Dave and Diane review Tropic Thunder.
Acting: Both Dave and Diane thought the actors were wonderful. Diane remarked that they were so ingrained in their performances that she could barely recognize some of them. Both thought Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise shined, and thought Jay Baruchel played a great support rule. Superb work here!
Directing: Though they are not traditional fans of Ben Stiller's, both Dave and Diane thought he did a wonderful job. Both noted that he was phenomenal as a director, actor and writer, and the project never seemed to loose focus.
Music: Once again, both Dave and Diane were big fans of the music. It highlighted the movie very well, and Dave liked how it truly captured the music of the Vietnam era. This is certainly a soundtrack to own.
Message: There was certainly a bit of controversy over the fact that Ben Stiller portrays a mentally disabled character, and to a lesser degree the fact that Downey Jr. plays an African American. Dave warns those who are sensitive to these issues may want to avoid this movie. However, both Dave and Diane agree that the issue was a bit misconstrued. The main purpose of this movie is to poke fun at Hollywood and actors, and these characters are merely commentary on the ridiculous roles that actors sometimes play.
Plot: Both Dave and Diane thought that the plot was great, and that it did a very good job at poking fun at the actors. Dave especially liked the fact that the movie began with fake trailers, and noted that the film felt both genuine and very over-the top. Diane loved the fact that, even faced with a very real situation, the in-movie actors continued acting.
Overall Grades: Both Dave and Diane gave it a B+, and thought that while it was perhaps a bit rough around the edges, it was a fantastic comedy. However, this ones just for the adults, its certainly a very-R rated movie!
Dave's DVD of the Week: This week, Dave viewed Patton. First, he remarked that it looked beautiful in Blu-ray, and was happy to find it came with a commentary track. This movie is certainly a classic, and George C. Scott gave a brilliant performance. The movie captured the nuances of General Patton's character well, such as his deep love of war, his belief in reincarnation, and his writing of poetry. This movie earns a well-deserved A, and Dave thought it was brilliant. Slight warning, this movie is three hours long (including a musical intermission!), and is probably not for people who don't like war movies.
Notes: Many apologies on the lateness! Let's just say it was Dave's first week back at school, and he had a lot of typing to do (procrastinating on summer assignments is not a good idea kids!). Also, we are aware of the occasional crackling in the audio. It appears that we had some programs running at the time of recording we were not aware of, and it should not happen again!
Until next week, don't procrastinate, and remember to Get Reel! (A goal which we apparently failed at this week ; ). Again, sorry guys!)
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/124366/getreelpodcast-124366-08-31-2008.mp3
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Episode 5 - Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Dave and Diane review Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Voice Acting: Both Dave and Diane thought the acting was quite weak. Aside from Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), the characters were all voiced by new people (who didn't particularly sound like the originals). Diane thought the acting was passionless and Dave thought the characters nicknames were obnoxcious (such as Anakin's "Sky Guy").
Directing: There was little to remark on about Dave Filoni's directing (Dave thought it was about average). Diane was surprised that this was Filoni's first feature film directing position.
Music: Oh...Well, we all forget sometimes, don't we? Show notes exclusive: Dave and Diane liked the music, but didn't think it was as good as the classic Star Wars scores.
Message: Once again, little to note here, other than the classic "good defeats evil" from Star Wars. Nice for the kids, but nothing new.
Animation Style: Dave thought the animation was weak, with poor character animation. However, Dave thought given more time, the movie could have been quite good (in the vein of a cell-shaded video game). Dave noted that it paled in comparison to the realism of a movie like WALL-E, but thought that its unrealistic appearance was fine. Diane essentially agreed, noting that the character's movements were poor and their mouth movements were rather off from their voices.
Plot: Both Dave and Diane thought the plot was okay. It was a simple good vs. evil sort of tale. It was definately geared towards children, and consisted of mainly battle scenes. Dave thought the battle scenes were done very well, and that the story had nice throwbacks for Star Wars fans(such as Commander Cody).
