Archive for the 'Awful Movies' category

Death To Erotic Thrillers

Apr 03 2006 Published by under Awful Movies, Celebrities, Movies, Politics, Pop Culture, Society

MoviesPoliticsSo Basic Instinct 2 crapped out at the theaters this weekend. It came in behind 9 other films, and three of those were Slither, She’s The Man, and The Shaggy Dog. It’s safe to say that Sharon Stone’s new flick is over before it began. This will be one of those jokes they tell about movies.

I wanted to see Basic Instinct 2, but I was sick that day.

Since nothing bad that happens to the left happens can go unblamed on others, the writers and directors are of course choosing to credit the GOP with their failure.

“Anything that is erotic has been banned in the United States,” said [Director Paul Verhoeven]. “Look at the people at the top (of the government). We are living under a government that is constantly hammering out Christian values. And Christianity and sex have never been good friends.”

Scribe Nicholas Meyer, who was an uncredited writer on 1987′s seminal sex-fueled cautionary tale “Fatal Attraction,” agrees, noting that the [erotic thriller] genre’s downfall coincides with the ascent of the conservative political movement.

“We’re in a big puritanical mode,” he said. “Now, it’s like the McCarthy era, except it’s not ‘Are you a communist?’ but ‘Have you ever put sex in a movie?’”

Or maybe you’re just making shitty movies and have run out of original ideas. Perhaps it’s not the fact that erotic thrillers are unwelcome, perhaps nobody wanted to see a sequel released 14 years after the original. Nobody’s exactly screaming for the next installment in the Weekend at Bernie’s franchise. That has nothing to do with Christian opposition to zombies, though.

[Author's note: I hope I'm correct to assume that the god-zealots are still not in favor of the dead (save for their guy JC and Elvis) rising from the dead and walking around.]

Movie audiences will reward good movie making. Period. Make good movies, and people respond. Look at the number of small independent films that are flourishing. But if you make rehashed crap, and try to make it sell by using the same, over the hill, aged hag has-been actresses, you’ll end up in a dead tie with Larry the Cable Guy’s movie.

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Basic Instinct 2: Risk Aversion

Mar 29 2006 Published by under Awful Movies, Celebrities, Movies

MoviesThe second, and hopefully last, installment of Basic Instinct comes out this weekend. The working title was Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction. Like the title says, I’m a bit more risk averse.

When Sharon Stone was 34, she was hot. Guys would go see an otherwise awful movie to see her goodies. I don’t know a single guy who would have seen the first flick if the word of mouth about Stone’s cooch-baring appearance in the police station hadn’t convinced them to do it.

Today, she’s almost 50. I can honestly say I have no interest at all in seeing her goodies now. Judging by the collection of c-list talent that stars in the movie with Stone, it’s apparent not many other people feel differently. Nobody wants to be a part of this train wreck. This movie is the equivalent of a rock star’s fifteenth farewell tour.

Stone said in an interview that this would be her last opportunity to do something like this. God willing, we’ll realize the dream of time travel between now and Friday and can stop this movie from happening…

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Switched at Birth: Warner & Bulworth

Mar 13 2006 Published by under Awful Movies, Comedy, Democrats, Elections, Movies, Politics

MoviesPoliticsMark WarnerWhen it comes to being photogenic, some people have “it” and some people have the antidote to whatever “it” is. Take for instance Vice President Cheney. Love him or hate him, he just doesn’t photograph well.

The Hotline blog today points out that Mark Warner suffers from the same disease. Something about his New York Times Magazine cover makes me think of the movie Bulworth.

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Oscar Nods

MoviesCelebritiesSo the nominations are out… The big winner was Fatback Mountain, with 8 nominations. A number of movies scored a handful, but the story of gay cowboys is Oscar’s favorite, so far.

