the genre has lost a lot of luster over the past few years, and this film showcases exactly what is wrong with comic book films in general. In essence, comic books are soap operas, which are totally dependent on putting well-developed characters into situations. Films, on the other hand, are a blank slate and require character development, plot, and resolution to be delivered in two hours. The Green Lanterns is the most soap-opera-esque of all comic books. This film isn’t good. It scraps the basis of the comic book, which ….es off Green Lantern fans, and the replaces the story with something terrible, which makes everyone else mad. There is a place for comic book films in the future, but they should be fan service, and try not to be cultural revolutions. Hopefully this film kills off the $10 million marketing campaigns for comic book films.
The Tree of Life: Terrence Malick is a genius. This film elevates how we talk about film. This film has drawn a lot of comparisons to poetry, but I disagree with that. This film is a wholly different medium of film than the narrative films which populate theaters. For what this film is–a non-linear narrative full of contemplation and imagery–it is fantastic. In my opinion, it is a homily on the book of Job, and it was very moving for me as a person of faith. The film’s most incredible aspect is its ability to move emotions using the elements of film, including jump cuts, voice-over, sound/music overplaying visuals, etc. The film is purely auteur, and all the problems of this film arise from that. Some elements are so dense and some visuals so obtuse that they are impenetrable–but these are common problems in auteur films, and are fairly minimized. These problems are much bigger in any Goddard or Fellini film, for example. Without a doubt, this is the best film of 2011 to date. In reality, it’s not close. I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t win Best Picture. In my opinion, I haven’t seen a better film since 2009.
Cars 2: This film has been reviewed poorly, and I went into this film thinking that it probably suffered from baring the Pixar brand. Expectations are very high for that studio, and I thought it would be “not good for Pixar, but still good.” I was dead wrong. Pixar films in the past have been able to move people emotionally based on their characters and their plots. There are several moments in every Pixar film where anyone–man or woman, child or adult–is either holding back tears or weeping openly. This film has none of those moments, and really doesn’t even try to develop them. Every bit of the film reeks as though it is cashing in on the Cars name–even the short film preceding the film, which was entitled (and I’m not kidding about this) Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation. The first Cars, which was to date the worst Pixar film, is easily 10 times better that this film. There is no commentary or psychological evaluation in this film, and it lack any semblance of heart. It’s just not good, and it’s far below expectations for Pixar films.
In today’s Facebook culture, we all have an opportunity to share with the world our favorite pop culture: books, magazines, musicians, movies, etc. Head to my page, and you get a candid look at the artists and writers whom I enjoy — from Springsteen to Twain to Tony Soprano.
But while I don’t mislead my “friends,” I must admit — particularly from my previous political perch — that I’ve never engaged in full pop culture disclosure. Indeed, I have some unusual favorite acts and shows about which I’m a little embarrassed to admit.
Since part of my recovery as a recovering politician is complete candor, I will now finally admit some of my most guilty pop culture pleasures. I hope you still respect me in the morning.
Here goes:
5. ” I Want it That Way,” The Backstreet Boys
A boy band? Why are you looking at me like that? First of all, two of BSB are Kentucky boys; one’s even from Lexington. Sure they’re purty. And frankly I can’t stand most of their music. But have you ever listened to this song? The harmonies are exquisite, the lyrics are charming, and the performance is pitch-perfect. I even get a little verklempt listening to it. So what if I make sure my car windows are closed before I start belting the chorus along with them? I am proud to finally admit it — I want it that way!
4. People Magazine
Finally, 20 years of blackmail by my barber are over. No longer will I hide my People underneath a Sports Illustrated cover. I will revel in the celebrity-friendly gossip, the true tales of ordinary bravery or tragedy, the truly significant debate over who is really the sexiest man alive! (My vote still goes to George Clooney.) While I never touch the mean-spirited tabloids, and I’ve outgrown the uber-sophomoronic lad mags, I will now fully embrace my inner fanboy and simply accept that a haircut is not complete unless I have scoured two Peoples. And I dare you to try to resist its all-American charm.
3. MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenges
If Real World is the grandaddy of reality programming, than this “spinoff” is its seriously deranged cousin. I’ve recently grown tired of the standard Real World formula: take 7 great looking, stupid young people, give them lots of alcohol and watch them fight and “hook up.” The Challenges take the prettiest, the stupidest, and the least alcohol-resistant, take them to an exotic location, ply them with booze, place them in ridiculous competitions, and offer the “winner” loads of money. Watch them scheme, backstab, betray, and otherwise destroy each other. What results is the week’s funniest 60 minutes of television.
Read the rest of… The RP’s Top 5 Guilty Pleasures: What Are Yours?
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Tue Jun 28, 2011 at 3:30 PM ET
The Politics of Film
I went to see Cars 2 over the weekend. It is terrible. I don’t understand how Pixar, who up until this point had never made a bad film, did such a shoddy job with this film. The best part of Cars 2 was the preview for their next film, Brave, which will hit theaters next summer. You can watch the trailer at the link. [The Movie Blog]
The film world lost a key member last week when Peter Falk died. Falk was probably most famous for playing Columbo on television, but he earned back to back Best Supporting Actor nominees, and was also in two of my favorite films: The Princess Bride and It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. [Film Junk]
Clint Eastwood has been slated to (re-)re-make A Star Is Born with Beyonce Knowles starring. The original remake (OXYMORON ALERT) starred Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Which may be an even more random pairing than Beyonce and DiCaprio. [Guardian]
As a kid, I loved the Lois Lowry book The Giver. A film adaptation is apparently in the works with Jeff Bridges playing the old guy who feels everybody’s pain. I am excited about this. [/Film]
One time I asked my room mate what his favorite movie was. He thought for a second and replied “Quintin Tarantino.” I echo that sentiment–all of his films are amazing and I love everything he has ever directed. His next picture is entitled Django Unchained and is set during slavery in Mississippi. It’s the story of an escaped slave who meets with a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter and tries to rescue his wife. How Tarantino-esque! Christoph Waltz, who shined bright as Hans Landa in Tarantino’s last picture Inglourious Basterds will play the bounty hunter, and news has been released saying Jamie Foxx will play the escaped slave. I am excited about this, too. [Deadline]
Joel Courtney has received rave reviews for his work as the kid from Super 8. He has now been tapped to play Tom Sawyer in an upcoming adaptation of the Mark Twain classic. Since our last viewing of these stories involved Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfro, I am also excited about this. [Movie Line]
Today’s list emerges from my admission a few weeks ago that I never liked John Edwards because he reminded me of the pretty-boy jock in high school whom I envied and privately despised. Turns out there were other — less personally insecure — reasons to object to the former Senator.
But this journey of introspection into my high school-based shallow steretoyping — as I argue, a trait that most every human shares — has helped me understand why I unfairly disliked other pop culture figures, and how age and hopefully wisdom has helped me understand the error of my ways.
As you read my list of the Top Five Pretty Boys that I Begrudgingly Admire, I encourage you to think about whether you apply a similarly unfair standard to high-profile celebrities. Or whether I’m just full of Freudian psycho-babble.
Here goes:
5. Alec Baldwin
As a youth delegate to the 1988 Democratic National Convention (my first of six), I had two brushes with greatness. First, I stayed at the same hotel and shared an elevator with Rob Lowe (who just barely missed this list) at the height of his fame. (I learned a few months later that he temporarily derailed his career a few floors below my room in an encounter with an underage girl.) Second, was my attending a speech to our delegation by a then-unknown-to-me supporting actor in a movie I hadn’t seen (Married to the Mob). My frustration at attracting merely a C-list actor was heightened by the cliched bromides the pretty boy shouted at crowd. I grew to despise Alec Baldwin. His ridiculous marriage to the gorgeous town-purchasing Kim Basinger, and his dramatic movie career in which he seemed to always play the same arrogant pretty man that I assumed him to be in real life only accentuated my feelings. And then he gained a bunch of weight. I ended my Baldwin boycott, and watched his hilarious hosting turns on Saturday Night Live (Ahh.. Schwetty Balls), and his frankly brilliant portrayal of Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock (I still think this scene in which he performs family therapy for Tracy Morgan is his finest work.) The man is a comedic genius. And in re-watching Glengarry Glen Ross, I’m forced to admit, the pretty boy can act. (Coffee is for closers!)
