Walk the Line

Grade: B

Like Ray, but it doesn’t suck.

There are huge parallels between last year’s big music bio-pic, Ray, and this year’s, Walk The Line. It’s the differences that make them interesting.

The two are clearly from the same school. Central childhood figure traumatically killed. Struggling artist makes good. Drug problem. Women problems. More drug problems. Eventual triumph. Fade out.

But the differences make Walk The Line work. First, there are no trippy flashbacks that drive the story–that really hurt Ray. Second, there was no title card that screamed THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT OF JOHNNY CASH’S LIFE–that absolutely killed Ray. Walk The Line skips over most of Cash’s development as an artist and focuses on the problems he had getting his life in order–dealing with success, with family, with love. It makes for a compelling story, but it ends a bit awkwardly. The ending suggests the movie is just a love story, but if that’s the case it skips all of Cash’s happiest moments. I suppose that makes sense for a bio-pic to fade out when all is right, but it feels cut short. Third, and this is the biggest, they let the music play. Ray kept stopping the music–10 seconds of this song, 20 seconds of another, a whopping 25 seconds of a song that was so long to record they actually cut it into two sides of a record. Here, the music plays, which drives home the point that music was Cash’s life.

That said, this movie gets a B from me because I just didn’t find Cash all that interesting. Sure, he had some good tunes, he overcame obstacles, and he was an extremely talented guy who had the good fortune to fall in love with someone strong enough to help him overcome his demons. But there are a lot of people out there like that (minus the talent, perhaps), and I just don’t care enough about Cash to be that into the story. So as far as the movie goes, it won’t make any new Cash fans, but it should appease his current ones.

And it certainly was better than Ray. But that’s not hard.

Rent

Grade: A+

Despite small flaws, ultimately perfect. A huge moment for movie musicals.

Wow. I have never been happier to enjoy seeing a movie. Rent was a pivotal moment in musical theater over the past 20 years, so the thought of it being mangled on film (like Chicago was) made me nervous. But from the very beginning there’s no denying that the movie absolutely nails the energy, the feeling, the passion that went into the original production. This movie is absolutely superb, and if there was any justice in the world then the Academy would take back that Best Picture award they gave to Chicago and hand it over to Rent, while apologizing for awarding that piece of rubbish.

I’d already reviewed the soundtrack, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover there are significant differences between the movie soundtrack and the actual film. Songs, or portions of songs, from the soundtrack are cut from the movie. I don’t know if this is setting the stage for an extended version on DVD (let’s hope so!), but I was already prepared for the performances. As expected, everyone was amazing with the exception of Rosario Dawson, who is simply not up to par. But knowing this, expecting this, I was able to tune her out. This was incredibly difficult during her solos, but I’m always up for a challenge.

The movie has plenty of nods to fans of the musical, including several song lyrics from cut numbers being turned into lines of dialogue. But the biggest tribute is the opening number, having the eight leads sing Seasons of Love in an empty theater. It is a pitch-perfect opening number–it tells you right up front this is a musical, but this is not a stage musical. And for the next 2 hours, 15 minutes, we go out into the world of Rent, the late 80s/early 90s New York City, filled with struggling artists, AIDS, crime, poverty, and an emotional void desperate to be filled.

What’s even more amazing about the movie is that it actually improves on the original musical. Sure, it cuts some songs and some plot points, which I didn’t necessarily want cut, but there’s no denying the story is moved along. And the musical’s troubled first act is actually incorporated into the entire movie–in the stage version almost all major themes from act 1 are abandoned by act 2. This movie feels more complete, but still remains true to the movie. Moving scenes to a local AIDS support group not only drives the story, but also adds an emotional punch to some of the best songs. It perfectly captures the despair and fear that swept through many groups not so long ago.

Do I wish they’d had a better Mimi? Absolutely. But given the new Joanne, I’m willing to forgive (heck, they got a 50% success rate–not bad). Tracie Thoms, incidentally, is incredible. So are all the others whose name doesn’t rhyme with Schmawson, but that goes without saying. The only other minor quibble was all the damn digital breath fog. All that snow on the ground drove the point–we know it’s cold outside. Now stop doing CGI, dammit.

Despite the gushing nature of this review, I am not a Rent-head. I think the second act of the musical was absolutely brilliant and I’m sad we lost Jonathan Larson and the other musicals he could have given us. But I think this movie, on many levels, surpasses the musical. I’m still glad we have the original Broadway recording to preserve the performances, but now we have the movie to preserve the feeling, the energy, the passion.

I was never a fan of the director, Chris Columbus. I thought he was good enough, don’t get me wrong, and the first two Harry Potter films were great versions of the books. But I never thought he brought anything to the formula. Rent proves me wrong. Columbus not only gets it, he can push it. He was the perfect choice to helm this picture, and he will forever have my respect as a result. Not that he cares, but it’s out there.

This is an amazing, amazing movie. I’m actually considering seeing it again. Big props to my HSBR sitemate ty97 for hooking me up with preview tickets (for this and Harry Potter last week).

No day but today. If this movie doesn’t move you, check your pulse.

TiVo makes me happy!

