One More Thing

Yesterday I railed against the NBA but tonight LeBron James reminded me why I love sports. His 48 night performance didn't evoke memories of Jordan it started what I'm sure will be many James memories. Seriously even Pistons fans had to sit in the stands and realize that they were witnessing history. I don't know if LeBron will win game six or if he does whether he'll beat the Spurs but I do know that tonight I feel like I saw something special that I'll always remember.

Hiatus Thoughts

In case you haven’t noticed the old blog hasn’t been updated much this week and that’s due to my unofficial spring hiatus, Much like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, every so often I need some time to recharge my pop culture batteries. Unlike John and Stephen though, my need stems from partying too hard over Memorial Day weekend, work being crazy, and a trip to New York. So while I won’t be completely absent, I won’t be full time blogging again until June 11th when I’m back from the Big Apple. In the meantime here are five random thoughts to tide you over:

1. Thank god for Lindsay Lohan. Between the leather seat fiasco and the latest lip synching mess I thought Britney was going to be America’s favorite punching bag again but thanks to her love of substances liquid and powdery Lindsay has stolen back the spotlight in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile Brit has written her most honest letter to date and despite small bumps still seems on track to complete the inevitable comeback.

2. I think I left them off my brief summer TV preview but don’t forget that Rob & Big are back on MTV. What should be yet another boring reality show about a pseudo celeb has actually turned into one of MTV’s best. Whether it’s teaching their dog how to skate, or purchasing a mini horse as a companion pet for the dog the show is constantly funny and both stars (3 if you include Meaty the dog) are all super endearing.

3. By now I’m sure many of you have heard Rhianna’s new tune Umbrella that features Jay Z. Talk about an impulse buy. I read about the track a few months ago in a couple of articles and when I found it on iTunes I took a quick preview and downloaded it. Now I’m stuck with a rather annoying song and I’m not sure if it’s going to have the ability, like say her previous track “SOS”, to turn it around after listening to it nonstop. Seriously the girl just sings syllables for half the track.

4. While I appreciate good team basketball I’ve got to say the NBA is dead to me right now. Sure the Spurs and Pistons are great fundamental teams but as they head towards their inevitable I am uninterested and bored. This isn’t anything new either, the NBA has bored me for quite some time and while Phoenix and this year’s Golden State team were fun to watch they are truly anomalies in a sport that once captured my attention and my pocket book.

5. Not that my voice matters but I’m declaring the MySpace revolution dead. Sure it’s a great place to find bands and what not, but you can find all that by Google. I don’t know maybe it’s the responsibility of updating a page every so often or maybe it’s the fact that the longer I’m on there the more spam and bogus friend invites I get in my regular email. Either way, I’m calling it quits despite the fact that it’s put me in touch with some people from my past that I’m very thankful to have rediscovered and has allowed me search vice versa. Plus I’ve got to give it props because it’s truly the birthplace of this blog. Goodbye MySpace and thank you for all that you’ve given and taught me.

So that’s it. Have a great first weekend in June y’all! I’m sure I’ll pop in next week some time with tales from my first Buffy Sing A Long event (aka first that’s not in my or a friends living room). That’s right the folks from New York that put these on monthly are stopping in the Minne-apple this weekend and I’ll be there belting out every single line. They’re on tour all summer so visit BuffySings.com to see if they’re heading to a city near you.

RIP Charles Nelson Reilly

He wasn't dead already...really?

