I Love You, Beth Cooper
Genre: Comedy/Coming of Age
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Run time: 102 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Format: Blu-Ray
The Lowdown: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” “The Breakfast Club.” Hell, even “Weird Science.”
Hollywood is stuffed with twisted, irreverent, wonderfully memorable coming-of-age comedies where a plucky high school dweeb finds his inner voice, gains the confidence and wisdom he’s always needed and gets the girl.
“I Love You, Beth Cooper” wants desperately to rise to that elite mantle.
By all measures, it has the right components: Incredibly awkward high school senior (Paul Rust). Hot blonde, mean but wise cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere). Goofy sidekick who is quick with a quip, and may be gay (Jack Carpenter). Mean as hell, evil older boyfriend of hot blonde cheerleader (Shawn Roberts). And hot, sexually curious cheerleader friends (Lauren London and Lauren Storm).
It even features Alan Ruck, the wonderful Cameron Frye in “Ferris Bueller.”
And “Beth Cooper” is directed by Chris Columbus, who gave us one of the iconic coming of age movies of the 1980s, “Adventures in Babysitting.”
So what’s wrong?
After an inspiring start with a memorable graduation speech by Rust, in which he throws caution to the wind and calls out all the high school cliques and professes his love for Beth Cooper, the movie devolves into a series of predictable scenarios, unfunny indictments of homosexuality and uneven humor that culminates in an improbable union between Rust and Panettiere and an even more improbable ménage-a-trois between Carpenter and the two Laurens.
It just doesn’t ring true.
Trust me, I wish it did. I once was that geeky, awkward kid who wanted to lay waste at graduation with a searing, truthful dissection of my scholastic, and even collegiate, comrades.
I once fantasized about getting that one unobtainable girl.
But I guarantee if any of my dreams had come true, they would have looked nothing like the over-the-top hijinks that “Beth Cooper” purports to be real.
The Stuff You Care About:
Hot chicks – Yes.
Nudity – Brief.
Gore – No.
Drug use – No.
Bad Guys/Killers – The jerk cliques from high school.
Buy/Rent – Rent it.
Blu-Ray Bonus Features – Alternate ending, deleted scenes.
Release Date – Nov. 1, 2009
The Taking of Pelham 123
Genre: Action/Remake
Directed by: Tony Scott
Run time: 106 minutes
Rating: R
Format: Blu-Ray
The Lowdown: Tony Scott could make this movie in his sleep.
By now, Scott, the master of the jump cut, the flash edit, the accelerated scene, had cornered the market on edgy, hyperbolic thrillers – particularly those starring Denzel Washington.
It’s not a bad thing. It’s entertaining. But is it enough?
This remake of the lower-budget 1974, Walter Matthau/Robert Shaw original, is perfectly serviceable. It has a bigger budget, an A-list cast with Washington, John Travolta as the hijacking heavy and James Gandolfini as a Michael Bloomberg-esque mayor and enough over-stylized scenes of New York life to burn.
The story remains the same: A bad guy hijacks a New York subway car. He taunts an MTA dispatcher. Demands are made, hostages are killed, a standoff ensues. Washington plays the demoted dispatcher with a secret – he took a bribe to help pay for his kids’ college – with understated calm and confidence. Travolta, with a throat tattoo and black goatee, is better here than in the tepid family comedies he’s made of late. And Gandolfini drops the Sopranos-style menace that made him a star on HBO and TMZ celebrity footage to portray a conflicted politician looking for a quick resolution to save his public servant’s career.
But the kinetic energy that Scott brought to “True Romance” and “Domino” is missing.
It’s all flash and style over substance.
It’s good, but ultimately not original enough to warrant anything more than a weekend rental at best, and a late night HBO bedtime viewing at worst.
The Stuff You Care About:
Hot chicks – No.
Nudity – No.
Gore – Gun violence.
Drug use – No.
Bad Guys/Killers – John Travolta.
Buy/Rent – Rent it.
Blu-Ray Bonus Features – Exclusive features: Cinechat and movieIQ trivia and facts. Additional features: The making-of documentary, “No Time To Lose”; “The Third Rail: New York Underground”; two features, “From the Top Down” and “Marketing Pelham”; director, writer and producer commentaries.
On the Web – http://www.catchthetrain.com/
Release Date – Nov. 1, 2009
The Proposal
Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Anne Fletcher
Run time: 108 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Format: Blu-Ray
The Lowdown: Ryan Reynolds plays smart-alecky better than most.
The former “Van Wilder,” with his twinkling eyes and quick quips, strikes the perfect balance between a guy you want to root for and the guy you want to punch.
With his improbably sculpted abs and impeccably coifed locks, he’s a dashing rogue that you just barely believe would tolerate a boss from hell like Margaret (Sandra Bullock).
