Ironboundfw Reviews

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Million Dollar Baby

[10/10 · 10 February 2005]

I hated Mystic River, I really did, I spoke against it like it was the worst movie of the YEAR, the decade, the century. I was just not a fan of the screenplay, although the performances were flawless. What can I say? Clint Eastwood is a guy that does not compromise. He will make movies that you either love or you hate, yet they will have their impact. As much as I hated Mystic River, I LOVED MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Million Dollar Baby is by far the most brutally honest film I have seen since Monster's Ball or even Requiem for a Dream. It does not apologize, it does not seek to swerve the viewer, it is just an honest depiction of life and the choices you are forced to make in the process.

It was not a manipulative movie at all, in a year of manipulative movies like Passion of the Christ, I found Million Dollar Baby to hold a higher bar for itself than what the rest of Hollywood is putting out there.

But the reason I loved this movie is because it forced me to come to terms with myself. There is a twist, a twist much discussed by the media, and ruined by Michael Medved (or as I call him Middle Ages Medved, really does this guy live on a completely different time line than the rest of us.) When I left the film, I did not like or respect myself as a person, because I found myself siding with Hillary Swank's character, Like her, I am a strong individual when I want something, but when dealt a bad hand I am positively sure that I would make the same choices she did. That realization has been gnawing at me for three weeks since I saw this film. This film stays with you, it keeps you up at night, it makes you think, it makes you re-evaluate your choices.

The film is a hot potato with the disabled right now, but they fail to see that the film is about one person's choices, in a culture where we love our movies to reflect the masses rather than the individual, people cannot see the forest for the trees. This film is a wake up call for film makers. It is a wake up call for all story tellers. And I'm so glad that a man that would normally be at the end of his career is the one to point the way.

Million Dollar Baby is a classic. It is a classic Now, and it will be a classic 100 years from now. How many films made in the last ten years can you say that about? Not many.

The Aviator (2004)

Fly Away, Fly Away

[4/10 · 24 January 2005]

The Aviator is a good movie. and I guess what upsets me is that It should have been a GREAT MOVIE. It stumbles and falls so far away from Greatness that it leaves me yearning for the great movie that it could have been.

I'm not gonna repeat the plot, it's a basic bio-pic, in which Leonardo DeCaprio SHINES as Howard Hughes. It's his performance that holds the movie together.

If anything, I find most fault in the SCREENPLAY by JOHN LOGAN which was LAZY and un-layered. In John Logan's world people just don't suffer complexities, they fall easily into Hollywood archetypes --- the fighter, the dreamer, the risk-taker, each of these Howard Hughes get a scene. But none of these traits come together to give him a three-dimensional personality. John Logan is a good writer, he can spin a good line, but he can't string together plot, or character complexities to save his life.

Martin Scorcese is a master, YES. Goodfella's was AWESOME, I even loved, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, one of my favorite films. But with Gangs of New York, and The Aviator, he seems to be trying to HARD. Martin Scorcese is a MASTER, YES, but in The Aviator he is not masterful. He does not strive to give us a great film. just a great looking film.

The idea of a RICH MAN with a DREAM that goes on to make his Dream happen in itself is not very exciting. I mean, he is after all A RICH MAN, it's very easy to make your DREAMS COME TRUE when you have all those resources. So, his fears, his phobias, and his psyche, all the things that would have made a great bio-pic are in the end only merely mentioned and never fully explored and this is why the film never delivers on its promise.

All in all, The Aviator, however, still works. It has very little emotional impact. But damn, it's sure a pretty picture to look at.

Unscripted (2005)

Unscripted = Ungood

[12 January 2005]

Unscripted is a funny hybrid. I don't mean funny in that it makes you laugh. It's funny in that it thinks its audience is a bunch of morons. Part reality, part scripted, mostly improvised. The show takes a bunch of new actors, and a bunch of has been actors (someone please answer why is Frank Langella doing this?)

