The Grey

The Grey

Rating 4.5 out of 10

This was a movie I was greatly anticipating seeing.  When I watched the trailer I was ready to sit in my theater seat with a bag of popcorn and watch some men trapped in the Alaska wilderness led by bad ass Liam Neeson go Mano vs Wolfo to see who survives.  The problem is that battle never fully develops.
The movie can't decide if it wants to be an all out action film or a sleepy art house movie.  The guys spend more time debating the meaning of life and if there really is a God than they do fighting wolves or anything else.

A group of wild oil-rig workers are on a smaller commuter plane in Alaska going to the city for leave when it crashes in the middle of nowhere.  If you have read my reviews you know I'm a stickler when it comes to really bad decisions.  Liam Neeson plays depressed worker Ottaway.  His job is to stand guard on the Alaska rigs and shoot the wolves when they come flying in to eat the workers.  When the plane crashes and only a few survive this makes him the wolf expert.  When the wolves start attacking them right away he gets the idea they should leave the plane and start walking South in blizzard conditions through wolf central since he didn't think they would come looking for them in that downed jet.  Wolves all around yet they never make any weapons to fight them off or even grab a stick to hit them with.

Ottaway is very depressed about losing what may or may not be his wife.  They don't really say who she is or what happened until the end of the movie.  We do know he misses her greatly due to the flashbacks every ten minutes showing her.

My suggestion would be to rent this if you must.  While the wolf input is not nearly what you are led to believe there are still some very tense moments.  When there is action it's generally pretty good even if it's filmed in my opinion with too much shaky cam.  Then there is that art house ending that had people in my theater booing and throwing popcorn at the screen.

There is generally a reason why movies are released in January.  Most often the studios realize the movie is not worthy of a Christmas or Summer release and hope to drop it in here when people might go see it.  The Grey describes that category just right.

Red Tails

Red Tails

Rating 6 out of 10

This movie had me in the previews with all the planes flying around shooting down the evil Germans.  Being a small plane pilot I love watching this stuff and dream of how much fun it would be to get behind the wheel.  Without the people shooting at me of course.

The flying scenes in this movie are absolutely incredible sights.  It amazes me the bravery those pilots showed in flying not only the fighters but the bomber planes that were mostly sitting ducks when the enemy came a shootin'.  It's crazy the talent it took in those pilots to fly to a certain area and back with no radar, gps or hardly even radios that could talk to each other.  Much less the little thing about bad guys shooting big guns at you from the ground and air.

Although most of the cast is relative unknowns I would say any movie with Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr is above average.

The problem with this movie is the way it candy coats a serious subject from a serious time until it could be shown on the Disney Channel with hardly a cut.  This was a time when if blacks were allowed in the military it was to either be in the front line or clean up after.  No way they could fly planes.  The now famous Tuskegee airmen showed them wrong.  It took a while for them to get a chance at a serious mission, but when they did they made the most of it.  They were assigned the tough job of protecting the bombers and not leaving their post even when being shot at.

The movie is too full of golly gee I got shot guys and don't you even think about dying on me!  Most of the scenes when they are on the ground are so cartoonish you feel for the actors.  Including one that is captured and put in a camp.

This is a watchable movie if nothing else for the flying scenes.  I just wish it had been a bit more realistic and gritty.

Underworld Awakening

Underworld Awakening

Rating 7.5 out of 10

This is the forth in line of the Underworld films.  Can't really count #3 since the main star (Kate Beckinsale) was not in that one.  These movies started before Vampires and Werewolves (Lycans) were sparkly and hunky as in Twilight.  Here the Lycans turn into big ugly mean monsters meant to bite your head off.  The Vampires and Lycans still can't get along.

In Awakenings the humans have realized the existence of Vamps and Lycans. The lovely Kate Beckinsale is back and still looks very good in black leather.  She is captured in the fight with the humans and put into a deep freeze.  She wakes up twelve years later when someone breaks her out of the hospital she has been kept in.  Much has gone on in those twelve years including giving birth to a daughter she didn't know about.