Memorial Weekend Funnies-Superbad R Rated Trailer

I Thought You Were In Canada aka the last Lost ****FINALE SPOILERS AHOY*****

One day after praying for a satisfying conclusion to the 3rd season of Lost, I can safely say my wish was fulfilled. I suppose it depends on what you’re looking for as satisfying. If you wanted clear cut answers that shed light on the island or the Other’s you were left completely unsatisfied. However, if you wanted some resolution then last night was the show for you. Moments finally played out before us some of which we’ve been waiting 3 seasons for, like:
* Sawyer’s payback to the Other’s for taking Walt.
* Jack and Locke’s showdown.
* Rousseau and Alex’s reunion (although that was also the second funniest line of the night when their first words to each other were “Help me tie him up.”)
* Jack confessing his love to Kate.
* Hurley being a hero and finally having his luck change (so sure he was going to die).
* Penny and Desmond’s moment of recognition no matter how brief.
* Of course the big one, rescue for the survivors of flight 815.
Personally I was terrified that we’d get musical montages and all the usual stuff that Lost tends to use to fill up an episode but last night there was no filler. The two hours always had something happening and I think that’s why I loved it so. Season 3 will hold an interesting place in the show’s history. On one hand the first half of the season was by far the most disappointing series of episodes yet. However, the last 7 or 8 eps have kicked you in the gut so hard you’re puking up blood in disgust that the next season doesn’t start until January 2008. Season 3 is the season when the show creators finally were able to come up with an end game that both the network and they could live with and last night was a major step toward that end game. 48 episodes lie between the audience and the answers they so desperately crave but if Lost can maintain the level of excitement and suspense that they did last night, I’m not sure if I’ll need all the answers in the end.

Summer Programming Alert

Tonight at 9pm CST on NBC, the first of the last 6 episodes of the uneven but brilliant Aaron Sorkin drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip hits the air. Make sure to catch it as it will probably be the last time Sorkin does TV. Also catch it because it was really beginning to get good before NBC yanked it for Paul Haggis' The Black Donnelly’s. Again people, the creator of Walker Texas Ranger has an Oscar and Aaron Sorkin can’t get a quality show renewed for a second season…what a world we live in.

A Prayer to the Smoke Monster

Please, please, please make tonight’s Lost the best season finale ever. This spring has felt more like sleeps then sweeps. There have been some good, some bad and some ugly and I’m really hoping Lost is great. Here's some quick thougts on a sampling of what we've seen so far:

The Good
The Office- Obviously the final 20 seconds were great to JAM fans everywhere but the credit segment also set up some interesting stories for next year, not to mention the continued dysfunction of Michael and Jan was insured. Great finale with no true cliffhanger but enough to make you eagerly anticipate next year.

Scrubs- The finale once again showed how Scrubs took the typical sitcom relationship and flipped it on its head by having the audience screaming at the TV for its star crossed characters NOT to hook up. Genius.

My Name is Earl- For a show that I’ve pretty much given up on Earl really surprised with not only a cliffhanger but a return to top comedic form. Sending Earl back to the slammer gives the show many avenues to explore next year and hopefully they don’t go back to status quo within a few episodes.

The Bad
Survivor- Not only did the best contestant get screwed in Yao-Man but the vote was anticlimactic to say the least.

Heroes- When you spend all season building to one moment you better know what you’re doing and sadly it seems like the Heroes writers didn’t. A rushed hour of TV that left few questions for next year and ever fewer reasons to care. It goes to prove that for the people that complain about the lack of answers on Lost there is something to be said for maintaining some mystery.

24- For a season that started with such promise, it’s sad to see it finish as the worst season of 24 ever. The end of day 6 was 20 minutes too long and we’re left with Jack once again disappearing on his own ala day 4. Oh and the big news in the finale: Chloe’s pregnant. Gack! If I wanted to watch Grey’s I’d watch Grey’s!

The Ugly
Top Model- The crazy Russian or man-thing Jaslene? How ultra qualified Renee was sent home before either of these two is beyond me. I know that models as a rule don’t have to beautiful but they should be able to speak and not look like a drag queen (unless that’s the gig). Tyra you have failed me for the last time!

No Life On Mars

Last week the CW Network bid goodbye to two very special ladies as they correctly sent the Gilmore Girls into the sunset. This week however, The CW is making a mistake that I hope haunts them as much as it will me…the cancellation of Veronica Mars. Tonight the final 2 episodes will air of a TV show that deserved so much more exposure then it received. Of course being on the sixth, and then fifth network is a major obstacle for any show to overcome but despite that, V Mars still cultivated both a critical and cult following.

