Should old Acquaintance be Forgot....Some Hopeful Pop Culture Events for 2012

TVRevenge-After watching the first nine minutes of the first episode in 2012 I hope the show continues on it brilliant soapy path it started with in the fall.Community-I just hope NBC realizes what it has with this show, cancels Whitney, and brings this show back, and stops this quick hiatus.30 Rock-  I hope that Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin realize that while I love this show it may be time to pull the plug after at least year 7.  I do not see the show going much further, I think they should end after this year, but I do not think that will happen.  Who knows maybe season 6 will bring back the glory days of this show.Mad Men-After almost two years of being off the air, I am excited to have this show back in my living room.  I want more Don Draper in my living room.  This...

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Star Making Roles Part 1: Gary Marshall Edition

Ironically the night before I return back home to Boston after coming home for Christmas I am watching Pretty Woman with my family.  If you follow me on here, I watched this movie with my family the night before I went home on Thanksgiving.  This made me think about something different this time, while Pretty Woman was not Roberts first film but this movie made her a huge star. Everyone starts somewhere, sometimes some one's first film rockets them to super stardom while with other actors/actresses it takes one, two and sometimes many more films to make it big.  Gary Marshall's film had the magic with Robert's career.Julia Roberts-Pretty Woman (1990) In the 80s Julia Roberts was the younger sister of the much more famous...

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an Edgy Tale with Rooney Mara stealing the film

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (3 1/2 out 5 Stars)Directed by David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club, Se7en)Written by Steve Zallian (Moneyball, Gangs of New York, Schindler's List)Starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christopher PlummerI can hear the groans already, another book being made into a movie. Wait, what?  Stieg Larson's book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was already made into a movie?  There was a Sweedish version?  I can hear even more groans from people stating "Hollywood is going to take another foreign film and remake it for American audiences."  This is a double whammy that could have proved disastrous.  I think the opposite happened.  While I did not love the book, and the Swedish...

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2011's Best in Television: The Shows, the Episodes, the Performances

Top Ten TV Shows1-Parks and Recreation-Rarely do these lists name a comedy as the best show of the year (that's not why I am picking it), but this show was flawless this year.  Season 3 which took place entirely in 2011 was a perfect season of a comedy.  With cast additions like Rob Lowe and Adam Scott the tone of the show has never faltered.  I love Leslie Knope and I am glad they moved away from creating Michael Scott part two.  This is one of the best ensembles.  I could go on an on about Leslie, April, Andy, Tom, Jerry, Donna and of course Ron freaking Swanson, but that would fill up a huge amount of space.2-Breaking Bad-The best show everyone is starting to watch now.  This show is like a fine wine, it gets...

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Game of Shadows is Entertaining but Lacks the Drive and Wit of the First Film

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2 1/2 out of 5 Stars)Directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Snatch, Rock N Rolla)Written by Michele and Kieran Mulroney (Paper Man)Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris and Noomi RapaceWhile watching the first film, I know I asked myself the question, why isn't Sherlock Holmes facing his mortal enemy Professor Moriarty?  Well the team behind this film series including Guy Ritchie planned for this to be successful and did not want to delve into the rivalry right away.  Smart move!  The first film set up the second, and made audiences excited to see the rivalry play out.  The big question is was the pay off worth the wait, I would say somewhat.The background of Game of Shadows...

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Christmas Time is Here...Lot's of Time for Holiday Films!

After my family opened their presents together, and had breakfast together, we sat around the TV to find something good to watch.  Surprisingly, we ended up watching two movies that had nothing to do with Christmas, Bend it Like Beckham, and Despicable Me.  I know that TBS has A Christmas Story on on a 24 hour rotation, and ABC Family has Christmas shows on TV, but other than those two places there were no classic Christmas films on TV.  NBC and their other counterparts had Meet the Press and other news shows.  Where is the Christmas spirit on Christmas day?  I know man networks counted down and show films prior to today, but I want to watch them today.  I sound like a bratty young child who says to his mother...

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Travels with Kevin Part 3: I'll Be Home for Christmas

Well tonight was Christmas Eve, and I celebrated with family and friends at my grandmothers house.  There is something to be said for this time of the year.  Many people will complain or state that this is a depressing time of the year because they have no one to celebrate with.  I have to say as I get older it is nice to celebrate with my mom, dad, and sister.  It is also nice to celebrate with my cousins as we all get older and I get to see them have their own families.  In fact my cousin Amy is pregnant with her first child and her sister Caitlin is getting married in July.While at my grandmothers I there was holiday music on in the background, and football early in the day.  As football ended and the music...