The New actors --- mostly look like they should be in soft-porn movies in late night cine-max. And they should hope this show is canceled quickly because really, do they just want to be known as the actor who did that show where he got to play himself/herself... BADLY.

The "has been" actors were never really that big to begin with, so I never really asked... oh, where have they been? more like... oh, why are they back?(EXCEPT for FRANK LANGELLA, again, begging the QUESTION... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?") The show is bad because well, It's a show about the ups and downs on ACTING... and I'm sorry, I've seen "Fame" once, and that was good enough for me --- YES, there is struggling, yes there is suffering, yes there is heartbreak, but guess what... YES, I DON'T CARE. I DON'T CARE because ACTORS are not the REAL HEROES OF THIS WORLD. I love to WATCH ACTORS play real HEROES or even IMAGINARY ONES... but who wants to see an ACTOR play himself... it's just not interesting. Because at the end of the day, ACTORS are self involved little sh*ts, whose suffering is self-inflected. They chose this life, live with it, please, please don't show me how hard it is. There will be no sympathy gained by it. If anything, I just wish the actors and people who "MADE" it and then decided to put this type of crappola on TV, will just "un-make" it so that I wouldn't have to be exposed to this. YES, George Clooney taking my order at the Broadway Diner in Manhattan would be a treat indeed. (sorry, GEORGE, but what WERE YOU THINKING! Ocean's Twelve and Unscripted in one year --- ouch.)

and can the executive at HBO who green lit this be FIRED. Thanks!

The show is also so similar to the other HBO show Entourage... which raises the question, IS THERE some RE-PRESSED ACTOR doing the HBO programming as of late. Entourage is not a good show either, but that one at least has Jeremy Piven's slimy agent to keep you entertained. HBO has created some of the best television in recent memory. But thanks to UNSCRIPTED it has proved that it can bull a FOX and create some of the WORST also.

Alexander (2004)

Alexander less Great/Less Filling

[3/10 · 26 November 2004]

With apologies to Angelina Jolie (who was trapped and did her best in this film. I would like to believe that... although, Angelina, it's getting a little hard to keep defending your choices.)

Wow, who would think that a movie about a 20 something, bisexual over achiever, with a HOT MOM, would be this boring and funny at the same time. I tell you one thing, The screenwriters of the film have a real ear for comedy. Too bad they were writing a DRAMA!

I guess for me, after realizing how bad it was gonna be --- I was missing some things, like a good musical number, or more physical comedy to liven up the entire thing. Somewhere along the line, the pie in the face bit was cut and no one was consulted.

But seriously folks, when Stoney set out to make this epic, he didn't think he was gonna end up writing one of the best comedies of the year. I think it should indeed be nominated in the BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL category of the Golden Globes. But imagine how funny the movie itself would have been if he indeed used some of the more comically agile actors of our time.

here's a sample cast:

1. Alexander - Madonna "Conquer your FEAR! and I'll let you know the secret of how this blond conquered the world, it's called... MARKETING."

2. Olympias - Jennifer Lopez "The World is MINE, i mean, yours, yours, but seriously does my butt look too big in this robe..."

3. Philip - Bernie Mac "A king isn't born until i slap him upside the head."

4. Hephastion - Sean Hayes aka Jack from Will and Grace "Look at MEEEE! I'm dating the conqueror of the World."

5. Roxxanne - Megan Mullaly aka Karen of Will and Grace- "Oh, honey, I was so drunk when you conquered persia, I don't even remember."

Team America: World Police (2004)

Team America: Dumb Police

[3/10 · 15 October 2004]

I love, Love South Park, there are always politically sharp jabs at the government and people in general. It's part of the fun of the show, and what makes it so brilliant.

But Team America: World Police, wasted all opportunities to throw jabs, and just created the Pearl Harbor of Marionnete Movies. It's all over the place. And not very much fun to watch. The novelty of Puppetts wears pretty thin pretty fast, and well, let's just say Parker and Stone are not the most creative of writers.