4. Tom Brady
Growing up in Kentucky before the advent of the Tennessee Titans, the logical NFL team to support was the Cincinnati Bengals. OK, stop laughing. As ESPN The Magazine just ackowledged by rating the Bungles the very worst professional sports franchise — 122nd place to be exact — I was forced to find another team. After a childhood infatuation with the Dallas Cowboys, I ultimately settled on my college-area team, the New England Patriots. That, of course, was an uninspired choice for more than a decade; until 2001, when it looked like the team had the makings of a champion. Then our quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, went down, and was replaced by the unheralded pretty-boy in his second season, Tom Brady. I refused to give him credit for that Super Bowl win, and the rings he won in 2004 and 2005 were overshadowed in my mind by his dumping the pregnant Bridget Moynahan for the supermodel Gisele. But Brady kept improving, winning MVP awards and leading the Pats to an almost-perfect 2007 season. I gave up. I’m a Brady fan. No matter how pretty he is.
(WARNING: Next Pretty Boy Picture –after the jump — is NSFW)
Read the rest of… The RP: Top 5 Pretty Boys I Begrudgingly Admire
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
The Politics of Film
I see a lot of movies. More than almost anyone else I know. This is probably because I am broke and out of work and $4.25 for a ticket to a movie is the cheapest entertainment around. Whatever the case may be, I have seen a lot of the films out right now, and if you can’t decide whether or not to catch a movie this week, let these short reviews help you decide.
Super 8 – This film, written and directed by Lost‘s JJ Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, is a mix between ET, The Goonies, and Cloverfield, with a healthy dash of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The resulting film is astounding. The mixture really works–it is a terrifying horror film at parts, and an endearing coming of age film in other parts. The child actors really shine–their friendships are very believable and the relationship between them and their parents seem real–to the point where I can remember having conversations with my parents which exactly mimic those in the film. This film is incredibly approachable–whether you are on a date, or looking to take your grandparents to see a movie, you won’t go wrong with this choice. A quick caveat: several of my female friends who are very into film had strange reservations about this film–so, if you are a girl, think twice.
X-Men: First Class – I tried really hard NOT to like this film. After being a little underwhelmed by Thor earlier this summer, I thought that comic book films were wearing too thin on me. However, I couldn’t help but like this film. Michael Fassbender does absolutely fantastic in this film–to the point where you root for Magneto by the end of the film. James McAvoy turns in a good performance also, and Kevin Bacon plays a fantastic 1960s villain. Though the film gets a little crowded with the supporting mutants, I felt connected enough to all the characters to enjoy the film. This film is a prequel, and I believe prequels ought to have a sense or foreboding which eventually results in the problem encountered in the original film. This movie does a good job with that–the tension between Fassbender and McAvoy is done very well.
The Hangover Part II – As you have probably heard by now, this film is exactly like the first one, but in Thailand. Though the scale was much bigger, and the setting was different, this film didn’t work for me because it attempts to rehash literally every plot point from the first film, down to extremely minute details. I laughed in parts–but not a lot. The characters worn extremely thin in this too–I don’t understand how Bradley Cooper became a leading man–his career must be charmed or something. I don’t really find Zack Galifianakis funny, and the Paul Giamatti cameo really fell flat in my opinion. If you are in the mood for a comedy, go see Bridesmaids instead.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Every once in a while there is a character that an actor or writers love, which causes that character to live longer than he should (for instance, Rocky Balboa). Jack Sparrow has become the newest iteration of this phenomenon. I knew this going into this film, and you ought to as well. If you go to see this film, don’t expect anything incredible. Buy some popcorn and a soda, kick back, and let it wash over you. There is absolutely nothing in this film that is any different than the first three Pirates films, but I still managed not to hate it. You don’t like Jack Sparrow nearly as much as Johnny Depp does, but if you are anything like me, you like him alright–probably even enough to go see Pirates 5.
