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Archive : June 2007

June 29, 2007

Fighting Fire with Fire

isaiah_washington_1.jpgActor Isaiah Washington's firing from ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" has been well documented in the press, a not-so-pretty ending to an ugly story of intolerance that was sensationalized to death. Unfortunately, Washington is the one doing the resurrecting, adding on to his story of why he was fired with an increasing flair for the melodramatic. This week, an interview with the star in Newsweek relayed his bitterness over the ordeal -- which has slices of merit to it -- as well as his belief that racism played a part in his demise.

"Well, it didn’t help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn’t a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn’t speak like I’d just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime," he says. "I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that 'some people' were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I’m a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn’t go around saying ‘Yessah, massa sir’ and ‘No sir, massa’ to everyone? It’s nuts when your presence alone can just scare people, and that made me a prime candidate to take the heat in a dysfunctional family.’’

Before this quote, the author writes about how Washington has spent money tracing his roots to Sierra Lione and is underwriting the building of a five-room school for village children, and it's Washington's boasts on this front that prove more telling of his character.

"People who know me know what’s really in my heart,’’ said Washington. "That’s what’s hurt me so much with all this. I was doing what I’m doing in Africa for years—before Angelina and Bono. But I’ve worked at homeless shelters for years and given money to make sure people knew they didn’t have to be hungry or the street. I have shared my blessings, but all that changed when this happened and it’s truly heartbreaking for me.’’

The manner in which Washington cites his accomplishments in Africa goes far beyond letting his left hand know what his right is doing. He wants recognition for his charitable acts and is jealous others are receiving more headlines for aid work -- a bitter line of thinking that gets to the heart of the man. It's hard to consider his allegations of racism against ABC and his castmates now that we know how he really sees himself: as a martyr.

Whether it was fair of ABC to string him along until June instead of firing him last October or January is up for debate, but Washington's insistence to try and drag everyone around him through the mud he created over the ordeal is pathetic.

June 28, 2007

You're on my List, Abilene

LoveJoy.jpgI thought we already went over this: I know what you're renting, Abilene, and it's not pretty. Almost two months ago, "Assault on Precinct 13" took the top spot as the most-rented video from the area on Netflix. I checked back in, and it appears a few lonely housewives have taken control of the family computer. It's hard to compare crap with crap, but I think the current list may be worse than May's.

The 25 most-rented movies of late, the top two of which were both directed by Michael Landon Jr.:

1. "Love's Abiding Joy"
2. "The Last Sin Eater"
3. "The Hitcher"
4. "Goal! The Dream Begins"
5. "Stay Alive"
6. "Sweet Home Alabama"
7. "An American Haunting"
8. "The Messengers"
9. "Ghost Rider"
10. "Norbit"
11. "An Unfinished Life"
12. "Jesse Stone: Night Passage"
13. "The Sandlot: Heading Home"
14. "Employee of the Month"
15. "Glory Road"
16. "Batman Begins"
17. "Until Death"
18. "Daddy's Little Girls"
19. "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story"
20. "Charlotte's Web"
21. "Take the Lead"
22. "Firewall"
23. "Flicka"
24. "Catch and Release"
25. "House, M.D.: Season One"

Must Love Rats

0628ratatouille_bw.jpgWhat's up with rat and mouse cartoon characters? "Ratatouille," which opens tomorrow, joins a long list of films and TV shows dedicated to furry rodents. Seeing as how we didn't feel like writing about "Die Hard 4" or making a list of the best action flicks ever (we wouldn't have included "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"), as well as that Sarah was at Disneyland last week and wore mouse ears better than the 5-year-olds did, we have mice on the brain. Here's a rundown of the best screen rats and mice.


By Erin Steele

We don't want them in our homes, but we don't seem to mind them in our multiplexes (on the screens, at least.) With the release of ''Ratatouille,'' we have a brand new rodent to love -- and he joins a long line of beloved brethren. Here's our look at the mice who have entertained us for decades.

RATATOUILLE
This rat lives within the walls of a top-notch Paris bistro and dreams to become a top chef himself. Too bad his family isn't too supportive (they're happy with garbage), and the restaurant's patrons aren't too keen about having rats around (can you blame them?). Still, Pixar's newest film gives a sympathetic look at this rodent -- and it's rumored to be one of its best works yet.

Trivia:
The French waiter in the trailer talking about the cheeses is voiced by ''Ratatouille'' director Brad Bird. Bird also directed ''The Incredibles'' and ''The Iron Giant.''




