Off Season Adventures: Sydney

For Part Two of my adventure down under, we flew to Sydney, Australia. 

The view from above - coming in for a landing!

I flew in first midday to do a little exploring by myself. I dropped my bags off at the Pandora office in the Chippendale neighborhood, a former industrial neighborhood that through gentrification (it’s happening everywhere!) that has transformed into a creative scene. It’s south of the city center, between the downtown and the airport, so it was an ideal place to start walking. I walked through Surry Hills, to the fun Darlinghurst/Kings Cross area and had lunch at Sweetheart’s Rooftop, which had been recommended. The restaurant has this super cool, spacious rooftop area that would have been perfect on a sunny day. 

At least I had it all to myself? More drinks for me!

I was the only person up there on this ominously gray afternoon but the bartender was super nice. He whipped up his own creative cocktail and recommended one of their massive burgers. 

So many yums

After this massive lunch I went to get some more steps in and walked toward the city center, through the Domain and Hype Parks, past the Australia Museum. George St was a fun road to walk down to get back to Chippendale, as it has a lot of shops, restaurants, and interesting looking buildings. 

I would so live here!

There was a night market I was hoping to check out in Chinatown, but unfortunately right as I was heading there the sky opened up and it began to torrential downpour. I booked it with my luggage in tow to the closest movie theater to kill some time while I waited for evening activities (which were thankfully indoors).  If you have to see a movie during your time in Australia, Event Cinemas on George St was really nice. I saw “Money Monster,” with George Clooney and Julia Roberts. It actually exceeded my low expectations and was an interesting spin on bank corruption. After the movie I may way to the Sydney Opera House, the most epic of venues to see a show at. It was a special show in support of VIVID Sydney, a light, music and ideas festival where they do really interesting light installations on popular landmarks around town and have a ton of events and parties over the course of 23 days. The photos from VIVID 2015 look AMAZING but when I was there the rain shut down a lot of things. Back to the show, I got to the Opera House a little early for a bite and a drink. The show was Ta-Ku, an Australia DJ from Perth who gained notoriety online with his mixtapes, remixes, and EPs that have an interesting blend of lush soul and dusty hip hop. His set featured the singer WAFIA from Brisbane, who was an absolutely beautiful and haunting vocalist, along with a string quartet, backup singers, and a kaleidoscope laser light show.

LASERS 4 DAYZ

 The next morning we woke up in the apartment we were staying in by Bondi Beach, which would have been the ideal location with the exception of the fact that it still felt like we were in the middle of a hurricane. I will give it to the surfers though, these guys were still out on their boards catching the massive storm waves. Now that’s dedication! Still, that meant no coastal walk for us.

What is this, a beach for ants?

We got lunch at a trattoria on the main street running down the coast, Campbell Parade, that was good but nothing worth writing about. After lunch we walked to Hall St, which is a cute stretch of shops and cafes. As another great indoor backup activity, we decided to get massages. In theory this sounds like a relaxing option, when in reality we went to the Siam Cabana Fine Thai Massage parlor, which was a really nice place but they really go deep with their elbows on your spine. A hurt-so-good moment while you hear your friend in pain through the curtain and realize you’re not alone in this intensity. That evening we went to another VIVID event in Bondi, a Brazilian dance night. It was this super cool underground bar that had a massive front room with a stage and dance floor where the band played.

Brazil Down Under

There was a second bar room in the back that felt almost like a completely separate venue, with fun cocktails and a speakeasy feel. They had a bluesy, vintage band planning which was a big contrast from the Brazilian festivities going on in the other room. 

We woke up to day three in Sydney and guess what, it’s still raining. That morning I attended my first (and so far only) Australian book club, where we read “We Are Completely Beside Ourselves,” which I did not love since I found the main narrator unlikable. However, the brunch we had at Trio during the brunch club was very enjoyable! I had their corn fritters, topped with bacon slices, tomato jam, arugula, and goat cheese. It was the perfect blend of sweet and savory.

Bacon makes everything better

In the afternoon we went back to downtown city even though it was still pouring so I could at least enjoy a little more of Sydney despite the storm (thanks again to my hostess friend for being a good sport and traipsing through the rain). We went to the Museum of Contemporary Art in The Rocks, which is across an inlet from the Sydney Opera House. Usually I find modern art a little bourgeois and ethereal for my taste, but this had a lot of really interesting exhibits using modern art to talk about the issues of immigration and being a refugee.

This one actually has nothing to do with immigration, it just looked cool

There’s a café on the top floor that is windowed and has a good view of the Sydney Opera House and bridge, so we had a snack and waited for the sun to set so we could see the VIVID light display. Sadly, they didn’t appear to be working so we went to Sailors Thai, nearby in The Rocks. It was tasty Thai food, so I definitely recommend it. After dinner we grabbed some gelato and wandered back to the water where the lights were finally up! We watched the lights change on the Opera House for a bit before grabbing a cab back to Bondi for the night.

VIVID #success

For Romantics and Music Lovers

I started a new job about 6 months ago that's comes with a pretty crazy workload, so I haven't been doing as much blogging sadly. However, I saw a movie this weekend that was so fantastic I knew I needed to carve out some time for a review. 

