Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Movies, movies, movies...
So the wife's away and I'm trying to squeeze in watching a view movies. Thanks to some friends I rented Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Sideways, and Shaun of the Dead. Last night I watched Anchorman.
This and Elf are the only Ferrell movies I have seen. I enjoyed him in SNL and Elf was very funny (more in a big bunch of smiles way, than a rolling around on the floor way). This movie had some laughs for me and more than a few smiles so I'll say as a comedy it was effective, though not as funny as I'd thought it would be.
Christina Applegate was great in this. She was gorgeous and very believable. By the last I mean that Ms. Corningstone wasn't quite the caricature that the other characters were and she was in that regards a breath of fresh air.
My favorite character was probably weather man Brick Tamland played by Steve Carell. He's slated to play Maxwell Smart in the Get Smart remake (I'd go off on remakes here but I'm taking several deep breaths). He also plays in Office. He plays "clueless" really well and should be good as Max. Brick had some of the best moments in the film "Love lamp." being one of my favorites and a deleted scene where he gets his hands on the mike.
My favorite scene in the movie was the fight between the various news factions. Caricatures were flying thick and fast.
I suppose my biggest problem with this movie and perhaps why I didn't enjoy it as much would be that it's a bit like a Weird Al song only it lasts for over 90 minutes. It's a great premise and I understand that most of the characters are incredibly shallow by design, but it doesn't have the same "fun quotient" as say Airplane. It's not really mean-spirited which was a nice surprise, but it felt really...heavy. And some of the jokes (particularly the teleprompter gag) were reaaaallly telegraphed.
I really did enjoy the film a great deal and there were moments of brilliance. The snipes back and forth between Burgundy and Corningstone as the credits rolled on their news show was fantastic. The bits that they gave Fred Willard (who played station manager Ed Harken) regarding his kids was most humorous. Those and the aforementioned gang fight pulled this out of suffering the same fate as most SNL flicks. What also helped was the fact that Ron wasn't a complete black hole personality-wise. Ferrell managed to give him some humanity and genuine vulnerability (as he did with Buddy) that kept him from being entirely two dimensional.
So taking the good with the bad I would say that this gets a solid 7.5/10. Glad I saw it, probably wouldn't watch it again unless I was with a group of guys and beer was involved. ¶
8:27 AM
So the wife's away and I'm trying to squeeze in watching a view movies. Thanks to some friends I rented Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Sideways, and Shaun of the Dead. Last night I watched Anchorman.
This and Elf are the only Ferrell movies I have seen. I enjoyed him in SNL and Elf was very funny (more in a big bunch of smiles way, than a rolling around on the floor way). This movie had some laughs for me and more than a few smiles so I'll say as a comedy it was effective, though not as funny as I'd thought it would be.
Christina Applegate was great in this. She was gorgeous and very believable. By the last I mean that Ms. Corningstone wasn't quite the caricature that the other characters were and she was in that regards a breath of fresh air.
My favorite character was probably weather man Brick Tamland played by Steve Carell. He's slated to play Maxwell Smart in the Get Smart remake (I'd go off on remakes here but I'm taking several deep breaths). He also plays in Office. He plays "clueless" really well and should be good as Max. Brick had some of the best moments in the film "Love lamp." being one of my favorites and a deleted scene where he gets his hands on the mike.
My favorite scene in the movie was the fight between the various news factions. Caricatures were flying thick and fast.
I suppose my biggest problem with this movie and perhaps why I didn't enjoy it as much would be that it's a bit like a Weird Al song only it lasts for over 90 minutes. It's a great premise and I understand that most of the characters are incredibly shallow by design, but it doesn't have the same "fun quotient" as say Airplane. It's not really mean-spirited which was a nice surprise, but it felt really...heavy. And some of the jokes (particularly the teleprompter gag) were reaaaallly telegraphed.