As far as the jibes at famous movie stars... wow, there was so much they could have done with that... I find the whole entire movie a waste of my time. I walked out of it, thinking, Damn, I should have gone to see Shall We Dance.

Desperate Housewives (2004–2012)

Desperately Wanting More

[5 October 2004]

I'm gonna address something in a serious tone, that is way unlike the premiere of Desperate Housewives. Television, has gotten entirely too serious. It has! Even its comedies can be horribly depressing.

As I sat watching the premiere of Desperate Housewives, I found myself doing something I haven't done in quite some time, and that is "smiling," No, I mean, a huge smile, a GRIN of thankfulness.

I have a theory that most pilot scripts suck, because they are establishing a series, I have hardly ever liked a PILOT script, even if they do their job well which is establish character and the mood of the show. The great story telling comes after the pilot.

The only good pilot I have seen in recent years, was the pilot for ALIAS (brilliant) now a week ago, I saw the PILOT for LOST (edge of your seat good). But even those were topped by the intricate, hysterical, amazing pilot script for DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. If the writers are out there, reading this, 1. Thank You. 2. why are you reading this, get to writing more of this wonderful show.

They also have gotten a superb cast of women. OLDER WOMEN! WOMEN WOMEN, not some 20 something year olds with bland looks on their faces and pouty lips! But Talented, amazing, beautiful, WOMEN (and I'm a guy in my 20's) I appreciate that... WOMEN over 40 ROCK! I speak of course of Felicity Huffman, who can do more with one line of Dialogue, than any other actress I know. This show, brings also the RETURN of Terri Hatcher, THANK GOD! It's about TIME!! And it also brings me, MARCIA CROSS, an actress who should have been given an EMMY for her brilliant, heartbreaking work in EVERWOOD last season.

The producers/Direction/showrunners of the show, have established a look for the show. it's American BEAUTY on ACID. A gorgeous use of color and cinematography, of scoring, and well, I mention it again, because it's so important... GREAT WRITING!

On every level, the PILOT for DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES impresses. It has bite, humor and heart. I hope that it will be around for a long time. But even this one episode is enough to remind people everywhere, that network television can still be FUN!

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

Oh Captain! My Captain!

[9/10 · 20 September 2004]

The very first movie that I ever saw in a theater was E.T. The Extraterrestrial. I still remember the feeling, the exhilaration, when the bike carrying Elliot and E.T. took flight. I was a child, and there for the grace of god, went my imagination. Very few movies today, take flight, or joy in their creation, and it seemed to me that for years film-makers were taking themselves entirely too seriously or too violently, but never with creative abandon.

Movies, the grand movies, that made one giddy seemed to be gone, replaced by Oscar targeted epics of serious tone, and no fun whatsoever.

Peter Jackson's trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" re-introduced "wonder" to my movie going experience. but Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow went right for the child inside me. The plot is thin, YES. I daresay, it's almost non-existent, but OHHHH, the sights and sounds, the play, the sheer joy of watching Gwyneth Paltrow beautifully photographed against grand backgrounds, that existed only in the director's imagination.(Let's make no mistake, the movie may be called Sky Captain, but it belongs to Paltrow's character all the way.)And why not, Gwyneth was born to play period films. Her beauty is often un-real. A perfect fit for the film.

Then there's the New York City of the 1930's re-imagined as a city steeped in both the past and its own future. The ocean maps that Sky Captain's plane flew over. Angelina Jolie's squadron of under water fighter planes. It was all eye -candy, and I couldn't get enough. Yes, Yes, I know, the story is not something to rave about. But, I am gonna rave about this. Magic in films is making a comeback, and I can't wait to see where imagination takes us next.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Classic Storytelling and comic books. It CAN BE DONE. (one spoiler)

[9/10 · 26 July 2004]

I liked the first Spider Man, I thought it was handled very well, but when I went to see Spider Man 2 - I was totally blown away. First of all, the story --- a magnificently structured screenplay that hit all the right notes. Who says that great action films are made in the action sequences? The reason why the action sequences in this film were so fantastic, was because the characters were so fully drawn out, given time to develop, and it gave us time for us to developed a sense of them, caring about them, and then, the action sequences hit. Such amazing moments. The acting is top notch, especially Tobey Mcguire, who endowed the character with such depth of feeling.