The movie is "Begin Again" and it's reminiscent of "High Fidelity." There's a romantic plot that comes across as more realistic that the average fluffy rom com, with music references for fans of many musical genres. Like "High Fidelity" it also includes commentary on the state of the music industry, artist versus label contract structures and the release of music digitally. The movie stars Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo portrays a down-on-his-luck record exec, conveyed with just the right amount of hopeless optimism but ruffled exterior. Knightley is charmingly English as the ex-girlfriend of an up-and-coming rockstar (the perfectly cast Adam Levine- charming, self-obsessed, douchebag). Ruffalo hears Knightley playing one night and is re-inspired, thus beginning their journey of recording music live on the streets of NYC. Knightley is a surprisingly good singer and pulls off the Nora Jones/Colbie Caillat type songs.

The romantic subplot if that Ruffalo is separated from his wife (the fabulous Catherine Keener). They have a tempestuous teenager daughter, played by relatively new but very accredited Hailee Steinfled (True Grit). Throughout the movie there's also an underlying chemistry between Ruffalo and Knightley. I won't give anything away but I really enjoyed that the movie didn't sensationalize anything. While Knightley originally comes off as a little naive, she learns a lot and makes some wise choices on both the music and romance fronts. 

Cee Lo Green was by far the best cameo, as a rapper made big by Ruffalo. He added great comic relief and threw down some rhymes. He came off like a natural born actor in the movie and I hope this will lead to more movie roles. Mos Def once again showed he has acting chops but it would have been a great addition to include his musical/rap talents as well.

I recommend this to any romantic or music lover. I'm excited to check out the soundtrack as well. 

A Night Out in Japantown

Last Sunday was the Golden Globes and amidst the flurry of sequins and champagne, we saw the top contenders of this awards season come through. Notable winners (that I’m all very happy about) included “American Hustle,” “12 Years as a Slave,” Amy Adams, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto and “Breaking Bad” (going out in a blaze of glory).

I've been able to see most of this season's nominated movies but one I was missing was “Her,” so I went to check it out Friday night. For Golden Globes it was up for “Best Picture- Comedy or Musical” but lost to “American Hustle.” Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for “Best Actor- Comedy or Musical” but lost to Leo DiCaprio. Spike Jonze did end up winning one for “Best Screenplay.” I went in with relatively low expectations. Despite the nominations, personal reviews from friends described it as strange and awkward. However, a few who’d seen it had proclaimed it to be one of the best they’d seen all year. The premise of the movie is definitely original and a tale for our time (or the not-so-distant future). When a man going through divorce is burned out on human relationships he turns to his operating system (OS) for emotional connection and love. While there are some awkward “sex” scenes, the rest is pretty relatable to human relationships. Phoenix does a good job playing downtrodden yet hopelessly romantic. Scarlett Johansson does the voice of Samantha, the OS. That woman does have a pretty sexy voice! Amy Adams had a great smaller role which I think could have been expanded on a little more, as it seemed like she had more of past with Phoenix’s character but that was glazed over.  There were also good cameos by Olivia Wilde and Rooney Mara. I love Spike Jonze movies (“Adaptation,” “Being John Malkovich”) so I was glad he won for screenplay but surprised he wasn't even nominated for director. I thought there were some very visually stunning scenes and shots that really conveyed the emotional turmoil of Phoenix’s character. I always forget that Jonze got his start in directing by making music videos for the likes of Beastie Boys and Bjork. I do have to say, no one makes music videos like that anymore! Anyway, I digress. I would definitely recommend making “Her” one of the movies to see this season. It’s a timely and relevant love story that’s both charming and sad.

On another side note, we went to see “Her” at the Sundance Kabuki Theater in Japantown. Beforehand, instead of patroning one of the many authentic and delicious ramen shops nearby (I recommend Tanpopo) we decided to hit up Benihana. I love Benihana. Perhaps in a city filled with amazing Asian options, this could be considered a travesty but there are no other hibachi options. First off, in a city filled with waitlists, getting a reservation at Benihana is extremely easy. I even saw them take some walk-ins. At Benihana you not only get 5 courses of food but a showmanship of knives and flames right in front of you. Their fried rice is fantastic, as are their dipping sauces. So we got a soup, salad, shrimp appetizer, bowl of fried rice, chicken and steak entrée, plus had to duck out before we could get the green tea ice cream. All that food, plus a large sake ran me $35. I’m sorry, but in San Francisco I can rarely get out a restaurant for under $50 if I get a drink, appetizer and main course. People kept asking what my friend and I were celebrating. Can we just be celebrating a love of Benihana??

I mean, even Don Draper likes Benihana!