With this being the forth movie they don't spend much time explaining the who's and why's even though the movie does start off with a two minute "catch you up" clip explaining what you missed in the first three movies.  Instead what you get is lots of action.  Plenty of battles between the two clans and the Lycans have engineered a supercharged werewolf that grows to about fifteen feet tall and kills everything in it's path.

If you liked any of the previous Underworld movies you will also enjoy this one.  If blood and fighting is not your thing you might want to look up the movie times to Joyful Noise.

Haywire

Haywire

Rating 4 out of 10

I had high hopes for this movie.  A hot special agent kicking the crap out of all kinds of bad guys!  What could go wrong with that?  The fighting part of the movie was sadly the only good part.  The rest of it is a mess.

Our star Gina Carano is the real deal.  I think we will see plenty of her in the years to come.  She has it all.  Smoky good looks and being a champion MMA fighter she can deliver a kick like Chuck Norris.  She plays an operative for a mostly secret security contractor whom the government hires out their dirty work to.

From here the story becomes a bit muddled.  She is about to quit the firm, but we are not sure why.  There is a double cross and she is to be taken out.  When that goes wrong she sets her sights on making everyone involved pay.

Two big problems here.  When you have a cast as good as this one (Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Antonio Bandaras) the story should be much better.  Granted in a movie like this the standards for a plot are set pretty low.  Haywire falls well below that line.

The biggest problem in my opinion is you expect with a star like Gina Carano you will have non stop action.  There are only three fight scenes in the movie.  They are very good.  Not nearly enough.  There is more in the movie of her running than fighting.  No excuse for that.

Carano will be a big star some day.  Sadly it won't be from this movie.

Contraband

Contraband

Rating 6 out of 10

I like Mark Wahlberg.  I think he has become a pretty good actor.  He does a good tough guy.  He does that here. I really like Kate Beckinsale too.   I'll see anything Kate is in!  I liked this movie.  Not as much as some people in my group did but it is an entertaining basic movie.

Wahlberg plays Chris Farraday.  In his younger days he was known as one of the best smugglers on the planet.  He has since reformed.  Married his beautiful wife Kate and has a couple kids to show for it.  The problem is Kate's brother is a moron.  He takes a job smuggling drugs for some very bad guys.  When that job goes bad the thugs threaten to kill Kate's moron brother.  To save his life Farraday offers to smuggle one more run to call it even.  Turns out the thug rings go several layers deep.

Farraday in the matter of a day or two get's his old gang back together including some guys in Panama that appear to have drugs and money sitting around their warehouse waiting for someone to smuggle it into the US.  Nothing goes right in Panama or on the way back.

As I said this is your basic action movie.  It's not to be over analyzed.  I admit I tend to pick movies apart a bit.  Ask my family.  This movie has plenty you can pick.  My movie buddy Ted watches every movie with his rose colored glasses.  He loved this movie.  This was his second viewing.  I thought it was okay. For me I'd rate it as a rental.

Danny's top ten!

My kids have my DNA and all love movies like I do.  Here is my oldest son's Top Ten list.

Top movies of 2011:

1. Reel steel- lot of action with nice special effects. Always a Hugh Hackman fan. Good story line they can really do a lot with. 

2. Warrior- most under rated movie of the year. This movie proves why Tom hardy is going to be the next big thing as well as why the new batman is one of the most highly anticipated movies. 

3. Thor- this movie not only has a good interesting storyline but it has good humor as well. Obviously with it being a comic book movie it will have good action and special effects which it does not disappoint. 

4. I am number 4- leaves a lot to think about for the next one. Has just enough action and excitement to keep you wanting more for the sequel. 

5. Fast five- what's not to like with two of the most known bad dudes of Hollywood duking it out on the big screen. The car scenes are like the past movies but still entertaining. 

