“Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates to invention. It shocks us out of sheeplike passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving."-John Dewey
Another Descent Into...
The Runaways(2010)-I am a huge fan of The Runaways. Lita Ford(junior high school crush#1), Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Sandy West, and a revolving number of bass players made for a dirty three-chord rock-n-roll band whos music is as timeless as it was thirty years ago. Like most popular groups, sooner or later, a movie had to be done. An inaccurate, by-the-numbers movie.
The film opens with Cherie (Dakota Fanning) and her sister, Marie Currie (Riley Keough), as Cherie has just got her first period. Marie's boyfriend, Derek (Brendan Sexton III), picks up the sisters from Marie's job at "Pup n' Fries" and Marie announces to him that Cherie has gotten her period. Angry at her sister for telling, she informs Derek that Marie is not wearing any underwear. Later, Cherie is seen cutting her hair in a shag and putting on face makeup in an attempt to create a look resembling Bowie on the cover of Aladdin Sane (the cover is shown on her wall as a poster). The scene is accompanied by scenes of Joan huffing marijuana with her girlfriend. Cherie is later seen lip-syncing David Bowie's Lady Grinning Soul at the school talent show and is the target of paper balls, to which Cherie reacts by flipping off the crowd, but wins the talent show.
Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) is making out with a guy outside a club when she sees record producer, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon). Joan approaches him and talks about starting an all-girl rock band. Kim is interested and introduces Joan to Sandy West (Stella Maeve), a drummer. Joan and Sandy become friends and start jamming when Kim suggests that they recruit a hot blonde in the vein of Brigitte Bardot.
Do I know you? Oh yeah, you were suppose to take care of me once or twice a week not when it is convenient!
Another Descent Into...
Happy Anniversary Jo, I love you!
My Pittsburgh Steelers Season Preview-When last I left the greatest team of the Super Bowl-era, they had just defeated the Miami Dolphins 30-24 and thanks to piss-poor defense in the 4th quarter all season long, they sat home, missing out on the playoffs for the second time in five years. However, hope springs eternal. This off-season the Steelers played Back to the Future and brought back both Larry Foote and Antwaan Randall-El. I think with Big Ben on the shelf for four, possibly six games,bringing back these comfortable shoes was a good idea on the Rooneys part.
I see a vastly improved offensive line giving go-to guy Rhasard Mendenhall huge holes and keep either Bryon Leftwich or Dennis Dixon upright, something they failed to do with #7 the past two years. The wide receiving core will be underrated now that Santonio Holmes has been sent packing to the Jets. Mike Wallace and Randall-El will surprise many a secondary this year and I think Hines Ward, my boy, can eek out another 1,000 yrd season.
The biggest problem will be, surprisingly, the defense. Last year, they seemed to forget football is played in 4 quarters and blew many a comfy lead. The line is aging and the corners are a step slower than they have been in past years. Will Troy be the glue that holds these guys together?
I think the Steelers have it in them to finish 10-6 and clinch a wild-card berth. Sadly, I don't see them winning number 7 this year as the defense has way too many ?'s marks for them to be effective. However, I hope I'm wrong!
The Expendables(2010)-Wow! I was expected a subtle, intelligence, thought-provoking film and I get this? DAMN STRAIGHT! So many action stars, so little movie. It's a good thing though. Stallone in his Rambo-esqe glory leads a ragtag bunch into a Latin American country to overthrow a dictator. That's about it for storyline. With this film, just sit back, laugh at the cheesy taglines,cry with the all-too-brief interaction between Rocky and The Terminator(original), and enjoy the explosions. It is a trip down 80s memory lane that will have you going, Dolph! Dolph! Dolph!
8/10
The Cinema Snob-
In my most recent absence, The Snob has posted two brand new vids, the latter being his 100th episode.
The Expendables...No not that The Expendables. This one features a lower budget, bad actors, and about the same amount of explosions as the 2010 version.
