Best of the Decade: The Strokes-This is it (2001)

We're Back Baby!

After a long long time the blog is back. Honest to Blog to borrow from Juno.

I wanted to start by looking back this decade. It seems like this decade's theme was fear.

Of course we are still in it. The future seems uncertain, but I think there was some good stuff there, and I wanted to focus on that for a little while.

I can't help thinking about the decade, the 00's, if you will, without thinking of the Strokes first album This is it.
In hindsight it doesn't seem that great, but it really did back then. It was the first time I had heard the word indie music, before it was called Alternative.

The strokes came in at that last part of the 70's nostalgia scene and proclaimed "The 80's are back" And so they were, and it started with the late 70's -early 80's sound that was The Strokes.

It was somehow refreshing to here a very rough recording of a band that would probably sound the same live as they did on the record, and without special effects. These guys were young and fresh. The were super big amongst college and young adult , usually white, scene.

These were the people who had never heard Tom Petty and The Cars loved them. In truth, The Strokes literally lifted that sound and put in on their record without so much as putting their own take on it. It is more of a copy than a derivative.

Tracks like 'This is it' and 'Last Night' are still good to listen to every now and then.

These guys made being a rich kid from New York City with a Jew-fro cool, which hadn't been done since the early 1970's .
After this record they have declined in popularity, but they had their fifteen minutes.

Bedtime Stories(2008)

I think this was one of the best films of 2008. If you have kept up with my blog you know that I have seen a lot of movies this year, and to be completely honest I haven't written about most of the movies I have seen.

I know there has been a lot of talk about Bedtimes Stories not being so good. I respectfully disagree. I loved it.

I think it is harder to do clean comedy. In the heady times of the Apatow era that we are living in, the audience might be looking for 'adult' comedy of sex jokes, bad words, and gross-out humor. Bedtime Stories stars Adam Sandler who appeals highly to the 10 to 13 old boy crowd, and now the age range just got lower. This movie seems to be made to try to recreate the magic of Night at the Museum of a couple years ago, which was a wonderful movie that put adult comedy stars to make a clean kids movie, and somehow came out with really good family.

The story is quite simple. Adam Sandler finds himself working as a handyman in a Los Angeles hotel. His estranged sister asked him to babysit her two children while she goes to a job interview in Arizona, because the school, which she is the principle, is being torn down. She raises her kids without such good things as T.V. and sugar.

In Sandler fashion, he plays a blue-collar hero that doesn't get along with the snobby people he encounters. He takes on his new job as baby-sitter without qualms. He likes the kids and the kids feelings are mutual. The conflict comes in two folds. The owner of hotel sets up a competition with the snobby villain to see who will run the next big hotel in his company. The next conflict is that he doesn't get a along with his sister's pretty friend who is also looking after the kids, who is a bit of perpetually exasperated eco-enthusiastic, Felicity. I mean Kari Russell.

Sandler starts telling bedtime stories to get the kids to go to bed, and he finds out that stories come true the next day. Of course, his stories are narcissistic self involved hero stories about himself.

Sandler is helped by his friend Micky who is played by Russel Brand; who you might remember from Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Bedtime stories is a charming comedy. Totally clean,and totally funny.

Fanboys(2009)

Well worth the wait! Fanboys was suppose to be released in September then later in the fall. I am really not sure how long this movie has been pushed back. It's out now!

This is one of the greatest nerd movies of all-time. This is movie made for Star Wars fans by Star Wars fans. All general sci-fi fans can appreciate it this. I haven't laughed so much at the movies since Zach and Miri make a porno.

Fan Boys is a period piece; set circa 1999. The first new Star Wars movie has yet to be released. For four Star Wars geeks who have spent more time of their lives arguing Star Wars than Shakespeare there is no greater event in their mid-twenties of life. Except one of them is terminal Ill and will not live to see the new movie.