November Moviemania

While holiday season is exciting for a great many number of reasons, one of those is the release of better movies. Theater attendance spikes, with blockbuster releases planned on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days (my family always sees a movie Christmas Eve- one of my favorite relaxing traditions!). Oscar races are right around the corner so all the notable indie releases happen too. While I saw a bunch of movies last month, here's a few I think are worth mentioning:

Last weekend I went to see the second "Hunger Games" installment (I wish I was young enough to catch the midnight release and still be able to function at work the next day). I was a big fan of the first movie and felt it was the best adaptation of a book that's I'd seen in quite a while. I have to say, the second one is even better! Some people are complaining about the length (run time of 2.4 hours) but for the fans it's not an issue, I mean, it's shorter than any "Lord of the Rings" movie. The casting for the other victors was really good (love Jena Malone as vicious Johanna). Philip Seymour Hoffman is a good addition to pretty much any movie and is perfectly shady in the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, who was less memorable as a written character. All of the special affects in the arena were visually stunning and the costumes for the victor's parade should definitely be nominated for it's creative way to translate a book description into fashion. If I don't go see it again in theaters, I will probably buy it when it comes out on video. The third installment, "Mockingjay" will be split into two (mo' money for studios!), with the first one slated to come out November 2014.

Would my work judge me for Hunger Games wallpaper?

A movie likely to be up for a lot of nominations is "Dallas Buyer's Club," starring Matthew McConaughey. The movie takes place in the mid-80's when the HIV/AIDS scare was really starting to ramp up. Cowboy/hustler Woodroof (McConaughey) learns he has HIV and when he goes to the hospital finds out that the drug their testing is actually more harmful than helpful. He heads to Mexico and finds cheaper drugs to bring into the States, starting a drug club of his own. He reluctantly befriends transvestite Rayon, who I thought looked familiar but didn't find out until after that it's Jared Leto. The buzz is that Leto is likely to be up for "best supporting" awards when the season rolls around. McConaughey surprised me with his acting skills again, I thought it was on par with "Mud." I guess he just needed to break away from his rom com cast typing. My only qualm with the movie was Jennifer Garner's performance as an empathetic doctor who supposedly feels passionate about the issue but Garner's flat emotion seems the opposite of passion.

Leto and McConaughey

I have a nerdy weakness for all movies related to "The Avengers" so I went to see "Thor: The Dark World." It was pretty good, very comparable to the first "Thor." The plot line was similar but a good action movie if you need to shut off your brain for a while. Chris Hemsworth seems born to play the role of Thor. Natalie Portman is fine, but I more enjoy Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard as her quirky scientific sidekicks. Tom Hiddleston brings the character of Loki to the forefront and makes him almost someone you want to root for. Also, the bad guys in this movie being "evil elves" was a bit silly but I'm sure that was taken from the comics so I won't blame the screenwriters for that. The movie's not a must see and will probably be a frequent rotater on cable once it comes out.

Lastly, I also went to see the (over) hyped "Gravity," with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Clooney's character is pretty enjoyable but SPOILER ALERT: he dies off fairly quickly and then it's just Bullock floating around in space, which is pretty boring. It's like Hanks in "Castaway" or Farrell in "Phone Booth." Movies with only one set location tend to give way to overly introspective monologues. Bullock should have probably died about 10 different times but seems to persevere somehow. There also just seems to be a lot of plausibility issues overall, like one second she's floating over China and the next second she's over Europe. There's no way she's just floating around the world that fast. The views of Earth from space are probably the best part of the movie, so I'd rather just watch some NASA special on the Discovery Channel. Could someone who loved this movie please explain to me what I'm missing? 

Sandra- stick to "Speed"!

The (Non) Spectacular Now

Last Friday night I went to see "The Spectacular Now." This movie is based on a book, which I was warned was rather depressing. It’s adapted by the writers of “(500) Days of Summer,” which I thought was a brilliant movie. However, IMDB lists the movie as a comedy/drama/romance. After seeing the film, I'm really wondering how they decided to classify it partially as a comedy. There were a couple fast but fleeting "cute" moments that made you smile but overall it was pretty depressing (although according to people who've read the book, not as depressing as the novel). The premise of the movie surrounds teen alcoholism and poor parental role models. So yeah, pretty cheery stuff.

I liked the casting of this movie. Most of the ensemble is fairly unknown. Ray Liotta makes a cameo as a drunken, absentee father. My favorite was the lead actress, Shailene Woodley, who’s been rising to fame via indie movies and complex roles ever since “The Descendants.” Miles Teller plays the male lead and is very convincing in the role. I’m glad that they chose an average looking kid, although apparently he makes Sutter a more likable character than in the book.

I’d say wait until rental for this one unless you are a fan of depressing stories and teen angst. My other recommendation, don’t go see this on a blind date. Watching an awkward teen sex scene next to some guy you barely know if almost as painful as watching “Eyes Wide Shut” with your father (thank you high school Stanley Kubrick film project for that unforgettable moment).

Speaking of uncomfortable movies, I rented “The Paperboy” last night. I was half paying attention at first until I realized the movie is perturbing. I’m not going into detail but let’s just say there’s grisly murder, racial crimes, a “sex/masturbation” scene at a prison and a brutal gay rape. I think this movie was Zac Efron trying to prove he’s edgy and not just “High School Musical” and Nicole Kidman trying to be sexy. Matthew McConaughey’s performance is sub par as usual (with the exception of “Mud”) and somehow they roped John Cusak into this as well, which makes me supremely disappointed. Did you know Macy Gray can act? No? That's because she can't. I do not recommend this movie at all, even knowing there’s no way this is airing on cable. 

Sneak Peek Leaked!

