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Showing posts with label Will Ferrell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Will Ferrell. Show all posts
3.06.2010
9.24.2009
8.18.2009
Summer movie list
Kates started her school year this week. My baseball season is nearing its end. September is on the horizon. This summer is so over ...
Kates and I had high hopes of playing catch-up on our movie-watching this summer, and I had hoped to be coming to you with a long list of great movies we saw ... But we weren’t as productive as we had hoped -- and the movies weren't that great …
Hopefully we'll have better luck this fall. In the meantime, here's a synopsis -- aside from our John Hughes study -- of what we did watch ...
Surprisingly, of all the movies we crossed off our list this summer, “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Rickie Bobby” ranks as a favorite.
Now, almost all of the reviews I’ve heard from friends and relatives about the movie portray it as the dumbest, most pointless movie Will Ferrell has made to date.
Maybe my expectations for “Talladega” were so low that it helped its cause. I really enjoyed it.
To be sure, it’s not a terrific film. And it’s nothing I’d lunge at seeing again. But if you’re in the right mood, and you happen to catch it on TV, it’s good for some belly laughs.
The story depicts Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, who overcomes a rough childhood and his father leaving him to join a NASCAR pit crew. When he takes the wheel in the middle of a race, he becomes an out-of-nowhere star driver who's appearing on the cover of every racing magazine. He does it all with the help of his best bud since childhood, Cal Naughton Jr. ... But when French Formula One driver Jean Girard comes along, Ricky's life begins to crumble, and he must fight to win back his family, Cal's friendship and his NASCAR supremacy.
The cast is stacked. Gary Cole as Ricky's dad. Jane Lynch as his mother. John C. Reilly as Cal. Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard. Plus, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, Molly Shannon, Rob Riggle and Jack McBrayer (aka "30 Rock's" Kenneth).
Arguably my favorite aspect is Ricky Bobby's kids -- Walker and Texas Ranger (really!) -- who deliver some of the most quotable, memorable and raunchiest lines of the film. Ricky Bobby's dinner table prayer and the subsequent conversation had me rolling ...
“Music & Lyrics” … This was one Kates and I had wanted to see when it was released in theaters. Now, we’re both glad we didn’t waste the money … I found Drew Barrymore adorable, as usual. But the only parts that were remotely entertaining were the “Pop” music video that opened the film and then the pop-up version of the same song that ran during the closing credits.
Everything else fell horribly flat. The ending was cheesy and predictable.
“Night at the Museum” … Entertaining, thrilling and charming!
In it, Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a middle-aged man who's fallen on hard times and must find a decent to job to restore his son's confidence and appreciation in him. Daley settles for a night security job at the Museum of Natural History ... And you know the rest -- the exhibits inside the museum come alive at night.
During the course of the movie Daley must learn to control the exhibit characters and teach them to work together in what turns into a fight to protect one of the museum's gems from a gang of thieves.
It, too, has an excellent cast with Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Dick Van Dyle, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs and Ricky Gervais as the tightly-wound museum director who can't speak in complete sentences ...
At one point, as the excitement was building and the climax was nearing, Kates laughed and said “This is too much.” ...I answered, “It’s like ‘Toy Story’ on steroids.
“Akeelah and the Bee” ... This film depicts Akeelah (Keke Palmer), an intelligent 11-year-old girl who's distracted by her tough homelife and her gang-ridden neighborhood of south Los Angeles. But a principal sees her stength in spelling and, after she wins a school spelling bee, pairs her with a professor (Laurence Fishburne) who can train her to rise to the National Spelling Bee ...
During the course of the film, Akeelah must learn to overcome her nervousness while helping her mentor face his demons, too. Alkeelah also must prove to her overprotective mother (Angela Bassett) that she can succeed and in doing so she becomes an inspiration for her neighborhood.
It's an excellent film that's also probably slightly underrated. As veteran actors, Fishburne and Bassett are stirring in their roles and draw out deep emotions. Meanwhile you can't help root for Palmer's Akeelah with the way she presses on and taps out some jaw-dropping words and picks up some fun friends along her journey ...