I must admit I was a late comer to the show. When it premiered I didn’t give it a second thought. Another teen drama on UPN? I think I’ll pass. Still every time I surfed the web or read year end best of issues I kept hearing things like best new show or most surprising and I must say my interest was piqued. However it wasn’t until two members of my dream mancrush poker table emerged praising the show that I really perked up. Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon both not only endorsed the struggling series but they also made appearances on it. That was the final straw and so I grabbed the first season off of Netflix. What I discovered was a show that like Whedon’s Buffy perfectly captured the linguistics of teens. These kids talked like I talked and still talk, and not like some sugary sweet show like One Tree Hill. Also I was immediately drawn in by the culture war aspect that dominated the first season and really every one since. Of course I was also sucked in to the overall mythology of the show and the season long mystery of who killed Lilly Kane. I immediately started to TiVo season 2 even though it was half way done and by the end of last summer I was completely in love with one Veronica Mars. Like any love affair though there was turbulence. Last Spring as I was becoming a complete Mars-head right down to my Mars Investigations Crime Solving Kit, the newly formed CW wavered about bringing back V and her crew. How could this great show be cut down especially when the new network needed to keep viewers…especially loyal cult like viewers? Thankfully the show was renewed but not without some network interference. Afraid that the show’s trend of using a season long mystery would keep new viewers away the network ordered creator Rob Thomas (no not the guy from Matchbox 20) to focus instead on more stand alone fair. As a newly loyal fan I was a bit worried about this third season but Thomas has outwitted the network by continuing to use multiple season long story arcs while still giving each episode its own unique case. The result has been very successful and while I don’t think he could ever top season 1, season 3 certainly has brought the characters closer to the audience.

So now we sit here only hours away from Veronica’s final case. I’m guessing Thomas was smart enough to know this could be coming and wrote a finale that will send Veronica out strong and not dangling from a cliff somewhere never to be heard from again. There are rumblings that Thomas pitched season 4 as a completely different show to the CW in a last ditch effort to save it. Picture this: Veronica Mars: FBI Cadet. The idea had merit and since we’ve already seen her grow so much over 3 years it wouldn’t be a stretch to jump forward another 3 years and I’m sure the talented Kristin Bell would have no problem pulling it off as an actor. Sadly even this effort seems to have failed, and so tonight we can all pull our Neptune letter jackets out of the closet, light a candle for Lilly Cane, and say goodbye to a show that is being cancelled far before its time.

Greatest Hits

Last night Lost delivered another solid episode as it continues its comeback from the early season malaise that it suffered through. Without spoiling much for those of you that haven’t seen it one of the characters on the show flash backed to the five greatest memories of their life up the present. Not only was it a great storytelling device but it actually caused me to pause for a moment of introspection. While I’m still working on my personal list, which I may or may not share on here, I did come up with a more blog appropriate list and that’s the 5 greatest hits of my entertainment life. Media is intrinsically tied to all our memories. It can be a song on the radio while you’re driving cross country, a movie you remember from a first date, or a book a loved one gave to you. In much the same way memories can influence our feelings towards media and that’s what I discovered as I made this list. These aren’t necessarily my favorite movies, bands, books, or TV shows but rather these are the ones that produce my strongest memories.

Finding Someone on Lost Highway
David Lynch is like the crazy creepy uncle I never had, sure he scares me but deep down I love him and appreciate all he has to show me. I pretty much worship all his films, but Lost Highway holds my favorite memory. I went to see it opening weekend at the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis which is a grand old movie house that’s still in relatively good repair and any movie I’ve seen there instantly sticks in my head. However, more importantly I saw it with my friend Steve who I had just begun to get to know. Not only was the movie great but it really solidified the fact for both Steve and I that we were on the same page creatively which led to not only a great friendship but also a business partnership where we’d make films of our own.