Ever the skeptic, I kept hinting at moments that would go wrong. At times, when the screenwriter would take the cliche way out. But then, something happen, the moment right after the action sequence in the train, a moment when the passengers hold on to spidey, and pull him inside, and a man says "he's just a kid." ---

I don't mind saying, that I breathed deeply and tears rolled down my eyes. Why? because for one second, Sam Raimy, let me see the heart of the movie. Underneath this glossy, special effects action filled movie, there's something that is all too lacking in the comic book film adaptations that I have recently seen, and that's a heart as big and as deep as a child's imagination.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

The Passion for the Slow Mo.

[1/10 · 7 March 2004]

All right, was it as anti-semetic as we were led to believe. Not really. Facing the fact that Jesus was Jewish, and the story takes place in the land of the Jews, it is to be expected that both good guys and bad guys are jewish, except for those PESKY ROMANS. Those Romans, have always been violent. I mean, we go from Jesus's Death to Tony Soprano, and we learn one thing... Roman's like their pizza good and their deaths bloody. (so what is Mel Gibson trying to say?)

Was it a good movie? Heavens NO! Mr. Gibson has not brought anything new to the art of film making, and the movie itself is a 2 hour lynching, wich, is more like a very violent S&M video. You don't know if you're feeling bad for Jesus, or feeling admiration for the hunky actor playing him. Let's just face it, this is the first Jesus in film history that is right down sexy. Even as he is being mutilated, there is something about Cavizel that just fills the screen with sexual charisma.

But Mel, oh Mel, those slow motion shots added a good hour to the movie. and they were silly. Oh, yes, I know he died for our sins, but I can't believe he would die to have a movie so tackily made about him. don't you think that it would have shown Jesus more love to abstain yourself from the self indulgent slow motion shots? I DARE SAY, after this movie, I want the slow motion shot retired and any director who ever dares to use it ever again, well he should be, well darn it, he should be... crucified.

Mystic River (2003)

a murky river indeed

[3/10 · 26 January 2004]

The great thing about Mystic River is the actors, dealing with some marginally good directing and a horrible script full of coincidences and synchronicities that even the Greek gods of drama would have trouble explaining.

The trouble is that the director, Clint, truly believes he has created a masterpiece. The commercials now, in time for Oscars, have him commenting about the lack of special fx's and how that truly makes the film greater than maybe Lord of the Rings.

The problem is, that it has no special fx's whether it be digital or storytelling whatsoever. It reminded me of a bad off-Broadway play that runs on a showcase contract and garners good reviews for its cast. Other than that, it has nothing special about it. The greatest special fx to me is the story and this story is so convoluted, so built to give each actor one great scene, that I was tired, and drained and well predictably bored.

I sat down with my friend and about 20 minutes into the movie, we made a list, and said, let's see how many actors get an Oscar clip scene and sure enough everyone got one.

The fact of the matter is that this movie was purposely done for Oscars. It also happens to be done for the Hollywood industry who love to be led to "insight" by the hand, rather than actually have to think about anything.

Mystic River is far from being the best picture of 2003. Lord of the Rings is marginally a much better film, but hey, has anybody seen American Splendor? Or even Thirteen?

Big Fish (2003)

Sleeping with the Big Fishes

[5/10 · 13 January 2004]

I couldn't wait to see Big Fish, A nightmare Before Christmas is one of my all time favorite movies, which is why I was so disappointed by the over long, dull, sometimes magical, but often misbegotten story that these actors were forced to partake in.

From time to time a magical moment will arise, and then the film seemed to be about to take off only to be pulled in, sometimes even crash back to a story that is so thin, I could not believe they stretch the subject for a decent short film to a two hour yawn-a-thon.