If there's any blemish, it's that the ending feels like a cop-out ...
“Sex and the City” … Yeah, I could go on and on about the off-the-wall fashion, the New York name dropping, Pop Culture references, and of course the sex …
All that stuff was slightly over the top at times, but the truth is I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. Admittedly, you kind of have to be fan and have seen the show to understand some of the references (Kates and I have managed to catch almost all of them ...). But even if you’ve only seen a few shows here and there, it’s a fair film ...
Really, the movie runs like a 2 ½ hour episode of “Sex and the City.” Kates thought it was a little too long, but I thought the length was good. And the storyline -- complete with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha, Big, and more -- was entertaining.
Bring on the sequel.
“Click” … Yawn.
In it Michael Newman (played by Adam Sandler) leans he can control his life with a magic remote control he gets from the mysterious Morty (Christopher Walken). Newman proceeds to fast forward through all the uncomfortable parts and slowly his family life erodes ...
... What Newman fails to figure out -- in frustrating fashion for any viewer -- is an obvious answer to his problems could have been the pause or rewind buttons.
The whole thing is very “Family Man” -ish in its themes of a man trying to correct past mistakes and wishing for a more ideal home life …
At least the movie gave me a reason to watch the beautiful Kate Beckinsale for awhile ...
Otherwise, don’t waste your time.
“Happy Feet” was even worse …
After being mesmerized by the trailer when the movie hit theaters, we were struggling to even get through the film; Kates bailed after a few minutes, but I held on – barely. Actually, I’m pretty sure I dozed through a couple scenes. …
The film couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a heart-warming story about the awkward penguin who persevered beyond his awkwardness, or a love story, or an environmental message. The plot was as thin as ice …
Thinking about it now, no wonder the trailer showed nothing but that cute little penguin tap-dancing to Stevie Wonder. There was nothing else worth showing.
Kates and I had high hopes of playing catch-up on our movie-watching this summer, and I had hoped to be coming to you with a long list of great movies we saw ... But we weren’t as productive as we had hoped -- and the movies weren't that great …
Hopefully we'll have better luck this fall. In the meantime, here's a synopsis -- aside from our John Hughes study -- of what we did watch ...
* * *
Surprisingly, of all the movies we crossed off our list this summer, “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Rickie Bobby” ranks as a favorite.
Now, almost all of the reviews I’ve heard from friends and relatives about the movie portray it as the dumbest, most pointless movie Will Ferrell has made to date.
Maybe my expectations for “Talladega” were so low that it helped its cause. I really enjoyed it.
To be sure, it’s not a terrific film. And it’s nothing I’d lunge at seeing again. But if you’re in the right mood, and you happen to catch it on TV, it’s good for some belly laughs.
The story depicts Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, who overcomes a rough childhood and his father leaving him to join a NASCAR pit crew. When he takes the wheel in the middle of a race, he becomes an out-of-nowhere star driver who's appearing on the cover of every racing magazine. He does it all with the help of his best bud since childhood, Cal Naughton Jr. ... But when French Formula One driver Jean Girard comes along, Ricky's life begins to crumble, and he must fight to win back his family, Cal's friendship and his NASCAR supremacy.
The cast is stacked. Gary Cole as Ricky's dad. Jane Lynch as his mother. John C. Reilly as Cal. Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard. Plus, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, Molly Shannon, Rob Riggle and Jack McBrayer (aka "30 Rock's" Kenneth).
Arguably my favorite aspect is Ricky Bobby's kids -- Walker and Texas Ranger (really!) -- who deliver some of the most quotable, memorable and raunchiest lines of the film. Ricky Bobby's dinner table prayer and the subsequent conversation had me rolling ...
* * *
“Music & Lyrics” … This was one Kates and I had wanted to see when it was released in theaters. Now, we’re both glad we didn’t waste the money … I found Drew Barrymore adorable, as usual. But the only parts that were remotely entertaining were the “Pop” music video that opened the film and then the pop-up version of the same song that ran during the closing credits.