Buffy Killing Angel
In this day and age of spoilers it’s hard to believe I was ever completely and genuinely surprised by the ending of a TV show but that’s just what happened as Buffy wrapped up it’s second season. Sure as we sat down that night to catch the show we knew a confrontation between the two former lovers was inevitable and since the show was called Buffy and not Angel we had a lot of faith in our girl but the way it all went down left our jaws on the floor and some tears on our cheeks.

Dillinger 4 at the Turf Club
Don’t ask me for a date of when this show was but for many reasons this one show stands out in my head above all the countless other times I’ve seen this band. Perhaps it was the fact that it was an afternoon show. Maybe it was that the band was all over the place (even more so then normal). Maybe it just sticks out because one of my friends wore his D4 shirt to a D4 show and I never let that go. I don’t know maybe it’s just that it was watching one of my favorite bands with my favorite people in a bar that was just right for a hot summer afternoon.

Star Wars Re-Release
Before we got the prequel trilogy, whose pros and cons could be discussed for pages on much geekier sites than this, George Lucas “cleaned up” the original trilogy and put it pack in the theaters making me happier then a wookie on Life Day. Even though I’d seen the flicks over and over and over again especially during my college years (nothing better then Empire and a La Bamba’s burrito to cure a hangover), I was so excited to see these movies on the big screen again that it was almost like catching them for the first time. I’ll never forget the day Episode IV was re-released, I think I was working nights so I was standing in line outside of the theater bright and early Friday morning and after getting tickets for the first show I immediately got tickets for the second showing. Sure in retrospect the so-called Special Editions have their flaws (Greedo shoots first, fake looking young Jabba) but the pure childhood joy I recaptured that day still makes me smile.

Conquering The Stand
My parents really pushed me to read for enjoyment as a child and for the most part I didn’t rebel. Sure I read a lot of comics but I think I was able to argue their literary significance to a satisfactory level that my parents didn’t mind them as long as I also had a “real” book on the side. I think it’s safe to say that reading a good book can give one a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment and I still remember the first time I felt that feeling and that was reading Stephen King’s The Stand. I think I was about 15 when I picked up The Stand. It had just been re-released in its unabridged format and was quite the volumey text. I think I was just beginning to hit the King stage which is something that I believe anyone under the age of 35 has gone through in some form or another. No matter how high brow or low brow your taste is in literature I think that most people from my generation on down go through a period where all they can do is read King book after King book. I think my period lasted from age 13 to 18 although I’ve picked up a few in the following years. Anyway The Stand which is arguably King’s greatest work demands your full attention and I must admit as a kid who at 15 was insecure about so many things, the pressure to finish the book only added another rung to the ladder of insecurity. What I didn’t know then was how good the book was going to be. That book literally grabs your attention right out of the gate and by the time I was on page 1,204 only a couple of days had passed and when I finish that last chapter I had a feeling of pride which at the time in my life was somewhat foreign.

Trespassing On The Lot

DISCLAIMER: The following column has nothing to do with my personal dislike of Senor Spielbergo and is actually just a critical assessment of yet another summer replacement show.

I’ve gotten some feedback to yesterday’s column on summer shows and those that asked were wondering where On The Lot was. Created by Survivor mastermind Mark Burnett in conjunction with Steven Spielberg, On The Lot is yet another reality entry, this time following aspiring filmmakers as they try to win start up capital for their newest production. Since I’ve got the whole film background people apparently thought this would jump out at me but I’ve got to say I’m not that interested. Sure Burnett is an evil genius who knows how to build a successful show but filmmaking isn’t a creative skill that lends itself to 5 minute challenges like Top Chef or American Idol style showcases week to week. Is a challenge revolving around making a 30 second film really going to give judges or the audience true insight on who should stay or who should go?

Project Greenlight had been the only reality show focused on film and they were smart to focus less on the competition and more on the results. The last season of that show proved fascinating as no name director John Gulager dealt with an immense budget and the immense egos of everyone associated with the project. That was real drama and in a way real competition. Watching the little guy fight the man as he attempted to preserve some kind of creative control was truly fascinating…at least to someone like me who’s been a part of similar battles albeit with slightly smaller budgets.