6. Transformer dark of moon- not nearly as good as the first two but I have a sweet spot for the robots changing sequence. I think they ended it just in time to be still known as a great franchise. 

7. Take me home tonight- this movie backed back from full release to limited release. Oddly enough I found it hilarious. Many time I found myself laughing out loud. Has a lot of humor you don't see in movies anymore. 

8. Moneyball- good well rounded movie. Keeps you intrigued from start to finish. Brad Pitt really brings this movie home with great acting. One of the few movies I like Jonah hill in. 

9. Mission impossible- I never saw any of the ones prior but this one was pretty good. Not the most believable movie, but maintains action and excitement throughout.  

10. Green lantern- I wish this movie were better, but nonetheless Ryan Reynolds proves why he makes the big bucks. I think he will be around for a long time making moderate movies that people see just because of him. 

Honorable mention:

1. Captain America- I think Chris Evans was doing roids on this one cause he's massive. He does a great job with the role, just wish they would have eased up on the corny scenes. 

2. The help- much better than I thought it would be. Really makes you think of how it was back then. 

3. X men first class- I knew without any of the originals I wouldnt be near as entertained by this one and I was right. It had a good story and nice special effects but I couldn't connect with any of the characters. 

4. Lincoln lawyer- this was surprisingly better than I thought. I'm not a big fan of Matthew but he did well in this one. Ryan phillipe played his role well too. He should consider doing more roles like this one. 



Danny Brown
New Leaf Renovation

Top Ten/Worst Ten movies of 2011

Looking back on 2011 I'd consider it to be a decent year.  Quite a few good movies came out yet only a hand full of very good movies.  When I come up with my top ten movies I try to pick movies I'd pay to see twice.  Most in my top ten fall into that category.

In 2011 I saw 68 movies!  That is way up from years past when I was in the low 50s.  Yes I know.  Sad white guy with nothing much to do.

I think the movies that aggravated me the most are the one's that were LOVED by the critics but I thought were horrible.  Three that come to mind are Hugo, Hanna and the Descendants.  Especially the first two.

Overall I had a good time and look forward to the movies of 2012.

To see my Top Ten or Worst Ten click on the pages on the Archive to the right.  I you have a top ten of your own feel free to email it to me at royce@royceshome.com  I'm always looking for comments to my reviews good or bad!

Top Ten of 2011

1-           Warrior

This is just a great movie I wish more people would go see.  Good story with superb cast and acting.  A movie I can and have watched repeatedly.

2-           Mission: Impossible Ghost

Non stop action from start to finish.  This will get your heart beating and you won’t want to leave your seat.

3-           Fast Five

More testosterone than one movie should be allowed to have.  When Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson fight I swear you can feel the ground shake!

4-           Crazy, Stupid, Love

I loved this movie.  Laughed out loud often.  Touching in parts too.  Good movie.

5-           Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I think someone who hasn’t read the book might actually like it even more than I did.  Daniel Craig is perfect for this part.

6-           Bridesmaids

This movie made me laugh a lot.  I liked pretty much everyone in it.  Went right up to the absurdity line but didn’t cross… much.

7-           Moneyball

Pretty boy Brad Pitt does a good job as the GM of the Oakland A’s baseball team.  Competing in a league with far less money.

8-           Sanctum

I know most people did not see this movie.  I’ll agree it’s not a great movie but as a scuba diver I just couldn’t get enough of it.

9-           Real Steel

I really thought this movie would do better at the box office.  Not sure why it didn’t.  Hugh Jackman is good and the fighting robots were very cool.

10-       Thor

Not sure this is truly a top ten movie but it was fun.  The action was good and I was entertained. 

Honorable Mention

1-           Footloose

Not nearly as good as the original but still a fun movie.

2-           The Muppets

I am a Muppet nerd.  I admit it!

3-           Battle: Los Angeles

Better than I thought it would be.  A classic? No. Good action and feel good flag waving times.

