Well since I've been on vacation in wonderful St. Louis Missouri I haven't been able to watch many new releases, but that does not mean I've been sitting around doing nothing. I've seen a few classic films as well as revisited a few of my favorite shows on dads. Let me tell you what I've been watching!
Three Outlaw Samurai (Sanbiki no samurai)- Legendary Japanese director Hideo Gosha's first film about three wayward samurai fighting for the rights of local peasants. A pretty straightforward samurai flick. Although it is beautifully shot, and the fight choreography is pretty amazing. I really enjoyed watching it, and the actors are hard not to like. Tetsuro Tamba portrays one of the coolest samurai I've ever seen. He is a real badass in this movie. Anyone who likes samurai movies or foreign films I say definitely check it out.
Home Movies- Season 1- Well this is one of my favorite shows ever and luckily I'e had some free time so I will be trying to run through all 52 episodes before I head back to school. The first seasons is very noticeable due to its heavy use of retroscripting/improvisation and the infamous squigglevision which for most is difficult to watch. The show is co-created by Loren Bouchard (Dr. Katz and Bob's Burgers) and Brendon Small (Metalocalpyse). Features very nice voice work by Brendon, Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob's Burgers, etc) and Melissa Bardin Galsky (O'Grady). Most people I know either love or HATE this show. Thankfully I love it and can't get enough of its four seasons.
Episode Summaries:
Episode 1- Get Away From My Mom- Brendon has to deal with his soccer coach going out on a date with his mother.
Episode 2- I Don't Do Well In Parent Teacher Conferences- Brendon's mother is nervous about going to a parent teacher conference when she finds out he hasn't been doing his homework.
Episode 3- The Art of the Sucker Punch-After Jason is bullied Brendon challenges the local bully. Brendon tries to film the fight as a documentary. Featuring guest appearance by comedian Emo Phillips as the bully Shannon.
Episode 4- Brendon Gets Rabies- The neighbors cat runs away from Paula and Brendon are housesitting. It gets rabies and has to be put down. Featuring guest voice by Mitch Hedberg.
Episode 5- Yoko- Brendon meets a girl on a camping trick. She begins to distance him from his friends. Things go well until she has a change of heart. Feautring the guest voice by Mitch Hedberg.
Those are the first few I've watched recently but I will definitely getting to more soon.
Well that's about all I've watched recently, been very busy with baseball. Expect more soon and let me know what I should be watching!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
The Dark Knight Rises Review- Chris Baker
Well unfortunately since I am on vacation in St. Louis until Friday I have not yet had the opportunity to see the new Batman. Thankfully my good friend Chris Baker said he'd help Mr. Nice Guy out and write a review himself. Hopefully I'll be posting more news and such from here on out but thank you for your patience and most of all thank you Chris.
Also again our prayers here at Mr. Nice Guy go out to the families and loved ones of those who were injured and lost their lives in Aurora, Colorado. Although this film should be an important film for the summer it never should overshadow a horrific tragedy. As a Virginia Tech student I know all about tragedy and a history of tragedy. God Bless those people as I know everyone's prayers and thoughts are going out to them.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES- CHRIS BAKER
The phrase "epic conclusion" has been tossed around throughout The Dark Knight Rises' 7-month promotion, and speaking as an unbiased, passionate movie-goer, the choice of words were sufficient. From the moment the lights dimmed in the theater and the energetic, ominous score began, I naturally strapped myself in for what was sure to be a great ride.
The film snatches the viewers' attention from the get-go, as the opening scene strikes a sense of fear into the audience as the film's antagonist, Bane, is introduced. Bane, played by Tom Hardy, is absolutely ferocious and could be Batman's greatest opponent yet. He's an incredibly smart, massively figured sociopath on a mission to destruct the city of Gotham. (cue the Bat signal!)
Christian Bale reprises his portrayal as the Caped Crusader. Battered and depressed over the events of the last film, The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne is on hiatus from society, barricading himself from any public attention. When Gotham is threatened by Bane and his accomplices, he realizes that it's time to come out of hiding and put the suit back on, getting back to business. .
As previously stated, Bane is a ruthless mercenary. The villain shouldn't be compared to Heath Ledger's Joker, the more iconic of Nolan's villains, as the two have completely different ideologies and means to accomplishing the task ahead. But don't tread on Bane, for he is ultimately a superior force to be reckoned with. Batman's tribulations are not to be taken lightly, and the trials Bruce confronts and amazing fight scenes between Batman and Bane leave the viewer on the edge of his/her seat, sweating out the anxiety of what may or may not happen to Batman and his beloved Gotham City.
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises recieved a $250,000,000 budget and it seems as if every penny is accounted for in the film. The film is visually stunning, the action sequences are jaw-dropping, and the performances from the cast are applaudable. The Dark Knight Rises includes an all-star cast, including Bale and Hardy of course, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Michael Caine as Alfred, Anne Hathaway as the cat-burglar Selina Kyle, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Officer John Blake, as well as Matthew Modine as Gotham's Deputy Commissioner Foley and a short cameo by the talented Aiden Gillen.
