Film: The Gift

GENRE: Mystery/Thriller

RATING: R for language
RUNTIME: 1 hours and 48 minutes

STARRING: Jason Bateman (Juno, Horrible Bosses, Bad Words)

Rebecca Hall (The Town), Joel Edgerton (Great Gatsby, Exodus)

DIRECTOR: Joel Edgerton (newcomer)

WRITER: Joel Edgerton (newcomer)

PLOT: A couple is ‘terrorized’ by an old acquaintance.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 It’s fun seeing Bateman in non-comedy roles. I like that he diversifies. He does a good job in this film. Reminded me a bit of his work in Juno.

2 Not bad for Edgerton’s first real crack at writing and directing. He is also plays creepy pretty well.

3 There are a bunch of small twists and such throughout the story, but most them could probably be predicted. However, there were a few in the audience who literally jumped at parts.

4 If you go running every day, why not take your dog with you? He could probably use the exercise and would enjoy being outdoors.

5 Instead of slowly exploring your house every time you hear a noise and freaking yourself out, consider investing in a security system.

RECOMMENDATION: Watch at home
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Fall Movie and TV previews

Ultimate Television Schedule

While there are a few shows that have new episodes in the summer they seem to be packing them all in on Wednesdays and Sundays. It’s kind of a bizarre schedule. It got me thinking what the ultimate television schedule would look like for me. So I went through all the shows I’ve watched before and created one. Of course, I had to make some rules to follow. Each show had to have been on the specific scheduled night for a portion of their run. I allowed one hour of PVR taping so I wouldn’t miss out on some of my favourites. I also included their best season in my opinion. Netflix shows didn’t count because they can be watched on any night. Here we go:

Sunday

7pm     Brooklyn Nine-Nine (S2) / Arrested Development (S3)

8pm     Alias (S1)

9pm     Breaking Bad (S5)

10pm   Game of Thrones (S4)

PVR    Amazing Race (S7)

Sunday is always one of the busiest nights with so many cable offerings from HBO and such. This was probably one of the hardest nights to narrow down. Luckily, Sunday programming includes the 7pm time slot, so I can include some awesome comedies.

Monday

8pm     Big Bang Theory (S3) / How I Met Your Mother (S2)

9pm     Chuck (S2)

10pm   Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (S1)

PVR    House (S4)

Monday is one of the more eclectic nights with comedy, action and drama. A great way to start the week.

Tuesday

8pm     Scrubs (S1) / Sports Night (S1)

9pm     Buffy the Vampire Slayer (S3)

10pm   Angel (S5)

PVR    Frasier (S5) / Just Shoot Me (S3)

Due to my Joss Whedon crush, the two hour Buffy/Angel block was a given. The comedies balance it all out nicely.

Wednesday

8pm     Veronica Mars (S1)

9pm     Lost (S3)

10pm   The West Wing (S2)

PVR    Friday Night Lights (S1)

Talk about an intense night of drama.

Thursday

8pm     Friends (S5) / Community (S3)

9pm     Cheers (S10) / Seinfeld (S7)

10pm   The Office (S2) / Parks & Recreation (S2)

PVR    Cosby Show (S2) / 30 Rock (S2)

So many comedies to choose from, so little time. And if you’re wondering about The Cosby Show, I feel the recent allegations don’t detract from his amazing sitcom.

Friday

8pm     Firefly (S1)

9pm     X-Files (S6)

10pm   Battlestar Galactica (S3)

PVR    Wonderfalls (S1)

It’s genre night. Would have loved to have seen more Wonderfalls and Firefly.

Saturday

8pm     Diff’rent Strokes (S6) / nothing

9pm     Doctor Who (S4)

10pm   Orphan Black (S1)

PVR    Don’t need to

Not as much to watch on a Saturday night. I couldn’t find a good comedy for the 8:30pm slot. Golden Girls is good and all but not ultimate worthy.

What’s your ultimate television schedule?

