This has been sitting in drafts for awhile. Apologies.
For the uninitiated, what is an upfront?
From Wikipedia:
In the North American television industry, an upfront is a meeting hosted at the start of important advertising sales periods by television network executives, attended by the press and major advertisers. It is so named because of its main purpose, to allow marketers to buy commercial airtime "up front", or several months before the television season begins.
I've been following all the upfront coverage all week. Here are the shows that on first glance, make me most excited for next season (or mid-season in some cases).
ABC
Apartment 23
Note: I will always love Dawson Leery.
FOX
Alcatraz
Terra Nova
New Girl
CBS
2Broke Girls
Note: The laugh track in this turns me off. But my love of Kat Dennings is making me curious.
Person of Interest
Note: I will watch anything Benjamin Linus is in from this day forward.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Casting Couch: John Holloway & Viggo Mortensen
I flipped by Hidalgo on TV this weekend and voiced something to my roommate that I've thought for some time, so I thought I'd share. After watching Josh Holloway (Lost's Sawyer) be hilarious on Community and then happening to flip the channel to Hidalgo starring everyone's favorite King of Gondor, Viggo Mortensen, I decided my inner casting genius needed to break free.
Cast these men in a project together! Preferably as brothers. Preferably as dueling brothers of some kind so we can watch them kick each other's ass and make snarky quips back and forth. Both are obviously incredibly attractive. Both can play badass and funny. I think they deserve a Fincher, the Coens, Tarantino or perhaps even Nolan. Someone make this happen!
Now to you. Leave your suggestions for a plot, a director and/or writer in the comments.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Summer Movie Picks
Apparently summer movie season "officially" beings this weekend with the release of Thor. Some might say it began last weekend with the surprising success of Fast Five. I cannot in good faith accept that Paul Walker had anything to do with the start of the summer movie season. With that in mind, there are plenty of movies to get excited about this summer. Here are 10 (in order of release date) that are on my radar.
Bridesmaids (May 13)
Trailer
This is a bit of a cheat since I've already seen Bridesmaids twice (what up, sneak previews!). But I'll still see it again once it's actually released because every time I see a trailer, I see new lines I didn't see in either screening. This tells me that the filmmakers had enough funny material to warrant a lot of jokes that are getting cut, so I'm still in for surprises. I won't go into spoiler mode but what I can say is this movie is hilarious, touching and a refreshingly real look at women friendships—not seen through the ridiculous fantasy lens of Sex and the City and other rom-com drivel. Kristen Wiig is Annie, a down-on-her-luck (but she's still banging Jon Hamm, so not too shabby) singleton who agrees to be maid of honor for her childhood friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph). She joins the other bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, The Office's Ellie Kemper and scene-stealer Melissa McCarthy) and the inevitable hijinks ensue. It's definitely worth an RSVP for ladies (and, yes, gentlemen too).
Note: My friend Stephen rightly pointed out that the movie has even more cred because it was directed by Paul Feig, creator of the brilliant Freaks and Geeks and director of many amazing Arrested Development episodes.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)
Trailer
I gave up on Pirates of the Caribbean after the second one. What a terrible movie. I didn't even know what happened in the third until I read a summary on Wikipedia a few months ago. Johnny Depp agrees with me. So the news that a fourth was even made didn't excite me—until I saw the trailer. It could be because I did skip three that I'm wistful for some Captain Jack Sparrow. It could be my unabashed love for Geoffrey Rush in everything the man does. It could be Ian McShane as Blackbeard or Penélope Cruz as his daughter who shares a past with Jack. But it's most likely because summer is the time for fun at the movies. And what's more fun than Johnny Depp in full Jack Sparrow mode? (crickets)
The Hangover Part II (May 26)
Trailer
The Wolf Pack is back. Despite not remembering that these boys were known as the Wolf Pack, back they are and this time in Bangkok. Gathered for Stu's (Ed Helms) nuptials, the gentlemen once again have too much fun and lose someone important in the process. Instead of a baby, there's a monkey. Instead of missing teeth, there's a Mike Tyson-inspired tattoo. Instead of Ken Jeong as crazy criminal Mr. Chow, there's oh wait . . . Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow. With all the key players and plots in place, anticipation runs high. Let's hope The Wolf Pack lives up to their name (and makes me remember it this time).
The Tree of Life (May 27)
Trailer
There is a shot of a dinosaur on the poster! There are shots of space in the trailer! I have no idea what this movie is about and I've already exceeded my limit of exclamation points in one paragraph! What I do know is Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain are the mother and father of a boy who grows up to be Sean Penn. Too. Much. Excitement. For. No. Concrete. Reason!
X Men: First Class (June 3)
Trailer
Impeccable casting is the key to this X Men. James McAvoy as a young Patrick Stewart is inspired. First Class tells the story of how Charles became Professor X and came to lead his band of merry mutants. We'll also see how Erik aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender) became Prof X's eventual adversary. We also meet Mystique (Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence), Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), Emma Frost (January Jones) and Beast (About A Boy's kid all grown up Nicholas Hoult). I think its safe to say that this group will prove that origin stories really are more fun.