For me Big Fish was the disappointment of the year because, it seemed to be all promise, but the promise never quite delivered. This sweet film, left me feeling pretty sour about film making that depends on no plot, no story, no performance but that of the pretty visuals.

Monster (2003)

Charlize Theron!!! Wow!!!

[9/10 · 30 December 2003]

There are very few performances given by actresses that have floored me. Hilary Swank is Boys Don't Cry, Halle Berry in Monster's Ball, Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream. Sure, Meryl Streep and countless other actresses give wonderful performances in their own right all the time. But rarely does a performance transcend acting to become legendary risk taking. Charlize Theron does this, with a vengeance, she has gone from being a gorgeous, very good actress, to a screen legend. Good for her.

Angels in America (2003)

or The future EMMY RECORD BREAKER!

[8/10 · 9 December 2003]

If there is one movie that could have possibly beaten THE RETURN OF THE KING as best movie of the YEAR. It would be ANGELS IN AMERICA. Hypnotic, frightening, political, and most of all HONEST. Angels in America is not just about the gay experience at the turn of the aids epidemic century. It deals with the issues of honesty, truth, loyalty and sacrifice in the coming of the great millennium.

The film begins in 1985, and the play, won the Pulitzer Prize in the late 80's early 90's. It preoccupies itself, not with the gay issue. Although that has some major part of it. But on the insanity that seemed to befall us --- as we plummeted into the 21st Century.

The play at its time looked Visionary, and fantastical. But now, two years into the millennium, the play looks prophetic. After the play opened on Broadway, so many of the issues that it dealt with came to pass, so that when Ethel Rosenberg says to Roy Cohn. "I think history is about to crack wide open" I'm paraphrasing of course; I could not help but think of The World Trade Center attacks. I remember trying to get a train back to New Jersey on that day, after walking all the way from down town to safety in midtown and thinking, in a haze, The MILLENNIUM IS HERE. To me, September 11th was the day the millennium dawned. And if we had looked back, if we had paid attention to this play when we were supposed to, then maybe instead of calling it prophetic, we could be calling it, history altering.

It is the power of the pen that has been proven mightier than the sword, because Angels in America will show history how we truly were at the end of the 20th Century, close-minded, full of fear, self-centered, and without a sense of history and our collective national sins. We the people are not the people we think ourselves to be. Angels in America shines its brightest most unflattering light on that, and still manages to awe in its celluloid beauty.

The Last Samurai (2003)

Everything everyone says it is... BUT...

[4/10 · 4 December 2003]

The Last Samurai is everything everyone says it is. Exhilarating, poetic, beautiful to look at, it is like a painting in a canvas, that you look at and wonder at the technique of the artists.

The problem is that I never stopped looking at the technique, I never got involved in the story. I was not swept away by the directing, rather, forced along...

I really can't put my finger on why it was that I didn't love this movie. Although I did love the battle sequences OH BOY!

I am a fan of Tom Cruise, have always been, but I just didn't quite buy him in this role. He was servicable, he was fine, but he was not the actor for the job. I kept thinking about the wonderful things Russell Crowe could have done with this role. And that's when it hit me. I have seen this movie so many times over the last couple of years. BRAVEHEART, GLADIATOR, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, This movie follows a formula which I like to call, the "Let's go for a best picture nomination FORMULA"...

I do think it's one of the top ten movies of the year. Simply because of the way it portrays it's Japanese characters. Still --- when it's all said and done. I walked out of the film feeling a little cheated by the experience. I felt like the director, designer and cinematographer were saying... LOOK OVER HERE! aren't I GREAT!!!! everything was individually great, it just never came together as a complete film for me.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

disturbingly fantastic.