Last night I had the opportunity to go see the sneak peak of "The Fifth Estate," the movie all about the rise and fall of WikiLeaks and it's charismatic leader Julian Assange. The movie is slated to come out in November 2013, so the cut I saw wasn't final. However, based on what I saw I would say they don't have much more to do. I thought the movie was fascinating and objective. The controversy going on with Assange and Manning right now is a polarizing topic. The movie does it's best to present the situation, showing the idealism of Assange but also the ego. It's up to the viewer to decide whether they buy into the message or fell he's a hypocrite. The current end frame is Assange saying just this. 

Benedict Cumberbatch does an amazing job starring as Assange. His career has been heating up in the last couple years with roles in Atonement, Star Trek: Into the Darkness, War Horse and The Hobbit. He is already a well established actor on the British television. I wouldn't be surprised is he starts getting Hollywood recognition and award nominations for his portrayal of Assange. On top of looking like him, he embodies his mannerisms, is likable at times, haunted in others and an egomaniac in most. I also really enjoyed the performance of Daniel Bruhl, who played Assange's early idealistic, loyal cohort, Daniel Domscheit-Berg. Laura Linney was her ever fabulous self as U.S. government's Sarah Shaw, although I have issues with her character. While the film showed Assangein a way that showed all facets of him, the film seemed more biased to side with Shaw. After working in government and getting as high up as she did, I'm sure her hands were not completely clean either. And if this movie couldn't get any better, Stanley Tucci is in it! Everything is always made better with a little Tucci in it.

Outside of the amazing acting and mostly unbiased views, the movie was visually stunning. Assange had a lot of allies in Iceland, lending itself for visually beautiful backdrops that fit with the mood. The scenes of WikiLeak's "office" were also really well done. Director Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls," "Kinsey") gets back on track after doing "Twilight: Breaking Dawn." Overall, I hope they don't change too much of the movie before it makes it to wide release. 

Foggy Summers in SF Mean More Movies

Last Sunday was another dreary, foggy day (of course, because it’s summer in San Francisco) so the perfect day to go see a movie. We wanted to go see the new Woody Allen movie, “Blue Jasmine,” but it’s only limited release right now and all showings were sold out. As a second option we ended up seeing “Fruitvale Station,” which I’m glad I ended up checking out. It’s a portrayal of the 2008 shooting of 22-year-old black man at a BART station in Oakland that sparked a lot of riots in the Bay Area. While I was worried the movie would be a little slow, it was such an interesting look into someone else’s’ life that it didn’t drag at all for me. I felt that the filmmakers did a good job not making Oscar Grant (the man who got shot) out to be some kind of perfect person. It showed all of his flaws and the time he spent in prison, but also showed that he was a good person, amicable, friendly and trying to be a good father. The release of this movie could not be more perfectly timed, because while different it had a lot of similar parallels to what’s going on with Trayvon Martin and the rally movement the verdict sparked. The lead actor who plays Oscar, Michael B. Jordan, is starting to get a lot of buzz for his work on this and may be a contender next award season.

The weekend before we went to “The Wolverine,” not to be confused with 2009’s “X-Men Originals: Wolverine.” The 2009 movie was just awful. But I was with a friend and we both love all the other X-Men movies in a completely nerdy way so we decided to go check it out.  While this one was not as good as the overall X-Men movies, it was much better than the 2009 version.  This one got a little deeper into Wolverine’s psyche and provided more background into what would have otherwise been a lot of random, violent, action sequences. However, the plot did continually hop around and try to throw numerous bad guys Wolverine’s way without a clear nemesis for the film. Hugh Jackman did a good job as always. For an actor who can sing and dance, he shows he’s truly versatile by being able to become the rugged Wolverine in a believable way. No need to rush out to the theater for this one though, and if you’re not an X-Men fan I wouldn’t even worry about the rental. This one has cable rerun written all over it.

Last night I was feeling under the weather so I went to see “Elysium” with a friend. I’m normally not into sci-fi/alien/space movies but its Matt Damon and the same writer/director who did “District 9” (Neill Blomkamp). “District 9” pleasantly surprised me with its heartfelt story of loner turned alien and underlying political commentary on slums, so I was hoping this one would have the same kind of layers. The movie is set in the year 2154, where the quality of life on Earth has deteriorated. The wealthy 1% has fled earth to live on a space habitat named Elysium. On Elysium they have the technology to heal the ill and stay young, so the sick and injured on Earth keep trying to illegally flee to Elysium. As with most sci-fi movies, there’s that underlying yet never too subtle political theme of not only the elite 1% and the difference in quality of life, but also of the reaction and treatment of illegal aliens. But the actual plot was kind of all over the place and outside of Matt Damon’s character, there wasn't any character development. Jodie Foster played a domineering defense secretary that we never learned anything about. There was also a very pathological hitman working for her that could have been interesting to learn more about as well. They threw in a lot of gory, turn-your-head moments for show. In general I liked it more than I thought I would but I don’t really like sci-fi. And I didn't think it was as good as “District 9.”

