Christian Slater wishes he could "Playback" 2012.

And, the lowest Box Office number goes to...Christian Slater!(?)

I actually thought that Oogieloves would receive that honor, but it appears Christian Slater receives it with his movie “Playback”. The movie only made 264 dollars total gross. Oh, and did I mention that the movie had a budget of over 7 million? Ouch.

Here's the trailer

Once again, it is a Found Footage horror movie. Oh, boy we have a lot of those. And, when Christian Slater as your big star draw, you know you're in trouble.

After failure after failure, Slater has been ruining TV for years now. I remember him getting shows on the air and having them cancel nearly back to back. There was a time when Hollywood really tried to push Slater as the next big thing.  It never turned out that way.  

24 (Re-Watching Season 1 so far)

 24 (Re-Watching Season 1 so far)

I decided to re-watch the first season of 24 again.  I fondly remember watching the DVDs of the first season back to back.  I was really hooked with the fast-paced storyline and action scenes.  It felt like an action movie every week.  The reason I decided to re-watch them again is because I wanted to see how the early season held up.  There are things that really work in this season, but there certain things that are really bad.  

So far, I am nearly at the middle point of the season where everything in the first half gets wrapped up.  I am really digging watching it again.  It is still ground breaking what they tried to do here.  Each hour is within this episode structure and it is fun.  Jack doesn't kill as many people as he does in the rest of the series, but I am willing to overlook that given that this is the first time at bat.  

Notes

~ Kim Bauer:  Might as well start out with the terrible.  Yes, Kim is the worst thing about the show.  Elisha Cuthbert, while very cute, isn’t up to the snuff as the rest of the actors on the show.  Early on, we’re supposed to hate her, but we still hate her later on when they turn her into a hero.  Kim is a failed character that even progressively becomes worst in the second season.  She is not nearly as annoying as she will be in the second season. 

~First episode clock sound effect:  The clock has a different sound effect.  It is a little jarring. 

~Because of 9/11:  The shot of the plane exploding in the first episode was changed.  They shifted focus off the explosion and onto the woman jumping.  Speaking of the woman jumping from the plane, Mandy ends up having a strange subplot herself.  I guess we’re supposed to feel sorry for her when her friend is killed, but I can’t look past the fact that she blew up a plane full of people for no good reason. 

~ Nina Myers:  The biggest continuity problem in the entire season is Nina.  By the end of the season, we discover that Nina is actually a bad guy.  From episode to episode she actually stops the murder plot from moving forward.  She actively tries to stop the bad guys from succeeding.  Something tells me the writers added the twist that Myers was a double agent very late in the season, and they shoehorned it in at the last minute.  It makes no sense to the overall season one plot.   That always bothered me. 

~ Teri Bauer:  How many times can this woman get kidnapped and recaptured?  Only her daughter might have a similar streak.  I can see why they killed her off because the show would get very formulaic. 

Star Trek TNG bloopers Season 2

Star Trek TNG bloopers Season 2

Is this the one that Gene edited way back in the day, but didn't get leaked like the first season one? Dorn and Frakes seem to be the ones that screw up the most. It was always known that the TNG crew always goofed around on set. The TNG crew was and is one of the closest crews in Hollywood. They goofed around so much that one director refused to come back to direct another episode.

Gene would compile these blooper reels each season and take them on the road with him, starting with the TOS.  He would sell them and make a tiny profit at conventions.  Some actors didn't like that and tried to stop him.  By TNG's third season, Gene was out as showrunner so the leaked bloopers stopped after that.  I heard about the 2nd season bloopers, but only a few people had ever seen them.  

~“Dr. Crusher” calling Mr. Crusher his mother.  Given that Dr. Crusher wasn't on the show that season, it seems even funnier.  

~Seeing Dorn and Frakes crack up is just funny.

~Gene Roddenberry appearance: That was pretty rare. Heck, even Rick Berman makes an appearance in the first season blooper reel. It is interesting to see Gene at all because he started to leave day to day operations to other people and his health started to degrade.

