Movie Review Hot Tub Time Machine I had the opportunity to interview the cast members from MGM’s “Hot Tub Time Machine,” and let me say, the actors are just as funny in person as they are in the hilarious 80s comedy. The movie stars 80s film veteran John Cusack, and is directed by Steve Pink. “If you’re going to make an 80s movie, you might as well do it with John Cusack,” said Lizzy Caplan (“Cloverfield”) who plays April, Cusack’s love interest in the film. She describes the film as “mindless entertainment,” where improv was a huge part of the script. Caplan, who also stars in the show “Party Down,” said that watching old 80s films like “Ghostbusters” and “Big” helped her prepare for the part of playing in an 80s comedy opposite Cusack.
(L to R) CRAIG ROBINSON as Nick, CLARK DUKE as Jacob, ROB CORDDRY as Lou, and JOHN CUSACK as Adam in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and United Artists’ HOT TUB TIME MACHINE. The film was shot in the rugged Canadian Rocky Mountains, which provided “epic visual backdrops,” said Collette Wolfe. Wolfe plays Kelly, the sister of Cusack’s character Adam. Kelly’s beautiful smile helped convey her opinion that her co-stars are “these guys are pretty damned funny.” She has previously worked with Will Ferrell in “Semi Pro,” Vince Vaughn in “Four Christmases,” and Seth Rogen in “Observe and Report.” Wolfe’s interview was a real treat, as she said that she “had such a great time” filming. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when she used the word “whackado” to describe Cusack’s zany comedic timing. Besides Cusack (who was not present at the interview), the film also stars Rob Corddry (“Harold of Kumar 2”), Craig Robinson (“The Office”), Clark Duke (“Greek”), and Crispin Glover (“Alice in Wonderland”). The treat of the film was Corddry’s character of Lou. He was by far my favorite. His in-person attitude seems similar to his on screen persona. He’s one of those likable jerk characters that everyone seems to hate, but is the funniest one of them all. He currently voices characters on “Children’s Hospital” on Adult Swim, and he mentioned how nice it was to have so much freedom with improv in terms of dialogue with the script. In the film, the four main characters are sent back in time form 2010 to 1986, where they must relive their activities, careful not to change history. Chevy Chase (“Community”) guest stars briefly as the repair man when the time machine breaks shortly after their arrival in 1986. The majority of the story takes place at a ski lodge, where their characters ‘ actions determine the majority of the decisions in their futures. Adam must suffer through a break up (again), and Lou must get clobbered in a fight (again). Jacob (Duke) who wasn’t alive in 1986, is the random element and is along for the ride. Online social networking doesn’t exist in 1986, and Jacob, the video game addicted basement living geek, has a hard time adapting. “Social networking is less personal,” Duke said. “My character really has a trouble with interacting with people in a personal physical level.” Stand up comedian Craig Robinson puts on a great performance as a man who has a dead-end job and provides comic relief throughout. While Robinson enjoys working in film, he notes that television offers a steady job. He says that filming a whole episode of “The Office” takes one week. “Television is so much faster,” he said. “I really enjoyed being a part of this movie.” Robinson thrilled the press at the Winterfest ’86 Press Party by performing on stage (as he does in the film). You can tell he feels comfortable on stage. Robinson said he would love to work with Kevin Kline, but his next project has him becoming the new host of “Last Comic Standing.” Though he has only a supporting role in the film, the real treat of the interview was Crispin Glover. Glover can be currently seen in theaters, playing the Knave of Hearts in “Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.” Glover often has somewhat of a cult following. “I typically try and find films that reflect my psychological interests,” he said. Most movie fans remember him as George McFly from the “Back to the Future” trilogy. While he does enjoy acting and takes every role very seriously, his passion lies in directing. Glover made is directorial debut with “What is It?” in 2005, a film populated entirely by actors with Down’s syndrome. He spoke at length about his passion for directing this film, which he describes as the pinnacle achievement in his career. He tours the world speaking about his film and constantly promotes it. “My films serve as a supporting element to the community,” he said. Glover completely finances his own films, and most of the topics of his films are of a controversial nature and typically are not recognized by Hollywood. Finally, I was able to interview “Hot Tub Time Machine” director Steve Pink. Pink previously worked with Cusack on “Gross Pointe Blank” (1997) and “High Fidelity” (2000) as a screenwriter and co-producer, and he served as a co-executive producer on “Entourage.” His directorial debut was on “Accepted” (2006). Pink was hilarious. Upon sitting down the first he said was: “Okay, tell me what you didn’t like about the movie.” He immediately wanted our feedback, positive and negative about the film, which we (the journalists in the room) gave him. In a lot of ways, he was the funniest of all the people I interviewed; though he was serious when talking about his film. “The more you like the characters, the more you laugh at them and care what happens to them,” Pink said. Overall, the interviews were a great experience, and the actors and the director were a lot of fun to meet. I will definitely be watching “Hot Tub Time Machine” again when it is actually released on March 26, 2010. It will have stiff competition as Dreamworks’ “How to Train Your Dragon” comes out the same day, but I think it should do well. The crowds that enjoy films like “The Hangover,” “Superbad,” and those other films will definitely enjoy “Hot Tub Time Machine.” Most of the people I talked to described the film as a combination between “Back to the Future” (for the time travel element) and “Superbad” (for the raunchy comedy element). The film is rated ‘R’ for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, drug use and pervasive language. Posted 3/23/10
Comedy Review Aziz Ansari, who stars in “Parks & Recreation” on NBC, just recently had his stand up aired on Comedy Central called “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening.” I have to say, that by far, Aziz is one of the most hilarious comedians that I have seen in my life. In his latest stand-up, he talks about his cousins Harris and Darwish; his experiences in various stores; Kanye West, R. Kelly, etc. If you like comedian Russel Peters, I would recommend this for you to watch. I cannot express how HILARIOUS this guy is. Some of his stuff is on YouTube! I’d go check it out if I were you! There are some usage of explicit words, so, watch at your own risk.