I really did enjoy the film a great deal and there were moments of brilliance. The snipes back and forth between Burgundy and Corningstone as the credits rolled on their news show was fantastic. The bits that they gave Fred Willard (who played station manager Ed Harken) regarding his kids was most humorous. Those and the aforementioned gang fight pulled this out of suffering the same fate as most SNL flicks. What also helped was the fact that Ron wasn't a complete black hole personality-wise. Ferrell managed to give him some humanity and genuine vulnerability (as he did with Buddy) that kept him from being entirely two dimensional.
So taking the good with the bad I would say that this gets a solid 7.5/10. Glad I saw it, probably wouldn't watch it again unless I was with a group of guys and beer was involved. ¶
8:27 AM
Comments:
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I think you have to willingly enter the realm of the completely absurd to enjoy this flick fully.
Broseph.
Broseph.
I have a nickname for my penis. Its called The Octagon, but I also nicknamed my testes - my left one is James Westfall and my right one is Doctor Kenneth Noisewater. You ladies play your cards right you just might get to meet the whole gang.
You are correct sir. I was able to skim that realm last night, but not able to enter it fully. Also this was one occasion where some of the deleted scenes were better than some of the included scenes.
This:
Veronica Corningstone: My God, what is that smell? Oh!
Brian Fantana: That's the smell of desire my lady.
Veronica Corningstone: God no, it smells like, like a used diaper... filled with... Indian food! Oh, excuse me.
Brian Fantana: You know, desire smells like that to some people
Garth Holliday: What is that? Smells like a turd covered in burnt hair.
News Station Employee: Smells like Bigfoot's dick!
killed me.
Veronica Corningstone: My God, what is that smell? Oh!
Brian Fantana: That's the smell of desire my lady.
Veronica Corningstone: God no, it smells like, like a used diaper... filled with... Indian food! Oh, excuse me.
Brian Fantana: You know, desire smells like that to some people
Garth Holliday: What is that? Smells like a turd covered in burnt hair.
News Station Employee: Smells like Bigfoot's dick!
killed me.
Okay - the comments were just gross. I feel like I stumbled into the guys' locker room!!
Anyway - nothing could have the fun quotient of Airplane - to the tower! To the tower! Rapunzel Rapunzel!!
Well, except maybe the Princess Bride or The Holy Grail...
Anyway - nothing could have the fun quotient of Airplane - to the tower! To the tower! Rapunzel Rapunzel!!
Well, except maybe the Princess Bride or The Holy Grail...
# posted by 
: 8/23/2005 8:51 PM
: 8/23/2005 8:51 PM
Well we are guys. ;-)
And I agree, Airplane and Princess Bride are certainly more fun. Now Holy Grail is of course also very fun, but is in some ways coarser and more sacreligious than Anchorman. Kind of surprised (pleasantly so) that you enjoy it.
BTW, welcome to you blest. I can use all the comments I can get.
And I agree, Airplane and Princess Bride are certainly more fun. Now Holy Grail is of course also very fun, but is in some ways coarser and more sacreligious than Anchorman. Kind of surprised (pleasantly so) that you enjoy it.
BTW, welcome to you blest. I can use all the comments I can get.
"So, you are checking out the classics I see."
Ah sarcasm. ;-) Well having watched Shaun of the Dead last night I can say that in my mind that could achieve at least cult classic status. But more on that later this am.
Ah sarcasm. ;-) Well having watched Shaun of the Dead last night I can say that in my mind that could achieve at least cult classic status. But more on that later this am.
I know what you mean about Holy Grail... it's one of my fond memories from my non-saved days. I can't tell you how many times a quivering hand has reached towards the dvd at wal-mart and then been slowly drawn back...sigh. I've heard that the Camelot scene is done entirely in Legos in the bonus features. Man I would love to see that. But I can't conscience the blasphemous parts. I could overlook Castle Anthrax. (ooh a spanking! a spanking!) But I can't ignore the cartoon god... I don't have a copy of Airplane anymore either. We try to stick to the rule that if we wouldn't want our kids to see it - then we don't need to see it either. Though we do have copies of Braveheart, Private Ryan, and such.... Goes with the territory of being married to a Marine. :-)
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# posted by : 8/24/2005 9:29 AM
: 8/24/2005 9:29 AM<< Home
