Yes, I watched it.
15 years ago
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Television's Worst Doctors
- Dr. Nick - The Simpsons - "Inflammable means flammable? What a country!"
- Dr. Wordsmith - Arrested Development - "It looks like he's dead ... he's covered in blue paint or something"
- Dr. Stein - Arrested Development - The best doctor in southern California, the state, and the world.
- Dr. Leo Spacemen - 30 Rock - Got his M.D. from the Ho Chi Minh City School of Medicine. I will let Wikipedia describe his best work: A) injects the GE Chairman with a placebo, B) doesn't know where Geiss' heart is "because it's different for everybody", C) can't decide whether to call 411 or 911, and D) calls 411 to get information about "diabetes repair".
- Dr. Zoidberg - Futurama - "I don't trust that doctor. I bet I lost more patients than he has ever treated!"
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Pixar Low-Point
All Pixar films have one common scene where the protagonist hits a low-point and feels all is loss. Often following this there is the hint of hope which progresses the story to the climax and conclusion. I will call this the Obama Moment. This is true for many story arches but the similar emotional resonance of a scene in WALL-E and Finding Nemo coupled with the 90 minutes before I can leave work have motivated me to reminisce on every Pixar film.
Toy Story
Low-Point: Buzz learns he is a toy and cannot fly. Woody fears he will never see Andy again.
Obama Moment: No real Obama moment. Their hope comes a bit later when they meet the deformed toys i.e. baby head on Erector set spider legs that rotates its head Exorcist style.
A Bug's Life
Low-Point: The ant colony learns that David Foley and his army of carnies are frauds.
Obama Moment: Little girl ant shows David Foley she learned the valuable lesson of perseverance which invigorates Foley to return to his original plan of fighting the grasshoppers. Sort of lame because the scene is structured as if Foley made some new realization when all he does is return to do what he was going to do all along. However, of late I have formed a new found respect for Pixar's sophomore effort and have denounced Antz because AVClub told me to.
Toy Story II
Low-Point: I don't remember this too well. It is either Woody fearing he will never see Andy again or some mortality fear.
Monster's Inc.
Low-Point: Crystal and Goodman are banished to the Arctic.
Obama Moment: Either the comedic appearance of the Yetti voiced by universal Pixarian actor John Ratzenberg or more appropriately Goodman learning that there is a closet door in the nearby village giving him hope that he can rescue Boo from Buscemi.
Finding Nemo
Low-Point: Brooks and Degeneres are facing death in the belly of a whale and Brooks accepting his failure to rescue his son/kid from Weeds.
Obama Moment: When Brooks takes a leap of faith and lets go causing him and Degeneres to be evacuated through the whale's blow hole. Arguably Pixar's most poignant moment.
The Incredibles
Low-Point: Lee blows up The Incredibles while The Guy From Coach listens helplessly.
Obama Moment: We learn that The Incredibles survived the crash through a humorous scene where Holly Hunter becomes a parachute. I may have the chronology wrong on this.
Cars
Low-Point: Why?????? Perfect streak then you release this contrived film. But, I guess it is the moment when Owen Wilson is discovered by the media and returns to his old life.
Obama Moment: When all of the Small Town Cars show up at Owen Wilson's big race. (sigh) In Pixar's defense, this is the best possible movie inspired by NASCAR and a Chevron commercial.
Rataouille
Low-Point: When they discover Remi the rat was behind all of the cooking and the staff abandons Protagonist.
Obama Moment: When Remi's family accepts Remi and helps in the kitchen and when Jeane Garofalo returns (worst voice acting in Pixar's history).
WALL-E
Low-Point: WALL-E is fatally damaged and resists EVE's help saying they must follow through with the directive.
Obama Moment: EVE realizes that completing the directive can also save WALL-E.
In other Pixar news, Up looks to be their most mature and depressing film yet (and that is saying something after producing a post-apocalyptic film).
Toy Story
Low-Point: Buzz learns he is a toy and cannot fly. Woody fears he will never see Andy again.
Obama Moment: No real Obama moment. Their hope comes a bit later when they meet the deformed toys i.e. baby head on Erector set spider legs that rotates its head Exorcist style.