[9/10 · 3 September 2003]

I remember watching this movie for the first time. It was on cable. I was very sorry not to have caught it on the movie screen. I was with my younger sister and her boyfriend. We were just chatting and playing, and the movie for the first 10-15 minutes just played in the background. Then, suddenly we were riveted. Usually, the term edge of your seat, is saved for thrillers, but we were, all three of us at the edge of our seats. No talking allowed, no whispers, we all formed these self preserved bubbles around us, and we watched, amazingly and totally spell bound.

Movies like Requiem, are special, because they remind you of the power of film. They are what all films should be, and what few films rarely achieve. I remember clearly the conversation after the movie ended. It was amazing, we were on a high. The film itself was a drug... and I can't wait till the director's next film comes out, cause I need a fix of that genius.

The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)

Stop the Battle, I want to get off.

[1/10 · 22 August 2003]

Having missed Project Greenlight ONE, and it's movie Stolen Summer, I happened to get addicted to part 2, and religiously, obsessively watched it. so in this HOT SUMMER day, I headed to the Loews Cineplex in Lincoln Center to see it.

What Miramax feeds us, is just one of the most horrendous teenage films, I have ever seen. It doesn't have a personality. It seems to want to please everyone. But in the process manages to please no one. it's like a sequel to Mandy Moore's How to Deal, only without the heart that Mandy Moore brought to it. Mandy Moore's How to Deal, understood, that it was a drama with light moments, and gave in to it's dramatic moments. Shaker Heights ran away from it's dramatic moments, moments, that I think would have served the movie well.

And so many of the slower scenes reminded me of a wonderful television show called "Once and Again" except that the writing in "Once and Again" was top notch. The comedy includes all the cliches: The teenage rebel (been there, done that), who has a bully after him (ooohhh the originality), and who goes off on teachers who are dumber than him (well, I haven't seen that before. NOT.) The rich friend, he falls in love with rich friends sister, he has his heart broken, he grows up a little bit, and then it all comes to it's oooohhh so bland conclusion.

two things I really find fascinating: Chris Moore states that, The Hollywood system probably does work, keeping the talented in, and the non-talented out. One has to wonder, why Chris Moore is IN. American Pie is not exactly something to build an artistic career on. The last one, Ben Affleck on the phone gives advice and talks about what it takes to make a good film. At the very same time this took place, I can only imagine that Gigli was in post-production.

Project Greenlight is a failure only because of the people leading it. Not because of the people who enter it.

The O.C. (2003–2007)

Welcome to Fox's Amateur Hour

[16 August 2003]

Finally a television show that clearly answers the questions. Why is reality television so popular?

The O.C. is "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" meets "Beverly Hills 90210", without the good writing. As a matter of fact, The O.C. makes 90210 sound Shakesperean in comparison.

The teenagers of the show look old enough to be ending their careers. it's sad to see has been 30 year old actresses pretending to be in their teens. Can anyone say BOTOX? And the lead guy reminds us that Russell Crowe, may be hot, but Russell Crowe is also a talented actor. The lead of the show has got the looks of Russell Crowe, but he's not gonna be winning any oscars any time soon. None of the characters are as nuanced as the Teenagers in the WB.

Television shows like Buffy, Gilmore Girls, Smallville, Everwood,and early Dawson's Creek changed television teens forever. Giving us a full sense of what it is to be a teenager, with real growing pains, and fascinating multi-layered dilemmas. The O.C. is so awfully written, it's actors are so wooden, and false, that it's not even sexy, it's just one big YAWN.

For great television, I still turn to HBO and the WB. it's nice to know that Fox plans to stop producing good television, in it's hopes to be the next U.P.N.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)

The Cradle will ROCK!

[8/10 · 9 August 2003]

Lara Croft - Cradle of life, is one of those rare films, that is better than the original and then some. But it also reminded me of those adventures I liked to go on in the back yard with my friends. it has that feel that anything is possible, and it's larger than life. And it was just FUN. I am a big fan of the games. and I liked the first movie enough. But this was truly original and fun.

Some people may have problems with the unbelivability of the plot. But, oh my GOD, E.T. was about an extra-terrestrial, Terminator has cyborgs traveling from the past to assassinate the saviour of the future. So, I am not cutting critics any slack, for some of their criticisms on story and plot. They writer obviously had fun, and so did I.