Speaking of budgets, Fox has sunk a lot of money into this show hoping it will not only be a hit summer show but one that could return again by next winter but I’ll be surprised if it garners high ratings. The film enthusiasts like myself would rather see the production side while the casual viewer wants drama and competition but not through a series of 10 minute films that demands they pay attention especially when it’s nice outside. Of course I could be wrong and On The Lot could prove to be a highly engrossing show and at the very least it’s given many filmmakers another avenue to showcase talents. The On The Lot website (thelot.com) features all the trailers, and short films that perspective filmmakers submitted from all over the globe. Sure a lot of these can be found on YouTube or IFilm but there’s some really good stuff out there. I even found an entry from a director whose film I crewed on back in the summer of ’97. Although the film didn’t get the director on the show as a finalist, here’s the trailer for Melvin: A Midwestern Tale:

5 Things To Do On Your Summer TV Vacation

We’re in the final two weeks of the 2006/2007 television season which means soon we’ll be officially in the thick of summer. Last year I remember writing about a handful of new summer shows that made me optimistic about summer viewing options. This year the cupboard seems a bit slimmer but I’ve still come up with 5 things you can do this summer if you’re bedridden, lazy, or just addicted to TV.

5. Rent Kidnapped
I know I’ve been pimping this show so hard that it’s got blisters on its proverbial feet but after watching the final episodes this past weekend I once again have to declare this one hell of a show. If you like 24 and the thrills and cliffhangers that show gives weekly you’d love Kidnapped where you get those kinds of moments every 15 minutes. At only 13 episodes and 3 discs it’s the perfect summer viewing that you can drag out over weeks but then again you could be like me and watch them all in 2 days.


4. Watch Reunited: The Real World-Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the season where the Real World gave up any hope of being an interesting commentary on society and instead became a show full of drunken sex, drunken fights, and drunken sex. Since Vegas other casts have been crazier ( Denver I’m looking at you) but still you gotta love the original train wrecks. It’s hard to believe it’s been 5 years since the cast moved into their suite at the Palms and while this show promises to be tamer since the cast is older and more wise to the reality TV game, I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing Brynn, Arissa, Irulan, Frank, Trichelle, Alton, and Steven. (Wow can’t believe I still remember all their names.)

3. Watch Top Chef
I’m a self described foodie and this show from the creators of Project Runway is the best thing going in terms of reality food shows. While Hell’s Kitchen is mildly entertaining, the chefs there aren’t anywhere near pros and they spend most of there time mimicking Gordon Ramsey’s menu. Next Food Channel Star is a show full of Rachel Ray wannabees and it spends too much time on the production side as opposed to the food. Top Chef has the best chefs and the best challenges and like any good reality show it has discovered its fair share of characters.


2. Watch the Final 2 Episodes of Drive on July 4th
Yet another great show from the mind of Tim Minear (Angel, Wonderfalls, Firefly, The Inside) has come and gone but Fox is brining back the show to air episodes 5 and 6 on our nation’s birthday. Why? Because they know no one will watch it. Minear must be the product of an abusive relationship because for some reason he always goes back to Fox with his brilliant shows even though they cancel them early again and again. Anyway, you can catch the first 4 eps online prior to the 4th finale.



1. Watch Big Brother
This is my biggest guilty pleasure of the summer. It took me a while to get hooked on this show but in summer of 2004 it grabbed me. Last year’s All Star Edition was fun although like most of America , I was disappointed the Kayser didn’t win. This summer promises more turns and twists and while the hype is more then it’s worth the show is definitely good summer programming because with 3 eps a week you can really fade in and out. Like the Real World the show has gravitated to filling the house with more and more “beautiful” people but there’s nothing wrong with eye candy during summer fluff.