Our young rogues set out on a across country pilgrimage to nic a copy of the new Star Wars movie. Along the way, they battle Star Trek fans at the birthplace of Kirk, a pimp played by Seth Rogan. They run into Billy Dee Williams, Carrie Fisher, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith,and many of the Judd Apatow crew. The movie stars Jay Baruchel ( Tropic Thunder, Nick and Norah's Infinite playlist, Undeclared, Knocked up) and Kirsten Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshal). Let's not forget William Shatner, who can score anything.

When they do break into the Skywalker Ranch in Modesto California, they want into a Lucas Film fantasy film props from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. The best part is when they enter a room with Darth Vader, R2D2 and C3PO, Indi's hat, and other treasures. Well, before they the get caught. However, the guards who include the actor who played Darth Maul eventually let them go after administering a nerd test to see if they know more about Star Wars than they do about sex. They all pass.

The ends with the start of the Phantom Menace, when one remarks "What if it sucks?"

I can't imagine that all people will get this film. It would not surprise if many critics have trashed this film. Maybe because they are not nerds or maybe because they are Star Trek fans; who knows! Not everyone will get this joke when a doctor played by Carrie Fisher is kissed by one of our hero's who tells her that he loves her, and she responses with "I know." Not everyone will remember that Han Solo and Princess Leah interaction, but those people shouldn't be watching this film. For the rest of us,we'll laugh our off through out the film.

Bryan Sarkinen at the Westminster Dog Show

A Note from Bryan:

"Wanted to let you know that a show that I shot for CNBC is airing at 9PM tonight. It's called "American Originals" and is about the Westminster Dog Show."

Frost/Nixon(2008)

Nixon/Frost is another nice guy Ron Howard history movie. Much like Apollo 13 and is others there is no real bad guy. In fact, this may be the kindest representation of Richard Nixon that I have ever seen. Frank Langella gives a brilliant performance as Tricky Dick, but he lacks, in his performance, the Nixon's Redneck quality. It is easy for another from Southern Californian to spot the Okie in Nixon; as he is our son from Whittier, California. Langella gives Nixon a statesman like quality only befitting the great Ben Franklin. Likewise Michael Seen seems too sweet and nurturing than the real David Frost who always seemed a bit crass to me. You can catch the Real Nixon and Frost interviews on DVD, and David Frost was on the Daily Show last month taking about it.

As a film, it is very enjoyable, but it lacks any real drama that will truly gets you sucked in. It seems like there might be some good drama coming at times, then movie pulls back.

The story of the movie, tells the tale of talk show host David Frost, a Brit. He is an entertainment television host in the 1970's with funny hair and shirts to go along with it. He wants to interview Richard Nixon after Watergate. It is the holy grail of interviews. So, they offer Nixon a truck load of money. The Nixon camp thinks that they can just walk all over Frost and take his money.

Frost has the opportunity of a life time, in fact it was the big break of his career. The only problem is nobody else can see the potential, so he has problems getting funding. Everyone turns him down and he and his friends finance the project alone.

He does hire a couple of solid investigators, but they need to Frost to really sell it hard to Nixon. Nixon being an old pro and a quick mind walks all over him. In the end, Frost gives it his college try and has a show down with the former owner of Checkers, the dog. The loser of the in 1960 Presidential elections does admit to wrong doing in Watergate.

Frost/Nixon is the perfect medium brow film to make you feel like an intellectual when you are not. I should mention that it has a terrific cast that make the movie very watch-able of Rebecca Hall, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, and Kevin Bacon.

The Spirit(2008)

I am starting to think there is not a super-hero movie out there that I will not go see. No matter how bad it is, I am there. Punisher, Daredevil, Ghostrider, and now The Spirit.

At least with one you can say, "well, there were some interesting visuals!" All that Frank Miller noirish shtick. All that was there, but it didn't have the striking effect it did with Sin City. Nor, did it have the quality of actors.

