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8.30.2010

Commuity: A love/hate relationship

After all the hype surrounding NBC's hit comedy Community, I decided to give it try. Actually I started watching it when the series debuted, but after the first three episodes gave up. I didn't care for the concept. But as the year went on and many people raved about the show, I gave it another try. So I finished up season one and still have mixed feelings about the show.

At times I find the series to be brilliant with it's writing. At other times I am simply annoyed with watch I watching.




WHAT I HATE ABOUT COMMUNITY
1. Joel McHale aka Jeff Winger: I have never cared for Joel McHale. There's something about him which makes me loathe him as an actor. The same goes for the character of Jeff Winger. Everything about that character I despise. He redeems himself on occasions but in between he's just a first class asshole. And the whole concept why Winger is forced to go back to college is ludicrous. If he was a secondary character instead of the focal point, I could handle him a lot better.

2. Chevy Chase: Chevy has always been hit or miss for me. When he's on as the goofball fuck up, it's classic (see Vacation). When the guy is off he simply looks pathetic. To many times in the show it feels like he's forcing the performance relying on physical gags and over exaggerations.


WHAT I LOVE ABOUT COMMUNITY
1. The rest of cast. They nail it every time out. Abed (Dani Pudi)and Troy (Donald Glover) are the oddball glue which keeps me tuning in. Annie, Britta, and Shirley round out the rest of the gang with strong and different female characters. And the secondary character are hilarious as well from Senor Chang to Dean Pelton to Star-Burns and even to Vaughn.

2. All the movie references. The show rips on classic and not so classic themes all the time and flat out mimics scenes from popular movies on occasions. Being a movie buff, I love this stuff. Either you'll get the references or you don't.


Community: The Complete First Season



BEST EPISODES
"Comparative Religion" (Episode 12) - Anthony Michael Hall rocks as the bully and the fight scene at the end it epic. Also there's a good message about religious tolerance and acceptance.

"Modern Warfare" (Episode 23) - The paintball episode will goes down as classic television as it riffs on all action stereotypes.


The show usually makes me laugh. NBC has pushed the series from day one. The network is always putting guest stars on the show and with the successful ratings it isn't going anywhere. My DVR will be set and I'll continue watching.





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8.01.2010

Horror Movies Watched and Books Read (July 2010)

MOVIES

Voices aka Du saram-yida (2007) **1/2
A rather typical revenge, ghost story from Korea. Gets confusing at times. Or maybe that was because I was only half paying attention.

The Reeds (2010) **
Young 20's year olds on a cursed boat. Nice atmosphere and decent acting, but not much else. Very predictable.



Never Sleep Again: The Nightmare on Elm Street Legacy (2010) *****
Alright, it's a documentary. But it's about one of the most iconic horror figures of all time, Freddy "F'ing" Kruger. It clocks in at nearly four hours long and gets interviews from just about every person to be associated with the sereis (excluding Johnny Depp & Patricia Arquette). A great time for lovers of the films.








Mr. Frost (1990) ***
A slow, methodical psychological horror with Jeff Goldblum in top form as the title character. A man who finds is arrested after the police find several bodies buried in his yard. He is put in a mental institution and he claims to be Satan. Rather creepy.

Zombies, Zombies, Zombies (2007) **
Strippers and zombies, such a combination. I had no business sitting through this whole thing but the fact that it doesn't take itself seriously and a couple of good characters make up for the sheer stupidity of a plot.

Night of the Bloody Apes (1969) *1/2
A Mexican "grindhouse" type of film that is so absurd it's ridiculous. A man gets an ape heart transplant and turns into a man-ape. Watched because I heard it was overly gorely, and the surgery scenes were. Not much else.

Bad Biology (2008) **1/2
The cult director of Basketcase makes his return with a story about a woman with seven clits and man with an over-sized detached penis, both in search for love. Will they ever find each other. This is just good, campy fun.

Hush (2009) ***1/2
An early 20's couple gets drawn into a dangerous game with a trucker on the UK highways. There's a decent story here out of the typical narrative.

Mountain of the Cannibal Gods (1978) *1/2
Another entry to the European cannibal genre. I'll be honest, other the super sexy Ursla Anders there aint much in this movie that hasn't been done so much better by other movies.

Zombiamania (2008) ***
A documentary on the zombie craze going on in horror. Could have been longer & a little more in depth, but interesting none the less.

Blood: The Last Vampire (2009) *1/2
This live action version from the classic anime of the same name, doesn't even hold a candle to the original.

Simon Says (2006) **
Crispin Glover as a psycho. Good enough for me to watch, but nothing too special.

Autumn (2009) **
An over ambitious indy based on the David Moody novel about a virus which turns people into the living dead. Overall it comes up a bit short. Too much talking and not enough empathy towards the characters. And a few minutes should have been shaved off.

The Kingdom 2 (1997) ***1/2
The second mini-series from Lars Von Trier about a weird ass hospital and it's supernatural inhabitants continues with more of the same bizarre and macabre nature.



[REC] 2 (2009) ****
This sequel starts right where the first ended. It's just as intense. The story goes off on the origin of the virus, which ends up being for more supernatural than one may have imagined.











The Disappeared (2008) ***1/2
A UK ghost story which plays out like a J-Horror film. When the little brother of a teenager goes missing, he cant help but blame himself. Then the weird shit starts happening.

The Crazies (2009) ***
This remake isn't a complete waste. The first half was a good set up, but the second half just felt like the lead characters running away from danger. A missed opprotunity on to send a message, but decent for entertainment purposes.

Predators (2010) ****
I was very much surprised as this isn't a remake. There's a lot homage paid to the original, but it's a completely new story for the franchise. An awesome cast, decent action, some gore, and kick ass predators. Not perfect, but it's a damn fun film.

Death Bell aka Gosa (2008) **1/2
In this Korean film, high school kids & teachers must wit their way out of elaborate torture devices. Not all that original, but there's some great visuals and style to the film

The Sweet House of Horrors (1989) *1/2
A Lucio Fulci movie that has kids talking to their murdered parents ghosts and their aunt & uncle trying to cleanse the house of spirits. Not the usual splatter fest from the director, this one is so confusing and boring.


The Box (2009) ***
Richard Kelly's take on the classic Richard Matheson short story is a flawed piece of work, but manages to stay fairly intriguing throughout.



# Being Human, Season 1 (2008) ****1/2
This UK import about a vampire, werewolf, and a ghost who share a flat. A witty show that balances comedy, drama, and horror themes. The first season has each character dealing with their individual monstrosities and subplot of a vampire takeover. Excellent TV.












BOOKS
Earthcore by Scott Siglar ***1/2
A mining company gets more than they expected from a mountain holding the largest source of platinum ever discovered. They get creatures and death. The usual combo of multiple layered characters, high octane action, a touch science fiction, and horror from the author.



13 Bullets by David Wellington ****
The first book in a series about a Pennslyvania Trooper and a FBI agent hunting vampires.













American Gothic by various artist
Didn't read all the stories in this anthology but the ones I did were good.







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