Sherlock Holmes [review]

This film was superb on many levels.
Guy Ritchie's directing skills are triumphant in this film depiction of Sherlock Holmes. It follows the novels/short stories extremely well. Many who follow the films of past will probably not be too satisfied with it, but according to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, It has done a remarkable job of painting us a picture of who they truly were imagined. As for Irene Adler's story, the movie pretty much made a sequel to the only story she shows up in, but taking her personality and Holmes' ideals of her.

The acting in this film was sensational! Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role (perhaps an academy award nomination is to come). He made you understand who Sherlock Holmes was written out to be - a scrutinizing man so soaked up in his work and his companion while adoring the only woman who could ever outwit him. Jude Law's Watson is the best version ever put on screen. Finally they make a point that he was a medic in Afgahn wars and was a gambler. One thing that was not pointed out was that his fiancee/wife Mary was a woman who was seriously so gorgeous and hired them formerly to help her with a case in which Watson helped her big time (and love was formed). They did however keep her personality also true to the story. As for the nemesis in the books (Moriate, he does show up but we don't get to know who he is for sure until the end of the film which smells of sequels.)

One thing that I thought was wonderful is that probably to protect a bit of RDJ's past, we don't see Sherlock doing his cocaine, morphine, and opium as he did from time to time in the stories. It was not something to focus on and I am glad it didn't come up, while we get to understand that he is a fighter, violinist, pipe smoker, and other things that were brought up often in the stories. On the other hand in telling my husband this before we saw the movie, there is a scene where it seems like Mr. Holmes is hullucinating or dreaming which my husband said, "That must be one of his trips" while watching it in the theatre. If this is true, they did an excellent job of concealing it. Afterall, I for one hate movies with drug use.

There was no nudity or vulgar/profane tongue in this film from what my memory recalls. If you saw the original trailer in May or June (whenever it came out), I am sure it led to the idea that there would be such things involved. It was so nice that the focus of the film were the characters and the breaking down of a mystery. In the original trailer there were things like Irene Adler (played very well by Rachel McAdams) in a bodice/corset and kicking Mr. Holmes in his pelvic region as well as the main characters in a boat in which Watson and Holmes are at it in discussion and she says, ""uh, they've been flirting like this for hours".". . .all of that was cut. The most nudity there is here would be of a fat old man in a copper bathtub (we don't see anything), Rachel McAdams' upper back as she takes off a garment, and Robert Downey Jr. cuffed to a bed with a pillow covering him in a sensitive area. Considering how most of Guy Ritchie's films are, it was very clean in the language department.

As for violence in the film, there are a bunch of fighting scenes but nothing shocking and gross. The most gore we get to see is shrapnel sticking out of the shoulder of Watson. If there is anything this movie has, it is loads of action.

An excellent website I check because I don't like bad language, sexual sequences, drugs, and content that ruins films for me, is Kids in mind. They explain in full detail what is in the movie for sex& violence, language, and profanity.

and yes, this was the 55th RDJ film I've seen and it is certainly one of his greatest. I rate this film 4.25 out of 5 stars!!

09

Greetings!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday!

Anyway, I think it would be great if you all send us your top lists of 09. It can be movies,books,music,events,etc. Just e-mail me at melissamanfredi@att.net. Writers, you can just post your lists of course :)

Deck The Halls

Happy Holidays everyone!

Iron Man 2 Trailer

There have been a lot of DC Comic reviews on this blog, but in our household we are Marvel fans. . .and more specifically even I am a big time Robert Downey Jr. fan. The combination of Iron Man and RDJ playing Tony Stark is just great. I have all of the Iron Man comics on my computer and read a few of them as a child (thanks to my Marvel loving brothers). Although there are some changes to the story, I can't help but love to watch Iron Man over and over (my husband is just as bad with it which is nice, and even my older son loves it - but he has more of a Spiderman fascination).

Since the start of the filming of Iron Man 2, I have made sure to keep updated with director/actor Jon Favreau's Twitter and all the news articles released. The trailer has come out!! I thought I'd share it. Let me know your thoughts (whether you know the comics or not).