Caligula, Part I...This is Brad Jones'(a.k.a The Cinema Snob) favorite movie. So how does he make fun of his darling? Quite well. This is so good, it required him to break this into two parts. Look for cameos from all involved in his web shows.
Hey, don't I know you from somewhere? Oh yeah, you were my vacation. I'll see you again next week....
Another Descent Into...
My Vacation, Part I-
Oh by the time I went back to work Wednesday, I felt more relaxed then Hugh Hefner in the girls shower. It was so nice to go back home to Pittsburgh to explore things I had never discovered in the ol' hometown. Jo and I went the Carnegie Science Center, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, ate at a Primanti Bros., visited the zoo where I saw my dad(lol, j/k) but the centerpiece of the 'Burgh was KISS!
Other than a few bad steps in the beginning and a rather bad one at the end where the confetti went off a bit premature, the show was awesome! Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer fill in quite nicely for the departed Ace and Peter, Paul had some vocal problems, and Gene screwed up some words, but nothing to get in a twist over.
Dinner For Schmucks- Normally, I don't have alot of respect for newer comedies. I find them playing from an old playbook developed by Revenge of the Nerds, Animal House and Porky's. Steve Carell vehicles are really no different, but in his case, he convinces me he could stand along side those classic films of old.
Tim (Rudd) is a mid-level financial executive, who acquires a negotiation over special novelty lamps with wealthy Swiss businessman Mueller (Walliams). Impressed by Tim's ingenuity, his boss Fender (Greenwood) invites him to a "dinner for winners" in which he must find an eccentric person with a special talent to invite; the winner earns a trophy and the executive that brought him or her gets glory. He soon learns it is more of a "dinner for idiots", and the guests will be mocked mercilessly. Meanwhile, Tim's girlfriend Julie (Szostak) lands a curator deal for eccentric artist Keiran Vollard (Clement), and Tim unsuccessfully proposes to her, as he has done several times before. After learning of the cruel nature of the dinner, Julie forces him not to attend.
The next day, Tim accidentally hits IRS employee Barry (Carell) with his car when Barry tries to retrieve a dead mouse in the road. Witnessing Barry's bizarre behavior (he stuffs mice and arranges them into elaborate dioramas), Tim realizes he is perfect for the dinner. That night, Barry shows up at Tim's apartment unannounced, and accidentally invites over Darla (Punch), a woman of Tim's who is stalking him. Barry attempts to send away Darla, but mistakes Julie for Tim's stalker, giving Julie the mistaken impression that Tim is cheating on her. Tim and Barry chase her down to Vollard's ranch, where he accidentally offends Barry (which further hurts his and Julie's relationship), but he makes amends and they go to the dinner with Mueller, despite a disastrous lunch that afternoon.
Barry is a hit with the group and is a shoo-in for the trophy, but unexpectedly his boss and rival Thurman (Galifianakis) arrives and displays his "mind control" power over Barry. After that, Tim tells Barry everything, and after some encouragement, gets Barry to win, before causing his boss and fellow executives to reveal the truth and cause havoc. Tim is fired, as is Julie after Barry makes Vollard realize it would be a problem to have her. In the end, Tim marries Julie, Barry gets in a relationship with Darla, does some artwork with Vollard, and hosts a monthly "breakfast for champions" for all of the "losers". Thurman gets a new book in the mental hospital, as well as Tim getting a new museum started in Switzerland for Mueller. After the credits, it is revealed Fender's company has gone under and Forbes Magazine has named him the "World's Biggest Loser."
If not for Carell's goofball acting, this film would be middling at best, but he saves the film from itself.
8/10
The Cinema Snob-
The Snob was a busy bee while I was away. 3 posts await your viewing
Hell's Bloody Devil's-
This late-60's bikersplotation film features Colonel Sanders in a cameo role. Seriously!
Redneck Zombies-
The director could've easily have cast customers from a southern Wal-Mart.
Super Hornio Brothers
Yep! A parody of the piece of garbage featuring Ron Jeremy. God help me!
Hope to post during Vacation, Part II next week in which I get to reviewing Mars Attacks!
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