The story had the structure of the first Spiderman movie with that whole "Who am I?" question that the story was sandwiched around. The images the Spirit running across rooftops in the highbred of New York and Chicago was always Spidey-esque.

Remember in Sin City that every scene was so over-dramatic that no real character development was really necessary. They try the same here, but it doesn't work because the scenes really don't work. Only Scarlett Johansson, the only talented actor in the ensemble, had any development, but that seemed almost by accident.

There some weird Nazi scene that I really didn't like. It is the only time I have scene a black man dressed in full S.S. Nazi uniform. There are times when surreally meant scenes fail. There was that great game show scene in Natural Born Killers that really worked. It was funny , disturbing and somehow brilliant then there is the The Beatles' Yellow Submarine movie that just failed entirely.

Oh right, the story. What story? The movie was that bad.

I think The Spirit tried marry elements of the first Spiderman, Tim Burton's Batman movie, and the Frank Miller style. Nah. it didn't work.

Look, I figure if you are a male under 12 years old, you will like it a lot. If I saw this movie at age 10, I would have dragged my mother to Toys R' Us for get me a Spirit action figure.

Doubt(2008)

An intriguing, disturbing, insightful and a power movie. It comes from the hit play on Broadway. Tells the story of a implied gay priest in the 1960's at Catholic school who takes an inappropriate relationship with a black boy at a recently integrated school. The principle, a head nun, takes a suspicion of him because she suspects he is a homosexual. One day, one of the nuns smells alcohol on the boys breathe after he comes back from a private conference with the priest.

The head nun, played by Meryl Streep, Sister Aloysius Beauvier, starts a crusade against the priest. In that process, she speaks to the mother who is more worried about her husband beating her son because he suspects his son is gay. The mother is complaisant to an inappropriate relationship her son and the priest, because, at least, someone is caring for her son despite the price.

The priest played by Philip Seymour Hoffman is obviously protecting the child and is aware of his situation, but he is hiding something. It is never clear what he is hiding. Is it that he is gay? Is it that something happened? Or is it that something happened in his past? Whatever it is he fights hard to hide from Sister Beauvier. She threatens to bring out some past allegation from a previous school he worked at. She doesn't really know anything, but she buffs and he resigns.

The story seems like a side bar of the real story of moral themes of kindness, doubt, fear, gossip and suspicion. The movie is filled with discussion of these themes.

The movie is heavy. You walk out unsure of a lot of things.

Merly Streep's performance is the best I have seen this year. She probably deserves another Oscar. There were are very strong performances by Philip Seymore Hoffman, and Amy Adams who's body language is still very girlie like in Enchanted despite being a troubled Nun.

Doubt is one of the few cerebral movies out this year. Definitely one of the best. I actually paid full price on this one!

Yes Man(2008)

I think Jim Carry is giving us tales of Morality. I feel like the last few Carry films I have seen were like funny allegories. Lair Lair, don't lie. Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind is almost a It's a wonderful life tale of your life is precious no matter how much pain your in. This one,Yes Man, tell the audience that is you say yes to life good things will happen, and if you say no bad things will happen, but you have do it responsibly.

This movie was number one at the box office last weekend. Again, it the economic downturn a funny light hearted movie is needed. Isn't funny during booms (e.i. the roaring 90's) people like disturbing entertainment. Well, in times like these it is quite the opposite.

Jim Carry plays Carl who is miserable cloistered man who avoids as much social contract and effort to enjoy life. He attends a self-help talk that persuades him to say yes to everything that comes his way. At first this looks disastrous but in the process unexpected good things happen to him.

This is really good role Carry who tried be a serious actor, but I think he was too good at being depressed. Nobody wanted to a favorite funny man so sad. So, he went back to silliness. This movie has both aspects.

This movie has your usual Carry stick, funny faces, a funny musical number, playing with language and conversations. The movie G rated enough for older kids.

It co-stars Zooey Deschanel, who couldn't look like a more perfect girl, and Danny Masterson, from That 70's show, who is still playing Steven Hyde.