~Marina Sirtis doesn't seem to screw up her lines as much as this season.  

Mae Young's Son: A joke that paid off 14 years later...

Mae Young's Son: A joke that paid off 14 years later...

AsI was reading through TV Tropes, I came across this strange storylinefrom the “Brick Jokes” entry. The brick joke is when a writer sets up a joke that will receive a payoff much later in the episode or years later in another season. WWE probably did one of the strange and most clever payoffs in history, which happened this year.

Way back in 98, Mae Young, discovered she was pregnant. This seemed strange because she is so old. She had the baby, and it ended up being a human hand. No one knows why it happened, but it happened. Flashforward to 2012 and they paid it off with a man-sized hand introducing himself as Mae's son. Brilliant.

You can see the "birthing" video right here.

The Payoff

You can clearly that the side TV guys had no idea this was going to show up on the show.  Listen to their laughter.   

Katt Williams Unhinged: Django Unchained

Katt Williams: I thought you retired...

You're aren't the face of black America thankfully. “Comedian” Katt Williams decided to add his two cents to the “controversy” over Django Unchained. He says that OT doesn't have the right to use the N-Word in his movie.

I've always found Katt Williams to represent everything that is wrong with our community. And, I've only found his character on the Boondocks to be funny.

From TMZ, ((First he threatened to punch QT in the face, then told us, "Qunetin Tarantino thinks he can say the N-word. But I checked with all of Ni**adom and nobody knows where he got his pass from. I hope he didn't get it from Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Foxx cause they aren't going to help you when I see you."

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/12/29/katt-williams-quentin-tarantino-django-unchained/#ixzz2GVJDbBcU ))

This is coming from a guy that uses it all the time during his act. How about stop using it in your act, Mr. Williams? Set an example. And, I love this is the same guy that has had countless meltdowns in public. At one point, he was so high that he was trying to fight the crowd on his own stage. Or how about that incident where he slapped a Target employee? Please fix yourself before spouting out stupid comments like this, Katt.

Having Katt Williams try to be the voice of reason is like Darth Vader talking shit about Sauron's evil deeds.

.

Obama “watermelon” Statue very racist and stupid

Obama “watermelon” Statue very racist and stupid

Some of the dumbest people are some of the racist people in the world and they think they're clever when they deny they're being racist.

And, why would you want to put something this ugly in front of your front lawn. The stupid statue offends at least one person living in the area.  From Gawker, (("If he wants to place it someplace else that would be fine," the anonymous neighbor told the NBC affiliate. "We don't have black people in this community but I'm sure they travel this road like everybody else does. They could be offended. I don't agree with it."))

I also feel a little upset with the fact that this is in Kentucky.  This shows we have a long way to go.  I am all about making fun of a President and even calling them an asshole or an idiot.  However, does he need to be reduced to a racist stereotype? To reduce a guy that spent years in college and beyond to a buffoonish character is offensive.

I'm one that believes we've become too sensitive to being politically correct, but this is way beyond being racist. The Watermelon has always been a symbol of racism when presented with a buffoonish black character. If it's not racist, why not put something else in his arms? How about an apple? You knew perfectly well what you were doing.

It is freedom of speech, but that also means I can call you an ignorant asshole too.

Ventrilo Harassment: Pumpkin Man is very hungry

Ventrilo Harassment: Pumpkin Man is very hungry

Give me the butter. No, I don't want that.

I like this Pumpkin Man. So, where does this clip come from? The clip comes from a game Pumpkin World.

I am waiting for the HD version of this game for PS3 and XBOX. 

Ah, PlayStation 2

Ah,  PlayStation 2

Well, Sony finally pulled the plug on one of the best consoles of my generation.