Super 8 (June 10)
Trailer
J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg together on paper looks like the new spaghetti and meatballs. With Super 8 we have the whimsy, coming-of-age feeling of E.T. combined with the monster movie fun of Jaws (and to a lesser extent Abrams' Cloverfield). While filming a zombie movie one night in 1979, 14-year-old Charles and his friends witness a train crash that unleashes something en route from Area 51. Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler plays the town's deputy who leads the hunt for what's making animals and humans disappear. With '70s nostalgia in full swing paired with creepy alien invasion, Abrams and Spielberg appear to have made old school meets new school movie magic.
Bad Teacher (June 24)
Trailer
Cameron Diaz returns to her raunchy comedic roots as a teacher who drinks, smokes, curses and is determined to get into sweet substitute Justin Timberlake's pants. Now, on paper, this doesn't seem like a good idea. But the trailer is surprisingly effective. It could be the kids getting repeatedly hit with balls. Or it could be that surrounded by Jason Segal, Phyllis and a bespectacled JT Cameron Diaz looks palatable even, dare I say, funny—something she hasn't been in a very. long. time.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15)
Trailer
This should be painfully obvious but I'll recap. Payoff. Payoff. Payoff. I was honestly surprised how good Part I was with so little to work with. Every scene needed to be there but there was relatively little action compared to what's in store for the second part. Not to mention emotion galore! The trio are at their best, a whole bunch of Snape, an amazing walk in the woods, a detour in King's Cross—so many reasons to be counting down (and dreading) the days until July 15th.
Cowboys & Aliens (July 29)
Trailer
Summer blockbusters don’t take risks. Hence all the superheroes, sequels and boy wizards ruling screens this summer. Here is one that features the explosions, aliens and movie stars of traditional summer fare with a decidedly original mash-up of genres that should keep things fresh. Daniel Craig plays an 1870s gunslinger with a mysterious bracelet and a bad case of amnesia. Harrison Ford is an old enemy Craig has forgotten. They team up with House’s Olivia Wilde to battle aliens who start attacking their sleepy Western town. I read reports of the trailer eliciting laughs when it was first shown to theaters, but this movie plays it straight, despite its Snakes-on-Plane-type title. The real question is can they avoid camp to stifle the laughs without removing all the fun? With Ford and Craig in front of the camera and Jon Favreau, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard behind, I’d say we’re in good hands to find out.
Crazy, Stupid, Love (July 29)
Trailer
This is a late addition to my radar as I didn't know a thing about it until I saw the trailer. Steve Carrell's wife (Julienne Moore) cheats on him, thus thrusting him back into a dating world that has changed considerably since the last time he visited. Helping along the way is dreamy, possibly photoshopped, Ryan Gosling, who in the meantime is falling for adorable Emma Stone. Noteworthy mostly for being a trailer for a romantic comedy that didn't make me roll my eyes, I have faith in the cast (and director John Requa, who did I Love You Phillip Morris, which was vastly underrated) to make this a romantic comedy that actually achieves its two goals: romance and comedy with a dash of a actual charm.
Honorable Mentions
The Art of Getting By: Trailer
Green Lantern: Trailer
Larry Crowne: Trailer
Horrible Bosses: Trailer: Trailer
Captain America: The First Avenger: Trailer
Friends With Benefits: Trailer
30 Minutes Or Less: Trailer
Our Idiot Brother: Trailer
Bridesmaids (May 13)Trailer
This is a bit of a cheat since I've already seen Bridesmaids twice (what up, sneak previews!). But I'll still see it again once it's actually released because every time I see a trailer, I see new lines I didn't see in either screening. This tells me that the filmmakers had enough funny material to warrant a lot of jokes that are getting cut, so I'm still in for surprises. I won't go into spoiler mode but what I can say is this movie is hilarious, touching and a refreshingly real look at women friendships—not seen through the ridiculous fantasy lens of Sex and the City and other rom-com drivel. Kristen Wiig is Annie, a down-on-her-luck (but she's still banging Jon Hamm, so not too shabby) singleton who agrees to be maid of honor for her childhood friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph). She joins the other bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, The Office's Ellie Kemper and scene-stealer Melissa McCarthy) and the inevitable hijinks ensue. It's definitely worth an RSVP for ladies (and, yes, gentlemen too).