DJ Advice List for a Rainy Day (Outside) 1. Get on rainboots and jump in puddles List for a Rainy Day (Inside) 1. cuddle and watch a movie Posted 3/11/10
Movie Review Daybreakers It's always interesting to see a plot concept used to such an extreme that people that want to hop on board they must think of something new themselves. With the “Twilight” movies and the subsequent vampire themed shows on cable and network TV, it is no surprise that more vampire themed stories are being created. “Daybreakers” is an example of such a cultural phenomenon.
With a blood shortage in effect, and humans being over harvested, mega corporations are scrambling for a blood substitute. Edward Dulton (Ethan Hawke; “Lord of War”) is a researcher at one of these corporations searching for a cure, and this is his story. Hawke is joined by Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park III”), Willem Dafoe (“Spider-Man”), and Harriet Minto-Day in her break-out role. “Daybreakers” is one of those movies where the concept alone can carry the movie in its entirety. But a fairly solid, if not simple, plot; a cast of good actors portraying believable characters; and small pockets of intense action make this an enjoyable film to watch. Rent this when it comes out on your favorite digital media, or at least until it goes to a second run theatre. Posted 4/14/10 |
Video Game Review DJ Hero In 2009, Activision and FreeStyleGames released “DJ Hero” for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, which focuses on the use of turntables with the player being the DJ in the game, whereas “Guitar Hero” focuses on the use of guitars (as well as other instruments in later of their releases). Since its release, it has gained critical acclaim, which might have led to the game winning an award for Best Soundtrack in the 2009 Video Game Awards. The game primarily involves the emulation of DJ-ing through the use of turntables and the techniques involved in it, and the DJ (a.k.a. the player) mixes one or two songs. The gaining of stars earned upon playing each mix and playlist can lead to unlocking other cool stuff, such as more characters, more of their outfits, more venues, and, of course, more in-disc playlists and mixes. As you play more mixes and playlists in the game from scratch, the harder it will become. The game utilizes a turntable-shaped controller with three buttons on the record part of the turntable that can be spun with to emulate the scratching of a record. However, the guitar controller for “Guitar Hero” can also be used for DJ & Guitar playlists in “DJ Hero.” One player can play solo as part of the game’s career mode, or two players can play with two turntables (with co-operative and competitive modes) or with one turntable and one guitar. The graphics are elaborate to the point that they go well with the simulation of DJ-ing. In this case, throughout the game, the DJ plays the songs as the crowd goes wild. This also applies to the guitarist in the Guitar & DJ playlists and mixes. In the tutorials, Grandmaster Flash provides the narration for each of the lessons in the game, which makes it appropriate for a DJ-oriented game, considering his professional experience in being a DJ. Because of how elaborate the game is without being too over the edge, I recommend “DJ Hero.” Posted 4/30/10
Video Game Review NBA 2k10 Seeing as how it is the end of the NBA regular season, now would be a good time to give a review on perhaps the best basketball game series out there, to keep you getting your basketball during the playoffs. For years, Allen Iverson was the face of the gaming series, but since 2005 a different player has graced the cover each year. This year, it was last year’s NBA finals MVP Kobe Bryant. From an offensive standpoint, the game really allows shooters to get hot. After several baskets in a row, a player is on fire. Unlike the old “NBA Jam,” but unless you take a ridiculous shot, it is tough to stop any shooter. Besides Bryant, players like Paul Peirce, and even a player off the bench gets to wreck havoc on opposing defenses. However, it is difficult to get your offense going. The nice part of the game is that you can play an up-tempo game or slow it down and grind it out. The free-throw shooting game mechanic is an exact art. Depending on hard you pull down on the stick or how fast you release you could completely miss out on free points that could cost you a win. On the defensive side of the ball, rebounding missed shots is hard to do, even if you have a big frontline on you team, while shot blocking seems almost too easy. The defense is at a disadvantage in the game, but there are spots late in the game were the defense can alter and even win the game. Using the controller you can sub players in and out, even change lineups, plays and defensive sets. The game play is awesome, not to mention mini trivia games, and points you collect for scoring points, rebounds and other in game activities. Posted 4/30/10