0628mcikey_bw.jpgMICKEY MOUSE
No mouse is more famous than this Ub Iwerks creation, who has entertained children and adults for nearly 80 years. He made his first appearance in 1928's ''Plane Crazy,'' but the Disney company celebrates his birthday as Nov. 18, 1928, when ''Steamboat Willie'' was released. Originally voiced by Walt Disney, Mickey has transformed several times since his birth. The one constant? The love children have for this anthropomorphic cartoon mouse.




0628mighty_bw.jpgMIGHTY MOUSE
Created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox, Mighty Mouse is a superhero who was originally a parody of Superman. Like Superman, Mighty Mouse can fly, has X-Ray vision and incredible strength. The only difference? Well, that tail, for one. The Mighty Mouse cartoon was on television from 1959-1961, before CBS discontinued new episodes.




0628speedy_bw.jpgSPEEDY GONZALES
Speedy Gonzales is ''the fastest mouse in all Mexico,'' an animated cartoon mouse from the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. His major trait is his ability to run extremely fast.

He debuted in 1953's ''Cat-Tails for Two,'' directed by Robert McKimson. While he existed mainly in cartoon form in the the 20th century, he's made several reappearances in the new millennium, including a cameo appearance alongside Porky Pig in the 2003 film ''Looney Tunes: Back in Action,'' making fun of his politically incorrect status, and in a series of Spanish-language commercials for the Volkswagen Golf.

0628stuart_bw.jpgSTUART LITTLE
Stuart (voiced by Michael J. Fox) was so lovable, he was even adopted by a human family. His biggest enemy? The family cat, who just can't wait to get rid of the new adoptee. But Stuart proves the good mouse always wins.




0628danger_bw.jpgDANGER MOUSE
If James Bond were a mouse, he would be Danger Mouse. The British TV show, which began airing in the U.S. in 1984, is a loose parody of spy fiction, with the lead character working as a special agent. And what about that eye patch? DM doesn't actually need it, but as he points out, ''it's part of the suit.''

June 15, 2007

Our Apologies

Occasional Insider readers -- all four of you: We apologize for the extreme lack of updates recently. Erin and I have been sitting in front of various computers learning software programs and a new system for the newspaper. Imagine "Office Space" except not funny. And we do want to set things on fire. Hence our absence from the blog. Never fear, though -- we'll return.

In the meantime, enjoy these videos of Colbert's anger/infatuation with Bill Clinton.

June 7, 2007

13 Reasons 'Ocean's Thirteen' Probably Won't Be Funny

Fake moustaches ... Prosthetic noses ... Faltering careers. You get the picture.

By Erin Steele

0607Damon.jpg1. THE BIG FAKE SCHNOZ
Not only is this go-to gag no longer funny, in the case of Matt Damon’s Linus Caldwell, it’s downright scary (sort of Virginia Woolf meets Lemony Snicket’s Count Olaf. Not good.)




2. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GUY WHO DIRECTED ‘TRAFFIC’?
Remember when Steven Soderbergh was one of the industry’s most accomplished directors? After wowing audiences — and Cannes judges — with “sex, lies and videotape” in 1989, he went on to create other acclaimed films, including “King of the Hill,” “Erin Brockovich” and “Traffic.” The fact that he’s settled for a third installment in a sometimes entertaining, if all-too-fluffy, trilogy is no laughing matter.

0607Clooney.jpg3. HIJACKING THE SELLECK®
Moustaches are awesome — and also funny — but only when they’re real. Case in point: Never has there been facial hair as entertaining as Tom Selleck’s. But it’s nothing to smile about when someone hijacks The Selleck, especially when it’s fake. Shame on you, Clooney.

4. HEY, GOOD LOOKING
Beautiful people just aren’t as funny. Look at the industry’s most famous comics: Robin Williams. Billy Crystal. Carrot Top. They’re all ugly. This just doesn’t bode well.

0607French.jpg5. FRENCH FEAR
It’s hard to laugh at Vincent Cassel. You know why? Because if his other roles are any indication, he just might kill you for it. This French baddie has starred in “Irreversible” and “Derailed” — and he’s terrifying.


6. ‘DINER’ WAS A LONG TIME AGO
Ellen Barkin was very funny in “Diner.” “Diner” was released in 1982. Since then, she’s been more of a drama queen, with the exception of “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” which, let’s face it, just wasn’t funny.

7. PRAY FOR THE GODFATHER
Sure, Al Pacino hasn’t starred in quite as many stinkers as Robert De Niro, the actor he’s most commonly confused with. But this Oscar-winning thespian seems like he’s looking for nothing more than an easy pay day with “Ocean’s,” which means the biggest joke may be on Pacino fans.