The Dark Knight Rises is now playing at a theater near you, and the soundtrack, put together by the infamous Hans Zimmer, can be found on iTunes.
I rate this movie with an 8 out of 10 stars.
-I would like to take this opportunity to send my deepest and most regrettable sympathy to the victims and families of those lost during the Colorado Movie Theater Massacre, and pray for healing to all those affected by this heinous crime.
Also again our prayers here at Mr. Nice Guy go out to the families and loved ones of those who were injured and lost their lives in Aurora, Colorado. Although this film should be an important film for the summer it never should overshadow a horrific tragedy. As a Virginia Tech student I know all about tragedy and a history of tragedy. God Bless those people as I know everyone's prayers and thoughts are going out to them.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES- CHRIS BAKER
The phrase "epic conclusion" has been tossed around throughout The Dark Knight Rises' 7-month promotion, and speaking as an unbiased, passionate movie-goer, the choice of words were sufficient. From the moment the lights dimmed in the theater and the energetic, ominous score began, I naturally strapped myself in for what was sure to be a great ride.
The film snatches the viewers' attention from the get-go, as the opening scene strikes a sense of fear into the audience as the film's antagonist, Bane, is introduced. Bane, played by Tom Hardy, is absolutely ferocious and could be Batman's greatest opponent yet. He's an incredibly smart, massively figured sociopath on a mission to destruct the city of Gotham. (cue the Bat signal!)
Christian Bale reprises his portrayal as the Caped Crusader. Battered and depressed over the events of the last film, The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne is on hiatus from society, barricading himself from any public attention. When Gotham is threatened by Bane and his accomplices, he realizes that it's time to come out of hiding and put the suit back on, getting back to business. .
As previously stated, Bane is a ruthless mercenary. The villain shouldn't be compared to Heath Ledger's Joker, the more iconic of Nolan's villains, as the two have completely different ideologies and means to accomplishing the task ahead. But don't tread on Bane, for he is ultimately a superior force to be reckoned with. Batman's tribulations are not to be taken lightly, and the trials Bruce confronts and amazing fight scenes between Batman and Bane leave the viewer on the edge of his/her seat, sweating out the anxiety of what may or may not happen to Batman and his beloved Gotham City.
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises recieved a $250,000,000 budget and it seems as if every penny is accounted for in the film. The film is visually stunning, the action sequences are jaw-dropping, and the performances from the cast are applaudable. The Dark Knight Rises includes an all-star cast, including Bale and Hardy of course, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Michael Caine as Alfred, Anne Hathaway as the cat-burglar Selina Kyle, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Officer John Blake, as well as Matthew Modine as Gotham's Deputy Commissioner Foley and a short cameo by the talented Aiden Gillen.
The Dark Knight Rises is now playing at a theater near you, and the soundtrack, put together by the infamous Hans Zimmer, can be found on iTunes.
I rate this movie with an 8 out of 10 stars.
-I would like to take this opportunity to send my deepest and most regrettable sympathy to the victims and families of those lost during the Colorado Movie Theater Massacre, and pray for healing to all those affected by this heinous crime.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Viacom vs DirecTV-The facts
Ok first thing's first. I hate that DirecTV CEO Mike White is explaining to me why DirecTV and Viacom can't get their shit together so I can watch Kenan and Kel, Workaholics, and True Life. Frankly I don't give a crap about most of Viacom's channels. What I do give a crap about is Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and some shows on VH1 and MTV (for the most part MTV and VH1 are worthless too). In fact if I had to pick between DirecTV now and Dish Network I'd still take DirecTV. At least I'd still have AMC, home of (arguably) the best basic cable television shows (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Killing, The Walking Dead, and Hell on Wheels. To name a few).
Alas I will miss Tosh.0, Workaholics, South Park, and Ugly Americans. I will even miss my late night viewings of True Life on MTV until 6 a.m. I will most importantly miss my classic Nickelodeon shows. "Does Winston love Kenan and Kel?" "I do I do I doooooooooooo!"
Unfortunately in order to get these back several things would have to happen.
1. I would have to switch to Dish Network and lose AMC (bump that shit)
2. DirecTV will agree to Viacom's demands and give them 30% more to carry their channels. Which will most assuredly mean my family's already skyrocketing satellite bill will now be astronomical. (bump that shit)
3. Viacom will backdown and realize it is ridiculous to ask for that type of money when ratings for their channels is at an all time low. (best case scenario will never happen)
4. Viacom will agree with Mike White that subscribers should have the option to pay individually for each channel they want. (Bump that shit again)
4. Finally what will invariably happen is they meet somewhere in the middle we get the same channels back we always had and will be paying more per month. (In essence the best way this can be described is to take a phrase from the new film Savages, "They would be feeding us their shit and calling it caviar")
In all fairness to Viacom they probably aren't getting as much money as other channels, but it is hard to argue that they should be making more money when their ratings across the board are so low. It just seems desperate.