BONUS ACTIVITY
If you find yourself watching National Bingo Night on a beautiful Friday night this summer, immediately draw yourself a hot bath and find something sharp, as you’ve officially hit rock bottom. Seriously folks…bingo? We’re done as a society.

Quick Review Spiderman 3 or Can I Have A Re-do?

This my friends are why disclaimers were created. Last week when I started my top ten can't miss movie list for summer 2007 I made it clear the list was purely based on my anticpation and not the actual quality of the films. Spiderman 3 is the reason why. I saw it tonight and while it's not a horrible movie it sure as hell is not a great film. Too many storylines that all have nice moments but none that coherently stands out as good. For the first time in the series both Tobey McGuire and director Sam Rami seem bored with Spidey. I actually think the best thing that could happen to this "franchise", is to bring in fresh blood with a new cast and a new director although I hope they take a few years off before number 4. Again not a horrible film but a lot like the original just incredibly dissapointing.

Top 10 Can't Miss Movies of Summer 2007: #2 and #1

2. Knocked Up (June 1st)
Judd Apatow is one great movie away from ascending to God like status
for me. The man created Freaks and Geeks which many hail as the
quintessential high school TV show of all time and I think it's his
worst work. His sophomore show Undeclared perfectly captured the college
experience but even more so captured my generation. Then there was his
feature film debut from 2005, The 40 Year Old Virgin. If Undeclared
spoke to my college years then Virgin spoke to my post college life and
no not in the 40 year old way or the virgin way. Apatow gave one of the
truest depictions of dating and relationships both romantic, and
friendship wise that I've seen from anyone not named Kevin Smith.
The one constant through all these projects has been the wit and charm
of one Seth Rogan. Obviously someone who you wouldn't say has matinee
idol looks, Rogan has written for and stared in almost anything Apatow
has touched. Knocked Up gives Rogan his first leading role as a normal
guy who has a one night stand with someone he thinks is way out his
league (Grey's Katherine Heigl) only to find out that
he's...well...knocked her up. In other director's hands this could be a
crass vulgar comedy but with Apatow I'm expecting a vulgar comedy with
an emotionally satisfying side as well. A lot of Rogan's fellow Apatow
players look to be in the film as well which should only aid to the
hi-larity. Check out the trailer below


1. Ocean's 13 (June 8th)
Will this be the most critically acclaimed movie of the summer? No. Will
this be the most action packed movie of the summer? No. Will this be the
funniest movie of the summer? No. Will this be the blockbuster of the
summer? No. What this will be is everything a summer popcorn movie
should and first and foremost that means it will be fun. A summer movie
should be light on its feet allowing the audience to sit back in an air
conditioned theater and lose themselves while it's 98 degrees outside.
However many filmmakers and studio heads take this to mean that summer
movies should not make you think at all. The first two Ocean's are the
thinking person's fluff films. I myself loved both 11 and 12 and while I
know many people thought 12 was self indulgent I found it to be the
perfect sequel. Really I'd watch anything that director Steven Soderberg
does especially when you throw in George Clooney. The two of them seem
to get each other in a way off screen, which allows anything they work
together on to flourish on screen. The addition of Al Pacino as this
film's villain paves the way for Andy Garcia's self important twit of a
casino boss to join the gang and from the brief snippets we've been
shown, I think that will be comic gold.