Not too many rentals of note. I had heard a lot of hype about “The Place beyond the Pines,” and was sorely disappointed.  Ryan Gosling’s performance was magnetic but he was a part of the plot for much less time than expected. Overall, the movie was 2.5 hours long and dragged on and was depressing. The only rental of note was a nice surprise. I had never heard of this movie but ended up watching it with the parents while visiting Minnesota. The film is called “I Give It A Year,” and is a witty look at modern relationships. So many people rush into marriage but don’t end up staying married. This was a humorous look at one couple who really tried to make it work. Plus it took place in London and the British have that lovely cheeky humor that was infused into the movie.  There were three recognizable actresses, Rose Bryne, Minnie Driver (where has she been??) and Anna Faris. The only male lead I recognized by name was Simon Baker from “The Mentalist,” but a lot of the English men look familiar. Anyway, I recommend checking this one out when you’re in the mood for something light and silly. Definitely a good pick for any fans of “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” 

Mid-Summer Movies

I'll kick this off with "Now You See Me," which is quite possibly already out of theaters (so much "no one saw it" pun potential). This movie centers around a group of illusionists/magicians who pull of major crime heists while performing. It seems pretty unbelievable. Even when the movie explains how they did it, it still seems unbelievable. The movie spent all of it's time focusing on theatrics and not on the plot. I'm not a huge fan of the lead, Jesse Eisenberg, who I'll admit it was fantastic in "The Social Network" but mainly because he looks freakishly like Mark Zukerberg and got all the mannerisms down. I want to know how people like Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson and Michael Caine read this script and thought it sounded like a good idea. Honestly, if I didn't write a blog I would have forgot about this movie immediately after leaving the theater. It might not even make it to cable as it dies in the vault of no-network-even-wanted-to-pay for it films. Woody, I expected better from you.

I also went to see "Man of Steel." In the past I haven't been a huge Superman fan (does anyone remember the 2006 remake?) but I love Henry Cavill from "The Tudors." Unfortunately I still didn't really like it. It's superhero meets aliens meets big summer blockbuster budget (i.e. let's see how much shit we can blow up just because we can). The movie is stacked with good acting talent (Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane) but the plot just seems to drag. All the fight scenes and explosions take up what could have been used as plot and character development. The only development is at the beginning and it seems like a lot of setup with little payoff. The ending seems to come abruptly and makes it clear they plan on continuing this franchise (it grossed $398.3MM worldwide through 6/23). But get excited, the big news coming out of Comic Con is that Warner Bros. is making a Superman/Batman movie involving collaboration from Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan, so that has to be good. At least it will be better than "Man of Steel."

A couple weeks ago I went to see "The Heat," the cop comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. The previews looked hilarious and the movie did not disappoint. Bullock and McCarthy had a good on-screen chemistry as a dynamic duo. It's like you can picture them being friends and getting into mischief in real life. McCarthy's performance was the better one to me. Bullock was good but it was almost the exact same character she played in all the "Miss Congeniality" movies. Also of note is Demian Bichir, who plays Bullock's FBI boss. He's been appearing in a lot of stuff lately and doesn't get the recognition he deserves (plus he's a very attractive older man, loved him in "Weeds"). The movie plot is pretty basic. The FBI and local Boston police are reluctantly forced to work together to catch a drug lord. I was actually slightly surprised by the plot twist of the movie, which you don't really expect from a fluff comedy. I liked this movie overall but would say it's fine to wait until DVD release.

Last weekend I went to see "Bling Ring," the new Sophia Coppola flick based on a true story. The "Bling Ring" is a group of 5 over-privileged, fame-obsessed teenagers living in Calabasas (near LA). In order to afford the lifestyle they felt they deserved of partying, drugs and high fashion, they used the Internet to track when celebrities were out of town and then would subsequently burglarize their homes. Celebrities victims include Paris Hilton (multiple times, they refer to it as "going to Paris"), Lindsey Lohan, Rachel Bilson, Audrina Patridge, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr and Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green. What's kind of hilarious is that Sophia Coppola got Paris Hilton to not only make a cameo in the movie, but she also allowed them to film the heist scenes in her actual house (yes, the disco room is real). My mom also brought up an interesting point. This movie is a commentary on materialistic, over-privileged rich kids feeling entitled to the wealth playboy lifestyles they'd see around LA. With Coppola's famous last name, these are probably the type of kids she grew around (albeit she grew up in NYC). The movie's got a fun soundtrack as well. Definitely recommend checking out this flick before it disappears from theaters (it was a limited release as-is).

It's the End of the World As We Know It

If you were hoping for an REM concert review, you will be sorely disappointed. I did not get to see Michael Stripe, I got to see "This Is the End," a humorous/apocalyptic movie. It wasn't heavily promoted at all but has been relying on word-of-mouth to keep it going. Seth Rogen wrote, directed and stars in the film. The premise sounds pretty humorous. A bunch of comedians/celebrities are at James Franco's house party when the apocalypse happens. Everyone in the movie is playing themselves, which makes it extra hilarious. The main case is Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Bauchel (you'll recognize him from all the Judd Apatow movies), Danny McBride and Craig Robinson.