Film: Ant-Man

GENRE: Action, Adventure

RATING: PG-13 for action violence
RUNTIME: 1 hours and 57 minutes

STARRING: Paul Rudd (This is 40, Anchorman, Clueless)

Michael Douglas (The Game, Wall Street); Corey Stoll (House of Cards)

DIRECTOR: Peyton Reed (Yes Man, Bring It On)

WRITERS: Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead), Joe Cornish (Tintin, Hot Fuzz)

Adam McKay (Anchorman, The Other Guys) & Paul Rudd (Role Models)

PLOT: A burglar is recruited by a scientist to use a shrinking suit to stop a villain from using the same technology to destroy the world. Simple, eh?

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 While the overall concept for this movie is pretty silly, Rudd’s humour and charm pull it off. Michael Douglas also brings it. It is a very fun film to watch. You will be pleasantly surprised.

2 I know one of the Thomas the Train jokes are used in the trailer, but the entire sequence is full of great moments.

3 I love the Avenger references in this movie. From comments to a confrontation. It’s all done very well.

4 Abby Ryder Fortson (Togetherness, Transparent, The Whispers) is adorable as Rudd’s daughter in this film. And is Judy Greer everyone’s mother now? She just played the mom in Jurassic World. I guess she just has that mom type attitude.

5 I’ve never hid the fact that I just don’t like Evangeline Lilly. She was okay in The Hobbit but not much else. I sure hope she doesn’t continue on in the Avengers universe because that will bum me out. What I hated even more than Lilly was her stupid bob hair-cut. I shudder to think on it.

RECOMMENDATION: Fun for theatre & home

UPCOMING REVIEWS: The Walk

Film: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

GENRE: Action

RATING: PG-13 for action violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 11 minutes

STARRING: Tom Cruise (Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow)

Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead); Rebecca Ferguson (Hercules)

DIRECTOR: Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher)

WRITER: Christopher McQuarrie (Usual Suspects, Valkyrie)

PLOT: Ethan and his team try to take out the Syndicate, an anti-IMF. Action packed sequences ensue

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 I like that Cruise performs his own stunts. Don’t care that the media is overplaying it. I like that he is dedicated to quality.

2 This is an awesome action flick. Beyond the plane sequence, there is a thrilling underwater and motorcycle sequence. (Not at the same time though.)

3 What I appreciate about this franchise, is the humour involved. Of course, Pegg provides plenty of comic relief but even Cruise gets some great stuff to work with.

4 The plot is just okay. The Syndicate storyline didn’t grab me like some of the previous films.

5 The music from Puccini’s Turandot opera got stuck in my head. But that may be because Joe Kraemer’s score also included homages to the opera.

RECOMMENDATION: See in the theatres for great fun
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Ant Man

Film: Trainwreck

GENRE: Comedy

RATING: R for strong sexual content, nudity & language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 5 minutes

STARRING: Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer)

Bill Hader (SNL, Inside Out); Brie Larson (21 Jump Street, Don Jon)

DIRECTOR: Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up)

WRITER: Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer)

PLOT: A commitment-phobic writer falls for the subject of her magazine piece and realizes she may have to make some changes.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 Schumer wrote a very funny film. One of the things I love most about it is taking the cliché rom-com and flipping it around. This time it’s the horny girl who needs to grow up and win back the guy. And there are plenty of laugh out loud scene throughout.

2 Be prepared for Schumer’s brand of comedy, it is pretty raunchy and sex-driven at times. Watch an episode of Inside Amy Schumer to a glimpse into her style. The whole film is not like that but there are definitely some uncomfortable scenarios.

3 Schumer is fantastic, she is definitely one of the funniest women out there right now. I also loved seeing Hader get to be funny but more importantly a leading man instead of a sidekick. He is equally fun to watch.

4 Not a basketball fan, but LeBron James is hilarious. He steals almost every scene he is in. His friendship with Hader’s character is a treat. LeBron is so sincere and caring and will definitely make you laugh.

5 My biggest criticism is the same one that affects all of Judd Apatow’s films: it’s too long. This film should be 30 minutes shorter. Scenes involving the father and the bizarre intervention are not necessary for the plot, a good director should know when to edit things out. I can tell that Apatow always wants to give lots of time to family dynamics and emotional growth in the last 45 minutes of the film before returning to a funny conclusion. He needs to learn to streamline these things. Thankfully, the ending of this film is downright awesome.  