4-           Friends with Benefits

Much better than the similar No Strings Attached released earlier.  Funny and nice.

5-           New Years Eve

This is a campy, fun, see how many celebrities you can spot , movie you watch just because you can. 

Worst Ten of 2011

Worst Ten

1-           Bad Teacher

This movie is just horrible from start to finish.  Complete waste of time that insults you in every way.

2-           Hanna

A mess of a movie that makes almost no sense.  Long and boring.  Somehow it got rave reviews.  That pissed me off even more!

3-           The Green Hornet

Funny how so many of my worst ten movies have Seth Rogan in them?  Why do I do it?

4-           Paul

See #3.  This movie was horrible.

5-           Hugo

This is a very slow train to dullsville.  Also got great reviews.  For me it was like scratching on a chalkboard!

6-           Hangover II

I know my age group was not the demo this movie was aiming for.  I liked the first one.  This was just a cheap remake of Hangover I set in a different city.

7-           Rango

Probably the most dull animated movie I have ever seen.  Johnny Depp couldn’t save this dog.

8-           In Time

I give them an E for effort but that’s as far as it goes.  Too campy and low budget.  Justin Timberlake is not ready to carry a movie like this.

9-           The Eagle

This is a dreadful movie I can’t see how it was ever made.  Acting and story are very bad.

10-       Limitless

I had high hopes for this movie.  I think the director screwed this one up.  Much of the movie you feel you are having a LSD flashback.

Should have been better…

1-  Kung Fu Panda II

No where to take this story.  Yet still they tried.

2-  Water for Elephants

Might be a good book.  Not a good movie

3-  The Descendants

I know people that loved this movie.  Too downbeat, silly and depressing for me.

4-  The Green Lantern

Not a good year for green superheros.

5-  Tower Heist

Had some funny parts.  How many?  Watch the two minute trailer and you see pretty much every one.

                                                         

Killing Lincoln- Book

Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

I will start by explaining what studying the Civil War was like in high school for me.  I moved from Oregon to Louisiana just before high school.  To most of the smaller town Louisiana folks the whole time I was there I was the "damn Yankee".  Did not matter that Oregon was not even a state during the Civil War.  I heard it all the time.  Mostly it was good natured.  Sometimes not.  So being the only "Yankee" in the room when the Civil War was being discussed was not really much fun.  I glossed over it as much as I could and still make a B.  I say that because most of what was discussed in this fantastic book by Bill O'Reilly was new to me.

The book begins a couple weeks before the end of the Civil War as the North has cut off the supplies to the South and General Lee.  General Grant cuts off the South's attempt to retreat to North Carolina where supplies and reinforcements are thus ending the war.  O'Reilly and his fact finder Martin Dugard go into amazing detail describing the battles and the amazing amount of death and destruction there was.  More Americans died in one day than in whole wars now.  The surrender meeting between Lee and Grant is so detailed you wonder if O'Reilly was there.

Once the War was over Lincoln faced the huge uphill battle of mending the sides.  Many on the North were set upon punishing the South and many on the South were not willing to admit defeat and move on. Lincoln seemed to foresee  his death but pushed forward with the country's business.

It was amazing the difference between then and now.  Back then the front door to the White House was left unlocked where most anyone could walk in.  It was common for lobbyist to sleep on the floor in the hallways near the Presidents bedroom in hopes of talking with him when he walked down the halls to use the bathroom.

The book goes into detail on how Booth thought of himself as a patriot and felt the South would look upon him as a hero.  He felt if he could just get out of town and to the South he would be treated like a king and planned to retire to Mexico.  There were plans to kill General Grant the same night, but Grants wife did not like Mrs. Lincoln and took an earlier train to avoid spending the evening with them.

Amazing to me there was only one soldier guarding the President when he and his wife went to the Theater.  That soldier left his post as the play started.  He proceeded to get drunk and never came back yet he was never punished in any way.