Monster Squad

Now, I don't know how to review this movie without giving tons away, but I will try. Monster Squad is a the story of a young boy, Sean, who is the fearless leader of a club of boys who hang out in a tree and obsess over monsters. Well, it turns out to much of their amazement, monsters aren't just a figment of their imagination. It features all of my favorite classic horror stars such as Dracula, The Creature of the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, Wolfman, and Frankenstein's Monster. There are a lot of surprises that are unusually for these monsters. One is actually very heart warming. You will have to watch the movie to figure it out. Also, this whole thing got started because of a lost copy of Van Helsing's diary. The guy really should have kept a hold on that thing.

Rent Monster Squad on Netflix: click

For Fans Of: The Goonies, The Lost Boys, and Universal Monster Movies

Rated: PG-13 (adult content)

Romeo x Juliet - The Anime

Romeo and Juliet is one of those stories many people are drawn to. It is rare that a story does not have a happy ending. It is a story of infatuation and power and confusion.

The anime however is one I've followed for a while now. Unfortunately after the fansubs came out as the episodes were released from Japan, they asked the US to stop fansubbing and wait for the release of the anime to the States. For once we listened. Finally I am able to finish watching it. Netflix also has it available in two parts (4 disks). I have completed the first 3 disks as of yet. The great part about this version of Romeo and Juliet is that there is more of a plot line developed. There is more of a learning process about their family. There is also more time they get to spend with each other in comparison to Shakespear's quick wedded bliss of knowing one another a day. I don't know if this has a happy ending or a sad ending as we know it, but it still is very interesting. The art on the other hand is beautiful.

Although I have seen far too many anime over the years (please don't say "animes", as "anime" is plural for itself!), over the past few years I have had a hard time liking newer anime. Perhaps it is because I am one of those who speaks fondly of the anime of old, or I've just grown tired of the same old story. For once I wanted to see more than the first few episodes (lately if I watch a disk, I give up and go on to the next anime in hopes that I can enjoy the entire series). If you are into romantic tales and into classic stories retold, I recommend this anime!

Review For GLC #43

Last month's issue of the Green Lantern Corps left quite a few readers miffed. In the final pages of that issue, we saw Kyle Rayner (known by the Corps as The Torch Bearer due to his carrying the Green Lantern mantle alone during the duration of the late 90's and early 2000's prior to Geoff Johns rebooting the franchise in 2005) sacrifice himself defending the planet Oa's Central Power Battery. As it was under attack by a hefty legion of Black Lanterns, he managed to decimate a good majority of them with his final actions. The final page of the issue showed Rayner's ring flying from his finger off into space to a lay over destination. (Typically, when GL's pass, their rings immediately seek out replacement bearers. Due to the events of The Blackest Night and the Green Lantern Corps' inability to train new recruits in the face of war however, all rings from the deceased are being sent to the planet Mogo to hibernate until the crisis is over.)

In the opening pages of issue 43, we find Rayner's current flame Soranik Natu as well as best friend and GLC's very own tough skinned rebel Guy Gardner attempting to retain the ring from flying off to Mogo while simultaneously fending off an oncoming black ring from placing itself onto Kyle's lifeless hand. Natu, a surgeon on her homeworld attempts to revive the deceased while Gardner, already known throughout the Corps for not having the most level head in his earlier days, goes into a grief triggered rage. In the midst of this, Guy becomes unwillingly indoctrinated into the Red Lantern Corps and proceeds to tear apart more Black Lanterns in his rage.

The final scene in the book sees the arrival of a Star Sapphire who initiates one of the hokiest resurrections ever conceived in the history of comics.

While I've been a fan and out spoken supporter of the ongoing Blackest Night saga, I've also been able to admit that there's a high level of absurdity to the entire debacle. We're talking about undead individuals rising up and feeding off of the emotions of their loved ones before physically ripping out their hearts. The premise in itself isn't the most original, but the high end writing courtesy of both Geoff Johns in the main title as well as the GL title and Peter Tomasi in the GLC title has kept this a series to stay excited about. In GLC 43 however, Tomasi fumbles the ball big time.

What should have been a very meaningful death for a seminal character in the DCU pantheon last issue seems like it was nothing more then a cheap plot device to allow Guy Gardner the avenue to defect to another team. While I've enjoyed the color spectrum of the different Lantern Corps over the last several story lines leading up to The Blackest Night, I can't help feeling that I'm seeing something of a Power Rangers syndrome occurring ever so slightly. Even the speculation of a White Lantern showing up within this series to help tie up the resolution smacks of Saban. While I'm positive Johns in his master plan wasn't attempting to ape a Japanese derived children's show, the similarities are too up front and present to ignore. At the least, can I hope to add a Red Lantern Guy Gardner to my toy collection in the near future?