I though the first half of the movie, which is when the party is raging on before the end of the world, was hysterical. On top of the main characters, Emma Watson, Michael Cera, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Paul Rudd and a host of other B, C and D list celebrities are also in attendance. Michael Cera's coked-out version of himself was probably the highlight for me. Paul Rudd deserved more than his two minutes. And Emma Watson gets to be bad ass (go Hermoine!). But then the apocalypse starts and things get weird. Really weird. Like demons with giant penises weird. So then that part drags on for about 30-45 minutes but the ending brings it back to the hilarious realm. SPOILER ALERT: In the last scene they get the full Backstreet Boys crew to reunite and preform, which is so random but so awesome for anyone who remembers the 90s. I wouldn't say rush out to theaters to catch this flick, but it's about to become a late night cable favorite for stoners everywhere so catch it when you can.

Let the Summer Blockbusters Begin

The season for summer movies is upon us! While I no longer live in a place where I need to retreat to movie theaters to escape the blistering summer heat and hair curling humidity, I still think there's nothing better than ducking into a cold and dark theater when you need to unwind for a bit.

The first big blockbuster to check out on my list was "42," the biopic of Jackie Robinson. Now, I'm not of fan of sappy, inspirational things and I don't really like sports but I have a huge, unexplainable love of inspiration sports movies. I went in with high hopes and was unfortunately a little let down. Robinson was played the relatively unknown Chadwick Boseman (right? who?). I'm not sure if they just picked him because he looked like Robinson but he lacked the charisma and intensity you need for a lead role like that. He was easily eclipsed by Harrison Ford, looking old but still amazing as raspy owner Branch Rickey. Outside of Ford, the cast was B-list and below. For a movie willing to spend so much on advertising, they should have shelled out a little more for casting. The story of Robinson's success in the game of baseball, which was hailed as the white man's sport in the late 1940s after WWII, is of course a great tale. But the movie lacked an exciting climax and left me wanting some kind of emotion when the credits started rolling. You know these rights are going to be gobbled up by some cable network, so I would just wait until then to see it.

The next big blockbuster on my queue was "Iron Man 3." I loved the first two movies and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man brought some comic relief to "The Avengers." If you're expecting anything different than the first two, don't. Blur the details and it's the exact same story line (or same story line as any comic book turned action movie). But if you enjoy the genre, then you'll like it. My one warning is to make sure you not only see the first two Iron Man movies, but also "The Avengers." Stark is haunted by the giant wormhole and aliens from that movie, so if you haven't seen it you'll just think he's cracking up all together. Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau get more screen time in this one as Stark's unintentional sidekicks. The amazing Ben Kingsley brings intensity and steals any scene he's in. Spoiler alert: Guy Pearce plays the bad guy role perfectly. Even since "The Count of Monte Cristo," I think he's destined to join the bad guys hall of fame with the like of Javier Bordem in "No Country for Old Men" or "Skyfall" or Joaquin Phoenix in "Gladiator." It's hard to forget a bad guy that act gives you chills. And since it's Marvel, there is a clip at the end of the credits if you want to stick around. It's nothing pivotal  just a humorous moment with another favorite character from "The Avengers." If you enjoy comic book movies, I say go see this one but if you have to wait until rental it's not the end of the world.

A couple weeks ago I went to see Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of "The Great Gatsby." It seems to be getting bad reviews across the board but I really liked it. First off, it's a Luhrmann movie so you have to expect the ridiculous, the flair, the sparkle. Of course the movie is going to be raucous and absurd, but isn't that why we love Baz Luhrmann? It's a gorgeous and flashy spectacle. I also read several complaints that the soundtrack was too modern and that it changed the feel. Personally, I think a highway cruise in a couple 1920s cars set to Jay-Z is awesome juxtaposition of the times, but some people don't. As a side note for all you music lovers out there, check out the soundtrack. It features Florence + the Machine, Jay Z, the xx, Lana del Rey, Jack White, Sia, Nero and many more. Definitely an eclectic mix but a lot of fun for any music lover. The one negative in the reviews that I do agree with (and I wish I didn't) was that Carey Mulligan's performance as Daisy Buchanan feel flat. She was too wispy for a Daisy and lacked chemistry with Leo. And how does one lack chemistry with Leo? His blue eyes were piercing in every scene as the intense, elusive Gatsby. I didn't think I'd like Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway but he had a certain naiveness that fit with the role. And no, the movie doesn't hit all the plot points of the book but it gets damn close so give them some credit for adapting a novel that has been tried time and time again. I would definitely recommend going to see this in theaters, although maybe avoid the 3D headache that should only be meant for movies like "Avatar."

An Admission to Admission

Yes, I am aware that may be the most epic-ally horrible blog title ever but my creative juices are out right now. The other weekend I went to see "Admissions," starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. It was a Friday night after a long weekend of work and it seemed like the perfect fluff movie to turn off my brain and go see. I expected  nothing more than your standard rom-com. It was actually much better than I expected and had everyone in the theater laughing on several occasions.

Number one, let me take this moment to express my undying love for Tina Fey. When she and Amy Poeler hosted the Golden Globes this year, I wished we could be real life friends. For women out there who just want to be awesome without playing the game, I thank you. I'll confess I've never watched "30 Rock" but you never ceased to surprise me in films like "Baby Mama," "Mean Girls" and "Date Night."