Top Ten Can't Miss Movies of Summer 2007: #6 and #5

6. The Simpsons Movie (July 27th)
Here’s the poster child for movies that you’re excited for but also fearful of. I’m a huge Simpsons fan and nothing would make me happier then seeing a great big screen adventure hit theaters and further solidify The Simpsons as the greatest fictional characters of the last 20 years. Recent history has given us two examples of TV shows successfully making the jump to the big screen with South Park and Serenity/Firefly. I should be filled with hope but prior to last season, The Simpsons had been in a creative funk that led many people to walk away for a good 5 years. I’m not sure if we’re going to get classic Simpsons, bad Simpsons or maybe the Simpsons of the last two years which has had it’s high and low points but I guess this is the faith movie of the summer. Much like SoaP was last year there are some films you have to throw your misgivings out the window and just enjoy, so I’ll be grabbing my diorama and heading to the theater and if you don’t join me…that’ll be a paddling.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (July 13th)
I’ve written many times on the blog about how apprehensive I was about a certain boy wizard. A great deal of my resistance to reading the books stemmed from the god awful first two Potter films. Thankfully my friends Steve and Erin managed to convince me to give the books a try and now I’m a full blown Potter fiend. I eventually caught all the movies and while the first two suck even worse after reading the books, the next two are progressively better especially 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Now we’ve got yet another new director coming into the fold and a few new cast members. I think this series has really found its voice thanks to the darker nature of the books lending themselves to darker films. Let’s face it while the books are for kids, many adults read them and many of those kids are now adults themselves so it makes sense to reflect the sorrow and pain the books personify. While the films will never stand toe to toe with the books, the fact that the main actors signed up to see the film franchise through to the end, and that the producers are constantly bringing in new creative blood, I think these films will carve out a nice place for themselves as standalone entities and this installment is the next building block to that goal.

Top 10 Can’t Miss Movies of Summer 2007: #8 and #7

Before we get back to the countdown, now back in numerical order, I just wanted to give a quick shout out to the CW, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bleidel for knowing when to fold ‘em and walk away. Yesterday we got the news that Gilmore Girls will end its run this month. With Rory facing graduation and the start of her adult life, now is the perfect time to say goodbye to these two especially after the uneven quality of the last two years. Anyway on with the countdown…

8. Ratatouille (June 29th)
I know I’m opening myself up to the mocking I received for putting Cars on last year’s list but I just can’t pretend I’m not excited about another Pixar film especially when it comes from Brad Bird. As the creator of Iron Giant and The Incredibles, Bird has given us the best two animated films of the last twenty years and this time around he’s trying something a little different. Instead of human based film, Bird is trying his hand at the time honored tradition of animals as he tells the tail of a rat who lives in Paris desiring to be a gourmet chef. On paper this sounds much more kid oriented then his previous films, but I’m guessing this will be another Bird/Pixar production that speaks to adults just as much as children.

7. Sicko (July ????)
Every executive’s worst nightmare is back this summer as Michael Moore hits the street to expose the corrupt and broken health care system. I’m sure it will be preachy to the point that even supporters get annoyed with Moore but that’s what he does and in the end the humor and truth that he’ll put out there will more then make up for it.

Top 10 Can’t Miss Movies of Summer 2007: #4 and #3

No you’re browser is not going crazy and you haven’t missed my can’t miss summer movies #8-5. Nope I’m going a little out of order just because I wanted to talk about my number 4 most anticipated film before it hits theaters tomorrow. Of course I’m talking about ol’ web head himself…

4. Spiderman 3 (May 4th)
I thought the first Spiderman was pretty blah. Tobey McGuire was good but the whole thing left me unimpressed but eager to see what lies ahead (much like my reaction to the equally boring Superman Returns last year). Spiderman 2 rewarded my hope 10 fold. Until Batman Begins this was tied with X Men 2 as my favorite comic book movie ever. The fights with Doc Ock were epic and both McGuire and the usually annoying Kristen Dunst really grew into their characters. So now on the eve of Spidey 3 I’m filled with anticipation. As a kid Spiderman was not a comic hero I gravitated too. I was a huge X Men fan and while Peter Parker was a nerd he certainly didn’t face the kind of racism and hatred the X Men did. Parker seemed like a 60’s hero to me, old and unimportant. However when Spidey put on the black alien suit for the first time in the comics, I instantly started to pick up an issue here and there. Something about a darker Spiderman made him cool and edgy for the first time since…well…ever. Of course this led to the introduction of Venom who has become a template for all modern day super villains. Venom was the first mass murdering villain that you almost actually cheered for. Anyway the point is that this is the Spiderman tale I’ve been waiting to see. Throw in the late great Gwen Stacy, the Sandman, and the Green Goblin 2 and you’ve got a jam packed sequel…which might be its downfall. No one my age will ever be able to wash the taste from the last 3 over populated Batman films and those films always come to mind when you see something like Spidey 3 coming out. With that said Sam Raimi has never made a really bad film so at worst we might get Spidey 1.1 but here’s hoping we get Spidey 2.2.