RECOMMENDATION: Probably wait for DVD
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Film: Minions

GENRE: Animated Comedy

RATING: PG for rude humour
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 31 minutes

STARRING: Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me 1 & 2)

Sandra Bullock (The Heat); Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

DIRECTORS: Kyle Balda (The Lorax); Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me)

WRITERS: Brian Lynch (Hop; Puss in Boots)

PLOT: Before serving Gru, the minions Kevin, Stuart and Bob search for a super-villain they can follow and find one in Scarlet Overkill.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 Like usual, the minions are adorable and hilarious. Their curiosity and reactions are wonderfully comic and perfectly timed. It was interesting to see three of them getting more distinct personalities to lead this movie. It’s great fun to watch them play. It should be noted that the overall story is pretty weak though.

2 Their gibberish language is fun to decipher and enjoy. I also enjoyed some of the understandable words thrown in as well, like “Gracias” and “Kumbaya”.

3 I did not like the character of Scarlet Overkill. I don’t think it was the fact that it was a female villain, I just didn’t think the character was fun to watch. She just yelled most of the time and wasn’t given anything interesting to do. She’s no Gru; the minions are better off.

4 Jon Hamm, on the other hand, was entertaining as Scarlet’s inventor husband. And I could hardly recognize his voice. Well done.

5 Some of my enjoyment of the film was marred by the over-enthusiastic twenty-somethings sitting in our row and laughing a little too loud at the screen. I don’t know if it was the alcohol or that they’ve never seen these minions before but it was too much. Talk about overkill.

RECOMMENDATION: Fun on big screen for minion fans
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Ant Man; Mission Impossible 5

2015 Emmy Dream Nominations

The votes for the Emmy Award nominations are in and the announcement happens next week. Looking over the very long ballot, these would be my dream nominations for the upcoming Emmys. Many of these are long shots but its fun to dream.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

·         Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]

·         Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates [Bates Motel]

·         Gabriel Macht as Harvey Spectre [Suits]

·         Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill [Better Call Saul]

·         Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood [House of Cards]

·         David Tennant as Alec Hardy [Broadchurch]

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

·         Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter [Agent Carter]

·         Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson [Masters of Sex]

·         Vera Farmiga as Norma Louise Bates [Bates Motel]

·         Tatiana Maslany as Sarah & her 5 clones [Orphan Black]

·         Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson [Mad Men]

·         Robin Wright as Claire Underwood [House of Cards]

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

·         Louis CK as Louie [Louie]

·         Nathan Fielder as Nathan Fielder [Nathan for You]

·         Thomas Lennon as Felix Unger [The Odd Couple]

·         Chris Messina as Dr. Danny Castellano [The Mindy Project]

·         Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper [The Big Bang Theory]

·         Andy Samberg as Det. Jake Peralta [Brooklyn Nine-Nine]

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

·         Zooey Deschanel as Jessica Day [New Girl]

·         Mindy Kaling as Dr. Mindy Lahiri [The Mindy Project]

·         Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt [Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt]

·         Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope [Parks and Recreation]

·         Amu Schumer as Amy [Inside Amy Schumer]

·         Casey Wilson as Annie [Marry Me]

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

·         Max Burkholder as Max Braverman [Parenthood]

·         Tom Cavanagh as Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne [The Flash]

·         Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister [Game of Thrones]

·         Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt [Suits]

·         Ben Mendelsohn as Danny Rayburn [Bloodline]

·         Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot [Gotham]

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

·         Uzo Aduba as Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ Warren [Orange is the New Black]

·         Mackenzie Davis as Cameron Howe [Halt and Catch Fire]

·         Lauren Graham as Sarah Braverman [Parenthood]

·         Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister [Game of Thrones]

·         Olivia Munn as Sloan Sabbith [The Newsroom]

·         Sarah Rafferty as Donna Paulsen [Suits]

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

·         Andre Braugher as Cpt. Ray Holt [Brooklyn Nine-Nine]

·         Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy [Modern Family]

·         Kumail Nanjiani as Dinesh [Silicon Valley]

·         Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson [Parks and Recreation]

·         Matt Walsh as Mike McLintock [Veep]

