Monday, January 24, 2011

Of Hornets and Corsets




BURLESQUE -2010
MUSICAL DRAMA

You have seen this plot line a thousand times--talented small time gal wants to go LA to become a star. What makes it great is the great singer Christina Aguilera. She can belt out a song in skimpy, sexy outfits when she becomes the lead singer of the club owned by Cher who won’t sell out if it kills her. It is a happy ending. The story's not original, acting's not great, but the dancing and singing are the stars. It should be a Broadway musical with Bob Fosse-type dance moves. I don’t think it did well in the movies, but YOU should see it on DVD and Blu-ray, or better yet, buy the soundtrack!!!

THE GREEN HORNET -2011
ACTION COMEDY -- TV SHOW VS MOVIE COMPARISON

Now that the movie Green Hornet is out, I must compare the series with the movie. The series was not camp like Batman in the 60’s. It was serious, as is the movie, which is an action comedy. Van Williams (series), and Seth Rogen (movie) star as the Green Hornet. Neither is particularly interesting, but Rogen is more annoying. Bruce Lee was Kato(series), reprised by Jay Cho (movie). Cho is more intelligent and has more lines than Lee -- if you can understand him, and has 'Kato-Vision,' but Bruce Lee is an icon and bought martial arts to the masses.

The car - Black Beauty (series) was limited because of budget, but the big-screen Black Beauty (movie) is AWESOME. More gadgets than a James Bond movie can ever imagine!!! Weapons - Green Hornet in the series had “The Stinger” it is like sonic taser. In the movie, no taser. Lenore Case (Wende Wagner - series) played by Cameron Diaz (movie) - is very smart, and can handle herself. The club The Pony Tail (series) is not in the movie, but Rogen had a lot of women partying and bedding him. Walter Brooke as District attorney Frank P. Scanlon was a good guy (series) David Harbour (movie), not so nice. Green Hornet (series) did not have a nemesis, but Bloodnosfsky (movie) is close.

IF I WROTE THE SCREENPLAY: One version, I would have taken an episode from the old series and made it longer. Second version, in the beginning Green Hornet would be shot and Kato would investigate the shooting and use all his skills to find out the criminals are yakuza and working for Bloodnofsky, for he was a very good villain. He would even pretend to be Green Hornet for a time to confuse the bad guys!!!
KC Web Developer

Friday, January 21, 2011

DVD Notes Mid-Winter 2011


DESPICABLE ME-2010
ANIMATION

I waited to see this animation, for there is glut of them out there, but I must tell you on it is very good!!! It is about Gru (Steve Carell) who is a villain who needs to impress THE BANK OF EVIL to prove he is still bad, and decided to shrink the moon!! Vector (Jason Segal) his nemesis already created the shrink ray, so he steals from him but he needs three adorable orphan girls to get it.

The plot is rather wild to say the least, but it is cute, and in the end he realizes what really is important. Not only are the little girls cute but his "minions" are just funny. It made a lot of money when released in theaters for it is funny, suspenseful and poignant--even a villain can be a hero and a dad. It is terrible when animation has more emotion than live action films!!! It is good family entertainment.

DEATH RACE 2-2010
ACTION/SCI-FI/THRILLER

This direct-to-video movie is not a sequel to Death Race 2008 with Jason Statham, but a prequel on how “Frankenstein” is born. If you saw the first movie you know how good and gory it was. In the prequel it is non-stop car chases, bad-ass beat downs and bosomy babes. This is what action hounds live for. The cast includes Luke Gross, (Blade 2, and Hell Boy 2) and the guy is very talented. I don’t know why he does these great B-movies Danny Trejo (Machete) always delivers. Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, National Treasure) is evil as ever!! It is worth renting and even better, buying.
KC Web Developer

Sunday, January 2, 2011

A Tour of Many Questions


THE TOURIST
SPY THRILLER

The question about this movie is, is Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) Frank Tupleo or Alexander Pearce, an Englishman who robbed a gangster named Reginald Shaw (Steven Berkoff, Rambo 2) out of billions of dollars? Also enigmatic is Elise (Angelina Jolie, Wanted, Salt), is she who she claims she is? Paul Bettany (the voice of Jarvis in Iron Man 1 and 2, and the upcoming movie Priest) is Inspector John Acheson determined to capture Pearce whoever he is. It is like spy novels that are focused on who can you trust. If you don’t like the two leads you shouldn’t go to the movie, for it is basically about these two dubious characters. It really is good but not action packed. Angelina Jolie is nominated for a Golden Globe award for Actress in a comedy or a musical. People are puzzled why she was chosen for it, as it is not a musical, and to me it wasn’t funny---maybe it was to others.
KC Web Developer