If you couldn't tell I really enjoyed this one. I think it is great fun little movie. Good you want to get your mind of things.

Four Christmases (2008)

I think the current economic crisis has contributed this film being a hit. It was number 1 at the box office for two weeks. With times seeming so bad and maybe getting worse, people need something light and really quite, frankly, stupid to watch. Four Christmases is one of the worst movies I have seen all year.

It was starts with a good premise. The premise that that people work so hard to develop themselves into the people they want to be, but their families still see them as they saw them before they left for college. So, the movie could have explored the conflict was when these people have to confront the conflict in contrast.

Another thing it had going for it is the cast. It was like trying to be the ultimate date movie. It stars human Barbie-doll, Reese Witherspoon. Every girlie-girl loves her. Then for the guys it has the Swingers reunion with Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and the guy who played "Sue." Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and a few country guys round out the cast. They could have added the Jonas brothers to make the movie try to appeal to larger demographic or just added one minority I don't remember seeing one person of color of any kind.

The idea of this movie that a unmarried couple go to see their families for Christmas. Both families are divorced and our mismatched couple of Vince and Reese have been avoiding these type events for the past few years. I am not denying that this could have been a good movie but it is so cheesy that it would make the Bollywood audience embarrassed. In fact, the only thing that this movie is lacking is a series of song and dance numbers.

Many other things don't work as well. Reese and Vince as a couple. Vaughn towers over her like the Empire State Building to a hotdog vendor. Reese as a former lesbian doesn't work either. Nor does the excessive shots Vaughn gut. He has really let himself go.

Really the word banal does cover the blandness of this one. In these times we don't have money to spend on such crap.

Role Models (2008)

The Alchemy of Comedy troupes seems to be working this year. It seems like the Apatow touch of style and actors are combining with others of the crude male variety. There was the excellent Zack and Miri, make a prono, which combines Seth Rogan and Kevin Smith. This time you have the mostly the Apatow crowd running with the guys from the The State,One Hot American Summer, and Reno 911 crew.

Maybe you are wondering why such a stupid looking movie such as Role Models is still showing. The reason is that it is pretty good. In the tradition of the Bad News Bears, The Mighty Ducks and any other films where reluctant males have to come to the rescue of eccentric kids where the movie metamorphosizes into a family movie, Roles Models does that too but better.

Why Better? It is better because usually in these movies you have really boring intro where the dude is down on his luck and basically crabby. Here you have Paul Rudd and Stiffler from American Pie acting like some overly sexed Martin and Lewis team. There is story about their friendship and Rudd and his girlfriends. There is a movie right here without the two kids who enter their lives by Plea Bargain.

The movie easily can be retooled into a sitcom a la the Simpsons. There are enough well developed secondary character that everyone is interesting. Most of them are from Apatow films. You got the doctor from Knocked Up, the nerdy kid from Drillbit Taylor, the newly wed from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and let's not forget Paul Rudd and McLovin'.

Oh the Story? Well our heros work for an energy drink company that tries to get kids off drug and on to energy drinks. Stiffler dresses up as a Minotar Beast for the kids. Rudd is depressed that his life has amounted to this, and his girlfriend can't stand him anymore. She leaves him.

Rudd, depressed, crashed the company car, and both are in it and charged. His ex-girlfriend, a lawyer, gets them a thousand hours of community service. They entered a help the children big brother program run by an ex-crack whore. Their little Bro's are a very angry little boy and McLovin'. McLovin is a Harry Potter looking Medieval re-creationist who might not have reality that far in his hands. As you can imagine, it doesn't go so well at the start, but the guys start to love it when they realize that these kids look up to them like gods. Just when they start to enjoy it is when the get kicked out. Later, somehow they all fight as a they all fight as a team in a Medieval re-creationist war dressed liked the members of KISS, which kinda lose in the end.

What makes this movie good is all the little characterizations and quirky interactions between them.