I should have had faith. Not a week has gone by that I said why TiVo made me sad, now they’ve done something right. They just announced today that the new version of TiVoToGo will support PSP and iPod. Finally! There’s a serious reason to get an iPod–I use my shuffle at the gym every day while I watch the TVs posted on the wall that are usually showing crap. It might take some getting used to looking down at the iPod on the treadmill tray, and hopefully the screen would be big/bright enough to make watching worthwhile, but I’d love to be able to catch up on shows from my TiVo, or watch some movies every once in a while.

Now that’s a reason to sell the old iPod and get a new one. Sweet!

Inch by inch

The journey continues, with an actual end in sight? Painters called last night to move to tomorrow–they were supposed to be there today but had a funeral. Which I suppose works out since I still need to remove some items from shelves, but it’d be nicer if they were done given the hassle they’ll cause since the Airport will have to be unplugged (it’s located in the theater, and I can’t use it in the media closet because of all the interference in there).

But I did pick out a color last week. Sherwin Williams’ Indigo. Nice deep blue. Getting excited about seeing it. Course, then I’ll need to install the mount and the screen. Wanted to install that hardware before the painters came, that way they could paint over any mistakes I made. But wasn’t in the cards for yesterday as I ran 2 errands, installed a shelf in the bathroom, moved bulky things out of a closet, cleaned out my car, moved a filing cabinet upstairs, sorted a pile of miscellaneous junk, and put up a few things on Craigs List. One of which is the TV I have in the theater right now (well, had, as I move it out yesterday). 53 inch rear projection Sony. I searched on ebay, found a similar one (slightly lower model) for $300, so listed at $400. As of this morning I think I have 10 people interested in it–not sure if I give it to the first person or tell them I have lots of interest so they should make an offer…but I don’t really like that last one. Guess I have to reward the first person to email, if they want. I try not to get attached to things, but I’ll be a little sad to see the TV go. It’s getting replaced by something better, but that was a great TV.

Also unpacked the frame for the screen. Left the actual screen rolled up and wrapped–hopefully it’s in perfect shape like the frame pieces. Should be cool to see when it’s done–just laying out the bottom piece and realizing that’s how large the screen is going to be across…it’s impressive.

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Grade: A+

A brilliantly small movie about an incredibly brave man.

What’s so great about this movie is not what it does, but rather what it
doesn’t do. It doesn’t try to stretch its point by pounding in your head how
applicable this conflict between Murrow and McCarthy is to today’s political
climate–although it’d be easy to do so. It also doesn’t try to make Murrow out
to be a total saint who enjoyed nothing but success after taking down the
biggest demagogue in recent times–although it would have been easy enough to
edit out the rest of Murrow’s story. And the movie doesn’t try to make you feel
like you’re part of the conflict, wondering what’s going to happen next–although
the filmmakers could have easily not set the audience apart from the movie by
shooting in color and not having the story told in flashback.

Instead, we’re left with an actual story framed by the reality of network
news in the 1950s. We’re constantly kept at arm’s distance from the story with
the black & white stock, but kept oddly involved through the intimate use of
handheld cameras and off-kilter shots. The performances are amazing, and the
directing is superb (somebody keep an eye on this Clooney guy–he could go
places).

The fact that some of Murrow’s statements are chillingly applicable in
today’s political climate shouldn’t be that surprising. Sad, perhaps, but not
surprising. Still, it’s useful to see a perfect example of the bravery it can
take to fight such tactics–and that the victory may not be as sweet in the
end.

Hats off to all involved.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Grade: B-

The good: it’s missing a lot of useless material from the book. The bad: it’s missing more than that.

SPOILERS AND STUFF IN THIS REVIEW

Let’s get one thing straight–I think Book 4 in the Harry Potter series is, so far, the best of the bunch. I thought it had the most character development, the best action bits, and a fantastic, almost mythic structure in the three tasks of the competition. And I’ve loved all the Harry Potter films to date, thinking they’ve gotten better and better as time went on. Heck, I even liked the second film and I wasn’t wild about the second book.

So what happened here? It’s hard to say, what went wrong?, because this isn’t a bad movie. Compared to a lot of other films, it’s very good. But this is Harry Potter. This is a franchise. So expectations are higher. And, quite sadly, this just doesn’t live up to them.

First, the good–excellent edits were made. The movie clocks in at just over 2:30, but given that this was the longest book converted, that’s understandable (and it’s only 5 minutes longer than the first movie, a book which was nearly a quarter the size). A lot of cuts were made to get down to that time, and several plot points had to be changed to accommodate those cuts (most notably the complete absence of Dobby or any House Elves–thankfully, SPEW is out as well). I thought the cuts were done to excellent effect. I also thought some of the visual changes worked as well–the movie lets the viewer figure out who the bad guy in Hogwarts is much more than the book ever did.

But what’s missing here is vital: a heart. Prisoner of Azkaban (the movie) had it in spades–yes, it was a stylish twist on the series with its dark, dripping interiors and gray, moody exteriors, but it had heart. You felt the central theme of the third film: freedom. The freedom to become your own person, to drive your own destiny no matter how much it’s being forced upon you. It’s a recurring theme in teenage fiction, but it worked in the third film (as the director Cuaron so brilliantly drove the Marauder’s Map to a central role, depicting that very freedom being given to Harry). That final image of the third film–Harry triumphantly flying over the lake, savoring a brief moment of freedom–was perfect.

