SoulHonky

Winner: Robert Downey Jr
The King of the Summer, Downey Jr. became a matinee idol in Iron Man and showed his comedic range in Tropic Thunder. Yeah, so the latter film is still a way's from making back it's production budget but the reviews were good and people embraced RDJ in a very precarious role. If "The Soloist" can make some solid scratch, Downey Jr. might finally find himself where people expected him to be a long time ago: The A-List.

Loser: MGM
I know they aren't a real studio anymore but things are terrible over there right now. How bad? Well, one of the main ads on their website (which looks like a site from the late 90's) is trumpeting the release of a new version of the infamous flop of all flops, "Heaven's Gate". And what's the new cut? The Studio Cut! Yeah, like a lot of people have been waiting for that one.
MGM's major summer release was "College", a film that absolutely tanked. Although the strange thing about this summer is how MGM released its three films on three consecutive weekends. You think you'd spread out your films a bit but MGM decided to release Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Longshots, and College back-to-back-to-back. And they are going to repeat this strategy in November when they release Crossing Over, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Soul Men on three consecutive weekends. And you'll never guess where they moved the release of Quantum of Solace? Yep, the week after Soul Men.
In the end, all you really need to know is that the top movie MGM's released all year is Superhero Movie which made 25 million at the box office.

Winner: Superheroes
Superheroes of all shapes and sizes held their own this summer. The Dark Knight proved gritty could sell and Iron Man proved that lesser known heroes could build an audience. Even the superhero satire Hancock scared up 200 million. The anti-superheroes of Wanted also brought in a nice haul despite the film being terrible. Ironically, the superhero that didn't bring in the green was the green one himself, The Hulk but hey, even superheroes can't be perfect.
However the key to this summer wasn't just the money but the quality. After the horrific trio of X3, Spiderman 3, and Fantastic Four last year, it was good to be reminded that superhero films can actually be quality.

Loser: Saturday Night Live
Will Ferrell was really the only one to come out unscathed but even he is wearing his schtick a little thin right now. Adam Sandler's Don't Mess with the Zohan cost 90 million and is barely going to creep past 100 million in domestic box office, making it his worst return in a broad comedy since Little Nicky. The Love Guru not only tanked but it gave Mike Myers's many critics a reason to unsheath their pens and go after him. Meet Dave destroyed any momentum Eddie Murphy might have had.

Winner: Movie Stars
I've often argued against the importance of movie stars but this summer helped earn some people some paychecks. Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher took what could have been a straight-to-DVD film and brought home 80 million dollars. Angelina Jolie's box office credential had been spotty at best but "Wanted" helps solidify her a bit as an action draw. Will Smith overcame bad reviews to bring in another 200 million dollars. And, again, Robert Downey Jr. finally became the star people expected him to be.

Loser: The Next Generation of Movie Stars
For starters, the new generation was just absent. At best you could argue James McAvoy but I thought he was barely memorable and the parts I did remember were when he was being annoying. The Narnia film was a bit of a bust and nobody has really emerged from that film series. James Franco reminded people he could be funny but it's not like The Pineapple Express was a Knocked Up level hit. Shia's role in Indiana Jones didn't exactly win him any new fans and Emile Hirsch's first real shot at the mainstream, Speed Racer, flopped. Anna Faris cemented herself as a mid-level comedienne with The House Bunny (ditto for Patrick Dempsey in Made of Honor) which is more than anyone can say for Rainn Wilson of The Rocker.
The A-List is becoming the Gray List and there really aren't many new faces looking capable of carrying a film to blockbuster status.

All in all, it was a solid summer, arguably the second best (in terms of quality) this decade.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Entourage came on the scene and became an instant cultural phenomenon. Not only were viewers addicted but celebs want to get on. Apparently, the celebs are still interested but the viewers are starting to get a little restless. The last season and a half haven't been up to snuff and the haters are coming out of the woodwork. So how does the show return to it's golden age? A few suggestions.

1. More Glitz, Less Biz
Entourage is always at it's strongest when it is about, well, the entourage. The show was three quarters male fantasy and one quarter show business. Any time a script or movie was mentioned, it was usually just a plot device to lead to the next argument or character-building moment. The career was secondary to the fun. Now, it's almost all business. The show focuses too much on deals being made, contracts being signed, etc.

This is also a problem that The West Wing had. The first seasons were filled with great characters and personal stories. By the end, too many stories focused about actual discussions over fake politics.

The show about guys from Queens in Hollywood needs to stay about guys from Queens in Hollywood. Yes, they've been in Hollywood for a few years now but if you know anyone from New York, they hold onto their roots forever. Let's see them live a little... and work a lot less.

2. Less Ari 
I know Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold is a great character but he needs his own spin-off. The Ari storylines can be good but more often than not they seem like filler and, more importantly, you can't focus on as many characters as Entourage has going right now. You end up with three half baked A-stories rather than one solid episode. Also, a little Piven goes a long way. He's better as the spectre looming over everyone than one of the guys.