But DirecTV will stand firm until they start getting complaints about consumers wanting to drop their subscription. Because why should DirecTV give Viacom any money if no one is unsubscribing? If anything Viacom will be clamoring to get back on DirecTV if no one decides to back them. Especially since DirecTV is one of the leaders in paid television with almost 20 million subscribers. So it is really up to us to decide. Do you want your television bill to go up $30 dollars a month or basically $360 dollars a year, or do you wait it out and hope Mike White and DirecTV lives up to their promise and makes Viacom come back with it's tail wagging between its legs?
Like everything else the bottom line is what matters here. It all comes down to who loses the most money first. Viacom with the lack of advertisers due to the fact it's losing 20 million subscribing families or DirecTV with people leaving for other paid television services to get their Viacom fix. It really is up to us. Viewers decide. I for one am sticking with DirecTV. We have had it ever since they bought out Primestar satellite. Hopefully Mike White can make good of his promise to I've me the channels I want for a reasonable and fair price. If not. Well then it might be time for a change of scenery for this couch potato.
Let me know what side you take! Give me your impressions of this dispute! Message me here, on Facebook, e-mail @mrniceguyreview@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @mrniceguyreview. I want to know what you guys have to say.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Blast From the Past- Adult Swim Edition
In this edition of Blast from the Past I am bringing to you the top ten cancelled or finishes shows from Adult Swim. This list is not a definitive top ten list as several of their best shows (Venture Brothers, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Squidbillies, Etc.) Have not yet finished their original run. This is just a list for people who may want to go back and see where Adult Swim came from, and perhaps jump into a classic show and give it a look.
Monday, July 9, 2012
DON'T FORGET FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @mrniceguyreview I try to respond to all questions and posts there!
America's Pasttime-Ranking the Top Ten Baseball Movies of All Time
Baseball is my favorite sport. There's just something special about it and so in honor of All-Star Weekend I am going to list in my opinion the 10 best Baseball Films of all time.
Tom Cruise Pays Dividends.
Although it looks like Tom Cruises latest foray into film "Rock of Ages" will lose money and be a bust Tom Cruise was still the highest paid actor over the last year. With Cruise's films seemingly being not as good as they used to be it could lead people to wonder why studios keep throwing money at Tom Cruise.
Wel let's break it down for a minute. In the 36 films Wikipedia says Cruise has been in (not counting the two films he has narrated) only three of these films have not made a profit. Those films are "Rock of Ages", 1983's "Losin It", and 1985's "Legend. Let's be honest other than "Rock of Ages" how many of those films have you really seen or even heard of. Exactly zero.
It would be unfair to give Cruise credit for films he just made cameo or small appearances or the films that he made in the past because his past is not what is in dispute. It is his current star power so let's look at Cruise's films since 2000.
Cruise has had a significant or starring role in 13 films since 2000. Those films in total have grossed an impressive $4,221,400,000 against a combined budget of $1,382,000,000 which presents itself as a pure profit of $2,839,400,000 or $218,415,385 pure profit per film. These numbers exclude home video sales.
So what have we learned here. Basically that Tom Cruise is still a huge box office draw, even in the 21st century. He has brought in almost $3 billion in profit over the last 12 years. Also during his 31 year career he has only been in 3 films that have not made a profit. That's a 91% success rate over a substantially large body of work.
Although math really does not play a part in all of this and it could be considered a stupid act to even to attempt to economize a stars talent, because all films and budgets are different. It is still interesting to point out that there is indeed a reason Cruise makes the money that he does, and that he is still a box office star to be reckoned with.
Wel let's break it down for a minute. In the 36 films Wikipedia says Cruise has been in (not counting the two films he has narrated) only three of these films have not made a profit. Those films are "Rock of Ages", 1983's "Losin It", and 1985's "Legend. Let's be honest other than "Rock of Ages" how many of those films have you really seen or even heard of. Exactly zero.
It would be unfair to give Cruise credit for films he just made cameo or small appearances or the films that he made in the past because his past is not what is in dispute. It is his current star power so let's look at Cruise's films since 2000.
Cruise has had a significant or starring role in 13 films since 2000. Those films in total have grossed an impressive $4,221,400,000 against a combined budget of $1,382,000,000 which presents itself as a pure profit of $2,839,400,000 or $218,415,385 pure profit per film. These numbers exclude home video sales.
So what have we learned here. Basically that Tom Cruise is still a huge box office draw, even in the 21st century. He has brought in almost $3 billion in profit over the last 12 years. Also during his 31 year career he has only been in 3 films that have not made a profit. That's a 91% success rate over a substantially large body of work.
Although math really does not play a part in all of this and it could be considered a stupid act to even to attempt to economize a stars talent, because all films and budgets are different. It is still interesting to point out that there is indeed a reason Cruise makes the money that he does, and that he is still a box office star to be reckoned with.
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