From MTV, ((After nearly 13 years, 150 million sold, and who knows how many gamers hooked worldwide, Sony Japan is set to end shipment on the incredibly long-lived PS2. ))

I can't even count how many hours I played on that damn thing with all the RPGs and MGS games, not including the PS1 games you could play on the system too. I also played a lot of DVDs on that bad boy too.

While they've only stopped shipping PS2s in Japan, it is only matter of time when they stop shipping here in North America. Heck, I need to replay some of these games.

Here are some of my favorites

Dark Cloud II: You played it as a RPG, but you could make your own towns too.

Final Fantasy X: I loved how pretty this game was at the time and the first game with voice acting too. I can't even count how many hours I spent on it. It also had a somber ending to it.

GTA Series: Never really was a fan of the old games before PS2, but the open world feel really got to me. I love this series because it felt like a mob movie.

Metal Gear Solid II: It turned out to be something completely different.

Metal Gear Solid III: Somehow, they were able to improve on the series by setting it in the jungle. You got to eat and capture things. The story was amazing too. In some ways, it was better than part 2.

Final Fantasy XI: My first true online game, I played this game so much that I pretty much didn't do anything else with my life. I was really hooked on this game badly. I loved and hated this game at the same time. I hated it for forcing you to always seek out parties and group missions, but the huge fantasy world was great and wonderful.

Tekken Tag: Love the fast action.

Space Channel 5 Part 2: You get to play along Michael Jackson for an extended period of time. Enough said.

SSX and SSX Tricky: I was never a sports guy or even a sports videogame fan, but I was willing to play these games. They were totally kickass with a nice techno/hip hop score. I still remember playing Untracked on SSX.

There are more, but I just don't have to time to list them now.

 

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Trailer

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Trailer

You know, I might just see this movie. The trailer is rather entertaining. The two magicians are clearly a take on the flashy Siegfried & Roy. I also like that they're making a parody of Criss Angel, but the wiki says he's a cross with David Blaine.

While the trailer is edited like a Happy Madison Joint and it has Steve Buscemi in it, but it has nothing to do with Adam Sandler thankfully. The director, Don Scardino, is a 30 Rock director, so it might be good. 

And, look at these dandy clothes.   

Twin Peaks: Some Thoughts

 Twin Peaks

What a strange show. After listening to a podcast about this strange show, I had to watch the show on Netflicks. It is probably a show ahead of its time, due to the strange things that go on in the town. Some of them are related to the arc of the show and some aren't.

I gotta say the show has my attention because the show isn't just strange. It actually gets more and more strange as the show progresses. I've come to like this show a lot, despite some of the silly stuff.

Notes

-Who killed Laura Palmer?: I already know, because I read spoilers for it. But, the show hasn't revealed that plot point yet. I still like where it is going though. I know the show wasn't supposed to really solve the murder, but I like the story.

-Super Human Powers: It is hinted that perhaps one character might have super powers. She bends metal. She also wears an eye-patch and is crazy about inventing things that no one cares about. What is the point of this character?

-Ghosts?: So far, there are hints that there are ghosts in Twin Peaks.

-Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me: I vaguely remember watching this years ago without seeing the show. This is a prequel to the show.

-Stuck in the 60s: I love how the show seems to be stuck in the early 60s, despite the fact it is set during the 90s. Most of the high school kids look much older and from sitcoms from that 60s era.  

-Dancing Dwarf from a different universe?  WTF

Merry X-Mass: A Heart Warming Story...

Trying to Buy iPads with Food Stamps?

Because I am in the X-Mass mood. Here's a heart warming story.

From WHAS 11, ((A Louisville woman is facing charges after police said she tried to buy iPads with her food stamp card, and when it didn't work she ran from the store. ))

This happened in Louisville, my home town. Yep, even we are not spared from these crazy people. Naturally, the food card was declined. So, she did the only reasonable thing to do, she attacked a store clerk and made a run for it with the iPads. Smooth move there, lady.