Having Kyle Rayner pass on in the line of duty was noble. His death was reminiscent of Kara Zor El (the Supergirl of Earth One)'s passing in Crisis On Infinite Earths and Connor Kent (Superboy)'s death in Infinite Crisis. Sure, the internet lit up with fans of Rayner outraged - but to be sure, his passing meant something. His return in this issue felt cheap and further emphasized the idea that this was simply a plot device for Gardner's defection. While I as a Kyle fan am quite happy to see he's now amongst the living and won't be joining the Black Lanterns, it would have been nice to leave the pot on the stove to simmer for a bit longer. In a year's time when this story arc is collected into a trade, folks reading it will find it anti-climatic and undercooked in both plot and execution.

While this particular issue isn't enough to spoil my enjoyment of the overall Blackest Night event, it certainly places a sour note into the overall pace and flow of the story. I hope Tomasi spins quite the yarn around Guy Gardner as Red Lantern considering the cheap tactics he's utilized to get the story to this particular plot point. Again with the action figure, DC Direct could just the sculpt of their previous Gardner figure and give it a new paint job to reflect his new (albeit temporary) color alliance. A mediocre story and the potential for a neat toy - I suppose the trade offs justify the means eh?

Issue Grade: C+

Jingle Bell?

From talking to friends it has been become quite apparent Christmas music is never on top of their lists.

Anyway, I am looking for more contributors. So if you know anyone who would be interested, please send them my way. I can understand it will be slow for awhile due to the Holidays.

New Poll!

Here are the results of the last poll:

Have you been to the movies on a holiday?

No	0 (0%)
Yes	1 (33%)
I refuse to	0 (0%)
I plan on it	2 (66%)

Thank you to all that voted!

Our new poll question is "Do you listen to Christmas music?" I think the results would be mixed. I personally enjoy it since I was raised listening to everything from Jingle Bell Rock to modern covers of classic Christmas songs done by rock bands.

The poll is on the right side, so vote away!

Cha Cha Chia

As Seen on TV of the Day: Chia Pets

Website of the Day: As Seen on TV

Almost every Christmas I would get one of those gifts that you see on TV infomercials. The only item I failed to receive was the infamous Chia Pet.

What is a Chia Pet you ask? It is a brown figure made from clay covered in "chia" seeds that you water. They started out as animal shaped figures, but now have a wide variety including Obama.

They have branched out into other plants such as the Chia Herb Garden and the Chia Tree.

If you want more info on these interesting planters, go to their wiki page. They have quite the history.

How Do I Title A Post About A Subject This Awesome!?

2008's Grant Morrison penned Batman R.I.P. arc did alot of folks no favors. For those who preferred their Bats sans the greater DCU and the other caped heroes of that ilk, this story arc's final culmination in DC's then current company crossover Final Crisis was like a shot to the head. Tony Daniel's gorgeous looking but mediocre in written execution Battle For The Cowl followed soon there after placing Gotham in chaos before reluctant former protege and first Robin in line Dick Grayson begrudgingly took over the mantle. Nearly one year later, we see in the pages of Morrison's Batman and Robin monthly that Grayson still hasn't settled into his mentor's boots and ears - second Robin Jason Todd is now behind bars after a second stint as the Red Hood while third Robin Tim Drake has taken on another alias (albeit all too similar in many ways) and has taken to traveling the world in search for Bruce, thoroughly convinced the man still lives. Fourth Robin Stephanie Brown has moved on up and taken the mantle of Batgirl much to the chagrin of the new B & R team. The son of the Bat, Damien Wayne is the current Robin and has taken to playing the bad cop to Grayson's good. Oh yes, and it would appear that they're all currently contending with Black Lanterns masquerading as deceased love ones. The fun never stops.

For many, all of this continuity clutter has proved overwhelming. Many have questioned why the brass at DC have in the wake of last year's mammoth The Dark Knight decided to take such an avant garde approach in their story telling. On paper, it isn't the best idea to remove the man from the cowl on the comics pages after his very presence was what nearly sank the Titanic in box office sales.