A Bug's Life
Low-Point: The ant colony learns that David Foley and his army of carnies are frauds.
Obama Moment: Little girl ant shows David Foley she learned the valuable lesson of perseverance which invigorates Foley to return to his original plan of fighting the grasshoppers. Sort of lame because the scene is structured as if Foley made some new realization when all he does is return to do what he was going to do all along. However, of late I have formed a new found respect for Pixar's sophomore effort and have denounced Antz because AVClub told me to.
Toy Story II
Low-Point: I don't remember this too well. It is either Woody fearing he will never see Andy again or some mortality fear.
Monster's Inc.
Low-Point: Crystal and Goodman are banished to the Arctic.
Obama Moment: Either the comedic appearance of the Yetti voiced by universal Pixarian actor John Ratzenberg or more appropriately Goodman learning that there is a closet door in the nearby village giving him hope that he can rescue Boo from Buscemi.
Finding Nemo
Low-Point: Brooks and Degeneres are facing death in the belly of a whale and Brooks accepting his failure to rescue his son/kid from Weeds.
Obama Moment: When Brooks takes a leap of faith and lets go causing him and Degeneres to be evacuated through the whale's blow hole. Arguably Pixar's most poignant moment.
The Incredibles
Low-Point: Lee blows up The Incredibles while The Guy From Coach listens helplessly.
Obama Moment: We learn that The Incredibles survived the crash through a humorous scene where Holly Hunter becomes a parachute. I may have the chronology wrong on this.
Cars
Low-Point: Why?????? Perfect streak then you release this contrived film. But, I guess it is the moment when Owen Wilson is discovered by the media and returns to his old life.
Obama Moment: When all of the Small Town Cars show up at Owen Wilson's big race. (sigh) In Pixar's defense, this is the best possible movie inspired by NASCAR and a Chevron commercial.
Rataouille
Low-Point: When they discover Remi the rat was behind all of the cooking and the staff abandons Protagonist.
Obama Moment: When Remi's family accepts Remi and helps in the kitchen and when Jeane Garofalo returns (worst voice acting in Pixar's history).
WALL-E
Low-Point: WALL-E is fatally damaged and resists EVE's help saying they must follow through with the directive.
Obama Moment: EVE realizes that completing the directive can also save WALL-E.
In other Pixar news, Up looks to be their most mature and depressing film yet (and that is saying something after producing a post-apocalyptic film).
Fall Movies I am Looking Forward To
AKA What I saw in the EW Fall Movie Preview edition.
Synecdoche, New York - Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut. That alone is more than enough. The definition of synecdoche per Wikipedia is :
- a term denoting a part of something is used to refer to the whole thing, or
- a term denoting a thing (a "whole") is used to refer to part of it, or
- a term denoting a specific class of thing is used to refer to a larger, more general class, or
- a term denoting a general class of thing is used to refer to a smaller, more specific class, or
- a term denoting a material is used to refer to an object composed of that material.
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - errr delayed to 2009. Opps.
- Frost/Nixon - Based on the play, dir. Ron Howard. I won't hold that against it though.
- Burn After Reading - Coen brother's return to Raising Arizona slapstick.
- Australia - Baz Luhrman's first movie since Moulin Rouge! That alone is enough.
- Quantum of Solace - Urgh, dir. Marc Forster of Finding Neverland. Interesting factoid, it is the first Bond movie that is a true sequel.
- Two Clint Eastwood movies, one sounds better than the other.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Arrested Development's Longest Self-Reference
"Afternoon Delight" from season 2 starts out with the Banana Stand being destroyed with "I get you Bluth!" graffiti'ed on the side. Who on the show speaks in such broken English? Annyong! In the series finale, season 3, we learn that Annyong was spying on the Bluth's to seek revenge on Lucille who stole Annyong's father's banana stand idea.
I am astounded that after seeing each episode half-a-dozen times I still pick up new references. Arrested Development is basically The Bible Code. All of life's mysteries are answered on this show if you only look close enough.
I am astounded that after seeing each episode half-a-dozen times I still pick up new references. Arrested Development is basically The Bible Code. All of life's mysteries are answered on this show if you only look close enough.
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