·         Steve Zissis as Alex Pappas [Togetherness]

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

·         Stephanie Beatriz as Det. Rosa Diaz [Brooklyn Nine-Nine]

·         Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler [The Big Bang Theory]

·         Aidy Bryant as Various characters [SNL]

·         Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting as Penny [The Big Bang Theory]

·         Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy [Modern Family]

·         Cecily Strong as Various Characters [SNL]

Writing for a Drama Series

·         Uno [Better Call Saul]

·         Mother’s Mercy [Game of Thrones]

·         There’s Something Else Going On [Homeland]

·         Method and Madness [The Knick]

·         Cut Man [Daredevil]

·         Run [The Newsroom]

Writing for a Comedy Series

·         Alive in Tucson (Pilot) [The Last Man on Earth]

·         Bobby’s House [Louie]

·         Landline [New Girl]

·         Leslie and Ron [Parks and Recreation]

·         Two Days of the Condor [Silicon Valley]

·         Kimmy Goes Outside! [Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt]

Drama Series

·         Better Call Saul

·         Game of Thrones

·         Homeland

·         Marvel’s Agent Carter

·         Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

·         The Newsroom

Comedy Series

·         The Big Bang Theory

·         Brooklyn Nine-Nine

·         New Girl

·         Parks and Recreation

·         Silicon Valley

·         Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Main Title Design

·         The Affair

·         American Horror Story: Freak Show

·         Halt and Catch Fire

·         Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

·         Manhattan

·         Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

The nominations are announced on July 16^th.

Film: Inside Out

GENRE: Animated Comedy/Drama

RATING: PG for thematic elements
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 34 minutes

STARRING: Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, SNL)

Phyllis Smith (The Office); Richard Kind (Bug’s Life, Spin City)

DIRECTORS: Pete Docter (Up); Ronnie Del Carmen (newcomer)

WRITERS: Pete Docter (Monster’s Inc)

Josh Cooley & Meg LeFauve (newcomers)

PLOT: Sadness causes problems for 11 year old Riley as Joy is lost in her subconscious. It makes more sense when you watch it.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 What an unbelievably clever film. Pixar does such a great job creating stories. All their stories are chock full of emotions and this one puts those feelings in the forefront. Along with the emotions, the writers geniusly  create a whole new world inside someone’s head. It’s pretty amazing.

2 Speaking of amazing, the voice cast is top notch. Poehler is the embodiment of Joy and Smith is so effective as Sadness. I also love Lewis Black (Daily Show) as Anger and Mindy Kaling (Mindy Project) as Disgust. Bill Hader does a good Fear but his voice is strangely not that recognizable.

3 Since Sadness play’s a big part in this story, you may cry. I admit to shedding a tear. While many jokes will go over young children’s heads, they may enjoy the visuals and story but are still faced with a lot of sad things. Be ready to talk about sadness and memories.

4 Don’t know why this was in 3-D. Didn’t even notice any 3-D elements which makes me wonder why they bothered.

5 The glimpse inside the eleven year old’s brain was priceless. I could watch that scene over and over again.

RECOMMENDATION: Fun to watch on big screen
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Minions

Film: Jurassic World

GENRE: Action, Adventure

RATING: PG-13 for violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 4 minutes

STARRING: Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Moneyball)

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help, The Village, Spiderman 3)

DIRECTOR: Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed)

WRITERS: Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)

Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed) & Colin Trevorrow (newcomer)

PLOT: With Jurassic World open to the public, scientists stupidly design a new super dinosaur that predictably escapes and eats people.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS:

1 Even with all the dino-on-dino action, it’s Pratt that holds the film together. He is always a treat to watch. He’s come a long way from Everwood.

2 I loved Trevorrow’s indie jabs at corporations (studios) and how they are asking for trouble by only wanting more bells and whistles. Great to see Jurassic World has a Starbucks.

3 While Pratt is stellar, it’s Jake Johnson (New Girl) who steals the show as a technician who gets all the funny lines and looks. So fun.  

4 I like the many references to the original film from music to merchandise to Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong).

5 Howard does all that running in high heels? C’mon.

RECOMMENDATION: Blockbusters deserve a big screen
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Inside Out