Oh, and it gets better. Even after the cops were aware of her attack and stolen property, she went to another Walmart and tried to buy more iPads with her Food Stamps card. And, that's where the police arrested her. So, I guess she will spend her X-mass in jail.  At least she knows that she will get a few meals a day paid for by the government, without any iPads.  

This kind of stuff is the reason people have a backlash against government assistance. People like this give it a bad name, and it further divides people on the issue. Perhaps you should help pay for food for your family instead of trying to buy iPads for your folks.   We have to set up a program that teaches people to live and work on their own and the government assistance is just that "assistance" to get you back on your feet, and not to attempt to buy iPads with.  

Merry Christmas to all...or Happy Holidays.

24fps The Hobbit

24fps The Hobbit

I watched The Hobbit again yesterday.

Wow, what a difference this made watching it in 24 frames per second. The movie actually looks like a real Lord of Rings movie again. The movie plays so much better without the strange smooth motion from the 48fps. The 48fps look make the movie look like a videogame than a movie.  I never thought camera frames per second would mean so much to my enjoyment of a movie.  

I really was able to enjoy the movie without the distracting shit.

Avoid the 48fps version please.   

Jessica Simpson is Knocked up Again...

Jessica Simpson is Knocked up Again...

I've already mentioned how much I hate this woman, mainly because she has very little talent and yet keeps getting the spotlight. Now, we're going to have another nine months of her talking about dealing with being pregnant. Every single interview and magazine cover with her will be about her baby bump. Man, I can't wait. Since her acting and singing career went belly up, this is the only thing she has successful to promote...something women do everyday.

And, remember that Weight Watchers  paid her a lot of money to lose the weight, which is a waste now that she is knocked up again. How do you feel about that, WW?

I think something bounced up into my undercarriage.

Fellas, you will probably never see this again.  

I mean another Dukes movie starring her...

Random Things

Random Things

~Hugh Grant is a prick: (We are Hugh) Well, we already knew that when he cheated on Elizabeth Hurley with an street walker. Just how do you cheat on someone that looks like Hurley with someone that looks like Divine Brown. Now, it has come out that Grant was a terrible guest on The Daily Show. Stewart called him a “Big pain in the ass.” Grant has been in a few good films, but he's pretty much fallen away of late.

~Gangnam Style  site turns into porn site when it announced the billion mark: What in the hell? That has to be the best trolling moment ever. That has to be the best gift you can give after a billion hits on a music video. Given that it was a porn site, can we call it oppa Doggie Style?

~Girl from a High School is suing because one of her teachers made fun of her for wearing a Romney/Ryan shirt: Wow, really? What happened to the right having tough skin and not being offended by small shit? Her parents are saying that her First Amendment rights were infringed. While I think her teacher had no right to make fun of her shirt, but is it enough to sue someone over? Nope. You should wear anything that doesn't cause a stir.

~Go Team Venture!: I've been re-watching some of the episodes On Demand. I have to say this show is so good. I can't believe it is still on the air.

~Nazanin Boniadi really does hate the Church of Scientology: I am sure she got caught up in the Church because someone told her it would help her career. She had no idea what she was getting into. Now, it is being reported that she was on an anti-Scientolgy song with other ex-members at the time. Now, she's pretty mum about the church, but she was vocal at the time of her departure.  

Goodie Mob: Cell Therapy: (Who's that peeking in my window?)

Goodie Mob: Cell Therapy: (Who's that peeking in my window?)

Man, I love this song. The background music is very good. Goodie Mob came out of the same group as Outkast and in many ways, they have similar sounds. They also moved outside rap music and into hip-hop like Outkast. Plus, they shared many appearances on each of their tracks.

~Pig sound effects: Why did they add this to the song? Listen carefully, you can hear an oinking pig. Very strange.

~I love the piano loop.

~By the way, Cee-Lo came from this group.

New Year’s Eve (2011)

New Year’s Eve (2011)

Man, this movie is really appalling.  It feels like it was written by a committee of business people and not by someone creative.  The movie is so fluffy and cheap that I started to shake my head with every cliché that presented itself on screen.  Then, the casting people decided to contaminate the entire movie with really bad actors and actresses. 