And Bullock, who has made a cottage industry off low-budget, harmless comedies (Miss Congeniality, Practical Magic, Forces of Nature) finally gets a decent role that showcases her comedic chops.
Sure, the story is as stale as a bag of chips left open overnight: Margaret, a fearsome book publishing executive from Canada who revels in tormenting her staff, learns her visa has expired and she must scramble to find a way to avoid being deported for a year.
The solution: She announces a surprise wedding to her beleaguered assistant (Reynolds) and then bullies him into going along with the promise of helping publish his first novel.
Oh yeah, don’t try to even think about the airplane hangar-sized plot holes. Just roll with the situational comedy that comes from her traveling to Alaska (because apparently Alaska is funny) to meet his family and announce their pending nuptials.
You know the drill: They bicker and fight, love to loathe one another, but over a long weekend away, real love might just rear its head and catch them by surprise.
Throw in Betty White as a potty-mouthed grandmother – a bit of stunt casting that White has turned into her own cottage industry following her expletive-filled role in “Lake Placid” – and you have a fun, if forgettable, romantic comedy that’s mercifully short and occasionally funny.
It’s a better movie than it deserves to be, given how little respect it shows to common sense and originality. But it’s not a bad choice for date night on the couch.
The Stuff You Care About:
Hot chicks – Sandra Bullock, hot or not? Discuss.
Nudity – Brief Bullock buttocks.
Gore – No.
Drug use – No.
Bad Guys/Killers – None.
Buy/Rent – Rent it.
Blu-Ray Bonus Features – Exclusive feature: Additional, deleted scene (singular). Additional features: Alternate ending, deleted scenes, outtakes and “absurdities” reel, director commentary.
Release Date – Oct. 13, 2009
ABC has canceled “Eastwick,” a drama based on the 1984 John Updike novel “The Witches of Eastwick.”
Airing at 10 p.m. Wednesdays, “Eastwick” has not been able to scare up an audience, so ABC is burning it after airing the 13 episodes that were ordered.
Come January, “Lost” might slip into the slot.
“Eastwick” stars Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Sara Rue as three women who get powers from a mysterious stranger, played by Paul Gross.
Some viral video producers calling themselves The Donkey Wheel created this “We Like Lost” video that is getting buzz on the Internet:
Carlton Cuse, creator of “Lost,” sang its praises to his Twitter followers Monday.
My daughter (and some of my nieces) refuse to watch anything in black and white, despite the strong opinion of Dad (or Uncle Kevin, as the case may be) that some of the best films ever were released long before they were born. Or even before I was born (which always shocks my daughter, who thinks I’ve been alive since the Ice Age). Some of the films of Claudette Colbert are fine examples of this.
The most memorable might be It Happened One Night, which is justifiably ranked among the best 250 movies ever by users of the Internet Movie Database. The movie showcases what really made Colbert worth watching—great looks (there’s a scene where she shows her legs which was considered shocking in 1934) and, most importantly, a great sense of humor.
But you can see that movie on cable routinely. This month, Universal Studios has released a collection of six Colbert movies in The Claudette Colbert Collection that are a bit more rare. The movies are: Three-Cornered Moon (in which Colbert plays a former rich girl scraping by), Maid of Salem (in which she plays an accused witch), I Met Him In Paris (she’s a French fashion designer with three suitors), Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (with Gary Cooper), No Time for Love (with Fred MacMurray) and The Egg and I (also with MacMurry, playing a husband who makes his sophisticated wife move to a chicken farm).
It’s good stuff, even in black and white. Trust Uncle Kevin.
Ari Up is on the phone to talk about “Trapped Animal,” the first new album in 28 years by her pioneering punk outfit, The Slits.
Up, gregarious, opinionated and a natural raconteur, also discusses Disney, Jamaica, Michael Jackson (the news of his physician’s arrest was audible from the television in Up’s abode), male roles in the tribes of Borneo and which Japanese animated characters The Slits are most like.
“It’s like Pokémon,” she says. “We’ve had three evolutions.”
The first was the early incarnation as a caterwauling outfit which lacked technical ability even by punk standards. The second was the far more skilled group which made 1979’s “Cut” and 1981’s “The Return of the Giant Slits,” forward-thinking works which confidently appropriated dub reggae and Tribal rhythms, respectively.
The third is the latest, featuring original Slits Up and Tessa Pollitt, plus Hollie Cook (daughter of Sex Pistols’ drummer Paul), Anna Schulte and Adele Wilson.
“We got to draw from a lot of areas,” Up says. “More and more stuff accumulates. It just keeps coming in.”
Reggae continues to be a source of inspiration to the Slits on “Trapped Animal,” and the disc also incorporates jazz, funk, hip-hop and World beat.