And besides, Angelina Jolie, can there be a more beautiful creature on the silver screen today. She is a mixture of most beautiful stars of the 1940's, with all the sass of today heroines.

The Cradle ROCKS!

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Send in the Clones

[1/10 · 6 August 2003]

send in the clones. don't worry they are here! And there is something that people don't know about Clones. They are a bore. This has been one of the few movies in my lifetime, where I wanted my money back at the end. Actually I would have appreciated if someone had offered me some money for sitting through this piece of ill conceived projected celluloid. I refuse to call it a film or a movie.

I mean, I usually find something positive about every movie I've ever seen. "Teen Witch" had the musical number, "Speed 2" had a really nice boat. But I have seen great special effects before. with the advent of computers, great special effects are nothing new.

But did everyone in Hollywood forget that the greatest special effect, the hardest to pull off, is a great story, with great characters. Come on GEORGE! get it together or get out of the business.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)

A Landmark Television Series

[2 August 2003]

I am a television writer. No, I never worked for The Slayer although, I wanted to very badly. I actually became a television writer because the show inspired me to, and I found to be very good at it, but that's besides the point. Once at a Production Meeting, where I was working on a tv pilot. I was called to the office for NOTES. I went up, and the notes started to take a familiar turn, I recognized their story line, to something I had seen in Buffy- The Vampire Slayer. I mentioned this, and The room got really quiet. And then, one of ther persons said, well, the truth of the matter is, if any one thinks of it now, chances are Buffy has already done it.

I was thrown aback. For one, they admited the creativity of another show, in a minor network. Secondly the conversation turned to a Buffy Love FEST, we talked for nearly an hour, about how Joss had managed to bring elements together from the episode, "Once More with Feeling", from things he had set up in the episode "Hush". Every executive there knew what I was talking about, and those who didn't, were enthralled by my description. so much so, that I turned many of the people I have worked with into Buffy Fans.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is not a television drama, It is an epic experience that took seven years to tell. It tops any story telling, and goes beyond, any television drama in terms of continuity and constant creativity. Most television shows, aspire to tell good contained stories within each hour. But what Buffy aspired to do, was tell the story of these group of people over seven years. There was clear growth from season 1 to season 2 all the way to the last episode, there were growing pains, moments when I hated Buffy and moments when I thought she rocked. Tuesdays, were not a night to watch television, but a night to catch up with family. A family that maimed, and got addicted to dark magic, but hey, are you perfect?

I recently caught a few episodes, including it's finale, Chosen, that I had on tape --- (i usually taped the show cause I work weird schedules.) but I am proud to say I never missed a single episode. And when I go to bed at night, the little boy inside of me, wonders and prays, that I am able to create, something that is at least a little bit as good as Buffy was.

Finally, I would like to say, how shameful I think it is that The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, never gave this series a chance at the BEST DRAMA SERIES. It shows the lack of imagination of the television industry to reward only things they are comfortable with, instead of rewarding those shows that stretch and expand the limits of what can be done with the medium of television.

in 10 years, Buffy will still be one of the great tv shows. but in 20 or 30 years, Buffy will go down as one of the true classic series television has ever seen.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

Glorious Film making

[9/10 · 2 August 2003]

Every time I look back at movies through the years, I find myself wondering why The Joy Luck Club did not make a huge splash in the awards circle. The film is one of the BEST FILMS of my lifetime. It will always represent to me, the dream that is America.

I think it's because the emotions of the film are so universal, that I count it as one of my favorites. I am male, I am hispanic, I came to the United States when I was 13 years old. I felt alienated, lonely and hopeless, could anyone really understand all that I wanted to do, all that I wanted to become. How do you reconcile your cultural roots, with wanting to fit into the American Dream.