Note: My friend Stephen rightly pointed out that the movie has even more cred because it was directed by Paul Feig, creator of the brilliant Freaks and Geeks and director of many amazing Arrested Development episodes.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)Trailer
I gave up on Pirates of the Caribbean after the second one. What a terrible movie. I didn't even know what happened in the third until I read a summary on Wikipedia a few months ago. Johnny Depp agrees with me. So the news that a fourth was even made didn't excite me—until I saw the trailer. It could be because I did skip three that I'm wistful for some Captain Jack Sparrow. It could be my unabashed love for Geoffrey Rush in everything the man does. It could be Ian McShane as Blackbeard or Penélope Cruz as his daughter who shares a past with Jack. But it's most likely because summer is the time for fun at the movies. And what's more fun than Johnny Depp in full Jack Sparrow mode? (crickets)
The Hangover Part II (May 26)Trailer
The Wolf Pack is back. Despite not remembering that these boys were known as the Wolf Pack, back they are and this time in Bangkok. Gathered for Stu's (Ed Helms) nuptials, the gentlemen once again have too much fun and lose someone important in the process. Instead of a baby, there's a monkey. Instead of missing teeth, there's a Mike Tyson-inspired tattoo. Instead of Ken Jeong as crazy criminal Mr. Chow, there's oh wait . . . Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow. With all the key players and plots in place, anticipation runs high. Let's hope The Wolf Pack lives up to their name (and makes me remember it this time).
The Tree of Life (May 27)Trailer
There is a shot of a dinosaur on the poster! There are shots of space in the trailer! I have no idea what this movie is about and I've already exceeded my limit of exclamation points in one paragraph! What I do know is Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain are the mother and father of a boy who grows up to be Sean Penn. Too. Much. Excitement. For. No. Concrete. Reason!
X Men: First Class (June 3)Trailer
Impeccable casting is the key to this X Men. James McAvoy as a young Patrick Stewart is inspired. First Class tells the story of how Charles became Professor X and came to lead his band of merry mutants. We'll also see how Erik aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender) became Prof X's eventual adversary. We also meet Mystique (Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence), Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), Emma Frost (January Jones) and Beast (About A Boy's kid all grown up Nicholas Hoult). I think its safe to say that this group will prove that origin stories really are more fun.
Super 8 (June 10)Trailer
J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg together on paper looks like the new spaghetti and meatballs. With Super 8 we have the whimsy, coming-of-age feeling of E.T. combined with the monster movie fun of Jaws (and to a lesser extent Abrams' Cloverfield). While filming a zombie movie one night in 1979, 14-year-old Charles and his friends witness a train crash that unleashes something en route from Area 51. Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler plays the town's deputy who leads the hunt for what's making animals and humans disappear. With '70s nostalgia in full swing paired with creepy alien invasion, Abrams and Spielberg appear to have made old school meets new school movie magic.
Bad Teacher (June 24)Trailer
Cameron Diaz returns to her raunchy comedic roots as a teacher who drinks, smokes, curses and is determined to get into sweet substitute Justin Timberlake's pants. Now, on paper, this doesn't seem like a good idea. But the trailer is surprisingly effective. It could be the kids getting repeatedly hit with balls. Or it could be that surrounded by Jason Segal, Phyllis and a bespectacled JT Cameron Diaz looks palatable even, dare I say, funny—something she hasn't been in a very. long. time.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15)Trailer
This should be painfully obvious but I'll recap. Payoff. Payoff. Payoff. I was honestly surprised how good Part I was with so little to work with. Every scene needed to be there but there was relatively little action compared to what's in store for the second part. Not to mention emotion galore! The trio are at their best, a whole bunch of Snape, an amazing walk in the woods, a detour in King's Cross—so many reasons to be counting down (and dreading) the days until July 15th.
Cowboys & Aliens (July 29)Trailer
Summer blockbusters don’t take risks. Hence all the superheroes, sequels and boy wizards ruling screens this summer. Here is one that features the explosions, aliens and movie stars of traditional summer fare with a decidedly original mash-up of genres that should keep things fresh. Daniel Craig plays an 1870s gunslinger with a mysterious bracelet and a bad case of amnesia. Harrison Ford is an old enemy Craig has forgotten. They team up with House’s Olivia Wilde to battle aliens who start attacking their sleepy Western town. I read reports of the trailer eliciting laughs when it was first shown to theaters, but this movie plays it straight, despite its Snakes-on-Plane-type title. The real question is can they avoid camp to stifle the laughs without removing all the fun? With Ford and Craig in front of the camera and Jon Favreau, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard behind, I’d say we’re in good hands to find out.
Crazy, Stupid, Love (July 29)Trailer
This is a late addition to my radar as I didn't know a thing about it until I saw the trailer. Steve Carrell's wife (Julienne Moore) cheats on him, thus thrusting him back into a dating world that has changed considerably since the last time he visited. Helping along the way is dreamy, possibly photoshopped, Ryan Gosling, who in the meantime is falling for adorable Emma Stone. Noteworthy mostly for being a trailer for a romantic comedy that didn't make me roll my eyes, I have faith in the cast (and director John Requa, who did I Love You Phillip Morris, which was vastly underrated) to make this a romantic comedy that actually achieves its two goals: romance and comedy with a dash of a actual charm.
Honorable Mentions
The Art of Getting By: Trailer
Green Lantern: Trailer
Larry Crowne: Trailer
Horrible Bosses: Trailer: Trailer
Captain America: The First Avenger: Trailer
Friends With Benefits: Trailer
30 Minutes Or Less: Trailer
Our Idiot Brother: Trailer
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