3. Find the Core
The first couple seasons were based around E trying to steer his friend's career while also juggling his crazy friends. Now the episodes are aimless. Each episode needs to have one central figure who drives the story. Keep things connected. Too often you have three almost competely disconnected stories; it's almost like you are watching three different show cut together.

4. The Fantasies are Too Fantastic 
As I mentioned before, Entourage is basically the male fantasy of living the dream, picking up women, doing as you please. And, of course, hijinks ensue. In the last season, the hijinks were just a little too goofy. Someone falling for a tranny is one thing but having it be the Mayor who Drama is trying to get to annex his apartment in 90210 is just too much. Again, if you focus on the entourage and make it about Drama, it would have been a better storyline. Drama falls for a girl, someone says she is a tranny, the guy have to go about trying to figure out if it's true or not.

Entourage is about Hollywood. The writers really can't figure out some fun, interesting stories without becoming completely cartoonish? Go into the paparazzi, blogs, get some gold diggers after Drama, something, anything. It's hard to believe that Hollywood only has enough material for 40 or so episodes. 

5. Fresh Meat
The show could use some new supporting characters. Of course, adding new people is one of the riskiest propositions in show business. While some shows have pulled it off (again, The West Wing was great at cycling in fresh faces), others have failed miserably. Need we mention Dom?

The one new face from last season was Ana Faris and she was basically wasted since, again, her impact was almost solely on the business. E picking up another client is an interesting premise but it didn't really go anywhere and they squeezes basically two or three scenes out of him wondering if he should tell Ana that he hates the script.

This could be risky but a few new faces, particularly a couple new adversaries might help keep things moving and, most importantly, give the guys a reason to band together.

Posted by SoulHonky at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Found this on Vulture: Josh Schwartz was a bit perturbed about the marketing for his latest show, "Chuck". The heads at NBC tried to calm him but used the typical, short-sighted Hollywood thinking.  

"They say, 'Your promotion's in Sunday night football,'", explained Schwartz, "and I go, 'Yeah, but we're on against Monday Night Football.'" 

Ah, reminded me of the push for High School Musical: Get in the Picture during the NBA Finals when I'm sure a lot of tweens and musical fans were glued to their TV's. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So the web re-launch of the WB is apparently up and at 'em. They sent me a nice e-mail reminding me to check out the site and when I signed on I was greeted with: "Word Up, SoulHonky! Have you met the sultry vixens of Sorority Forever yet?"

Really? "Word Up"? They greet you with a phrase that was already played out when the WB network first launched? Not a good sign. Another issue was that I couldn't get the videos to play on Firefox. Then again, Firefox is pretty much a disaster of late and I did get to see the trailer for "Sorority Forever" on Safari. The show looks like your standard soap opera. Nothing in the trailer really made it seem like something to look forward to.

I tried watching "Whatever Hollywood". It's basically a show about three girls making videos for their website. Two of the first three videos are "comedic" "rap" songs and that's basically all you need to know. Isn't about time that people stop thinking rap songs about random every day things is high comedy? Well, I guess if you think greeting people with "Word Up!" is cool, the answer's probably a no.

On the bright side, The Jeanie Tate Show is pretty funny. (I tried to embed it but it wasn't loading so here's the link.)

Still, nothing on the WB can top their greeting, if just because it got me to google the Cameo song and find the old classic. I'm sure the girls at "Whatever Hollywood" will find some "new" material in this video. (Although getting a LeVar Burton cameo wouldn't be a bad idea).

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know the media and a lot of people who needed a fix after the Olympics ended are all excited about the Democratic Convention but isn't it all just a waste of time and money? The Republican Convention in 2004 cost 154 million. I think that money could have been spent on a more worthy cause than just hyping up the candidate.

I understand why we need conventions but when the candidates are usually already selected by the time of the roll call, what's the point? I found it funny that the Obama camp was considering a shortened roll call. The whole reason for these events is supposed to be the roll call and that's what is getting cut out. I just can't get fired up or moved by many speeches that really have no purpose besides being a very expensive infomercial.  

Posted by SoulHonky at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For a while now I've been arguing that the problem with remakes is that they are remaking good movies. Why bother? Yes, I understand the marketing behind it but wouldn't it be better to remake bad movies or movies that could have been good instead? Why not spend at least one film a year on trying to improve Hollywood rather than just trying to squeeze another buck out of a classic?

Well, it seems like someone has finally listened. ABC is re-tooling "Cupid", the former failed Jeremy Piven vehicle about a single guy who may just be the reincarnated Greek god of love. Will it work? Who knows? I'm not sure about casting Bobby Cannavale in the lead but who knows...

Still, there are a number of shows that should get a mulligan. Maybe try Freaks & Geeks but set in modern day. I thought Daybreak (a kind of thriller meets Groundhog Day) is a show that could be a 24-style hit. Dark Angel is another idea that had promise but wasn't exactly carried out in a crowd-pleasing manner.

Yes, shows like 90210 and Knight Rider have better built-in recognition but that doesn't necessarily mean those people will watch. Just look at The Bionic Woman. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the SoulHonky Schwag of the Month. It's the old site logo.