For those detractors (of which I am not one. While I understand the apprehension met by many by the recent events in the Bat universe, I'm currently enjoying the ride and look forward to each week's new batch of comic developments), DC has been rolling out a few alternatives. The first was the recently released Batman/Doc Savage one shot featuring the title characters in a 'pulp and powerless' variant of the DCU where super powers simply don't exist. I take personal exception to this due to Batman's use of fire arms. While the excuse has been that his dependence on them is a harkening back to his more noir days in the pages of late 30's and early 40's comics, I argue that he only used them then because he was a brand new character who hadn't been fully defined yet. 70 years later, Batman upholds a very staunch moral code - amongst his short list of blacks and whites, killing is at the top and resides on the 'Bad, Tsk Tsk' side.

In the coming year, DC is putting together a set of graphic novels featuring Bats completely revamped - yet another Year One scenario. I was initially apprehensive of this as it reeked of 'been there, done that' until I saw one particular detail...

friggin' GEOFF JOHNS is at the writer's helm!

The man behind the current 4th volume run of Green Lantern (my absolute favorite ongoing title which after 46 issues, is still fresher then an overzealous Frenchmen's loaf of piping hot bread) who brought Hal Jordan back in GL Rebirth - the guy who is currently retooling Barry Allen in this year's very hot (but often delayed) Flash rebirth - the guy who is actually bringing the JSA to the Smallville screen in the coming months - the man who is the architect behind this year's brilliant Blackest Night. The man who can for all intents and purposes in my book atleast, do absolutely nothing wrong.

See here's the thing about Johns, when he crafts a story, he approaches it like a clock maker. The Blackest Night for example, was forecasted back in 2004 when he retooled the Green Lantern franchise. There have been easter eggs in both the Green Lantern run as well as the accompanying Green Lantern Corps.

After Flash Rebirth, he'll be at the helm of the Flash's new ongoing.

...and this guy, THIS guy - he's writing a set of graphic novels on Batman.

Batman.

Batman.

Batman.

Yes, my inner fanboy is squealing like your big sister back in 87' at that NKOTB concert.

2,010 is gonna be good!

TGIF

Memories of the Day: TGIF

Website of the Day: ABC

Anytime I think of television from the 90s, I always think of TGIF. TGIF was a block of Friday night shows on ABC. I am aware that it started in late 80s, but when I was old enough to stay up late to watch tv, it was a whole new gang of shows. The one show that sticks to most people's minds would be Family Matters. It must be hard to forget the annoying voice of the unforgettable character, Urkle. Also, there was Step by Step. It was sort of an updated Brady Bunch. My favorite would always have to be Boy Meets World. It had the goofy teen stuff we all can relate to. Later on, shows changed a bit and we got Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Sabrina's cat, Salem, is totally a talking version of my oldest cat. There was also a show that didn't last too long, Teen Angel. It was about a guy who ate a bad hamburger and came back as an angel to hang out with his best friend.

Let me know if you have any TGIF memories :)

A Monster In Every Generation...

We aren't talking about the re-invention of the wheel. As far as electro divas go, Lady Gaga is only the latest in a vast line known for contributing both good and bad marks to the pop cultural landscape.

Invariably, I tend to measure my pop stars up to a few litmus tests. Should they match up to each one with atleast one or two flying colours, then I add them to my shortlist of catchy obsessions.

A few examples of what I consider TRULY great examples of electro pop goodness: 1977's collaboration between dance floor goddess Donna Summer and Moog progeny Giorgio Morodor. The result? The sprawling 20+ minute epic 'I Feel Love', a cavalcade of spaced out synth sweeps, robotic beats and cooing vocals courtesy of Ms. Summer.

Another barometer: the self titled album by one Madonna Louisse Ciccone. See here's the thing about Madonna, here career has been largely hit and miss (the Evita soundtrack comes to mind for marks to place in the "Bad! Shame On You!" column. Her most recent Hard Candy was a large miscalculation and suffered from too many cooks in the kitchen with multiple producers and enough varying sounds to make it sound like a badly composed composition then a cohesive record), but when she's on, she's fabulous (her Confessions On The Dance Floor two years back met derision by many for its heavily robotic sound, and I'll confess that maybe the Morodor influence is what had me sold, but what a solid record!). That first record though? Near perfect. Half of the bloody thing ended up as singles - count them, 'Holiday', 'Lucky Star', 'Burnin' Up', 'Borderline', 'Everybody' - we're talking a MASSIVE record.