I try to watch The JOY LUCK CLUB as often as I try to read the book. Because it reminds me that we are all connected in so many ways. That our dreams and desires are not all together different. that Love reaches beyond race, beyond politics and beyond time.

when I saw this film I thought, The Academy of Arts and Sciences would gush over it. But it never reached the kind of acclaim it truly deserved. I think it's because most film makers field of personal experience limited in reaching and feeling. Most of the Academy comes from back grounds that didn't see struggle, that doesn't see the world in unison, but in carefully separated categories. This to them was not a human experience film, it was a film for a minority group. But, while The JOY LUCK CLUB is life affirming to some, to those who have lived the similarities, it is life changing.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

A Galaxy stuck in the 70's

[6/10 · 1 August 2003]

Clearly there are movies that define their eras. Star Wars, is a 70's movie, that relates well to other time periods, while at the same time losing meaning as time goes by. it doesn't help that George Lucas has decided to ruin the meaning of his film, by adding the first three chapters --- which take the mystery away from BOOK 4 and takes away from the joy of the subsequent films.

I never understood the great hoopla behind this film. I first saw it in college, but I felt, that although okay, it was not great science fiction. and although I do appreciate that the film was the "thing to do" in 1977, I don't think it held any special meaning to me in 1996.

Great Science Fiction fascinates, it asks unanswerable questions. This is not Science Fiction, it is Fantasy, and as a Fantasy piece, it has been replaced by The Lord of the Rings as the best Fantasy movie series out there. I'm sure The Lord of the Rings will be seen as a turn of the 21st Century film, that clearly only speaks to that era --- but that's the way it is. Star Wars is a great movie. Just not one of the true greatests.

Teen Witch (1989)

So BAD is GOOD

[6/10 · 24 July 2003]

This movie has no redeeming values. It could possibly be one of the worst movies of all time. Worst acting, worst script, and oh my god, an embarrassment on all the actors resume. At the same time it's freaking irresistible. You have to surrender to the crap fest that this movie is, and then you end up loving it for all it's horriblines... of course the musical numbers are awful, and while watching, I actually feel embarrassed for them... but then I laugh, and then I make fun, ohhh, and what a glorious time you can have watching this awful piece of...

How to Deal (2003)

a star in her third trimester.

[5/10 · 18 July 2003]

I was going to write a star is born in Mandy Moore, except that with this film, she is almost there..The film falls short, even Allison Janney doesn't show the acting strength she shows in the West Wing. But Moore is lovely, and has such an honest screen presence, that transfers to film amazingly --- Now, as she leaves those teen roles behind, she's bound to be an Oscar Winning actress --- she's gonna go all the way, you can see it in her eyes. I hope she keeps that humility, honesty and amazing soul... for the rest of her what I'm sure will be lenghty career.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

and now, ABC After school special presents.

[1/10 · 18 July 2003]

So many fans, so little to show for it. I know, I know, these words are gonna find me in a great minority. A lot of people really liked Good Will Hunting. But seriously please, great film making, not even close, and let's put the blame where it belongs... in the writing.

Now, I know they won an oscar for it, and boy did they look good emoting on the screen. But Good Will Hunting is an ABC after school special with lots of cursing in it, and a slightly bigger budget.

What this movie does show, is the brilliance of Harvey Weinstein and Miramax Pictures. Mr. Weinstein could take manure, feed it to you, and make you believe your eating bon bons. And that's exactly what the studio did with the film. They created such high faluttin buzz around it, that people believed, and wanted to believe it so much --- that they saw brilliance where there was none.

Now, I know some people think it's a great movie, I don't think it's a horribly bad movie, I like to compare it to more in the middle of the road movies, and also to some great Made for TV movies (although, not HBO films, HBO films are unusually better than Good Will Hunting would ever be.) It's just a nice, little film, with some good performances, Robin Williams was not good in it, they just gave him the oscar cause the'd been itching to do it for a while. And of course, the Miramax public relations machine secured Ben and Matt their screenwriting oscar... but come one people... there's better movies out there thatn GWH.