The fourth film, has none of this. There is no central theme except “Let’s see what we can show you from the book.” It’s a turn back to the first films, the Columbus films. This may have worked earlier, but after Azkaban, we expect more. The director here, Newell, even tries to tone down some of the fantastic scenic design we saw in the last movie.

It’s really a shame, because there’s a powerful theme in book 4–Harry starting to learn his actual powers. The first book had him escaping danger thanks to the magical protection placed on him by his mother–the same thing that got him through the first 11 years of his life. The second book had him saving the day by getting help from someone and stumbling into a solution. The third book let Harry ease into his own, realizing he isn’t his parents and he has his own abilities. The fourth book is what makes Harry finally rely upon himself. True, someone is helping him outside of his knowledge in the tasks, but the crucial part of this theme is actually cut from the movie: the parts when Crouch/Moody teaches the class how to resist the Imperius curse. Harry is completely on his own when he realizes he has the ability to resist the curse, a huge moment in his life and pivotal to the next book when he forms Dumbledore’s Army. Cutting this part showed a lack of understanding of the theme, and showed that this movie was lacking in any storytelling.

The final scene of this movie is laughably bad. A true shame. Especially since book 5 was so dry, so boring, it’s hard to imagine we won’t get a good Potter film until 2008 or 2009, when Half-Blood Prince finally makes it to the screen.

Still, the effects were amazing, especially the dragon. And the maze at the end felt much more intense than it came across in the book. But it’s all flash, no substance. A shame, really. The confrontation with Voldemort was outstanding, and the overall pace finally moves the Potter franchise into the action world, but I’m not sure what they’re going to do for the next movie. And I’m not optimistic after seeing this one.

Mint Mocha Frappucino

You know what’s wrong with Mint Mocha Frappucino?

Nothing.

Recovered comments:

greg: November 17th, 2005 11:57 amI have heard this is a great product. We get free pepsi product every month, and we get 3 mocha, vanilla, and coffee, but we never get mint. Does it really taste like Ice cream?

Hose: November 17th, 2005 4:27 pmIt takes like what you get at Starbucks–and that’s good. But how do you get free Pepsi stuff?

Northbound: November 21st, 2005 7:07 amWell, it does have coffee in it.

Hose: November 21st, 2005 8:43 amYeah, it has coffee in it. You have a problem with coffee?

TiVo makes me sad

Don’t get me wrong, I love TiVo. I think there’s little doubt that TiVo has revolutionized watching television. But it makes me sad because I just don’t think they’ll be around a year from now.

I think existing TiVos will work, the service will keep going, the units will happily chug along. But unless something huge happens, I don’t see them being independent a year from now. Maybe someone will buy them. Maybe they’ll be in bankruptcy and someone will swoop in and gobble them up. But things aren’t good.

Maybe it’s because TiVo was just the first to do DVR the right way, but the technology itself is easy enought to implement, even in a bad way. Replay TV came out about the same time. They even had better searching at the start, but TiVo quickly adopted the search ability and their easy to use interface and deals with other content providers helped it take the lead. But perhaps they got a bit full of themselves, refusing to make large deals (outside of DirecTV, which was big) and forcing other companies to realize they could get 90% of TiVo’s functionality for 10% of the price. Now we see a host of other DVRs out there which may not be as nice as TiVo in terms of interface or features, but they record and playback shows and are a lot less expensive.

I thought TiVo was headed on the right track when they announced a deal with Netflix. But now that’s dead, since none of the studios would let it happen. So maybe that’s why TiVo is delivering a free movie to TiVo subscribers who sign up. Sure, it’s a not a great movie (Red Trousers–behind the scenes of asian martial arts actors or something like that). But maybe this pilot will provide TiVo with some much needed data–like how many users are interested and that their content protection system works (because you just know the movie will erase itself after a few days). Then TiVo can go to movie studios or other content providers and say, “See? This works!”

I hope that happens. Barring that or TiVo coming out with a super-fantastic standalone HD-DVR that blows everyone else out of the water, I am not optimistic.

Great (bad) review of In My Life

Frequent readers (all three of you) know how much I hated In My Life. It’s a horrible, horrible musical. Worst one ever, as a matter of fact, and that’s pretty hard to do since there’s a lot of bad stuff out there. So when Mrs Hose came across a fantastic review for the show, I had to pass it along. Check it out here. It gives a very funny and very true explanation of why this show is so, so bad. It’s a true shame this was ever produced.

Ever closer

An update on the home theater. The Carada Screen came in on Wednesday. Wow, they’re incredibly fast. The projector is here. The room is going to be painted either next Friday or the Monday after. In the meantime, I need to at least unpack and inspect the screen. Probably make sure the projector works as well. Just haven’t had a lot of free time–probably won’t be able to do it until Sunday. But Sunday should be a lot of fun.

Now the big decision has to be made. What movie do I first show when the theater is complete?