Comparison to Older Star Wars Movies: Only Dave remarked here, as Diane is not a Star Wars fan. Dave believed that this was no where near as epic or mature as the live action movies, and should certainly not be looked at as the seventh Star Wars movie. Rather, Dave thought it should be looked as an enjoyable tangent. He felt that it was a movie for younger children as well.
Overall Grades: Both Dave and Diane gave the movie a C+, as it had many significant flaws. However, both thought it was enjoyable, and thought it was a great movie for the whole family (Dave's brother Alex, who's seven years old, gave it an A+++!)
Dave's DVD of the Week: This week, Dave reviewed the documentary In The Shadow of the Moon, about the Apollo moon landings. Dave thought it was great, and gave it a strong B+. He liked the fact that it was totally told in the words of the surviving astronauts from the moon landings (aside from Neil Armstrong). This was placed in conjunction with beautiful and some even unseen NASA footage. The only issues Dave had with the movie were the fact that it was too short, jumped around too much, focussed to heavily on Apollo 11, and delved for part of the movie into the spiratual aspects for the astronauts, where scientific or political aspects would have been more fitting. This is a must buy for space buffs.
We're still agreeing, and still keeping it reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/123212/getreelpodcast-123212-08-21-2008.mp3
Voice Acting: Both Dave and Diane thought the acting was quite weak. Aside from Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), the characters were all voiced by new people (who didn't particularly sound like the originals). Diane thought the acting was passionless and Dave thought the characters nicknames were obnoxcious (such as Anakin's "Sky Guy").
Directing: There was little to remark on about Dave Filoni's directing (Dave thought it was about average). Diane was surprised that this was Filoni's first feature film directing position.
Music: Oh...Well, we all forget sometimes, don't we? Show notes exclusive: Dave and Diane liked the music, but didn't think it was as good as the classic Star Wars scores.
Message: Once again, little to note here, other than the classic "good defeats evil" from Star Wars. Nice for the kids, but nothing new.
Animation Style: Dave thought the animation was weak, with poor character animation. However, Dave thought given more time, the movie could have been quite good (in the vein of a cell-shaded video game). Dave noted that it paled in comparison to the realism of a movie like WALL-E, but thought that its unrealistic appearance was fine. Diane essentially agreed, noting that the character's movements were poor and their mouth movements were rather off from their voices.
Plot: Both Dave and Diane thought the plot was okay. It was a simple good vs. evil sort of tale. It was definately geared towards children, and consisted of mainly battle scenes. Dave thought the battle scenes were done very well, and that the story had nice throwbacks for Star Wars fans(such as Commander Cody).
Comparison to Older Star Wars Movies: Only Dave remarked here, as Diane is not a Star Wars fan. Dave believed that this was no where near as epic or mature as the live action movies, and should certainly not be looked at as the seventh Star Wars movie. Rather, Dave thought it should be looked as an enjoyable tangent. He felt that it was a movie for younger children as well.
Overall Grades: Both Dave and Diane gave the movie a C+, as it had many significant flaws. However, both thought it was enjoyable, and thought it was a great movie for the whole family (Dave's brother Alex, who's seven years old, gave it an A+++!)
Dave's DVD of the Week: This week, Dave reviewed the documentary In The Shadow of the Moon, about the Apollo moon landings. Dave thought it was great, and gave it a strong B+. He liked the fact that it was totally told in the words of the surviving astronauts from the moon landings (aside from Neil Armstrong). This was placed in conjunction with beautiful and some even unseen NASA footage. The only issues Dave had with the movie were the fact that it was too short, jumped around too much, focussed to heavily on Apollo 11, and delved for part of the movie into the spiratual aspects for the astronauts, where scientific or political aspects would have been more fitting. This is a must buy for space buffs.