Honestly I think Oscar nominations must be doled out by the same people that handle US Figure Skating’s Olympic athletes. To exclude Walk The Line in the best picture category, but then include the crap-fest Crash is a crime against movies. Yes, I’m pleased that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon got best actor/actress nods, but leaving the movie out of play for the big score is a travesty.

The media coverage will beat to death the story line about the Witherspoon/Huffman duel over best actress. On the men’s side, I’ve got to go with Phoenix despite the buzz about Hoffman.

On a final note, don’t start screwing with the color controls on your television come March 5. This years Oscars look to be a rather monochromatic event with Terrence Howard and Ang Lee providing the only diversity. Honestly, if William Hurt can get a nod for a walk-on, the Howard should have picked up a supporting actor nomination for his role in Crash (he was the bright spot in a very drab movie). He was excellent in Hustle and Flow. Unfortunately, the only chance he may have this year is if the Academy hands him an Oscar just so they can avoid the complaints about their all-white affair.)

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The DVD Review

Jan 09 2006 Published by under Action Movies, Awful Movies, Comedy, Drama, Movie Reviews, Movies

The DVD ReviewMy wife and I have an 8 month old son. He’s just at that age where he’ll remain content for about an hour to 90 minutes, then start complaining in general terms. As a result, a first-run movie, unfortunately, is a rare occasion. So I’ve become NetFlix‘ biggest fan. I’m getting my money’s worth on that $18 per month. I figure my average rental fee on any one movie is less than a dollar.

Anyway, all of this inspired me to kick off a new section – the DVD Review. It should be subtitled “I Watch The Crap So You Don’t Have To.”

With the long weekend last week and the uneventful week this week, I had time to chew through a number of flicks. There were a couple of gems, and a bunch of crap. So here we go.

The 40 Year Old Virgin – Greatness. The humor is raw and course (which my wife hates) and there is a lot of profanity that seemed unnecessary (the chest waxing scene could have been funnier with fewer f-bombs and more of the “Kelly Clarkson” shtick. I think him screaming random oddities would have been better than the names he kept calling the woman. The story is cute and moves along well. The only major issue I had with the story line was the Paul Rudd “girlfriend” thing. It added nothing.

The Brothers Grimm – The movie grim. It’s 30 minutes of my life I’ll never get back. It would have been 118 minutes, but at about 30, I couldn’t take the pain any longer and hit eject. The Bush Administration should use this movie to interrogate al-Qaeda suspects.

Four Brothers – I don’t know where to start with this golden turd. I think a friend summed it up best… “Where do these guys live that you can have a shoot out with full automatic weapons in the middle of the street, in broad daylight, for 20 minutes, and not a single cop shows up?” That was just one of two elements of suspended disbelief that I had trouble with. The rest of the movie was the other.

Must Love Dogs – This was a good date movie. The wife and I both enjoyed it. It’s sugary and sappy as all date movies are supposed to be, but it was fun. Pop it in when your wife/girlfriend wants to curl up on the couch. It’s one that she’ll enjoy and you can accept.

Saving Grace – I have a fondness for absurd British comedy. Still Crazy, Waking Ned Devine, and The Full Monty are great flicks even if you have to watch them twice to understand what the characters are saying. Saving Grace fits nicely into this category.

Into The Blue – If you liked 2 Fast 2 Furious (not the original, but the sequel) than you might like this. Just don’t expect it to move along as quickly. It’s not the most exciting movie, but if you’re into Scuba diving, some of the underwater shots are really nice.

Alexander - My thoughts? Watch Troy instead. I expected a movie about Alexander the Great. Instead, I got a movie that felt like I was sitting in on a therapy session for ATG. This movie was less Braveheart and more Analyze This. I really don’t care if Alexander the Great was neurotic because his father didn’t love him. And what the hell is the deal with Oliver Stone movies? This guy seems to spend a lot of time trying to tell us why nobody is responsible for their own actions.

So there you have it. The first round of the DVD Review. Visit us next week when we’ll try to get around to Danny Deckchair, The Constant Gardener, and Hustle & Flow

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