http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sun, 22 Feb 2004 20:26:42 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/22/202642.php John CampeaOuch! 4 movies premiered this weekend, and not one of them made over $10 million dollars. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen - $9.2 million, Welcome to Mooseport - $7 million, Eurotrip - $6.6 million, and Against the Ropes - $3 million.The failure of Against the Ropes to make any money while up against weak competition makes a sad reality official: Meg Ryan has fallen out of grace with the North American movie going audience. The once 'A' list actress now has her fifth flop in a row on her hands. Her last 4 films; In the Cut (2003), Kate & Leopold (which was actually pretty good - 2001), Proof of Life (2000), and Hanging Up (2000), have all quietly come and gone from the theaters making little to no money. People just don't want to see her anymore. Want to know why?I think it all started to fall apart for Ryan when she left actor Dennis Quaid and hooked up with Russell Crowe. Right or wrong, it left a bad taste in everyone's mouth that they just couldn't spit out. The good little girl was now the opportunistic hussy dumping her man to get together with the new most popular boy in school. I'm not saying that's what she did, but it is the perception her fans had ... and that's all that counts.So what is the answer for Meg Ryan? Well, she needs a hit film almost as bad as Harrison Ford does. If she a) Gets back together with Quaid, re-establishing her wholesome image, or b) Makes 2 more comedies with Tom Hanks - she might be able to get on everyone's good side again ... but I doubt it. Too bad, I really like Ryan. Video13041@blogcritics.org Sun, 22 Feb 2004 20:26:42 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/01/31/151338.php John CampeaOh Yes! The Razzies are here! For those of you who may not know, the Razzies are the Anti-Oscar. Each year they give out the WORST awards, and a lot of people (including me) have come to anticipate them almost as much as the Oscars themselves! Even Al Pacino is nominated this year for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in Gigli. My picks are in red. Anyway, here's the official nominee list. The "awards" are given out the day before the Oscars.WORST PICTURE CAT-IN-THE HAT (Universal/Dreamworks/Imagine) CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE (Columbia) FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY (20th Century-Fox) GIGLI (Columbia/Revolution) THE REAL CANCUN (New Line) WORST ACTOR Ben Affleck / DAREDEVIL, GIGLI and PAYCHECK Cuba Gooding, Jr. / BOAT TRIP, FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS and RADIO Justin Guarini / FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY Ashton Kutcher / CHEAPER by the DOZEN, JUST MARRIED and MY BOSS'S DAUGHTER Mike Myers / THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT WORST ACTRESS Drew Barrymore / CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE and DUPLEX Cameron Diaz / CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE Kelly Clarkson / FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY Angelina Jolie / BEYOND BORDERS and LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE of LIFE Jennifer Lopez / GIGLI WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Anthony Anderson / KANGAROO JACK Alec Baldwin / THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT Al Pacino / GIGLI Sylvester Stallone (Whose 5 Roles Could Fill This ENTIRE Category!) SPY KIDS 3-D: GAME OVER Christopher Walken / GIGLI and KANGAROO JACK WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Lanie Kazan / GIGLI Demi Moore / CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE Kelly Preston / THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT Brittany Murphy / JUST MARRIED Tara Reid / MY BOSS'S DAUGHTER WORST SCREEN COUPLE Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez / GIGLI Eric Christian Olsen & Derek Richardson / DUMB AND DUMBERER Justin Guarini & Kelly Clarkson / FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY Ashton Kutcher & EITHER Brittany Murphy (JUST MARRIED) or Tara Reid (MY BOSS's DAUGHTER) Mike Myers & EITHER Thing One OR Thing Two / THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT WORST EXCUSE for an ACTUAL MOVIE (All Concept/No Content!) (New Category) 2 FAST, 2 FURIOUS CHARLIE'S ANGLES: FULL THROTTLE THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY THE REAL CANCUN WORST REMAKE or SEQUEL 2 FAST, 2 FURIOUS CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE DUMB & DUMBERER: WHEN HARRY MET LLOYD FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY (Remake of WHERE THE BOYS ARE ‘60 and WHERE THE BOYS ARE ‘84) TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE WORST DIRECTOR Martin Brest / GIGLI Robert Iscove / FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY Mort Nathan / BOAT TRIP The Wachowski Brothers / Both MATRIX Sequels Bo Welch / THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT WORST SCREENPLAY THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT, Screenplay by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE, Screenplay