We're still agreeing, and still keeping it reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/123212/getreelpodcast-123212-08-21-2008.mp3
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Episode 4 - Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Dave and Diane review The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Acting: Dave and Diane both agreed here. Each heavily disliked the acting here, with the exception of Blake Lively, who played Bridget (who they thought gave a decent performance). They cited simple dialouge and the girls acting like "airheads".
Directing: This movie was directed by Sanaa Hamri. Dave and Diane had little to say, as they had not previously heard of this director. However, they did remark that they felt like the shooting in exotic locales (such as Turkey) was done simply for the sake of good shots.
Music: Diane was a big fan of the music, especially liking the contribution by musician Eric Hutchinson. Dave, on the other hand, quite disliked the music. He thought that it did not compliment scenes well, and said it did not move him.
Message: Both Dave and Diane had major gripes here. The outward messages were ones of friendship and forgiveness, which Dave found too gooey. However, Dave and Diane thought the movie should have promoted education a bit more, rather than the relationship and pregnancy issues that the movie puts in an overly positive light. This complaint stems from the fact that the movie is targetted at, and features, young women.
Plot: Again, Dave and Diane found great fault with the plot. The only story of the four girls that they felt had substance was Bridget's. Diane thought the relationship aspects were done poorly, while Dave said that it was like watching four stories, three of which were terrible.
Overall Grade: Diane gave the movie a D, and Dave gave the movie a D-. Both thought that this film should be totally skipped.
Additional Notes: Both Dave and Diane thought that this film did a poor job of explaining the events of the previous film, which neither saw. Dave also thought that the fact that the story revolves around a pair of "magical" jeans that fit anybody was a bit dumb.
Dave's DVD of the Week: This week, Diane reviews Nim's Island. Diane liked the film a great deal, and thought it was very cute (it incorporates dancing animals!). She thought it was great for children, and liked the plot and theme. She gave the movie an A-, and strongly suggested it to those with children.
Agreeing is fun, isn't it? Until next time, Get Reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/122273/getreelpodcast-122273-08-14-2008.mp3
Acting: Dave and Diane both agreed here. Each heavily disliked the acting here, with the exception of Blake Lively, who played Bridget (who they thought gave a decent performance). They cited simple dialouge and the girls acting like "airheads".
Directing: This movie was directed by Sanaa Hamri. Dave and Diane had little to say, as they had not previously heard of this director. However, they did remark that they felt like the shooting in exotic locales (such as Turkey) was done simply for the sake of good shots.
Music: Diane was a big fan of the music, especially liking the contribution by musician Eric Hutchinson. Dave, on the other hand, quite disliked the music. He thought that it did not compliment scenes well, and said it did not move him.
Message: Both Dave and Diane had major gripes here. The outward messages were ones of friendship and forgiveness, which Dave found too gooey. However, Dave and Diane thought the movie should have promoted education a bit more, rather than the relationship and pregnancy issues that the movie puts in an overly positive light. This complaint stems from the fact that the movie is targetted at, and features, young women.
Plot: Again, Dave and Diane found great fault with the plot. The only story of the four girls that they felt had substance was Bridget's. Diane thought the relationship aspects were done poorly, while Dave said that it was like watching four stories, three of which were terrible.
Overall Grade: Diane gave the movie a D, and Dave gave the movie a D-. Both thought that this film should be totally skipped.
Additional Notes: Both Dave and Diane thought that this film did a poor job of explaining the events of the previous film, which neither saw. Dave also thought that the fact that the story revolves around a pair of "magical" jeans that fit anybody was a bit dumb.
Dave's DVD of the Week: This week, Diane reviews Nim's Island. Diane liked the film a great deal, and thought it was very cute (it incorporates dancing animals!). She thought it was great for children, and liked the plot and theme. She gave the movie an A-, and strongly suggested it to those with children.
Agreeing is fun, isn't it? Until next time, Get Reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/122273/getreelpodcast-122273-08-14-2008.mp3
Monday, August 11, 2008
Episode 3 - Step Brothers
Dave and Diane review Step Brothers.