Restaurant Review Brew it up Located on the corner of 14th and H Streets in Downtown Sacramento, Brew It Up was a restaurant that I've never heard of or seen, just because I don't usually travel around in the downtown area. To start it off, the food, is pretty good. Think BJ's menu, without the upscale prices. I'm a huge desert person, so usually, it doesn't really matter how much I had for dinner, I will always make room for desert, and desert here was pretty reasonably priced and delicious! Aside from being a restaurant, it also has the option of brewing your own beer. Now, I'm not yet 21, but don't think I didn't notice the giant tubs filled with (what else?) beer? I'm not sure, all I know is that it's pricey to brew your own beer and in a couple of weeks you don't know if it'll turn out good or not! I guess it's all a gamble AND an experience to be able to pick and choose what you want in your beer. If that's what you like, go for it. It's fun and interesting and you'll never know what you'll get, especially if you're inexperience, but really now, who has a degree in beer making? Overall, it was a great restaurant, good food, great desert, great customer service, and a chance to brew your own beer, hence the name, Brew It Up! Posted 4/13/10
Sports Corner 2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft approaches and the internet is flooded with "mock drafts." A mock draft is a fake draft put together by random people, websites, and "experts." This years NFL Draft is particularly interesting because it features a highly heralded class of players who achieved success on and off the field; most notably Tim Tebow. A three-time National Championship Winner and a former Heisman trophy winner, Tebow is often regarded to as being the greatest college football player of all-time by some. But now his real challenge approaches him as the draft nears in April. Some say Tebow should be a first round pick and others say he is a mid to late round pick. He has all the skills to be a great player but scouts say he lacks the tools and mechanics to succeed at the next level. He is the most interesting player because whoever drafts him will greatly increase ticket sales; but he could also be a bust. The level of success for players who came from a spread offense into the NFL isn't the very good and most often they fail. Former first round pick Alex Smith, current quarterback for the 49ers, played in the spread offense and is on the verge of being a bust. The NFL is a make or break for Tebow’s success at the next level. He is one of the eighteen players invited to attend the NFL Draft in New York and could possibly be the only one who isn't taken in the first round. The draft is only a month away and team’s boards are changing everyday, and fans wonder where Tebow is on their team’s charts and when he will get drafted. The NFL draft is April 22 at 7:30 ET. Posted 4/13/10
TV Show Review The Office Based on the hit show in England, created by Ricky Gervais (“The Invention of Lying”), “The Office” brings ridiculous office humor to one’s television set. There are many ranges of personalities within the characters portrayed on this show. Michael Scott, who is played by Steve Carell (“The 40-year-old Virgin”), is the regional office manager that everyone hates to love. Carell is joined by the likes of Jenna Fischer (“Blades of Glory”), John Kransinski (“License to Wed”), Rainn Wilson (“Sahara”) and more.
“The Office” is revolved around the workers and their crazy boss at Dunder-Mifflin, which is a company that sells paper to other companies. There is never a boring day at the office. Although it seems as if the only sustainable plot revolves around the interesting relationships that occur throughout the workers at Dunder-Mifflin in Scranton, Ohio. I use to always think “The Office” was a boring show; needless to say, I didn’t start watching it until my little sister started to tell me about it. Most of my friends watched it as well, but I wasn’t really sold on it until Jennifer (my little sister) made me watch an episode. After that, I was hooked. You can’t help but laugh at all of the random and idiotic jokes that are places throughout the episodes. Jim Halpert (Kransinski) is known as the jokester in the office, playing jokes on Dwight Schrute (Wilson) only to make Dwight’s day more complicated or miserable. “The Office” is just one of those shows where you have to sit down and watch an episode or two in order to understand and appreciate its comedy. It only makes me wish that it’s this fun at the office I work at. Posted 3/23/10
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The third film written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig (“The Big Picture”), “Daybreakers” takes place years after an outbreak of vampirism that has made humans the minority in the world. Hunted and harvested, few vampires see humans let alone interact with them. Society is alive at night, cars have been modified for day driving, underground sidewalks link apartment buildings, and blood is mixed into everything. But there is a problem: when vampires don't get enough blood they don't simply die like humans, they turn into terrible mutants that hunt anything that moves.