Up agrees to a point that the album is more melodic that earlier Slits releases, but points out that cuts such as “Ping Pong Affair,” from “Cut,” weren’t lacking in that area.
More likely, perhaps, it’s the more technically skilled musicianship the 21st Century Slits bring to the process.
On an early tour supporting The Clash, The Slits reportedly had to have the headliner’s guitarist Mick Jones tune their instruments for them. A John Peel session is the only document of this period, which Up calls “raw and as close to punk as the Slits ever sounded.”
By “Cut,” the band had mastered its instruments and, crucially, discovered reggae. With producer Dennis Bovell (Linton Kwesi Johnson, Prince Far-I, U-Roy), they fashioned a haunting, skeletal take on dub reggae that was unlike anything heard before or since.
With “Return,” the Slits anticipated world beat with an album immersed in tribal rhythms.
The second album seemed to take its musical cues from the photo of the band on the cover of “Cut,” covered in mud, looking like warriors.
“I don’t know if it was conceived as a tribal idea,” Up says. “In the punk days you had this incredible freedom but you couldn’t get away form being a girl, of what society imposes on you, like what’s the latest hairstyle and always having to wear high heels.
“Punk was about breaking down barriers and rejecting the preconditioning and preconceptions of what a girl was suppose to be in the modern world,” Up says. “So to become tribal was a natural rebellious reaction.”
Up embraced tribalism so much that she left England – and civilization – to live in the jungles of Borneo for a time in the 1980s.
Her frustration with the ‘80s music scene influenced her decision as well.
“I found it really necessary to hit the jungle.” Up says. The ‘80s were consumed with such fake stuff after what we’d been through. We were witness to real revolution.
“What happened was there was a lack of musical motivation,” Up says. “I needed to find something musically inspiring going on and that was hard in the ‘80s.
“Also there was the continuation of what The Slits were relevant to tribal ethnic living in a modern sense – borrowing from the ancient tribal ways of ancient women,” Up says.
“Guys are very conditioned as well. Partly why I went to the jungle was to find and discover how other males would live,” Up says.
Up, her boyfriend and their twins moved to Borneo, living with a tribe that hunted with bows and arrows, not only observing the society’s culture but participating in it as well.
“They didn’t take women on hunt, but that was not necessarily chauvinistic,” Up says. “It’s really dangerous. No place for women, I didn’t want to go quite frankly. It really is scary, all those snakes and all the jaguars in the jungle. There was a headhunter tribe next door, Far away but near enough. I wasn’t leaving the village.”
Up was impressed with the overall egalitarianism of the female and male roles.
“The guys were so into participating in family life, child rearing, cooking and all the pain in the ##### jobs that put so much strain on women,” Up says. “It was profoundly refreshing.”
Up now divides her time between Brooklyn and Jamaica. She’s a frequent visitor to Florida as well.
“I love Disney World,” she exclaims. “I’m a fanatic because of the kids. And I love Miami. I’ve never been to South America, so I think of it as my little South American getaway.”
She’s thrilled to have The Slits back in action in the 21st Century, when they may be needed even more than they were the first time around.
“Stuff like “American Idol” is total image-making,” Up says. “It’s a gimmick for making industry-controlled acts. Sadly for most women – and guys too – in the industry, they’re being groomed.
“Not everything is pop music diluted every step of the way. There should be room for people like us. There HAS to be room for people like us.”
We’ve always loved Inkwood Books around the Tribune/TBO offices, because it’s a short drive from here and you can find far worse things to do with a lunch hour than go over there and look over the available books. In fact I challenge you to find something *better* to do with that hour.
On Saturday (Nov. 7) the little store at 216 S. Armenia Ave. is throwing itself an 18th birthday party, and you get the benefits. There will be refreshments on hand and drawings to win special books, as well as discounts of up to 20 percent for Inkwood Regulars (if you aren’t one already, you can become a regular by paying a $15 annual fee). The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Call the store at (813) 253-2638 for more details.
Bobby Long is best known for a song he’s never sung.
The Brit musician, currently on a U.S. solo tour that comes to the Dunedin Brewery Saturday, Nov. 7, co-wrote “Let Me Sign,” which was performed in the film “Twilight” by its star, Long’s pal, Robert Pattinson.
Fans coming to hear Long solely for his “Twilight” connection will leave disappointed.
“When I came to American in April I was primarily known for that,” Long says of “Let Me Sign.”
While the “Twilight” connection may have been the initial lure for patrons to go see relatively unknown singer-songwriter, he says the audience is past that now.
“The “Twilight” fans are an absolute minority now,” Long says by telephone driving between gigs in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Atlanta. “I think more people come in who like my music. I see people in the crowd singing along to my songs.”