Acting: Dave was disappointed by the cast, which he believed was decent but gave poor performances. He cited Will Ferrel, whom he thought was excellent in Stranger than Fiction. Diane, however, thought the acting was decent, and said that Ferrel and John C. Reilly had good chemistry.
Directing: Once again, Dave was disappointed by both director Adam Mckay, who directed Anchorman, and producer Judd Apatow, who produced The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up.
Diane, on the other hand, thought they did a good job.
Music: Both Dave and Diane liked the music, which Dave said was rather charming.
Message: Dave did not like the fact that two lazy 40 year-olds are idolized in this movie. Diane, However, did not see this as an issue, and thought Dave was taking this too seriously.
Plot: Dave did not like the plot. He said that it did not move anywhere interesting, and also pointed out that he felt the majority of the jokes were misfires, merely relying on profanity for shock value.Diane disagreed, and thought the plot was fine for this movie. She said that the jokes were juvenile, but quite liked the humor.
Comparison to older Will Ferrel movies: Dave and Diane were both Will Ferrel fans. Dave thought that Step Brothers was poor compared to his earlier work. Both he and Diane rated the notable ones as such: Anchorman, Stranger than Fiction, Talledega Nights, Blades of Glory, Step Brothers, Semi-Pro, and Kicking and Screaming (best to worst). However, Diane thought Step Brothers was alot better than Semi-Pro, while Dave didn't.
Overall Grade: Dave gave the movie a D+, noting thatonly the most diehard Ferrel and Reilly fans should check it out. Diane gave it a B-, and thought that many people could find humor in it.
Dave's DVD of the Week: This week, Dave reviewed Batman: Gotham Knight. This was comprised of six short Batman anime films. Dave doesn't like anime, but thought each had a unique look and plot (as each is from a different dirrector), which was interesting for him. He gave the film a B+, as it was a bit short, but the overall package an A, as it had some great special features. He encouraged a rent, or perhaps even a buy.
Until next time, remember to: Get Reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/121964/getreelpodcast-121964-08-11-2008.mp3
Acting: Dave was disappointed by the cast, which he believed was decent but gave poor performances. He cited Will Ferrel, whom he thought was excellent in Stranger than Fiction. Diane, however, thought the acting was decent, and said that Ferrel and John C. Reilly had good chemistry.
Directing: Once again, Dave was disappointed by both director Adam Mckay, who directed Anchorman, and producer Judd Apatow, who produced The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up.
Diane, on the other hand, thought they did a good job.
Music: Both Dave and Diane liked the music, which Dave said was rather charming.
Message: Dave did not like the fact that two lazy 40 year-olds are idolized in this movie. Diane, However, did not see this as an issue, and thought Dave was taking this too seriously.
Plot: Dave did not like the plot. He said that it did not move anywhere interesting, and also pointed out that he felt the majority of the jokes were misfires, merely relying on profanity for shock value.Diane disagreed, and thought the plot was fine for this movie. She said that the jokes were juvenile, but quite liked the humor.
Comparison to older Will Ferrel movies: Dave and Diane were both Will Ferrel fans. Dave thought that Step Brothers was poor compared to his earlier work. Both he and Diane rated the notable ones as such: Anchorman, Stranger than Fiction, Talledega Nights, Blades of Glory, Step Brothers, Semi-Pro, and Kicking and Screaming (best to worst). However, Diane thought Step Brothers was alot better than Semi-Pro, while Dave didn't.
Overall Grade: Dave gave the movie a D+, noting thatonly the most diehard Ferrel and Reilly fans should check it out. Diane gave it a B-, and thought that many people could find humor in it.