In the manhunt for Booth after the killing there were 80+ soldiers that drown while searching the swamps.   It was many days later before they caught Booth.  Had he not broke his ankle he very well may have got away.

O'Reilly keeps the pace going and tells the story in a way that is interesting and does not come across as a history lesson.  I liked the way he wrapped up the book with a "where are they now" with all the main characters telling what happened to the rest of their lives after the killing.

I enjoyed this book greatly and highly recommend it.

Watching Tv shows taped II

On the next day we had tickets to the filming of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  Back in 2000 I went to a filming of the David Letterman show in NYC.  It was fun even though I had a bout of pancretitis. This was better.  I have been recording and watching the Tonight Show for many years.  This was a pretty big deal for me.

Leno films this show at 4p every week day.  Like the Talk it's "live on tape".  They film everything as if it were a live show warts and goofs and all.  They take 2-4 minute breaks where commercials would be and add those later.

With this show they ask you to show up at 230p.  It is filmed in a much bigger area that seats nearly 300.  Not alot of parking.  On the website they suggest you park on the street nearby.  We chose to pay to park in the garage a block away.  We got there early to scope things out and found a line already forming in a designated area of the parking lot.

They took us into the outside waiting area around 145p.  This again was where we were reminded how deadly it would be to make the mistake of taking pictures of this big parking lot.

I took the picture of the sign while waiting.  The lady coming down the stairs in the picture on the right sprinted over and said they'd take my youngest child if I took another.  I asked if I could trade him for a couple pics inside.  They said no.  She did not think I was funny at all.  

Close to 3p they started taking us into the filming area.  Once again they seat you by demographics.  Cassie and I had numbers 18 & 19 out of 300.  We got good seats in the second section with a clear view to Leno and his desk, but did not get seats on the floor like I wanted. 

Around 345p Jay walks out with no fanfare dressed in jeans and his denim shirt and warms up the crowd.  He is funny and very friendly.  He lets a few females come down and take pictures with him.  He leaves only a couple minutes before the show starts to change into his suit.  The band comes out barely a minute before the opening and go right to it.  

There is another guy that tells jokes and keeps the crowd going.  He tells us when to clap.  Cassie and I both admit our hands are sore from all the clapping the day before at the Talk.  This guy throws t-shirts too but I can't get to them.  

Jay comes out and does his monolog and kills.  His funniest bit was when he messed up telling a joke and had to start over.  A commercial break comes and a cue card guy sits a the desk with Jay scrolling thru the cards for the next bit.  A comedy bit is on Police Blotter.  Jay shows funny/stupid things that have appeared in local newspapers describing crimes.  I found it funny that many of the band members stared off into space or even checked texts while Leno did his thing just waiting for their time to come back.  

In the commercial breaks the band does play songs and are very good.  There are 15-20 security people that come out of nowhere to protect the stage incase a crazy person wants to storm the stage.  

The first guest is Michelle Williams.  I am not a fan of hers.  She is kinda tall and stick skinny.  I would be surprised if she weighs 90 lbs.  Her super short haircut make her look even more thin.  She is there to push her new movie My Week with Marilyn which Jay seems to have liked alot.  She is very shy in interviews and it shows.  Jay gives her one segment then prepares for the next guest.  One producer comes out and chats with Michelle during the break as another one talks with Jay in what looks like a set of questions for the next guest.  

The next guest is the reason Cassie came to the show.  Josh Lucas was a star of one of our favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama.  He comes dressed in old blue jeans, a flannel type shirt that looks like it was pulled from the hamper and a three day growth of beard.  Yet Cassie still melts into the seat every time he looks out our way.  He tells some goofy story of how he was almost eaten by a mountain lion and somehow that convinced him to ask his girlfriend to marry him.  Guys in audience groan.  Females bat their eyes and swoon.  He is far more interesting than Michelle and gets two segments.  He has a new tv show coming soon called the Firm that Jay says will save NBC.  In the commercial break between segments Josh and Michelle chat like they are old friends as Jay looks left out and stares into space.  