3. The Bourne Ultimatum (August 3rd)
I’ve never been as surprised by a film as I was by The Bourne Supremacy. I liked The Bourne Identity just fine but also found it completely forgettable partly because I’m not a huge spy film guy. When I went to see Supremacy it was with my mom and I think it was one of those cases where it was the only film we could agree on yet neither of us were super excited when we sat down in the theater. 16 heart attacks later I was in heaven. Paul Greengrass shot an action film that was groundbreaking in both its technical merit and its storytelling. The kinetic action while shot handheld never made the audience queasy but rather was used as a device, and that’s saying something since I saw the film on the Midwest’s largest movie screen. So now we get number three and after directing the stellar United 93 last year, Greengrass is back to put Matt Damon through his paces. The plot will be the same as always as Jason Bourne tries to remember his past and stay alive and I’m sure he’ll get a few new answers but it will be the fun in finding those answers that will have me lining up this August.

Top 10 Can’t Miss Movies of Summer 2007: #10 and #9

Welcome to my 2nd Annual Summer Movie Preview. Keep in mind I’m not ranking these films on box office or on critical acclaim, but rather my own personal tastes. Obviously I’ve not seen any of these yet so some of them could be clunkers like last year's number 8 film Nacho LIbre. On the other hand they could be every good as I built them up to be like Clerks 2 and Snakes on a Plane. This year I had a hard time finding honorable mentions (Pirates 2 killed any interest in Pirates 3) so we’ll jump right into the list.

10. The Brothers Solomon (August 31st)
This is the tale of two brothers who are socially inept with the ladies trying to grant their father’s dying wish of seeing one of them produce a grandson. It’s also a tale of two Wills. Will Forte is someone who used to really annoy me on Saturday Night Live. Every skit he did seemed overly long and filled with dead silence. In the last couple of years though, the guy has steadily improved partly due to the addition of new cast members. He also had a nice turn in Broken Lizard’s Beerfest. Now Forte is making his screen writing/leading role debut and I must admit I’m interested especially since his costar, Will Arnett, might be the most underrated comic actor today. Arnett stood out on a show filled with amazing performances on Arrested Development and steals the spotlight when ever he takes smaller roles on shows like 30 Rock or movies like Blades of Glory. Hell I even thought about seeing the dreadful looking prison comedy he did last year. Simply put despite my somewhat apprehensive feelings about giving Forte’s lead role/writing debut a coveted spot on my list, I’m willing to bank on Arnett making it worthwhile.

9. Transformers (July 4th)
This could suck…bad. This is a movie based on toys. While Batman, X-Men, and Star Wars are all money making commercial machines they all come from original source material. The Transformers started as toys and then got their animated show, first movie, and various comic book incarnations. Still I’m geeking out for this flick for two reasons. First of all even though the Transformers cartoons were a transparent marketing tool from my childhood I still loved them. I know the show was really just 30 minutes of trying to get me to convince my parents to buy me Optimus Prime but I didn’t and don’t care. Vehicles that turn into robots are inherently cool. The second reason I’m jacked up for this is director Michael Bay. The man can flat out direct the hell out of an action film. Unfortunately sometimes he gets distracted by things like plot and character. Bay is no where near my list of top 10 directors but I still love the way he blows things up. The Rock is still one of my favorite action films and despite the layers and layers of cheese, I still dig Armageddon. Pearl Harbor on the other hand was terrible beyond words and Bad Boys II made the original look like Gone with the Wind. Obviously this flick could go either way but I’m feeling half full today so Transformers makes the list…barely.