Everything else fell horribly flat. The ending was cheesy and predictable.
* * *
“Night at the Museum” … Entertaining, thrilling and charming!
In it, Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a middle-aged man who's fallen on hard times and must find a decent to job to restore his son's confidence and appreciation in him. Daley settles for a night security job at the Museum of Natural History ... And you know the rest -- the exhibits inside the museum come alive at night.
During the course of the movie Daley must learn to control the exhibit characters and teach them to work together in what turns into a fight to protect one of the museum's gems from a gang of thieves.
It, too, has an excellent cast with Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Dick Van Dyle, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs and Ricky Gervais as the tightly-wound museum director who can't speak in complete sentences ...
At one point, as the excitement was building and the climax was nearing, Kates laughed and said “This is too much.” ...I answered, “It’s like ‘Toy Story’ on steroids.
* * *
“Akeelah and the Bee” ... This film depicts Akeelah (Keke Palmer), an intelligent 11-year-old girl who's distracted by her tough homelife and her gang-ridden neighborhood of south Los Angeles. But a principal sees her stength in spelling and, after she wins a school spelling bee, pairs her with a professor (Laurence Fishburne) who can train her to rise to the National Spelling Bee ...
During the course of the film, Akeelah must learn to overcome her nervousness while helping her mentor face his demons, too. Alkeelah also must prove to her overprotective mother (Angela Bassett) that she can succeed and in doing so she becomes an inspiration for her neighborhood.
It's an excellent film that's also probably slightly underrated. As veteran actors, Fishburne and Bassett are stirring in their roles and draw out deep emotions. Meanwhile you can't help root for Palmer's Akeelah with the way she presses on and taps out some jaw-dropping words and picks up some fun friends along her journey ...
If there's any blemish, it's that the ending feels like a cop-out ...
* * *
“Sex and the City” … Yeah, I could go on and on about the off-the-wall fashion, the New York name dropping, Pop Culture references, and of course the sex …
All that stuff was slightly over the top at times, but the truth is I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. Admittedly, you kind of have to be fan and have seen the show to understand some of the references (Kates and I have managed to catch almost all of them ...). But even if you’ve only seen a few shows here and there, it’s a fair film ...
Really, the movie runs like a 2 ½ hour episode of “Sex and the City.” Kates thought it was a little too long, but I thought the length was good. And the storyline -- complete with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha, Big, and more -- was entertaining.
Bring on the sequel.
* * *
“Click” … Yawn.
In it Michael Newman (played by Adam Sandler) leans he can control his life with a magic remote control he gets from the mysterious Morty (Christopher Walken). Newman proceeds to fast forward through all the uncomfortable parts and slowly his family life erodes ...
... What Newman fails to figure out -- in frustrating fashion for any viewer -- is an obvious answer to his problems could have been the pause or rewind buttons.
The whole thing is very “Family Man” -ish in its themes of a man trying to correct past mistakes and wishing for a more ideal home life …
At least the movie gave me a reason to watch the beautiful Kate Beckinsale for awhile ...
Otherwise, don’t waste your time.
* * *
“Happy Feet” was even worse …
After being mesmerized by the trailer when the movie hit theaters, we were struggling to even get through the film; Kates bailed after a few minutes, but I held on – barely. Actually, I’m pretty sure I dozed through a couple scenes. …
The film couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a heart-warming story about the awkward penguin who persevered beyond his awkwardness, or a love story, or an environmental message. The plot was as thin as ice …
Thinking about it now, no wonder the trailer showed nothing but that cute little penguin tap-dancing to Stevie Wonder. There was nothing else worth showing.
10.24.2008
Thursday's Saturday Night Live on Friday
... Kates and I are cleaning off our DVR, and we just watched last night's Thursday night edition of SNL ...
Need I say more?
The opening sketch was wonderfully entertaining. I've so missed Will Ferrell as George Bush ... And seeing Tina Fey, Darrell Hammond and Ferrell playing together -- priceless.
