Blog Archives
O Captain! My Captain Under – Wait, What?
There are some blog posts that require very little introduction. Ladies and gentlemen, the following video requires only two words:
Captain Underpants.
That any serious movie studio would make such a film with that title and…
how soon can I purchase my tickets?
When a title is enough to make you laugh-out-loud (or “lol” for the younger readers), that’s a great first sign for any comedic story.
Happy Monday (Or Is It Happy Tuesday?)
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2017 Academy Awards ended (fittingly?) in ‘la la land.’
So, the movie that should have won and that people wanted to win (La La Land) lost to a movie that most people had, quite frankly, not even seen or barely knew about (Moonlight).
Sounds like most Academy Awards, doesn’t it?
My yearly analysis for Oscar winners and losers is that the Academy is right when they’re right and wrong when they’re wrong. Sure, that seems like common sense, but there’s more to it that presumed simplicity.
For example, the Academy was right to award Titanic the golden statue for best picture many moons ago and it was right to award Sandra Bullock the golden statue for best actress for her leading role in The Blind Side in 2010. Conversely, the Academy was wrong to award Slumdog Millionaire the best picture in 2009 and not even nominate The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger deservedly won a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight for one of the greatest acting performances in cinematic history, but the film as a whole is a revelation and a masterpiece and it was wrongly shafted and stripped of its Oscar moment for the film’s team and Batman fans everywhere.
Last night, the Academy was clearly wrong in fumbling the announcement for Best Picture. However, the Academy was right to clarify this mistake in real-time. As a result, the 89th Oscars will be defined by that painfully embarrassing moment and help Steve Harvey recover a little bit more quickly.
Random Advice: Maybe don’t hire Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as editors of the obituary section of a newspaper.
Have a Better Week Than Last Week.
Our Puzzling Future
Have you pulled the blanket down from over your head? Yes, that presidential debate last night was real and wasn’t an SNL sketch…yet.
The always entertaining and insightful author and essayist Christopher Buckley’s rationale for relieving himself the responsibility of satirizing high-stakes political circumstances was, once again, effortlessly reaffirmed during yesterday’s presidential debate. His imaginatively shrewd writing that amusingly paints the politically powerful with shades of absurdity and twinkling nonsense now needs no outside author, as the starring characters from both sides have willingly taken on his role as penman and penwoman.
Mr. Buckley can’t believe he used to make this stuff up.
On a completely alternative, and therefore happy note, the only spectacle being promoted on television more than the presidential debate is the new Dan Brown book adapted for the silver screen. Skipping the slightly underwhelming 2009 “The Lost Symbol,” Mr. Brown’s 2013 thriller “Inferno” was chosen for grand cinematic treatment. Having read “Inferno,” the excited anticipation for the movie is warranted. Get ready for a fun, thought-provoking ride! Incredibly, from the little shown in the trailer, every one of the scenes look precisely as I pictured them with my imagination from just words on a page.
A testament to the brilliant vision of both Dan Brown and Ron Howard.
Favoring suspense over information, the engrossing plot and pulse-racing sequences won’t be disclosed. The spectacular reveals and intellectual twists-and-turns deserve genuine shock and awe, coupled with unnerving curiosity and reality.
And who better to preview and hype Robert Langdon’s adventures than, well, Robert Langdon himself.
October 28th cannot arrive soon enough. As surprising as this will read, readers and audiences will learn more and feel better equipped to confront the complexities of the world (past, present and future) from a Dan Brown novel and/or film than from a modern presidential debate.
And Dan Brown’s “Inferno” deals with hell…
Coldplay’s Night-Light
Coldplay isn’t just good at warm tributes, they’re also pretty good at this whole “performing” thing.
Zero score and four years ago, I was in Los Angeles, California and saw Coldplay at the picturesque Hollywood Bowl. My dad and I were halfway up in the center, which made for an awesome view. Setting wise, few (if any) outdoor venues compare. The serene SoCal evening was electrified by the pulsating sound of the pop music quartet from across the pond, bringing a random collection of fans together in a way only a concert can do. A few songs in and strangers in the rows in front of and behind us transformed into fast friends.
The power of music strikes again.
To celebrate Throwback Thursday, here’s a unique look back at that night in the Hollywood Hills.
The visual artistry from that night was unforgettable. In nearly every concert, the highlight is the musical act. Except, as the 2012 show in the Hollywood Bowl revealed, there were clearly two headliners: Coldplay and the projection designers. The end result was a concert that hypnotized every person in attendance into singing and dancing.
Even Charlie Brown had a smile on his face.
P.S. Coldplay’s “Charlie Brown” circa 2012 Hollywood Bowl.
(FYI: It should be mentioned that there’s a solitary four-letter word dropped at the 2:46 mark)
P.P.S. The wristbands lit up during specific songs and moments, adding to the magical feel of the Coldplay experience.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 