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Young Adult Seethes with an Edge of Piss and Vinegar thanks to Charlize Theron

Young Adult (3 out of 5 Stars)Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air)Written by Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer's Body)Starring: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson and Patton OswaltIn 2007 small film named Juno was released during the month of December from a writer/director pair that was not as well known.  Flash forward five years in the future where Jason Reitman is a hot director and is fresh off being a double Oscar nominee for writing/directing Up In Air.  Diablo Cody won an Oscar for her Juno script and she helped develop a television show on Showtime named the United States of Tara.  This year this team has collaborated on a film that solidifies their ability to create.  Together these two...

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What Happened to Sequels in 2011?

While on the train from Boston to go to my families for Christmas I watched The Hangover II.  I had not seen the second film in theaters.  I saw the first film three times in the movies.  The Hangover was this movie that came out of nowhere with no true major celebrities, and it was hilarious.  The script was off the wall crazy, chronicling a bachelor party gone wrong.  While on the train home my face never changed, and I rarely cracked a smile or laughed while watching the sequel.  The Hangover II took away the fun of the first film.  The film felt as though it were close to being a shot for shot remake of the first film just set in a different country, and centered around a different characters wedding....

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2011's Best Music: The Albums and Songs

The Grammy's really don't know their stuff.  Here are my picks for the best albums of the year and the best singles.  This is my my first list of the "best."  The list of the best TV shows, performances in TV, and TV episodes of the year is up next!Best Albums of 20111-Adele's-21-It's hard to find people who do not love this album.  I have one friend who does, but his argument is he does not like Adele's voice ( I am baffled).  From start to finish this album is beautifully flawless.  Their is pure raw energy and talent.  This is one of my favorite albums of all timeBest Track "Someone Like You"2-Bon Iver-Bon Iver-The music on this album is hauntingly beautiful.  The songwriting and tone of this somewhat soft pop is terrific.Best Track "Holocene"3-Beyonce-4...

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My Favorite Holiday Songs

Last night I went to see the Boston Gay Men's Chorus, they put on an excellent show!  Seeing the chorus finally put me in the holiday spirit, and made me think about my favorite holiday songs.  There are of course different versions of different songs, and everyone has their own favorites. Here are my favorite holiday seasons with the specific artist."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"-Judy Garland-her brassy voice makes this song soulful.  This song gives me hope that even in the most difficult times things can better.Wham-"Last Christmas"-While this song is one of the sadder Christmas songs, it has always been one of my favorite songs.  Even though this is one of the sadder songs it still has remained one of the most popular Christmas songs for those thinking loving...

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Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a fun filled Action Adventure Ride

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (3 1/2 out of 5 Stars)Directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant,The Incredibles, Ratatouille)Written by Josh Applebaum and Andre NemecStarring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, and Simon PeggI have a confession to make.  I went to see Ghost Protocol in IMAX to see the The Dark Knight Rises prologue. Whew!  Now that the weight is lifted off my shoulders I can say, aren't film franchises supposed to get stale once you get to the fourth film?  While I still think the third Mission Impossible film is the best this film is just as good!  When I saw the preview for this I thought this franchise is going to get stale.  J.J. Abrams directed and produced the third film, and just helped...

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Academy Awards Best Picture Revisited: Sideways (2004)

Today I watched another film from one of the directors in contention for the Best Director prize this year.  I realized today I watched David Fincher's 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; he has The Girl  with the Dragon Tattoo this year. In 2007 Jason Reitman directed the crowd pleaser Juno and this year he has the film Young Adult. Then I watched 2006's The Departed from director Martin Scorsese; Scorsese directed Hugo this year.  Finally this weekend came the film Sideways directed by Alexander Payne, who directed The Descendants this year.Four different, yet brilliant directors.  Only two directors have a chance this year at being nominated and winning, Martin Scorsese and the director of Sideways,...

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Shame is an Addicting Tale

Shame (4 out of 5 stars)Directed by Steve McQueenWritten by Abi Morgan and Steve McQueenStarring Michael Fassbender and Carey MulliganShame received an honor few films get today, the film was rated NC-17.  Some will define this film by this rating.  In a way this makes sense, the films centers around an addiction to sex.  The film was rated NC-17 because of the amount of nudity and the representation of sex.  I think Shame could change the face of the NC-17 rating.  Most NC-17 films get the black ball, meanwhile Shame has a nice release progression.  I live in Boston and assumed that only the small independent theaters would house this film, and that the release would be staggered, not the case.  Shame is...

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Award Shows: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

At the moment we are the middle of the busiest season for award shows.  This week the nominations for three major film awards are announced: the Broadcast Film Critics, Screen Actor's Guild (SAG), and the Golden Globes.  Starting January 15th the Globes will kick this off.  Mixed in the month of January and the winter months is the People's Choice Awards, and the Grammy Awards.  Most of the time people who do not follow award shows ask the question, "How do they pick the nominees?"  Each Academy or group has their own process, and some award shows are better than others. I have always been a competitive person, and I usually jockey for my favorite films, performers, TV shows to be nominated, or win....

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