SoulHonky

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'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)

Hancock is not a quality movie. The story structure is terrible. There's nothing really going on. But you know what? It was a pretty entertaining 90 minutes. Yes, it plays more like a collection of funny scenes, most of the good parts of which were in the trailer but I still enjoyed watching Will Smith play a drunk, assholish superhero and many lulls in the film were glossed over by Charlize Theron looking her best since 2 Days in the Valley.

The film is basically an hour of character study and half our of plot. It's like watching the pilot of a TV series and then having the rest of the series condensed into a half hour at the end. So while I wouldn't recommend the film to everyone (especially those who already know they don't like Peter Berg's films), I had a good time and would tell anyone who's looking to kill 90 minutes this weekend that it's a nice trifle/diversion. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not much to say. It was a well-made film but it didn't grab me. The villain wasn't all that impressive and there were a dozen moments that had me telling myself "Cut it some slack, it's a comic book movie". Almost every time someone was cornered, they got out of it because the villain was inept rather than the hero actually doing something. The casting was top notch. It could be a nice comeback film for Gwyneth Paltrow since she played a likable person and connected to the mass audience for the first time since Se7en. Robert Downey Jr. should find himself firmly on the A-list after this film. Besides the fact that the film made a boatload of money but the film relied completely on his charm and acting ability and he carried it with ease. Iron Man is an upper echelon superhero movie but I'd probably put it near the bottom of that level, definitely below the elite films of the first two Superman, X-Men, and Spiderman films. I'd say it's around Blade level (although I liked Blade better)
Oh, and in case you missed it, here's the after the credits scene.

Posted by SoulHonky at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)