Dave's DVD of the Week: This week, Dave reviewed Batman: Gotham Knight. This was comprised of six short Batman anime films. Dave doesn't like anime, but thought each had a unique look and plot (as each is from a different dirrector), which was interesting for him. He gave the film a B+, as it was a bit short, but the overall package an A, as it had some great special features. He encouraged a rent, or perhaps even a buy.
Until next time, remember to: Get Reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/121964/getreelpodcast-121964-08-11-2008.mp3
Monday, August 4, 2008
Episode 2 - X-Files: I Want to Believe
Dave and Diane review X-Files: I want to believe.
Acting: Dave thought the acting was decent, though he did not like Xzibit's performance and thought that Mulder and Scully's relationship was a bit weak. He also thought we should have seen more of Mitch Pileggi's character (Agent Skinner). Diane thought the acting was weak, citing the fact that she did not feel Xzibit or Amanda Peet acted like FBI agents.
Directing: Dave liked how Chris Carter shot the movie, saying that it felt like an X-Files episode on a grander scale, but did not some of the plot decisions Carter made. Diane liked the directing as well, noting that she felt subtle undertones of horror movies and Catholocism.
Music: Diane liked the music alot, and noted that it worked well and was passionate, while Dave wished that they had used music similar to that in the show.
Message: Dave found the message in the movie to be a bit confused, with several conflicting ideas, but in general liked the fact that the movie gave breathing room for you to decide what you wanted to believe, even in regards to the veracity of the supernatural claims. Diane agreed, but stated that she did not like the fact that vehicle used to convey the message was a pedophile priest.
Plot: Diane liked the plot, noting that it was able to keep her entertained. Dave thought it took some interesting turns, but overall did not like it. He believed it felt like standard fare for a thriller or CSI episode, not the X-Files.
Comparison to the TV series: Dave (being a huge fan of the show) was dissapointed by the movie. He believed that, in comparison to the show, it had lost some of its "magic". He belived that Carter should have made the movie based on the UFO subplot towards the end of the series.
Overall Grades: Diane gave the movie a C-, noting that people should simply skip this movie. Dave gave the movie a C+, and felt that fans of the series might want to check it out.
Until next time, remember to: Get Reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/120835/getreelpodcast-120835-08-04-2008.mp3
Acting: Dave thought the acting was decent, though he did not like Xzibit's performance and thought that Mulder and Scully's relationship was a bit weak. He also thought we should have seen more of Mitch Pileggi's character (Agent Skinner). Diane thought the acting was weak, citing the fact that she did not feel Xzibit or Amanda Peet acted like FBI agents.
Directing: Dave liked how Chris Carter shot the movie, saying that it felt like an X-Files episode on a grander scale, but did not some of the plot decisions Carter made. Diane liked the directing as well, noting that she felt subtle undertones of horror movies and Catholocism.
Music: Diane liked the music alot, and noted that it worked well and was passionate, while Dave wished that they had used music similar to that in the show.
Message: Dave found the message in the movie to be a bit confused, with several conflicting ideas, but in general liked the fact that the movie gave breathing room for you to decide what you wanted to believe, even in regards to the veracity of the supernatural claims. Diane agreed, but stated that she did not like the fact that vehicle used to convey the message was a pedophile priest.
Plot: Diane liked the plot, noting that it was able to keep her entertained. Dave thought it took some interesting turns, but overall did not like it. He believed it felt like standard fare for a thriller or CSI episode, not the X-Files.
Comparison to the TV series: Dave (being a huge fan of the show) was dissapointed by the movie. He believed that, in comparison to the show, it had lost some of its "magic". He belived that Carter should have made the movie based on the UFO subplot towards the end of the series.
Overall Grades: Diane gave the movie a C-, noting that people should simply skip this movie. Dave gave the movie a C+, and felt that fans of the series might want to check it out.
Until next time, remember to: Get Reel!
The music for this episode was provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check them out here: http://music.podshow.com.
http://m.podshow.com/media/19061/episodes/120835/getreelpodcast-120835-08-04-2008.mp3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)