One last barometer: Kylie Minogue's 2002 released single 'Love At First Sight' single. Put simply, it did for me what 'I Feel Love' and Kraftwerk's 'Trans Europe Express' did for everyone in '77. For a 17 year old kid coming out of punk rock and a listening palate that demanded everything be loud and fast, Minogue reminded me why New Order were still my favorite band ever despite their lack of testosterone ridden aggression and why electronic music lived up to the promise Brian Eno bestowed upon it when he proclaimed it the future of music.

So where does this put Lady Gaga? While I admit a bit of envy at her success and age (being only a year younger then myself), her Fame album is undeniably brilliant. With a pair of missteps (the generic Paper Gangster and the filler ballad Brown Eyes), the album still sports a 13 strong set of songs that come one after the other like bullets out of a glitter drenched machine gun. Sure 'Just Dance', 'Love Game' and 'Poker Face' are rad songs and were heard pouring out of every rolled down window up and down every city street, but the rest of the record? 'Summer Boy' cops Blondie with the best of them while the record's self titled track has such a massive sound that every other pop song released this year sounds positively underwhelming in comparison.

With her recently released 8 song Fame Monster, Gaga steps things up in many ways by slowing them down. 'Speechless' pays homage to the Queen reference in her name while 'Alejandro' and 'Bad Romance' are more four to the floor dance tracks in the vein of the album's predecessor's singles.

In all likelihood, with all of the hyperbole removed, we truly are looking at our generation's defining pop star. Our older siblings had Madonna and we have Gaga. What sets her apart? We're talking avant garde dance troupes, absolutely mind blowing outfits (not the scantily composed stuff, but the orbs, the lighting panels, all of it colliding in a collage of Dadaist fashion brilliance). To say that Lady Gaga is staging a massive pop cultural coup is an understatement. Detractors say the masses are brain washed - truth is this, they're wrong. Our generation finally has a pop star on a mass scale with actual creative chops and none of the mindless manufactured bunk and bile that has afflicted the past pop messiahs whose prophecies have ultimately amounted to nothing.

In Gaga we trust...

In Defense of The Remake...

We have quite the toss up here:

On one hand, Wes Craven is against the rebooting of the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise. This is also the man who subjected film audiences to the Scream franchise. Truth: What this man has to say is completely irrelevant. He certainly can't argue the finer points of cinematic integrity when he green lit that lot of bunk.

On the other hand, we have Robert Englund completely in support of not only the film's reboot, but also his own replacement, the quite stunning Jackie Earl Haley. A quick look at Haley's resume shows him in the driver's seat as one of the leads in last year's breath taking opus Watchmen as the film's narrator and chief anti-hero Rorschach. Rubbish alternative ending aside, Haley translated his character perfectly from the comics and his demise at the hands of Dr. Manhatten at the film's end was poignant and tragic and all too human as his flame was extinguished in the name of preserving integrity and truth.

Rumors abound quite loudly as of late that he'll be starring in another DC property as arch villain/Hal Jordan's former mentor/former Korugarian borne Sinestro in the budding franchise Green Lantern.

All said, there are reputable detractors and supporters on both sides. What can break this movie however, is the involvement of Michael Bay, the architect behind the abysmal Transformers franchise - will this be another bummer like the rebooted Texas Chainsaw film several years back? Or will it languish in relative obscurity like its sibling franchise Friday The 13th which saw a relatively underwhelming reboot this past year?

As something of a devotee to the original Elm Street franchise, I'll give this one a shot - judging by the trailer, it would appear Freddy gets a much stronger back story and origin ala Mike Myers in 2007's Halloween reboot (noticing a pattern with the seminal slasher reboots yet?) and resultantly, the film's villain/lead gets a more human albeit still jarring face.

Come April, we'll see how this one washes...

Tim Burton

Artist of the Day: Tim Burton

Website of the Day: Tim Burton Moma Exhibit

My first glimpse into Tim Burton's world was when I had a childhood obsession with his first film, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. At the time I wasn't aware that the film was a Tim Burton film. But looking back at it now, it is quite obvious. He has come a long way from films like Beetlejuice. Oh yes, we must not forget his version of Batman.

It has become impossible to go into a store that sells movie related toys without coming across Jack Skeleton. Now, he has Tragic Toys that are characters from his poetry book,

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories. I would not recommend these as a gift for the child you babysit for.

I am very excited about the Tim Burton exhibit in NYC at Moma. I have many good reviews of it and hope to make a trip there before it closes.