0607Cheadle.jpg8. ACCENT GRAVE
It was kind of funny to hear Don Cheadle’s terrible English accent as explosives expert Basher Tarr in “Ocean’s Eleven.” Since then, it’s just become annoying.


0607Pitt.jpg9. COSTUME PARTY
Like fake noses and bad accents, the neverending parade of ridiculous costumes has become the “Ocean” trilogy’s biggest crutch. Besides, the only thing funny about Brad Pitt’s costume in this photo is how much he looks like Jennifer Aniston.

10. THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
No offense to Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, but there are no worse characters in all of the many “Ocean” movies than the argument-prone Virgil and Turk Malloy. It’s clear “Ocean’s Thirteen” intends to give these two screen time. Suddenly, I don’t feel like laughing.

11. BEHIND THE CAMERA IS BEST
A movie directed by Carl Reiner? Funny. A movie starring Carl Reiner? Less funny. The director has impeccable comic timing when he’s working with Steve Martin, who starred in some of Reiner’s best directorial efforts. But Steve Martin isn’t in this movie. So let’s ease up on the Reiner-centric scenes, shall we?

12. THINGS TO DO IN VEGAS WHEN YOUR COMIC TIMING IS DEAD
There is nothing funny about Andy Garcia’s character. And while he’s supposed to be a villain, he feels more at home in a Scorsese movie than the fluffy world of “Ocean’s Thirteen.”

0607Group.jpg13. Too many characters does not typically translate into too many laughs. Sure, there are some talented actors here — but it’s a big gamble to assume jokes won’t get lost among so many players.




June 1, 2007

Who Say's Nothing Happens on the Fringes of the Big Country?

StephenBaldwin.jpgBaldwin, Vanilla Ice shop at Stephenville Wal-Mart

Actor/born again Christian Stephen Baldwin and rapper Vanilla Ice (“Ice Ice Baby”) were spotted this week at Stephenville’s Wal-Mart, signing autographs and buying bug spray and toiletries. The youngest Baldwin brother, who returned Thursday to buy jeans, also prayed with fans. Baldwin and Vanilla Ice (real name: Rob Van Winkle) were in rodeo cowboy Ty Murray’s hometown to shoot the upcoming unscripted CMT cable television series “Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge” (premieres Aug. 10). Baldwin is scheduled to be in Snyder today for a 12-hour Christian rock music festival. — Sidney Levesque

Now In Theaters

KnockedBed.jpgFor those of you sick of "Pirates" and "Spider-Man 3" hogging all the screens at your local theater, today's new, adult-targeted releases are a sight for sore eyes. Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up," the follow-up to his 2005 hit "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," will likely earn the most of the new releases, and it's already won the best reviews.

"It is sharp but not mean, sweet but not soft, and for all its rowdy obscenity it rarely feels coarse or crude. What it does feel is honest: about love, about sex, and above all about the built-in discrepancies between what men and women expect from each other and what they are likely to get." -- A.O. Scott, The New York Times

"No one writes for ensembles better than Apatow, and his players are all skilled at giving his work a loose, improvisational feel. That looseness again results in a comedy that stretches well past the two-hour mark, but that's part of the Apatow touch: He makes viewers want to hang out with his characters indefinitely." -- Scott Tobias, The Onion (A.V. Club)

An interesting take on the film, though, came from several woman critics who enjoyed the film but thought Apatow stacked the deck in favor of his male characters:

"I think what it boils down to is this: Apatow writes men with far more insight and acuity than he writes women. As a result, his portrait of contemporary gender relations is unbalanced: Crude and hilarious in Guyville, he seizes up when he gets to Ladyland and allows himself to take refuge in comfortable clichés." -- Dana Stevens, Slate

"But "Knocked Up" is so enamored of Ben and his insouciant charm that it fails to wonder what it must feel like for the girl. It's one thing to go with the idea that Ben and Alison dwell in different leagues, which after all is the point of the movie. It's another thing altogether for the heroine, who in true girl-on-pedestal form is beautiful, smart, successful, nice and pretty much cool with everything, never to get even the tiniest chance to wonder if maybe she might have done a little better." -- Carina Chocano, L.A. Times

Critics weren't as kind to the other openers, "Mr. Brooks," starring Kevin Costner as a serial killer, and "Gracie," an inspirational sports underdog flick about a girl soccer player on an all-boys team:

"Mr.Brooks"
"The film feels sleazy and nasty -- but without the pulp kick of filmmakers who know how to do sleazy and nasty." -- Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

"Gracie"
"Modestly engaging but thoroughly predictable." -- Joe Leydon, Variety