by John August and Cormac & Marianne Wibberley, “Story” by August DUMB AND DUMBERER, Screenplay by Robert Brener and Troy Miller, “Story” by Brener FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY, Written by Kim Fuller GIGLI, Written by Martin Brest Video12224@blogcritics.org Sat, 31 Jan 2004 15:13:38 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/01/20/190857.php John CampeaI know I'm taking my life in my own hands with the title of this post, but if you'll hang in there with me, you'll see where I'm coming from. A few months ago I posted my top 10 actors living today list. Like any list it was totally subjective. However, I left Pacino and DeNiro off the list and several people have commented that it was a mistake to do so. Just today someone left this in the comments section:Pathetic!! where's Pacino and Da Niro?? Watch these films then re-do the list: Scarface (watch it about 10 times), Godfather parts 1 and 11 (about 8 times each), Carlito's Way (about 4 times should do), Dog Day Afternoon (you'll want to watch it again and again, Taxi Driver, Casino, The Deer Hunter. Respects for including Jack Nicholson, totally agree there. But come on - Robbin Williams??? If you don't enjoy my listed movies you need to get your priorities right man!!I'll agree that both Pacino and Deniro have given some great performances and been in some remarkable films. HOWEVER, just because an actor is in a great film doesn't mean he's a great actor. Not to mention neither Pacino or Deniro have given a really good performance since Heat in 1995 (9 years ago).How about these stinkers given to us by Pacino and Deniro over the last few years: - City by the Sea (Deniro) - Gigli (Pacino) - Showtime (Deniro) - The Recruit (Pacino) - Analyze That (Deniro) - Sim0ne (Oh gag) (Pacino) - The Score (Deniro) - The Devil's Advocate (Pacino) - 15 Minutes (gag gag gag) (Deniro)Here's something else to keep in mind about Pacino and Deniro. They are both essentially the SAME FRIGGING GUY in almost every film they're in. They're like Kevin Costner that way. Pacino always talks the same, moves the same... he's the same frigging character with a different name in almost all his credits. Same with Deniro. Its all they can do! Granted, they both do it VERY well... but it's still all they can do.Contrast that with someone like Robin Williams. Williams can play almost ANY role with a shocking diversity you rarely see on screen. An unassuming killer in Insomnia, a disturbed and misunderstood loner in 1 Hour Photo, A psychotic maniacal kids show host in Death to Smoochy, the professor in Dead Poets Society (Which he SHOULD have won an Oscar for), the psychologist in Good Will Hunting (which he DID win an Oscar for)... and on and on and on. Williams has never been in a film as good as The Godfather and he's never given a single performance as good as Pacino in Scarface or Deniro in Heat, but he is vastly more talented an actor when it comes to playing diverse rolls and different kinds of films. Deniro and Pacino have both shown they can't.Don't get me wrong. I really like Pacino and Deniro both! As a matter of fact I think they're great! They've given us some of the most memorable characters on the screen in the history of film. It's just that most of those characters are all usually alike. You may leave your differing opinions (hate mail) in the comments section below. Video11887@blogcritics.org Tue, 20 Jan 2004 19:08:57 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/13/190315.php John Campea It was officially announced by director Christopher Nolan (director of Memento) that the new dark knight is Christian Bale. I never really paid much attention to the rumors when his name came up, but now that I've had a day to think about it, I think this is a fantastic choice! Although I wasn't a huge fan of American Psycho, I thought Bale was brilliant in it. Bale can pull off "dark" very well. He's a fine actor, he's in great physical condition and I think he's the perfect age for the role as well. I never saw this one coming, but the new Batman is already building credibility with me (with Nolan directing and now Bale in the lead role). Time will (as always) tell, but I believe fans of The Bat have reason to be optimistic.Read more of John's film thoughts at The Movie Blog Video8360@blogcritics.org Sat, 13 Sep 2003 19:03:15 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/11/131710.php John CampeaThe Following was posted by BlotchyPorridge at The Movie Blog Take your hand. Cover it with glass shards. Now cram it up your butt. Grab a hold of your stomach. Squeeze until everything's shredded to bits. Now, while you're doing that, have a truck drive through your face.You're now watching "The Grudge" a movie made to freak you so intensely, you'll voluntarily crap your pants just to ease the tension.The amazing planners of The Toronto Film Fest brought us "Ju-on: The Grudge" - a horror film from Japan, who's films as of late, seems to (finally) be re-defining the genre here in North America. Ju-on: The Grudge is no exception as it's the freakiest thing I've ever seen. No furthur comparison needed, that's the end of the sentence. --Remember that wildly freaky scene in "the