Number two, let me take this moment to express my undying love for Paul Rudd. I've loved you ever since your busted onto the scene as the lovable brother in "Clueless" and my love deepened when you played Phoebe's boyfriend on "Friends."  I don't know what it is, I just love that man. Definitely Top 5 for sure. I assumed like all men in Hollywood he's freakishly short (I'm looking at you Tom Cruise) but I guess he's 5'10 in real life. I won't live, he's had some misses in his career (think "Year One," "The Oh in Ohio," and "Dinner for Schmucks")). And he's made us laugh (think "Anchorman," "I Love You Man," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and "Knocked Up") but also proven to be versatile ("Diggers").

"Admission" follows ambitious Portia (the reasoning behind the name and the mom who gave her it are pretty hilarious), an admissions aide for Princeton who gets called by John Pressman (Rudd) to come check out his alternative high school. She thinks it's one of her regular visits to present her spiel about what Princeton looks for in a prospective student, but he actually thinks one of his student may be her son. Also, I think my favorite part in the movie was when these kids were reacting to her talk and asking why they would ever consider joining the rat race and attending a bourgeois Ivy league school. I thought it was a charming movie that will make you smile. Worth a matinee, definitely a rental.

Two Very Different Love Stories

Every Christmas Eve my family goes to see a movie. This year we went to the new Judd Apatow flick, “This Is 40.” The movie was being advertised as the sequel to “Knocked Up” and the previews make it look hilarious. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann return as the exact same roles as a married couple where he’s a washed up record exec and she’s just more than a little OCD. Their two daughters look adorable but border on psychotic (would anyone like to play murder?). In reality, Mann is married to Apatow and the two daughters in the movie are actually their daughters. I read in a recent interview that half of the extra raunchy scenes (i.e. the self-colon check) were actually Mann’s idea. The daughters are not allowed to swear at home, so in this movie they must have had a field day. In the movie, Mann and Rudd’s characters turn 40 the same week, while facing marital, parental and financial problems. Mann and Rudd spend the whole movie yelling and swearing at each other, which outside of a couple witty jabs and a stoned scene, is actually pretty intense. Their daughters are destined to be deranged as well (even though one has an understandable passion for “Lost”). I spent the entire two hours wondering why this couple wasn't already divorced. Also, it seemed like their financial issues could have been easily resolved by not only selling the gigantic house, but also by stopping throwing lavish parties and downgrading from a Lexus and BMW. Cameos by Jason Segel and Charlyne Yi (the stoned Asian roommate Jodi), reprising their same roles from “Knocked Up” bring some much needed relief. Megan Fox flexes her comedic muscles and is a surprising delight. Other rays of light in this film are appearances by Chris O'Dowd (“Bridesmaids”) and Lena Durham (“Girls”). I’m not married so maybe I’m shouldn't be the one to judge this film but coming out of that, I was left with a feeling of never wanted to get married or have children.

This Christmas my little 24 year old brother was put in charge of picking the movie we went to see on Christmas Day. Being a 24 year-old male, he did not opt for Les Miserables but instead for Django Unchained, the newest film by Quentin Tarantino. I’m actually a pretty big Taratino fan. I see him more as a stylized violence than senseless. The “Kill Bill” movies were beautiful. Movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “ Reservoir Dogs” are well-deserved classic with some of the sharpest dialog and character development outside of a Coen brother’s movie. However, this movie disappointed me. The plot centers around a slave Django (Jaime Foxx) who is freed by a deranged dentist turned bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz). Django agrees to help Waltz in the bounty hunting business because outside of having the chance to shoot white people, he’ll receive a part of the bounty and Waltz will help him track down and free his wife. It turns out his wife is being held at a Southern plantation named Candyland, run by Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Waltz and Foxx come up with a scheme getting them into Candyland without seeming like they’re there to free his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). There’s a lot of violence, which is no surprise but it’s a lot of close range bullets resulting in brain matter splatter. I’m not a squeamish person but I had to turn away at certain points. The bloodbath just seems to go on and on to the point where it’s extremely overdone. What saves this movie is the superb acting by Waltz, returning in a role similar to his maniacally calm character in “Inglorious Bastards.” DiCaprio also is deliciously disgusting as a heartless slave owned. The soundtrack added some needed lightness (imagine a plantation shoot out set to 2Pac). Tarantino gave himself a cameo with an atrocious Australian accent. I thought this movie was okay, but not his best by far. I’d say wait for video but it would lose a lot of the oomph not on the big screen. Many critics have deemed this as one of the best movies of the year and to this I ask: what are you smoking?

Skyfall Sneak Peek

Last night I was lucky enough to see an early screening of the new James Bond movie, "Skyfall." I am a huge fan of the Bond movies. I've watched almost all of them, including the Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore ones. When Daniel Craig was named the new Bond I was a little worried but so far he's done pretty well. "Casino Royale" was a great addition, which "Quantum of Solace" was forgettable. "Skyfall" is back up to the caliber of "Casino Royale."

Don't worry, there's no spoiler alerts in this review. This vague synopsis is available on many other sites. In this film, M and Bond's relationship is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. You can't be the head of MI6 and not make some enemies along the way. One of the things I really liked about this installment is that it provides more insight into Bond's past than anything ever shown before. You get a quick look at the man behind the martini. It also refreshes some classic characters that are staples in the series. And for long terms Bond fans, they sneak in a couple homages to the early years. I always like to see who the automotive for each Bond movie are. This year it's clearly Range Rover/Jaguar that's to some over-obvious product shots.