Long’s MySpace site is the primary outlet for fans to hear his music. He’s recorded two CDs, one live in New York, one in his bedroom, which are available only at his shows. He’s working on his first proper recording between tours at London’s Toe Rag Studios, where The White Stripes made “Elephant.” Studio owner Liam Watson is producing.
Toe Rag is known for its collection of vintage analog equipment, fitting considering Long’s influences.
“I really like Woody Guthrie, Richie Havens, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan,” Long says. “For modern times, I like Bright Eyes and Elliott Smith.”
Long and Watson hit it off immediately.
“I wanted to record live,” Long says, “and on our first day in the studio he told me he wanted to record live. We got on really well. I’m very luck to work with him.”
Long hopes to release the album in May or June.
As for “Twilight,” Long is grateful.
“It’s given me the opportunity to tour the U.S.,” Long says. “I’ve been constantly picking up new fans.”
Long performs at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, at the Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave. in Dunedin. For more information, call (727) 736-0606.
I’ve written here before in praise of Eduardo F. Calcines’ Leaving Glorytown: One Boy’s Struggle Under Castro. Calcines, who lives in the Tampa Bay area, provides a fascinatiing glimpse inside Cuba during (primarily) the 1960s. After the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, his family went from enjoying a good life to austerity—food, medicine and jobs became difficult to find. Perhaps most significantly, this book is written for teenagers, although it is also enjoyable for adults.
I am mentioning the book again because you have a chance to meet Calcines tomorrow (Nov. 7) from noon until 2 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble, 213 N. Dale Mabry Highway. Mapquest it if you don’t know the way—this is the Barnes and Noble on Dale Mabry Highway between Ruby Tuesday’s and Village Inn. Calcines will be onhand to meet readers and sign copies of his book. For more details, you can call (813) 871-2228.
Local poet Jay Hopler is $50,000 richer and, perhaps most importantly, validated in a way all writers wish they could be.
Hopler, author of the poetry collection Green Squall, was one of 10 recipients of the the prestigious Whiting Writers Award, given annually to writers who show “exceptional talent and promise early in their career.”
Hopler, who was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in Tampa, received the award at a ceremony last week at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. His next work will appear in the The Yale Anthology of Younger American Poets to be published in 2010. Hopler is an assistant professor of English at the University of South Florida.
Character actor and comic magician Carl Ballantine, best known for his role as Lester Gruber on 1960s sitcom “McHale’s Navy,” passed away from natural causes Tuesday at his home in Hollywood Hills. He was 92.
Born Meyer Kessler on Sept. 27, 1922, in Chicago, Kessler took his stage name from a bottle of Ballantine Whiskey that he saw in an advertisement. He billed his magic act as “Ballantine, the World’s Greatest Magician.” But the joke was that none of his tricks worked. He appeared often on variety shows such as “Ed Sullivan,” and “Steve Allen.”
In addition to “McHale’s Navy,” Ballantine guest starred in a slew of sitcoms over the years including “That Girl,” “The Monkees,” “Mayberry R.F.D.,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Partridge Family,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Alice,” “Night Court” and “The Cosby Show.” His final role was three years ago in a feature film about Aimee Semple McPherson.
As a result of dwindling ratings, CBS is subtracting episodes from “Numb3rs.” There will be only 16 produced this season instead of 22. Look for a series finale in early spring 2010.
The series, which airs at 10 p.m. Fridays, debuted in 2005. It follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), who helps Don solve crimes for the FBI.
“Numb3rs” is produced by brothers Ridley and Tony Scott Waiting in the wings as a potential replacement are Canadian dramas “Flashpoint” and “The Border,” and new medical drama “Miami Trauma.”
ABC has announced a new dance competition with a comedic twist called “Let’s Dance” with acid-tongued Kathy Griffin as host. Will they put a muzzle on her?
The show will feature “stars” competing for charity as they honor some of the most famous movie, musical and pop video routines of all time.
It premieres Nov. 23 with a 90-minute installment at 9:30 p.m. following the ninth-season finale of lead-in “Dancing With the Stars.”
Additional episodes will air at 9 p.m. Mondays through Dec. 14, with the finale scheduled for Dec. 15 at 8 p.m.
So I am a month behind on this post. I was out of town during Cafe Hey’s latest art opening.
I did however make it down a few days ago and brought back these photos.
I really enjoyed Justin’s work. Reminds me of Mel Kadel’s line work.
“Wound Tight”
Pencil, ink, and acrylic on paper
Justin Nelson
“They Will Appear”
Ink on Paper
Justin Nelson
“The Worm”
Mixed Media
Squid Dust
Mr. Zollo always with a new style.
“Untitled”
Acrylic
Anthony Zollo
“Hey Monsters”
Phillip Clark of Bluelucy
Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood
“All Together Ooky”
Chad Mize of Bluelucy
Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood
I really liked Josh Pearson’s “Boogie Man”
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