Shining" with the two girls staring at the end of the hallway? Haunted you forever, right? -- This show is an hour and a half of that scene on crack. Movies like this create those mumbling people who talk to buildings.ANECDOTES ABOUT THE MOVIE YOU MAY NOT CARE ABOUT: - It was first made in two parts for Television in Japan. It got popular, they made a movie, which I just saw. - Sam Raimi (Army of Darkness and Spiderman) is making a re-make - working along side the original director and is currently filming it in Japan. Okay, enough of the boring stuff.SOIL YOURSELF STUFF: Where other scary movies are released and seem to say: "We have this amazing, full story that's very creepy at times" - like The Others or Sixth Sense -- Ju-on seems to say this: "You came for a Ghost story - which is what you're going to get. So sit there while we shove your heart through your butt-hoop. Go."The world of Ju-on takes place in a house - go figure - and it's haunted. That's about it. we see "the rest of the world" here and there, but it seems 75% of the movie is just this house with one really ticked off entity and all of the colliding time-limes of all the innocent suckers that keep encountering it. .... ....And there's this cat.... ...and there's this whacked out lonely kid.... ...and they stare.... ...and gnarl.. And they FRICKIN' STARE AND STARE AND STARE .. And then you piss yourself... and then there's screaming...oh the screaming... And this shadow covers EVERYTHING.. AND THESE EYES, YOU CAN SEE THESE EYES, AND IT CRAWLS THROUGH DEMENTIA AND THE DARKNESS MOVES YOU'RE GRABBED BY THE SHADOW AND THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND YOU AND .. .. I ... just...crapped myself.You should really see this. I need a mop.Turn up your volume (not just for effect, but the volume encoding is VERY quiet) and click here to watch the only sub-titled Trailer for it I could find.. (click the "Audio/Video Materials" tab on the page)Read more of John's Film Thoughts at The Movie Blog Video8298@blogcritics.org Thu, 11 Sep 2003 13:17:10 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/09/124308.php John CampeaWell, Disney's new attempt at disrupting the entire market in its favour is here - And it lasts 48 hours a piece.The idea is this: You pay 5 - 7 bucks (US) - or roughly 10 Canadian - and you get a DVD that after 48 hours, the readable side goes black and unusable. Thus requiring you to chuck it. Convenient, right? Yes, but potentially stupid. I'm sure they are trying to bring in a market that directly competes with the renting industry, but here's my earth-stopping question that no one paid me 4 million dollars to figure out: - If I can rent a movie for 48 hours for 4 bucks, why would I buy one that only lasts 48 hours for ten? - Second, If I'm spending 10 bucks on a 2-day movie, why not spend ten more, get the real DVD and keep it for a zillion days?On top of that, I'm not going to say I'm an environmentalist, but after 48 hours, every last fibre of the entire product is total garbage. So really, Disney is making tens of thousands heaps of trash with a 2 day break before it becomes trash. Now, I realize there are already disposable products, but I really don't think we need anymore, especailly billion-dollar funded ones.Granted, I'll give you this, I don't have to return it, but it's six bucks cheaper if I do. Call me cheap, but that's 4 Christmas gifts right there.But I digress, I'm sure the zillion dollar suit wearing CEOs with the puckered buttholes have already thought of all this.I really hope this idea flops.Read the Whole Article Here.Read more Film Thoughts at The Movie Blog Video8238@blogcritics.org Tue, 9 Sep 2003 12:43:08 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/09/104904.php John Campea Somehow lost to the obscurity of the net and forgotten projects Disney seems to have failed on their hints and promises of a sequel to TRON. Instead we are left with a video game. Orginally this game was to co-incide with the theatrical release of Tron 2.0 but that project appears to be shelved. Disney getting it's animation department axed probably had something to do with it too.Movie sources has rumoured about Jeff Bridges reprising his role in the 1982 classic (which I believe is the pure inspiration behind The Matrix and Reboot) I remember my friends and I trying to peg each other off with frisbees and pretending our bmx bikes left trails of impenetrable light. This is a classic, and some would say its better left without a sequel but I know I would love to see one. The world of Tron could have grown as the technology has. For now I only forsee myself getting this new video game in hopes of satisfying this craving Disney teased us with.Read more of John's film thoughts at The Movie Blog Video8228@blogcritics.org Tue, 9 Sep 2003 10:49:04 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/08/095531.php John CampeaFew people admire Harrison Ford more than I do. Just that fact that he played Han Solo will make him a favorite of mine for the rest of my natural life. For nearly 20 years, Ford appeared in rock solid films that enjoyed critical acclaim and HUGE box office success. As an actor he played just about every genre of