Director Garry Marshall’s direction is bland and sometime TV-of-the-Week quality.  I mean this movie feels so cheap and sappy that it feels more like a TV movie than an actual theatrical film.  Marshall doesn’t seem all that interested in getting the best performances from his people either as most of the cast looks either bored or confused. 

The movie tries to tug at our hearts with speeches of what the New Year will bring, but it comes across as being more science fiction than an episode of the old Dr. Who show.   If this movie had a face, I’d slap it for being too phony and cheap.  After a speech from one character talking about New Year’s, I wanted to flip the bird at the screen. 

Nice try, Captain.

-Ashton Kutcher is in this movie:  And, the movie presents him in the most cliché storyline.  Kutcher finds himself trapped in an elevator with Lea Michele (Glee).  They discover they’re more than their appearances and become close.  Kutcher is phoning it in, even for him.  Michele is just playing a slightly older version of her character from Glee.  I almost turned off the movie during the beginning of this story when the lift stalled. 

-Katherine Heigl:  Another terrible actress that completely brings down the already bad movie.  Heigl is so unlikable in this movie.  Why are people still casting her in movies?  Basically she is still in love with a character by Jon Bon Jovi.  Jovi is terrible too. 

-Robert De Niro and Halle Berry are pretty good.  De Niro is playing a dying man that wants to live just enough to see the New Year.  The story they’re in isn’t that bad, and would have worked in its own movie. 

-Zac Efron and Michelle Pfeiffer: This is another story, if fleshed out, would have made an okay fluffy romantic comedy.  Michelle plays a sheepish woman who decides to come out her shell by creating a New Year’s Resolution.  Efron, a bike courier, helps her complete her list.   Pfeiffer is actually very good in her role, and I could have seen a movie surrounding her and Efron, because they work well together. 

-Josh Duhamel:  At least he’s not fighting robots right?    

- Hilary Swank:  Is she worst than Heigl?  I am not sure, but at least she is keeping her score up with her string of failures of recent.  Swank, it is time to take some time off.  You are the new Nic Cage. 

There are two stories that could have easily stood on their own via movies.  The movie shortchanges them due to the dumber stories taking up the bulk of the movie.  However, the acting and writing are so weak that that movie can’t get over its own sappy drawbacks.  I thought we were past this cheap sentimental bullshit.  Avoid this movie, unless you want to induce puking or death. 

Grade:  D-

Fun with Google Images Search (Flaming Turd)

Fun with Google Images Search (Flaming Turd)

I decided to Google Flaming Turd and found a few amusing pictures.

 No words can express my hatred. And, this turd calls himself a blogger.

 _________________________________________________________

 Failure smells like burning poop.

______________________________________________________________

 Ghost Rider=Flaming Turd.

 _____________________________________________________________________

 Kim Kardashian: Agreed.

 __________________________________________________________________

 There have been many times when this happened. Oh, boy.

 _____________________________________________________________

Well, he certainly behaved like one during election night.  Have you seen the dome on this turd's head?  His head is massive and probably has a few moons orbiting it too.  

_______________________________________________________________________

 Well it sums up the Box Office take, but I wouldn't call it a bad movie at all.  There is no way it could have been mainstream though.  

______________________________________________________________________

 President Bush's picture is listed as a flaming turd. It seems right in many ways. I remember looking up “fart knocker” and his picture came up too. I guess it is a trend.

 _____________________________________________________________________

Ghost Rider again: I noticed there are a more than a couple of pictures with the GR in the listing of flaming turd. I know that the first movie was truly a flaming turd, and I know most people hated the second movie too. So, he really is a turd...flaming.   

   

Kelsie Elise Frick (Kelsie Elise Frick-en-awesome)

Kelsie Elise Frick (Kelsie Elise Frick-en-awesome)

You have to love when someone gets creative with their last name. Frick is a name meant for an added bonus.