 

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You just know that a whole bunch of fools are going to try to pull of the Robert Downey Jr. from Tropic Thunder costume this year and make everyone really uncomfortable. Granted, a good half of the people will only feel uncomfortable is there is an actual African-American at the party (because if not, it's HIL-A-RI-OUS) but still...

Currently, the frontrunner for my Halloween costume is probably the standard vague Pimp/70's disco guy or the fat slob who has as much booze on his drenched shirt as he does in his blood stream. I went as the latter last year which actually made it hard to pick up women because whenever a woman did seem interested, all I could think was, "Christ, I'm a fat slob whose wet, sticky shirt reaks of beer. What's wrong with you that you're dancing with me?!"  Needless to say, last year Halloween was just another typical weekend for the ol' SoulHonky.

Posted by SoulHonky at 01:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, besides my personal debilitating laziness? See what it is over at www.thecourierclass.com.

Update: Now with a working link!

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Missed last month but here's the latest SoulMix. And as an added bonus, here's one of the most influential videos of all-time. People underrate the impact this had but where would most rap videos be without Robert Palmer's famous cleavage shaking dancers?

Who says white people can't dance?

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

James Franco was on Shootout and tells an interesting story about how films differ in safety measures. The big budget Spiderman went overboard in the name of safety while Pineapple didn't really worry about the whole injury issue.

And if you think he's overstating the lack of safety measure on "Pineapple Express", here's a quote from an LA.com interview.

Franco: The headband came later, after I literally ran into a tree.
You see it in the movie. They used the take, and I had to get stitches. We couldn't stop shooting, so we thought of the headband.

 

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I saw The Pineapple Express over a year ago and loved it. I thought it was one of the funniest movies of the decade (a seemingly bold statement until you look at the comedies this decade). Now that its release date is almost upon us, I'm chagrined to see that it's getting some lousy reviews. Upon reading the reviews, however, I just tend to get annoyed since the critics don't make much sense. A few of them claimed they laughed a lot but didn't like the plot or cinematography. Isn't the point of a comedy to make you laugh? Another guy seemed upset that it was a buddy comedy instead of a rom-com. A third reviewer compared it to Pulp Fiction, which she apparently thought was a comedy. So to save everyone from walking into the wrong movie, here are some tips on how to watch and enjoy The Pineapple Express.

1. The film is stupid. It's a dumb buddy comedy. The plot is barely there and is, at times, very silly. You have to go in expecting an over-the-top film. It's like "Live Free or Die Hard". I liked it because I went in knowing it was over-the-top and a borderline superhero movie. "Pineapple Express" is a comedic version of that. If you are sitting there, focusing on plot holes or thinking, "Well that wouldn't happen" you aren't going to like the movie. Similarly, if you couldn't enjoy "Road Trip" because the plot was the same as "Overnight Delivery" and was hardly original, then you'll have problem with this film.

2. It is violent. What "The Dark Knight" did with superhero violence, "Pineapple Express" does with comedic violence. It's not a rake in the grass, it's a random shlub sloshing through blood and trying to shoot it out with the bad guys. Picture two stoners giggling as they watch "True Romance" while listening to The Geto Boys first album. Now imagine if those stoners then decided to combine the two into a comedy. Imagine no more because that's "The Pineapple Express".

3. Forget that David Gordon-Green directed it. If you don't know who David is, then don't worry. If you know his past works, do not compare them to "Pineapple Express". It's a completely different movie in every way, shape, and form.

4. One of the major flaws in the film is the pacing. There are two scenes near the beginning of the film that are WAAAY too long. I saw a rougher cut and hoped they would trim those scenes down but apparently they didn't. The film sputters at the start but bear with it because when it gets going, it's hilarious.

If you go into the theater with those four facts in mind, I think you'll have a great time. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm not a huge fan of Ben Stiller but "Tropic Thunder" was an funny funny movie. Unfortunately, I saw it under some adverse conditions (the guy sitting behind me had the loudest, most annoying laugh I've dealt with in ages) which hurt some of the jokes but overall it's a film I have to recommend. I preferred "Pineapple Express" but I have to admit that this is a better, more complete script. Whereas "Express" seemed slapped together and extremely loose, this film was well-orchestrated. Then again, when you're spending 90 million dollars (three times as much as "Express", then you can't play it as fast and lose.

The one issue I had with the film (or moreso with the audience I saw it with) is the "Chappelle Concern". When making jokes about race, are people laughing for the right reasons? In this case, I think a lot of the people in the audience weren't. They laughed out loud whenever Downey did his imitation of a black man but whenever Brandon T. Jackson put him in his place, they were silent.  Thankfully, Downey Jr. didn't have any real quotables so I was saved from hearing other people mimic him while walking outside the theater.

All in all, it was a very funny movie and a great send-up of Hollywood and the crazies that make up the acting/studio landscape.

Posted by SoulHonky at 01:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While discussing the fact that the truth is always stranger than fiction...

"Well, as Richard Price always tells us, God's not a second-rate novelist."

- David Simon, creator of The Wire 

Posted by SoulHonky at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wasn't a huge fan of Brick but this film looks good. Also, it's nice to see the mute girl from "Babel" getting some work.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)