character with brilliance, from action heroes (Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, Star Wars) to dramas (Regarding Henry, Witness, The Mosquito Coast) to comedies (Sabrina, Working Girl). Ford has done it all (with the exception of playing a good vilian, something I'd like to see him do someday). Just his presence alone in a movie would bring people the theater in droves.Then, after Air Force One in 1997, something unexpected happened. Ford films started to decrease in quality, and people stopped going to films just because he was in it. The slide started mildly with the disappointing (not outrageously horrible) Six Days Seven Nights, the film that Harrison started to show his age. After that came one of the worst films of the 90's Random Hearts, a film which Ford reportedly called "a huge waste of time". What Lies Beneath was just a terrible horror flick with more cliches than a Scary Movie film. Although not a total waste, K 19: The Widow Maker was a mild let down, and then the much marketed Hollywood Homicide completely flopped at the box office. That's 5 films in a row. Only an actor with Harrison Ford's status and reputation could survive a streak like that.However, even an actor with Ford's credentials only gets so many chances. If you keep disappointing the paying audience film after film, the audience will at best lose interest, and at worst begin to proactively avoid you.I think Ford understands this. He realizes his next film MUST do well with both the critics and the box office if he is to survive as an "A" list actor. My thought is that this is why he isn't slated to appear in anymore films until the next Indiana Jones (which is undergoing it's final stages of script revision as we speak). Ford needs a hit, Indiana Jones is his best shot at one. The potential downside of this move is that expectations for Indy 4 are going to be sky high which could play against him. It's a gamble, but one well worth taking.Read more of John's film thoughts at The Movie Blog Video8194@blogcritics.org Mon, 8 Sep 2003 09:55:31 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/06/090909.php John CampeaIn the mid 90's Julia Ormond was as hot a commodity as Julia Roberts ever was. From 1994 to 1995 she appeared in three hit films in a row that got her the public's attention and critical acclaim. Legends of the Fall, First Knight and Sabrina (which was my personal favorite of the three) where all released within 20 months of each other and it looked like this talented and stunningly attractive actress was going to be Hollywood's 'it' girl for years to come.Then, inexplicably, she just disappeared. It's not as if she was in a series of films that did poorly at the box office which caused her star to fade. She just dropped off the face of the earth as far as movies are concerned.To add a little more to this, look at the list of actors she worked with just in those 3 films alone. In Legends she worked with Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. In First Knight she worked with Sean Connery and Richard Gere. In Sabrina she worked with Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear. She's in the biggest films, with the biggest names, and then... nothing. Did she tick someone off? Did she decide to change careers? Did she have a rep for being hard to work with? Did she have kids and decide to devote her time to family?Hey, if anyone knows what caused her to suddenly leave the spotlight, could you please let me know. I'd love to see her reemerge one of these days. Hollywood is currently short on quality actresses.Read more of John's Film Thoughts at "The Movie Blog" Video8152@blogcritics.org Sat, 6 Sep 2003 09:09:09 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/05/122114.php John CampeaI used to love David Spade. Then I made the mistake of seeing Joe Dirt, a truly terrible film. It looks like the critics don't think Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star is much better. To be honest, I thought the reviews would be even worse, but apparetly there a a couple of laughs that make it almost worth seeing at an afternoon show. I'll probably wait for this one to come out on video. Here what some of the critics are saying:Michael Wilmington: "The best thing about star and co-writer David Spade's "Dickie Roberts, Former Child Star" is the end-title sequence"FIlmCritic.Com: "Five good jokes populate the first five minutes of Dickie. After that it’s all downhill, as left-field antics clash with far-reaching pop culture shots. Watching Dickie celebrity box Emmanuel “Webster” Lewis and play poker with washed up teen sensations such as Corey Feldman and Leif Garrett is funny. Watching him shampoo and blow dry a dead bunny rabbit or berate poor Edie McClurg (The Hogan Family) is not."EFilmCritic.Com: "Dickie Roberts is so dead in the creative thinking department that it reduces its own humor into the juvenile sitcom territory from where the character sprang forth. Where the film needs bite it gives us a crashing bicycle montage and Spade in a stroller."The Cincinnati Enquirer: "Weakly plotted comedy scripted for David Spade's snarky style of humor" Video8136@blogcritics.org Fri, 5 Sep 2003 12:21:14 EDT