Craig is more of a rugged action star than previous Bonds, but he can still pull of a tuxedo. And he actually looks more reliable doing stunts than some of the more suave Bonds, like Brosnan. Dame Judi Dench may be old but she still plays the role of M believably. Ralph Fiennes is an addition to the cast and I hope we get to see more of his character. The bad guy is played by Javier Bardem (don't worry, this is not a spoiler. It's never a mystery and every review talks about this). Bardem's character is one of the creepiest bad guys I've seen in any movie in a long time. This may rival his fantastic and scary role in "No Country For Old Men." They both give me shivers. Definitely go see this one in theaters, especially if you're a Bond or Daniel Craig fan. On that note, I leave you with this wonderful advertising fail and a couple good ones of Mr. Craig:

I Went to a Movie Instead of Watching the Giant's Win the World Series

I went with a longer blog title today but it's something I'm not ashamed to admit. I can't watch 9 innings of baseball unless I'm actually at the game. Baseball is boring. But do I wish I had then gone out for the celebrating and rioting? Oh yes, crazy drunk people are indeed the best part of sports. I like going to day games for baseball because it makes it completely fine to be drunk by noon, sitting outside in the sun. Now that is America's past time.

Anyway, the movie I went to see was "Argo," which has been recommended to me by several friends. Not just any friends but the type of friends where I value their taste and opinions. I enjoy movies rooted in actually history, so this was right up my alley. The movie centers around the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, where a U.S. embassy was taken over in Tehran as a protest to the U.S. harboring their deposed Shah. Everything I've read makes a very clear point to call our that this is "loosely based" on the events that happened surrounding the crisis. If you want specifics on where Hollywood decided to get creative, check out the movie's Wikipedia page. The plot focuses on the CIA's undercover operation to extract 6 embassy employees who escape the raid on the embassy. The title pays homage to the America spy's cover, a casting director for a new sci-fi movie, Argo. Best line of the movie: "Arg go fuck yourself."

The movie is directed by Ben Affleck (who also stars in it). I think people sometimes people forget that Affleck has legitimate film chops, after making a series of movie like "Jersey Girl," "Gigli" and "Daredevil". In the 90s, he appeared on the scene acting in cult movies like Mall Rats and Dazed and Confused. He hit it big when he co-wrote and acted in "Good Will Hunting." He also wrote "The Town," which I actually liked. He co-wrote and co-directed the great film "Gone Baby Gone" which his genius little brother Casey Affleck. One of  the "Argo" producers is George Clooney, so you know the film is going to have some not-so-subtle political moral of the story.

With the clout of Clooney and Affleck, they were able to score some great actors for this film. Highlights include Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, Victor Garber (who walked Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner down the aisle when they got married) and Tate Donovan. However, John Goodman really steals the show. With all the reviews he's getting about his performance I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a Best Supporting Actor nomination out of it. I definitely recommend seeing this movie in theaters.

Sappiness in Yemen

And no, I don't think everyone in Yemen is emo. I'm referring to the movie "Salmon Fishing in Yemen." First off, in case you don't know where Yemen is:

There, now that you've learned something educational from this blog post, let's continue with the movie review. I was excited to see this movie. It received a lot of critic buzz and made the rounds at the 2011 indie film festival circuit  The movie is based on the success novel with the same name by Paul Torday. I haven't read the book but after looking into it, it sounds a lot different than the movie. The book is classified as a political satire and won a prize for comedic writing. I love dry British humor. I think I would have liked this movie a lot more if it had satire. Unfortunately Hollywood decided to turn it into a romantic drama. And that was the beginning of their downfall. The movie stars Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt, two skilled British actors.Their acting abilities did not equal on-screen chemistry. The premise of the movie is that Harriett (Blunt) is trying to help foster Yemen-England relations for her boss but creating a goodwill story. Somehow she decides that the perfect story would be to introduce the sport of salmon fly fishing to Yemen. The movie doesn't provide any background as to where this out-there concept came from. She enlists the non-eager British government expert in salmon fisheries with Asperger's syndrome to help, Fred (McGregor). A Yemen sheikh decides donate millions of pounds to fund this project and bring salmon to the Yemen. This is not an easy task and they go through many hurdles trying to get this up and running. I think that part of the movie is interesting.

The part of the movie I take issue with is the romantic plot line. At the beginning Harriett is dating a solider who gets sent to war, promptly going MIA. Fed is married to a very career-oriented, ambitious woman who's work requires a lot of travel. Seemingly out of nowhere, halfway through the movie, Fred comes to the realization that he's in love with Harriett after his wife approaches him and calls him out on it. Harriett's been a weepy mess because she assumes her MIA boyfriend is probably dead. Instantaneously she returns Fred's affections. I won't spoil the ending even though I think you can guess where this is going. Anyway, the second part of the movie is extremely sappy. I really think they should have left it a political British satire. Rent this one if you want a sappy British love story that makes no sense. Watch "Love Actually" if you want a sappy British move that's actually good.