And Fred Armisen's bit with the interactive map was ha-larious!
Need I say more?
The opening sketch was wonderfully entertaining. I've so missed Will Ferrell as George Bush ... And seeing Tina Fey, Darrell Hammond and Ferrell playing together -- priceless.
And Fred Armisen's bit with the interactive map was ha-larious!
12.22.2007
Movie night!
Kates and I cleaned two movies from the DVR tonight -- two movies we've long wanted to see. (Sorry, we just don;t get out to the theaters much anymore. Horrendous prices. Inconsiderate teenagers. What's the point?)
First up, Along Came Polly ... Eh. Jennifer Aniston was adorable and entertaining as usual. But I've never been a fan of Ben Stiller movies, and this was another throwaway, I thought. Hank Azaria was wasted as the unintelligible, marriage-ruining, scuba-diving hunk Claude -- and you can put Philip Seymour Hoffman's chartacter in that category too. Alec Baldwin's character was ruined by his mafia image -- blame it on my being used to his Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock.
Next up, Bewitched ... Bedazzling. We were well aware going in that the critics hated this one. But there was something about it that drew us in and it delivered. A cool and different take on the storied TV show. ... Nicole Kidman was enchanting, and Will Ferrell, for once, showed some range (I'll echo here what I said about Ben Stiller movies. The same goes for Will Ferrell. Loved him on SNL. Hated Old School.) And Kristin Chenoweth shows up well again as the cute little neighbor next door, leading a strong cast of secondary characters that includes Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine and Heather Burns ... Recommended if you're a sucker like us for whimsical colors and storylines.
First up, Along Came Polly ... Eh. Jennifer Aniston was adorable and entertaining as usual. But I've never been a fan of Ben Stiller movies, and this was another throwaway, I thought. Hank Azaria was wasted as the unintelligible, marriage-ruining, scuba-diving hunk Claude -- and you can put Philip Seymour Hoffman's chartacter in that category too. Alec Baldwin's character was ruined by his mafia image -- blame it on my being used to his Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock.Next up, Bewitched ... Bedazzling. We were well aware going in that the critics hated this one. But there was something about it that drew us in and it delivered. A cool and different take on the storied TV show. ... Nicole Kidman was enchanting, and Will Ferrell, for once, showed some range (I'll echo here what I said about Ben Stiller movies. The same goes for Will Ferrell. Loved him on SNL. Hated Old School.) And Kristin Chenoweth shows up well again as the cute little neighbor next door, leading a strong cast of secondary characters that includes Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine and Heather Burns ... Recommended if you're a sucker like us for whimsical colors and storylines.
7.08.2007
Sunday reading
Some of the stories and headlines that have caught my eyes the last couple weeks ...
Music & entertainment ...
a Kelly Clarkson's dispute with Clive Davis has made her music hard to hear
a The Baby is Back on Ferrell's Funnyordie
a Chuckles, Guffaws and Some Yucks: Potty-Mouthed Toddler Got Will Ferrell's Comedy Web Site Up and Running
a Bringing Out the Worst In Celebrity Coverage? Esquire Chided for Jolie Cover Story
a What were they thinking? Good actors' bad choices
a Blunt's shaking his hit
a Watching Films or TV Together Is a Rite of Coupledom, Until A Scarlet Temptress Beckons
a TV cancellation hidden in a cloud of euphemism
a Paris fans are so Paris
a Rowling's spell, not a wizard, is behind the magic of 'Potter'
a When bad roles happen to good actors
a What will Ben Silverman think of next for NBC?
