Author: Dan

Oh Yeah, I Saw “Looper” This Weekend…

What:  Criminals in the future send people they want to disappear 30 years into the past, where people called “Loopers” kill them and dispose of the bodies.  But when one of these Loopers (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) sees that the person sent back is himself (Bruce Willis) and accidentally lets him escape, chaos ensues.

There’s actually quite a bit more, but to continue to discuss plot points would reveal a lot that you should probably experience for yourself.  Here, watch this:

 

 

Rian Johnson (who wrote and directed this, along with Brick and The Brothers Bloom) always has a very specific tone and vision for his world, and that’s one of the elements that helps keep this film so enjoyable.  Up to this point in his still-young career, he hasn’t failed to disappoint when allowing us to see what he’s playing around with in his sandbox.  Ultimately, however, one of the things that makes Johnson’s films so enjoyable is the fact that he remembers that the visuals are still to be used in support of the story, rather than in place of it, and although there are a couple of spots where it feels like there were threads that were omitted (probably for time), this movie is well worth your time.

Quit Whining and Watch “30 For 30” Already

ESPN’s acclaimed sports documentary series “30 For 30” returns tonight with an all-new documentary about how athletes go broke (it’s titled “Broke”).  A preview:

 

 

In addition, this year they’ve started producing short documentaries.  Here’s one about Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Anyway, let’s look at your reasons for not watching and I will tell you why you are wrong.

 

“I don’t watch sports.”  On it’s face, this is a perfectly valid reason to not watch these documentaries.  After all, you don’t watch sports regularly in your life.  Why would you want to spend some of your precious free time on a sports documentary about someone you never heard of?

Of course, it’s that kind of thinking that led people to miss out on “Friday Night Lights”, only one of the greatest shows in television history. And just like FNL, the films of 30 For 30 are fundamentally human stories, not sports stories.

 

“I don’t like documentaries.”  This argument I have very little patience for.  A well-crafted documentary can transport you into a different time or place; it can provide insight into an experience that you may never have the opportunity to have yourself.  Sure, there are lots of bad documentaries out there, just as there are lots of bad movies and television shows and books and music.  But the good ones are worth the time.

 

“I don’t own a television.”  Okay, hipster, but you’re still devouring television by buying the episodes on iTunes or binge-watching your Netflix account.  Guess what?  30 For 30 exists in new media, as well.

 

“I don’t watch movies.”  What are you, communist?  Even the Ayatollah of Iran loves movies.  What are you doing with your free time?

 

“Kids… go to sleep…”  Oh.  Yeah, you get a pass.

Warning Signs Your New Sitcom May Not Be Right (For Me)

Since I didn’t watch any new shows last night (Parks & Recreation was entertaining, as always), and apparently the world decided that they would rather watch people sing or those still-popular CBS sitcoms rather than the best new show of the year, I wasn’t sure what to talk about today.

So instead, in no particular order, are the warnings I’ve seen for the new shows (I’m including all of 2012, not just the fall) that make me think I might not be who you’re looking for in an audience member (bonus game:  guess what show(s) I’m referencing in each point!):

1. You open with the phrase “…is taped before a live studio audience.”

2. Your jokes about Asian stereotypes would have been perfect twenty years ago.

3. Your show explicitly states its thesis (and incidentally, the tagline plastered on all the billboards) within the pilot episode.

4. Your funniest character is a monkey (admittedly, this one is easy).

5. Your show would have fit in perfectly in the “TGIF” lineup.

6. Your show was created by Ryan Murphy.

Answers below (Highlight to see!)

 

1. Guys With Kids 2. Sullivan and Son 3. Partners 4. Animal Practice 5. The Neighbors 6. The New Normal, although really you could have said any Ryan Murphy show and been correct here.  Seriously, when that guy goes off the rails, he goes off the rails.  Remember the first season of Glee?  At least that was entertaining.  Now that we get the full blown version of RM it’s a bit much.

 

You know, maybe it would be better next time to just guess which shows I’ve enjoyed.  That might be easier.