From Nine MSN.com, (("It worked!" Ms Frick wrote on her Facebook page. "Go out with a bang, I say."

She told local online news website mlive: "I was going to dance or something but I didn't realise how fast they go through all the names out there."))

Ass Clown: WTF does that mean?

 Ass Clown: WTF does that mean?

Adding the two words Ass and Clown just make both of them funnier.

Is being an Ass Clown the lower level of their community? The only place a clown of this stature can get work is in the ass?

I looked up the word in urban dictionary. From the Urban Dictionary, ((A person whose stupidity and incompetence are magnified by their laziness and indifference.))

So, that is an ass clown.  

To my total shock and surprise, there is an Ass Clown Brewing company. And their slogan, Don't be one, drink one. I'm not sure who came up with Ass Clown for their name, but kudos.  

Random Things

Random Things

~NRA: I am just waiting for the NRA to aggressively push against the movement against assault weapons. I am sure they're already to spin things in another direction. We're already seeing the attack on videogames start. For there to be true laws against massive killing machines such as rapid fire guns, the GOP has to step up for this too. But we know they won't. 20 kids is too much to ignore now.

~LeAnn Rimes, how do you suck at your own song? : Wow, that was just plain bad. And, you just let a 13 year pwn you at your own damn song. There is only so much you can polish a turd. Rimes has come under fire over a few years for being too skinny. Maybe, this is part of that downward spiral? I love that Rimes took the low road and blamed the young 13 year old for the problems. Keep it classy, Rimes. Why am I getting a Whitney Houston vibe with Rimes?

Putin likes to a bit of tea before kicking some ass and taking names.

~Putin doesn't give a “poop” about President Bashar al-Assad or so he claims: Basically, this is a side message stating, “Yeah, we give up on al-Assad”. As the rebels are closing in on the Bashar, his support is starting to erode away.

~Doing the Tebow? It seems that now he sucks no one is doing that annoying meme anymore. For that, I am thankful.  

Star Trek Into Darkness trailer (s).

Star Trek Into Darkness trailer (s).

-I like the opening voice over. It seems to indicate that it is Kahn. But it might be a misdirection. But, I like seeing Benedict Cumberbatch as the main villian reguardless.

-Red Planet: Why are Bones and Kirk running through a red plant surface? Is this going to be one of those cold opening that have very little to do with the actual plot such as the Bond films?

-The Barhaaaa sound being used in every movie trailer is a bit annoying now. I know it started in Inception and has gone everywhere.

-I like seeing the Enterprise on the surface of a planet. Earth?

Note This is the trailer that was released in the Hobbit movie.

It is a completely different one from the one released earlier last week.   It is actually better than the other one. 

Homeland Season Finale thoughts

Homeland Season Finale thoughts

 There will be spoilers.

I wasn't really digging the first half of this episode and thought it was rather boring. I really liked how the season progressed given that they completely changed gears from the first half of the season. I didn't see that coming with the big reveal that Brody changes sides, to a certain degree.

-Well, the bombing wasn't a complete shock, but damn that scene with the burned and hollowed out building shot was haunting. We get to see the true damage the bomb caused. There is an oh shit moment when you know there aren't going to be too many people coming out alive in that explosion.

-Speaking of the bomb, they pretty much wipe out half of the cast with this bomb. That means most of those plot threads are now gone. That's ballsy move.

-Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson: Mandy has a lot range in this episode. He goes from being pissed to fatherly to heartbroken in one episode. Mandy is great in this episode.  "You're the smartest and the dumbest fucking person I've ever known".

While the show took a few missteps this season, mainly everything dealing with Brody's daughter, the show took a lot of chances. The show shifted gears mid-season and never looked back. In many ways, it follows a similar pattern to 24 each season. But, that ending is disturbing and haunting at the same time, and I liked the way they ended the show this season. 

"Can you hear me now?  Good."