Sports ...
a Once the dirtiest player in the NFL, Conrad Dobler is now fighting for guys he tried to dismember ... My friend Mike is responsible for many of the photos you see with this one ...
a 'Bronx' revisits boys of summer 1977
a With Old-School Sluggers, A 'Derby' Done Right
The Internet ...
a Blogging Vs. Broadcast Rights: Free Press Or Freeloading?
a Calling In Pros to Refine Your Google Image
a Nanoseconds Of Happiness: You're Going to Love Your iPhone, Until the Next Gizmo Calls a Candidates learning that YouTube and other Web sites are potent portals
Other stuff ...
a A Roto-Rooter rescue
a A President Besieged and Isolated, Yet at Ease
a For 50 years, Milwaukee's been on a freeway ride
a Robotic cars could take pressure off nation's highways
a Travelers to the Grand Canyon have always had a killer view. Now they can take a step in a new direction
a Two Little Letters, Addressed to Everyone, That Speak Volumes
a Big blasts at harbor rock out near Big Gig
Music & entertainment ...
a Kelly Clarkson's dispute with Clive Davis has made her music hard to hear
a The Baby is Back on Ferrell's Funnyordie
a Chuckles, Guffaws and Some Yucks: Potty-Mouthed Toddler Got Will Ferrell's Comedy Web Site Up and Running
a Bringing Out the Worst In Celebrity Coverage? Esquire Chided for Jolie Cover Story
a What were they thinking? Good actors' bad choices
a Blunt's shaking his hit
a Watching Films or TV Together Is a Rite of Coupledom, Until A Scarlet Temptress Beckons
a TV cancellation hidden in a cloud of euphemism
a Paris fans are so Paris
a Rowling's spell, not a wizard, is behind the magic of 'Potter'
a When bad roles happen to good actors
a What will Ben Silverman think of next for NBC?
Sports ...
a Once the dirtiest player in the NFL, Conrad Dobler is now fighting for guys he tried to dismember ... My friend Mike is responsible for many of the photos you see with this one ...
a 'Bronx' revisits boys of summer 1977
a With Old-School Sluggers, A 'Derby' Done Right
The Internet ...
a Blogging Vs. Broadcast Rights: Free Press Or Freeloading?
a Calling In Pros to Refine Your Google Image
a Nanoseconds Of Happiness: You're Going to Love Your iPhone, Until the Next Gizmo Calls a Candidates learning that YouTube and other Web sites are potent portals
Other stuff ...
a A Roto-Rooter rescue
a A President Besieged and Isolated, Yet at Ease
a For 50 years, Milwaukee's been on a freeway ride
a Robotic cars could take pressure off nation's highways
a Travelers to the Grand Canyon have always had a killer view. Now they can take a step in a new direction
a Two Little Letters, Addressed to Everyone, That Speak Volumes
a Big blasts at harbor rock out near Big Gig
4.22.2007
Sunday reading
Some good reads from the past week ...
a Peter Tork defends the Monkees' viability for Rock Hall of Fame ... Let 'em in.
a Aaron's 755th homer: Plaque will be placed where ball landed ... looking forward to it.
a Piniella not comfy in new home—yet
a Social-networking sites snag 'tweens
a Climate Change Scenarios Scare, and Motivate, Kids
a Every night on Alcatraz is a dance with the devil
a Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Blue Whale Bite
a Don Imus' darkest hour allows Katie Couric to escape the glare
a Pint-sized landlord sticks it to Will Ferrell
a TV shows use blogs to connect with viewers
a We have just 24 hours. Move it! ... A certain Fox show is supposed to be TiVo-proof, but this season it could benefit from this handy hidden remote feature.
a Peter Tork defends the Monkees' viability for Rock Hall of Fame ... Let 'em in.
a Aaron's 755th homer: Plaque will be placed where ball landed ... looking forward to it.
a Piniella not comfy in new home—yet
a Social-networking sites snag 'tweens
a Climate Change Scenarios Scare, and Motivate, Kids
a Every night on Alcatraz is a dance with the devil
a Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Blue Whale Bite
a Don Imus' darkest hour allows Katie Couric to escape the glare
a Pint-sized landlord sticks it to Will Ferrell
a TV shows use blogs to connect with viewers
a We have just 24 hours. Move it! ... A certain Fox show is supposed to be TiVo-proof, but this season it could benefit from this handy hidden remote feature.
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