Bridesmaids – I laughed more in this film than I have in any other film this year. I have been a huge Kristen Wiig fan for a very long time, but I was worried that her “I’mCRAZY!”schtick wouldn’t translate well to film. But in this film, she didn’t rely on her character at all–and she was still hilarious and awesome. This film was produced by Judd Apatow (Superbad, Pineapple Express, Knocked Up) and folks were worried that making his brand of film about women wouldn’t work–but it really did. I am not a woman, and therefore cannot really comment about what female friendships are like–but this seemed real. All the performances were top notch, but the show stealer for me was Melissa McCarthy (The Gilmore Girls). She was absolutely hilarious in every scene which she was in. Finally, I think a lot of female comedies seem to be afraid to portray their characters as attractive (for instance, Tina Fey always talks about how she is fat in 30 Rock, which doesn’t make sense to me). This film doesn’t do that–Kristen Wiig is hooking up with Jon Hamm in the first scene, which I think is a very refreshing take on how casual relationships work in the real world (ie, not ugly old men and bombshell blond ladies).
Thor – I had very high expectations of this film. Kenneth Branaugh is one of my favorite people in film–I watched his Hamlet when I was a kid and went through a weird Shakespeare phase. Unfortunately, this film failed to meet my expectations. The performances were great–Chris Hemsworth plays a fantastic Thor, Kat Dennings is great, Natalie Portman does a fine job, and Idris Elba was epic (in the few scenes where he appears)–but the story falls a little flat. The story is okay, but it seems a little condensed and a little crowded. Things kept happening, and I never really got a chance to connect with many of the characters in the way in which I wanted them too. However, the films visuals are stunning. Asgard looks great–and I really like how it emphasizes the technological aspects of the mythology over the magical. In reality, this film suffered in my eyes because I expected it to be too good. If you don’t make the same mistake, you will be fine.
Like I said, I watch too many movies. I hope this helps you pick something out for this weekend.
I do a film podcast/radio show, which you can listen to here. We are fun, and the show is entertaining. I promise!
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Mon Jun 6, 2011 at 3:30 PM ET
The Politics of Film
I love Quintin Tarantino. If you like movies, you probably do too. His last film, Inglourious Basterds, was the first film in which Michael Fassbender really shined. Fassbender is in the new X-Men film out now, and is fantastic in the film. Rumor has it that he will join up with Tarantino again in Tarantino’s next picture: Django Unchained. Color me excited. [The Movie Blog]
The blog Film Junk has a nice rundown of the box office from last weekend with a few interesting insights: The Hangover: Part II, dropped off more than 60% in the second weekend, and X-Men: Origins grossed less than any of the previous four X-Men films on its opening weekend (after inflation is taken into account). What does all this mean? [Film Junk]
Here is an interesting article from The Guardian about documentary film making. With fewer and fewer people going out to see documentaries, it is harder and harder to profit from making these important works. Read this to see how film makers are coping with this new reality. [The Guardian]
Don’t text in the movies. It’s super distracting to see a bright screen in the corner of one’s eye while trying to watch a film. The Austin theater Alamo Drafthouse has a simple rule: if you text in the theater, they kick you out. This happened to somebody, and they got upset, and left a voice mail. The Alamo Drafthouse is now running that voice mail as a PSA before their R-Rated films. Be careful if you watch the video, though, its certainly R-Rated. [/Film]
3. The Love Boat