The musical guest is some guy I have never heard of and can't remember his name.  He was better than I thought it would be.  

After the show Jay does a couple promos and Josh seems friendly as he waves to the crowd while leaving.  They dismiss everyone with the security people looking like they are ready to shoot anyone stupid enough to try to take a picture of the now empty set.  

As we were walking to our parking garage Jay drives by in a light green old Rambler and honks and waves at us.  That was kinda cool.  

Good time was had by all.  

Watching Tv shows taped!

Cassie has been a big fan of the daytime talk show the Talk for a while now.  She commented several times about how much she'd like to sit in the audience sometime.  In my house what the wife wants the wife gets! : >

We had a wedding anniversary coming up so I checked into it.  Turns out it's pretty easy to get tickets to see many shows being taped.  You can go to the official website for the show or one of several websites that have the function of putting rear ends in the seats of the shows like www.tvtickets.com.  I can't say I'm a big fan of the Talk but do like the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  I went online and was able to get tickets to both shows.  Below are our experiences for each show.

The Talk
This show seats just over 160.  This is a show that is taped live at 11a in Los Angeles at the main area for CBS.  We were instructed to be at the parking area at 915a.  We got there at 855a and was sent away to come back at 915a.  There was a line of ladies on the sidewalk that turned out were waiting for standby tickets.  Most all the shows will have tickets from people that did not show that they give away to people that wait it out.  We were around 20th in line.  They not only make you sign a two page release that no one reads, but they take a digital picture of you holding your signed document.  You then enter the gate.

Once you enter the gate you learn the worst thing in life you can do is try to take a picture anywhere near the filming area.  Even in the back lots walking to the filming area this is strictly taboo!  They were not as rude about it here as they were at the Tonight Show yet still made their points clear.

When you go inside to be seated when you got there or the number you have on your placement card means little.  The shows clearly have their demographics.  They pick the people they want to be seen on camera and seat them in the front rows. They seemed to try to give a good mix of all races and ages so people at home would see that show appeals to everyone!  I found out quickly the ladies seating people don't think it's funny when you complain about not being in the front row or try to move to a different seat from what they first put you.

We got a pretty good seat in the front row of the second area with a good view of the ladies.  A guy comes out early to warm up the audience.  He throws t-shirts into the stands.  Luckily I was a foot taller than the old ladies in my section and caught one for Cassie. Out of the 160 seats I would guess only 10 were filled with males like myself.  The warm up guy picked six of us guys to go up front and dance one at a time for a Talk coffee cup.  Let's just say I was screwed royally and didn't get to show off my white man overbite dancing skills.  Cassie got the shirt but no coffee cup.

The two guests were Peter Facinelli (the father vampire on Twilight) and Tracey Gold (she was on the 80s tv show Growing Pains).  Neither are big stars yet entertaining guests.

While the filming is going on in our sections there is a guy with a hand held camera pointing right at us for much of the show to film audience reactions.  They tell you not to look at the camera and to react wildly to anything said.  I thought we were on camera alot.  Upon watching I see we only made it maybe 10 seconds at the very end of the show.

During commercial breaks the ladies were invaded by several women I can guess are some sort of producers that prepare them for the next section.  While they are doing this the warm up guy comes out and tells jokes to the audience.  He asks Cassie and me how we met and what our first date was.  He was surprise to hear our first date was country dancing.  He said she must have felt sorry for me after what he saw in my dancing abilities. : >

After the show was filmed all the ladies took turns filming three second clips that are seen in commercial breaks of other shows I guess.  This was very entertaining as Sharon Osborne could not get any of the names right and showed the cursing she was so famous for on her reality show years ago.

It was a fun experience for me and many times better for Cassie who is such a fan of the show.

I got long winded here so I'll put the Tonight Show on another page...